The Wonders of Family

o.O.o

The Wonders of Family

o.O.o

'Things I almost remember...sorry I took so long' Draco wrote back.

"Sorry," Hermione excused herself. 'Don't worry about it. As long as you are being careful' Hermione wrote. 'I take it you lost my location?' She asked.

'Earlier today, we were worried' Draco wrote.

'Just know that we are safe for now' Hermione wrote. 'I'll give you a location by Christmas time'

'Thank you' Draco wrote.

"Ask him if he is available for Thanksgiving," Phoebe suggested.

'Would you and Severus like to join us for Thanksgiving?' Hermione asked.

'Thanksgiving?' Draco asked.

'American holiday. Occurs on the fourth Thursday every month of November' Hermione informed him.

'Uncle Sev says he can make excuses for us that day, so we'll be there' Draco wrote.

'I'll give you floo directions by then. Stay safe' Hermione wrote.

'Yes Mother' Draco teased.

'I'm rolling my eyes about now' Hermione wrote.

'As long as I'm safe from your famous temper' Hermione was sure Draco was smirking when he wrote this.

'Not for long' Hermione wrote back. "It is still weird that I am his step-mum," Hermione said to Phoebe. 'I need ingredients for an ageing potion' she wrote on the galleon.

"Were you ever interested in him?" Phoebe asked, showing interest in their relationship.

'Don't fancy Potter drooling all over you?' Draco teased.

"No, we were busy being enemies in school. I even got so mad at him that I punched him our third year," Hermione smiled at the memory. "That changed last year when he was given his first order from old Voldy," Hermione said sadly.

'Just ask Sev for the ingredients' Hermione wrote impatiently.

'He'll have them for you on Thanks giving' Draco took a few minutes writing back.

'That's Thanksgiving and it is a month away!' Hermione glared at the galleon.

'Have fun changing nappies SS and DM' Hermione growled at her coin and Phoebe chuckled.

"What was his first order?" Phoebe asked after a moment. "Wait, you two are the same age?"

"To kill Albus Dumbledore," Hermione paused, "our Headmaster and the Head of the Order. Yes we are. There is just a few months difference between us."

Phoebe choked on air, "He ordered him to kill the Head! How old are you? Sorry for asking," Phoebe smiled tentatively.

"Draco and I are both seventeen," Hermione answered quietly.

"Love knows no boundaries, Phoebe. Love knows no boundaries," she muttered to herself. Hermione chuckled half-heartedly. "How old is Lucius? No wonder Clarence was mad," Phoebe muttered.

Hermione laughed, "There are about twenty years between us." Phoebe started fanning herself with her hand. "I know how that makes him look. But he needed to be needed and I wanted to be wanted," Hermione reiterated softly.

"What is going on between his son and him?" Phoebe wondered if the situation had anything to do with it.

Hermione sighed, "It happened last year when Draco turned his allegiance to the Order. He told his father he was doing it. Mister Malfoy was already breaking because of the death of his best friend, Draco's mother Narcissa. He didn't take it too well and disinherited Draco but promised not to give his position away as a spy."

"So what happened to Albus Dumbledore?" Phoebe asked and felt overwhelming sadness from Hermione. "How?" Phoebe asked quietly.

"Severus killed him," Hermione whispered.

"What?!" Phoebe shouted, startling Hermione. "Sorry," she apologised. "I'm not getting why a spy for your side killed the head of your Order."

Hermione took a breath, "Professor Dumbledore was already dying from a curse," she said quietly. Phoebe gasped. "He would already be dead by now from the curse, but he used his unfortunate position to have Severus cement his position among the ranks of Voldy. Harry, Draco, and myself are the only Order members to know this. Everyone else thinks he turned."

"Poor Severus," Phoebe said softly, looking down at the carpet as she felt the different emotions Hermione was going through.

"I was thinking of asking Lucius to teach you Occlumency," Hermione hesitantly mentioned. "That is if you want to learn."

"It would be interesting to learn," Phoebe smiled. "I wonder if it would be possible. I mean our magic differs so much."

"What else can you do, if you don't mind me asking, besides being an empath and having the Sight?" Hermione asked. Phoebe smiled then levitated. Hermione gaped. "Wow."

"Do you feel a little better now?" Phoebe asked, smiling.

"Much," Hermione replied with a small smile.

o.O.o

Hermione hummed and gently rocked a fussy five month old Harry in the nursery she set up next to her room. No matter how she comforted him he still cried and she was becoming upset that she could not figure out why her best friend was so upset.

