Are you serious?" Aurora looked up at Nathaniel in utter disbelief.

"Completely." He smiled.

"I didn't think he would sign off the rights so soon."

"I guess he's just tired and feels that it's time to retire." Nathaniel leaned back into the arm chair with his hands folded behind his head looking up at the ceiling.

Part of the reason why Nathaniel came to see his sister was to inform her that their father signed the rights to the family estate and businesses over to him. The Pontelliers are in the business of commodities such as precious metals and stones. They own hundreds of mines all over the world, where they obtain these metals and stones and have them crafted into jewelry. The family even had their own facilities in Belgium and South Africa where they cut diamonds, rubies and sapphires. The jewelry business was a publicly held entity, they had shares in the Euronext Stock Exchange. Nathaniel himself was the majority shareholder of Bijoux Impériaux (the family's jewelry company). They also had thousands of branches in major cities all over the world such as Paris, Nice, Athens, Lisbon, Madrid, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Milan, New York City, Mumbai, New Deli, Berlin, London, Tokyo, etc. The business was as prosperous as ever.

However, the wine industry was far older than the jewelry business. It has been in the family for over 4 centuries. The Pontelliers owned countless vineyards all over France, Italy, and now they had recently acquired some land in California. The wine company, Pontellier Domanie Viticole, unlike Bijoux Impériaux, was privately held. The shares were not available to the public, only members of the Pontellier family were allowed to hold shares.

Yes, a good portion of their riches came from Muggle money but who cares?! Money is money and the Pontelliers were very good to generating it.

Nathaniel reached into his breast pocket and pulled out an envelope handing it to Aurora.

"What is this?" She asked as she inspected the envelope.

"Open it."

Aurora eyed the enveloped and took note of the wax seal on the back, it was the family crest. She did as she was told and found a certificate of some sort, her eyes darted from left to right as she read the contents of document. She looked up at Nathaniel in surprise.

"Consider it an early birthday gift." Nathaniel smirked.

"Is this real?" Aurora was shock, did he really intend to-

"Of course it's real! Don't you see the crest, darling, that's as authentic as it could get!"

Aurora rolled her eyes. "Do you really intend to give me these shares?"

"Absolutely, you deserve your portion."

"What about Emerson?"

"Father has been very displeased with him as of late so instead of giving him the remaining 20% of Bijoux Impériaux he gave them to me before his signed off all the rights to the estate-"

"That would mean that you own 100% of the company. You'll have complete and total control, why give me the 20%?"

"It doesn't matter who owns that 20% I still own more than 50% of the company, I already have total control. And I am gifting you these shares because father doesn't intend for you own any, in case you haven't noticed he is very cross with you. And he doesn't think you can handle it, also there's been talk of pushing your access date to your trust fund back to when you turn 25-"

"I see, so all I'm good for is just looking at maps and telling him where to dig for gold and-WHAT?!" Aurora sat up. "He can't do that!

Nathaniel shrugged. "Yes he can."

"But why? That's not fair."

"Nihil in vita est pulchra, Rory."[1]

"That's easy for you to say! You are his first born son, he's already handed everything to you! Nathaniel, you don't have to worry about your future, you are already well taken care of!" Aurora's voice shook with anger.

"Calme-toi."[2] Nathaniel shot his sister a stern look.

"Don't you tell me to keep calm!" She was now raising her voice. "In case you forgot I was the one who got tossed away, so what makes you think he'll stop at just pushing my access date back hmm? I promise you that one more argument with that man will cost me my entire inheritance. I won't be surprised if he gave it all to that imbecile Emerson!" Aurora's chest was heaving, she was so angry she could barely contain herself. "Is that why you are giving me 20%? Out of pity? Because you know what he intends to do?!"

Nathaniel stared at his sister in shock, Aurora had never raised her voice to him before, and he immediately regretted telling her about their father's plans. "I am giving you 20% ownership because I honestly believe that you are able to handle such a responsibility. And as for your trust fund it is not set in stone."

