A/N- Thank you for waiting patiently as I fleshed out this chapter. I had a bit of writer's block at first, but once I started, a character I've been missing snuck his way into the story. Let me know what you think of the appearance of this character.

Chapter 11: Life Lessons - March 15, 2008

"You're just in time!" Ginny sang as soon as Hermione arrived through the floo. The ginger witch was laughing hysterically, pulling her friend across the room.

"In time for what exactly?"

"For this," Ginny said as she quietly nudged open the door to the Manor ballroom.

Peeking through the crack of the door, they watched Lucius sitting on the floor, a sight to behold within itself, surrounded by six small children and Harry.

"Mr. Potter, I'm quite impressed with your progress today, which is more than I can say for your father," Lucius said sternly, eyeing Harry with a judgmental glare. The children giggled behind their hands, and Hermione could swear she saw a ghost of a smile tug at the corners of the older Malfoy's lips.

"I thought I did… -er, better today," Harry protested, a fresh chorus of giggles enveloping his objection.

"Listen, Mr. Potter, I'd really like to move you to the older children's class with Victoire, Teddy, and Fred, but you're just not up to snuff," Lucius admonished. "I'd rather not have to resort to private lessons as I did with your friend, Mr. Weasley."

"Harry and Ron are taking dance classes?" Hermione whispered in shock. "Why didn't they tell me?"

"Because they are terrible. Harry is not as bad as Ron, which isn't saying much. He'd kill me if he knew we're watching him right now," Ginny answered her. Both witches stifled a laugh.

"No! Anything but private lessons," Harry begged, reminding Hermione of his days at Hogwarts when he used to dread completing his work. Lucius gave him a cold stare.

"Pop quiz, children," the older Malfoy announced. "We will all watch Mr. Potter dance with my wife. Anyone who catches a mistake will earn themselves a Chocolate Frog." The children cheered in response while Harry groaned.

The Auror hesitantly rose to his feet and joined Narcissa in the center of the ballroom. His brow furrowed, and he made several attempts to wipe his hands on his robe. Hermione could barely hear her mother-in-law mention something about being used to sweaty palms from when Draco was a teenager and partnered with her. Lucius used to make him prove what he'd learned at his lessons while he was away at school. Her heart melted at the thought of her husband as a nervous teen, afraid of his father and attempting to prove his worth.

With a flick of Narcissa's wand, the music began to play, and the pair began to move. Regardless of her awkward partner, Narcissa practically floated with her usual unbridled grace. Little hands immediately shot up, including Ori and Albus, who weren't officially part of the class yet.

"Scorpius, your hand was first. Tell us a mistake you can see Mr. Potter making," Lucius called on his grandson. Although his looks were identical to his father and grandfather, the little blond's excited facial expression rivaled his mother's when a professor would call upon her to answer a question.

"His steps are too wide," he answered proudly.

"Well spotted!" Lucius tossed the boy a Chocolate Frog. "Potter, please correct your steps," he said, waiting a moment for Harry to adjust himself. "Young Mr. Potter, what other mistakes do you observe?"

"My dad has noodle arms," the dark-haired boy laughed as he caught the treat Lucius tossed his way. Cassie clapped with glee when James answered correctly.

"Right you are, young man. I daresay your frame is infinitely better," Lucius smirked. The little wizard grinned at the compliment, and little magic sparks erupting all around him as Cassie squeezed his hand. A softness crossed over the older wizard's face when James handed Cassie half of his chocolate. It took Lucius a moment to compose himself before correcting Harry's loose frame. "There is one more way for Mr. Potter to improve his current form. Who can tell me what it is?"

"He keeps looking down at his feet, and you said we're not supposed to do that," Cassie answered with a bright smile and her hand still waving in the air. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Outstanding," Lucius praised his granddaughter while bending down to kiss her head and hand her the Chocolate Frog she earned.

"Uncle Harry isn't so mad this time," Rose commented shyly, her big blue eyes mimicking the exact look that her father always made when he was unsure.

"Excellent observance, Ms. Weasley," Lucius smiled. "Last time, Mr. Potter kept losing his temper, which caused him to make even more mistakes." He handed the beaming witch a treat. "Potter, if you can sustain acceptable skills for the rest of the song, I will move you up to the older children's class next week," the blond wizard called.

Hermione imagined it was difficult for Harry not to roll his eyes and become angry, but she could see Narcissa was whispering to him and coaching him through the rest of the dance. The Gryffindor wizard responded well to the positive reinforcement he was received and almost appeared to know what he was doing. When the song ended, Lucius clapped, which made the children begin to clap and cheer along with him.

