One-Way Ticket
Chapter 4: A Surprise Hitchhiker
Indeed, the owls arriving with an ensemble of Draco's comfort clothes, entertainment, toiletries such as toothbrushes and the like, had arrived, along with a letter from his parents.
It had fully turned dark now. A mere hour or so before they had to sleep. Mr and Mrs Granger were cleaning up downstairs, having insisted that Hermione and Draco go get some rest, that it was her first day back, and also insisting that Hermione must give him a proper tour of the house at some time to show him around. To which Hermione inwardly bristled but hid it with a smile.
The owls were coming in their heavy numbers, carrying large black objects against the sky. "Goodness, did you honestly have to fetch for so many things?" asked Hermione, a grimace in her eyes.
"My owls..." was all that Draco said, obviously happy.
"If you want to retrieve your items, you're best of getting them downstairs in the yard," said Hermione, "They wouldn't be able to fit all of that through a window."
"Right," said Draco.
Minutes later they were downstairs, in the gloom of what he supposed was Hermione's 'yard' or something. A sign lit up from the lights indoors saying '10ft' hung over what was obviously a body of water, glimmering with the reflections of the light indoors.
"Your lake's tiny," said Draco, wrinkling his nose. The owls dropped their packages around him, bowing their tiny heads, before flying off. The one carrying the letter stayed. The wrapped parcels had fallen on the grass and Draco was going around, taking his time picking them up. Hermione somewhat absentmindedly helping.
"It's not a lake, it's a swimming pool," said Hermione, "The designer designed it out of strong and waterproof materials to be able to hold water in a cubic square. So you could swim in it."
"You have this shitty replica of the real thing?" said Draco incredulously, "You built this tiny enclosure and then stole some lakewater from a lake to fill it as a mimic of the real thing?"
"Oh I'm sorry. Not everyone can just 'buy a lake' when they want to go swimming," snapped Hermione.
"This place doesn't look like it contains many lakes to sell," said Draco bluntly. The last of the non-letter carrying owls left, and then it was just the two of them, and a large black raven standing still with a letter in a carrier, in it's mouth. The owl wore a miniature owl-shaped travelling cloak with the Malfoy family crest engraved on a badge on the right lapel of the cloak. Hermione felt a bit sick looking at it. It's fur was extremely glossy and well-groomed, like they hired a personal groomer. She imagined how weird it would be find out you were hired in the role of the owl hairstylist.
"Well if they're only available near you I wouldn't want to buy one and be your neighbour," stated Hermione matter of factly. They had gathered a fair quantity of the items between them, and were heading up to Draco's room. It would most likely take another trip or so to completely grab everything.
"You couldn't if you tried, the surrounding land to the Malfoy Manor has been bought out under our name for the next 10 miles," he said.
"What for? In case one Manor's not enough, so I'll just reserve some space to hiddily-diddly-do build another," mocked Hermione, bumping the items on his bed. They were mostly going to place the items on the bed, table, and back of the room for now, before they went downstairs to get some more items.
"To prevent fools from thinking that's a nice piece of land, I'll buy it, and then having the itch to build a castle or residence there. Ruins the view. Especially if it's not even a decent residence. Imagine a tramphouse," said Draco, giving of a shudder.
Hermione snorted, "Typical. So you purchase the surrounding blocks of land just to prevent having neighbours?"
"That's exactly what we do," agreed Draco, "a simple solution to an age-old problem."
"Just wait til you see Eccentric Homeowners on cable," said Hermione.
"Just wait til you see Nott's Manor," rebuked Draco.
"The question is. Will I even be able to see it from my vantage point standing on the last jurisdiction of land that is not owned under Nott's name?" said Hermione.
"No. And that's the beauty of privacy. The other unexpected benefit of having a clear skyline," said Draco. They settled down some more wrapped boxes and the like in his room before going down for the last trip. Hermione noted they had a dark, almost a mixture of emerald and marble rich wrapping paper, dark green, almost inky black, ribbons whose tensile strength looked far magically enhanced from average, and the same professional Malfoy family crest stapled on it. She felt like snorting and also cursing him for being such a damned, haughty little rich boy all at the same time. The Malfoys really knew about image and appearance it seemed.
