Pomona Sprout looked at the grand estate before her. Her family had never been grand enough to merit an invitation, so she'd never laid eyes on it before. It stood, tall and imposing in a wild wash of color. She'd been expecting the greens and browns of late autumn.

"It didn't look like this two weeks ago." Neville Longbottom stilled beside her. "What happened?"

"Magic." Pomona smirked. She was familiar with blooming magic. Not on this scale, but most witches and wizards didn't have the power to spark this kind of response from the land. "You mentioned that Hermione was taking her responsibilities to the land very seriously."

"I work the land at home." He swung his arm widely. "I've never gotten this kind of response."

Pomona looked at her companion and considered him carefully. He was old enough to understand that sex and procreation were intimately linked to magic. He was a quick study, so this willing blindness might be related to his opinions of the persons involved.

"They were married fairly recently." Pomona waited a moment to let her words sink in. She watched him shudder as the scales fell from his eyes. "Don't let your friend see that."

"I understand that she had to bind herself to him to survive..." Longbottom looked down at the crushed rock beneath his feet. "It's Malfoy."

"Hermione is a Malfoy now." Pomona touched his arm gently. "The war has been over. Couples like Lucius and Hermione will do more to keep the peace than you imagine. This kind of fecundity will have half the pureblood families drooling with jealousy. Try to see this as a precious seedling."

"A seedling?" The tall man frowned.

"This is the first sign that the garden of our society has survived. With proper tending, it will mature into something magnificent."

"But Malfoy..." Neville shifted his weight.

"Devil's snare and venomous tentacula are not the only poisonous plant you tend." Pomona smirked. "Some of our finest potion ingredients are derived from plants that are incredibly dangerous."

"So, Malfoy is a poisonous plant?" He chuckled. "Is Hermione creating some sort of hybrid?"

"She isn't exactly sweet grass, Neville." The older witch giggled. "Whatever is at work here needs to be respected."

He nodded. She knew the war had scarred him deeply. He'd lost his parents to it, and still managed to grow strong through it. She waited as he considered. The warmth of the sun on their shoulders was a comfort. She saw acceptance in his eyes.

Astoria took a sip of her tea as her sister chatted amiably beside her. She scanned the crowd around them and spotted Ginny Weasley barreling about with Pansy Parkinson. They seemed oddly well suited. She braces herself for the coming scene and tapped the table to draw Daphne's attention to their situation.

Their mother had raised them to help understand the subtlety of warfare among society witches. It was quite obvious that neither the Weasley nor the Parkinson matriarchs had attempted the same. Astoria set her cup down and looked over the table. A delicious array of petit fours still remained. The tea pot was charmed to keep the orchid oolong warm and flowing for their stay.

"It's the little things." Daphne murmured in a perfect imitation of their mother.

"Never fail to present a kind face and gentle courtesy." Astoria looked at her sister and smiled. "This should be amusing."

"Astoria, Daphne!" Pansy waves and took the lead. Ginny Weasley followed along. "It's been ages."

"We have been rather busy." Daphne shrugged. "Would you like to catch up? Your friend is welcome as well."

"Oh, what was I thinking?" Pansy tittered. "Daphne and Astoria Greengrass, this is Ginny Weasley. She plays for the Harpies."

"How delightful." Astoria smiled. "Draco is quite quidditch mad. I would love to know something he doesn't. How do you think the Harpies will do this season?"

Astoria nodded along as Ginny launched into a subject dear to her heart. She poured the tea and made sure both of their guests had full plates while enjoying Pansy's mounting frustration. Daphne met her eyes as they both sipped their tea. The amusement in her sister's gaze made all of this worth it.

"Draco must be enraged." Pansy broke into the quidditch stream. "I can't imagine he cares a jot about quidditch with his father acting like a madman."

"Lucius?" Daphne raised a single brow. "A madman?"

"Well, how else are we to explain his sudden bout of generosity?" Pansy raised her voice and flipped her hair back. "Two new greenhouses for Hogwarts and all the stock for them?"

"It's three." Astoria smiled. "I believe he's contributing to some plants to the Royal Greenhouses at Laeken and some hardier plants to Kew Gardens."

"Hardier?" Pansy blinked.

"The plants native to our lovely island, Pans." Daphne patted her hand gently. "They don't need the pampering the tropical ones do."

"How can you be so calm about this?" Ginny sat back in her chair. "He's spending Malfoy money. He's stealing from your children."

"My children will be well cared for, I assure you." Astoria blushed with the help of a wandless charm. "Lucius Malfoy doesn't spend indiscriminately, but if he did, it would take him centuries to burn through the family vaults. Of course, he's paying for these botanical investments from his private accounts."

"He's also funding three new apprentices For Professor Sprout." Daphne smiled. "It's quite a coup for the school."

"Hermione Granger is behind this." Ginny snorted. "Lucius Malfoy doesn't have a generous bone in his body."

"Hermione Malfoy." Astoria tilted her head to the side and examined the Weasley witch. "She is quite powerful. When they have observed his period of mourning for Narcissa, she will be a force with which to be reckoned. Imagine her mind and Lucius' rather endless financial means. It will be a delight to see what she accomplishes."

