LADY MALFOY

by greatest.wit

AU. NON-MAGIC. Set in 19th century, it is a story of a young woman who sacrifices her future to save her family from utter poverty. See whether her sacrifice turns out to be a blessing or not. Draco/fem!Harry.

25. Chapter 25: BALLS, FAIRS AND SCARES

Author's Note:

Hello my secret friends,

Very long time, no see.

I have no better or different excuse than REAL LIFE for my long HAITUS for Fanfiction. Certainly I have no defense for not replying to all those wonderfull reviews to my stories, or your lovely PMs. So I won't even try (other than telling you how terribly sorry I am and request that you forgive me).

On the otherhand, I hope it'll make you happy to see me back with the new chapter of Lady Malfoy (I still stick by my promise to see this story through the end err... eventually).

Chapter 25

BALLS, FAIRS AND SCARES

Spring brought with it a bevy of invitations to balls, afternoon teas and soirees to the Malfoy Manor from across the county. Alexandra could not go but she insisted on Draco and Harriet acknowledging the senders' hospitality. To this, Draco didn't raise any objections, nor did Harriet, their only concern was that they would be leaving the old woman behind. And Alexandra swiftly put the couple at ease, bidding them to continue the duty of representing the Malfoy family in these social gatherings. On the days of these events, Draco would return to Manor earlier than usual and escort his wife and seemingly do it gladly, much to the latter's pleasant surprise.

After that candid conversation with Harriet in January, Alexandra got wiser and realized the need for giving the young woman proper instruction on how to carry oneself in order to thrive in a polished society. Every day Alexandra taught Harriet the unwritten rules of the genteel world, and the latter would absorb them all with keen interest. From Alexandra, Harriet learnt things that she had never heard her tutor, Mrs. McGonogall mentioning during any of the lessons. Harriet reckoned that probably only people who moved in these circles their entire lives had clear comprehension of them.

Refinement in Harriet's deportment become apparent to all who knew her. For Draco, it came as a shock initially, but further settled his attraction. Through it all, Alexandra saw to it that Harriet's didn't lose her sense of self. The older women was quite aware that honour, compassion and generosity are what made Harriet who she was. And Harriet greatly appreciated the old woman for it and reserved this gentry's behaviour for public alone.

When Alexandra proposed the idea of teaching her the social norms, Harriet took offence, but later on agreed to it after the older woman explained that such a knowledge would only better her survival in her new society. Harriet gradually started noticing the changes in the behaviour of the gentry in return; they started accepting her into their circles, overlooking at last, her maternal family's wealth and social status.

For Harriet, life had never so buoyant at the manor, but there was no denying the war waging within. After that high-strung night in their boudoir, Harriet found herself being constantly overwhelmed with strange desires towards her husband. Draco's every glance, every touch become a provocation and made Harriet aware of her femineity like never before. Every time she found herself sitting beside Draco, Harriet would vehemently wish that some part of him would come in contact with her. Harriet found strength in controlling these urges in the presence of others. But the nights, they were a struggle. Harriet, who was a quick sleeper in general, found herself unable to fall asleep with Draco being so near and in lone. The longing would keep Harriet awake until her husband had fallen asleep and then make her slowly soot closer to him until they touched. The relief of his obliviousness and the pleasure of the touch would last only until Harriet realized the perversity of her action and she would move away in fear, eventually falling asleep in an agitated state of most embarrassing thing about her new fascination was that Harriet would find herself staring at various parts of Draco's body at different occasions. For instance, Alexandra, Draco and Harriet were having afternoon tea in the gardens one pleasant day, when the young woman noticed the front of his neck, where his collar was casually undone, leaving it uncovered. No matter how much Harriet tried, she could not stop her eyes from straying to Draco's Adam's apple that bob up and down whenever he took a bite or a sip. Her husband's long and slim fingers and the swept hair on his arms held equal allure to her.

One late afternoon found the couple making their journey to Swindon to attend the spring ball hosted by the Hendersons. Left alone in the darkening confines of their carriage, Harriet was trying, once again, to control her urges as she stared out of the window. She was trying to deviate her mind from the proximity of her husband by recalling the previous gatherings she had attended this season. Harriet didn't find these ball so intolerable anymore, not once she understood their social order. Tremendously less self-conscious, Harriet was able to enjoy the conversations and dances. Not all people there acted so politically correct, Harriet encountered many an interesting characters at these events.

One widow named Catherine Hartley had left quite an effect on her. Harriet reckoned she wasn't the only young woman to fall victim to Catherine's words and innuendos. From what Harriet had gathered from others, Mrs Hartley was a woman of means and no longer has ties to bind her in, and that she had used a considerable amount of her inheritance to travel extensively. This was not the most fascinating thing about her, though. The woman in her early forties was scandalously vocal about physical intimate between a man and a woman, which Harriet had become aware of the moment they met. Older, stickler women hoped not to be seen in Catherine's company, while the young ones could not keeping away from her despite their furious blushes, quickened pulses and sensitized bodies.

Before Harriet and Catherine had parted, the older women had commented with sly look, "Lord Malfoy and you must have quite a wild private life, Harriet, what with the intensity you two keep seeking each other across the hall." Incidentally, Harriet had reddened when she was immediately met with Draco's gaze. The effect of the Catherine's words hadn't ended there, it had also triggered the memory of Draco's hard body pressing her firmly into the bed, a memory Harriet found coming back to her often these days.

"Mrs. Malfoy," Draco called, placing his hand on her arm. Startled, Harriet turned to face him. "Those must be some intense thoughts you are having, for you failed to respond to my address last two times.""I apologise, just idle musings," Harriet muttered, averting her eyes and feeling grateful to the falling darkness for hiding her blush.

"There is something I wanted to discuss with you," Draco said when she didn't seem any more forthcoming. "It's about your food service to the factory children."

At wary look she gave him, Draco shook his head in mild amusement and continued, "I am thinking of making a donation, would you be receptive to it?"

Harriet asked excitedly, "I can use the rest of land on that part of the Manor?"

"You could have always used the land, I never had any issues," Draco answered with a frown. "That part of the Manor has been idle for as long as I remember."

"I reckoned you would want to put that land to use for our own, now that we know it is so fertile."

"I received no complaints from the gardener against the vegetable patch we have in the backyard of the kitchen. Have you?" Draco asked and when Harriet shook her head in negation, he declared, "Then I see no need for it."

"But this is incredible news!" Harriet exclaimed with a clap. "More land means more produce, more produce means more food for the children."

"And more work for you," Draco pointed out. "This is precisely what I wanted to discuss with you. I believe you have been hiring temporary help to work on the field on the days you are away."Harriet knew that Draco had known about it and they never discussed it.

"Francis calls a worker from the village for me," Harriet confessed slowly.

"And this has caused you additional financial burden," Draco surmised with his usual exasperation. "I wonder how you'd feel if I said I am willing to bear the expensive of hiring a permanent assistance for you."

"B…but," Harriet stumbled, wide eyed and then shaking her head, she asked, "Why would you want to do this?"

Draco considered her a moment and then revealed, "I have had good profits in the business this year and I wanted to do this."

A fond smile grown on Harriet's face at her husband's nonchalance and she replied, "Thank you."

Nodding in satisfaction, Draco added, "I have a woman in mind who would fit the job. Welma, she is wife of one of my factory's workers. She has needed experience and her family could always use additional pennies. Would that be acceptable to you or do you want find someone yourself?"

"No, its fine." Harriet said in wonder. She realized that her husband must have given this a fair bit of thought before broaching the subject."Good, I'll make the arrangements with her as soon as possible then," Draco said as their carriage came to a halt at their destination.

"Welma, it seems, turned out to be a hard worker. A good hire. All your doing as I understand, Draco," Alexandra commented, looking through the window at the vegetable patch where the said women was working.

Draco who found himself alone with his grandmother in the room, raised his eyebrows in response. A few moments ago Harriet had excused herself to see to the dispensing of monthly wages to the servants.

"Harriet said that the woman is so efficient that she takes care of all aspects of food service, leaving her with hardly anything to do," the old women continued mildly.

"Those were precisely her instructions," Draco accepted without repent.

"A clever way of stopping Harriet from working, I must say," Alexandra said, turning round to face her grandson.

"She is the mistress of this manor, she should not be labouring like the servants she commands," Draco retorted heatedly.

"I quite agree," Alexandra said with a smile to his reaction. "But I could not help note a hint of complain in Harriet's tone. How do you plan to resolve that?"

Draco's furrowing of eyebrows made Alexandra shake her head. "You realized, didn't you, that one of the reasons your wife wanted to raise a food source all by herself was to remedy her boredom?"

When Draco continued to look befuddled, Alexandra sighed impatiently. "Draco, from what I know, Harriet has spent most of her life doing some kind of strenuous labour. Harriet sews, knits, plays music but not as much as you would expect a genteel woman to do to spend her days. You must quickly find a way to keep Harriet occupied in a way that you both find acceptable before she comes up with yet another plan that you wouldn't approve."

In response to his grandmother's warning, Draco released a sigh of frustration.

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Alexandra managed to make three trips that spring. One was for the engagement ceremony of Ron and Hermoine, something that was unheard of. But Harriet and the Weasleys decided that a public ceremony was what was needed to put an end to Mr. Granger's antics regarding Hermione's marriage. After Harriet's initial altercation with Hermione's parents, Molly visited the latter almost every day demanding them to set an earliest date possible.

Sirius Black came through splendidly for Harriet. Responding to her request in December, Sirius informed that he had found Ron an employment with a rich merchant, one Mark Robins, an old acquientence of his. Mr. Robins travelled a lot, but had a home estate in Hampshire. Apparently, Mr. Ellis Pince, Robins's steward who takes care of the estate is getting on his years and needs an assistant. Upon Sirius' recommendation, Mr. Robins had unreservedly offered the job to Ronald. But of course, Ron has to prove his worth to make the employment a permanent one. The remuneration the merchant offered for the service made Ron ecstatic to no end, and he immediately replied accepting the position.

With Ron's employment letter in hand and that he would have to leave for Hampshire in a week's time, Harriet along with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley set out to meet the Grangers. Ferocity of mother and daughter paid off with stubborn Mr. Granger agreeing to organize the event in the spring. Often that week could be seen Harriet travelling to St. Ottery Catchpole to help with preparations for the engagement. On each occasion, Draco would personally escort her to the Burrow on his way to the factories and she would return with him to the Manor in the evenings.

Harriet insisted upon her parents (despite their hesitation) to spare no expense in buying gifts for Hermoine and her parents. The evening of the engagement progressed without any glitch; the presence of the Malfoys and other gentry deterred Mr. Granger from causing any last minute troubles. The moment of the ceremony was marked by Ron slipping an expensive emerald studded gold ring upon Hermione's finger, suitably impressing both the Grangers and the guests. The glowing happiness she saw in the faces of her brother and her best friend was something that Harriet would behold forever.

