Why me?

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story. That all belongs to J.K. Rowling.

'Thank you for joining us today.' Lucius Malfoy spoke.

'Tea? Ms. Granger?' Narcissa asked.

'No thank you. Sorry to be rude but why have I been asked here?' Hermione said with a slight gruffness in her voice.

'Ms. Granger, we would like to apologize and ask for a … favor.' Lucius said with hesitance.

'Please explain.'

'We were wondering if you would marry Draco and bare his heir.' Lucius rushed the last.

'Oh, I am I finally good enough for your family tree now that Astoria can't have the heir?'

'Um… yes. We have only just found out that Astoria will be unable to bare children due to a blood curse.'

'Why now? You spent our childhood hating me, doing everything you could to make me feel as if this world didn't want me.' She snarled at Draco as he hung his head in remorse.

'Well, her sister Daphane delivered a baby girl last week. So that means Astoria carries the curse.' Lucius went on as if not hearing her comment.

'So, you are just going to end the betrothal agreement?' Lucius nodded.

'So, pureblood. That is cold Draco, I know she was looking forward to marring you.' Hermione snarled at Draco. 'So now you want me to bare the Malfoy heir?' all three Malfoys nodded. She smirked. 'You won't agree to my terms anyways. So why waste my breath.' As she got up to leave.

'Please let us hear them, we might be able to come to some sort of an agreement.' Narcissa spoke. 'Please.'

'Fine….' She summonsed a quill and parchment. 'I will continue to work.' as she wrote down each of her demands.

'Ms. Granger, A lady Malfoy has never worked in centuries.' Lucius spoke.

'Thank you for wasting my time.' As she turned to leave.

'The lady of the house plans all of the balls and takes care of the manor.' Lucius spoke.

'Why would I take something Mrs Malfoy is fantastic at and loves to do away from her?' Narcissa smiled at Hermione at the complement.

'Fine, you can work.' Lucius snarled.

'We will not live here.'

'No, the family stays together. My parents lived here until their death.'

'You seriously expect me to live here after everything that happened here? I'm fine with building a house over there.' As she pointed across the pond. 'Close enough for the children to come over but far enough for me.'

'Yes, we will build a house for you two.' Narcissa butted in and getting a scowl from Lucius. 'Better over there, than in some far-off town.' She snarled at him, he finally nodded in agreement.

'The first born, boy or girl will be the heir.'

'No, only the son.' Lucius snarled.

'There are no guarantees the first will be a boy and my daughter will not be passed over.'

'All Malfoys have a boy.' He declared.

'That might be true to pureblood births, but I am a mudblood or have you forgotten? If the first is a girl she will be the heir.' Hermione growled.

'I can't do it.' Lucius snarled.

'Why? Not strong enough? I will teach her to be just like me. Strong, stubborn. She will have the choice at 18 to pass it on to the next in line if she has siblings.' He finally nodded in agreement. 'But if you push her or the second in line to take it I will hex you so bad you won't know what way is up for years, do you understand me?' Hermione was toe to toe with him at this point.

'Fine.'

'If there are more than one child, Malfoy Industries goes to the oldest. The family fortune will be split equally between the children. When we pass.' Lucius nodded knowing fighting now was fruitless.

'Draco, will you bring me tea and a fried egg when I ask of you?'

'Yes, I will get Beezy to bring it up.' Draco said.

'No, you will learn to cook and clean.' Draco flinched at her tone. 'We will only have a paid house elf in once a month to clean up. We will keep it tidy the rest of the time, right?' She waited for him to decide.

'Yes, I will learn.'

'You will also help with the children. You will come home from work at 5 so you can spend time helping them with their homework. Teach them how to play football and to fly.' He nodded, she rounded to Lucius and Narcissa.

'You two will have them one day a week and every other weekend.'

'And what will we be doing?' Lucius snarled.

'Well, being grandparents. My grandparents read to me, took me out for walks around the property, and showed me how to take care of my pony. Granddad took me fishing, Grandma let me help her in the gardens, show me how to bake cookies. I want my children loving to spend time with their grandparents not fear them.'

'But I don't know how to bake cookies.' Narcissa whined.

'Well between me and the house elves we can teach you.' Hermione smiled. 'You know my fondest memory of my grandparents was them taking me to blackpool beach so I could ride the donkeys on the beach. And taking me to the bookstore so I could get a new book every month even tho my parents said I had more than enough books. Grandparents are meant to spoil the children.'

