Disclaimer:- I neither earn nor own anything from this story except my plot. Harry Potter and his world are the intellectual property of JK Rowling and her associates.

A/N:- A huge thank you my beta, Golden Asp, for her work on this chapter. Thank you to everyone for your reviews and alerts, as well as the continuing support for this story.

Chapter Fourteen – The Forfeited Afternoon Tea

When Draco arrived to collect her, Hermione was waiting. It had been the quickest shower she'd ever had, and while she'd been in it she'd decided on the dress for the afternoon just because Draco was coming to pick her up.

It was true she'd expanded her wardrobe vastly at Harrods that morning, but she'd made her decision on what to wear from a comment that Draco had made about a dress she'd tried on that he really liked because of one feature. She glanced down at the rather daring design—well, daring for her—and she smiled.

Draco seemed obsessed with her breasts, and he'd declared as soon as he'd seen her in the dress that it was perfect for easy access, and she'd been glad that her mother had not been listening.

It was currently half an hour before the bridal party afternoon tea, and Severus, Helen, and Serena had just left for Hogwarts. This had also made Hermione hurry to get ready as she was hoping to have Draco to herself for at least a few moments before they left for the afternoon tea.

He Floo'd into the drawing room right on three thirty, and she smiled at him. "Hello."

"You're wearing that dress," he said in answer as soon as he looked at her.

Her eyes sparkled. "I am," she told him cheekily. She had applied charms to hold her breasts in place, as it had been impossible to wear a bra with the dress. It was red with a jewelled keyhole neckline that dived daringly down between her breasts. It had an empire waist and the flouncy skirt finished mid-thigh.

She stood and took Draco in as he strode towards her. He looked lovely in his black suit, a picture of virile manhood. "I want to see," he said as he walked.

She grinned to herself and posed cheekily, waiting for what she knew was coming. The dress had captured Draco's imagination, and his hand was already reaching forward to touch her.

Without any preamble he pulled the material of the dress aside and found what he'd hoped for as her breast appeared when the material was pushed out of the way. He grinned like a child and palmed the exposed globe in his hand, before his mouth came forward taking her tit into its hot depths.

Her hands came up instinctively and started massaging his head as he suckled. "I missed you this afternoon. Lucius said you went riding." Hermione was certain that he flinched slightly as she inquired after what he'd been doing, but she easily forgot as his tongue curled around her nipple.

Draco didn't comment, and was quickly becoming lost in what he was doing, especially as his fingers started down under Hermione's skirt. His eyebrow rose and his lips turned up on one side when he reached his goal. "Oh, you are so delicious," he told her, allowing the object he'd been sucking to pop out of his mouth. "No knickers. I hope you weren't planning to go to the party like that?"

"No, but I knew you were coming and I've already ruined one pair this afternoon."

"Have you indeed," Draco smirked. "What did you and father get up to while I was by myself?"

Hermione threaded her arms up around his neck and looked into his lovely grey eyes. "I went to Hogwarts with Severus to see if I could do anything to help Luna, and Lucius turned up too."

"Yes. I knew father would want to see to Lovegood, he feels very guilty about her treatment here near the end of the war. We were both very pleased when Potter managed to rescue you all that day."

Hermione suddenly felt bereft, and she shivered slight. "Draco, let's not talk about that at present," Hermione said. "That day above all others still hurts."

Draco could see that this was going to be an issue for time to come, and he thought back to the night of their betrothal and her initial reaction to being in the entranceway of the house. Without another word he pulled her close. True to their word that night, the entrance had been changed. He understood that the elves had worked all night transforming it, and it was so easy to forget that it had only been a few days since then.

He kissed her temple and held her tight. "We'll get through it, kitten, don't worry."

She rested her head on his chest, and took the offered comfort from him, even though she did not see him as her rock as Lucius was. Draco was so different to Lucius, she loved the elder Malfoy's control and command, as well as his passion, Lucius felt like home, but she liked Draco's comfort too, and she hated that the reminder of the war had ruined the mood. She also hated that those same events made her react so badly. "I know we will," she replied. "It will just take time."

