Disclaimer:- I neither earn nor own anything from this story except my plot. Harry Potter and his world are the intellectual property of JK Rowling and her associates.

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A/N:- Thank you to LadyWinterlight, for her beta work on this chapter, and to everyone for their comments and kudos, I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

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Chapter Ten – The Making of a Scandal

The house was dark and quiet as Draco walked out of the Floo and into his townhouse, but he knew that his mother would still be awake in her bedroom. He sighed, hopefully this night might prove the end of his odious engagement to Astoria Greengrass. Although, if she is pregnant it will be scandalous, he thought as he tapped lightly on his mother's door.

"Mother?" he called.

"Come in, love," Narcissa replied.

He entered, and saw her sitting in her bed with her current book. She eyed him and gave him a tilted half-smile. "Is Hermione all right?"

"Hermione is wonderful," he replied, returning the little smile.

"Oh, I see. Do you think that is entirely wise, Draco? Things are still very unsettled," and she placed her book on the table beside her bed. "I wish I could work out the reason why that odious man is pushing so hard for an immediate union."

Draco smiled. "Hermione was wondering if it might be something that can't be hidden for long."

Narcissa gasped. "You haven't?"

"No, not me, Mother. I haven't touched the bitch," Draco screeched. "No, perhaps I'm not the only one…" and he made a bouncing gesture with his hands in the hope that his mother would put two and two together.

"Oh, you're saying that someone else may have…" Narcissa honestly hadn't considered that, but then anger filled every line of her face. "And they would pass someone else's bastard off as a Malfoy?" She was totally incensed. "I will have this investigated immediately," and she turned, her expression softening. "And if it is true that gives us grounds to void the agreement."

"That's wonderful, and it has to be something like that though, doesn't it?" Draco enthused, easily becoming caught up in the moment.

"I should say so. I will have Garrison order a full medical examination for both of you."

"Both?" Draco stated, sneering. "Why me as well?"

"It is something that has gone out of fashion, but I can remember my mother saying that she had a physical and magical examination to insure that she was 'good' breeding stock."

"That's barbaric," Draco replied.

"Yet, in this case, it may prove to be the solution to your problem, and if you willingly submit yourself to the healers as well, then she had no reason to cry discrimination."

Draco nodded. "That's good logic, Mother."

"Thank you," Narcissa said smiling at him. "What are you planning to do tomorrow?"

"Why?" Draco asked, avoiding answering.

"It would be good to get this organised as soon as possible," Narcissa replied.

"Ahh, Hermione and I are planning to go into Muggle London," Draco told her.

"That is not wise, if you must entertain Hermione, please do it discreetly, as in, stay at Andie's. The press have not had a whiff that your engagement is in doubt, and the odious girl has certainly been doing everything she can to publicise the fact that she thinks she's going to join the Malfoy family."

Draco sneered anew. "Well, I'm never going to marry her," he declared.

Narcissa gave her son a look full of warning, but said, "In that case, let's just hope that Hermione has thought of the reason that gets you out of doing so."

Draco leaned forward and kissed his mother's cheek. "Let's hope so. I'm going to have a shower and go to bed."

"Very well, and please be cautious, Draco."

"Yes, Mother," and he turned to leave.

"I'll contact Garrison right now," she said getting out of bed as Draco turned to leave.

"Okay, thank you, Mother. Good night."

"You're welcome," she replied. "Sleep well, Son."

xox

If Andie was surprised to see Draco walk out of the Floo and kiss Hermione as they sat at the breakfast table the next morning then she didn't comment.

Teddy however, was ecstatic. "Uncle Dwaco," he cried excitedly, banging his porridge spoon on his high chair.

"Hey, mate," Draco said, ruffling the little boy's blue and red rippling hair as he smiled at his Aunt with boyish charm.

Andie gave them a knowing look, and said to Draco, "Coffee's in the pot, and make your own breakfast if you want some."

