Theretofore on GG:

Draco carried Marin into the bedroom and tucked her between the sheets, kissing her forehead softly, then came to Hermione in the doorway and kissed her lips with a declaration that something would have to be done in the morning. She agreed and embraced him with advice not to work himself into insomnia before leaving to crawl into bed beside her unorthodox little sister. Once the dust had settled and silence had blanketed the little flat, Hermione pressed the bridge of her nose to the back of Marin's head, and silently sobbed for the lack of her innocence, wetting her hair and the pillow beyond.

-----------------------------------

Chapter 11: Family Circle

Marin woke up late, wrapped tightly in a pair of fragile arms, and sighed with assumption that it was her mother, passed out from drinking and in no fit state to know to whom she clung. Blinking her eyes against the sun, she was startled to register the angelic and flawless face of her surrogate big sister, twisted in a frown of worry as she slept.

The memories came back in a flush and she shuttered, which in turn woke Hermione, who hadn't slept so fitfully. Her eyebrows drew in and she forced a smile for the benfit of her fragile-stated bedmate.

"Hey," she said softly, moving to press a kiss to Marin's forehead. "How are you feeling?" The younger girl lifted a shoulder in response, and Hermione frowned. Noticing the emotion associated with her apathetic demeanor, Marin quirked her lips and shifted.

"I'm all right," she insisted, snuggling closer the body beside her. "Your bed is really comfortable." Hermione laughed and squeezed her in a hug.

"Draco made it," she said conversationally, propping her chin on Marin's crown. "I think he might have made everything in here."

"And here I thought he had a life," Marin joked, covering her head with the plush duvet that, no doubt, Draco had made.

"There's a difference between 'having no life', as you call it, and dedication to your work," Hermione disagreed, allowing the girl freedom of her embrace for favor of roaming around under the covers.

"And what exactly is the line of difference between the two?" Marin asked, a lump of bones beneath the quilted bedcover. Hermione laughed and launched herself at the girl with curled fingers, insinuating a tickling war to which she had the advantage of eyesight. "Stop! Stop it!" Marin called, though obviously enjoying her torture, and Hermione complied, leaning back against the pillows and stretching out.

"What are you doing under there, anyway?" she asked just as an ebony head birthed from below the duvet. Marin grinned.

"Looking for buried treasure," she answered crisply, chin raised toward the ceiling. Hermione smiled, folding her hands behind her head.

"And did you find it?" she asked as though she highly doubted the existence of any treasure beneath her bedcovers. Marin's wide grin transformed into a brilliant smirk.

"Yes, I did!" she answered pointedly and held up a small golden key affixed to a neck chain. Hermione's unconscious smile fell and, in effect, Marin's followed suit. "What?" she asked, playful demeanor dissipated. Hermione quickly shook her head and affixed a prosthetic smile on her lips.

"Nothing. I just... didn't expect you to be so perky this early in the morning."

Marin, who seemed to read her mentor's warning loud and clear, crawled toward Hermione and embraced her around the stomach.

"Don't worry about me, Manny," she said, then pushed herself up. "Besides, it's not early; it's almost eleven."

"Oh," Hermione said, turning to validate Marin's information with the little digital clock on the bedside. "Well in that case, we'd better get up. Draco's probably pacing around, wearing holes in all my carpets," she joked, brightening with the smile on her mentee's face. "What do you want to do today?" Marin looked suddenly confused.

"What do you mean? Aren't we going to social services or something like that?"

"Well, yes- eventually... but it doesn't have to be today. We'll go tomorrow. Today we'll have fun; just the three of us," Hermione said, then paused for a moment before continuing. "Or just us girls, if you'd like. Oh, or just you and Draco. Hm... perhaps Draco and I will go out and leave you here to beat the drapes, hm?" Marin laughed and fell into a reclining position beside her matron, propping her head on the heel of her hand.

