Title: The Future Has a Past
Chapter: Chapter 5
Author name: Brittney
Author email: Babygyrll16@aol.com
Category: Romance
Sub Category: Drama
Keywords: Draco Harry Brothers Au D/Hr
Rating: PG-13
Summary: AU One summer changes two peoples lives. The future Queen of Wizarding France and the very Powerful Draco Malfoy felt something one summer that never went away. *This summary has changed look at chapter One - Three for original* (Check my author note for more important info)
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Author notes: *CHECK CHAPTER 1 - 3 AN'S FOR STORY BACKGROUND*
adieu - means Good-bye
Merci - means Thank you
I know it's short but it's kind of an intro to the future.
"The Future Has a Past"
"As you move toward your future, look back and (if you have good sense) you will see your future has a past . . . because THE FUTURE HAS A PAST." - J. California Cooper *My favorite Writer* (In the Author's note of:) "The Future Has a Past"
Ch. 5
+Ten Years Later+
Draco Malfoy stood in the Foyer of the Malfoy Manor watching his three younger siblings and his parents try their best to say good-bye.
Draco had graduated from Hogwarts nine years ago with the Highest Honors and as Head Boy. He had taken his love of money, Arithmancy, and Power and decided to become a Stockbroker. He was more successful than he ever hoped to be, he had become the most trusted Stockbroker in all of England. Draco ran, and owned, a business that is only in the business of Wizarding Stocks, Malfoy Inc. It was no longer a fledgling company. It had an office in every Wizarding town in England, several branches in Japan, the United States, Brazil, Spain, and several other European countries.
His company handled the stocks of several high profile wizards from his famous Brother, who owned six Quidditch teams, to Albus Dumbledore. It was a Multimillion Galleon business that brought in more money than his father's job at the Ministry of Magic ever could.
Draco had decided that it was time his company got involved with the Economy of a country he had long avoided, France. So after almost two years of discussing it, months of planning it, it was time for Draco's temporary move to France. It was common knowledge that the future Queen of France was in the process of gathering her Team of Advisors for her reign. She was to receive the throne the day after her mother's birthday, which meant she would be receiving the throne in the next two months.
Bianco had applauded his decision and wished him luck on his trip, though she hoped it would mean he would become involved with the future Queen again. Bianco had married Ron, who had just been elected Minister of Magic in April, two years after she graduated. They now live in London with their two sons, five-year-old Matthew and six-month-old Marcus.
Harry, who was still in contact with Hermione, felt that it was not a good time for Draco to be reinserting himself in her life. Harry knew where she stood on the issue and he knew it would be no easy task. Harry extended an offer of marriage to Ginny just after her Society Presentation Party and they married six years later. Harry was the owner of six successful Quidditch teams and Ginny is an Interior Designer, they live in Scotland with their two-year-old daughter Caroline.
Draco didn't care what either of them thought of his decision, he had decided long ago what he was going to do and no one was going to change his mind.
Even his three younger siblings didn't want him to go but some of that was just the thought of their brother being so far away. Lily and Lucius had conceived three instead of one ten years ago. Lucas, Lillian, and Jasmine were the last of the Malfoy children and none of them even understood the importance of their brother's trip.
Lucius stood next to his wife, cane in hand, lips pursed in a straight line, and his voice hard as steel, "Son, I hope this trip is worth the trouble."
Lily glared at her husband before pulling Draco into a tight hug, whispering, "Good luck darling."
Draco kissed his mother, hugged his brothers and sister, and shook his father's hand. He turned to walk out the door calling behind him, "I'll write!"
As Draco walked out the door Lucius whispered to his wife, "I do believe he's placed his happiness in her hands."
"At least those are quite capable hands, Lucius. Don't be so quick to scorn, you did the same once you know," Lily replied turning to him as the triplets ran out to watch their brother leave.
Lucius could say nothing as his wife followed the children out the door and he had no choice but to do the same.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Aren't you supposed to be at the Homeland Security meeting?" Abagail Granger asked her oldest daughter as she entered the Palace White Room.
Hermione Granger looked up from her desk for the first time that morning, her eyes tired and determined. Ever since the death of her father, in a standoff against the very people who murdered her cousin, she had become more involved with the politics of her country. The death of her father, four years ago, changed her whole attitude toward her position as the Future Queen.
Nine months after their return to France Arycka Granger was born, then four years after Arycka came Linette, Henry finally had the family he wanted, but he didn't live long enough to enjoy it. Hermione tried her best to be the strong force in their lives just so they wouldn't notice how their mother had fallen apart in the last couple of years.
