"I don't think it went very well." Hermione was sitting on the bench in Dolohov's cabin. Well his and Yaxley's, they both seemed to be living there. He looked expectantly at her.
"I told Narcissa yesterday. I expected congratulations and got it, but after, something was off." He nodded. A Gryffindor might have prevaricated or told her she was too sensitive. The Slytherin in front of her said none of that about his fellow snake. He looked speculative and thoughtful.
"Tell me why Narcissa Malfoy née Black might not be happy with this development." Yaxley was watching her closely while not seeming to. He seemed quite interested in her, probably because his best friend had taken her on. Maybe it was Yaxley himself that tipped the scales. She thought about what he said.
"I can't think of a reason she wouldn't be, her husband and son though." She trailed off and was a bit surprised by the look on his face. It seemed pleased, she wasn't sure why.
"That's exactly what I was thinking. Her son and Theodore wanted you as a wife. Lucius probably wanted the prestige of your name and reputation." Her eyes went wide. She had mentioned not wanting to be the perspective Mrs Malfoy-Nott when she was talking with Harry. It hadn't actually crossed her mind that they were thinking of marrying her. Her name and reputation. She hadn't thought of that angle, in regards to people she knew. Hermione was sure her thoughts were clear on her face when Yaxley looked a bit concerned. For a minute, she sat there. Thinking through the issue and her thoughts on it.
"Do you think that's all it is?" She asked the older wizard. Deciding that it was better to be vulnerable in front of him than stewing and unsure of herself the next time she was around the Malfoys.
"You'll have to explain that comment." He didn't seem to understand her meaning. This was embarrassing, and it seemed juvenile in front of this older wizard, who seemed to need,and want few, people in his life. His eyes were steady and he didn't look as if he wanted her to be quiet and deal with this herself.
"Well. I mean it was after the war. I already had the prestige and reputation. When I was just Potters mudblood no one wanted me. That way." Hermione was mortified. And then made herself add the rest of her thought. "Or in any way at all." It didn't sound like a cop out, because it wasn't. Then she thought of something else.
"Draco didn't even approach me directly about a relationship until I was getting them out. A lot changed then though. All at once." Now she was thinking through events and interactions. She couldn't be upset that things had changed, that was what she had wanted.
"You are not seeing the situation, or yourself, clearly." This was said sternly and she couldn't help but sit up a bit straighter. That didn't really clear anything up, but she did take note of another person saying she didn't see herself as others did.
"As a small example. It didn't matter what young Malfoy thought of you prior to the war ending as it did. Few scions would go against the dictates of their House. Are you the same witch? That question is irrelevant as you were very young when the war started and barely of age when it was your world. That shaped you, as it did Draco, and everyone else." Hermione tried to see things through that lens. Draco was different, Theo not so much. He was the same though. Perhaps more tolerant, of some things. He was still and snob and entitled, though not in all the ways he had been. All she could do was shrug helplessly. How could even begin to imagine who she would be without the war. He nodded in understanding, of her confusion.
"Here is another question. More relevant certainly. Do you care?" What kind of question was that, of course she cared. Draco had been a close friend of hers for well over a year. In a way she was fond of his mother and even felt quite comfortable with his father. Lucius and her seemed to have built a relationship of their own. Not a strong one but shared experiences built familiarity. Narcissa was becoming something of a role model. An older witch she could ask questions of and emulate when the need arose. This cast shadows on all of that.
"Yes. I care. How could I not? I was under the impression that Draco and I had a friendship. Theo and I had one separate and the three of us had one together. It wasn't equal, relationships never are. I've been part of a trio and it's not two equal relationships per person. Each one is built in relation to the others, but with its own strengths and weaknesses. I've been having problems with him since I turned him down. That's not my fault!" Hermione knew she wasn't upset with the man sitting across from whole thing was upsetting her though. Everyone was telling her what to do. Her inner turmoil was cut off by feeling Thorfinns magic coming. She groaned.
"Pardon." Yaxley said calmly.
"Rowle." It was all she could get out before his boots could be heard in the path. He watched her pout for a moment and then gave her a look. She smoothed her face slightly, she wasn't happy but she didn't need to be a child. Message received. There was a small smile on his Rowle's face when the door opened. Hermione was a bit fascinated by the man across from her. Idly wondering if she would ever know him at all.
"Morning all." Was Rowle's greeting to the two of them. Then he glanced around, probably for his missing relation. That was strange, they really weren't alike at all. She shook her head slightly. He wasn't here and she didn't know where he was, or when he would return. A shrug was her reply and he sat down, making them a triangle at the end of the table.
"Should I go?" He was looking between them, clearly reading that the conversation hadn't been light. Hermione shook her head.
