AN: Spoiler Warning- This chapter contains minor Book 7 spoilers.
The remainder of the weekend passed slowly.
Hermione woke late Sunday and found she was feeling worse than she could ever remember feeling and she recalled only bits of the previous night. She was grateful, though, that Narcissa sent an elf to her room with a hangover remedy.
She spent all of Sunday roaming the Manor. A dreary, rainy day kept her from exploring the grounds, so she had turned her attention to the palatial estate. It was rather simple to navigate, once she understood the layout, but that didn't minimize the sheer number of rooms; a good deal of which were locked and impenetrable. Hermione's curiosity overwhelmed her and she wanted nothing more than to see what those cordoned chambers held.
She had managed to avoid all of the Malfoys the length of Sunday. She ate breakfast after they had; lunch before them; and dinner well after them, alone in her study. It was in the late evening of that day that she came across the library on the first floor. Her study seemed miniscule in comparison.
This was where she spent all of Monday as well, as the rain had not abated. By Monday afternoon, she was fairly certain both Lucius and Draco had left the house; it was far too fortuitous to have completely avoided them for two days. Even Narcissa was missing.
Hermione told herself she didn't mind, the solitude was no different than what she had had a week prior in her own flat. Yet, somewhere, deep down, she had come to enjoy the other woman's company. It was almost like having her mum back. And she couldn't help but feel a little trapped, being all alone in the large building.
Tuesday promised to be slightly more interesting. A tapping at her bedroom window awoke her to yet another rainy day.
Upon receiving the Ministry owl's delivery, Hermione's heart pounded at the envelope before her. Harry had replied and he had sent her the contracts she requested. At least that would give her something to occupy her time for the remainder of the day. The legal jargon of the contracts, though comprehensible, was prone to inducing migraines and thus took much longer to comprehend than, say, an old tome on the history of vampires.
She opened Harry's letter first.
Hermione-
I knew this assignment was a bad idea. I can't believe you're stuck there for a month. I don't know what to say; I just knew something like this would happen. Ginny and I are coming to see you Thursday at lunch, I don't care if Malfoy likes it or not. I don't like this business. Not at all. Please, please, be careful. I've sent along the papers you requested. I best go now, before I make myself right sick with worry. Remember, constant vigilance.
Take care.
Love,
Harry
Hermione beamed at the letter. Harry and Ginny were coming to see her in two days. She couldn't wait. Though it hadn't even been a week, it felt like it had been ages since she'd seen her friends. Hermione opened the envelope that held the documents and tipped it over onto her desk, the papers slid out and splayed across the surface.
She knew everything her contract had said; she was more interested in what Draco's declared. She lifted the paper clipped bundle that was his and began thumbing through it. There were at least thirty pages of legalities. She took the collection to the sofa and made herself comfortable to go through it.
Hermione stopped reading only during lunch and went straight back to it. Some parts were harder to understand than others and she had to spend extra time translating those phrases.
She had had no idea how complex and binding his documents had been. She didn't know he had been forbidden from so much as speaking the word 'Mudblood'; but it did explain his odd outburst on Saturday evening, like he had choked on a word. She had known he couldn't use any Unforgivables on her. She had not know that so long as she was in his care, any cast on her at all, he would be held responsible for, unless there was proof he had been incapable of preventing it.
She had begun to drift into sleep as she neared the end, and fully passed out with six pages remaining. She slept another fitful, uncomfortable night on the sofa before the fire.
Thursday morning finally rolled around and the skies had cleared.
Hermione had eventually found what Draco had been alluding to in the contract. There was an infidelity clause, a very strict infidelity clause. So much as a more-than-friendly touch or kiss, whether given or received, would be in violation of the contract and he'd have to answer to the Ministry. She didn't remember reading that in her own contracts, not that she was the type of girl to be unfaithful.
However, she wouldn't have thought twice about Draco having a mistress; in fact, she had highly expected it. If she expected it, it only stood to reason that Kingsley had as well. She had been so sure his mysterious visitor from the previous Saturday morning had been a woman. Knowing it wasn't didn't ease her curiosity any though; in fact, it only sparked her interest more.
