"Harry? Are you alright? Is it your scar? Is she a Horcrux?" There is panic in her voice.

The Malfoys assume defensive stances, wands out. Hermione raises her hands, palms out.

"N-No. She is not. My scar is fine. It is just that... I had seen her before but I didn't realize it." Hermione gives him a wondering look for a second and then understands. She focuses on the little girl again and gasps. Her own eyes are staring back at her.

"A Metamorphmagus? I knew it ran in the Black family... I mean Tonks" she trails off at that, taken aback by the thought of another orphan. Narcissa closes her eyes and for a second it seems all the grief in the world is upon her.

"Oh, she does that. It's how she tells us who she wants to hold her" Draco simply says, diverting the subject. There is so much they should be discussing and instead here they are, baffled by her. Charmed by her, he thinks, proud of his little cousin.

"She will stay here. I can't vouch for the others but I will speak on your behalf and try to keep you and your parents free." Potter decides. "It is safer for everyone. Is she a Parselmouth? Don't tell me, just make sure absolutely no one else knows of it-"

"Harry!" Granger cuts him off "There is too much to discuss before making that decision. Her being a Parselmouth is the least of our problems. She could turn out to be... You know. We need to think this through."

"We do not-"

"Don't you dare! You brought me in to think! I am, and you are not being rational about this!"

"Her father was left unloved in an orphanage and look what happened! I was raised by people that did not care and I do not wish it on anyone. If she stays here, she will be loved and cared for. They understand what she is and will not try to change her nature. She won't be a freak. I will stand for this, will you? Because many wouldn't. They would want Voldemort's daughter dead."

The Malfoys tense up again. Draco takes a step back and slightly turns, keeping Delphini further away. "If you two so much as think about hurting her…" He is growling now, wand at the ready. Narcissa's back straightens and her wand is under Harry's chin, the lioness all too visible.

"Wait!" Hermione wants to diffuse the whole situation, but finds herself pointing her wand at Lucius Malfoy. He snarls, stepping forward, offering his chest. "Can we all take a step- Aaaaahhhhh"

She crumbles to the floor, bending over. There is searing pain and nothing else for a moment. Her vision is blurry, but she sees Harry down too, holding on to his head.

"Shh. It's all right. You can let go of them, Delphie. Shhh, I'm here, you're safe." The pain stops. Hermione finds herself on all fours, wondering about what just happened. It was her, realization downs upon her.

"I didn't mean to… that wasn't a threat. I'm sorry" She can hear Harry gasping for air midsentence.

Delphini starts crying and they both look up. Draco is across the room, cradling a furious baby. They can see her black curls changing, bright purple, red, white, not quite one colour yet and already morphing. Around her there is energy, pure unleashed uncontrollable magic, coming off her. Draco's eyes are on them. No doubts in that glare. This isn't the boy in the Astronomy Tower anymore. He will kill for her.

"Draco, wait." Lucius raises his hands, trying to appease his son. "Just calm her down and we will take this outside." He is shocked, truly shocked, Hermione realizes. He didn't know the baby was capable of this. Of defending herself. "You two, out!" They obey, stumbling, their heads afloat.

Draco lets his wand down, as does Narcissa. Lucius opens the door. They take one last look at Delphini and walk out the nursery.

x

They are all in a sitting room. They have discussed the subject for what feels like hours. Draco's head is pounding. Holding Delphini during that blast of sheer power left him dizzy but he will not relinquish her. He'll be dead before his cousin leaves. Granger was hard-bound on taking Delphie to another family at the beginning. Potter changed her mind. And after what seemed unending moments, her rational mind had to give in. He and his parents had done their share of convincing. They would teach Delphie to control her magic. They would teach her nothing of the Dark Arts. They would never reveal her true siring.

"If she stays here, with her family, she has a chance of being just herself. If she is taken people will start wondering why and it may raise questions we do not want raised."

"I know. But are you sure? It won't be easy, you know, facing the others. Leaving her to be raised by known Death Eaters…"

"Because life has been so easy so far! Do you remember what it felt like being a cast out? Back in first year, when you were just a know-it-all? I remember feeling like that for very long. She will feel it too if we take her away, Hermione."

Just come around, Granger! Draco was about to lose it. Why couldn't she just see? Did she really need to behave like a Ravenclaw? Just give in to your Gryffindor impulsive heart, for Merlin's sake!

She stands there, quiet, deep in her mind. "So power might be her nature, but nurture will shape her decisions, is that what you mean? That if we allow her family to love her, she will choose Light? Because we can find other families to love her"

"Love her past their prejudice?" His mother has had enough. Good. "They will always be afraid of her. She will be unhappy one of these days, cry her magic out, maybe hurt someone and then she will be raised by a frightened family! They will not love her, they will give in to her every whim in hope she doesn't destroy the house! Unless you take her," she is looking at Potter now, and Draco wonders if she has gone crazier than his aunt "she will never remember anything but people being afraid of her. And she is not leaving this house without a fight!"

That does it. Granger's warm caramel eyes are no longer conflicted. She understands that this must be done. It they are to start anew, they cannot do it with a powerful child removed from where she belongs. That got them all here in the first place.

"Has she been registered at the Ministry? You need immaculate papers for this to work. Hogwarts is a mess right now. I'm guessing the Aurors won't come until tomorrow, so you have time."

Harry chuckles at that. "Let's go, Mione. It's settled. When the Ministry comes, she will be a Lestrange and that's final."

Author's Notes: I am sorry for dragging this on. But one huge chapter didn't feel right, and I needed to do this. I just had to make this a very personal question for both Harry and Hermione.

Next up, Aurors come crashing down on Malfoy Manor, seventeen years later.