A/N: hey everyone! I am so glad that a few of you still care enough to leave a review on my story. I know lots and lots of you read it, but only a few of you left me a review. I know that it took a while to get the next chapter up but here it is, and lucky for you I have the next chapter already written as well. I finally found the time to sit down at the computer and it just suddenly just all came out on the screen. You guys will get the next chapter in about two weeks. Hopefully before then I will be able to get the chapter after that written so that there aren't such long waits between. Anyways, now that I have written another novel as authors notes, on to the next chapter!

Chapter 21

The Brewing of Trouble

Draco was exceedingly anxious for the second of January to roll around and for Slughorn to visit his house. He was most impatient to begin the Potion that would set him on the path to resurrecting his father. Now that he had the Phoenix feather he had not more ingredients to collect, and it just so happened that there was a very good chance the last ingredient besides the Phoenix feather would also help with the Potion as well. Draco thought that was just all neat and tidy and almost too easy, but he was not one to question things that were going so well and in his favor at the moment.

He was not of a mind to even think so far ahead as to look at his motives either. He had never really thought much beyond the actual bringing of his father back to think of exactly why he should or should not do such a thing. He was just concerned now about the fact that he could do it. He was also misguided enough to believe that it was something he should be proud of that he had been able, or was going to have done something that his father had been unable to do. He had actually gotten farther than his father had gotten in the nearly twenty years and it would be implemented on his father. Now the only thing Draco was thinking or even remotely concerned about was how to keep Slughorn from figuring out what the Potion was before it was finished or the time was right for him to be 'added' to the mix.

Soon enough the second of January finally arrived. Draco had made sure that his wife was well aware that she was to look and act presentably for their guest, in a Pureblood manner. He knew that she was a halfblood, but he had never really gone into any depth of figuring out what his wife knew about the Pureblood society or if she knew how to conduct herself. In some ways Draco didn't care, because he didn't care about his wife. She was merely an accessory as it were or something akin to having a dog. He was still waiting for the chance where he could get the law repealed and he could get himself a proper wife. In the interim though when he wanted to have guests over, especially those who he still wanted to impress he felt that it was important that his wife also be made to conform to strict Pureblood rules and methods of conduct. He had seen how she had acted around many of the other people he had brought for a visit, though she had never stayed long at any of the encounters.

This time though she could not beg herself off early as she had in other times, and in some ways he did not want her to. If he could keep Slughorn's attention on his wife, wither it was in a positive or negative, he really didn't care, he might be able to convince him to help him on the Potion and not really ask too many questions about it. He could also do a bit of an assessment on what his wife knew of Pureblood society and what she did not know when she was asked to 'host' such a visit. Though Draco wondered vaguely if she would do what many of the Pureblood women of money would do if they didn't want to do something. Many times, and especially during pregnancies, the women would beg illness or desire a great deal of quietness and would then be 'confined' to their beds and thus not be forced to visit or interact with company. Draco was ready to forcibly remove her from her chambers if she tried such a thing, due to the fact that he wanted to use her as a deco for Slughorn's attention.

On the first of January Draco began to notice that there were different things occurring around the house that he had not ordered his house elves to do. He had already told them what to make as a meal for their guest, but he had decided that he would see what Hattie did in preparation for their guest. He noticed that things were getting cleaned to a whole new level of shinyness, and that everything just seemed to gleam almost better than new. There was also a freshness about the palace that he could really not place. The last time the house had been cleaned with so much care and attention to delicate detail and 'shinnyness' was the day that he had brought Hattie home as his bride. It would seem that either the house elves had been told to clean to a level of perfection that even they did not usually participate in or they had caught wind that something big and important was to occur.

The next day, when Slughorn was to arrive he sent one of his house elves up to inform Hattie that their guest would arrive soon. He had sent for her about a half hour before their guest was slated to arrive due to the fact that he had a vague inclination that he would have to go and physically or magically 'convince' Hattie that she really had no choice in the matter of meeting his guest. What surprised him most of all was when the house elf did not return with tidings that Hattie was to stay abed or in her chambers for the evening as she often times did when he did not summon her. There were many times when he did not even have to lay eyes on his wife unless he wanted to corner her for his own satisfaction, which in many ways suited him just fine. He was also very surprised when he saw Hattie walk into the parlor where he had been waiting and drinking for her to arrive or for him to make her have an appearance. He was actually quite surprised by the fact that she was dressed in something he would have likely seen his mother in, had she still been able to move among the Pureblood society. It was a dress that was relatively modest while still showing off her now larger, pregnant breasts as well, hung rather attractively over and around her pregnancy. Draco could not help himself but stare in surprise for a few minutes at her. He had not only expected to have to force her to appear, but did not believe that she knew how, or owned anything that would be considered good enough for a Pureblood to wear.