"By all means stay. We could use your view point." Yaxley offered. Then he shot her a glance that was all challenge. She just rolled her eyes in response. Of course they could discuss this with whomever walked through the door. She wasn't sure anyone but Dolohov and Rowle could, but still. Rowle looked between them again, clearly interested enough to stay, his gaze settled on the older wizard.
While Yaxley gave Rowle the salient points of her meeting with Narcissa and their conversation up to this point, she dug around in her bag. Removing containers and thermoses, she scoffed once during the retelling but otherwise was quiet and didn't look at them. When he finished she opened the containers and steam rose from some of them. Then she waved her wand and conjured the required cutlery and dishes. Where these things were in Dolohov's kitchen she didn't know. Opening his cupboards was out of the question. Had he been here, she wouldn't have spoken about it in this way at all.
A look at each man got a nod and she began dishing food onto plates and handing them around. Then she opened the thermos and breathed in the coffee smell. She had a latte in another for later but the coffee was for breakfast. She had been so wound up that she had left the meeting with Narcissa and went straight to the muggle Supermarket and then home to bake and cook. When she woke two hours before her alarm, not feeling and better, she took up her whisk and mixing bowl again. Here was the results, well some. The rest was at home, covering her counters and filling her fridge.
They began eating and Rowle had polished off a staggering number of pancakes before he took a sip of coffee and broke the silence.
"I think Malfoy was your friend. It wasn't until he knew that you were going to be around other people. His kind of people, that he realised the timeline and acted. It was a sincere offer from what I know." He looked away from her and gave Yaxley a questioning look. The very slight shrug told them that he had no first hand knowledge of the issue. She mused that over, feeling her temper rise.
"A sincere offer. What exactly would you consider a sincere offer? Being of his ilk." She did. her very best to keep any trace of a sneer out of her voice and posture. She liked these men, wanted to like people. Truly didn't think that where you came from or how you were raised was a limitation to relationships, of any kind.
Their eyes met and Rowle shrugged.
"Neither of us having pursued a witch, with marriage in mind, are experts." Yaxley was trying to divert her, Lucius did this too. She put her knife and fork down.
"I have conversations like this with both Malfoy men. They don't want to answer so they try and skirt an issue. If you don't want to speak of such things I will accept it." Resuming her meal she let herself think of the equation that had been waiting for her and whether she should fess up to having solved it before. Of course the variables would be different and there would be his methods for finding them. It felt a bit like cheating.
"I've done this equation." She blurted out. Then groaned quietly. Even though she didn't want to see their expressions, she looked up. Rowle looked a bit confused but Yaxley was clearly incredulous. Then he masked his expression and quirked a brow at her. It would be up to her, and that hadn't been wise. How did he communicate so well like this and why couldn't he teach his friend? For a minute there was only the clink of cutlery and the sounds of eating.
"There is a list of steps. I'm sure you know the basics. It would be a bit different as you don't have a wizarding family. Anyways first it's examples of his ability to care for the witch. Financially and emotionally. These are usually thoughtful gestures and there are many nuances. Some run in families and others by what both like or their situations. That is all unofficial. Unless it is a negotiated contract between families, then it's those terms that dictate the steps from betrothal to marriage. Regardless it's three things. Verbal, physical, then magical. Words of intent, physical tokens, and then magical binding." Rowle was looking at her but it wasn't his usual casual regard. It seemed a bit pained. Thinking over his words and comparing them to Narcissa's, she had a question. It would solve this particular issue but not the bigger picture.
"I asked him to find me a flat. Mine was publicly known and I wanted to disappear from their reach. Draco seemed the best choice for sourcing something privately. You've seen it. It's amazing isn't it?" She asked Rowle who nodded but looked a bit bemused.
"The floo room is nice." That was a bit of a jibe but she just stuck her tongue out at him and then told them exactly what happened. Even a bit about his freak out. Then, leaving out her blushed and sexual thoughts, her reasons for her choices and then what followed.
It was obvious this hadn't been what they were expecting.
"Before this incident, nothing?" Yaxley's asked, as if she would have more to say about their history or had left out whole portions of the story. Incident was said as if that was the only word that could cover such an event. Like it had been an event and not just something that happened and then changed everything.
"What do you mean? That's what happened. Our day brewing together was terrible. It's like his third year self, all over again." Her grimace showed her distaste for his behaviour and the whole situation. They exchanged glances and just as Rowle opened his mouth her head shot toward the apparition point they used. No need to tell then, he had returned.
Quickly she finished her food and began to pack things up then she stopped and just remained there in indecision. It was rude not to offer. It wouldn't hurt her feelings if he wasn't hungry. These two had been good for her culinary ego, that was reward enough. Resolutely she pulled the two containers she had put away, back out and opened them. Rowle's snicker received a scowl and she tried to kick him.
