a/n1: Hey there! Four of five exams done and all went pretty good. Woohoo! Now, I have time to write more, hopefully ;) viv-heart is as always my beta :)

"Harry! Ron! We need to go now!" Hermione called up the stairs impatiently.

"I can't find my shirt!" Harry shouted back and Tinna who just closed the door to George's room looked at Hermione with the universal female exasperation concerning any males of any species.

"Shall Tinna go upstairs and help Master Potter?" she asked and Hermione nodded vigorously. They weren't running late just yet but she wanted to be sure they wouldn't.

A minute later an annoyed Ron and a startled Harry were apparated in front of Hermione.

"Tinna made sure Masters are dressed properly and on time," the elf-lady said and smiled brightly up to Hermione.

"Thank you Tinna, you are a great help! How is George doing?" Hermione asked while they went into the kitchen.

"Mister Weasley is still asleep. Tinna will tell Mrs. Weasley when he wakes up," Tinna reassured her. "You must go now, it is half past twelve."

The three teenagers waved good-bye and flooed over to Andromeda's house. Of course flooing wasn't an exactly clean way of travelling but they wouldn't have to walk to the house.

At Tonks Cottage they were welcomed by Narcissa and Andromeda with Teddy who sat on the couch by the fire.

"Hello Andromeda!" Harry said as soon as they had dusted themselves of and walked over to give the grand-mother of his god-son a hug. "How are the Malfoys behaving? You can tell me the truth, I went to school with the ferret for six years!" he said with a good natured smile.

"Mr Potter, is that a way to speak of my son in front of his mother?" Narcissa chastised him with a mock glare.

"I am sorry Mrs Malfoy, but he has yet to convince me of his good qualities," Harry answered truthfully albeit smiling.

Narcissa sniffed haughtily and turned to Hermione and Ron. "Welcome Hermione, Mr Weasley! I hope you had a productive week. I heard of your plans to renovate the Black townhouse. I am sure it is a lot of work," she said in an attempt to diffuse the tension that had come over them after Harry's remark.

"We only made plans this week. But you are right, it will probably occupy our whole summer or even longer, even with the help from Tinna and Kreacher," Hermione answered. Ron nodded stiffly, still unused to the Malfoys being civil or friendly.

"Well, I will tell the men that we are ready to eat," Andromeda said into the uncomfortable silence and vanished into the hall while the others moved to the dining table in a corner of the room.

"Now, Hermione tells me that both of you tried out for Auror training this week. Did you get your results yet?" Narcissa asked after they sat down trying to start a conversation.

"No, not yet," Harry answered glancing at Ron.

Hermione frowned slightly. Something was odd, but she didn't get a chance to ask. Draco, Mr Malfoy and Andromeda came into the living room and settled down around the table after Andromeda had put Teddy into his crib.

"Lucius, would you do us the honour to serve the meal you and Draco cooked?" Andromeda inquired and Mr. Malfoy obliged without question.

Everyone got a slice of roast veal, green beans and mashed potatoes with a brown sauce. They started eating and after a few bites Hermione had to admit that the Malfoys had done well, especially since it was their first big meal.

"I really like the roast," Harry said with a polite smile and Mr Malfoy accepted the compliment with a slight smile and a nod. Ron asked whether he could have another slice and winked at Hermione when she looked at him.

"Harry is right, it is really good. Although it can't hope to compete with Mum's," he said with a grin.

"I imagine Mrs Weasley had got more time to practice hers," Narcissa said a bit stiffly.

"Probably," Hermione agreed. "But I can tell you that my first try to do a roast was much worse."

Harry and Ron chuckled and the Malfoys relaxed a bit and smiled.

"No offence, but didn't Harry tell me that your cooking was one of the reasons you three argued so much?" Andromeda asked teasingly.

"You can only do so much with mushrooms and the odd rabbit or fish," Hermione defended herself. "And at that point I had doubled the spices so often that they barely tasted like anything."

"Considering that it was definitely haute cuisine," Harry admitted drily and Ron chuckled.

"Let's talk about something less depressing," Narcissa suggested.

