10/18/2019 UPDATE- STORY IS UNDERGOING CONSTRUCTION AT THE MOMENT BETWEEN MYSELF AND MY BETA. EACH CHAPTER IS GETTING A BRAND NEW MAKEOVER! STORY LINE WILL STAY THE SAME BUT MORE DETAILS AND MINOR CHANGES WILL OCCUR. NO SET DATE AS TO WHEN THE NEW CHAPTERS WILL BE POSTED AS I AM ALSO CURRENTLY WORKING ON ANOTHER TIME TRAVEL STORY AT THE PRESENT TIME. HOWEVER, EVERY 10 CHAPTERS EDITED WILL BE POSTED ALONG WITH A STAR IN THE CHAPTER HEADING! THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND WAITING WELL OVER A YEAR FOR ME TO FINALLY REVAMP THIS FIC. PLEASE CHECK OUT MY PROFILE IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS STORY. THANK YOU :)

**Credit to KrystalHearts2 on Wattpad for the AMAZING cover photo!

Chapter 1- Heirloom

Friday, April 6, 2001 05:30pm

Draco had no idea why he decided to come to Malfoy Manor this evening. He was perfectly capable of getting ready at his own flat in East London. He, however, was never one to say no to his mother. Malfoy manor had been redecorated since the death of the Dark Lord and, thanks to his mother, it no longer felt like a mausoleum anymore. But it still wasn't home.

He had stopped pacing the large childhood bedroom long enough to straighten the lapels of his black suit. As he adjusted the white collar, he noticed one of the house elves had left a spot on his black leather loafers. It was just one more annoyance to add to his already perfect day.

He had currently spent the past 10 minutes trying to tie the black silk tie around his neck. It was a gift from his mother finely made with designs woven into the seemingly simple tie. He was anxious, yet excited. Today was the day he was taking over Malfoy Empire. Today was the day his father stepped down as head of house and Draco was to step up and assume his birthright. It would also mark the first steps he would take in order to prove himself to the world, his family, and himself. Tonight, the Malfoy family would be throwing a huge charity ball that would celebrate the occasion. The party would be held in their oldest family estate in Southampton. In less than an hours' time, Draco would arrive fashionably late, possibly just late if he couldn't charm his blasted tie.

To throw a charity ball was never something Draco would have expected from his father. Then again Draco's' family had changed after the war. Everyone had. Lucius Malfoy had been trying for the past four years to repair the family name. His father had become rather charitable after escaping the Dark Lord. The amount of events held the past year alone made Draco's head spin.

Tonight's charity event was no exception. The Dark Lord himself would be turning in his grave if he knew of the newest scholarships for Muggle-born witches and wizards. There would be eight honorees this year; it was twice the number as the year before. Draco had doubted his father's sincerity thinking it was another one of his schemes. But his father had thrown himself into that project for the last three years, shocking the community and his family alike.

Draco felt his mother's watchful eye as he continued to pace in front of the bed he used to sleep in as a teen. The bedroom was very large, large enough to fit all of the Slytherin dorm in it. The king size bed—with a green comforter, black silk sheets, and too many pillows to count—sat in the middle of the room against the wall. It had remained untouched since his time at Hogwarts. There was a night stand on either side of the bed both under huge cathedral like windows that over looked the garden.

His mother was sitting in a black arm chair closest to the stand on the right. He had always known his mother to wear the latest fashion. She had out done herself, once again, and wore a long, dark green gown this year. It had a small train in the back with long laced sleeves down both arms. The outfit was complimented with black heels and a small diamond bracelet. Her blonde hair was place up in a tight elegant bun.

"Would you stop pacing and sit down please? You are making me nervous." Narcissa pleaded

"You're nervous?" Replied Draco, "What about me? I'm the one whose face is all over the place and in the papers." He picked up the Daily Prophet and waved it in the air abandoning his half done tie. "I am the one whose about to get up in front of hundreds of people, give a speech, and tell the world of my engagement. What if I mess up? What if I make a fool of myself, what if...? Oh bloody hell!" He froze in front of his mother looking her dead in the eye. He thought about admitting the fear of his arranged marriage, but decided better of it. He wouldn't, couldn't, let anyone, not even his mother knew how terrified he was—and he already spoken too much.

