Upon Draco sharing that Kingsley was coming over with Andromeda, the room spun into action. Clara was pulled away from her lasagne with a whine. Ima instantly removed all food from the table with a snap on Narcissa's command.

"We are expecting important company, Clara. Don't worry, we will eat again soon." Hermione responded, her mind spinning. Clara's guardianship? Did Andromeda want to be her guardian. Hermione's stomach plummeted. She didn't want to part with Clara.

Narcissa led the way to the floo and if Hermione didn't just spent the last few hours with her, she would have thought there was an arrogance to the way the woman held her head high, her nose tilted upward. Now she knew that Narcissa was steeling herself for whatever came next. It was her armor.

Draco picked up an unhappy Clara and began to follow his mother. Hermione could hear him whispering to the little girl, calming her until she gave him a hug and was set down to walk beside him. Her hand in his. Draco looked back at Hermione and nodded. Hermione nodded back unsure of what they were agreeing to but wishing they had discussed Clara's permanent care ahead of time.

As they walked into the receiving room, the floo came to life and Narcissa whispered a spell to let two figures through. Kingsley walked into the room with a briefcase and a green and orange robe set. Andromeda followed shortly in a decidedly middle class purple robe, starkly contrasting Narcissa's from yesterday. Hermione was glad that Narcissa had changed this morning into a blue ensemble.

Draco walked forward and shaked his bosses hand, "Welcome to Malfoy Manor, Shaklebott" he said evenly, before turning with a smile "Welcome Andromeda, it's nice to meet you in person" he responded to his aunt.

Andromeda smiled at him, "It's nice to meet you too, Draco" she responded shaking his hand.

Narcissa appeared next to her son, "Andromeda, explain what you know, this instant! Why didn't you tell me that Bellatrix had a child? I would have helped you!" she said exasperated as she looked at her older sister.

"Cissa, don't be mad. I let your son know as soon as I thought it was safe. I just couldn't risk it any earlier. I have little Teddy to worry about too, you know" Andromeda responded sadly.

"Is there somewhere we can all sit down and talk? Perhaps a table?" Kingsley interrupted, not wanting to have the entire conversation outside the floo.

He looked over and smiled at Hermione, "Oh, Hermione, It's good to see you" he said to his old Order friend.

"Yes, it's great to see you as well!" Hermione responded, forcing her voice to sound upbeat.

"We can meet in the dining room, just follow me" Narcissa responded. Without waiting for a response she began ushering to the room they had just left. They all sat down at the table.

"But we were just here and you made the food go away!" Clara frowned.

"Accio chocolates" Draco whispered and the confections from the sideboard flew into his hands.

"Clara, here's some chocolate. We will eat more later" He responded, handing her two pieces. Her frown melted away, the hint of a tantrum over.

Hermione frowned and looked at Kingsley and Andromeda, "Please tell us what's going on" she said.

Kingsley started in. "We have good news. I wanted to let you know that we do not feel that there are any current threats towards any of you. Unfortunately Hermione's flat and business are gone. The fire was not able to be controlled in time but we did spare the neighboring buildings." He looked at Hermione and she swallowed and nodded.

"Hermione, we have already contacted your insurance company, and you should be able to rebuild or create something new of equal value on the property." Kingsley added as he pushed his round wire rimmed glasses up further on his nose.

"Okay, right, that makes sense." Hermione responded relieved. She had forgotten about the insurance. At least she wouldn't go broke trying to rebuild.

Kingsley smiled, pleased that Hermione had taken his news well. He paused and pulled a file out, looking at Clara. Clara appeared bored and had scrunched the chocolate wrappers into little balls and was currently trying to stack the balls on top of one another.

"Ima" Narcissa called intuiting that this conversation would be better for the adults to hear alone. "Can you take Clara to the library for some more lunch?"

The elf appeared in the dining room and with a "yes, mistress" led Clara away leaving the wrappers balled up next to Draco.

