Chapter 36

I'll stand defiantly (11:11 by Seasons After)

"You did what?" Moira said disbelievingly, gripping the arm of the chair as she lowered herself into it slowly.

Narcissa was shocked, but not as much as she thought she would be. In fact, she was grateful that it hadn't been a plot shared by all the younger generation. Good gods, Gretna Green would have been overflowing with couples had Morag and Lilis let slip their plan. Shaking her head, she leaned over and patted Moira's arm, noting that Marguerite was doing the same for Ianthe. Andromeda, on the other hand, was snickering and grinning.

"I wasn't about to have Miles go into another battle without a wife waiting at home," Lilis said simply.

"Don't look so shocked, Mathair." Morag rolled her eyes and pouted. "You can throw us an extravagant gala; a joint one as we all know I will happily take the attention off of Lils when she gets grumpy about being all dressed up."

Lilis just looked at Ianthe. "You would have done the same."

Not knowing what to do or say, Narcissa began mentally planning the celebration. There was simply no way that Moira or Ianthe would remain upset with their baby girls. Her lips quirked into a wicked smile as she thought of the one thing that could move this conversation along to the party planning and past any bruised feelings. "Just think…"

"What?" Moira asked still looking a bit put out.

"You two will get grandbabies to cuddle soon enough," she said with a wistful sigh.

"We yes, of course," Ianthe said with a snicker. "Though Dromeda beat us to that by a few months."

Andromeda grinned. "I did, didn't I. Don't worry, we can all spoil my grandbaby before yours come along."

Morag laughed, leaning back into Talon's chest. "Really, all it took to stop the lecture was mentioning the possibility of grandchildren?"

Lilis shook her head, her eyes twinkling impishly. "Oh, and how soon should we get with the baby making?"

"Well," Moira said, tapping her cheek as if pondering the question. "I suppose you should get out there and end this stupid war first."

Ianthe laughed, making a shooing motion with her hands. "Yes, do go finish this war, girls. I want grandbabies to spoil."

Narcissa laughed and laughed when Moira sighed dramatically and said, "Yes, please do, seeing as none of your brothers have stepped up to the task yet."

Morag took the opening, dragging Talon out. While it wasn't yet the time to actually make babies… it seemed the perfect time to her to practice.

-GBD—

Gin just shook her head after Narcissa and Marguerite passed on the wedding news. "Well, it looks like we will have one more party to attend after the war is over."

Draco noted that his mum and Marguerite looked stunned. "What? Did you think we'd not be happy for them?"

"No," his mum murmured.

"We thought you'd be racing off to do the same," Marguerite explained faintly.

"We promised as soon as the war was over." Draco shrugged. "We consider ourselves married most of the time as it is, the ceremony just makes it official."

"Same for us," Pansy interjected wryly. "Just to save you from asking."

Theo smirked, pulling Pansy into his lap. "What that means is another event to plan."

Daphne snickered. "Well after Morag and Lilis' please. I really do not want to face Morag's wrath if we step into the public eye while her news is still shiny and new."

Aradia just shook her head, though she was clearly amused. "Tonight is all about ending the war so we can have those parties. You would think that the five of you had your hands full enough what with all your plans and Tonks' pregnancy."

Draco closed his eyes and shook his head. Now she'd done it. Bringing up babies was sure to send both mums into those little fits of muttering about wanting to be grandmothers and hoping they didn't have to wait long. By far, his favourite one was that Tonks' 'poor baby' would be at Hogwarts all alone if some of them didn't get on with the weddings and baby making. He was of the mind-set that it helped ease their worries over the war and what they hoped would be the final battle. With that in mind, he turned to their guest. One who had surprised him only a little after hearing about the Mums (since everyone had picked up on Lovegood's moniker for them) plans in regards to the Ministry. "So, back to the matter at hand… What is the Order of the Phoenix up to as of late?"

Kingsley Shaklebolt sighed. He'd contacted Tonks not long after taking over for Lupin with the Order. It seemed he saw what the rest of that lot didn't, that they were damn lucky that there was a group able to actually win against that madman. "They are too busy muttering about vigilantes and how perhaps Molly and Arthur had it right. It seems that your lovely little walkout and boycott from Bill, Aiden, and Severus caused a fuss."

"Can we kill them now?" Blaise asked idly, already with a dagger in hand.

"No." Severus had his 'I am not amused' face on again. Lovely.