The next ceremony was closer to home: Vincent Crabbe and Millicent Bulstrode's wedding. When Draco announced the wedding date to Alexandra and Harriet, the latter was satisfied and decided that it would be better in everyone's interests if she didn't interfere in this matter any further, leaving her husband to sort out the arrangements.

The three Malfoys travelled to the same church where Draco and Harriet were married. Harriet noticed the bareness of the event immediately at once: there was no excited chatter among guests who came dressed in their best attires, and filling the last of the seats, nor any candles or flowers that had adorned the church. Only Alexandra, Draco and Harriet attended the ceremony as the groom's entourage (Draco had absolutely forbidden Crabbe from rubbing his fortune on other servants' faces by inviting them to the wedding). Mrs. Pritchard, Mr. and Mrs. Bulstrode along with a cousin, Miss Yaxley who also happened to be Miss Bulstrode's close friend since childhood, escorted the bride to the church.

The ceremony was a fairly quick affair with Alexandra and Draco, and Millicent's parents signing the wedding document as witnesses. Unlike the apprehensive attendants, the bride and groom were over the moon with their situation.

Mrs. Pritchard, Millicent's maternal grandmother had previously sold her cottage in Dorset and bought a small cottage near Tisbury for her granddaughter. She told them that she had intended for Millicent to inherit the cottage after her (with her son-in-law's prior knowledge since he is one who would actual inherit the cottage) anyway.

Those present at the ceremony understood that despite his earlier objections to the union, Mr. Bulstrode did not like his daughter living above the stables or in a room in the servants' quarter that Draco had already offered to Vincent. With Mr. Bulstrode's consent, Mrs. Pritchard handed the keys to the cottage to Millicent and then added that she would be living with the new couple till the end of her days if they did not mind. Millicent then laughed and roughly engulfed the fragile old woman in her arms and lifted her up, much to the horror of the Malfoys and winces of the Bulstrodes.

Draco wasn't rejoiced with this new arrangement, for he wouldn't have his carriage driver at hand at all hours, but reluctantly accepted it upon seeing the absolute delight on the couple's faces. Mr. Bulstrode arranged 300 pounds pen money for Millicent every year.

After the wedding, once all present had given their best to the couple, Mr. Bulstrode proposed that he would be taking the couple to see the cottage next. Since it was Saturday and Vincent was on leave until Monday morning, Malfoys bid their farewells. Draco escorted Alexandra and Harriet back to their carriage, and then excused himself for a moment, telling them that he needed to speak with Vincent.

"Why did she come? I didn't want her in my wedding!" Millicent hissed at her new husband.

Looking apologetic, Crabbe grumbled, "I too not liking it, but she is being master's wife. I is not stoppin' Master Malfoy from brin' her."

At his words, Millicent fumed, "After everything she did to ruin us, she has quite a nerve to come in her fancy clothes and with her infuriating smile too. Oh, how I loathe her."

And this is the conversation Draco walked into. "Yes, aren't you two a match made in heaven," the young Malfoy drawled with such heavy sarcasm that the newlyweds could not help but flinch. "Your thoughts are so much in line."

Giving them a disgusted look, Draco continued, "If that woman hadn't fought for you, trust me, this union would have never taken place. But that's beside the point, if I ever hear you talking about Mrs. Malfoy disrespectfully again, you'll find yourselves shipped off to live with Crabbe Sr. and working under my father's authority."

Vincent paled at the threat and dropped to his knees immediately.

"We is very sorry, sir. We is not knowin'." Crabbe pleaded with his wife nodding in shame at his side.

Dismissing Millicent as something insignificant, Draco sneered at the groom, "I came to tell you, Crabbe, if I don't find you at the Manor sharp 7 O' clock on Monday morning, you won't like the consequences."

Vincent nodded fervently.

Draco was very much of mind to cancel the leave he had granted the groom on the eve of his wedding, but he did not want to face the questions that his grandmother and wife would surely have.

Still angry, Draco strode away from the couple and almost collided with Harriet who stood still just about the turn.

"What are you doing here?" Draco asked heatedly.

"I forgot to give them the wedding present," Harriet replied uncertainly, her hands tightly clutching the gift wrapped in a cream-coloured paper and secured with a red bow.

Draco snorted immediately in disgust. "Haven't you done enough?"

Looking at her stricken face, Draco understood that Harriet heard everything. "And you see, this is all the good you get!"

Noticing her husband's increasing ire at her reaction, Harriet pushed her disquiet down and said, "Shall we go, grandma is waiting for us?"

"Yes, I've had enough for the day," Draco huffed, taking his wife's proffered arm and briskly leading her away.

Walking towards the carriage, Harriet looked at her husband's face still filled with the indignation on her behalf and couldn't help a little smile curling up on her lips. "Thank you."

Hearing the seriousness in her tone, Draco tightened the protective hold he had on her and continued walking.

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The baby was due any day now; Alexandra was eagerly waiting for the news. Draco and Harriet had visited Natalie a couple months ago. A word, and Alexandra would join the young couple for their second visit to Corwin mansion. But a despairing letter from Natalie hastened the three to make the trip earlier.

After confirming the wellbeing of the mother-to-be, Draco and Harriet retreated upon Natalie's request to speak to Alexandra in privacy. Returning an hour later from her granddaughter's private chambers, Alexandra joined Draco, who was standing on the corridor and watching Harriet and Nicholas play in the grounds.

"What's the matter?" Draco enquired seriously, turning to his grandmother.

"Natalie is very much concerned about Nicholas. She says she is in no physical or mental state to care for her boy at the moment and this is causing him a great depression. That Nicholas has been causing quite a trouble for his father and grandparents in retaliation," Alexandra answered, also watching them.

Draco snorted in disbelief. "That's impossible, grandmother. I've never known any boy more pleasant than Nicholas, whereas Natalie is well known for her dramatics."

Alexandra sighed. "I cannot tell how much of Natalie's words are true. But the situation is not uncommon, wherein an elder child feels neglected with the arrival of a new one."

When Draco raised his eyebrows in disbelief, she added, "I should know, Lucius had absolutely resented the early days when his sisters were born and took all my attention away. You, Draco, being an only child, cannot comprehend it."

Draco frowned for a moment. "Very well, how do you plan to resolve it? I surmised that Natalie, as usual, expects you to do so."

"Draco, Natalie is your cousin and my granddaughter too. She needs us right now," Alexandra reprimanded him.

"Please tell me you are not bringing her to the Manor again," Draco said, his tone betraying a whine, and then responded to Alexandra's glare, "What Grandmother? Have you forgotten how utterly overbearing Natalie had been with her ceaseless complaints and demands when she was carrying Nicholas?"

Shaking her head, Alexandra replied, "Natalie's doctor says she is in the stage too far to be travelling anywhere. No, she will have her baby here at Corwin. Elizabeth is already on her way to Wiltshire, she will look after her daughter."

Before Draco could finish sighing in relief, Alexandra added, "As for Nicholas, I have decided to take him along with us."

"What?" Draco exclaimed in shock. "You can't be serious. The boy is too young, he would be miserable without his mother."

"Nicholas is already unhappy with his mother in the house and not paying him any attention. When the time comes, Natalie will be completely preoccupied with the baby and her own recovery. She will not even be able to spare what little time she spends with him now," Alexandra countered firmly. "We can at least keep Nicholas distracted in the Manor."

"Who will keep him company? I'll be off on business and I'll not have you straining yourself thus," Draco said firmly.

"Why, your wife, Draco. Harriet will take care of Nicholas for as long as he stays. I am sure she would be happy to do so," Alexandra declared happily, gesturing to the two in question now playing tag.

"Mrs. Malfoy?" Draco snorted again. "What does she know of taking care of children? Grandmother, your ideas are turning out to be as ludicrous as hers now."

Alexandra shook her head and said, "You cannot deny that Nicholas gets along quite well with Harriet, so much better than others. Excluding his parents …and you of course," she added upon seeing Draco's narrowed look.

"And Harriet does not need to actually look after the boy's everyday needs. I have asked Natalie to send his nurse-maid along with us. All Harriet has to do is keep him company."

When Draco continued to look unconvinced, she added, "Draco, it is an opportunity to resolves both of our cases."

"Both?" Draco arched his brow.

"Yes, you are searching for a means to keep Harriet occupied and I am looking for Nicholas's companion for the coming two months. Your wife and the boy are the answer to each other, and you should have no objections."

Draco sighed in resignation. "You know I cannot deny any of your propositions. But I still see no merit to it. Mark my words, you'll be asking me to take Nicholas back to his mother in few days' time."

Draco walked away to bring Harriet and Nicholas back to tell them the news, but stopped after few paces. Turning around, he asked, "Grandmother, did you talk about this with the Notts?"

"I wouldn't have discussed this arrangement with you before consulting with them first," Alexandra replied with a smile.

Shaking his head at the idiocy of all, Draco departed.

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Watching mother and son crying before the Malfoys took him away was not nearly as heart-breaking as helplessly watching Nicholas sob for Natalie over the next three days. Nothing Harriet did could console the boy, and a disturbed Draco would get ready to take him back immediately to his mother, only to be stopped by Alexandra.

The boy recovered slowly, having no tears left to shed. At first, Nicholas would watch quietly, never participating as Harriet played with his toys, sang and read from his books.

It was nearly a week before they saw the boy's old chirpy self. That morning Nicholas ran into the dinner room, with his nurse-maid huffing and puffing behind, and demanding Harriet to take him to the gardens where they usually played. Within ten days of bringing Nicholas to the manor, the Malfoys received a letter from Elizabeth relating the happy news that Natalie has given birth to another boy and that the mother and child were both doing well. With that anxiety dying, the three Malfoys turned all their efforts in keeping Nicholas happy. On his free days, Draco, along with Harriet would take the boy to markets and places where the latter would have a good time. On one such trip, the couple took him to Fred and George's joke shop and the twins were more than happy to find Nicholas tricks and games that boys of his age enjoyed very much.

Nicholas was a sweet little boy, and the three Malfoys loved taking care of him. He particularly claimed Harriet's attention all day long. Draco did not introspect on why he felt relieved when the boy would finally collapse from exhaustion and would be taken away to the nursery by his maid.

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One night Draco found himself studying his wife as she wearily prepared for the bed. He watched her as she released a sigh of deep relief after pulling her legs up onto the soft covers. Placing a hand on hers, Draco stopped Harriet just as she was turning away to blow the candles by her bedside.

Turning back, Harriet blinked at her husband in surprise.

"You are exhausted," Draco decided, gazing at her worn-out face. "Is Nicholas being too much of bother for you?"

Smiling a little, Harriet replied, "No, just that some days are more tiring than the others."