"Tell us what's going on with Didi and the Death Eaters" Hermione said, cutting to the chase, her fingers bouncing on the table.

Draco straightened his chair, creating a scraping noise on the floor, causing all eyes to focus on him.

"Sorry" Draco muttered. "Continue".

Androma placed her hands on the table and leaned forward taking a large breath before starting in.

"A month ago, I received a letter from an old friend, Diedra Pucey. I know her as Didi. We were best friends growing up and when I ran away to marry Ted, she was forced to marry a horribly controlling man, Invictus Pucey. A couple of years ago, right after the fall of Voldemort, I saw her rounding the corner in Diagon Alley. It was the first time that I had seen her since I ran away. I could barely believe it was her. I knew that her son, Adrian had attended Hogwarts to carry on the Pucey tradition but that she lived in France. Outside of high society events, she was rarely seen and since I no longer run in that circle, we never made contact. First out of fear for our own safety, things were terrible back then, and then later because we lost contact. She was just in London for a few days, visiting family. We ran into eachother at flourish and blotts. I could have recognized her anywhere. I was so happy to see her but she was in a panic. She told me she didn't have much time before her Husband showed up but that she was worried about a little child. I was in the middle of buying some books for little Teddy. I asked about the age of the child and she told me that she was near Teddy's age. I passed her a muggle book to see what she would do. She didn't realize it was a muggle book and took it just as the door chimed and her husband entered the shop. She whispered to me that I should visit the Black Family literature and then left as I turned away. It wasn't until a month ago that I received a letter from a woman with a codename: Chrysanthemum telling me that her husband was going to go to jail soon and that I should check the Black family lineage materials at Malfoy Manor to see what was listed under Bellatrix's name. I knew it was from Didi, Chrysanthemum was the name of the book I had passed her at the end of the war."

"So that's why you came here to see me after all those years. You were looking for information in the library." Narcissa said her mind piecing together. She looked disappointed, possibly even sad.

"Narcissa, you never reached out to me in all the time since I ran away so I assumed you didn't want me in your life. I realize now that I was wrong but yes on that day I was in this home to find information."

"And you found that Bellatrix had a daughter with Rodulphus?" Draco asked, filling in the pieces.

"Yes, exactly. I still wasn't sure what to do in order to find her, even Didi wasn't sure where she normally lived. It was so secretive even in their community since Rodulphus and Rabastan were on the run. Didi felt she couldn't do anything before Invictus was arrested because he would kill her. He has a terrible temper and in her letters she told me she was worried that he might cast a controlling spell on her if she stepped too far out of line. He had used the imperius curse on her before. A couple of weeks ago, she got in contact again with an old society friend who now worked in the french auror's department in Avignon and funneled all of the illegal dealings paperwork on her son and husband to them. When they were arrested, she wrote to me and said that Clara had done her first signs of accidental magic the last time she visited and that I should tell the ministry in the UK to use the trace on her. I decided to write to Draco and I guess you know what happened after that."

Hermione sucked in a breath, trying to process this new information. "When we saw Didi fighting today, it looked like it was her who led Rodulphus to my flat and that she might have been imperioed. If her husband was gone, who would have thought to imperio her." Hermione asked.

Kingsley wrapped a knuckle on the table, "Good question Hermione, under veritasirum, Rodulphus admitted to becoming suspicious of her after Clara went missing. He said that Rabastan had let Didi have too much free reign with her on visits and that his child was being too spoiled by the woman. Once Clara went missing, he decided to follow her. After Draco looked into the Pucey file, an auror in Avignon reached out to Didi to let her know that she was going to release her full name the next day to the auror's office in the UK. Didi then went to find Clara to explain to Draco what was going on. When she arrived in Hogsmeade, she was imperioed by Rodulphus. He has now removed the curse voluntarily." he said, his glasses had now slid down to the tip of his nose again. He pushed them up.

There was a tense silence as the room breathed, taking in the information. Soaking it up like a sponge.

