In-Laws

Chapter Seventeen



“Ginny!” Hermione hollered from atop the stairwell.



She raced down the stairs and crashed into the red-head with a huge hug. The girls laughed. “You don’t know how glad I am to see you,” Hermione told her friend honestly.



Ginny laughed, “They’ve been that hard, huh?”



“Oh, Narcissa is a wonderful woman,” the Muggle-born admitted. “A bit conservative, but very lovely.”



Ginny nodded in understanding: It was Lucius who caused Hermione the most problems. The younger Gryffindor confessed, “Yes, well, Mum’s all excited about tomorrow. She’s been driving us all mad. And Draco’s giving your mum quite a hard time. Harry had to confiscate his wand and the Floo Powder.”



At Hermione’s concerned look, the red-head giggled, “He keeps trying to sneak over here. First it was the Floo Powder, so your mum kept hiding it. Then, he tried Apparating, so that was when Harry took his wand. Now, he sits in his room and mopes most of the day. It’s quite the riot.”



The Muggle-born shook her head in silent amusement. “My husband is being held hostage again. I almost feel sorry for him,” she commented, giggling. Then, she heard Narcissa’s heels clicking on the tile floor. “Almost.”



“Hermione, you cannot yell in the manor,” Narcissa scolded, joining the two girls. “Oh, hello, Ginevra,” she greeted. She turned back to her daughter-in-law. “You are supposed to be a lady. You have to conduct yourself as though you were the mistress of this manor. We do not yell and we certainly do not run.”



“I’m sorry, Narcissa. I was just so excited to see my friend. She’s like a sister to me,” Hermione apologized.



The older woman smiled. “It’s all right, my dear. Just try to keep it down,” she said. “You’re lucky Lucius is at your parents’ house trying to talk to Draco. He would’ve been in a rage had he heard you shouting and seen you running.”



Ginny held back a laugh. “That would actually be amusing to see,” she couldn’t help but say.



Hermione and Narcissa both looked at the young Weasley. Narcissa wrinkled her nose in distaste before turning her attention back to her daughter-in-law. “If you wouldn’t mind showing Miss Weasley to her room, perhaps the two of you could talk on the way there.”



The Muggle-born agreed and quickly steered Ginny away from the Malfoy mistress. “Wow, I went from ‘Ginerva’ to ‘Miss Weasley’ really quick there…” the young Gryffindor mused.



Hermione sighed. “Yes, well, you did insult her husband a bit.”



Ginny raised an eyebrow. “How…”



“Nevermind,” Hermione quickly said. She linked her arm in Ginny’s. “Tell me. Are you and Harry preparing for your own wedding?”



Ginny nodded vigorously. “And you wouldn’t believe what my mother wants me to wear!”



(II)(II)



Andromeda Tonks looked up at the large manor. She held Teddy close as she closed her eyes and tried to remember why she had come here. Her sister had invited her, but Andromeda could not comprehend why. She was just about to turn back towards the carriage when a Muggle car pulled into the driveway and two Muggles stepped out.



“Are you Narcissa Malfoy?” the man asked.



Andromeda shook her head, looking at the Muggles in complete shock. “I’m her sister,” she told him.



“Oh, what a cute baby!” the woman exclaimed as she shut the car door and made her way over to Andromeda. “How old is he?”



The pureblood looked down at her grandson. “Teddy, show the lady how old you are,” she told him gently.



The little boy held out a single finger and then buried his face in his grandmother’s chest. The Muggle woman giggled. “One! Wow! You are just too adorable.”



“I’m Daniel Granger,” the man introduced, holding his hand out to Andromeda. “This is my wife, Kate. I take it you’re here for the wedding?”



Andromeda, accustomed to Muggle ways thanks to her husband, gently took Daniel’s hand and shook it. “For some strange reason my sister thought to invite me,” she told him, a look of disbelief crossing her face.



He chuckled, not realizing just why the pureblood would be so shocked. “You must be related to the bride?” Andromeda asked.



Daniel nodded. “Hermione is our niece,” he confirmed.



Andromeda nodded as the manor door opened. “Uncle Danny!” Hermione shouted, running down the steps and throwing herself into Daniel’s arms.



“Well, hello, princess!” he chuckled with a slight huff. “Boy, have you grown!”



“And getting married tomorrow,” Kate said, causing Hermione to squeal. The Muggle-born abandoned her uncle in favor of her aunt, wrapping her arms around the woman.



