I own nothing

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Chapter 11

Wednesday evening found Draco in his family's historical manor, having drinks with his parents while they waited to be served dinner. Dressed in a full suit and robes, he resisted the urge to tug at his collar while he listened to his father. Lucius was droning on about a recent book that was published by their companies and how it was not up to "Standards."

Draco took a drink of the whiskey as he discreetly glanced at the ancient tower clock in the corner of his father's study. He had learned to read it at a very early age while sitting on his grandfather's lap. However, it still took him a moment to read it correctly with the 37 different hands. Not quick enough, his mother's sharp voice interrupted his father's story.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, dinner will be served at 7:30 as it has always been. It is incredibly disrespectful to keep glancing at the clock. Your father was giving you his input and I know we raised you better."

Draco, out of habit, set up straighter and cleared his throat.

"I apologize, Mother. I was listening. Father, if you would continue," He said, giving his father his full attention.

Lucius' stare bore into him, but Draco was unflinching. Familiar with the look, it no longer phased him.

"Honestly," his father dragged out the word. "Draco, this dinner was set by you and you have been distracted since you arrived."

"Mother told me I had an open invitation for any meal when I moved into the city," Draco replied. "I did not know that those dinner's would be "set by me."

"No defenses of the comment I made about you being distracted?" Lucius added, absentmindedly rolling his glass in his hand.

"Only excuse you do not want to hear," Draco offered, rolling his own glass.

Lucius made a noise of agreement and took a long drink and then continued his previous conversation.

As the evening moved into dinner, Draco noticed his mother watching him particularly close. Throughout dinner Narcissa had plenty of questions for Draco about work, his friends, and particularly about Bea. This was nothing out of the ordinary, Bea and Draco had grown up like cousins their whole life. The Zabaini's were once a fixture in the Malfoy family's main circle. When dessert was served his mother asked her 14th question about Bea when he was finally annoyed.

"Mother, Bea would love to have dinner with you if you wanted to invite her and question after her life."

"Oh, I had brunch with her on Sunday and I have plans again with her this coming Sunday," Narcissa said in between bites of her lemon tart.

"Darling, then why are you prodding our son about her." Lucius asked, also becoming suspicious of Narcissa's line of questioning.

"If he had other female friends, I would ask after them too."

'Ah,' Draco thought. 'There it is.'

"Mother, please," He all but groaned.

"I was not berating you, I was simply answering your father's question."

Lucius wanting to avoid this particular conversation himself asked, "Are you having brunch with Bea again this Sunday?"

"Yes and a few other guests," Narcissa answered.

"How nice," The older Malfoy mused. "I know Bea always loved Sunday's with you. Who else is joining you?"

"The same as last Sunday. Pansy and Hermione Granger," She answered, watching both of their reactions closely.

Both Draco and his father's eyes bugged slightly out of their heads as they began to speak over each other.

"What an interesting crowd," Lucius answered, taken aback by the news of his wife's Sunday brunch guest.

"What?!" Draco raised his voice a little, choking slightly on his wine.

His parents set silently as Draco stopped coughing. He did not miss the slight smile on his mother's face.

"Yes," Narcissa seemed to answer both of them. "The group is actually quite enjoyable. I enjoyed last week so much, I might make it a weekly event again. Even if I keep it small, just those ladies."

Draco's head was reeling. He had seen Bea, Pansy, AND Hermoine this week and none of them said anything.

Confused and seeking an answer, he said as much.

"Interesting, are you keeping it a secret from me?" Draco asked, slightly playing with this mother. "I saw all three of those ladies this week and no one mentioned having plans with my own mother."

"You saw all three this week? Since Sunday?" Narcissa asked, almostly innocently.

Draco closed his eyes for a brief moment. No matter how cunning and smart he was…. Which he was...extremely. He almost always fell into his mother's trap without realizing it.

"Yes, Mother." Draco said, not giving her more information. Draco glanced at his father who had stopped eating and put all his attention on his wife and son. Lucius, like Draco, knew Narcissa was searching for something.

"And when did you see the ladies?" Her mother asked.

He knew better than to lie to his mother and omission is lying in Narcissa's eyes. She was a smart Witch and he was unsure of what information she had. The woman had always had a way of getting her son backed up into a corner. Even as a child, she knew how to cop to his mistakes without really outright asking. However, he did not want her to win this easily.

"I had my usual dinner with Bea and Theo yesterday," Draco answered. "Pansy was there."

His Mother's eyebrow shot up and he kept eye contact while the silent question filled the room.

"And I saw Hermione on Sunday evening at Potter's home," He added, finally looking back down to his dessert.

"And?" His mother questioned him. His back stiffened. She really could make him feel two decades younger than he actually was just by the tone of her voice.

"And?" He questioned back. Quickly running through the chances that she knew about their Monday lunch and supplemental plans for Friday evening. He was not ashamed, but he did like to have his own secrets. Things had barely started...again… for him and Hermione. The last thing he needed was this conversation.

"Narcissa…" Lucius finally spoke. "Stop torturing the young man… he is no longer eight years old. Ask what you want to ask."