"Congratulations, Potter, you're ready to move up. Since your wife is so keen on spying on your progress, I presume she'll join you in the future," the older Malfoy said, poignantly aiming his gaze at the slightly-opened door. Ginny gasped in surprise as Harry turned to glare at her. All the children turned to find Hermione and Ginny laughing at themselves for being caught snooping.

"Mummy!" Cassie squealed when she noticed her mother. "Did you see Uncle Harry dancing? He's moving up to the big kids' class! I'm so proud of him," the little witch cheered, jumping up and down and pointing to Harry. Hermione nodded sheepishly, the weight of her best friend's angry expression boring a hole in the side of her head.

"I apologize for interrupting your lesson, Lucius, but I actually came here with some good news for you," the curly-haired witch said. A look of surprise passed over his face before he quickly schooled his expression.

"I don't understand. What good news?" he wondered cautiously.

"As you know, the youth Quidditch League hosts monthly matches. Cissy brought it to my attention that you felt you were…-er, saddened to be missing out on an aspect of Cassie and Scorp's lives, so a couple of months ago, I spoke to the league president about this issue. If you both agree to it, we came up with a solution," she explained, looking between her in-laws.

"I'll be able to go see them play? Won't that need to go through the Minister first?" Lucius asked apprehensively as if he was trying not to get his hopes up too high.

"No, you won't be able to travel, however, you may host a match at Malfoy Manor and attend the game. It would cost some money to set up a youth Quidditch pitch, but I assumed you'd be willing to part with some galleons if you want to share this part of the children's life."

"We'll do it!" Lucius immediately agreed without consulting his wife. "We'll host every match if it allows me to be present," he promised.

"Yay!" Cassie and Scorpius cheered, abandoning their seats and running to squeeze Lucius around the middle.

"Actually, there is one problem with-" Hermione started before realizing their audience. "Ginny, would you please take the children to get a snack?"

"Of course. Come on, kids. I brought some of Grammy Molly's famous chocolate chip cookies with me!" Ginny announced. The group of children gleefully followed her to the dining room for their special treat. Hermione waited for them to be out of earshot before speaking again.

"The problem is that only one team was willing to attend a match here because...well, you know…" she trailed off, gesturing awkwardly toward Lucius.

"I see," the wizard replied, lowering his eyes to the floor. In an effort to comfort him, Narcissa crossed the open space between them and reached for her husband's hand. After a moment he looked into her eyes. She gave him a small smile, and he nodded. "Whatever it costs will be worth it to be there for my grandchildren for even just one match. We cannot thank you enough for this opportunity. Merlin knows what sort of convincing it must have taken on your part," Lucius grinned at Hermione for the first time since she'd met him. The sight of it was foreign to her yet so similar to the smile of her own husband. It felt like progress. Perhaps she could have a healthy relationship with her father-in-law one day. All the red tape she had to go through to provide Lucius with the opportunity to watch Cassie and Scorp play Quidditch was worth it for this moment. She allowed herself to smile back at him.

April 5, 2008

It shouldn't have shocked Lucius that the media would want to cover a children's Quidditch game when it was hosted by a former Death Eater, but it did. The vile form of Rita Skeeter was standing outside the gates of Malfoy Manor two hours early on the day of the event. Lucius and Draco watched from the drawing room window as Hermione gesticulated wildly at the corrupt reporter. He wondered what caused the look of horror that flashed across Skeeter's face when his daughter-in-law stomped her foot on the ground and twisted it as if she'd just squashed a bug. The petrified woman nodded emphatically before she cautiously entered the property.

"I almost feel bad for that Skeeter woman. She appears to be frightened of your wife," Lucius commented off-handedly, wondering how his daughter-in-law could easily bend the will of so many powerful witches and wizards.

"It's a mistake to cross Hermione; she's just reminding Skeeter why that is exactly," Draco smirked, his eyes never leaving his wife as she escorted the reporter to the front entry.

"I'll admit, she's quite remarkable."

"Who? Skeeter?" the younger Malfoy scoffed, finally turning to look at his father.

"You're wife, of course," Lucius answered plainly. "Don't look at me like that, Son," he said when Draco simply gaped at him. "I think I've made it quite obvious how I feel about my grandchildren...It is possible for me to change you know." The two eyed one another for a moment before Draco opened his mouth to speak.