If it wasn't a woman in the room, who was it? Possibly one of his friends, but why deny they were there in the first place when they had all been at the house that same night. No, it couldn't have been one of them. So who was he meeting with and why would he lie about them being there, when so obviously someone had been?
It seemed every day brought more questions and fewer answers.
Well, she had found one answer for that day at least. Now she understood his temper tantrum about having to 'touch' her. A part of her felt sorry for him, knowing the ladies' man he had always been. However, the vast majority of her was giddy at yet another form of torture that had been imposed upon the git. She'd have to remember to thank Kingsley for adding those shackles to the contract.
Her happiness over Draco's unhappiness couldn't compare to the excitement she felt about Harry and Ginny's impending lunch visit.
Narcissa had been as pleasant as ever when Hermione told her that her friends were coming for lunch. Draco, however, blew off like a teakettle. He ranted and raved in his study at her for almost an hour, though it had all been in vain.
Lucius had slithered his way out of the lunch, like the snake that he was; and when Draco tried to join him, he was met by fierce opposition from his dear mother. He really didn't know why he bothered to listen to her anymore. Even so, the aristocrat in him knew he had to stay; it was only the proper thing to do as the head of the house. He cursed his father for leaving him to deal with Harry-bleeding-Potter and three women alone.
Hermione sat in Draco's study by herself, waiting on the Potters to arrive. She assumed Draco was with his mother, most likely in the sitting room having a cup of tea before lunch; even more likely, he was off having a glass, or two, of brandy to prepare for his imminent torment.
That was, in fact, exactly what he was doing, and he had just polished off the third glass when the hearth in his study across the Manor flared to life.
Harry stepped out of the marble fireplace first and Ginny followed behind, her burgeoning belly evident in her lavender day-dress. Harry looked around the study and frowned.
"A little… much for a study, no?" he asked Hermione, referring to the pretentious décor of the room. Hermione, who had stood from the sofa and was hugging Ginny, looked to him and smiled.
"You have no idea. They over-do just about everything," she told him as she stepped forward and hugged him tightly.
"Hermione, what are you wearing?" Ginny asked her admiringly, completely surprised that Hermione wasn't in her normal jeans and t-shirt but instead was wearing a lovely knee-length cocktail dress. "I love it!"
"Oh, this?" Hermione looked at her dress and frowned. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
She was met with their expectant gazes and explained.
"Almost all of the Muggle clothes I brought with me have systematically disappeared. I've been forced to wear the clothes Narcissa bought for me. I think Malfoy made the elves nick them all."
"Malfoy's had your clothes pinched?" Harry asked in disbelief.
"I assume it was him, but I haven't seen him since…Saturday night, actually, to confront him about it. I'm sure they weren't good enough, and they were Muggle, can't have that here, you know." She rolled her eyes. "Oh, by the way, I hope you're both hungry, the poor elves have been slaving away half the morning in the kitchen. They wouldn't even let me help."
Harry looked to Ginny; both knew precisely how Hermione felt about those deprived creatures.
"I'm starved actually," Harry piped up.
"I'm always hungry these days," Ginny said with a smile.
"Alright, come on." She led them from the room and began down the long corridors to the dining room.
Harry and Ginny gaped at the portraits, walls, chandeliers, and marbled floors, much in the same way Hermione had when she first arrived.
"Ginny will you be leaving when Harry goes back to work, or can you stay a while?" Hermione asked.
"Oh, I don't have anywhere to go. I can stay if you'd like."
"I'd like that very much," Hermione grinned at her. "It's been, what, almost three weeks since we've spent a whole day together."
The threesome continued to chat comfortably as they approached their destination. They reached the dining room and found Narcissa and Draco already seated and waiting.
Harry hesitated at the door, taking in the room he had once visited under different circumstances several years before. He noticed a new chandelier had been installed, and that made him think, sadly, of Dobby.
