A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews, favorites and follows! I am so glad you found Molly's behavior realistic, as I didn't want it to seem as though she were mean for no apparent reason. I know a lot of you are eager to read about the ball, so I will let you get to it without further delay. As usual, you can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates and answer questions. Huge thank you to Alassea Black for beta reading this chapter!
Please let me know what you thought of chapter ten and be on the lookout for chapter eleven soon!
Hermione had stood in front of the mirror in her room for what felt like an hour before Cassiopeia hesitantly knocked on the door. She wasn't sure if she should be feeling relief when the old witch popped her head - artificially dark hair and all - in the room, remembering how critical she'd been at Madame Malkins, but also knowing that Cassiopeia wouldn't dare let her leave the townhouse if she looked any less than perfection.
Her dress robes were impeccably tailored, but it still felt a bit funny to Hermione. Perhaps it was because it was a style that Hermione never would have dreamed of wearing in her own time. Still, the blush fabric was clingy and flattering and covered with a shimmering, sheer gold that made her skin look warm and flawless. Her hair had mercifully grown more manageable as she grew older, and it had not taken her a whole bottle of Sleek-Eazy's to get it in an acceptable style, emphasizing the natural volume that she had.
The most unusual part for her to look at was to see her face with makeup on it. A normally simple girl, Hermione never wore more than chapstick on a day to day basis, a stubborn rejection of the kind of girlishness she'd seen in Lavender and Parvati. It felt all wrong to see herself this way, with rosy pink cheeks and sooty eyes.
Cassiopeia's face appeared next to her own unsure one in the mirror with a gentle, reassuring smile on her face. "Well, don't you really look like a princess," she whispered, tucking a loose strand of hair behind Hermione's ear. "You are certain to make quite the impression tonight," Cassiopeia promised.
If anything, that only made Hermione's stomach lurch. "Do you really think so?" she questioned, hoping that she would be able to blend in. After all, she'd seen Narcissa Malfoy as a middle-aged woman, and she looked flawless then. Hermione could only imagine how achingly beautiful she would seem in her youth.
"Yes," Cassiopeia nodded emphatically. "And if my idiot grand-nephew can't see it, then you should find yourself some other handsome wizard who does," she said with a smirk. "Come, we must get you downstairs. Regulus is waiting. Normally, I would say let him stew a little bit longer, but unfortunately, the Malfoys are so insufferable about punctuality, it wouldn't do well to show up late. Honestly, why Cygnus ever let Narcissa marry that boy is beyond me."
Hermione found herself smiling despite herself. She didn't know entirely why, but hearing Lucius Malfoy referred to as "that boy" tickled her. Cassiopeia distracted her the whole time that they were walking down the stairs, giving her all kinds of instructions on how to compliment Juniper Malfoy on her floral arrangements, and to only compliment Abraxas Malfoy on his cravat if it didn't include paisley, which was apparently so outdated. Hermione was grateful for the priceless social currency that the older woman was sharing with her, and suddenly, she didn't feel as if she were flying blind.
When they entered the library, Regulus immediately shot to his feet out of habit. His eyes traced over Hermione's form and he was unable to hide his surprise. Once he realized that he was staring, prompted by a pointed clearing of Cassiopeia's throat, his cheeks went a little bit pink. "Hermione, you...clean up nicely," he said weakly.
She wanted to roll her eyes, but resisted, remembering the way her classmates had behaved when she showed up at the Yule Ball. It was hurtful to realize that no one thought she could ever look very pretty. "You look nice, as well. Shall we go?" she questioned, stepping in the direction of the fireplace. Regulus nodded stiffly, before offering her his arm.
"Now, have a very good time tonight, Hermione," Cassiopeia instructed fondly, her eyes misting for a moment, basking in the nostalgia of her youth, before going hard again. "And you, Regulus, treat your guest gentlemanly. And have her home at a reasonable hour."
Thoroughly embarrassed by Hermione's chaperone, the two teens stepped into the floo once Regulus had called out their destination. Regulus steadied Hermione's entrance, and she was glad to not have stumbled ungracefully out into Malfoy Manor. Reflexively, she checked for ash and dust, but she should have known better than to think that the Malfoys had a dirty fireplace.
"Ah, young Regulus, how wonderful to see you," called a voice from across the entrance hall, belonging to a blond man who was undoubtedly related to Draco. They had the same pointed features and platinum colored hair, but Hermione could admit that Draco's looks were only helped by the addition of Narcissa Black's genes. "And who is your companion?" he asked curiously.
Resisting the urge to hold out her hand to shake, Hermione bit her lip while Regulus introduced her as Hermione Dagworth-Granger, just arrived from Switzerland. She hated being talked about as though she wasn't standing right next to them, however, she let Regulus play the hero in his explanation of saving her from a band of robbing muggles, a story which had only gotten more ridiculous since she invented it.
Once Abraxas Malfoy had finally addressed her, Hermione allowed herself to speak, putting on a false smile. "Thank you so much for having me in your lovely home Lord Malfoy. And must I say, I so love your cravat," she complimented, noticing that it was not paisley, but rather a very gaudy green color. It was a bit too flashy for her tastes, if she was honest.
"Why don't you two run along now," Abraxas said, finally, clearly annoyed to be talking to the teens. "I am sure that my son and his little friends will be near the refreshments table. Oh, to be young again."
Once they were alone, Hermione was in awe of her surroundings. She could easily understand how Draco had grown up to be so big headed if this was the kind of place that he had grown up in, all gleaming white marble and palatial rooms. The party seemed to be in full swing, and Hermione was honestly glad to have Regulus's arm in hers, feeling like a buoy in the uncertain waters of a pureblood party.
