Author's Note:
Cinders: embers/ashes
Dozent: Professor in German
Ruse: Cunning in French
Dedushka: Grandfather in Russian
Audentia: bold, courageous in Latin
Yin and Yang: "In Chinese culture, Yin and Yang represent the two opposite principles in nature. Yin characterizes the feminine nature of things and yang stands for the masculine side. Yin and yang are in pairs, such as the moon and the sun, female and male, dark and bright, cold and hot, passive and active, etc." – Jun Shan
The image of the Malfoy library can be the image of the Beauty and the Beast library (but with dark mahogany wood).
The image of Malfoy ballroom may be the image of the Beauty and the Beast ballroom (except instead of gold, it'll be more of a whitish silver).
Song: Temporary Home by Carrie Underwood
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, all credit goes to J.K. Rowling.
This is a sequel to The Highest Bidder by envysparkler. I highly recommend you to read that first (it's a great story!), then the sequel. Enjoy!
I'd be trouble, to simply be myself.
The sun peered through Hermione's window, its rays caressing her face and hair as if to say: Wake up, darling. Hermione sat up and rubbed her eyes. Her hair was a tousled waterfall of dark wavy curls cascading down her back and her bed was a strangled mess of sheets and skewed pillows, both on and off the bed. She was surprised that she was able to sleep through the night that was filled with shadows and ominous darkness. She must have fallen asleep trying to stay awake. Although she was awake, Hermione made no move to leave her comfy bed. What was the point? Day after day, she woke up only to remain in her room. She hadn't explored the manor yet, fearing that she would get lost or locked in some secluded part of the house with no one to rescue her, not even her husband.
Hermione felt defeated. She felt more defeated than depressed. She felt as if her own existence was slowly waning away. It had been 3 months since she got married and she didn't know what to do or what she could even do. Knowing Draco, he might have a heart attack over something she did without his consent. As Hermione continued to sit there, trying to think of what she could do to pass the time, her mind drifted off to her husband. Ever since the night where he held her in his arms to sleep, she looked at him in a slightly newer light than before. He was still the cold man that she married, but he showed her that he could be considerate when he wanted to be. That one act of kindness was enough for him to have an infinitesimal, tiny part of her heart, despite her mind arguing with her otherwise. Plus, that was the best night of rest she ever got, possibly in her whole life. But, that was beside the point.
Hermione wondered if she went to him in the night when she was scared if he would hold her while she went to sleep again. She snorted. Yeah, right. That's not going to bloody likely ever happen again.
Focus, Hermione. Thinking of Draco wasn't going to solve her dilemma of boredom. Hermione got up and started to walk around her room looking for something, anything to keep her entertained, but then she heard a noise coming from within her bathroom. She froze, scared. She turned slowly and saw her reflection in her vanity mirror. She slowly walked towards it and took a closer look at herself. She looked like a scared woman, frightened by anything, and weak. She was tired of being scared, tired of being the frightened little kitten that always ran for cover. No. Not today. Today she would start living. Even if it meant living with a cold-hearted man in a beautiful, but dismal manor.
With a determined resolve, she hesitantly (but determinedly) made her way to her bathroom. She opened the door slowly and peered inside. It seemed normal - the big wide mirror above the sink was spotless, the marble on the counter glistened, the floor was polished, the massive bathtub and large shower was squeaky clean. She heard another noise farther in the bathroom, near the shelf of towels. As she slowly made her way into the bathroom one step at a time, she started to hear humming. Hermione was clearly confused, but curious as to what or who it was.
Hermione shrieked. She couldn't believe her eyes. In front of her was an elf, but not any type of elf, a house elf. And it was currently scrubbing the floor. Well, it was scrubbing her floor until she screamed and the poor thing jumped up so fast and stood there, staring at her.
"I'm sorry to have scared you, Mrs. Malfoy. I'm so sorry….stupid…bad servant….bad," the elf muttered to herself as she started to hit herself over and over again.
Hermione stood dumbfounded. "Please stop! Stop hitting yourself."
"Master Malfoy told me not to bug you. I bothered you. Bad servant…bad," the elf cried, as she kept hitting herself.
"Stop hitting yourself! I….uh… I forbid it!"
The elf stopped and peered up at Hermione. "Thank you Mistress Malfoy. You are very kind."
"What is your name?" Hermione asked as she squatted down to the same level as the elf.
"I don't have a name. I was never given one."
"You don't have a name?" Hermione exclaimed.
"No Mistress Malfoy," the elf replied, shaking her head no.
Hermione couldn't believe her eyes minutes before, but now she couldn't believe her ears. No name? How could this nice creature have no name? It didn't make any sense.
"How does Draco address you then?"
"He doesn't, Mistress Malfoy. He snaps his fingers and one of us appears."
