I am still recovering from the flu so I truly apologize beforehand if somethings in this chapter do not make sense, my head is so foggy that floating pink elephants make sense.
The rest of the week became quieter as Hermione kept her head in the game. Tutoring Scorpious gave her the feeling she craved with him and Draco, the unexplainable crave she had to the two Malfoy's was just that ... unexplainable, but she just put it down to the curse … would they feel the same once it was to be broken? Draco had said the two must be matched in every way imaginable … so surley he would still want her.
Her weekdays became a structured routine of normality. In the morning she would get up and eat breakfast with Severus in Spinners End, floo over to the Manor and help with Scorp, she made her daily task to teach him something new each visit and in the evening she would floo back home and have dinner with Severus.
Draco on the other hand was doing some investigating of his own. He had followed Astoria Spain the following day. He wanted his estranged wife out of the manor but in order to do that he needed to prove she was up to something. Draco watched and followed her over the short visit that she stayed in Spain. Astoria would meet with random couples for lunch before apparating back to her muggle flat, but for all Draco knew they could be her muggle friends she had acquainted herself with over the years. The heat and home sickness was soon getting to him so before ordering an ice tea -to go- from a muggle cafe he apparated back to the manor. Back to his Family.
"I'm home" He bellowed throughout the house and waited for the tell-tale signs of little feet running around the manor to greet him. With today being Saturday he had no obligation to work at Malfoy Enterprise freeing the whole day for himself and Scorp.
When he heard no noise he went in search for his monster. Draco put a silencing spell on the soles of his pumps to quieten his steps up the wooden stairs. As he got closer to Scorpious's bedroom little giggles could be heard from inside, he opened the door quietly and out jumped a green dragon.
"RAWWWWRRRRRRR" Draco's heart accelerated into his chest, he had not been expecting this.
"Daddy you are meant to run away scared" his son pulled the Dinosaurs head off from his shoulders, holding it under his arm.
"Sorry ... arrrrrrggggggghhhhhh" Draco made an attempt to run away scared just to placate his son.
"That's much better, don't you agree Master Scorpious?" That oh so familiar silky voice asked behind him making Draco stop in his tracks.
"Oh so this was your idea Granger" Hermione bit her lip as Draco turned swiftly around and stalked towards the two of them.
"I think we should run Hermione" Scorpious whispered up to her and made his way -very easily- past his daddy.
"Run Hermione if you wish though I will warn you ... I will find and capture what is truly mine" Pleasurable shivers ran down her spine as she stared at his predator gaze, his arms bent slightly at the elbow making him look even all the more menacing.
Draco was too slow as she dodged past his attack and ran out into the hallway, making a quick decision she decided to run left where a green dinosaur with blonde hair could be seen bobbing up and down, she scooped Scorp up into her arms and listened to his laughter in excitement of the chase.
"You can run but you cannot hide Hermione" Draco's voice ringed through the Manor with a possible 'sonorus' charm, Opening the closest door to her right she let them inside, closing the wood as quietly as she could behind her.
"This is Astoria's study" It hadn't escaped Hermione's mind that Scorpious had taken to calling Astoria by her given name not bothering if it high rated her. She watched the little boy walk around the desk and sit in the smaller of the two chairs.
The study was small with only a desk and a computer to occupy it, Hermione wondered if it could even be classed as a study. Scorpious was looking at a few wooden picture frames on the desk of his Father on a broom, he remembered seeing his Father laugh so freely, now if he laughed it was forced, he hadn't been his Father with Astoria been around and he was just glad his Hermione was there to look after him.
Curiosity overrode Hermione as she sat at the desk with him. She did not recognize any of the people in the non-moving pictures so turned her attention to the screen in front of her. Her fingers automatically pressed the power button and turned the computer on praying it wouldn't make a loud wiring noise creating unnecessary attention.
The computer was not password secured so she was able to snoop around the files and photos.
There was a few of Scorpious and Draco when Scorpious was first born, it must have been Astoria's electronic device as she couldn't see any of the Malfoy's using anything so muggle … so alien to the Wizarding world.
There was a file in the documents folder named 'Plans'. More than obvious and suspicious to be named such a thing but if Astoria knew none of the Manors occupants would use her computer she was free to do so. Opening the folder there were plenty of files and maps saved. She moved the cursor over to the first file to double click; Hermione frowned in confusion as she read the first few questions asked.
Name - Astoria Malfoy
Occupation - housewife
Age - 27
Reason to become a surrogate Mother -
Hermione -using her wand- printed the page off and left it next to the computer to view the other documents. She had no reason to read the rest, not really if Astoria wished to be a surrogate than it was the woman's decision.
"Hermione, what does adoption mean?" Scorpious pointed to the file on the computer he had seen, following his finger with her eyes she opened the file. She hadn't thought the Malfoy's the type to allow adoptive children into their family, even if they didn't know about them. Hermione opened the folder and immediately wished she hadn't, gasping at what she was reading, it was making her feel sick as her blood boiled over a manageable temperature if it went any higher she was surely going to combust.
Printing the rest of the folder off without even looking at what the contents read she stormed from the room to where Draco was entering the corridor.
"Told you I would find you my dear" Draco purred as he stalked closer to his prey.
"Not now Draco" She shook her head and pulled his arm, dragging him downstairs with Scorp on her hip and into the parlour room.
"Hey, how would you like to have a play date with Aunty Ginny and boys?" Scorpious jumped up and down excitedly before running off for his coat.
"Hermione, why are you sending Scorp off? This is the first day off I have had in weeks." Draco moaned.
