Blaise had agonized over it enough, he thought. He had kept the picture hidden in one of his drawers in his chest of drawers. Not a very good hiding spot, he knew. If he had truly wanted the picture hidden, he would have either burned it or locked it in his lab. Part of him had wanted Hannah or one of the elves to find it and question him about it. Short of leaving it on her pillow for her to find, Blaise knew he would have to talk to Hannah instead of trying to find a secret way of revealing it to her.

She was down making dinner in the kitchen and Kristen was busying with Grace. Now was the time to have that private chat he'd been putting off. As he walked into the kitchen, the picture heavy in his pocket, he smiled when he saw Hannah fighting off Didly from the stove. The elf had gotten a taste for cooking again when he'd been able to cook Christmas breakfast, and had been a pain in the arse about making dinners ever since.

"Didly, leave Hannah alone. You can cook tomorrow's breakfast."

The house elf huffed and glared at Hannah one more time before disappearing with a pop. Blaise smiled and walked over to Hannah.

"If I had known what a bother he would have been, I wouldn't have told him to make Christmas breakfast. Sorry."

"He just wants to feel useful. It's fine. When we have more mouths to feed, I will enlist his help. He's a very good helper. It's just with James, Sarah and Mina away at school again, we're a smaller tribe, and I can handle it. I like handling it. I'm glad you came down. I wanted to speak to you anyhow."

Blaise made a face. "This doesn't sound good. Did something happen at Hogwarts already?"

"What? No. At least there better not have. None of them want me coming up to the school to speak to McGonagall, I can guantee you that. No, I'm sure you've noticed how Kristen has been acting. Well, Owen has gone missing and we can't get through his wards. Would you be offended if I asked for Draco's help?"

"One, I don't know why I would be offended. I'm absolute shite at wards. Two, what do you mean the berk has gone missing? Did he not show up to work or something? Maybe he quit and didn't want to tell you or anything."

"He did not quit," Hannah snapped. "And Kris is really upset about it. He just vanished. No one's seen him for days. We even went by the Prophet and no one's seen him. Hufflepuffs don't just quit without notice. Besides, Kristen said he was supposed to take his break with her on Sunday, and they were going to have a picnic lunch."

Blaise looked pinched.

"She's a grown-up, darling. She is allowed to date."

He really couldn't argue with her, but he hadn't had the proper time to evaluate and scare the boy into pissing himself, so his judgment was still in the 'against' column. Of course, what he had originally thought was joint sadness from learning about her mother and watching her siblings return to school could have possibly been this. Maybe she really did like him.

"Ask Draco then," Blaise replied. "Was that what you needed to talk to me about? No more problems?"

"I'm worried about James. He was too quiet before he left. But that isn't it either. Do you want to tell me about the picture of the older man that's been in your drawer? The handsome one that looks like you? Who is that? I didn't mean to pry... I was just offending Didly by putting your laundry away one day."

Blaise shook his head and chuckled, pulling the picture from his pocket. "I was wondering if either one of you would find it." He handed the picture to Hannah. "This was what I wanted to talk to you about after Christmas, but I just didn't have any idea what to say. This was my Christmas present from Narcissa. He looks like me because... because that's my father."

"O-oh. Oh my goodness... Blaise... what... what are you... he's alive then?"

"Alive and doing rather well for himself. I looked into him after she gave me the picture. He's a head of a charm integration group in Italy. It's a big deal over there apparently. That's all I know. That's all I want to know, I think."

Blaise sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. "I'm not sure how he'd take the son of the woman who tried to ruin his life walking up after twenty four years and announcing himself."

"Rubbish. That was not your fault. It's not as if you want anything from him but to know him. I mean... we don't need his money. Does... do you have any brothers or sisters? Tell me what you know."

This was family. Hannah adored family. This would be part of hers when she married in a few months. She would like to meet Blaise's father.

"Did you want to met him alone? Or would you like me to go with you?"

"I don't know. I don't know anything besides his name and now where he works. He was engaged to another woman when he had an affair with my mother. I don't think I could face him after knowing that."

