"I let Hermione know when you and Scorp were going to be here. Rose was feeling left out," Harry answered the unspoken question on Draco's face. "I wasn't sure if she was going to make it or not."

"Doesn't she have two children?" Draco inquired.

Harry nodded as they heard a set of feet come back down the stairs, "She may have sent Hugo to Molly."

"Guess again Harry," came the voice from hallway, in stepped a blue haired young man.

"Teddy!" Harry cried as he stood and hugged the newcomer. "It's been donkey's years since you've come mooching."

Teddy blushed, "Well then you'll have Kreacher make my favorite won't you?" he teased.

Harry reached up and ruffled the blue hair, "Of course, but what are you doing here and who did you bring along?"

"Rose. I stopped by Ron and Mione's and she was moping because she couldn't come over here. Hugo was in a fine mood and Mione was looking rather stressed. She said she had work she'd brought home to work on but couldn't get it done. I volunteered to get the kids out of her hair. I took Hugo to play with Lily and brought Rose here. Though the official story is that I took her out for some fun since she was missing out here."

"In other words neither of you was ever here?"

"Exactly," Teddy replied.

"Is there a reason it's a secret?" Draco asked.

Harry turned, "Oh Draco I'm sorry. This is-"

"No need for introductions Harry," Teddy interrupted before going around the table to hug Draco.

Harry dropped into his chair agog as Teddy and Draco began speaking rapidly in French. He watched as while the two men spoke Teddy's hair lost it's blue hue and lightened to a Malfoy worthy platinum.

"Erm, you want to fill me in Teddy? I have a feeling there's something you haven't told me, or anyone in the family that is," Harry remarked.

"Not true," Teddy replied, "Bill and Fleur know, and George and Angelina too."

Harry's eyebrows took a trip into his hairline, "Really Teddy?"

Teddy laughed, "Ok, ok don't get your knickers in a twist. I almost never see you alone so you know why I couldn't tell you, same goes for Mione."

Draco gestured to the chairs around the table, "It seems we all need some filling in of the blanks so why don't we sit."

As the three men took their seats around the table, Harry set the chess board aside, and Kreacher appeared.

"Master Teddy, would you be liking a spot of tea?"

"Absolutely Kreacher, and a chocolate biscuit if you can find one. Thank you."

Kreacher bowed and turned to the kitchen.

Harry spoke, "So who starts the tale telling?"

Teddy and Draco looked at each other and shrugged.

"Ok then. I'll start. Teddy, I assume the reason most of the family doesn't know about you knowing Draco is the fact that my ex-wife and her brother are so unreasonable about anyone that was a Slytherin, sorry Malfoy." Harry blushed.

Draco nodded, "No problem, there's a reason we live in France after all. I imagine that would be the reason no one is to know that Rose is here, correct?"

"Unfortunately yes," Teddy answered. "Ginny and Ron are just ridiculous. That's why I try to only visit Mione and the kids when he's at work and why I come here when Harry has his kids, well at least since the beginning of this school year that is."

Harry turned to Teddy, "So who taught you to speak French? We all assumed it was Fleur and Victoire, were we wrong?"

Teddy ducked his head as a bit of a blush crawled up his cheeks, "Well they did teach me some, but no most of my French has come from spending time with Draco, Tori, and Scorp in France each summer."

"That's where you disappear to for weeks at a time? Not off with your friends on their family vacations? And I assume your grandmother knows and approves?"

Teddy just nodded.

"Ok so how did this start?"

Draco spoke, "It was me. Well actually it was Tori, Astoria. It all started when our parents got together for the traditional presentation of the family trees during our engagement."

"Excuse me?" Harry intoned.

"Oh that's right you wouldn't know. The Weasleys may be a Pureblood family but they are much more reasonable when it comes to their children's marriages." Draco answered, "Families like mine stick to the traditional Pureblood marriage traditions. Parents have to approve of your chosen spouse, if you haven't chosen a spouse by the age of twenty one the parents will choose a suitable partner for you from a quality Pureblood family. I found Astoria just in time to avoid my parents, namely my father choosing my wife. There are several steps to prove that each family and each of the partners is acceptable. One of those is the reading of the family tree, which as you might expect is often an edited family tree."

"And the reading of your edited family tree led you to Teddy?"

