A/N: It's been so long since I've worked on this, but I hope people will still read it. A short chapter to begin with, but more to come soon. Slow going. One chapter at a time.

It was quiet in the Manor. Hermione was in the library reading, Ginny was napping, and Draco and Harry were in the gardens with Lucius. They were introducing Harry to flying. Narcissa, Severus, and Arthur sat in the Drawing room partaking in an afternoon beverage.

"It's over," Arthur sighed quietly. He was still a bit stunned by that afternoon's occurrences. After the test he had gone and signed the documents ending his farce of a marriage. He had considered letting it drop there, but he couldn't. Yes, he had six beautiful and wonderful children, but that woman had taken his life from him. She had taken a different future that might have been. "I still need to contact Bilius." Arthur knew his brother would be both shocked and elated.

"Are the boys coming this weekend," Narcissa asked. "You should let them know everything that has happened as well."

Arthur nodded. Yes, he needed to let his boys know. So much had changed that day.

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Lucius stood watching as the boys slowly circled the gardens. Draco was on his Nimbus, and Harry on Draco's last training broom. Lucius smiled. He probably could have just put Harry on his own broom, the boy had taken to flying just the way Draco had. He was a natural. They would have to look into getting the boy his own broom.

He jerked to alert as he felt the wards shift. An unknown elf had apparated into the Manor. Lucius felt dread fill his belly, and he barked out, "Boys! On the ground now!" right before he rushed inside searching for the source of the ward breach.

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Albus was furious. He had returned from the Ministry and destroyed his office. True, it had only taken a wave of his wand to correct, but he was still so angry he felt like destroying it again. What he really wanted to do was Crucio Severus Snape. He couldn't believe that the man, his pawn, had gone and had a familial bonding with the girl! They hadn't even talked about it! True, the girl looked happy, but did he really care if the girl was happy? Not really. In fact, not at all. He needed her to be in a place where the Order could sweep in and make her life better.

True, Severus was part of the Order, but he didn't know what the Potions Master was thinking. Albus didn't even think the man liked children. And then to see the Malfoy boy escorting the little Mudblood around like a little lady… What in Merlin's name was going on?

He hadn't heard from Molly yet so he didn't know how that entire debacle was going. Just something else going wrong. You just couldn't rely on people the way you could at one time. What he really needed was to talk to the girl again. Alone. Preferably in his office where no one would disturb them. An idea entered his mind and he grinned. "Shinny!"

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Hermione sat on a cushioned window seat in the huge Malfoy library and read. The sun was shining in the window making her warm and relaxed. The book she was reading, The Booke of Beginnings, was all about the Wizarding World's elite, the Sacred 28. So many of her new friends were part of that auspicious group.

She heard a snap and looked up to see Shinny, her house elf friend from Hogwarts, standing in the middle of the room. "Shinny!" Hermione yelled delightedly.

The little elf gave her a timid smile but looked on the verge of tears. "Missy needs to come with Shinny."

This made Hermione frown. "What? Go where? What are you talking about, Shinny?"

"The Hogwarts Master says Shinny is to bring Missy Hermy to his office. Shinny doesn't feel right about this, but Shinny works for Hogwarts, so Shinny has to do what the Master says." The little elf trembled and looked to be struggling with herself.

"I don't want to go there." Hermione said softly. "I'm scared of the Headmaster, Shinny."

Shinny shook her head back and forth. "Shinny does not want to take you, but Shinny is fighting."

"Is Dumbledore your Master?" Hermione asked. She thought that maybe if she could keep the little elf talking someone would come and stop her from taking Hermione anywhere.

"No," Shinny said slowly. "Hogwarts is Shinny's Master, and Dumbly is Headmaster. Shinny doesn't have a family."

"I could be your family," Hermione offered. The elf looked so sad it broke Hermione's heart. "Is that possible?"

Shinny looked hopeful. "To be bound, Mistress must have strong magic. Missy has very strong magic, but Shinny doesn't want to trick Missy. If Missy bound with Shinny, Shinny would be with Mistress always, unless Mistress presented Shinny with clotheses."

Hermione had learned quickly that giving house elves clothes was almost a death sentence to the little creatures. "I will bind with you, but you have to promise not to take me anywhere I don't want to go."

Shinny's ears perked, but then drooped. "Missy should talk to Master Potions Master first. Master Potions Master might not want Shinny here." Shinny was trembling even harder as she fought the compulsion by the Headmaster.

Hermione had thought about that, but she wasn't sure she'd be able to get Professor Snape there before Shinny would lose her fight with herself. Back when things were good, she'd heard her mother tell her father once that it was better to ask for forgiveness than to wait and ask for permission.

"What do we need to do to bind ourselves?"

"If you hold Shinny's hands, Shinny will perform binding." Now the little elf was trembling in excitement.

Hermione hesitantly stepped forward and took the elf's two hands into her own. A part of her was scared that this was a trick, but if she screamed that might make things worse. She knew that someone would be coming. Someone had to have felt the elf come onto the property. Hermione closed her eyes tightly, and felt a flash of heat, and saw a bright light behind her eyelids.

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