Draco felt the sadness that settled over her and he gently pulled her back and took her face in his hands. "I'm sorry, sweetheart."

"It is not your fault. You tried to help us that day, saying how you didn't recognise us."

"It was not enough," he told her passionately. "I wanted to tear the bitch apart for hurting you," he stated,

She smiled softly up at him.

He chuckled softly, and he guided her head back to his chest and they stood there together for some time, just quietly breathing one another in for comfort.

However, soon, Hermione pushed back from him, she reached up and pecked his lips, and then she took a deep breath. "Well, I better finish getting dressed so we can go," and she picked up her purse, which was lying on the lounge. She pulled out a pair of lace knickers, but Draco chuckled and took them off her.

"Allow me," he said, his lips twitching as he knelt in front of her and urged her to use him for support.

Snickering gently, Hermione did as he asked, and felt him lifting one ankle and then the other.

"Lift your skirt out of the way," he told her as he started pulling the delicate lace garment up her legs.

Hermione suspected that getting her skirt out of the way was not the only reason he wanted her to lift it, but she happily obliged. However, just as she did the Floo flared.

Thankfully, it was Lucius who walked out, because Hermione considered that had it been Severus she would have died of embarrassment at being caught with her knickers around her knees and her skirt above her waist.

Lucius strode towards them as he smirked. "Just as I thought," he stated. "It's a good job I've arrived to make certain that we all manage to arrive at our appointment on time before any of our guests arrive."

"We were just going to come, Father," Draco stated, not moving from his position in front of Hermione.

Lucius cocked an eyebrow, his eyes on Hermione's displayed nether regions as well. "That was not the kind of 'coming' I meant," he chuckled.

Hermione smiled, she'd stopped herself from allowing her skirt to fall once she'd seen that it was Lucius coming through the Floo, but now she looked at them both and quickly finished the task that Draco had been dawdling over. She noticed that looks of disappointment flitted over the faces of both men, but she also took a deep breath watching Draco giving his father a 'oh, ha, ha' look for his comment as he gracefully rose to a standing position. She ignored them both and simply slipped an arm through each of theirs. "Then, shall we?" she said in a very business-like manner.

xox

While this was happening, at Hogwarts things were going quite well too. Poppy was an instant hit with Serena, and Helen found herself liking the older woman as well.

"I would be very happy for you to proceed with your plan, Severus," Helen said quietly, while Poppy was occupied with Serena.

Severus' mouth twitched into a smile. "Thank you," he replied, quietly kissing her temple.

They'd come to visit Poppy on the pretext of Severus introducing Helen and Serena to the witch who had supported him above all others since he'd come here as an eleven year old, but really Helen had just wanted to see if Poppy would fit into their family.

Severus had also been interested to see if Helen like Hogwarts. If she did, perhaps she might like living here for part of the year, as the elves at Prince Manor had already proven that they did not need the instruction of a master or mistress to keep the house in good order.

They were in Poppy's sitting room, and Severus sat down beside her and lifted Serena up onto his lap as Helen came to sit beside him.

"Poppy, we," and he motioned between himself and Helen, "are looking for a nurse for Serena, and we were wondering if you might like the position."

They watched Poppy's face light up, and her hand came forward to cover Severus'. "Oh, dear boy, that would be splendid. Thank you," and then her hand moved over Severus' knees to Helen. "Thank you," she repeated. "Keeping up with four hundred students has become too much for me, but one precious little mite," and she gave them a cheeky look as she tickled Serena's chin, "or perhaps two in time, would suit me perfectly."

Helen laughed, and Severus spluttered slightly. "We haven't even begun to think that far ahead yet," Helen told her.

Poppy laughed too. "Now, that is the first time I've ever seen you speechless, Severus."

Helen's laughter increased. "This is going to be fun. When do you think you could start, Poppy?"

"Well, I would have said as soon as I pack…" but then she stopped and looked at them. "It is a live-in nanny you wanted, right?"

"Yes, most definitely," Severus assured her.

"Oh, good, but now there's Miss Lovegood to consider," Poppy stated.

"When will she be well enough to be released from the infirmary?" Severus asked.