"Why not? I know we said it would be too much fun to watch them be all homeless and useless." Aradia glared hard. "But, I am not seeing why that is best just now."

"Standards, Dia, we have standards," Gin reminded her drolly.

Kingsley winced. "Let's keep that sort of thing out of my hearing. After all, apparently I get to be Minister and I would prefer not to know what you lot get up to."

"And if you're paying us to get rid of … problems?" Fatin asked, leaning forward expectantly. "What then?"

Kingsley held up his hands as if surrendering. "To be perfectly honest, I won't care how you solve the problem, just that it gets solved quietly and expediently. I know all too well from my previous positions that the British Ministry is one of the few in Europe that didn't call on you prior to this."

"If you had," Ruya pointed out, "You'd not have this problem now."

"There is a phrase I heard when working with the Muggle Minister… you are preaching to the choir. I was a Slytherin and I understand that your methods, and no I do not want details, have shortened this war. You have done more in the roughly six weeks you have been back than we did in six months. Right now, my concern is getting the Potter boy to Hogwarts in time for your plans to work."

Draco shrugged. "We get Ruya and Kirley to track his and Granger's sorry arses down, knock them out cold, wake them up with Lupin there to kiss up a bit and explain that it was the only way to get them where they needed to be?"

Theo laughed, Bill just stared, but everyone else nodded.

"I have to agree with Draco." Blaise sat back, idly twirling a curl of his hair, having tucked the dagger away again. "If we wait on them or send someone to retrieve them without shutting them up… it will screw up all we've been working towards."

Kirley cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention. "We are tracking them. Thus far, they seem to be moving erratically, but with clear intent of getting to Hogwarts. They seem to have no clue that most of the Snatchers are dead and no longer a threat. Li and Ewan are watching them now, and will alert us if they move again."

"They haven't contacted the Order since that quick owl saying Ronald had been captured." Kingsley looked expectantly around the table, but was met with blank expressions. He winced, covering his face with his hands. "I don't want to know, do I?"

Gin shrugged, a slow, wicked smile forming. "That all depends."

"On what?"

Clearly Kingsley didn't want to know, but felt he had to ask. Draco could have told him, hells any one of them could have told him that he shouldn't have asked. Oh well, it was Kingsley's fault if he heard more than he ought to. He had taken a blood Oath, securing his allegiance, before being brought to Adl after all.

"Can you handle the truth?" George quipped teasingly.

Kingsley took a deep breath and nodded. "Go on then, the more I know about this the better I can make sure it stays unknown."

Draco smirked. "I knew I liked you for a reason."

It was Gin that explained, well at least in a way that wouldn't send Kingsley into a swoon. "He, Potter, and Granger were behind the destruction of the London Gringotts. The goblins hired us to track down the perpetrators, what with their actions making them enemies and all. We are to do with them as we see fit."

"Ronald met his end for attempting to unmask and reveal the identities of Tribe members at a time of war when secrecy is our choice." Fatin was using that 'I am heir to the Tribe and you will listen' tone. "He was also a lawful kill under the contract we sighed with the goblins. Both hold death sentences, if we decided that was the best course of action to remove the threat."

Their guest sat back, his eyes widening just enough to show complete and utter disbelief. "What of Potter and Granger?"

Draco shrugged, leaning forward and propping his arms on the table. Most days they didn't bother with glamours and he was making it clear that the ink wasn't for show. "Not only are we Hassassins of the First Order, we are Heads of the families that control and have always controlled the Wizarding World."

Blaise picked it up from there. "But, unlike that moron Weasley, they have yet to do anything we will kill them for. The goblins will refuse to do business with them and if our mothers have their way, those idiots will be blackballed from Wizarding Europe."

Gin snickered. "What they are saying is that I made them promise not to kill either of them…yet."

"One day," Theo said softly and in that tone that told everyone how deadly serious he was. Some more so than others understood just how serious the threat was and the others…well they would learn. "On day they will fuck up and break a law or three, whether it is our own or that of The Tribe. When that day comes…"

"We will slaughter them in the street if we feel like it," Gin finished, her eyes narrowing dangerously, "If they manage to survive the war."

Pansy sneered. "We will flit from gala to gala, enjoying our place in the world while teaching them that they don't have one."