"I'll help you unwrap things," offered up Hermione when all of it was there. Draco took a look at the room, which was heartily filled up with an ensemble of his own clothes and items, currently in unnamed and unmarked packages all wrapped with the same unanimous paper and ribbon. It took up quite a lot of space, and when uncovered and properly stowed away, would be enough to give the room some character and almost like another person was living in it. It was nothing compared to what he had at home, a tiny, tiny, miniscule portion of his belongings. But it was enough to make the summer slightly more bearable at least. He took one last took at the long pile of items sent that was meant to last him three whole months, and thought himself smart to take up the offer. "Sure, you can start there," he said, nodding to a pile he was certain were the shoes and more exterior clothing items. He tackled the more personal items that he would be the one choosing where to place them about the room, him being the only one who could see into his head and know exactly, where he wanted it.
"I still hate you," said Hermione, picking apart some wrapping with her nails, "And this holiday. I wouldn't enjoy it."
"Me too. As if you think anything's improved at all," shot back Draco.
"My parents may take to you for the time being, but don't think I do too," exclaimed Hermione, "What did you ask all these dastard items for anyway?"
"Shoes. Clothes to lounge in comfort. Obvious toiletries. Posters. Books. Momentos. Food. I'm without my usual sweets," he said, "My parents also sent some parchment and quills, huh I didn't ask. But I don't take to your pen so-"
"You. Are a brat," said Hermione.
"Just keep unwrapping and get out. It's a deal that suits both of us!" snapped Draco.
"There's one more package," said Hermione softly, her eyes flickering to an oddly shaped bundle attached to the box of nighttime toiletries by a piece of string. It seemed hastily secured and had lain hidden beneath a pile of wrapping paper and who knows what else while they unpacked.
"Wonder what this could be. I didn't send for this," he said, "I specifically dictated in the letter. All items to come in boxes."
"Maybe this one came the same way you did. Accidental portkey," snapped Hermione.
"It'll be fine wine or something. Aftershave you would wish was yours from the glorious smells your puny little nose can detect," he said savagely, ripping open the unexpected package that really, had been tackled onto the end of another package.
The once strong green wrapping paper gave way under his fingers, Draco's mouth split into an O, as a rotund brown furry face was revealed beneath the wrapping paper. Smiling a satisfied smile at the whoever would chance to glance upon it.
"Your teddy came," said Hermione with a snicker, cracking up.
"What is this." Draco's face was growing more and more white by the minute, then red, "I didn't send for this! This is blasphemy!"
Hermione only laughed some more, "Beware who you piss of while they're holding the power of the pen over you."
Draco stared up at her. The last of the wrapping fell away from his motion and the bear's full body came into view. It was adorned in an outfit of a miniature black cloak with a black hood.
Draco stared at the letter he wrote originally which his parents had attached to confirm he received everything he asked for. He read the lines from where he was dictating things to Hermione to write to his parents.
I'm in a difficult situation and I expect I shall need a few essential items to get buy - shoes, the entire first compartment of my wardrobe, my posters, telescope, the books I left on my bedside table, bath salts, the obvious toiletries, and whatever else entertainment or items you think I need to survive this summer in a box. I prefer all my items sent in boxes please. By the way, send my teddy. There is nothing greater than the comfort of an old childhood friend.
Sincerely,
Draco Malfoy
"Granger!" exclaimed Malfoy.
Hermione just laughed an evil laugh at his stupid gaping mouth, which was still opening and closing in shock. He looked absolutely ridiculous, she thought.
The letter that it was attached to, his parents response, fluttered from it's spot by the table, and fell on the floor, revealing a section of the loopy cursive response that was scribbled back.
