A/N- I'm so sorry it is taking me about a week and a half to update each chapter as of late. Life has been so busy. Enjoy!

Chapter 8: Meet the Grangers - February 7, 2008

As the end of the workday neared, Draco dreaded the impending conversation he needed to have with his father that evening. He'd been putting it off for some time, but it had to happen sooner rather than later. It wasn't that he was scared of the man anymore, it was that Draco hated to upset the precarious balance of how Lucius started to fit into everyone's lives. Scorp, Cassie, and Ori adored their once-absent grandfather, and he knew his father felt the same about them. The older wizard practically lit up every time the children entered the room.

At precisely 5:00 p.m., the blond wizard Apparated to the library in his childhood home and stumbled upon his parents in a heated liplock. Draco cleared his throat loudly to alert them to his presence and awkwardly looked to the ground.

"Oh, Draco!" Narcissa gasped in a high pitched voice. Up until the moment, he'd never caught his parents in such an intimate position. Even though he was a grown man, he felt like an embarrassed little boy who'd seen too much.

"Sorry to, -er...interrupt, but I wanted a word with father," the younger Malfoy said. To his surprise, Lucius didn't look angry or embarrassed. Actually, his father's expression was somewhat familiar. It was the same look Draco would probably have given any one of his friends had they walked in on him snogging Hermione. For a minute, he felt a sense of camaraderie or maybe an understanding, man to man, with his father. The moment passed quickly, but it was there.

"You'd like to speak to me?" Lucius asked with an uncharacteristic amount of hopefulness in his tone. Narcissa smiled up at her husband and they exchanged a look that Draco couldn't quite read.

"I'll leave the two of you," his mother announced. She walked over to her son, squeezing his arm. "Go easy on him," she whispered as she left the library.

For the first time since the older Malfoy returned home from Azkaban, the father and son were alone. Lucius motioned for them to sit in the two wingbacked chairs on the far wall. They sat stiffly for a time, neither knowing where to begin.

"There is something we need to discuss," Draco began.

"I must admit, I was hoping you'd bring this up," Lucius said with his lips turned slightly up. The younger Malfoy looked at his father in confusion.

"Pardon?"

"Rebuilding Malfoy industries, of course. You want me to continue to groom you to take over the family business as we'd always planned," his father answered with a knowing smirk. Draco was taken aback by Lucius's presumption. It was like he was a boy again with his father making the decisions about his life and all his choices being taken away. He wanted absolutely no part in the crooked company his Lucius started with his grandfather many years ago. The only reason he presently had a hand in it at all was to improve the Malfoy name.

"Father, I already have a job I love," he said as the familiar look of disappointment took control of Lucius's hardened face.

"What about the company? What will happen to it?" he countered with frustration.

"For the past nine years, the board has been running it. They only defer to me for final decisions since I retain 51 percent of the company," Draco explained with conviction. A deep sadness passed through his father's eyes as he took in this new information.

"Your grandfather and I built that company from the ground up, and you destroyed it so you could play hero alongside Potter!" the older wizard snarled. "How could you? Why would you throw away your dream like that?"

"It was never my dream! It was yours! If you ever bothered to talk to me like a person instead of your puppet to control, you'd know that!" Draco exploded, rising from his seat in anger. He was breathing heavily now, and his magic crackled all around him. Lucius's eyes widened at his son's outburst, and he appeared to consider Draco's words. "The company isn't destroyed. I made it into something my own children can be proud of by firing all your crooked acquaintances. Now it is a company that actually contributes to society instead of robbing it blind. We donate most of the proceeds to various charities." The silence was deafening as the father and son grappled with what to say to one another. With a defeated sigh, Lucius dropped his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you," the older Malfoy finally broke the silence. As his anger receded, Draco sat back down in his chair, leaning his elbows on his knees. "The business was something I thought could help us to work together and...get to know one another better," he confessed. These were the words the young Malfoy craved his whole life. His father wanted to see the real him, not just the boy he could order around. A wave of emotion hit him, but he quickly tamped it down.

