Warning: There is an M rating for a reason. The story will NOT contain rape or sexual violence. Lemons and fluff expected. Basically what you would expect from most romance novels nowadays.
There will also be the use of profanity.

Music speaks to my muse.
This chapters song was: Make Me Like You, Gwen Stefani
Lyrics of choice: I really like you but I'm so scared/I'm so mad at you because now you got me missing you/oh, God, Thank God that I found you.

Grammarly is my Beta: 7-17

Charmed to You

Chapter 33
How To Be

Draco was attempting to work one morning in mid-January but gave it up after an hour for a bad job and after telling his secretary that he would be working from home that day he went back through the floo but came out on his parent's side of the manor.

His father looked up curiously from his book as Draco walked into his study. "Draco, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Draco looked up and stopped staring at his parents in shock. His father looked perfectly normal, but his mother.

"Mum?" He said stupidly.

She smiled at him and did a turn. "I had to find some Muggle suits so I took Helen with me to Paris and we raided all the shops. I am off to tea."

Draco watched open mouthed as Narcissa kissed her husband on the cheek who had a rather fond look on his face as he watched his wife walk off in high heeled shoes.

"I must say, I am starting to appreciate Muggle fashion," Lucius said with a rather leering look at his wife as she walked off.

Draco knew he was flushing partly because it was his bloody parents and also because he felt the same way about Hermione when she wore those tight skirted suits, shaking himself out of his stupor he asked, "Where in Merlin is she going to tea that requires a Muggle suit?"

Lucius stood up moving to put the book he had been reading back. "Helen Granger and your mother have a standing tea date once a week."

Draco's eyes widened. "They do?"

Lucius nodded. "They sometimes drag your wife along and force her to go shopping and then they have tea at some Muggle place they love."

Draco knew he had to look stupid with his mouth hanging open as he stared at his father in shock, "My mother loves a Muggle tea shop?"

Lucius smiled and then shook his head his voice laced with indulgence. "The shop serves tea with a large amount of Muggle brandy in it, they tend to over indulge."

Draco sputtered and then laughed. "Oh, Merlin! Is that what Hermione was telling Niffy about this morning?" Lucius titled his head and Draco hurried to explain. "She asked Niffy to please make sure her mother got home this afternoon."

Lucius chuckled and then frowned. "I thought Niffy was watching your wife?"

Draco threw himself onto a sofa and snorted. "No, she figured out a way to stop that."

Lucius laughed and then said. "That is because you were far too obvious, son."

Draco raised an eyebrow at his father who was smiling at him and shaking his head. "I know you have the elves follow mother," Draco said in an annoyed voice. "How do you get away with it?"

Lucius shrugged and then said. "I don't do it every day."

Draco rolled his eyes at his father and leaned his head back. "Hermione didn't speak to me for two days when she figured out Niffy was following her, even though I hadn't ordered Niffy to do it."

Lucius chuckled. "You didn't discourage it though, and knowing your Gryffindor wife, that was why she was angry with you."

Draco smirked at this. "Indeed, although she got over it."

Lucius nodded and then said. "Why are you not at work?"

Draco sighed. "I need to speak with you."

His father looked up from his paperwork curiously. "Oh?"

Draco nodded sitting up and then standing up and starting to pace. He had never had a conversation with his father of the likes he was about to have. Lucius didn't speak but rather watched his son waiting for Draco to speak.

Finally, Draco turned and glaring at his father said. "Why did you do it?"

Lucius raised an eyebrow and said. "May we be clear on what exactly we are referring to that I did?"

Draco ran a hand through his hair and spat it out. "The Dark Lord. Why did you follow him? Mother can't have wanted that, I didn't want it, why did you do it?"

Lucius went still and then a bit pale before he said slowly. "My father expected it."

Draco shoved his sleeve up brandishing his own dark mark and said angrily. "That's my line!"

Lucius let out a long deep breath and then nodded. "I am aware."

Draco felt the anger rush out of his body and he sank down into a chair. "I don't want to be that man," he said in a harsh whisper. "I don't want my son to follow our path."

Lucius went even paler and said firmly. "He is gone, Draco."

Draco glared at his father. "And yet his mark still stains our skin."

Lucius flinched. "Some sins cannot be hidden."

Draco grunted and then looked up his face hard. "I don't want to be the father you were."

If this upset his father Draco didn't see it, after a moment Lucius said in a firm voice. "I would hope you would learn from my mistakes instead of repeating them."

