Disclaimer: I own nothing apart from Ariadne Aurora Malfoy-Granger. Everything else belongs to the genius J K Rowling.

Summary: It was a normal day for Draco Malfoy, but as soon as he stepped out of the fire place and brushed the soot off his robes he knew something was wrong. On this bed was a wicker Moses basket stuffed with a bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby girl fast asleep. She had nothing with her except a letter addressed to him and a golden necklace he knew too well. T for safety.

Chapter Fourteen

Accidental Magic

Ariadne glared at Ron in such a manner that could put Draco's meanest glare to utter shame. Her bottom lips trembled and her usual innocent grey eyes had darkened into a stormy grey almost black. The silence in pub had developed into a thick cloud over everyone's head as they watched with anticipation, even Madam Rosmerta had ignored the overflowing ale that she was pouring into a glass and just fixed her full attention at the fight that was inevitable. She would have stepped in and stopped the fight a long time ago, but, damn she was eager to see the drama that was to unfold. It has been too long since any drama happened in Hogwarts and she had to admit it was getting boring. The professors were no better, they watched as Draco looked at his daughter on Blaise's lap in utter surprise, but the little girl had her full attention at the red-haired wizard with matching temper.

"Why you... little brat!" Ron sputtered, face as red as his hair. At the word 'brat' Ariadne's glare had gotten darken and in response Draco pulled himself up to his full height and pointed his wand directly in front of Ron's face.

"What did you call my child, Weasley?" Draco hissed out darkly and a flicker of fear appeared on Ron's paling face as he remembered the last time Draco raised his wand at him, he ended up with a really bad case of stinging hex that lasted for days. Ron shuddered at the memory of the unbearable pain he suffered in those couple of days.

"Easy Drake, don't be hasty now." Blaise warned the blond quietly for he knew that Draco would regret it if loses his cool temper in front of Ariadne by throwing a hex or two at Weasley even though the latter was asking for it. Ariadne may have been brought up by two pureblood wizards, and use their wands freely in front of her, but Draco and Blaise were always careful at what magic they use for they want her to be as normal as most Muggles her age but still know that magic really does exist.

"Mister Malfoy! Mister Weasley! This is not the place to behave atrociously!" Professor McGonagall stated sternly as she recognised the fire behind the eyes of the two old rivals and had the very intention to walk over and stop the fight that was inevitable but before she could even plant a step on the floor, Slughorn and Flitwick pulled her down to her seat and gave her a look that said 'stay out of it.'

"You heard me Ferret, I called your half-blood bastard a brat. Isn't that what she is, you and that filthy little Mudblood slut's bastard?" Ron scoffed bravely and for the second time in a space of a few moments there was a collective gasp in the pub.

"Well, at least we now all know what you clearly think of me, eh, Weasley? If you want to see a filthy little slut all you have to do is look at your wife." A loud crack echoed throughout the pub followed by cold voice that came from behind Ron. At the sound of the familiar female voice, everybody from both party turned around swiftly whilst the others craned their neck to see the same witch in question.

There stood Hermione, her arms crossed over her chest with unreadable expression etched on her face. Those who knew Hermione personally gasped as they noted there was nothing new about her. She looked exactly like she did before she disappeared all those years ago. Petite and small framed, her famous curls were pulled into a casual bun with a few loose curls that framed her heart shaped face and she wore a thick woollen cardigan over a floral dress with nude heels that further elongated her already long legs.

"What did you call me?! How dare you!" Lavender stood up, now her face matched the colour of her husband's hair.

"'Mione?" Ignoring the fact that his wife looked at him and expected him to defend her, Ron asked rather pathetically.

"It's Granger to you, Weasley. You made it perfectly clear what you thought of me." Hermione snapped in an irritated manner and made her way beside Draco and lightly touched his raised wand arm. They both shared a look, Draco raised a pale eyebrow and she just blinked slowly without breaking eye contact before Draco sighed deeply and lowered his wand down.

