"What wild-eyed beast you be..." DMB
Hermione was pacing the sitting room and running her hand over her neck. They were discussing the dinner, and she was borderline irritated. Lucius was driving her batty. "Mr. Malfoy, I can't ask them the clear the restaurant because you are uncomfortable," Hermione told them, and he braided his fingers together.
"Well, Miss Granger, there is a chance that I don't want to do it then," he replied, and Narcissa laughed.
"Of course, just because you cannot get your way," she hissed, and Hermione groaned.
"If witches weren't dead set on causing ailments you can't cure without manual labor." Lucius snapped, and Hermione turned scarlet.
"Er- I think," she paused when Lucius smirked at her.
"Miss Granger, you must know the secrets of a witch with a gift," Lucius purred, and Narcissa blustered.
"Lucius, you will not make that girl uncomfortable," Narcissa growled.
Hermione was stunned to see them so dysfunctional, and it did not help that she was trying to recover from the heated moment with Draco. Merlin, what was this time in this distorted place doing to her?
"Do you really have to continue this throughout the day? A little dash of decorum would be agreeably applied, please," Draco grumbled, making Hermione pivot to see him enter the room with his son.
Hermione's gaze lingered on the father as he sat down and his son smirked at Hermione. "Dad told me we all get to go to dinner. Just like a happy family!"
"I said as a happy family. As in your grandmother and grandfather are going to dig deep and smile without arguing about not getting shagged," Draco hissed the last part as he glanced at his father.
"Cissa, do you remember the remarkable pool parties we had," Lucius murmured and smirked over at his wife.
Narcissa grinned broadly and nodded. "Oh, yes, dear. I cannot deny the fun that we had in those days," she sighed, and Hermione was now plum.
"Really- no- I don't want to know," Hermione covered her face with her hands. "I am only here to observe not hear this."
Lucius laughed, and it caused her to jump and gazed at him wide-eyed. "Miss Granger weren't you seeing that foreign seeker… who was that," he inquired and glanced at his perplexed wife.
"Bemire? No, not him, he is a poof," Narcissa snickered, and Hermione stared at Draco for some help.
"Krum, it was Krum," Draco muttered with a shrug of his shoulders. "I heard he entertained you quite a bit in our fourth year," he finished, and Hermione stomped her foot.
"Enough, we need to get back on topic," she snapped, and the Malfoys nearly wore the same pleased expressions as she looked to the adults.
Hermione pulled out her letter and scanned through the simple agenda of the dinner. "Casual dress attire. No comment to the press entering the restaurant. Also, no heavy drinking if that can be helped," she declared tucking it back in her pocket.
"Hear that Granger? No heavy drinking. No one wants to have to carry you out of the restaurant," Draco snickered, and Hermione shot him an icy stare.
"Miss Granger, you partake in finer liquors?" Lucius questioned, and Narcissa nudged him roughly.
"Why do I always feel like I walk into another world coming here," Hermione huffed, shaking her head. "I assume everyone has something nice to wear; we don't need to go over that. Please don't say anything to the press. Malfoy, I mean it. No snarky comments. No undertones of aggression. None, understood?" Hermione said, gazing at the young father.
Narcissa tapped her chin. "I do have that rather nice silver and black dress."
Lucius bobbed his head. "That one is nice. You haven't had an occasion to wear it."
"I still am not forgiving you for earlier, husband," Narcissa snapped and Lucius groaned.
"All I said was that you could be a bit more audacious in your appetite," he hissed, and Hermione covered her mouth still staring at Draco.
Draco rolled his shoulders with a smirk. "We are Slytherins, Granger. It is to be expected," he told her, and she nearly imploded with shock.
"Ah, that is quite sweet. Naïve but sweet," Narcissa hissed and narrowed her gaze at her husband leering.
"I am going to go get some air," Hermione conceded and walked toward the doorway.
"Wait, can I come, Hermione?" Scorpius questioned as he jumped from the sofa. Hermione waved him along, and he took her hand. "I like your hair today," he told her, and she smiled.
"I like yours too. Are you growing it out?" Hermione responded as their footsteps were heard fading down the hallway.
Draco lounged in his seat and arched an eyebrow. "Any reason you wanted to chase her out?"
Narcissa smiled and stroked Lucius's hair. "You did so well, darling. It was almost believable by my own standards," she said with a laugh.
Lucius huffed and waved her off. "That girl is far too easily wound up."
"Draco, lovely. You are my son, and I love you, but you cannot grow attached to that girl," Narcissa said with a frown at him.
Draco frowned and folded his arms over his chest. "I am not, mother. Nor do I plan ever to be."
"We are Malfoys and despite us having to play nice, when we are done with this we can find you a nice pureblood girl if you wish," Lucius waved his finger in the air, but smiled and sighed. "Although if you do wish to bed her, I won't say anything against it."
"I will; she is a sweet girl!" Narcissa snapped, and Lucius smirked.
"I could if he isn't interested. I haven't had something meek in a long time," He said, and Narcissa rolled her eyes.
"Meek I am not, husband," she spat.
