Disclaimer; I dont own Harry Potter.

A/N Here is that second chapter I promised you. I hope you like it. Happy reading and don't forget to review.

Owls to all…

I ran over to the desk in the study and grabbed out all of the parchment available. I began to write furiously. Note after note poured out of my already full head. I had so much I wanted to say to everyone, in a flash I tore up the notes I had already written and instead penned the same note to everyone.

It's a Party!

Draco and Hermione request the honor of your presence at

A party in their home Sunday, May 1, 1pm.

Please send RSVP by return owl as soon as possible.

Thank you,

Draco and Hermione Malfoy

I gave out owl complete directions on who to deliver this to, and sent him off, leg dragging from the weight of the parchment.

"Its done" I said to Draco happily, as I walked back into the living room.

"Uh, what is done?" he asked, as he flipped through the pregnancy book

"I mailed out invitations to everyone we know so we can tell everyone the news at once. I invited them to a party on Sunday." I smiled merrily.

"All right, but you are not doing any of the work, we are hiring someone to help. My lovely wife is not going to lift one pretty finger in this house anymore." he said grabbing my hand and leading me to the couch.

"Now you sit down and relax, I am going to clean up from dinner. Tomorrow we are hiring a house-elf." he said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, no we are not." I jumped up and looked at him. "I think that whole thing of servitude is disgusting. I will not have a slave in our home." my eyes were filled with passion for the subject. Yes I had given up on SPEW, and I had come to accept that house-elves wanted to serve, and were happy doing it. But I still didn't want to have that in my home.

"Calm down honey, how about we hire a freed elf?"

"One we will pay, and give days off and holidays?" I asked suspiciously.

"If that's what you want, then yes." he replied.

"Well, I'll think about it" I said, knowing he had won this discussion. I smiled and then yawned. It had been a long day.

"Ready for bed my love?" he asked as his hands rubbed my neck.

"I suppose" I said, yawning again. "We will have to be up early to start looking for help. I am going to owl the ministry and find out when I need to be back at work."

"Work?" he asked. "You are pregnant, you need to be as stress free as possible, no more work for you." he said firmly.

"Uh, hello? Earth to Draco, we do not live in the fifteenth century, besides. I will tell them I can only do research, nothing more. I want to keep busy, and I will bring the materials home with me." There, I showed him. HA!

"There's the girl I married" he said smiling. And with that we went off to bed.

The next morning we woke up early and went to Diagon alley to look on the message board for freed elves looking for work. There were only 2 on the board, a female elf named Crinky, and a male elf named Drabby. We sent owls to both, telling them to meet us at our house later, and then we did some baby shopping before returning home.

When we got home, only minutes passed before the bell was ringing. When I answered it a knobby little old elf was standing on the porch. He was the oldest elf I had ever seen. He wore a neat navy blue jumper, and a woolen hat.

"Miss?" he said in a squeaky voice.

"Yes, please come in, you must be Drabby, I am Hermione Malfoy. It's nice to meet you." I motioned for him to come and sit on the sofa. His eyes grew wide with wonder.

"Oh, no miss. I can not sit with you, would be poor manners. Where should I start?" he took off his had and began dusting the end tables with it.

"Your old house elf surely has been slacking off; the house is quite dirty it is."

"We have never had a house elf, and if I wasn't pregnant, we probably wouldn't be getting one. Tell me, why you have been freed."

With that the ancient elf looked down at the floor and sobbed.

"My mistress died last month she did, she had no children. Her will said I was to be freed. I tried to fight it I did. I threw myself into her open grave to go with her, but they freed me nonetheless." he wiped his nose on his hat now and looked at me with huge teary eyes.

"I am sorry to hear that." I said soothingly.

"Thank you miss" he said between sobs. "You are too kind to Drabby."

"Now" I said "Let's discuss details. You will be paid 10..." he took a sharp intake of air.

"I is not wanting to be paid miss, I is a house-elf, I have not stooped that low yet." his face was full of fear.

"This job is for freed house-elves only. And it is a paid job, with time off" I said annoyed. Will these creatures ever learn?

"No, no miss. I will be disgraced." he blew his nose hard and looked back at me.

"No, you won't. But I have to tell you I have another elf coming over to meet me in an hour." I hoped the next one would prove to be a little more understanding.

"I understands miss, thank you for your kindness." he bowed low and left the house.

Precisely an hour later the bell rang again. I opened it to see a young elf, wearing a neat white blouse, navy pleated skirt and small flat shoes.

"Miss," she asked with apprehension, "Are you missus Malfoy?"

"Yes, you must be Crinky, please come in and sit down." I led her to the couch.

She walked confidently over to the sofa and sat down.

"Thank you." she said politely.

"Now, let me explain to you before we go any further that this is a paid house-elf job. If that offends you, you may want to look elsewhere." I sat next to her on the couch.

"I understand miss. Thank you."

"Okay, why did your last house free you?" I asked her.

"I was raised in that house. My mother served there, and my grandmother. When I was old enough to serve, I asked how much I is getting paid. They all looked at Crinky like I was contagious. I kept asking every day, and finally they gave me clothes and told me to leave. I left, because I want to be treated like more than a slave." she said with no hint of shame in her tiny voice. I was impressed.

"Well, that is just the answer I wanted to hear." I said joyfully.

She smiled widely.

"Now, we will be paying 10 galleons a week, with one day off. After a trial period, you will get a raise. How does that sound?" I asked hopefully.

"That is more than generous miss, when can I start?" she squeaked.

"How about today?" I asked, and with a pop, she disappeared. I was shocked. I thought she wanted the job. Puzzled I stood up and walked into the kitchen. Surprisingly she was already in there, scrubbing the floor.

"I wondered where you went." I said smiling down on her.

"I went to gather my things, I moved them into the cellar Miss." she said continuing to scrub.

"We have a spare room Crinky, why don't you stay in there?" she looked shocked.

"Oh, no miss. You will need that room for the baby." I had forgotten.

"How did you know I was pregnant?" I asked.

"I knows things." she replied.

"Okay, well if you have any questions come and ask me or Draco."

"I will miss, thank you." she went back to her scrubbing. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. She was not like Winky or Dobby, she was smart and independent. She would fit in just fine.

Saturday was spent shopping for the party. I had not clued in any of the invitees to the purpose of the party. We bought loads of rich foods and desserts, pink and blue decorations and non-alcoholic beverages. We had everything and everyone I invited was coming with the exception of my dad. I had not spoken to him in almost 2 years. Not that I didn't try, but he shut down. My mum was thinking divorce.

The next day Crinky was up with the sun cleaning, cooking and decorating. When I tried to help she shooed me off to the sofa to sit. Draco laughed at the idea of helping a house elf, but of course, he had been raised like that. The house looked very cute, huge pink and blue cherubs floated near the ceiling, throwing confetti that disappeared when it hit the floor. There were balloons tied to the banister of the stairs. The kitchen counter was filled with finger sandwiched, salads, fresh fruit, veggies and dip, and a big pink bowl of punch with floating frozen fruit in it.

"Everything looks perfect Crinky." I said approvingly.

"Yes, it looks wonderful" Draco said with a smile.

"If you needs anything," she squeaked, "just call me, I will be in my room." and with a pop, she disappeared again.

About an hour later, guests began to arrive.