No one bothered a stray cat on deserted roads which was why one felt safe on this final evening of May on the outskirts of the small English town of Wiltshire playing with a round pebble along the dusty lane it had wandered onto.  The stray, scraggly cat was startled from its content solitude by a loud popping sound and the sudden appearance of a young man a few feet away. The cat flattened its ears and released a low whining meow, but when the young man merely looked at the animal with cold gray eyes filled with indifference, the cat went back to digging in the dirt satisfied it was still safe.  

The young man for his part paid the cat no more attention either. He was too engrossed looking at the wrought iron gate in front of him. He had walked or rather flown through this gate many times in his youth. The gate still seemed imposing and somehow despite the fact he was no longer a child remarkably intimidating. He had not laid eyes on the gate nor the Yew hedges framing it for over five years. He also had not visited the very large house that lay at the end of the straight narrow lane on the other end of the gate for five years.

“Malfoy Manor,” the young man breathed out loud to himself.

“Home,” he added a moment later in a hushed whisper as if someone might overhear him, but no one was near except for the cat who did not even glance his way.

Draco Malfoy squared his shoulders and straightened his gray traveling robes. He had left England shortly after his eighteenth birthday after the remaining surviving members of the Wizengamot, who were not accused Voldemort supporters or locked away in Azkaban, cleared him of any charges related to his involvement with the Dark Lord.

Draco sighed and walked towards the looming gate as expected it magically creaked open.

“Still charmed to recognize all Malfoys,” Draco muttered disappointed that the gate did not remained shut and save him the remaining trip to the manor.

He took a few cautious steps through the gate trying to swallow the bile he felt rising up his throat. He had run away from this place and the memories, and he was not convinced he was ready to face the manor or the memories.

Draco had let himself live a fantasy life the past five years. The majority of the time was spent on a private beach on the western coast of the United States. His skin once pale was bronzed from the California sunshine he spent hours basking in every day. His muscles once thin were toned and defined by the running and swimming he did for hours on end, not to mention the time he spent playing Quidditch. His hair once slicked back tightly against his skull was now hung loosely right below his ears. However, his eyes were still tormented skies of gray.

He managed to take one labored step after another down the lane. He could not make himself focus on the house he knew was waiting for him, so he averted his eyes to the garden surround the sides of the house. He had expected the garden to be better kept than last he saw them; after all, his mother had hardly had time to worry about botany when they were dealing with housing Death Eaters, their prisoners, fighting for their lives, or worrying about still dying after the war if they were convicted by the Wizengamot. Draco was surprised though by just how beautiful the garden appeared in the fading sun.

The garden, which once had mostly been hedges, was now filled with flowers. The light was not the best, but Draco could tell that his mother was putting a lot more time into her landscaping. There were decorative topiaries as well shaped like thestrals, unicorns, and other magical creatures. A smile twitched at the corner of the Draco’s mouth when one of his mother’s beloved white peacocks strutted out from behind the topiary shaped like a wizard. The majestic bird for its part looked at Draco with nothing short of disdain and continued on its way.

Draco walked a little further and sighed when the door to the house flung open. He was not certain he was ready to face his homecoming. His parents had visited him several times over the past five years, but he was not sure what it would be like seeing them in this setting again. Their visits had always been tense when they came to the States, but he had roommates who kept conversations steered away from less unpleasant subjects.

 “Draco!” Narcissa Malfoy exclaimed delighted at the sight of her only child. She hurried down the steps and closed the distance between them engulfing him in a large hug.

Draco was shocked to say the least. He was not used to his mother showing such affection. He remembered his mother as being restrained in her gestures of love and adoration.

 “I was not sure when you would come…or if you would come,” Narcissa said as she continued to cling to her son with tears falling freely.

Draco lifted his arms and hugged his mother gently patting her back. “I’m here now, mother.”

Narcissa pulled back slightly and lifted a hand to his face. “Still sporting such a dark complexion, everyone will think you’re an adopted son.”

 “Nonsense, mother, I’m the spitting image of my father. Everyone says so at least,” Draco said dryly.

Narcissa frowned and stepped back completely from her son. “Draco, please try to be happy that you are home. Your father and I have missed you. I think you will find things have changed and you can be happy back home here in England.”

Draco snorted by did not argue. His attention was now pulled to the doorway once again where Lucius Malfoy stood. Draco cleared his throat and nodded to his father.

“Hello, son,” Lucius said warmly. Lucius’s eyes the same shade of gray as Draco’s were shining at his only child and heir.