"Do you think..." she started, but trailed off until urged by Hermione to continue. "Do you think we could finish my birthday party? I'm sorry for what happened, Manny. I should have trusted you." She sighed. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

"Oh, don't you even think on that, baby," Hermione insisted. " I don't blame you for the way you reacted. You know, when my parents found out, they did practically the same thing." Marin's eyebrows drew in confusion.

"Your parents aren't witches too?" she asked and Hermione shook her head.

"They're about as magical as a unicorn's appendix," she said with a laugh, but at Marin's look of confusion continued. "... Which isn't very magical at all. Only part of a unicorn that doesn't have any purpose or properties. Draco and I went to school together... they send your acceptance letter by owl and, well, when the first one came, my parents thought it was some sort of joke. They let me read it, but told me they weren't chasing a non-existent train to a place named after 'oily growths on livestock'." She smiled. "The school was called Hogwarts. Still is, actually; has been for hundreds of years. After about five or six owls came with the same message, they told me I could go, as long as there was indeed a train. And there was, as there would be for each of the next six years. That's where my reunion was a few months ago, remember? That's where I met Draco."

"At the reunion?" Marin asked and Hermione nodded. "Didn't you know him before that? I thought that you went to school together."

"We did; we were in the same year, too... but Draco was a lot different back then. We never really got along; actually, we hardly talked at all."

"Hm," Marin hummed, taking in the account of Hermione's childhood. After a moment's pause, she spoke again. "Hermione, can I ask you something?"

"Anything; what's on your mind?" Hermione asked and Marin's eyes flickered toward the doorway before she leaned in closely to whisper.

"What did Draco make me?" she pleaded and Hermione's face twisted into a grin.

"Oh, you'll just have to wait and see. Why don't we go get some breakfast, and then we'll see about presents, hm?" she suggested and Marin smirked.

"Can I have cake and ice cream?"

"For breakfast?" Hermione asked, pretending quite convincingly to be surprised. Marin nodded and jutted her bottom lip in measure of plead. Her mentor sighed. "Of course you can." A grin marred the face of the younger girl, and she rolled over and off the side of the bed before dashing into the living room and sitting directly on Draco, who was still dozing on the couch. He woke abruptly, letting out an 'oaf!' of surprise.

"Well, good morning to you too," Draco mumbled in false annoyance. "What do you know; I finally get to sleep and someone jumps on me." Marin laughed, then made a face of false sympathy.

"Aw... what kept you up, Drakie?" she teased, squeezing his cheeks into a fish-like countenance. Draco smiled through her torment.

"Well, how do you expect a bloke to get some rest with you girls snoring like an air raid alarm?" he asked and Marin looked appalled.

"I do not snore," she assured him, releasing his cheeks so that Draco could smirk at her, then sliding off his chest and on to the floor. "Get up," she instructed and he laughed.

"Why?"

"Because I want you to make me breakfast," Marin stated and Draco lifted an eyebrow.

"Me? Cook? Are you sure you want me?" he asked and she grinned in validation. Draco sighed. "All right; the things I do for you women," he grumbled, getting to his feet. "What do you want?"

After a great laugh at the task Marin had laid out for him, the unorthodox family of three feasted upon cake that was slightly dry from a night on the counter, but all the same a good twist on breakfast. When her sugar levels had reached their absolute peak, Marin pushed her plate away and looked expectantly up at her keepers. Draco looked confused, but Hermione rolled her eyes and stood to retrieve the set of packages that were hidden in an under-counter cabinet. Dawning shone on Draco's face and he nodded, clearing the dishes to make way for violent unwrapping.

"So..." Hermione started, fingering the packages as if the paper interested her. "Where were we?" She tapped her chin. "Let me see... oh, yes! I remember. Draco, are you ready?"

"Indeed," he agreed, coming back to his seat after setting his load down beside the sink.

"All right. Marin, we told you about our magic because we love you and we didn't want to keep anything from you. And, we wanted you to remember this, so Draco's made you a tribute."

"A tribute? What do you mean?" she asked, listening intently and putting the thought of gifts out of her mind for a small span of time.