"Well sort of. It started when…

Draco looked across the table at Astoria who rolled her eyes to the ceiling as her father droned on. He nodded to the door. She smiled and they both quietly slid out of the chairs and out of the room. There really was no reason they needed to be there. Neither of their parents would probably even notice they'd gone. Still they walked as silently as they could down the hall and out the back doors. Draco led the way into the family hedge maze not slowing until they were well inside.

"There's a bench up this way that is actually fairly comfortable and we can always cast a cushioning charm to soften it more," he said. Astoria just nodded.

As they reached the bench Draco pulled out his familiar hawthorn wand, waved it over the bench, then gestured for Tori to sit first, before joining her.

"All this Pureblood marriage stuff is so boring," Tori complained.

"And useless," Draco added.

"Especially this one. What a joke! I know there are at least five relatives Dad already skipped right over. Dad has a sister who married a halfblood, they have three kids. I met them at school and we get together whenever I can manage it. Aunt Miriam is a doll and Uncle Bernard is hysterical. Mum has an uncle who married a Muggle. I only know he exists because I found a picture at my grandparents house one time and dared ask about it. Before they destroyed the photo I got a nice long lecture about disgracing the family. It's all so frustrating. I just don't understand how they can continue to spout that Pureblood is best idiocy after everything that happened."

Draco nodded in agreement, "Father is much more serious about it than Mother but she would never dare to contradict him in front of anyone. She and I had a few conversations while he was serving his time in Azkaban. She told me stories about her sister Andromeda from when they were kids. Andromeda ran away from home and married a Muggle-born so naturally she was disowned. The stories Mum told me though," he paused, "they made me want to get to know her."

"So why don't you?" Astoria inquired.

He shrugged, "I don't know. I can't imagine she'd want to hear from me. We were on opposite sides of the war. Mum said she lost her husband, daughter, and son-in-law. She's now raising her grandson. Why would she want to speak with a Death-Eater even if he is a relative?"

Tori reached over to take Draco's hand. "You'll never know until you try. Like I said I met my cousins at school but I never really connected with them until after the war. With my parents continuing to insist they had chosen the right side no matter the result I wanted to talk to someone who was more tolerant, someone who would understand where I was coming from so I reached out to them and to my aunt and uncle. It took a bit of time for us to all trust each other and be comfortable together but it was worth it."

"I just don't know."

"Draco, you'll never know unless you try. Write her a letter and send it with your owl."

"She'd probably never read it, she has to know that the eagle owl is a family tradition. She could send it right back."

Astoria sighed, "Fine use my owl. Will you do it? We need all the examples we can get of tolerance if that's how we plan to raise our child."

Draco sat for a few minutes thinking before finally nodding his head.

"Great let's go get some parchment. I'll write to her as well. And then I'll write to Mimi and Bernie about bringing you over to introduce you. I really want you to meet someone in my family that isn't an insufferable snob."

"All right let's go. I have parchment in the drawing room in my wing."

Dear Mrs. Tonks,

My name is Astoria Greengrass. I will soon be marrying your nephew Draco Malfoy. He and I were both raised in families much as I imagine yours was growing up but we want a different life for any children we might have. Please read his letter with this in mind. Thank you.

Astoria.

Dear Mrs. Tonks,

I suppose I could call you Aunt Andromeda but that doesn't feel right as we've never met. Mother has told me several stories about your time together growing up. She shared with me what she has learned about you since the war. I want to offer my condolences on the loss of your husband and daughter, as well as your son-in-law. I can not begin to imagine what you have been through with their loss. Mother has made it clear that you were raised in a family that truly believed in the philosophy of Toujours Pur. You are I am sure aware that that is how I was raised as well. However I no longer feel this way. I only regret that it took a war to open my eyes to the truth. As Astoria mentioned we want to raise any child we have differently. We want to expose them to friends and family members who are more tolerant. You are the first person I thought of as we had this discussion. Tori encouraged me to reach out to you. You may not ever want to see me or to see anyone who was on the other side of the war. I can understand if you choose not to expose your grandson to someone who carries the Dark Mark, though I do have a few stories I could share with him from the time when his father was my DADA professor. Please give this some thought and I will respect any decision you come to. Should you decide that you are willing to see me we could meet in a public place if that makes you more comfortable. I know of one or two nice tea shops both in the wizard world and in the muggle world.

Your nephew,

Draco