"Grandmother never asked for your opinion before deciding on bringing the boy here," Draco stated with a frown, "if this responsibility is overwhelming for you, I can…"

Harriet shook her head firmly, interrupting him. "No, Mr. Malfoy. Nicholas, no doubt, literarily keeps me on my toes," she jested, gesturing to her sore feet, "but he is a delightful child. If anything, he keeps me from utter boredom. You need not worry."

"But I can make other arrangements if you…" whatever Draco wanted to say was cut off by a tentative knock on the door. Sharing a furrowed look with him, Harriet slid out of the bed and went to answer the call.

When Harriet opened the door, she came face-to-face with the nursemaid carrying a clearly upset boy. Immediately upon seeing Harriet, Nicholas flung himself into her arms and sobbed.

"Sorry for bother, Mrs. Malfoy, Master Nicholas up and want to see ya real bad," the nursemaid said, looking embarrassed. "I say he see ya in the morning but he ain't listenin'."

"That's alright, Helen," Harriet said and then turning to the boy, she asked gently, "what happened, darling?"

"Mon'ers," Nicholas whimpered, hiding his tear-stained face in Harriet's nape.

"Monsters are gone now, dearest. Helen will put a candle in the room and they won't come back. You know they fear light," Harriet reasoned calmly, rubbing his back.

"No, want you!" Nicholas cried loudly, hugging her with all his might.

Helen gave a helpless look at their predicament. A moment's thought and Harriet said with a resigned smile, "Don't you worry, Nicholas can sleep with us here tonight."

Nodding gratefully, Helen left as Harriet closed the door and took the boy inside.

"What….?" Draco flattered, seeing his wife carrying his cousin towards the bed.

"He had a nightmare and couldn't be consoled," Harriet answered apologetically, approaching him. "I said he could sleep with us tonight."

"But…..but this is most improper, Mrs. Malfoy, children don't sleep with adults," Draco demurred as Harriet settled Nicholas in the middle of the bed.

Pausing to look at her husband, Harriet's eyes acquired a playful gleam. "Why Mr. Malfoy, you are planning to make him your heir, and you can't share your bed with him for one night?" she teased him.

Smiling at her speechless husband, Harriet laid down herself with the boy turning to face her and throwing his arm and leg around her.

Draco opened his mouth to argue further, but stopped upon seeing Harriet gesturing to the boy and motioning to keep silent.

Snuggled together, Nicholas and Harriet swiftly drifted off. The sight irked Draco to no end, and with a huff, he laid down. Unlike the other two sharing the bed, Draco found no sleep, and he realized that it was Harriet's comment that was keeping him awake. It was the truth after all, thought Draco, he hadn't contemplated this matter since his wedding. Draco wondered why it should bother him now, when it had been his intention to declare Nicholas as his heir all along. Draco did not think his love and predilection for the boy has dwelled over the course of two years. Then what was it?

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"What if Nicholas makes a habit of it?" Draco continued to argue next morning at the dining table.

"It was just one night, Mr. Malfoy. Nicholas was upset and I could not ignore it," Harriet replied tiredly for the tenth time. After Nicholas had woken, Harriet ordered Helen to take him to the nursery and get him cleaned up for the day, promising to see the boy soon.

Listening quietly to the couple with a supressed smile, Alexandra consumed her food.

"Notts would blame us for spoiling their boy. Theodore has no patience for childish antics like these. We'll never hear the end of it," Draco said persistently.

While Harriet frowned at her husband, Alexandra responded, "Darling, you two are taking care of their child when they most need it. I believe they should hardly have any complaints."

Draco give a derisive snort and fell silent.

Draco's predictions proved true. Every night could be seen Nicholas knocking on their door with some excuse or another, and then crawling into their bed, much to his cousin's dismay. One night when Draco had reached the end of his patience and aggressively demanded that his wife put an end to it, Harriet felt torn and offered to go sleep in the nursery with the boy instead.

Draco hotly discarded her suggestion and accepted the situation with a moody resignation. Unlike her husband, Harriet found the added company in their private chambers very suitable. Nicholas' presence in their midst brought a complete halt to Harriet's raging desires. The boy kept her so utterly engaged that Harriet barely found a moment to reflect on her own new feelings.

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One late afternoon, Draco entered the manor and was surprised to find it unusually quiet. FrowningDraco strode to the morning room and found his grandmother reading her mail.

"Well, good afternoon, Draco," she greeted pleasantly on seeing her grandson. "How was your day?"

"It was fine, grandmother," Draco replied absently, and then looking around, he enquired "Why are you all alone? Where are Mrs. Malfoy and Nicholas?"

"I am wondering where they've gone off to myself," the old woman answered with a smile. "I haven't seen them since after lunch when I retired to my chambers."

Alexandra, then rang the bell to call the servant. Within a couple of minutes, Francis arrived. "Francis, do you know where Harriet and Nicholas are at?"

"I believe they are at the northern pastors. Do you want me to inform them of your enquiry?" Francis asked her.

"Why don't you serve grandmother her tea, I'll see to them," Draco advised, walking out.

Exiting the back door, Draco heard excited voices of Harriet and Nicholas. Shaking his head in amusement, Draco quietly followed the sounds and saw his wife gently swinging with her back to him.

"Lavender's blue, dilly, dilly, lavender's green," Harriet sang with Nicholas cheering with a loud 'dilly, dilly' in the middle.

"When I am king, dilly, dilly, you shall be queen.

Who told you so, dilly, dilly, who told you so?

'Twas my own heart, dilly, dilly, that told me so."

"Call up your men, dilly, dilly, set them to work

Some to the plough, dilly, dilly, some to the fork,

Some to make hay, dilly, dilly, some to cut corn,

While you and I, dilly, dilly, keep ourselves warm.

Lavender's green, dilly, dilly, Lavender's blue,

If you love me, dilly, dilly, I will love you.

Let the birds sing, dilly, dilly, and the lambs play;

We shall be safe, dilly, dilly, out of harm's way.

I love to dance, dilly, dilly, I love to sing;

When I am queen, dilly, dilly, You'll be my king.

Who told me so, dilly, dilly, Who told me so?

I told myself, dilly, dilly, I told me so," she finished with Nicholas clapping his hands in joy.

Draco cleared his throat noisily, causing Harriet to stop laughing and swiftly turn round to face him. Seeing her husband standing there with his eyebrows raised, the young woman's face quickly assumed the brilliant shade of pink, while Nicholas jumped out of her lap with a cheerful cry, "Dwa'co!"

Nicholas hastened towards his cousin, who automatically crouched to pick him up in his arms, his twinkling grey eyes never leaving his wife, who awkwardly rose from the swing and averted her gaze.

"So, what have you been doing today?" Draco asked the boy as he watched Harriet awkwardly brush the few strands of her black hair that had come undone by the wind while the boy talked incessantly in his garbled language.

Feeling Draco's unblinking stare upon her person, Harriet broke out, "For …for how long have you been standing there, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Quite a while actually and I must say that was quite an interesting song," Draco observed, teasing her further.

Draco enjoyed watching his wife's face reddening further in embarrassment for a moments before saying, "Grandmother is looking for the two of you. Shall we go to her?"

Internally sighing in relief, Harriet nodded and quickly joined them.

"How did the song go again?" Draco mused at the boy as they marched towards the house, "Ah yes," he started whistling the tune. Face awash with astonishment, Harriet stared at him. She would have never expected an aristocrat like her husband to do something so pedestrian. Harriet's lips couldn't help twitch in silent laughter when Nicholas joined in, trying to imitate his cousin.

Draco finished whistling a perfect tune of the entire song by the time they reached their destination.

"Hello darlings. Where have you disappeared to? It's way past afternoon tea?" Alexandra said, smiling at the threesome exuding buoyancy.

"We were on the grounds, Grandma and did not realized that the hour has grown so late," Harriet replied, joining her on the sofa and pouring tea.

"Well, I have news," the old woman said eagerly, gesturing to the letter by her side. "Peter and Laura will be arriving along with their spouses the day after tomorrow. Nicholas here will have Mathew and Kiera for company again."

Harriet smiled and Draco nodded in response.

"It seems the purpose of their visit is twofold. One seeing Natalie and her new son of course, and the other is helping Emily in setting up her new house in Swindon. Since Natalie is presently incapacitated, Emily, apparently, has engaged Laura and Katie's help. I regret that it won't be a lengthy visit, they are only coming for a week. They'll be making a trip to Swindon in that time as well. Harriet dear, the arrangement…"

"I'll take care of it," Harriet assured her.

Nodding, the old woman added, "Could you also ask Dean to get another carriage ready for them to use during the stay?" Alexandra asked her.

"Right away, grandma," Harriet said, and finishing her tea, she rose to excuse herself. Harriet did not worry about the boy who was happily sitting by his cousin and recounting his day. Draco, who has been keeping one ear to the ladies' conversation, did not like Harriet leaving so soon on account of serving others.

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The cousins never bemoaned the hours of cumbersome travel to Wiltshire. Their maternal grandmother's house has always been the one place where they found the most luxury and entertainment, coupled with relatively less rules and restrictions. More so, since the end of their uncle Lucius's reign. Just the sight of the opulent manor set in the midst of all fresh greenery drained half of their tiredness. They knew no one but their grandmother who showed absolute pleasure at their appearance.

After spending two days overcoming the weariness with sumptuous meals, heavenly manor comforts and the delightful company of the three Malfoys, the cousins decided to visit the Notts. They offered to take Nicholas to see his mother, promising to bring him back with them.

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Climbing down the carriage, Draco looked at the clear blue sky, relishing the warmth of the gentle sun on his face. 'A fine afternoon," he thought with a little smile. 'Maybe I could interest Peter and Baddock for a game of tennis…

His eager musings, however, were interrupted by raucous noises coming for the foyer. Frowning, Draco fleetly made his way inside. What he found made his eyebrows disappear into his hairline. Mathew, Kiera and Nicholas were jumping on a piece of furniture each and screaming to their heart's content. Francis, the poor old man and Helen, were cajoling them down, rather unsuccessfully.

"What's going on here?" Draco bellowed, trying to be heard over the commotion.

"I would like to know that myself," Alexandra said, joining him. Directing a stern look at the children, she gestured to them to get down. The children knew never to ignore the old woman's orders.

"Good, now why are you all making such ruckus? Where are your parents?" Alexandra enquired, looking down at the older boy and the girl.

Never one to miss the chance to talk, Kiera gesticulated, "Mommy, papa, Peter and Katie all gone."

"Gone?" Draco exclaimed and with a hint of dread seeping into his voice, he demanded, "Gone where?"

"To see cousin Emily," Mathew said with an unconcerned shrug.

Throwing an irritated glance at the older boy for stealing her words, Kiera nodded at two confused adults importantly, "And" then pointing to Alexandra, "you", and to Draco, "you", "and Harry look after us."

"Kiera, What did I tell you about pointing fingers at people?" Alexandra admonished the little girl.

