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Consequences and Complexities	By : ckllsdam Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 16322 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and canon situations belong to the Harry Potter fandom and JKRowling. Plot and OCs are mine. I make no money from this work.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Chapter 5 – Edginess

Narcissa and Lucius exchanged uneasy glances. The younger witch and wizard had been ensconced in the sitting room for well over an hour when they’d finally rejoined the rest of the Malfoy family in Louisa’s playroom and nursery, announcing that they’d made some decisions. Sweeping her eyes over Hermione and Draco, Narcissa saw no evidence of extreme distress, and it seemed that they were both relatively calm and composed. They are either fabulous actors or they’ve truly reached some accord, she thought. Whatever scheming she and Lucius had in mind would have to wait for their pronouncements. Maybe whatever they’d decided would make machinations unnecessary.

Draco took control of the conversation, asking his parents to be seated on the sofa he’d conjured from one of the larger stuffed toys.

Hermione lifted Louisa from her spot on the floor as she whimpered at seeing the man she’d been told was her long-absent Papa. She cuddled the toddler and took her usual place in the comfortable rocking chair.

He paced, debating internally how to begin this discussion. It was true that they’d made several decisions, but there were many yet to be addressed. He thought it wouldn’t be unlikely for their personal “negotiations” to take months. “We’ve had an interesting and productive dialogue, and have reached a few decisions that we’d like you to know. Before we get to those, I have a few things I need to say to all of you.”

Narcissa looked at her son, trying to offer moral support and encouragement. What she saw was a young man who knew what he wanted; the determination in his expression was an exact copy of what she’d seen in her husband when he would not be swayed. They were in for some revelations, she felt certain.

“First, I can’t express to you how incredibly disappointed I am that Miss Granger’s pregnancy and Louisa’s birth were kept from me. She explained her reasons for wanting to ‘spare me’ of the knowledge, and I agree that it would have been ill-advised at the beginning. But Louisa is over two years old now, and there were ample appropriate opportunities for this to be shared with me. Miss Granger has told me that she forced you to make an Unbreakable Vow to keep all of this a secret, but we all know that there were probably alternatives. I won’t allow her to bear all of the blame when there is plenty to be spread around. I appreciate that you thought you were protecting all of us, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hurt by your deception. It will take some time to repair that trust. I’m not going to dwell on this now, because there are more important things to deal with. I’ve told Miss Granger that in light of how forgiving she was with me, I could do no less for her. That doesn’t mean that I’m any happier about the fact that it happened.

“Second, we’ve decided that she and Louisa will continue to live here in the Manor, at least for now. It’s the only home my daughter has ever known, and I’m not anxious to see that stability disturbed. As Miss Granger is just beginning her new job at St. Mungo’s, it will be important to make sure that Louisa doesn’t feel displaced. I have also decided that I will not be living here.” Draco paused as he heard his mother’s gasp of disappointment.

“Please, Draco, there’s so much room, and we’d really love for you to stay,” she entreated.

He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Mother, but I’ve lived on my own for three years and I’ve developed my own taste for independence. Since my release, I’ve been allowed access again to my inheritance and I plan to buy a small home or flat in Wizarding London. It’s not that far, and we will have easy contact through the Floo network. I’ll be sure to purchase a home that has accommodations for Louisa when she comes to visit. My decision on this is made.”

Hermione had been very quiet, just watching and listening to Draco’s monologue. When he mentioned Louisa’s visits, she saw Lucius’ jaw twitch. It might be time for her to add a few words, and she made eye contact with Draco, silently asking him to yield the floor. “Draco and I have agreed that he should get to know Louisa, sooner rather than later, and we’ve worked out how that will happen, at least initially. Until they are comfortable with each other, they will meet here at the Manor, with one of us present in the first couple of meetings to ensure that she isn’t scared. She knows the word ‘Papa’ but she doesn’t really understand what it means. I’m committed to helping them get to know each other in as seamless a way as possible, and we want you to support us in making sure this happens.” She looked at the elder Malfoys for confirmation that they would cooperate and was relieved to find no argument.

