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A Witch's Tale	By : snowblind12 Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female Views: 27761 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: This fanfic is based off the Harry Potter books which are owned by JKR. I make no money from this fanfic and these characters as well as the Harry Potter books and world belong to JKR!

Chapter List
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Sorry for the delay in posting. It was never my intention to go three weeks. I just couldn't seem to get through this chapter. I kept starting and stopping and starting over. Finally, it came together. I hope you like it. It's not as good as I would have liked it to be, but it moves the plot along. Again, I own none of this and make nothing from it.
I sent this chapter to LissaDream this afternoon to beta, but I'm too eager to get it posted to wait. Please forgive any spelling or punctuations errors. Please check out LissaDream's stories. She recently updated 'After Happlily Ever After' and it's great!
Thanks for following, favoring and reviewing!
Wednesday, January 8, 2003
To say Hermione Granger was exhausted, didn't begin to cover it. Despite Theo's fussing and the warnings of her friends, she was a witch on a mission. Pulling sixteen hour days had become the norm, working weekends, common. Once more data was rolling in from the extra teams going out to gather research, she couldn't stop herself. It was unfolding exactly as she predicted. Her theory, was without question, proven. Malfoy Enterprises was preparing to release the results, it was just a matter of wording the press release.
They had decided to leave the part out about muggle-borns absorbing more magic than purebloods...at least for now. They would release that piece of information down the road. It's not that it wasn't important information, it's just they knew it would be received with anger, denial and possibly retribution from muggle-born haters. Once again those haters would claim that muggle-borns 'stole' magic that should have been bestowed on purebloods. They would also leave out any mention of pureblood magic becoming deleted as it was passed down from generation to generation. It would just draw more fury and ammo out of the haters.
What was important was magical couples understand that where they conceive their child had a huge impact on that child's magical ability. That information was the road to recovery for re-building the wizarding population so that was the information they were focusing on.
Hermione was contemplating the news release as she swallowed pepper up potion and walked into the kitchen. As usual, Draco was sitting at the island waiting for her and talking to Theo as Theo prepared breakfast. This had become the morning routine. As she tossed the empty bottle into the trash, Draco cocked an eyebrow. "Granger, you look like shit."
Hermione ignored the jibe and grabbed some orange juice out of the fridge before walking over to Theo and giving him a kiss on the cheek.
Theo watched her as she walked to sit at the island and then spoke, his voice in no way hiding his frustration. "That's because she's obsessively working...all...the...time."
She shrugged. "It won't be for much longer, once we finish this report and release it to the public, I'll get some rest." She turned to Draco. "Are we doing a get together with Severus and Luna tonight?"
He nodded, his attention on the plate Theo put in front of him. "Yeah, they're both coming in via port key later this afternoon."
Hermione stared at the plate Theo placed in front of her, not really hungry, but not interested in another row about not taking care of herself. A fake smile on her face, concealing the frustration and exhaustion underneath, she took a bite of egg. Theo sat down across from them and proceeded to eat his own breakfast.
Wednesday Evening
Severus was the last to arrive at Draco's for the scheduled gathering. Draco, Hermione, Luna and Severus sat in Draco's flat in the setae surrounding the fireplace. Draco served a delicious Cabernet and had put out a tray of olives, pickles, cheese and bread. Clearly, the food tray was Luna's doing, or perhaps Draco's house elf, Lokee.
Luna was sitting next to Draco, rubbing his back gently as he spoke. The relationship of Draco and Luna had become serious over the past couple months and their relationship was covered extensively back in the UK. The Quibbler had become the second highest grossing newspaper back home due to the frequent exclusives Luna provided her Dad's paper. Pictures of herself with Draco on vacation, occasional details about what they had for dinner or what they enjoyed doing when they traveled and went out. In other words, bits of information other publications were never privy to. There were many tabloids which made up ridiculous things and published them as fact, but everyone knew it was all fodder. The only sources which could be trusted to print fact over fiction when it came to the duo, was The Quibbler and the Daily Prophet.
