Good evening readers. Super busy in work, so this has lagged. Terribly sorry for that, but that is real life for you.

jmullinax, Sampdoria, roon0, thanks! Glad you all liked the birth of Athelina. :)

viola, Draco is great for comic relief!

Alesia, thanks for double reviews! Lucius & Draco have quite a good father/son relationship in the aftermath of the war, which I think is quite an accomplishment for them. I think part of why I like Hermione in my story is that she gets to enjoy the luxury of being a bookworm again, something which she lost due to the war. I think it's charming that Lucius courted her in his way.

ruby, Hermione is a great mom! We'll see more of that.

lilraven, welcome aboard! Thank you for reviewing, I absolutely love getting reviews!

Ok, here is the next bit. No spoilers ahead of you reading it, but we are, finally, coming to a close. I estimate at most 3 more chapters, one of which will be an epilogue. At this point I'm leaning toward 2. PLEASE review, and thank you so much to JKR for this marvelous world in which I am merely playing. Thank you all for reading.


Lucius woke abruptly, the noise coming from close by one he had not had to deal with in many years. Hermione was turning, but Lucius was quicker, rising from the bed shirtless to pick up Athelina and cuddle her against his warm chest before he picked up his wand and saw to the wet diaper that had woken their daughter. By the time he had finished with that, Hermione was sitting up and ready to nurse her, one glance from her sleepy eyes telling him she was ready to take their daughter. After getting back into bed, Lucius gave up the pretense of trying to get back to sleep himself and just watched his wife feed Athelina. Their little girl was almost three weeks old, and Hermione seemed to have finally gotten the hang of breastfeeding, a feat that Narcissa had not managed with Draco. Cissy had always blamed Draco's frequent colds as a child on this lack and constantly fretted about it until he was older, so it was privately quite reassuring to Lucius that Hermione had persisted through the initial difficulties and seemed to be finally enjoying it.

"What time is it?" Hermione asked after a few minutes of quiet sucking from Athelina. Lucius was fascinated, he admitted, by the sight of his daughter feeding, her little mouth working hungrily at breasts that heretofore he had enjoyed himself. He turned his head away and flicked a Tempus on the wall.

"Apparently our daughter managed a five hour stretch," Lucius said, noting that they were last awakened at midnight and it was now a bit past 5 am.

"Mmmmm," was Hermione's only reply, her attention firmly fixed on the little face at her breast. The sucks were slowing now, and Hermione gently disengaged Athelina's mouth, which made a few more empty sucks despite the fact that she had fallen back to sleep while nursing.

"Shall I?" Lucius asked, and Hermione shook her head.

"I'll do it."

They had had quite a round of arguments when they first brought Athelina home. Lucius had been adamant about the baby sleeping in the nursery, and Hermione had been equally vehement about the baby being in the room with them. Lucius only remembered what they had done with Draco, of course, but Hermione was insistent that Athelina should sleep in the same room as her parents, and after a few sleepless nights with odd combinations of both, and a blatant refusal on Lucius' part to co-sleep, they had finally arrived at the present arrangement where a crib was placed next to their bed. Hermione gently laid Athelina down in her crib, then slipped back between the sheets and right into Lucius' arms. After a few quiet minutes simply lying together, Hermione pressed a kiss on Lucius' neck, enjoying the rasp of his beard on her face. He smelled of sleep and Lucius, which was quite attractive and soothing in its way. She knew Lucius was still awake, and waited for him to say anything if he so chose.

"I don't suppose you have moved up your appointment with Løngren?" he asked, and Hermione shook her head against his chest, which caused Lucius to sigh. "I thought not."

Hermione smiled against his neck. "It's one more day."

"It's intolerable," he groused, and Hermione did a poor job of stifling her snort of laughter. Lucius flipped her over immediately, his hips nestled hard against hers, his hair falling around her face like a curtain.

"Shhh," Hermione said, but he silenced her effectively with a very wet and insistent kiss. When she finally forgot about their daughter sleeping a few feet away, Lucius pulled back with an audible pop and a slightly patronizing, slightly frustrated expression.

