a/n1: Here we go again! I had a wonderful weekend and my muse was so gracious as to let me write and post this early. viv-heart betaed as always ;) Have fun! :)

Draco decided that being an intimidating woman was another thing all three Black sisters had in common. While Bellatrix had been frightening in her madness and Narcissa in her coldness towards people she deemed unworthy, Andromeda was intimidating in her own way. When she had caught the Malfoy men in the middle of their planning to turn the trees in the garden in one gigantic tree house, she hadn't shouted or turned cold like her sisters. She had pursed her lips, folded her arms, and tapped her right foot on the ground. Lucius had hurried to explain that they wanted to make a tree house for little Edward.

"A tree house in three trees? For a boy who is not even a month old?" she asked in a deceptively calm voice. Both men looked down and Draco fought the urge to shuffle his feet.

"It would need some time after all and we would like to make something for him," Lucius tried to explain but the normally regal man looked like a boy under the scrutiny of Andromeda. Finally the woman relaxed and both Malfoys released a breath they hadn't noticed they were holding.

"It's a nice idea Lucius, but remember his age. I think some toys would be more appropriate for now. Maybe you could build something when he is older," she said gently. Lucius nodded curtly and returned to the house while Draco thanked Andromeda for the advice. But a weight had settled on his breast and he imagined that his father had felt the same.

How could Andromeda be so sure that they would be there to see Teddy grow up? It was much more likely that they would sit in Azkaban, slowly freezing to death. Draco shook his head in an attempt to remove the depressing thoughts and returned to the house to get the book he was currently reading.

Draco met Hermione and his mother in the living room, where they were hugging each other, saying good bye. He just wanted to turn and leave when Hermione spotted him and called his name.

"Draco! Did you think about the suggestion I made yesterday?" she asked and he had no other option than to step into the living room and answer.

"Yes, I did, actually. I saw that Theo got probation and has to return to Hogwarts as well. I would like to write to him," Draco replied, still somewhat subdued, which got him a questioning look from Hermione, but to his relief she didn't ask about it.

"Alright, I will write to Mr. Shafiq. He is in charge of every case and should know whether you are allowed to write him," Hermione smiled at him reassuringly and bid him good bye as well.

"What was the lecture from Andromeda in the garden about?" Narcissa asked curiously when the green flames of the floo died down.

"Father and I were talking about building a tree house for Teddy and we were going a bit overboard when she came. Talking about using three trees…" Draco trailed off when he saw Narcissa's amused grin. "What?"

"Well, if Andromeda is anything like me, she would never allow you to use her poor plants like that, even if Edward wasn't just a month old," his mother said with twinkling eyes. "But maybe you can think of something more practical for a toddler."

Draco sighed, got his book and left the house to sit at the pond in the backyard.

When Hermione returned to Grimmauld Place, she found Harry, Ron, Kreacher and another elf sitting at the kitchen table.

"Ah, Miss Granger returned from her talk to Miss Cissy. Can Kreacher bring you something?" the old elf asked and Hermione declined with a smile. It astounded her time and again how much the elf had changed after the burden of his failure of his master had been taken from him.

"Maybe you could introduce me to our guest, Kreacher," Hermione suggested instead.

"Oh, yes! This is Tinna, Kreacher's apprentice! Her masters were killed in the Battle, but she is a young elf and is ready to work for Messrs. Potter and Weasley and Miss Granger."

The elf nodded her head. Like every house-elf she had bat-like ears and was rather scrawny. Tinna wore a clean, rosé pillow case. Her eyes were a lovely shape of blue and bigger than Kreacher's. She had a rather short nose and was smiling broadly at Hermione as she sat down at the head of the table.

"Did Kreacher explain to you why I think house-elves should be paid and get holidays?" the witch asked cautiously.

"Yes! Tinna understands that Miss wants the elves to be valued more. Tinna thinks that it is very good idea," the elf exclaimed with a high, but pleasant voice. "Tinna's former masters weren't nice people to other people, but Mistress gave Tinna fresh pillowcases every week and Master never hit Tinna or forced her to punish herself."

Hermione smiled at the elf lady. "That is good. What kind of payment would you accept? Pillowcases would be alright I gather. Is money okay?"

