Some interesting speculations with all of the reviews. I may even have gotten some ideas from you. ;) Thank you again for taking your time to review the story. Can't wait to see what you think of this one.

Pureblood Meddling

Draco hated the Manor. He hated the memories. He hated the property. He hated the damn wallpaper even.

He rarely made the trip home at all, much preferring to meet his mother for the occasional lunch in Diagon Alley. However, he wanted to have a quiet conversation with her away from prying eyes and overeager ears.

He emerged from the main sitting room's fireplace, dusting minor debris from his coat as he did so.

"Master Draco," Mipsy jumped upon seeing him. The elf bowed low causing him to roll his eyes as he waited for her to right herself. "Mipsy didn't know you was visiting."

"I'm just here to speak with my mother, Mipsy. Do you know where she is?"

She pointed a boney finger and nodded. "Mistress be taking tea with Ms. Tilshire in the garden, she is."

Draco's brow furrowed in confusion. His mother had never run the same social circles at the Tilshires. Particularly not in recent months. She'd expressed the same opinion that he had that Albindor was guilty.

That left one question.

What the hell was the bitchy old crone doing visiting his mother?

Draco nodded to the elf and made his way towards the large foyer and through the doors leading to the garden. It was always magically warmed this time of year if his mother wanted to spend time outdoors. He kept his coat on though as he wasn't sure if he'd even be staying considering whom his mother's company was. He wasn't exactly looking forward to a repeat encounter with the woman.

"Draco," his mother called cheerfully when she saw him approaching the wrought iron table.

He inclined his head in greeting, ignoring the woman sitting across from his mother.

"Mother," he greeted as he leaned down to press a kiss to her cheek.

She patted his cheek lightly with a smile before turning back to her guest. "I do believe you're familiar with Ms. Tilshire."

"Indeed," he replied curtly.

He'd not forgotten the dismissive way she'd treated Hermione when they'd gone to interview her or the warning she'd given him about getting romantically involved with her. If his mother was uncomfortable with the woman's presence, it wasn't obvious. Years of pureblood breeding and social climbing had schooled his mother in how to shield anyone from her true thoughts.

"Yes," Eudora Tilshire turned a simpering smile his way, "we've been acquainted."

Draco fought the urge to sneer at the woman but felt his mother wouldn't appreciate the open disdain, despite that she might share his feelings about the woman.

"Well, I won't keep you," Eudora stood and collected her bag. "It was lovely to share tea with you, Narcissa. Thank you for making the time at such short notice."

"Of course," his mother smiled blandly.

Draco watched as the witch followed the path he'd come from back into the manor. He turned back to his mother when she was gone and quickly waved his wand to silence the space around them…just in case.

Narcissa lifted an amused brow as she gestured to the vacant seat next to her. "Bee in your bonnet, dear?"

He snorted and finally shed his coat, resting it over the back of his chair. "I just don't trust that woman."

His mother huffed before she offered a slight smile while she watched him pour himself a cup of tea. "She's rather vapid, if not vile."

"I wasn't aware you shared social circles," he commented idly as he stirred the sugar in his tea.

"Oh dear, do be serious. I wouldn't be caught dead socializing seriously with that woman. Unlike your father, I learned from my past mistakes."

Draco's grey eyes flicked up to her at that comment and he looked at her more seriously. "Why was she here, mother?"

Narcissa leaned back in her chair, clasping her hands over her midsection. She eyed her son closely before giving a slight nod. "She wanted to warn me that you'd been seen out yesterday at a quidditch match and last night in Muggle London with Hermione Granger."

He swallowed and reached to take a sip of his tea. "And?"

She lifted a curious eyebrow. "So it's true then? I honestly wasn't sure if the woman was just off her rocker."

"Yes," he nodded, "it's true. Don't expect me to apologize for it."

She lifted her shoulders in a shrug and glanced over the gardens beginning to bloom their winter flora. "I'm not stupid, Draco. You might have tried to hide it but I've always known you had feelings for her. Possibly even before you understood them yourself." She glanced down at her hands, fingering the ring on her middle finger. "I didn't protect you from your father, Draco—"

"You couldn't have."

