Disclaimer: The characters here and the world they inhabit are the creation and property of JK Rowling and her assigns.

After Lucius's stunned comment, it was clear to the witches that the wizards had been listening to their conversation. Hermione looked at the portrait of Cygnus and Druella Black in horror. "Have they heard everything?"

Draco could barely contain his laughter, while Lucius answered with a twinkle in his eye. "You've caught us, ladies."

Hermione was spluttering, so Narcissa said, from between her teeth, "Come in here, Draco and Lucius."

Once the four were in the same room, Narcissa opened her mouth in what was likely to be a long scolding. Lucius decided to take matters in hand. "Before you utter anything else, my dear, perhaps it's time to stop trying to manage things at your sister's house. She seems to be managing much better than you."

"Lucius..."

"Draco, would it be too much to ask you to escort Miss Granger back to her own home? I think she might be grateful for a guiding hand this evening, and I find that there are important matters to discuss with your mother."

Draco looked at Hermione and stifled his laughter. "Yes, Father."

Narcissa's eyes narrowed that her authority was being taken from her and watched in angry silence as her son and the young witch left. She turned on her husband. "We need to find a way to recover from this. If that girl—"

"If that girl does anything to endanger our family or its holdings, I'll be surprised." Narcissa wasn't listening and started moving toward the door as though to catch the pair who had just left. Lucius was faster than she was. Quick as a cat, he swept his arm around her hips and tossed her over his shoulder.

"Lucius, stop! Lucius, put me down! I have to deal with this." She pounded his shoulders with her fists. His response was a painless but attention-catching thwack on her behind.

"Why did you do that?" she shrieked.

He shrugged. "You hit me first."

He carried her up to their bedroom and lowered her to the bed, more gently than she expected. She looked up a little warily as her husband leered down at her. Her attitude took new interest as he lazily shed his robe and boots.

"Madam Malfoy, it seems as though someone who lives at this house has idle hands."

She changed tactics. "I missed you, Lucius."

"I gather that, too." He leaned down and carefully plucked the fastenings of her robe open.

"I was so lonely..."

"Lonely enough to fill your time by trying to meddle in your sister's affairs?" He leaned her up to push the robe from her shoulders and unzip her dress.

"Mother wanted to see her properly settled, and I was just—"

"Cissa..." he hissed as her pearly skin and underclothes became visible. Her eyes turned a smoky gray as he traced her bra strap. "Why don't we restore order to our home and let the Snapes—yes, we may as well acknowledge her married name—take care of their own home?"

"What did you intend?"

He ran his hand along her stomach. "Do you really have to ask?"

"Wait," she said, struggling to sit up, "my potion is just over there."

"Let's not," he answered. She looked up at him uncertainly. "If Snape can get your sister pregnant, surely I can do the same by you. Wouldn't your hands would welcome something to do, and wouldn't our house be less gloomy? Let's forget order and introduce a little disorder to it. Draco seemed pleased by the idea of a baby cousin, and he seems to enjoy playing with the Lupin whelp." He had slid her dress down her legs and now moved back up to press his lips to the inside of her knee before looking intently into her eyes. "Please say yes, Cissa."

How many years had she begged for this very thing? There had been many good reasons to keep Draco an only child, especially the Dark Lord. When Lucius had pointed them out over the years, she had agreed. The new light in his eyes told her that was all over. "Oh, yes, Lucius, yes..."

She continued to say it as his hands and then his body moved over her.

"I can't believe you knew all along," Hermione muttered into her glass.

"They weren't as discreet as they thought they were."

"They hid it pretty well from me." Hermione signalled for another glass. She frowned at the copy of The Daily Prophet left on the table by its prior inhabitants. "I still can't believe it. Andromeda and Severus as lovers all winter and spring. I trusted her. I told her to keep the Slytherin girls away."

Over her shoulder, Draco saw a face that looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. It wouldn't have bothered him, but once Hermione had mentioned Andromeda's name, the wizard started staring at Hermione.

Hermione took her drink and started her complaints again. "So typical of a Slytherin, to promise she wouldn't let the other girls flirt with him. Of course not. She wanted him all to herself. And all this time, she pretended to be my friend, encouraging me to just wait until he was ready to move on with his life."

By the third or fourth iteration, Draco was starting to find this conversation tedious, and that wizard was starting to bother him. "Hermione, do you suppose it's time to go home?"

"I can't go home." She winced. "Oh, Merlin, I have to tell all this to Harry. What will he think about it?" She slurped down the last of her drink. "And I can't face Ron. He'll be entirely too delighted, if he doesn't stop being my friend altogether because of my father." She made a sound halfway between a hiccup and a sob.

"There must be someplace I can take you..."

Hermione leaned up and looked with renewed interest at the paper. She looked at Draco and pointed at a picture. "Can you get me into this hotel?"

Draco looked at the picture and sighed. "Yes, the concierge owes me a few favors. Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

Hermione sat up straight and nodded her wobbling head. "Of course I do. Besides, it's not as if my family will care what I do."

Draco supported his step-cousin and knocked on the door to the penthouse suite. Fortunately, the person Hermione had hoped to see opened the door. He and Draco sized each other up.

"She's part of my family now," said Draco, "and I can promise that you will pay if you don't treat her properly. Do you understand?"

"Of course."

Draco turned back to Hermione. "Are you absolutely sure?"

She smiled and walked into the suite, leaning up into the other wizard, who gently supported her. Then the door shut and Draco was free to go back home.