"You know, I think I should say that I am not going to stand in your way. Fatin and I discussed The Tribe in as much detail as she would give me before you all arrived. I am well aware that you follow laws put in place long before the Wizards Council even existed on British soil. Your laws were once everyone's laws and that is why I will allow you to go on as you see fit. This is not about me favouring any of you, though I am well aware of how our world works. My acquiescence is solely because I believe that you have the best interests of the world your families have always truly controlled at heart."

"We do," Daphne said softly, yet firmly. "We were born and raised to take over the same roles as our ancestors. Our so-called parents, Marguerite and Cissy excluded, allowed that twisted madman to sway them to his plot for world domination. We, however, refused. I believe I speak for all of us when I say that blood status means nothing. Our families run Our world, always have, and gods willing, always will. The plans which the Mums will put into action will only help all of us, regardless of status in society."

"You know that many will say you have a pureblood agenda," Kingsley pointed out as he sat back in his chair.

Draco shrugged. "Let the plebs think what they want. The bottom line is that our lines are pure and will remain that way. Idiots like Granger can spout off all they want about us being elitists. I am fine with that because, to me, their opinions simply do not matter."

"What they don't seem to grasp is that we retreated from the Muggle world for the safety of all with magical blood. All they have to do is look at history books to see why so many secrecy laws are in place. It is also why we like the idea of a primary school and boarding house. All who have magic should be taught young, not wait until age eleven, the ways of Our world and why it is what it is." Blaise flipped his hair over his shoulder and grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. "Idiots like the madman currently running amok pose as much danger as the ones that think announcing that a magical world exists to the Muggles would go over so well."

"How is that?" Kingsley said, looking genuinely confused.

"Even I know that." Gin huffed, making a show of rolling her eyes. "I was raised in a house with a man who thought Muggles were fascinating. Oh he was lauded as a Muggle lover, but what I saw-" she paused looking to Fred, George, Charlie, and Bill, "and I think my brothers did as well, was that he saw them like some sort of bumbling experimental creatures. I've spent time in the Muggle world and I have to say, they have come up with really creative ways to survive without magic… But, they also really like war. I couldn't look at a Muggle newspaper without there being articles about some new war somewhere in the world. Letting the general public know that magic really does exist would only lead to them hunting us down, capturing us, and experimenting on us."

"Our families run things," Pansy interjected angrily, "because we can look at our family trees and see who died in which wars…who died to protect magic itself. Many, too many, died at the hands of Muggles who had decided we were some sort of demons set on corrupting them."

"Muggleborns don't have that. To them, it is merely boring chapters in Binn's class. It doesn't affect them." Aradia simply sounded sad. "Half-bloods, if they are taught properly, understand that it isn't just about this war, this threat, but about remembering the past threats and doing our very best to prevent future threats."

"As the only half-blood here," Tonks interjected softly, "I agree with them. I've been going around with the Mums and listening to them talk to the muggleborns we have in hiding. So many of them were bullied or always in trouble at school for the random magic all magical children perform. Some were given away by parents who can't handle that there is something strange or weird about their child. Granted, some were raised in loving homes by parents who tried their best to help their child or children with the situation. On that note, even some half-bloods were treated oddly by their non-magical parent."

"We want to fix that as best we can," Narcissa said, leaning over to hug Tonks. "If we keep having wars like this, we'll kill ourselves off before the Muggles get a chance to."

Kingsley shook his head. "You know, not many would believe any of this. They will continue to point fingers and say you lot are supremacists out to keep yourselves rich and above the law."

"Like I said, we don't care one way or another." Draco tipped his head to where his mum was still clearly upset. "My mum is upset by this and that means I fix it—we – fix it."

"By any means necessary." Gin slid into his lap and tucked her head up against his neck.

Blaise leaned over and kissed her cheek before spearing Kingsley with a glare. "No child deserves to be treated that way. We know we are better than everyone else. That is a fact, plain and simple. However, if integration at a younger age means that our children will not face distain and disgust as we have…so fucking be it."

"Damn right we are."

Draco snickered, turning his head just enough to see Morag (who had spoken), Talon, Lilis, Miles, and Anthony in the doorway. "Congratulations are in order or so we hear, Mrs Moon and Mrs Bletchley."

Morag tipped her chin up, waving her hand dismissively. "Oh you get to congratulate us publicly, Mr Malfoy, with shiny presents in hand soon enough. We were instructed to, and I quote my Mathair 'get this stupid war over with'." Morag circled around to the open seats, grinning cheekily. "That way she can have grandbabies."