Tinna thought for a moment. "A pillowcase every month should be alright. Maybe a few knuts every week? Tinna doesn't need much for herself. Room and board is part of the contract, pillowcase now as well," the elf explained.

"Alright. Harry, Ron, what do you think?" Hermione asked. After all they should be included in the decision.

"I think that is a fair deal," Harry answered and Ron nodded.

"Good, would you allow us to pay you a sickle per week?" Hermione asked Tinna who nodded her head reluctantly. "How about holidays? Do you want a contingent of days you can use whenever you want or do you want specific days only?"

"Tinna would like days to use. House elves don't celebrate Christmas or other people festivities but we have our own. They move with the moon so they are different every year. Ten days?"

Hermione nodded and conjured a parchment were she wrote down everything they had just decided.

"Now, we need to sign it all so it becomes official," she announced and everyone took the quill in turn and signed the parchment. When the last signature was on it, the parchment glowed green for a moment and produced a copy for everyone.

"We need to send the original contract to the Ministry, but everyone has to keep his or her copy. Tinna, welcome to number 12 Grimmauld Place!" Hermione reached out to shake the elf's hand and smiled.

It felt strange to be an elf-owner now, but Hermione told herself sternly, that her contract was vastly different from a normal house-elf contract. This elf was no wizard's or witch's slave. She was a servant, who got paid and would be a valued member of the household.

Tinna told them, that there were most probably house-elf quarters in the attic. Kreacher confirmed it, but cautioned that nobody had been in there since the days of Elladora Black, who had started the tradition to behead house-elves, who got too old. She had also forced every elf to live in the kitchen so they would be there whenever needed. At the end of that explanation Hermione fumed, but Tinna calmed her down by telling her that she had never heard of anything like that before.

"Miss doesn't need to worry. Elves normally live in their own quarters, not in the kitchen," she said and patted Hermione's arm reassuringly. "Kreacher and Tinna will go up there and clean the quarters till we start preparing dinner if that is alright for you?"

Harry, Ron and Hermione nodded and the elves excused themselves.

"How was your visit, Hermione?" Ron asked, turning to her.

"It was nice. We talked a lot. I understand some things about her better now. And it really helped to talk to someone who would understand," Hermione answered with a smile that showed how relieved she was. "But that reminds me, I have to answer Parkinson and write to Mr. Shafiq!" Jumping up she was half through the door before she turned around to the boys sitting at the table.

"Sorry, can we talk later?" she asked rather sheepishly and grinned when Harry nodded and Ron made a shooing gesture at her while smiling. "You are the best!"

Upstairs in her room Hermione searched for the travel slant-top desk she had bought before the Horcrux search. After finding it, a few sheets of parchment as well as a quill and an inkpot, she settled down on her bed and started writing to the head of the Death Eater investigations. He had more cases than originally anticipated since quite a few Death Eaters had fled when they noticed that Harry was still alive.

Thoros Nott had been one of them. He had grabbed his son and apparated to Ireland. A few days after the news of the executions after the Battle of Hogwarts had gotten out to the public, he had turned himself and his son in.

While both had used dark magic in the fight, neither had used the Unforgivables so they weren't executed. Mr Nott Senior had been sent to Azkaban for the rest of his life because of the crimes he committed under the Dark Lord and for fleeing the prison the year prior. But Azkaban was guarded by humans and no longer by Dementors now so he at least wouldn't suffer from them.

Theodore Nott was pardoned for using dark magic because of the situation, his upbringing and age. He was on probation for two years and they would check his wand every month for traces of dark magic.

With that in mind, Hermione penned her letter to Mr Shafiq.

Dear Mr Shafiq,

I write to you on behalf of Mr Draco Malfoy. As the Malfoys are currently residing in a safe-house no owl contact is allowed. For Mrs Narcissa Malfoy an exception was made to further the reconciliation effort between her and me.
Mr Malfoy would like to contact Mr Theodore Nott, a childhood friend of his, to rebuild their friendship that was severed after the war. Mr Malfoy knows of the trial of Mr Nott and wanted to make sure that he is allowed to contact another former Death Eater.
I would allow Mr Malfoy to use my owl, who is already allowed to cross the wards so there doesn't need to be a further security risk. I hope to hear from you soon.

