A/N - Sorry for the time from the last update. My muse keeps fading in and out, Fickle Woman *smirk*
None of the characters belong to me. You all know whose property they are.
I know the Sheriff doesn't want to be thanked publicly but I cannot help but express my thanks. Thanks and say hi to the deputy.
I also want to put another plug in for a new site run by Pagan Ianthe. It's called Bewitching-fiction dot com. Go over there, sign in and poke around a little. Let me know what you think. Leave me a message on one of the forums if you want.
Chapter 26 - Trouble in paradise?
Gringotts
As the group came back to the lobby from visiting the Black vaults, Draco stopped Hermione and his mother. "Let's not leave yet," he said to them. "I want us to take care of some business since we're here. It will save us another trip." He turned to the goblin escorting them. "Please take us to the Malfoy vaults." he said
The goblin nodded and turned back around. "I wish you had indicated that before we came all the way up to the lobby. Now we will have to wait for another cart. We could have kept the cart and just gone directly there."
Draco didn't respond. Narcissa and Hermione pointedly stared at him. Finally he got the message and said, "I'm sorry. I should have told you earlier but I didn't want anyone to know that we were going to visit my family vault. The name Malfoy still rubs some people the wrong way, sometimes even friends. They would have immediately thought only of my fath- I mean Lucius. I should have told you privately when I made arrangement for the first meeting."
Both witches smiled and looked at Draco proudly. Narcissa whispered to Hermione, "He's growing up. Thank you." Hermione blushed at the implied compliment from the older witch.
The transport cart finally came and the four passengers got in. A few minutes later they stopped at a rather imposing vault. After getting out of the cart the Goblin offered his hand to Narcissa and to Hermione. As the goblin helped Hermione and Narcissa out of the cart he quietly said, "Thank you. I know what you did." It was Draco's turn to blush, this time apologetically.
Draco said "The future Lady Malfoy needs to have access to the Malfoy family vaults. Can you take care of that here?"
Narcissa's indrawn breath was clearly audible in the quiet corridor. Until that exact moment she hadn't realized that she was no longer Lady Malfoy. "Is he cutting me off?" she thought to herself. "I don't think it will be a problem even if he does, but I wonder what he's doing."
Hermione was instructed by the goblin to place her hands in a particular position on the vault door. She felt a pinprick and the goblin said. "It has been done as you directed Lord Malfoy."
"Good." Draco continued. "If Narcissa Black, the former Lady Malfoy, ever needs funds, they should be transferred from this vault to hers."
The goblin nodded his understanding and said, "If we are finished, shall we now return to the lobby? I scheduled another appointment because I was unaware you were going to request to visit this vault as well. Had you let me know, I would have planned my day differently."
"Yes, of course and umm . . . thank you for understanding and accommodating my request." said Draco.
They reentered the cart and it reversed its course to speed back up to the lobby level. As they exited the cart, Narcissa said, "Hermione would you accompany me to the witches restroom?"
Draco sighed. "I'll wait for the two of you right inside the entrance to the bank." Under his breath he said, "No matter how I hate to admit that Lucius was right about anything, he sure was right when he told me that no matter how young or old they are they always have to go in groups, or at least pairs!"
Andromeda Tonks home
The tall distinguished looking middle aged man walked haltingly up the walk toward the front door. He got to the door, raised his arm as if to knock, then quickly put his arm back down and retreated back the walk where two equally large, although much younger men were waiting for him. When this happened for the third time a voice called out from inside the house. "Kingsley Shacklebolt! If you walk up to my door one more time and don't knock, I'm going to throw the door open and drag you in here."
The two younger men couldn't help but start laughing. Kingsley said "Just wait till we get back to the ministry. You had better not tell anyone about what happened here. I have to go in there and talk to a powerful witch about the future. A witch who stood up to her family for over 20 years because of the man she wanted to marry. A witch who withstood getting blasted off her family tree because she married that man. Withstood torture by the Cruciatus Curse without giving any information. I have to go and tell her that the ministry, of which I am the minister, insists that she marry me. And you have the nerve to laugh at my trepidation? Why don't we trade places?" As he said this his voice got louder and louder.
The voice from inside the house called out again. "Kingsley, do you think you could avoid discussing this with my entire neighborhood. I read the Daily Prophet and the damned owl made its delivery three days ago. Now get in here immediately!" At that the door flew open to reveal a tall, regal looking witch with brown hair and flashing eyes.
The two young wizards jumped and drew their wands. "STAND DOWN!" Kinsley bellowed. "Do you really think you could stop her if she wanted to hex us? Do you have any idea who her sister was? Have you ever actually met a member of the Black family when they are upset?"
