Upon returning home that evening, Hermione was accosted by a bundle of energy as her little man ran directly into her legs squealing her name.

"Mimi 'ome!"

Hermione picked up her munchkin and cuddled him into her chest just as Draco sauntered into the floo room with a pleased smile upon his face.

"He has been missing you all day today."

"Really?" Hermione grinned and then settled Scorpius onto her hip with one arm as she tapped his nose with her other hand. "Did you miss me today?"

"Jes!" Scorpius piped up pompously. "Daddy said you buzy and he pomised we go to park when you got home."

"Ah, I see." Hermione nuzzled her little guy and blew kisses on his cheek and neck, earning a plethora of happy giggles for her efforts. "I suppose we could go to the park after we've had dinner."

"'Tay."

Hermione moved over to her wizard who was smirking in that deliciously provocative was of his.

"How did it go today?"

"You mean, how did my little tête-à-tête with Theodore Nott go?"

Draco chuckled and nodded.

"It was interesting." Hermione walked out of the floo room with Scorpius still attached to her hip, while Draco followed, his expression openly curious.

"Did you get a sense of whether or not your supposition was correct about Theo making a duplicate?"

Draco watched the devious smirk appear on his witch's face, and he felt his trousers tighten pleasurably at how utterly Slytherin his little witch could be when properly motivated.

"Oh, he did it—alright. There's no question in my mind that Theodore Nott made a copy of your Father's time turner and what's even more intriguing is it would seem that he's not exactly comfortable with it. If I had to take an educated guess? I would tend to think that he made another at the urging of Daphne and he regrets doing so."

Draco sat down on a stool behind the kitchen counter as he watched his witch get Scorpius cleaned up a bit before placing him in his high chair and pulling out a few coloring books before she started getting dinner ready. He had to admit, his Mine was most likely right about Theo and his motives. Draco had known Theo all of his life and the Heir to the Nott family had been in love with Daphne for almost as long. When they were children Theo would follow Daphne around like a lost puppy. It only progressed from there as once they'd entered Hogwarts together, Theo had made no secret of his abiding devotion to the blonde witch. It had taken Daphne a few years before she seemingly returned Theo's overtures and by their fifth year the two had become betrothed.

Draco had to wonder if Theo was really on board with whatever Daphne's plan was.

"Theo has always been in love with her," Draco offered with a sneer, "but I'd like to think Theo wouldn't be okay with Daphne possibly attempting to mess with the existing timeline because she's angry at my Father."

"Grief is a strange emotion love, and people will often do questionable things in their grief."

Draco eyes his witch with concern as he saw her bite her lip and worry it.

"Love?"

Amber eyes locked with his questioningly and Draco couldn't help but wonder what his witch was thinking in that exact moment.

"Whatever Daphne's reasons, it doesn't change the facts. Astoria's illness was terminal and as much as I wished better for her—Tori was adamant that she didn't want her family to suffer because of her situation. I didn't agree with Father's insistence to force the contract but I respected Tori enough to allow her to choose for herself. Daphne has always been overprotective of her baby sister and I think it's not so much her grief—but her own guilt over her sister's choices."

Hermione pondered Draco's words for a few moments before she inquired, "Do you think Daphne could be made to see reason?"

"I don't know love," Draco admitted with a resigned sigh. "The only person who could get through to Daphne would probably be Tori...but that's not possible."

Hermione bit her lip harder as she turned around and started cutting up some vegetables...not sure about telling Draco her idea until she'd heard back from Harry.

Unfortunately, her wizard—who had always been more observant that most, chose that moment to move around the counter and come stand next to her—gently talking the knife from her hand. She watched him set it down before she felt his cool fingers tilt her head up so he could see her expression.

"What is it?" She felt his thumb gently caress her cheek. "There's something you're not telling me?"

She reluctantly nodded. "Please understand that until I hear back from Harry, I can't explain yet."

Draco moved back and folded his arms over his chest defensively. "This has something to do with why you went and talked to him. You mentioned he owes you a favor?"

She nodded. "He owes me many favors...but should he come through with what I asked of him I suppose it will wipe our slate clean."

The shocked look on her wizard's face was to be expected.

"Seriously?" He bit out, "This favor is that monumental?"

Hermione just sighed and nodded. "Yes. Once I have confirmation that he has what I asked him to get then I can tell you."

"Why can't you tell me now?"