Yours sincerely,
Hermione Granger

She set the letter to dry and re-read Pansy Parkinson's letter, this time actually chuckling about the image the other witch drew with her words.

Hermione thought back to the Pansy she knew in school. Always sneering, not the most intelligent and a bully. She wore fine cloths and her Yule ball dress had surely been expensive. But how had she looked like in the Great Hall after Voldemort's announcement? Fearful, actually shaking from terror. Clutching a girl, not older than twelve to her side, maybe the mentioned sister? She had left the hall without arguing, her back straight and her head held high. So very different from the younger Pansy. Hermione sighed and decided to accept the apology. If she wanted to promote house unity it wouldn't do when they continued to hold their grudge against each other.

Parkinson,

I accept your apology. I know that writing to me is already a sign for your change of thought, but I want to be sure of it. Maybe we could meet for coffee next week and talk about it some more? I know that Diagon Alley is still under reconstruction so maybe in the Three Broomsticks? Or do you have a better idea? Three Broomsticks isn't exactly suited for a talk over coffee, is it?
I am not sure whether I can truly believe that I impressed your father. What I heard about him indicates he is as hard to impress as you described him to be. I only defended someone worth defending from a ridiculous sentence, that's not much.
I am looking forward to your response,

Yours,
Hermione Granger

While preparing her letter to Mr Shafiq so Athena could deliver it when she returned from hunting, Hermione re-read her letter to Parkinson. Was it too much to request a meeting? She just had a feeling that it would make understanding easier. The written word came without the connotations of the spoken word and could be misinterpreted quite thoroughly.

After the two letters were ready for delivery, Hermione sat down with a book on curse-scars she had gotten from Bill and read in it until dinner time came around and Tinna asked her to come down.

Lucius had just settled in when Narcissa came from the bathroom and sat down on her side of the bed. She started brushing her hair while looking into space. He wasn't sure why, but somehow this action grabbed his attention.

"What is it, dear?" Lucius asked calmly to not startle his wife.

"I was just thinking about what Andy said to you and Draco this afternoon, about building a tree house when Edward is older." They had talked about it during dinner again. "I saw your face. You fear that you won't be there to build one when he is older, right?" Narcissa asked softly, putting away her hairbrush and turning around to face him.

"I do. I want to do something good for him, so he doesn't remember both of his great-uncles as Azkaban inmates. He should know how much I like him, in that short time we stayed here," Lucius said with a grave voice. Narcissa shuffled closer and took his hand.

"Even though his parents and grandparents were blood traitors? Even though his father was a werewolf?"

"Yes," Lucius answered after a few minutes of silence. "It's time to move past that. I am not blind, I can see how the pureblood families struggle to bear children. Andromeda explained to me, that it is because of the inbreeding between the families. After she explained it, it was rather logical, but I wouldn't have guessed it."

Narcissa chuckled. "I am sure that was a rather…interesting conversation." Lucius scowled at that and she poked him gently in the arm. "It wasn't easy for me either, when I first noticed these things and at least Andromeda is happy to answer. Books tend to keep their mouths shut."

Lucius arched an eyebrow at his wife. "Those in the Malfoy library actually talk sometimes. But which books did you read? I assume none from said library?"

"No, when I was pregnant I liked to go to Flourish and Blots and there I got some books about the human anatomy. Rather fascinating, actually. But they also wrote about the consequences of inbreeding and after I had read about it, I saw the signs all around us. Only those of our friends who hadn't married a pureblood, but a halfblood had more than one child and no squib children," Narcissa explained. "I was shocked and refused to believe it at first. But after the third stillborn child I started to accept it. The famed purebloods would go extinct in a few generations."

"So we are really dependant on the muggleborns, isn't it ironic?" Lucius asked drily.

"Indeed. Now, let's sleep. You need to wake up early if you want to cook that meal you planned with Draco," Narcissa said and laid down.

Lucius sighed and laid down as well, giving her a good night kiss. He voicelessly set up the wards so she wouldn't wake up from his nightmares and finally extinguished the light.

a/n2: I am really curious what you think of Tinna ;) If I am as motivated to write as I have been in the last few days the chapter may be up by monday, I wish you a nice week! :)