"You're back?" Harry said meekly and cast his eyes down to the floor as if his shoes were more interesting than what was happening.

Hermione merely scoffed before she answered. "Obviously."

"It's over?" Harry winced at her tone.

"Over? What's over?" Ron pressed finally recovering from the shock of Hermione being only a couple of feet from her. Hermione outright ignored him and look at Draco in question before turning to face Harry.

"Potter knows." Draco nodded his head at Potter stiffly. "He came to my office demanding to know and I told him."

"Never you mind Potter, it doesn't concern you." Hermione said in a hard voice

"Granger, be nice..." Draco hissed through gritted teeth.

"Why? Why should I, Draco? You were the one who always tried to encourage me to just hex them and turn their kneecaps back to front."

"I won't stop you from hexing them but just... listen to what Potter is saying." Draco said softly as he ran his pale fingers through his hair.

"I can help you Hermione, just like you helped me during the war." Harry stood up and looked at Hermione sincerely, not caring about the other people in the pub. But then again it wasn't hard to ignore them for they had remained so quiet that one would have heard a pin drop. Everyone's eyes were trained on them and noted the regret that flashed in Harry's emerald eyes which then led everyone to question what really happened between the Golden Trio and Draco Malfoy all those years ago?

"I don't need your help." Hermione snapped once more.

"Granger, you can't do this on your own." Draco sighed, slightly irritated with Hermione's stubbornness. He always knew that the witch was stubborn and proud, but she deny the fact that she cannot do this all on her own. She needed help and Draco could only do so much, an extra pair of hands - an Auror no less, wouldn't go amiss. Hermione would need all the hands so could get and Potter was literally begging to be of help. Draco knew that the green eyed wizard was desperate to get his old best friend back and Hermione was not helping him in any shape or form.

"I can. I've been doing it on my own all these years!" Hermione exclaimed stubbornly and refused to look at Harry, instead opting to stare into Draco's eyes.

"And look at where you are, you don't even know who's really after you? Don't be stubborn now, Granger."

"What are you talking about? I demand to know! Why won't you tell me?!" Ron demanded and looked as if he was about to stamp his feet to get the attention he wanted. He hated not being in on something and the way his former best friend her lover and Harry spoke in riddles, clawed at him and he didn't like it.

"You don't deserve to know, Weasel." Hermione snarled using Draco's old nickname for the red head to add effect. Over the years she had the chance to really hate him, she hated him for being the person who made her cry. He was the only person she cried for, it was always him. She didn't even cry at what Draco has said to her in their second year and she never cried at anything Draco or the other Slytherins threw at her. But Ron, he was always the one who made her cry. From their first year to abandoning Harry and her during their hunt for horcruxes, from his nightly activities with Lavender Brown to making her choose between her friends and her boyfriend. She hated him and now she hated him even more for calling her that horrid name. She thought the word had lost its meaning to her because Draco had used it so often before he stopped completely and the Death Eaters called her by it too, but hearing it coming from the mouth of a wizard she once held as her best friend, it stabbed at her heart. It hurt hearing it from Ron and something snapped inside her.

"Don't speak to my husband like that, you stupid Mudblood bint!" Lavender shrieked in anger.

"If anyone is stupid here, it's you." Hermione retorted and at that point Lavender screamed before she raised her hand with the very intention of slapping Hermione. But before Lavender's hand made contact with Hermione's cheek Draco had caught her wrist in a tight grip that made Lavender wince in pain.

"Touch even the smallest hair on Granger's person, and you can count on me doing something that can ruin both you and your husband faster than you can say bint." This time it was Draco's turn to snarl and his eyes had darkened into an angry swirl of black and silver as he roughly let go Lavender's wrist.

