"Love... Put on some tea, would you?"

"Right... Where's the kettle then?"

"Where you last put it..."

"Alright, alright, no need for that tone, I'll find it."

Shane and I glanced at each other, smirks tugging at our lips. It was always interesting, well, more funny then anything, to listen to our grandma and grandpa talk to each other. Grandma was forgetful, to say the least, and though grandpa would never admit it, he was just as bad. The two of them would always have a go at each other, and most of the family had learned to tune it out with time.

"It's on the stove, mum," Aunt Brenda sighed after we watched grandma bustle around the kitchen for a few minutes, muttering things under her breath heatedly. Lucius raised an eyebrow at me and I rolled my eyes, helping myself to a few bits of cake that were left in the middle of the table.

The Malfoys were clearly shocked at the vast amount of food kept at our table during a meal time. Of course, they had a ton of food every time they ate, but there were never anymore then eight of us eating at once. I do believe there are at least thirty people at this luncheon, and most of them have massive appetites. The Malfoys are also much more refined when they dine. Instead of filling up their plate to the maximum potential, they have a few courses with very little, though I don't think they've ever eaten as much as Uncle Al.

Dunno where he got such an appetite actually... Maybe he hasn't eaten in a while.

Annie and our smaller cousins had already scuttled off somewhere, playing with their dolls in the numerous rooms upstairs. I used to love playing here. There are actually hidden rooms in this place!

Mind you, when Shane stuffed me inside one once and left me alone, the mystery and wonder was sort of gone. The rest of us have been sitting through the world's most boring lunch. Even with the Death Eaters we actually got a word or two in. Here, however, all we are allowed to do is sit, listen and eat as our aunts and uncles talk about work, babies and the family. Grandmother was overly enthusiastic about the whole conversation, and I noticed most of the family warming up to her pretty quickly.

Lucius and grandpa were talking, I suppose, about anything that popped into their heads. Neither of them wanted to talk about politics, since they knew they were each on the opposite side of things, and it would only spark up a debate.

I felt pretty bad for Dad. He was stuck between me and Auntie Crystal, who was constantly reaching over him to get the weirdest combinations of snacks from the trays scattered along the table. Then, from time to time, Uncle Max would throw in a jab or a pun at him and the rest of the family would laugh, causing Aunt Hermione to scold him quietly from her seat. After some time, however, it must have gotten boring to pick on Dad, since there were so many other people there for Uncle Max to take a shot at, including Kevin and Shane.

"Well... Maybe we'll be able to drop all the kids off at the Malfoy Manor sometime," Uncle Max commented loudly. "Get the kids used to you all..."

I watched Dad grind his teeth together as Grandmother looked oddly cheerful, "Oh, that would actually be wonderful!"

"Cissa..."

"Hush Lucius."

"Mother-"

"Hey, are the horses still here?" I asked loudly, ending the discussion between the three Malfoys.

Grandma smiled, "Of course, love... They're never really leaving the barn."

"Aunt Hermione... Wanna show Dad and Grandfather with me?" I asked pointedly.

She frowned, then suddenly nodded, "Oh... Oh, sure... They're so lovely."

"Sounds fun," Lucius muttered darkly, rising with Aunt Hermione and Dad as I ushered the group of adults out of the room, swiping their light-weight coats out of the closet and handing it to each of them.

"We figured you could use a break from my family," I stated, zipping up my sweater and leading them outside. "They're a lot to take all at once."

"How do you get through a day without blasting them into little tiny... insignificant specks of dust?" Dad snarled, his hands curling up into fists. We all paused and glanced back at him.

Aunt Hermione rolled her eyes, "You've been fantasizing about doing that... Haven't you?"

He stuffed his hands into his pockets and glared, "No."

I snorted loudly and Lucius rolled his eyes, causing Dad's cheeks to tinge lightly. The door to the house suddenly slammed behind us, and we looked back towards the source of the noise. Instantly, I spotted Annie rushing out, her arms flailing as they tried to get into her coat sleeves properly.

"Grandma said you were going to see the horses!" she exclaimed, sliding to an abrupt halt at my feet, sending some loose dirt onto my shoes.

"Would you like to join us, Annie?" Aunt Hermione inquired, releasing a soft sigh when Annie squealed. My sister grinned, then grabbed Lucius's hand, and dragged him off toward the large stables. A small gust of wind barreled across the small property, and I pulled my sweater tighter around my body.

Poor Lucius. Getting pulled off anywhere with my sister is murder, but it's Hell around horses.

Annie loves animals, which explains the large amounts of time she spends watching the ducks in our pond and with Bo.

"I think I'm going to go help Grandfather," I sighed, smirking as Annie literally pulled him into the stables. Dad nodded and I rushed off, ready to rescue him, if necessary.

"Your father pretends to not enjoy spending time with the children, but look at him," Hermione giggled, pointing to Lucius and the two girls. "He's wrapped around both of their fingers."

"Malfoy men do not get wrapped around anyone's fingers," Draco snapped, rolling his eyes and burying his hands deeper into his pockets.