Everyone fell silent in contemplation. Hermione looked at the others and saw that they were just as unable to think of anything cheerful and safe to speak about as she was.

"Oh, Hermione, there was something I wanted to ask you," Narcissa finally said.

"What about?" the younger witch asked glad to be able to break the silence around the table.

"You mentioned something in your letters I didn't completely understand. I guessed from the context that it is a place where children go, but what is a 'kindergarten'?"

Harry looked up surprised. "It is a place where parents sent their kids while they are at work. Most muggle kids go there," he answered.

"What Harry said. Also they prepare the kids for school, which starts at age six," Hermione added and looked at the faces of the baffled Malfoys and Ron. Andromeda just smiled.

"Ted actually wanted to send Nymphadora there but I wanted to have my daughter with me. We did send her to a primary school though," Andromeda said. "Everyone finished?"

They nodded and Andromeda levitated the plates to the kitchen. When she came back everyone had settled on the couches.

"Is it alright if I turn on the radio? The silences would be less awkward," she said with a wink and everyone chuckled or at least smiled ruefully.

As Andromeda turned on the radio, Hermione recognised a muggle station and smiled. It was probably better, they wouldn't comment on the aftermath of the war. A silence stretched out until the next song began and both she and Harry began to hum along instantly.

Andromeda smiled but the Malfoys and Ron seemed a little confused and she explained. "It's Queen. They are a famous muggle band and this song is one of their best ones."

Harry and Hermione had gone over to mouthing the text along and grinned at each other when they noticed it. Not wanting to shock the Malfoys or Ron, or wake up Teddy they refrained from singing out loud, but just barely. Bohemian Rhapsody was just too awesome to not get carried away and by the end of the song they were quietly singing along and Andromeda had joined in with a grin on her face as well.

"They seem rather talented," Narcissa conceded stiffly after the song ended and Hermione suddenly realised that their behaviour must have bewildered the Malfoys. The wizarding world of course knew pop and rock music but they seemed to be far less enthusiastic about it than the muggles. Ron at least heard his mother singing along to Celestina Warbeck regularly, so he probably understood.

"How did you manage to receive a muggle station in such a heavily warded house?" Harry asked curiously, trying to diffuse the tension once again.

Andromeda smiled sadly. "Ted always liked muggle music more and he wanted to hear some positive news, even if they were from the muggle world, during the war. Now the wards will admit any radio station frequency. He was working on a TV when he chose to run to keep his family safe," Andromeda sniffed heavily and Narcissa rested a hand on her sister's shoulder.

"I am so sorry you had to go through this, Andy," she said softly, comfortingly and Andromeda smiled at her shakily.

"Thank you, Cissa."

"If it is no bother, maybe you could tell us how you and Ted met," Harry inquired gently and Ron nodded his assent.

"In detention actually," Andromeda chuckled. "It was the first and only time I ever had detention. I was out late and running close to curfew when a furious Gryffindor prefect saw me and decided that my running late was worthy of point-loss."

"You have to admit that Ignatius Weasley took a certain pleasure in punishing Slytherins," Mr Malfoy said with the faintest trace of a smile.

Andromeda snorted in an unladylike fashion. "That he did. Especially from the famous Black sisters. I can't exactly blame him after Bella, but talking back to him and telling him that it wasn't curfew yet landed me in detention with Professor Carcer. He was the DADA professor at that time and even Severus Snape was civil compared to him," at that she trailed of a bit and Mr Malfoy continued.

"He was an utter arse and loved Gryffindors as much as Severus loved his Slytherins. His detentions were not exactly bodily punishment, but he made students duel against each other for hours," he told them and Hermione was nearly sure that they all heard the sharp etch to his voice and that she wasn't the only one wondering what had happened during those duels.

Andromeda had caught herself and nodded at Mr Malfoy in gratitude. "Ted tended to use Transfiguration while duelling and I was completely intrigued. I had never once seen someone duel with nearly no dark magic at all and still he bested me four times in a row. When Carcer finally allowed us to leave I stopped him in the hall and asked him whether he would teach me," the witch chuckled obviously lost in memories. "He stared at me incredulously and asked me whether I was feeling well and had not lost my mind as he was a muggleborn and all.