"Oh for Salazar-sake, Draco watch your language! Would you please calm down? You'll do wonderful!" she exclaimed with enthusiasm. "You are a Malfoy after all and Malfoy's do not panic. We take things with poise. We never show our-"

"Emotions," He cut her off. "Yeah, I got that. That doesn't mean I can't have a minor freak out in my own bedroom! There is no one here but you! It seems like I still have all my decisions made for me. No room to let myself breathe." He stated rather harshly.

He sat on the end of the bed and put his face in his hands rubbing the heels of his palms against his eyes. He took multiple deep breaths, letting them out slowly to calm himself down.

He couldn't see her but he knew she was looking at him with sadness. He could hear her sigh as she stood up, so he removed his hand from his face and slid his fingers through his blonde hair. He looked at her while she placed the folded shirt on the chair she was sitting in. With her hands in front of her, she started to walk over.

He knew this event was important to his family but he could see the guilt plainly on his mother's features. He knew the struggles his parents went through to try and redeem themselves of their past. Nothing they did seemed to be enough to rectify the horrors the war brought. They had forced their only son into an arranged marriage with the Greengrass family in order to raise their status in the sacred twenty- eight circle. He knew it was for the best as his father could no longer keep up with the business anymore. Too much time away, war, and prison, was enough to make any person want to retire. Draco reluctantly agreed to marry the youngest daughter, Astoria, in June after his 21st birthday for the sake of his father, but that didn't stop him from feeling cheated about the arrangement.

His mother placed a hand on his chin and lifted it. She stared into his defeated grey eyes and spoke calmly.

"I know this is hard for you Draco. I know because I have been there. I don't expect you to not feel like your choices have been ripped away. I know they have." She sighed as she continued to speak in her usual motherly voice "I am truly sorry for putting all this on you. You deserve to fall in love on you own time and in your own way... but I do feel that the Greengrass girl is a good match and that you can learn to be happy with her. You just have to give her a chance."

Draco looked at his mother with anger.

"A chance mother? I don't even know the girl! She was two years below me at Hogwarts. We never crossed paths until now. How do you expect me to get up on that stage, make a big speech about these new scholarships, and introduce her to the world as my fiancée if I don't even know her? And let's not even start on how she doesn't know a thing about me either! I-"

"Draco," his mother interrupted firmly, "like I said I know how you feel. I was in the same position as you when I was engaged to your father. It wasn't easy at first but I got to know him and grew to love him over time and in doing so, I had you. You are my pride and joy and I know for a fact once you have children of your own someday, you will understand what I am talking about."

Narcissa pulled out her wand and pointed it at Draco's tie. She did a non-verbal spell, fixing it as she continued.

"I am so proud of you and the things you are doing for this family. Life, I know, has its ups and down, but you will see this as a good thing down the line. I promise you...Now," she patted his finished tie with her hand "we better get going or we will be late."

She turned away and started for the door. Before she reached it, a knock was heard. The door swung open slowly, allowing Lucius to walk in. His long blonde hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. He had on a black suit similar to Draco's but with a tie to match his wife's dress. In his hand, was a small black box.

"Ah! There he is, the man of the hour!" Lucius said, almost little too cheerfully.

"Here I am." said Draco sarcastically as he looked up at his father. He ran his hands through his blonde hair and stood up from the bed letting out a large breath. "Is it time?"

Lucius sharply turned towards his son, mouth opening as though he was about to say something regarding Draco's attitude when Narcissa came up and nudged him slightly with her elbow. Draco knew that was his mother's way of saying 'just let it go'. His father seemed to have understood and placed a, slightly forced, smile on his face.

"Yes, it's time son, but I was wondering if I could speak to you alone for a moment?" Lucius asked with hint of sadness.

Draco looked at his father with some doubt before rolling his eyes and nodding his head yes. He watched his mother turn on her heels giving him one last, soft, encouraging smile before softly closing the bedroom door. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and waited.

"Look son..." Lucius hesitated for a moment "I...I know I haven't been the best father to you. In fact, I know I have been a terrible father to you. I tried so hard to please the Dark Lord that I threw you, against your will, into a life you should never have been in. I want to...I want to apologize for that."

Draco's anger turned to shock so quick it made him dizzy. He has never known his father to willingly apologize for anything, or to anyone except the Dark Lord. His best way of apologizing for his deeds was funding events. This was a side of Lucius he had never seen. With a raised eyebrow he continued to listen.

"I know it will take a long time for you to trust me again. And before you say anything, I know I won't expect your forgiveness anytime soon and I am okay with that. But I would like to be the father you deserve. I... I want you to have this." Lucius held out the black box he was holding to Draco. "It's tradition for the previous head to pass down an heirloom to the next in line before they are set to take over. Go on, take it."