He nodded and he went into the kitchen, coming back with a mug of coffee he sat next to Hermione. He immediately said, "Hermione came up with a theory about Astoria last night…"

"Yes, after going to George and Angelina's wedding last night, when Draco said he wished he knew why they were pushing him so much. Well," Hermione cut in smiling at Draco. "The thought crossed my mind that Molly hustled them into marriage quick smart when she found out that Angelina was pregnant."

"Perhaps that is why they're so adamant that we need to marry quickly," Draco finished.

Andie laughed. "The one thing that a pure-blood bride must be on her wedding day is not pregnant. Wow, what a scandal that would make."

"Yes, it will be, won't it," Draco grinned. "I've run it by Mother already, and she's going to arrange for a medical exam."

Andie thought on this for a moment, but then nodded. "It might be a possibility," but then her hand came over the table can covered Draco's. "But I don't want you two to get your hopes up until it's a fact."

"No, I've decided that I do not care if it is or it isn't," Draco replied. "And Mother is behind me. The Greengrass family seem to need us far more than we need them. Mother has been accepted again by her friends, and I needn't have worried. Mother is the reason I did not fight Cassius Greengrass before I went back to Hogwarts, but circumstances have changed, and I will not marry that witch regardless of whether it was 'destined' or not," he said, using air-quotes

"That's true," Andie agreed. She took another sip of her coffee. "Besides, no one knows. Perhaps you two," and she motion between Hermione and Draco with her hand, "have a destiny bond of some kind yourselves. Molly seems to think that Ginevra and Harry do, and that is another way of breaking an arrangement. Magical bonds like that trump any betrothal agreement no matter how powerful the family," she said.

"Can you test that somehow?" Hermione asked.

"Certainly… It's not exactly a light spell, but it's not a dark spell either," she amended after a moment's thought.

"So, in the grey area," Draco laughed.

Andie batted at him. "Mind your manners, Mister cheeky," she warned. "But it's not my particular area of expertise. Severus Snape would have known the distinctions, that man was like you are," Andie said thoughtfully, inclining her head to Hermione. "Highly intelligent."

Hermione smiled. "Why, thank you, Andie," she said, blushing. "Would there be research I could access?"

"Minerva McGonagall might know if there is. I heard Cissy say something the other day about Snape researching something about destiny for Albus Dumbledore."

"Then I'll start there," Hermione stated cheerfully, and she turned to Draco. "I'll research destiny as a back-up, just in case that witch isn't…" she told him, but then gasped. "Oh, my. If she is, I shouldn't have hexed her the other day, no matter how horrible she was."

Draco turned to her, and cradled her face in his hands. "Only you would worry about that, love," and he kissed her.

"Well, it wasn't very sporting of me."

"She wouldn't have cared had the shoe been on the other foot, Hermione," Andie said. "Don't worry about it."

"Yes, you're right…" Hermione said nodding, but then gasped. "Oh, but what if it caused a miscarriage."

"The medical exam will still show that she has been recently pregnant," Andie replied.

"And I will take Veritaserum to prove that it wasn't mine," Draco assured them.

Andie wiped Teddy's face as she added, "There is also a chance that the medical could reveal the father's identity too. There's a potion that is used for that. I've never brewed it, but I know it exists."

"I'll Floo Professor McGonagall and see if I can go to Hogwarts," Hermione said, draining the last of her coffee.

Draco watched Andie disappearing into the kitchen, and he said softly, "Then I'm coming too, if that's going to be our day out." Then he grinned at her. "After all, we're going to have a lifetime to go into London."

"Oh, Draco, that's such a lovely thing to say," she replied, smiling at him.

xox

Hermione and Draco were currently in The Shrieking Shack. "Who would store a person's effects in the same place that they died?" Hermione asked, slightly freaked out by their current location.

"Yes, it is rather bad taste," Draco added. "Uncle Severus deserved better than this."

"You have to remember that I only saw Professor Snape as a tyrannical teacher who hated Gryffindors," Hermione said, opening another trunk full of papers.

Draco chuckled. "Yes, he was an excellent actor."

