Chapter 9

Clem, Toby & Pippa

Hermione really enjoyed the next few days as she did each sitting. She got to know everyone better as they chatted with her while she sketched. She began to like being around the dragons, they were astonishing creatures. She was also really pleased with how the sketches were working out – they were going to make spectacular pictures if she made sure she did them right and she had every intention of doing exactly that.

Normal service had resumed with Draco and Hermione wasn't disappointed as she hadn't expected anything else. She knew his confession was just a moment of vulnerability and it didn't mean they were now going to be best friends, sharing all their secrets. She didn't want that anyway and she knew it would have been unrealistic to expect that. He was less cold than before, a bit more friendly and he chatted to her more easily but that was as far as it went.

She'd painted Clem and Toby today and the weather hadn't been kind with high winds and patches of heavy rain. She knew it would make for a great, dramatic painting but it didn't make for easy work. She'd had fun with Toby who was being painted with Bernard. Bernard was, as previously, more than happy to have all the attention. Toby was great with him, always in control but with a gentle touch. She captured Toby crouching to adjust Bernard's chain with Bernard's wings half extended, his neck stretched upwards and she loved it the moment she got it on paper.

Toby seemed to have got over his shyness and was chatty and a little flirtatious and Hermione was quite happy to accept his attention, although she hadn't really considered him in that way. She wasn't sure how old he was, he looked young but his experience made her think he was older than he looked. He was a good-looking man, very athletic and fit but he had a cute, youthful charm and absolutely gorgeous eyes so she played along and took the subtle hints and flirty chat from him willingly.

"So, you know Mr Malfoy pretty well?" Toby asked as they walked back to the main building.

"Well, I did know him very well but that was a very long time ago."

"I know you were enemies – I was three years below you at Hogwarts and people were still talking about you, even when you had left."

"You were at Hogwarts?" Hermione asked, surprised.

Toby nodded. "Yeah – I don't expect you to remember me but I remember you."

Hermione pulled a face. "I feel guilty that I don't remember you."

"It's okay, no-one pays much attention to kids younger than themselves," Toby said. "You can't tell that you were enemies, you act as if you've never met before."

"It was a long time ago."

Toby nodded and Hermione knew he wanted to ask about Leo and Eva but didn't dare. She wasn't keen to talk about it but decided to say something.

"I think our partners doing what they did was either going to mend bridges or blow them to smithereens," she joked and Toby smiled.

"I didn't like to ask about that," he said.

"It's okay- there isn't much to say really. I do think it's helped Draco and I deal with all our history though."

"Was he always like this? I remember him being aloof at school, we were all terrified of him." Toby asked and Hermione looked at him questioningly.

"Like what?"

"Well, he's nice enough and quite easy going really when it comes to hours and stuff. But even though I've worked here for a good while now, I feel like I don't know him at all. I know he's the boss but I know so little about him and he's so…." Toby paused, searching for the right word.

"Remote?" Hermione completed his sentence for him and Toby gave her a smile.

"You know what I'm on about then?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, he's very difficult to break down. Although, he did open up to me a little yesterday," she didn't want to say too much. "He wasn't like that at school, like you say he was aloof, superior but at the same time he was happy to make his presence felt!"

"Ha ha! From your tone, I'm guessing not in a good way! I'm glad you knew what I meant," Toby said.

Her sitting with Clem was the opposite end of the scale. Not that Clem was unfriendly, in fact the opposite was true and Hermione began to wonder if he was flirting with her too but Humphrey didn't want to join in the fun and they could hardly coax him out of his cave.

Once they did lure him out, he was grumpy and un-cooperative, roaring and flicking his deadly tail. Hermione had had to use a good deal of creative license to get the sketch done. Clem was the ultimate professional though and they were right about him, he did have a magic touch with the dragons.

Their conversation flowed, much better than it had previously but Hermione couldn't read him at all. He would say something flirty then if she attempted to make a joke or flirt back, he would clam up again.

"Do you enjoy working here?" Hermione asked him and he looked at her suspiciously.

"Why?"

"I just wondered, I mean it's hard work and quite remote."

"Yeah, both true."

He didn't elaborate and changed the subject

"What about you? Do you enjoy your work?" he asked her.

"Yes, I love it," Hermione said enthusiastically. "This commission is amazing, something to really get my teeth into."

"Let's hope the dragons don't think of you in the same way," Clem said raising his eyebrows jokingly and Hermione couldn't help but laugh, despite being a little annoyed at him for his ridiculous mood swings.

The weather the following day was bright and sunny and Hermione was glad for the contrast as she was sketching Pippa and Rory today. It wouldn't do for all the paintings to look the same.

They travelled out to Rory's enclosure together because it had been decided to draw him there as it would be safer. Rory wasn't particularly aggressive but his unique talent of producing Fireballs meant they always had to use caution around him. Hermione would then sketch the spectacular and dramatic view from Rory's enclosure and put him against that.

Pippa was dressed all in leather – a bright red colour this time and she looked gorgeous. Her hair was down and flowing behind her and Hermione felt frumpy and dull beside her.

The sketch was easy. Rory didn't need a dramatic pose, he looked awe inspiring in any position and with Pippa and the background, Hermione was really looking forward to painting this portrait.

After the sketch was done, Pippa took Hermione further down the path, past Rory's enclosure until they rounded a bend. In front of them was a waterfall. It ran from the cliff above them all the way down to the river below.

