Disclaimer:- I neither earn nor own anything from this story except my plot. Harry Potter and his world are the intellectual property of JK Rowling and her associates.

oOo

A/N:- Thank you to Golden Asp, for her beta work on this chapter, and to everyone for their reviews and alerts, I hope you enjoy this next offering.

oOo

Chapter Twenty-five – A Reprieve From The Trouble

They were half way through lunch and Hermione was still shocked and annoyed in equal parts. As she, Lucius and Draco arrived this afternoon, Kingsley informed them of the latest developments after last night's events at Madam Malkins. The Aurors had found a second magical signature on the cursed dress and it had been discovered that Marietta Edgecombe had been working with Pansy Parkinson. It had then been uncovered that Marietta was the mystery witch with the jewel handled wand who'd disguised herself as Luna to interview Ron.

However, she, Lucius and Draco were a little late to lunch due to Draco's regained virility and her need to have both her wizards. Therefore, a terse Severus had ushered them into lunch straight after they'd arrived. So Hermione was currently sitting between Lucius and Draco and she was deep in thought because she had only received the bare facts, and not a full explanation of events.

She supposed that she could see why Umbridge, Skeeter and Edgecombe would want to spoil her happy ending. After all, she'd led Umbridge on a merry goose chase to become the abused plaything of centaurs; she'd kept Skeeter in a jar for months in retribution for her unfairness, but Marietta Edgecombe? She hadn't even been permanently disfigured from the spell on the Dumbledore's Army parchment.

However, the main thing that she was annoyed about was that she'd done all of it in the name of a war that she was being forced to fight, and the four witches who'd done this were loathsome individuals who deserved what they got. Marietta Edgecombe and Pansy Parkinson were just bitches who ratted on people, and it was irksome to her that she did not know all the facts and circumstances.

There was something else too; why was this all about her? On one hand nothing was going to stop her from marrying her wizards, and she was thankful that nothing had happened to them, but why did it all have to be about the Muggleborn… still! Why was it never about the purebloods?

She glanced at Draco; some of the attacks had been directed at him. He had suffered the injustice of having his veracity doubted. God, she had doubted him, and she was very upset about that too, but he must have doubted his own sanity during part of it, because he had acted so strangely.

Yes, it had all been explained, and yes she knew that he loved her, and that she wanted him just as much as she wanted Lucius. She had accepted him back because she loved him, and she could plainly see now that the culprit had been discovered that he'd been duped, but she realised that things were not completely back to normal yet.

She toyed a little more with her lunch but gave up on eating and slipped her hand into Lucius', taking his attention from Kingsley whom he was conversing with.

He glanced at her softly and squeezed her hand gently, seeming to sense that she was just looking for comfort. "All right?" he murmured.

She exhaled and picked up her wine glass to take a sip and smiled at him. "I guess so," she murmured, and left her hand in his as she turned to Draco.

She also smiled at Draco and leaning over towards him she whispered in his ear. "I love you." She wanted to reinforce that sentiment after everything that had happened.

He kissed her temple. "I love you too, but you seem to be deep in thought," he commented. "I've been watching you. Are you all right?"

His voice made her shiver and images of their last encounters before they came here soared back into life in her head, but that was not the only reason. This morning with all of them working together to solve any lingering problems in their own domestic arrangements had been the first time in days that she'd felt whole again, and she'd realised that they were a new family that after Saturday's engagement party beside them would be officially her new place in life, and she wanted to dedicate herself to that situation very much. In fact, she really was counting the days until she was Lady Malfoy.

"There's a lot to think about," she replied, and as she said it she glanced in the direction of her mother. She saw her happily conversing with Severus, Harry and the Greengrass girls at the other end of the table, and it hit her like a freight train. Here she was totally consumed by her own issues and her lovely mother was marrying her own sweetheart on Friday evening and she hadn't even organised anything to celebrate that. God, how horrible is that, she thought and she exhaled in annoyance at herself.

Her exasperated sigh had Lucius turning his full attention to her as Draco watched on.