Blaise looked at Hannah and knew he must look rather helpless and pathetic. "What would I even say in an owl? I'm your son. Sorry that mum was such a bitch. I swear I'm not like her that much?"

"Well, if his sense of humor is anything like yours, I think he'd find that amusing. Just tell him your name and ask him to meet with you. The worst thing he can do is say no, and that would be his loss. You've lost nothing. I will admit to being curious. I mean... is that what you are going to look like at his age? Because if so then I am very glad I am marrying you."

Blaise glared at her. "I can go to where he works in Italy and see if he'd meet with me. I may just go and drop off a note or something. The owls going in and out of there aren't kept private, and he just might hate me if word got out about his long-lost son."

He sighed and leaned against the counter. "Why couldn't she have killed him like she did all her other husbands? That would have made things so much easier."

Hannah sided up next to him, putting an arm around him. "You don't mean that. Perhaps he is not so easily dispatched. Perhaps that is where you get that from. He was never her husband. Maybe that is what saved him. Or maybe she actually had feelings for him. You never know. Stop by his offices and ask for a meeting. I could go with you. We could get Kristen and Grace to stay with Draco... or take them with us. Though Sarah would be disappointed at our going to Italy without her."

Blaise grinned at the memory of Sarah fainting in France. "As much as I'd love to have you there, I think that if I were to see him, I'd have to do it alone. Just the once. I don't even have my mind made up yet. I'll have to think about it. I just wanted you to know. I don't like keeping things from you." He took the picture from Hannah and looked at it a bit longer before putting it in his pocket. "My head can't wrap around the thought of my having a family beyond the one I made for myself."

"All right, but if you change your mind, I just hired six new employees, and Amy has been shown how to open and close the place. I have a little more time on my hands. I don't even mind going and waiting outside."

Hannah hugged him to her then went back to the stove.

Blaise grinned. "Friday. I'll go on Friday. If you want to go and wait outside, you can. I doubt I'll be let in to see him, though. Maybe we can go and have fun afterward. You can go look at wedding dresses or something. Milan has some of the best designers."

"You can not be there when I look at wedding dresses," Hannah said in shock. "You can not see the dress until the wedding day. It's bad luck, and being friends with Draco, I don't think we need any more trouble."

"Oh come on," Blaise said, losing his grin. "You're not one of the people who thinks that it's suspicious for the groom to see the dress before the ceremony are you? I was looking forward to going shopping with you. I've even seen you in a wedding dress before."

"And I burned the shit out of that dress. You are not seeing me in our wedding dress and that's final. We are not starting this marriage on such bad luck. Also, I do hope you know of at least three men to stand up with you as groomsmen."

Blaise blinked. "Three? I have to have three? Why do I have to have three? I don't even like three men let alone know any well enough to have them be in my wedding," he said in a rush. "I'm just supposed to show up. You do all the planning. My only contribution is myself. And Draco of course."

"Because I am having three bridesmaids - Kristen, Susan and Mac. Fine. I will ask Justin to stand up with you... and someone else."

Already she was trying to figure out who. He didn't really know any other men save James. Well, not any he got along with. If things went well with his father, perhaps she would ask him. Amos was giving her away, he just didn't know this as of yet.

"I'll figure something out," he grumbled. If she asked Nott or Longbottom to stand with him at his wedding, he'd refuse and they'd have to elope or something. "Are you wanting to come on Friday then?"

"Of course," she replied. "What time will we be leaving? I'll make arrangements."

"After lunch. Most business meetings will be held in the morning." Blaise didn't say that sometimes the businessmen left early on Fridays and he was hoping to miss his father. "Thanks for coming with me."

"Of course. As if I would let you do something so important all alone. I love you. I'll always be where you need me to be."

Blaise took her hand and kissed it, leaving her alone to finish the dinner. He had things to think about, and a letter to write.




[Summary]: Blaise tells Hannah about his father. They make plans to go to Italy.