A/N: All apologies to my regular readers. This chapter is only about half finished. I don't know when I'll be able to finish. My husband's father died suddenly this past Saturday. We're all still in shock. The funeral was yesterday. Today, my husband and kids go back to the world and I will go over to my mother-in-law's house to help her begin to write thank-you notes, take care of the life insurance filings and try to put her life together without her partner of over forty years.

I wanted to touch on two things: First, thanks to all of those who read and review regularly, even when there's nothing new; and second a couple of notes on the text. The name Conrad was chosen for Warrington because it means wise counsel. I chose Warrington because though he exists in canon, he's been given no personality, so I could provide my own.

Disclaimer: All characters, place names etc… are the property of JKR, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, etc..

Draco hadn't liked Conrad Warrington as a school boy and he liked him even less now. His mother was some distant cousin of the Malfoys who married beneath her station yet, because the new husband, poor though he was, was a pureblood, the family was still admitted in good society. As neither of them had any siblings, their mothers often encouraged them to play together. Draco remembered how even at the age of six, Warrington had one face for adults and another when alone with other children. He was a schmoozer and a manipulator. His mother thought Conrad was an angel and when Draco went to Hogwarts, she always asked if they saw each other much and tried her best to get her son to befriend the older boy, so it was no wonder Narcissa consented to allow his appointment by the ministry. Warrington's over-loud voice, colorful (and by that he really meant tacky) clothing choices and a general obnoxious "nouveau riche" attitude which hadn't changed, were more than Draco could stomach. That and add in the fact that the lout was currently, judging by the leer on his utterly un-malfoy-looking face, thinking lurid thoughts about the headmistress (in front of Tom, no less!) and you had more than enough reason for his current sour attitude.

Of course, Hermione thought Draco's dislike of Conrad was due entirely to the fact that this former Slytherin had been given complete control over the Malfoy demesne, the assets assigned to ADHOC and the care of his mother. In short, he was taking care of all of the responsibilities normally assigned to the family's heir. She also thought Malfoy might be a little jealous of the handsome, friendly, well-mannered barrister. After all, not many of the other Slytherins from their school days had managed to avoid jail or poverty, much less become successful and wealthier than ever. She smiled at Conrad as he talked on about ideas to settle the dispute over the house.

"Have you considered building a new facility, Hermione?" he asked

Lost in her own thoughts and half-way playing with Tom, she didn't answer. "Hermione?"

"What? Huh?" She stumbled "Sorry, Conrad. Lost in Thought. What were you asking?"

Draco smirked. He'd never known her to drift off, day dream and fail to pay attention. What exactly she was daydreaming about, he couldn't imagine, but he planned to use it to his advantage.

"Warrington, if you were to build a new facility, how long would it take and who would pay for it?"

Conrad turned to Draco, ignoring Hermione's indignant gasp.

"Wait…" she started, but Warrington spoke over her.

"It would probably take six months of constant work and the estate has more than enough money to pay for it."

"Six months? Surely you could put a rush on such an important matter. I don't wish to wait that long. Perhaps you can find a temporary facility for the little urchins. As far as the money's concerned, I don't care if you keep every knut. It's a small price to pay for having a little peace and quiet. Just ensure you have enough left over to run the place, for my generosity has nearly reached its end."

"JUST A MOMENT!" She screeched. Both wizards turned their heads toward her.

"I don't want to uproot the children! They've been through enough already. I will not consider moving them once much less twice. Besides, this house and grounds have special protections for all who live here. For centuries the Malfoys have layered protective spells and wards on the place to protect themselves from every imaginable danger. Everything from severe weather to dark spells. It's like living in a fortress. You could never duplicate that kind of security in a new facility."

Warrington turned to Draco with an inquisitive look on his face.

"It's true." He said.

"Well, I can talk to the Ministry and see what sort of protective …."

"NO. We're not leaving. This is our home, I'm not moving them. And what of the children who are at school? Can you imagine coming home to a different place every holiday? I won't do it."