Hermione pulled him forward by his arm. She took her place across from Narcissa, with Draco at the head of the table. Harry sat beside her and Ginny sat across from him beside Draco's mother.
"Malfoy," Harry said in greeting as he sat.
"Potter," Draco replied as nicely as he could, though it still sounded a bit like a snarl; but that could have been the alcohol affecting his pronunciation.
"Mrs. Malfoy, always a pleasure," Harry continued politely. He didn't like the Malfoys; he utterly despised Lucius and Draco, but Narcissa had done him an unforgettable favor and he would go to great lengths to be polite to her.
"Mr. Potter, how are you?" she responded graciously.
"Very well, thank you."
"Mrs. Potter," she said looking to the young woman on her left. She smiled at her warmly, "I had no idea you were expecting. Congratulations."
Unnoticed by all, Draco rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed.
Ginny's brows pinched together a little, as she was shocked at the cordiality the elder woman was showing.
"Thank you. Three months left, we're pretty excited."
"Yes, I remember those days. It can't happen soon enough and when it does you wished it had lasted a little longer. Do you know what you're having yet?" Narcissa asked as she lifted the porcelain teapot from the center of the table and poured herself a cup. "Tea?" she asked the redhead before she had a chance to answer.
"Yes, please. We're having a boy."
Everyone else at the table sat listening to the two women's conversation. Draco had no inclination to speak to Granger or Potter, and neither had they to him. Narcissa poured the cup of tea for the younger woman before replacing the pot.
"Oh, that's lovely. Boys are so much fun. They grow up so fast, though. Have you decided on a name?" she asked.
"Yes, actually, we're going to call him James Sirius."
Draco snorted derisively.
"Something you want to say, Malfoy?" Harry snapped at him. Draco glared at the other man.
"James was your father's name, wasn't it, Mr. Potter?" Narcissa quickly asked, trying to avoid an argument before it started.
"Yes."
"Well, I think that's lovely," she replied.
The food appeared on the table and everyone ate in relative silence, occasionally someone murmured about the delicious food, or the lovely paintings on the walls. When the meal was finished and the dishes vanished to the kitchen, Narcissa rose first.
"Shall we move to the sitting room?" she asked.
The four young people muttered their agreements and stood to follow her.
Hermione stopped at the door after Harry and Ginny left, following Narcissa; Draco stood behind her. She turned to face him.
"You could try to get along, you know," she whispered.
He quirked a brow at her, "What, like you tried to get along with my guests?"
"I was not rude to them. In fact, I don't think we exchanged any words at all."
"I call that rude, Granger. And you were in fact discourteous, because you declined dinner."
"I have no choice over when and with whom I dine?" She was quickly losing her patience.
"I have no choice over with whom I speak or don't?" he replied, mocking her.
She scowled at him but had no answer. She wouldn't say it, but he had a valid point.
"Fine, don't try to get along. Just keep your damn mouth shut."
"I've been trying to, but I assume you didn't notice that, what with Perfect Potter demanding your every moment's attention," he said angrily as he physically pushed her aside and exited the room.
Oh, I hate him, she thought.
She breathed in deeply and counted to ten trying to calm her nerves. When she felt sufficiently more peaceful she joined the others in the sitting room.
Narcissa had summoned more tea and Draco had not joined them. They sat another half hour and enjoyed the tea and company. With Draco absent, Harry was much more at ease and the conversation was quite pleasant.
Harry frowned as he checked his wristwatch. He had wanted time to speak with Hermione alone and it was already time for him to Floo back to the Ministry.
"Well, I have to go now, get back to work and all," he said to the women as he stood. "Mrs. Malfoy, lunch was wonderful, thank you for having us."
"It was my pleasure. Perhaps you'll come again soon," she replied.
"I'll walk you back to the study so you can use the floo," Hermione said, standing as well. "I'll be right back, Ginny, okay?"
"That's fine," the other girl replied.
Harry leaned over and kissed his wife softly, whispering words of love and plans for dinner later.
Hermione led Harry back upstairs and down the corridors to the study.