Most everyone had a good laugh over that.

"The others will be along shortly," Lilis assured them, setting a bakery box on the table. "Did we miss anything important?"

"We were just explaining to the next Minister here the way things are and will be," Fred said merrily.

"Sorry, sorry! Blame us being late on Hes and Wren." Flora darted into the room looking flustered.

"Yes," Ares said moving to pull out a chair and plopping into it, pulling Flora into his lap. "It is all their fault."

"Ha!" Hestia strode in with a very happy and amused Wren at her side. "It wasn't us playing chess in the garden now was it?"

"Hestia!" Flora looked scandalized; her cheeks bright pink, though her smug grin gave away her amusement. "Chess games are not fodder for war strategy meetings."

"Just mealtimes," Aiden interjected dryly.

Hestia sat next to Ares and Flora, only to be picked up so Wren could sit before being deposited in his lap. "No, I think it's only you lot that do that."

"You know, chairs are for sitting, not laps," Severus said in that dry 'oh gods why me' tone. "I could hex you all. Or share details of … chess moves my wife prefers if you don't move on to the matter at hand."

"Sev!" His mum playfully slapped Severus' shoulder. "No playing chess and telling, the children will shriek and do that green, sickly looking thing… it is most disturbing."

"Good gods! Do not share details!" Draco shifted Gin to Blaise's lap and glared at his step-father. "I'll hex you if you do and it won't be pretty, legal hexes either, Severus."

"Children, you are being horrid heathens," Pansy said in her 'imitate Severus' tone.

Draco blanched and shuddered. "Gods, Pans, do not do that!"

"Then get back to the battle plan," Pansy said primly. "Or I'll start sharing details. Explicit ones."

Draco shuddered again and it wasn't for effect either. "Yes, war plans. We want to sweep Hogsmeade first."

"At the same time," Theo interjected, "we drop Henry at the gates of Hogwarts. It should provide a lovely distraction."

Draco didn't comment on the change in strategy. If Theo wanted it done that way, then it would be done, no questions asked.

"You should use care not to destroy the entire village," his mum said.

She was met with many pouts, grumbles, and moans. Theo was managing all three at once.

She rolled her eyes and threw her hands up. "Fine! Destroy away, it will make rebuilding easier and I'm certain you will make sure all the innocents are out before you do."

Theo grinned. "Excellent. I have plans…lots of plans."

"Do we get to blow things up?" Fred asked, leaning in to look down the table, his face lit with glee.

"Oh yes, many things."

"Count me in. I know Li and Ewan will want in on it as well." George was clearly overjoyed.

Draco shook his head at the two of them, not even wanting to consider what they could come up with if they colluded with Theo. "The explosions should draw out more minions. We'll hopefully have Potter and Granger tucked away so that once we clear the path, they can get to Hogwarts and destroy the last of those items of importance."

"We take out as many as we can." Gin scanned the table. "Leave no enemy alive."

"The more we kill on the battlefield, the less we have to hunt down later." Blaise just grinned. "In addition, it will be a nice little ego boost when Potter and Granger, plus those fools in the Order that continue to speak against us, realise that we won their war for them."

"We'll have solid numbers tomorrow of those who wish to fight." Tonks looked across the table to Wren. "Many stopped me and asked if they could speak to a solicitor as they want to get their affairs in order."

"I can stop by tomorrow afternoon," Wren replied easily. "I am also to pass on that should any wish to name guardians for their children, all five Mums and our Da's are more than willing."

Draco's brows shot up. "Now that I didn't think of."

His mum laughed lightly. "It would mean we can continue to see to their safety. Our world doesn't have a fostering system like the one that was explained to us that the Muggles do. This will be a way to protect the children until such time as we can get one set up, in tandem with the boarding house of course."

"I'm quite proud of you, Mum," he said meaning every word.

"Agreed," Blaise said, shaking his head. "You two will be amazing at it now that the sick fucks are out of the picture and won't be in your way, trying to muck up all that you do."

His mum and Marguerite looked so utterly happy that Draco knew they had one more reason to end this war. It was high time that his mum and Marguerite had the chance to show that they were amazing mums. They deserved to see their dreams come true. He wasn't going to let them down and he knew without a doubt that Blaise and Theo were thinking along the same lines.