"That's...I don't know...we could-," Draco stammered. If his father was willing to accept him and the decisions he made, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to learn the experienced wizard's opinion on matters of business. "Would you like to floo into the next board meeting?" Lucius's head shot up from his hands, and he cautiously looked his son in the eye. He seemed to be gathering his thoughts before agreeing to Draco's offer with a single nod.

"What is it you wanted to talk to me about this evening?" Lucius wondered thoughtfully.

"Hermione's parents," he said without preamble, rolling his eyes when a predictable look of disgust crossed his father's face. "I assure you, the Grangers will destroy your ridiculous preconceived notions about Muggles," Draco scoffed.

"Perhaps, though it is hard for me to imagine such a thing."

"You will find yourself severely lacking if you compare yourself to them. Unlike yourself, David Granger has never once killed or tortured anyone over something as trivial as their parentage. That alone makes him a better man. Shall I continue listing your faults as a person, a father, or a husband? I didn't come here to measure your character to his, but I will if you insist on being delusional enough to believe you are superior in any way," Draco countered. Eyes drifting to the ground and swallowing hard, Lucius had the decency to appear ashamed by his past transgressions.

"I require no more reminders of where I stand in your eyes. Please continue with the original intent of this discussion."

"As of late, the children have been asking why their grandparents haven't been included in family events. They normally come to weekly dinner at the Manor or we go there, but for obvious reasons, we've kept them away and visit them separately."

"What are you proposing?" Lucius asked.

"We'd like to continue our weekly gatherings as a family and would like to include you."

"You didn't bother to have this conversation with me when you forced the Weasleys into my life, why bother now?" he questioned with a tone of annoyance.

"There was no need to worry about you attacking the Weasleys, however, my in-laws can't exactly defend themselves against your magic, accidental or otherwise," Draco countered.

"I would hardly attack a guest in my home without provocation," Lucius sneered before his son cut him with a challenging glare. How many souls had entered this Darkened home and suffered under his father's cruel hand? Flashes of his wife's body splayed across the drawing room floor flickered through the younger Malfoy's mind. His anguish must have been apparent because Lucius hung his head in shame. "I won't do anything to upset or embarrass you further, Son."

"We'll invite them over this weekend. Would you prefer the Weasleys to be there the first time you meet them or not?" Draco asked. He and Hermione had discussed this detail after last weekend went smoothly. On one hand, if they were there, the conversation wouldn't be as stilted, but perhaps they needed to get the awkwardness out of the way.

"Would it be alright if only Arthur and Molly came for the first visit with the Grangers?" he strained to ask, pained to rely on the comfort of his once-enemy. Draco smiled at his father's response. Maybe there was hope for the old man yet.

Arthur,

There are many apologies I should make to you and your family, but my pride prevents me from doing so in a hasty letter begging for your help. Please allow me to humble myself and request your assistance in restoring my relationship with my son.

I need you to teach me about Muggles.

-L.M.

P.S. - Please remove the ridiculous, triumphant smile you are undoubtedly wearing before coming to my home on Saturday.

Lucius,

Attempting to make amends with Draco is worth more than any apology you can offer. I'd be honored to assist with this matter.

Arthur

February 9, 2008

People always assumed purebloods wished Muggled didn't exist at all, but that was almost always untrue. It wasn't that Lucius wanted them dead or even to hurt them, he just wanted his family line to stay pure. Up until those fateful days when he'd been marked as a Death Eater, his only intention was to avoid the company of Muggles. He'd always been taught they were beneath him. The only Muggles Lucius had ever met in his life were the pets of the Dark Lord. They'd screamed during the torture and graveled for their lives. It was horrible. Had it not been for his wife and son, he would have found a way to escape from beneath the thumb of sodding Tom Riddle, but he couldn't risk his family's lives during Voldemort's reign. If anything happened to either of them because he wasn't strong enough to follow orders, he'd never forgive himself.

