AN: Thank you all for your reviews! If I didn't reply back I'm sorry, I'll try to be better this time around. As for the confusion a lot of you mentioned, I couldn't figure out how to cover close to nine chapters without some confusion and it being twenty pages long. Plus who wants to read that much in a prologue? Not me. Thanks for reading this if you did, now on to the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything recognizable, I get no money from this though that would be really, really cool.

Chapter One

(Four years later, give or take a month)

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Hermione groaned as she rolled over to hit her alarm clock. The display said that there was five minutes before she absolutely had to be out of bed. The clock was silenced and she snuggled back down into the covers.

Two minutes later the door creaked ever so slightly, but Hermione ignored this. She could not, however, ignore the plop that her four-year-old daughter caused.

"Mummy! Mummy! Mummy! It's Thursday! It's Thursday!" the little girl said. Only instead of Thursday, it came out Thursway.

Hermione rolled so that she could face her daughter. "Dede, I know it's Thursday, but I have two minutes of sleep left. Snuggle down with Mummy and let's sleep a few minutes more." Hermione grabbed Dede's legs and pulled her down.

"MUMMY! I get to go to school toway with Popo Snape!" Dede giggled.

Hermione groaned again. "Emily Pleiades Malfoy! Would you please let me sleep? Mummy is going to have a long day today."

Pleiades jumped on the bed giggling! "Mummy! I neew to get wressed though. Anw—"

Beep! Beep!

"Fine, you win De. Let's go find you something to wear."

(Later that day)

"No, if you can't have white hydrangeas in the bouquets then I'm afraid I will have to go through a different florist," Hermione paused while her fireplace started flaring bright green. "I'll call you back later, my work line is ringing."

She walked over to the fireplace and set down her phone. Seeing her Russian counterpart's face, she quickly acknowledged him. "Strasvichya Nikolaf! How are you today?"

The older man smiled. "Strasvichya Hermione. I am well, and yourself?"

"Quite well, busy, but that isn't new. How can I help you?" With a flick of her wand, a note appeared on the outer side of her door saying 'Business call, please do not disturb.'

"I know you have the wedding this weekend, but I was wondering if you could take a look at some charts of mine. I can't seem to make the numbers fit. My daughter tried to help me last night, but she said it was hopeless. I'm missing eleven knuts somewhere." Nikolaf replied looking ashamedly frustrated.

Hermione closed her eyes and went over her mental calendar. Today is Thursday; I have to check on the progress of the new potion. Tomorrow, Friday, I won't come into work but for the meeting with the Spanish Ministry, then it's off to the rehearsal preparations. Then Saturday is the wedding and Sunday Lucius and Narcissa leave for New Zealand.

Looking back at the fireplace, "I'll floo over around lunch on Monday and we'll get this straightened out. Payroll isn't until next Friday, and eleven Knuts isn't as mandatory as say, eleven galleons. Don't worry about it this weekend. Enjoy time with your family, and tell Anya that I said hi."

Nikolaf looked relieved. "If I haven't told you yet this month, you are a much better boss than Bulstrode was. Thank you for understanding."

Hermione laughed. "You have already told me this month but I thank you for the compliment. We may be magical, but we are still human. To err is human."

Suddenly there was knock at the door. "I'll talk to you later. Dasvidania."

"Dasvidania."

As soon the floo call ended, Hermione walked around her desk and opened the door. Standing in front of her was the man that used to haunt her nightmares. He swept past her, his silver-gray eyes flashing, his pale blond locks billowing.

"Dad, how can I help you?" Hermione asked her 'father-in-law'. Could he really be my father-in-law if there was no husband in the picture? "Why don't you go ahead and sit in my chair? It only took me four hours to get it set perfectly for my back and height." She added sarcastically.

The older Malfoy laughed. "But it is such a comfortable chair! I was actually wondering if we could talk." Lucius stood up and moved to look at the pictures on the mantel.

She really had a nice office. Much better than any other offices she'd seen for similar jobs. But most other accountants don't also help with the top-secret potions department, run the company when the boss is out of town, and have said boss trying to make up for a lifetime of making ones life miserable.

