A/N: Thanks for all the reviews. I probably won't be updating this for about a week now (sometime after December 20th I guess) because I'm going into hospital on 14th for a major knee operation. Check out my new fic - Flawed Perfection, to keep you occupied in the mean time (its another DMHG) and review like mad!

Lissy,

Just to let you know, Dad and I won't be able to pick you up from King's Cross this Friday. Ginny, James' Mum and Anna's aunt will drop you and Alex home and Anna and James will be staying the night.

See you soon

Lots of love, Mum xxx

Lissy glanced up from the letter at the same time as James and Anna finished reading their respective notes. Mischievous grins crossed their young and excited faces and Andreas looked worried as he turned to Milla. "Uh-oh, Mills, they're up to something."

"Hey!" Lissy called out in indignation. "We're just happy…"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." James half-snarled.

"And why would that be then?"

"Because James and Anna are staying over with me and Alex on the last day of term."

"Are your parents mad?"

Lissy looked up at Alex across the room and grinned, clearly he'd just received the same message. "Yes."

"Mr. Malfoy, Mrs. Malfoy…" The Minister for Magic stepped forward to greet the pair as they entered a large reception hall in the Ministry.

"Minister…" Draco nodded politely, his life experiences had left him deeply skeptical of politicians and Hermione had to appeal to his sense of pride to get him to come to the dinner where they would receive their Order of Merlin, Second Class for their work on new lifesaving potions. Oh, and reminding him that he'd have the opportunity to show off Hermione as his wife always helped.

"Hermione, I am struggling to be polite to these people…" Draco muttered through gritted teeth as they crossed the room.

"Grin and bear it, Draco…"

"They made me kill my father…"

Hermione squeezed his hand tightly. "Stand tall Draco, Malfoy pride…don't let them win." Draco smirked slightly as he felt a slight swelling feeling in his chest, the feeling he always got when Hermione purported to being his wife.

"Draco dear boy, long time no see. And who's this beautiful woman?"

"Shit." Draco moaned as some overweight politician he vaguely recognized bared down on them. "Mr. Horsley…this is my wife, Hermione."

"Charmed." The man took Hermione's hand and she inwardly grimaced as he kissed it.

"Hermione, Mr. Elliot Horsley, Department for…"

"Muggle Cooperation my dear."

"Are you Muggleborn yourself?" Hermione questioned politely.

"Yes. Its rather necessary in this line of work, purebloods like Draco and yourself aren't very good, if you don't mind me being rude, at handling those poor Muggles at the best of times."

Hermione gaped slightly. "Pureblood?" She coughed. "Oh no, I'm Muggleborn to. You obviously don't recognize me – Hermione Granger, Harry…"

"Potter's best friend." Mr. Horsley blushed a shade of beetroot Vernon Dursley would have been proud of. "My goodness, my sincerest apologies my dear. I simply didn't recognize you." He gulped as Draco glared at him. "It's been a while since you were in the public eye Ms Granger…"

"Mrs. Malfoy…" Hermione corrected.

"Mrs. Malfoy. And, I must say, I had no idea that you had married Draco here. In fact…"

"We've been living abroad. We didn't exactly shout about it." Draco nodded curtly and took Hermione's hand. "Now if you'll excuse us, there's someone over there…"

"That you simply must catch up with. Yes of course, wonderful to see you again." Mr. Horsley nodded and backed away, still in shock.

"No, that I'd much rather speak to than you, you bumbling idiot." Draco muttered under his breath as he and Hermione walked across to where one of their connections at St. Mungo's was looked bored to death by a Horsley look-a-like.

"Can you see my Mum?" James questioned as he, Alex, Anna and Lissy piled off the Hogwarts Express with their trunks.

"James, we haven't seen your Mum before…" Alex laughed as Anna's owl squawked loudly.

"Long red hair, probably with a load of people with red hair."

"Like…there…" Alex waved a hand in the direction of a crowd of men and women, most of the men having red hair.

"Mum!" James shouted and Ginny came flying across the platform, grabbing her son and hugging him fiercely as he blushed furiously.

Releasing the raven haired boy she gave Anna, who looked like a miniature of Ginny herself a warm hug. "Anna banana, I missed you darling…"

"Missed you too Auntie Gin."

"And you two must be Hermione's pair." Alex and Lissy looked aghast as they were swept into Ginny's arms and Anna and James chuckled on the sidelines. As Ginny let them go the youngsters noticed the smallest of tears leave her eyes and James hastened to change the subject.

"Where's Lils and Siri?"

"At your Grandmother's. Oh, hello Milla…" Ginny grinned and kissed Bill's stunning daughter on the cheek.

"Watch out for that pair, right minxes." She chuckled and winked as she ran off after her father.

Ginny eyed Alex and Lissy warily as they did their best to conjure innocent expressions. She merely chuckled and shook her head as she set off towards the barrier, muttering about twins.

At a touch from Lissy's small hand the front door of Hermione and Draco's grand townhouse swung open and Ginny ushered the youngsters inside, James and Anna looking around in wonderment where as Alex plonked himself down on his trunk and grinned. "This is nothing; you should see the manor…"

"Manor?" James asked incredulously. Ginny tutted and headed for the basement.

"Why don't you lot go up to your rooms? James, Banana, choose what you need for the night from your trunks and then bring them back down to the hallway, I'll send them home for you. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."

She disappeared down the spiral staircase and Alex stood up once more, heaving his trunk up the staircase. A few minutes later Lissy and Anna were collapsed inside the pink and silver room, gasping for breath. "Why could Aunty Gin just levitate them up?" Moaned Anna and Lissy nodded in agreement, fingering her duvet. "By the way, I love your room…" Anna jumped up and glanced out of the window which had a view of the square in which the house was situated.

Lissy smiled appreciatively. "Dad always says it's far too pink…"

"Dad's don't know anything." Anna winked and Lissy giggled.

"Do you want a tour? Oh, do you have any swimming things with you?"

"You have a pool?"

"In the basement."

"Wow. I don't, have anything with me I mean, but I could get Aunty Gin to transfigure me something."

"Okay." Lissy said cheerily and ran to her drawers to find her own costume whilst Anna rifled through her trunk to find something suitable. A few minutes later they were banging Anna's trunk down the stairs – a change of clothes and pajamas deposited on Lissy's bed, causing Ginny to think that the ceiling of the kitchen was caving in as she sipped her tea.

"Aunty Gin…is it okay if I call you that? Can we go swimming? Anna doesn't have anything, but could you transfigure…and tell the boys we're in the pool." Lissy burbled as she pulled some pumpkin juice from the fridge and poured two large glasses of it.

Ginny chuckled at the twelve year old and nodded. "Of course. Take care, Anna, what is it you want me to transfigure?" A pair of sleep shorts and a vest top were quickly turned into a modest purple tankini and within minutes cheerful shouts and splashes could be heard from beyond the French windows.