His father’s tone shocked Draco more than anything possibly could. Lucius Malfoy was not a warm man.

Lucius smiled as if sensing his son’s thoughts. “I know you were dreading coming home, Draco, but you will see so much has changed.”

Draco nodded mutely because he found himself speechless as he realize the sparkle in his father’s eyes were unshed tears.  

Lucius gestured for Draco to come inside. “Come, son. Let’s have dinner together. You must be tired and you’ll need rest because tomorrow you’re going to work.”

“Work?” Draco asked appalled. “You expect me to work.”

Lucius smiled widened. “Don’t worry, son. I’m coming to work with you too. We’ll both be working at the same company, as least for the next year. But, come now, we’re not going to discuss work this evening. Tonight, we will just enjoy your homecoming.”

--

Draco unbuttoned his shirt and hung it on the back of the chair at his bedroom breakfast table. He shook his head as if the motion would cause all of his scattered thoughts to fall back into place. He was still trying to process the dinner he had just had with his parents. The meal was unlike any he had ever experienced at the antique Malfoy table.

He closed his eyes for a moment and gripped the chair he had just hung his shirt over as another memory of sitting at the same table threatened to overcome him.

“Severus! Help me!”

Draco took a deep breath as he tried to repress the terror the memory evoked in him as he thought of the former professor of Muggle Studies, Charity Burbage, being tortured and then killed about his dining room table.

“Breathe!” Draco muttered to himself as once again he felt ill as he remembered Nagani, Lord Voldemort’s pet snake devouring the former professor’s body.

He failed to quell his stomach and made a mad dash into the bathroom where he lost his dinner in the loo.

Draco kneeled on the cold stone tile for a few minutes before he pulled himself up and went to the sink to rinse his mouth. He stared at the image in the mirror for a few moments to remind himself he was not the same frightened cowering boy that had been sitting at that table almost six years ago.

He splashed cold water on his face and went to draw himself a hot bath. As he watched the water pour into the large private bath, he reflected that he was not the only one that had changed.  His parents both seemed to have undergone personality transplants in the past five years.

They had always seemed different on his visits, but he always made sure his Yank roommates were around to keep a buffer between him and his parents. In fact, Draco realized with no small amount of guilt he’d barely spoke to his parents of anything personal in nature for almost five years.

Draco thought about the Lucius and Narcissa he had eaten with tonight. They had been attentive and sympathetic of the trouble he had with his international portkey back to England. He had kept waiting for Lucius to criticize the way Draco had handled things, but instead, his father told him that unfortunately these things were known to happen with port keys across the pond and he should not blame himself. 

Draco pulled off his trousers and climbed into the warm bath. He closed his eyes and let the water sooth his travel and stress tense muscles. He wished he could summon a house elf to bring him a stiff drink, but his mother informed him over dinner that they always gave the house elves the last night of the month off.

His mother and father had chuckled when he asked them if they had gone mental giving the house elves the night off. He had nearly choked on his bite of steak when his mother had sadly said that unfortunately the dear creatures would not take any additional time off, and she had stopped offering since it seemed to upset them so much.

Draco opened his eyes and glanced around the bathroom. It was different than when he left. From what Draco could tell, Malfoy Manor had been completely overhauled. Draco had not seen much of the manor this evening, but every room he had been in was not the same as before-somehow every room was brighter.

At dinner sensing his discomfort, his parents had assured him the table had been Scourgified and even stripped of its paint muggle style and redone.

Lucius had apologized to his son for not throwing the table away, but his father confessed that despite the horrible memories they endured at the end of the war around the table it was an antique Malfoy family heirloom and Lucius was loath to part with it.

“Besides Draco, we can never appreciate how far we’ve come without acknowledging where we've come from," Lucius said while giving Draco a meaningful look.

The meaning of the look was lost on Draco because the entire meal Draco had been waiting for criticism from his father, but instead, Lucius had plied him with praise on how fit and healthy he looked and how proud he was of Draco's performance in his last season of Quidditch.

Draco dunked his head into the warm water and ran his hand through his wet hair. He climbed out of the bath and wrapped a towel around his waist. He glanced in the mirror one last time before heading to his bed.

His father had been elusive at dinner about where he would be working, but Draco figured he should get some sleep. He could only hope tonight he would be nightmare free; although, he doubted it.

--

Draco yawned and straightened his black wizarding robe. He had not slept well last night having suffered dreams plagued with the late Professor Burbage's pleading voice and images of Nagini eating her after Voldemort had hit her with the killing curse.