Soon enough his brooding and drinking was interrupted by a house elf timidly poking its head into the parlor and announcing that his guest had arrived. When he was then ushered into the room he first greeted his guest and then noticed his wife had risen to stand in respect of either his Pureblood or his age he was unsure, but she had done so in a proper manner. He was then obligated by manners to introduce Slughorn to his wife. Slughorn then proceeded to carry on polite small talk, mainly with his wife and seemed to almost fawn over her and her pregnant state. Draco thought it all a bit ridiculous due to the fact that it was merely a three quarter's blood child that she carried. Draco was not pleased with the fact that it would carry the Malfoy name, but he would have to be content with it for now. Besides he figured that if he was able to get the law repealed eventually, even if it was not quite soon enough for him to remove either Hattie and or any inferior children that if he was selective and careful about which witches and wizards his children bred, I mean married, with, he was sure that he could produce a Pureblood child bearing the Malfoy name within a generation or two.

When it was announced that dinner was to be served he was quite pleased by the fact that she was able to invite his guest into dinner in the regular Pureblood manner and that she was seemingly able to run a Pureblood household in an acceptable manner. He may not always have all the money that he would like to throw around, but he certainly had a bit of hope that his wife would be able to raise up the children to at least know and be aware of the traditions that they would have to try to fulfill, even if they were not up to the Pureblood standards that he wanted and required. Although he was aware that if he did have to endure the children that he would sire through Hattie, that at least they would be of the highest blood purity allowed by the law, and as such were the closest thing to Pureblood that there would be anywhere in the Wizarding world.

During the dinner he commandeered Slughorn back from Hattie, it was fine that she engage him in conversation in the parlor when they were not in the most formal that they would be in the evening. In the dinning room though, Draco was king of his kingdom and the guests that entered into his doors. They discussed the equivalent of small talk, commenting on the Ministry, various forms of politics that were occurring and the state of the house that Draco now lived in and a vague inclination as to how he actually afforded it. Once they began to discuss the house and then Draco talked about the lab and that was when the conversation turned to the Potion that Draco really wanted to brew. Draco had prepared 'copies' of the ingredient list, concepts and steps to the Potion. He had everything up until about the time that a body had to be added to the mix copied down and ready for Slughorn to review. He had also conveniently made sure that there were no references to what exactly the Potion was intended to do. It was only after the human body was added that there was any mention of the Dementors or the Soul Stone and Draco was more than content to let it happen as such until he was forced to reveal his whole hand. And by the time he would be forced to do that, it would be far too late for Slughorn to back out or tell anyone of his plans.

Once the lab and the Potion were brought up in the conversation there was quite a bit of discussion about it between the two men. Hattie was well aware that this was considered to be 'men's' business, at least in this household. So she kept her mouth shut. She was quite well aware of the Potion and was saddened and almost relieved that it would not be her going into the Potion, but she suspected very strongly that it would be this man sharing her table that would be. She had a great inner fight going on within her because of this knowledge. She wanted so much to be able to tell Slughorn that he was likely going to become a Potions ingredient if he ever showed up on her doorstep again, and the relief it wasn't her. There was also the fact that Draco didn't know that she knew anything about the specifics. What worried her most was the fact that because of her knowledge, what would happen to her when, not if, she was sure of it, that the Ministry finally removed its head from its rear and notice that his father was back in action, or at least back in the public eye. She really did not want to think about what might happen if he succeeded and then the world found out about the fact she knew that there was at least one innocent person murdered while she knew about it.

Once dinner was done the men moved back to the parlor and Hattie decided out of politeness that she would follow them and sit unobtrusively in a corner so that she could warmly see her guest out when they were done having a conversation. What surprised her was the fact that Draco did not push for the brewing to begin even that night. She realized later that it was a bit of a brilliant move on his part. Their guest was getting significantly older and as such was not quite as spunky as Draco. Draco after a short time after dinner was able to make excuses as to why the Potion didn't seem complete or that he had never heard of it before. Draco had managed to convince him that it was a relatively new and experimental Potion that had been brought over to England from America with Hattie's father. Slughorn had seemed satisfied with that answer and had agreed to help Draco finish the Potion. Draco then decided to send their guest home so that he could rest and they had scheduled a second meeting date so that they could discuss what all the Potion was suppose to do over perhaps a mid morning coffee break within the next few days. Hattie was quite glad that she would be going back to work at the apothecary before then again so that she would not have to listen to the poisonously sweet words that Draco seemed to be feeding the man so he could get a hold of his body.

A/N: OOooo… what is Draco up to?! he is definitely meddling in things that he shouldn't! and this does not look good for poor Slughorn! Poor Hattie knowing but being unable to do anything about it. sigh, anyways, Draco really will get his, don't worry, it is coming, just not yet.

Thanks for reading all the way to the end and it would be lovely if you left a review to tell me what you thought of it, good, bad or indifferent. As always I must give a warm and generous shout out and thanks to my beta Skydancinghobbit who is now a much easier distance to see, yea!

Thanks to everyone who has left a review so far, I love your thoughts on my story! I will update again in about two weeks (if my will power holds out that long… usually chipped away by a large number of reviews). Until then Live, Laugh, Love ~ Dragons Quill