"Now," he whispered into the shell of her ear, tucking her hair behind it carefully, "you begin to appreciate a small degree of the frustration I have felt for many weeks. So, witch, I suggest you respond gracefully when I tell you that Astrid will be here at 11 AM, and I expect you to be ready for some personal time this evening."

"Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, are you demanding sex from your wife?" Hermione teased.

"I am demanding nothing," Lucius replied easily, his hand sliding beneath her top. "I intend to remind you of exactly the sort of fires we are capable of setting together."

"Mmmm, sounds delightful—" Hermione murmured as Lucius began to suck gently on her earlobe. However, her mind was turning over Lucius taking the unusual step of changing her medical appointment without her knowledge, and she pushed him away gently to look him in the eye. "There's another reason, isn't there? Don't tell me Kingsley has been at you again."

Lucius threw his eyes toward Athelina, whose arm flailed briefly. His message was clear, but Hermione was undeterred. She wriggled under him, her fingers seeking and finding her wand. Before she cast, however, she raised an eyebrow in question at Lucius.

"One way?" he asked, fully aware that it wouldn't stop Hermione from interrogating him now that she had the idea planted in her head.

"Of course. Simple monitor charm."

Lucius sighed and rolled off his wife, aware that any chance for heavy petting had gone right out the window. "Just for a short period of time."

Hermione nodded and cast the small charm over Athelina's crib, the faint glow settling easily over the crib. Lucius had been highly insistent that they would not use monitoring charms or any magic unnecessarily for the first few months, determined that they would continue to gradually show her more and more magic so as to maintain the delicate balance they had achieved as part of their recovery from the curse. Lucius was quite firm on not taking any chances of damaging their girl's magic, and the house elves had been crushed to be told they could not help with the baby for the first few months. Athelina was accustomed to Lucius' magic, and to Hermione's, but he would not risk disrupting her magical core further. Hermione had to deal with sobbing house elves, a task which she found herself quite unprepared for, and which she had eventually passed off to Astoria, who had been raised with them and therefore was able to find a way to allow the elves to help without directly interacting with Athelina yet. All diapers were hand-washed by the elves, carefully prepared for use with balms to prevent chafing, and the used diapers were treated instantly. When Athelina was old enough for baby food, they would be allowed to prepare all of that, but for now they settled for offering Hermione a dizzying array of choices all known or suspected to promote lactation.

Lucius had settled himself against the pillows when Hermione turned back toward him, prepared to answer her questions.

"What is he demanding this time?"

Lucius could not help but admire the dogged stubbornness that Hermione exhibited at times. "He is deeply unhappy with the stalemate that exists with Azkaban's newest tenants."

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "We've already discussed this. Without doing things that are explicitly illegal, there is nothing further to be done to pull information out of them. You nearly died. Inearly died, and our child along with me! You have done more than anyone to put an end to this—he owes you the complete restitution of your citizenship!"

"He wants the Ministry mole." Lucius' tone was flat, which told Hermione that he had been round and round the issue with Kingsley Shacklebolt, and the man was being, well, an ass!

"I am going to go in there, Lucius, and I am going to tell him exactly where he can stick his Unbreakable vow, and what I'm going to do to him in the process is—"

Lucius cut her off, catching her hands in his own, as she had begun gesticulating pointedly. "He is still a bit miffed at you, love, since Cornelia Dextrose died from that curse you put on your wand."

Hermione's look was a very scary one, if only the wizard who was its subject had been present to see it. "I don't give a damn if she died. I did what was necessary to ensure I went home, and you with me."

Lucius used his hold on her hands to draw her smoothly into his arms and on top of him. "I have no problem with the outcome, dearest, as you well know. I rather like knowing that you have a streak of vicious ruthlessness worthy of a Slytherin in you. However, it was quite an unexpected showing from the member of the 'Golden Trio' who has the biggest reputation as a peace lover. Somehow it shocked a few that you were prepared to take quite nasty action to protect yourself and those you love. And, if we were both being honest, you would admit that the fact that you love me still doesn't sit well with some. They were predicting an utter fiasco from our marriage, and we have shocked them all."