Draco huffed and frowned. "This whole thing is game for you both. She is trying to make sure people accept us, and you both think you are better than her." He snapped and held out his arm where the faded tattoo rested. "This is no better than the scar she has on her arm. I am reminded daily of what I had to do to receive it. Don't lie to yourselves and think she is any less when she could have told us to sod off and gone back to work without a second wasted."
His parents stared at him with narrow eyes. "How would you like us to act then, son?" Lucius asked with a sneer.
"Have some respect for what she is attempting to do. Without a doubt she is better than us, stop fooling yourselves into thinking she isn't."
The room was silent, and it was Narcissa to stir first. "Alright, Draco. We will behave. Please just promise us you will not seek her affections? I saw you earlier." The mother murmured, and Draco snorted.
"Even if I had 'affections,'" he paused and quoted the air. "It wouldn't matter, mother. That witch is far too genuine and nice for a Malfoy. I can only hope that she sees enough improvement in us to grant us our freedom," he said then rubbed his facial hair in embarrassment. "Now, can we stop with the whole charade and just retain the mannerisms of a proper house?"
"Charades or not, I wouldn't mind luring her," Lucius paused at Draco's glare.
"I mean it, father. Leave her alone," Draco snapped as he pointed his index finger at the man.
Lucius exhaled and swiveled his eyes. "Merlin, fine. If you are this possessive over your witches, I can't imagine what you would have been like as a witch."
"Like me, husband," Narcissa snickered with a challenging smirk. "You never could stray far."
Draco stood up and shook his head. "Bloody open marriages. You both have too much to go through that you would drive a healer mental," he spat.
Draco was leaving, and Narcissa hemmed. "Darling, where are you going?"
"To go get our blood ministry witch, mother. We have to make sure she is doing alright."
Hermione was out on the grass and giggling as they ate more snap peas and he was tucking flowers into her hair. Alright; she had to admit that she loved Scorpius. He was sweet and kind. There was something charming about the little four-year-old and his gentle temperament.
"Look another purple one," the boy declared and put it among her bound back curly hair.
The boy flopped down and stared out at the vast estate with her. "My dad says my mom loved it out here," he murmured, and Hermione scooped him under her arm.
"You know, Teddy lost his parents when he was a baby. I tell him stories all the time of them. I also lost my parents before the war ended too." She told Scorpius who huffed.
"How?" he mumbled, and she sighed deeply.
They did not hear Draco approaching as she started her tale. "Well, I was good friends with a nice wizard, we still are. He was in danger and by condition, so was I and my family. I decided to make them lose their memory of me and move away. I did it so well that I couldn't find them and fix it," she admitted, and the boy gazed up at her.
"So it's like they are gone forever too?"
"A wise wizard once told my good friend something, and I believe it. He said the ones we love never really leave us. Even though my parents aren't in the stars like your mummy and Teddy's parents… I know that my memories of them will always be there."
Scorpius frowned, but he hugged her. "It's hard." He muffled, and Hermione exhaled.
"I know, but it does get better. Soon you find people that can help you feel less alone."
He pulled away and bobbed his head. "Is that why you are here, Hermione? You can help us feel less alone?"
She stared at the boy a moment and was speechless. He was so utterly endearing, and part of her wondered if this was how Draco was under it all. "I can try. Just know, no matter what, even if I am gone, we get to keep these fun memories too." She settled with, and the boy grinned.
Scorpius saw his father a distance away and jumped. "Dad! Look, doesn't Hermione look so pretty with flowers in her hair?"
Draco closed the gap between them and Hermione hid her face from his view. She wasn't sure how much he heard, but it did make her feel uncomfortable to have revealed something very potent about herself. He sat down next to them, and the boy clung to him with a giddy smile.
"She does, you made a vast improvement in her hair, son," Draco said, and it caused Hermione to snap her vision to him. When she saw his mirth-filled smile, she bit her lip and looked back out at the scenery. "Your Grandmother needs to get you fitted for something nice, Scorp. Go see about that, and we will take a walk."
Scorpius kissed his dad's cheek and then hugged Hermione tightly. "Thank you, Hermione." The boy said, and she smiled up at him.
"Anytime, Scorpius. You are a good boy," she replied, and the boy skipped off toward the manor.
"I am sorry about my parents," Draco muttered after the boy was to the door. "They are a handful, I know."
She bunched her knees toward her chest and exhaled. "Yes, they are indeed hard to handle. Your father is quite unique," she grumbled.
"I am also sorry about your parents. I didn't know," Draco muttered, and Hermione glanced at him through the side of her vision.
Hermione bit her bottom lip and contemplated telling him to leave her alone. She didn't want to talk like this with him. It was too close to the vulnerability she dared not show. Harry warned her. It was difficult to admit it to someone who knew of her before now…
"Well, I had to do what I had to do," she whispered and remained unmoved.
He raised a hand to touch her, but thought better against it and placed it back down at his side. "It looks like it might rain," he mumbled and noted the large clouds were gathering in the distance.
"Do you wonder, if I wasn't me and you weren't you if we would have been kinder to each other?" Hermione questioned, and Draco raised his eyebrows.
"That doesn't make a stitch of sense."
"If I was a Slytherin would we have been friendly?" she inquired, and he smirked wildly.