"Lucius, would you be willing to do an interview with Miss Skeeter?" Narcissa interrupted before Draco could say anything.

"Actually, I'd like to interview the whole family, including Miss Granger," Rita cut in.

"It's Mrs. Malfoy," Hermione corrected her as she entered the room and reached for Draco's hand. "We've only been married close to a decade," she whispered to her husband with a tone of irritation, both rolling their eyes.

"Surely it isn't news that a grandfather will watch his grandchildren play Quidditch," Lucius said innocently. Though he remained calm on the surface, his heart seized at the thought of the children finding out the type of person he used to be. Blast this woman and her story. They'd hate him once they found out.

"It is news when that grandfather is a man who once wished to exterminate all Muggle-borns from the world, including the mother of those beloved grandchildren," Skeeter said sweetly, a fake smile plastered on her face. Lucius took a deep breath. He couldn't give this woman anything worth printing, or she'd embarrass the entire family.

"I'll remind you, Mrs. Skeeter, that this is a private event, and I will not hesitate to use my authority as an Auror to remove you from the property," Draco warned her.

"I apologize, Auror Malfoy, I was simply answering your father's question," she held her hands up defensively. "Now, is there somewhere we may sit for my interview?"

Every moment of that wretched woman's endless line of questioning was exhausting. Even the easy questions sought to expose some sort of scandal. The worst part was that he couldn't even blame her for suspecting some sort of foul play. It had only been a short time ago that he was sick to his stomach about the status of his family line. The only reason Skeeter finally let up on her obtrusive curiosity was because she saw the genuine affection between the children and Lucius. They'd run into the room and immediately jumped into Lucius's lap when Harry brought them over with James. He admired their blue and gold uniforms, and nearly choked when he saw the name "Malfoy" stitched in golden fairy thread on their backs. Scorpius wore Draco's old number 7, and Cassie sported number 12, which he found out belonged to her favorite player, Oliver Blythe, of the Falmouth Falcons.

"Mr. Potter, a few questions please," Skeeter jumped at the opportunity to speak to the dark-haired wizard. All these years later, people still fell down at Potter's feet, but Lucius wouldn't complain about stepping out of this particular spotlight.

The interruption allowed him to slip outside with Narcissa to check on the pitch. It hadn't been too difficult to create. The back of their property had tons of open space, and many people were happy to work for a former Death Eater so long as they were paid handsomely.

"We're so excited for you to see us play!" Cassie exclaimed as she, Scorpius, and James caught up with Lucius and Cissa. "Will you cheer for us? Do you have a special whistle like Grandmother does?" she asked. The Malfoy patriarch looked to his wife, who was blushing. He couldn't imagine her whistling and cheering like some commoner.

"I'm afraid I've never heard your grandmother's special whistle," Lucius answered, unsure of how to respond. He eyed his wife, who wouldn't look at him directly.

"Really? I can hear it no matter where I am on the pitch!" Cassie exclaimed, reaching her little hand for Narcissa's and interlocking their fingers.

"When I hear it, I know I should do my best because Grandmother is watching," Scorpius said proudly. Lucius thought this over. He'd never been one to scream and cheer at any of the Quidditch matches he'd attended. It just wasn't done. It wasn't proper. The times he'd been able to attend Draco's games at Hogwarts, he'd taken notes on the areas his son needed the most improvement. At the professional games, most of his time had been spent networking or making bets, never really following one particular team or player. Draco, however, loved attending games as a boy, but Lucius scolded him whenever he made a spectacle by yelling for his team.

"Scorp, Cass, James, come over here," Potter called from the end of the pitch. "It's time for warm-ups." The little witch and wizards mounted their miniature brooms and headed over to where Draco and Harry stood with a small group of children.

Lucius hardly noticed when the other team showed up as he was mesmerized by his son and Potter running their team through warm-up drills. Before he knew it, the game was about to begin. So lost was he, he hadn't realized that Cissa was no longer sitting near him. There were quite a few spectators, but the stands where he sat were empty save for a blond witch sitting in the front row. It didn't matter. He was only here for one reason, and they were flying toward him smiling and waving frantically when their team was announced.

"Good luck!" Lucius called to the twins as they passed, and Cassie blew him a kiss. The little witch giggled when he caught it and zoomed off. A snicker from behind alerted him that he was on his feet and grinning like an idiot. He hadn't realized anyone else was near him.