The witch in the doorway simply said "Experialiamus" and caught the two wands as they flew to her hand. She then said "Welcome to my home gentlemen."
"Good morning Andromeda my dear." said Kingsley with a practiced politician's smile, trying to placate her. "How are you today?"
Andromeda Black Tonks looked at him. "Cut the bull and get your butt in here so we can talk. You've wasted enough time already. I would have thought you would have gotten here yesterday. I'm insulted that you would keep a lady waiting." Her voice sounded furious, but her eyes gave away the fact that she was just teasing.
As she said the last word, a little boy with pin straight aqua hair pushed past her yelling "Kings, Kings" and ran toward Shacklebolt. As the little boy threw himself into the tall wizard's arms his hair suddenly changed. It became such a dark brown that it was almost black. It also transformed into tight little curls that were close to his head.
Kingsley smiled, said "Hello Teddy," picked up the boy and carried him through the doorway into the house. "Well don't stand there. Come on in and get your wands back. Don't worry, she will return them to you."
Gringotts
Narcissa and Hermione came back to the lobby from the ladies room. They were laughing at something they shared while walking but both women suddenly stopped walking and froze. There was a disturbance near the doors. A security goblin was coming up to three girls who looked to be a few years younger than Hermione but struggling to look older. One was wearing a short black flared satinny mini-skirt with a cream colored lace top . Narcissa gasped "That girl is wearing nothing under that lace top! Why did she even bother with putting it on? Is she just trying to put on a show for the wizards?" She had dark shoulder length curly hair, brilliant blue eyes and very pale skin.
"I know her." said Hermione. "Her name is Orla Quirke and I think she's three years behind us. To be honest I think having it on makes the outfit much more suggestive. It's like her nipples are playing peek-a-boo. Look at the other two. The very tanned girl with ice blue eyes and the long honey blonde hair is Eleanor Branstone. She's in the same year as Orla. The dress she's wearing doesn't leave much to the imagination either. You can't see through it but the top is so tight that it looks like the silk will split open. Not only that but you can tell she's not wearing anything under it either! You can actually see the shape of her nipples!"
With a tone of disgust Narcissa commented, "Maybe she's trying to save money on the silk. Look she just bent over and you can see that she's wearing a red lace thong! If she spins around again the skirt part is so short it would flare and I bet you could see her navel. I don't know her parents too well, but her grandmother was socially even more conservative than that Augusta Longbottom, Neville's grandmother. I don't know how any witch could wear a thong like that. It has to be terribly uncomfortable."
"Well," said Hermione, "there's uncomfortable and then there is uncomfortable that is worth while when your wizard sees you." She blushed furiously as she was saying that.
Narcissa also blushed and thought to herself "Too much information. Way too much information. I wonder exactly what she is wearing. Should I get some? Would Arthur like that?" She looked quizzically at the younger witch but she could not tear her eyes away from what was going on in the lobby for more than a second at a time. When the third girl moved into sight she stared at her. "Do you see the green eyed red head with the afro? I know her parents. Her name is Rose Zeller. My goodness that red and gold paisley top is unbuttoned down to her navel!"
"She's in the same year as the other two." Hermione told her. "That slit in her blue miniskirt reaches all the way to her waist."
"Good thing the slit is there. It's so tight I don't think she could walk if it wasn't." Narcissa said. "What in the world are they doing? Especially dressed like that. I didn't recognize Orla at first. I remember her as a nice little girl but now that I know who she is, I can guarantee you that Eleanor's grandmother and the other two's mothers don't know how their daughters are dressed. Everyone who sees them will think they're just sluts! It's embarrassing. Their clothing looks expensive but the way they are dressed makes them look like cheap Knockturn Alley whores. When their parents find out there will be hell to pay. Wait just one moment! Who's that in the middle of them?"
The two witches kept staring, trying to figure out who was in the middle of the three. "Whoever it is must be on his knees." The two witches looked at each other and each wordlessly asked "What is that guy doing?" they asked each other.
They got closer. Close enough to see who was on his knees in the middle of the three girls. Hermione's mouth fell open and she suddenly lost color in her face until she looked paler than Narcissa. She screamed out "DRACO!" and reached to her left hand to grab her engagement ring.
A/N The descriptions of the three girls and their clothing are real. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. They are three young "ladies" who I saw while getting coffee yesterday morning. I hope their names were not what the story calls them since I never met them. I just watched them. Sorry it was impossible not to look. It's strange where inspiration sometimes comes from.
Please let me know if you liked this chapter. Remember that's my paycheck
(Sorry for the cliffie. I couldn't resist!)