Shaking his head in disbelief, Draco turned to the butler, "Is it true, Francis?"

"Yes, Master Draco, they left a couple of hours ago," he answered in his usual laconic fashion.

"I knew they had planned to go to Swindon this afternoon, but leaving their children behind without informing anyone, this I find impossible. Are you sure they left for Emily's and not on a sojourn around neighbourhood?" Alexandra asked the head servant.

"They took their luggage with them, Madam," Francis replied, and before he could add anything, Helen intoned, "They's telling Mrs. Malfoy."

Frowns deepening, Draco and Alexandra looked up at the stairs where they could see the young woman in question hastily making her way down.

Noticing Alexandra's unkempt appearance and her husband's angry profile, Harriet grimaced. Deducing the children's naughtiness, Harriet said to the old woman, "I apologise, grandma, if they disturbed your sleep."

"Pray, tell us Mrs. Malfoy," Draco drawled, targeting her with an intense gaze, "why Mathew and Kiera seem to think that their parents have departed, leaving them under our care?"

Harriet suspected that her husband would be furious, but what was she to do? Nodding in resignation, she replied, "Yes, we are to look after them for three days until their parents return. They asked me to give this letter to you."

Handing the parchment to him, Harriet watched with a bated breath for the reaction.

Dearest Draco,

If you reading this letter, I trust that your wife has informed you of the situation. And I can also imagine how angry you must be with this act. But you must believe us when we say we had no choice. None of us would be able to accomplish anything with helping Emily, if we are being constantly distracted by the children.

I hope you will indulge us by accepting our children's responsibility. We'll be back at the manor in three days' time. We asked and Helen had accepted to look after the needs of Mathew and Kiera as well. We have left all instructions for their care take with her.

Yours sincerely,

Peter

Draco snorted at the word, "Sincerely," and crumpled the letter in his fist as Alexandra who had been reading over his shoulder leaned away.

"This is not to be born. How dare they...

"Draco!" Alexandra hissed, giving him a quelling look. "We'll discuss this later."

"Now, I believe it is time for your milk, is it not? Helen?" Alexandra questioned, and seeing her nod, she said, "Well then, why are you still here? Helen, take them to the kitchen and feed them." Turning to the children, she added, "You are to listen to her, and eat all your food without making a mess, am I clear?"

Nodding at her, the three children trudged in the direction of the kitchen with Helen bringing the rear.

"Maybe I should join them. Helen would need my help feeding Nikky," Harriet muttered taking few back steps, trying to escape her husband's impending explosion.

"Not so quick, Mrs. Malfoy," Draco hissed and gestured her to lead the way to the parlour instead.

Once inside and away from the children and servants, both Draco and Alexandra waited for Harriet to explain.

"I was tending to Nicholas who had just woken from his nap when Laura and Katie walked into the nursery. They said they very much appreciated us for taking care of the children and that they hoped that we would continue to do so. And then they said that they were leaving for Swindon and left a note for you. I found it odd that they would choose a time when neither of you are present. They then swiftly departed before I could question them. Carrying Nicholas, I followed them out to bid them farewell. It was then I noticed the state of children's attires and was too surprised to see them getting into the carriage and driving out."

"Whatever gave them the idea that they could simply damp us with their children?" Draco sneered, giving her a pointed look.

"If you are implying that I somehow encouraged them to do this, then you are wrong, Mr. Malfoy!" Harriet replied hotly.

"But of course, they must have heard from the Notts about your wonderful care of Nicholas and thought they could do the same," Alexandra interjected to the couple getting ready to spar again.

"Then, why the hell did you not refuse, Mrs. Malfoy, haven't you got enough on your plate?"

"It all happened in a matter of minutes. I never got an opportunity to say anything," she insisted when Draco's anger didn't seem to mitigate.

"Draco, harping about why your cousins did this, is not going to resolve anything. You two now have the responsibility of two more children in your care. Take relief that it is only three days and perform to the best of your abilities. Your grumbling would help no one. Mathew and Kiera might start believing that you don't want them here," Alexandra warned, giving a stern look to her grandson.

"Grandmother, how can you be so acceptable? Why don't you condemn their actions?" Draco groused, rounding on the older woman.

"I agree that it was quite underhanded of your cousins to leave the children. But unless you plan on chasing them all the way to Swindon, I see no other way than to accept the situation and think about how to keep the children engaged."

Draco sniffed, not bothering to hide his disdain.

"Darling, what is bothering you more - that you now have to take care of Mathew and Kiera or that your cousins got one over you?" Alexandra asked, giving him a shrewd look.

Harriet barely managed to hold her snort of laughter as her husband's jaw dropped for a second in reply.

Snapping his mouth shut, Draco threw a hard stare at his grandmother.

"Draco," Alexandra said, rubbing his arm cajolingly. "All I say to appease you is that you can pay them in kind when you have your own children, and you and Harriet would like some time alone."

Harriet bit his lip as Draco strode away without another word.

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Sensing Draco's miff, the children held themselves from causing trouble for the adults and played the rest of the day in the nursery. That changed, though, the very next morning. Harriet soon found out that Mathew and Kiera barely tolerated each other. Every game they started would end up with them fighting with each other. Kiera thought Mathew to be dominating and obnoxious, and the boy, in turn, found her loud and tattletale. More often than not, they pulled Nicholas in the middle, demanding him to choose a side, much to Harriet's chagrin.

Chasing after one another, brawling amongst themselves, Mathew, Kiera and Nicholas managed to cause considerable damage to manor artefacts, many irreparable. They made the noise equivalent that of stampeding bulls as they frequently ran through the corridors. Draco, who had thought it absolutely necessary to keep his presence in the manor, could be often seen rushing in whenever the loud noises erupted and then, walking away from the shreds with a barely controlled fury.

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"Peace, blessed peace," Harriet sighed, resting her body against the closed mahogany door of the master's chambers.

"Yes, it is," Draco said, watching his wife with a lazy smirk.

Harriet, who had closed her eyes, opened to find Draco reclining on the sofa by the bay window with a book in his hand and a glass of wine on the other.

Walking closer, Harriet occupied the settee opposite him. "This is horrible. They are menace, both of them," she said in hush. Looking apologetically at him, "I am sorry I did not believe things you said about them. I thought you were exaggerating."

Shrugging, Draco said, "Maybe individually they wouldn't have been so hard to manage, but together they are a disaster."

"Two more days, Mr. Malfoy," Harry consoled with a wary smile.

"Yes, but I'll not have them destroy any more of our possessions. We must get them away from Manor tomorrow," Draco said firmly and took a sip of his wine.

Harriet thought for a moment. "Well, Welma said there is a fair running a little outside Calne," she suggested blithely.

"Fair it is, then," Draco agreed.

"Should I go make preparations, then?" Harriet asked, reluctant but readying to be on her feet again.

"Stay," Draco ordered, exasperated by her restlessness. "It can wait until tomorrow."

Harriet nodded with a smile. She was tired, ready to retire to bed, but Harriet revelled in these rare, quiet periods spent in her husband's company in their rooms, undisturbed by the world and people outside. Sleep felt like a final thing to the day.

Shrugging her slippers onto the floor, she settled more comfortably into the settee. Her feet hurt, Harriet could call her maid to tend to them. Over the last two years, Harriet had gotten accustomed to Nola tending to all her toilet table needs, but there were some things Harriet that felt too uncomfortable, too wrong to let her maid do, including massage. Instead, Harriet leaned forward, and slowly started rubbing her foot. The gentle pressure of her palm felt wonderful against the throbbing nerves of her sole, and Harriet closed her eyes in pleasure.

Those days were gone when Draco could concentrate on his current occupation with his wife around. Now, with Harriet only a feet away and oblivious, Draco could watch all he wanted. Not wanted to be caught staring, Draco kept up the charade of reading, while the corners of eyes deftly followed Harriet's movements. Draco never had the opportunity to study his wife's feet before. They were small, about the size of his palm. His own feet were long and all pale, but Harriet's had two interesting shades. The soles was pink, he assumed from all the running she did all day and the skin creamy and soft. He watched keenly as the shade of pink darkened and imprinted as Harriet's hand moved away.

"What's that?" Draco exclaimed suddenly, dropping the book in his hand and move forward to hold her foot up.

Startled, Harriet opened her eyes and looked to where her husband's eyes were focussed. Thoroughly shocked at having her husband's holding her foot and inspecting a dark brown, pea-sized smudge of a thing on the side of her foot, Harriet laughed uncertainly and said, "Oh, it's a birth mark, I reckon. I have had it for long as I could remember."

Harriet did not understand what her husband found so fascinating about that old thing, but she could not deny the awkwardness of it. Harriet swallowed a gasp as tingles started spreading up her leg when Draco started running the pad of his thumb in slow circles around the mark. Harriet was of two minds again – she wanted to pull back her foot before the effect become too much and she wanted the touch to continue forever.

A knock on their door, however, broke their reverie. Startled out of the trance, Draco took in the wonder in his wife's eyes and hastily dropped her foot. In order to banish the intimacy of the moment, Draco, uncharacteristically, rose to answer the call himself.

"What in the God's name are you all doing out of bed?"

At his exclamation, Harriet hastened to the door to find the three children standing outside, with her nursemaid at the back with her usual sheepish expression.

When Mathew opened his mouth to answer, Draco cut him off with a firm shake of his head.

"No," he growled, "Mrs. Malfoy and I are planning to take you all to the Fair tomorrow. Unless you rather stay at home, you'll follow Helen back to your rooms immediately."

"I want to go to Fair," Kiera replied eagerly.

"Then you better run to your beds," Draco warned seriously.

The two older children did not need much prompting, but the little one looked torn.

Throwing at quelling look at Harriet, Draco said, "Nicholas, go after your cousins." Seeing the boy's hesitation, Draco gestured to his nursemaid to take him away.

Though a little sad, Nicholas didn't protest as his nursemaid carried him back.

Closing the door behind him, "No, don't say anything!" Draco said firmly, before his guilty-looking wife could open her mouth. "Nicholas has his cousins for company."

With that, Draco disappeared to his toilet to change for the night.

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The morning on their excursion drew bright and breezy. During the morning tea, Harriet informed Alexandra about their plans for today. The old woman was all too happy and encouraging, conceding that it'd keep the children occupied and entertained for hours.

The three children rushed into the dining room all dressed for the day where the adults were having breakfast. Giving into their excitement, Draco and Harriet ushered them to the courtyard where the carriage was waiting for them. After helping the children in, Draco turned to see his wife accepting a satchel and a basket from the nursemaid and approaching him.

"Isn't Helen joining us?" Draco enquired as he extended his hand towards her.

"No, we'll manage just fine between us," Harriet assured him with a smile before disappearing inside.