“Hermione, may I make a suggestion?” Lucius inquired.

“Of course.”

“It’s time for Louisa’s nap. Maybe you and Draco could put her down, then the adults can reconvene in the study to talk about the rest of this.” He interrupted himself to speak in French momentarily. “Les petites oreilles comprennent souvent plus que nous pensons.”

“Ears!” Louisa piped up.

“See?” Lucius noted, unable to contain a broad grin.

Draco looked stunned. “You’ve been teaching her to speak French?”

“Why wouldn’t we? It’s our family’s heritage, and you spoke French before you spoke English. She’s going to be more easily bilingual, because Hermione also speaks both French and English to her,” Lucius observed.

Draco turned to Hermione, obviously surprised. “I didn’t know you spoke French.”

She shrugged. “I don’t recall it ever coming up in the limited conversation that we’ve had, Draco. My mother’s family was from Paris, and my grandmother spoke very little English. There’s an awful lot we don’t know about each other.”

The young man shook his head. It was clear that he was in for many more surprises along the way; he thought it would be prudent to strap in for a bumpy ride. “Fine. I’m sure we’ll have plenty of opportunities to discover each other’s little quirks and oddities as we make parenting decisions.”

“Your father is right, though; Louisa should go down for her nap now.” Hermione rose from the rocking chair and carried the girl to her small bed. She noted that Narcissa and Lucius had slipped out of the room quietly and Draco was standing at her right shoulder.

He seemed to be struggling to find something to say. What did one say to one’s child upon meeting for the first time? It was not an everyday occurrence. “Louisa, your mummy told you earlier that I am your Papa. I want you to know that I’m very glad to see you, and I am very happy that we’ll get to spend some time together. Would that be okay with you?”

Blonde curls bobbed as the tiny child nodded her agreement. Pépère had been showing her pictures of this tall man and telling her for months that Papa would be home soon. No one could have said whether she’d quite understood what it all meant, but it was clear that Pépère hadn’t been teasing because the man from the pictures was now standing right next to Mummy. “Okay, Papa.”

Draco felt his heart clench in his chest and his throat constrict. He was no longer capable of speech. He reached out to entwine a curl around his finger; he’d never felt anything so soft in his entire life. He cleared his throat and squeaked out with great difficulty, “Good girl.” He turned away before either mother or daughter could see the tears gathering in his eyes.

“You have a good nap, and Mummy and Papa will see you in a little while,” Hermione promised. She kissed Louisa on the crown of her head and pulled up the unicorn-print blanket that was her favorite. Louisa had already clutched the white stuffed animal of the same species that slept beside her every night.

Hermione joined Draco at the door and stopped him with a hand on his arm. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah. It’s just more emotional than I expected, to see her and know that she’s mine. It’s overwhelming. I don’t know what to think or to say.”

“Just wait. It’ll get worse once you get to know her,” Hermione said, intending to tease.

Instead of the amusement that she expected, she was met with a look of pure horror. “What do you mean?”

“Relax, Draco. I just meant that she’s a smart little cookie, and she’ll challenge you at every turn. Think about it - her parents were the top two students at Hogwarts for five and a half years. She’s lived with three bilingual adults for her entire life, and she’s already manifested her first magic. She will push you in ways you can’t even imagine yet.”

“She’s shown magic already? At two years old?” Draco asked, flabbergasted to hear such a thing.

“Mmmhmm. One of your mother’s Ming vases was the unfortunate victim. I’ve never seen such a mix of unbridled joy and absolute horror in the space of two seconds. Narcissa’s reaction was enough to give me whiplash,” Hermione laughed. “I had to talk Lucius out of alerting the media of the new magical prodigy in the family.”

Hermione immediately regretted her words as she saw Draco’s face cloud over with annoyance at the reminder of their deception. “I’m sorry. That was insensitive of me,” she apologized.

“Forget it. It’s done. We need to deal with the present, so let’s go see my parents and finish this discussion,” Draco suggested, apparently not wishing to dwell on her faux pas.