Certainly. It is an incredibly tricky situation neither your father nor I have been in. We wish you all the luck with getting through and have done our best to incorporate your wishes of items, and of course, once again it is an extremely tricky situation and neither your father nor I have been in your shoes. I dug around the old boxes in the spare rooms at your request. I'm a little surprised you still have attachment to such a passing item in your youth, but nonetheless, Barthellow is happy and excited to go on this journey with you!
Love,
Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy
Mother and Father
"No. I didn't send for a teddy. I haven't seen it when I was six. I never liked it anyway! It couldn't be charmed to move unlike my other toys because it's furry exterior confused the domesticated african pitbulls we had at that time!" he exclaimed, turning it over and over, and then finally tucking it systematically between his arm and chest as he decided what to do with it.
Hermione, had long left the room and had returned with a small black object in her hand. "Say cheese!" she said.
"Where?" asked Draco.
Next second Hermione was flashing a long and gaggling evil laugh. Over and over again, just when it ended it started again; absolute hysterics, like she really had something.
Draco, was starting to dislike that laugh. He was also starting to want the play pin the Hermione up against a wall and intimidate her to stop her silly laughing.
When all of a sudden, Mr and Mrs Granger walked in, carrying a wad of what Draco presumed was muggle money in their hands. "Hermione, we came upstairs to give you some money," explained her father, "to go clothes shopping with him tomorrow. He would need I suppose 'muggle wear' to fit into our neighbourhood," he said, motioning to the clothes his parents sent him, which were mostly an assortment of comfortable robes and other dressy materials.
"No, this won't do," said Mrs Granger, looking at the items, "I would not allow him to wear these clothes even inside the house. It screams different and is incredibly dangerous, given the situation. He needs full muggle wear. And those moving posters won't do either. They're not normal. Neither is that telescope really. Full muggle wear or he won't survive this summer. I shall write back to his parents!" she said, "Some of these items are unacceptable. You do realise you have to send them back, right Draco?"
Draco paused, admittedly, he didn't particularly see the err in their logic. "I understand," he finally said, a little nervous admittedly.
"Wonderful. Oh, you bought your teddy! Isn't it simply adorably sweet!" said Mrs Granger, catching sight of it. Draco's arm had hid most of the bear's adornment of the black hood and cloak. The two Grangers clasped hands and awwed together for a moment or too.
Draco was torn between two worlds. Wanting to say something but not wanting to admit he had ticked Hermione of enough to do that. He stayed still and tried to plaster on a smile.
"Doesn't this just remind you of the set we got for the Fabrioarchi triplets last christmas," cooed Mrs Granger.
"Yes, they had a set of three, just in the same adorable teddy bear plush as this one," said Mr Granger. And so they cooed a bit more, and talked about how wonderful it was to see youngsters 'turn to positive influences to cope with stress, not the negative ones you read about in the paper' and a little bit more and this or that before they went away.
Draco stared at Hermione once their door closed.
"The triplets are not my age are they?" he asked.
"No they're not," said Hermione with a coy smile as she shook her head.
"They're quite possibly, very far from my age, is that right?"
"You have no idea how much."
And with that Draco groaned and sank his head briefly in his hands, before Hermione told him it was getting late, she had a long day from coming home from Hogwarts, and that she was going to sleep and leave him be. And so he turned away, deciding to place the surprise hitchhiker on a shelf far away from him in the room, so he didn't have to bump into it or accidentally trip over it as he went about, and stared, at the room, the strange lights, the semi-unpacked items taking up the space in the guest bedroom, the sense of unfamiliarity drifting through the doors, once the toiletries had been done and he was in bed with the company of the impeding gloom of sleep.
His mind felt tired, his head felt heavy, his brain was buzzing with all the events from today. And how things simply, turned south, when he touched the incorrect portkey and it sent him there. A one-way ticket he couldn't go back. He let his eyes wander over the room before he fell asleep, the unfamiliar and the familiar, reflecting, over the day's events still.
The surprise hitchhiker stared innocuously at him from the dark.
"Oh screw Granger," he muttered, turning over and punching the pillow.