Several days later, Lucius and Narcissa lingered in bed well into late morning. He'd returned to Malfoy Manor a couple of days earlier and, fueled by the oral sex Hermione had recently bestowed upon him, had redirected some of his not wholly satisfied lust onto Narcissa. The previous night, he'd kept his pregnant wife up until the middle of the night with his amorous attentions.
Narcissa awakened to Lucius' lips kissing her neck, his hands roaming her body. She stretched languidly as her husband continued his ministrations, feeling his long, silky hair brushing her neck.
"Lucius, I really think we ought to get up now," Narcissa murmured regretfully, with a quiet laugh. "They'll be wondering where I am at the orphanage."
"Let them wonder," Lucius growled. "You'd said Andromeda would be there today and that Mr Potter is learning quickly how to run things." Pausing to nip at her neck, he added, "They will all still be there after we're done."
"I never could say no to you," Narcissa said, as she rolled over into her husband's fevered embrace.
About an hour later, they'd finally left their bed to enjoy a leisurely brunch in the breakfast room. Narcissa still intended to spend the afternoon at the orphanage, but was now in no hurry, wanting to spend as much time as possible with her husband before he and Hermione left on their trip to America.
"So, what do you plan to do this afternoon?" Narcissa asked Lucius when they were almost finished eating.
"A representative from Obscurus Books is coming over to the penthouse to discuss Hermione's proposal for the 7 book series of Muggle Studies textbooks," he told her. "I also plan to remind him of my book idea for a blueprint for pre-Hogwarts primary education, focusing on acclimating muggleborns and muggle raised children into wizarding society. Hermione and I intended to donate half the proceeds from our books to the orphanage and to the Hogwarts fund for needy students."
"How long do you think it will take her to write all seven books?" Narcissa asked.
"She doesn't have a definite time period pinned down," Lucius said. "She is planning to have them all done and adopted by Hogwarts roughly by the time Lucia is ready to start there, however." Pausing to take a last bite of toast, he continued, "I'm on somewhat of a looser schedule with mine. Though I'll likely finish it much sooner, I can afford to take a few years to get it ready for print."
"It sounds as if you have things well in hand," Narcissa observed. "And what an ingenious way to expand your sphere of influence; through the written word."
"Yes, exactly," Lucius said. "You know me well, my dear. And now with Dumbledore gone, I can finally exert some influence to get some long-needed changes accomplished at Hogwarts. Now is the perfect time to act, while Horace Slughorn is Headmaster, as we might well end up with another Gryffindor Headmaster once Horace decides to retire for good this time."
"I won't keep you, then," Narcissa said, leaning over to give Lucius a kiss as she rose from the table. "I really need to get to the orphanage, as Andromeda has planned to take Teddy to see his muggle great-grandparents today."
"All right, then," Lucius said, returning her kiss with one of his own. "Don't work too hard, today. Let Mr Potter do most of the work while you merely supervise."
"Don't worry," she said, laughing. "I won't overexert myself."
Nearly an hour later, Lucius came through the floo at the penthouse, finding it empty. Before leaving the room, he noticed that Hermione's notes about the book proposal sat neatly on the writing desk, ready for when their guest arrived.
He strode down the hall, finding Hermione putting Lucia to bed in the nursery. Smiling indulgently at the sight of her lovingly caring for their daughter, he kissed her and murmured, "I missed you both tremendously when I was at Malfoy Manor. I'd forgotten how nice it is to have a baby in the house until I was away for a few days."
Hermione laughed quietly. "You were only gone for a couple of days," she noted. "Hardly enough time to pine away."
"Ah, but babies change so quickly at Lucia's age," he said seriously. "I missed so much with Draco when he was first born because of the Dark Lord's insane obsession with the Potters, and I don't wish to make that mistake twice."
"Lucia is so lucky to have you as her Daddy," Hermione said, squeezing his arm in affection.
"I'm the lucky one," he said quietly. "To have both of you in my life."
The couple stood for several long moments looking down at their infant daughter as she drifted off to sleep, as if this was the most fascinating activity in the world.
Finally, Hermione whispered, "I think she's asleep."
Seeing that she was right, Lucius took her hand as they quietly crept out of the room. Once out in the hall, Hermione pointed her wand at the door, casting a one-way silencing charm, so that they could hear her if she cried, but she would not be disturbed by noises from other parts of the penthouse.
A moment later, when they were back in the library, Hermione asked, "What time is that bloke from Obscurus Books coming by?" Pointing to the desk, she added, "I have my notes all ready for him."
Glancing at the clock over the fireplace, he said, "He should be here any time now."
"I'd better change into something a bit dressier, then," Hermione said, rushing from the room. "I wouldn't want him to see me in my ratty old 'Mum' robes."
"No, we can't have that," Lucius chuckled. "Though I think you look smashing in anything you happen to be wearing."
