Chapter 10

The woman standing before Lucius Malfoy's desk flinched as the blond wizard's fist slammed down onto polished wooden surface."What do you mean, we've had another resignation from the research division? Who is it?"

Eugenia Marchbanks had only been Lucius' assistant for six months but it seemed that delivering news of another employee's departure had become a permanent fixture in their weekly update meetings of late. She went to elucidate but was cut off.

"To be honest, I don't care who, but I want to know where they're going," Malfoy Senior growled. "Actually, no, don't tell me, they've gone to work for Snape, haven't they?"

"More precisely, they've gone to work for Mrs Snape as she is heading up their research division," Eugenia informed him almost dismissively whilst holding out a pile of papers to him which required his urgent attention. However, the glare she received caused her to immediately regret opening her mouth.

"There's no need to be a smart arse. I am well aware of who is heading up their research division," Lucius snarled, snatching the documents from her and telling her to get out of his sight.

He sat down heavily in his chair and sighed as he flicked through the bundle of paper to see page after page of analysis which showed that the health of his company was failing rapidly. And it was clear to see when the downward trend started: it was the day that Hermione Granger, as she was then, spectacularly handed in her resignation at his son's Independence Day party and declared that she was becoming Severus Snape's business partner.

Of all the things that he had underestimated over the last five years of meddling, it wasn't the miscalculation of his oldest friend's feelings that was costing him the most. Although losing Severus' friendship was a great personal blow to him, it was his failure to recognise that it wasn't just Hermione's abilities as a potioneer that had brought in the galleons, but her status as a war hero that brought with it a tremendous amount of goodwill. Lucius Malfoy may have been very good at turning a new lead to suit him, but no one had ever really forgotten where his allegiance lay. The day Hermione left, his clients began to trickle away and his staff began to defect.

Of course, the day of Hermione's departure had also led to Lucius discovering something that he found impossible to forgive. His scheming with regard Severus and Hermione may have failed, but he had no one to blame but himself for that. However, when it came to light that Jonathan Wells had been selling as well as buying industrial secrets, the King of Double Crossing showed the traitor that he dealt with treason without mercy. Rumour had it that the Canadian had gone back to his homeland, distraught because Hermione had left him and run off with her Severus. However, a man fitting Jonathan's description had been picked up in by the Muggle authorities days later in Chicago and had been residing in an asylum ever since. Unfortunately, the man had no idea who he was or where he came from, but his constant babbling about magic and witches and wizards had seen him swiftly committed. And if the magical authorities were ever to suspect that any foul play had been involved and question his former employer...well, Lucius was never stupid enough to use his own wand.

And whilst it was true that everything the manipulative wizard had worked so hard to protect had been torn apart on that day, he was a resilient bastard. Whilst hell would freeze over before he admitted it, he did feel a pang of regret that he was no longer part of Severus and Hermione's lives, no matter how twisted and self-serving, his presence had been. But he realised a lost cause when he saw one and he knew it was time to move on. For a Malfoy never rests on their laurels...especially Lucius...and when one door closes there he would be blasting a door shaped hole into a wall somewhere. The question was, which unfortunate was he about to manipulate to put in the frame, door and fancy knocker before he unceremoniously slammed said door in their face.

He smiled as the answer to that question may have just presented itself. His eyes fell on the announcements section of both the UK and US Daily Prophet. Ralph Scamander, whose grandfather, Newt, Abraxus Malfoy had considered to be a lunatic, was about to ensure the continuation of the family's lunacy by marrying the Lovegood girl, and their research into the weird, wonderful and probably non existent, was ripe for exploit...exploration. Eugenia found herself being sent out to buy a suitably expensive wedding gift.

There was, however, one wedding present that Lucius knew would not have been gratefully received, should he have even known that the event was taking place. It only took Severus six weeks to do what he should have done five years earlier, and another six weeks for Hermione to get her own way. The couple slipped away quietly and following their two day honeymoon, which was spent in their own bedroom with occasional visits to the kitchen and bathroom, they returned to public life as Man and Wife.

This news was greeted by Narcissa Malfoy with much happiness and just a little mirth. After Draco had informed her of the marriage, her message of congratulations led to a invitation to lunch with the newlyweds. Whilst she offered a sincere apology for her husband's behaviour, she also added a sincere note of thanks for allowing her to relieve Lucius of ten thousand galleons following his assertion many years ago that Severus would never marry. There were times when she delighted in the arrogance of her husband, but there were also times when she adored watching him fall flat on his face.

However, the elegant, blonde witch could not deny that she felt a little cheated that she had not been present at the ceremony, but then that was a common feeling amongst most of Severus and Hermione's friends. To make up for it though, she pressed the younger witch to tell her exactly how she managed to secure Severus' submission and allow them to sneak off to do the deed, but Hermione refused to divulge the secret of her success, much to the relief of her surly husband.

Life for the newly married couple had been a bit of a whirlwind. From the moment Hermione had told Lucius that he could shove his job up his arse...that, of course, being the polite version...the two had hardly had time to catch their breath: The South American Dragon Pox epidemic saw to that. A makeshift research facility was set up in Brazil, and the pair split their time between that and Severus' laboratory just outside London. Finding themselves run off their feet deploying Severus' vaccine, Hermione decided that if they were ever to enjoy married life, they needed someone to run the Brazilian lab for them. As far as Severus was concerned, there was only one man for the job, and left it up to Hermione to convince the man's wife that he was right. However, as it turned out, following the birth of little Fred, Angelina Weasley was more than happy for George to take up the position if it meant that they got to move away from the interference of Grandma Weasley.

And George and Angelina were not the only couple to become new parents. Draco and Pansy, much to Lucius and Narcissa's delight, announced that she was expecting a few weeks after Hermione left New York. Soon after the announcement, Pansy persuaded Draco that she wanted to move back to the UK so that she could be closer to her family. At first, he was quite reluctant because although his father was an unmitigated arsehole, he was still his father and leaving the family business was difficult. But it was Severus who finally helped him make the decision when he asked Draco what he really wanted to do with his life now that he was about to become a father. He realised that having spent so much time around Severus growing up and Hermione in New York that he, too, wanted to become a Potions Master and, having moved back home, was fortunate enough to find himself apprenticed to two of the world's finest Potions Masters.

Julian thought that all his Christmases had come at once. Despite staying in New York, Pansy still employed him to organise her baby shower for her US friends, and, of course, the christening. Unfortunately, even the best event planners can have their plans scuppered and despite telling Pansy as she went into labour eight weeks early to keep her legs together because everything was going to be ruined, nothing was going to stop Esme from being born. And from the moment she was, Draco's daughter proved that she was definitely a Malfoy by pretty much getting exactly what she wanted, when she wanted it.

Of course, one advantage to moving back to the UK was that Esme's godparents were often on hand to baby and dog sit. They knew how smitten Hermione was with their daughter and how much Severus pretended not be, and the way Wordsworth stood guard over her as she began to crawl amused everyone, especially her other godmother, highly.

As for Serena, she had moved back to the UK soon after the Snapes and was now heading up Severus' legal team. Her terms for working for Severus were the same as they had been for Draco: Her house had to be big enough to provide a bedroom for each of her dogs...she now had three. She had also managed to persuade Draco and Pansy to get a dog, shortly followed by Narcissa. And so it was that Hyde Park was often graced on a Sunday morning by the sight of the four women walking their dogs whilst bemoaning the various men in their lives. It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who was being moaned about the most.

And that's it folks. Hope you enjoyed.