The office was a twelve by sixteen room, with a balcony facing the heart of London. The base color of the room was a light beige, but fall colors accented everything. From the reds and oranges that top the Smoky Mountains in the fall to the blue of a harvest time sky, throw pillows, curtains, area rugs and even her chair were perfectly colored. The desk was a deep Mahogany that she found in the basement of the Manor one day (according to Narcissa, it had been in the family for close to four hundred years). There were bookcases on almost every wall, and they were filled with ledgers from the start of the company (also four hundred years ago), old potions books, an occasional copy of Hogwarts, a History, and many, many others.

She had insisted on having a mantel above her fireplace so she could display her family, but not take up any desk space. On it, a picture of Pansy, Luna and Hermione were huddled around a birthday cake blowing out candles that were relighting, Pleiades swinging back and forth at a muggle park, and one formal portrait of the Malfoy family, where Pleiades kept turning to whisper something in her grandmother's ear.

"About what did you need to speak with me?" Hermione asked as she sat in her cozy, comfortable, back-message-giving chair.

Lucius shook his head. "I do not see how you can stand talking like that."

Hermione was confused. "You want to talk to me about how I try to follow the rules of grammar?"

"Ha! No dear, that was just a statement. You are too smart for my own good I think. I wanted to talk to you about after the wedding." Lucius paused letting the girl he finally accepted as his daughter refocus. "You know that Cissa and I will be leaving for New Zealand Sunday. The Minister asked me if we would be able to provide haven for someone who hasn't been safe in any other safe house. This person, he refuses to give me gender or a name, will be coming on Sunday."

Hermione processed what he was saying rather quickly. "If this person needs protection, and the other safe houses haven't worked, I don't see how I can say no. I'll talk Pansy into staying with me. Oh!" Hermione glanced down at her watch. "You have a lunch appointment at 12, and at 1:30. The first is with the Ministry transport department, the second is with the Spanish offices. Please, please, do not eat any huevos rancheros. Last time you did that Mom and I almost kicked you out of the house. Eggs and potatoes! That's all it is! Yet you can't handle it somehow!"

"Hardy-har-har. Let's make fun of the old man why don't we. Well, you don't forget that you're eating supper at Hogwarts with Snape and your daughter. If Minerva tries to steal you from me again, let me know and I'll either reduce your rent or up your pay," Lucius replied as he sauntered out of Hermione's office.

"But working is part of my rent!" She exclaimed as he shut the door. She huffed as she sat back in her chair. Prof-Headmistress Minerva McGonagall had been trying to hire Hermione for the past two years. Each time, Lucius would give her a pay raise and usually buy her some obscure first edition. While she would love being a professor in any subject but divination, she would miss working at the Industries too much. She would miss working with Blaise, Luna, Pansy, Adrian, and so many others.

Speaking of Pansy and Adrian, I need to go see them.

Hermione grabbed her wand, phone, and locked the door behind her. She passed by several co-workers who waved, but didn't look up. When she first stumbled upon the registers Lucius had left lying around, she was quite sure she would never be welcomed among this crowd. Nor did she think she would be the first Gryffindor to work for Malfoy Industries. Hopping on the elevator, she laughed at the tune.

Two weeks ago, Narcissa had brought Pleiades in to have a "picnic with Popo and Mummy". De spent the first twenty minutes trying to convince them to change the elevator music to "something happier". Now Barney, Dora the Explorer, and Post-man Pat tunes played in the elevators. If ever there was a man willing to do anything for a child it was Lucius for his granddaughter.

If only Malfoy could be around to see the change. Stop thinking like that Hermione Jean! You will have to focus!

"'Nione! There you are! I thought I was going to have to come find you and drag you down here."

"Ady! I have other positions here if you haven't noticed! And don't call me 'Nione." Hermione reprimanded and pushed her best friend's boyfriend out of her way.

"But everyone else does…" Adrian Pucey pouted.

