Authors Note: Sorry for the late update – I've rewritten parts of this chapter so many times it's ridiculous. The disclaimer can be found in the Prologue, and thanks to my beta for correcting my mistakes, as well as all the encouraging reviews I have received. Enjoy!

Chapter Five

"It's been far too long," Narcissa protested with a sigh while gazing balefully at her son from amidst the roaring flames. "Honestly, how much trouble is it to floo me once in a while?"

From his crouched position in front of the study fireplace, Draco simply shrugged. "Well, you know what it's like," he excused, "too much work and not enough time to do anything else – and the time difference doesn't really help either."

"No, I see that, but I hardly ever get to speak to you these days," she sighed wistfully, "and like it or not, I worry about you. Why don't you come back to America? After all, it's a far nicer place than Britain, and the girls here are also very nice. Why just the other day…."

Swiftly Draco intervened, "Mother, we've been over this time and time again over the last two months! I'm happy here. OK, the manor can be a bit lonely at times, but Aunt Andromeda is here, and so are all my friends. Besides…" He broke off and shrugged.

Unfortunately for him, Narcissa noticed his hesitation and widening her eyes, asked "Besides?"

"Nothing." Came the abrupt reply. Trust his mother to notice the slightest slip – he would have to be careful not to let her suspect anything. He wondered how swiftly he could end this conversation without seeming rude and shot a surreptitious glance at the ornate clock sitting on the mantelpiece. He still had plenty to do before going to bed and this inquisition from his mother was doing nothing to help his temper.

Narcissa said nothing for a moment but looked intently into his face, her eyes unreadable. Then she said in a deceptively quiet voice, "Call it a mother's intuition if you will, but I get the impression there's something important that you have neglected to tell me. Your Aunt hinted there was something when we last spoke a week ago, but Andromeda being Andromeda, decided it wasn't any of her business to pry – as if!" She gave a derisive snort and shook her head, "The day Andromeda leaves something alone because it has nothing to do with her, will be the day that I grow wings. So come on, out with it, what's the real reason you don't want to leave Britain?"

Draco had absolutely no intention of revealing his real reason for wanting to remain in Britain, so he cast around for a plausible excuse, "I told you," he repeated, trying to keep the impatience from his voice, "it's simply that I'm happy here – I'm on the board of Directors of Cymdrim Cauldrons, Nimbus Brooms, and Hanwell's Hospital; these three boards keep me busy enough. Merlin knows that the Malfoy name needs the prestige these positions bring – thanks to father, the name's still viewed with suspicion in certain circles."

"Draco, please don't speak ill of the dead," Narcissa remonstrated, "it has been eight years since his death and I think you'll find that people have short memories."

Draco let out a short bark of laughter before saying, "Sometimes I wonder which reality you are living in Mother. Maybe in America, people have short memories, but not in Britain. It's no secret that father was a Death Eater, and no matter how you look at it, mud sticks. It's easier for you – you're no longer a Malfoy – Narcissa Black Fits-Gerald has more leeway than Narcissa Black Malfoy anywhere; but I'm stuck with Malfoy and I'll be damned before I let my children grow up with the stigma of father's stupidity hanging over them."

There was a silence and Narcissa eyed her son warily. "Is it really that bad?" she asked quietly, "I rather got the impression that most people were of the view that you shouldn't be punished for your father's sins. Why Steven was just saying only the other day that one of his associates – I can't remember who, had written to you asking that you become a shareholder in his company."

"Yes, that would be Tom Lindon – he heads Lindon Wands."

Narcissa nodded, "Well, according to Steven you declined – the man wasn't very happy about that."

"No, I bet he wasn't." Draco replied raising a cynical eyebrow.

"Well, there you go then – proof that the Malfoy name still commands a certain respect. Draco, you're worrying for nothing – of course there are people who'll hold your father's mistakes against you, but they are a minority and certainly not worth bothering about. Dumbledore trusts you, you get on well with everyone who is anyone at the ministry, so what's the problem?"

Draco frowned in thought, his mother was right of course, thanks to his efforts over the past few years, the Malfoy name had regained the respect it had once commanded; now people were clambering for his patronage on various charities and he had to turn down several offers of directorship on the boards of various companies due to lack of time. "There're other reasons," he procrastinated, "I can't simply up and leave – it would be unfair on the companies for which I hold directorships. Plus, I enjoy the work."

