A/N Hello everyone! Thanks for all the great reviews on the last two chapters. Here is a new one that I hope you will enjoy. Happy reading and don't forget to review!

Mess

"What is the meaning of this?" Kingsley Shacklebolt shouted as he burst through Hermione's office door and found his two best employees pointing their wands at a client.

"Minister." Ron said immediately putting his wand back into his robes. Harry held his tightly. Not backing down.

"Thank gods you are here Minister." Draco said walking over to Hermione's desk and retrieving his wand.

"Surely you have seen the paper Minister." Harry asked through gritted teeth.

"I have." he said, his eyes fixed on Malfoy.

"You expect me to just sit here while he carried on an affair with my wife?" Ron shouted.

'No." Kingsley said in his deep voice. "But I expect you to not do it on Ministry grounds. If you want to duel, you are grown men. But not here. Not now. Now Mister Malfoy, please leave."
"Minister you don't understand. I am going through a divorce…"
"So that makes it okay to sleep with my wife?" Ron shouted. Kingsley shot him a look that clearly said to shut up.

"No, Asteria fabricated those pictures. And then tricked me into giving a press conference about it. She wants a bigger settlement. And I refused."

"Not my business Mister Malfoy. You will have to clean up this mess yourself away from the Ministry." he said gravely.

"So it's a duel then?" Harry asked. His hand twitching on his wand.

"Of course not." Draco said.

"Coward." Ron mumbled.

"I am not going to stoop to this level of conflict. My ex is just trying to make me look bad. I don't know how she did it, but I intend to find out. Now if you will excuse me." Draco said walking past the Minister, Ron and Harry and heading out for the lifts to take him back to the lobby. His mind was racing. Where would she go? Her parents? If his house was swarming with reporters then hers probably was as well so she wouldn't go there. Then it dawned on him. His villa. He rode the lift back up to the lobby and hurried for an open fireplace. And with a flash of green he was gone again, landing neatly in the French Villa's fireplace.

"Draco!" Hermione shouted, her eyes red and skin blotchy from crying.

"I'm so sorry." he said.

"Who did this?" She asked.

"I think you know." he said patting her hair as she heaved sobs against his chest.

"Asteria."

"Yes. And it gets worse."

"How can this get any worse?" Hermione asked.

"She tricked me this morning. I hadn't seen the paper yet. I thought the reporters were there about the gloves. Some of the answers I gave to them…well they didn't paint us in the best light. It made it seem like I was bragging about it. I didn't know….I swear I didn't know." he said apologizing over and over again.

"I know." she cried.

"I would never have hurt you and your family like this intentionally. If you don't want me around I can find other places to stay." he said holding her tightly and hoping that she wouldn't agree to that.

"No, I need you. Now more than ever. My life is destroyed, my kids…" then it hit her. The Prophet gets delivered at Hogwarts.

She inhaled sharply.

"What?"

"Rose and Scorpius. They will see it if they haven't already. Rose is going to hate me. And the whole school will know too!" she buried her face in her hands.

Draco knew she was right. And there was no way to fix that. Scorpius will finally know that his parents are divorcing.

"This is all my fault." Draco said walking over to the balcony where he and Hermione had spent so many peaceful nights watching the ocean tides.

"It's both of us. How do we fix this?"

"There is no way Hermione. Your husband knows."

Hermione looked even more shattered, if that was possible.

"He does?" she asked. "How do…"

"I went to your office. Got a friendly welcome from Potter and him. If the Minister hadn't walked in I don't know what they would have done. I'm quite sure I wouldn't be here with you."

"I don't understand." Hermione said walking over and placing her hand on his back.

"They disarmed me. But we can't worry about that now. I told them and the minister that the pictures were fabricated. I don't think they bought it."

"Can you get her to take it back? Offer her something?" she asked hopefully.

"I cut her off completely after her trick this morning." he said sharply.

"What are we going to do?"

"I don't know. But we need to get word to Hogwarts, and we might have to go there as well. Try to explain in person. Scorpius is finally old enough to know about his mother's problems."

"You are not going to tell him that his mother doesn't want him are you?" she asked surprised.

"Not in so many words, but he needs to hear some truth. Lying isn't doing him any favors."

"I will owl Headmaster Flitwick and tell him to expect us shortly. Perhaps he can take the kids to Hogsmeade, maybe the meeting room at the Three Broomsticks. That will give us some privacy."

"Good idea. I also need to tell my parents." he groaned. "No doubt they have found out already but hearing it from me is different."

Hermione gulped.

"Your father." she said quietly. "He will be angry. After all I am who I am. He might remember. My name was in the paper. My maiden name."