"And if everyone else jumped off a cliff you would too?" I swear it's like talking to a pre-teen!

"It depends. Would I have a broom?" He chuckled and swerved to avoid the hit coming from Hermione only to run into Pansy's hand that just happened to be going towards his face.

"Ad, that is not what she was asking. Just leave it for now. Go suit up and let's get started on this new potion. Hopefully we can get the first sample ready by the end of the day," Pansy said bouncing in place.

Hermione smiled and shook her head. That girl has really come out of her shell since she started dating Adrian, and we combined fashion with work. "Let's get started then my perky, idiotic partners. I think that we should try to not destroy any socks today. The last pair was my favorite knee highs."

They walked past the security station and into the most secure lab in the Industries' building. It was four levels below ground; they had to pass three tests to get in. The first test was a typical muggle eye scan. Then they had to pass a safe word test and they would also have to perform their signature hex. The only more high-tech lab was at the Ministry.

The walls were covered with shelves of ingredients. One wall was devoted to books that the group had filled with their mishaps. Some of those did work; some of them did not by any stretch of the imagination. There were four tables that were kidney-bean shaped placed so the floor was as free as possible. On each table, two cauldrons sat.

"Okay, so the cauliflower root did not work well, thus my socks exploding…" Hermione said while reaching for the newest journal. "Adrian, can you grab the next root on the list?"

They worked studiously stopping briefly for lunch and for brief interruptions when other departments had questions for Hermione. While they worked, Hermione and Pansy worked out the arrangements for the next week so that Hermione wasn't alone with an unknown. Before they knew it, four-thirty arrived and it was time to go.

"No spell proof socks, but no socks blowing up while they were on anyone," Pansy said turning her head to look at her boyfriend. "Sorry about burning your legs with that spell Ad. Oh 'Nione are you joining us for supper tonight?"

Hermione turned around to look at her friend and walked down the hallway backward. "I'm going to Hogwarts to eat with Snape and De. We shall have to eat sometime after Mum and Dad get back."

Pansy shook her head. "That is still weird. You have been calling them that for the last two years, and it still makes me double take."

"You're telling me. I still have trouble calling them that at times. I've got to run. I'll see you tomorrow! Be prepared for frantic Luna, she still hasn't found her dress. I think we will have to transfigure one. I have found thirty dresses that would look excellent on her and she refuses! And Ady, be sure that Blaise is at the rehearsal dinner on time! The groom cannot be late. Oh well. Tutallu!" Hermione ran up the stairs and rushed to the apparition point.

As soon as she arrived, she apparated to the Three Broomsticks so she could walk to Hogwarts. The walk cleared the day out of her head. Pleiades would be sure to have tons of stories, and Hermione wanted to be sure to listen. Headmistress McGonagall met her at the door.

"Hermione! Are you finally taking my offer to teach Charms?" McGonagall chuckled.

"You know that I won't. At least not until De is here. Or I find a suitable replacement so the Industries don't get back to where you can't tell which numbers are current or from the start of the company." She hugged her former head of house, "I've missed you. Let's see my daughter."

McGonagall laughed again and led the way to the great hall. Just seeing the students shoving each other while waiting on the food brought memories back. Seeing the hall for the first time, the sky being in the ceiling, the storm reflecting the turmoil of the last battle. Normally, young children weren't allowed in Hogwarts, but rules were changed so Pleiades could spend time with her god-grandparents. Being the daughter of a war hero had its perks.

A squeal was heard above every other sound in the hall. A blond-headed girl shot across the room, her gray-brown eyes shone. "MUMMY! You mawe it! You mawe it! Come sit with Popo Snape with my at Slytherin table! Popo Snape says that I will be the best Slytherin Princess ever!"

Picking up Pleiades, Hermione guffawed. "Slytherin? Slytherin?" She tickled the girl. "Noooo. My daughter is going to be the next Gryffindor Princess. Or Ravenclaw. Where is your Popo Snape?" She smirked saying the name.

"He saiw he woulw sit at the Slytherin table with us. It's over there." De pointed to the far side of the room.