"There're plenty of such posts to be had here," Narcissa dismissed airily, "unless," now her eyes widened and a slow smile Draco didn't like started to cross her face, "it isn't a girl by any chance, is it? Someone to whom you have taken a fancy?"

"Mother!" he exclaimed, not meeting her eyes, "Stop being so dramatic. What is it with you and this fixation you have about me getting married?"

"You haven't answered my questions," Narcissa smirked, knowing well that Draco was trying to deflect her attention, "Well? Is it a girl? Someone you've met and of whose existence Andromeda is aware? That would account for all those knowing smirks during our last floo conversation – the woman was positively oozing smugness!"

Draco didn't quite manage to conceal his sigh of exasperation as he wondered who was worse; his mother whose only thought was to get him married and procreating so she could have grandchildren to spoil, or his aunt with her twisted brand of logic which could make a fully grown Hungarian Horntail squirm.

"Look," he began, but Narcissa cut in excitedly, "So what's she like? Tall, short? Is she pretty? She must be – knowing you… but tell me everything! I want to know all!"

"Middling," he said irritably – anything to stop his mother's excited chatter, "Are you satisfied now?"

"Certainly not," came the brisk response, "you have as yet told me nothing of her."

"That's because there's no Her as you put it. Honestly, I thought that I'd find some peace when I moved back here, but no, things are just the same. It's getting late mother, so I'll bid you good night."

Narcissa knew that she wasn't going to get any more out of him – at least not when he was in this mood. Smiling, she nodded, "Take care, and make sure to floo me soon, good night then."

With a small pop, her head disappeared from the fire, leaving Draco quite alone.

He sat back, savouring the peace of the study and marvelling afresh at his mother's determination to get him married. How right she had been when she had suggested a woman as his reason for remaining Britain – if only she knew! He smirked imagining the look of horror that would cross his mother's face if she knew of the methods he intended to employ to make her future daughter-in-law amenable to his way of thinking.

Draco chuckled softly as he got to his feet, stretching. His father had done him one good turn, passing on to him all the cunning he possessed. He was determined to get his own way, which would serve the dual purpose of giving him what he wanted, and pleasing his mother, and if that meant putting into use all the qualities Slytherins were famous for, then so be it. Grinning broadly, he left the room, intending to do some work before bed.

XoXoXoXo

Draco leaned forward watching with interest as Annabelle Mullings put the finishing touches to a plastercine house sitting on the table before her.

"All done," she announced, sitting back and viewing her handy work with satisfaction, "now we can make the people for it – a Mummy and a Daddy and a baby."

Across the table, Aurora sat gazing thoughtfully at the house, her chin cupped in her hand. Then turning to the other occupants of the table she suggested, "We should have a gawarge for the house. My gwan and gwandad have a gawarge, and it's vewy big. The baby can play in there."

"No," Annabelle retorted scathingly, "the baby'll have a playroom, silly! Anyway, my mummy says that your mummy and gran and granddad are all muggles, and this is a wizard's house, so we don't want a garage which muggles use!"

For a moment Aurora pondered Annabelle's words and then burst out, "Mummy isn't a muggle! She has a wand and everwything so there!"

"Yes, she is a muggle!" Annabelle argued back, the house in front of her forgotten as she glared across at Aurora, hands on her hips, "You said she can't ride a broom."

"She can!" Aurora defended hotly, "she just doesn't like widing bwooms! Not evewyone does, you know!"

Annabelle just laughed and then sneered, "Mummy says that she should be ashamed because she wasn't married when she had you and you don't have a daddy!"

"I do!" Aurora retorted, eyes flashing and face flushed, pushing her chair back and jumping to her feet, "Mummy says he died in the war!" Her hands were now clenched at her sides, her small body rigid with tension.

"Annabelle, that's enough," Draco intervened swiftly, "say sorry to Aurora now!"

"I shan't!" came the belligerent retort, "My mummy says she is a mud…."

Her words were cut off by Draco slamming his hand on the table making the three children sitting round it jump. "Never, never say that word in my hearing again," he said, as he towered over Annabelle's small figure, "Do you understand me?"

Annabelle looked up at him, her lower lip starting to tremble, "I….I didn't mean…" she stammered, having quickly lost all her previous bravado and staring white-faced at Draco's angry face.