Draco looked at the box. It was a decent size. Not like the size of the small box he got on his 11th birthday that held the Malfoy family ring which every male in the house hold was to receive on their 11th birthday. No, this box was different. He really hoped it wasn't a necklace, the bloody death traps. Then again, the box was too small for that.

Draco eyed the box in his father's hand. He unfolded his arms, reached out, slowly taking it. With an eyebrow still raised he lifted the connected lid up to see what was inside. He let out a breath of relief he didn't know he was holding. It was a watch. A very nice- looking watch actually. The band was black leather and it had a black square face with a silver border. The only numbers readable were 12, 3, 6, and 9. The rest were small notch like lines to make up for the missing numbers. There was a good size red stone that stuck out some from the glass and was placed just above the 6. He couldn't recognize the stone but thought that all-in-all it was a simple, yet expensive, gift. He couldn't see how it was an heirloom though considering the watch looked brand new. But before he could ask, his father spoke again.

"The red stone has been passed down for generations going back over centuries. No one really knows its significance but it was always placed in an accessory of some sort for the wearer to keep on them at all times. Usually in a bracelet or ring," Lucius explained, "But seeing as you already have a ring, I decided to keep up with the times and put it in a watch. It has come to be a token of good luck. I hope you will wear it with pride." He concluded.

"I...I don't really know what to say...Thank you." Draco looked at his father. Lucius had a smile on his face. He couldn't recall ever seeing his father smile at him. It was contagious though and Draco couldn't help but half smile back. It was the first genuine smile he's had in a long while. For so long he felt like he had no place in the world. But today felt like a day for new changes. His father had apologized to him; Salazar knows that must have taken a lot for him to do and he felt like he had his family back. Not completely, but it was a start.

He placed the watch on his left wrist, fixed his jacket and stood tall. He could do this, he told himself. He just had to get through this event and everything else would work its self out.

X

Friday, April 6th, 2001 05:45pm

Hermione stood in front of the mirror, at 12 Grimmauld Place. She was staying there for a while until she found a flat of her own. She couldn't bring herself to burden her parents for a place to live so she settled for Harry's house, as Harry had offered. Well more like Ginny insisted he ask until she said yes.

She glanced over the long, VERY tight, strapless, red evening gown Ginny had made her buy for the upcoming charity event hosted by the Malfoy's tonight. It is, as they call it, the event of the season. Every pure-blood, half-blood, and muggle-born in England was invited. The invitation noted that there was a special sponsorship to give away to a great selection of muggle-borns that will help them pay for all their school supplies as long as they kept their grades up. They don't even have to attend Hogwarts to qualify. They can attend any number of magical schools they so desire.

She wasn't thrilled, to say the least, that it was the Malfoy's hosting it. They may have changed after the war but she still thought they kept some of their prejudices alive. And a certain blonde Slytherin was still her enemy. However, it's not every day pure-bloods, so high up, host a ball in the honor of muggle-borns. This was something she felt she had to attend.

As Hermione finished looking over herself and blew at the piece of hair dangling in front of her face, she heard a knock at the bedroom door.

"Just a second." She chimed

She smoothed out her dress and finished charming her hair into a delicate low messy bun. She left a few strands hanging out to make her look elegant. She added some light make up to finish and took a deep breath. She let it out and took one last look at herself.

"Come in." she called out

The door slowly opened revealing the very dashing black haired Harry Potter. Being a war hero had definitely had its perks. He had grown about two inches since the Battle of Hogwarts and had some muscles only a war could provide. He still wore his famous black rimmed glasses and had the same soft green eyes of his mother.

She looked at him through the mirror as he entered. He was wearing a very expensive looking black suit and royal blue tie. She didn't recognize the outfit but assumed Ginny made him buy it for the ball tonight. Hermione knew Harry wasn't all about money. He had his own still from his parents and Sirius Black. He was also a well-paid auror, but the Minister of Magic insisted the golden trio was to receive half a million Gallons each for the parts they served saving the wizarding world. Harry and Ginny donated half of their money to orphanages and used the other half to pay for their dream wedding that was held last October. She of course was the maid of honor and Ronald Weasley was the best man.

"Wow! Hermione you look wonderful. I feel under dressed now." He joked.