"Actor?" Hermione questioned, already searching through the papers, but then her hand stilled and she looked up at Draco. "Yes, I suppose he was. It's truly awful that he was directly responsible for the peace we now enjoy and he is not here to appreciate it." Then she chuckled. "Mind you, I wish he was still here now, looking at all this lot. There is so much I'd love to learn from him, he was a brilliant man."

Then she stilled and watched as something within one of the boxes started to glow as a wisp of magic slithered into the box she was examining. She turned her head to the side quizzically and observed it being absorbed into a small bow brooch. Then both Hermione and Draco were scrambling backwards as the glow grew. "What the hell?" Hermione yelped, as to her great surprise, a vision of Albus Dumbledore appeared in front of them.

"Ah, Mister Malfoy, Miss Granger, I am so pleased to see you," the old wizard told them, stroking his beard, like he hadn't just arrived out of the blue after being dead for years.

"Sir?" they both said in unison, completely shocked by his arrival.

"Umm, are you…" Hermione started, but then thought she should add. "Please don't take this the wrong way, Sir… but are you… alive?"

He smiled genially. "No, my dear, I reside in the ley lines now, but you're seeing me now because you've just triggered my spell."

"Oh!" both young adults said, their eyebrows rising.

"You see, I've been keeping someone safe here with me since the day of the battle."

Hermione and Draco looked at one another and then back to the apparition.

"Who?" Draco asked, not daring to hope it was his godfather. He'd heard that Severus had died in The Shrieking Shack, but when he'd come back to collect him on his mother's insistence, there was a lot of blood but no body.

Albus' eyes twinkled merrily, and he blithely went on without answering Draco's question. "Yes, three witches…" Albus told them, and counted off on his long fingers. "One who would mother him, one who loves him and one who would learn from him," and he looked prodigiously pleased as he went on. "You have all wished that he was here, satisfying the words of the spell I used in saving him from death the day of the battle," the old headmaster went on without a care in the world, unaware of how shocked Hermione and Draco were. "Now, you must gather here at midnight with the other two witches and I can allow him to pass back through the lines to the living side and into your care via a ritual."

Having said that the wily old wizard started to fade.

"Wait!" Hermione cried. "Who are the other two witches?"

The old bugger laughed jovially. "The pair of you will work it out, Miss Granger. See you tonight. Ta ta," and he was gone.

Hermione sagged against the wall. "What?" and she looked sideways to the puzzled look on Draco's face. "How are we supposed to know that sort of thing?"

However, Draco continued to think for a bit, but then he started to smile. "I think I might, come on," and he grabbed her hand. "We need to speak to Mother."

They raced towards the front gates of Hogwarts and Draco grabbed Hermione and apparated them straight into his townhouse. Luckily he let go of her before he opened the parlour door because standing before his mother was Cassius Greengrass, and he seemed to be beyond angry. His shallow daughter was standing beside her father with a look of shock on her face. The trio in the parlour were so occupied in their displeasure that only Narcissa noticed her son and his companion, and Draco quickly back-tracked, taking Hermione across the hall and into his mother's private study, as they heard Narcissa's words ringing clearly across the hallway. "Cassius, if you had not changed the arrangements of our agreement we would not be having this conversation."

"Madam, I can assure you that it is only for expediency," Cassius stated arrogantly.

"Indeed," Narcissa replied just as haughtily. "Expediency would be better served under the circumstances if the arrangement were voided completely. It is obvious to me that my son and your daughter are not a good match, and we refuse to cooperate in this arrangement until you capitulate, as I believe that you will find that I am now the head of two sacred families, and therefore you're out numbered."

"You cannot simply change what is destined," he stated sniffing disdainfully.

Narcissa's eyes narrowed. "You have, and I can and I will. Now, present your daughter to St. Mungos at the allotted time and date and submit her to this examination."

"And what of your son?" Cassius asked.

However, it was at this point that Astoria pulled on her father's arm. "But they can't, Daddy," she cried. "That will ruin everything."

"Silence, stupid girl," Cassius raged, but it was too late, and Narcissa pounced, a predatory smile on her lips.