"Apologise!" he repeated.

"Sorry Aurora," Annabelle murmured, not looking at her.

Draco sighed as he stepped back from the little girl; if today's little display was anything to go by, Annabelle's family must be from the handful who valued purity of blood more than anything else. As yet, she was still a child who was simply relaying the words of one of her elders – she didn't understand what it was she was saying; but how long would it be before she adopted these values for her own? No doubt by the time she reached the age of eleven, she would hate all muggleborns without knowing why.

He suppressed a shiver – the situation of the little girl cowering before him, was only too familiar to him. "Annabelle," he continued trying hard to keep the tremor of rage from his voice, "that word you were just about to say isn't a very nice word. It doesn't matter who someone's parents are, you still have to treat them nicely."

At this point Jenny Finnegan, who had remained quiet until now, chipped in, "My daddy says that people who think about blood and nothing else are scum."

Draco bit back a groan, "Jenny, that's really not helpful. Is it ever right to call people names?" he asked.

Jenny shook her head averting her eyes.

"Right, it isn't," Draco affirmed. "I think we've heard more than enough of our parents' opinions for one day; come on, have you made the people for the house yet?"

Annabelle and Jenny both turned their attention to the plastercine before them, but Aurora sat glaring at Annabelle, her eyes stormy and narrowed with dislike. Draco felt a twinge of unease go through him as he watched her; her expression reminded him of one of his childhood photographs in which he had been very angry. His eyes too, had been narrowed, darkening to the exact shade as could be seen in hers. According to Narcissa, he had been plotting revenge at the time and he now wondered what was going through Aurora's mind as she sat fiddling with the plastercine in front of her, but not really seeing it. Soon, however, she was helping the other two make people to put into the house and for reasons he could not explain, he breathed a sigh of relief.

The next half an hour passed without incident and the house was finished. Soon, it was time for the children to go outside and play in the nursery garden. All were excited as they went out into the warm sunshine and as far as Draco could deduce, the earlier argument between Annabelle and Aurora was forgotten.

Standing beside his Aunt, Draco surveyed the walled garden which was carpeted with lush green grass. Around the garden were various play areas. On one side of the garden, a sand pit had been dug out, the yellow sand glistening in the sun. Three swings and a slide sat opposite the sand pit, their bars gleaming in the sunlight. A pile of toy brooms lay beside the sand pit, and scattered here and there were tricycles, cars and carriages, and some ever-bashing boomerangs.

"Another beautiful day," Andromeda remarked, watching the children at play, "it looks like it's going to be a hot summer."

"Hmm," Draco hummed absently, as his eyes followed the figures of Aurora and Annabelle as they made their way over to the toy broomsticks, "tell me, what do you know about Annabelle's family?"

"Not much. But as you're probably aware, the Mullings' are an old family, who remained neutral during the war."

"I know the Mullings were neutral; but what I meant was what are Annabelle's parents like?"

"Oh, I've only met Annabelle's father a handful of times, but her mother comes to drop her off and pick her up from nursery. She seems nice enough, although she's a bit picky about Annabelle's friends. I think she's concerned about the purity of their blood," Andromeda shrugged. "Honestly, it never fails to amaze me how some people hold on to such ridiculously stupid ideas. You'd think that after the war, sentiments like that would die out."

Draco didn't seem to have heard his aunt's comments. "It fits," he muttered absently.

"Pardon?" Andromeda turned to her nephew. Briefly, Draco told her of the argument that had taken place between the girls earlier. When he had finished, she sighed, "You can't blame the child, she's simply repeating her mother's words – although I do wish she had argued with someone other than Aurora."

"Why?" Draco asked, intrigued.

"Although Aurora possesses a sweet exterior, she's one that knows how to carry a grudge. Annabelle insulted her mother and it's not likely that she'll forgive nor forget that. You laugh, but that's how it is with that girl." She shook her head at Draco's chuckle, whilst observing the child with the head of chestnut curls on the play-broom. Musingly, she added, "I sometimes wonder if there isn't any Slytherin blood in her makeup; she can be quite manipulative when it suits her purpose."

"Oh for Merlin's sake," he grinned, "The girl can't be more than five years old – what do kids of that age know about carrying grudges and insults?"