"Bastard! How dare you threaten my wife for saying the truth! If anything it's you who could be ruined, you forget who I am Malfoy. Would you like to join you Death Eater daddy in Azkaban? What's the matter Malfoy don't you like being associated with your deranged father, but then again I think even your father could not tolerate being associated with a disappointment like you. Isn't that why your father disowned you? You can't even kill an old man a hundred years older than -" There was a sickening crack as Draco's fist made contact with Ron's jaw and Ron flew a few feet backwards landing with a thud. Everyone gasped and Lavender rushed to help her husband sprawled on the wooden floor.

"You know what, you two deserve each other! I don't care any more A Death Eater and a Mudbloo-" Ron exclaimed but was once again interrupted and this time it was Harry who spoke out.

"Would you just shut up Ron, for Godric's sake! She chose him, alright. Our Hermione chose Malfoy, so what?" Harry snapped, standing up and looked at Ron and Lavender with a glare. How could he be so blind in their eight year, how could he not see what was happening under his nose? After finding out from Draco about Ron's nightly activities, he spent a few sleepless nights raking his head for the evidence of this that he knew was in his brain somewhere. Thinking back he did remember a few nights where he woke up in the middle of the night and found that Ron was not in the bed opposite his. But he let the matter go and didn't bother questioning Ron. Maybe it was because Ron acted like nothing was happening or the fact that Harry ignored the nagging feeling on the back of his mind that there was something fishy going on especially the looks the Lavender sent the red-head.

"Get it through your thick head, brother, 'Mione chose Malfoy because of your stupidity. How could you do something like that to her? After everything you went through, you went back to that slag. Oh do give it a rest Brown, before you say anything everybody knows you are nothing but one. You chased after my brother when you knew that he was in a relationship with your own room-mate. And you, you stupid boy, all you cared about was the fame and you forgot about Hermione, your girlfriend. And you wonder why she ran straight into Malfoy's arms? Our 'Mione deserves better, a better man to love her for all she's worth and a better friend who doesn't make her choose between friends and love." Ginny stood by her husband and chided her brother who stared at her with jaws slack. Ron opened his mouth to defend himself but Harry sent him a hard glare and he promptly stopped.

"It's true Ron, it's our fault. We shouldn't have asked her to pick between us and Malfoy that night, it wasn't right" Harry sighed before letting his gaze fall on Hermione.

"Bu-but! But he was the enemy! He he..." Ron trailed off not knowing how to end his sentence.

"Yes, we know that. But remember we owe it him. Without Malfoy, we wouldn't be here, Ron. He saved us that night in the Manor and he certainly went against everything he believed in." Harry said to Ron but without breaking eye contact with Hermione. Draco shuffled awkwardly beside Hermione at the mention of the war and certainly every one felt slightly upset at the memory of the destruction of the war.

"Don't use the War as an excuse! Have you forgotten what he did? He let the Death Eaters into to Hogwarts, he attempted to kill Dumbledore! Despite what he did she still chose him!" Ron said stubbornly.

"Can't you see Ron, she chose no one originally. She didn't choose us because she didn't want to choose the friends that put her in the spot in the first place and nor did she choose Malfoy because he would lose his inheritance. We were the reason she went away Ron, and we were the reason Malfoy let her go that night." Harry shook his head at Ron's stubbornness.

"How do you know about that?" Draco looked at Harry sceptically.

"You know how the paintings loved to talk. They spoke of a crying girl and a boy chasing after her begging her not to go."

"Could have been anyone."

"True but they spoke of two head students and if I'm not mistaken you two were the only head students." Harry said insightfully.

"She still chose him." Ron grumbled to himself as he crossed his arms over his chest and Lavender nodded her head vigorously next to him before going back to fussing over his bruised jaw.

"Oh Ron, what are we going to do with you." Ginny sighed as she rubbed her temples in circular motion to soothe the incoming headache.

"I don't care. She still chose him and now they have a brat together." Ron looked at Ariadne with disdain and Ariadne glared back at him, her little face scrunched into a dark frown.

"I. Chose. No one." Hermione said trough gritted teeth.