She crossed her arms in front of her "Oh very funny Harry, you look wonderful too. And thank you... for the compliment. Although I feel the dress is a little much. I'm not used to wearing something like this." She looked down at the dress. "This is more Ginny's style than mine."

"Did I hear my name?" Hermione looked at the door way behind Harry and saw Ginny peeking around the frame. Her dark red locks tucked neatly into a side ponytail that lay on her right shoulder. "Oh Hermione!" she sighed stepping around the corner and into the spare bedroom, her hands, over her chest, giving off an 'I'm so proud of you' look.

"Look at you. You look so amazing. Every guy at this ball is going to be drooling over you, including Malfoy." She said cheerfully.

"Ugh" Hermione stated in disgust. "I really hope Malfoy doesn't even look at me. I could do without having my night ruined by him thank you very much."

Harry chuckled as Ginny went to sit on the queen size bed that sat against the wall in the middle of the room. Hermione decided it was as good a time as any to sit at the vanity across from the bed to put on her velvet red heels.

As she was about to slip on the second one, Ginny stood up abruptly and threw her hands in the air as if she was losing an argument with herself. Hermione and Harry both looked at her with confusion written on their faces.

"I just realized you're not wearing any jewelry! We can't have that! I'll be right back!" she claimed and rushed out of the room. Not even a minute later she came bursting back into the room holding two different black velvet size boxes. One was very small and sat on top a little bit larger one. She walked over to the vanity and conjured another chair with her wand to sit down in. The small train on her royal blue evening gown lay across the floor. Hermione noticed the trail of diamond studs that framed the neck line. They followed up the one thick strap that held the dress in place on Ginny's left shoulder. It really was a beautiful dress she thought.

"Here we go" she said excitingly handing over the smallest box first.

Hermione took the box from Ginny's hand and opened it. Inside laid a gorgeous pair of tear drop shaped dangling diamond earrings. The stud part held a simple round diamond in the center with very small diamonds surrounding it. The tear drop diamond hung a little lower than the stud and gave the earrings a rich elegant look.

"Ginny, these are gorgeous!" she exclaimed, "Where did you get them...wait... I can't possibly wear these. They must cost a fortune."

"Oh hush now. You are. I got them for you to wear tonight. Just know that you're not getting anything from me for you birthday this year though." Ginny giggled as she waved her hand like the gift was no big deal.

Seeing it as a very early birthday present made Hermione feel a little better about accepting the earrings.

"Thank you Gin. Really, they are perfect" she got up to hug her best girlfriend. When she let go she took out the earrings, set the box on the vanity and started to put them on. Once she was finished she turned around to look at the couple standing behind her with smiles on their faces.

Harry cleared his throat and looked at her.

"Now before we run late to this event I wanted to give you one more thing to wear tonight." He spoke softly as he turned to his wife and took the larger box she was holding. He looked back at her and Hermione could have sworn she saw tears forming in his eyes but he didn't let them fall. She had an idea that this gift had sentimental value to it.

"A few years back when I moved into this house," he started "I found something while Ginny and I were redecorating." He took a step forward closer to Hermione as he spoke. "I know this belongs to the house of Black, as it was hidden in a nook behind that awful painting of Walburga Black. I would be very honored if you would wear it tonight... I... I also think Sirius, rest his soul, would be happy to know someone who is like a sister to me and not pure-blood, would wear it."

He opened the box and pulled out a small antique diamond bracelet. There was a good size red stone that looked centuries old in the middle surrounded by simple white diamonds. Hermione thought the stone looked familiar but couldn't place it. She noted in her head that she would research it more over the weekend.

"I would love to wear it Harry. It's beautiful. Thank you." She let Harry place the bracelet on her left wrist. As he was clasping it Hermione looked at her left forearm. She took in the memory of receiving the branding of the word 'mudblood' into her arm. It faded over time but the letters were still visible enough to read the foul nickname. She took to using a concealing charm whenever she went out. Tonight was no exception. The Potters never questioned her about it either which made her feel good.

She studied the bracelet; Harry finished clasping, with awe. It was definitely a lot prettier up close and she couldn't wait to read some books to find out more about the stone. She lowered her wrist and hugged him with everything she had. She had to him to know how much this gift meant to her. Pulling back from the hug she looked at the happy couple.

Smiling, she asked "Are you ready to go? I don't want to miss anything so we should start heading out."

They both nodded and headed for the door.

'Tonight is going to be fun!' she thought. She wasn't about to let anything ruin this for her. Not even Draco Malfoy.