Hermione nodded in agreement and led the way to Lucius’ study. The doors were ajar, welcoming them in to the hearth-warmed room.

“She’ll sleep for at least an hour, so we shouldn’t be disturbed,” Hermione announced. “Draco?”

“Yes. Father, since you’ve already seen to it that Louisa carries the family name, it makes sense that I should formally acknowledge paternity. I’ll see to it that the paperwork is filed with the Ministry by the end of the week. I’ll need to know what you’ve done about her inheritances, trust funds, and custody arrangements so that I can make the appropriate adjustments in my own holdings and bequests.”

Lucius was surprised at the maturity and command that he heard from this young man who hadn’t yet seen his twenty-fifth birthday. He had firmly grabbed control of the situation, much to his father’s surprise and delight. “The arrangements are standard, Draco. You can check with the family solicitor for all of the documentation.”

“I’ll not let you off quite that easily, Father. Standard for the Wizarding world, or standard for a Slytherin pureblood?” he challenged. “Miss Granger has a right to know the full story as well. I’m sure there are a few things that she ought to know.”

Lucius had the good grace to flush slightly as his son called out his manipulations. “I assure you, Miss Granger, there is nothing that creates any harm to either you or Louisa. Everything that I’ve done is meant to secure your comfortable future.”

Narcissa cleared her throat and glared at her husband. “Lucius, you told me that you’d discussed all of the arrangements with Hermione before you executed them.”

“I didn’t want to trouble either of you with dreadfully boring legal documents,” he hedged, not fooling anyone with his obfuscation.

“Just what do I need to know about?” Hermione now insisted, tired of people speaking as though she weren’t in the room.

Lucius sighed. He’d have no choice but to share all of the steps he’d taken to ensure Louisa’s ties to the Malfoy family. He was quite sure that Draco would divulge everything to Hermione if he didn’t do it himself. “The standard practice when an heir - or in this case, heiress - is born to an old family is to secure the claim. This generally means that no one else can later usurp that person’s position with regard to inheritances, which include properties, money, and titles. When you agreed that Louisa would take the Malfoy name, you didn’t relinquish any rights or custodies, so please don’t be concerned that there is any danger to your relationship or your rights of parentage. What you did do, without full disclosure, was to set up your daughter to inherit the fourth largest fortune in all of Europe, and the largest fortune in the Wizarding world. She is rightfully Louisa, Lady Malfoy and a member of the peerage. Since Draco was not…available to make the claim on his own, I did it on his behalf as the Earl.”

“So you’re telling me that my daughter will never want for anything, and that she’s technically royalty.”

“Yes, and not just technically. She is royal, as are we. That’s really neither here nor there, other than being a way to get into exclusive parties and private clubs. What are much more important are the business holdings that will pass to her at some point. There are six major corporations under the control of Malfoy Enterprises, with a total of over 65,000 employees. She would be de facto Chair of the Board of Directors for each of these firms. It’s a daunting responsibility, and she will need to be prepared from an early age to take her place.”

“What if she doesn’t want to do any of those things?” Hermione protested, seeing her daughter’s life planned out before her third birthday.

Narcissa and Lucius glanced at each other. She knew where this was headed, and it would be interesting, to say the least.

“There are two paths that would allow Louisa to relinquish her position within the family firms. The first would be if Draco fathered another child and Louisa designated that person as her proxy. The second would be for Draco to deny paternity, thus leaving the heir unnamed. Any child that Draco fathered after that would automatically become the acknowledged heir.”

“What if I never have another child?” Draco wondered.

“Then upon your death, the family properties, holdings and titles would pass to the nearest living relative.”

“Your nearest living relative, or mine?”

“Since it’s most likely that you will outlive me and become Earl Malfoy, it would be your nearest relative.”

“And wouldn’t that still be Louisa?” Hermione wondered. “Draco is named as her father on her birth certificate.”

“Not if he were to deny paternity,” Lucius stated.

“I have no intention of denying that I’m her father, so that’s a moot point,” Draco insisted. “So unless a miracle happens and I manage to sire another child, the family holdings will pass to the French Malfois. I can’t say that I really care, except to ensure that Louisa is well provided for.”

