(10 years later)

--

Draco hadn't married Pansy upon his father wishes as many believed. He himself wanted genetically pure decedents to carry on his family name. But what had Pansy given him in nine years of marriage? A daughter, one sole child who didn't even posses the ability of bearing the family name. Pansy was a stay at home mother of one, it was pathetic. Surely with all that free time she could invest some of it into the family's future. But Pansy had found another way to keep herself amused. Pansy never cheated on her husband, for that would instantly annul her marriage and leave her gallonless. Draco on the other hand often enjoyed extra-marital activities during business hours.

Draco saw her before he entered the building. She was waiting, just as she had said she would. Candi whispered to her thirteen-year-old before going outside to met Draco and his seventeen-year-old daughter Monique. Draco and Candi gave money to their children for ice-cream as they took a seat outside the famous Diagon Alley ice-cream parlor.

"It is true then?' Candi asked.

"It is, but we need not be worried. It's all trivial. Widely Hogwarts based."

"Everyone?"

Malfoy swallowed, he knew she wouldn't like this, "yes. Jacquie's just secured a manuscript and if it does go to press we'll have a defamation case for sure. She can't prove anything."

Candi glanced to the table where Monique and Amanda sat; Monique was looking straight back at her.

"So it's factual?"

"Yes."

"It's not going to press!" Candi said firmly, she had not worked to be bought down by a stupid witch.

"I'm not so sure," Draco whispered in reply. He had tried talking to Pansy about it but every time she accused him of being infatuated with Candi.

"Can't we just buy the manuscript and destroy it?" Candi asked.

"I tried; she won't sell it without an immediate publication clause."

--

Jaquie and Candi walked down the hall at the London Falenokmay branch and into a room of waiting women.

"Candi, what's going on? Nichole asked on behalf of her friends.

"We have a problem." Candi said, observing the varying reactions of her friends Nichole, Sammi, Rachael, Emily and Jane. "And we need all of us to fix it?"

"What did you do?" Sammi asked, she didn't have time for this.

"It's not what I did… It's what all of us did, what our families have done, all our secrets! Pansy wrote a tell-all, and we're the stars. Jacquie here has a copy of the manuscript and it appears Pansy did her research, everything appears accurate, not that I'm admitting all of it's accurate. It isn't good too say the least, and we all have reputations to protect."

The room looked nervous, Candi was right. They all had secrets they wanted to protect. Emily didn't want publicized her mental breakdown. Rachael didn't want Shaun's past ill-doings displayed. Jane wondered if Pansy knew of her friend in a bottle who visits occasionally but was currently out of the country. Sammi's pregnancy scare at Hogwarts with the ex-minister of magic wouldn't be good for her children. Nichole was the most worried, Pansy could twist the story of her obtaining Joel after marrying Patrick, taking her friends boyfriend and then Raven's child.

"Candi, you have to fix this! This is your fault!" Rachael said loudly.

"What do you mean?" Nichole asked, having the feeling that Sammi knew something that she didn't.

"How do you think Candi got those bruises the night of Sammi's wedding?"

The room went quiet until Jane asked, "Why would Pansy…. Ohh, you didn't?"

"OKAY, it doesn't matter whose fault it is, it's a problem for all of us. Now how are we going to fix-it?" Candi stated blushing. "And for the record it was one night!"

Nichole chuckled slightly, replied to with a sneer from Candi.

"What's her weakness?" Emily asked.

"Money, but she has Draco's money, and already tried to buy the manuscript." Candi replied exhaustedly.

"We can rule out sleeping with her husband because someone already tried," Nichole bitched.

"Move-on, it's not like you're a freaking angel!"

"So if the only problem is her being married to Draco, why doesn't he just divorce her? Rachael asked, "I can't believe I just suggested that."

"It's true Rach, he could divorce her but she's still entitled to a large portion of his estate." Nichole pointed out.

"What about her daughter?" Sammi asked.

"Possible but I don't know how we can hold her daughter against her," Jaquie injected. "Unless you do a Nichole and take someone else's kid." Candi added in a detached manner.

Nichole didn't reply, until she had a brain wave, "what if we pull her from every direction?"

"I don't think we should involve Monique," Jane said quietly.

"I like it, what did you have in mind?" Candi asked raising an eyebrow curiously.

Nichole explained her plan using Jane and Emily's medical connections to make Pansy think she's ill, Rachael and Sammi's ministry connections to create a dilemma with the help of Nichole's law connections.

"But how will that make her sell us the manuscript?" Rachael asked cautiously, hoping she hadn't missed anything.

"I've got that that covered," Candi said, "if you guys can tear her down, I know where to attack." Candi smiled rather pleased with herself, making most other occupants of the room uncomfortable. With that the unofficial meeting ended and slowly the occupants of the room dispersed.

"Is that why you were late to my wedding? You were screwing around with Malfoy!?" Sammi asked in a tone that failed to disguise her hurt.

"I didn't mean for it to happen," Candi said apologetically, "I'm sorry."

Sammi shrugged in an understanding manner, she knew what Candi was like and Candi wouldn't have purposefully been late to her wedding.

After Sammi left, Jaquie approached Candi, "Candi. I thought I should let you know… I don't think Draco is trying very hard to prevent this book being published; I think he's proud of it."

"Proud of what?" Candi asked confused.

"Proud of being with you on multiple occasions, you're Victor Krum's wife and mother of his child who I've heard is showing tremendous abilities like her father."

"Amanda has nothing to do with this. And I was only married one time I was with Draco, "it's irrelevant."

"I'm sorry. It's just that, well we all know that is marriage his over and if this book gets published yours might be as well and I think Draco can see you guys getting back together."

"My marriage is fine. Victor is aware of everything that went on at Hogwarts, he was there remember. And as for the later incident, Victor will of course be hurt if he found out but the shock won't kill him. Thanks for your concern but it's not necessary."

--

"Hey sweetie, what did Candi need to see you about?"

"Nothing important, she just wanted to spread some good gossip," Nichole smiled.

"We need some gossip, now there is no Joel and Mary-Alice in the house to keep us busy," Patrick smiled flirtatiously before leading his wife into the other room.

--

Jane longed for oblivion but she had been clean for ten years, but the stress of Candi's news was great. Jane didn't have much to hide from her time at Hogwarts but all her other friends did, usually in the form of male acquaintances. Her nine year old son was in the yard flying on his new mini-broom which hovered a few meters of the ground. Jacob was the reason for Jane's detox; she wouldn't do anything to harm him.

Emily sat across from Jane sipping her cup of tea, thinking about 'the plan.' With the help of Jane she is meant to scare Pansy with unsettling medical results, but that isn't until the end of the week when coincidentally Pansy has her annual medical check-up.

--

"What's wrong?" Oliver asked his beloved wife.

"Nothing," she replied exhaustedly.

"That's convincing."

"It's just Candi."

"What did she do?" Oliver asked anxiously.

Sammi considered not telling her husband, but it hurt her too much, so she decided on the half truth. "You remember how she was late to our wedding?"

"Yeah."

"Well let's just say she had a moment of weakness and lost track of time," Sammi said regrettable.

"You mean..?"

Sammi nodded.

"How can I look at Victor again? He's my best mate." Oliver said in a hushed manner.

--

"You told me everything about Hogwarts didn't you?" Rachael asked Shaun in a concerned tone.

"If by told you mean you dreamt then confronted me then yes." Shaun smiled.

"There is nothing else?" Rachael asked directly.

"Nothing worth telling," Shaun shrugged, "what's this about?"

--

Wow I wrote another chapter!!