"One of us? You mean there are more of you?" Hermione asked, shocked.
"Yes, Mistress Malfoy," the elf said, nodding. "There are quite a few of us. We take care of the manor and whatever else Master Malfoy wishes us to do."
"And do any of the other elves have names either?"
"No. We all do not have names."
Hermione remained looking at the elf, deep in thought. These elves have always cleaned the manor, but she hadn't seen them once in the last three months that she'd been there. Draco must have told them to remain out of sight. She regarded the small elf in front of her once again, looking over her attire. She wore a dirty rag, but the ends of her rag looked as if they were singed from a fire. She knew from personal experience at the orphanage that not having a name meant you were unfit to be considered human, that you were trash – worthless and unwanted.
Hermione wondered if, maybe, she could name the elves. She was the mistress of the manor now, as said in the vows, what's mine is his and what's his is mine. Hermione smirked. She could do whatever she bloody wanted and damn it all to hell if Draco happened to disapprove.
"If that's the case, then I think as the Mistress of the Manor that I make some changes around here. Starting with your names. Hmmm….would you like your name to be Cinders?" Hermione asked, looking at the elf's face for any sign of disgust at the name. On the contrary, she found excitement and happiness in the elf's eyes.
"I am most happy to be named Cinders, Mistress Malfoy," the elf exclaimed excitedly.
Hermione couldn't help but smile. "Can you take me to the others, please? I would like to give them names as well."
"Of course, Mistress Malfoy," Cinders excitedly proclaimed. "Please follow me."
Cinders led Hermione out into the hallway and down several corridors until they reached what looked like to be the entrance to the basement.
"Is this the basement, Cinders?"
"No Mistress Malfoy, this is the dungeon," Cinders replied as she continued to lead Hermione through the door and down a hallway.
Hermione scoffed. But, of course there is a dungeon. I'm married to a cold-hearted man, I live in this dismal manor, a dungeon would fit perfectly. How could I possibly think it wouldn't?
Cinders stopped and opened a door at the very end of the hall. Hermione peered in and saw several elves all gathered together around something and were talking excitedly amongst each other. Cinders and Hermione silently crept up behind them to see what had captured not one, but all of their attention.
As they silently approached them, Hermione saw the object that had captured their attention. It was a photo. But it wasn't just any photo; it was a photo of the night where Draco held her in his arms. But that wasn't what entranced Hermione. Both Draco and herself looked . . . peaceful and content - they both had small smiles on their faces. Hermione was held in Draco's arms, his arms held tightly around her waist holding her to him, his nose slightly in her hair that was fanned out on the pillow and his chin above her head as Hermione snuggled into him, her head on his chest and her arms were nestled between their bodies. For a stranger on the outside looking in, they looked like . . . dare she say it . . . a beautiful, happy couple.
"Where did you get that?" Hermione questioned, clearly perplexed.
The elves jumped apart quickly, hid the photo behind their backs, and turned to face Hermione.
"Mi . . . Mistress Malfoy! We're sorry. We did not mean to cause you discomfort. Bad elves."
They all started to hit themselves, repeatedly.
"I forbid you to hit yourself."
Hermione squatted until she was their level and looked them in the eyes. "None of you are in trouble. But I would really like to know where you got that photo from."
The tiniest elf stepped forward, her ears down. "I . . . I . . . took the photo, Mistress Malfoy." The elf gulped once. "I . . . we never seen Master Malfoy look so peaceful. We never saw Mistress Malfoy before either. I wanted to keep the photo of my masters. You . . . *gulped again* you both looked happy." The elf wrung her hands in her shirt and hung her head low.
"Do you have a name?" Hermione asked softly.
"No, Mistress Malfoy," the elf replied, keeping her ears down and her head hung low still.
Hermione looked over the tiny elf. She was the smallest out of the rest of the elves and Hermione figured she must have been the youngest one as well. But this tiny elf stood her ground to her master, taking responsibility for her actions. Hermione admired her for her courage.
"Well then that simply just won't do. Your name will be Audentia." Hermione declared with a large smile. "The photo is beautiful."
The elf's head snapped up to look at Hermione. "Thank you Mistress Malfoy. You are most kind."
Hermione smiled back. "Can the rest of you please step forward? I would like to give you all names."
The five other elves stepped forward and Hermione named them one by one, looking each over with a critical eye. She stepped in front of the oldest elf and looked him over carefully. He was the oldest out of them all and she saw that he held himself with pride. But, she didn't miss the concerned look he had on his face when Audentia stepped forward to claim the photo. He reminded her of a caring grandfather. "You will be named Dedushka."
"Thank you Mistress Malfoy."
