Chapter 18: Dinner with the Malfoys

Ginevra Potter, mother of three, survivor of the Second Wizarding War and multiple professional Quidditch injuries with far less scars than most, felt like she had been run over by one of Charlie Weasley's Romanian dragons. She sat up with a groan, holding her head, praying that the vertigo would stop before her brain imploded. "Ugh," she moaned.

"You might want to lay down again," a soft-spoken and velvety voice admonished her. Ginny looked up blearily, seeing only a splotch of black. Her vision began to slowly crystallise as she made out the figure of a younger version of her old potions professor. Her mind jolted slightly, fearing that she had somehow woken in the past by some fluke of magic that only her brother could have managed.

The young Snape lifted an eyebrow at her, closing the book he was reading and tucking it into his robe. Her eyes were still fuzzy, but she could make out his black hair that hung around his face like a curtain as his dark eyes locked with hers.

"Merlin, no," Ginny wailed to herself. "No, no, no, no." She squeezed her eyes shut.

A young laugh just traumatised Ginny all the more, breaking her well ingrained memory of Severus Snape's scowling face, acerbic tone, and intolerant demeanour.

"You were right, father," the young Snape laughed as the phoenix chick that was hiding in his hair popped her head out and peeped curiously. "She thought I was the younger you."

Severus stood beside his son as he placed a tray of food down on the nearby table. His obsidian eyes flicked across Ginny's form as it to evaluate her level of trauma. "Julius was correct that you may wish to lay back down, Mrs. Potter," the potion master rumbled as he placed his hand on his son's head, ruffling his hair in a quick and almost imperceptible gesture. "You have been through a very stressful week."

Julius had a grin plastered across his face as he beamed up at his father, projecting his amusement and youthful exuberance without regret.

"Your mother will be relieved that her friend is awake," Severus said softly. "Would you please inform her? She is in your Aunt's office helping Minerva with orders."

Julius leapt up. "Of course, father," he answered cheerfully. He looked at Ginny with a grin. "I'm glad you're awake, Aunt Ginny!" The boy scurried off, his student robes fluttering behind him.

Ginny groaned as the extent of how far she had been had lingered.

Severus, his expression as impassive as his son's was jubilant, moved the table over so Ginny could reach the food and drink he had carried in. "If you feel up to eating, Mrs. Potter," he rumbled. "You would probably benefit from it."

Ginny blushed in embarrassment, but began to eat from the tray gratefully.

"Julius insisted that you partake of his chocolate chip cookies. They 'make everything better' according to his opinion," Severus said with a sniff. "Your mother wishes you to know that she is taking care of young Lily, so you needn't worry about her. Mr. Potter sends his regards and apologies that he could not be here. He has been called away on Auror business."

Ginny was grateful that the potion master was considerate enough to inform her of the goings on with her family before she began to worry but winced at the mention of Lily, realising that her daughter's name could trigger ill feelings with her old professor.

Severus, not one to miss anything when reading people after so many years of practice, gave her a knowing smile. "It has been a long time since the very name of my old childhood friend caused me pain, Mrs. Potter. You need not worry." His expression was calm even though his eyes were, predictably, unreadable. "Rose shares her name as well, if you recall."

Ginny startled, having not made the connection until that point. Blushing again in embarrassment, Ginny focused on her food.

Severus arched a brow but said nothing. He pulled out a vial and placed it on the table near her bed. "Try to drink all of this over the course of the next day. I warn you that the taste is horrible. It will help ease the strain on your liver after its ordeal. Poppy will probably give you more things to drink, but it is imperative that you drink all of this as well."

Ginny nodded. "Thank you, Professor," Ginny smiled a little as she grasped the vial with her hand. She popped the cork and took a swig, swallowed, winced like she had been punched in the kidneys, and re-stoppered the vial. She took a large bite of the food in front of her. "You're right. That was horrible."

The potion master sniffed as Poppy shuffled in. "Good to see you up, Ginevra," Poppy greeted as she pulled the curtain to the side and shooed Severus out. "I'll take good care of her, Severus. You can tell Hermione to stop worrying now that she's awake."

Severus inclined his head slightly and then bowed in acknowledgement. "I will let her know," he replied as he turned to leave.

"Professor?" Ginny called to him as he was leaving. Long gone were the days when Ginevra was a student at Hogwarts, but she, much like her husband, rarely if ever considered calling Severus by his give name.