'I agree to everything.' Narcissa smiled at the thought of grandchildren.

'I'm still not sure about the first-born tripe.' Lucius snarled.

'That's fine. Look for a simpering bint of a wife for Draco.' Hermione turned to leave.

'Fine I will agree to all of your demands.'

'Good sign here.' As she pushed the paper over to him. He grumbled the whole time.

'I can't believe this tripe.'

'And you didn't think a woman can negotiate a contract, And you're not happy now just wait until I'm in full swing hormonal rage.' She grinned a mischievous grin.

'Oh, Lucius I think she will make the smartest grandbabies for us.' Narcissa clapped and smiled.

'Now I will go to the doctors and see if I can indeed carry a child to full term.'

'What?' Lucius roared. 'Have I wasted time negotiating an agreement to find out you can't have kids.'

'Because of your friend Dolahov, I might not be able to have children.' As she ripped open her shirt to show a long purple scar running from, her collarbone across to the opposite hip.' Lucius flinched, Narcissa cringed and gasped at the sight Draco just frowned. 'What Draco am I too scared for you to look at during sex? Is this one going cause you to run as well? As she pulled her sleeve up to show what Balla had carved into her arm.

'No.' he growled. 'I'm sorry we were on the wrong side I should have helped you, not tormented you. Please Miya, give me a chance. I will court you, give you a chance to see me and to see how I have changed. I will take you around the world to all of the best bookstores.' He grinned at her weakness.

'Well, that is a good plan but first I need to see if I can carry to term.'

'I will call the family healer and get you in to see him.' Narcissa spoke with concern.

'Thank you but I still need to see a muggle doctor.' Narcissa nodded.

~o~

'Well, how did the doctor appointments go?' Draco asked as the witches came in the room. As he and his father stood.

'Um…' Narcissa paused to look at Hermione, getting a nod. 'Ok… Muggle doctor said everything looked ok, she should be able to carry a child.' Narcissa paused. 'But Healer Karr said… he does see a hint of dark magic that will hinder getting pregnant and carrying it to term. He did say if we knew the curses used we might be able to reverse them. He did say it would be very painful for Hermione.' They had grown closer in the past few weeks. 'I have told her to go and think about it while we research the curses.'

'All of this work for her to decide it's not worth it?' Lucius bemoaned.

'You listen here you pompous arse,' Narcissa rounded on Lucius. 'Healer Karr said it will hurt worse than a Cruciatus Curse. I know she survived Balla's curse but I'm not sure she wants to or can do it again just to give you and heir, I don't blame her to think long and hard because this doesn't even guarantee she can carry a child.' Lucius cowered at Narcissa rant. 'Let me remind you what it feels like.' As her wand rose. Hermione stepped up and pushed Narcissa hand down.

'I'm so sorry Hermione I have forgotten what you have went thru.' Lucius said.

'You forgot? You stood there as your bestie cursed me with this.' She screamed, while ripping her shirt open for the second time in as many weeks. 'You watched her carve this in my arm.' As her shirt hit the floor. She shoved her arm into Lucius's face. 'Mybe I should walk around like this so you too can remember what I have been thru. I have nightmares every night. Yes, I know you have nightmares too but you signed up to be a death eater. Draco did it because you signed him up. I was pulled into it to help save the innocent muggles. Kids fighting against adults. Every night since the war I dream of either Dolahov or your sweet sister-in-law carving me up. And you think I should just lie back and do it all over again so you can have your bleeding heir.' She turned. 'I'm sorry Draco, Narcissa I don't think I can do this, he will never be grateful to what I have to go thru to give him and heir.' She turned towards the door. 'Goodbye.'

'You ungrateful bastard.' Hermione heard Draco yelling at his father, she smiled as she closed the door.

~o~

'Hey, Miya, can I join you?' Draco asked as he rounded the corner to find Hermione at a small table in front of the café.

'Yes, how is your mother?'

'Fine she misses you, and I miss you.'

'I'm sorry I couldn't stick around your father.'

'I understand, but I do need your help.'

'I'll see what I can do.'

'Can you look at these and tell me what you think.' As he pulled out some papers.

'Floorplans?'

'Yes, a friend is wanting to build a house and wanted a witch's perspective. Can you see if there needs to be any changes?'

