It's a short chapter - brief even - but it didn't seem like it fit what I was writing afterwards. But I think it's an important enough scene to stand on its own, and well, I guess since I'm writing the story it's my decision lol :D

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to buy a Powerball ticket - I hear it's a big one - and for the next couple of hours I plan to daydream what it would be like to do nothing but write after winning said powerball haha!

"Someone's awake awfully early. You must know there are presents downstairs for you," Lucius whispered, picking his granddaughter out of her crib. Smiling, he kissed her cheek before Harper sighed, resting her head on Lucius' shoulder as they quietly made their way to the hallway. Narcissa was tucked away one of the guest bedrooms, sound asleep. Shutting her door, Lucius checked across the hall, peering in the other spare bedroom where he found Blaise snoring as loud as a troll. Harper looked up at the offending noise, looking at her godfather curiously as he slept with his head sandwiched between two pillows. "I know what you're thinking, Harper, but unfortunately, the godfather decision your parents made is irreversible," Lucius whispered, shutting Blaise's door.

Patrolling the hallway a bit more, Lucius peeked in and found Hermione and Draco, completely wrapped up in each other as they slept soundly. He couldn't ever recall a moment in his married life when he and Narcissa touched each other in bed while asleep, and here his son was with his wife practically on top of him, her head resting peacefully on his chest as he held a protective arm around her. It never ceased to amaze Lucius at the amount of love Draco had for Hermione, despite the upbringing Lucius indoctrinated into his son from the moment he was born, and how open he was about it regardless of what he was doing.

Quietly shutting their door, Lucius and Harper made their way downstairs, where the glow of the Christmas tree lights dimly illuminated the otherwise dark downstairs. Sitting down on the couch, Kneazle appeared out of nowhere, leaping up into Harper's lap as she sat next to Lucius, clapping her hands as she cheered. "Z! Z!"

Lucius and Z weren't exactly friends, but the furry creature adored Harper, and was very well mannered with the Harper despite her affinity to pull on the fluffy fur, even if it was out of love. "Mangy creature," he muttered, watching as Z curled up with Harper, eyeing the man a bit skeptically with his long white hair. Harper patted her tiny hands on Z's back, donning a green and red striped fleece sleeper jumper which Z seemed to be most happy about as she snuggled up against the soft fabric the little girl was wearing.

The sound of steps down the stairs caused Lucius' head to turn, finding a shirtless Blaise trudging through to the bottom landing, jumping down the final step like a child. Adjusting the waistband of his flannel pants, he saw Lucius looking at him from the living room and shrugged. "A bit early for you, isn't it?"

"Harper's awake," Lucius replied. "A bit old to jump down steps, isn't it?"

"Habit," Blaise replied with a tired laugh. He wandered over to the couch Lucius sat on and plopped down on the opposite end, grinning at Harper as she smiled at him. Reaching her little arms out towards his direction, he hesitated for a moment, sucking in air quickly and exhaling slowly, before placing his large hands under her arms and picking her up. Z let out a meow and a glare, upset to be disturbed, but Blaise didn't care. He set Harper on his chest, wrapping both arms around her so that her little bottom was perched against his forearms, and laughed as she lightly smacked her hands into his bare chest. "You must get this early rising this from your mum, because your dad was never one to wake up early unless he had to," he said, kissing her forehead.

Lucius watched, laughing to himself a bit as Harper tried to force her hand into his mouth, with Blaise's lips pursed together tightly as he shook his head no, causing Harper to giggle as if it were a game. "I heard you went 'round the bend the other night on Potter's wife."

"I wouldn't say 'round the bend," Blaise mused, his neck tilting his head back as far as he could in order to speak without little fingers pulling on his lips.

"I heard she was practically kicking and screaming as you carried her out of the Weasley shack."

"She was getting ready to bite Potter's head off for no reason - I figured I'd help a bloke out."

"By picking up his wife?"

Blaise swiveled his head away from Harper's grasp and looked at Lucius. "Whatever it is you're thinking, stop."

"I haven't forgotten the day you and Draco were initiated," Lucius cautiously continued. "When the Dark Lord used legilimency on both you and Draco - he was able to shut him out rather quickly but you…"

Blaise raised an eyebrow at Lucius, giving his index finger to Harper to hold. "I'm not a seventeen year old kid anymore, Mister Malfoy. Whatever I thought back then does not apply now."

"It doesn't?"

"Of course it doesn't!" Blaise hissed. "Besides - I love Luna, loved Luna…I don't know. What I do know is that I let my guard down and fell in love with a woman who quite frankly is the battiest person to grace the earth but she would rather roam all over Europe looking for creatures that I'm almost positive do not exist and unfortunately, I didn't fit into that plan. The other night, Potter told us what happened when he and Hermione were alone and it wasn't anything anyone should have been upset about but she just…" Blaise took a breath, closing his eyes tightly for a moment. "A blind deaf mute could see how much Potter adores his wife and it drives me mental when she doubts it. So what if Potter and Hermione were shacked up in a tent for months looking for those bloody horcruxes. Who cares? What does it even matter? She has so much and I…"

"You what, Blaise?"

Shrugging, he grinned slightly as Harper grabbed his nose and giggled. "If Luna had wanted to settle, I would have been happy. I could have been monogamous. Done the whole kid thing. She was the first woman I'd ever been with that I even contemplated the notion. But when she said no…I guess I figured I was fine being a bachelor."

Lucius nodded, watching Z as she arched her back up high, extending her front legs as she stretched. "I know you cared for the Weasley girl at one point in time. Even if it was in private."

"Care is a strong word, Lucius."

"I was in the room when the Dark Lord mocked your vulnerabilities," Lucius reminded.

"I'm well aware of who was in the bloody room," Blaise tensely repeated. "And it doesn't matter. I'm done talking about this."

"Very well," Lucius replied with a simple nod.

More footsteps were heard coming down the stairs, coupled with a very loud lawn. Harper clapped her hands and squealed. "Muh! Muh!"

Hermione grinned, her robe draped over her pajamas as Draco walked behind her. "Hi baby," she cooed. "Who has you? Uncle Blaise?" She leaned over the back of the couch and kissed the top of her curly blond head. "Are you excited to see what Santa brought you?"

"Or what Daddy spent until two in the morning building?" Draco mocked, laughing as Hermione swatted him in the stomach. "It's not like she understands."

"Aren't you the one who said our children were going to be genetically predispositioned to be brilliant?" Hermione asked, looking up at him as he slid his arms around her waist.

Grinning, Draco lightly kissed her lips. "I did."

"Then don't assume she doesn't understand," Hermione replied with another playful smack as he let go. Picking up Harper from Blaise's arms, she walked over to the Christmas tree and sat down, placing Harper in her lap as she stared at the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree. "Look how pretty the tree is," she whispered, kissing her daughter's temple as Harper reached for one of the presents under the tree. "Draco, do you want to wake your mother?"

"I'll wake her," Lucius replied, getting up from the couch.

Draco walked over and took a seat next to Blaise, staring at him as he shook his head. "What?" Blaise asked, staring back.

"Why in the hell are you only wearing pants?"

Smirking, Blaise looked over at Hermione and gave her a wink as he motioned to his abs with his hands. "The view is my Christmas gift to your wife. You like?"

Hermione laughed, causing Harper to laugh as Draco picked up a throw pillow, slapping it forcefully into his best friend's chest. "You're an ass, Zabini."

"A hot piece of ass," Zabini corrected, simultaneously laughing and groaning as the throw pillow smacked him in the stomach once more.