"You are attempting to obfuscate again. Kingsley Shacklebolt personally doesn't give a damn about any of that. He is miffed because Cornelia was the most likely of the three to crack under interrogation, and they never had a chance to do so."

Lucius' eyes were coolly amused. "Be that as it may, I doubt our esteemed Minister wants to be in company with you anytime soon."

"I shall go through others, then," Hermione said with determination. "But I will not be dissuaded, Lucius."

"As long as you do not plan to visit the Ministry itself, I look forward to watching and hearing about your efforts, darling," Lucius replied, letting his hands slide up her chest.

"Not so fast, they are too sensitive," Hermione muttered, and Lucius let his hands reverse course.

"My apologies, darling," he said with a smirk, and Hermione gave up any protest when he brought his mouth to bear on other, more delightfully sensitive parts of her anatomy.


"Hello Harry," Hermione said, exchanging a kiss on each cheek with Ginny and a hug with Harry. "How are you feeling, Gin?"

"Like I've swallowed a house," Ginny said, sitting awkwardly on the sofa. "Mum's a lot calmer now that Ron has woken up, however. She was going spare trying to help Lavender and also visiting the hospital to get updates on him."

"I imagine Lavender would have never forgiven him if he missed the birth of his first child," Hermione said, her gaze flying to Athelina's basket on the divan.

"I'd say so," Harry said, taking a peek at the little one. "She's over her jaundice, I see."

"Yes, thankfully we didn't need the potion. Lucius has been a bit overprotective," Hermione explained, although it wasn't shocking to Harry and Ginny. They knew more of what had been going on with the curse than the general public, who were only being treated to lurid speculations about why Hermione and the baby were "in hiding" and how the child had not been born at St. Mungo's. Lucius thus far had kept a tight rein on the Prophet, by means which he hadn't disclosed to her, but two days ago they had finally broken the story that Lucius and Hermione had a girl, which had set another flutter of gossip aflame, given the Malfoys' prodigious history of siring sons.

"I can't say I blame him," Harry said honestly, then looked at the door. "Where is he? Normally he would have barged in by now to insist we not do anything with our magic while we're here. I never would have believed it myself, but Lucius Malfoy insisting wizards and witches NOT use magic in his home is one I will be telling Albus and James about when they are older."

Harry's grin was teasing, but Hermione was distracted by the reminder of what Lucius was doing. "He's at the Ministry still, Harry. I really can't stand this any longer. It's an open secret, what has kept him working with them, and Kingsley is refusing to let it go. He nearly died. It's unreasonable to expect him to catch everyone, Harry."

Harry looked uncomfortable and Hermione knew he didn't like navigating politics at the Ministry like this. However, she was desperate and she had to get him to do something. "Please, Harry. You know it's not right. He can't hold people hostage for a decade and expect unwavering cooperation. Lucius has done more than his share, paid back more than his fair share for what he did before. He's being pushed now, and I think he'd sooner move away than continue with the broken promises to end it and let him have his own life back."

"I'm sure if Kingsley Shacklebolt said he would remove it, he will, Hermione," Ginny said, trying to help Harry a bit. Hermione could be quite intimidating when she was upset over something, and she knew Harry really did not want to involve himself if he could help it.

"He said he would, Ginny, but he hasn't. Lucius asked him point blank and he refused. He just won't let go of this idea that Lucius could do something further to find the mole inside the Ministry." The frustration bled through in Hermione's voice, and Athelina stirred and fussed a bit. Hermione picked her up and patted her bum, giving her a brief coo so that she settled down.

"Has Lucius actually said that, Hermione? That he'd move away before he'd continue to help the Ministry?" Harry asked slowly, turning away from his friend so he could collect his thoughts for a minute.

"I'm saying it, Harry," Hermione said steadily, looking down at Athelina, who was trying to grasp her pinkie. She heard Ginny's indrawn breath and looked back up at both of them after she sat down. "We will move to France, because I will ask Lucius to do that. I cannot live with this kind of bigotry impinging on my family. Because that is what it is: bigotry."