Andromeda let out a laugh of her own, "Clearly your memory isn't all that it once was. Don't you remember your fifth birthday party when Millicent Bulstrode blew out all your candles before you had the chance to do so? You were positively livid but covered it up with a smile. Then, half an hour later, when everyone else had forgotten about the incident, you tripped Millicent up and caused her to roll into the lake! Everyone thought it was an accident, but I saw how it happened, you were certainly a sly one!"

"I wasn't five when that incident took place," Draco defended himself, "I distinctly remember being at least ten. Anyway she deserved it!"

"No, you were five," his Aunt shook her head, "I have photographs if you don't believe me – I'll show them to you."

Trying not to cringe, he muttered hastily, "That won't be necessary." Then changing the subject, he asked, "Do you think it likely that Aurora will do something to retaliate?"

"Yes," came the succinct response, "she has a memory like an elephant, that one. The fact that Annabelle's claim about her muggle parentage isn't true, will only add fuel to the fire."

"Really? So her mother isn't a muggle then?" Draco asked curiosity getting the better of him.

"No, far from it. I do not know her well; she is quite reserved. I don't know, perhaps it's partly caused by her job."

"Why? What does she do?"

"She's a Healer at Hanwell's Hospital."

At this his expression lightened and he smiled, "In that case, I probably know of her; if not by face, then certainly by name, who …" At that moment a loud wail filled the air. Turning, Draco saw Jack Creevy, a freckly boy with mousy hair, trying to tug the toy broom Aurora had been playing with, from her hand. Aurora's face was screwed up in effort as she clung to the broom determinedly.

"What's going on here?" Andromeda asked, as she hurried over and pried a panting Jack away from the Broome.

"She won't give me the broom, and she's been playing wiv it for ages!" an irate Jack shouted. "I said please but she still wouldn't give it to me."

"I had it first," Aurora yelled back, "I told him I wanted to play with it, but he twied to pull it away!"

"You've been playing wiv it for ages, it's my turn!" Jack retorted, glowering.

To his surprise, Draco saw that Aurora's lower lip had started to tremble and that tears glistened in her eyes. Blinking them back, she muttered, "You have a bwoom at home that you and your daddy wide. My Mummy doesn't wide bwooms and won't let me have one, so I want to play with it here."

"Jack," Andromeda broke in, forestalling the small boy's protests, "I tell you what, you have this special broom the blue handle," she picked up another one lying abandoned on the grass and offered it to the boy who looked very reluctant, "and Aurora, you carry on playing with that one." As an aside, she turned to Jack and feigned a whisper, "you don't really want to ride that broom, do you, Jack? It has a heart-sticker on the handle. Now this blue broom, it's a good-looking boy's broom. Isn't this much better?"

Jack brightened up a bit at that, and went off to play, his good mood restored.

"Boy's broom, eh?" Draco teased in a whisper.

"I know it fosters gender bias and all that, but if it helps," she shrugged, grinning.

The adults then turned to the little girl still holding onto the broomstick. "I'll deal with this," Draco told his Aunt, freeing her to go and monitor the other children in the playground.

"Are you ok, Aurora?" Draco knelt down to look into the face of the little girl standing solemnly before him. Her face was still flushed and tearstains could be seen on her cheeks, making something inside him squirm. Of the four times he had visited the nursery since she had joined, this was the first that he had seen tears on her face. He felt a feeling of protectiveness sweep over him and in a bright voice suggested, "Tell you what, why don't we go inside and wash your face? We'll take the broom as well – how's that? Then no one else will be able to play with it while you aren't here."

"OK," Aurora sniffed, picking up the decorated end of the toy broom and starting to drag it across the grass.

Relieved that she had not protested, Draco took her hand and led her across the garden filled with the shouts of excited children, and into the quiet nursery. He bathed her face in cool water, gently washing away the tearstains on her face and then asked casually, "So do you like flying then?"

Immediately, Aurora's expression lightened and she looked up at him in wide-eyed eagerness, "Oh yes! It's my bestest thing ever!"

"Really?" he responded, taking care to keep the curiosity out of his voice. The last thing he wanted to do was to scare this child, who for the first time in their acquaintance, was looking at him with something bordering on interest.

"Yes, weally!" she smiled up at him as she spoke, her earlier tears forgotten. "It's bwilliant! So much better than widing a bike or a car!" she enthused excitedly. "But Mummy doesn't like flying at all," she pouted, her face fell back into the despondent expression she had sported in the garden.