Severus turned back to regard Ginny. "Yes, Mrs. Potter?" A person was more likely to call Severus an ex-Death Eater before they would accuse him of lapsing into informal name usage amongst his old students. The special exceptions were still few and far between.

"Thank you, Sir," Ginevra said with a smile as she held up the vial of foul tasting elixir.

Severus met her eyes silently. "You're welcome, Mrs. Potter," he answered her softly, turning on his heels and gliding out of the hospital wing as silent as ever.

It was at this point that Ginny realized Severus' lack of given name address wasn't meant to disrespectful. It may have started as habit, perhaps, after so many years of addressing his students, but it wasn't meant to be insulting.

It was also at this moment that Ginny realized that the reason she still called her old potions professor by his title was no longer just a deeply rooted and highly-conditioned fear. She called him Professor and Sir because he was deserving of respect. He would always be Professor Snape, and she would always be Mrs. Potter.

Ginny smiled. "I'm okay with that," she said with a nod.

"Okay with what, dear?" Poppy asked as she waved her wand over Ginny to do her scans.

Ginevra grinned. "I'm okay with the fact I will never stop ending up in this hospital ward."

Poppy shook her head and chuckled,continuing to evaluate her patient's health. "Some things never change," she agreed.

-o-o—o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Draco Lucius Malfoy," Narcissa Malfoy yelled as she rescued the salad bowl from the dining room table as a light colored ferret with a large wedge of brownie clutched between his jaws darted across the table followed by business of different colored ferrets in hot pursuit. "Desist your assault upon our dining room table! Where are your manners? What kind of example are you showing your children and our grandchildren!"

A second blond coloured ferret dashed around a bowl of jelly and leapt over the butter dish, skidding across one of the napkins, and clinging to the edge of the table cloth to land on the floor and continue the chase.

"Scorpius Draco Malfoy!" Narcissa screeched.

The familiar form of a blond ferret ferret zoomed across the living room floor where Hermione was reading and Severus and Lucius were playing a quiet game of chess.

Hermione lifted her legs as the business of ferrets zoomed under her on their way to somewhere. Prince lifted one of his feet as a dark coloured ferret bounced by. Pyre hopped to the side as a smaller blond ferret war-danced his way past her. Severus lifted his arm as a dark coloured ferret bounced by him. Ignis and Sparks talon-walked up Lucius' sleeve and hunkered down on his shoulders to watch the scrambling ferrets from a higher vantage point.

"You know better than to rile up your mother, Draco," Lucius said as he moved the chess piece he was holding.

"Hey!" came the sound of Astoria's voice from the direction of the kitchen. "Who stole a brownie out of the pan already?"

The business of ferrets made a bee-line under the flap of the couch, squeaking to themselves as they made quick work of the evidence together.

Astoria came through the living room with an incomplete pan of brownies and a pie as she trekked towards the dining room. "You better not ruin your appetite stuffing yourselves on that looted dessert," she scolded as she carried her desserts. She glared through the room and sighed when she realised that Lucius, Severus, and Hermione were all staring at her with very Slytherin arched eyebrows.

"Are you sure you don't want help in there, Astoria?" Hermione asked, flicking her eyes up over her book.

"It's fine, Hermione," Astoria laughed. "Narcissa and I have it under control."

Hermione lifted a brow, but said nothing, casting her eyes back to her reading. She lifted her feet as multiple streaks of colored fur squeaked and bounced after each other, tearing across the living room floor with tails bristled in excitement.

"Check," Lucius said, stroking the top of his cane in a habitual motion.

"Checkmate," Severus rumbled almost immediately, moving his queen into place. The queen animated and blew Lucius' king off the chessboard with a crash. Soon after, the smaller blond ferret of the business had the piece between his teeth and was dragging it backward under the couch in a chain of excited squeaks.

Three other ferrets came rushing out from other places and "helped" the smaller ferret push, prod, drag, and otherwise ferret-handle the poor chess piece into their hiding place.

"How many chess pieces does that make lost?" Severus asked as he reset the chessboard.

Lucius opened a drawer on the table they were playing out and pulled out another king piece for his colour. "Many," he answered dryly.

Severus arched a brow.