Hermione could see that her words were making Harry squirm. Good. He should squirm, as should anyone else aware of the sword of Damocles that the Ministry had held for far too long over the few ex-Death Eaters who had fully rehabilitated themselves years ago. Finally, Harry spoke.

"I'll speak to Kingsley, Hermione." Harry's eyes promised honestly, and Hermione slowly and quietly let out the breath she had been holding.

"Thank you, Harry."

"Good," Ginny said, then held out her arms. "Now, let me have that little girl. I want her to know her Aunt Ginny's face."


"Hermione, have you seen Scorpius?" Astoria popped her head around the door of Hermione's sitting room, where she was trying to read but was really waiting for Lucius to return home from the Ministry.

"No, I haven't. Where was he last?"

Astoria sighed and stepped fully into the doorway. "He was in the greenhouses, we think, but the elves and I have searched and there is no sign of him. I can't think where he's got to this time."

Scorpius had been less than happy when Lucius had explained about Athelina. Lucius had a pensieve, but he had not shared that memory with Hermione, who had still been in the hospital at the time. She knew he had been terribly upset and strained after that afternoon visit home. Because Scorpius was using magic unintentionally, they had to restrict him from seeing the baby, which the little boy obviously did not understand at all. It was extremely hard on Lucius to have to tell his grandson why he wouldn't see him as much as he would like, and Scorpius had been acting out since.

"Let me help you all look," Hermione offered. Athelina was snuggled up between her breasts, fast asleep on her blouse, but she was willing to risk Lucius' displeasure to find the tyke quickly. "Have you tried Point Me?"

The spell only worked in certain parts of the Manor and the estate, so they quickly decided to split up and cover those parts of the Manor where it did work but Astoria had not had a chance to look yet. After twenty minutes in the west wing of the Manor, Hermione returned to her own wing and was relieved when the spell actually picked something up. She followed the glowing light, and tracked Scorpius down in what was now the rarely used nursery. Astoria had changed all the yellow to pink when Athelina was born, and Hermione and Lucius had each changed the green to cream and a grey blue, so the room was adorned with a soothing, feminine scheme. Hermione found Scorpius idly picking through the picture books, looking sullen.

"Scorpius?" she called softly from the doorway, and the boy's head shot up when he heard Hermione's voice. He took in the sight of the little baby on her chest, but his gaze slid away with a pout.

"I don't want you," he said sulkily, and Hermione sighed, then entered the room.

"That's a shame, because I certainly want you," she said, sitting down carefully and lifting Athelina down from her chest so the curious boy could see her better. "This is Athelina. She'll be three weeks old tomorrow."

Scorpius couldn't help himself, he sidled closer to take a better look. He hadn't seen any other babies up close. He thought she looked funny, and tiny. At least she had hair. Some of the books showed babies with no hair and he thought they looked silly.

"Why haven't I seen her before?" he asked sulkily, crossing his arms across his chest.

Here Hermione was shooting somewhat in the dark, but she could well imagine that no matter how Lucius had tried to explain it, the little boy simply hadn't understood anything beyond the fact that he hadn't been allowed to see the baby at all, and that his grandfather no longer wanted to spend as much time with him.

"She and I were both hurt by a bad spell," Hermione said carefully. "And the Healers can't allow Athelina to be around much magic for right now. It might hurt her."

Scorpius seemed to think about that for a bit, but clearly he wasn't ready to let go of his grudges quite yet. "But Poppa hasn't been to see me much."

"Scorpius, he loves you very much. He has just been worried about me, and about Athelina. We were all very sick for a while before Athelina was born. It is hard when people are very sick, Scorpius. It doesn't mean that any of us don't love you, because we do—it simply means that, for a time, we haven't quite as much energy and time to spend in your company."

Scorpius was still fascinated by Athelina. He watched as her mouth made a silent suck in her sleep, her hands moving as she dreamt of something. "Does she always sleep?" he asked, and Hermione could see that his hands were itching to touch the baby.

"She does sleep a lot, but sometimes she is awake. She has your eyes—the Malfoy eyes," Hermione said, and watched as Scorpius' own eyes widened and his chest puffed a bit with pride. "Go ahead, you can touch her. Just be gentle."

