It was the day of the engagement party, and the day Mrs. Malfoy was supposed to be arriving into town. Nichole was sitting in her room, texting her friends and arranging the time Amanda and Chris were to meet her on New Years Eve to go to Mystique's. As her phone beeped again, indicating another text, her mother knocked on the door.
"I'm going to jump in the shower, could you take the chicken out of the oven when the timer goes off?"
"Chicken?" Nichole asked, looking up at her mother, "Why is there chicken in the oven?"
"Well, Molly needed some extra space to cook, so I volunteered to prepare some food here. The party's in two hours, are you getting ready soon?"
"I'll have a shower after you," Nichole replied, turning back to her phone.
Hermione nodded, "I'm leaving your door open so you hear the timer,"
Nichole waved her mother off, replying back to Chris with a smile on her face. Hermione studied her daughter for another moment before disappearing to the bathroom.
Trust me, you'll love them Nichole wrote back to Chris And I can almost guarantee you Mystique will take a liking to you
As she sent the text on, she heard a noise from the living room. Getting up and walking into the room, she looked around to see what the noise was. Standing there, in the middle of the room, was her father.
"Dad what are you doing here?" she asked, looking at him curiously.
"I've come to get you," he said, "I know you have Weasley's party in a few hours, but there's someone arriving at my place very shortly who wants to meet you." He smiled as Nichole's face broke out into a huge grin.
"My grandmother?" she asked excitedly; Draco nodded.
"She'll be there in about ten minutes, I want you there when she arrives."
Nichole was beyond excited, "Let's go!" she said, but stopped suddenly, "Oh, I'm supposed to wait on the chicken…" she glanced at the stove, where the timer had fifteen minutes left. "Mum wouldn't be happy if I left it…"
Draco waved his wand towards the stove, "that should finish off the chicken." He said. Nichole walked into the kitchen and pulled out the roasting pan and peeked inside. Sure enough, the chicken seemed cooked.
"Thanks dad," she said.
"Now let's go, we don't have much time."
Nichole smiled and nodded, following her father to the fireplace and grabbing a handful of floo powder. "Malfoy Manor," she said excitedly, disappearing into the green flames, with no note to Hermione as to where she was going.
Hermione got out of the shower; the place seemed to quiet. She stood there and listened for a moment, the TV wasn't on, she didn't hear the beep of Nichole's phone, she didn't hear Nichole's laughter from a funny text of a friend. Hesitantly, Hermione opened the bathroom door, wrapping the towel more firmly around her body.
"Nichole?" she called, glancing around the apartment. The roasting pan was sitting on the stove, the stove was off, and the place was empty. Nichole was no where in sight. Hermione sighed and reached for the phone, dialling Nichole's number; it went straight to voice mail.
"Nichole," Hermione sighed, "I don't know where the bloody hell you went, but you better get back here soon and get ready for that engagement party!" she hung the phone up angrily and went to finish getting ready.
Nichole landed in the living room of the Manor. Her phone beeped three times continuously, indicating it had no service.
"Muggle items don't typically tend to work around the Manor, too much magic. A little like Hogwarts." Her father said.
Nichole shrugged, "Ah well, I got everything figured out that I needed to anyways," she tucked her phone in the pocket of her jeans and glanced around the room. "How much longer?"
"Five minutes," Draco replied glancing at the clock on the wall.
Nichole smiled and stood next to her father. "Is there anything I should know about her?"
Draco stared at the wall in front of her, "Don't say anything unless she speaks to you first. My mother is a good woman, but you also must remember she was raised as a pure blood."
Nichole nodded, "Understood,"
"I'm sure she'll love you," he said, "Although, and don't get offended by it, but she may take a bit warming up at first… in her eyes, you are a half blood, even if she doesn't know it yet."
"I am a half blood," Nichole nodded, "Don't worry, I know how Pure Bloods can be, I'm a Slytherin remember?"
Draco laughed, "How could I forget?"
Suddenly there was a burst of green and Kingsley appeared, with a trunk at his side. Draco rush forwards to grab it from him.
"Thank you Mr. Malfoy," Kingsley said, "Your mother will be here very shortly."
Draco nodded and Kingsley glanced over at Nichole. "Miss Granger, how are you?"
"I'm doing good, Mr. Shacklebolt," she said with a smile.
"Is your mother here?"
"She's preparing for Uncle Ron's engagement party."
"Of course," he said, "I'll be heading over there after I get some work done at the office. Shouldn't you be going there as well?"
"Later," Nichole said, "But first, I would like to meet my grandmother."
Kingsley nodded and stood back to watch, he didn't want to interfere.