Within minutes of the snitch being released, Cassie scored, and Lucius was on his feet clapping wildly. Another chuckle behind him taunted his undignified display of pride. He refused to cower to the person and continued to watch his talented grandchildren. As the game continued, Cassie managed to put three more Quaffles through the hoop, and Scorpius hadn't let the other team score yet. With each of his grandchildren's successful plays, he found himself on his feet again and again. With each of these uncouth displays, the wizard behind him continued to laugh.

"What, pray tell, is so ridiculously funny to you?" Lucius turned around and sneered in the direction of a loud snort. He'd had enough. If this were the only game he'd be able to see, then he'd do it in peace. He was met with silence. It appeared that no one was there until he saw a shift in the air, a classic sign of a Disillusionment Charm. "Show yourself, coward. I want to see the man who mocks me." The wizard in question appeared slowly before him.

"I apologize, Mr. Malfoy. I wasn't laughing at you per se..."

"Theodore Nott," Lucius whispered. He'd watched this boy grow up alongside his own son, but the Dark Lord's return had caused a rift in their close friendship. Nott Senior often used to complain about his heir, wishing he would serve their master properly and take the Mark as Draco had. Apparently, Theo wanted nothing to do with the cause. A wise choice as it had saved him from having to go to trial after the war. "If you aren't laughing at me, why are you laughing at all? And why are you hiding under a disillusionment charm?" Lucius demanded. Theo's face reddened and he cast his eyes toward the ground.

"Well...I -er-"

"Out with it, boy!"

"Yes, well, I was laughing at Draco's shocked expression every time he looks over to find you cheering for his children," he explained with a small smile. "It's like you're some jolly wizard masquerading as Lucius Malfoy under Polyjuice or something, and it's funny to me because of how scared we used to be of you and my dad." He climbed down and sat beside Lucius as he spoke.

"There are certain things in life that will change a man. I'm sure you know that from having your own son," Lucius admitted, pointing to a small boy on the opposing team with brown hair and bright blue eyes as he flew past waving at the blonde witch in their stands. Her body stiffened, and she peeked behind her, staring at Theo with a look of fright.

"He's not...I can't...Marcus Flint is his…" the younger wizard sputtered.

"Surely you cannot be trying to convince me of Flint siring that boy?" Lucius laughed. "He's a Nott through and through. You couldn't deny that boy if you tried! Or did you forget that I knew both you and your father at that age?" Lucius continued to chuckle at Theo's joke until he turned to look at him and saw that he was not laughing. Staring forward with clenched fists and a tightened jaw, the younger wizard ignored the way the blond witch stared back at him with pleading eyes.

"At any rate, Flint claims him," Theo spit through his teeth. Before Lucius could ask any more questions, the flash of Ori's bright blond hair caught his eye, running toward him with Hermione not quite waddling after him as quickly as she could manage. The toddler scrambled up the steps to where Lucius sat and climbed into his lap. By the time Hermione found him, Ori was back to watching the game.

"Orion Rubius Malfoy, how dare you run away from me when I told you to stop!" Hermione scolded the small boy as she gasped for air and held her protruding belly with both hands.

"I sorry, Mum," Ori said innocently, his wide, gray eyes begging forgiveness. He pointed his chubby hand toward Lucius and said, "I sit with him." The proud grandfather beamed, but his smile dropped when he saw the anger still dancing in Hermione's eyes. She took a deep breath before approaching her son.

"Next time, you must ask before leaving Mummy's side," she warned before looking to her father-in-law. "Do you mind if he stays with you to watch while I help Molly and Cissa set up the snacks?"

"Of course, not. I shall enjoy Ori's company very much," he said truthfully.

"Thank you," she bent down to kiss the top of her son's curly head and marched away. Had it not been for the Quaffle-sized baby bump, it was hard to tell she was seven months pregnant from behind.

"Who is your name?" Ori asked, turning to Theo. The older wizard smiled down at him.

"I'm Theo; I used to be best mates with your dad," he said reaching out his hand toward the boy.

"My name is Ori," he announced as he wrapped both of his chubby hands around Theo's larger one. Suddenly, the tiny wizard reached up and carefully placed his fingers on Theo's temples, bowing his head. The Slytherin jumped at his touch, but Ori held him firmly in place for a moment. When he finally looked up, his eyes were full of concern and sadness. "You need family? You alone?"

"What? How do you…," Theo trailed off as he stared back at the boy. "How could you possibly know that?" he whispered in disbelief. Without answering, Ori crawled into Theo's lap and hugged him tightly much as he had with his grandfather the first time they'd met. Unsure of what to make of this child, the dark-haired wizard gaped at Lucius in question, holding his arms up high in surrender.