Draco scoffed as his father stopped in the hallway of the impressive office building to talk to Justin Finch-Fletchley. Draco could not believe his father the well known Lucius Malfoy was consorting so amicably with a curly-headed Mudblood. Draco sighed as he listened to his father laugh at some stupid joke the Hufflepuff made, and he realized not for the first time in the past twenty-four hours that everything had changed in the five years since he had left.

Lucius Malfoy smiled and told Justin he would see him shortly before turning around to take a look at his only child. “Draco, you could have been polite and said hello to your former classmate,” Lucius scolded gently.

“Hmph. I don’t really see the reason for consorting with lowly muddies, father,” Draco scathed his grey eyes flickering with annoyance.

Lucius sighed and smoothed his long pale blond hair; he knew he was responsible for his son’s horrible behavior. Lucius fully accepted his son’s still existing prejudices were the product of years of Lucius instilling them into him when Draco was only an impressionable child.

“Draco, while you’ve been out earning your playboy reputation the past five years on the other side of the world, the rest of us here at home have been picking up the pieces after the war and moving forward with our lives which included leaving old prejudices in the past. I hope you can do the same now that you are home,” Lucius said softly his eyes tender as he looked at his only child.

Draco opened his mouth shocked, but before he could respond, his father had turned and stalked down the hallway. Draco followed reluctantly. He already missed the sunshine and cool ocean breezes that he had spent the past four and a half years soaking up. His mind wondered as he thought back on how he had spent the past five years, and he realized his father was right. He really had been completely self-involved and built quite the reputation of being a playboy as he hid away from his past.

Draco wondered what would have happened if he had not left, after Harry Potter’s testimony to the Wizengamot about Narcissa’s brave act of sparing his life and without her actions the war would have ended with a completely different outcome. Draco was still disgruntled that his family owed their freedom to Potter. Once Potter’s testimony had cleared the Malfoy family, Draco’s first stop when he had run away from his life had been to Italy, where he had vacationed before with his parents, but even Italy was not far enough away from England to hide from his family’s name and notorious reputation. He had moved to the United States about three months after the Dark Lord’s downfall, finally finding a place where his name did not precede him. He put an advertisement in the local wizarding paper and been luck enough to find two half-blood roommates who were tolerable blokes.

Draco had spent the past five years, playing Quidditch for some of the California teams and modeling for some Wizard Magazines. His free time was spent partying and wooing every good looking witch he met. He had refused to return to England the entire time. He had also not bothered to read any news pertaining to the wizarding community back home. He knew he had a lot to catch up on now that he was finally home.

He entered the room where his father had disappeared and was shocked to see none other than his former school rival, Harry Potter. Harry was laughing at something his father said and shaking his head. Draco noted Potter’s still messy black hair was sticking up in the same places it had during their years at Hogwarts.

“No, seriously, Lucius, you know how fussy she is about that sort of thing,” Harry said as his laughter died.

Lucius chuckled at Potter. “I know, Harry. I wish she would relax. Narcissa and I really worry about her stress levels.”

Harry waved his hand dismissively. “You know she thrives on pressure and stress. It makes her perform better. Anyway, I have to go pick up some memos from my office to go over before the meeting. I’ll be back shortly.”

Harry paused when he saw Draco standing in the doorway. “Draco nice to see you again. Your father said you would be joining us today.”

Draco sneered at Potter. “Who told you, you were allowed to call me by my first name, Potty?”

Lucius scowled at his son’s disrespectful behavior. “Draco,” He snapped, “you will stop acting like you are still some young first year and treat Harry with respect.”

Draco glared at his father and crossed his arms defiantly.

Harry shook his head and actually laughed. “It’s alright, Lucius. I guess some things never change.” Harry walked out still chuckling and shaking his head at how immature Malfoy still was. He could not help but wonder how the meeting would go when Draco realized who would be leading it.

Lucius took a seat at the left of one end of the table and gestured for his son to sit by him. “Draco, Harry Potter is the Executive Vice President of Magic Com Incorporated, and he is not someone to make angry.”

“Oh yes, the great Harry Potter, I’ve heard it my entire life, father, and I have to say Boy-Who-Lived, Potty, or Vice President, no name or title he goes by are going to make me tolerate the git,” Draco spat.

Lucius shook his head and asked, “Do you know anything about Magic Com?”

