a/n I hope you liek the next few chapters. Some of you might think Hermione is going to act very unlike herself. Let's say it was a midlife thing okay? Happy reading and don't forget to review!

Malfoy Senior

"WHAT?" Hermione managed to choke out. "When did this happen?"

"The other night. After dinner." he said looking away from her eyes.

"I thought she was in Paris." Hermione remarked.

"She was, but she came back…well when I didn't send her any more money when she asked."

"Oh." said Hermione quietly. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. I saw this coming a long time ago. I have put up with a lot from her to save our family's name from becoming mud again. But…" he stopped and looked at her.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know if I should tell you all this. If we are trying to keep this a business relationship." he replied.

"You don't have to. But I'm a good listener."

"Well…the final straw was when she outright ignored our problems with Scorpius and basically called him a mistake."

Hermione covered her mouth with her hands in surprise.

"That is terrible!" she told him. He nodded in agreement.

"A divorce is going to cost me a fortune." he said. "She indicated that she was going to take me for what she could." he said rubbing his head. A terrible headache was making its way to the front of his head.

Hermione didn't know what to say.

"Now how bad is your day?" he asked with a slight smile. Hermione couldn't help but feel stupid. His day was much worse.

"Oh, I was just exaggerating. It's not been that bad."

"Come on. I told you."

"Well…" she said slowly. "I've pretty much fought with Ron for the past two days and today Harry got on my case as well."

"About what?"

"Basically you. Ron doesn't like that I accepted this project and Harry doesn't trust you. I told them you weren't like that but old habits are hard to break. They are so set on hating you."

"And you stuck up for me?" he asked.

"Well of course." she gasped. "After what happened at your house…" she broke off mid-sentence and rephrased what she was going to say. "And how nice and kind you have been while working together. How could I not defend you?"

Draco was gobsmacked. He had never expected her to defend his good name to her husband and her best friend. He didn't know what to say.

"You shouldn't fight with your husband over me." he said quietly. "Or Potter. You have been friends with them much longer."

"I think I'll decide who to fight with thank you very much." she smirked.

"I'm just saying." he smiled back.

"So a bad day all around." she said. "And we are no further on this project and tomorrow is my birthday." she threw in.

"It is?"

"Yes."

"Well happy early birthday Hermione." he said with a sincere smile.

"Thank you." Hermione said blushing deeply. Just then she heard a tinkling of bells.

"What the…" Draco said. "We are supposed to be closed."

The young stock boy came in and knocked on the frame of the doorway.

"Mister Malfoy sir."

"Yes?"

"Someone here to see you."

"Who is it?" Draco asked.

"Your father."

Draco groaned.

"I'll be right back." he said standing up and disappearing out the doorway.

Hermione stiffened in her seat. She had only seen Malfoy senior in passing in the last nineteen years. And that was enough to send her into a panic attack. Now he was here, ten feet from where she sat. She tried to quiet her heart so she could hear what was going on. Hermione prayed he would not enter the room where she sat; she didn't know if she could handle it. Taking a deep breath she put all of her effort into the two voices from the other side of the doorway.

"Father, I didn't know you'd be stopping by. I'm rather busy, in the middle of a meeting as a matter of fact so you will have to make this a brief visit." Draco said.

"Yes, I'm sorry but I had a visit from your wife this morning and it disturbed me greatly." Lucius said.

"A visit from her could disturb anyone greatly." Draco said.

"Do you know what she said?"

"I have a good idea."

"She said you are having an affair. Is that true?"

"Of course not!" Draco replied.

"So what is this all about then? She upset your mother; I had to give her a sedative potion." Lucius told him.

"How did she upset her?" Draco said angrily.

"She said that if she left she would take Scorpius to live with her in Paris, and transfer him to Beauxbatons. You know how your mother dotes on that boy."

"Preposterous." Draco huffed. "You want the truth father? Well here it is. She hates me and I hate her. She has never loved me or Scorpius for that matter. The only time I hear from her is when she wants more galleons to spend in Paris where she has been living for the last six months. I sent her ten thousand last week and she owled me for ten thousand more. I refused. She showed up the other night and threatened me and told me Scorpius was a mistake, and that she only married me as a favor to you. So make of it what you will."