"You look beautiful with a babe in your arms," a voice whispered in her ear while an arm wrapped itself around her waist with a warm pale hand resting low on her stomach. Hermione involuntarily shivered. She felt him smirk, "You would look even more stunning with my child in your arms."

"I did not give you leave to touch me Mister Malfoy," Hermione said softly and resumed soothing to the raven haired child in her arms.

"I could not help myself," Lucius winked at her. Hermione stared.

"You did wink," she muttered with a faint blush upon her cheeks.

"Please, do not stop singing on my account," Lucius ignored her comment yet again.

"I was not singing," she replied. "I was humming." Lucius's eyes gleamed at her words.

"What was that tune? I have never heard it before," he asked curiously. Hermione gave him a small mocking smile.

"It was a short piece from a composer named Brahms, a muggle," she challenged him with her choice in a lullaby. He quietly began humming the tune, to her surprise.

"Lovely," he whispered. "What did he name this piece?" It took a moment for Hermione to collect her scattered thoughts.

"Waltz," she softly replied, "Opus 39 No.15." Harry chose then to let out a loud wail. Hermione placed him upright so his cheek rested on her shoulder and continued her soothing but he didn't relent and kept crying. "I do not know what is wrong," she said, holding back her tears. "He has been fed, his nappy is clean..." she drifted off.

"May I?" Lucius asked, holding out his waiting arms for the infant. Hermione hesitated. He wanted to take Harry to Voldemort the other day. "Hours earlier I was bound by a dark mark," he said softly.

"Now...now I am a free man. I can choose to lead the life I want now," he whispered fiercely. "I want to take this chance you have given me to do everything right this time around. I am eternally in your debt Hermione, as well as the Halliwell sisters." Hermione took a moment to let his words soak into her frazzled brain.

Finally she gave him a small nod and he again reached for Harry, gently cradling and rocking him while patting his back as he paced and hummed Hermione's choice in a lullaby. After a few minutes Harry let out a small burp and smiled before yawning and slowly closing his tired eyes. Lucius chuckled softly, as he did not want to disturb the sleeping child.

"Just a little air bubble in his tummy," he whispered to a smiling Hermione.

"Where did you learn that?" Hermione asked quietly. Lucius's eyes had a faraway look to them.

"I do have some experience with children," he answered as he laid the content infant in a white bassinet with blue ribbon. Harry sighed and continued resting as Lucius gave him a soft smile.

"Why did you do it?" Hermione whispered, finally gathering the courage to ask. Lucius gave her a longing look.

"I do not think you will like my answer," he replied softly. Hermione took in a silent breath.

"I would still like to know," she said just as soft that he almost did not hear her reply. He turned away from the bassinet and the peacefully sleeping infant to look out the window over the grounds.

"I became enthralled by a witch in the Department of Mysteries. She fought valiantly for her cause and I knew then that her power would grow to rival my own," he began in a low voice. "The more I thought about that time, the more I came to respect this muggle-born witch." Hermione's breath hitched. "Then she was captured and taken to my home," he turned to look at her, holding her attention with his fierce eyes.

"I could not just stand by and watch her break. I was so lonely then," he whispered. "I wanted you to be safe and to do that I asked him for a boon. He granted it and gave you to me, but Bellatrix," he spat, "still got to have her fun."

"My feelings evolved from the respect I grew for you," he said softly after a few moments. "I had to have you then...but I knew if I had you I could not, would not let you go," his eyes turned intense as he caught her eyes with his. "After...I knew I would do everything in my power to keep you-"

"I am not a possession!" Hermione said harshly.

"No," he agreed, "you are not. But I realised I could not lose you, cannot loose you," his eyes turned pleading, but kept their intense gaze and held a silent promise. Hermione shivered with that look he was directing at her. "I used your first blood to seal a contract of marriage between us," he didn't look ashamed at that admission.

"I used my right as your first to contract the union." Hermione's cheeks tinged pink in anger. "As long as we had been together intimately within the past thirty-six hours, and once our union was sealed, the magic from contract made sure you would conceive," he looked away.

"That-" Hermione yelled than softened her voice when Harry jumped in his sleep. "That is barbaric," she hissed. He looked back at her with those pleading stormy grey eyes.

"I am sorry for how I chose to do things," he said softly, "but I cannot bring myself to regret my decision."

"That contract is unbreakable even by death," Hermione hissed.