"I have not eloped with Granger. I am not married to Granger. I am not engaged to Granger and I certainly have not asked her to marry me. Are you as thick as you are poor, Weasley?" At the same time, Draco remarked snidely which caused Ron to growl at him and whipped out his wand, pressing the tip harshly against Draco's throat. Draco gave a nasty laugh but did not move a muscle. He did not seemed to be threaten by the fact that someone is pressing their wand against his throat. In fact, the glint in his eyes suggested that Draco was about to pull something out the bag to set the latter into deeper anger.

At the sight of Ron's wand pointed at Draco, Theo and Blaise instinctively stood up and pointed their wands at Ron whilst Harry and Ginny kept their wands in their pocket. The Slytherins knew from experience to never step into Draco's fights. The blond was a master of tactics and revenge taking as he always seemed to like making his enemies sweat and everything will be so perfectly planned that the repercussions will last longer than Hogwarts. No one could touch a Malfoy without getting away with it. Despite this knowledge, Blaise and Theo, very rarely Pansy and Daphne for the boys were always protective over the girls and refuse to let them help with anything, always stood beside Draco in his fights.

"You know the spell Weasley, use it." Draco replied menacingly. When Ron did nothing, Draco smirked. But suddenly the tables turned and before Draco could open his mouth to say something that would have definitely pushed Ron to the edge, Draco went flying through the air and across the pub, charging into the large mirror behind the bar, landing with a thud before being showered by little pieces of smashed glass. Everyone gasped, Ariadne shriek fearfully as she sat beside Pansy, some cried out in surprise and the others craned their neck to see if the blond was okay. Madam Rosmerta rushed towards Draco's side whilst waving her wand around to fix the broken mirror. However everyone's attention on Draco only lasted for a second as their attention was swiftly diverted back to the arguing Gryffindor when something happened that made Ron shriek like a little girl.

Ron was wide eyed at what actually happened before he spotted Hermione fumbling for her wand. Ron swallowed thickly and stepped backwards when he recognised the raw anger behind Hermione's golden eyes but before she could hex him into oblivion or at least turn his kneecaps back to front, Ron heard and smelt the sizzling of hair and the sudden intense heat on the top of his head. Lavender shrieked and began to panic, Harry couldn't help but stifle a laugh that was bubbling in his chest, a small sheepish smile graced Hermione's face and everyone started to laugh as Ron responded with a girlish shriek before being drenched with ice cold water when Hermione bellowed 'Augumenti!'.

Ron growled before he disapparated with an angry pop! followed by an upset Lavender.

"What the hell just happened?" Draco said gruffly as he stiffly made his way back to Hermione and his sniggering friends. He rubbed his back and occasionally wince.

"I don't know, his hair just... burst into flames." Hermione said in a confused manner before she began to fuss over Draco.

"It wasn't me, was it you Theo?" Blaise scratched his head before turning his head at Theo who simply shrug in an non committal manner and sat back down beside his wife.

"Adrian, girls?" Blaise pressed but all he got was shaking heads. He considered asking Potter and his wife but they looked as surprised and confuse as they were.

"Who was it?" Blaise asked and this time everyone started to mumble to themselves but still kept their attention on them.

There was a small squeak that caught everyone's attention and it came from the youngest Malfoy who buried her face into Pansy's side.

"Addie." Draco called out as his infamous smirk started to tug on the corners of his lips. "Is there something you want to tell me."

"Daddy! I -hiccup- sorry! H-he was being mean to you and mummy and you went f-f-flying! I d-didn't mean to! Please don't be mad Daddy and Mummy!" Ariadne wailed, fresh tears pooled in her grey eyes as she scrambled out of the seat and launched herself at Draco.