'Well Draco that is hard to do… What I may like, another might think it is stupid by another to have the elves room just off the kitchen. Or a have a family room instead of a ball room.' As Hermione drew up her ideas.

'What about a mother's suite?'

'Well… a hallway here and her suite here on the other side of the garage, she can have privacy but still close enough to see the family.'

'Garage?'

'Well muggle have cars so a place to store them. You could use it as a man cave if you didn't have cars.'

'Man cave?'

'A room you men gather and have a big screen telly, pool table and a card table.'

'Oh, that sounds good. Thanks.'

~o~

'Hey Miya got time to help a friend?'

'What do you need now?' grinning.

'Can you help a friend pick colors?'

'Draco, a witch wants to pick out her own colors.' She spoke.

'Please just look.'

'Fine.' As he apparated to a beautiful house on the outskirts of a small wizarding village 'It turned out beautiful. I like the red brick.' As he opened the front door. And gave her the tour of the house.

'The decorator left samples to choose from.' Draco pointed to the table in the middle of the room. Hermione pulled a paint chip over to a floor tile.

'What is in the budget?'

'What is in front of you is what you can choose from.'

'But this is expensive marble to have all thru the hallway and bathrooms. I can't spend someone else's money with no regards…' Draco cut her off.

'Have fun with it, if they can't afford it they will change it.' Draco snarled.

'Fine, I like this for this room. And this for in there. But you need to ask the person who will call this home and not me Draco. This will be her house not mine.'

'Um, that is where I need to talk to you. Hermione, will you let me court you? This will be your home no matter what you decide. We... mother and I decide you deserve this for everything you have gone thru.'

'But Draco I can't give you an heir. I don't think I can endure the pain again.' She started to tear up.

'I'm not asking you to. I told Father to stuff it. I want to marry you, if you happen to get up the duff then, we have an heir, if not we get to enjoy traveling the world.'

'Are you sure?'

'Yes, I have wanted to date you since the yule ball…'

'But your father…'

'Yes. But now I don't care. Mother has left him. She is trying to decide if she wants to divorce him or just leave him.'

'I didn't think magical marriage bond could be broken?'

'Well, if both parties agree it can happen. If mother just leaves, I stay heir but if she divorces him he could remarry and have a new heir.'

'But Draco what happens to your inheritance? You will lose it all?

'What won't you marry me if I'm not rich?' Draco said with a hint of fear in his voice.

'Oh no, I just know you will not be truly happy broke. I have money but not enough to keep you in your standards.'

'Hermione Granger, I do have my own personal vaults, my inheritance from my great uncle and I will get a large sum from the main family vaults if mother decides to leave him.' He grinned. 'And I'm paying for all of this from his vaults, not touched mine yet. Mother did have the lawyer put a stipulation that if I do have a child, he or she will be the heir.'

'How will your father agree to that?'

'Well, if he doesn't agree he will not be able to break the fidelity clause in their marriage. No young nimble witch in his bed.'

'Oh Draco. I'm so sorry I have caused this.' As she started to cry.

'Dear you did not cause this. Sorry I was passing by and heard you talking. Lucius did this to himself. He joined that evil creature, and when he failed his mission Draco was inducted to replace him. I was furious. I put him on notice one more issue and I would leave him.' She hugged Hermione. 'And then we asked too much of you, he thought you should sacrifice yourself to give him an heir.' As she wiped a tear from Hermione's cheek. 'I told him I was done. I would not live with a selfish man. Draco and I decided to build this house as an apology. It will be yours no matter what you decide. But if you let us, Draco will take you anywhere you desire to visit. And I if you let me will live over there in the mother's suite.'

'But Narcissa I can't go thru...'

'Draco will never ask you to go thru that pain again, and I will never ask you either. If you ever get the mothering bug either adopt or what is the muggle method of surrogacy. Or just adopt a big dog.' Narcissa grinned.

'Oh, can we have one of those big fluffy dogs.' Draco grinned.

'But Draco a big fluffy dog can't inherit the family fortune.'

'Hermione are you not listening? I don't care we will have enough to live the rest of our lives in comfort.' As he kissed her forehead.

'Are you sure?' Looking to Draco and Narcissa, they both nodded.

'Fine, Narcissa what do you think of my choices so far?'

'I love it.' Narcissa beamed.