Dolohov entered and sat down. At first he scanned their faces and she thought there was a frown then at the laden table. A small quirk of his brow asked the question and both other wizards looked to her. She didn't roll her eyes but quietly spoke.
"I was upset, I like to cook when I feel that way. Would you like breakfast?" That had gone well, it was pathetic that a sentence delivered with some composure could merit such a thought. He just scanned her thoroughly and then nodded. Unsure whether or not to fill him a plate she offered it to him. Nothing. Okay then, she would fill it. Now that he was here, she knew she would have to say something about the calculation. It would eat at her and there was no reason to keep it from him.
As she opened her mouth Yaxley beat her to speaking.
"Didn't you mention having been to see Lucius?" A glance at his friend in reply.
"What was the subject of the meeting?" The words were delivered in a conversational tone. As if he had been musing on Lucius Malfoy and just happened tk speak the thought. Hermione could see it wasn't that, and the look both wizards shot him was telling. What it told she wasn't sure but it was something, and Rowle knew. Some kind of argument happened between the two older wizards and Dolohov clearly didn't want to speak. That was fine, for now.
"I've done this equation." This received more reaction that the comment about the secret meeting. Dolohov stilled for a moment and Yaxley gave her a look of disbelief. Rowle shook his head and she just lifted her chin in stubborn response.
"I'll do it again of course. It was just arithmancy with some runic work last time. Telling you was important, to me." She kept her composure and eye contact while she spoke to him. This was between him and her. She wanted honesty on her part. Didn't want credit for work she had already done. She looked down when she was finished and began packing things up, again. What was said without words above her had as she cleaned up and released the magic holding the dishes that weren't in use she didn't try and decipher.
Pulling clean rolls of parchment and a ball point pen out of her bag she began on the calculations base work and the runes involved. When she had all the prelims key work done, the variables could be added. Doing it this way lessened her chances of a mistake or a missed translation.
"All of it will be done here, someone goes with you to observe." Looking up at him she nodded. It would take longer but if he wanted to see the actual work then that was his prerogative. Without further thought she bent her mind to the calculation. When the silence of the dishes told her he wasn't using them she vanished the rest of the mess and utensils. Minutes passed and she heard Rowle speaking quietly to Yaxley about his wand. He needed a charms task and wasn't sure what to do. This distracted Hermione from her mental litany of translations and variations.
"If you want, I've got broom twigs that need charming. I've been doing three a day and the pile is still daunting." Thought shared she returned to her parchment.
"Hermione." Yaxley's voice pulled her out of her academic come hours later. She had polished off two lattes and a scone while working. The spells and charms on the equations were not difficult but he had added the step of activating the runes. Absently she wondered if every day would be like this. She could feel the stretching as she poured magic into her work.
"Yes?" When he didn't speak she forced herself to put down the quill she was using. It hurt her hand to use quills as opposed to pens but the magic moved easier through the organic material of the feather. Her magic had told her that for a while she had been alone. Now it was Yaxley only that was within her range.
"That's enough for today." He was firm and she knew he was right. If she needed to, she could do more but if she didn't then this was about as far as she could push herself without needing extra time to recover. Nodding her agreement she began packing the detritus she had amassed on the table, into her bag. Dolohov entered her range and then the cabin, she didn't look at him until he placed a simple looking wooden box on the table. The look on his face said absolutely nothing at all, not even an inkling. As had already become a habit, she looked at Yaxley and he nodded at her.
Opening it carefully, she made herself not scan other than the general examination of her ambient magics. It seemed a box, set to her own magical signature. As she touched it and delved wider her into what she could decipher without casting she looked up at Dolohov. Their magics. Only the two of them could open it.
"Leave your work." So this was for safe storage of her things and projects here. It felt like a gift. Knowing that it would make him uncomfortable she just nodded, only her eyes showed her feelings. As she packed her things into the rather complicated box, the level of the extension charm work was amazing. There were little doors and trays. Small hinges and she could feel magics ties to parts of it. Since he was watching, she didn't let her curiosity overwhelm her. There would be another time to geek out over the gift and explore it.
"Have Thorfinn do two of the twigs everyday. You don't mind?" Yaxley ordered her and then asked. That made her grin a bit.
"That's fine. It's tons of work and if I leave here everyday in this condition it will be months before I can get it done." Allowing her knowledge of her own limitations to be verbalized. Dolohov's curt jerk of his chin told her that she was right to have spoken. It prevented an order. Meeting both of their eyes she thanked them and told them she would see them tomorrow.
"Spasibo, uvidimsya zavtra."