Hermione had now been in Russia for a year. It was the longest year of her life. The reserve was nothing like the one in Romania. The dragons were always strappy, they hardly ate, and the ratio of males to females was nowhere what she needed to do research. She knew coming here wouldn't be exactly what she wanted or needed, but getting away from Charlie and putting up her walls gave her a since of freedom, even if she really wasn't
Since moving to Russia many unlikely events happened. She spent most of her days scrubbing scale rot and hardly doing research. The people up there weren't a fan of their job, and she was slowly watching the reserve get itself deeper into shit. With the way things were being run, she wouldn't be surprised if she was out of a job soon.
The most surprising thing had been who exactly they put her in a hut with. Had someone told her that she would share a room with Pansy Parkinson, who was a surprisingly good dragon tamer, she never would have believed it, but here they were and they surprisingly didn't hate each other.
When the war ended and Hermione and Harry were attending trials, she remembered the black haired witch sitting in on Draco's. The two couldn't let their past school mate rot in Azkaban after all that he had done for them during the war. Hermione had always wondered if the two were betrothed in their pureblood culture, but living with Pansy she quickly learned they would kill each other if they had to spend the rest of their lives as husband and wife.
While Hermione didn't reach out to the Weasley's and Harry as much as she would have wanted to, she had formed a small friendship with the past Slytherins. They had all changed, and in the end everyone was just as lonely as the other after the war.
While Hermione and Pansy would never share a bond that she and Ginny did. The two enjoyed talking about their jobs and getting entirely too drunk together.
"Why aren't you getting ready?" Pansy asked from her spot at Hermione's door frame. She let out a big sighed and untangled her legs from under her while marking her spot in her book.
"I hardly see why I have to attend this ball tonight? I went to the reunion, if you have forgotten, I don't really care for these public appearances like the Malfoy's." Pansy rolled her eyes and unzipped the garment bag hanging off her door. "Tell them I'm sick, it's not as though anybody will miss me." Hermione waved her hand and threw herself onto her bed.
"Narcissa Malfoy did not pick out a dress for you to so rudely decline her. Besides, it's not as though your lovely husband will be there." Hermione gave an exasperated look at the dress and began to correct Pansy. "Right, not husband, anyway. Why don't you use this as a way to curb the press instead? After the reunion everyone is wondering what happened to the royal prince and princess anyway."
"The whole point of coming here was to get away from press and to forget about him when I can. I already have to share a mind with the man and it's getting harder to keep him out." She rubbed her temples.
"Then don't, come out tonight, show the world this Hermione Granger, and have fun. Deal with the press and whatever else when it comes." They both looked at each other. "You've been running for half your life, give your legs a rest for once."
Pansy stepped out of the room and came back with two glasses of clear liquid. She suspected it was the tequila they saved for occasions like this. Vodka was to make them happy, whiskey was for fun, and tequila was to forget the bad. "I'll make you a deal." Hermione's eyebrow rose at the proposition. "You come tonight, and I will take over all your scale rot cases so that you can accomplish more on the research."
Hermione chewed her lip in contemplation. She hadn't gotten anything done since the snow started, and she was supposed to present to the Wizagmont at the end of the month to get an allowance for more testing. "Fine, but I refuse to act happy in front of the cameras."
"No one is asking you to smile Hermione, besides, they like it when you're angry."
They arrived at the gates of the Manor and a house elf met them dressed in a suit and tie charmed to fit him. "Lady Parkinson and Lady Granger, Master and Misses have been awaiting your arrival." He held out a hand that ushered them up the path and to the front doors.
Hermione was hardly surprised to see the ballroom so elaborately dressed, but she did have to admire the work of Mrs. Malfoy. "Well would you look who finally arrived, happy to see you've gone another day without being eaten by the dragons." The two girls gave Malfoy a look before stepping past the threshold. He took Pansy's hand first and gave her knuckles a kiss, then he took Hermione's and gave her a wicked grin when a bulb flashed to her left. "Let me take your cloaks?" They didn't have a chance to answer before her vanished them.
"So who's all here tonight? Rita, the daily prophet, quibbler?" She threw a distasteful look at the photographer and then wiped her palms against the bodice of her dress while she took in the crowd.
Hermione was thankful that Narcissa seemed to notice how she chose to dress for the reunions and had gone with a simple, yet elegant, dress just like those. Since it was a winter ball, the older witch had chosen a silk material that was a mix between silver and green. Its thin straps rested delicately over her petite shoulders and it dipped in between her breast to give off some tasteful cleavage. It shaped to her curves and hug her hips while ending at her shins. There was a large slit that went up her thigh and would really do much for the imagination.
Her hair was pulled back into a low bun and she let stray curls fall on the sides of her face. Her makeup was natural, and even Pansy had to admit, she was jealous of how Hermione looked tonight.
"You look exquisite as ever, let's get you two some drinks." Hermione followed Draco and Pansy's lead. She watched as people mingled and danced and envied how comfortable everyone looked. Taking the flute of champagne from Draco's outstretched hand she began to drink it delicately.
