Hi Everyone,

I am so sorry that this chapter has taken me so long to post. I do have excuses. I had an exam that I needed to prepare for and actually take, which was quite stressful for me and I've been completely preoccupied preparing for my baby - plus point is that the nursery is nearly done! There is a couple of other things I could throw in there, but won't, except to say another apology for the length of this chapter. I've been hit with a severe case of baby brain/ writer's block/ stress exhaustion and I had a really hard time getting this chapter done. Having said that, I still hope that you enjoy!

Hermione apparated the three of them back to Draco's apartment where she was sure there would be no chance of interruptions. She made herself comfortable on one of the armchairs before performing the counter curse to Petrificus Totalus on both Draco and Ron.

"You," Hermione pointed at Draco, "sit over there," she nodded towards one end of the long sofa. "And you," she gestured to Ron, "sit at the other end, as far away from each other as possible, if you will. As a precaution, I have already confiscated both of your wands and if either of you makes a move towards the other, don't think I won't hit you with another jinx, got it?"

Draco and Ron glared at one another but otherwise made no comment, knowing full well that Hermione would make good on her threat if warranted.

"So, what now?" Ron asked.

"You tell me," Hermione replied. "What was the plan when you started that little brawl at the party?"

"Can't say I was really thinking ahead at the time," Ron turned to glare at Draco again.

Draco sneered at him in return. "We should send Shacklebolt an owl straight away to apologise for the incident. Then we should send one to Barnabas Cuffe at the Prophet, asking for a press release in the morning to issue a formal apology to each other and everyone else involved or affected by it."

Ron scoffed while Hermione inclined her head towards Draco. "That is a reasonable and mature plan," she said. Ron scoffed again.

"What's the problem, Weasley?" Draco gave him a pointed look.

"The problem is you and your plan and that she agrees with it."

Hermione and Draco rolled their eyes in tandem as Ron threw himself back against the cushions and crossed his arms over his chest. "Ron, you're acting like a child. You're inclined to be against this plan simply because it was Draco's. While I don't love the idea of going back in front of a camera, this does seem like the best way out of a bad situation."

"The sooner we act, the better. If we let Rita run her article, which we know she will, without a statement from us to go with it, the wizarding population will only have her exaggerated words to narrate what went down and the longer we leave it in her hands, the harder it will be to come back from it," Draco said, clasping his hands together and leaning forward.

"Fine," Ron said. "Only because I want this over and done with as soon as possible. Malfoy, you write to the Daily Prophet and Hermione and I will write to Kingsley."

"What? Why?"

"Hermione and I have a personal relationship with Kingsley, an apology from us would be better, would it not?"

"Fine, just make sure to express my apologies as well."

"We will," Hermione assured him. "You two start on those letters and I'll make us some tea."

Half an hour later, Hermione was attaching a letter to the legs of two different owls. Tea had been brewed, consumed and both wizards had gone about their tasks quietly and calmly without even a glance in each other's direction. "Ron, you may as well go on home. I'll send an owl when we have a response from Mr Cuffe. Hopefully, he will give us a time slot early enough to make tomorrow afternoon's edition."

"Fine with me," Ron said making his way towards the fireplace. He stifled a yawn and grabbed a handful of Floo Powder from the mantle. "See you soon, 'Mione. Malfoy," he nodded and was gone in a flash of green flames.

"Hermione, will you let me explain?" Draco asked.

In response, she held up a hand in his direction. "I want to go home, shower and get out of this ridiculous dress. I need a few minutes on my own to try and process everything that happened tonight. I am very curious to hear your explanation, so please feel free to accompany me downstairs and make yourself comfortable while I take my time to do the same."

"As long as you'll hear me out, I will wait as long as I need to for you to collect your thoughts. Just quickly, though - any chance of an Episky charm for my face?"

Hermione pondered for a moment. "You know, I think I might quite like your lip cut up like that and a bruise on your cheek. It's rather rugged looking, don't you think?" Hermione left it at that and made her way to the door.

Draco's lip quirked up in a quick smile at her sass, stifled quickly by a sharp pull and tearing sensation. When he wiped at his mouth, his hand came away with a smear of red.

Hermione turned the key in the lock and opened her front door to a surprising smell of spiced cake and the sight of Andy sitting on the sofa, watching the blazing fire in the fireplace. "Andy!" She exclaimed. "You're home!"

Andy placed her teacup and saucer on the coffee table and stood to embrace her. "Happy New Year, Hermione."

"And to you, too, Andy. Welcome home."

Andy looked past Hermione's shoulder and saw Draco standing in the doorway.

"Welcome back, Andy. Happy New Year," he said.

"Thank you, the same to you - about the New Year," Andy stammered. "I've got a pot of tea already steeped. Do you care to join me?"

Hermione glanced back at Draco as he started to make their excuses about turning in for the night. "Sounds wonderful," she told Andy instead and removed her coat. "I'll get the cups."