“Should I?” Draco retorted annoyed. He did not know anything and his father’s look told him he was going to feel foolish for not knowing anything about the company.

Lucius shook his head. “Draco, I have no idea why such a bright wizard suddenly stopped paying attention to anything but himself, but I have to tell you I am thoroughly disappointed that you do not even recognize the name of the most powerful company in the wizarding world.”

Draco’s mouth fell open slightly. “Potty is Vice President of the most powerful company in our world?”

Lucius nodded but any response he was going to make to his son’s bewildered question was cut off by Blaise Zabini entering the boardroom. Blaise had been in Draco’s year at Hogwarts, and even though Blaise did not follow Draco around the way Goyle and Crabbe had, he and Draco had been mates. Draco noted that Blaise’s dark skin seemed to be even darker. “Getting some sun, Zabini?” Draco drawled smiling at his old friend who he had not spoken to in five years.

Blaise looked at him for a moment before smiling. “Actually, Draco, I just returned from my month long honeymoon on a private island in the Mediterranean.”

Draco laughed. “And, who pray tell is the witch that finally got you to settle down?”

“Well, if you wait a moment, she’ll be here. She stopped by to say hello to our boss, who she has missed terribly.” Blaise said shaking his head while Lucius chuckled. Blaise turned and smiled at the elder Malfoy. “I know you would think that days and nights of my company and mind blowing sex would distract her, but no, she insisted we call at least once a week.”

Lucius nodded. “I heard all about it at lunch the other day, but I can tell that married life agrees with you, Blaise.”

“It agrees with me too,” a feminine voice said from behind Blaise, and Draco once again felt his mouth fall open as Pansy Parkinson stepped out from behind Blaise.

“You married Parkinson?” Draco asked dumbfound.

“Oh, close your mouth, Draco,” Pansy said shaking her head in disgust at his reaction to her and Blaise’s marriage. “You’ve been gone a long time, a lot has changed.”

Draco snorted at this because obviously everyone had changed. They had grown up, and the boys and girls he had known were now men and women. He noted that Pansy was actually fairly pretty, compared to how she had looked in school with her pug-like facial features. Now, her face had softened and suited her. Her hair was now long and hung just past her shoulder blades.

“I guess so. Well, congratulations,” Draco offered giving his two former classmates a smile.

They both nodded and sat down across the table from the Malfoys, and soon the door swung open and Potter entered again. Draco was surprised when Pansy jumped up and gave him a big hug.

Potter hugged her back, while shaking hands with Blaise who had stood as well. “Well, I am happy the Zabinis are finally back with us.”

Pansy laughed. “How’s Ginny feeling?”

Harry shook his head as he pulled off his glasses and cleaned them with a handkerchief. “Oh, don’t ask. I had to run out for food three different times last night.”

Blaise laughed as he took his seat again. “Only two more months mate, before the first Potter arrives.”

Harry shook his head. “I know.”

Draco had watched the entire exchange flabbergasted at seeing the warmth between the two Slytherins and Potter. He did not say anything though because his father had already warned him not to antagonize Scar-Head. Draco had the next shock of his life when Theodore Nott and entered with Daphne Greengrass on his arm.

Theo and Daphne both looked at him shocked.

Theo was the first one to speak. “Wow, Draco, I had no idea you were returning. Welcome back.”

“So are you two an item?” Draco inquired gesturing between the two of them.

Daphne laughed. “Oh, Draco, you really have been out of it. Theo and I have been married for three years and have a son together, and in seven months we will have another little one.”

“What?” Pansy shrieked jumping out of her seat and engulfing the other woman in a hug. “Why didn’t you tell me, Daph?”

Daphne laughed and hugged her friend back. “Because, you were on your honeymoon, supposedly working on your own little ones but rumor has it you kept calling in, to check in on work.”

Pansy sniffed. “Well, as head of public relations, I had to make sure my incompetent staff was not messing everything up.”

Everyone but Draco laughed at this because he apparently was not in on the inside joke, but as Potter spoke he suddenly realized why they all laughed.

“Pans, you do realize that you hired all of the people that work for you and since you are a perfectionist, they are the very best in the world.” Harry said still chuckling.

Pansy shook her head as everyone laughed again.