Narcissa spoke up after taking in all of the information that had been shared. “Louisa is only two years old, and Draco is only twenty-four. I’d say that there is a lot of time before we need to be concerned with these issues. Lucius, you’re not even fifty yet, and your family is notoriously long-lived. It wouldn’t be unlikely that you’ll see your one hundred fiftieth birthday. Let’s not borrow trouble before its time.”

“As reluctant as I am to seal my daughter’s fate at such a young age, I agree with Narcissa. There’s plenty of time to work out the details. And it’s not completely out of the question that she might want to take on the responsibility. Let’s take one step at a time, shall we?”

“I agree. And the first step is that I will claim paternity. No discussion, no argument,” Draco asserted. He turned to his father once again. “What else?”

“Louisa has been named the beneficiary of the Black Family Trust, the Malfoy Legacy Trust, the Rosier Bequests, and the Wizards and Witches Benefit Trust. The total value currently stands at forty-one million Galleons. It is expected that she only draw the interest and investment income from each of these holdings, and leaves the principle balance intact for the next generation. Typical annual income from the four is about two and a half million Galleons.”

Hermione was overwhelmed at hearing these numbers. It translated to over ten million pounds a year. “I desperately hope that she will have access to financial advisors. I have no idea how to manage that kind of money.”

“We have a team of them on retainer. They will be at your disposal whenever you need them,” Lucius offered. “In fact, it will be necessary to arrange a meeting fairly soon, as you will have to make some additional decisions now that Draco has agreed to claim paternity.”

“What kinds of decisions?”

“You’ll need to determine how your own trust will be administered, invested, and distributed,” Lucius answered.

“My own trust? I don’t understand,” Hermione stated.

Draco made eye contact with her, lifting his eyebrow in an unmistakable “Told you so” gesture.

“Since he acknowledges the child as his, he effectively acknowledges you as her mother. That means that the trust held for Draco’s spouse will go to you,” Lucius informed her.

She couldn’t have been more stunned. “But, I’m not his wife, and I never will be. What if he marries someone else and has a child with that woman?”

Another look passed between Narcissa and Lucius. “It wouldn’t matter. You are the mother of his acknowledged heiress. By Wizarding law, that makes you… eligible for the trust.”

“Lucius…” Narcissa warned.

He cleared his throat, sounding hesitant and nervous. “In some more traditional circles, it identifies you as his common law spouse.”

“What?!” Hermione and Draco exclaimed in unison.

“Please don’t be alarmed. It’s purely a technicality. It doesn’t obligate you to each other in any way, nor does it prevent you from developing relationships with other people. Should you decide to marry someone else, all you need do is file a Petition of Disassociation to the Ministry.”

“That sounds remarkably like a divorce,” Draco remarked. “Why would it be necessary if we are not ‘technically’ married?”

“Your ‘association’ is required to be acknowledged by virtue of the child that you claim as your own. It’s part and parcel. You can’t avoid it if you want to claim Louisa. It’s Wizarding law, Draco.”

“Not that I don’t believe you, Father, but rest assured that I will be checking all of this, line by line, with a well-qualified family law solicitor. I don’t want to burden either Miss Granger or myself with ties that she doesn’t want.”

Another look passed between his parents.

“What else?” Draco demanded.

“Just property transfers. Nothing of great significance.”

“What properties, and to whom?” Draco pressed.

“The French property and the Greek villa will be held in trust for Louisa. The townhouse is a direct gift to Miss Granger.”

Draco nodded in approval.

Hermione seethed with frustration. “What townhouse? And why on earth would you give it to me?”

“It’s a small property in the center of Muggle London. Four bedrooms, six baths, near Trafalgar Square.” Draco explained.

“We’ve decided to give it to you as a token of our esteem and affection. Nothing more, nothing less,” Lucius stated.

“I couldn’t possibly accept it.”

“Should you refuse it, it will simply be held in trust for Louisa. Regardless, it will be yours to use as long as you wish.”