"Problem, Pet?" Lucius whispered, leaning over to speak directly into her ear, as Draco's hand squeezed hers.

"No problem, per say," she replied softly, wanting to moan at their intense regard on her. God she loved these men—and she meant that sincerely—despite knowing that she and Draco still had things they needed to talk about. However, she pushed that all down and explained in a murmured voice. "I was just thinking what a lousy bridesmaid I am. Mum is getting married on Friday evening and I haven't even organised her a party to celebrate beforehand."

Lucius' pale eyebrow rose, and he cast a discreet glance at his raven-haired best friend at the head of the table, and realised that their own issues had also prevented him from being attentive to Severus too. "Yes, we have all been remiss," he conceded. "I will rectify that later this afternoon," he told her, "for both Helen and Severus. You're correct this business with people who want to cause us grief has distracted us for too long," and he leant in closer and kissed her cheek. "Don't worry, it will all be arranged. I'll owl Mandrake this evening."

Hermione leant into the kiss, exhaling again as he withdrew and picked up his wine glass. She squeezed Draco's hand and laced their fingers together, wanting comfort as she leaned towards Lucius. She would have scooted their chairs closer together if she'd been able, and she blushed slightly remembering her lovely encounter with the pair of them after dinner only a few nights ago, and how they'd done just that, scooting their chairs together in their joint mission to uncover her; god it had all seemed so much simpler then.

She smiled to herself. She really couldn't get enough of either of them, and images of both her wizards eyes on her as she perched on that dressing table earlier—her legs spread, with Lucius' essence trickling out of her as Draco lined himself up to push into her—it made her ache to be in the same position again, and she shifted slightly in her chair in response. Draco's hand landed on her leg, shifting higher within moments as he leant in and whispered to her.

"Are you remembering how we had you before we came here, kitten?"

Hermione made an indistinct noise of agreement in the back of her throat as she watched Lucius giving his son with a warning look even as her legs parted under the table to allow Draco to take any liberty he wanted with her. However, Lucius' eyes plainly said not to proceed with whatever he was planning while everyone was present, and apparently Draco was still too uncertain of things to disobey his father at the moment.

A throb of need made her sigh softly even though she could see the point; she just wanted to be alone with them both again. She pushed her plate away mostly uneaten—she was too conflicted to eat—but at least the three of them were making strides in repairing their relationship. Lucius had accepted Draco into his dressing room and welcomed him to take over with her as soon as he'd finished, and Hermione had loved that sort of cooperation between them. She could see that Lucius was making an exceptional effort, especially knowing his thoughts on sharing her.

But god she'd love to be still perched on that dressing table letting them take her one after the other again; their time had been cut short by the need to come here. Truly she could deal with having complete privacy with these two men forever, but that was not how life worked, and her mother's voice reminded her of that moments later.

"When do you start your apprenticeship, love?" she inquired, leaning forward slightly to see her.

The question startled Hermione from her thoughts. In truth she'd actually forgotten about her apprenticeship, but Severus answered before she'd had a chance to get her lust-doped brain to think.

"Anthea Greengrass has left it open for the moment, but I should say that if she is able to that Hermione will start September first. That is the traditional day for apprenticeships to commence."

"I see," Helen replied. "That gives plenty of time for you to settle with your husbands," and she gave Hermione a knowing smile.

Hermione blushed, but she wondered at Severus' words. "If I'm able?" she questioned.

"I believe that what Severus means," Lucius interrupted, "is if it is safe for you to do so."

"What?" Hermione cried, gaining everyone's attention.

However, it was Kingsley who spoke up next. "I'm afraid Lucius is correct, Hermione…"

Hermione cut him off. "I can take care of myself," she declared passionately, her eyes narrowed.

"Yes, we know you can, Hermione," Helen replied, a fond smile on her lips. "However, taking care of yourself and being unnecessarily careless are two completely separate things."

"It would be prudent to be a little circumspect," Severus stated. "Things will eventually settle down once this initial backlash has been quelled."

