The Lawyer's Office

Hermione crept into the room and grabbed some clothes off her dresser and walked over behind a curtain she had set up. After pulling her pajamas on she walked out and curled under the bed next to Draco.

"Must you insist upon using that curtain. I know what you look like under all those clothes." Draco muttered sleepily into her hair.

"Yes I must. Besides it's different. I have never undressed in front of you." Hermione said yawning. "So what happened at Mr. Grigo's office today?"

Draco sighed and sat up. "Come here. I'll just show you."

Hermione nodded and followed him over to his desk. Opening up a cabinet he pulled out a pensive. Taking his wand he held it to his head an then transferred it to the bowl.

"Go ahead jump in." Draco said kissing Hermione on the lips before she jumped in.

Hermione jumped into the memory and looked around. She saw the memory Draco walking up the steps to her right and followed him. Hermione didn't bother to go silently as she knew that noone could here her. They stopped at a door with gold letter saying "Mr. Grigo's Office; Private Lawyer.

Inside was an oddly clean room with filing cabinets lining the room and a large desk in the middle. A portly man with a partially bald head. He was intent upon his work but looked up when Draco and Hermione stepped into the room.

"Ah, Mr.Malfoy, so good to see you." He greeted smiling, standing up and shaking Draco's hand tightly. "Please sit down." He waved his hand indicating to the chairs in front of his desk.

Draco sat down but did not smile back. "Not today Grigo. You had something to tell me that was so important that you had to take me away from my wife and son on Christmas Day so get to it."

Mr.Grigo's smile faltered momentarily but did not fade completely. "Ah yes how is the misses?"

"Hermione is fine." Draco snapped coldly.
"Please to know it. Now about the will." Mr.Grigo brought a was of papers out from a drawer inside his desk. "I have found out some new information that will disturb you and the misses greatly. You know as well as I do that your father was intent upon keeping the Malfoy line clean of anything he would think to be unpure." Draco nodded for him to continue as he handed over some papers.

"It may take you a while to read though. It took me nearly two months but you're a Malfoy you should be able to do it much easier. Come back to me as soon as you have finished reading." Draco inclined his head slightly and stood up.

Hermione was quick on his heels and followed him out the door, down the steps, and out into the street. They walked for nearly half an hour until Draco entered a quaint little café. He sat in a seat and Hermione carefully pulled out a chair slowly so he wouldn't notice and sat down in it. It was unfortunately very boring and they sat there for nearly three hours.

After Hermione had begun nodding off for what seemed like the millionth time Draco pushed back his chair. She was surprised to see his face much paler than usual. He practically ran out the door and down the street. Hermione had to run to keep up with him at all. He ran up the steps of the lawyer's office building and into Mr.Grigo's office.

"You could have given me some kind of a warning." Draco bellowed not bothering to shut the door.

"You didn't ask for one." Mr.Grigo shrugged. "You have two options in this, you know."

"I'm well aware of that." Draco snarled sitting down and putting his head in his head. "But they both are terrible choices. I can't choose very easily."

Mr.Grigo frowned and his brow furrowed. "I thought this would be easy for you to choose."

"Why?"

"Because you love them both more than the world." Mr.Grigo said quietly.

"I do love Hermione and Caleb " Draco exclaimed looking up. "But without the estate I can't support them."

"But without them you have nothing to support." The older man spoke in a wise voice, that reminded him oddly of Dumbledore.

"If I tell her I want the estate she'll leave and take Caleb. She won't look back either." Draco looked on the verge of crying as that thought went through his head and he buried his head in his hands again.

"Your right she will leave you but she will look back eventually. She loves you Mr.Malfoy she really does." Mr. Grigo tried to console him but Draco didn't seemed to be consoled.
Instead he looked at his watch and his eyes grew wide. "Shit, I'm late." He muttered to himself.

"Good luck Mr.Malfoy." He said as Draco tore out of the room as if he were on fire.

Hermione didn't follow and tried to look at the papers but they were taken from sight too quickly. Frowning she thought about it and there was one answer but if were right then he should have no problem deciding what he wanted. A hand fell upon her shoulder and she covered her hand with it. A sudden lifting sensation came through her and she was soon back in her bedroom with Draco who looked miserable.

Hermione kissed his lips as they sat down on the bed and Draco wrapped his arms around her. "Draco, what was in the will?"

Draco looked into her eyes and pushed a piece of hair out of her eyes. "My father made sure I could never have a baby with anybody less than pureblood." He took a deep breath. "If we were to have a baby the entire Malfoy fortune would disappear until a 'proper' heir is born."

Hermione stared at him in shock with a blank face. "And this is a hard decision for you?"

"Well sort of... I mean if I lose the fortune I'd have no way to support you or Caleb or any children we may have." Draco stuttered looking away from her gaze. "But if I decide to keep the fortune I'd lose you and Caleb and have no one to share it with."

"And this is hard to choose?"

"Don't be like that 'Mione. It would be hard for you, too." He practically pleaded.

"Yes I suppose it would be difficult to choose between my family and my money." Hermione said dryly, turning around and crawling to her side of the bed.

"Please don't do this 'Mione." Draco begged her.

"I'm going to bed." She snapped, moving under the covers.

Draco sighed loudly and tore off his shirt and pants. He pulled on his black sweat pants and curled up next to her under the blankets. Hermione shook his arm away and scooted farther away from Draco. Draco scowled and turned his back to her as well.

Around midnight Hermione sat up in bed and looked at Draco for a while to make sure he was fast asleep. Once she was sure he was she slid out of the bed and tip-toed out of the room and down the hall. She walked up some steps and into the library where she had spent most of her free time.

It was now much different from when she had first stepped into it, four years ago. Instead of a deep foreboding sense it was cheerful and even had a small corner made comfortable for Caleb to lie around and look at pictures. The books were no longer full of Dark Magic and evil but instead useful books on magic. She ignored everything and made her way to her favorite place to sit, read, and think, the window sill. Curling up on it she gazed out the window. The ground was covered with a good two feet of snow and looked beautiful in the moonlight.

Beautiful, serene, and happy. Everything she didn't feel. It was as if the snow felt like mocking her...it was mocking her. Just as Draco seemed to be doing at the moment. How could he even hesitate to choose between her and his money It didn't make much sense to Hermione but she felt her heart break in two as a few tears rolled down her cheeks. Did he not think her beautiful enough to be the mother of his children? It might not be his fault as to what was in the will but he was having such trouble deciding that it made Hermione doubt herself and his love.

Tears were flowing fast and thick down her cheeks in silent sobs. Finally pulling herself together she wiped her face and made her way back to the bedroom. With a confident deep breath she made her way back in and slipped under the covers without waking him.

Her mind was decided. If he wasn't going to love her with all his heart then she didn't have to do the same.