"Why doesn't Mummy like it?" Draco asked gently, as he sat down with Aurora on his lap.

"She says it is dangewous and that I could get hurt," she replied, then looked up at Draco indignantly, "but evewyone wides bwooms!"

Draco chuckled, "Yes, that's true." He wondered what kind of mother would stop her child from doing something she so clearly enjoyed. If she was a witch as his Aunt had said, then surely she would understand the importance of brooms in the wizarding world.

He had to bite back a smile as slowly, a plan began to take shape in his mind. He thought back to the countless times he had tried to engage this child in play or conversation but all to no avail. When she had deigned to speak to him, which was rare, it was to tell him to go away or pass her something. Draco didn't like being rebuffed – not by anyone, and certainly not by a five-year-old miss. This child was the only one of the twelve preschoolers who inhabited the nursery who had not opened up to him; and try as he might, he could not understand why. He admitted to himself that he was drawn to her more so than the others; she seemed so innocent and unspoiled by the cruel outside world, looking as though butter wouldn't melt in her mouth, but at the same time she harboured many traits which he could only describe as Slytherin in nature. He had seen for himself the way she smiled sweetly as she took the leading role in any game, and how other children tried not to get onto her bad side. His Aunt certainly had a point when she said that she wouldn't be surprised if Aurora had some Slytherin blood in her.

He looked down into Aurora's face; she was looking up at him her grey eyes fixed unblinkingly on his face. Then, as though coming to a decision she asked, "Do you wide a bwoom, Uncle?"

"Yes, I certainly do," he responded and waited.

There was a long pause as she sat and chewed thoughtfully on her bottom lip, a cute gesture that seemed familiar to Draco somehow. "Will you teach me to wide?" she finally asked in a small voice, "I mean wide a real bwoom – not like this toy one." Pleadingly, she added, "Mummy would teach me, but she doesn't like flying, and my uncles are always too busy…"

"Uncles?" he prompted her with a smile. 'Now, we're getting somewhere,' he thought in amusement. "Your mother's brothers?"

Aurora returned his gaze uncomprehendingly and shook her head. "No," she replied slowly, looking as if Draco had the comprehension level of a three-year-old, "Mummy doesn't have any bwother or sister, just like me. My uncles are Mummy's fwiends, and they all like coming to our house to play with me."

Draco's suspicions regarding these 'uncles' were raised. Just what kind of woman was Aurora's mother if the child had lots of these so-called 'uncles' coming over to 'play'? 'I wonder just who these 'uncles' play with when they go over to her house,' he mused. His opinion of the faceless woman who was this little girl's mother slipped a few more notches. And his Aunt had said she was a Healer! 'It just goes to show how we really can't tell with people,' he thought snidely. Biting back a derisive snort, he once more focused on the face upturned to his.

"Sorry," he apologised, putting aside his speculations about Aurora's home life or lack thereof. "So you want me to teach you to fly?"

"Yes, please! On a real bwoom!"

Draco paused and pretended to consider her request. "Well, I think I might be able to find the time to teach you to fly… but only if you promise to do exactly as I tell you…"

Before Draco could complete his sentence, he was engulfed by Aurora's loud squeal and her enthusiastic hug. Draco made a silent vow as he returned her hug; even If it killed him, he would make sure that this sweet child not only enjoyed herself learning to fly, he would ensure that she was protected and safe. From what he had deduced from their conversation, she did not seem to have much of a home life. Her mother seemed to spend all her time entertaining men rather than look after her daughter; it was a wonder that Aurora turned out to be such a delightful girl. Draco looked down once more into her eager face, and felt a wave of righteous anger hit him. People like this poor child's mother should be banned from having children! Especially children like this one, whose innocence seemed to radiate from them.

Aurora's voice pulled him from his thoughts, "Can we wide now then? Please, I will be good, pwomise! Can we wide now, please?"

"I don't see why not," he replied, standing up and leading her into the office where Andromeda did all her paper work. He knew that she kept a few old Cleansweeps in here, in case of emergencies. Unlocking the cupboard that stood in one corner of the small room with a deft flick of his wand, he took out a rather dated, but working model.