Draco looked back at his father rather shocked and Lucius shrugged at him his face harsh. They held each other's gaze for a moment and then Lucius stood up walking over to pour himself a fire whiskey.

"Your wife would not be as accommodating as mine was over such behavior, Draco," Lucius said tiredly.

Draco snorted at that and then said. "Bloody right she won't be."

Lucius sipped his whiskey and then said. "Yes, well, Gryffindor after all."

Draco smirked. "She's rather more Slytherin if we are honest."

Lucius smiled at that and then sighed. "I can't change the past Draco, and I apologize that you suffered due to my choices."

Draco inclined his head. "I suppose I can't really be angry as I made the same choice in the end for the same reason."

Lucius shuddered and then nodded going a bit introspective before he said. "You are worried about what type of father you will be with only me as a guideline?"

Draco nodded watching his father closely. He looked, odd. Finally, Lucius said. "I was wrong over very many things Draco. I perpetuated a cycle that almost got you killed. I would hope you would never be the father I was."

Draco felt his stomach tighten and then said slowly. "You were not a horrible father."

Lucius looked up and his face was painful to look at and full of self-recrimination. "I was not, however, a very good one."

Draco gave a small tight nod and then said. "So what do I do?"

Lucius shook his head. "I suppose you do a bit of self-reflection on your childhood, Draco. Remove the things that you saw in me that you don't want your own child to see."

Draco snorted. "That seems far too simple."

Lucius shrugged. "Hermione seemed to have had a rather enchanted childhood all things considered. Perhaps you should speak to her father. Arthur Weasley would also be another man to speak with, what he lacks in financial planning he made up for as a parent. In fact, all of the Weasley men seem to be very good fathers."

Draco's eyes went wide at this but he nodded because truthfully he was in agreement with his father.

Lucius sighed and then said in a rather tired voice. "I am terrified as well."

Draco sat back and sucked in a breath, was his father admitting to fear? "Terrified?"

Lucius nodded. "I am to be a Grandpapa." Lucius took another long sip and then said angrily, "And I have already failed at being your father. I am not sure I could stand to fail your children as well."

It took five full minutes before Draco could speak and when he could his voice was shaking with unshed tears. "Hermione won't let you fail, father."

His father looked up and he watched as his father's face go slack with what looked like relief and then a bright smile spread across his face and he set down his glass. "No," he said fondly. "She will not."

Draco nodded and then Lucius looked at his watch. "Speaking of your lovely wife I am taking her to lunch to get her out of going shopping with the ladies today."

Draco sputtered out a chuckle. "Was that her idea or yours?"

Lucius looked up and then chuckled. "Hermione sent an owl yesterday with the request. As you said, she is rather Slytherin. She asked for me to tell Cissy that we had a prearranged lunch appointment."

Draco laughed and then said. "I have to pretend to work."

Lucius watched his son and then said. "Perhaps you could drop in on your father in law Draco. He is retired and without company today as his wife is with your mother."

Draco paused and then said slowly. "Perhaps I will."

Lucius nodded not pushing the matter. "It's just an idea."

Draco stood and then walked over and shocked both of them by hugging his father. After a moment Lucius hugged him back and then Draco left quickly, he had a lot to think about.

OoOOoOOOooO

He didn't drop in on his father in law that day, but he made sure to speak with him whenever they went over to their house. Hermione seemed pleased that he was making the effort to get to know her father and Draco found that he enjoyed pleasing her.

At the Burrow, he watched the men as they interacted with their children. He watched how Arthur interacted with all of them as well. He found he wasn't alone in his silent perusal. Goyle seemed just as interested and when Draco caught him just shrugged and inclined his head towards Ginny. Draco's eyes widened, they must be trying for a baby then, or already pregnant. He shook his head and then laughed causing the women to look at him. Hermione raised an eyebrow and he just shrugged. She shook her head at him and went back to talking with Pansy who was at the Burrow that day to speak with Magnolia who was having her decorate her home with Harry.

That couple had just returned from their honeymoon. Draco had been rather amused to watch Potter fall under Magnolia's spell. That woman had the 'boy who lived' wrapped around her little finger. Leaning back he smirked, he felt sure that he would never be that obnoxious with Hermione, not even realizing that he already was, because the second he noticed she was out of tea and about to get up to get some more, he stood up going to get it for her kissing her cheek as he did and totally missing the knowing smirks on the faces of the men in the room.

Ginny watched Draco walk away and then whispered to Hermione. "What's going on there, he is acting like a love sick fourth year."

Hermione sighed and then shrugged smiling. "I have no idea, but if you bring it up I will hex you, it's been wonderful."