Draco very much doubted his wife's statement. Over the last two months, he had come to acknowledge that his wife was quite capable of handling the children, but the three of them, all at once, with no assistance was expecting too much. Draco, himself could manage Nicholas well enough, but the two other have managed to almost drive him up against the wall in two days. He wasn't certain he would be able to control his temple today if Mathew and Kiera continued on with their usual antics.

Apprehension still lingering in his mind, Draco followed his wife inside.

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An hour later, they reached the entrance of the Fair. One sight informed Draco that the place certainly did not cater to the privileged class. But the anticipation in his wife and children's faces encouraged Draco to move forward to buy the tickets. The man sitting inside the booth stood up immediately (having recognised the Lord), and enthusiastically started explaining the features of the fair.

Understanding that there were enough activities inside to keep the children engaged, Draco paid the man and ushered his companions towards the entry gate. Fortunately for them, today being a working day, the fair was less crowded and they could enjoy the attractions in peace.

Draco was amused at Harriet and the children as they watched a man walk on the rope at the height of about 15 inches with bated breaths. He guided Mathew in playing games that involved shooting balloons and throwing rings around the objects. Harriet laughed as Kiera and Nicholas clapped at their every successful attempt.

Together, the couple helped the children into every ride they could find. Nicholas had to stay out of some swings that didn't allow children under the age of 5, but he was happy to watch from the arms of his cousin. Harriet was as much mesmerised at the sight of elephants as the children were. All Harriet ever saw were the pictures but they did not justice to their gigantic sizes.

"Up for it Mrs. Malfoy?" Draco teased with a smirk, looking sideways at her, while a bearded man managing the beasts jauntily beckoned them forward.

Harriet huffed and stepped up to the man. Bold though she pretended, Harriet's heart bet harder as the man helped her and then Kiera and Mathew onto the seat set on the back of an elephant. Gripping the iron rod around the seat with one hand, Harriet firmly held onto Kiera around the waist (Mathew shrugged her hand when she tried to do same to him) while Draco and Nicholas occupied another elephant behind. As their elephants took sluggish steps on their well-ridden path around the fair, Harriet's nervousness gave way to joyous laugh upon seeing the excitement in the children's faces.

As soon as they completed the trip, Mathew insisted on going again, but Draco refused, telling him that they still had much to see. The mahout who seemed to have taken a liking to the children, brought out a bunch of bananas for them to feed the animals.

Containing her effusion, Harriet stood behind and watched as the mahout guided the children in feeding. Her smiling mouth gave out a gasp of surprise when Harriet felt Draco's hand around her waist as he manoeuvred her towards the fence and held her hand forward, which was now miraculously holding a banana towards an eager mouth of an elephant.

"Sometimes… it's fine, Mrs. Malfoy," Draco whispered in her ear and then, abruptly backed off to call the children back.

Harriet stared at the happily gulping elephant as she fought the blush off her face. Is that amusement she saw in that big black eye of the animal! Shaking her head at the silliness of her imagination, Harriet turned and hastily joined the retreating backs of her company.

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Kiera and Nicholas absolutely loved the puppet show, but the wild beasts show had the latter in tears almost. While Mathew was yelling in excitement in most undignified fashion, Kiera refused to show fear in front of him. But after a particularly loud roar, Kiera jumped and painfully held onto Draco's side. Harriet, who was holding Nicholas in her lap and hiding his face in her bosom and covering his open ear, shared a secret smile with her husband over the children's heads.

It was afternoon, and they were all quite famished. The wonderful smells of food drew them to a lane completely lined with eatery stalls. Harriet's mouth watered at the sight of wide variety of pies, finger foods and sweets, and she knew the children shared her feeling. Draco, however, refused to eat at the stalls that offered no seating. Harriet noticed other people just grabbing the goodies and continuing on their tour.

With longing stares, Harriet along with the children followed her stubborn husband for 10 more minutes, even passing stalls that had tables and chairs until Draco found one that he deemed sufferable enough to eat in.

Draco would not admit, Harriet knew, but she found the shepherd's pie and plum pudding they had ordered utterly delicious. Even the children dug into their meals without much prompting.

As soon as they finished, Mathew and Kiera jumped on their feet, dying to resume their tour. The lane to the right of all eatery housed many trade stalls.

"Could we purchase some souvenirs for our guests, Mr. Malfoy?" Harriet asked, gazing up at him.

"Here?" Draco said doubtfully, looking around at the cruddy items on sale.

"Yes, of course," Harriet replied already leading the way. "I am certain we'll find something if we look hard enough."

Draco didn't think it was worth his time, but followed with a sigh of resignation.

The family passed the stalls selling rugs, pots and pans, artefacts made out of beads and shells, paintings, tribal concoctions, household knick-knacks, fake jewellery and clothes. A glimpse was enough to inform Draco that none of the stalls sold merchandise that any gentry would deem to purchase. Ignoring the very eager and very vocal invitations of the vendors to peruse their wares, Draco shook his head every time Harriet turned round to give him an enquiring look. The dirty and shabby state of some of the wares made Draco to hurry the family away with a distasteful look.

Harriet, unfazed, ploughed on. She was determined to show her husband how unwise it is to reject something just by a glance.

"Hats!" Harriet exclaimed happily, ducking inside the stall without ceremony. "They can't go wrong with those."

"Hats indeed, Mrs. Malfoy," Draco drawled sarcastically. The place was nothing like any millinery they frequented before. The make-shift walls were stacked with most outrageous hats they had ever seen.

With mouth slightly ajar, they all stared at Indian hats, cowboy hats, kings and queens crowns and hats, wizards and witches hats, and hats adorned with brightly coloured papers, fake hair and huge fake feathers occupied every inch from top to bottom, left to right.

"What is yous likin' then?" said a burly man, who suddenly appeared behind them.

"People actually buy those?" Harriet asked in wonder, turning to face the man. Harriet had to bite her lip hard to hold in the laughter, while her little companions who were now also facing the man did not bother hiding their snickers, for the man was wearing a hat so huge, and decorated with all kinds of fake fruits.

"O yeah, I's having lots of people comin' for them hats, Miss, see I's having hats from round the world," the man said fervently, gesticulating round. "Look 'ere, I's owning hats that royalty loves wearing. This's Indian Sultan's hat and this beauty here belong'd to milady, Cleopatra."

Draco snorted in reply.

As the man obliviously rambled on about his precious collection of hats, Harriet leaned back into her husband and whispered, "How much would you wager that Lady Longbottom is one of his patrons?"

"Not a dime, Mrs. Malfoy," Draco retorted playfully. "I believe I would lose."

Harriet looked back to her husband and smiled upon noticing the laughter dancing in his eyes.

After a couple of moments of idle inspection, Draco said, "I don't think you'll find anything here, unless you…"

"…secretly admire Lady Longbottom's dressing style," he finished, quietly creeping up behind his wife and swiftly replacing her dainty hat with the one he picked up from the counter.

"Ah..!" Harriet turned round, only to face a mirror hung on the opposite wall. She was now wearing a hat quite similar to that of Lady Longbottom's favoured red vulture one, only this held a fake peacock.

"The colour of its feathers certainly matches your eyes." At his remark, Harriet could feel the heat spreading across her face.

Staring at her reflection, the young woman would not ignore how ridiculous she looked, wearing that gigantic hat that dwarfed her face and, made the peacock atop bob its head at the slight movement.

Draco could not help himself from bursting out at the hat and more so, the expression on his wife's face. The children who were watching them with wide eyes, now joined their cousin in the merriment.

The baritone of Draco's laughter sending shivers up for her body, Harriet thought she should be indignant over his mockery, but she wasn't. It was so rare of her husband to be laughing in such abandon that Harriet didn't mind that it was brought upon by her momentary embarrassment. It was so much better than him being angry with her. Shaking the head at her inanity, Harriet pushed the hat off her head.

Ignoring the residual chuckles from her companions, Harriet turned to the milliner. "Don't you have any…. uh… tamer kind?"

The man scratched his beard, thoughtful and then went to the corner where large trunk was sitting. Opening the lid, he beckoned Harriet nearer and bashfully gestured to its contents. "I's got few of these, if you's interested."

"Yes, this is exactly what we were looking for," Harriet replied, relief evident in her voice.

Nonplussed by her placid reaction to be teased, Draco regained his composure. Clearing his throat, He turned to keep an eye on the children as his wife conversed with the milliner. But, the peculiarity of her behaviour compelled his gaze to repeatedly wander back to her.

As Harriet kept handing the man the ones she liked the best, Draco noticed with some amusement that this lot hadn't impressed his atypical taste in hats. Meanwhile the children having taken the cue from their cousin, ran around the stall trying on different hats and armours.

As Draco was paying for their purchases, Harriet recalled the children. Once they gathered, Harriet could do nothing but blink at the Mathew who was dressed as a Viking, Kiera as some oriental queen, and little Nicholas as a pirate.

"Ooh, you all look so adorable!" Harriet remarked with a laugh. "Is that what you want?"

The three children nodded their heads fervently in response.

Draco gave a sceptical look to his wife, who in turn silently appealed to him to indulge the little ones.

With a resignation, Draco turned to the milliner. The man had been gradually getting chafed by them, firstly for making a mockery of this precious collections, and then letting the young'uns run wild and make a mess of his stall. As Draco was paying for their purchases, the man vindictively pointed out to the mangled items careless left by their children on the floor. Draco sent a grimace to his wife, and then added compensation to the amount he was handing out to the man.

Next, they went to a stall displaying a varieties of toys and dolls and let the children choose the one they liked. Harriet noticed that hand of the doll Kiera wanted was broken, only not visible at a glance for it was covered with sleeve of the powder blue dress. Finding no other better looking doll, Harriet assuaged the girl by promising to buy her one in the very next toy shop they found.

As Harriet was collecting their purchases, the old woman who was managing the stall, enquired intently, "Aren't you going to bargain the heaven out of me today?"

Harriet blinked and then cocking her head at little, she considered where she had seen the woman. In a moment, her face showed recognition followed by a little smile. A few years back, this same woman used to frequent the lanes of Ottery St. Catchpole selling her little toys to the children. Harriet remembered how Ginny and she used to relentlessly argue with her until she sold them the toys at the price of their liking.

"Not when the present company has nay budget to keep," Harriet answered, handing the old woman the exactly amount she had asked.

Giving a cheeky wink to the astonished old lady, Harriet left to join the family who had already wandered off.

They had already strolled through the fair for another hour or so when Harriet placed a halting hand on her husband's elbow, "Shouldn't we be returning to the manor now?"

The ache in her back was becoming beyond bearable now. Less than hour into the fair, Nicholas had insisted on being carried and hadn't wanted to walk (except for in the millinery) ever since. To lessen the strain, Harriet and Draco had taken turns to carry him. But now, Kiera complained about aching legs and demanded to be carried as well. Being the big girl she is, only Draco could carry her.

"Is he getting heavy?" Draco queried in empathy, nodded towards slumbering boy on his wife's arms.

