A/N: Hi guys! This is SEQUEL to "Her Red Ribbon". You do not need to read that to understand this story. But if you want to know how Draco and Hermione had gotten together, than you should go read that! I might make small references back to that story, but nothing too major.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, but I wish I owned Draco Malfoy!
CHAPTER ONE - Preparations
"Come back here Scorpio!" Hermione called out, chasing the little blonde boy across the room and down the hall.
"Catch me mommy!" Scorpio's voice giggled as he ran as fast as his little legs could take him. He turned to look how far back Hermione was and wasn't watching where he was going and bumped into Blaise.
"Whoa there little tyke." Blaise laughed and scooped him up. He had just gotten back from work, where he considered himself Draco's assistant manager. He had been working for Malfoy Enterprise ever since Draco had taken over the company from Lucius.
"Thanks for catching him." Hermione walked up to Blaise and took Scorpio into her arms, "He's been running around all day and I need to get him dress!"
"Well, he's halfway there." Blaise stared amusedly at the topless little boy.
"Is Draco home?" Hermione asked, shifting Scorpio in her arms.
"He should be home soon, he just have a few things to finish up." Blaise told her. Hermione looked slightly disappointed. Blaise has been their close friend for years now, and he's usually over at the Malfoy Manor everyday after work. Usually, he would arrive with Draco, but lately, he's been arriving alone.
"Oh, okay." Hermione said softly.
"Don't worry Hermione, he'll be home soon." Blaise said, placing a hand on her shoulder. He seem to know what Hermione was thinking, "He's alone in the office."
Hermione nodded and took five year old Scorpio to the bedroom to finish up. When she was finished dressing Scorpio, she let him run out to Blaise. He and Scorpio were really close and Hermione was sure Scorpio would pick Blaise over her any day. Hermiones at down at her vanity table and looked at herself in the mirror. There was fine, tired lines on her flawless face, due to stress she presumed. People's always tell her that she worried too much about little things and it's true, but she couldn't help herself.
Of course she knew Draco would never cheat on her, but why hadn't he mentioned being busy with work at home? How could he be so busy with something he never talked about? Maybe it's that new secretary… Hermione shook her head, There I go again…
"Mom, dad's home." Giselle said from the doorway. Hermione spun around and looked at her daughter. Giselle had certainly grown up to be a beautiful girl, although she was only ten, she already had beautiful honey brown, wavy hair that fell to her mid back. Her eyes was silvery blue (silvery grey if the weather's dark) was framed with thick, long lashes.
"Where is he?" Hermione asked.
"Right here." Draco said, coming into view from the hallway. Giselle gave him a big hug before running off to find Scorpio, "Sorry I'm late."
That's it? Hermione thought.
"You've been saying that the past few weeks." Hermione pointed out. Draco walked over to her and pulled her onto her feet.
"I'm sorry, work's been a hassle." Draco murmured and pulled Hermione into his chest. It seemed like he's trying to get as close as he could to her.
"Why haven't you talked about it to me then?" Hermione looked up at him.
"I didn't want to worry you about it." Draco said, "It'll be over soon."
"I want to be there for you Draco." Hermione said stubbornly, "What is it about?" Draco sighed, he knew she wouldn't let up until she had gotten her answer.
"I think there's a snitch in our company." Draco said, "Somehow, all our information's been leaked out to our competitors. Luckily, only Blaise and I are the only one who knows everything about something. Employee's of the company only know bits and pieces of information. So the information that was leaked out was only part of the whole product."
"Do you have any leads?" Hermione asked.
"No idea, we've narrowed it down to three people but we don't have any proof."
"I would add the new secretary onto that list." Hermione said bitterly.
"Don't like her much do you?" Draco laughed.
"Not one bit."
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Flashback
Hermione smoothed down her high-waisted skirt and pulled her blouse straight. She glanced at the clock at the Ministry. It was almost noon and she was already done talking to the head of the department of magical creatures. She was promoting her S.P.E.W proposition to the Ministry who seemed to be interested (maybe it was because her husband is a very influential person in the society). She has changed a few things on S.P.E.W, like instead of freeing all house-elves, she would simply ask owners to give them compensation for their work. It doesn't have to be a lot, but enough to make the elves feel appreciated.
She quickly made her way out of the Ministry and apparated herself to Malfoy Enterprise. She was planning to drop by to give Draco a surprise. She quickly made her way to his office and was greeted by a unfamiliar face by the front desk.
"Where's Lisa?" Hermione asked the new secretary. The secretary, who had horrible blonde hair (that was not natural of course) looked up at her.
"She quit last week." The secretary simply said and examined Hermione up and down, "Who are you here for?"
"Draco Malfoy." Hermione said shortly, disliking the girl more and more. She glanced at the secretary's nametag: Jennifer.