Scorpius reached out tentatively, a finger stroking down Athelina's hair. He was startled when her fist moved, and his finger jumped away, but he moved it back to touch the back of her curled hand with Hermione's encouraging nod, then ran his fingers down Athelina's. "She's so small," he whispered, and looked up again at Hermione as if afraid that he would get into trouble.

"So were you when you were a baby," Hermione said, but recognized that he was getting excited and therefore she needed to withdraw, because Scorpius was always more prone to magical outbursts when he was excited. "Scorpius, your mummy is very worried about where you are. Let's walk downstairs together and let her know that you are just fine, you just needed to think about things, okay?"

Hermione stood again and repositioned Athelina over her breast, holding her carefully in one arm while she held out her hand to Scorpius.

"Am I going to be in trouble with Poppa because I saw her?" he asked before he would take her hand.

"No, Scorpius. You did just as well as you could to meet her. You were very calm and did a good job of controlling your magic. I will talk to your Poppa and we will see if you can see her again soon. Would you like to see Athelina again soon?"

Scorpius nodded slowly before he took Hermione's hand. "She's a pretty baby."

Hermione's heart swelled at the open praise from her nominal grandson. "I think so too."


"Lucius?"

"Yes, yes, we can go now." Lucius patted his pocket, a very handy and highly illegal artifact tucked in there should it be necessary. After his recent go-rounds with Kingsley, Lucius was less inclined to pay every arrear of civility to the Ministry's rules, especially with the mole still running free. Hermione herself was livid to such a degree that Lucius was not quite sure that she wasn't courting trouble herself by insisting on trying to talk with Kingsley.

"We're ready," Hermione said, making sure that Athelina was snug in the baby carrier. Kingsley would never agree to see Hermione regarding the stalemate over the Unbreakables, but Hermione could and would visit Yasmin at least. If Harry managed to wheedle Kingsley down to the Department of Magical Research, then she would have her say as well.

Calvin and Harry were the only others aware of the planned visit, but Hermione was insisting on speaking to Kingsley personally since Harry's appeal had not yielded any results regarding the Unbreakable vows. Calvin admitted that the likelihood of finding the mole was disappearing every day, as more marriages were now taking place and some were leaving the Ministry's employ entirely due to their new marital obligations. Kingsley himself was finally subject to the law, the delay for the Minister of Magic himself having sunsetted. Personally Hermione found vicious satisfaction in the fact that Kingsley had been genetically matched to a diminutive, red-haired librarian from the Orkneys. He was reportedly beside himself at the need for his wife to host and attend social functions, and Melinda Harris was as far as one could get from such a politician's wife.

"Ministry of Magic, restricted atrium," Lucius said clearly as he threw a handful of Floo powder into the fireplace. He stepped through with his arm firmly on Hermione's, and they emerged into one of two restricted Floo points within the Ministry itself. These were limited to the Minister himself, and a few others as approved by the Head of the MLE and the Head of the DMM. Calvin was waiting for them, and he briskly escorted them to a lift to go down one level to their own department.

"Any word?" Lucius asked tightly, and Calvin shook his head.

"Whoever it is, they've shut up tighter than a bodrhan, and any trails have been long erased. It's unlikely that an unregistered Animagus would slip up like that, anyway."

Hermione gave voice to the niggling idea that had been chasing itself in her brain. "What about an unregistered Metamorphmagus? Since it's a genetic trait, wouldn't it be possible, theoretically, to screen all Ministry employees? I would have to get DNA from Andromeda Tonks and Teddy Lupin, but I doubt they would have a problem with submitting samples."

Lucius and Calvin exchanged a look. "That is a very good idea, pet."

Hermione accepted Lucius' kiss on her cheek as the lift pinged and the door clanged open.

"I'll see about getting those samples," Calvin said quietly. The floor was practically deserted at this time of day, most employees having gotten used to buggering off early with Lucius away for so many weeks, and more recently ensnared with MLE business instead of Magical Research. Hermione and Athelina were under a "Notice Me Not" spell, but Lucius and Calvin wanted them in Lucius' office as quickly as possible. Lucius nodded briefly to the few employees who were still about, and Calvin shooed Hermione ahead of him into the office.