"It's okay, Mr. Theo," Ori soothed. A single tear slipped down the Slytherin's cheek as he lowered his arms and finally embraced the child fully. Lucius followed his gaze to where the blond witch sat with red-rimmed eyes locked on Theo. The tension was thick though Lucius was unsure of the reasoning.

Ori sat between Lucius and Theo, holding both of their hands as if he tethered them to this life. They watched the rest of the match without speaking save for the proud cheers of a grandfather and a little brother, especially when James caught the snitch at the end to win the game.

"Let's go!" Marcus Flint demanded as he stormed over to the stands, roughly dragging the miniature Theo child behind him. Apparently, he was the coach of the opposing team, donned in black and green to match his players' Quidditch robes. The blond witch popped up from her seat without delay.

"Hello, Mr. Nott," the boy waved happily. Flint's eyes trailed up to where Theo sat and he pinned him with a glare.

"Nott, what are you doing here? You have no children playing in this match," Flint sneered, pointing accusingly at Theo. Lucius had known both the Flint and Nott families his entire life, and there was no way that the child struggling to escape the angry wizard holding on to him was a Flint. He'd bet his life on it.

"There is no quarrel here, Mr. Flint. I invited Mr. Nott as my personal guest," Lucius lied. Something about Flint's body language told him that his words would somehow protect the boy and the blond witch, who he assumed was the mother of this child. Marcus let the miniature Nott's hand go, ignoring the way the boy grasped for the witch and found shelter behind her leg.

"Mr. Malfoy, I hardly recognized you with your trimmed hair," Flint said, his whole demeanor changing into the well-mannered disposition of a polite aristocrat.

"Well, it was time for a change I suppose," Lucius answered. "Speaking of change, I presume this lovely witch is your wife?" he said, gesturing toward the woman beside him.

"You are correct. May I present Mrs. Astoria Flint, née Greengrass," he shot Theo a sharp glare as his wife gave Lucius a half-hearted smile. "Actually, you've met her. I believe she was promised to Draco at one time. Once her parents found out he was soul-bound, they wanted to find her a suitable match," he said with another poignant look towards Nott.

"How many wizards did they go through before finally landing on a Flint?" Lucius said lightly, though he wasn't joking. For all their pureblooded manners and etiquette in public, the Flint men were known to have irrational tempers, especially with those closest to them. How desperate were the Greengrasses to marry their youngest daughter off to Marcus? Now that he had a chance to have a look at her, she looked unwell. She was thin and looked slightly haggard, no longer the bright girl from before the war when they'd begun discussing marital contracts.

"I suppose she could have done much worse," Marcus eyed Theo again before turning back to Lucius. "I know things were different before you...disappeared, but her parents were wise to choose a pureblooded family that hadn't been so closely tied to the Dark Lord."

"As they say, desperate times call for desperate measures," Lucius replied with what he hoped came across as mirth. Though this pompous man needed to rightly be put in his place, now wasn't the time.

"The Malfoys should know, shouldn't they?" the trollish-looking wizard chuckled. "I'd have loved to have seen your face when you found out Draco went and fell in love with the queen of mud herself!" he laughed heartily. All Lucius could see was red. The gall of this man. How dare he insult Lucius's family? His magic crackled on the surface of his skin. As Ori tightly wrapped his arms around his grandfather's leg, Lucius's anger started to subside. It was enough to remind him that what he lost was nothing compared to what he'd gained.

"Marcus, please…" Astoria quietly pleaded, but he shot her a look that silenced her immediately.

"It's alright, Ms. Greengrass," Lucius had called the witch by her maiden name as a petty slight to Flint. "Understandably, most of the wizarding world has wondered the very same about the moment I heard the news of my son's nuptials. I'm embarrassed to say that it was exactly as everyone imagined it would be." He picked up his grandson and kissed the top of his curly blond head. "If I'm honest, I couldn't care less about such things anymore." As if on cue, Cassie and Scorpius came sprinting across the pitch toward the group of Slytherins.

"Grandfather, did you see us?" Scorpius yelled as they made their way up the stands to hug Lucius. Theo stepped out of their way, but the older wizard reached out a hand to stop him from leaving. He bent down to the twins' level.

"Didn't you hear Ori and me cheering for you the whole time? Of course, we were so proud of both of you," Lucius grinned proudly at his grandchildren, unaware of the astonished expressions of the three adults surrounding him staring at the scene before them.

