Draco stood there eyes wide, in shock, he wasn't expecting any of Aurora's family members to show up, least of all any of her brothers.

"Mr. Pontellier, hello!" Draco said greeting Nathaniel with a handshake.

"Master Malfoy." Nathaniel nodded curtly and motioned to the boy beside him. "This is my son Etienne."

Draco looked down at the young child who was bashfully hiding behind his father's leg.

"Hello!" Draco smiled and waved, Etienne smiled and waved back.

"Are you tante Aurora's husband?" The child asked unwittingly.

Draco chuckled. "No, I am just a friend."

"Oh…why are you here? If you are not married you can't be at her house! It's a sin!"

Draco bit his lip trying to stifle his laughter, was this kid in training to become the next Pope or something?

"Laisser Etienne, vous tes impoli."[1] Nathaniel chided.

"Pourquoi? Je veux savoir!"[2] The boy whined.

"Because it is none of your business." Nathaniel silenced his son with a stern look. "I apologize for my son's rudeness master Malfoy."

"Please just call me Draco, and don't apologize. It is only natural for a tyke his age to be curious." Draco stepped aside. "Aurora had just fallen asleep. I'm afraid that you won't be able to talk to her until she wakes, but you are more than welcome to stay. I'm sure she'll be delighted to see you."

"Thank you." Nathaniel and ushered Etienne inside placing his index finger to his lips telling him to be quiet.

"Won't you stay?" Nathaniel asked as Draco tried to leave.

"Oh, um…"

"I would like to speak with you, if you don't mind."

Shit! This can't be good. Draco wanted nothing more than to just leave and go back to his flat but he knew better than to refuse.

"Yeah, sure, no problem."

Nathaniel began to look around trying to find a suitable place for them to talk.

"Would you like to sit in the kitchen?" Draco suggested.

Nathaniel nodded. "By all means lead the way-"

"Shhhhhhhhh Papa! Tante Aurora is sleeeeeeeeping!" Etienne admonished, before Nathaniel could grab him Etienne made a beeline to Aurora's sleeping form and gently kissed her on the cheek. "There, now when she wakes up she'll feel better!" Etienne turned to Draco. "She'll get better right monsieur?"

Draco chuckled at the child, funny little tyke. "Bien sûr, she'll be up and walking in time!" Etienne smiled and Draco continued to lead the way to the kitchen.

Both men sat across each other in an uncomfortable silence, every so often Draco would readjust his ring and Nathaniel just stared at him.

"So," Nathaniel began as he leaned forward and placed his neatly folded hands on the table, "I hear that you spend a lot of time here…"

"Yes?" Draco was not sure how to respond. "Is that a problem?"

Nathaniel shrugged. "No, not really, however it may be viewed as troublesome."

"Does it trouble you?" Draco asked indignantly.

"A bit,"

"I see-"

"Listen I'm going to be frank with you, Draco, Aurora can't afford any distractions right now. She close to completing her undergraduate degree and has every intention on continuing to the graduate level; I want to know what your intentions are."

Draco's brow knitted in confusion. "Beg pardon?"

"Do you indent to ask permission to court my sister any time soon?" Nathaniel looked Draco dead in the eye not wavering in his stare.

Draco sighed, why does this subject come up very damn time? "I don't really see how that's any concern of yours, shouldn't that be between your sister and I?" He drawled spitefully, he was growing tired of the subject.

"Excuse me, but it does concern me. You see my father, being the purist that he is, would love nothing more than to just give her to you and be done with the whole ordeal, it's either you or the next bloke with a lineage just as pure. He finds that my sister's thirst for success and knowledge to be tiresome. I am not too keen on the idea of just 'giving' her to you or anyone like she's cattle."

Draco was stunned by Nathaniel's words, what did he mean their father wanted to just "give" her to him? Was she really being pressured into marriage to such an extent?

"She is my only sister," Nathaniel continued "and is destined to do great things. As brilliant as she is her situation isn't easy. I have to know if you are going to be a distraction or not."

"Distraction?"

"Yes, if you have no intention of courting her and wish to remain friends that's fine, however if you have more than friendship on your mind I strongly advise you to wait until she finishes her schooling, and I mean all of it."

Draco chewed on the inside of his cheek now getting annoyed with the man before him, who was he to tell him what to do?! He was Draco Malfoy, the only son of Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy, who was this prat to tell him what he can and can't do?

First off one should not refer to their sister as 'cattle' even if it was to make a point, and secondly, distraction? If anything, this family full of loonies was a distraction, was this guy really insinuating that he would potentially sabotage Aurora's education? Preposterous!

"I hardly see how anything I do would matter. Your sister is a grown woman who can decide for herself what she wants to distract herself with." Draco leaned back into his chair crossing his arms. "I fail to see the point of this conversation."