"So, everything's okay with you?" he asked her once they were alone in the halls.
"As well as can be expected, I suppose," she responded.
"Where's the jewelry you were talking about?"
She stopped and lifted the chain from under the neck of her dress.
Harry lifted it and examined it. He rolled his eyes and sighed heavily.
"Is there anything about this family that isn't Slytherin?" he asked; he hadn't failed to notice the gratuitous use of silver and green in the décor throughout the house.
"Not that I've found. You know how I told you my clothes were vanishing and I had to wear the ones given to me?" she asked as they started walking again.
"Yeah."
"All of the clothes, and I do mean every piece, that were given to me started out black or green. I managed to alter most of the dresses and gowns, like this one," she said as she motioned to the midnight blue cocktail dress she was wearing, "but I'm so sick of green. If I never saw green again, it would be entirely too soon. If it weren't so tiring and tedious I'd make every article of clothing Gryffindor red simply to spite him, but I just don't have the energy. I think it'd be a losing battle anyway, what with the elves assisting him," she smiled at Harry.
It wasn't that she really hated green. Before she had gone to Hogwarts and met the Slytherin Prince, emerald green had been her favorite color; it truly did complement her eyes and complexion; it looked good on her, like that blasted mirror had said. Now, however, it only made her think of all the bad things that had come to pass, a bit like black tended to. Maybe with time, she could come to love it again, but not as long as her feud with her fiancé continued.
Harry wrapped an arm around her shoulders in a brotherly manner, pulling her in close as they approached the study door.
"Are you sure you're going to be alright here, Hermione?" he asked, the concern apparent in his voice.
"Yeah, it's really not been that bad. No worse than Hogwart's. It's a lot of petty arguments, nothing truly serious…. yet."
They reached the study and she let him in. When they stood in front of the hearth, Harry reached around her and hugged her tightly.
"Please, let me know if anything happens, if you need anything? Ok?" He grasped her cheeks with his hands and tilted her head up to look her in the eyes. She nodded and smiled up at him. "Alright… I've been so worried about you here. I swear, Hermione, if he does anything…"
"Don't worry, Harry, really."
He smiled down at her, "You're so damn stubborn."
He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
"Take care of Ginny. She better get home in one piece," he said as he stepped into the fireplace.
"Oh, Harry, I was hoping to give her a lovely piece of Slytherin jewelry I found…" she pouted, as though he had truly spoiled her fun.
Harry cocked his head at her and gave her a stern look.
She rolled her eyes and laughed at him.
"Get out of here; you're going to be late." She tossed down some floo powder and waved good-bye to him.
Harry vanished in the green flames and Hermione started back to the sitting room. She had just stepped out of the study doors when an upper-class drawl broke the silence and startled her.
"Come now, Granger, is green truly that bad?" he asked, emerging from the shadows across the hall.
She glared at him angrily.
"Haven't you anything better to do than eavesdrop?"
She started walking briskly back towards the downstairs sitting room. She shook her head in irritation when he fell into step beside her.
"In my own house? No."
She stopped walking and frowned up at him. Even at her respectable height of five foot six, he towered over her. It was impossible to intimidate him when he stood seven inches taller and looked down at her. She sniffed the air, catching the distinguishable scent on his breath.
"You've been drinking, Malfoy?"
"I had some brandy, yes. Is that alright, dear?"
She rolled her eyes at him. "Are you ever sober?"
"I'm marrying you, aren't I? Why would I want to be sober?"
Her features hardened and she started walking again, "Rest assured, the feeling is mutual."
He followed her, much to her annoyance.
"Does Potter actually think I'm going to kill you or something?" He asked with a smirk firmly in place.
"Honestly, Malfoy. I wouldn't put it past you. You probably already would have tried if you didn't have something to lose by doing so."
He sneered at her, "Do you think I'd kill you?"
She stopped again and looked at him slightly confused.
"Didn't I just answer that?"
"No, not exactly, I believe you were answering whether Potter thought I'd kill you. I asked if you think I'd do it." He looked at her sardonically and muttered, "I thought I was the drunken one."