"Yes," Luna put in, easily entering the conversation. "While we're always going to have someone disagreeing with what we do, this situation is most unique," she said in her usual unflappable voice of reason. "Gryffindors courting Slytherins, and vice-a-versa, is something that will not sit well with many people at the moment. They'll get used to it. You're all trail blazers," she told them. "I'm so happy for you all," she said looking around the table at everyone. "It's about time that we buried the rivalry, because look where it's got us so far."

"But surely," Hermione said, "this is not simply a Gryffindor verses Slytherin thing. The people who tried to break us up were people who had grievances with me personally. That is at an end now they've all been caught," and she sounded certain as she said it, although her brow creased slightly when no one agreed with her. "Isn't it?"

"Yes, Pansy Parkinson was always a renegade, even within Slytherin," Daphne put in, but then glanced at Draco. "I know you always got on with her, Dray, but I suspect that was because she wanted to capture you for herself. She was beastly to most of us," and her eyes moved to Hermione. "Therefore, I believe that she's more annoyed with Draco for marrying you than the other way around, Hermione."

Hermione gasped. She had heard in their early years at Hogwarts that Pansy and Draco had an arrangement, but it didn't seem to be true. Well, it couldn't be; Draco was marrying her. "I never believed the rumours I heard about Draco and Parkinson."

"And neither should you have," Draco interjected angrily. "They were complete crap. Yes, I always thought that she was my friend, but like with Blaise and Louisa, it appears that I was deluded."

"No," Harry put in awkwardly, seemingly looking past Draco's left shoulder instead of at him. "It makes you human like the rest of us, Malfoy. I've been sucked in by many people too. People who were only after my fame and notoriety. It sucks, but that's life. The guy who I thought was my best mate almost killed me a bit ago without a second thought," Harry told them, referring to the love potion incident that had occurred at Grimmauld Place.

Hermione studied Harry as he spoke, her eyes suddenly taking in the fact that he was looking anywhere but at Draco, and he'd also been very quiet today. I wonder what that's about? she pondered as the conversation around her gained momentum. Perhaps he's feeling guilty for slugging Draco… Yes, that is Harry's guilty look, isn't it? Mind you, what he said in support of Draco just now was good, she thought to herself, and watched the Greengrass sisters sympathising with Harry's words.

I like Daphne and Astoria, Hermione thought as she glanced at Luna and smiled at the dreamy little blonde who was almost sitting in Kingsley's lap. I wish I thought that Lucius would allow me to sit that close to him… I know Draco would… but, and her next question came out of her mouth before she could stop it because she was so preoccupied with her own needs. "But wasn't Parkinson with Millicent Bulstrode?" she questioned.

"Millie… poor deluded, Millie," Daphne said, shaking her head. "I think Pansy was playing her."

"Oh, that's sad," Hermione replied. She'd never really liked Millicent but she really did not like to think that anyone was being played by anyone else.

Draco sighed at this point. "Look, could we change the subject, please?" he asked. "I've just about had a gut full of all this business."

"I'm friends with Millie," Luna stated in her dreamy way out of the blue. Everyone turned to Luna and she shrugged not worried by their attention. "Just saying," she declared.

Helen smiled at her, but she changed the subject. "I suggest that we all take a ramble in the gardens now that we've finished lunch. Don't you think that would be nice, Severus?"

"Yes, my dear, a lovely idea," the Potions Master agreed, for lunch had finished whilst they'd been talking, and he could see that many of the people around the table needed to unwind a bit.

"There are such depths to this garden that I know that I haven't even fully explored it yet," Helen added, seeming to latch onto his thoughts. "So if people wanted to discover little nooks and crannies I believe that they'd never run out of places to go," and she smiled as she dabbed her mouth with her napkin and took Severus' offered hand to rise from the table.

Serena and Poppy had not had lunch with them because Serena had been fed earlier than the one-thirty commencement of the adult's lunch, so they were in the nursery at present, but Helen said, "I'll go and collect, Serena and Poppy too, if she would like to come."

As Hermione was watching her mother leave, she saw Harry finally approaching them.

"Malfoy… I m-mean, Draco, could I have a word please?"

Draco's eyes narrowed and he just looked at Harry.