Hermione stepped in front of the next elf. There was something different about this elf. He held his hands behind his back while the rest of the elves held their hands in front of them. "What are you hiding behind your back?" She asked curiously.
The elf visibly cringed and slowly brought forward a book. Hermione raised an eyebrow and gently took the book from the elf. It read: The Republic by Plato.
The elf hung his head low and clenched his hands into his clothes, waiting to be yelled at for having a book.
"Your name will be Dozent. Tell me what you think when you finish it. I'm interested in hearing what you think." She handed him the book back and he looked at her surprised.
She smiled and she could see that intelligent gleam in his eye when he looked at her.
"Thank you Mistress Malfoy. You are so very kind. No one has done this before." Dozent replied excitedly, holding the book to his chest.
Hermione smiled and moved onto the next elf or rather, elves. The two elves were closely standing next to each other. If Hermione wasn't mistaken, she would have guessed these two elves were brother and sister. They seemed to be very close to each other, the brother standing slightly in front of his sister - as if to protect her. "You will be named Yin," Hermione declared, pointing towards the girl, "and you will be named Yang," pointing towards the boy.
Both elves smiled and said simultaneously, "Thank you Mistress Malfoy."
Hermione stepped in front of the very last elf. She had a few cuts here and there and a bandage on her arm.
"Are you hurt?" Hermione asked, concerned. "What happened?"
"Oh . . . umm . . . well, I was trying to pull a prank on Dozent when I fell into the rose bushes."
Hermione's eyebrows rose and a hint of a smile playing at her lips. Hermione could see the mischievous look in her eyes and laughed. "Well then, your name will be Ruse."
"Thank you Mistress Malfoy," Ruse replied.
Hermione stood up and looked at the seven before her. They all looked happy, with smiles lighting up their faces.
"Can you guys give me a tour of the manor please? I haven't been able to see it for myself, as I am a bit scared of this place. It's beautiful, but a bit dreary."
"We would be honored to, Mistress Malfoy."
The elves all lead her out of the dungeons, with Audentia and Cinders each holding one of Hermione's hands. They were all talking to her excitedly, telling her their favorite places to go and places she should see. Hermione couldn't help but laugh. They all looked so happy, so filled with joy. They spent the entire day showing Hermione the wonders of the manor, quickly changing her opinion of the manor from being dismal to being a treasure in disguise.
They showed her the beautiful gardens filled with flora with a variety of colors and species, they showed her the library extensively filled with books to the very ceiling, they showed her the grand ballroom where galas and balls would be held, they showed her the solitary room that had glass windows from the floor to the ceiling - it held a single piano in the very center of the large room. Peering through the large windows, the beautiful sunset could be seen as its warming rays flittered into the room, setting it alight.
"Does anyone know how to play piano?" She asked curiously.
"No, Mistress Malfoy. Master Malfoy played once, but that was all," Cinders stated.
"Would you play for us, Mistress Malfoy? Please?" Audentia asked.
Hermione looked at their pleading faces and didn't have it in her heart to deny them. Hermione acquiesced. "Very well. One song."
"Yipee!" The seven elves roared.
Hermione smiled and sat down on the piano bench while all the elves gathered around her. She decided that it would be best if she just played something from her heart. And so, she began to play and sing.
Draco arrived home, exhausted. It was another tiring day running his father's company. He felt as if he had aged 10 years in the last six months. The company was successful and growing more successful, but there was just something missing from it, but he couldn't figure out just what exactly. He'd been trying to figure it out for the last 6 months and still, nothing. He ran Malfoy Industries that was responsible for products in all departments of beauty, health, medicine, sports, hardware, and etc. He never thought he'd see the day where he'd be running his father's company at the age of 20, stuck in a loveless marriage, and feeling lonely as ever. He rarely ever saw his wife, she never came out of that sanctuary of a room of hers. Draco would never dare to say it aloud, but he savored the moment when he held his wife in his arms to sleep, it had such a feeling of rightness to it; a feeling that scared the heck out of him.
Heaving a sigh, Draco loosened his tie around his neck and walked to the den to put away his briefcase. He snapped his fingers and waited. Nothing happened. He snapped his fingers again and nothing happened, again. Draco instantly got frustrated, where the heck are these elves? They are supposed to appear instantly. In the middle of his rant, he stopped. He thought he had heard what sounded like to be music and . . . singing. No one in this house sings or plays music. What the bloody hell is going on around here?
Draco followed the music and he opened the door very slowly and silently. He was shocked, to say the least. Before him was his wife playing the piano and singing her heart out. And she was singing to the elves!, no less. Before he was able to interrupt, he became transfixed at the sight of her - she was dressed in a simple gown with her hair cascading down her back while the last rays of sunlight fell upon her - giving her an angelic glow. He thought she looked beautiful.
Then he heard her emotion-filled words.