"It's alright sweetheart, it was an accident and of course we're not mad at you." Draco tried to calm his daughter down by picking her up and rubbing her back in circular motion as she buried her face and sniffled into the crook of Draco's neck. Hermione patted Ariadne's curls and planted a kiss on her head, ignoring the proud glint in Draco's grey eyes and Blaise was no better. The latter looked extremely proud at the first sign of Ariadne's magic and by the look of things, everyone concluded, the little Malfoy was going to be a powerful witch. The professors shared a look between them that was a cross between surprise and not expecting anything less from the little girl considering her parents were very much competent witch and wizard, and have a powerful and advanced magic flowing through them.

"That's my girl." Blaise praised as he patted Ariadne's head.

"But the mean man is not hurt?" Ariadne sniffled.

"No he's not angel, he'll be fine." Hermione smiled fondly at the little girl who raised her head as Draco and Hermione sat back down.

"It's not like your's or Unca Blaise's magic, Daddy." Ariadne stated as she looked slightly disappointed that she could not do sophisticated magic like her Daddy or Blaise.

"That's because you haven't learn how to use your magic, Addie, and you don't have a wand." Draco replied softly.

"Why don't I have a wand? I want a wand."

"You're not old enough, dear."

"I am! I'm four." Ariadne exclaim as she held up a four little fingers.

"You need to be eleven." Draco chuckled, Daphne and Pansy cooed and Hermione laughed softy.

"Eleven?" Ariadne echoed.

"Yes, eleven. And then you get your wand before you go to Hogwarts to learn magic."

"Hoggywarts? Where is Hoggywarts and is Dumblydore there?" Ariadne questioned innocently.

"Hogwarts." Draco corrected, his fact hardening slightly at the mention of Dumbledore. "And no, Professor Dumbledore is no longer there."

"Did you know him Daddy?"

"Yes I did, he was Headmaster when I was at Hogwarts."

"You went to Hoggywarts?" Ariadne asked excitedly.

"Yes, I did. And see those people over there? They were my professors when I went to Hogwarts." Draco pointed at the table of Professors and Ariadne beamed brightly at them whilst waving making the professors smile and chuckle at the fact that the youngest Malfoy was a charming little thing.

"Do I have to wait until I'm eleven, Daddy? Why can't I go now?" Ariadne pressed.

"You are far too young and too small."

"Aww! Is Tommy going to Hoggywarts when he's eleven Daddy? Because then I won't be as lonely and I'll have a friend."

"I don't know if Tommy is going to end up in Hogwarts, darling, but it's very unlikely. Remember what we told you about Tommy, he's not like us." Draco smiled sadly at Ariadne.

"But I want Tommy to be my friend in Hoggywarts!" Ariadne pouted.

"Oh, Addie, you'll make a lot of friends when you go to Hogwarts. You're a Malfoy after all, and Malfoys are well respected in the Slytherin House." Draco tapped Ariadne's nose making her giggle.

"How do you know she'll end up in Slytherin." Hermione piped as she jabbed Draco in the ribs.

"No Malfoy has been sorted into another house apart from Slytherin." Draco shuddered at the idea of a Malfoy in Gryffindor or worse Hufflepuff!

"No Malfoy has ever been a halfblood." Hermione retorted and his friends, the traitors, agreed with her whole heartedly.

"I'll be damned if my child ends up in the House of Lions or worse Badgers! Promise me Addie that you will be sorted into the House of Snakes, okay?" Draco mocked fear and looked into Ariadne's eyes sincerely.

"There is nothing wrong with Hufflepuffs. They are a friendly and loyal house, and particularly good finders." Hermione laugh.

"I don't like snakes. I like badgers!" Ariadne said innocently sending Blaise and the others guffawed at her remark and the look of disappointment that crossed Draco's features. Ariadne giggled when she spotted her Mummy laugh at her Daddy's funny expression and looked around the pub as everyone sniggered at the idea of a Malfoy in Hufflepuff. Oh the horror.

A/N read and review hehehe! anyone spot the AVPM reference hehehe. I'll update soon. So I'll see you all in the next installment xx