The two women were still giggling when Draco returned with her tea, dropping another kiss on her cheek before sitting down again.

OooOoooOoooOOooOOooO

The next few months were some of the best in Hermione's life. Draco had mellowed into a rather amazing man. He smiled all the time now. Although he was still not fond of large groups and a bit of an introvert he did make an effort more than he ever had. He was also so attentive and loving it made her sigh stupidly quiet often. She got flowers at work every week and he started working from home in the mornings so that they could always have breakfast together.

Oh, they still had disagreements, some rather heated; but they always worked it out somehow in the end.

When it was time for her to finally take time off work it was Draco who suggested that she could still work on some of her projects by assisting him as he was on point on rather a few things she was working on. Of course, he didn't let her work more than a few hours a day but he did include her in rather a lot of things.

Hermione, in fact, had to take over a meeting for him with the French Minister when Draco had come down with a nasty cold. The Minister had come to her since she was so far along in her pregnancy and she had spent a lovely afternoon with the man in her new drawing room. Niffy had been so excited that company was coming over that Hermione had been rather worried the poor elf might have a heart attack.

Hermione had invited the man back with his wife for dinner the next week. Draco had been astonished at her when she told him that he had accepted her offer.

Coughing stuck in his magical contamination bubble so that he didn't get Hermione sick he said stupidly. "You invited the French Minister over for dinner?"

Hermione shrugged. "With his wife, yes. He seemed enchanted to receive the offer and agreed immediately. Niffy is beside herself and already working on the menu with the kitchen elves." Draco was in another coughing fit and Hermione was frowning at him. "Did you take your potion?"

He waved her off, "Yes, I will be drooling in my pillow soon. Hermione, you do realize that you just invited the French Minister of Magic to our home without consulting me?"

She looked up her eyes narrowing. "I need your permission to invite guests to dinner?"

He snorted at her. "Of course not, I am just amazed at your gall, that's all." He gave a tired sigh and leaned back on his pillow. "And stunned he agreed. He won't even dine with Kingsley you know."

Hermione raised an eyebrow and then chuckled. "I might not have asked if I had known that."

Draco waved his hand his eyes starting to droop. "Apparently, you are far more charming than our own minister, Mrs. Malfoy."

Hermione smiled and blew him a kiss. "Go to sleep."

A snore met her statement and she left the room calling for Niffy.

"Mistress called?"

Hermione smiled at her. "Draco just told me that we managed to secure a dinner guest that even our own Minister cannot!"

Niffy looked confused before finally following and the elf started jumping up and down. "Oh!"

Hermione nodded and then said. "Come on, let's go brag! Lucius will be beside himself with pride over this."

Niffy took her mistresses hand and led her to a floo. "You brag, I has to work keep up my work on the menu!"

Hermione laughed and floo'd over to Lucius's study; she couldn't wait to tell him how the meeting went and about her accepted invitation to dinner.

OoOoO

Lucius looked at her in amazement and then stood up. "He agreed?"

Hermione nodded. "Most enthusiastically."

Lucius smiled at her and then shook his head. "Well done, Hermione."

She gave a small curtsey and then fell down on a chair laughing. "Draco was astonished."

Lucius nodded sitting back down. "And how is Draco?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Sick and grumpy and stuck in a confinement bubble taking potions that make him drool into his pillow."

Lucius laughed. "He was never very good at being ill."

Hermione shrugged. "Well, it worked out fine. I got to play him for the day and it was very rewarding."

Lucius nodded leaning back and saluting her. "I am sure you are far more charming a companion to have a meeting with."

Hermione smirked. "Well, I did serve tea and cakes."

Lucius smirked back at her and then gestured to her. "And how are you and my grandchild today?"

Hermione rubbed her now protruding belly and smiled. "Full of tea and cakes. Can I have dinner here? Niffy will have the kitchen elves in a frenzy planning for the dinner next week and Draco will be sleeping."

Lucius nodded graciously. "But of course. What would you and my grandchild like for dinner?"

Hermione frowned thinking before she said. "Cottage Pie."

Lucius laughed and then rang for a house elf while Hermione put her feet up and snuggled in to nap before dinner, a smile on her face.

She completely missed Lucius standing up to cover her with an afghan and smile down at her fondly before he strode out to find his wife and tell her of the coup their daughter in law had secured with the French Minister.

Notes:
I wrote this chapter this week. Never ignore your muse. My muse felt that we needed this chapter.
As always thank you for the reviews and favorites and follows.

Cjean