"Hermione," Lucius commented as he leaned back into his chair. "How long do you intend to let my son corrupt my grandchildren into being just as infatuated with being a ferret as he is?"

Hermione dropped her book slightly and eyed Lucius. "I'd say until the fancy wears off, but I think we all know that is never going to happen."

Lucius stroked the bottom of his chin with his fingers. "Not likely," he said with a lazy smile. "Have the both of you considered my offer to allow Narcissa and I to take the grandchildren to the resort during the holiday break this year?"

Curious ferret heads popped out from under the couch, but the adults conversed as if they didn't notice.

"I'm sure they would love to go," Severus said with a curl of his lip.

"It depends on what their marks look like, honestly," Hermione said with a yawn. "And also if the entire school doesn't end up in the hospital wing due to those despicable pills."

"Still haven't found the source of them?" Lucius asked.

"Alas, no," Hermione answered. "However, we haven't had any further hospital patients either."

Lucius shook his head. "No one nibbled on the bait with Rose then. Unfortunate. That would have been wonderfully convenient."

"Miss Baylor seems to be no ill for wear after her ordeal, thankfully," Hermione noted. "Her friend, Mr. Quinn seems determined to keep her that way, which is probably a good thing."

"I heard George Weasley has managed to get himself into some hot water as of late," Lucius commented. "I will admit I expect George Weasley to be in trouble of some sort or another if his childhood was any indicator, but I never thought he would endanger his own flesh and blood in that sort of manner. Especially if Molly Weasley is on watch."

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. "I believe Mr. Potter has been cleaning up that particular mess in Liverpool as well. He sent an owl saying it could have been much worse."

Lucius frowned. "It amazes me how far reaching George Weasley's mistakes are, even now."

Hermione stretched and yawned, tucking the book she was reading into her robe. "To answer you question, however," she said as she steered the conversation back to his question. "I suppose it will be fine to accept your generous offer, Lucius, provided their grades are also acceptable come break. You may regret, however, wishing to take them all together."

The business of ferrets squeaked excitedly from under the couch in response to the idea of a trip together.

The larger of the blond ferrets emerged from under the couch with a trace of chocolate brownie smeared around his whiskers. He scrambled up one of the sofa chairs and sat in the middle of the sofa cushion, cleaning the chocolate remnants off his whiskers and muzzle. There were smudges of chocolate in the blond scruff around his head and neck, and it took a furious bit of grooming to return his paws into a more pristine looking white. His light gray eyes met Hermione's as he licked his jowls.

"You made it this far, Draco," Hermione said with an amused expression. "Show me that you can get out of it."

The ferret seemed to have a look of intense concentration on his muzzle. The edges of his form seemed to wriggle and blur. A few times the edges snapped back into the clear form of a ferret, but after a few times the blurring extended and grew larger until Draco Malfoy sat upon the sofa cushion as a human instead of a ferret. He had a relieved look upon his face.

"You make it look so easy," Draco complained as he ran his hand through his hair.

Hermione laughed softly. "It does get easier and more automatic. Sometimes too automatic."

"Too automatic?" Draco asked. "How is that?"

"Probably not such an issue for you or Minerva as it would be for Hermione or myself, Draco," Severus said with a deep inhale and exhale. He stood and extended his hand for his wife's.

Draco was curious as he watched Severus and Hermione exchange a look.

"Sometimes, when you are too accustomed to doing something in your animagus form, or associate an emotion with said form, it can be… complicated," Severus explained.

When Draco exchanged uncomprehending looks with his father, Severus arched an eyebrow. It was at that moment that the often mental image of Severus' outer robe draping like wings became more obvious than other days.

Severus' robe flipped out as huge harpy eagle wings, the dark feathers spread to expose the barred secondary feathers that stretched out the width of the living room from wingtip to wingtip. They flapped once, sending a gust of wind moving through the room, before they folded and curved around Hermione, bringing her close to him. Then, in the span of time it took to blink, it was just a robe once more.

Draco's eyes widened. "That is amazing. I didn't even know there were partial transformations."

Hermione stepped away from Severus somewhat reluctantly and turned to face Draco. "I think it is part of why it is so dangerous to learn to be an animagus by yourself. If you do not have a guide, like Minerva was for me and I to you, you can sometimes get stuck as your animal or… end up stuck in between. Lost somewhere in transition."