"Will you convince him not to change my access date?" Aurora looked up at Nathaniel. "Please, frère, he will listen to you and no one else. You're his favorite, I have nothing to appease him with!" Aurora pleaded.

Nathaniel looked at his sister with sympathetic eyes and sighed. "I'll try to see what I can do, but I cannot make any promises. Please just lie down and do not make yourself uneasy."

"How can I not make myself uneasy, I'm seeing my future slowly slip away," she groaned, "you know as well as I, he's doing this to punish me. Nathaniel you are the only one who stands between him throwing my future away and me pursuing my goals, please talk to him."

Nathaniel nodded and stood. "Etienne!" he called. "Etienne, nous quittons."[3]

Etienne came running into the room and instead of going to his father he ran to his aunt and before anyone could react his jumped on her. Aurora let out a pained gasp.

"Etienne! No!" His father scolded, as he pulled his son of her. "We-do-not-jump-on-people." Nathaniel stated slowly so that his hyperactive child could understand.

"But Papa, I wanted to show tante Aurora how much I love her!"

Nathaniel shook his head and leaned forward with Etienne still in his arms so that he was hovering over Aurora's face. "Donner tante Aurora un baiser et dire au revoir."[4]

Etienne placed a big sloppy kiss on Aurora's cheek, Aurora chuckled and ruffled the boy's hair. "Au revoir mon conard. Be good okay?"

Nathaniel stood at his full height again. "I'll talk to father as soon as I can, look for my owl. In the meantime take care of yourself."

Aurora nodded and Nathaniel walked to the door, Etienne waved energetically over his father's shoulder.

XXXX

Draco was reclined on the sofa, he was reading over a letter he had just received. It would seem that the medical department is holding a gala a month from now and all members of the Healer program are required to attend. Great, another social event he has to be dragged to. Don't these people understand that there aren't enough hours in the day to attend classes, complete rounds and write up reports; and now they have to go to these social events?! Well at least he could bring a date, the only person he fancied on brining was Aurora. Hopefully she'd accept otherwise he would have to resort to plan B and he did not like the idea of pleading with Ramona to accompany him. Draco shuddered at the thought, "man eater" is what he called her, and she was well aware of that nickname of hers.

Ramona was like a female prime mantis, she bites their heads off and devours men after she's had her fill. Yeah, Aurora was a safer bet, for one he couldn't picture her giving him a hard time about it. Worst case scenario she'd say "no" and then he would have to convince her through bribery and then boom! He has a date. Draco was instantly pulled out of his thoughts when he heard a crack! He immediately sat up to see what had happened. It was Lini, Aurora's house elf.

"Excuse me sir," she squeaked, "but Miss Rory requests your presence immediately."

Without saying a word Draco immediately got off the sofa and Apparated to Aurora's flat. He found her in the same placed where he left her but she seemed a bit alarmed.

"And here I was thinking there was no way a cultured man such as yourself would own a pair of sweats." She smiled weakly.

Draco chuckled, he rarely wore undignified clothing such as sweats pants but this evening he made an exception.

"Please forgive my appearance Miss, but I was so concerned for your wellbeing I had to sacrifice my dignity by appearing here in clothing deemed fit for commoners."

Aurora let out a roar of laughter. "Your sacrifice will not go unnoticed my good sir, I promise you that."

Draco smiled and stepped closer to her. "Did something happen?"

"Yes," Aurora sighed, "my leg feels warm."

"Warm?"

"I'm not sure how to explain it, it feels warm and it feels like the wound is oozing."

"That's not good."

"Yeah, I think I accidentally reopened my stitches, I would have repaired it myself but I don't have wand. It snapped in half when I fell, I still have to go and get a new one."

Aurora explained as Draco rolled her pant leg up and unraveled the bandages to get a closer look at the wound. Her suspicions where right, the stitched have been ripped open and now there was a mess of yellowish red liquid oozing out. Draco pulled out his wand and muttered an incantation causing the broken thread to disappear and a new one to appear and immediately wove itself in and out of the flesh closing up the wound.