"There is really nothing seriously wrong with her, but she is mentally and physically exhausted. She just needs some sleep in a secure place, and when she wakes she should be right. Well, perhaps not quite ready for life on her own again."

"Oh, but we're happy for her to come back with us," Helen said. "Hermione wants to know that she's safe, and from what I overheard between Severus and Kingsley, it sounds like her home is not currently liveable."

"In that case, once she wakes we could move her over to Prince Manor," Poppy said excitedly.

"Excellent," Severus stated. "We will await your owl, Poppy."

Poppy smiled. "I will let you know."

"We had best get to the afternoon tea," Helen said.

"Yes, we'll be late," Severus agreed. He picked Serena up from his knee and turned to collect Helen. "I will apparate us there to save time," he told her.

xox

Severus apparated his family through the Malfoy wards, and they entered the house to what sounded like a screaming match coming from the family rooms of the house.

"How dare you!" Draco was heard to say. "You came knowing that Hermione is a Muggleborn. If you do not support this marriage, why on earth did you agree to come?"

The next voice they heard was a rather shrill female voice. "To try and make you see sense," the voice said.

"Bloody Pansy Parkinson," Severus growled. "What the hell was Draco thinking," and the Potions master turned to Helen and Serena. "Allow me to apparate you and Serena home, a potential wizarding war zone is no place for people who cannot defend themselves against it."

Helen's head rose defiantly, even as she pulled Serena protectively towards her. "I would rather stay, if you do not mind," she stated boldly, as they heard Draco's next sentence.

"But you came to the betrothal, and you didn't say anything then."

"Well, let's just say I've had some additional information since then," Pansy yelled back.

Severus looked at Helen and his lips thinned, but he nodded, knowing that she was correct. "Then stay behind me until I have assessed the situation."

While they'd been talking, the arguing had continued. Now there were other voices raised as well. Severus picked out Lucius and Harry Potter wading into the debate, as well as Hermione, and he knew that this was not going to end well.

He arrived in the doorway to see both Greengrass sisters behind Harry, who was standing defiantly shoulder to shoulder with Hermione, and Pansy Parkinson nose to angry nose with Draco in the centre of the room. Lucius was standing beside his son, as Pansy Parkinson ranted like a witch possessed.

"Have you all forgotten about school?" she yelled.

"What about it?" Draco asked.

"You hated all Gryffindors," she told him.

"And my option was?" Draco asked, throwing his hands in the air. "You either went along with the political climate or you simply disappeared. I thought you were my friend, and that you understood that."

"You mean that you're actually siding with them now, after what they're doing," and she swiped her hand towards Hermione and Harry.

"We haven't done anything," Harry and Hermione stated angrily in unison.

"I love Hermione," Draco put in. "I have done for years. You've got your partner, allow me… us," he said, glancing at Lucius, "to have ours."

"What I'd like to know, Miss Parkinson," Lucius stated calmly before the witch had a chance to say anything else. "Is, where you have obtained your… additional," and he emphasised the word, "information?"

Pansy sneered at Draco and turned on Lucius. "I'm not at liberty so say where my information came from," she stated with a scowl. "But it is a well-known fact that the ministry are paying you to marry her with the money our families donated towards restructuring," she stated.

Severus had heard enough, he saw Hermione bristling at the accusation, and he swept into the room as he saw Pansy going for her wand thinking Hermione was attacking her. "Expelliarmus," he enunciated clearly. The wood of Pansy's wand slapped into his hand, and as he walked he spoke, "Desist your ramblings, Miss Parkinson. You have been grossly misinformed, and we are not interested in your negative opinions, but I'm certain that the Aurory will be. Expect a visit as soon as Kingsley Shacklebolt is made aware of these lies," the Potions master told her.

"Now, your invitation to participate in these proceeding is withdrawn until you calm down and see sense, or Hermione decides that she does not wish you to stand up with us if you feel as you do," Lucius added, and he plucked her wand from Severus and restored it to her before a swish of his own saw her transported to outside the front gates.

He then looked at Astoria and Daphne. "Are you ladies of the same opinion?"