“I don’t…”

“Hermione, you’ve lived with us for nearly three years. You know how we live. Have you been unhappy here with us? Or with the facilities?”

“Of course not, but…”

“There’s no ‘but’ in this discussion. We want to ensure that no matter what happens, you will have a comfortable place to live and sufficient funds at your disposal. You have given this family two of the most precious gifts we’ve ever received. How could we possibly not recognize that with a simple gift of our own?”

“A house is not a simple gift, Lucius,” Hermione argued.

He shrugged. “For us, it is.”

“Well, in any case, I won’t be living there for a while. Draco and I have agreed that it’s best for Louisa that we stay here until she’s more accustomed to all the changes that will be happening over the next several months. We’ll renegotiate that once things stabilize.”

Narcissa’s eyes flashed; she’d had an idea. “Hermione, I’m thrilled that you and Louisa will be staying here, but I do have a proposal, if you and Draco are amenable.”

“I’m listening,” Draco responded as Hermione nodded.

“What if Draco lives in the townhouse until Hermione is ready to take possession of it. That way, he wouldn’t have to buy something immediately, and everyone has both privacy and access. There’s also plenty of room for private quarters for both Louisa and any other guests that you might have.”

Draco considered her suggestion. On the plus side, it would give him a place of his own without having to go through the sometimes lengthy process of finding and purchasing a new home. The negative side was that it still tied him to his parents, although technically the house was now owned by Hermione. It was probably a reasonable interim solution; he could live there while looking for a home he wanted to buy. He looked to Hermione for any hint of her feelings on the subject, and found that she was smiling in approval.

“Fine. I’ll live there temporarily, but just until I find a place of my own, or until Miss Granger decides to take possession of the property.”

“Draco, would you please stop calling me ‘Miss Granger?’ It’s a bit formal, considering everything we’ve been through, don’t you think?”

“What do you propose that I call you?”

“By my given name. And Lucius, the same goes for you. We’ve lived in the same house for three years and I still can’t get you to use my name. It drives me up a tree,” she announced.

“Certainly, Miss Granger, if you wish,” Lucius replied, obviously teasing her, as belied by the classic Malfoy smirk on his face.

She groaned in exasperation. “You do know how to push my buttons, Lucius, don’t you?”

“Yes, Hermione, I’ve become quite skilled in annoying you to distraction. It’s one of my favorite pastimes.”

“No doubt, by virtue of how often you indulge in it.”

Draco was getting annoyed by the inane conversation and decided it was time to refocus them on more important topics. “If we’re all done being twelve-year-olds, there are other issues to discuss,” he stated, trying not to be too terribly rude despite the mild insult.

“Sorry, Draco. What else did you want to talk about?” Hermione asked.

“We need to discuss what we’ll say to the media and what will be told to our respective friends and families.”

“As you know, I have no family left, so the only people who count in my corner are old school friends. All of them know about Louisa and the circumstances of her birth. They’ve all been respectful of my wishes to not discuss it with the press. It’s really your call what to do about any general announcement or how you’ll address it with Malfoy acquaintances.”

“We issued a very subdued birth announcement in the Prophet when Louisa arrived, as required by Ministry Law, but to respect Hermione’s wishes, we really haven’t spoken about the child publicly. Did you have a thought about how you’d like to handle it, Draco?” Narcissa asked.

Draco was clearly irritated to learn that Granger’s friends had known about Louisa before he had, but since it would be counter-productive to beat that dead thestral, he just sighed and moved on. “As I plan to acknowledge her as my own, I think that I should issue a brief press release once the paperwork is filed with the Ministry. I don’t want to cause Miss Gr… Hermione any embarrassment or distress, so I’ll ask that she approve the final wording.” Draco glanced at her and received an appreciative smile in reply.

“What else, Draco?” Lucius asked, moving back into “all business” mode.

“Hermione and I have decided that, for Louisa’s sake, we are going to try to be civil with each other, despite our difficult history. While we came to know a little bit about each other during our time at the cabin, that was three years ago, and we’ve both grown and changed in innumerable ways since then. The only thing we really have in common is the child. If we’re going to be linked through Louisa for years to come, we felt that it makes sense for us to get to know each other for the people we are today.”

