Recap:

"Having fun, daddy?" she asked, her undertone only evident to herself and Draco. "Issa, sweety, what do you say we make treacle fudge for dessert later?"

Farsiris's squeal of joy was just the answer she'd wanted.


Chapter 4: Spy

Hermione walked leisurely down the long expansive corridor, taking her time on the way to the bathroom. They'd only just finished dinner and Farsiris was having the best time making fudge with her father, who Hermione had left precise directions with, whispering to Farsiris not to let him use magic. And she was having fun too, a lot more than she thought she would with Draco in the same room. Of course she hardly paid him mind, but just the idea of him being there had set her off from the beginning. Now it didn't seem like such a chore if she had to babysit Farsiris again. She was an absolute pleasure, contradicting her last name. Farsiris Malfoy, the sweetest girl on the planet.

She turned right at the end of the hall and then ducked directly into the first door on the left. What she didn't realize, however, until she was already in the room, was that she'd taken the second door, completely missing the first because the flambeau outside it had gone out. The room she was in she'd never seen before. It was very small by comparison to the rest of the manor, and only held a simple chair and an armoire that was emanating a strange blue light. Hermione wasn't usually the nosey type, but this was Malfoy's house, and whatever he was hiding in there couldn't be good.

"A Pensieve?" she whispered, having never seen one before, but read about them somewhere. That, and Harry had told her and Ron all about Dumbledore's.

She turned to leave, her conscience getting the better of her, when something stopped her. This was her chance to see what everyone was talking about, the side to Draco that she couldn't see. What better way than through memories? Surely there were memories with his daughter in there.

"Only one," she said, leaning over the basin. "Then I'll go right back."

Hermione felt a pull just after her wand had touched the murky surface of the basin. She was jerked forward, just he way Harry had described, and then fell head first for what seemed like eons. The wind pierced her ears as she rushed past blackness immeasurable. Finally she landed, having somehow righted herself over the course of the fall. The room was large and narrow, all occupants on the other side. Knowing that she wouldn't be seen or heard, she sprinted across the room to find Draco and a woman she'd never seen before.

"Is that—"

"Kanika!" Draco's only slightly younger self bellowed. He jumped back, glaring heatedly at her, a gleaming silver wedding band so obvious on his ring finger where there was nothing now. "How dare you even suggest it! This house has been watched since the day Dumbledore died! If you are heard it means the end to us all!"

"But the baby," she pleaded, tears soaking into her beautiful Egyptian features. And for the first time Hermione noticed the slight bulge beneath Kanika's robes.

"If the child is even born," he hissed, "then he or she is at the mercy of the Dark Lord. You know this as well as I."

"My parents had a handful of choice husbands before you, Draco Malfoy!" she screamed, her wand gripped so tightly in her right hand that it looked painful. "And the only reason I am your wife now is because You-Know-Who threatened my family!"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Hermione resisted the urge to strangle him. He wasn't really there, she had to keep reminding herself. He was an image, a near-illusion, a memory. But the want was so great she found her fists clenched and her teeth barred.

"Everything! Draco, I will not but my child in danger because you're not man enough to stand up for your family. My parents may have been blinded by the Dark Arts, but they still knew who had gone too far! And if they could have they would not have married us." She took a deep, agonizing breath, then continued. "You have no concept of fatherhood, and you know nothing of love. Our child is still deep within me, but the moment it takes its first breath you will love it so much you're going to feel a pain you never knew existed. And at that moment you will understand what I'm trying to say today, because until you've loved you can never grasp the notion of protection. You have some vague idea, you know you want to protect yourself and stay alive, but when you are able to want to protect another being then you will want the things I want right now…I fear it's too late already."

"Are you done now?" he sighed, arms crossed in the most arrogant of ways.

"Yes Draco, I'm finished. I know you don't want to love or care for someone else, but I hope you will when you see our child. I know you will, there's no question of that, but I hope you want to."

The memory faded to a hazy and for a moment all Hermione could see was a fog on a backdrop of black. She blinked and rubbed her eyes, but nothing came into focus. For what could have been five minutes she stood, or what felt like standing, and then the image began to come into itself. It was a different room, a more square room, and the walls were draped in silks of colors such that Hermione immediately thought of Easter. Pastel everything. And in the middle stood Kanika, her belly gone, and a bundle in her arms. She kept glancing at a grandfather clock in the corner, her face tense and scrunched up.

When she began to pace, Hermione grew almost nervous, her stomach clenching up as she felt what Kanika was surely feeling. It was anticipation, she was waiting for someone or something, and Hermione had a sinking feeling that she knew who.