They stod there, father and daughter, waiting for a second burst of green flame. They were not disappointed. The fireplace lit up in green and out same a twirling look of beauty, in Nichole's eyes. The blonde woman before her gracefully landed, as if she always travelled this way, and walked out of the fireplace. Her blonde hair had not a touch of grey in it, and her blue eyes were round and looked caring. To Nichole, Narcissa Malfoy was the picture of an innocent Middle Aged Woman, even though she knew that was not the case.
"Mother," Draco said, smiling, "It's been a while."
"Draco, darling, I've missed you." Narcissa walked towards her son and gave him a big hug, kissing each of his cheeks in turn. "You must tell me all you've been up to, and whatever else you've been keeping from me in your letters! Speaking of which…" She turned towards Nichole, studying her. Those innocent looking blue eyes swept from Nichole's dirty and ripped jeans, to her green tank top, studied her face and the stormy eyes, all the way up to the black and green hair.
"Not what I expected of my grand daughter," she finally said, after a moment of tense silence.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Nichole said stepping forwards, "I've heard you were an extraordinary woman, and now I can see why."
"Why thank you dear, I must say I was surprised when I heard of you, not in a bad way of course." Narcissa smiled, "I just never knew Draco had had a child."
"It's sort of a long story…" Nichole admitted, glancing at her father, who nodded in return.
"Well, why don't we start with your mother. Who is she dear?"
Nichole glanced over to her father again, who was nodding in turn, very seriously. Tell her the look said, and Nichole nodded, very slightly back.
"Hermione Granger," she replied after taking a breath.
Hermione wiped the kitchen table, then glanced at the phone, wiped the counter, glancned at the phone; this is what she had been doing since she got out of the shower. Where could have Nichole gotten to?
The phone rang and Hermione ran to it. "Nichole?" she asked, answering it.
"Harry," the voice on the other end replied, "what's wrong? Has Nichole gone missing again?"
Hermione sighed, "Sorry Harry, I got out of the shower and she was gone. She took the chicken out, but… I don't know where she has gone. Her phone either died or is out of service because every time I call I only get voicemail."
"Well, is there a chance she could be somewhere where muggle devices don't work?" Harry suggested.
"But where…" Hermione trailed off, as the date registered in her head. "December twenty eighth," she said in a low breath. "The day of…"
"Ron and Kayla's engagement party, that's why I'm calling." Harry replied.
"And that Draco's mother's coming to town," Hermione said without realizing she'd said too much. No one outside the family was supposed to know Narcissa was back in town.
"What did you just say?" Harry asked, shocked.
"Nothing," Hermione replied quickly, "So, the party, what can I do for you Harry?"
"Tell me, Hermione, what you just said."
"I can't!" Hermione said, "It slipped out, you're not supposed to know! Please forget I said anything! And don't tell anybody!"
Harry sighed on the other end, "Alright Hermione," he said.
"Thank you Harry," Hermione said relieved, "So, you were saying why you called?"
"What? Oh, yeah, of course! Molly wanted to know if you could possibly come another hour early. Ginny's pretty much off her rock from all her mother nagging,"
"I take it you have the kids?" Hermione asked.
"They are angels," Harry said, and a moment later yelled, "James! Put the cat down! No it can't go in the dishwasher!" Hermione could hear some noise in the background, and the meow of a cat, then Harry was back on the phone. "Sorry about that,"
"Angels?" Hermione asked laughing, "Seems like it."
"They want their mother, but Ginny's been so busy helping her mother…"
"I get it," Hermione said "Tell Molly I'd be happy to help,"
"What about Nichole? Wasn't she supposed to supervise the children?"
Hermione sighed, "I'm working on it. Thanks Harry, I'll see you in a bit,"
"Alright, bye Hermione,"
Hermione hung up the phone and walked over to the fireplace.
"Granger, that name sounds very familiar…"
"Hermione was the girl I complained about in school, mother," Draco said, "The best of the class, the…"
"Mudblood," Narcissa said nodding, and then looked at her grand daughter, "Sorry dear, I hadn't said that term in years, I'm not quiet sure where it came from!"
Nichole studied her grandmother, "I'm proud of who I am," she finally said, "I have a powerful pureblood father, and a famous and wonderful muggle born Mother. I am a half blood in Slytherin, I get good grades and I study hard, most of the time. I can be a trouble maker, but I can also help when I'm needed. I love my parents for who they are, and they love me for who I am. I can only hope you can say the same."
Narcissa studied her granddaughter, "A speech like that makes it hard not to accept someone," she said, and then she smiled, "I am proud of you."
Nichole smiled back, "Thanks, Grandma."
Narcissa cringed, "I'm not that old dear, please, call me Mama… if that's alright with you."
Nichole smiled, "Sure is, Mama,"
"It won't offend your mother will it?"
Nichole shook her head, "Mum would be happy for me,"
Kingsley, who had been quiet through the whole exchange, stepped forwards. "Mrs. Malfoy, I take it everything is in order?"
"Yes, very much so," she said smiling, "Thank you Minister."