“I am so glad you could make it!” she told them both. Hermione turned and saw the pureblood and the baby. “Mrs. Tonks! What a pleasant surprise! I didn’t know Narcissa had invited you!”



She gave the pureblood a one-handed hug and rubbed Teddy’s back. The little boy glanced up at her and buried his face even further into his grandmother’s chest. Andromeda shifted his weight a bit.



“I’m actually a bit surprised myself,” she told the Muggle-born. “I had read the announcement in the Prophet, but I never imagined I’d get an invitation.”



“I’m glad you did,” Hermione confessed. “And I’m glad you accepted. Draco would have been heartbroken if you hadn’t shown up.”



“Really?” This surprised Andromeda even more. She barely knew her nephew.



The Muggle-born nodded. “I think he has some deep desire to be spoiled by an aunt,” she said, giving Andromeda a grave look. “Seriously.”



The pureblood burst out laughing. “You sound just like my cousin!” she commented.



Hermione smiled proudly. “Thank you,” she said. Then, she turned to the party. “Come on in. I’ll show you all to your rooms so you can get settled.”



“Hermione?” Daniel said. The Gryffindor looked at her uncle. “Is this where you’ll be living?”



She nodded. “Lucius and Narcissa are moving to some villa off the coast in France. Not that we want them to, in fact, I had suggested they stay and we’d get a flat in London. But, Lucius would hear none of it. Nor would Narcissa. They were both quite adamant.”



She led them into the manor and towards the guest chambers. Daniel and Kate were both stunned by how the manor looked. “Are they royalty or something?” Kate asked as she noticed a vase that had to have been made in the early 1700s.



“Or something,” Andromeda told the Muggle. “Lucius comes from an old line. A long old line. His wealth, which will become Draco’s when Lucius has passed, was mostly inherited. The Malfoys have guarded their wealth very carefully and are quite good at adding to the bank account.”



“Traits that I hope Draco has picked up on,” Hermione said wistfully.



“If I know Lucius, he has,” Andromeda assured her. “He has most likely been training Draco since the boy was a week old.”



The pureblood and the Muggle-born shared a look and wondered just how right Andromeda was. They reached Daniel and Kate’s room and Hermione kissed them both on the cheek. “I’ll see you at dinner tonight,” she told them both. “One of the servants will be here to fetch you around 7.”



They nodded in agreement and closed their door. Hermione continued with Andromeda to another guest room. “I can only hypothesize why Narcissa invited you,” the Muggle-born stated. “But, I am glad she did. I know Harry, in particular, will be more than happy to see you.”



“How is he doing?” Andromeda asked.



“From what I know, he’s doing well. He and Ginny Weasley are set to marry soon,” Hermione told her.



When they got to Andromeda’s room, they said their farewells. Hermione assured the pureblood of the escort as, “We won’t be dining in the main dining room. That is reserved for tomorrow evening after the wedding.”



Before the Muggle-born could leave, Andromeda stopped her. "Hermione? You told your aunt and uncle that a servant would be fetching them. But, they are Muggles. Won\'t they be a bit... surprised when a house elf pops into their room?"



"Oh, Lucius hired an actual human for my aunt and uncle," Hermione assured her. "Of course, he only hired the girl for this occasion. Once the wedding is over and my aunt and uncle have returned to Surrey, the girl will be relieved of her duty."



"Doesn\'t that bother you?" Andromeda asked. "I remember Remus telling me how you had once tried to free all house elves."



Hermione shrugged. "It does bother me to some extent, but I keep an eye on Lucius. I don\'t want another Dobby."



(III)(III)



Narcissa nervously paced the length of the fireplace. She was in such deep thought, she didn’t even see the flames grow green in colour or see her husband appear in the room. In fact, she did not even notice him until he spoke.



“Draco should be fine for now,” he told her.



Narcissa glanced up at him momentarily, fiddled with her fingers, and went back to her pacing. Lucius’ eyebrows furrowed. “What’s wrong, darling?” he asked.



The woman shook her head and continued pacing. She made two more walks before Lucius grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to face him. “Darling? Talk to me,” he commanded, concern evident in his voice.



“It’s Andromeda,” she told him, sighing. She looked up into his gray eyes and saw the confusion written on his face. “She’s here.”



He was still confused. “Have you spoken to her? Did she say something untoward?”



She shook her head. “I’m too afraid to speak to her,” she confessed. She hugged her husband’s waist. “Oh, Lucius, what if she hates me? It would serve me right. I abandoned her when…”



“Shh,” he soothed, brushing her blonde hair with one hand whilst trying to think of the right words to calm her. “I’m sure she doesn’t hate you, darling. We both know she could never hate you.”



