Draco arrived back on Manor grounds and headed straight for his study. He needed some time alone to process all of the information he had just been bombarded with. If he was completely honest with himself, he also needed to cry, which is something a Malfoy does not do, at least not in front of anyone else! As Draco stormed into the house and up the staircase he was stopped by his father, who was obviously waiting for his return.

'I'm sorry Father, I will reschedule our meeting, I am in no mood to discuss business at the moment.' Draco made to move past Lucius, but was stopped by his father's hand on his shoulder.

'I think you should come inside Draco, and have a drink with me first.' Lucius gave Draco such a pointed look that he nodded in agreement and headed into the study.

Draco paced in front of the fire as Lucius closed and locked the doors to the study.

'I don't think you need to lock the door for a drink, Father.'

'No, but I need to lock the door to discuss my trip to Flourish and Blotts, as well as yours.'

Draco stopped pacing and looked at his father. 'I will not allow you to gloat about this situation as well! I have heard enough from Astoria and I am sure once Mother knows I have returned I will hear it from her as well.'

'Malfoys do not gloat! While I was never happy about your relationship with Miss Granger, I would never want to see harm come to the girl simply because she loved you.'

Draco looked at his father with curiosity. His relationship with Hermione had been a taboo topic upon his return to the manor six months ago, no one spoke of his year away, choosing to ignore its existence entirely.

'I'm not sure I follow you, Father.'

'Sit, I'll pour us some Firewhiskey and then we will talk.' Draco sat as Lucius proceeded to pour the alcohol into two large tumblers before handing one to Draco and sitting in the chair opposite him. Both men took a large gulp before Draco looked over at his father, who seemed to be contemplating something. Lucius sat for what seemed like forever to Draco before finally speaking.

'There was a time in my life when I fancied myself in love.' Draco was stunned, but didn't say anything to his father, just waited for him to continue.

'When I was a young man, a little younger than you, there was a beautiful woman that stole my heart, or so I thought at the time. If you had asked me then I would have told you I loved her. I told her that as many times as I could. She was so sweet and doting, nothing like her older sister.'

'Are you speaking about Mother?'

'For me it was only ever her. She was everything I thought I ever wanted in a wife, I would have followed her to the ends of the Earth and beyond. Some might say I did.'

Lucius looked at Draco now with more intensity than he had ever seen. 'Once she knew I was head over heels, she had her mother draw up the contract. It was the very same contract she drew up for you and Astoria.'

'But I don't love Astoria...'

'And your mother never loved me.' There was a sad look in Lucius' eye for the briefest of moments.

'Mother says she grew to love you.'

'She grew to love the lifestyle I provided her. The Black family was prestigious and old, but their coffers were dwindling and your mother wanted the finer things in life. She knew the only way to get that was to marry myself, Nott Sr or Potter. Potter was out because he was too busy falling all over that Lily Evans to notice your mother, even with her beauty, and let's just say Nott Sr had a penchant for curses and taking far too much pleasure in administering them. She set her sights on my vault at Gringotts and stopped at nothing until she achieved it.'

'I don't understand Father, I have money in my Black family vault.'

'You have Black family money because I am a savvy businessman, that vault was nearly empty when your mother and I married.'

'I don't really understand where this is going Father.'

'Allow me to finish.'

'Very well.'

'Very quickly after the contract was drawn up your mother's demeanour and attitude towards me changed. I was very confused but she seemed to go back to her sweet behaviour after the wedding and consummation of the marriage, until she got pregnant with you. Your Aunt Bella moved in shortly after she told me she was pregnant and I wouldn't see her for weeks at a time. I didn't understand how her love could fade so quickly, when I felt as though mine would burn for an eternity. I confronted her about it, she sat me down and explained the contract and the Quid Mei curse along with her motives for marrying me, none of which were based on love. There was nothing to be done, I spent months researching a way out, but the use of blood magic rendered that impossible for me. I forbade her to use such a curse again, but it seems I underestimated her. I did not know she had drawn up a marriage contract with the Greengrass family, to be honest I don't think Damon Greengrass knew it was happening either. I never wanted this life for you Draco.'

Lucius looked at his son with love, something Draco did not recall happening a great deal in the past. The most recent time would have been when he asked his father for a year to find himself.

'I still don't understand Father. How is any of this important if we are both now stuck in this situation?'

'I am sure you are aware that your signet ring is far more than a nice bauble for you to wear?' Draco nodded, he knew the ring provided some protection against curses and other dark magic.

Lucius got up and held his hand out to his son, who grasped it in return like a reflex. 'I'm sure you notice each time you touch me your ring tingles giving you a calming feeling?'

'Yes, only when I touch you, not Mother.'

'Your mother is a Malfoy by marriage, not by blood, the ring only reacts when it is in contact with a member of our bloodline. I was not able to tell you about my meeting with Miss Granger earlier today before you ran off.'

'I heard all about your meeting Father, as well as going to Flourish and Blotts to see with my own eyes.'

'Indeed, I assumed that is where you went when I saw you earlier today, did you embrace Miss Granger when you saw her?'

'Ha! No, I don't think we shall be embracing in the near future. I think her husband will take issue with that as well!'

Lucius chuckled at this. 'Her husband? Wasn't it you that mentioned Theo wasn't so interested in the female anatomy as he was in the male?'

'Well, yes, he and Weasley were spending a lot of time together six months ago. But she's pregnant!'

'Ah, yes, well that is curious. You see, when I arrived at Flourish and Blotts, your Miss Granger was precariously balanced on a ladder, which she promptly fell off of. Luckily I was there to catch her. But you see my dear boy, when I caught the girl, my hand splayed on her belly, and wouldn't you know, that wonderful, tingling feeling of comfort washed over me.'

Lucius looked at Draco, waiting for his reaction.

'What on Earth was that crazy witch doing up on a ladder?!'