Hermione cocked an eyebrow, "You're wrapped around Annie's finger... Don't lie. You'd do anything she asked."

"I would not!" he argued, somewhat less forceful then he wanted to be.

Hermione released a soft chuckle and motioned for him to keep walking toward the stable, "So... What do you think of the family?"

Draco shot her a look, "Do you have to ask that?"

"I'm serious!" she laughed, hitting his arm, "They aren't that bad."

"They drilled my kids in order to find fault in me!" he groaned, kicking a stone along the path.

Hermione wanted to pat his arm, for some reason, but she held back, "They're initiating you into the family. They would have done it one time or another."

She remembered when they tormented Fred and George, since Joyce's brothers were sure they were having an affair with their sister. However, once they found out both Weasleys were married, happily, they stopped bothering the pair.

"They don't like me."

Hermione was surprised at the tone of his voice. He sounded like a little boy who had come home from his first day of school friendless.

She gave him a gentle smile and snuck her arm around his, "Draco... It takes a long time for so many people to warm up to you. No one really likes anyone at first."

"That's true..." he mumbled, "I never liked you when we first met each other."

She swallowed thickly and looked up at him, "And now?"

"I guess you're all right," he chuckled, nudging her with his elbow. "For a girl."

"For a girl?" she laughed, hitting him again, "I suppose you aren't bad, for a boy."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Hermione chuckled and finally stopped walking, untangling her arm from his and climbing up onto the wooden fence they had been following.

"Maybe we should let your father have some time alone with his granddaughters," she suggested, her feet dangling in the breeze. "I'm sure he'd like it."

Draco leaned against the fence beside her, folding his hands neatly in front of him, "He really wants to be a grandfather... One that they like."

"I think they like him," Hermione stated, "but, they are just afraid to show it. They don't want to attach themselves to someone new, because they'll think they are losing someone old."

She stared off across the property, taking in the few small trees and dingy looking home. When she glanced at Draco, she noticed he was staring. She raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"You're just so deep," he joked. "How come you're so smart, Granger?"

She rolled her eyes, "It's not a matter of being smart, it's a matter of understanding people, something that you aren't very good at."

"I resent that."

"Don't," she said truthfully. "You were in a small family, like me... Do you have a lot of outside family?"

Hermione's parents each had a few siblings, which meant there was a good handful of cousins and new people brought into the family whenever there was a wedding.
Hermione spent a great deal of the family get-togethers studying her relatives. Soon, she could tell how they were feeling by their facial expressions and hand gestures, even by the tone of their voice.

"No... My family is small," he informed her, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "Yours?"

"Big," she summarized, smiling, "but now you have a massive family."

"How?"

"With the Jamesons," she laughed. "They're your family now, whether you like it or not."

"More like whether they like it or not, they're stuck with me," Draco muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Grandfather, lift me up," Annie ordered. "I want to pet the horse."

"Lift me up, please," Lucius repeated as he hoisted her up, "Don't you forget your manners."

He glanced at Eloise, who was grinning as she ran her slim hand down a black horse's nose, causing the animal to let out a snort. Annie leaned in, the very tips of her fingers touching the horse, causing her to giggle.

"Is there anything in our barn?" Eloise asked, grabbing a carrot from the feed and holding it under the horse's mouth. Lucius frowned, trying to remember whether or not they had ever had animals in the barn.

"I don't recall us having animals," Lucius replied. "Your grandmother couldn't stand having them on her manor growing up, so she was rather insistent we keep from getting any."

"Grandmother doesn't like animals?" Annie repeated, her jaw dropping a little, "But... But she loves walking to see the ducks!"

"I think anything you ask of her, she'll love to do with you," Lucius chuckled.

Knowing his wife, anything and everything her grandchildren would ask she would do, and say she enjoyed it. He almost felt guilty she had never had the chance to interact with Draco's children before, but it wasn't his fault, so his guilt was short-lived.

"Can we get horses, Grandfather?" Annie asked sweetly, wrapping her arms around his neck, "Please?"

"Grandmother doesn't like them," Eloise stressed, shooting her sister a look. "Didn't you hear?"

"You have that... dog," Lucius stated, setting her down and holding her hand as they continued to walk through the long, narrow stable. "Isn't he enough?"

"But I can't ride Bo!" Annie whined, shaking his arm.

He looked down at her sharply, "Whining will never get you anything, Annie."

"Works with Dad," Eloise snorted as she followed closely behind him, "but Dad's weak still against Annie."

"Apparently," Lucius sighed, remembering all the things Draco had recently purchased for Annie, including some rather expensive jewelry Annie thought she could wear when she went swimming.

"You're not any better though," Eloise continued when Annie tore off toward a pony in a small pen.

Lucius stopped and turned back to her, "I beg your pardon?"

"You'd have said yes if I wasn't standing here," she concluded, a smug grin on her face. "Don't worry, it happens to most men... Annie is just too cute to say no to, unless you're me, Kevin or Shane, who know her all too well."

His jaw hung open as she walked off, a confident strut in her step. He hated it.

Damn girl was right though.