"Issa," Kanika whispered, and kissed the baby in her arms. Hermione inched closer, wanting to get a look at the little girl as an infant, to fall in love with her all over again. Her little face was at ease, as she was sleeping soundly. She had so much less hair, but very fine and black, and she was the most gorgeous baby she had ever seen. "Daddy will be home soon. He will." But she wasn't fooling herself, and surely not Hermione. Either she was afraid that he would come home, or that he wouldn't. And the same sinking feeling as before told Hermione that it was the latter, which struck a raw nerve. She had never thought of Draco as a person having people care about him. It made him more human, more easily excused as hurt and flawed, and it was something she didn't think she was ready to admit. Not yet.

A creak at the door caught both her and Kanika's attention, but baby Farsiris continued to sleep peacefully.

Draco stepped into the nursery, still dressed in a traveling cloak. His hair was damp from rain and he wore his usual scowl. But then, suddenly, his expression changed and Hermione realized just as abruptly that this was the first time he'd seen his daughter! He'd been out on a mission, presumably for Voldemort, and missed the birth of his child. And quite simply he was not expecting her to be there when he came home.

"What—"

"I," Kanika said, dropping her eyes, "had a run-in with Sef." And Hermione found herself confused, having never heard this name before. "He had been unaware of our marriage and my pregnancy…He was not pleased."

"He…He hurt you?"

"He tried."

There was a deep and uneasy silence. And then Draco took the few remaining steps forward and laid eyes on his daughter for the first time. The change in him was instant and irreversible, a look of utter confusion painted across his face. Hermione didn't doubt that the fight she'd witnessed only moments ago was replaying in his mind, and he was cursing himself for not being prepared, for underestimating something he felt was too silly to take part in.

"What's her name?" was all he said.

"Farsiris," Kanika whispered. "It means—"

"Princess."

Draco reached his hand out and he was nearly touching the baby, when a sudden jolt knocked Hermione back. A moment later and she was staring at a very angry Draco, the Pensieve jostling beside her.

"If it were any other day," he hissed through his teeth, "then I'd throw you out right now."

"Draco, who's Sef?" Hermione blurted out before he was halfway out the door.

For a long while Hermione doubted he would answer her, let alone turn around. But then, very slowly, he turned and looked her dead in the eye, his face a mask hiding all emotion other than anger.

"That's none of your business, mudblood."


Instead of going home, like she should have after such a long, tiring day, Hermione went straight to the Ministry. Few people were still around at that time of night, but she didn't need any assistance. She knew exactly what she needed and where to find it. Thankfully, being so valued by the Minister, Hermione possessed a key to the Records Room and was allowed to go there at her leisure. This was true of all Aurors, of course, but only a select few could do it with such abandon as she could.

Pulling the ancient-looking key from her purse, she slipped it into the lock and with a click she had access. Her first weeks at the Ministry she had been horrified at the complete disarray of the Records Room. Hardly any witch or wizard dared go in there unless they knew how to maneuver. Three months after she was hired and the room was transformed, cabinets neatly coded and everything filed away properly. She even did the courtesy of creating an inventory sheet, so all anyone had to do was find what they needed on a list and then Accio it. Simple as that.

"Accio inventory," she said with a flick of her wand. A second later a clipboard came whizzing across the room and landed in her outstretched palm. "Brilliant." She thumbed through the pages, until she came to the title "Malfoy, Draco" with had a few entries, but only one she was interested in, the one marked "Death Eater". That file would carry all information about Draco up until he switched sides. "Accio Malfoy comma Draco comma Death Eater." And for good measure she added, "Malfoy comma Kanika." Surely in one of the two files the name Sef would come up, and with it a last name and a file. And if not then all she had to do, in theory, was contact the Egyptian branch of the Ministry and ask for his files.

First she opened Draco's file, making a mental note to check his other files as well. His Death Eater file read:

Name

—Draco Malfoy

Father

—Lucius Malfoy (deceased)

Mother

—Narcissa Malfoy (deceased)

Siblings

—none

Wife

—Kanika (Jome) Malfoy (deceased)

Children

—one daughter, Farsiris Malfoy

Residence

—England (see Record Keeper for complete address)

Heritage

—Pureblood

General Facts

—Known Death Eater

—Non-convicted Death Eater

Hermione scanned the rest of the file, frowning when there was no mention of a Sef or even anything profound that she didn't already know. It was then that she realized that what she was looking for might be in his "after" Death Eater file, but, just to be sure, she decided to check Kanika's anyway. And almost immediately she found what she was looking for. Under the heading of siblings was the name Sef Jome, as well as three other siblings, two more brothers named Kafele and Emil, and a sister named Tauret. And Tauret was the only one not listed and either deceased or missing. Kafele and Sef were dead, though it didn't specify how or why or when, and Emil was simply missing. Tauret still lived in Egypt.