"As I said, I am sorry for how I chose to do this, but I still do not regret it," he continued in his soft tone. "By the time we shared that night I realised I had fallen for you." He strode across the room and stood before Hermione, his breathing laboured. "By the time it was over I realised I would never have these feelings for any other, nor have I had them for anyone other than you!" He took her in his arms taking her by surprise. She looked up to see his eyes were even more intense.

"I am going to kiss you," he rasped, before taking her lips with his in a demanding kiss. Hermione gasped against his lips and he took the chance to slide his tongue into her mouth, deepening his stolen kiss. "Merlin help me I want you," he declared, pushing his arousal into her stomach. The fog in Hermione's head grew thicker.

He took a deep breath and sighed. "Go rest Hermione," he whispered as he released her. Hermione nodded and was about to turn away. He grabbed her and crushed his lips to hers again. "Go rest now," he whispered as he rested his forehead against hers and released her once again.

o.O.o

"Hello Piper," Hermione greeted as she sliced, chopped, and diced ingredients and carefully threw them into a cauldron placed on the marble counter top along with two other brewing cauldrons.

"Whacha brewing?" Piper asked cheerfully.

"Pepper-up potion, headache potion, and blood replenishing potion," she pointed to each cauldron as she named them.

"Blood replenishing potion?" Piper asked.

"It does just what the name implies," Hermione gave her a small smile. "It is useful for curses like Sectumsempra. That is a slicing curse and will kill if someone does not cast the counter curse and administer a blood replenishing potion in time."

"That curse is bloody painful too," Draco gave them a pained look as he joined in on their discussion.

"You are here early," Hermione replied, leaning into Draco's warm embrace. "Draco was subjected to the Sectumsempra curse our sixth year," she said to Piper.

"By none other than Potter," he sneered.

"He did that to you?" Piper's eyes went wide.

"He thought he was a Death Eater," Hermione replied. "Which in Harry's defence you were already marked then," she said to Draco. "However I will admit that it was wrong of Harry to act that way," she conceded when she saw the blond was going to come out with a harsh retort. Draco gave her a smirk and handed her a leather bag.

"The ingredients for your ageing potion," he chuckled when Hermione smiled brightly as she made to grab the bag.

"Which she will start brewing tomorrow," Piper intercepted the bag before Hermione could grab it. "You have been slaving over cauldrons and books. Today you will rest and enjoy the Holiday," she ordered the younger witch as she pushed her out of the kitchen.

"I have to finish my potions," Hermione protested.

"I will finish them for you then," Draco said as he waved Hermione away and Piper closed the kitchen door behind her. "How is she doing?" Draco asked the older woman as he continued brewing where Hermione left off.

"Honestly I don't know," Piper replied. "All she does is read, brew potions, and take care of Harry. She does seem happy but I don't know her well enough to say if she is just pretending. You should ask Phoebe, she's the empath," Piper smiled at him.

"I just thought you would like to know that your home is safe," Draco said, turning to look at the older witch. "The Dark Lord has taken an interest in this Power of Three thing you have so he is looking into your family," Draco informed her. "He is, of course, upset that your family has disappeared along with Hermione, Harry, and Luna."

His eyes burned into hers. "He is prepared to make your family an offer if he can get a hold of one of your members so I advise you all to be on guard at all times and stay within the wards of the safe house. He will not hesitate to kill you if you do not join his army."

"Thank you," Piper said. "We are used to demons like your Dark Lord trying to turn or kill one of us or all of us so this is nothing new." Draco gave her a curt nod and turned back to the cauldrons. Piper put a hand on his shoulder.

"If it makes you feel better my family will do everything we can to protect Hermione and Harry. We have fought for the Greater Good for generations and we have no desire to turn any time soon," she said lightly. Draco gave her a small smile.

"Thank you that does," he replied.

"If you two are done with your sappy moment," Severus Snape drawled as he entered the kitchen.

"Excuse me?" Piper asked, becoming upset.

"Don't mind him," Draco said. "It's his learned nature. He's had to spy since the Dark Lord's first rise to power and he has learned to hide his emotions with snarky comments and such."

"Do talk about me as if I'm not here," the potions professor sneered.

"Okay," Piper smirked. "So tell me more about your Uncle Severus, Draco."

"He's a greasy git who can't show his emotions, but he's an amazing potions master and is not as snarky when he becomes attached. It's his way of showing he loves the person," Draco smirked at his Godfather.

"Do mind your own business," the potions master spat at the duo.

"But we owe him everything," Draco continued, ignoring his Godfather. "The Light would be fighting blind if he were not there to spy for them." Severus looked uncomfortable with his Godson's last comments.