"No," Daphne gasped. "We trust Professor Snape implicitly."

"Yes, we know that he would not misuse ministry donations," Astoria added.

"We do know however, that father had a visitor yesterday who made him very angry."

"Do you know who it was?" Severus asked.

They both shook their heads.

"No," Daphne said, "But he came out of his study muttering about idiots thinking that they could undermine the good work done," she said.

"Perhaps a visit to Cassius Greengrass may be in order," Severus stated. "I will summon Kingsley."

"Yes, this must be nipped in the bud," Lucius agreed. "Excuse us. Draco, I'm certain you and Potter can entertain the ladies."

Draco nodded to the affirmative, and looked to Harry, but Daphne cut in.

"Actually, I think it might be better if we went with Professor Snape and Mister Malfoy," and she turned to Hermione. "We are very happy to be chosen as two of your bridesmaids, Hermione, but this might be better happening when Luna can be here too."

As her anger started to settle, Hermione had gone very quiet, but she was pleased to grasp this offered olive branch. "Thank you, Daphne, Astoria," and she squeezed their arms gently. "That's a good point, I did feel strange having this afternoon with one of the bridesmaids missing… but now there are two in doubt…" and her words trailed off, and she sighed as she looked to Draco. He looked just as traumatized as she did.

"We can have it all at Prince Manor tomorrow," Helen said, finally stepping forward. "Hello, I'm Hermione's mother, Helen Granger. I'm very pleased to meet you," she said, looking at the sisters, as her hand reached forward and squeezed Harry's arm.

"Oh, Mum, I'm sorry. You know Harry, of course, but this is Daphne and Astoria Greengrass."

Helen came forward and shook hands with both girls, who then excused themselves and went to the Floo, and she turned to Hermione. "Do you want to go home, love?" she asked, pulling her daughter into a one armed hug.

Hermione faltered, but then she cleared her throat and pushed away from her mother. She tickled her little sister under the chin. "Hello, gorgeous," she said to Serena, but then shook her head. "No," she said. "I think the best thing we can do is have a good afternoon tea."

"Well said," Draco agreed, lacing his hand around Hermione's waist. "Come, everyone," and he started guiding Hermione towards the patio.

It was obvious that Pansy had really upset Draco, and Hermione felt a protectiveness rising inside her as she accepted the squeeze Draco gave her as they started walking. She had the urge to apparate to the front gates and hex the stupid cow into next week, but she wanted to show him her support by being here too.

Draco seated them around the table on the patio, and Hermione accioed some things for Serena to play with as Draco went to the bar at the back of the patio. She heard the pop of a champagne cork, and soon Draco returned.

"Champagne, everyone," he said, glancing around as he poured four glasses. "And how about you, princess," he said to Serena, crouching down in front of her.

The little girl gurgled happily and handed him the wooden block she'd been holding.

"Thank you," he said reverently, glancing at Helen and Hermione when they laughed.

"I have some juice in her bag for her," Helen said, turning to the baby bag on the floor. "Severus made it cold before we left home," she stated as she handed it to Serena.

Then Hermione leant forward and caught Draco's arm. "We better send an owl to Celia Doyle telling her of the change of plans, love."

"That's a good point. Do you know where we keep the owls?"

She shook her head. "No."

Draco glanced at Helen and Harry and then said, "Excuse us for a moment, we'll just send an owl and return."

Lucius was angry. He was a master at hiding how he felt, but he'd finally thought that he wouldn't have to hide it in his own home anymore. He had felt useless as Draco had been arguing with the stupid Parkinson girl, and he'd been scared, for the first time in his life, that if he'd hexed the stupid little bint—as she'd deserved—that he may have risked ending up in Azkaban, a place he swore that he'd never allow himself to be sent again.

Severus could plainly see that Lucius was not happy. "Is everything well, my friend?" he asked in an undertone as they waited for Kingsley to arrive.

"No," was the blond wizard's honest answer. "Never have I been more frightened of losing something as I was just now," he continued.

"You're not going to lose Hermione over this," Severus told him. "I can see that in a short time a strong bond has formed between the three of you."