"So, what is all of this for exactly? And, why was it so important that I also be in attendance?" Hermione rested against the bar and Draco gave a winning smile to some people before answering her questions.
"We throw a winter ball every year, have for centuries. In the past, it was a gala to make deals with the ministry. Get everyone drunk and they won't remember what they said. Everyone is too proud to go back on their word so whatever was spoken is as good as golden." He clicked his glass against hers. "Now though, it's just to bring life to the Manor. Mother misses having guest over, so whatever makes her happy."
"I guess that's a reasonable answer, where is she by the way? I have to thank her for the dress."
"She won't be down for another hour or so. It's a rule that the lady of the house does not arrive before all of her guest have."
"Your pureblood traditions continue to baffle me."
The night continued and Hermione's glass was never left empty. She had ventured away from her schoolmates and walked to one of the glass high-top tables that looked out onto the dance floor. She had an arm crossed over her torso and her hand with her glass rested in an upright position so that she could easily take a sip when she wanted.
Those who chose to dance did it with elegance. They seemed to glide over the marble floor and never missed a beat. She was caught in a trance at their movements, she didn't notice any of the cameras catching her alone, or when Rita Skeeter came to her side.
"They are beautiful aren't they?" The woman dressed in her usual green pencil skirt and blouse with her red lips that were always formed in a smirk. Hermione rolled her eyes at the woman's question and took another sip from her flute. "What is Hermione Granger doing at an event as such, and why is she alone?"
"I see you still haven't moved on to a better story."
"What better story than that of an unbreakable vow." Hermione snorted and refused to make eye contact with the woman. "Is it painful being away from your soulmate? We know you two share a mind, just what exactly is he saying right now? I'm sure he's livid you would choose to associate yourself with the likes of these people."
Her face turned hard at the intrusive questions. Hermione would not give Skeeter the benefit of getting any information out of her. "What about when we caught him in the English pubs with that blonde woman? How did that make you feel? He wasn't exactly subtle about his movements." Hermione actually laughed at her statement.
It had stung the day that paper arrived. Charlie was home for Easter, and she received multiple owls from Ginny telling her how Charlie had the audacity to bring a witch into their family home and act fine. But, Hermione couldn't blame him for trying to have some type of normalcy. She knew whatever it was wasn't real. It was physically impossible and she could only imagine the pain he was feeling when he tried to touch the girl, because she had felt it herself.
"Does it not bother you? That he is practically playing with your lives."
"Listen Skeeter. Whatever you are trying to get from me, you won't. My life is none of your business, and last time I checked, you have a little secret that not many know about except me. I would suggest you kindly get the fuck out of my life before I make you." Hermione turned hard and her dressed twirled around her. She made her way to the bar and begged for a shot of their hardest liquor.
She felt the presence of someone next to her, but learned from her last interaction not to give them what they wanted. "By the looks of it, I'd say you're almost done for the night." Her shoulders relaxed at Pansy's voice. "I am too, it's not as fun as when we were children. Now I really am just a pretty girl to stare at. No one wants to hear about the dragons."
"Welcome to my life Parkinson." She raised her cup and drank the liquid desperately. "Rita has a nice little piece to write about me. 'Granger rude as ever, attends ball while pinning after her soulmate'" Pansy laughed and asked the bartender for her own shot.
The two looked out at the crowd and scanned it while they sipped their drinks. She could feel her buzz turning into more by the time her glass was empty and she wondered just how much of Malfoy's liquor she could drink before he cut her off.
"Do you miss him?" Hermione was broken from her trance and she looked at her roommate. They never delved too much into the topic, but Pansy knew enough to know they weren't on good terms. Hermione thought about her answer for a moment and tried to ignore the itching in her brain to let her walls down.
"Yeah," She bit her lip and looked into her glass again. "Yeah, I do." Pansy nodded and the conversation was done. It was always simple for them, less was more. Hermione took a deep breath and pursed her lips trying to think of a way to stop whatever it was she was feeling.
"I've heard rumors that we are done in December. The reserve can't afford to keep us and they are going to move the dragons between the English and the Romanian Reserve." Her head popped up and she saw something on Pansy's face she had never seen before. "I've started applying for the English one. While I don't want to be closer to my father, Romania won't be able to hire too many."
"Pansy, they would take you in a heartbeat. You're good at this, and those who respect the dragons take top priority on their list." She reached out to put a hand on her arm.
"What I'm getting at, is that I don't want you to be blind-sided by this. They want you for the research, but I think it would be better spent bringing that to a reserve that could actually help you get what you want." Her emerald eyes met Hermione's honey ones. "You need to go back to Romania."
She withdrew her hand as if Pansy's skin burned her and looked for anything else to focus her attention on.
She knew the time would come when she would go back to where she called home, and that she and Charlie would finally be together, but she couldn't be forced into it, and she was not ready. "I'll keep the rumors in mind." She gave a nod after she spoke and then left for the door.