Harriet nodded, discomfiture evident in her face.

Mathew, who had been listening, groused, "But we haven't seen all!"

"I believe we have seen enough!" Draco snapped, his own ache from carrying Kiera for so long and putting up with the elder boy's wilfulness all day long giving way to the aggression.

Seeing the defiant expression on Mathew's face, Draco took a deep breath and said in a calmer voice, "I agree with Mrs. Malfoy. We still have a long journey to make and I want us to reach home before nightfall."

Booking no further argument, Draco looked up and around, searching for the way that would lead to the gate.

"I remember that candle stall, I think the gate is around that lane," Harriet said, gesturing to the stall set about a yard away from them.

Nodding, Draco led in the direction that his wife pointed and signed in relief upon noticing the gate a little further away.

"Hey looky, doll shop!" Kiera yelled with a jump, thoroughly slightly the man carrying her and the others in the vicinity.

"Oh dear," Harriet sighed, holding back a whimper. "Some other time, darling, please." Pain in her back and legs was killing her. She dearly longed for the bed right about now.

"But you promised!" Kiera cried, ready to let the tears flowing as she stared between the two adults.

Draco knew that if they refused her now, Kiera would cause quite a nuisance all the way to the manor and then some, and he could use some quiet and rest. He could already feel a major headache setting in.

"Why don't we escort Mrs. Malfoy and Mathew to the carriage and come back for your doll," Draco appealed to his cousin. When the girl expressed suspicion, he added, "You see, they are really tired and I promise we'll come back."

Reluctantly, she nodded.

"Mr. Malfoy, why don't you take Kiera to the toy shop, we can make our way to the carriage." Harriet suggested, taking note of his weary countenance.

"No," Draco refused without a second thought. "Let's go."

Once they reached the gates, Draco had to make a couple of inquiries about their carriage. Before they departed this morning, Crabbe informed them that he would be holding the carriage in the acreage reserved for the gentry.

It was easy enough for them to locate their carriage once they reached the acreage, for the grounds were sparsely occupied.

"Crabbe, where the hell are you?" Draco yelled, finding their carriage abandoned. Draco had informed Crabbe to not to expect them for at least four hours before they had departed into the fair. But, in reality, they had been gone for much longer.

When no one answered, Harriet moved to the carriage standing a little further from theirs and enquired the driver about theirs.

"Oh that tall, bulky fella," the man replied and when she nodded, he added, "yea, I see him. I think he gone to take a piss."

The man's brazenness caused pink spots to raise up on Harriet's face while her husband snorted in disgust.

Frustrated, Draco shook his head and unhooked the latch on the coach himself, and then helped Harriet (still carrying sleeping boy) in and looked around for Crabbe.

Pushing the curtain off the window, Harriet said tiredly, "Mr. Malfoy, there is no point for you to be waiting. Vincent will return any moment now and we'll be fine inside."

Seeing his hesitation, Harriet added, "Please Mr. Malfoy, it is getting late. I want to go home, I know you do too."

Draco was of two minds; he did not want to leave his wife and the children unattended nor did he wish to remain in this place any longer. The fair, which was moderately peaceful and cheery in the morning, Draco noted, was milling with local riff-raff as the afternoon gave away.

"Alright, just don't come out," Draco said at last and she readily agreed.

He handed the other driver some money to keep vigilance on his family.

"Only until my master returns," the man warned, pocketing it.

Holding back a sneer, Draco grabbed Kiera's hand again and made to pace back to the fair.

"Wait, I am coming as well," Mathew bellowed, running after them.

"No," Draco demurred promptly, "You'll stay here and look after them."

Draco knew that if you took the boy with them, the latter would badger him into seeing or doing something new. No, it would be better if he remained here. Firmly pushing the grumbling boy into the carriage, Draco closed the door and he set off with Kiera again.

Harriet had to endure a slew of complaints for every minute her husband and his cousin were away. Ten minutes later, the nearby carriage driver bode them farewell and drove off while Vincent still remained absent.

When Draco and Kiera did not make an appearance for more than half an hour, the older boy groused about being bored. Harriet let him go stand outside only after he promised to stay by the door and not wander off. She kept a steady flow of conversation to make sure that the boy was still nearby, until Nicholas, who was lying by her side using her thigh as a pillow, took a sudden turn in his sleep. Harriet grabbed the boy before he could fall to the floor and adjusted him properly on the seat again.

"It is my first time seeing an elephant, you know. I never imagined that they would be so big," Harried continued quietly after a moment. "What about you? Have you seen elephants before?"

When no reply came, Harried asked with a frown, "Mathew?"

"Mathew?" a little louder this time.

The persistent quiescence of the boy worried her a little. Gently lifting Nicholas' head off her lap onto the leather seat, Harriet unlatched the door and peered out, calling, "Mathew!"

No answer still.

Nimbly jumping out of the carriage, Harriet circled their carriage looking for Mathew, hoping that the boy was simply miffed and therefore, playing with her for making him stay back.

Anxiety growing by the second, Harriet fleetly glanced around the acreage where now only two carriages were standing, both abandoned by the humans.

"Mathew!" she fumed, running around the grounds and inspecting behind the trees and brushes. "This isn't amusing anymore. Come out of your hiding or else I tell your parents about it."

Except for gentle bellowing of the air and the occasional neighing of the horses, the acreage remained serene as she came to a stop. With cold sweat breaking out in her palms, Harriet stared around her surroundings again, desperately hoping for the boy to show. "Mathew!"

Harriet was overcome with the absolute form of freight when she understood that the boy was really gone. She stood absolutely still in the middle of the acreage for a couple of moments, until a cold wind sent a shiver down her frame, bringing her out of stupor.

Valiantly fighting against descending panic, Harriet ran back to their carriage and quickly grabbed still sleepy Nicholas in her arms. Unmindful of the little boy's aggravated whinges, the young woman tore towards the exit.

Harriet released a grateful pant upon finding a young man, the one she had noticed before, still guarding the border of the acreage. "Have a seen a boy walk out of here?"

Harriet's abrupt appearance thoroughly startled the man who had been lounging on a stool and humming with his eyes closed.

"A boy?" the man asked stupidly after ages.

"Yes, a boy," she snapped, getting irritated with his sluggish uptake. "A nine-old year boy, about half and four feet tall, with brown hair."

"Oh yeah," the young man replied slowly. "I is seein' him."

"Well?" Harriet questioned impatiently. "Did you see where he want?"

The young man simply pointed towards the gates of the fair, much to Harriet's distress. The fair, Harriet had found out since, was extensively spread out and now looked crowded. "Are you certain?" she enquired faintly.

At his earnest nod, Harriet closed her eyes in dismay, trying to decide what to do next. She knew, for certain, that she could not simply stand here, waiting for her husband to show when Mathew could possibly be getting further away. On the other hand, she feared that Nicholas and she would become separated from Draco and Kiera.

Making a decision at last, Harriet turned to the young man. "Sir," she started shakily, finding the man older than her. "Could you do me a favour, please?" Harriet requested, staring at him intently.

Recognising the desperation in her countenance; the man nodded in acquiescence.

"Could you keep a watch for a gentleman? You have seen him with us not long ago, my husband, he is tall, young and has silver hair? Our carriage is standing here. He will come this way with a little girl," she described urgently.

"White hair? For real," the man asked, looking vaguely impressed.

"Yes, not a wig." She nodded, and utterly failing in managing an empathic smile. "When you see him, could you tell him that I could not find Mathew and that I went looking for him into the fair?" she added.

She thanked him earnestly for his cooperation and hastened towards the fair.

The man who had been in charge of the fair tickets had changed since. The new man refused to accept that Harriet had, indeed, paid her fare for the day. No bothering to engage in any furtile arguments with the greedy little man, Harriet threw the monies on his counter and dashed inside.

Hurrying past rows and rows of stalls, Harriet frantically searched for the boy without any success.

"Oh god, please let him be okay, please let me find me," she prayed fervidly, swallowing back in the tears that finally threatened to escape her.

Standing in the middle of a square, Harriet glanced around hopelessly, trying to decide which lane to take. A glimmer of hope flickered inside her when she caught a glimpse of a brown-haired boy down one lane.

"Mathew!" Harriet called loudly, running towards the boy who had his back to her and now moving further away.

Coming to an abrupt halt behind the boy, Harriet grabbed his shoulder and aggressively turned him around.

"Hey!" the boy cried, shocked by the assault.

"No!" Harriet breathed, a look of utter devastation descending on her face.

"What do you think you are doing, Lady?" the portly woman, previously unnoticed by Harriet, standing beside the boy, demanded in outrage.

"I…." Harriet heaved, looking from the boy to the woman in fear, "I apologise; I thought he was my cousin, Mathew."

"Well he is not, he is my son!" the woman hissed, protectively drawing the boy closer to her. "Go away."

"I am sorry," Harriet muttered desolately, watching the woman drag her son off, all the while throwing suspicious looks at her over her shoulder.

A few people who had witnessed the encounter were now staring at her, their looks varying between sympathy, sick pleasure, and disgust at her predicament.

"You lost a child," a woman jeered, attracting the attention of more passers-by. "What were you doing, adjusting your cloak?"

Harriet flinched, as if struck and turned to find this tall, shabby woman looking condescendingly at her. The woman's dawdy companions burst into snickers at the her derisive remark. For a long moment, the young woman, stood there, pale-faced, as they leered at her.

Harshly wiping the tears that were now falling, unbidden, down her cheeks, Harriet beat a hasty retreat from that lane, away from such hostility.

"Try not to lose the other one while you are trying out the pearls now!" the woman bellowed to her back.

Tightening her hold on Nicholas, Harriet ran until she reached a secluded corner. The little boy, who has awakened by the jostling, snivelled irritably but stopped upon noticing the heaving sobs of the young woman.

"No cry, Hawwy," the little boy whispered, putting his chubby hand over her wet cheek and looking teary himself.

With a sharp gasp, Harriet pulled herself out of the despair when the boy started crying in earnest. Reprimanding herself internally for breaking down in this manner, Harriet roughly brushed her face and faced the boy.

"no…no, see here, Nicky, I am not crying," Harriet pleaded, plastering a false smile on her face. "Please, don't cry."

Consoling the boy till his sobs turned to occasional hiccups, Harriet resumed her pursuit. Feeling her hope and strength dwindling with each passing second, she wished for help, a friendly face or a support of any kind as she bustled on.

"Oomph…." Harriet released upon blindly colliding with someone. With a quick reflective, they caught her elbow before she could go tumbling down to the ground, taking the child with her.

"Watch whe….." Draco's words died once he recognized the woman he has straightened on feet.

Roughly pulling Harriet into his arms, Draco demanded with a relieved sigh, "Where in the God's name did you disappear to? We have been looking for you for ages."