"As if you ever cared about that," Narcissa said laughing and Andromeda joined her sister in her mirth.

"Indeed, I didn't. At least mother accepted it, unlike Walburga," she said solemnly. "Like that our weekly meetings started and one thing led to another. When we married we actually sent a 'Thank you'-card to Carcer. After all his detention had brought us together."

Harry smiled and Ron inquired whether the former professor had taken it well.

"Not at all," Andromeda said with a twinkle in her eyes. "He actually send a howler back, mostly complaining why we dared to write him."

"That man really was terrible," Narcissa conceded. "But at least he didn't try to get in your good graces whatever it took like Slughorn." Everyone but Draco and Ron shuddered. The two of them glanced at each other, remembering that neither of them had been invited.

"Do you think, you can stomach desert already?" Narcissa asked with a wink and everyone nodded.

When she returned with a chocolate cake in her hands Harry and Ron peaked up a bit. Andromeda set the table quickly and send Mr Malfoy to prepare the tea. Finally the ever-present tension seemed to subside and when they were all seated again they managed to chat in quite a friendly manner about the upcoming task of renovating Grimmauld Place.

"I would really love to help, as soon as I am free to do so," Narcissa told them earnestly. "It's either burning that house down or transforming it completely and the latter seems more appropriate."

Harry and Ron laughed outright at that and Hermione huffed an annoyed breath. It was just what they had said since the beginning of fifth year. Narcissa looked at her quizzically but Hermione just shook her head and smiled.

"Do you plan to renovate the Manor?" she asked instead.

"We indeed do. The presence of the Dark Lord and the subsequent Dark magic has tainted the house and it will take quite an amount of work to undo that," Mr Malfoy answered readily and Narcissa nodded. "We thought about some redecorating as well. I am nearly sure that the Manor will look much more welcoming with a fresh rendering and paint. Especially after we disposed of that dreadful spell that makes sure nobody feels confident or welcome on the doorstep."

"I tell you that it has to be a rune in the floor or ceiling, not a spell per say, as it would terminate too quickly otherwise," Narcissa argued. Her husband rolled his eyes at her.

"Whose ancestral family home is it we are talking about?" he drawled with all his Malfoy charm and Harry and Ron immediately scowled. Narcissa only huffed and smiled but was interrupted by Draco.

"It actually is a combination of both," he said quietly. It was the first thing he had said during the whole time so it had everyone turning to face him while he blushed. "I took the freedom to investigate after I turned seventeen. It was Domitian Malfoy who installed it in the seventeenth century. He wanted the people to be properly intimidated before they even came in. In his diary he wrote about a warding spell which he combined with runes for fear and doubt, putting one of each in the ceiling and in the floor. The runes are heavily warded as well."

"Maybe you could ask Bill Weasley?" Hermione suggested. "He is an amazing curse-breaker and would probably be glad to help you."

The Malfoys nodded their thanks.

"Oh, talking about stubborn charms," Harry began. "You don't happen to know which spell the old hag used to stick her portrait to the wall?" He didn't need to clarify whom he was talking about.

"I think I do actually," Narcissa said thoughtfully. "But I will look it up again just to be sure."

Harry thanked her and they resumed talking about their renovation plans. But Hermione felt slowly but surely like there wasn't enough air in the room. She excused herself and went outside and sat down on the doorstep.

She didn't know how long she had sat there when she heard the door open and mentally prepared herself for Harry's or Ron's concern. But it was neither of them.

"They are still discussing whether painting with actual colour or transfiguration lasts longer," Draco informed her somewhat stiffly and Hermione snorted in response.

"How interesting. Why are you here, Mal- Draco?" she asked catching herself before using his last name.

"I didn't have anything to say and you gave me the perfect excuse to leave," he said sounding amused.

"I don't want to talk."

"Me neither," he replied and they settled into silence.

a/n2: I think we are all relieved that the cooking wasn't too bad ;) I thought quite a lot about which Queen song to use and finally chose my current favourite. If anybody who has read the Discworld novels thought he recognised the name Carcer, congrats! I really hate-love the character See ya soon, review plenty and it will be sooner ;)