"He might." Draco said thinking of how to keep his father from blowing up. His memory might be off but he still was Lucius Malfoy. And that had never changed.

"Will you be alright if I go to my parent's house?" he asked not wanting to leave, but knowing he had no choice.

"Yes. No one knows about this place right?"

"My parents and Asteria, but I have the floo blocked from anyone but me and only the two of us can apperate here now."

"Alright." she said softly, wiping the tears off of her cheek.

"Be back soon. And Hermione?"

"Yes?" she said, her brown eyes looking to him for a glimmer of hope.

"I love you." he said.

She gave him a brief smile as he disapparated in front of her.

Luckily he could safely apparate into his parent's house. There was another swarm of reporters outside the iron gates.

"Must be slow news day." Draco mumbled before calling out for his parents.

"Mum? Father?" he called.

His mother came running, she looked frantic.

"What is going on Draco?" she asked. Her hair was not in its usual elegant knot. It looked disheveled.

"It's Asteria. She is trying to ruin me." he snarled. "Where is father?"

"In his study. He's seen the paper son."

"Does he remember anything?"

"Is there something he shouldn't?" she whispered.

"The woman, in the picture. She is Hermione Granger."

His mother gasped.

"Draco! How could you not tell us this? She….she's the one who…Harry Potter's friend?"

"Yes."

"The muggle born?"

"Yes mother."

"Your father…he's in a fragile state of mind. If he realizes this, there is no telling what he will do."

"I know. That's why I came. I need your help. I need a potion to help him forget."

"His mind is already full of holes son, you want me to make it worse?"

"Just for this one thing. I just don't want him blowing up on me as well. I can handle this if you can help me. Then we will suggest that you two take a trip. But not to the gulf villa, that's where we…I am staying."

"We?" Narcissa asked noticing the slip.

"I am letting Hermione stay there."
"Are you going to stay there as well?" she asked.

"Look mum…" he said. "Things are complicated. I didn't mean for this to happen. It just did. You know how things have been with Asteria. I just wanted…to feel loved."

Tears welled in his mother's eyes.

"Son, you have always been loved." she said softly.

"It's not the same. Hermione sees me as beautiful, special. It felt good. She didn't see my scars as ugly. I'm sick about the mess I have caused for her and her family. And for Scorpius as well. But it's out now and I am trying to fix things. Now go fix that memory potion and slip it into some tea. I'll be in father's study."

Narcissa nodded and hugged her son tightly. Draco straightened up and headed down the long hallway towards his father's study.

Lucius' study at Malfoy Manor had always frightened Draco. As a child there was all manner of dark things kept on the dark wood shelves. Poisons, amulets, books full of horrible spells that tortured and burned enemies. His new study was light and bright. Painted pale blue with deep, rich wooden paneling and plush ivory carpeting. His father's desk sat in the middle of the room. Massive gleaming mahogany. It was a statement piece. When he entered his father was sitting behind it, looking at a copy of the Prophet.

"Hello father." Draco said firmly.

"Son." he replied. Not looking up.

"Asteria." he said. "She did this. She knew blackmail with the gloves wouldn't work."

"Why would you get involved with a married woman? Do you realize the scandal this has caused?"

"I know. And I'm afraid it gets worse. I gave a press conference this morning and made it all seem like it was no big deal. But to be fair I thought I was talking about my seeker gloves I've been working on. I had no idea about the article and photo until afterwards."

"This woman." Lucius said, finally looking up at his son. "She seems so familiar."

"You met her at my shop remember?" he said trying to distract his father from past memories.

"I know, but before that. Why does her face seem so…"

Just then Narcissa walked in.

"Tea." she said carrying a silver tray laden with three tea cups. She set the tray down and picked one up, handing it to Lucius. Then another one to Draco. The third she picked up herself.

"Here Narcissa, does this woman Draco is with look familiar?"

"No, can't recall seeing her before. She is lovely though, although inappropriate for a Malfoy to be with a married woman." she said scolding.

Lucius sipped his tea.

"Father, I am going to fix this. Asteria is not going to win."

Lucius' eyes went glassy and then refocused.

"Of course." Lucius said flatly.

"Dear, it's been so long since we went on holiday. How about we go to South America for a week or two? I hear it's lovely there right now. Let all this mess with Draco calm down. Doesn't that sound nice?"

Lucius nodded.

"Well then it's settled. I will see the two of you when you get back, so don't worry about all this mess. I will take care of my soon to be ex-wife." Draco reassured them.

"Of course son." Narcissa said hugging him tightly. "Make this go away before we return." she whispered in his ear.

He nodded and left the room wondering what to do next.