"Why don't you open it and see for yourself?" Draco suggested, and Hermione placed the larger of the two packages on the table. Immediately, Marin took her given advice and tore the paper from its packing before lifting the lid and peering inside.

"Wow..." she whispered in awe and Draco jumped up to assist her, lifting the masterpiece from its enclosure. Marin fell back into her seat, mouth slightly open and eyes fixated.

"Remember, I told you about Hogwarts?" Hermione began, sharing a smile with her boyfriend. "Well, this is it." Marin stared while Hermione pointed out the smaller attributes, like the greenhouses and train, and explained that there was no such thing as a three headed dragon anywhere near the school.

"You... you made this?" she asked after her mentor had finished teaching. Draco, surprised to be addressed, gave a slight nod. "How long did it take you?"

"Almost a month. I just put the music box in yesterday," he said, then took a step forward to turn the tree that acted as a crank. The traditional Hogwarts Choral rendition of Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble began immediately with its one octave tinkering rhythm. Marin stood up and embraced him around the neck, displaying her thanks rather than speaking it. He laughed softly as she pulled away. "You're welcome."

"Oh, here," Hermione said, sliding the final present in front of the birthday girl. "It almost seems silly now." Marin smiled, taking her seat again.

"What's the story behind this one?" she asked, and both adults shared a look of surprise.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, and she shook a shoulder, shaking the small, slim box and trying to determine what was inside.

"Well, first you told be you were moving here, then you gave me a key. Then you told me you were a witch before giving me... this," she said, fingering the dragon guarding the Hogwarts gateway. "What about this one?" Draco smiled.

"Observant, as always."

"Why don't you open it first, and then I'll tell you," Hermione suggested, smiling as Draco made his way around Marin and moved to stand behind her. The teenager eyed them suspiciously and slowly opened the thin box. Inside was a beautiful silver frame of about six centimeters in length, strung on a black velvet ribbon that was just long enough to fasten around her neck. Inside the frame was a dark picture, and Marin looked up in confusion.

"What is it?" she asked, turning the picture to the side, as if hoping it were tilted. Hermione smiled, and Draco gripped her shoulders gently.

"It's an ultrasound," she answered easily. "A baby in utero." Marin blanched.

"... who?"

"Well," Draco began. "We haven't really decided on a name yet." If there were ever a time when Marin Colf fell speechless, it was that Sunday afternoon.

"You mean?"

"We're expecting a new addition sometime in June," Hermione agreed, summing up the idea at which they had been hinting for quite some time. Marin took a moment to regain herself before squealing and standing up.

"A baby? Oh, that's awesome. Can I be a bridesmaid? When are you planning to get married, anyway? Can I see your ring?" she rambled, glancing frequently between the little silver frame and the adults that had gifted it to her. Hermione and Draco frowned, sharing a look and Hermione sighed.

"Actually... we aren't getting married," she admitted, turning back to the ecstatic girl jumping around her kitchen. Marin stopped abruptly and turned to face them.

"You aren't?" she repeated, surprised. "Why not?"

"Well, we just don't think it's the right time for something like that," Draco said, trying to explain it in a way that would sound logical. "That, and we've hardly the funding. Though, admittedly, my mother would be happy to pay for everything." Hermione glanced at him in warning and he gave a lopsided smile in apology.

"Oh," Marin piped shortly. "Well, all right then." She paused a moment before squealing again. "I feel like I'm going to have a baby sister!" Draco and Hermione regained their happy smiles, laughing at the girl who brought so much to the table; literally.

"I hoped you'd feel that way, baby," Hermione said, standing from her chair and accepting an embrace from the younger girl. "Now, you keep that picture and I'll give you an update whenever I can, all right?" Marin nodded enthusiastically, bringing the ribbon to her neck and fixing the clasp.

"This has been the best birthday I've ever had. Oh, I can't believe you're going to have a baby!"

There was a loud clunk from just outside the kitchen and all three occupants jumped in alarm, spinning to view the doorway.