"Accio inventory," Hermione muttered, having walked a distance from where she'd set it. She had a habit of pacing when she read. She found the last name Jome, but only the names Sef, Kafele, and Emil were listed. "She must be married," she thought aloud, and checked the entire list for any woman named Tauret. And, thankfully, there was only one. "Accio Derest comma Tauret."

After only a minute of looking, she found Tauret's residence, though it only said: Egypt (see Record Keeper for complete address), which was the same thing Draco's had said. She reasoned that anyone not wanting their whereabouts public knowledge requested it to be kept from most everyone's view. She thought for a moment, trying to remember the name of the Record Keeper, before she realized that there was none. The job had become obsolete years ago, and long before she'd started working.

"So where do I get the address?" she sighed.

But at least she knew one thing. Sef was Kanika's brother, and he was dead.


The next day Hermione went into work bright and early, stopping in the Minister's office before her own, her cloak still draped over her shoulders.

"Good morning, Mr. Scrimgeour," she said cheerfully, taking the un-offered seat before his desk. "How are you?"

"What is it, Miss Granger?" he sighed, a stack of paperwork already towering on his desk. Several paper airplanes zoomed around the room, a few looking agitated at being ignored, and one very persistent one that continually did nose-dives at the Minister, missing his head by inches.

"I'm doing some research, and I need an address that's not listened in the Records Room. The file told me to see the Record Keeper, but I know we no longer have that position."

"An address?" he asked. "For whom? And whose files are you poking around in? I haven't given you any Auror work that you would need to fish through the Records Room."

She took a deep breath, having decided earlier that she was going to be completely honest. Well, as honest as she could possibly be anyway.

"If I'm going to be spending so much time at Malfoy Manor, then I want to know who I'm spending time with. The name Sef came up in conversation," she lied, "and I did some research. I found that he is the late brother of Kanika, Mafloy's late wife. I want to know more about him and their family."

"And whose address to you need? Surely you know where Sef lives."

"Tauret Derest, the only relative I would be able to contact."

"And what will happen if I give you this information, Miss Granger? You're going to go to Africa and bombard this poor woman with evasive questions about her personal life?"

"I have very specific questions," she said, handing him a roll of parchment. He took the page, rolled his eyes, then looked it over.

"Very well," he sighed. "But if this should come back to me in a negative way it'll be your neck, do you understand? I won't have bad ties with Egypt, they are a wonderful asset and ally to us. Don't hurt that."

"I wouldn't dream of it. And thank you, Minister. You're helping me out a lot."


"What do you mean you're going to Egypt!" Ron baulked, nearly dropping his fork. But he wasn't the only one staring at her like she'd sprouted another head. Harry and Ginny were also wondering what she had up her sleeve.

"Oh calm down," Hermione sighed, then stood to collect the tea kettle that was steaming on the stove. They were all at her house and, after feeding them a delicious meal, she told them her plan, having to cave and also tell them how she spied into Draco's Pensieve. "I just want to know more about Malfoy. Wouldn't you if you had to go to his house every other week? I want to be sure—"

"All you want is to be nosey. What do you need to go all the way to Egypt for? What do you think this Tauret person can tell you?"

"What I want to know," she said matter-of-factly. "What do you think, Gin?"

"I think do whatever you want, though I don't see the point of going all the way out there. Why not just write her?"

"I don't want to limit myself to certain questions. I want conversation, not a pop quiz. You said yourself that I need to see what everyone else does. Well, this is the only way. When I understand his wife I can understand the relationship they had, and maybe I'll find what you are talking about."

"I'm not saying you have to be the guy's friend!" Ginny sighed. "And I don't think I told you that you should understand him."

"Well it doesn't matter. That's what I've decided I want to do. Harry?"

Harry looked up from his tea, his face hiding whatever he was feeling.

"What do you think?"

"You know how I feel about Malfoy. The way I always have. I'm with you, that you shouldn't have to understand him or what he's done. But if you really feel you need to do this, then do it."

"Brilliant. I leave first thing tomorrow morning."

"Just be careful, 'Mione. The war might be over, but that doesn't mean grudges are."

"I'll be fine, dad," she laughed. "I'll have my wand on me at all times."

"Write me if you need anything."

"I will."

"And promise me something."

"What?"

"That you're not doing this just to prove everyone else wrong. Because, as much as I hate to admit it, you're going to fail."


I know I take forever in updating, but you all know the story. Work, work, work. Anyway, I hope you liked it. Not much happened, but it set up for a lot to happen. And next time a lot will. Heehee!

REVIEW to see more :P