Black Manor was nowhere near as big as Malfoy Manor which had surprised Hermione however it didn't mean the Manor she was given a tour of lacked in expensive and lavish decorations that almost had the young brunette scared to so much as touch anything while she closely followed after Narcissa.
Eight bedrooms, a huge dining room, three kitchens, countless living rooms and parlours and according to Narcissa if she were to give her a tour of the gardens it would take the rest of the day. Rose seemed to be enjoying crawling along the corridors, hard oak flooring underfoot that was so polished she could almost see her own reflection.
One thing Hermione had noted was the absence of any house elves but whether that meant there weren't any or she simply hadn't noticed their presence she was yet to establish.
The one room that had well and truly captured Hermione's attention was the library, the room in which the trio had spent the past two hours.
Narcissa had roared with laughter at the look of shock that had fallen upon Hermione's face when the older women had opened the door to the library, the brunette unable to stop her jaw from hitting the floor at the sight of the thousands of books that lined the walls. With the exception of Hogwarts, Hermione had never seen such a collection of books before.
The Black Manor library was without a doubt the coziest room in the manor, not to say that Narcissa hadn't made a fabulous job of decorating the rest of the Manor but there was something so much more inviting about this particular room. Cosy armchairs and couches were dotted around, a large fireplace with a roaring fire in the corner. This was without a doubt Hermione's favourite room and it seemed as though it was Narcissa's too if the number of books that were left open were anything to go by.
Hermione had found herself settling down into one of the two seater couches that were incredibly comfy, if the brunette had to guess she was sure Narcissa had added an extra cushioning charm to it. The problem was that despite being extremely comfy with a good book in hand, Hermione was incredibly distracted by the sight in front of her.
Narcissa had been sitting next to her but after a few minutes of attempting to read, the blonde had thrown her book to the side in favour of playing with Rose on the floor. The young baby was more than happy to let Narcissa join in as the blonde attempted to get Rose to repeat her name back to her. The sight was tooth achingly sweet and Hermione found herself wishing so deeply for this domesticity not just only now but everyday.
The main distraction however was Narcissa, from her viewpoint she was being given quite the view down the older women's shirt and if Hermione wasn't mistaken it was as if the blonde was doing it on purpose. Hermione had lost track of the amount of times she had nearly snapped her neck trying to not get caught staring at the older women, the blush on her face doing nothing but further incriminating her if she wasn't already sure she had been caught.
How Narcissa still managed to look ready to walk a catwalk despite having rolled around on the floor with an eight month old was beyond Hermione's understanding. After ten minutes she often found her hair was a frizzy mess and her clothes rumpled but not Narcissa. Not a strand of hair out of place or a crease in her shirt to be seen. If Hermione wasn't so blinded by her attraction she was sure she would be green with envy.
"Does Mr Weasley know you're here?" Hermione was broken from her train of thought as Narcissa's voice broke through the comfortable silence that had settled over the room for the last hour or so.
Eyes darting over toward the older women, Hermione took in the way her legs were elegantly crossed at the ankle as her skirt stretched tightly across her thighs. Narcissa wasn't looking at her, her eyes watching Rose crawl toward the stuffed teddy she had levitated toward the edge of the bubble she had created to stop the baby from crawling too far away from them.
Toys were strewn across the floor which was covered with a luxurious carpet that the blonde was currently digging her tight covered heels into as she waited for Hermione's answer.
"No, I told him Rose and I were going to Australia." Hermione knew Narcissa had picked up on the way her voice wavered ever so slightly at the mention of the current location of her parents as the older woman's head turned to give her her full attention.
Unable to stop herself from fidgeting under Narcissa's gaze, Hermione lifted her legs up on the couch to tuck under her thighs as she picked her book back up and attempted to ignore the blonde who was watching her with serious interest.
"Have you got family in Australia?" The words that Hermione was so desperately trying to read in front of her began to blur, the tears that she so desperately didn't want to appear making it impossible to try to appear unaffected by the conversation.
Clearing her throat past the lump that had lodged itself there, Hermione closed the book over and rested it in her lap before quickly brushing at her eyes but not before noticing the concerned expression on Narcissa's face.
The older women seemed to be conflicted on whether to come closer to comfort her or leave her be but the former seemed to win out in her mind as she shuffled her way over but not before making sure Rose was occupied with an old toy of Draco's she had found in the cupboard earlier on.
"I'm sorry Hermione, I didn't mean to upset you." Narcissa had situated herself on the floor in front of Hermione, her hands reaching out to rub soothing patterns on the younger women's skin as her eyes flashed with something Hermione recognised quickly as guilt.