"Troy! For god's sake; you scared us to death!" Draco said, moving toward his open-mouthed cousin while Hermione took care to hold Marin from behind. He hugged the smaller blond, ignoring the look received from the butler whom had escorted him. "What are you doing here? What happened? Is everything all right, I... Troy?" Unprovoked by his cousin's hysterics, Troy kept his eyes glued to Hermione, who hid behind her mentee.

"You're pregnant?" he managed to force out, shaking the surprise from his head. With a sigh, he picked up his dropped luggage. "No wonder Tia was so upset. I thought it was just because you were muggleborn." Draco took the bag from him and set it back on the floor.

"Troy, what's going on?" he asked, less frantic now and more demanding. Troy dropped slowly to sit on the floor, staring silently at the carpeting.

"Mr. Malfoy," piped the butler and his head snapped up to look at him. "It is my most dreadful task as to inform you that the mistress Gallagher has taken a fatal turn in her illness and did pass away late yesterday evening." Draco paled.

"Aunt Caden? Oh, scout, I'm so sorry," he said, turning back to Troy, who shook his head.

"It's okay, Draco," he assured, smiling as best he could. "The horse is gone now." Draco sighed.

"You know what, Troy," he said, picking up the frail young boy and setting him rightly on his feet. "Come here... Troy, this is Marin. She's a good friend of Hermione's." Marin lifted her hand mutely and waggled her fingers at him. "She's turning fourteen tomorrow, and we were just celebrating her birthday. Why don't you go have some cake?" Troy, attracted to the prospect of meeting a very-much-muggle girl of his own age, agreed hastily and approached the two women who stood mutely together. Hermione snapped into action and got him a plate and a seat. Once they were comfortably chatting, Draco dragged the butler out of earshot for conversation.

"Wigsby, what is going on? Why have you brought him here?"

"He requested it, sir," he said, sounding surprised that he hadn't already been informed. "The mistress Malfoy was quite distraught after your visit and, now grieving, decided she could no longer look after the boy. She asked me to take the young master home to The Gallagher Estate in Scotland, but the master Gallagher has decided to take extra leave and would not be available for care until well into next year. The young master preferred to be looked after by kin rather than nursemaids and the mistress Malfoy agreed that it would be good for him to stay with you. Claimed it to be good "practice" for you, sir, Merlin bald if I know what she meant by that." Draco sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Wigsby you know I'd love to let him stay here, but I'm not... qualified. I've got a girlfriend and a baby on the way- I can't afford to look after him. Have you seen my shop? Full of junk! I haven't had business all day! With the exception of Mrs. Crichton, who hardly qualifies as business..."

"It's all been taken care of, sir. The master Gallagher has agreed to this transaction and will provide full financial care for the boy as long as you have him. He entrusted me to give this to you, sir," Wigsby said, reaching into his pocket and producing a coin-like token embossed with the Gallagher crest. "Any purchase in his interest may be charged on this coin, sir; to the Gallagher estate. That includes a week's worth of groceries, even if he isn't the only one to eat... and, sir, it's very important that you know; the master Gallagher, in payment for your child-caring services, wishes to bestow upon you one extra charge of that token, which is to be more than G60, 000 and must benefit yourself."

"What! Wigsby, what am I going to buy that's worth G60,000?"

"I am in no position to tell you, sir... but might I suggest a house? Perhaps one with walls?" the butler joked, and Draco regarded him with false coldness.

"Go home, Wigsby."

"Right-o," he agreed. "But first, sir, would you like me to bring up the rest of the young master's things? Or shall I leave him with just the clothes on his back?"

"Hardly, Wigsby. Didn't you bring in a suitcase already?"

"Indeed, sir; one containing his medications and playthings," he said, smiling wistfully, and Draco rolled his eyes.

"All right, all right. Just leave it down stairs; I'll pick it up later. Behind the desk, if you would be so kind," Draco agreed and the butler bowed before leaving the small apartment. Draco shook his head, flipping the token in his palm, and returned to the kitchen.