Pansy paled as the threat of a powerful witch with political and financial means was put at the forefront of her imagination. There had always been the rumors. Those that hurt her friends suffered. The truth was far more frightening.

Hermione didn't have to hex people. She played psychological games until those supposed victims felt every problem in their lives was caused by her. It was delicious to observe. The proprietary hand on Longbottom's shoulder and the raised eyebrow at Goyle had seen the fool jumping at shadows for months. It would be fun watching her move in society.

Of course, Ginny Weasley's jealousy needed to be dealt with quickly. The witch was headed for disaster. Smart enough to throw Pansy on the pyre, but not quite aware enough of how close to the flames she was dancing all of her own. Potter's attentions wouldn't protect her forever, and she didn't have the social training to grasp the warning they'd just offered. It really was a shame.

Draco sat next to Potter as they watched the Arrows play the Magpies. It was a preseason match, but it was still exciting. He'd planned to bring Blaise, but his step mother had managed to convince him to bring Potter as a sign of good will.

"She does that." Potter smirked. "You'll get used to it."

"What?" Draco blinked at the dark haired wizard.

"Hermione." Potter shrugged. "She got you to do something, and you're trying to figure out how. We've all been there. George Weasley swears it's all in our heads, but he falls for it, too."

"How do you handle it?" Draco took a deep breath. Asking for anything from Potter was difficult, but the man might be able to help.

"I buy extra tickets to events and read everything she says I should. It seems to appease her." Harry shrugged. "When Krum comes to town, we play pick up quidditch, and she watches without a book. It makes us feel like we're not dancing to her tune."

"So, there's nothing?" Draco sighed.

"Well, we can always use more players for the pick up game." Harry smacked his shoulder. "Maybe Lucius will figure something out."

Lucius stared at the door before him. He hadn't seen it in years. It had been in a different hall then across from a separate suite of rooms. Memories assaulted him. Narcissa already round with child, the babies they had lost, the amount of times the door simply hadn't opened.

Fear of losing another precious life gripped him. The anguish of loving lives that never were surged through him pushing each horrible moment up to the forefront of his mind. Memories of Narcissa's heartbroken rages blurred into images of Hermione screaming and writhing in pain.

"Hecate, help me." He dropped to his knees and pressed his hands to the wood of the nursery door. Words tumbled from his lips without thought. He offered his body and his soul to magic again as he had the day he made Hermione his.

"Lucius." Hermione was suddenly there. Her hand on his shoulder. The warmth of her surrounding him as he turned and pressed his tear stained face into her abdomen.

"I love you." He gasped the words against her. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She buried her fingers in his hair and let her magic roll over him. "I do."

"I could lose you." He whispered.

"There are no guarantees, Lucius." She slid down to her knees and wrapped her arms around his waist. "We must have faith."

He felt the power crackling through her hair as she fitted her head under his chin. It flickered and lit around him, but it never burned or shocked him. Her power fluttered around him and settled on his skin like kisses.

"The healer is coming in two days." She pulled at his shirt. "He will tell you this little Malfoy will be fine."

Lucius dragged on a deep breath and let her words soothe him. He knew she was talking of the child growing inside her body, but he needed both of them to survive and thrive. He wrapped his arms around her and dragged them both gently across the carpet until his back hit the wall.

"I saw that door for the first time two months after I married Narcissa. The house changes around from time to time, but that is a special door." Lucius nodded toward the silvery wood of the nursery door. "I don't know if you can see the difference. Narcissa never did. My mother said she didn't even notice the door until she was days from having me."

"I can see it." Hermione pressed a kiss against his jaw. "There's a sheen to the wood."

"Yes, that's a good description." Lucius sighed. "You've concentrated on binding yourself to the family magic. I suppose it makes a difference."

"I've never really belonged anywhere." She chewed her lower lip. "I scared my parents. They loved me, but I could see it every once in a while, the fear and anxiety. I was too different for their world and too much a part of it for this one. I've always wanted to belong somewhere."

He watched his witch as she struggled and felt the weight of his son's settle more firmly on his shoulders. He had been part of the reason she'd felt so isolated, so alone. He felt the doubts and the fears clawing at him again. He didn't deserve this life, but she did.

"You belong here." He pulled her closer. He didn't want to drag this conversation further into the maudlin. "I never expected to love any witch other than Narcissa, but

I do love you."

"I didn't think much beyond saving both our lives when we bonded, but I am happy we've found a way to make something of this." She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. "Tell me about the door."

"It leads into the nursery. It won't open unless our family magic is sure the child will take up residence." He shuddered at the memories of trying to open it again and again. "I've watched it appear several times, but it only opened for Draco. His nursery was tasteful. There were shelves with toys and a training broom with one painted dragon watching over the dark wood furnishings from the mural."

"So, it isn't a bad thing." She stroked his cheek. "Your magic, our magic is joining us in the anticipation."

She flung herself from his embrace and bounded across the hall. She didn't hesitate when she turned the handle. He blinked and pushed himself up along the wall as the door opened.

Author's Note

Another update? My muse seems to be running wild. Thank you for being so patient and so giving with your encouragement. It makes a real difference. I'm working on several stories right now. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

What do you think the nursery should look like? I've got it clear in my imagination, but I would love to know what you see in your mind's eye.

-Anna