She hesitated and shifted uncomfortably.
"I don't know what you're capable of, Malfoy."
She turned and started walking away again.
"I wouldn't, you know," he called to her retreating form.
She stopped, frozen.
"You drive me absolutely insane and sometimes I just want to hex you cross-eyed. You've made me so mad I've wanted to Crucio you on the spot and then laugh at you," he had caught up to her and was standing directly behind her, "but I wouldn't actually hurt you. At times I may want to very badly, but I'd never use an Unforgivable on you."
She spun around to look right at him.
"Only because you can't, Malfoy. Were these different circumstances, I'm sure you wouldn't hesitate to cause me all the physical harm and pain you could."
"I distinctly recall a situation in which you were tortured, but not because I brought it upon you or wished it on you. Had I the power to have stopped it, I would have. I wouldn't wish that on anyone that didn't deserve it and you are far too innocent and good to ever deserve it. You know nothing of me, don't assume that you do," he answered angrily. He turned away from her and walked back to his study, the click of his expensive loafers filling the hall.
She opened her mouth to speak but the study door slammed firmly shut, sending a deafening crack through the hall. She stared at the door a moment, processing his words in shock. She wanted to apologize; she really shouldn't have said that to him, not when he was being a decent person. Merlin knew those times were few and far between.
She ran her fingers through her smooth curls and sighed heavily, mentally berating herself. She really needed to try harder to get along with him. Maybe he wasn't the same boy she knew in school, not that she ever honestly knew him then. She'd never gain his trust at this rate, and everything hinged on him trusting her.
She hesitated once more before turning away from his refuge and hurrying back to the sitting room to join Ginny.
Hermione entered the room somberly. She didn't realize when she walked in that she was still dazed and carried a confused look on her face.
"Are you all right?" Ginny asked upon seeing her friend enter the room.
Narcissa looked up, concerned as well.
"What? Yes…yes…I'm fine. Just a row with Draco," she sat down in the same chair he had sat in the first day she had arrived.
Ginny sighed.
"You two really need to grow up. This isn't Hogwarts and the war is over, you know," she said to Hermione, she too knew how imperative it was for Draco to trust Hermione.
Narcissa nodded slightly in agreement, oblivious to any ulterior motives the girl may have had in speaking.
"I wish it were that simple, Ginny. It's impossible to just… turn off certain feelings and switch on others."
"What is it they say? There's a nice road between love and hate?" Narcissa added.
Hermione suppressed a snicker and corrected her, "A fine line."
"Yes, that's it. Oh, I meant to tell you," she stood quickly and moved to the sitting room doors, shutting them and casting silencing charms so they wouldn't be overheard. "Draco found a ring."
"What? When?"
"A ring? What are you talking about?" Ginny asked in confusion.
"An engagement ring. He and Hermione had a bet on a game last weekend and she won, so he had to get her a ring and he has to propose appropriately."
"Oh!" Ginny said with a big smile.
Hermione frowned at her.
"Yes, it's so lovely," Narcissa added, clearly excited to discuss the details. "He had it custom made you know."
"Oh, that's so sweet!" Ginny gushed.
Hermione looked at the two women like they had gone completely, utterly, and irreversibly mad; they were speaking about Draco Malfoy weren't they? Sweet? She looked around half expecting the Hatter to come join the mad tea party. She was surer now than ever that she had fallen down a rabbit hole. She put her head in her hands and sighed.
"I thought so too. He's being very stubborn about the proposal though. He was telling Lucius, who told me, that he was going to put it somewhere randomly for you to find and call that a proposal. Well, I won't have that, that wasn't the agreement. So, if you find the ring box, just send it to me and I'll get it back to him until he does it properly."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "See? This is why we can't just get along. He makes everything difficult," she moaned.
"That reminds me, I'm going to need to make an appointment for Madame Malkin to come to the house to work on your dress," Narcissa said, her brow furrowed as she stared into the air, deep in thought over something.