"We must be going now, but we thank you for hosting the game this week. Wonderful to see you again, Lucius," Marcus said shortly, snapping at Astoria to follow him as he walked away. The blond witch scooped her son into her arms with a longing glance toward Theo. The little boy waved sadly from over his mum's shoulder, the melancholy woman struggling to keep up with her husband's long strides.

"Shall we go see what sort of treats Grammy Molly made for us today?" Lucius asked knowingly. The children answered with a chorus of cheers. They skipped and twirled around the two Slytherin wizards as they made their way to the small crowd forming around the spread of treats the Weasley matriarch had provided.

"Thank you for pretending to invite me, but I should go," Theo hesitated.

"No. You should tell me how the bloody hell you lost your son and your witch to that awful git."

"According to her father, I had nothing to offer after the war. We were in love, but he thought my name would ruin her...Even as he rots in Azkaban, my father still managed to somehow make sure I'd never find happiness," he sighed sadly.

"Does Flint really believe that boy could possibly be his son?" Lucius inquired.

"At first she'd tried to make things work with him, and I respected her wishes to stay away. I told her I'd wait forever if that's what it took. After only a few weeks, his cruelness became too much and she was lonely. I took her back with open arms, but their marriage contract was antiquated and ironclad to boot. You know how these things are; she legally has no say in ending their marriage" Theo explained with the heaviness of hopelessness. "Her father won't allow it, especially now that there is an heir. They'd been married a year or so when Astoria became pregnant with Christopher. We knew he was mine from the start because she always secretly uses a contraceptive charm whenever he forces himself on her. He's a vindictive bastard. Even if she tries to leave, he retains all rights to our child, and we'd never see Christopher again. Nothing can be done."

"If you want something badly enough, something can always be done," Lucius assured the younger wizard with a wink.

April 9, 2008

Draco,

I write to you as a desperate man seeking your help. I know I was a shite friend at a time in your life when you needed me most, and for that I am sorry. Because I allowed this rift between us to grow, you're still stuck with Blaise sodding Zabini as a best mate along with a pride of Gryffindors. For this, no apology can fix the variety of ways I have failed you. That being said, I need you more than ever. (And by "you", I mean your bloody brilliant wife) If it helps, I did reject all of the blood purity rubbish before you, so at least you know I approve of your brood of half-blood heirs.

The only way I can illustrate my level of desperation is to tell you that I actually confided in your father. As amiable as this new version of Lucius Malfoy may be, we both know it's fucking mad to discuss one's feelings with him. (He's still fucking scary as fuck. I felt like a little kid again when I spoke to him) From what I've managed to observe over the past few years, you're not as much of a wanker as you used to be. Please help me.

Your worst friend,

Theo

April 10, 2008

Theo,

It's about time I heard from you. Zabini and I were starting to wonder how long you'd keep yourself as a bloody prisoner in Nott Manor before finally reaching out to us. Although you were a right shite friend when I needed you most, I've never held it against you. We were all just trying to survive back then. The one error I shall never forgive is you leaving me to babysit Blaise on my own through his wildest years. He's lucky I made an ally of Harry Potter and became an Auror to keep him out of Azkaban all these years.

My father did inform us of your situation and nothing would give me greater pleasure than taking Flint down a peg or two, especially since he tried to insult my family. You'll be pleased to know that my wife is quite happy to have another charity case on her hands. She's already taken the liberty of beginning to dissect the Flint/Greengrass marital contract and has a list of questions for both you and Astoria.

Believe it or not, I've actually missed you. From what my father told me, you sounded like a whiny hag when he talked to you, so I was relieved that your usual flair for sarcasm still exists. We could always use another snake in the lion's den. Meet us at the Leaky Cauldron this Friday. It couldn't hurt you to add some Gryffindor friends to your life. I don't know where I'd be without a few of them helping me along the way.

Your best-looking friend,

Draco

P.S. - Blaise wanted me to inform you that he will murder you in your sleep if you think you can take his place as my best mate.

A/N - I always imagine Astoria to be blond, so I apologize if you prefer her to be brunette. What do you think of the addition of Theo to the story?

I won't make any promises on the next time I will post because I have missed my own deadline three times. All I can say is that I want to post ASAP. Real life and a bank of quality fanfics have prevented me from posting sooner.

I don't know the author of Remain Nameless, but it was AWESOME! If you haven't read it yet, read it while you wait on my next update.