Harriet was initially dumbstruck by his sudden appearance, but soon erupted into hysterical sobs as she dearly held on to him, thoroughly startling Draco. He had expected her to be worried, but never imagined her to have worked herself in a frenzy in their long absence. Concerned, and also no less flattered, Draco smiled a little.

"Hush now," he murmured softly, rubbing soothing circles on her back. "I am sorry we took so long to return. Kiera dragged me into quite a number of toy shops until she found the doll she wanted".

With a sharp intake of breath, Harriet pulled back and stared at her husband. "You mean you did not receive my message?"

"What message? When Kiera espied you going into the fair again, I followed but you disappeared into the crowd. I thought you came looking for us, didn't you?" Draco asked, taking a closer note of Harriet's frenetic appearance. "Where is Mathew?"

Swallowing a lump in her throat, Harriet laconically explained all that had transpired since Draco and Kiera's departure.

"Mathew's vanished," Draco repeated dangerously, his face now unnaturally white. "How…how did you let this happen?" he demanded, shaking his wife's shoulders.

"He was angry for being left behind," Harriet replied in a small voice, shrinking away from her fuming husband.

"But of course, he was!" Draco snarled, taking his hands off her and stepping back. "But you are the adult. How could you let him out of your sight?"

Unable to bear his accusing stare, Harriet looked away. She had no excuse.

"Dear Lord!" Draco muttered, pushing off his hat and running a frustrated hand through his hair, and took in his surroundings.

"The big ride, the beasts, yes, the man eater," Draco mumbled, trying to decide which places to look for. "The elephants, yes, he could have gone there."

Before he could pursue his course of action, Harriet grabbed his arm, halting his stride. "Mathew did not go to any of those places. I've already checked. All the animal attractions are closed for the day," she informed him gloomily.

With a grimace, Draco closed his eyes, trying to imagine where else his unruly cousin could have gone off to.

"Alright," Draco snapped at last. "Stay close!" with that warning to his wife, he set off, leading the family through the throngs of visitors.

They scouted every nook and corner they passed, parts of the fair they had previously forgone, enquiring shopkeepers and passers-by if they had seen Mathew. After a while, Harriet tried yelling the boy's name in the hopes that he might find them instead.

"Mrs. Malfoy!" Draco hissed, rounding on his wife. "Seize your holler at once. Do you want to inform everyone around here that a boy of gentry is missing?"

"Dear Lord!" he exclaimed suddenly in horror. Up until this point, Draco had only worried about his cousin's disappearance, not comprehending that Mathew was also the child of rich Lords. "What if he never left on his own? What if someone nabbed him? Someone has to be an absolute fool not to realize that the boy comes from money. His ensemble alone would give that away. His grandfather is a prominent member of court. What if someone is holding him for ransom or…. Some perversion!" he added, looking positively sick.

"Mr. Malfoy, please," Harriet begged, looking severely pained. Every one of those scenarios, one more terrifying than the next, has already passed through her mind a hundred times since she started her search. She really did not need her husband articulating them now.

The two children who had kept their quiet in the gravity of the situation, now started bawling, both frightened by his cousin's severe reaction.

Feeling awful, Harriet bounced Nicholas, making cajoling noises. Fiercely chewing on her lower lip, Harriet desperately looked around their darkening surroundings.

"Hush now, Kiera," Draco said gently to the little girl, after pulling himself together for the sake of the little ones. "I am not angry, I am just….. terribly worried for our cousin."

"Mathew," Harriet whispered hoarsely, instantly drawing the attention of her husband. "Mathew!" she cried, a little loudly this time.

"Wh.." Draco sharply followed his wife's line of sight to the boy coming out of a tent. Together, the couple rushed, coming to a halt before the boy they had been searching for hours.

"Mathew, are you alright? Where have you been? We were looking for you for ages. What are you doing here?" followed a slew of enquires from the couple as Draco first pulled the boy in an embrace.

"I am fine," he groused as Harriet held him from a tight hug next, and then ran a shaking hand intently over his hair and shoulders, looking for any injuries. Kiera and Nicholas broke into smile upon seeing their cousin again.

"I got bored waiting in the carriage, so I came back to see the things we missed," the boy said, shrugging Harriet's hand off.

"Bu…but we thought someone took you away," Harriet told him, taking a step back and staring incredulously at his face. "We were worried sick for you."

The boy shrugged again.

The absolute nonchalance with which the boy seemed to react to their ordeal broke the fine thread of Harriet's composure.

"Mrs. Malfoy!" Draco exclaimed, grabbing her hand that was raised against the boy. "What the hell do you think you are doing?"

The dangerous edge to his voice brought Harriet back to her senses.

Her face now white as a sheet, Harriet stared between her arrested wrist and the boy, horrified by her behaviour.

"This is all your fault. First, you refuse to bring along the nursemaid, who could have kept an eye on the children; and then you carelessly let Mathew wander off on his own," Draco told her peevishly, putting Kiera down and forcibly taking Nicholas from her.

"I…" Harriet faltered, staring through the haze of watering eyes. "I am sorry." Next, she looked at the older boy, and muttered, "I am so sorry, Mathew."

"I am so sorry," Harriet said over and over again with a quivering voice.

Overpowered by her sense of shame, Harriet averted her face and fastened towards the gate once more, leaving her husband utterly bewildered.

When Harriet arrived at their carriage, she barely acknowledge Crabbe's greeting. Without waiting for him, she pushed the door and disappeared inside. A couple of moments later, Draco arrived with the children.

Drowning in her melancholy, Harriet barely heard her husband angrily enquiring after the coachman's whereabouts. She did not pay attention, when Crabbe muttered about upset stomach, nor did she hear Draco testily suggesting that a couple of days of fasting ought to set him right, causing the bulky man to pale.

The journey back to the Manor passed in terse silence, except for occasional sniffles coming from Harriet's corner. The children stayed quiet, utterly spent from day's activities. Kiera, sitting beside showed atypical maturity for her age by placing a consoling hand on the distraught woman.

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Alexandra had been waiting for them in the foyer when they arrived.

"Welcome," the older woman greeted the lot with a broad smile. "I was expecting you for hours."

The couple's lack of response went unnoticed as she took in the rosy pallor on the children's faces.

"I see you had a very good time," she continued gaily, a toy on each of their arms.

"You did not have any trouble while returning, did you Draco?" Alexandra asked, as the servants brought in the rest of their purchases.

"Excuse me, Grandma?" Harriet muttered, not meeting the old woman's gaze. "I need to use the powder room". Without waiting for an acknowledgement, she fled to the master wing.

Draco shook his head in response to his grandmother's questioning look.

Taking his haggard appearance, Alexandra decided to let it lay for the moment. "Well, why don't you all go clean up as well?" She suggested, taking in their rumpled clothes. "It's almost time for supper."

Summoning the nursemaid, the older woman bid the former to take the children to their rooms.

"I'll see you at the table, grandmother," Draco said and followed his wife upstairs.

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Refreshed at least by appearance, Draco returned to their boudoir only to find it empty. The movement of flickering light escaping through the slit under the door told him that his wife was still cooped up inside her dressing room. Draco lingered outside, ambiguous about drawing her attention.

He was, of course, not going to apologise for the things he had said to her. After all, everything had been true. Draco could not comprehend why Harriet insisted on doing everything on her own, refusing help that was readily available to her. All the afternoon's trouble could have been avoided if only they had brought the nursemaid. Instead, the couple had to take care of the children while carrying the multitude of purchases like some commoners.

The direction in which his thoughts were going, convinced Draco that anything he would say to his wife at the moment would only make the situation more unpleasant. Exasperated though he was, Draco wisely decided to leave his wife be for the time being, and strode out of the master suite.

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Alexandra, Draco and the children had been waiting for over ten minutes before the former sent Marie off to find out Harriet's whereabouts.

"Grandmother, could we start? We are all quite famished, and would like to retire to bed early," Draco said tersely, digging into his food and motioning the others to do so as well. "Mrs. Malfoy will join in when she comes down."

Before the old woman could question her grandson's petulance, Kiera sadly interjected, "Harry's cryin' b'cos Draco yelled her."

Everyone was staring, dumbstruck, at the girl when the maid reappeared.

"Madam, I found Mrs. Malfoy in the master suite. She is sleeping. I wasn't certain about waking her though," Marie answered softly, and waited for further orders.

In the light of Kiera's statement, Alexandra sighed, "No, just be certain to leave some food by her bedside's table in case she gets hungry in the middle of the night."

Marie nodded and withdrew at Alexandra's dismissal.

Seeing the stoic expression on Draco's face, Alexandra supressed the urge to roll her eyes and faced Kiera. "What do you mean, darling?"

Stuttering and stumbling here and there, Kiera managed to give a gist of their trip, especially stressing on the time they spent searching for Mathew, all the while ignoring the latter's hard glare.

'Oh Lord, save me from these impossible little brats!' Draco pleaded in his mind, abandoning his fork and knife. Was it his imagination that Kiera seemed to leaning towards his wife's defence?

"Is it true, Mathew?" Alexandra asked seriously.

When the boy remained mutinously silent, she said, "I see."

Mathew felt relieved when Alexandra simply resumed eating, urging others to do the same. Her grandson, on the other hand, knew by experience that this wasn't the end of the matter. No sound except for the clanking of the utensils was made until Francis arrived with the dessert.

Draco had lost his appetite; he fervently longed for the comfort of his bed. Good manners, though, forced him to sit through the entire meal. Ignoring the butler's frown over half eaten plate, he gestured for it to be removed.

As Francis replaced their plates with a bowl of custard and fruits each, Alexandra turned to the boy and firmly said, "That's end of your meal, Mathew. Please vacate the table."

"But…" the boy spluttered, looking anxiously at the butler, who had been approaching him with the dessert, now stopped in his tracks.

'Ouch,' Draco winced internally, for he knew quite a well about the boy's great love for desserts.

"You must know that there will be consequences for your misconduct. Your parents will hear about it. But for now, you'll retire to bed without dessert," Alexandra explained, giving the boy a steadfast look. "Francis, please escort the boy to his room."

Angry at the dismissal, the boy roughly pushed his chair back and stomped out of the room, causing the old man to run to keep up with him.

"Well, go on then," Alexandra said to two companions and picked up her spoon. Taking her cue, Kiera hastily dug into her bowl, afraid that she would be asked to abandon hers as well.

Draco, though, sighed heavily and brought his hand to rub against the forehead, trying to mitigate the throbbing in his head.

Alexandra's expression softened upon noting his condition.

After they finished the meal, Alexandra sent the girl off to bed and turned to face her grandson.

"Can I interest you in a drink?" she asked, gazing up at him.

Draco shook his head with an apologetic look.

"Well then, I'll say good night." Placing a kiss on his cheek, Alexandra swept towards her chambers.

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Standing in the middle of the boudoir, Draco stared at the silhouette of his wife, curled up on her side of the bed and recalled Alexandra's parting words with a weary sigh.