"What dress?" Hermione asked, puzzled.
It was Narcissa's turn to look at her like she was mad.
"Your wedding dress, you silly girl."
"Oh. Why bother? There are plenty of black dresses in the closet I haven't worn," Hermione said dismally.
"Bla…black dresses? Are you mad? You must be," Narcissa had a look of repulsion on her face.
"Why not? I'll be in mourning," Hermione said with a huff.
"Oh, rubbish."
"You can't be serious, Hermione. It's your wedding," Ginny said.
"Doesn't matter. Neither of us really wants to marry the other. We're not in love or anything. I doubt Draco would disapprove."
"Oh, come off it, Hermione."
"If you honestly think I'm going to have you marry my only child in a black dress, you truly have lost it, girl. It's not happening," Narcissa said in a way that left little room for argument.
Hermione frowned again.
She sat in silence, reflecting on all the things Draco had told her earlier, while the other two women animatedly discussed wedding dresses and other nonsensical things that Hermione had no interest in at all.
After two hours of the annoying chattering, Hermione sighed loudly. Narcissa decided she'd go to Diagon Alley immediately; she had things to do, people to see. She left before Hermione could even process the words she had said.
"Would you like to go for a walk, Ginny? It's the first sunny day all week and I haven't seen much of the grounds yet."
"Sure," she said.
The two women went out to the rose garden, Ginny gushing all the while over the fragrant blooms, and began their meandering.
Unnoticed by the two women, on the terrace that was opposite Hermione's, two pale haired men sat watching them while smoking cigars.
Lucius frowned and furrowed his brows when he saw the Weasley girl pluck a particularly attractive flower from its bush.
Draco, having also witnessed the vandalism, looked to his father's scowling face and laughed heartily at him. This proved to only deepen the scowl. Draco could hear random words of his angry mutterings:
'Disrespectful… Unbelievable! …desecration… bloody Weasleys'.
Hermione and Ginny had continued their walk, which led them from the rose garden and around the wing of the house, to the gardens that Draco's rooms faced. The estate grounds were spectacularly landscaped: pools with large goldfish swimming about; weeping willows; a gazebo and solarium; far off from the house Hermione made out a lake sitting on the edge of a dark forested area. To the girls' surprise, the path they were on led to a stable, sitting on the edge of large paddock where several astoundingly beautiful horses grazed.
As they approached the foraging animals, Hermione's mouth sagged open.
"That's not possible…"she muttered under her breath.
"What's not?" Ginny asked.
"Do you know what those are?"
Ginny shrugged, "Horses?"
"Not just horses, Gin. Those are Andalons. It was believed there weren't any left. I can't believe this…" she gaped at the beasts as the two girls leaned against the fence railing.
"I haven't heard of them, Hermione. What's so special about them anyway? They look like regular horses."
"Ginny! Honestly. You really haven't heard of them?"
Ginny shook her head negatively.
"Well, from what I've read, they were originally bred around… 100AD. They're a cross between the Aethonons- which are native to Britain- and the Muggle Andalusian horses. They lost their wings but they're still mesmerizing. Supposedly, they're extremely intelligent and loyal. And they're the fastest animals on land. I don't remember the details of the legend, but it was something like a wizard of the times had a child who was a squib, so he couldn't Apparate. The father began crossbreeding the horses to create a faster means of travel for his son. There's an old story about them, I doubt it's true, but it said that one of these horses ran from Rome to Paris in three days, without stopping. It's amazing; this is almost as good as seeing the unicorns in fourth year." A smile was plastered on her face.
Ginny looked at her quizzically.
"They still look like regular horses to me," she said.
Hermione could only shake her head at her friend.
One of the animals started walking over to them and Ginny backed away quickly. The creature looked at Ginny with its intelligent eyes before stepping up to Hermione and butting her arm with its nose. Hermione reached out and touched the horse's neck, and began stroking the velvet soft, metallic white coat
"Aren't they beautiful?" She asked Ginny, who had tentatively taken a few steps closer.
"Yeah. Its hair looks like Lucius Malfoy's though."