Hermione reached for Draco's hand and placed a reassuring kiss on the back of his knuckles. "Because I made a promise to Harry right when the War ended that we would never share with another soul certain things that happened that year we were out on the run. Regardless of my issues with both Harry and Ronald—to my knowledge, this one thing has never been spoken of nor shared with anyone outside the three of us."

Draco's expression blanched. "It's bigger than the horcruxes?"

Hermione nodded and Draco whistled in awe.

"Just how is Potter going to react when you tell him you plan on sharing the details of whatever this is with me?"

"I told him in not so many words that it was my intention."

"And his reaction?"

Hermione scoffed. "Harry Potter doesn't have the moral high ground here love. He owes me—plain and simple."

Draco chuckled and pulled her flush with him before giving her a heated kiss, causing Scorpius to squeal and chant..."Mimi mine!"

Both adults laughed but Hermione went over to her little man and gave him a kiss on his cheek before saying kindly, "What did we say about sharing Scorp?"

The little tyke pouted before he said shakily, "Mimi bewongs wif bot Daddy an me."

"Yes little love. I belong to both of you. You need to be okay with sharing me with Daddy because we both love you and Daddy loves both you and me too. Okay?"

"Tay."

Draco grinned and said in a side-whisper, "He doesn't sound convinced."

"That's because Malfoy men don't like to share." She quipped back playfully, earning a smug smirk for her comment...but she also noticed Draco didn't deny it either.

The rest of the evening was spent making dinner and taking a walk in the park down the way so by the time they got Scorpius back home, bathed and ready for bed—the little tyke was out like a light with fifteen minutes.

Draco then pulled his witch into their bedroom and was in the process of undressing her slowly when a patronus burst into their room. Draco rolled his eyes at the majestic stag and scoffed when the voice of Harry Potter came out of the things mouth.

"Mione, I have the item."

Draco watched his Mine's expression morph from shocked to relieved to downright pleased.

She grabbed her wand and waved it, conjuring her otter and sent it back to Scarhead with the missive, "I'll be at Grimmauld in fifteen."

Watching his witch get her clothes back on, Draco huffed unhappily but she just kissed him deeply and promised him she'd be back quickly.

So he sat on their bed and watched her leave and stared at the clock in his room for what seemed an interminable amount of time (but in reality wasn't more than thirty minutes)—when he heard the floo go off and then waited with baited breath for his witch.

When Hermione walked into the room, her smile was bright as she sat down next to him and grabbed his palm. Looking at her in confusion he was about to speak when he noticed she'd placed a small black stone in his hand.

"What is this?"

Her smile was victorious as she said simply, "That right there my love—is our ace in the hole."

"I don't understand."

Hermione closed his hand around the stone and said lowly, "Do you know the tale of the Three Brother's?"

"From the Tales Of Beedle the Bard?"

"The very same."

Draco nodded as he just stared at his witch like she'd lost the plot.

"What in Salazar's name does a children's fairytale have to do with this stone?"

Hermione giggled as she shook her head at Draco's expression. "Love, do you know that the story of the Three Brother's is more than just a children's fairytale?"

Draco shook his head. "My Mum used to read it to me, but I have to admit it wasn't my favorite of the lot."

Hermione gasped at her wizard in shock. This was a surprise! For all his Pureblood upbringing the fact that Draco may not ever have been told about the Hallows was something she hadn't expected.

"Do you know of the Elder Wand?"

Draco nodded. "The Deathstick. The most powerful wand in the world—but it's a myth, love."

"And if I told you it wasn't?"

Draco sat back stunned before he opened his palm and dropped the stone on the bed between them.

"Okay?" He said after a minute. "The Elder Wand is real?"

"Yes." Hermione sighed and then took the stone and set it on the bedside table before sitting cross-legged on the bed and encouraging Draco to follow—which he did reluctantly after a minute.

"The Elder Wand is the most powerful wand in the world. Voldemort was obsessed with obtaining it for himself and did eventually find it."

Draco paled and swallowed heavily as he shook his head in confusion. "If that's true Mine, he would've been unstoppable."

"Not if the wands allegiance didn't belong to him."

The expression on her wizard's face was both comical and horrified as he processed her words and it took him a moment before he blurted out the words, "And who in Salazar's name did the Elder Wand owe its allegiance to?"

Hermione grinned manically as she responded with a wink, "You."