"Ruin? Ruin what, Astoria, dear?"

The girl blanched, and Narcissa rose gracefully from her chair, walking towards her. "Is there something you wish to tell us?"

"N-No," the silly witch cried, glancing wildly at her father.

Narcissa smiled shark-like at them, knowing they'd just quashed the arrangement. "Excellent, then we will see you at St. Mungos tomorrow morning at nine," and she turned to Cassius, "And for your information, Cassius, Draco has no objection to being examined in the same manner. Good day," and she gestured towards the Floo, and waited until they were almost in it before she stated, "Don't forget that the examination has a mandatory waiting period in case a substitution has been made, so do not even consider trying to double-cross me, or you will be very sorry," she told them.

Cassius' eyes narrowed, and he ushered his daughter through the Floo before saying, "Madam," and walking through himself.

As soon as they were gone, Narcissa walked towards the hallway. "Draco Lucius Malfoy," she called, displeasure in her voice.

"Shit," Draco muttered to Hermione. "I'm in trouble now, she only uses my full name when she's pissed off," he told her, and he opened the study door wider. "I'm sorry, Mother, but we had some exciting news for you, and…"

"And you almost walked into a hostile meeting with Miss Granger on your arm," Narcissa told him, summing it up.

"Umm… yes," he said, glancing at Hermione, who was still hidden by the door.

Narcissa sighed. "Come, we will have tea and you may tell me what your news is," she said, opening the door and revealing Hermione. "Hello, my dear."

"Hello, Madam Malfoy," Hermione said quietly. "We are sorry for barging in, but something quite astounding has happened."

Narcissa smiled serenely and took Hermione by the arm. "Then I cannot wait to hear what it is. Come," and she started leading Hermione towards the sitting room, with Draco following behind, smiling like a loon at the two witches he loved more than anything in the world walking together in such a way.

xox

The three of them were now sitting comfortably with tea in their hands, and both Draco and Hermione took turns in recounting what had just happened in The Shrieking Shack, and they had been so intent on their story that neither had noticed how pale and still Narcissa had become.

When they finished recounting the tale they looked at one another when they were greeted with silence.

"Mother?" Draco said, his eyes rising to her pale blue ones. In her eyes he saw emotion warring with hope, and just the slightest quiver in her bottom lip before she seemed to gather herself together and cleared her throat.

"Oh, my… Oh!" she murmured. "I never thought… W-Would you excuse me, please," and without another word she rose and started towards the door.

Draco followed her. "But, Mother, is it you… The one who would mother him?"

She just looked at him, so he continued.

"Well, it wasn't difficult to work out that the one who would love him was Lily Potter, nor that Hermione would be the one who would learn from him, but he and you always had a close relationship, and I thought that you…" but he stopped speaking when a tear trickled from his mother's eye.

She looked at her son, and managed quietly, "It is not Lily Potter who loves him, and I would suggest that you try Minerva McGonagall for the role you've so easily assigned to me. Now I need to be alone," and her voice cracked as she added, "Collect me on your way to The Shrieking Shack tonight," and she swept out of the room.

Draco stood there watching her leaving, his mouth working uselessly. He glanced down when he felt Hermione's hand arrive on his arm, and he said, "But that only leaves us with two witches. We need three," and he stood there blinking at her.

"Draco," she stated with some exasperation. "I believe that we have our three witches, let's go and speak to Professor McGonagall."

He watched Hermione walking to the Floo, but he couldn't… wouldn't fathom what she was implying. "No!" he gasped.

"Professor Minerva McGonagall's Office, Hogwarts," she stated, tossing Floo-powder into the fire.

"Yes," came the reply via the Floo.

"Hello, Ma'am, this is Hermione Granger, I'm sorry to bother you again, but Draco and I have something very important to discuss with you, could we walk through, please?"

"Certainly," Minerva agreed.

Hermione finished the call and turned back to Draco, and she smiled at him. "Professor McGonagall said yes," and she took his arm. "Come on, we don't have much time."