"Flattery will get you everywhere," she promised, giving him a naughty look.
"I'll hold you to that," he said. "Unfortunately, it wil have to wait until later."
Twenty minutes later, Breezy escorted Darius Dingwell, the senior editor at Obscurus Books, into the library, where Lucius and Hermione were ensconced over tea.
"Ah, Darius," Lucius greeted the man. "Good to see you again. Do sit down." With a flick of his wand, a cup of tea appeared in the air in front of his guest. "Tea?"
"Yes, thank you," the other man said, plucking the cup from where it floated.
"I trust that Mrs Dingwell and the children are doing well?" Lucius inquired, making polite conversation before getting down to business.
"Yes, fine, thank you," Dingwell replied. "I'll pass along your regards to her."
Reaching for his briefcase, he turned to Hermione and said, "I've carefully read your proposal, Mrs Granger-Malfoy, and I must certainly say that your plan to totally revamp the Hogwarts Muggle Studies program by introducing a different book for each year is a sound and timely one. I was muggle raised myself and I remember how ridiculously laughable the program was when I was there. I can't imagine it had changed any during your time."
"Not at all," Hermione assured him. "It's still a big joke. And it's what inspired me to want to write my own textbooks. As a muggleborn, I think I can do better."
"Lucius tells me that you were one of the best students Hogwarts has seen in the 20th century," Dingwell said. "He assures me that you're more than capable of doing the job." After a pause, he added, "And the sample essays you included have convinced me that Lucius knows what he's talking about."
"It's an issue I feel strongly about," she said.
"When you sent your query letter, you had not indicated any proposed book titles, nor the exact subjects you wished to emphasize," Dingwell noted. "I trust that you've since nailed that down."
"Oh, yes," Hermione said. Picking up a folder which sat on her lap, she said, "Here are the working titles I've come up with for each book, which indicate which aspect of muggle life I intend to stress."
Dingwell took the parchment she'd offered him and sat silently reading for a few moments:
Proposed Title List
for
7 Book Muggle Studies Textbooks
Year One -- Introduction to the Muggle World
Year Two -- Muggle Technology: How Muggles Manage Without Magic
Year Three -- Muggle History
Year Four -- Muggle Culture and Family Life
Year Five -- Muggle Psychology
Year Six -- Muggle Politics
Year Seven -- Muggle/Magical Relations
"This is quite an ambitious course of study," Dingwell noted. "Am I correct in understanding that Headmaster Slughorn is in agreement with your proposed changes to the Muggle Studies program?"
"He is," Lucius put in. "I've also discussed it with the Governors' Board and they are also receptive to the idea."
"And what's more, I will magically charm each book to be self updating as new information becomes available and events happen that will make parts of the old text obsolete," Hermione told him.
"Excellent!," he replied. Turning to Lucius, "I'm also interested in publishing your proposal about instituting a primary education system that would get the muggleborn and muggle raised children into the wizarding world at an earlier age. It's something that has been brought up from time to time over the yeas, but I've not seen any ideas on how to implement it that were as cogent as yours. It should be a good companion book to Mrs Granger-Malfoy's books."
"We certainly hope so," he said. "And I'm quite sure these books will generate quite a tidy profit for Obscurus Books as well."
"I'm sure," the other wizard said. Turning to the couple, he said, "I'll be drawing up a contract for the books as soon as possible and we should have everything in order by the end of the week."
"Wonderful," Hermione said, smiling, thrilled to know that her dream of becoming a published author was about to become reality.
"I must be going now, but I'll get in touch soon," Dingwell, promised, rising from his seat.
"I look forward to it," Hermione replied.
"Allow me to see you out," Lucius said, rising as well.
As the two men walked down the corridor, Dingwell turned to Lucius and said, "I wish you'd reconsider my standing offer to publish a memoir of your years as a Death Eater."
"Perhaps, one day," Lucius said vaguely, pressing his lips together tightly. "But not now. The memories are too fresh for me to write about that phase of my life with any objectivity."
"I understand," the other wizard said. "But if you ever change your mind..."
"Yes, you'll be the first one I call," Lucius promised as they reached the door. "Good afternoon, Mr Dingwell."
Returning to the library, he found Hermione standing in the doorway. "What's that about publishing a book about your Death Eater years? You've never mentioned it to me."
Lucius sighed in frustration. "I'd never mentioned it to you, because I really don't have any intention of following through. It's a part of my life I'd like to put behind me. There are things I did that I don't care for Lucia to ever know."
"I understand," Hermione said, not really wanting to know all the details of his time with Voldemort, either. Smiling brightly, she said, "Why don't we have some dinner? I'm about ready to eat."
"Sounds like a fine idea," Lucius agreed.
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A/N: Many, many thanks to all of you who believe in my story. It's what's kept me writing it for over a year.
Next chapter as yet unnamed.