A/N - Sorry for the confusion at the beginning of the previous chapter, it seems that having a cold has turned my brains to mush. Thank you for the people who pointed out the mistakes, making sure they were corrected as soon as possible.
Draco was sitting in his study sorting paperwork for an important meeting the following day when there was a timid knock on the door. Draco looked up in surprise at the sound, he thought the rest of his family were upstairs. He knew Hermione was making sure Scorpius got to bed without further incident and Lyra had disappeared off to her room even before all of the guests had left.
"Come in." Draco called, watching the door as it slowly creaked open.
Once the door was partially open Lyra slowly walked into the room, shutting the door behind her. After standing looking uncertain for a minute she slowly approached her father's desk.
"Can we talk?" Lyra asked seriously.
Draco couldn't help but smile at his daughter, she acted so like Hermione at times. "Of course we can, Sweetheart. Let's go and sit by the fire."
Lyra went over to the small sofa beside the fire and sat down while Draco put his work away before joining his daughter. The minute Draco sat down Lyra snuggled into him and buried her head in his chest.
"What's wrong, Princess?" Draco asked, running his hand through Lyra's soft hair.
"Can you remember that boy Thomas I mentioned over Christmas?" Lyra asked. As she was still curled up so close to Draco she felt her father tense up at the mention of Thomas.
"Yes." Draco replied tersely. He had been hoping to try and forget about Thomas as he wasn't likely to ever meet him but it would appear that it wasn't going to be so easy.
"Last week he approached me and told me something." Lyra said quietly, wondering if she was doing the right thing in talking to Draco about Thomas.
Draco reached down and placed his hand under Lyra's head, gently tilting it so he could see his daughter. He knew by the fact she was clinging onto him so tightly that she was upset and that was only confirmed when he spotted tears glistening in her eyes.
"What did he tell you?" Draco asked.
"He told me he was my brother." Lyra whispered, a tear leaking from her eye and running down her cheek.
"Lyra, he's not your brother." Draco said, using his thumb to wipe away his daughter's tears.
"That's what I said, but then he told me you and mum visited his parents over Easter. He heard you mention the fact he was adopted." Lyra explained, more tears falling as she talked.
Draco's eyes widened in surprise when Lyra revealed Thomas knew of his visit to Ginny and her husband. Clearly though he had only heard part of the conversation and had jumped to a few conclusions. Draco now knew he was going to tell his daughter the truth about Thomas, there was no way he was letting his little girl get herself so worked up about things that weren't true.
"I admit your mother and I did visit Thomas's parents over Easter." Draco said. "There was also mention of the fact Thomas's father adopted him. But everything else Thomas told you is wrong."
"But you said you didn't know him when I mentioned him at Christmas." Lyra said. "Why did you lie?" She asked, a hurt look on her face.
"I didn't lie, exactly." Draco said with a grimace. "I had a suspicion of who Thomas was but I wasn't sure at the time."
"Who is he?" Lyra asked. "If he's not my brother, then why does he look so much like you and Scorp?"
"What do you know about your grandfather Lucius?" Draco asked. He'd told both Lyra and Scorpius bits about his father but he was interested to see if Lyra had looked into her family history to get more information on the man she had never met.
"I know what you and gran have told me. I also know how he died and who killed him." Lyra admitted. She'd looked into the family history just before starting school as her parents and grandmother had only ever mentioned her grandfather briefly.
"I figured you would have done some research and found out about it." Draco said. "Why didn't you ask any questions?"
"I figured if you didn't mention it, it was because it wasn't something you wanted to talk about." Lyra shrugged. "Besides I figured both you and gran had to be pretty upset at what had happened, I didn't want to upset you any further."
"That's really nice, Lyra." Draco smiled at his daughter's thoughtfulness, that definitely came from Hermione rather than him. "We'll have to talk about it properly some time. Father was your family too so you deserve to know what happened."
"I'd like that." Lyra said. She was pleased that Draco was willing to discuss their family history but it was time to get back to the matter in hand. "But what does grandfather Lucius have to do with Thomas?"
"Everything." Draco sighed. "I'm sure you read that your grandfather was having an affair before he died and his mistress was the one that killed him."
"Yes, Ron and George's sister." Lyra said. She'd been quite shocked when she'd read her grandfather had been having an affair with a Weasley as they were such a nice, honest family.
"What wasn't made public knowledge was the fact Ginny was pregnant when she ran." Draco said.
"Thomas." Lyra gasped.
Draco nodded. "Apart from your mother and I the only people who knew were Blaise and the Auror's in charge of the case. Your grandmother also knows now, but that's it, none of the Weasley's know."
"I won't tell anyone." Lyra said, understanding exactly what her father was insinuating. "But why hasn't Thomas's mother being arrested? She killed grandfather and then ran away, so she wouldn't have to go to jail."
"She hasn't been arrested because the Auror's don't know she's back." Draco admitted. "She's got a whole new identity and is barely recognisable as the same woman who ran away."
"Why haven't you told the Auror's?" Lyra asked puzzled. She knew that if someone was to kill her father she wouldn't rest until the killer was punished severely.
Draco sighed and ran his hand through his hair, hoping Lyra would understand his decision. "I haven't told because I don't want to ruin Thomas's life. Punishing Ginny won't bring my father back but it will destroy the life of my half-brother."
"Family comes first." Lyra whispered, understanding Draco's need to protect Thomas.
"Exactly." Draco nodded. He reached out and pulled Lyra into a hug. "Thomas knows nothing about father and it's better it stays that way."
