Chapter 24: Blood Pretensions

                                    

                                          
Hermione closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and blew it out slowly.
                          
"You gonna knock, Mummy? We gonna knock?" Aurelian asked, looking up at his mother expectantly.
                          
Hermione opened her eyes and smiled down at the small boy holding her hand. "Yes." She looked up at the large black doors in front of her that belonged to the large grey stone Jacobean mansion that was Malfoy Manor and rapped her knuckles smartly on the door. The door opened promptly and they faced a small, smiling house-elf in a pink pillowcase toga.
                          
"Good evening, Miss Hermione Granger and-"
                          
"Pernie!" Aurelian shouted joyfully as he threw his arms around the thin little house-elf.
                          
"Eee!" Pernie shrieked in surprise.
                          
"My miss you, Pernie," Aurelian told her, his arms still wrapped firmly around the house-elf's neck. It was rather odd looking, as the two of them were almost the exact same height, but proportioned so differently. While Aurelian looked gleeful, the house-elf looked terrified.
                          
"Aurelian," Hermione called for his attention. She tapped him on the shoulder, trying to get him to release the elf.
                          
"P-Pernie is thinking you are mistaken, young sir," Pernie stuttered, unsure of what to do in such a situation.
                          
"Aurelian," Hermione said more firmly. "You have to let Pernie go. She is trying to do her job."
                          
At this, Aurelian let go, but was still beaming at the house-elf. Pernie stared nervously at Aurelian a moment before speaking. "Master Draco is expecting you. Pernie will lead Miss and Young Sir if they just follow."
                          
Pernie seemed uncomfortable having her back to Aurelian and kept glancing curiously and apprehensively over her shoulder.
                          
"We go my room now, Mummy?" Aurelian asked hopefully.
                          
"No, Aurelian. I told you that we're not here to play today. And you know this isn't our home anymore. We're here to have dinner and meet someone new," Hermione replied in a whisper.
                          
"Miss Hermione Granger and young A-Aurelian have arrived," Pernie announced as they entered the drawing room. Hermione looked around the room uncomfortably until her eyes met Draco's.
                          
"Thank you, Pernie. Would you please go tell Mother that our guests have arrived?" Draco requested.
                          
"Yes, sir," Pernie took one last curious look at Aurelian and disappeared.
                          
"Daddy!" Aurelian cried excitedly. Draco knelt onto one knee and allowed Aurelian to hug him properly for the first time. It wasn't until his arms were around Aurelian's small body that he realized it. It felt a bit strange, but he enjoyed the closeness. A lopsided smile appeared on his face when he caught the scent of Aurelian's hair. It smelled like coconut. He assumed it was his shampoo, but he couldn't help but wonder if perhaps the child had just gotten into something in the kitchen again.
                          
"Miss you, Daddy."
                          
"I missed you, too. I'm glad you could come here for dinner tonight," said Draco.
                          
"Mummy says no playin'" he pouted.
                          
"Yeah, no playing tonight, but it will still be nice. Are you ready to see your grandmother?" Draco asked.
                          
"Grandmum Helen here?"
                          
"No, not Grandmum Helen. Grandmum Helen is your Mummy's mother. Tonight you meet my mother, your Grandmother Narcissa," Draco explained.
                          
"Gramma Cissa?" Aurelian asked.
                          
"I think it would be best if you just called her Grandmother," Draco told him. Draco stood up and looked sadly at Hermione. It was obvious that she was uncomfortable. It was then that he realized that they were standing in the exact spot where she had been tortured by his aunt a few years before. He kicked himself for not thinking of it. "I'm sorry," he told her.