"Still, it's what mothers are supposed to do and I failed you."

"Not as badly as I failed her."

"They would have killed you, Draco, and you know it. You're lucky they didn't notice you casting that spell to share her pain."

His eyes darkened at that and he set his tea down as gently as his shaking hands would allow. "You knew?"

Narcissa scoffed, "Of course I knew. You'd been writing apology letters to the girl for years."

"Were you spying on me," he accused, eyes narrowed distrustfully.

"No, dear. You weren't as careful as you thought and I slipped them back in your journal when they fell out of your schoolbag. It wouldn't have done well for your father to have found out." She sighed and reached to rub one of her temples, a throbbing headache on the rise at the mere thought of the man. "Should I assume she's accepted you?"

He sighed and sat back in his chair. "Yes, though I damaged her trust quite a bit growing up. I'd been earning it even before she learned the truth."

His mother nodded thoughtfully and finally met his eyes. "You realize that there are still people who will judge you, Draco? There are still people who won't accept her with you."

He snorted and rolled his eyes. "It should be the other way around."

"I'm not disagreeing with you, dear, but the fact that Eudora Tilshire visited me just to 'warn' me that my son was seeing a muggle-born witch should be evidence enough. Many of us have changed. There are still a few with influence who might not look so favorably on your relationship. They accept her kind into wizarding society but don't believe that we should intermarry."

"I don't much care what they think, mother. I'd be more interested in your opinion."

Narcissa tipped her head as she observed her son. His shoulders were tight with nerves. He always went rigid when faced with judgement.

"Draco, I'd much prefer you be happy than concern myself with the blood status of your girlfriend." She lifted an eyebrow, "I assume that's all she is to you so far."

"I think I'd marry her tomorrow if I thought she'd say yes," he admitted, somewhat sheepishly.

She nodded, "Then I'll prepare myself for the idea of half-blood grandchildren one day and muggle in-laws."

Draco flinched at her last words and she lifted a curious brow. "They…her parents…they didn't make it."

Narcissa sighed in understanding. Too many innocents had been involved in what was ultimately a war fought in vain. "Then I'll treat her as if she were my own when the time comes for her to join our family."

He released a tight breath and much of the tension in his shoulders dissolved. "We've really changed, haven't we?"

"I'd like to think so," she smiled. She reached across to take one of his hands and squeezed gently. "Draco, just be happy. Please? I've watched you suffer enough."

It was later in the evening when he returned to his own home. He had enough time to wave his wand and light the room when he heard the tapping of a beak against his living room window.

Not bothering yet to take off his coat, he crossed the room and allowed the owl in.

The snowy owl twittered at him and lifted its leg insistently.

"Alright, alright. Don't get your feathers in a bunch," he grumbled. He released the letter and fed it a treat before it flew off into the night sky. "Bloody birds."

He didn't recognize the bird and so he was slightly surprised to find Hermione's neat handwriting when he opened the letter.

I'm having dinner at Harry and Ginny's. They wanted to invite you if you're interested. No pressure. Address below.

Hermione

While the prospect of an evening in her friends' presence wasn't high on his list, she most certainly was and he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity any time she invited him to be with her.

Not having access to the Potters' floo, he apparated into their neighborhood. 12 Grimmauld Place was as unassuming as they come but knowing that Potter had inherited it from Sirius Black, it was surely larger than the exterior implied.

He drew a deep breath and ascended the bricks steps before he knocked. He shoved his hands into his pockets, bouncing lightly on his heels as he waited in the cold.

Christmas would be upon them soon. He'd have to consider how best to approach spending the holiday with her. Did she have traditions she followed that were much different from his own? He didn't honestly know too much about how muggles celebrated Christmas outside of what he'd witnessed from Pansy's husband. Surely, being muggle-born, Hermione would have some peculiar traditions just like him that she'd kept.

The door opened all too suddenly and Ginny Potter stood there, grinning from ear to ear.

"Well, well, well," she drawled with a satisfied smirk that he wanted to wipe right off her face, "…you did decide to show."

