AN: YAY! 300 reviews! Thanks everyone! It's nice to know that people like this story!
I still own nothing.
Even after all these years, just being in the proximity of Malfoy Manor made her stomach churn. She considered apparating back to her hotel room and sending him a Patronus requesting Lucius' presence as well as the necessary items, but she doubted he would take kindly to being summoned by a muggleborn, even if she was helping his best friend. Besides, unlike the last time she was here it was a sunny, albeit somewhat chilly, day, making the place appear somewhat less ominous, although she remained hesitant to call it inviting.
After composing herself, she knocked on the door. At first she heard nothing, but before she could knock again she heard tiny footsteps quickly approaching the door. "I wanna open the door!" a boy's voice yelled.
"No! It's my turn!" a girl's voice argued.
"You opened the door last time!"
"You said I got two turns since you opened it twice before!"
"Children!" Hermione heard a familiar voice interrupt. Hermione felt bile burn her throat as the voice continued. "It is my turn to open the door. Neither of you even knows who is here!"
"Yes Mum," the young voices replied in unison.
Hermione's heart froze when she heard the endearment. It shouldn't surprise her that this person would be a mother, but with Draco Malfoy?
Before she could ponder the voice any longer, the door opened. "Granger," she spat.
"Hello Ginny," Hermione answered trying her best to appear much more confident and composed than she actually felt.
"What the hell are you doing here? Did you get drunk and mess things up again? Are you here to beg Lucius for another favor because you've messed up again?"
"Mum, who is this?" the boy asked.
"She's that very bad person who made your uncle's life a living hell!" Ginny answered.
"The dead one?" the girl asked as she backed away from the door.
"Yes," Ginny sighed as her eyes became misty.
"Ginny, I really need to see Lucius," Hermione began.
Her eyes hardened as she returned her attention to Hermione. "Let me tell you something, if you've messed up again we aren't interested! You can go back into the sewer you came up from and just rot there for all we care! We're done with drunken trash like you!"
"Ginny, what's going on?" another familiar voice yelled from across the room.
"A bad person's here!" the little boy yelled.
"What?" the man yelled.
"I have it under control!" Ginny yelled back. "Now, where was I? Oh yeah! How the hell do you look at yourself every morning? Do you even think of the lives you've destroyed? Do you…"
"Ginny!" Draco interrupted as he came within eyesight. Hermione smiled in relief as he gently pulled her away from the door. The children stared at Hermione with suspicion and confusion, though neither said a word.
"She doesn't need to be here!" Ginny choked as tears came to her eyes.
"Ginny, I think she just wants to see my father about Severus' case," Draco answered.
"Why?" Ginny asked.
Draco sighed. "She's defending him."
"What?" Ginny screeched in a way that almost reminded Hermione of Molly.
The children cowered behind Draco, who took a deep breath. "Yes, Dad chose Hermione to defend Severus.
"So is she good then?" the boy asked.
Draco nodded. Ginny appeared as though she were about to launch into another tirade, but before she could, Draco began, "Sweetie, maybe we should sit down and discuss this. This stress can't be good."
"I wasn't stressed until she came in here!" Ginny shouted. "Why in Merlin's name would Lucius think she was a good choice to defend Severus?"
"You'll have to ask him," Draco replied before flashing Hermione an apologetic look. "Either way, this is not a discussion we should be having here or now, especially with the children present."
Ginny grunted, "You're right. She's still not entering my house!"
"Actually," another female voice interrupted, "this is my house and I say she may enter."
Ginny gritted her teeth and answered, "Yes Narcissa."
"Let's go in our room and discuss this, okay?" Draco asked Ginny with a mischievous gleam in his eye which made Hermione woozy just thinking about its implications.
She smiled in response. "I suppose I could use some rest."
"Good," Draco replied as he took her hand and led her down the hall. The children stayed behind and examined Hermione, as though they were still unsure of how to feel about her.
"I'm terribly sorry about Ginny's inexcusable behavior. The first trimester is always the hardest mood swing wise, not that Ginny was ever known for her calm collected nature…"
"Wait?" Hermione asked. "She's pregnant?"
Narcissa nodded and smiled. "Please come in," she offered.
Hermione obeyed and shut the door behind her. "Children, this is Hermione Granger. She is defending your Uncle Severus. Hermione, this is Scorpius, and Margarita."
"Hello," they answered in unison appearing more comfortable in her presence.
"Hello," Hermione answered. "It's nice to meet both of you."
"Are you really going to get Uncle Severus out of jail?" Scorpius asked, his face lighting up with hope, "Because he promised to teach me how to make some potions when he got out!"
"I'm doing everything I can to get him out of prison," Hermione answered.
"Good! He shouldn't be in prison! I like Uncle Severus, and he doesn't hurt people," Margarita answered.
Hermione was somewhat taken aback by the children's devotion to their "uncle". While Severus had mentioned the children to her in passing, she had never suspected their bond was this deep. "Well, hopefully Severus won't be in jail much longer."
"Think he'll be out by Christmas?" Margarita asked her eyes wide with hope.
"That would be so awesome!" Scorpius exclaimed. "I want to show him some of my hexes! I tried to show him last week, but the guard wouldn't let me take in my wand."
"You could've been very hurt if you had tried to bring it in," Narcissa answered.
"I know, but it still would've been cool," he answered.
"I'll do everything I can to get him out before Christmas," Hermione promised.
"Thank you!" they answered, now regarding her as though she were Santa Claus.
Narcissa smiled and began, "Children, as pleasurable as I'm sure this has been for Miss Granger, I'm sure she's here for something else."
"I actually came here to see Lucius concerning the case," Hermione answered.
"Oh," Scorpius answered.
"Children, why don't you two go out back and practice your hexes?" Narcissa suggested.
"Okay!" they replied smiling a little too widely for Hermione's comfort.
They ran down the hall and disappeared into a room. "Lucius should be in his study. I'll have an elf show you the way," Narcissa stated.
"Thank you," Hermione answered.
"Wizzy!"
With a pop, a house elf appeared. "Yes?" he asked.
"Please show Hermione up to Lucius. He should be in his study," Narcissa replied.
"Yes madam!" the elf answered.
Hermione followed the elf down the hall and up some stairs. After a few twists and turns, she reached a large gilded door. The house elf knocked and announced. "Master Lucius! You have a guest!"
She heard some grumbling and then an answer, "Let them in!"
The elf opened the door. Hermione entered, somewhat timidly. Lucius smirked. "I was wondering when you'd come around again."