"Do make some room Draco I would like to start on that ageing potion," Severus ordered.

"Oh don't mind me," Piper muttered. "I'm just making Thanksgiving dinner for oh about twenty people," she glared at the potions master. He smirked.

"I don't mind at all, please, by all means continue," he motioned to the wide open spaced kitchen area.

"GRR!" Piper growled and threw her hands out to release a fireball. He ducked laughing.

"Now now Piper," Paige cooed as she entered the kitchen. "We don't throw fireballs at our spies," she talked to her older sister like she would to a child.

"He's in my kitchen!" Piper whined.

"Now Piper dear," Paige ran her hands up and down Piper's arms to calm her. "This is Hermione's kitchen not yours," she admonished her elder sister.

"She said I'm welcome to the room any time!" Piper pouted.

"Well," Paige gave the potions master a tense smile. "There is nothing I can say to that," she said leaving. "Have fun!" Piper turned to the smirking potions master with a glare.

"Out!" She ordered.

"I'll just make my space in the cellar than," he laughed and picked up the leather bag as he left. Draco turned to the upset witch.

"You let him know one of your weaknesses," he smirked. "Now he'll never leave you alone."

"Great," Piper muttered. "Get back to work," she frowned at the blond.

"Draco," Hermione called as she poked her head through the kitchen door. "Can I use you as a sounding board?"

"By all means," he said, motioning to an empty stool next to him. Hermione entered and locked the kitchen door with her wand.

"I hope you don't mind me locking the door," she said to Piper sheepishly.

"I'm in loove," Piper hugged her and smiled. Hermione and Draco laughed.

"What did you need?" Draco asked. Hermione's smile instantly vanished.

"I..." she hesitated.

"Go on Hermione," Draco encouraged her.

"Ithinkthereisanotherhorcrux," Hermione said fast with her eyes closed. She opened them to see the confused look on Draco.

"I did not understand what you said after 'I'," he frowned.

"She thinks there is another horcrux," Piper said as she chopped up vegetables. Draco dropped the ladle he was holding and it clattered as it hit the floor.

"There can't be!" His voice rose.

"How did you understand?" Hermione asked Piper curiously.

"I learned after living with two sisters and raising two teenagers and currently a third," Piper shrugged.

"Hermione be serious!" Draco's voice rose higher.

"I am being serious," Hermione said turning back to the blond.

"What is a horcrux?" Piper asked. Draco and Hermione gave her a grave look.

"During the Dark Lords first reign he sought one thing," Draco began, his face turned dark and forbidding.

"Immortality," Hermione said softly, taking over the explanation for Draco. Piper snorted.

"Then he would have to know the location of the Fountain of Youth," she rolled her eyes, waving the topic away.

"You talk as if you know it," Draco observed. Piper frowned at him.

"We may have come across it once," she answered vaguely. Hermione and Draco's eyes bulged.

"This is bad," Hermione muttered.

"Why?" Piper asked.

"Because he only created the horcruxes so he can be immortal!" Hermione snapped but tried not to raise her voice. She blushed, "Sorry. That has been happening a lot lately."

"That's because you're pregnant hun, it's the hormones," Piper patted her shoulder. "When Phoebe was with her first her head would catch fire," Piper smiled at the memory and Hermione gaped.

"Back to the topic," Draco said through gritted teeth. "Why do you think there is another horcrux?" Hermione looked sadly at Draco with tears in her eyes.

"Has Harry ever told you of his connection to old Voldy?" Hermione almost whispered.

"What connection?" Draco asked.

"He can feel when he's happy," she whispered. "He can feel when he angry." Draco's brows furrowed with those words as he thought over them. "He was in Nagini's head when he attacked Arthur Weasley in our fifth year."

"He can feel when he's close because his scar feels as if it will make his head explode from the inside," she said softly. "He can enter his head when he is in an overly good or bad mood and see what is going on around him. Why do you think that is Draco?" She asked rhetorically.

"What is a horcrux?" Piper asked again.

"They are pieces of one's soul placed into an object," Hermione answered. "They are created when one kills another human being because when one takes another's life it literally rips one's soul apart," she explained softly. "Voldy made seven of them and I think he unconsciously made another."

"That is just sick," Draco spat as he reached the same conclusion as Hermione. "Potter hasn't even had a life! He's spent every single day of his life fighting that bastard-" Draco hissed in pain as he grabbed his marked arm.