After Draco finished discussing the press release, which was to be published the next morning, Severus and Luna spoke of their projects.
Severus revealed he had successfully tested his potion on sixty volunteers and each had experienced the same boost in magical strength that he had experienced. He decided the risk could outweigh the benefit on giving the potion to pregnant witches. He just wasn't sure how the potion would impact an unborn fetus. They would test the potion on children first, probably squibs.
He was, however, hopeful that the potion, if taken at time of conception, could increase the probability of a magical birth. If the potion were consumed by both parties and conception was completed at a location with high mppm readings, it's possible it could contribute to the probability of magical offspring.
The potion did have some side effects that warranted disclosure. When taken more frequently than once a week, it caused some to have increased spikes in their emotions. It tended to amplify whatever emotion the drinker was experiencing. For example, little things that might make a wizard mildly irritated could cause him to fly into a rage. A witch burst into tears when her husband didn't compliment her new dress. And libido...well, arousal was ten fold when the potion was taken too frequently. One couple had to be forcefully separated and given medical treatment due to the physical strain they had caused to themselves by doing nothing but having sex for three days. This last example caused Draco's eyebrows to shoot up and Luna's expression to turn curious.
Hermione suppressed her desire to laugh at their reactions. They were extremely well suited and according to Draco it was the best sex of his life. Luna apparently loved sex every bit as much as he did and wanted it every bit as often.
Draco was thrilled with Severus's potion. He had tried it and claimed his magic was amplified to the point he thinks he could have taken on Voldemort himself. Hermione shuddered at the thought of Voldemort having gotten his hands on such a potion. Which made her wonder if the Ministry would determine this potion to be dangerous. If it were used for sinister purposes by wizards and witches whom already wielded powerful magic, it could be dangerous indeed. She kept this thought to herself, but would bring it up with Severus later. Hermione was thrilled that she could now call Severus her friend. They had become closer over the past couple months as she had been seeing more of him when he met up with Draco in Dallas.
Hermione was also happy that Severus had indeed taken an interest in Andromeda Tonks. By Hermione's design, they had both been invited to a gathering at the Potter's a few weeks before. The two had spent a good part of the evening talking and by the end of the night seemed to be laughing a lot as well. He had taken the witch out to dinner once since then and Hermione was hopeful the relationship would continue to blossom. Severus deserved some happiness and a good witch at as his side.
Hermione's focus was returned to the present when Luna began to speak. She was next to disclose her progress. She had a soft smile as she looked at Draco and declared, "I've figured out how to lure and capture snorklerooks."
Draco's eyebrow once again shot up in it's signature fashion. He then wiggled his eyebrows and replied, playfully. "Really? Do tell, Bunny."
The look Luna shot him was priceless. Hermione had never seen Luna angry before, but it seemed the blonde beauty did not like being called 'Bunny" at this particular moment. Bunny was Draco's nickname for her and he called her by that name on a regular basis. But, it seemed Luna was less than pleased at being addressed in such a fashion, and addressed in such a way, when she was about to disclose her work triumph. Hermione couldn't blame Luna. Hermione would have been furious if she had been in Luna's shoes.
Realizing his mistake, Draco looked slightly panicked. "Sorry, Luna. It's just habit. I'm sorry. Please, tell us about the snorklerooks and the work you've been doing." His words and demeanor came across sincere and after he said them, he leaned back and looked at her as if she were a business client and not his girlfriend.
His more professional approach towards her seemed to have done the trick. Her look morphed back into the far away look that was her norm. "Well, I've managed to capture 13 snorklerooks and transport them over twenty-five miles from areas with high levels of magic to an area with low. The Magical readings jumped from 127 mppm's to 6342 mppm's within about 3 hours of releasing them. The readings lasted at those levels for over six days. After six days the levels dropped gradually. It's now been 3 weeks and the today's reading was 2779 mppm's."
No one said anything for a second as they absorbed what they had just heard. Hermione was stunned. "Really? Wow, Luna! That's...that's great!"