"Which only makes it more troublesome… What if I hexed someone… Would it…" but he couldn't finish his words

"Oh," Severus intoned, finally understanding his friend's predicament. "You realise that they have agreed that you do not belong in Azkaban, don't you?"

"No," came his second answer, and with it a glimpse of the stressed wizard Severus remembered from the last days of the war.

"Your freedom did not hinge on you becoming a saint, Lucius," Severus said chuckling. "That's not ever likely to happen," he said.

Lucius quickly regained his haughty demeanour. "Indeed," he intoned.

Severus cackled quietly and changed the subject. "How did Parkinson get here?" he asked instead.

"It all happened this morning when Hermione thought that Miss Lovegood had betrayed her. Draco suggested Parkinson as an alternative, saying that she was his friend."

Severus tutted. "I've long suspected that the Parkinson family defection from The Dark Lord's ranks at the end was staged, and they've easily fallen back into the pit of lies."

"You did?" Lucius replied.

"Yes, we'll inform Kingsley when he gets here."

"And the Greengrass girls…" Lucius asked.

"No, their allegiances are genuine," Severus stated. "They're lovely girls."

"Well, that is good to hear. I fear I've lost touch after my confinement. Somethings are the same, but some are vastly changed."

"That is true, and you, Draco, and Hermione are the most changed. This betrothal is one of the biggest things the wizarding world has seen for some time. It is sweeping us all along with it."

"True," Lucius replied. Then he seemed to regain some of his senses, and he remembered what he'd seen passing between Harry Potter and the Greengrass girls before the Parkinson girl had arrived. They'd been flirting with Harry Potter, and the boy-who'd-lived was literally lapping it up. "Before you arrived I watched both of the Greengrass sisters flirting outrageously with Mr Potter," he told his friend.

"Interesting," Severus intoned, one raven eyebrow aloft. "Perhaps they've decided to grab the conquering hero," and he chuckled.

"Well, from what you've told me so far, that might be more difficult than they think. That Weasley girl seems to think that she owns him."

"Indeed," Severus murmured.

However, as he inhaled to speak again the Floo flared and Kingsley walked through. "My apologies, gentlemen. What can I do for you?"

xox

When they returned from the Greengrass residence, Severus and Lucius had left Kingsley to deal with the fallout. It seemed that Madams Skeeter and Umbridge had joined forces. They both hated Hermione for things that she'd done to protect herself from them during the war, and they'd been going to visit prominent pureblood families for the past two days.

With Cassius Greengrass' evidence on the two witches, they'd left Kingsley and his team of Aurors to round up those responsible.

"Do you think that the attack on Miss Lovegood may be related?" Lucius asked.

"There is a distinct possibility," Severus replied as they walked into the green parlour where the people they'd left were talking quietly while they waited for them. Well, the people minus one: Harry Potter had taken his leave since they'd left, but that was only to be expected as Kingsley had summoned him away.

Helen was nursing a sleeping Serena, and the trio of adults seemed to be discussing Helen and Severus' wedding on Friday.

Hermione was cuddled up next to Draco and as Lucius entered the room. She smiled up at him and patted the seat on her other side.

Severus walked straight over to Helen and sat beside her. He looked at their sleeping daughter and said, "Perhaps we could postpone dinner. We should get Serena into her bed."

"Yes, this afternoon has been an unfortunate series of misadventures," Lucius replied.

"And it is very late now," Draco put in.

"Then may I suggest that if you gentlemen wished to spend some more time with Hermione that you could drive over to Prince Manor, thereby circumventing all magical tracing methods," Severus said, smirking. "I'm not saying that you're being tracked, but after the information that we're just been told…" and he raised an eyebrow.

"Spoken like a true Slytherin," Hermione laughed. "I will have dinner organised for us," she continued, as she stood, then she placed her hands on her hips and said, "Over which I want a blow by blow account of what has happened."

Lucius and Draco rose up either side of her, and they watched Severus nod before he, Helen and Serena blinked out of sight.

"I will see you soon," Hermione said, standing on tip-toes to kiss Lucius and then Draco. She walked to the Floo and announced her destination.