Now that he'd be meeting his Muggle-born daughter-in-law's Muggle parents, it was time for Lucius to shift his way of thinking. He'd begun to accept this fact during the meal they'd shared with the Weasleys. It occurred to him while Arthur persisted in engaging Lucius in conversation that his old rival would be the key to navigating this new life. The man was well-liked, respected by the people he cared about, and most importantly, he was obsessed with everything that had to do with Muggles. If the older Malfoy was going to earn his way back into his son's life, he'd have to befriend the one wizard who could help him. It was for this reason that Lucius had owled Arthur as soon as Draco left two nights prior.

Much to his chagrin, Arthur arrived earlier than requested on the day Lucius would be introduced to the Grangers. The only thing worse than a Weasley openly smiling was a Weasley trying to suppress their happiness. From the moment he arrived through the floo, the more calm Arthur tried to be, the more Lucius thought he might break down into a fit of giggles. The joy he exuded was contagious, and Narcissa eventually had to leave the room. She was damn-near undignified as she chuckled her way out the door. Lucius could feel the disappointment of his long-past family members bearing down upon him as they silently jeered him from their portraits.

"Just say your piece so I no longer have to endure watching you struggle with your composure," Lucius groused after several minutes. The grin he received in return was insufferable.

"I want you to know that I am not happy for any sort of boastful reason. You trying will mean the world to your son," Arthur explained. "Regardless of how Draco currently acts toward you, he truly seeks your approval. We've spoken many times about how he always felt like a disappointment as a boy. You've no idea what having your blessing means to him even if he seems as if he doesn't yearn for it," he said, clapping Lucius on the shoulder before his smile dropped as quickly as his hand.

"Thank you," the blond wizard said stiffly. Though the words didn't come easily, he was thankful. It pained him to hear another man tell him about his own son's thoughts and feelings, especially the man sitting before him, but it was a relief to know that Draco still needed Lucius in some way.

The afternoon went on with Arthur explaining Muggle customs and courtesies. The similarity between Muggle behavior norms and the wizarding world had surprised Lucius. Additionally, he learned a lot about the Grangers. The blond wizard was shocked when he found out the way Hermione had hidden her parents during the war. As a teenager, she'd obliviated her parents' memories of her just to keep them safe. He didn't know if he should fear her or be grateful his son had found a powerful witch like her. Though he would never tell a soul, the more he learned about his daughter-in-law, the more impressed he became with her skill.

There were two cracks of Apparition followed by two sets of running feet and a woman's voice that Lucius didn't recognize. He turned to Arthur with wide eyes looking for reassurance. The look of surprise on the Gryffindor wizard's face passed quickly and he offered a kind smile instead.

"It will be alright. When in doubt, you can discuss Scorpius, Cassie, and Ori. If you have nothing else in common with the Grangers, you at least have your shared love for those three brilliant grandchildren," Arthur assuaged him. There was something about the man that was comforting. They were not friends, but somehow he knew that the Weasley patriarch could be trusted. There were very few people he'd come across in his life that he could actually trust. He'd discounted the Weasley family his entire life because of their social status, yet they'd welcomed him regardless of his horrid history with them.

With the roaring burst of the floo, Lucius could hear Ori greeting Narcissa, a man's voice, and Molly ordering the children to stop running.

"I must admit, I'm a bit nervous. Should I greet them straight away?" he asked Arthur. Depending on this wizard to guide him made Lucius feel weak. It was entirely unlike him to flounder in any sort of social situation, but he just couldn't muster his usual bravado.

"Shall we walk in together, and I can introduce you?" Arthur asked kindly as if he was dealing with a victim instead of the criminal. Lucius nodded, and they walked together to where everyone was gathered in the drawing room. He was slightly mollified by the hand the ginger wizard clapped on his shoulder as he presented him to Jean and David Granger. The children gathered excitedly around the two older wizards and took turns hugging each of them.