Reaching her own hands down, Hermione let her fingertips graze ever so slightly against Narcissa's as she bit back a sob that threatened to be ripped from her chest. Glancing over Narcissa's shoulder toward Rose, Hermione felt a fresh wave of tears as she watched her daughter play on unaware of the deep pain and sorrow she was feeling.
The fact that she had taken away her daughter's chance to know her own Grandparents ate her up with guilt every single day and today was no different.
"My parents live in Australia, I erased their memories of me before the war and I can't fix it so they still don't know I exist." Word vomit, that's the best way Hermione could describe what had just happened.
Without even thinking about it she had told the older women something which she had only told two other people. Harry and Ron were the only other people aware of what she had done to her parents and everyone else was told lies upon lies about her parents whereabouts. It was easier that way, not having to break down and admit that she had more or less made herself an orphan and lost her parents.
These days it wasn't as if many people were that interested in her personal life enough to question her parents whereabouts. With Narcissa, the older women didn't make her feel insignificant. If anything the woman seemed to hold her in a much higher regard than even she did in herself.
"Oh sweetheart." For the first time Hermione let herself feel comforted over what she had done to her parents, the feeling of Narcissa's arms wrapping so tightly around her waist was the tipping point.
Ron and Harry had tried in the beginning, half hearted attempts to help with the grief that dug so deeply into her heart but neither could ever say or do anything to help ease the pain. Ron had both his parents who kissed his arse at every opportunity and as cold hearted as it was Harry hadn't known his parents but had been more or less taken under Arthur and Molly's care. Hermione on the other hand had been left out in the cold to fend for her own.
The soft whispers of comfort that Narcissa spoke into her ear only made the tears fall faster, Hermione wasn't sure exactly what it was about being in the women's presence that made her feel able to drop her guard and cry so openly. It was as if Narcissa was trying to wrap her in a blanket of safety and comfort as she gently rocked them from side to side.
The first thing Hermione most appreciated was that Narcissa let her be, if she didn't want to talk about something she didn't prod at it the same way Ron would. The second was that she was someone who told it as it was, there was no mincing of words or handing out false hope which was rather refreshing when compared to Ginny's constant words of 'it'll get better'.
"I'm sorry, you must think me a lunatic the way I cry at everything." Brushing the tears away from her face, Hermione was grateful that Narcissa had baby proofed the entire room as she took in the sight of Rose sprawled out on the floor snoring softly, clearly having exhausted herself playing with the blonde for the past couple of hours.
A light chuckle fell from her lips at her daughter, Narcissa's eyes following her line of sight to let out a giggle at Rose's curls that were currently hiding half her face falling and rising with the deep breaths she took. Muttering a quiet thank you as she watched Narcissa conjure up a pillow and mattress for Rose before turning her attention back toward the young women.
"I think you forget I've seen my fair share of 'lunatics' and you are certainly not one of them Hermione." Narcissa reasoned, her hands absentmindedly moving Hermione's out of the way as she gently wiped away the stray tears that the younger women had missed.
Hermione could hear her heartbeat thundering in her ears as she failed to stop the shiver rushing through her body at the feeling of Narcissa's fingertips tracing along her jaw before moving to settle on her chin, tugging it up slightly so that she had no other option than to look the older women in the eyes. And what beautiful eyes they were.
"You do what you have to to protect those you love even if it means sacrificing yourself in the process. We both know that if you hadn't done what you did then your Mother and Father would most likely be dead right now as utterly horrific as it is." Hermione didn't need to be able to read Narcissa's mind to be able to know where the older women's thoughts were at, no doubt revisiting the moment she had chosen her love for Draco over her own life if she had been caught lying to Voldemort.
If there was anyone that understood what true sacrifice was then it was Narcissa. Devoting herself to a life of living as a Pureblood housewife who sat quietly to the side while her husband made a complete mockery of their family when she was without a doubt a truly talented and highly intelligent witch. The most interesting part of it all to Hermione was how Narcissa hadn't ever been marked with the Dark Mark, biding her time until the opportunity arose to escape the grasps of such darkness and save her son in the process. A true Slytherin through and through.
And so Hermione found herself letting Narcissa's words sink in, blunt and to the point but something that she had so desperately needed to hear especially from someone who had experienced their fair share of having to give up their own happiness for the sake of others.
"You're right." Hermione let out a deep sigh before the words came out, a soft smile appearing on Narcissa's face as a playful sparkle glinted in her eyes.