Harry sighed. "Look, I'm really sorry that I went off like that… you know, hit you… but you have to understand that Hermione is like my sister, whatever hurts her hurts me too. I guess I should have waited for all the evidence, but…" and he swallowed.

"Yeah, I know, you're impulsive… part of being a Gryff I suppose," Draco answered.

"Can we try again?" Harry asked, holding out his hand. "Please?"

Draco looked at Harry's hand and then glanced at Hermione and his father. "Sure," he agreed, grasping the offered hand and shaking it firmly. He did understand Potter's point of view and he was very aware that Hermione was worth swallowing his pride.

Hermione watched the Greengrass sisters—who were carefully observing the interaction—breathe a sigh of relief. It certainly would have been very awkward if Draco and Harry had not agreed to get on, and Hermione stepped forward as soon as the hand shake ended and hugged Harry.

"Thanks, Harry," she said softly. "It means a lot to me that you all get on."

Harry raised his eyes to Draco and he replied, "Yeah, but just to be clear though, he's dog meat if he steps out of line for real."

"Harry," Hermione giggled, slightly amused and half exasperated. "You're a wonder," and she stepped back between Draco and Lucius and felt their arms go around her possessively.

Lucius sniffed in disdain but then thought better of it and offered congeniality instead. "It appears that once their father returns that we might be seeing the Greengrass sisters as the next Madam Potter and Madam Black," he said to Harry, but was greeted with confusion. "As I assume that you are the Black heir via Sirius Black, as well as the Potter heir?" he clarified.

Harry gasped. "Yes… but would it work that way?" he asked, something akin to desperate hope in his voice.

Kingsley—who'd overheard Lucius' comment—arrived beside Harry. "Indeed it could, I believe," he stated. "If you represent more than one family on the Wizengamot then you are entitled to produce an heir to perpetuate that representation for each family, and that would entail having a spouse for each family name as well."

"Really?" Harry cried.

"I take it that's the way you wish to proceed?" Kingsley said, a small chuckle underpinning his words at Harry's enthusiasm.

"Well, it's only been a few days, but I'm told," and he glanced at Hermione, "that magic tells you… informs you of the suitability of matches… like there's a spell."

"There most certainly is," Hermione replied, thinking of her own experiences with that particular spell and smiling at her wizards as Luna grinned up at Kingsley.

This made Hermione wonder if Luna and Kingsley had been experimenting with the same spell. "Maybe we can see later on, if you want?" she told Harry.

"Maybe…" but Severus' voice encouraging them to meet out on the terrace for their walk cut into whatever Harry had been going to add as Daphne and Astoria—also having heard what had been said—swooped forward and took possession of Harry's arms.

Daphne leant up and spoke directly into Harry's ear. "We have a shorter walk in mind. Would you care to see where we'd like to take you?" she commented.

However, Hermione's lip slipped between her teeth and she missed them leaving as she turned her eyes to Draco. "But wouldn't that mean that you also are a duel heir, Draco?" she asked, panic filling her gaze.

"Aunt Andromeda is the head of Mother's family now, love. She has the seat on the Wizengamot," Draco told her.

"But you offered a Black estate for my orphanage," Hermione countered.

"Yes, it was one from Mother's portfolio. Aunt Bella left it to her, so it passed to me on her death because mother did not like father. I inherited everything from both Mother and Aunt Bella."

"Oh," Hermione gasped, glancing at Lucius, who was standing by listening with Severus next to him.

"Yes, all true, Narcissa and I never saw eye to eye over anything," Lucius replied in a bored tone.

"That's a bit of an understatement, Lucius, you outright hated one another for ninety-nine percent of your marriage," Severus said, chuckling.

Lucius sighed and nodded. "Yes, I suppose we did," but then he chuckled decadently, and added softly. "Imagine how Bella-bitch is currently spinning in her grave because Draco ended up finally doing something useful with the hideous place?"

Hermione grinned at him. "Well, I'm pleased to be of assistance there, and you're right from the pictures I've seen so far it will require significant remodelling."

