Draco Malfoy sat lightly on his chair, leaning forward, as his Mother passed him English Breakfast Tea, with a full tablespoon of sugar and no milk. He hadn't changed since childhood - at least in how he took his tea. He could remember sitting here, his legs dangling, and his mother passing him a steaming cup.

He took a deep, calming breath. "That was quite a distressing business, up on the East Coast, near Inverness, was it not? The Order of the Phoenix, burning an entire village to the ground."

Narcissa Malfoy smiled, and gently said, "That was up on the North Coast, dear, near the Hebrides."

Draco turned his silver eyes on his mother's actinic blue, and asked, "Have you given a thought as to what will happen to the orphans?"

"My son, taking an interest in helping people he's never met?" Narcissa paried with.

Draco responded, mildly, "There's a first time for everything, isn't there?"

Narcissa let out a girlish giggle, "You'll tell me when, won't you?" Her eyes were sharp, her laughter only a guise.

"Of course, don't I always, Mother?" Draco Malfoy said, "It would be to our benefit to display our generosity towards these poor unfortunates. They haven't a penny, or a family to their name."

Narcissa Malfoy tilted her head, "Oh? I would have thought... at least one of them would have family elsewhere..."

Draco shook his head sadly (also a fictional politeness), "Apparently the Ministry's mislaid the entire region's records too."

Narcissa's eyes seemed to sharpen, briefly, "That does sound like the Ministry, doesn't it? Always disappearing things..."

Draco Malfoy said, "To properly display our generosity, we should open our house to one of these children. It may not be enough to simply throw money at the problem."

Narcissa smiled, "Yes, we do quite a lot of that already, don't we?" She crossed her legs, and laid her teacup down. She gave a careless, girly smile and then said, "I do believe it's time to bring back a rather old tradition."

Draco Malfoy stepped into the conversational void, "Oh?" This was farther into the conversation than he'd planned, but at least she seemed willing to consider his idea.

"Blood Adoption," Narcissa Malfoy said, smiling genteely.

Draco nearly dropped his cup, speaking to cover his confusion, "But the Malfoys' have never..."

Narcissa Malfoy smiled like a cat from Cheshire, "It's a practice that dates back to the Romans. My family, the Black Family," she added unnecessarily, "Has practiced Blood Adoption quite frequently. I do believe the Sacred Twenty Eight has need of such a practice again. Wouldn't it be just marvelous for the Parkinson's to gain an heir?"

Draco Malfoy sipped his tea, his mind whirling. His mother had completely outmaneuvered, not just him, but - if this worked, and knowing his mother, it absolutely would, the entire Wizarding World. Blood Adoption was a masterstroke - the Malfoys would be bringing a mudblood into their family, formally. But, the Parkinsons, and many other old families, would be making an unblooded child their heir.

If Potter's LightSide won, the old families could convincingly say that they'd already changed, and that all that nonsense with the Dark Lord was merely them being strongarmed - or, if they were especially deft, them working to avoid drawing suspicion on family members. For purebloods, acting to preserve the family was a higher value than politics, after all.

If the Dark Lord won, Narcissa Malfoy would be holding the keys to the kingdom. She could out anyone, by revealing that they'd adopted a mudblood - even named the poor child heir. It was perfect blackmail material - damaging enough to discredit someone. Not quite firm enough to actually reveal.

"Mother, you are a genius." Draco Malfoy said, his eyes lighting with appreciation. She'd elaborated his scheme, and done so in the most subtle and deceptive of ways. It was delicious.

"I know, Draco, I know," Narcissa Malfoy said, smiling softly. "Find me a girl, bright and canny - someone who can stand resolute, when all eyes fall upon her."

Mother was asking for Draco to find her a model orphan, one she could put on display, both to chide her High Society into helping, and to flourish about the Ministry the next time some jackalope decided to say that the Malfoys were just out for themselves. (They were, as always, but Slytherins always hedged their bets).

"I will find someone capable of withstanding the scrutiny we as Malfoys have always faced." Draco Malfoy said firmly. His voice softened, as he continued, "I will find you a daughter."

"See that you do," Narcissa Malfoy said. Her sharp eyes followed Draco Malfoy as he left, his pace fast but unhurried.

[a/n: if you can walk 4mph without looking like you feel it at all, you tend to scare people who didn't realize you were going that fast. It's another Slytherin trick.

Narcissa raised the stakes.

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