"Mother that was at seven this morning, I have a meeting with a potential Advisor at 12," Hermione replied as Linette lay on the couch next to the desk.
"How did that go?" Abagail asked sitting next to Linette, who was taking a break from her lessons.
"Honestly, pretty well. The so-called 'revolutionists' have agreed to cooperate, which is something that could only be hoped for," she answered sitting her silver Quill back in the ink pot.
Abagail nodded her head before turning to her youngest, "Go on back to the Governess, I'm sure Arycka is done with her test by now."
"Yes, mother," Linette yawned before grabbing a piece of candy off Hermione's desk and heading out of the room.
"So who is this week's potential advisor?" Abagail asked her oldest daughter, wondering where the years had went.
Hermione looked down at her cluttered desk with a chuckle, "Can you believe I haven't even looked? I know he is supposedly a very prominent British Stockbroker but that's all I know. Mother, I don't know if I like the thought of some stranger being my most trusted advisor."
"Well, darling that's the way things work. Your financial advisor is usually your most trusted advisor and they will advise the hiring of other advisors," Abagail answered with the air of one who never bothered with such matters.
"He's British, what would he know of the French people?" Hermione asked as she fished through the papers on her desk for the profile of the potential Financial advisor.
"You are half-British yourself Hermione, he may be the best candidate for the job," she replied as Hermione finally found the paper.
Hermione's jaw fell, she hadn't seen that face in ten years and she could never forget it. Harry and Bianco both wrote her weekly, sometimes daily, and their letters hardly mentioned him. However, he was coming to France, Harry had told her and she hadn't thought of it, Malfoy, Inc. -- Draco Malfoy. He was her potential advisor. She would be meeting him at twelve, in the Palace Parliamentary Office.
"Who is it darling?" Abagail asked frowning at the obvious surprised etched on her daughter's face.
"Draco Malfoy," Hermione whispered, her eyes still focused on the picture on the corner of the parchment. She was staring into his eyes, the eyes of a Seventeen-year-old she remembered so fondly, and into the face of a twenty-eight-year-old she knew nothing about.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hermione sat stoically at that the end of the large table in the center of the Palace Parliamentary Office. She was dressed in the customary Royal Purple and Ivory robes, the colors for the house of Charbon-Cheveux. Her hands were folded in her lap, so as not to break her image of calmness, and her breathing was slow and regulated.
At exactly noon the door was opened and the face of her Butler appeared, "Votre altesse royale, Draco Malfoy, ici pour le bureau royal du conseiller." (Translation: "Your Royal Highness, Draco Malfoy, here for the Royal Office of Advisor.")
Hermione took a deep breath before turning toward her Butler, "S'il vous plaît, l'envoyer dans Louis." (Translation: "Please, send him in Louis.")
Not two seconds later did a younger Lucius Malfoy step into a room, his eyes were gray though, not the cold blue that belonged to Lucius. Hermione did not stand as he entered, as it was customary for most ladies, but because she was the future Queen she did not. She watched him closely as he entered and bowed respectfully.
His expression did not convey any emotion. She nodded in response, speaking softly, "Mr. Malfoy."
"Your Highness," Draco replied, as he sat at the opposite end of the table.
"You are here to discuss a possible position as my personal and royal advisor," Hermione began, her tone as professional as she could keep it, her eyes did not leave the parchment in front of her.
"Yes," Draco answered as his eyes washed over her, noticing the lack of the life in the woman, her expression was anything but the girl he remembered so well.
"Now, why on Earth would you want to my advisor? It says here that you are in the business, a very successful business I must say, of Wizarding stocks. I don't see the need for you to become involved with French Economics or politics. Care to elaborate?" she asked, finally looking up at him.
"Your Highness --" Draco began but her voice interrupted him.
"Hermione or Miss Granger, please."
"Miss Granger, I believe my company is prospering because I take great strides in my business. I believe if I become involved with the Politics and Economics of France it can only push my company into an area before which it has never explored. I want to help my company expand in France and, all the while, learn new tricks of the trade by being involved with the French people," Draco replied as if he were reading off a speech.
"You do know if you are hired you will not be able to quit the job until I die, you die, or I ask you to resign. Does that sit well with you?" Hermione said in a tone fit for a Queen, she had practiced hiding her emotions, and it was working well.
Draco contemplated a moment, he had learned, after a thousand meetings, how look like he was making a decision when he had already made it. Draco was reminding himself not to answer quickly nor take to long, "It is fine with me, Miss Granger."
