23 March, Friday, 2348 GMT

Draco had to clench his jaw just to keep his emotions in check. He looked down at Hermione whose breathing was shallow. He blew out a breath as he walked with purpose.

In his youth, he and Kellen Tanner were the best of friends. Along with Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, and Blaise Zabini, Draco used to spend time at the Tanner Compound. He knew every hall and corner of the massive mansion just as he knew those of Malfoy Manor. He knew where they would be. The largest room was the ballroom off to the left of the main foyer.

He walked into the lit room as all heads swiveled to see him enter. He saw a group of maybe thirty of his former brethren; a large majority was working on the Muggle weapons and the potion that would modify the Muggle made projectiles.

He stopped briefly a couple of meters into the room, quite a way from any of the witches and wizards in the large spanning ballroom. He shut his eyes for a moment before he looked down at Hermione. He knew he needed to treat her as if he could care less. 'Forgive me,' he said silently to her as he allowed her to fall unceremoniously onto the wooden floor.

Hermione made every effort not to react. She braced herself as she landed on her side with a thud.

Draco held his breath, not looking back at her. He headed towards the center of the room where a small crowd of Death Eaters congregated. Amongst them were the tall former Quidditch goalkeeper and his former Slytherin girlfriend. As he neared the gathering, his heart seemed to tighten in his chest. At the center was a small, brown haired child.

Draco clenched his fists as he approached. He looked down and his stomach almost lurched as he saw his blood stained hands. His eyes grew stormy as he reached the group.

"Did you finish it off then?" the blonde fashion model asked icily, playing with the silver chain around her neck; checking if the blonde Slytherin was still under the effects of the Obliviate spell.

"Of course," Draco smirked. He looked each and every one of them in the eye. "A Malfoy always finishes what he's started."

"Hmmph," Kellen raised his eyebrow, "It's been nineteen years in the making. That Mudblood has finally received her comeuppance."

Draco stretched his neck, trying to calm himself down. "Yeah," he said, staring down at the little captive whose shoulder was tightly being held by Kellen. "What do we have here?"

"Daddy?" the little two-year old said softly as she tried to struggle out of the Slytherin's grasp.

Draco wanted to yank Kellen's head straight off at the moment. But he knew he had to play the scenario out.

"The Mudblood's half-breed," Roxanne said as she yanked on the child's hair making Drew look up at her. Drew's face was stained with tears, both old and fresh ones.

"Granger tried to convince me that we were married," the young father said, smiling at his former lover as he placed his fingers on the back of Roxanne's hand, stroking it gently, coaxing her to let go of the child. When she did, he placed his own palm on the brunette's head.

He would hate himself for it but he had to say it. He tried to muster the most hateful look. He sneered at the child, "So this must be the fucking result of my biggest error."

The child, although only two was truly Hermione Granger's progeny. She gulped, staring up at her father as if she understood him. Draco had to control his wrist, trying not to allow his hand to shake.

He turned her head so that she looked up towards him. "She's the spitting image of the Mudblood," he said, matter-of-factly.

Drew's lower lip started to quiver. She bit it, trying to calm herself down, not once taking her eyes off her father's. She gasped as Draco quickly grabbed a hold of her shirtfront and hoisted her into the air. She grabbed onto Draco's marked forearm as her legs dangled. She stared down at the snake that protruded from the skull before looking into the same grey eyes as her own.

Draco tightened his grip on her. For a moment, it felt as if Drew couldn't breathe. Draco loosened his grip.

"Daddy," Drew cried, holding onto the wizard's wrist, "Please stop. You're scaring me."

Draco felt like his heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. But he couldn't let on to the Death Eaters surrounding them that he was affected. He pulled the child closer to his body. He locked eyes with his daughter. Drew took in a quick breath as she kept her eye contact with her father.

"The father that you know is dead," he sneered at his own daughter, his grey eyes piercing through hers.

5