School? Draco looked puzzled. He assumed all the orphans lived at the Manor full-time. Of course, it made sense that some of them would go off to school when the appropriate age.

"Hermione, you must listen to reason. This house, as big and nice as it is, is quickly reaching capacity. If you won't build a new facility, you're going to have to allow adoptions."

She looked stricken. "Adoptions?" Draco asked. "You mean you're not trying to find new homes for these…. He gestured toward Tom"

"I…. I… I … what if they ended up in bad places… like Harry? I couldn't live with myself..." she said, tearfully.

Draco thought his head would explode. She wasn't even trying to find homes for the little waifs! That just figured.

"We're clearly not getting anywhere" Warrington said "Hermione, why don't you get Muriel to look after the baby and have lunch with me so we can go over the financial reports for last quarter. I promise I won't discuss the A word anymore."

"Muriel has her hands full and some of the teachers are sick. In fact, I left James, the steward in charge of eight four-year-olds. I can't go… unless… perhaps if you would help me get the children fed and down for their naps….. then anyone could watch them" she looked up at Draco with hopeful eyes, tears forgotten.

"Oh no, Granger. NO. I am not a nanny. No."

An hour later, he was standing in the kitchen, Tom on his hip trying to figure out what he was going to do with dozens of well-rested, rambunctious children upon completion of their naps, when he thought he heard the pop of apparition outside the kitchen door. Definitely not possible since the apparition wards remained in place for all but blood relations and aurors with a special talisman to let them through (One of the fruits of Nymphadora's labors, no doubt she'd pried the secret from Narcissa's mind).

He stepped through the door to find the traitor-in-question.

"Did you forget our meeting?" she asked, a hint of laughter on her lips.

"No. But as you can see, I'm a bit preoccupied"

"Where are all the teachers?" she asked

"SICK. Everyone is sick except for me, Granger and about three dozen sleeping kids. The Headmistress has abandoned her duty to go make cow eyes at Conrad Warrington, leaving me stuck here with a kitchen full of dirty crockery and a squalling brat."

"He doesn't look to be squalling at the moment" she smiled, tickling Tom. She held her hands out and he leaned toward her without argument. Draco was a little relieved. That put the number of people Tom would allow to touch him at three. He left Tonks cooing at the infant while he made tea, cursing Warrington and Granger and swearing he would not touch one dirty dish. Let her get Warrington in here, up to his elbows in suds.

Finally, he sat at the table with his tea. Tom was giggling at Tonks who was literally making faces at him, using her morphing ability.

"So…" she said, looking at him uncertainly

"SO?" he asked

"Our meeting"

"Ah yes. I suppose we can have it here, since the children are sleeping and Granger is out." After pausing a moment to gather his thoughts he said "I require your assistance and as it's a family matter, I should think you won't have any problems helping me. That and the fact that if you refuse, I shall go to the Prophet and let them know you and the ministry are holding my mother hostage and forcefully probing her memory"

"On one condition"

He arched an eyebrow in her direction.

"You have to tell me the truth about where you went after that night in the tower and where you've been all this time"

"You said one condition. That's two. Lucky for you, the answer to both questions is identical. I'll have to swear you to secrecy. No telling the ministry."

"Of course"

Once the oath was performed, Draco stood and began to pace as he talked.