Lyra suddenly pulled back and looked up at Draco in concern. "But Thomas thinks you're his father. He approached me and told me I was his sister, what's to stop him approaching Scorpius when he starts school in a few years? Or what if he goes around telling other people he's your son?"
Draco frowned, it was suddenly occurring to him that Thomas would have to know the truth. He couldn't be allowed to go around thinking Draco was his father, it wasn't fair to Thomas and it wasn't fair to Hermione, Lyra and Scorpius.
"Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll sort it." Draco said. "I'll make sure Thomas knows I'm not his father."
Lyra smiled before settling back down in her father's arms. For nearly an hour Lyra lay curled up next to Draco as he told her stories about Lucius and his childhood. When Lyra started to yawn Draco insisted it was time for bed, although he promised her more stories the following day.
After making sure Lyra went to bed, Draco headed for his own bedroom. For the next hour or so he filled Hermione in on what had happened and the couple decided they had to pay another visit to Ginny. They decided to leave it up to Ginny what she told Thomas but they were planning on making it clear that Thomas had to know that Draco wasn't his father.
...
Ginny was sitting flicking through a new fashion magazine when a knock on the front door startled her. Ginny froze, she was contemplating not answering when a second knock sounded. Telling herself she was just being stupid and that she was perfectly safe Ginny put her magazine down and slowly made her way to the front door.
By the time Ginny arrived at the door several more knocks had taken place and she was getting increasingly worried about who could be so anxious to see her. Partly terrified that she was going to open the door to the Auror's, Ginny carefully cracked open the door enough to see who was standing on the doorstep.
Ginny sighed in relief as she spotted Draco and Hermione on the doorstep. Throwing open the door Ginny's welcoming smile disappeared when she saw the sombre expressions of her former friends faces.
"Hermione, Draco, is everything all right?" She asked.
"Not really, can we come in?" Hermione asked.
"Of course." Stepping back Ginny gestured for the couple to enter the house.
Ginny then led Draco and Hermione into the front room where she perched on the end of a sofa. Hermione also sat down, practically dragging her husband into the seat beside her.
"What's going on?" Ginny asked, wondering if the couple had come to tell her they were turning her in.
"Is Thomas here?" Draco asked abruptly.
"No, he's with Jacques in Manchester." Ginny replied. "They'll be back at the end of the week."
"He knows that Hermione and I visited here over the Easter break." Draco told Ginny.
"That's impossible, he would have said something." Ginny brushed off Draco's accusations.
"He did say something, that's the problem." Draco muttered causing Ginny to look at him in puzzlement.
"What Draco is trying to say is that Thomas overheard part of the conversation we had last time we were here. He then saw Draco and combined the two things to come up with the idea that Draco is his father." Hermione explained what was going on to Ginny as her husband was making a mess of it. "Just before the school holidays he approached our daughter and told her that he was her brother."
"Thomas wouldn't do something like that." Ginny protested.
"He did." Draco insisted. "I know he didn't do it to be malicious or hurtful but it really upset Lyra."
"I'm sorry, I'll talk to him about approaching strangers and upsetting them." Ginny said.
"And what are you going to do about the fact he thinks Draco is his father?" Hermione asked.
"Why do we have to do anything?" Ginny asked. "I can tell him to stay away from your daughter and the problem will be solved."
"How does that solve the problem?" Draco snorted. "Thomas will still think I'm his father."
"Surely that's better than him knowing the truth." Ginny said quietly. "I can explain that you've got your own family and don't want to be disturbed. I promise Thomas won't bother you again."
"That's not acceptable." Hermione stated, standing up and glaring at Ginny. "I won't let you make my husband out to be the bad guy because you don't want to face up to the truth."
"Please Hermione, I can't tell him the truth." Ginny pleaded with her former friend.
"You can tell him what you like, Ginny." Hermione said. "But you make sure he knows Draco is not his father. I won't stand by and watch as people accuse Draco of cheating on me and fathering someone else's child."
"How can I tell him he's not Draco's without revealing the truth?" Ginny asked. She was on the verge of tears as she faced up to the possibility she would have to tell Thomas the one thing she never wanted him to know.
"I don't know." Hermione shook her head. "I don't want to be harsh, Ginny, but he needs to be set straight. I will not let my children suffer just so you can escape talking to your son. If Thomas approaches Lyra or anyone else and says Draco is his father, I'll be the one to put him straight."
"I understand." Ginny gulped, it was clear from Hermione's tone that if she was the one talking to Thomas that her son would definitely find out his father's true identity. "I'll put him straight when he comes home."
"Good." Hermione said as Draco stood up and the couple prepared to leave.
Hermione and Draco had reached the doorway before Draco turned back to address Ginny, who was still sitting on the sofa in shock.
"If you do tell Thomas the truth, you can tell him that I would love to meet him." Draco said, unsure if Ginny was even listening to him.
As Ginny continued to stare into the distance Draco and Hermione once again turned to leave the room. This time they left without looking back and it was the sound of the front door closing behind them that jolted Ginny back to reality.
Ginny looked around at the noise, suddenly aware that Draco and Hermione had left. As she slumped back onto the sofa Ginny wondered if there was any way she could convince Thomas that Draco wasn't his father without revealing the truth. Off the top of her head she couldn't think of anything but she still had a few days to think of something.
As Ginny continued to think of a way out of the mess she had found herself in she couldn't help but think that everything that was happening was her own fault. Two years ago they had a perfect life in South Africa but her own selfishness had driven them back to England and straight into a load of trouble. If they had remained in Cape Town Ginny wouldn't constantly be worrying that someone had discovered her true identity and Thomas would never have seen Draco and started asking awkward questions.