"You will get in trouble if you talk that way of old Voldy Draco," Hermione said softly as she handed him a pain potion.

"What are you two talking about?" Piper asked. Hermione looked at her sadly.

"I suspect when Voldy attempted to kill Harry the first time he split his soul again...and it latched onto Harry," she finished in a hardly audible whisper.

"So we are supposed to kill him?!" Draco demanded.

"NO!" Hermione and Piper yelled.

"I do not know how this is supposed to end Draco, but I know Harry is supposed to live," she said fiercely. "If he does have to die I suspect it has to be at Voldem-" Draco hastily grabbed a carrot from the counter and shoved it into her mouth.

"Do not say his name," he hissed. Hermione nodded and ran to the sink, releasing the contents of her stomach. Piper held Hermione's hair back and offered comforting words to her as she leaned over the sink and was sick. "I'm sorry," Draco offered when Hermione straightened up.

"Don't be. It is not your fault...it is your fathers," she gave him a small smile. "Pardon me, but I have a bottle to make." Piper handed her an already warmed bottle with warm milk. "T-thank you," Hermione stuttered in surprise.

"You're welcome now go on," Piper said, guiding her out of the kitchen again and making sure the door was sealed tight before turning away.

"Would you like some help?" Draco asked. "I have about fifteen minutes before I have to stir and add the next ingredients," he explained.

"Sure why not," Piper shrugged and handed him a clean knife, cutting board, and some ingredients that needed cutting and chopping.

ChaRmEd

"Piper!" Phoebe and Paige banged on the locked kitchen door.

"What now!" Piper called back as Draco chuckled.

"I'll watch your sauce," he offered as she unlocked the door. The sisters pushed Piper back into the kitchen followed by an older woman. Draco stiffened wanting to reach for his wand, but the sisters seemed to know her.

"Grams!" Piper exclaimed as she hugged the older woman.

"I have been given permission to visit you all for today," the confident woman smiled. Draco raised an eyebrow at the 'given permission' part.

"Uh, meet Draco Malfoy. Draco this is our Grams, Penny Halliwell," Piper introduced them and they shook hands. "She's dead," she added. Draco pulled his hand back in shock.

"But I touched her," Draco said. "She's not transparent, she's solid. She can't be dead," he stated.

"I assure you I am dead," Grams smiled as she allowed her solid body to fade.

"Ghosts can't do that!" Draco muttered as he ran his hand through his hair. He composed himself and smoothed out his hair. "This is a joke, like on Halloween right? You all are having me on," he frowned.

"I assure you we are not," Grams continued smiling. "Now if you will excuse us I have something to discuss with my granddaughters."

"I'm brewing some potions," Draco said politely. "They will be done in a minute. I have to bottle quickly or they will ruin." Grams nodded in understanding.

"We will bottle them for you," she offered. Draco nodded.

"Please remember to put a freshening charm on the blood replenishing phials and a sealing charm on all phials. Hermione will have my head if you don't," he said, walking toward the exit.

"Draco," Piper called. He turned. "We don't have knowledge of those charms." Grams frowned at his request and her granddaughter's comment.

"Are these new potions and methods?" Penny Halliwell asked.

"No Madame," Draco said politely. "If you will excuse me it is almost time," he motioned to the cauldrons. The sisters and their Grams gathered around him as he directed the liquids into each bottle, sealed, then labelled them with his wand.

"You're a wizard!" Grams exclaimed.

"Yes Madame," Draco said politely with a small tilt of his head in her direction.

"The prophecy is coming true," Grams muttered to herself.

"What prophecy?" Piper spoke up

"I am not allowed to say. What I can say that by helping this girl from the prophecy you will be doing a good thing," Penny said. "I can also say that she is related to us, she is our cousin, but I do not know her either."

"Cousin!" The sisters exclaimed.

"Yes, but like you she has no knowledge of us nor her wiccan heritage, but she does know she is a witch," Grams replied. "You all have to find her and help her figure this out because she will and does need our help."

"What does that mean?" Piper asked. "She knows she's a witch but she doesn't know she's a witch? That makes no sense!"

"What will she need help with?" Paige asked.

"That I do not know," Grams frowned.

"I think it means she is a witch in my sense of the word but not in your sense," Draco spoke up as he floated the phials in front of him on a tray. "Pardon me for being rude, I'll take my leave now," he said as he left.

"That makes sense," Phoebe said as everyone's eyes followed Draco to the kitchen entrance/exit and blinked when he closed the door.

o.O.o