"Oh it will get it too, and I believe that Mandrake almost has your project under way," Lucius stated, kissing her head. "By next week I suspect that he'll wish you to sit in on a board meeting about it."

"Excellent," Hermione replied as Helen came back with Serena. Hermione held her arms out to her little sister and Helen slipped under Severus' arm as she handed Serena to Hermione.

"Poppy wishes to have a rest, so this is the perfect opportunity for her to do so. Although it looks like it won't be long before our little lady will need her afternoon nap," Helen stated, watching Hermione going out onto the terrace, walking off with her wizards into the garden carrying Serena. "You know, I'm not certain that Hermione is going to make it to that apprenticeship, she has it badly for those two and she's as clucky as a mother hen."

"Yes, I can actually see her being the new charity queen of the aristocrats, as well as popping out an almost instant family for Draco," Severus murmured. "And that wouldn't be a bad thing. She's a compassionate little thing, and apart from the Lovegood girl, I've made certain that she is gathering the right people around her."

"Yes, you've done a wonderful job on her behalf, Severus, but I do like little Luna though," Helen said, as they too started out into the garden.

Severus snickered. "The girl is a loose cannon," he said.

"Mmm, that she is, but she's a refreshing take on purebloods… There are so many different factions of purebloods. Take for example these Weasleys," Helen started, pinning Severus with an astute gaze. "I gather they've been causing trouble too… I only met them once in Diagon Alley and they seemed decent enough… Although, the mother was…"

"Questionable?" Severus offered. "What's made you think of them?"

"It was a letter I received in the post this morning," Helen told him.

"A letter?"

"Yes, a letter urging me to command my daughter to drop all of this 'Slytherin silliness' as the woman put it, and tell her to marry her Ronald."

Severus laughed. "You must be joking, the presumptuous old tart. Hermione is destined for great things, and she is exactly where she should be."

"Yes, that sums it up, but what is your opinion of their children?"

"I have no issue with the three oldest boys, William is a very sought after Curse Breaker for Gringotts, Charles is deputy head Dragonologist at the Romanian Sanctuary, and Percival is Kingsley's personal assistant. The twins that came after them were a proper menace at Hogwarts, but have been very entrepreneurial, and their business is flourishing." He paused for a moment before shaking his head slightly. "However, frankly the youngest two are complete wastes of space."

"That's just as I thought," Helen replied. "I'm pleased that Hermione doesn't have anything to do with them anymore honestly."

"Ignore her letter until we're married, and then give it to her both barrels," Severus said.

Helen smiled. "That's exactly what I was planning to do. I'm very much looking forward to signing my mail as Madam Granger-Snape."

Severus glanced at Hermione as the trio in front of them paused at a fork in the path and Hermione turned around and came back with Serena as he answered Helen. "Indeed," he agreed. "You're planning to keep the Granger part, I like that idea. It will link us more completely, won't it?" he said, raising an eyebrow in question as Hermione arrived in front of them.

"We've decided to have a swim," Hermione told them, handing Serena to Helen. "I guess it's best under those circumstances if Serena is safely with you."

"Good thinking, love," Helen replied, taking her daughter back. "Hello, precious," she said, kissing her baby's little head, and noting how she snuggled into her.

But Severus scoffed. "Lucius is going to swim?" he laughed, looking over Hermione's shoulder to his best friend. "I'm certain that he has not done so outside the privacy of his bath for many years."

Hermione smiled and glanced in the same direction. "That is not decided, but Draco and I are planning on doing so," and she happily turned and hurried back to her wizards. "Bye," she called.

Helen and Severus watched her go, linking arms with her wizards and disappearing off towards the lake.

"Well, it looks like our guests are all occupied and we have some time to ourselves," Helen said.

"It looks like we do indeed," Severus agreed. "Come, allow me to show you the summer house. There is a subject I wish to discuss with you, and now we have some free time seems to be an excellent opportunity."

Helen smiled as he took Serena and cradled her in one arm. The little girl curled against him with her thumb in her mouth. She really was very tired and ready for a nap, and he held her while offering Helen his other arm and guiding her off down the path.