Nathaniel's eye's hardened, he was about to retort when Etienne came running into the kitchen.

"Papa! Papa! Tante Aurora is awake!"

Draco watched Nathaniel silently get up and leave not taking his eyes off him for a second, now it was just him and Etienne. Both were locked in a staring contest of some sort.

"Are you sure you are not tante Aurora's husband?" Etienne's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Trust me kid, if I was, you would have been the first to know!" Draco joked.

"Well, she has to get married." Etienne crossed his arms and puffed out his chest.

"And why is that?"

"Because grand-papa and grand-maman are mad at her. They're mad at her because she doesn't want to get married. If she got married they won't be mad anymore."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, you should marry her! So that they'll stop being mad and she won't be in trouble anymore." Etienne bounced on the balls of his feet. "Tante Aurora is very nice and I don't want her to get in trouble!"

"Sorry kid, but that's all up to your aunty not me."

Draco pinched the bridge of his nose, he was beginning to get a headache. All this talk of marriage was so tiresome, first his parents, Aurora's brother, and now a little kid? This was getting way out of hand.

XXXX

Wyatt sat at the desk reading over his father's research once more. Wolfsbane was a very complex potion, and was the very basis of the potion he was trying to create. His father's invention relieves the symptoms of lycanthropy so that the drinker can maintain their human consciousness once they transform, however what Wyatt was trying to accomplish was not just a mere alleviation of the symptoms he was striving to cure lycanthropy all together.

"Are you still reading father's manuscripts?"

Wyatt looked up and removed his glasses rubbing his tired eyes. "Yes."

Ramona moved to sit on the chair near the desk. "You need to take a break, you've been going at it all day."

"I can't do that."

"Sure you can! Just close the folder."

"How do you expect me to finish my research if I keep taking breaks?" Wyatt said tensely. In all honest, he was exhausted, he has been reading all day. Between his father's notes and medical records containing descriptions of the bacteria that infects humans causing them to transform into werewolves, his head was beginning to spin.

Also there was the fact that he was still readjusting to being back at his parent's house in England. Both he and Ramona thought it best to move back in, in order to begin his research since their father keep his works closely held. There was no way that he would have allowed them to remove any of his work from his lab. Their mother was absolutely delighted nonetheless, and the best part about being back home was that there was no danger of running out food (which was a problem he always ran into while living in New York) the house elves always kept the kitchen well stocked.

"Eisley sent us a letter." Ramona said suddenly as she handed the letter over the Wyatt.

"Oh?"

"Yes, it seems that she made it into Ravenclaw. I have to admit, I'm a bit disappointed. I would have thought that she would have made it into Slytherin, like myself, but alas it turns out she has more of your qualities than she does mine." Ramona lazily leaned back into her chair.

Wyatt snorted. "You say that as if it's a bad thing." He handed the letter back to Ramona.

"Of course it is! You two are the whiniest people I have ever met! I have no idea how I am able to put up with the both of you!"

"Haha, like you're any easier to tolerate. You are never satisfied and you are always in a foul mood." Wyatt stated arching an eyebrow.

Ramona opened her mouth and then closed it. "Touché."

Wyatt laughed and got up. "I think I'll take you up on that break. We also need to write back to Eisley congratulating her on her success."

"You congratulate her, she didn't get into my house!" Ramona jested as she followed her brother up the stairs to the parlor.

Damocles was sitting on his favorite arm chair reading the paper when his children emerged from his lab.

"Hi dad!" Ramona greeted kissing him on the cheek.

"Hello, dear." Damocles patted her hand, which was resting on his shoulder. He never played favorites when it came to all of his children, but he did have a soft spot for Ramona. Perhaps it was his bias because she possessed a majority of his qualities. Her cunning and wit, also her intelligence. And the one trait that he absolutely loved about her that his wife couldn't stand is her hard attitude. She has no qualms about expressing what she really thinks. As for Wyatt and Eisley, they were a lot softer. They took after Imogen, they were intelligent, but hated confrontation so they did their best to be polite to everyone. Where Ramona would lose her temper and throw a tantrum or curse her offender, Wyatt and Eisley would fall into a silent rage and would try to avoid hostility all together.

"So what are you up to father?" Wyatt asked taking a seat across from him.

"Oh nothing my boy, just reading."

Wyatt smirked, "how about a game of chess?"

Damocles set his paper down and smiled. "How could I refuse?"

"I'll challenge the winner!" Ramona exclaimed.

Damocles looked between Wyatt and Ramona and smiled at them fondly, Merlin he had missed them. It was good to have them back, especially now that Eisley has begun her first year at Hogwarts, the mansion won't feel quite as empty as it used to be.

[1]: "Stop Etienne, you are being rude."

[2]:"Why? I want to know!"