Chapter 11:
The week of the dinner had come quickly and all of a sudden, Hermione had become extremely nervous. She threw herself into her studies just like she always did, and no one questioned her, she just thought that it was the stress of OWL's approaching and Umbridge. That Saturday that Draco had confirmed their dinner with their parents, she and the boys had gone to Hogsmeade. There they formed the Dumbledore's Army.
Before she met the group at Hog's Head, she and Minerva had snuck off to a clothing boutique, there, Minerva helped her pick out a modest set of dress robes for her dinner. Minerva had shrunk them and stuck them in her pocket for Hermione to pick up later while Hermione went to go meet everyone for the meeting at Hogs head. The meeting went flawlessly and they had everyone sign up that was there promising to keep their group a secret.
The group still hadn't met yet due to a stall in finding where to meet without getting into trouble. So that Friday after classes, she and Draco departed from the school in their dress robes for diner. Draco was in black and white dress robes with a simple bowtie. Hermione was in a green dress with a matching green over robe that clasped at the neck with a silver lion. They took a port key to the manor at which their parents were staying.
They entered the house and were greeted by a small house elf, "Hello Mister and Miss Malfoy, Tawney welcomes your home, Tawney will take your bags to your rooms while you go meet your parents in the sitting room." And with that, the house elf was gone. The two young students followed the corridor through to the sitting room where their mother was sitting on the couch reading a book and their father was sitting reading the evening prophet.
"Oh welcome home Children," Narcissa greeted noticing her children's appearance in the room. She stood after marking her place in her book and hugged Draco. When they parted she looked at her daughter she smiled at her and opened her arms to her. Hermione hesitated and then smiled walking into her mother's embrace. Meanwhile, Lucius walked over to his son and shook his hand before he too turned to his daughter.
"Hello Father," Hermione greeted before walking into his arms.
"Hello my little Mia Bear." Hermione smiled at his words and when they broke apart the family adjourned to the dining room and sat down to dinner.
Dinner was uneventful, simple discussions of work and school and nothing more. After dinner though the family left for the sitting room where they all sat with some sort of drink. Hermione and Narcissa had tea while Draco had a cup of coffee and Lucius had a fire whiskey.
"Mother, can I ask you a question?"
"Of course my dear."
"Why is it that Draco has slick hair while I have curly?"
"Well, you actually get that from my mother, your Grandmother, Darla Black, she had really curly hair, as a matter of a fact, and she couldn't control it till her fourth year at school."
"Just like myself."
"Yes, as for your color, you get that from my Mother, Serena Malfoy. She had these wonderful chocolate locks with natural reds, blonds and tans, just like you."
"Ok that makes since, what about my body, where do I get that from, I noticed that your are very skinny Mother, I am definitely not."
"Oh my dear child here let me show you something," Narcissa conjured a scrapbook that looked to be older then Hermione. "This is a scrapbook form my days at Hogwarts up through to my marriage to your father. Draco came over and sat on the other side of his mother while they looked at the pictures.
Lucius watched as his family flipped through Narcissa's book. "This was from my first day at Hogwarts, Your aunt Bellatrix a third year, my sister Andromeda a fifth year and our brothers Sirius a second year and Regulus a sixth year." She pointed to a picture of the bunch of children that looked alike, except her mother of course; she stood out with her platinum hair. They flipped the page and it was one of her and a young girl with light brown hair and blue eyes, "This is with Alice Monnimer, now known as Alice Longbottom."
"Neville's Mother?"
"Yes, she and I were best friends, even if we were from rival houses." They turned through a few pages with her mother pointing out certain pictures; they reached a picture of a younger set of their parents.
"When was this taken?" Hermione asked.
"This was at our fifth year winter ball."
"Wow you two liked each other even then?" Draco asked.
"Oh of course not…. Our parents told us that we were betrothed at birth and that to keep up appearances, we were to go to the ball together."
"Oh well that explains your expressions," Hermione noted.
"I suppose it does." Narcissa laughed.
Narcissa pointed out a few pictures of her and her friends, Lucius' Graduation, and finally she reached a picture of herself with Professor McGonagall.
"What was this picture for Mother?"
"Teachers gave Teacher Choice Awards to the Seventh years at Halloween, and Professor McGonagall gave me her choice award, I was shocked."
They followed the book through and finally they reached the end, Narcissa and Lucius' wedding. She showed pictures of the ceremony and the after party. Narcissa and Lucius had numerous pictures with guests and there was one imparticular that caught Hermione's eye. It was one of her mother in her wedding dress and a familiar looking woman with dark brown, almost black hair cascading down her back in dark curls in a green spring dress.
"Mother, is that Professor McGonagall?"
"Yes, she was there as my kind of mother," Narcissa said a bit sadly.
"Where was Grandmother Darla?"
"With everything that had happened, she had fallen into a depression and had passed away."
"What all was going on?"
"Bella had married Rudolfus Lestrange, and they had gone into 'hiding', Rudolfus had just gone missing, Sirius had been disowned years prior and Andromeda ran off with a muggle. It just pushed her off the edge."
'Oh. So is that why you like her being my confident?"
"Mostly yes, I trust her deeply and I am glad you have the same connection with her."
Hermione smiled and hugged her mother. They finished the book and started to look at one of Draco and Hermione's first three years. It surprised Hermione that her biological mother had naked baby butt pictures of both Draco and Herself in the book.
"Aww, Draco, look at you in your nakedness."
"Tell anyone about this Hermione and I won't just call you names, I WILL hex you."
"Oh Draky-poo…." Hermione mocked a coo, and then it instantly changed to a voice that scared him, "I dare you to hex me at Hogwarts, I will turn on you so fast you won't know what hit you, that is a promise." Then her voice took on its sweetness, "OK Pumpkin?"
Draco went pale and they continued to look at pictures, about an hour into looking at the book, the two kissed their parents goodnight and headed off to bed.