Contempt
Every couple, has someone cheering against them.
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The large oak grandfather clock standing sentinel in the corner of the living room chimed eleven.
Hermione started, nearly spilling her tea. "Oh, is it eleven already?"
"My, how the time does fly. We better get Miss Granger home, I suspect you'll be up quite early tomorrow, with so much to do." Narcissa Malfoy sat her gilded teacup back on its matching saucer and rose from the posh couch to go retrieve Hermione's coat from the closet.
Hermione sat her cup down also, and exchanged a look with Draco. He shrugged by way of shrugging off his mother's rather abrupt manner. They both stood and joined Narcissa in the foyer.
"Goodbye Hermione," said Draco, holding her coat while she got her arms through. "See you tomorrow."
"Come stop by the office for lunch, if we can manage to get a fifteen minute break," Hermione answered. Things were crazy and out of control. Voldemort had been gone for barely a week, and there were so many things to sort out. All living members of the Order of the Phoenix had been elevated to temporary aurors, so between identifying the dead, treating the wounded, seeing to the care of the orphans, and rounding up escaped death eaters, Hermione, Harry, Ron, and the others were busy, to put it simply.
Not so busy, however, that she hadn't had time to see Draco. With Voldemort gone, and so much tumult already, they figured a romance between to former nemeses could hardly cause any more uproar.
Hermione and Draco embraced tightly. "Goodnight," whispered Hermione finally. Draco brushed his lips against her head briefly.
"Goodnight," he whispered, releasing her.
"Thank you so much for the dinner and tea, Mrs. Malfoy," said
Hermione politely, giving Narcissa a smile.
"Anytime dear," said Narcissa, but in a distinctly indifferent tone. "Say, Hermione, why don't you let me walk you home."
Hermione shot Draco a quizzical look. He shrugged. "Sure," said Hermione uncertainly.
Narcissa and Hermione stepped out into the darkness, illuminated only by the sporadic garden lamps. Hermione and Narcissa exited the manor in silence. They started up the hill towards the luxurious apartments where Hermione and her friends had temporarily taken up residence.
"Miss Granger," said Narcissa coldly, as they continued up the slope. "I know you like my son very much."
Hermione was silent, pondering where Narcissa was headed with this.
"I may be different from my late husband," Narcissa continued, "but that does not mean I approve of my son being involved with a girl who comes from such a background, who has no class."
Hermione stopped angrily. "My 'background'? My family is just fine, thanks very much. The thing is, they're muggles, and that's not going to change any time soon. I wouldn't be belittling my background, considering your entire family has dappled in the dark arts."
Narcissa glared at Hermione, the wind playing with her platinum blonde hair, the same shade as her son's. "That may be," said Narcissa quietly, "but let's not forget who means more to Draco. The 'Gryffindor hero' who he's only begun tolerating in the past month, or his mother.
"I know you've got quite an influential position at the moment, Miss Granger, and you can do a lot for clearing our names. I shan't stop you and Draco from seeing each other. But do not mistake my passivity and desperation for approval. I will never approve of Draco seeing someone like you."
Hermione stood silent. She wanted to spit back that she didn't need Narcissa's approval, but she couldn't. She bit down hard trying to stop the tears.
After seeing that Hermione had no further retort she smirked. "Good night, Miss Granger," she snarled, spinning into oblivion as she apparated back to her front gate.
Hermione didn't bother to check her tears as she finished walking back to her apartment. She stopped outside the complex, sitting on a park bench. Draco was worth it, she knew that. She knew they wouldn't let his mother, or anyone else, stop them from finally being together. But it still hurt. So many of her friends had been ripped from her in the past months that she already felt numb. And it just hurt that Narcissa, no matter how elitist or old-fashioned she was, didn't like Hermione.
She sighed, and entered the deserted lobby. She climbed up to her suite on the third floor. She unlocked and entered the apartment as quietly as possible. Ginny, her roommate, was already snoring softly. Hermione slipped out of her robes and lay down on the posh bed, her cheeks still wet as she drifted off. She had a lot to do tomorrow, after all.
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Author's Note- Just wanted to a short little fic about Narcissa's contempt for Hermione. It didn't turn out quite how I was planning, but that's okay.
Please review!
xoxoxo Sordinmyhart