"You should know by now I'm always right love." How Hermione managed to restrain herself from grasping the back of Narcissa's neck and smashing their lips together as the older women sent a teasing wink her way the younger women would never know.
The giggle that Narcissa let out as Hermione pinched her side was something which the younger women so vastly wanted to hear over and over again. So care free, it warmed her heart to see the older woman who was seen as so prim and proper let her guard down and show a rarely seen side.
Their bodies were still so close to one another, their knees brushing against each other as Narcissa cleared her throat softly before pulling her hand back to rest on Hermione's thigh. The wedding band on Narcissa's hand glistened under the light, a stark reminder of exactly why Hermione should be shifting away from the older women who didn't seem to kind their close proximity in the slightest. If anything, the way Narcissa's eyes continued to trace and study every single feature of her body told her the blonde was currently facing the same dilemma as herself.
The tension in the room was unlike anything Hermione had felt in her life, the silence was yet to be broken by either of them as they continued to stare at one another as though goading the other to see who would break first and look away.
It was as though Narcissa was trying to stare into her soul, the piercing eyes gazing at her with a look that could only be described as sheer hunger.
"You have no idea how badly I want to kiss you right now Hermione." The words were spoken so softly that had Hermione not been so close to Narcissa she was sure she wouldn't have heard them. The quiet crackle of the fire and the soft snores of Rose sleeping only a few feet away from them, Hermione could feel her self control slipping away with every second that ticked by.
Hermione's eyes dipped down to trace the shape of Narcissa's lips, the woman's teeth sinking into her bottom lip in what Hermione had picked up on as one of the blondes' only signs of being nervous.
"I can't." Hermione could instantly see the way that Narcissa deflated before her eyes, the older women's eyes instantly looking anywhere but at her.
The hand that rested upon her thigh tensed but before Narcissa could move it away, Hermione clasped it tightly not letting it move away despite the older women trying desperately to tug it away. The embarrassed blush that spread across the older witches cheeks and the tears that glistened in her eyes not escaping Hermione's attention.
"I hope you trust me when I say I want to kiss you just as badly Narcissa. I just.. You're all I have right now, one of the only friends I have and I don't want to lose you if you end up regretting it." Hermione moved her hand to entwine their fingers together, grateful for the way the older women gave a soft squeeze in response before lifting her eyes up to meet the brunettes.
Watching as Narcissa cleared her throat and squared her shoulders, Hermione was so glad that the women couldn't read her thoughts as the authority that the blonde possessed was almost hypnotic. And unbelievably attractive. It was clear that whatever Narcissa was about to say was something was important and she tried to ignore the distracting heat that spread throughout her body.
"I know you and Rose have been let down by people in the past but I want to show you I'm different. I'm here, be it as a friend or something more that's up to you. It's up to you but please know that I'm not going anywhere, I promise you." Hermione knew it was inevitable, the attraction between them was reaching a boiling point that neither of them could even begin to deny not that either of them would but there was still a nagging voice in the back of her head that screamed out at her that her vows were made not to be broken. Even if her husband quite evidently couldn't give two shits about them.
As much as Hermione knew about Narcissa, the older woman was still a mystery to her. Every little story or small piece of information that she learnt from the older women was carefully stored away but there was still so much to learn about Narcissa and Hermione was constantly finding herself wanting to ask question after question about the women's life. Like right now.
"Does Lucius know you spend time with me?" Hermione watched carefully at Narcissa's reaction to the question and didn't fail to be impressed by how the blonde remained completely impassive yet continued to stroke her thumb against Hermione's knuckles in the most tender of touches. A sharp contrast indeed.
"It isn't any of his business what I spend my time doing or with who. I couldn't tell you the last time we held a conversation with each other. I prefer to pretend he doesn't exist and I can safely say that the feeling is completely mutual between us." The nonchalant shrug that Narcissa made as she finished explaining her marriage only further emphasised to Hermione just how little the older women seemed to care about Lucius, not that she hadn't already come to that conclusion herself already but this only further cemented it.
There had been many stories printed about the Malfoy marriage but as Hermione knew from her own experience everything that was written in the papers were to be taken with a pinch of salt. Andromeda had hinted on a number of occasions that her sister's marriage was more or less non existent but even then Narcissa's older sister despised Lucius, with good reason, so even that was slightly biased.
Hearing it from Narcissa herself, Hermione couldn't help but wonder for a moment why they weren't divorced but even she realised how hypocritical a question that was before she could speak it out loud.