With a sigh, Draco hung his coat by the door and took a seat across from Andy. "How was your business trip?"

"Very successful, actually. Plus, I love Paris at this time of year."

Hermione had returned with the teacups and was pouring herself and Draco each a strong cup. She left Draco's where it sat on the table and picked up her own saucer before taking a seat on the sofa next to Andy.

"You were gone for so long. What is it you were up to?"

Andy was fiddling with a ring on her right hand. "Mostly just some research and planning but also recruiting staff. Good help is very difficult to find these days. Unfortunate that I had to leave the country to make it happen, but it is what it is."

"I didn't realise that you worked in Human Resources," Draco commented.

"Oh, I don't," Andy said. "I just thought reinforcements would be needed."

"What on earth for?" Hermione asked.

"I'm sorry to have bought you into this, Hermione. It really was an accident that we crossed paths. I never expected things to just fall into my lap like this. I really do care for you, so I hope that you're not too greatly affected by this."

"Affected by what, Andy?" Hermione felt panic rising inside.

"The upheaval of the Malfoy family, of course."

"Excuse me?" Draco asked indignantly. "This is about me?"

"No! This is about me, for once, brother."

"Brother?" Hermione and Draco said together.

"I have no siblings," Draco continued.

"Not one that you knew about. We share only a father, Draco. Lucius had an affair with my mother shortly before his marriage to your mother. I am the result of that affair, one that he has been able to ignore because my mother is a muggle and had no way of knowing who exactly had abandoned her."

"This is absolutely outrageous!" Draco jumped from his seat and started pacing in front of the fireplace. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that you're my older sister? More like you're a gold digging who-"

"Draco!" Hermione warned. "Let's not say things that we can't take back."

"Hermione, what she is claiming is beyond the realm of reality. If what she says is true, what happened with her magical training? She'd have the gotten the letter for Hogwarts, attended and found me a hell of a lot sooner if she were truly a Malfoy!"

"Not if I was born without the ability of magic," Andy retorted.

"So you're telling me that you not only are my half-sister but that you're also a Squib?"

"What is a Squib?" Andy asked.

Draco scoffed, still pacing in front of the fireplace. "What is a Squib?" he huffed under his breath.

Hermione placed a hand on Andy's knee. "A squib is a person of magical descent, who has been born without magic."

"Un Cracmol?" Andy said, her voice accented in French.

"Wee, un Cracmol," Hermione confirmed also in French. Continuing in English, Hermione addressed Draco. "Besides Draco, there is a very simple way to see if she is at least a Malfoy."

Draco stopped pacing and looked at Hermione. "No, absolutely not. I can't risk anything happening to it."

"Well, you took a huge risk in more than one way by giving it to me tonight and I can't think of an easier way to test the theory at this moment, can you?"

"What are you on about?" Andy questioned, her voice rising in volume.

"We both have wands while Andy does not. What could possibly go wrong?" Hermione addressed Draco.

"Fine, but I'm blocking all the exits first."

"Fine."

"Fine!"

"WHAT IS FINE?" Andy all but bellowed.

Hermione gestured to the necklace still trapped around her neck. "Once Draco has satisfied his paranoia, you're going to unclasp this for me."

Andy's only response was to pull a puzzled face, so while Draco charmed the front door and all of the windows with a locking charm, Hermione explained how the necklace could only be removed by a Malfoy. Once Draco was satisfied that Andy couldn't get away with his precious family heirloom, Andy moved behind the sofa to stand in line with where Hermione was sitting. Gently, she put her hands on the back of Hermione's neck and lifted the chain clasp away from the skin. Dubious, yet apprehensive, Draco stood watching and holding his breath. "So, all I have to do, is take it off?" Andy double checked.

"Yes, that should do it" Draco drawled.

"Right," she nodded and slipped the necklace off from around Hermione's throat. Responses were immediate. Andy let out a sigh of relief, Hermione caught at the necklace and Draco's knees gave out from under him. Hermione left her seat and knelt by where Draco had braced himself against the wall. She removed his hands from his face and held the necklace out to him saying, "Send it back where it belongs."

With a wave of his wand, Draco vanished the necklace, sending it back to the Malfoy treasury.

"Chin up, Malfoy. You've got a sister!" Hermione smiled at him, placing a quick kiss on his cheek. Standing, Hermione moved over to Andy and rubbed a soothing pattern on her arm. "So, Andy. You're a Malfoy. How are you feeling?"

"Vindicated," was her short reply.

Draco got his legs back underneath him and used them to push himself back up the wall. "So you're a Malfoy, my older sister," he stammered. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "Hermione and I have had a very long, stressful and now revealing evening. I think we should turn in for the evening before we have another long day tomorrow. It is my intention to work through all of this with you, but not tonight. Before we wish you good night, is there anything else you want to tell me?"

"You should know that it is my intention to break our father out of prison."

Draco and Hermione gaped at each other while an owl tapped incessantly on the window.