"Oh, Granger, if you were a Slytherin you would have had me by the ballocks. Smart, crafty and a little less brave and headstrong, but more manipulative… you would have had us all following you like your band of stupid monkeys."
Her tanned skin was bright in the overcast lighting, and when she turned to him, her eyes glinted. "But I am not a Slytherin, and you are not a Gryffindor, it was a silly question," she huffed and rolled her eyes.
"If I was Gryffindor- do you think I would have made a good one?" he said with a smirk.
"No, not even close, Malfoy," she snorted.
Draco pinched his expression. "Didn't think so."
"Your son might be," she said with a small smile.
"Oh, you wound my pride, Granger!" he exclaimed and toppled on the grass. "All the Malfoys have always been Slytherin. Most of the Blacks too."
"Sirius wasn't," Hermione sighed, and a hiccup of sadness touched her again. "Dear, sweet Sirius. The disposition of a drinking film star and the smile to match," Hermione laughed and shook her head. "He used to drive me batty, but Ginny was enamored by him."
"No, it was our dear professor that had your knickers in a twist. Bookish, the whole lot of you," he waved his hand and Hermione blushed deeply. "Oh?" Draco questioned as he saw her mortification.
"No, it wasn't what you think," Hermione retorted with furrowed brows. "He was highly intelligent and so very kind. I only wished him the greatest happiness."
"Ah, yes, which is why you are so kind with his son. If anyone could understand how much having that kid meant to him, it was you, wasn't it? I know you read up on werewolves long before his incident at school. You read up on everything."
Hermione was actually a bit surprised at how much he noticed things about her. "Malfoy, you sound like you watched me. A bit creepy if I don't say so myself," she baited, and the wizard glared over at her.
"Of course, I did. Do you know how terrifying it was to see how brainy your rival's best mate is? You could have taught some of our teachers." He spat with a wave of his hand. "It was an incredible advantage Potter had over me."
Hermione snorted loudly and started to laugh. Draco was alarmed at the action as she continued the fit of laughter and waved him off when he sat up. "You thought- you actually- my," she paused and sighed. "You thought they listened to me until it was near too late? I was a stuffy know-it-all, and they knew that from the beginning."
"Well, have a good laugh about it now, but back then it was difficult. You quoted textbooks word for word. You were good at almost every type of magic. Your only flaw was that you didn't grow into something pretty until fourth year. Then it was literally a battle of how low I could really go to best you three."
Hermione grimaced at him. "Being pretty hardly has anything to do with school, Malfoy."
He grinned at her and arched an eyebrow. "It did for me. I had nothing but your blood against you then."
She groaned and waved a hand in the air. "It never did. I never cared that I was muggleborn. You did, but I didn't."
"Hey, did you really shag Krum? I had a long time flutter with Zabini about that," he said, and her cheeks turned pink.
"Well, I believe that is none of your business," she huffed, and he grinned wickedly.
"Oh, you did? Was he as good as he is on a broom? Too quick? Or did he have the stamina?"
Hermione's mouth fell agape. "When did this become about my intimacies or lack thereof?"
"He was good? First time, I suppose," he ignored her and scratched his chin. "I always wondered about that Beauxbaton girl, but I heard she married a Weasley."
"We aren't friends, when- no, this isn't something that normal people do, Malfoy," Hermione spat, and he rose his eyebrow again.
"Well, my first was Parkinson. Nothing to brag about. Typical Slytherin girl," he said with a smirk.
"You are literally the worst," Hermione groaned and scrubbed her face.
"Hey now, Romilda didn't think so. She said I was quite creative," he teased further, and Hermione screeched in surprise.
"Really, I don't want to know, Malfoy!"
"I suppose not. You and Potter never," he paused and whistled. "You know."
Hermione's face distorted and she let out a sound of disgust. "Ugh, no. Harry is like a brother," Hermione gagged and shoved him further from her. "Gross, Malfoy, even for you."
"Do you think we can find kindness for each other?" he inquired, and she saw the seriousness evolve on his face. "I would really like to make these next three months' worth the time you have to spend. My son likes you, and I don't plan on disappointing him."
Hermione leaned over toward him and he almost, for a split second thought she was going to kiss him. Instead, her finger went under his nose, and she scowled. "No more talking about my sex life. No more talking about yours. It is- well- it's not comfortable for me." She said with a jagged tone.
"Fair."
"No more speaking ill about Remus," she said, and he puffed.
"I never said anything ill about him!"
She paused and tilted her head before nodding. "I will give you that. You didn't."
"You are just sensitive about it because he was a great professor and happened to have been a werewolf. I get it," he tried to backpedal, and she bobbed her head.
"Fairly put."
He moved her hand gingerly and exhaled. "I am sorry about what happened during the war. I would like to move past it. I know I can't be forgiven, but I would like to know I said I was sorry." He mumbled, and she stared at him with wide eyes. "Come on, let's go see what my parents are up to." Draco finished without an answer from her and stood up. He had made for the house before she could get off the grass.
Can you see redeeming qualities in the people in question?
She followed him before her mind could catch up… Yes. Yes, she was starting to.
