Hey everyone!

I have no idea where January went. Between the news about my Nan and some other stuff these updates took a while to write. I am feeling more confident about being able to write more. Writing sprints ftw on this one. I'm enjoying figuring things out and am being able to add extra things to my chapters. I really hope to get better at updating again and am going to try and update again at the end of the month... so we shall see how that goes.

Lots of love,

LSH xx

Finally Belonging Somewhere-Part 107:

The next day dawned and, although she'd forgiven her parents, Aurora still didn't trust them as much as she did before. This was proving a challenge to overcome and Meredith came up with an idea over breakfast.

"I'd love to see the vast land of the Estate," she said, "I'm staying until the children return to Hogwarts. Maybe Draco, Aurora and Astoria could show me around. I'm sure there is a horse I could borrow for the tour."

"Of curse there is and that sounds like a wonderful idea," Cait said, "I can pack a picnic basket and you ca take it with you and you can have a picnic somewhere nice. I shall do that as soon as breakfast is finished," she said. Meredith nodded and thanked her before the conversation moved onto something else.

"You just want to keep Aurora away from us," Lucius said as he and Meredith were discussing the tour as the the three children and Astoria were helping make the picnic basket.

"No. I just want to see the land and it give you and Cissa time to discuss things with Jen about Aurora without her hearing. Last things we need is her finding out and not understanding because you two don't understand what autism is," she said with her arms crossed, "I bet that never even crossed your mind," she said before rolling her eyes, "thought so dear brother," she said before hearing the calls of Aurora and she headed off to see what her niece was calling her for.

"It wasn't too much later and the four were leading their horses out of the stables and Astoria helped Aurora up onto her horse and they were soon on the way. Astoria playing the perfect tour guide and taking the three Malfoys everywhere, pointing things out as they walked over the first half of the Estate. Aurora was enjoying waving to everyone she saw and waved extra amounts as they passed Maggie and Cal's house where Jamie, Kenzie and Aislynn were outside.

Eventually they called a halt to the tour as they'd reached the lake and Draco said that he was hungry and Aurora chimed in and said that she was as well. After a quick check of her watch and Meredith agreed that it was, indeed time for a lunch break.

The group sat themselves down on the picnic blanket and began to eat their lunch. The spot they had set the blanket down on hadn't been lost on Draco and Astoria, causing a small chuckle and an exchange of looks before Aurora grabbed some of the chopped apples and went off to feed the horses.

"I know everything," Meredith spoke once she was sure Aurora wasn't able to hear her, "about you two going to marry, about this very spot is where your cottage will be built and, eventually, here will be your home where you will look after Aurora until she marries."

"How…? Nobody outside my parents and Ria's grandparents and aunt and uncle know…" Draco asked before seeing the look on he aunt's face, "you haven't just come back have you?"

"I've been back a month… enough to have spoken to everyone here and find out about everything before arriving back at Malfoy Manor. I knew that my niece had been found from the Daily Prophet as your parents never owned me about anything."

"They should have told you about Aurora at least," Astoria said, "they hold have told you that your niece had been found. Sorry for speaking out of turn…"

"Don't be sorry Astoria. You're all but family now," Meredith said, giving the girl's arm a squeeze, "you have every right to speak. Yes they should have told me but when I go away I tend to get forgotten about… It's part of the reason I'm taking a break."

"What?! But you love being an Auror," Draco said, almost choking on his drink earning a slap on the back from Astoria.

"I do, Draco, but I also need to start figuring out whether the job or family mean more to me. I could help to run the Vineyard with your father and see Aurora whenever I wish. Family means more to me than a job and we've all lost so much time with her because of what happened when she was born."

Draco remained silent as he looked at his aunt. The Vineyard had Ben long forgotten about and he bit his lip as he processed his aunts words.

"I can understand all of that and Mother and Father will need to focus a little more on Rora so I can understand you wanting to be home more," he said after a while of thought, "it just feels so sudden… at least to me but I guess you've been wondering what to do for a while," he said and Meredith nodded as she watched Draco.

"I've been home like a month already so I have had plenty of time already to debate on what to do. I still need more time but, as I have said before, I think it's time that family became the priority in my life. It will be hard but I've spent a while in the field now and there is the option to take a break but would I want to go back after my break? That is something that I still have to debate and I will be speaking to my brother and sister-in-law to see what they think I should do. Family is even more important now Aurora has been found."

It was in that moment that Aurora decided to come back over to them and sit down, simply picking up a sandwich and eating it. Draco looked at his sister and wondered if she knew what they'd been talking about. Luckily she didn't as she started talking about how the horses had enjoyed their apple slices.

Eventually the group finished their picnic and packed it away, mounting their horses again and Astoria led them off again for the second half of the tour. She was truly at home on Artemis and she adored talking about the land she'd grown up on.

Meredith listened to what Astoria was saying, asking questions when she had them and kept an eye on her niece. Life was about to change and Aurora would, hopefully, remain blissfully unaware of it all until the time came when she would have to be told. Until that time came, Meredith knew that life would not be the same again… it might do in some ways but it would be a different kind of normal.