Little boy, six years old
A little too used to being alone
Another new mom and dad
Another school, another house that will never be home
When people ask him how he likes this place
He looks up and says with a smile upon his face
This is my temporary home, it's not where I belong
Windows and rooms that I'm passing through
This is just a stop on the way to where I'm going
I'm not afraid because I know
This is my temporary home
Young mom, on her own
She needs a little help, got nowhere to go
She's looking for a job, looking for a way out
'Cause a halfway house will never be a home
At night she whispers to her baby girl
"Someday we'll find our place here in this world"
This is our temporary home, it's not where we belong
Windows and rooms that we're passing through
This is just a stop on the way to where we're going
I'm not afraid because I know
This is our temporary home
None of them saw Draco, nor did they see him hide.
Hermione ended the song, but remained still for a few moments, a few tears falling down her face.
"Mistress Malfoy, are you alright?" Dedushka asked worriedly.
Hermione wiped her tears and graced them all with a large smile. "I'm doing fine. Thank you all for showing me the manor and for showing me this room. It's been . . . ," Hermione paused trying to find the correct term, but as she gazed out the window towards the sunset, towards the garden that can be seen, and then back to the elves before her, she immediately said, "enchanting."
"Mistress Malfoy, it may not be our place, but would you tell us what that song was about or what inspired it?" Dozent asked curiously.
"Always the curious one, Dozent." Hermione chuckled. "Long ago when I was a little girl, my parents were killed. I had no next of kin or family, so I was placed in an orphanage. It was a dreadful place – it was my first temporary home. I was soon adopted by Tom Marvolo Riddle. Some said I was lucky, but to me, it wasn't all that different from where I was before. He gave me my second temporary home. Now, I live here with you all."
Draco's thoughts: Dozent?
"Is this your next temporary home, Mistress Malfoy?" Audentia asked nervously.
Hermione regarded the seven elves before her and her current situation. She may not like it, but this time, she wasn't at a temporary home; she was at her permanent home. She just had to deal.
"No." She shook her head, slowly. "This will be my permanent home."
All the elves graced her with a smile.
"Can you tell us about your Father?" Dedushka asked curiously.
"Can you all keep a secret?"
"Yes, Mistress Malfoy!" They all said simultaneously.
"Hmm . . . I don't know if I should tell you guys." Hermione said, jokingly.
"We can keep a secret, Mistress Malfoy!" Audentia said, excitedly.
"You can, huh?"
"Yes!"
"Alright, but you all have to solemnly swear to never tell another what I am about to tell you?" Hermione said raising her right hand.
"We solemnly swear." They all said simultaneously, right hands raised.
"Tom Marvolo Riddle is a very different man from how the world sees him. He is indeed a very cold-hearted man. He does everything for his gain, his benefit. He is the type of man that would burn the world just to see it die," Hermione paused and then slowly added, "and because he can."
All elves gasped.
"He manipulates the world like a game of chess. He is the King and we are all his pawns - you, Draco and me."
"Is that so?" Draco asked, making his presence known.
Hermione and the elves looked up, surprised.
"Malfoy."
"Draco. You are, after all, a Malfoy." He sneered.
"Unfortunately." Hermione replied with disgust.
"Who told you that you could come in here?" He demanded.
"No one. I didn't realize that I needed your permission for anything, darling. As you already stated: I'm a Malfoy. We do as we please." Hermione scoffed, rising to stand.
Draco smirked. "You're right about that wife. What's this I hear about your Father? A cold-hearted man? I wonder what he would say to hear his only beloved daughter speak of him in such a manner."
"It doesn't matter what I think. The only thing that matters is what the world thinks of him. And right now, the world thinks him to be the most charitable man in the world." Hermione exclaimed, glaring.
Draco scoffed, "Such a shame that you don't share the same opinion. He did, after all, adopt you and gave you a life. How ungrateful."
Hermione's eyes narrowed. "You don't know a thing about me. Yes, Tom Marvolo Riddle is my Father, but I am neither deaf nor blind to what he does or has done to succeed in the world. He is ruthless. You and him are no different - both cut from the same cloth, both cold-hearted, both cruel, and both harsh."
"I wouldn't be so quick to judge me. You don't know me," Draco spat.
"You're right. I don't. Now that we both understand each other, I'm off to bed." With that, Hermione swept passed him and was almost out the door when she said, "Cinders, Audentia, Dedushka, Yin, Yang, Dozent, Ruse, thank you for showing me the manor. You may now do as you please." With that, the elves apparated to their living quarters and Hermione proceeded to her room.
Several moments passed before Hermione heard Draco shout: YOU NAMED THE BLOODY ELVES?
Hermione smirked. Living was fun. Hermione: 1 Draco: 0