Beside him, Aurora was hopping from foot to foot in excitement. "Come on," she cried, tugging at his sleeve, "let's go outside and fly!"

Smiling, Draco relocked the cupboard, and followed her as she ran out of the office and down the hallway. "I think we should use the terrace at the back of the building," he called, and reaching her side, proceeded to unlock the large door leading out onto the small sun-drenched terrace.

"We never come here," Aurora observed, as they stepped out on to the flagstones. The terrace was small with tubs of flowers sitting on one side. Draco knew his Aunt sat here sometimes when doing her paperwork, but other than that, the terrace was rarely used.

"True, that's because this place's too small to play in,", he explained and turned to her. "Now remember, you must do exactly as I tell you, ok?"

She nodded earnestly and he began to teach her how to kick off from the ground. She was a fast learner and a natural, considering her mother's fear of flying and that her father had been a muggle. They hovered a few feet from the ground, his arm securely round her as she pointed the broom handle downwards and they descended once more, until their feet touched the ground.

Time past as Aurora soaked up everything Draco taught her. It was only the sound of the other children re-entering the hallway from the garden that made him look up. "We're going to have to leave it there for today," he said, the regret evident in his voice, "Did you enjoy that, Aurora?"

"Oh yes," she grinned, looking up at him with sparkling eyes, "Soon, I'll be as good as Annabelle on a bwoom – that will show her!" Then in a quiet voice, she added, "This is our secwet, ok?"

Draco blinked in surprise, but nodded in agreement. "OK, but don't you want to tell your mummy about your flying lessons?" he asked.

"No!" she answered with determination, shaking her head, "Mummy'll stop me, she'll say it is too dangewous and I want to fly with you again!"

He smiled and ruffled her curls affectionately, "Ah, but your Mummy's only looking out for you." Still the child was probably right, the mother sounded like the type who would stop her daughter from enjoying herself, and anyway, what was the harm in what they were doing? He wasn't about to give up this hard won respect from this sweet child just to pacify the whims of some woman who seemed to put her own desires before those of her child. "But if you really feel that we'll need to keep our flying lessons a secret… fair enough, we'll fly on Thursdays when I'm here. How's that sound?"

"That sounds fantastic!" she squealed, "When evewyone else is playing in the garden, we'll come here and fly!"

"That's fine by me," Draco grinned, feeling exultant. He knew he had won a battle today, one he had been fighting ever since he had first met this precocious child. It was a good feeling to know that she would no longer view him with something akin to indifference.

XoXoXoXo

Aurora stood well back as Annie smilingly gestured for them to come forward and stroke the baby hippogriff. "Come on," she encouraged, "it won't bite. We can make a lovely story about Hippogriffs, now won't that be nice?"

Draco frowned at Annie's plump figure as she stood, cradling the small inky black creature in her arms. Around them, the other children were also looking wary, and many had retreated, pressing themselves against their parents. Only a handful of brave ones had stepped tentatively forward, clutching the hands of their parents for reassurance.

Draco wondered if bringing the children to this 'story telling session' had been such a good idea after all, but Andromeda had insisted on it, saying it would be good for them to get out of the nursery and do something a bit different. He knew this was a regular outing for the preschoolers, that his aunt arranged once every few months. Flourish and Blotts were renowned for their interactive story telling sessions held once a month. The sessions were always sold out, for children from all over the UK as well as some parts of Western Europe attended them. Sometimes bookings had to be made up to a year in advance as the sessions were so popular.

Draco glanced down at Aurora, who looked fearfully up at him. Squatting down, he hugged her as he reassured her, "It's ok, you don't have to stroke it if you don't want to."

"I don't like it," came the muffled response for she had buried her face in his shoulder, "it's got long sharp things on its legs."

"It won't hurt you," he soothed the child, rubbing his hand along her back, "I tell you what, why don't we just look at it?" Gently he prised her away from him and turned her to face the Hippogriff while hugging her tightly. "See, I'm right here with you. I won't let the Hippogriff hurt you."

For a moment he felt her shrink against him, her hands coming up to cover her eyes, but gradually as he sat holding her, her fear gave way to curiosity and she lowered her hands to stare at the Hippogriff lying docilely in Annie's arms.

"Why has it got those sharp things?" she asked warily.