"This side-effect, however," Severus added, "Seems to be an after-effect of being comfortable with your animagus form, rather than what can happen if you are woefully inexperienced. All you have to do is watch Minerva when she really wants to lay in a sunbeam or accidentally finds herself in a patch of catnip."

Draco laughed. "I have not had the pleasure."

Hermione pulled a small box out from her robe and handed it to Draco. "Congratulations, Draco."

Draco opened the dark lacquered box and smiled. His registry as an animagus had been accepted. The sigil for the Animagus Registry was emblazoned on the small metal medallion. Clipped around it, instead of the laurels of a mastership, was the form of a silver ferret.

Hermione picked up the sigil with her fingers and clipped it to Draco's collar with a smug smile. "I can't think of a more deserving ferret, Draco."

Draco grinned perfectly Slytherin-like, his gray eyes sparkling with past and future mischief.

"It relieves me that managed to change into the form you adore so much, my son," Lucius said with a sniff. "I would hated to explain to your wife why you were crying out in your mother's garden."

Draco grinned at his father. "Don't knock it until you've tried it, father," he said with a lift of his chin, putting on the look of condescending arrogance the Malfoy family was known for.

Lucius spread his fingers out in one hand as if in appeasement. "Nay, I will remain, as it were, the only one of this group that prefers to remain human at all time."

"I wonder what you could be, father," Draco asked hypothetically.

"A bull snake," Severus said dryly, pressing his face to his wife's neck casually, which may or may not have been done to hide the amused grin growing across his face.

Lucius pfted, waving his hand imperiously in dismissal.

Hermione chuckled, using one hand to touch Severus' hair as he pressed his face into her neck. She straightened and clapped her hands together. "Front and centre, children," she announced. "Narcissa and Astoria have been slaving away to make a home-cooked meal that I refuse to allow you all to eat as ferrets, as amusing as that would be. I do value my life on occasion."

Ferrets bounced their way into the middle of the room, chattering and squeaking with excitement. Hermione pulled out her wand and waved it, tapping each ferret on the head gently.

Scorpius, Rose, and James grinned mischievously, and Albus Julius exchanged looks with a chuckle.

Lucius tilted his head as he took head count. "Where is Lily, James?"

The red-headed boy gave a gallant shrug. "Mum has been getting all… mother henny," he explained. "Dad says she's all stressed about 'losing her to Hogwarts' next year and the house being empty."

"Which is silly, because every time we come home she's always fussing and saying she can't wait for us to go back to Hogwarts so she can have some peace and quiet."

Hermione and Severus exchanged glances, shaking their heads in unison. "Will they not be joining us for dinner?"

Albus wrinkled his nose. "Dad said he'd try his best to set her on fire."

Hermione arched a brow. "Do you mean 'light a fire under her'?"

"Yeah, set her on fire," Albus said with a nod.

Severus closed his eyes and shook his head at the slaughter of English euphemisms.

A low rumbling bell sounded off from somewhere nearby.

"Scorpius," Draco addressed his son. "Could you answer the door, please? It may be our tardy dinner guests."

"Of course, father," Scorpius said with a grin, hurrying off to answer the door.

"Dinner is ready!" came Astoria's voice from the adjoining dining room.

The children all grinned at each other and hurried into the next room.

Narcissa walked into the room with an amused expression on her face. There was a squeal from the hall and a small red-headed blur slammed into Narcissa with delight.

"Oof," Narcissa grunted and grinned down at her adopted grandchild. "Hello, Lily. I'm glad you could make it."

Lucius lifted his head as he watched them interact. The Potter and Snape children had basically become all the grandkids they could ever dream of, and he found he didn't mind in the slightest. He was pretty sure his past self would never have dreamed for such a thing, and he was glad that things had changed for the better.

Ginny and Harry sheepishly peaked their heads around the corner from the hall as Scorpius dashed in from behind and dragged Lily to the dinner table with the rest of the kids. Lily protested weakly that she wasn't done telling Nana 'cissa about her week, but Scorpius wasn't having any of it.

"Nice of you two to make it," Lucius droned waving his hand in a shooing motion towards the dining room.

The group of them allowed themselves to be herded into the dining room with Lucius bringing up the rear.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A/N: All hail the Columbus Day weekend. I heart the extra time to sleep in and write, not necessarily in that order! It's beautiful outside, so I may go out and do the obligatory frolic! Yes…