Draco turned as the door to the board room opened again and Justin Finch- Fletchley entered. He greeted everyone and waited until Theo and Daphne had sat down on the other side of the table by Draco before taking a seat by Pansy. Draco noticed there were just two chairs left, one beside Finch-Fletchley and the one at the head of the table opposite Potter. Draco wondered if Potter was the vice president, who ranked above him in the spot of president. The doors opened and Draco was surprised to see another wizard enter, this was the only person he had never seen before. He was tall, and Draco estimated he may even match Draco’s own one hundred and eighty-three. The wizard was obviously very fit despite walking with a noticeable limp. This unknown man joining them had sandy brown hair that was cropped short and neatly combed. Draco thought he may be the president, but he took the seat next to Justin and immediately welcomed back Blaise and Pansy. Draco felt like an outsider despite the fact that he had grown up with all but one of the people at the table.

Draco waited for the door to open, but he was surprised when the wall behind the remaining open seat suddenly pulled apart to reveal a beautiful witch who was not wearing robes but instead had donned a muggle business attire of a knee length black skirt, white button down blouse, and an open black suite jacket. Draco stared at her, trying to place her familiar face, but when her brown eyes met his, he felt something spark inside him as she appraised him. “Granger?” He choked out as recognition finally sunk in.

She raised an eyebrow at him and took the seat at the head of the table. “Yes, Draco, that is my last name, but at this table, we are all very close business associates. In fact, we are all friends as well so you may call me Hermione since you will be joining us from now on.”

Her business-like tone reminded him of their school days, when she had to be a know-it-all and answered every question the professors had asked. He scowled, but his father’s foot kicking his shin shut up any retort he may have had to her comment. He nodded and was surprised when glasses of water and juice along with trays of fresh fruit, vegetables, and pastries appeared in the center of the table. Draco watched as everyone grabbed something except for Hermione. She was watching the group, and once she seemed satisfied that everyone had what they wanted she began to speak. “As you know, Jeremy has finally completed the latest upgrade to the central computer, so we will be able to launch the updates as soon as he and his team are finished doing the final tests.”

Draco realized the wizard he did not know sitting to Hermione’s right, was this Jeremy because he blushed and said thank you as everyone politely clapped for his achievement. Draco watched as the wizard Jeremy turned to him. “I’m not sure Draco, if you are familiar with what we do here at Magical Com, but one of our biggest products and services the past two years has been the development of a magical form of the Internet for use only by wizards.”

“What the hell is the Internet?” Draco asked confused.

Hermione raised anther eyebrow at his question and turned to look at Draco’s father. “Well, Lucius, you weren’t kidding. He really is clueless.”

Everyone laughed at this and Draco felt his face burning with embarrassment. How dare that filthy little Mudblood make him feel like a fool in front of everyone. “Well, excuse me, Miss Know-It-All, for not paying attention to your sodding company,” Draco spat angrily.

Hermione’s eyes narrowed at him and she raised her hand to stop Lucius from scolding his son. “It’s fine, Lucius. Draco, I am sorry for embarrassing you,” she said nothing more but turned her attention to Jeremy again. “Continue, Jeremy.”

Jeremy nodded uncertain as to why Hermione was taking such an attitude from the blond prat, but he was not about to question her. He knew Hermione probably had her own reasons for excusing his poor manners.

“Anyway,” he said clearing his throat. “The magical Internet is a resource for wizards and witches all over the world to communicate with one another and share information. Unlike the muggle Internet, not just anyone can post sites on it. We control it from becoming overloaded with vulgar material. This latest update will allow our magical net to be accessible from anywhere- comparable to muggle wireless but without the limitations”

Draco nodded but said nothing, and Blaise jumped in with a question for Jeremy. “So, Jer, tell me, mate, how did you finally manage to get the latest update to work?”

Jeremy laughed in response and cast an admiring glance towards Hermione which for some reason caused Draco to feel uncomfortable, especially when she smiled in response. “Well, Blaise, Hermione is actually more responsible than I am since she fine-tuned the spell we were trying to incorporate.”

Blaise shook his head in wonder. “Hermione, you never cease to amaze me.”

She chuckled. “Thanks Blaise. So, everyone, this is a big launch for us. Pansy, I’m glad you are back in time to work on the public relations end. You work closely with Daphne’s marketing department and make sure the launch is known by everyone and is a huge success. I expect for sales of this new service to go through the roof the first week.”

She turned to look at Theo. “Theo, make sure you have the budget numbers to Pansy and Daphne by the end of the day today, so they know what they have to work with over the next month.”

Theo nodded. “I almost have them done, Hermione. It should probably only take me an hour after the meeting is over to complete what I need to do.”

“Great. Harry, do you want to update everyone on what you’ve been working on?” She asked her best friend her voice and eyes both softening as she addressed him.