Kingsley took the silence as a sign to continue, "So, now we need to discuss guardianship. Is there anyone who would like to be her permanent or semi-permanent guardian? Hermione has been serving excellently as a discrete emergency placement but I understand that you didn't apply to be a foster parent."

"I would like to be considered, but I know that I am not family." Hermione said a tear falling from her eyes.

"If Hermione can't be the guardian, can it be me?" Draco asked in a small voice. "I think Hermione should be made the guardian as Clara has been living with her but I would still like to help out if she is amiable to that." he said looking at Hermione hesitantly.

"I would be more than amiable to that, if I was approved as Clara's guardian".

"Andromeda? Narcissa? If either of you would like to be Clara's guardian, now is the time to say something. Draco and Hermione are both quite young but it would be something I would approve. Perhaps, Clara could live with Hermione but Draco as her cousin could have some of the same legal guardianship rights." Kingsley said, pulling out a formal looking scroll and a dark black quill from his briefcase and setting them on the table.

Narcissa looked at her son. "Draco, are you sure?" she asked.

"Mum, I'm sure." He responded by locking eyes with her for just a second before turning his eyes to Andromeda.

"If no one could take her in, I would but I think if Hermione would be her guardian, I would approve that. Teddy is already a lot for me and I wouldn't want her to have to get used to a new batch of people. If Draco stays closely in her life, that seems like a good plan to me" Andromeda agreed.

"I agree with my sister" Narcissa responded smiling and wiping away a tear.

Hermione let out a breath and felt her whole body relax. Clara would be her family, her child and she could raise her with Draco. It was almost too much to bear.

"Alright then, Hermione Jean Granger, I have some documents for you to sign." Kingsley said rubbing his hands together and passing over a stack of legal documents.

Hermione signed a stack of documents and then Draco signed a few as well.

"Now, time to swear you both in as guardian and co-gaurdian to Clara Lestrange" Kingsley said excitedly.

"Wait, Clara should be here" Hermione interrupted.

Narcissa called for Ima to return with Clara and the pair returned to the dining room. Hermione looked at Clara as she stood there smiling with a jam tart. Her rhino shirt on from their shopping trip and her features mirroring her birth mother. Her smile though was different. It was hopeful and kind. Clara had gone through so much and now it was time for her to be loved. Hermione could do it, she looked at Draco as he picked up Clara and smiled at her. They could do this. They could raise Clara Lestrange.
Draco walked around the table to where Hermione stood and Clara reached out her arms. Hermione scooped her up and balanced her heavy on her hip. "Clara, I have loved being with you the last few weeks. Your father and uncle have been arrested and you won't be going back with them. How do you feel?" Hermione asked.

Clara shrugged, "Can I stay with you?" she asked her cheeks red and a smear of jam tart now visible on her shirt.

"Yes, would you like to stay with me forever and for Draco and I to raise you?"

"Yes!" Clara chirped hugging Hermione tight. Draco wiped away a tear.

"Well then, Hermione, please raise your hand and repeat after me "I Hermione Jean Granger, agree to care for, love and support Clara Lestrange as her legal guardian. I promise to raise her and am entering this agreement of my own free will". Hermione repeated the words, tears of joy falling from her eyes.

Kinsley turned to Draco, "Draco Lucius Malfoy, do you as co-gaurdian enter into this agreement of your own free will with the aim of providing support and love in the raising of Clara Lestrange? If so, say, I do".

Draco looked at Hermione and then Clara before smiling and whispering. "I do. I look forward to helping Hermione Granger raise Clara Lestrange".

"I hereby pronounce you legal guardians of Ms. Clara Lestrange!" Kingsley declared stamping the scroll and passing it to them. There in the ink were their names with a line to Clara's. They were parents. Forever linked together by the little girl they were both hugging. Clara's smile lit up the manor. All of the dusty corners of the sprawling estate were now shining with light. The future was looking bright.