"I suppose the story really begins shortly after my family's arrival here from France in 1067. Even at that time, we were already bound, irrevocably, to the Dark Order; so when my 30th great grandfather became the first Lord Malfoy, he was still a pagan. He was given these lands by William the Conqueror, himself. The local lord, the last of his line, had died defending them against the Normans and upon his death; no one was left to rule. Hundreds of people depended upon the estate for their lives. The peasants who worked the fields and kept the manor going, were frightened of their new lord and eventually rebelled against him, citing witchcraft as their cause. The Church supported them and appealed to the king to have the new Lord removed and killed, unless he repented and professed himself a Christian. Of course, he had no choice in the matter, so he publicly declared himself a Christian and became a patron of the local church. He found valuable allies within the church, who were willing to look the other way as far as his actual religious practices went, so long as he kept the tithes coming. Eventually, the villagers felt at ease and life went on for nearly three centuries without incident. In the fourteenth century, during the throes of the Black Death, the village priest died. The Church was unable to find a replacement. No one was willing to come into a contaminated area. The villagers appealed to the Lord of the Manor at the time, who, along with his family, mysteriously managed to avoid the plague. They wanted him to provide them with a priest. It was well-known in the village that the Lady of the Manor at the time, Lucretia, was unable to have more children after the birth of the heir. Therefore, my grandfather kept a mistress in a cottage on the grounds. This was the building currently known as Dowager House. The mistress had given birth to a son, who was nearing his fifteenth summer. My grandfather volunteered to send the boy to Rome to be trained as a priest. He did not return to England, however, opting for a monastic life in France. After three years, the plague ended and Rome sent a replacement for the village priest, the bastard forgotten. Since that time, periodically, when indiscretion leads to the birth of a male offspring outside the bounds of marriage, the child is sent to study in France, where he is given the opportunity to be educated and eventually have an identity outside that of his father. Most of them opt to remain monks.

After the Reformation, the Malfoys in England, like everyone else, became protestant. The family chapel was abandoned and the villagers no longer concerned themselves with the Lord's religious practices so long as he continued his support of the local Anglican minister. The practice of sending illegitimate sons to France continued, however. At this time on the Continent, a Counter-Reformation was brewing. The Society of Jesus was formed and armed by the Pope to act as an army, defending Catholicism against Protestants. One of my bastard uncles helped to transform the quiet monastery into a Jesuit training facility. I guess you can begin to put the pieces together from there. When my grandfather, Abraxas, died unexpectedly, my father was informed by way of a letter written to my grandfather, of the existence of a half-brother, who was studying in France and required continued support until his ordination. The brothers struck up a correspondence that lasted many years. When my father received word of my assignment from the Dark Lord, he arranged for me to be taken to my uncle in France if things went badly. My Uncle Xavier, who by that time had become the Abbot in Navarre, agreed to take me in on the condition that I be trained and not just provided sanctuary. I had no choice but to agree, but I'm glad I did. It changed my life, saved me. I have been serving with the Jesuits on various missions ever since. In fact, I had no intention of ever returning here.

"And yet, here you are" Nymphadora said quietly.

"And yet…"

"I don't understand how your father orchestrated the whole thing from jail"

"Ah, he couldn't have under the dementors, but seeing as how Scrimgeour replaced them with human guards… well… money talks, you know. My mother bribed everyone from the Warden down to allow my father a modicum of freedom"

"So, why are you here?"

"That is an interesting question and actually the reason I require your help. My Superior has received information about the rise of a new dark force, perhaps a new Lord. I have been sent to investigate."

"But I thought you said it was family business"

"Did you hear me say my family is irrevocable tied…"

"So, you want me to…."

"Help me break my family's bond…"

"HOW?"

Before he could answer any further, he heard giggling in the hallway. Granger.

"Oh hello" she said as they emerged from the kitchen, a weird grin on her face. "Are the children STILL asleep, Malfoy? You were supposed to wake them up. They'll never sleep tonight!" She rushed up the stairs.

Tonks laughed and said to Tom "looks like she's had a three martini lunch, shall we go check on her?"

"Not until I tell you what I require."

"Ah yes. What is your bidding, Lord Malfoy?" she asked dramatically.

"I need access to the Malfoy family records removed by the Ministry"

"That all?"

"For now"

"DONE" she said, then boosting Tom upon her hip, went to find Hermione, leaving Draco to contemplate his fate. A long while later, he was doing just that as he turned to fetch his tea from the kitchen only to discover every one of the dishes had been cleaned and put away.

"Well, I'll be…."

"Oh good, you've done the dishes. Marvelous Job, Malfoy. You've been such a dear today, I can't thank you enough." The Headmistress laughed and kissing him on the cheek, turned and left.

He stood there for and undetermined amount of time, pondering whether he was losing his mind.