But he resisted. "My Mother and Professor Snape?" he said dumbly.

Her smile broadened. "Apparently, now come on, we don't want to keep the headmistress waiting."

"Umm, what?" he grunted.

"Draco! Come on," and this got his feet moving, and they were soon walking out into the headmistress' office.

xox

McGonagall was just as stunned, even if it was not for the same reason as Narcissa had been. However, she quickly grasped the concept that she would be the witch who would have mothered him.

She sighed and placed her cup down carefully. "It is true that I did try to humanise Severus after the unspeakable deeds perpetrated against him by my cubs. I was horrified that they were not punished by Albus for what they had done to him, but at the time I was not in a position to rectify the situation," and her eyes seemed to become unfocused for a time, but then she chuckled. "I suspect that trying to mother Severus Snape now as an adult would be like trying to cuddle up with a viper, but nevertheless, I have no doubt that one of our trio of witches is me. I take it that you, Hermione, would be the one who triggered the process while searching his papers, yes?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, we believe that is true," and she glanced at Draco, knowing what McGonagall's next question would be.

"So, do you know the identity of the third witch? It would not be the obvious choice, because apart from the fact that this would require three live witches, Lily Potter used the poor boy shamelessly. She did not love him."

Then McGonagall seemed to be waiting for an answer, and Draco cleared his throat. "It seems," he started. "That my mother is the third witch."

To their surprise, Minerva simply said, "Ah, yes, I'd forgotten about that," and she looked at Draco. "Narcissa always had a soft spot for Severus, and in her last year here he followed her like a puppy," and she nodded. "It doesn't surprise me that it grew… My goodness, the poor woman must be so shocked," Minerva finished, but then looked at Draco. "Although, I'm sure that no impropriety occurred."

Draco shrugged, he was uncertain what he thought about things at present, and the headmistress cut in on his thoughts. He hadn't known any of this, and he suddenly related to his mother's pain in a whole different why, and again he felt Hermione's gentle hand on his arm.

"All right?" she asked.

"This is a lot to take in," he muttered.

Minerva watched the intimacy passing between the two people in front of her, and she smiled. She hoped very much that they all got their happily-ever-after. However, she was brought from her thoughts by Hermione's voice.

"Then I believe that we have a lot of work to do before tonight, because the Professor had his throat opened up by Voldemort's killer snake, it was horrible," she added in a whisper, and swallowed before taking a deep breath. "Therefore, I suppose that he is likely to arrive in the same state that he left; quickly bleeding out on the floor."

"How do you know that?" Draco asked.

Hermione sighed. "We… Harry, Ron and I were there when it happened," she admitted, unaware of how he'd take this piece of information.

Predictably, he erupted. "And you did nothing?" he accused.

She grimaced, and hoped that he could forgive her. "Believe me, Draco, had I not thought he was already dead when he gave Harry his memories, I would have tried everything I knew to save him… But his memories simply floated out of him and he went very still, his eyes fixed. I t-thought… we all thought he was dead," and now even years later a tear snaked its way over her lashes.

Draco crumbled, pulling her into his arms. "No, sweetheart, don't cry," he whispered hoarsely. "I'm just shocked, I'm not angry. I know that you would have done your best… always. You're the most compassionate person I know," and he kissed her head.

It didn't take much for memories from the war to surface and inflict pain, and Minerva was all too aware of this, so she allowed the young couple their privacy for a moment, but then cleared her throat. "Perhaps we should consult Poppy as to what might be needed?" she commented, smiling as the pair of them realised that she was still there and jumped slightly. "Don't worry, I've seen this coming all year, and I think that you're very well suited to each other.

Hermione wiped her eyes and her lip slipped between her teeth. "We're really only friends…" she glanced at Draco. "We're only allowed to be friends at present."

Minerva smiled. "Don't worry, my dear, what happens in this office stays in this office," she stated, and took a casual sip of her tea.

"T-Thank you, Ma'am," Hermione replied with a relieved sigh, and she looked at Draco. "We better get organised."

Draco smiled and nodded.