"Do you have an appointment?" Jennifer asked, rather rudely while giving her looks, "He doesn't see anyone without an appointment."
"I didn't know his wife needed to make an appointment." Hermione said coldly. Jennifer narrowed her eyes and the word 'wife' and pressed a button on the phone (apparently Draco thought it would be great to have muggle contraptions in his office).
"Mr. Malfoy, I believe your wife-" Jennifer looked at her.
"Hermione." Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Right, your wife Hermione is here to see you." Jennifer said her name as if it was a bad taste in her mouth, "She said she didn't have an appointment though." Hermione couldn't believe she had said that!
"My wife doesn't need an appointment." Draco said indifferently, "Send her in." Jennifer scowled and hung up.
"His office is the last door at the end of the hallway." she said, not hiding her dark mood.
"I know where his office his." Hermione said sending her a smirk she had learned from Draco over the years, "In fact, I know his office very well." and left the secretary with her mouth hanging open.
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Hermione headed off to the dining room while Draco went to find Blaise. Hermione took out her wand and started to decorate the dining room for the upcoming dinner.
"Mom, is there a letter for me today?" Giselle asked, bouncing into the room. Hermione sighed. Giselle had been asking if she had gotten a letter everyday, sometimes twice a day, ever since Hermione and Draco and told her that she will be getting a letter of acceptance to Hogwarts when she turns eleven. She had been asking three to four times a day now since her eleventh birthday is a week away.
"No sweetheart, you get it on the day of your birthday." Hermione told her.
"Maybe they sent out early ones to special students!" Giselle said, trying to give herself hope.
"What makes you special?" Hermione laughed.
"I can make things move by looking at it and I can lift things up by thinking really hard sometimes." Giselle boasted. Hermione was sure the ego and boastfulness Giselle had were from Draco's side.
"Many students can do that." Hermione patted her shoulders, "When Harry was younger, he could make his hair grow within a day after it was practically shaven off."
"Can we at least go to Diagon Alley to shop for my materials?" Giselle pleaded.
"No, we will go when we get your letter." Hermione said firmly, "It will be next week."
"Daa gon Alley." Scorpio shouted as he came barrelling into the room, "Daa gon Alley!"
"Good job Scorpio!" Hermione bent down to give him a kiss on the cheeks.
"I don't think the colours coordinate very well." Narcissa said, sweeping gracefully into the room. Hermione had to hand it to her, age does not touch her one bit. She looked exactly like how she looked ten years ago, with slightly grey hairs. Her blonde hair was swept up in a bun as she walked in with a bit of arrogance in the air, "Green and red? It's hardly Christmas." With a graceful swish of her wand, the red turned into silver.
Hermione sighed, she was trying to mix the house colors of Slytherin and Gryffindor together, but Narcissa didn't seem to like it. Narcissa wasn't usually this uptight, but for the past week or so, she was uptight as ever. Giselle stared at Narcissa's wand admiringly.
"Oh I want a wand!" Giselle cried out.
"You know this isn't a time for house unity or anything." Narcissa said, after telling Giselle that she will get one next week.
"It's been ten years since Voldemort had fallen." Hermione pointed out.
"Yes, everyone had moved on with their life." Narcissa agreed, "But he hasn't."
"Mother!" Draco said, coming into the room with Blaise by his side, "How was tea with Mrs. Zabini?"
"Delightful, as always." Narcissa said, clearly not paying attention to Draco. She seemed to have a lot of things on her mind. Draco sighed and looked at Hermione. Draco, Hermione noticed, looked good as age touched him. He no longer had his hair sleeked back or have any products in his hair. He simply let it fall naturally around his head. His jaw lines seemed more structured and his body was more chiselled, due to extracurricular activities such as quidditch.
"Daddy! Daddy!" Scorpio ran towards Draco, "Can we play quidditch?" he tugged on Draco's expensive suit.
"Not now Scorpio." Draco said, "You'll get your outfit dirty." Scorpio turned to Blaise and looked at him hopefully.
"You're daddy's right." Blaise told him. Scorpio pouted and went to Giselle who was constantly looking out the window to see if there were any owls coming.
Everyone was quiet and constantly looked out the window or try to hear for any particular noise. The grandfather clock chimed, indicated that it was six o'clock in the evening.
Suddenly, they all heard a pop! outside the manor. Narcissa wringed her hands nervously and looked at Draco with fearful eyes. Draco nodded and looked at Hermione.
Lucius was home.
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A/N: So there's the first chapter! What did you guys think? Please review!
*** For those who did not read Her Red Ribbon, Lucius was sent to Azkaban for ten years. He is now released. So this story took place ten years after Her Red Ribbon. ***
Maybe it's best if you guys read Her Red Ribbon because even though I make little references back, it will make much more sense if you had read it. Thanks!