"So where did she get the idea you were having an affair?" Lucius asked.

"Because she tried to seduce me for the money and I refused again. She assumed that my needs are being tended to elsewhere."

"Are they?"

"Of course not. My sole concern is my son and my company."

"You know we had her sign a pre-nuptial agreement. If she leaves before Scorpius is 17 she gets nothing."

"Just give her something and let her go. I'm keeping my son however. I will fight to the death for that."

"As will I." Lucius reminded him.

"I'm alone all the time anyway so why waste the ten thousand galleons a week? That could go for many other uses."

"Agreed. Well I'm sorry to interrupt your meeting. Is this about your new project?" Lucius inquired.

"It is. A ministry official is helping me with copyright spells and coming up with a new spell for use just on this project." Draco told him.

"Who is helping you? I'd like to meet him." Lucius said.

Hermione's heart stopped as she heard two sets of footsteps heading towards her. She hoped that Lucius Malfoy would not recognize her. After all Draco didn't at first. As the voices and steps got closer she took a deep breath.

"Father, really…it's no one you know." Draco said. He was trying to protect her from this.

"Is it Jones?" Lucius said poking his head through the doorway and staring at Hermione.

Draco peeked from behind his father's shoulder and mouthed 'sorry' to her. She sat frozen with Lucius Malfoy staring at her.

"Well hello." he said. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Lucius Malfoy. Draco's father. But of course you probably knew that. And you are?" he said holding out his hand.

"Mrs. Weasley." she managed to choke out.

"Ah, married to one of them I supposed since you don't have red hair." he had a slight smile to his face. His hair was still long and pulled into a ponytail, but it was not the silken blond it had once been. The color now was silvery white. His face had aged greatly, but his icy grey eyes still held all the horror they once had.

"Yes, by marriage." she said shyly.

"Which one?" he pried.

"Ronald." she replied.

"Ronald, Ronald…" he pondered. "Doesn't ring a bell. What do you do at the ministry?"

Hermione was floored. Did he really not know who she and her husband were? After all they had brought about his fall from grace. Maybe he was senile.

"I'm head of Magical law enforcement." she told him a little more confidently now that she realized he wasn't going to 'avada kedavra' her right then and there.

"Oh, good. Well I hope you can help my son with his project. He won't even tell me what it is."

Draco rolled his eyes.

"Father hates to be out of the loop."

"Well I should get going." Lucius said. "Nice to meet you." he held out his hand. She took it gently, as if her touching it would reignite his memory of her. He brought it to his lips and placed a dry kiss there. Like an elderly relative would.

"You too." she said.

"Draco I will take care of what we discussed earlier. Take care."

"Thank you father."

"Good evening." Lucius said. Hermione noticed now that he relied heavily on a cane to walk. She heard Draco walk him to the door, the tinkle of bells and the turn of a lock.

"I am so sorry about that." Draco said. "I didn't realize he would be stopping by."

"He didn't recognize me? Why?" she wondered.

"The truth is that some of the curses that were used on him have addled his mind slightly. He knows most things, and is completely competent. But he does forget names and faces sometimes. Or perhaps he has blocked everything out as I wish I could sometimes." Draco said sadly. "I supposed you heard what he said, about Asteria I mean."

Hermione nodded.

"That…" he stopped and composed him self. "She told my mum she was taking our son. I can't believe she would stoop that low."

"I can't either." Hermione said soothingly. "You are a good father. Lots of guys would have just let their child go and visited when they could."

"Never." Draco said. "He is a Malfoy; I won't have him raised by that shrew."

"She is his mother." Hermione said.

"To be a mother you have to take part in caring for a child. She hired a nanny to help when he was a baby and she took care of him until he was 3. Until Scorpius called the nanny 'mommy', Asteria fired her immediately. From then on she relied heavily on the house elves and me to raise him. He was only 'her son' in public when it made her look good. Even that day at King's cross I had to force her to come back from Paris to see Scorpius off to school. He didn't care that she was there. She is basically a stranger to him."

"I'm so sorry." Hermione said sadly.

"It's not your fault." Draco told her. "I should have known better than to marry her."

She thought back to how happy she was on her wedding day. How could anyone make that commitment to someone they didn't love? Or stay with someone once that love had turned into something else?