He rolled his eyes but merely nodded as Ginny waved him in, spying the object of his interest close behind her. His face didn't show it but the moment she looked over her shoulder from her conversation with Weasley and smiled at him, his heart jumped. He leaned down when he approached her at her spot on the arm of their living room sofa and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead in greeting.

"You know," Ginny began behind him, still smirking, "I've always appreciated a man that offers up affection like that. Harry never kisses me on the forehead."

He snorted as Hermione rolled her eyes at the light teasing. Harry grumbled in the background, something that sounded like 'pureblooded git'.

"Don't get any ideas, Red. I'm quite spoken for."

"Master Draco gives Kreacher his coat," an old voice croaked.

Draco jumped at the sound and glanced down when he saw no one at eye level. He was quite shocked to find an old house elf, grumpy looking and dressed in a proper pair of trousers and shirt.

"Erm, sure," he mumbled as he handed his coat to the elf who shuffled off with it without another word. He turned back to the small crowd in the living room. "Bloody hell, Potter. You ought to put a damn bell on him or something. Nearly scared the bleeding daylights out of me."

Ron snickered behind a glass of butterbeer, ignoring his sister's reproachful look. Harry merely chuckled a little but shrugged.

Draco glanced at Hermione who was still seated on the arm of the sofa. "And you! I'm surprised you haven't made Potter free the damn thing!"

She sniffed indignantly and crossed her arms over her chest, a sullen look marring her face.

"Oh, she's tried," Ron piped up. "Bleeding thing won't leave. She's the reason he's wearing that ridiculous getup."

"It's perfectly reasonable to supply him with proper clothes, Ronald," she snapped.

Ron merely snorted and shook his head at her. "I've been saying it for years. They like serving. Bleeding things don't know what else to do."

"Because they've been brainwashed," she argued, "As I've been telling you for years." She turned a sharp look on Draco when he tried to hide a laugh behind his hand. "And don't you dare start either. I imagine you're probably worse than he is about them. Even if you do respect my views."

Draco held his hands up in a placating gesture before turning a glare on Ron. "Thanks, Weasley. Only had two proper dates and already you're ruining this for me."

"Me," he asked incredulously. "It's because you're you, Malfoy. She's bound to come to her senses eventually."

Hermione dropped her head in her hands and shook it, muttering something under her breath.

Clearly him acclimating to her friend group was going to take some time.

He rolled his eyes at himself and crouched down beside her to be closer to eye level. "My mother freed hers, if it helps." He smirked when she turned her head slightly and opened one eye. "They stuck around because they didn't have anywhere to go but they get paid."

"Really?"

He nodded, still smirking as she brightened predictably at that news. He ignored the not so discreet whispering of her friends who were watching them. "She offered galleons but they wanted socks. So they now have tons of socks. It met your regulations at least."

"Oh, I'm going to vomit," Ron moaned.

Hermione lifted her head finally and glared at him. Ginny intercepted anymore arguing when another knock resounded from the door.

"Why don't you go answer that, Ron," she suggested with a firm look.

The ginger scowled at Draco but ultimately did as he was asked, throwing up a rude hand gesture on the way.

Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed when Draco took the seat on the couch closest to her, batting his hands away when he playfully tried to pull her from the arm and onto his lap. She wasn't ready for such public displays of affection.

Draco took the hint though and settled himself, crossing one ankle over his knee and accepting the glass of butterbeer that sailed through the air to him from Potter.

"Neville and Luna are here," Ron announced as he reentered the room with Lavender and the other two at his side.

Draco leaned over to Hermione and whispered, "Is this some sort of couple thing?"

She snorted, a small smirk playing on her lips and she shook her head. "No," she whispered back, "Neville quite fancies Luna but he's never worked up the courage to do anything about it."

"Hmm, odd for a Gryffindor," Draco snarked. Last he'd heard from Blaise, the woman hadn't been interested in continuing their relationship because of him starting to go out more again. The idiot would never learn to grow up apparently.

She rolled her eyes at him, "His bravery shows in other ways. Not everyone is good with showing their emotions."

She gave him a pointed look and he shut his mouth.