"Ouch!" Aurora gritted her teeth. "Could you at least give me a warning before you stitch me up?!"

"Sorry." With another wave of his wand fresh bandages appeared raveled themselves around the newly closed wound.

"All done!" Draco announced.

"You're the best! Thank you!"

"Anytime. Is there anything else you need?"

Aurora shook her head. "I'm okay, sorry for dragging you over here so late."

"It's fine, so how did you rip your stitched open?"

"I think it must have happened when Etienne jumped on me."

"He jumped on you?"

"Yeah." Aurora said sheepishly suddenly feeling the need to defend her 6 year old nephew. "He's a very energetic little boy."

"Yeah, I can tell, he's a bit of work." Draco said smiling recalled his brief encounter with the boy.

"So, you've spoken to him then?"

"Well, it was actually him who did all the chin wagging."

"What did he say?" Aurora ask with great interest.

"He told me that I was living in sin."

"What?"

"Yeah, he said because I am not your husband I shouldn't be here at your place, according to him it's a sin."

Aurora threw her head back in laughter. "I swear that kid is too much! And how was Nathaniel? I know he can be a bit intense sometimes. You left so quickly after I woke I couldn't help but feel that he had said something to you."

Draco paused and thought for a moment, he did not want to tell Aurora about the conversation he had with Nathaniel. It would probably stress her out even more.

"He was…kind." Draco said slowly not looking at her.

"Was he?"

"Oh, yes, very cordial."

"Good, I would hate to hear that he was being rude to you."

"Not to worry my dear, and besides if he was rude do you honestly think I couldn't handle it? You've meet my father correct?"

Aurora let out a giggle recalling all of Mr. Malfoy's crude japs. Draco bit his lip debating on whether or not he should ask her to accompany to the gala now or wait until later…nah he'll ask her now, better to get it done and over with.

"I recently received a letter,"

"Oh?"

"And there's to be a gala held by the medical department and-"

"And you need a date, so you are wondering if I am available to accompany you because asking another girl out would be too much work." Aurora finished smirking like a cat.

"Perceptive as ever, so what do you say?"

"What day is it?"

"October 27th."

Aurora's face fell. "But that's my birthday…"

"You don't have to go if you don't want to, it's only a suggestion- it's okay I'll ask Ramona!" Draco said quickly.

Aurora sighed. "It's okay I'll go. I could use it as a distraction, I don't need to be reminded how my parents couldn't care less about my birthday or the fact that they can't even remember the actual day-Nathaniel sends them a letter every year to remind them."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." She yawned.

"It's late, you should go to bed."

"How?" Aurora motioned to her leg.

Draco stood up and took her arm and wrapped it around his neck and he scooped her up in his arms, Aurora let out a cry of glee as Draco carried her bridal style up the stairs.

"Just be careful okay, I don't want my stitches to rip again and bleed all over you." She laughed as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

"It's not like it would matter anyway, these are peasant clothes; I could care less what happens to them."

Draco gently placed Aurora on the bed, their eyes met and both friends were locked in an adoring gaze not sure of what to do or say next.

"Are-are you going back home?" Aurora asked breaking the silence still holding her gaze.

"I could stay for a bit if you'd like." Draco murmured softly.

"I want you to stay, but that would be selfish of me. I know you probably have a lot of work that needs to get done, I don't want to eat up more of your time than I already have."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I don't want to distract you from your work."

"Oh, okay." Draco was a bit disappointed, he had really hoped that she would ask him to stay longer. But alas she was right, he couldn't hold off on his work any longer. He had been a bit irresponsible and his assignments where soon reaching their deadlines. Oh well, not matter, he'll most likely see her tomorrow or the day after as usual, Aurora had indeed become a part of his daily routine.

[1]: "Nothing in life is fair"

[2]: "Calm yourself"

[3] "We're leaving"

[4]: "Give aunt Aurora a kiss and tell her goodbye."