She gazed up at him, tears in her eyes. “How can you be so sure? We left her, Lucius. We abandoned her. Threw her out.”



“Your parents threw her out, my dear. Not you,” he corrected. “Bellatrix abandoned her. And if there is anyone to blame for your lack of contact, it’s me.”



“But, I should have contacted her! I should have…”



“Disobeyed your husband?” Lucius asked, his frown deepening. “Andromeda knows you would never have done that.”



“I went against the Dark Lord,” she pointed out. “Wasn’t that disobeying you?”



He shrugged slightly. “Not entirely. Remember, my dear, I wasn’t quite too pleased with the Dark Lord myself. And, you saved our family.”



“You were his right-hand man,” she protested.



“At the time, I wasn’t,” he told her. “But, you will always be my right-hand woman.”



He kissed her gently on the lips. Looking into her blue eyes, he said, “I don’t know how Andromeda will react to you, darling. I’ve no idea what she plans on saying or if she’ll accept you. I hope she does, for your sake. I want you to have your sister back. But, know that, no matter what, I’ll always be here for you.”



She smiled at him weakly, which earned her a genuine smile from him. Her smile widened softly and she reached up and kissed him.



(IV)



The tension in the air was palatable as the Malfoys and their guests ate their dinner. Lucius was not happy to have Muggles at his table. While he did not exactly mind Henry and Amy, Henry’s brother was quite loud and obnoxious in Lucius’ opinion. And the pureblood certainly did not like the Muggle’s ideas on how to “lighten the mood.”



“So, I told him. If you really want a window pet, there are plenty of fish in the pet shop!” Daniel said, causing Henry and Amy to laugh.



Hermione smiled a little at them as did Andromeda. When the Muggle-born caught Narcissa’s eye, she shrugged. “Uncle Danny is a veterinarian,” she explained. “He also works on animal rescue missions and tries to find homes for rescued dogs and cats.”



Lucius curled a lip in distaste. “Sounds a bit like the Weasleys,” he muttered, but Hermione had heard him.



Her eyes narrowed. “At least it’s real charitable work. What was the last thing you’ve done for someone else?” she challenged.



The pureblood held his head up high. “I shall have you know that we donate to several charitable causes. In fact, Cissy and I recently donated five thousand to a war orphans charity,” he told the Muggle-born.



“Five thousand pounds?!” Kate exclaimed in amazement. “Wow! That’s incredible. ‘Mione, you’re marrying into a really great family.”



Hermione frowned and was glad Lucius did not correct the woman. Though, five thousand Galleons, as Hermione assumed he meant, was a lot of money. “I’m not marrying Draco for his money,” she told her aunt.



“Of course not! That would be silly,” Kate scoffed. “And I didn’t mean it in that sense. Do you realize how many children will benefit from Lucius’ donation?”



The Muggle-born pinched her lips together. She had a suspicion that the charity was more for pureblood orphans than anything else, but she couldn’t tell her aunt and uncle that. They didn’t know she was a witch.



The rest of the dinner went by in silence. Narcissa threw questioning glances at her older sister, but the woman ignored her. When the last course was finished, Lucius stood up. “Henry, would you and your brother care to join me in the drawing room for brandy and cigars?”



“Of course!” Henry said, standing and placing his drink on the table. “How about it, Danny?”



As Hermione’s uncle nodded, Hermione and Narcissa stood as well. It was Narcissa who spoke. “While the men are off celebrating the union of our children, I believe it would be a grand time to show your aunts your dress, Hermione. Also, Miss Weasley needs a last fitting before tomorrow.”



The men departed as the women stood. Andromeda looked around. “Aunts?” she asked. “I thought Hermione only had one aunt.”



Before Hermione or Amy could speak, Narcissa spoke up. “Come tomorrow, ‘Dromeda, you’ll be Hermione’s aunt as well.”



The older woman’s lips pressed together at her sister’s use of her nickname. “I still don’t understand why you invited me,” she said. “All these years, Narcissa. I almost declined the invitation. The only reason I did not was for the chance to see my nephew follow in his aunt’s footsteps.”



Narcissa could feel her heart sink. “I know,” she said, softly, her eyes downcast. “It was wrong for me to keep him from you. And it was wrong…”



“For abandoning me?” Andromeda questioned, raising an eyebrow.