"I will pray for the issue to be resolved by tomorrow, that there will be no discord between the two of you. But I hold no such hope."

Hoping for better day tomorrow, Draco slipped into the bed.

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In the morning, Harriet made herself scarce. But knowing that she could not shirk off another meal with the family, Harriet reluctantly left the seclusion of her study and made her way to the dining room.

She was the last one to arrive, Harriet noticed. Not meeting anyone in the eye, Harriet made her greetings and stiffly sat herself down in her usual place.

Making no mention of the dinner, Alexandra started piling the young woman's plate with bread, cold meats and fruits.

Harriet and Draco ate in silence, as Kiera rambled to the old woman about the things they had seen and done in the fair, strangely only receiving disdainfully snorts from the boy sitting next to her.

Ambivalence of the room lifted when Nicholas bounded in, looking perked up for the day. As his habit by now, the boy ran up to Harriet with a joyful cry and tightly hugged her around the waist, causing a small curl up on her lips.

Harriet stared helplessly as the boy went on to tug her dress, insisting on that she come play with him. After the yesterday's events, she did not feel competent to be taking care of children, and had decided to keep her distance. Their parents will be arriving before the nightfall anyway.

'Since when have small children ever accommodated their wants to suit the moods of their adults?' Alexandra though, watching amusedly as Harriet unsuccessfully tried to divert the Nicholas's attentions off her. It was obvious that the boy has grown quite attached to Harriet during his stay. Alexandra wondered with a little worry whether the boy would have a hard time leaving the young women, when the time came for him to return to the Notts.

"Deary, why don't you take Nicholas and Kiera to the playroom?" Alexandra suggested casually, taking the decision out of Harriet's hands. "Mathew and I will be doing some reading this morning."

"Draco, would you like to join Harriet and the children?" she asked next, turning to her grandson.

Draco stared across the table at his wife, who was watching with him with little hope underneath great trepidation.

"No," he said at last, "I have some paper work that needs to be taken care."

And bowing farewell to all, he left.

Alexandra bit back a smile; she understood what it was that Harriet sort in her husband; the trust that she could still look after the children. The older woman was proud of Draco for giving it to Harriet.

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Harriet dropped a bunch of parchment and jars of multitude of colours in front of the children and let them have a free reign. She helped Kiera with her drawing, while keeping a watchful eye on Nicholas, making sure that he did not put anything in his mouth as he dipped his fingers into the paint and doodled across his paper. The two were making quite a mess, but Harriet was glad that it was contained within the playroom.

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Lunch was a stilled affair for the adults. Harriet envied that celerity with which children overcame any disquiet, seeing Mathew and Kiera back to their normal bickering selves.

'Well, not so much for the servants who would have their work cut out cleaning the paint that the children had splattered on the walls and the carpet,' Harriet thought ruefully, listening to Kiera boasting about the wonderful time they had painting this morning, much to the vexation of the older boy.

Afterwards, when Harriet excused herself to the boudoir, Alexandra bid her grandson to take a stroll with her through the gardens.

It wasn't a request. Draco had barely spoken a word to his wife since their return from the fair; something his grandmother would never consider too trivial to bother with. Draco sighed internally, resigning himself for the inevitable inquisition.

Imposing a slew of rules on Mathew and Kiera playing in the foyer, Alexandra took her grandson's proffered arm and left.

"What happened?" Alexandra asked, as they walked slowly through the green maze.

Draco pretty much repeated Kiera's words, but ending his monologue by putting stress on their last moments in the fair.

"I see that you've lain the entire blame on Harriet," Alexandra said, pausing in her gait. "This is becoming rather redundant, Draco."

"What?" Draco bemused, turning to face her.

"A quandary; you unleashing a verbal assault; she running away in tears; a long, bitter silence; and I consoling her and reprimanding you after a while," she continued with a weary sigh,

Draco stared at his grandmother with his parted lips.

"Have you been listening to me, grandmother?" Draco asked defensively, snapping out of his stupor. "How can you overlook the fact that Mrs. Malfoy raised a hand against Mathew?"

"I am not nor do am I condoning it. I am very glad that you prevented it from happening, Draco," Alexandra responded seriously. "But tell me truthfully, Draco, do you believe that your wife hadn't suffered any during Mathew's long absence yesterday?"

"If you do, I'll have words with Harriet about her carelessness. Although I doubt you left anything for me to say."

Draco pursed his lips in anger.

Shaking her head at his wilful disregard, she asked, "Tell me, what happened afterwards?"

"What do you mean?" Draco retorted, bewildered. "We returned to the manor."

"No, I am asking you how Harriet reacted when you stopped her."

Seeing her grandson maintain a mutinous silence, Alexandra sighed again, "She was honestly contrite, wasn't she? Horribly ashamed of herself? It isn't difficult to tell with her."

"I acquiesce with you that Harriet made a mistake by not taking the nursemaid along, Draco. But I do not think it was fair of you to hold her responsible for the entire episode, and letting the boy go guilt free."

"But he is a little boy!" Draco argued in disbelief. "How is he to know what is good for him, and what is not?"

"Mathew isn't so little anymore. In three years' time, he would be sent off to a boarding school," she demurred. "Darling, his parents left him with you, with the expectation that you love him and take care of him as your own, but also discipline him if necessary."

"I never agreed to that kind of responsibility," Draco replied slowly with a distasteful expression.

Alexandra nodded and patting his cheek fondly. "I know you haven't, dear. Therefore, I've decided to let the matter rest as far as we're concerned. Peter and Katie will decide how to handle the boy's misconduct."

Saying that, Alexandra turned to make way inside, feeling slightly winded by the stroll.

"You are always advocating for Mrs. Malfoy," Draco complained. "You are my grandmother! I am not fond of you taking anybody's side but mine."

Alexandra stopped in her tracks, a smile blossoming on her face upon hearing the childish petulance in that voice, reminding her of his younger version, who had always be acutely possessive of her.

"But I am on your side, sweetheart!" she stressed, turning round to face the man. "For I do not believe you can ever be happy if there is discord in your marriage. After all, I did not raise you to find pleasure in someone else's misery. And this person is not just anybody, is she?"

Draco grunted with a turn of his head, knowing that he had lost the argument yet again.

"And now, I ask you the same question, Draco. Why is Harriet my responsibility?" Alexandra questioned, looking keening at him.

"After all, you are one who brought her to our attention, you are the one who chose her for a wife, you are the one who went to the Burrow and asked the Weasleys for her hand, and you are the one who married her and brought her to the Malfoy Manor. Then why am I standing up for her, and supporting her as she got adjusted to this strange, new life that she chose to lead with you?"

A moment later, Alexandra disappeared through the door, leaving her grandson to his ponderings.

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Draco spent a long time in the gardens, lost in thought, before following his grandmother inside. Just as he was stepping through the backdoor, he heard a sharp crack and rushed inside.

Alexandra, who also seemed to have heard the echo as well, hastened out into the foyer at once.

"The noise came from inside," Draco stated, looking at his grandmother for confirmation. "It sounded like a gunshot, didn't it?

"I think so," the older woman replied worriedly.

Their heads swivelled up towards the stairwell in union at the incessant clicking noise of the shoes, as Kiera came bounding down. Eschewing the adults, she came to an abrupt halt at the barrister and panted, "Help! Mathew. Gun. Harry. Shot!"

Eyes widening in alarm, Draco did not linger for the little girl to catch her breath and elaborate; he sprinted upstairs, taking two steps at a time, demanding, "Where?"

"2rd Floor!"

With tears running down her cheeks, Kiera watched, as her cousin disappeared.

She jumped when Alexandra came to stand behind her and place a hand on her shoulder. "Tell me everything."

In a jiffy, Draco arrived, his boots coming to a skidding halt onto the second floor and urgently glanced to his right and left, debating which direction to take, while cursing himself for not asking for clear instructions.

Choosing a direction, Draco made to move, but stopped when he thought he saw something at the other end. Deciding to investigate it first, he changed direction, and swiftly walked down the long hallway. He felt his pace eventually slow down when he realized what it was he has pursued. It was a single dainty slipper, the very same he had noticed his wife shrugging off the other night, lying discarded on the corner.

With fear of the unknown gripping his heart, Draco tentatively took the few more steps forward and pivoted round the corner. With a sharp intake of breath, he found his wife sprawled face first at the bottom of the upper storey stairwell, her head next to the foot of floor-length metal vase.

The bright light of summer afternoon spilling through the bay windows put emphasis on the deep red of the fluid steady leaking from underneath her, spreading across the pure white of the marble. After a moment that felt like an eternity, Draco summoned the courage to approach the body. Swallowing the bile that rose up to his mouth at the sight of so much blood, Draco knelt beside Harriet and gathered her in his hands, gently rolling her round. He saw the right side of her face tinged with blood trickling down from the gash on her forehead, but it was the hole on her left shoulder that was oozing copious amount of life flood, drenching the sleeve of her dress in crimson.

Fighting the overwhelming terror, Draco held her against his chest and slowly crouched his head down, placing his ear against Harriet's mouth. For several seconds, he listened to her irregular, laboured breaths before straightening up.

With his other trembling badly, Draco pushed the wayward strands of black hair off her face and tapped her cheek, oblivious to the blood now tainting on his pale hand.

"Mrs. Malfoy," he called in a strangled voice. "Mrs. Malfoy."

No sound; the hallway remained as eerily quiet as it did when he had arrived.

"Mrs. Malfoy, wake up," he pleaded, his tone stronger and more urgent after many unsuccessful calls.

A deadly silence responded to him again and again.

An irrational anger overtook him at last, as his wife continued to ignore his agonised pleas. "Harriet!" he roared, delivering a sharp crack across her face.

The young woman awakened with a moan, flicking about the blood struck to her dark eyelashes. "Mr. Malfoy!" she gasped, her face contracted in pain.

Soon losing the fight against fatigue that was rapidly consuming her, Harriet let droop her eyes shut, and breathed the last words, "You are speaking to me again."

Despite Draco's numerous attempts, his wife did not regain consciousness.

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Author's Note: Urgh.. Does my writing seem awkward after the long haitus? It does to me, after all this chapter has been in the making for 6 years, going through writer's block, real life, writer's block, rea...err you get the gist.

Anyway, how's that, Draco, seeing Harriet bleeding to death?

'Enough already with the headbutting!' thought Fate (i.e. terrible old me in this case) and has decided to plunge them through the more situations that'll force them to spit out their feelings and get on with loving.

Keep a lookout for my next chapter(I can't promised a date, sorry), which will be a rollercoster of flirting, jealousy and seduction!

Should I remind you again that your reviews brought me back? wink...wink

Love,

P.S. I received some reviews and messages asking whether they could adopt my story. I am sorry I did not reply to you. But if any of you have already adopted my story, I want to say I don't mind but I request you to send me the name/link to the story so I can read it too.