The horse snorted and shook its head.
"I think you offended it, Gin," Hermione said with a smile. "Come on then, we need to get you back to the house. If you aren't home before Harry, he'll throw a fit and never let you visit me again."
"Yeah, you're probably right," Ginny laughed.
The two girls started wandering back to the large house. After several moments of silence, Ginny began speaking.
"You know, I'm really excited about your wedding, Hermione,"
Hermione scoffed at her friend and gave her another 'Are you mad?' look.
"No, really, I am. It's just that, my wedding was so small and… intimate. I'm eager to go to a big wedding. Oh! We have to throw you a Witches Wedding Party. When is the wedding? Do you know?"
Hermione shook her head at her friend's eagerness. "October thirty-first."
"No way. Are you serious?" Ginny seemed even more excited, if that were possible.
"Yes, Gin, I'm serious."
"Oh, that's perfect! You should have some sort of costume wedding."
"You're a nutter, Ginny, completely mad. Even if I was eager to marry this man- and I'm not, mind you- I would never, in a thousand years, have a costume wedding. A masquerade, maybe, because-"
"Hermione! You're a genius! That's perfect, oh, it'll be so fun!" Ginny gushed.
"But, Ginny, I don't-"
"No, don't you worry about a thing. I'll talk to Narcissa about it. I'm sure she and I can take care of it all. Oh, this is so exciting! Do you think she'll let me help plan it all?"
"Ginny, honestly, you're giving me a headache. No more wedding talk."
Hermione received a swat on the arm for that comment.
"Really, Hermione, you're not right in the head. You're the only girl I've ever seen not excited about her wedding."
Hermione frowned; she had been excited at the beginning of the year when she thought of marrying Ron, but that was neither here nor there. She shook her head in hopes of ridding the thoughts from her mind.
The girls entered the house and started towards the study. When they turned the last corner, they met Lucius Malfoy in the hall.
He looked up when the two girls appeared. His eyes flicked to Ginny's hand, which still clasped the orange and pink rose she had plucked. He snorted angrily and stormed passed them, glaring at the short redhead.
Hermione frowned and looked down to see what he had seen. She saw the flower and burst into a fit of giggles, leaving Ginny to stare at her, completely bewildered by both the bizarre actions of the elder Malfoy and her friend.
"I completely forgot." Hermione said through her laughs. She looked over her shoulder to make sure he was gone and leaned in closer to Ginny's ear and whispered to her, "He's angry because you picked one of his roses."
Ginny made an odd face before she too started giggling.
They entered the study red faced and laughing. Draco lifted his head from the parchments on his desks. He looked at the women in disgust, and rolled his eyes.
"Do you two ever shut up?" He asked angrily.
They both did after he said that. Hermione glared at him before turning to face Ginny.
"You'll come again soon?" Hermione asked.
"I hope not," Draco muttered across the room.
"As soon as I possibly can," Ginny answered, looking at him crossly.
"Alright, take care, Gin. I'll write you soon."
The girls hugged tightly and Ginny stepped into the fireplace; she was gone in a flash of green flames.
Hermione turned to face the man at the desk, scratching away furiously with his quill.
"Malfoy-"
"Yes, yes, Granger, I know, I should try to get along with your friends. We've been through this," he said without looking up or stopping his feverish scratching.
"If you'd kindly let me finish…"
He dropped the quill with an angry huff. "Please, do."
She was going to apologize to him for earlier. She was going to do it nicely. She was trying, making an effort, to be cordial with him. However, all thoughts of niceties fled her mind when he had opened his mouth and let his words spill forth. His current temperament was deplorable, but that was to be expected, she reminded herself.
"I wanted to apologize for speaking to you the way I did earlier. It was wrong, and I'm sorry. You're right, I don't know anything about you and I shouldn't assume to; but if I may be frank, your attitude doesn't encourage me to want to know anything about you," with that, she left the room, slamming the door behind her.
Draco raised his brows as she slammed the door. When the room was silent again, he returned to his writing.