"I have figured out what Astoria has been up to and I would prefer for him to be out of the manor for the time being"
Draco nodded his head understanding what it was she was getting at, he was slight peeved for her sending Scorp off but he understood the motive.
Hermione fire called Ginny arranging for Scorp to go over for the rest of the day whilst Scorpious and Draco packed a bag of a few of his things. Spare clothing, his dragon teddy and his colouring pens. Things of that nature he may need or want.
When Scorpious came back downstairs holding his Fathers hand Ginny was in the room looking just as angry as Hermione did.
"Going to be Aunt Ginny's boy for a while Scorp?" The little boy nodded enthusiastically and ran to his Aunt.
"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Draco demanded as soon as his Son and Red had left the Manors wards.
"I will once your parents appear darling, they should just have received my patronus by now" She placed the palm of her hand onto his cheek stroking tentatively.
Infact Lucius and Narcissa had received the grey floating Otter. Lucius had whisked his wife away for a day to themselves. It had been a while for them to sit in their meadow by themselves without a care in the world. They had come across this particular beauty when on their honeymoon in Holland.
With a flick of his wand champagne glasses and a bottle of champagne came from the picnic basket he had personally packed.
"My lady" he poured a glass for his wife and attentively passed it to her. Things were still quite fragile between the pair, the war had taken a toll on their marriage and if it wasn't for the strong spark they still shared they would have been living separately by now.
"Thank you darling" Narcissa took a sip of her champagne before resting the base on her lap, she had always adored their meadow, the flowers grew in random places and the swaying of the grass blades in the wind soothed her.
"Open wide" Lucius purred into her ear.
Doing as she was told she opened her mouth for Lucius to place a strawberry in, taking a bite she almost moaned in pleasure. Strawberry's had always been her favourite food in and out of the bedroom and her husband knew it.
"Oh dear me, what in the name is that Lucius?" Lucius turned to where his wife was pointing at frowned at the grey otter coming into view.
"I'm sorry to interrupt but I have found information on what Astoria has been doing in Spain, you may want to help me with this, I don't trust Draco's anger when I tell him" An out of breathe Otter spoke before dispersing into nothing.
"Shall we Lady Malfoy?" Lucius stood up and offered his hand to his wife.
"We shall Lord Malfoy" She allowed him to help her up before brushing her black dress down of grass.
Cissy held onto her Husband's arm as he side-apparated the two of them to the Manor.
"What have we missed" Lucius Malfoy strode confidently into the room, cane in his right hand and his wife on his right arm.
"Firstly I apologize for snooping; we were playing a game of hide and seek when I came across Astoria's study with her computer in. I didn't think any of you would know how to use the muggle technology so I hacked into it and opened the only folder not containing photos on the system.
There were many files in folder so I printed them all off." With a flick of her wand hand the document papers floated into the air.
"Many of the maps are the outskirts of Spain apart for one, at first I didn't know what it was until I looked closer ..."
"It's a bird's eye image of the manor" Cissy interrupted, standing to inspect the piece of floating paper.
"Astoria has applied to be a surrogate Mother ... Someone who becomes with child and sells the child off to a couple who cannot
produce children" She explained at the confused faces staring blankly at her.
"That might explain why she had tea with two different couples yesterday, I presumed they might have been her muggle friends"
"But that's no against the law, sure it is unheard of in our world, but that is not a ground for divorce" Lucius almost growled.
"If you please let me finish ... She has also applied to put Scorpious up for adoption" She whispered her last sentence and shuffled her feet in embarrassment for revealing such an horrid act.
Cissy almost choked on her cuppa the tea tray had offered, Lucius's face turned red and then a shade of purple in anger and Draco sat frozen.
"Over my dead body will she get her hands on my son" Draco growled and bolted for the door.
"Going somewhere Godson?" Luckily she had also informed Severus to come over too.
"Sev, get out of my way" Draco stared icily at his Godfather.
"Please, sit down and think rationally child before I fully body bind you" Severus strode over to Hermione and placed a kiss on her forehead before inspecting the papers for himself.
"What do we do oh wise one?" Draco mocked Severus as he sat back down next to his Mother.
"Drop the cheek Draco, just because you have your own child doesn't mean you're not too old for a smack" Draco's usual pale face turned pink in embarrassment as he whispered a feeble apology.
"We wait" Hermione frowned in anger at Severus.
"Wait, that's your great plan?" Severus nodded and paced the floor slightly.
"We wait; see what her next course of action is to be. The boy is merely having a sleep over this evening, not unheard of for a boy his age, we will need more children in his class, make it look like Hermione isn't favouring Scorpious.
Hermione you will return home with me and Draco … Please do not irritate the witch. The last thing we need is for this to go ahead without our knowledge. Also inform Mrs Weasley of your findings it will set the ball rolling for now. The Auror's will have to be involved" Draco nodded his head; he knew they would have to get involved at some point.
"I can ask Harry to be the caseworker work with somebody we know and are familiar with. That way if he comes over unannounced it could be to do with the kid's school work" Draco smiled up fondly at his witch, what a bright woman she really was.
"I want Andromeda involved" Cissy declared confidently.
"Absolutely not" Lucius growled and stood up, leaning heavily onto his cane.
"Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, I have stood by your sorry arse through thick and thin, I stood by your side when you went to Azkaban, I stood by your side during both of the wars and I definitely stood by you when He came back. I have been nothing but the dutiful Wife and Mother to you and Draco so you will stand by me on this one or so help me" Cissy came nose to nose with Husband, not cowering under his gaze as she might once have done.
"Yes dear" Cissy smiled triumphantly at her success much to Lucius's dismay.