"I think I remember where the Slytherin table is." They walked over to Snape.

He moved to hold Pleiades for Hermione to sit down. Hermione shot him a look that scared many younger years during her time as a student.

"If you honestly think I will sit at this table, you have another think coming. Training my daughter to be Slytherin! The gall!" Hermione smirked letting her voice drip with sarcasm.

"Just sit down Ms. Malfoy. How many other times will you have this opportunity? You should be honored to sit here." Snape's voice was dry and completely series.

"Whatever." Hermione sat down then placed her daughter in her lap. "So lovely, tell me about your day."

"Well, Popo Snape let me help him in class. I got to say 'Mr. Jones, you will sit wown or I'll take fifty points from Gryffinwor.' Then he took me to see the wungeons. Then we watchew Quiwwitch practice. Mummy I want to riwe a broom. Can I? Can I Mummy, please?" Pleiades bounced in Hermione's lap with her eyes open wide.

(9:00 o'clock that night back at the manor)

"Pleiades, you have to go to bed love. It's going to be a long day tomorrow and you'll need as much sleep as possible."

The four-year-old huffed. "But I not sleepy Mummy. I want to stay up and help," she yawned, "you."

Hermione climbed in the small bed beside her daughter and held her tight. "I know sweetie. I also know that if you don't get enough sleep you get cranky like me and no one will want to be around you except Oreo."

De pulled Oreo the stuffed hippogriff close to her. He was her beloved toy. The manor had two rooms devoted to the young girl's playthings, but the simple gift from Hagrid was always her favorite.

Looking around the room, Hermione remembered rocking De to sleep. The room was baby pink then, with princess furniture everywhere. Now, after being informed that four-year-olds were too old for princess themes (they all thought Blaise put her up to it), the room was covered in pink, yellow, green, blue, purple, and brown polka dots on a white base. Soft furniture was the only kind in the room, except for the table, but it did have a cushioning charm on it so little heads wouldn't hurt themselves.

"Now, you better be quiet and still otherwise Oreo won't get any sleep and he looks very tired to me." If you can't convince the child to go to sleep, convince the stuffed animal.

"Okay Mummy. Will you ask Nonna and Popo to kiss me goownight? Please?" De requested, but yawned through every other word.

Hermione grinned. "Of course I will dear. Now good night, I love you, sweet dreams." She leaned her head down to the little girl and kissed her forehead.

"I love you…" De's voice drifted off and Hermione knew it was safe to leave.

Upon arrive at the Manor, Hermione had changed from her black business suit into a t-shirt and sweatpants. Pulling the longest of her chin-length hair into a pony tail and pinning up the bangs, Hermione set off to begin cleaning the bathroom. It was odd, but she always felt more relaxed after cleaning a bathroom. It was probably the instant gratification.

She turned on the radio, grabbed the Ajax, and set to work. The Weird Sister's song Then He Hexed My Ex was playing and Hermione quickly set a spell that would muffle the room, but still allow her to hear for De easily. The song was quite upbeat and had her bouncing to the beat. Before the song ended she was done with the tub and rinsing off her hands. Before she had them completely dry, Hermione heard voices. It was probably just Lucius and Narcissa home from dinner at the Flint's house.

Then the scariest sound that could ever cross a mother's ear erupted through the Manor. Before Pleiades could take her first breath after the scream, Hermione was rushing downstairs toward the sound of her daughter's voice. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she saw the next to most shocking sight ever.

Draco Malfoy, with a quite suitable hair style, was standing at the doorway between the foyer and the hall, holding her daughter, searching for the cause of her fear. But he didn't matter right now. The only thing Hermione cared about was soothing her daughter as she shrieked yet again.

"MUUUUUUUMMMMMMYYYYYY!"

AN: what do you think? I debated long and hard about the cliffy, and decided I liked it better this way. So cliffy it is. Yes I know waiting til the day before your wedding is a little late to be getting a wedding dress, but I can see Luna doing that. Anyways, please tell me what you think. Feel free to correct any grammatical or factual mistakes!