"Of course," he said nodding his head. "Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger, I'll be seeing you at the party?"
"Oh," Draco said, "I'm not sure I'm going but Nicole will be."
"But dad!" Nichole said, turning to her father, "I hate going to those things! It's t the burrow, where it's crowded and packed, and full of screaming kids. Do I have to go?"
"Your mother wants you to," Draco said.
"She also wants you to go," Nichole said, "In fact she insisted on it!"
"That was before," he said, glancing at his mother, who stood there with a smile on her face. She couldn't get over the fact that her son had a child, and he was taking the role as a parent very seriously.
"Oh let the child have some fun," Narcissa said, "You know, I would love to take you shopping!"
Nichole's eyes lit up, "That would be lovely!" she exclaimed excitedly.
"Nichole, Weasley's party, you have to make an appearance at least."
Nichole sighed, "Five minutes, that's it, and you have to come too."
"Draco, go for an hour, make your daughter happy! I'll be fine on my own."
Draco sighed, "Yes mother," he said. "Nichole, go get ready."
She sighed and walked towards the fireplace, just as she was picking up some powder, though, the fireplace burst into green flames. Nichole, surprised, dropped the powder and stepped back.
"Nichole Mary Lynn Jane Granger!" Nichole stared as her mother walked out of the fireplace in a simple black dress with a black cloak over it, covered in soot. That wasn't what surprised her though; her mother had used her full name for the first time in years.
Nichole blinked, "Mum?"
"What the bloody hell are you doing? Leaving with no note! I've left four voice mails on your phone! I've been worried sick! Young lady explain yourself!"
"Hermione," Draco said, stepping forwards, "Maybe you should calm down…"
"Don't even get me started on you Draco Malfoy! You knew we had the party today! I told you countless times Nichole had to be there! And yet you still went out of your way to bring her here! You know how important this party is!"
"It's important to you mum!" Nichole said, getting angry, "I told you from the beginning that I didn't want to go! I told you how important it was to meet my real grandmother!"
"Yes, but there's plenty of time to do that! You could have come after the party or tomorrow! Why now?"
"I wanted her here when I arrived, dear." A new voice broke in, one Hermione didn't recognize too clearly. She whipped around and came face to face with Narcissa Malfoy. Hermione's face, which was blazing in anger, slowly relaxed and turned embarrassed.
"Mrs. Malfoy," she said, "I'm sorry to be so rude, I hadn't noticed you standing there."
"Quiet alright dear," she said, "And might I say you have done a wonderful job of raising my granddaughter. I'm sorry to be such trouble, I really did just want her here when I arrived, and I had no idea she had previous obligations."
"Thank you," Hermione said, "And I understand you wanting her here, but I just wish she, or Draco, would have left a note explaining where they had gone! Or answer your phone!" she added turning to Nichole.
"Muggle devices don't work here," Draco explained, "Hermione I've told you that countless times,"
Hermione sighed and nodded, "I'm such a mess," she said, looking at herself.
"Let me fix it," Draco said waving his wand so the soot disappeared.
"Your hair, dear!" Narcissa said, "It's everywhere! I know the perfect spell to fix it!" she waved her wand and Hermione's hair, formally down, was now up in an elegant bun, a few strands framing her face. A touch of make up was added as well.
"Come here mum," Nichole said, taking her mothers hand and leading her to a mirror that hung over the fireplace. Hermione peered into it, and gasped.
"I can't remember looking this beautiful since the Yule Ball in forth year," she turned back to Narcissa, "I could never have achieved this look on my own…thank you."
"Don't mention it," she smiled. "Now, Draco you go get dressed and Nichole, go with your mother to get ready."
"I actually have to leave now! Molly needs me earlier than I was supposed to go."
"You know, I may have a dress Nichole could wear… if you don't mind her getting ready here and coming with Draco in a bit."
"That would be perfect!" Hermione exclaimed, "Thank you Mrs. Malfoy."
"Please, call me Narcissa, dear."
Hermione smiled, "Narcissa,"
"Now, go on, you don't want to be late."
Hermione nodded and kissed Nichole's cheek, and than Draco's, before apparating away.
I am so sorry for the way delayed update! I started working in a home daycare and I've been away from home where I have no internet connection...although that shouldnt stop me from writing considering I do have computer access so I'm going to start bringing this story with me to write when I'm away so I can update whenever I get back! So hopefully there will be more updates coming soon!
In more related news, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it's actually all I have written because I'm trying to figure out something epic to happen in the next chapter so if you have any ideas or anythng you want to see happen in the story let me know!
Keep an eye out guys, and thank you so much for your patience with this story; i know how annoying it is to really be into a story and have to wait forever for an update so I appologize profoundly for the lack of updates. Love you guys and I promise to try to update faster! you are the best readers i could ask for :)