-x- -x- -x-

"Manny, I really do hope it's a girl," Marin said; she had taken off her necklace again to view the tiny picture within it and was looking at it lovingly. Troy laughed into his large helping of birthday cake.

"You can't be serious," he snorted and Marin eyed him coldly.

"And why wouldn't I be serious?" she retorted, ignoring the look of warning given by Hermione.

"Because it's going to be a boy. All Malfoy firsts are boys; have been for as long as we can date," he stated knowledgably, shoveling another forkful of chocolate cake into his mouth. Marin frowned.

"Well... that doesn't mean she can't hope, does it Troy?" Hermione interceded, hoping to stop a fight before it began. Troy shook his shoulder, slouching at being shut down by someone of authority.

"Just saying..." he mumbled, and continued to quietly eat his cake. It was at this time that Draco reentered the kitchen and all three seated persons looked up. He smiled slightly and took Hermione's hand, dragging her up from her seat.

"Why don't we leave the two of you to better acquaint yourselves... seems you'll be seeing a lot of each other in the future. Hermione, a word," he begged, giving her an intense look that told of dark future if she were to decline. Hermione sighed, having a strange feeling that there would be no good news to come.

"No fighting," she warned, pointing at the two teenagers in succession and, as they nodded somberly, followed her boyfriend into another room. Marin sighed.

"So who's this dead lady? Your nanny?" she asked, helping herself to another slice of cake after readjusting her necklace. Troy didn't flinch, but suddenly did not seem too interested in eating his cake, for favor of poking it repeatedly.

"My mother," he corrected monotonously and Marin stopped mid-chew.

"God, I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's all right. I didn't know her much anyway," he admitted, putting his fork down. "She was sick a lot, never really had the strength to do anything with me. My father travels abroad, but I never get to go with him. I think he's in Cambodia now... poaching something forbidden under cover of nature photographer." There was a certain distaste in his voice that did not go unnoticed.

"If it makes you feel any better, I know what it's like to have parents and not... have parents," she shared, staring down at her mutilated cake. Troy looked up in interest and Marin gave him half a smile. "My mum's a drunk. She's always either passed out or completely smashed, knitting like a madwoman. Usually things that aren't identifiable. My fa- my father... he works a lot. He's mad, a lot. I try to stay away from him. That's why I'm here, actually," she admitted. "Manny's looking into social services for me." Troy was quiet for a moment, then nodded.

"That's good," he said, to break the silence and Marin smiled her agreement. "Are you a muggle?" She looked confused.

"A what?"

"A muggle, you know; someone with no magic powers?" Troy explained out of habit, then clamped a hand over his mouth. "You do know about wizards don't you? Oh, I didn't mean to tell!" Marin lifted an eyebrow at his upheaval.

"Calm down, won't you? Of course I know about that. Why are you making such a fuss?"

"I'm sorry. It's a law; you're not supposed to tell muggles about wizards... they'd want to hang us like in the olden days. Not that I think they could, but it makes it easier this way. So, are you?" he asked again.

"A muggle? I suppose so. Why?" Marin asked, eating her cake again.

"It's just I've never met a muggle girl before," he said, studying her. "Unless of course, you count the muggle-borns at school."

"You said that once before; muggle-born. What's that? People born muggles who... aren't later?"

"Of the sort. People like Hermione; with muggle parents. It used to be very rare, but now-a-days everyone's got some magic blood in them, if not enough to make them wizards. Hogwarts is half-full of them. Every house but... Slytherin," he shuddered. "Lucky I'm in Ravenclaw. I don't think I'd like being in Slytherin."

"I hope you know I have no idea what you're talking about," Marin said, smiling. Then, her face dropped as realization dawned on her. "Did you say Hogwarts? You mean, you've been there?"

"Course I have," Troy said, eyeing her oddly. "I go to school here; 180 days a year. I'm in my fourth year, now. Three more to go." Marin got up out of her chair and retrieved her Hogwarts sculpture from where it stood on the counter, hidden by the fridge. Troy's mouth dropped as he saw her carry it to the table. "Wow," he said. "Look, there's Dumbledore on the front steps... oh, and Professor Snape, sticking out of the dungeons... this is wicked, Marin. Where'd you get it?"

