Edited 6/22/23: Minor Grammar/Spelling
I'm in Germany for my best friend's wedding, I probably won't really have time to write until Monday, so you'll probably get another trip hit then as well!
here are three chapters at once! 53, 54, 55!
Enjoy!
Monday, June 22, 1998
Draco was granted a shortened day as Slughorn was recovering from his own debauched Summer Solstice. Theo, Draco and Blaise went out for dinner and drinks while the girls went to Diagon Alley to get Hermione fitted for maternity robes. Hermione had just put on a sunflower yellow set of maternity robes when they heard the bell ring.
Hermione looked up and saw a shock of white blond hair, thinking it was Draco, she made eye contact with Lucius Malfoy. She hardened her face at his sneer. She was standing alone as Ginny was off looking at other styles. He made his way over to her and looked her up and down.
"Lady Malfoy," he said, haughtily. "I see congratulations are in order. I assume you'll be allowing my grandson to learn the proper ways?"
"Mr. Malfoy," she said calmly, "My child will be raised just the way I was. He will learn about both parts of his history and you will have no control over him."
The skin between his eyebrows creased as he eyed her. "I know you're not who you say you are," he whispered between clenched teeth. "Your husband forgot about the family tree in my study." Hermione felt herself pale. "If it wouldn't end my life now, know that I'd get rid of you. The fact that it's you carrying the Malfoy Heir…" he shuddered.
"It's not too late you know," she said after a moment. "You can still make the right choice."
"Where is my wife?" he asked, ignoring her previous statement.
"I have no idea what you mean, Mr. Malfoy, I heard you were a widower," she said primly, touching her hand to her bracelet, calling her husbands.
"As I said, Draco forgot about the family tree in my office."
She felt her bracelet heat and looked at the man in the mirror, calculating her odds. After a few moments of tense silence, he stepped closer. "Where. Is. My. Wife?" Lucius said crowding into her space.
"She, unlike you, Father," Draco sneered from the doorway of the shop, "made the right choice. She reminded me just how important it is to protect and support your family."
"Our son," Theo said, stepping out from behind Draco, "will never have to prove his love."
"He won't be forced to make life or death choices as a child," Draco continued coldly.
"And he will never hate someone just for their parentage," Hermione finished.
"It would be advisable, Father," Draco continued, "that you hold this secret close to your chest. You know as well as I do that the moment Scorpius was conceived you became impotent…"
Lucius paled even further. "This is not this place for this conversation. It should be discussed in private", he said, looking down at Hermione, "amongst the family."
"Perfect," Hermione chirped, "I'll schedule a family dinner then, shall I?"
Before Lucius could sputter out any disagreement, Draco interjected, "Do look for our owl, Father."
"Blaise," Theo called, "would you show my Father-in-law out and tell him about the apprenticeship you've been pursuing?"
Blaise smirked and directed Lucius out the door, murmuring to him the whole time. Hermione let out a sigh and practically collapsed onto the bench. After a few moments and countless diagnostic spells later, Theo scurried off to find Ginny. She heard him mutter, "bloody witch leaving a pregnant woman alone with that monster," under his breath.
"Darling," Draco said, softly, "I'm sorry." He ran his palm along her cheek as he knelt between her thighs. "I should have realised that the tree-"
"You can't know everything, mon étoile," she murmured, running her fingers through his hair. "It's just a small roadblock." He nodded in understanding and not for the first time she was proud of his knowledge on Muggle customs and culture. "We just have to decide, as a family, how we want to handle it."
Late that evening, Hermione sat around the table with Ginny, Theo, Draco, Narcissa, Regulus, and Andromeda. The current topic was whether Narcissa wanted to be outed as alive to her husband.
"All I'm saying, Mum," Theo said, ignoring the small smile from Draco at Theo's use of the affectionate title he'd begun using exclusively after their wedding, "is that the only good thing the bastard ever did was give you Draco."
Narcissa looked torn. Hermione reached out her hand and squeezed her mother-in-law's. "I know you want to see the best in him , and if you're convinced there is a best, we'll support you."
Andromeda scoffed, "You cannot be seriously considering this, Cissa! He has emotionally and verbally abused you for years. The only reason we reconnected is because of it. I've held my tongue long enough on the matter. I say we get the Zabini boy to poison him and be done with it."
Hermione grimaced, outright agreeing with Andromeda was not the best tact, but Hermione silently agreed.
Before the others had arrived, Draco and Theo had debriefed Hermione of Blaise's Apprenticeship. Madam Shahd Shafiq was, in a word, infamous. She was known for her cunning and the mysterious deaths of her many husbands.
Her first husband, Blaise's father, Francesco Zabini, was her one true love. He'd been murdered by a jealous business partner who lusted after the beautiful witch. She'd promptly married the business partner and soon was a widow a second time, collecting all the money from his estate.
Blaise was learning the art of subtle killing from her. He would be an invaluable resource for either side who managed to recruit him. His mother had thus far stayed neutral and Hermione hoped that if he couldn't be recruited for the Order he'd follow her lead.
"Let's not force Narcissa into anything," Regulus said calmly. "She's welcome to leave him, I'll have the Abuse and Neglect Clause of her marriage contract enacted so that she isn't shamed and Draco can continue as the rightful Heir." Andromeda huffed softly. "I've already appointed Teddy as the Heir to House Black if I die before marriage and children. Narcissa is welcome to return to the family and retain her status as a daughter of House Black with no repercussions from us."
Draco hadn't said much during the conversation, but finally looked up, "Mum I just want you to be happy. I don't care what it takes, but I want that for you."
Narcissa looked down at her lap, quietly contemplating her next move. Hermione gave her the time and space. "I don't want to sway you either way, Narcissa, but when we saw him he heavily implied that if he was able to produce another Heir, he'd murder me and Scorpius immediately."
Narcissa stiffened. "No one threatens my grandson," she said coldly. "I'm not ready for the end of Lucius Malfoy because I do have hope that the kind boy I married will return, but I agree to the divorce."
Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think or if you have any thoughts about what might happen next!