Even Severus had a surprised look on his face. Severus had gradually come around to like Luna and had learned to accept her for the eccentric she was, but he had never held credence to any of her jabberings about "snorklerooks" or "Carnal Fairies", or any of her other non-sensical musings. But, it was clear by his expression he would have to reconsider the opinion he had formed of the witch.
Draco stared her, his jaw open. Hermione also hadn't held much credence to Luna's snorklerook project and Hermione didn't think Draco held much either. She always felt he was simply funding Luna's project for his own personal reasons, none of which included him believing she would be successful. It seemed the Ravenclaw had proven all three of them wrong.
Draco looked from Luna to Hermione to Severus and back again. "I'm surrounded by brilliance," he whispered. The words were said with such awe and sincerity that Hermione felt warm inside. Judging by the warm glow that came over Luna's face, she felt the same.
He took Luna's hand in his. "You're an amazing witch, Luna Lovegood."
Luna smiled at him and continued. "I tried to recapture them to take them back to the remote village they had come from, but after they released their magic, they no longer put off the current that made them detectable."
Hermione could see the wheels spinning in Draco's head. "I wonder if we could breed snorklerooks?"
Luna looked at him sharply. "They are living creatures, Draco. They have thoughts and feelings and a purpose. They should be protected and left to be wild. It's bad enough that I captured them against their will. It's a moral struggle for me."
Draco held her hand, whispering absently, "Ok...ok." But, Hermione could tell his mindset and moral struggle was not the same as his girlfriend's. He was a good man, but he was still Draco Malfoy. The same Draco Malfoy who was a millionaire, soon to likely be billionaire after Malfoy Enterprises successfully marketed the information discussed in his flat tonight. His magometer sales would skyrocket, the potion would bring in a fortune and if he could figure out a way to make money on snorklerooks as well...well, it was mind boggling how much money he stood to make.
Thursday Morning
Today was the day, It was all finally happening. Hermione's hard work had come down to the press release and public announcement Draco would be making in a matter of hours. It was simply amazing how far they had come since September when she started working for Draco. It was even harder to believe she had been working for the Ministry a mere four and a half months ago.
Theo, Hermione, Draco, Luna, Severus, Leonard and Lexie were all waiting in the VIP portkey lounge when Ducky approached. "It's ready," the silver haired witch said with her beautiful twang and even more beautiful smile. She led them into the small room. "Now, ya'll know what to do. On the count of three touch the bowl on the table and you'll arrive in London." She gave them each a smile in turn. "And good luck!" Ducky didn't know the particulars but she knew they were going back for something work related and that it was important.
"Thank you, Ducky," Draco replied with a smile.
Less than thirty seconds later, the group arrived in London and less than an hour later they were at Malfoy Enterprises headquarters. They had each gone to their respective London apartments to freshen up and prepare. Leonard and Lexie were staying with Draco and Severus was staying with Lucius and Narcissa at the Manor. The press release was scheduled for two o'clock and it was now one forty-five.
For the first time, Draco looked nervous. Hermione walked over to him, taking his hand. "You've got this, Ferret." She teased. He grinned and laughed, immediately feeling better. She was right, he mused.
Thursday Evening
The group was assembled at Malfoy Manor for a celebratory dinner with Narcissa and Lucius hosting the celebration. Hermione would be lying if she said she wasn't a little bit nervous. She had not seen Lucius or Narcissa since before he was sent to Azkaban. He was now without a wand, and would be under house arrest for the rest of his life. He wore a charmed anklet that prevented him from leaving the Manor without a Ministry escort. Draco had told Hermione in confidence how much his father had physically changed, but Hermione was shocked when she saw him.