"They're called talons," he informed her, while suppressing a shiver himself. He remembered only too well what the talons of a fully-grown hippogriff were capable of, but he wouldn't think of that now. "They protect the Hippogriff just as your shoes protect your feet from getting hurt." He gave her an encouraging smile and once more silently cursed her mother for not being there with her.

Aurora's mother should be here with her child – not elsewhere doing only Merlin knew what, but she had cried off at the last minute saying something had cropped up and she wouldn't be able to make it to the story session until late in the afternoon. He thought back to the night before, when his Aunt, desperate for someone to take the woman's place, had enlisted his help. He was free that morning, so he had willingly agreed to step in.

Aurora frowned and took a tentative step forward, so as to get a better look at the talons on the Hippogriff's legs. Staring at it from the safety of Draco's arms, she said, "Mummy says Hippo… Hippogwiffs are nice. She never said anything about tal… talons."

"Well, Hippogriffs can be nice if you're nice to them," Draco agreed, "you just have to be careful to be polite to them. Otherwise they might hurt you."

"Weally?" she asked, "If I'm nice to it, it won't hurt me? Will it be my fwiend?"

"Well, I don't know about that," he replied biting back a grin, "it isn't a person so it can't really be your friend."

She thought about that for a moment and then piped up, "But Mummy says she flew on a Hippogwiff before and that Hippogwiff was her fwiend."

'I'll bet she did,' Draco mentally snorted. Despite his prejudice thoughts regarding Aurora's mother, he said, "Well, then, if your Mummy rode a Hippogriff, it means that a Hippogriff can't be that bad, can it?"

At his encouragement, Aurora took another tentative step forward, still cradled in Draco's arms. She was now within five feet of the Hippogriff and he saw the curiosity warring with her fear of the creature.

"Come on," he smiled, "We'll stroke it together, all right?"

"Both of us?" she asked, seeking reassurance.

"Yes, both of us," he affirmed, and getting to his feet he drew her forward to stand less than a foot away from the Hippogriff.

"Good girl, Aurora," Annie smiled down at her, "would you like to stroke Donfen?"

Aurora hesitated and drew back slightly.

"Come on Angel," Draco encouraged, "we'll stroke it together, ok?"

Aurora nodded, and Draco, taking her hand, proceeded to lay their joined hands on the Hippogriff's smooth back.

"Well done!" Annie praised, "You are a brave girl!"

Aurora growing bolder extracted her hand from Draco's and began to stroke the Hippogriff's feather-covered back. "It's so soft," she said in wonder, "and look, its feathers are so dark. Why?"

"Because its mummy and daddy's feathers are dark and so it has dark feathers too," Annie explained. "It's just like you and your daddy. You have your daddy's grey eyes and pale skin; look, you even have your daddy's long fingers," She pointed at the pair of hands stroking the Hippogriff.

Behind Aurora, Draco froze in place. He drew in a sharp breath which went unnoticed by either female. By Merlin, the woman had thought that he was Aurora's father! 'If only,' he thought cynically. It was impossible, though – the only woman with whom he had not used any contraceptive charms was Hermione, and it was unlikely that he would have fathered a child without his knowledge. Moreover, Hermione had told him in no uncertain terms that she had no children and was never likely to. 'She probably hates children,' he thought with a twinge of unexplained disappointment. He gritted his teeth in anger as he thought of the night she had told him this, the look of utter horror on her face when he had asked what old Edward Hamersley had meant by her little chit, had been branded in his memory forever.

Brushing his thoughts aside, he focused his attention once more on Aurora and watched as she stroked the baby Hippogriff, all nervousness gone. He was certainly not about to disabuse Annie of her assumption and smiled brilliantly.

Aurora however had no such hesitations and began, "But my daddy's…"

Swiftly, Draco broke in, "Darling, other people want to look at the Hippogriff as well, why don't we go and do something else?"

Distracted, Aurora nodded, and looking down at the Hippogriff informed it, "I have to go now Donfen, but I will be back later."

Both Draco and Annie exchanged a smile. Taking Aurora's hand, Draco led her away from the hippogriff.

XoXoXoXo

It was two hours later and the children sat enthralled as Annie pirouetted before them re-enacting the story she was telling. From his position at the back of the group, Draco stifled a yawn and glancing at his Aunt standing beside him, raised his eyebrows. "They seem to be enjoying themselves, but I'll have to leave soon," he whispered.