"Bless me, I'm so delighted to see you, Hermione!" Yasmin said effusively, jumping up from her chair with greater alacrity than one would think a hundred year old witch should possess. "Let me see that sweet child, oh, there's a dear…"

Hermione obligingly unsnapped the baby carrier and gently pulled Athelina down and settled her firmly in the crook of her own arm, allowing Yasmin to look her fill.

"Oh, but she is such a sweet little thing! Absolutely perfect, and that hair! I suppose she has the Malfoy eyes?"

"Yes," Lucius said, "As I've told you already, Yasmin."

Lucius' tone was dry but amused. His secretary would whoop and brag about being the first to see the new Malfoy baby, he knew. He doubted she would resist sending memos as soon as they left the building.

"Yasmin, any memos from the Minister's office?" Hermione asked, and Yasmin looked up briefly.

"No, dearie, and more's the pity. The latest news from his secretary is that he got into a dreadful row with that Orkney woman. Apparently she is putting her foot down about charm school—what a dreadful match-up that is! I don't know how those two are going to get on without a steady supply of lust potions and a completely separate bedchamber for when they're not trying to satisfy the Minister's own law!"

Calvin snorted inelegantly and Hermione's lips twisted as she tried to refrain from reacting overmuch to this gossipy tidbit. Hermione could not look Lucius in the eye, because if she did so, she would begin laughing and insult Yasmin in the process.

"That's terrible," Hermione managed after a full twenty seconds had passed, but Yasmin had not noticed, her hand gently stroking the front of Athelina's smocked gown.

"Oh yes, quite terrible. Why, Secundus was saying just the other day—"

Yasmin was interrupted by the arrival of a red interdepartmental memo, which unfolded itself and announced it was for the Heads of the MLE and Magical Research, Express from the Minister of Magic!

Calvin yanked the memo down before Lucius could do so, and read it quickly, Lucius looking over his shoulder. "Apparently Kingsley doesn't quite approve of this visit—we'd best head him off, Lucius."

"Let him come. I'd like a word," Hermione said, her eyes flashing. Lucius sent a quelling look at her and replied, "Wisdom lies in picking your battles, dear." He turned to Calvin and said, "Agreed. Hermione, wait here with Athelina. Yasmin, please, let no one in."

Yasmin nodded, drawing her ancient wand from her sturdy handbag. It looked like wormwood had gotten to it, but Yasmin clenched it tightly and said with a determined voice, "Don't you worry dearie, no one will get by my watch!"

"Lucius?" Hermione asked, shushing Athelina who was beginning to stir and fuss.

"It will be smoothed over quickly, I'm sure. I'll be back," Lucius said, kissing his wife briefly before following Calvin from their office.

Athelina was fussing in earnest now, and Hermione moved behind Lucius' desk to change her diaper.

"Would you like some tea, Hermione?" Yasmin offered, and Hermione nodded. She knew Athelina would want to nurse after being changed, and she had no intention of doing so in front of Yasmin or anyone else, for that matter.

"I have some of that Darjeeling blend you like dear!" Yasmin called in from the outer office, and Hermione called back, "Thank you Yasmin," as she finished fastening Athelina's diaper and smoothed down her daughter's dress as she sat down, prepared to let Athelina nurse. "I'll be out in about ten minutes."

Hermione didn't receive a reply, but she was focused on getting Athelina positioned right so she could latch on and start eating. "We're getting the hang of this, aren't we sweetheart?" she crooned to her daughter, enjoying the closeness of nursing, Athelina's tightly curled little fist pushing against her breast as she nursed.

"Well, what a touching picture you make," a familiar voice said from the door. Hermione's head snapped up to see a smirking Jessamine in the doorway. It struck Hermione how very quiet it was in Yasmin's office as Jessamine's hair was suffused with green, her features twitching. "Now, I think it's time you and I finally reached an agreement about your work, wouldn't you say?"