Draco remained quiet as Neville hesitantly took up the seat next to him. He felt for the poor bloke as he watched the blonde witch dreamily start up conversation with Harry.

"Well this is quite surprising," Lavender grinned, drawing his attention in her direction as she sat on the loveseat across from them with Ron. "Never thought I'd see you two seriously together."

"Not as surprising as Ron dating you…again," Neville muttered.

Draco snorted his drink, wincing as it went up his nose but laughing as soon as he recovered. He slapped the man on the shoulder, jostling him. "Longbottom, I officially like you more than Weasley or Potter."

"Thanks," Neville muttered uncertainly as he glanced at Hermione discreetly, "I think."

The blonde glanced at Hermione to find her fighting a smile behind the lip she was now gnawing on. He didn't much care for the way Weasley's girlfriend liked to turn her nose down at Hermione and intended to keep an eye on the bint, maybe even knock her down a peg if the opportunity presented itself. She'd always been a right bitch if his memory served him correctly.

He was seated in the furthest corner of the library but he could still hear them as clear as day. Weasley's idiot girlfriend spoke about as quietly as a mountain troll so it wasn't difficult to eavesdrop.

He watched the way her hideously painted eyes darted in Hermione's direction and the slow smirk that overtook her face when she turned back to her fellow housemate.

"You know what I heard? Michael White made a bet with Lewis Smith that he couldn't get Hermione to agree to go to Hogsmeade with him this weekend."

He watched as Hermione stiffened a table over from the two girls, clearly hearing everything he heard as well.

"And did she," the other girl asked.

Lavender grinned and nodded. "She sputtered about it for a bit but she did. Poor bloke had to admit that it was a joke when his friend tossed a couple galleons at him."

"Poor thing," the girl glanced at Hermione.

"Oh please, she brings it on herself," Lavender argued. "She's boring, bossy, and she won't even wear any makeup to cover up those freckles. I really don't know why Ron or Harry hang around her."

She snickered to herself when Hermione began packing up her books, the fact that she'd overheard everything quite clear.

He sneered at the tart as he watched her giggle while Hermione struggled past a couple of fourth years to get out the doors. Most of her house was usually rather nice to her, even if some didn't feel comfortable coming to her aid when he was taunting her. That bint though…she'd get hers if he ever had anything to say about it.

Draco silently seethed for much of the evening as he watched the blonde bint drool all over Weasley who only seemed half comfortable with the attention. He kept himself distracted as best he could listening to Hermione and Neville debate over the uses of Gillyweed and Luna's odd additions on magical creatures to the conversation.

Harry shared a few knowing looks as he and Ginny watched all night while Draco doted on Hermione, even if only subtly. Unlike how obnoxious Lavender and Ron could be, he kept his touches simple and silently offered her food over dinner, filling her plate for her.

They worked in sync with one another, unspoken understanding about how their relationship was going to progress. They got each other. And it was a fairly interesting sight to see considering how complex they each were.

Ginny was feeling quite smug about the whole thing, enjoying the way her best friend's cheeks flushed whenever he whispered in her ear for clarification on some inside joke. She admired his will to put up with people he wasn't exactly excited about spending time around, if only to be with Hermione.

Harry handed him his coat from Kreacher once they were both on their way to the floo and pulled him aside while Hermione and Ginny said goodnight.

"There's another reason I had Hermione invite you over tonight. Any chance you can make it by my office tomorrow," Harry asked.

Draco lifted a curious brow and nodded while he slid into his coat. "Is this something I shouldn't be discussing with Hermione?"

Harry looked conflicted for a moment but nodded. "Let's wait. Bring that list of victims from your evidence file as well."

Draco narrowed his eyes at the man in front of him, watching as he nervously adjusted his glasses on his nose.

"I don't like the sound of this, Potter."

He sighed and nodded. "It's not good but I'd like to think we can head this off together." He glanced at Hermione who was now approaching them. "I just don't want to worry her until I have all the facts straight."

Sensing he had an idea of where this was going, Draco's stomach churned. "I won't keep her in the dark for long, Potter. I lied to her for far too long. I won't start doing it again now."