In reply she shook her head, "You can't – I'll be one adult short if you do."

Draco glanced at his watch and saw that he had less than ten minutes before the start of his meeting at the Headquarters of Cyndrim Cauldrons. Nodding to the door, he made his silent way out of the room and leaned against an open window set high in the corridor outside. A warm breeze wafted over him, bringing in the scent of freshly cut grass.

A moment later, Andromeda appeared, looking worried. "I'm sorry about this…" she started, but Draco shrugged and cut her off.

"Don't worry about it, the world won't end if I'm slightly late for the meeting. I'm not chairing it anyway. But what's the bet that Aurora's mother won't turn up?"

"She said she would," his aunt frowned, "she was most distressed last night when she flooed me to say she couldn't come in this morning, even though she really wanted to. She didn't want Aurora to miss this session for the child's been looking forward to this for ages."

"Really?" Draco drawled sceptically, "No doubt she has other 'entertainment' planned for the afternoon."

"Exactly what do you mean by that?" Andromeda asked, raising her eyebrows at his insinuation.

"Well," he shrugged, "a single mother… you do the maths."

"Draco! Just because she's a single mother is no reason to think that of her! She's gone through a great deal to bring Aurora up. I don't believe for a minute that juggling a career and bringing up a child all by herself has been an easy task. She was very brave to do it, and wizarding views like yours," she frowned, "makes it so much harder for both mother and daughter to deal with their situation. Anyway, she was married when she had Aurora, the husband died in the war."

Draco snorted in disgust, whether she had been married or not, made no difference. In his opinion the woman was unfit to be a mother and that was the be all and end all of the matter. "My dear Aunt," he drawled with a roll of his eyes, "the woman is completely irresponsible. Did you know that Aurora has lots of 'uncles'? Before you interrupt," he checked his Aunt's protest by raising a hand, "I checked – the woman has no siblings. So, these men that hang around at their house – what could they possibly be doing there? You yourself have mentioned something about how our community view single parents; tell me, Aunt, what could these men possibly want with a single mother?"

Draco's insinuation hung heavily in the air. It was not at all difficult to see what he was getting at. Nonetheless, Andromeda could not believe that of the quiet serious young woman who was Aurora's mother.

"Those men are probably her friends—"

Draco snorted, "Yeah, right."

"—and they could very well be giving her the support she needs."

"I know what kind of support, all right," Draco sneered. "You know Aunt, I sometimes wonder which world you reside in. It is obvious what the woman is a…"

"Draco, that is enough!" Andromeda hissed, the anger evident in her voice, "you've never met her and you're basing your prejudice on nothing more than your own conjecture! You cannot go around prejudging her in any way! As far as I'm concerned, the woman is a good mother – in case it has escaped your notice, Aurora lacks for nothing; she's well-dressed, well-fed, and much loved! That's a lot more than many children can boast!"

"Oh, for Merlin's sake," Draco began, but the sound of a slamming door in the distance checked him.

"Hush! I won't hear another word from you, that is probably her right now." She slapped Draco's arm, then turned to face the large door at the end of the corridor.

Draco could hear the sound of running footsteps coming closer, and then the door was thrown open. In the darkened corridor, he could not distinguish the features of the woman coming towards them as the light was coming from behind her. All he could see was a head of dark curly hair and the billowing silvery white wizarding robes worn by the Hanwell's healers. She must have just come here straight from work.

The woman skidded to a stop in front of his aunt, who stood between them, blocking Draco's view. "There you are," Andromeda greeted her warmly, "I must admit I was getting worried… oh, no need to look so worried, my dear, Aurora is perfectly fine. My nephew was good enough to step in at the last minute. He's been helping out at the nursery and is known to Aurora; in fact the two of them get on very well together, so everything's fine."

The panting woman seemed to sag with relief. "Oh, thank you so much, Andromeda. I would've been here about fifteen minutes ago, but there was a last minute emergency which I had to take care of," she gasped in a grateful, albeit breathless voice.

Moving past his aunt, Draco took a good look at the woman standing in front of her, just as she straightened up, flipping her hair behind her shoulders. His mouth fell open and his blood froze, his mind capable of only a single thought.

Hermione Granger was breathing heavily, eyes sparkling and face flushed – glowing really, with the exercise of running down the corridor, while smiling gratefully at his Aunt.