The blonde took a deep breath. “When you left us for the Muggle-born, I thought…”



“I didn’t leave you,” Andromeda retorting, pushing back a lock of her brunette hair. “Marrying a Muggle-born does not qualify leaving one’s family. I fell in love. And we married. It was all of you who left me. And for twenty-five years, I was ignored. I wrote to you, Narcissa. I cried every day I didn’t receive anything back from my little sister. You didn’t even come to the hospital when Nymphadora was born. And I owled you!”



“I know!” Narcissa gasped, trying to keep calm.



Hermione quietly led her mother, aunt, and friend out of the room. This was a conversation that they didn’t need to hear. Once they were safely in the fitting room, Hermione returned to the family dining room. She would be there if Narcissa needed her.



“I missed you so much, Andromeda,” Narcissa was saying. “You will never know the amount of regret I have…”



“For what?” the older woman demanded. “For abandoning me? For never writing? I had never even seen a picture of Draco until Lucius became the headline for the Prophet two years ago! I know nothing of my nephew. And then I hear he’s marrying a Muggle-born. Good for him! I’m sure that pleases Lucius to no end.”



Hermione could hear the sarcasm in the last statement. She knew only too well that Lucius wasn’t pleased with the situation.



“Lucius is happy as long as Draco is happy,” Narcissa started.



“Codswallop!” Andromeda hissed. “You know as well as I that if Lucius had any other children, Draco would have been disinherited the moment he even mentioned that girl to his father! The only reason Lucius doesn’t disinherit the boy is because Draco is the last in line and you cannot have any more children.”



“Andromeda!” The younger woman gasped.



There was silence for a moment. Then, Hermione could make out quiet sobs. “L-l-lucius w-w-would nev-never dis-disinherit D-d-draco,” Narcissa stammered through her tears. “He l-l-loves him.”



Hermione could hear Andromeda sigh. “I thought the same thing of my own family, Cissy,” she said. Her voice was calmer now, but still harsh. “I never imagined my family throwing me out like yesterday’s garbage just because I married a Muggle-born. But I was wrong. Aunt Walburga wasted no time blasting my name off the family tree. Our father, my own Dad, sent a document drawn up from his lawyer to Gringotts to tell the goblins that I wasn’t allowed to draw any money from the vault. As if I wanted it. I was treated like a petty thief.”



“But, Lucius isn’t like that,” Narcissa insisted.



“You don’t know that, Cissy,” the older woman told her. “I don’t think we’ll ever know for certain what Lucius is truly like.”



“I know my own husband,” Narcissa said. “He’s done many horrible things. We’ve all made mistakes. What we did to you was wrong. There is nothing I can do to atone for it.”



“Then what do you want from me?” Andromeda asked. “Why did you invite me? Do you expect forgiveness?”



Narcissa sighed, “No. I just want to… make up for what happened. You’re my sister, ‘Dromeda. I know I wasn’t there in the past, but I want to be there for you now. I cannot imagine what it’s been like for you. I know you’ve lost your husband and your daughter. I hate that that happened to you.”



“Did you know Bellatrix was the one to kill Nymphadora?”



The younger pureblood sighed again, “I did not know. Everything was so crazy at the time. Lucius and I weren’t really paying attention to anything except finding our son. I am sorry to hear that though.”



“Hagrid told me about it,” Andromeda said.



“Bellatrix killed a lot of people,” Narcissa confessed. “We both know she was mad to begin with. She became worse when she fell in love with the Dark Lord. I think Azkaban made her truly snap, though. She was responsible for Sirius’ death as well.”



There was another silence, this one longer than the first. Then, finally, Andromeda spoke, “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to forgive you completely, Cissy. But, I would like to perhaps start over again. We are sisters and I have always loved you.”



“I would like to start over again,” Narcissa agreed. “Perhaps you and I could make a difference in the world. I’ve been inspired by my son. Though, I’ll have to work on Lucius a bit more, I would like to do something for the Muggle-borns and Half-bloods. Maybe a sort of charity for the orphans.”



“I thought he said he was already doing something like that?” Andromeda questioned.



“Yes, but only for the purebloods,” Narcissa pointed out.



Hermione heard Andromeda laugh. “Some things never change, do they, Cissy?”



The Muggle-born smiled quietly to herself and went back to the fitting room. She was confident that everything would be all right.

---

Author\'s Note: The long awaited chapter. And I do mean long. For that, I apologize. This one actually took me longer to write than I anticipated. Honestly, the handwritten one is only two pages long. But, when I started typing, two pages turned into seven. Well, I hope all of you enjoyed this chapter. Hopefully the next chapter won\'t take as long to write and post. Only two chapters and an epilogue left.