Harry nodded and hugged Hermione when she reached them. "See you at work," he grinned.

Draco escorted Hermione back through the floo to her home and stepped out with her.

He watched as she crossed the room and hung her coat on the coatrack in her foyer. A copy of the Daily Prophet sat on her coffee table, a picture of them stolen from their shopping trip the day before in the muggle bookstore.

He sneered as he stepped over to it. He didn't know exactly how but Eudora Tilshire had somehow gotten the news before most had seen the blasted paper considering how early she'd been by the Manor that morning.

"We've been exposed."

He tore his focus from the dirty rag and saw her standing a few feet away, arms crossed unsurely over her chest and a weak smile ghosting her lips.

He loosed a harsh breath and reached out for her. His heart thudded hard in his chest when she allowed him to pull her into him. He sighed when she pressed her nose against the base of his neck, obviously inhaling the light scent of his cologne.

"I don't care if you don't," he told her quietly, inhaling the perfume floating about her as well. She pulled back slightly to look up at him and a little smirk tilted his lips as he brushed a few curls behind her ear. "And my mother now knows I have a girlfriend."

Her eyes widened slightly and for a moment he thought she'd protest at him telling his mother about her. She surprised him with her next question.

"Girlfriend?"

For a moment, he thought she might be recoiling from him but he forced a look of confidence he didn't truly feel. "I admit that I'm terribly out of practice in the dating department but that's what I'd label you, yes."

Her eyes softened and she pulled him to sit with her on her sofa. She pulled one leg up under her to face him, one hand still in his. "Out of practice," she asked gently.

"You sound surprised," he smirked as he shed his coat over the back of her sofa and turned to face her head on.

Hermione shrugged, trying her best not to appear too interested. However, her curiosity was high after that comment. Something about knowing the man hadn't been dating and was out of practice eased some of her nerves because she sure as hell didn't know what she was doing here.

"A little," she admitted. "I'd expected you being…well you…" She shrugged again, "I thought you'd have had anyone you wanted."

Draco huffed at that but wasn't offended. "As you should know by now, not everything is as it has seemed with me. I tried dating a little in the last few years but…none of them interested me. Never got much further than a few dates."

"Right," Hermione rolled her eyes, "because you were so hung up on me."

Draco merely stared at her after that comment and she froze, her chest constricting at his serious expression.

"For the record, you're hard to compare with."

Her cheeks flamed quickly and she bit her lip to hide her smile.

He watched as she blushed again and hated himself a little for the fact that she had so little dating experience. He couldn't help but feel responsible. But one look into the rich, brown eyes and he was thankful to be here with her.

Draco shook his head, "Blaise gets on my case all the time for not dating. But he's an idiot. He jumps from woman to woman. And for all my faults even now, I'm still a one woman kind of man."

"You really don't have that many faults, Draco." He lifted his brow curiously and she rolled her eyes at him. "Okay, maybe you have some but they're more tolerable than I once thought."

He reached up with a single finger and touched the tip of her nose. "I'm going to remember that you said that."

Hermione released a sudden laugh and shook her head. "Of course you will."

Draco noted the way her body began to sag against the cushions of her sofa and the way she rested her head against the back of it.

"You're tired," he noted. "Why don't you head off to bed? I'll set your wards for you before I go."

She tried to perk herself up but truly he was right. She was rather exhausted and loathing that their weekend together was over.

"I'd rather spend more time with you but I am tired."

One corner of his mouth quirked up at her declaration and he leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to her lips.

"I like hearing that but I'm more concerned that you get some rest. Go on."

Hermione nodded tiredly and kissed his cheek before pushing herself off the sofa.

"I changed the access to my floo for you," she called out from the base of the stairs. "Goodnight, Draco."

He smiled to himself as she ascended the stairs and disappeared into her bedroom.

"Goodnight, love," he whispered to himself.

After setting her wards and adding a few extras to give himself peace of mind given his conversation with Harry, he took her floo back to his own home and released a wary sigh.

Whatever tomorrow held, he wasn't quite ready for it. Why could nothing ever be simple?