The two of them were quite clearly both in marriages that were toxic and not in the slightest bit loving. It helped slightly, the guilt that was weighing heavily on her shoulders felt suddenly less. As much as she detested Lucius for who he was, he was still Narcissa's husband but apparently only on paper.
It was strange, how alike their life's were and yet it only made her feel more connected with the older women knowing that Narcissa knew what she was going through. They were two lonely souls who had come across each other at just the right time.
"Why do you want to kiss me?" For the life of her, Hermione didn't understand why Narcissa would pick her of all people to be involved with.
The history between the two women was murky and that was being polite about it but despite all that the thought that kept swirling around Hermione's head was that the women in front of her could have anybody she wanted. Why Narcissa wanted to be with a single mother who was on the verge of tears almost every hour of the day she couldn't quite understand the reason why.
Narcissa's demeanor completely changed from her emotionless mask she was so very good at putting in her face to a smile that had Hermione almost melting at the sight of it. No playful smirks or teasing, just a soft smile that made the women's eyes crinkle in the corner.
"The real question is who on Earth wouldn't want to kiss you? You're gorgeous, incredibly intelligent and an amazing Mother to Rose. If I may put it so bluntly, your husband is an absolute imbecile for not worshiping the ground you walk on." Hermione knew Narcissa was honest, she liked to say it exactly how it was but to hear such compliments it had her struggling for words.
The inner turmoil going on inside Hermione was enough to give her a headache, the part of her that wanted to kiss Narcissa was screaming at her to do so but the other part of her told her it wouldn't be fair on either of them to do something so reckless.
Narcissa was studying her closely, a sympathetic look upon her face as she no doubt could see the emotions playing out on Hermione's face. With one final squeeze of their hand, Narcissa carefully pulled her hand back and gently patted Hermione's knee.
"I'm going to go and start on dinner, would you like me to take Rose and give you some peace and quiet to read for a while?" Hermione was grateful that Narcissa knew not to press her when her thoughts were racing so wildly, if it were Ron he would be pestering her with questions but clearly the older women understood what was going on.
Rather than verbally reply she nodded her head with a half hearted smile, something which Narcissa could see through as she gently stroked her hair back before leaving a lingering kiss on her forehead.
"I'll shout for you when it's ready." The words mumbled against her forehead, lips brushing softly against her skin before the women automatically stroked down the front of her shirt taming the creases and began to make her way over to her sleeping daughter.
Watching as Narcissa quietly scooped Rose up, making quick work of soothing her back to sleep against her chest as she woke up, Hermione found her thoughts wandering off into visions of having this kind of domesticity everyday with the older women.
—
Dinner had been a nice distraction yet with the occasional comfortable silence Hermione was still very lost in her own thoughts as Narcissa fed Rose at the dinner table. The food was gorgeous, not that Hermione had expected anything less from the blonde but there was no denying her surprise when Narcissa had carried through the plates herself and set the dinner table. The soft chuckle that the older witch had let out at Hermione's shocked face had her blushing, Narcissa carefully explaining how she had found herself rather enjoying not having house elves these days and learning to do things for herself when she spent time at Black Manor.
Stories of burning multiple dinners and learning how to wash her own clothes had Hermione admiring the women even more than before which she hadn't thought was possible. The way in which Narcissa had changed her life was absolutely admirable, willing to admit the wrong she had done rather than be a stick in the mud. It was clear that Andromeda had played a part in the change, the older sister featuring in many of the stories that Narcissa had told.
It wasn't until the chiming of t her clock sounded in the background that both the women realised it was nine o'clock and well passed Rose's bedtime, the disappointment clear on Narcissa's face only there for a moment before the two women Rose from the table.
The offer of helping Narcissa clean up was waved away by the older women who had teasingly pointed toward the door. Rose had reached out for Narcissa, the older woman's toothy grin coming out as she felt the babies fingers messily grasp the back of her neck.
"Goodnight Rosie." Hermione could see that Narcissa clearly adored her daughter, letting the baby tug at her hair despite Hermione telling Rose off multiple times for it.
If there was one thing that Hermione knew about Narcissa, it was her love of children. It was evident with Draco but actually seeing it first hand the way she interacted with her daughter, it was a beautiful thing to watch. Over the years, Hermione had heard from Teddy about his 'Aunt Cissy' who constantly spoiled him with treats and gifts much to Andromeda's annoyance at times. The woman made a fabulous Mother, no doubt trying to provide for those she loved in a way that her own parents never did.