"The family resemblance is uncanny," Jean gasped, looking between himself, Draco, and the two young boys. "I've never seen recessive traits present so prominently, especially through multiple generations like this. It's remarkable," she said, sounding every bit as swotty as her daughter.

"Didn't I tell you, Jean?" Molly smiled. "Each more handsome than the last." At this comment, Draco subtly smirked at Arthur and rolled his eyes, and the older wizard shook his head in response as if they'd been present for this very conversation many times before.

Dinner was uncomfortable though not entirely unpleasant. The children's adorable antics dispelled any outright awkwardness. Having read both Muggle books about dinosaurs and wizarding books on dragons, Scorpius wanted to discuss the possibility that Muggles may have confused dinosaur bones for those of dragons. The boy was brilliant. Lucius couldn't believe he was making such observations at just five years old. The little blond even pulled a quill and parchment out of his robes to take notes as everyone around the table discussed the matter. Though the Grangers didn't address Lucius directly, they did listen politely when he spoke. For the most part, it seemed best to simply observe the rest of the guests interact with one another rather than force conversation. As he watched the group before him, he couldn't help but notice how different the Grangers were than he expected. He'd thought they'd be boorish and uncivilized. However, they were both refined and intelligent without being condescending.

After the meal, Molly and Cissa helped the children to make magical Valentine decorations while Hermione, and Jean helped. Their laughter peeled through the air as Draco led the men to the sitting room, where he handed out tumblers with generous pours of Ogden's finest firewhiskey.

"Mr. Malfoy, my wife and I truly believe in the notion that people can change," David addressed Lucius after a long pull from his glass. "Try as I might, I am having an extremely difficult time finding forgiveness for someone who hasn't bothered to show repentance or regret for their past actions. My ability to protect my family from you and your kind is limited by my lack of magic, but as I stand here, everything in me is yearning to strangle the man who attempted to murder my only child. I have to believe...I need to know if you've changed, so I don't find myself to be a hypocrite," he confessed forlornly. Lucius was taken aback by both this man's honesty and passion. Of course, he was guilty of what this man accused him of. His desperation to save his own family had caused him to destroy others. Unnamed emotions seized him as a sting hit the bridge of his nose and the backs of his eyes. Had he changed? Of course, he had. Maybe not as much as his wife and son, but the change was there.

"You are wrong about one thing, Mr. Granger. I am sorry for the sins of my past, and your family deserves to hear that from me. Nothing can erase the things I've done and the lengths I went through to protect my family. While I am truly remorseful for my crimes, I can not bring myself to regret keeping my son and wife alive," the blond wizard admitted.

"I've never walked in your shoes before, so I can't say for sure what kinds of unspeakable acts I would commit for the love of my family," David empathized for a moment before gathering himself once again. "The question still remains, have you changed your beliefs?" he asked sternly. Up until this point, Arthur and Draco had simply sat on their stools silently watching the exchange, but Lucius could tell they were waiting with bated breath to hear his reply to Mr. Granger's question. Lucius thought for a moment. At some point, he had accepted this new reality. Admittedly, a part of him wanted a pureblood heir, but just as Narcissa had told him from the beginning, he wouldn't trade his grandchildren for anything in the world.

"I believe that I love my grandchildren more than any of the values instilled in me since I was a boy," he answered as Draco's eyes grazed over him in surprise.

"And what of my Hermione?" the Muggle pressed. Lucius looked to his son waiting for the boy to meet his eyes.

"I cannot hate the source of my son's happiness. True love is rare and-"

Suddenly a silver stag raced toward Draco, cutting off Lucius's sentiment with the voice of Harry Potter.

"Malfoy, come quickly! Another child has stumbled across a cursed object. It's worse than the others! Meet me at headquarters immediately," the stag finished before disappearing into thin air.

"Tell Hermione where I've gone," Draco choked out before Disapparating, his face twisted in anguish.

A/N - This is kind of a filler chapter, but I did want to include Lucius's first time meeting the Grangers. As always, let me know what you think! I promise to have Hermione's POV in the next chapter.