"Are you prepared to move into the Palace? I will need you at all times and the Palace has an entire wing specifically for the Queen's Advisor," she asked, sitting her elbows on the table and intertwining her hands just as her father did when having business meetings.
"I, Miss Granger, am prepared for everything," Draco replied his eyes meeting hers, for perhaps, the first time since the meeting began.
Hermione looked down at the parchment before her, she could remember saying she didn't want a stranger, but she didn't want someone she knew so well. She looked up at Draco and pondered her decision momentarily.
Hermione stood, Draco followed suit, sighing softly before speaking, "Oh, la toile enchevêtrée que j'ai tissée." (Translation: Oh, the tangled web I've wove.")
Draco smirked at her, she was not aware that he was not fluent in French, "Quoting Sir Walter Scott."
Hermione let her surprise show for only for a moment before speaking in an amused tone, "So you do speak French."
"Someone once said they hoped that the next time they saw me that I spoke semi-fluent French. I've been speaking it for ten years now, I am fluent," Draco smiled as she rang the bell, that magically rang throughout the Palace, for the Butler.
The Butler opened the door slowly, asking respectfully, "Oui, Manquer?" (Translation: Yes, Miss?")
Hermione turned to the Butler, directing sternly, "M'apporter le parchemin contracte et les Politiques d'Intimité, rapidement Louis." (Translation: Bring me the parchment contracts and the Privacy Policies, quickly Louis.")
The Butler nodded responding as he exited the room, "Oui, Manquer, rapidement." (Translation: Yes, Miss, quickly.)
"So I have the job," he stated, raising an eyebrow.
Hermione did not answer, she waited for the Butler to return, Louis sat the parchment in front of Draco. She turned from Draco, pointing toward her Purple and Ivory cloak, Louis quickly sat the cloak upon her shoulders. Hermione moved toward the door, stopping just short of the door to address Draco, "I shall see you in the morning then, I bid you adieu."
Draco nodded in respect to the brown-eyed lady who was not the same girl that he'd become so attached to ten years ago. He watched as the last glimpse of her cloak disappeared behind the door and let a loud sigh escape his lips as Louis closed the door.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Why won't you accompany me to get my dress Hermione?" Ten-year-old Arycka asked as her sister continued to look through Royal papers on her desk.
Hermione looked up at her sister with a sigh, trying to find an excuse, "I have work to do, I just found my Advisor, and I don't exactly want to see the dress until the day I am crowned."
"I thought you said surprises were silly?" Arycka asked, smoothing her busy brown hair the best she could.
Hermione rolled her eyes, trying not let her impatience show, "When did you start listening to me?"
"Look, Hermione, this may be trivial and frivolous to you but I don't trust mother to pick out a dress for me. Je ressemblerai au grand-mère!" Arycka argued. (Translation: I'll look like grandmother!)
Hermione stifled a giggle at the horror etched on her younger sister's face, "Look, I am sorry that I can't accompany you Arycka, I have work to do."
Before Arycka could continue a deep, drawling, voice interrupted her, "Excuse me but I am finished with these contracts."
Hermione gave a flustered smile as he handed her the rolled parchment, "Merci, Mr. Malfoy."
"Draco, please," he responded with a bow of his head.
Arycka looked between the two before smiling at him charmingly, her voice was more mature than her age, "Sir, I am Princess Arycka Armelle Granger-Charbon-Cheveux."
Draco smirked at the charming young girl before kissing her hand, "Draco Malfoy, it's a pleasure."
Hermione smiled at the two before turning to her sister, "Arycka go join mother before she leaves and picks out the dress without your participation."
Arycka gasped before grabbing her cloak and making her way out of the room, leaving Hermione and Draco together. Neither said anything for a moment before Draco bowed and made his way out of the room leaving a flustered Hermione.
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*Syaoronsangel* - I know it was sad but it was a burst of inspiration. I don't know if we will see the murder some more but we will the consequences of the murder.
*Anglachel* - Oh he's going to France, I promise.
*sila-chan* - THANK YOU! I'm glad that Bianco is such a Malfoy then that means she's not a Mary Sue! LOL Thanks girl.
*Pandora The Vampire* - Goodbye is the UGLIEST word. LMAO Thinking isn't normal for anyone! Yes loving Draco and Lucius equally is soo easy to do! If only we could REALLY mold Lucius into a lovable Rogue like we (AND J. K. Rowling) can do with Draco. Hey if we are the only ones at least we can split them 50 - 50.