A rare moment of awkwardness passed between the two women as a silence settled between them, neither sure how to end the night after their talk earlier on. Narcissa made the decision for them as she reached out to squeeze her forearm, the exact spot where the ugly scar resided, offering a gentle brush of her fingertips before whispering a quiet Goodnight.
The blonde was gone before Hermione could even do so much as reply and the sadness that soared through her body only confirmed exactly what she needed to do.
Climbing the stairs, Hermione felt the butterflies fluttering in her stomach as she walked toward her bedroom which was across from Narcissa's. The older woman had insisted when she had shown Hermione around the house earlier on her taking the master bedroom, not taking no for an answer as she helped set up the baby's cot in the corner of the massive room.
The huge four poster bed with white silk bed sheets and a deep red throw, the room was like something Hermione was sure she would find in Buckingham Palace. It was as if the money was literally dripping in every edge and corner of the house but even then it wasn't tacky or in your face, it was understated. Hermione couldn't quite help but think of the old saying 'money speaks, wealth whispers'.
Placing Rose down into her cot, the baby fussed for a moment before Hermione set the mobile above her head to play a quiet lullaby that her parents would often sing whenever she had snuck into her bed after a nightmare. How badly she wished to be a young girl again, wedged in beside her parents feeling the love wash over her in waves.
Making sure Rose was settled, Hermione took a deep breath before squaring her shoulders up. Narcissa had bared herself, let her guard down and laid her cards out for Hermione to possibly laugh in her face but she had taken the chance. Now it was Hermione's turn to restore the Gryffindor bravery that used to race so freely through her. It was rare for someone to come into your life and change everything in such a short amount of time, open your eyes to make you realise exactly what you were missing out on.
Well Hermione wouldn't be missing out any longer. She deserved a little happiness after such a long time of misery and pain.
—
Narcissa had actually surprised herself with the level of self control she had come to realise she possessed. If it were anyone else, Narcissa was sure she would have already slept with them but with Hermione it was different. It was more than attraction, it was the connection she shared with the women that made her so desperately want the younger women to feel the same.
Narcissa was the queen of manipulation, using her looks and intelligence to get whatever she had desired especially where her husband had been concerned. With Hermione, there was nothing in her that wanted to deceive the younger women. Even with Andromeda, she kept parts of herself hidden for fear of being rejected by her older sister but Hermione made her want to bare her soul. Never in her life had she wanted someone to see her, the real her, so badly.
The same dish that she had been washing for the past five minutes slipped from her hands, breaking her train of thought, shaking her head as she took a deep breath. Narcissa carried on washing the dishes by hand, something she had often found herself doing to take her mind off whatever was troubling her. Recently it had been Hermione, the younger woman never far away from the forefront of her mind. The curly hair and soft pink lips forever invading her thoughts.
So lost in her thoughts Narcissa hadn't heard the footsteps approaching her from behind until Hermione's hand reached out to tap her lightly on the shoulder.
Letting out a yelp, Narcissa swirled around ready to attack whoever was behind her but stopped short as she saw Hermione trying and failing to hold back laughter at her reaction.
"Merlin! Don't you know it's rude to creep up on people like tha-" The words died on Narcissa's lips as Hermione surged forward to close the gap between them, the softest of kisses that made her knees almost buckle underneath her.
It was soft, the softest and most tenderest of kisses she had ever experienced and she didn't want it to end. Hermione's fingers were digging into her hip, the younger woman clearly feeling the same way as her as she moved her own hands to dance along the women's ribs before settling in her jaw.
Pulling away, their eyes met one another as neither of the two women made a move to break the silence instead letting their eyes hungrily roam over each other's faces. The soft puff of air hitting against her lips at such a fast pace, Hermione's chest pressed up against her own as it rose and fell as though the woman had run a marathon. As far as first kisses went, Narcissa prayed it would be the very last first kiss she would ever experience.
"Goodnight Narcissa." Words whispered softly, Hermione's cheeks began to bloom in a gorgeous blush before she turned and more or less sprinted out of the kitchen leaving Narcissa grinning like a complete and utter dazed fool.
If Andromeda could see her now she would never live it down, licking her lips as though already addicted to the taste of Hermione after only one kiss. The thought of racing after the younger women was quickly squashed, despite craving the feel of their bodies pressed against each other again Narcissa knew what it had taken for Hermione to do what she had just done and knew it was best to leave it up to the younger women to make the next move.
Narcissa could only hope it wouldn't be too long until Hermione did just that.
—
Hopefully you enjoyed that! Thanks as always for reading :))
Follow me over on tumblr if you fancy monochromeice