Where Narcissa stood tall and still very beautiful, Lucius looked small and frail. He appeared to have shrunk in height, or perhaps it was just his posture that had changed. His hair was no longer the beautiful white blond that matched Draco's, but was a silver color which aged him drastically. His cheeks were hollow and his eyes sunken. He had bags under his eyes and he had lost weight. He looked sickly. He now leaned on his cane because he needed it, no longer simply using it as a haughty prop. He barely spoke as the evening progressed, but Narcissa was the perfect hostess. She was kind, warm and welcoming. She made everyone feel they were special and their company desired. It was a true talent, in Hermione's opinion, to play such a role. Clearly, Narcissa had many, many years of practice.
When the owl arrived with the evening edition of the Daily Prophet, the group rushed to read it.
MALFOY ENTERPRISES DISCOVERS SOLUTION TO WIZARDING CRISIS
by Rita Skeeter, Lead Columnist
The wizarding world was brought to silence this afternoon when Draco Malfoy took the podium outside of Malfoy Enterprises at Two o'clock this afternoon. Donning beautiful, deep blue outer robes, clearly made of cashmere, the handsome young millionaire stood with an imposing presence. His intense grey eyes, tall stature and commanding presence had the attention of the crowd. (let's face it ladies, pure sex appeal..wink, wink) Standing on the podium with the impressive wizard was, of course, his pure blood girlfriend, Luna Lovegood. Luna looked striking in magenta robes which complemented her glistening blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes in the perfect way. The couple looked simply regal standing near each other. Unfortunately, the witch standing closest was his employee at Poppinstck Magometers, Hermione Granger. Hermione Granger of the Golden Trio who helped rescue wizarding England from the clutches of that megalomaniac wizard each of us would prefer to forget. For a witch of such supposed intelligence, could she not hire a stylist? But, in her defense, the news bomb Malfoy dropped does perhaps excuse her lack of attention to personal appearances. It seems it was Miss Granger, once again, who has come to the rescue of the wizarding world. That's right readers, Hermione Granger has once again potentially saved not only wizarding England, but the wizarding world as a whole.
While the full press release can be read in it's entirety below, in summary, the secret to having a magical child lies in the location of conception. In a brief interview after his speech, the handsome wizard confided that Miss Granger developed her theory while working for the Ministry, here in London. Her theory was not taken seriously and her needed funding and research tools were not provided. Feeling she had no choice, she left the Ministry and within weeks was hired by Poppinstock Magometers, an American subsidiary of Malfoy Enterprises where she was given the funding, staff and tools needed to test her theory. Upon enquiring, the provided Ministry representative refused to comment.
To further summarize the report, the best locations for conception are those with high levels of magic, or 'Earth Magic', as Miss Granger identifies it. Largely populated areas and areas with increased manufacturing and growth, lose their "Earth Magic' over time and therefore less magic is absorbed from the earth. This means, hold on to your wands people, that magic becomes depleted as it is passed down from generation to generation. While this was not specifically stated in the report, it becomes apparent when studying the presented case studies. Purebloods need earth magic to maintain their magic lines. But, this witch begs a question; just how do muggle-borns play into all this? Perhaps Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger will grant this witch an interview to disclose the missing pieces of this complicated puzzle.
The report goes into an in depth analysis of magic readings in various locations around London and Great Britain. See if your hometown is on the list. Malfoy conveniently provided contact information to enquire about purchasing or renting the needed devices, called magometers, in order to test your home or potential home for magical levels. That's it for now, more to come!
"Fuck!" Draco whispered, but not quite low enough for Narcissa to miss it.
"Draco!" Is that language really necessary.
He rolled his eyes. "Sorry, Mom." He looked from Hermione's concerned face to Luna's and then to Severus's. They knew what this meant. More than likely Rita Skeeter had found someone to provide her with more information than they were ready to disclose. There was no way the daft columnist drew the conclusion that pureblood magic became depleted as it was passed down. The case studies really didn't even mention that fact, much less prove it. While they did have plans to test that part of the theory, the testing had not commenced yet. Narcissa was to be tested as was Draco as part of the study. And for Rita to take it further and enquire about muggle-borns, well, Draco shuddered. It was obvious, someone from ME or PM was giving out information. Information that was volatile.
He looked at Hermione, concerned for her safety.
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A Witch's Tale