He nodded giving her a small smile before he started speaking. “As you know, Justin and I have been working on a project the Ministry of Magic commissioned us to do.” He saw the young Malfoy’s confusion, so he decided to play nice and elaborate. “The Ministry commissioned Magic Com to develop security systems for magical families that would send an alert to a central system in the Ministry and let the Aurors know when a family was in trouble, so they could immediately send a response team to assist them.”

Draco’s eyes widened. He was completely impressed by what he was hearing at the table. That type of service would have been invaluable during the war. He wanted to ask questions, but his father cut him off by addressing Potter first.

“Harry, have you been able to overcome the interference of muggle electric devices and radio waves?” Lucius asked as he leaned forward with interest.

Harry shook his head. “No, Lucius, Justin and I are still wrestling with that one.”

Justin nodded in agreement with what Harry was saying. “But, we think we are really close, Lucius. And, Jason is coming into town next week to help us work on it.”

Lucius nodded. “Good, once this project is completed, the press that will be generated from it will probably cause contracts to come pouring in from all over the globe.”

“Exactly,” Hermione said smiling. “Now, Blaise, since you’ve been off on your honeymoon we had a new request come through for your department.”

Blaise raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Oh?”

“Yes, it has been suggested that your department develop a world wide interactive dueling game,” Hermione said reaching for her glass of water. “And, I think it’s a splendid idea.”

Blaise grinned. “That sounds wonderful and should be a lot of fun in developing.”

“And Blaise, I’ll be assigning Draco to work with you in your department,” Hermione said.

Draco threw her a glance. “Now, wait a minute, Granger. Don’t I even get a say in the matter?”

Hermione frowned at his tone and the continued use of her surname. “Well, Draco, I suppose I can assign you to another department, but your father and I had talked and agreed you would probably most enjoy working with Blaise and in his division.”

Draco looked at his father who was nodding in agreement with Hermione’s words. “Fine, whatever.”

Hermione bit her lower lip to keep from smiling at Draco’s obvious displeasure. She knew he was going to be difficult, but she had no idea he was still this immature. “Okay, well then, everyone, that’s all I have for now. We will meet again, Friday afternoon.”

Everyone rose to their feet, except for Hermione and Lucius, who had laid a hand on Draco's arm to keep him in his seat. The other board members said their goodbyes and left the room, leaving the three of them.

Hermione rose to her feet slowly, and Draco was shocked when his father was out of his chair and by her side in an instant taking her by the arm.

“Hermione, when was the last time you went home and had a full night’s sleep?” Lucius asked concerned.

Hermione smiled up at Lucius. “Now, now, Lucius, I am sure it was sometime this month.”

Draco noticed his father was not pleased by her joke.

“Hermione Jean Granger, you will be getting a full night’s sleep if I personally have to come here every evening and drag you to your flat or even to the manor to ensure you are getting your rest. Narcissa is going to have a fit when I tell her,” Lucius said sternly.

Hermione shook her head. “Don’t you have other things to worry about beside my slumber habits?”

Draco had watched this exchange completely alarmed. His father was acting, well, fatherly to a Mudblood, and not just any Mudblood, but Hermione Granger the witch who had been tortured in his very own home during the war by his aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange.

Draco rose to his feet, angry. “Okay, I can’t take anymore. What the hell is going on around here?”

When his father’s eyes had narrowed, Draco held up a hand to silence him and continued. “I leave for five years, and I come back to find my father is in business with a Mudblood, who he actually seems to care about as if she were a daughter or something. And, I see Potter and Parkinson embracing as if they were best mates. And, I strongly suspect you, Granger, were the one they mentioned she called once a week while she was away on her honeymoon. I just don’t understand how everything has become so twisted.”

Lucius was furious with his son referring to Hermione as a Mudblood. “Draco Abraxas Malfoy, you will not refer to Hermione in such a manner ever again.”

Draco actually felt fear as he realized his father had drawn his wand. Draco fingered his own wand in his robe pocket, but he did not pull it out yet.

Hermione stepped around Lucius and placed a hand on his wand to lower it. “Lucius, it’s fine. Why don’t you go? I’ll speak with Draco and explain things.”

Lucius nodded and billowed out of the room after giving his son a warning glare.

Draco turned and crossed his arm. “Well, Granger, I’m waiting for your explanation.”

Hermione sighed and wondered if perhaps she had been a little hasty in telling Lucius she would be happy to have Draco as a part of her company’s team.