Sensing her discomfort, Regulus gave her arm a little squeeze. "You did well," he whispered to her, before guiding her towards his apparent group of friends. "That was Abraxas Malfoy being friendly, if you can believe it," he said with a roll of his eyes.
Seeing that Regulus also found the entire thing pompous and a bit ridiculous made Hermione feel more at ease. Perhaps she wasn't as alone in this event as she thought she was. Holding her head up high, she didn't let any fear slip in when he walked her first towards Narcissa Malfoy. Her imagination was right. The stunning blonde was achingly beautiful in her youth, looking resplendent in icy blue robes. Her hair was artfully designed, with perfect ringlets hanging down her back.
"Hello Narcissa," Regulus greeted, releasing Hermione's arm so that he could embrace her.
Narcissa looked genuinely happy to see Regulus in turn, pressing a kiss to each one of his cheeks, her magicked lipstick leaving no smudges behind. "Cousin, how wonderful to see you! It has been far too long since we've last talked." she greeted him warmly. Then, realizing that there was another person hovering near them, Narcissa's eyes widened when she noticed Hermione. "Oh, I didn't realize you were bringing a guest, Reggie. Perhaps it really has been too long. Introduce me."
Regulus's cheeks went a bit pink at being admonished for poor manners, no matter how teasingly Narcissa had done it. "May I present to you Miss Hermione Dagworth-Granger. She has just moved to England from Switzerland, and we crossed paths when I saved her from some filthy muggles," he said, as though he were describing a pleasant day at the beach. "My parents and I have decided to help integrate her into society."
"Charmed," Narcissa pressed a kiss to each of Hermione's cheeks as well. "I'm Narcissa Malfoy, Regulus's cousin."
"It's nice to meet you," Hermione responded, hoping that neither of the two cousins could sense the terseness in her reply. She was feeling distinctly out of her depth.
Before Hermione could react, however, Narcissa was playfully taking one of her arms, laughing. "Oh, Hermione, I don't know why, but I think that we might be good friends," she said with a stage-whisper, before giving Regulus a significant look. "Reggie, be a dear and go get Hermione and yourself a drink. Don't worry, I will take her around to meet anyone worth meeting."
Unable to pinpoint exactly what she'd done to make Narcissa like her so much, Hermione was helpless to do anything when the blonde led her away from Regulus. She found herself feeling distinctly horrified that Draco's mother should want to be friends with her in any capacity, and hoped that Narcissa was just trying to be a gracious hostess by making her feel welcome. The pair made a beeline towards two men who were talking in front of the fire.
"Hermione, darling, this is my husband Lucius," Narcissa announced once they had reached the men's sides. "Lucius, my love, this is Hermione Dagworth-Granger. She has just moved from Switzerland."
There was also no mistaking Lucius Malfoy from the one she knew in her time. A bit younger looking perhaps, but he hadn't changed much at all. His signature sneer melted away into a polished mask when he pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. "Lovely to make your acquaintance, Miss Dagworth-Granger."
Narcissa was already pressing her towards the other man who Hermione had yet to identify once Lucius released her. He seemed to be only a few years older than her and Regulus. He was tall and thin, with dark brown hair and the most intriguing light green eyes. Despite seeming rather quite, he also graciously took her hand, pressing his lips to the back of it, letting them linger a bit longer than strictly necessary. "Good evening, Miss Dagworth-Granger, I am Rabastan Lestrange."
She felt all of her breath leave her body at the name, finding that the man before her was nearly unrecognizable from the one she'd come across post Azkaban. She was saved from her embarrassing reaction by Regulus, who had dutifully returned to her side, pressing a glass of elf wine into her hand. Happy for the distraction, Hermione took a sip of the liquid.
Regulus greeted Lucius and Rabastan cordially enough, only to stiffen when Rabastan asked about Hermione. "Wherever did you find this enchanting creature, Regulus? I am sure that all the men here tonight will be annoyed that they didn't get a chance to find her first."
Bristling at the thought that she was being discussed as though she were a prize, Hermione had to bite the inside of her lip to stop from snapping at the other man. Yes, he was a bit good looking, but it wasn't as though he seemed to be a catch from her perspective. Still, she let Regulus tell his own trumped up version of the story she'd invented about how they met without speaking, wishing that Regulus would have brought her a stronger drink.
"Well, I certainly wish that I had managed to bring a date as lovely as Miss Dagworth-Granger here," Rabastan complimented her once again, pressing his hand into her upper back.
Narcissa squealed, batting his hand away from Hermione. "Oh, Rabastan, you brute! You shouldn't go pawing all over Regulus's new girlfriend like that," she scolded the other man.
Hermione felt her cheeks brighten considerably, and took a step back from both Regulus and Rabastan. "Oh, it's not - Regulus and I are - well, he's only just invited me to introduce me around. We aren't together," Hermione babbled horribly, wondering if Regulus felt disgusted at the idea of them being a couple. It wasn't as though Hermione didn't like Regulus reasonably well, as a friend, but she just really wasn't interested in getting romantically involved with anyone at this point.
Regulus did seem a bit embarrassed by her explanation, if the red color of his cheeks was anything to go by. Rabastan on the other hand looked entirely too pleased by the insinuation that she and Regulus weren't serious, and gave her a wide grin. Sensing that she'd stepped into some kind of odd social snafu, Hermione decided that it might be best to keep her thoughts for the rest of the night. Keeping herself close to Regulus's side, she listened patiently, nearly bored to death, while Regulus talked with various young purebloods, wondering why she'd ever agreed to this terrible waste of time.