Draco reached for his wine and dumped the remaining liquid in his mouth. Noticing the motion, his father laughed under his breath. The younger man wanted to shoot his father a dirty look, but knew better and gained control before looking at his mother.

"Yes?" Draco said, wanting the tourture to be over quickly.

His mother had planned her hands together on the table and squared her shoulders. She glanced between the two men, before speaking.

"I am going to sell Ms. Granger The Hecate House," She stated confidently.

Both men seem to relax visibly, but were rather confused. Not expecting this to be what Narcissa was toying with.

"Well," Lucius said first, clearing his throat. "The Property is yours and the Magic seems in line with a Witch of her history and strength. A wise choice."

This seemed to please Narcissa and if it surprised her, she kept it well hidden. Draco on the other hand had let his mouth fall open, but quickly shut it.

The Hecate House was a matriarchal house that had been owned by witches throughout its history. He spent some time there as a young boy, but did not know most of the story behind it. That was kept between witches, as his mother had always told him.

"Interesting," Draco finally found words. "No one mentioned it to me."

"Well we are going to view the property on Sunday afternoon. However, I know she'll agree."

"I do think she would like it," Draco added. "Is Pansy wanting to redecorate for her?"

Narcissa nodded and said, "Of course she wants too. Bea and Pansy brought her to me after hearing that she was looking for a new home. They both thought that it was a perfect match and I would agree."

"I hope she enjoys the property," Draco said. "This dessert is delicious, would you mind if I had a plate wrapped for later?" He asked, wanting to move on from the conversation.

"Of course, dear," Narcissa said, smiling at her son. "Why are you smiling?" She asked, glancing out at her husband.

"Honestly," His father began speaking again, dragging out the word. "I thought you were going to badger our son about dating Ms. Granger with how the questioning was going tonight," Lucius said, laughing to himself.

"Well…" Narcissa started. "I would love if he started dating Ms. Granger. I would never badger him about it?"

Turning to Draco, whose head snapped back to stare at the ceiling in frustration, she asked, "Do you think your mother badgers you?"

"Draco would certainly not date Ms. Granger." Lucius spoke clearly over her, making his wife and son's attention snap back to him.

"Excuse me?" Draco and his mother spoke the same words at the same time, but Narcissa stood up quickly, letting her chair fall behind her. The wooden chair fell to the floor with a loud crash, but quickly an elf appeared and set it up right behind Narcissa.

"Ms. Granger is a wonderful, powerful Witch who helped save us, but-" Lucius spoke evenly to his wife.

"No, buts." Narcissa interrupted him, her temper rising quickly.

"It has been nearly a decade and I am a different man. I know that all witches and wizards no matter their birth deserve rights. But The Malfoy bloodline-"

"OH NO," Narcissa grabbed her wand from inside her robes and pointed it at her husband. "Listen to me, Lucius Abraxas Malfoy and listen clearly because I am only saying this once."

Draco glanced at his father and noticed the fear in his eyes.

"My son is going to date, fall in love, and marry, whoever he wants. And YOU are not going to say anything. He has turned out to be a nice and decent wizard despite you putting him in several situations that have nearly gotten him killed and I am not just talking about the war."

Draco hung his head, knowing where she was leading and not wanting to see the hurt in his mother's eyes.

"You chose a Pureblood Witch for him and she nearly KILLED him. Just after we saved him. AFTER I did everything to fix your mistakes and save him… She nearly took him away from me again. You were not here… You did not have to see your son's lifeless body on the floor. You were in AZKABAN for nearly getting him killed the first time."

Draco looked up and his mother still had her wand pointed at her husband. Lucious hung his head in disgrace.

Narcissa continued. "If you want another pureblood heir, I will pack my things and move out. You can find a new wife and make a new pureblood heir with her."

"Cissa…" Lucius started speaking softly. "That's not-"

"When you got out of Azkaban I told you that I did not subscribe to that line of thinking and that I would put our son and his happiness above everything. Even you."

Lucius cleared his throat and started speaking again, "Okay, Narcissa. You are right. You and Draco are more important to me than anything else. It is just the Malfoy line ending is a hard idea for me to agree with."

Narcissa lowered her wand and sat down, but still held her angry glare at him.

"The Black line has ended. The Malfoy line has not. I know how we were raised to think, but it almost got us killed. I will not allow it in my life." Narcissa spoke clearly on this, just as she had before.

Draco watched his father nod in silence for a moment before deciding to speak. He was not going to let his father leave this conversation with any hope of Narcissa being wrong.

"Mother is right," Draco said. "Hermione is the type of Witch I belong with and honestly, she's the only Witch that has caught my attention. She is powerful, beautiful, and she makes me think. She has a better heart than anyone I know. If anything, I do not deserve her. If you thought that I would be having a pureblood heir or a pureblood wife, you are mistaken."

"So you are already dating her?" Lucius asked, no emotion showing.

"If I can convince her soon," Draco said, glancing at his mother who was grinning, staring down at her dessert tart.

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AN:

Thanks so much for all the reviews! :)

Sorry for the delay in posting. 2020, right? Hopefully I will get on a more consistent schedule soon.

The next chapter (the date!) should be up soon.