"Draco made it for me, for my birthday," she said, boasting proudly and glad he was impressed. "He said it took him almost a month."

"Wow. Draco used to make me things when I was littler... but nothing like this," he said, laying his finger gently on the train as it brushed past him and into Hogsmeade station. Marin reached forward and turned the little tree to start the music. Troy smiled and started singing along to the melody, much to her surprise. When the song finished and started anew, he explained about the choral arrangement. Marin sighed wistfully.

"I've dreamed about places like this my whole life. I can't believe it really exists."

"You never know," he said. "Maybe someday I could take you there. Over Christmas or something. At least to Hogsmeade... and you can see the castle from there."

"Oh, I'd love that. Can you really pet unicorns here?" she asked, pointing to a small, penned area where a lone unicorn stood surrounded by laughing children as their parents sat idly behind the gates. Troy nodded.

"Once a week, they let one in for a while. You have to be whole in innocence to touch one; it's a magical myth. Unicorns are the purest animals in the entire world; they can't be touched by impure hands, except to be slaughtered." He shivered. "Anyone who would slaughter a unicorn is not someone you want to get friendly with." Troy turned to her and noticed she seemed a little disenchanted, petting the wooden unicorn sadly and turning the crank to start the music again, once it stopped. "Are you okay?" She looked up with half a smile, nodding.

"I'm fine."

"You know, it could be a girl," Troy said after a moment of thought. Marin touched the picture clasped around her neck, looking confused. He smiled. "Draco isn't your run-of-the-mill Malfoy."

-x- -x- -x-

"Draco, what's going on?" Hermione asked when they had successfully retreated to a far corner of the house.

"Troy's Mum died last night," he said, though she'd already been told, and proceeded to tell her everything that Wigsby had told him.

"But Draco, we can't afford to keep him here. We can hardly afford to keep ourselves here," she argued. "You know I'd love for him to stay, but..."

"That's where this comes in," he said, taking out the coin. "Wigsby gave it to me, from Uncle Silas; it'll provide us all the money we need to keep him, and... there's something else." Hermione took a breath to ready herself, as Draco did not sound overly excited about whatever the new prospect was.

"Tell me," she said, assuring him of her support, and he sighed.

"In payment he has requested we make a purchase of equal or greater than... G60,000," Draco said, and Hermione sighed throwing his hands away.

"Draco, I told you I didn't want charity from your family! We can use the chip to support Troy, but I don't want to take anything more..."

"We don't have a choice, Hermione. It's wizard etiquette; we've been gifted payment, we can't not accept. That's about the rudest thing one can possibly do to a family member."

"So what are we going to buy that will cost that much money? I've never even seen that much money..." Hermione asked, crossing her arms over her chest in disapproval.

"I say we take Wigsby's advice... and buy a house," Draco said tentatively, waiting for her response. Hermione stared for a moment, then sighed.

"All right; fine... but only because we'll need somewhere proper to house Troy. Nothing too much; I don't want to spend any more than necessary," she insisted, and he groaned.

"We have to spend G60,000. The more we spend, the better we'll look."

"I don't care how we look. I'm only agreeing to this because I don't want to insult your family... they think enough of me as it is," she said, staring as he beseeched her. Finally, Hermione sighed. "All right, G60,000... but no more. Not a galleon... not a knut more. Clear?" Draco grinned and pressed a firm kiss to her lips.

"I love you, Manny."

---------------------------------

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I've got my hands full.

Because Beach will never forgive me otherwise, I'm switching the rotation to alphabetical order rather than date of publication. Why? So I can update SEX next, and spare my life from the wrath of all that is Beach. Hope you've all enjoyed this.

Note: I changed the amount of money they recieved from G250,000 to G60,000... because I wasn't sure of the conversions. Now, I am. G250 000 is about $ 1,205,379... G60,000 is about $300,000... I thought that was more reasonable. :oD