"Wow!" Hermione gasped.

"It's fabulous, isn't it?"

"I love it!"

"Would it make a good backdrop for one of the pictures?" Pippa asked.

"It would but I'm conscious that we don't want to overshadow the dragons with the backdrop. Which is real pity as this is an artist's dream."

The two women took a seat on a large rock, enjoying the sunshine.

"How have you found your visit here Hermione?" Pippa asked, offering Hermione a drink she produced from her backpack.

Hermione cleared her throat to give herself a moment to form her answer. "It's been good. I'm really looking forward to doing the paintings."

"Very diplomatic," Pippa grinned at her. "What do you really think?"

Hermione grinned back. "Honestly, I've enjoyed it."

"Okay, I'll be more specific," Pippa said. "How have we been as hosts?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, we have visitors here in the summer months and I know Draco wants to expand that if we can."

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "He does?"

"Yeah, you look surprised?"

Hermione gave a little sigh. "Well, if I'm honest I think you all need to brush up on your hospitality skills."

Pippa nodded. "I guessed as much."

"You were the best of a bad bunch. You were friendly and personable. The others need some practise."

"Glad I was the best!" Pippa joked.

"You can't expect to be amazingly good at everything," Hermione pointed out. "The way you all are with the dragons is incredible. You all do it slightly differently too but it works. Maybe Draco needs to employ some hospitality staff."

"Well Toby was employed with that in mind but he's been swallowed up with the dragon work and he didn't seem particularly keen on doing that anyway."

"He's too hesitant – a bit too shy."

"Shy? Toby? He's always seems so confident."

Hermione looked at Pippa. "He's got better but the night I got here he could hardly get a sentence out."

Pippa wiggled her eyebrows at Hermione. "That will be because he likes you."

"Nah," Hermione dismissed Pippa's explanation.

"He does."

Hermione decided to remain silent in case she incriminated herself.

Pippa changed the subject. "How was it meeting Draco again after all this time?"

"A bit strange, I won't lie," Hermione admitted. "Obviously the situation with Leo and Eva didn't help either."

"Has he given you a hard time about that?"

"No – not at all but I was expecting him too. Even though I'm a victim of it just the same as he is," Hermione blinked rapidly. "That's a little unfair actually because when I first found out that I was doing this commission for Draco, I felt like I would blame him for what happened. I knew he wasn't to blame but I couldn't disconnect the two."

Pippa nodded. "It's a really difficult situation for you both. I've worked for him for a long time – there was only the two of us when we started. We set everything up here, we were really good friends for a while."

"Implying you're not now?"

Pippa sighed. "No, we're not. I mean there are flashes of it sometimes when we are alone but he's mainly busy being my boss lately."

Hermione picked up on a small tone in Pippa's voice. She wondered if they had been more than friends but she didn't dare ask. Not yet, anyway.

"I suppose as the business changes, he feels he has to change too." Hermione didn't know why she was defending him!

"No, it isn't that – he changed when Eva left. He was so busy then, we all were. We hardly had time to speak to each other but when he found out about the affair, when the children left with her, he changed." Pippa seemed to give a little gulp and Hermione could see how emotional she was. "He closed us all off – blank, emotionless. Worse than he is now to be honest – he was like a machine. I tried so many times to talk to him, to help him but he wouldn't engage with me." She lowered her head. "Sorry, not a subject you're keen on."

"It's okay – I'm okay with it really now," Hermione realised as she said this that she was. She still felt sore about it but that horrible, gnawing pain wasn't there any longer, even after the news Draco had shared with her. She wanted to bring that up with him if she could – she was sure she would feel better being able to talk about it with someone who completely understood it from her point of view.

"How did that happen?" Pippa was asking. "Eva and Leo, I mean. If you don't mind me asking."

"I have no idea," Hermione confessed. "I'm not avoiding the question – I don't know how they met or anything."

"So how does grown up Draco compare to childhood Draco?" Pippa asked.

Hermione shook her head. "You weren't at Hogwarts too, were you? Toby shocked me yesterday by saying her was and I have no recollection of him!" She pulled a face, showing she felt bad about this.

"No, my father worked in Hong Kong. I went to school there."

"Well I'm glad I haven't forgotten you as well," Hermione joked. "Childhood Draco was a snobbish, bigot who had an opinion about everything."

She saw Pippa's eyes widen at her description.

"He was!" Hermione said. "I'm not going to apologize for it, I know it sounds harsh."

"And now?"

"Hard to tell," Hermione avoided the question on purpose. She wasn't sure on Pippa and Draco's previous or current relationship, so she didn't want to say too much about her own feelings about Draco.

"I think he admires you a lot," Pippa said.

"Admires me?" Hermione laughed. "I can assure he does not."

"No, he does. He's not usually this friendly."

"Friendly?" Hermione couldn't keep the scepticism out of her voice. "This is friendly?"

Pippa gave a little grin and nodded. They had started to walk back towards the main building and fell into an amicable silence.

"You should tell him how you feel," Hermione said, out of the blue. She wasn't quite sure why she said it. It was so obvious that Pippa had liked and maybe still liked Draco a lot. She had the wistful, dreamy tone to her voice when she asked about him and a little bit of resentfulness about how he was acting now. Hermione expected Pippa to act as if she didn't know what Hermione meant or to dismiss her and say she had the wrong end of the stick but she didn't. She looked at Hermione for a few moments and then lowered her head.

"It's too late for that. The moment's passed."