“How do you propose to go about that, Draco?” Narcissa queried.

He exchanged a glance with Hermione and saw the tilt of her head that indicated assent. “We’ve agreed that we will spend one hour each week together, either before or after I spend time with Louisa. During that time, we’ll talk about any decisions that need to be made in relation to her care and we’ll have conversation to get to know each other so that we can co-exist peacefully.”

“That sounds like a reasonable approach,” Narcissa commented. “May I make another suggestion?”

“Of course,” Hermione said.

“We could host a Sunday brunch each week, which would allow us to see everyone together rather than scheduling separate gatherings for Draco and Hermione. Would that be acceptable?”

Draco nodded in agreement, and Hermione followed suit.

“Lovely! We’ll start next week,” Narcissa decided.

“What other decisions have you made, Draco?” his father wondered.

“You and I need to talk about my place in the family business. I’ve been developing my interests and skills in other areas, and I’m reluctant to abandon them. I know there’s always been an expectation that I would join Malfoy Enterprises when the time was right, but I don’t feel that time is now.”

“Are you planning to work, or just manage your own portfolio?” Lucius asked.

“I am definitely planning to work. I can’t just sit on my duff in an office looking at financial statements all day; it would drive me to distraction. I’m not ready to share what I’m planning with you just yet, though. I have a few things I need to do first. When that’s been handled, I’ll let you know.”

“Is this related to what you’ve been doing in Salem?” Narcissa asked, curious about how his past employment at a restaurant might translate into something here in the Wizarding world.

“Yes, Mother. I’m just not ready to talk more about it today.”

“What else do we need to discuss?” Lucius prompted.

“Nothing that’s really pressing. I’ll need to arrange for some of my belongings to be transferred to the townhouse, and Miss Gra… Hermione, I’d appreciate your assistance in getting a room appropriately furnished for Louisa’s visits.”

“I’d be happy to help, Draco. Just let me know when you’d like me to pop over and we’ll get everything arranged,” she agreed.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like a few more minutes with Louisa before I leave this evening,” Draco addressed his request to Hermione.

“Of course. I’ll see if she’s awake from her nap.” Hermione rose to check on her daughter, leaving the three Malfoys alone in the study.

Draco rose as she left, pacing before the roaring fire and scrubbing his hand across the back of his neck. He seemed to be debating what to say or whether he should keep his peace. He caught a glimpse of his parents’ reflection in the mirror over the mantle and saw the meaningful glances exchanged between them. It was clear to him that they were scheming something more. He wondered if their meddling would ever cease.

“Haven’t you done enough?” he pressed.

“Excuse me, dear?” Narcissa asked.

“I know you both too well. It’s clear that the two of you have something going on in those devious Slytherin minds. I won’t be a tool for you to manipulate, so whatever it is, I advise you now to leave it, before you further damage the trust between us. It’s dreadfully fragile right now, so unless you’d like to ensure a long-term estrangement, stop whatever you’re thinking before it’s too late,” Draco advised.

“Son, we’re doing nothing of the sort. We’re only concerned for your welfare, and you must know how truly contrite we are over keeping Louisa from you. Had it been our choice, we’d have told you straightaway. We thought that it was better to look after Miss Granger and your child than to allow them to slip away from us forever. That would have been unthinkable,” Lucius asserted.

“Why?”

“’Why’ what?” his father asked, confused.

“Why would it have been unthinkable for them to have disappeared from our lives? What reason was so compelling that you risked alienating me to keep them close?”

“Are you saying that you’d have rather that been the case? That you don’t want Louisa?”Narcissa pressed.

“I didn’t say that at all. Regardless of the way she was conceived, she is my flesh and blood, and I have no desire nor plan to reject her. I’m trying to figure out why she was so important to you. What are you not telling me?” Draco insisted.

French translations:

Les petites oreilles comprennent souvent plus que nous pensons. – Little ears often understand more than we think.
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Consequences and Complexities