DISCLAIMER: No money is being made. This is all for fun. Beta thanks to dormiensa and dreamsofdramione!
ooo
Wednesday, MARCH 1
Hermione made sure to arrive at work a few minutes early so she could savor the enjoyment of turning her calendar to a new month. She smiled. March had just enough scheduled to be exciting without overwhelming.
After having lunch with Ginny and Pansy earlier in the week, Hermione had scheduled her last three dates from George's speed dating night, one each Saturday for the first three weekends in March. The first date had gone just poorly enough to temper her enthusiasm for the whole endeavor. She'd been surprised how little they'd found to talk about after having high hopes based on their time on Valentine's Day, but then how much could she really learn about someone in four minutes?
Her plan now was to do something easy and hopefully fun with each wizard and see what happened. She scheduled each one to involve a meal at a different restaurant she loved each time so that at least she'd enjoy her food. The first three Saturday afternoons were blocked off for those dates and part of her hoped that would be the end of it. Preparing for her first speed dating date with essentially a stranger had been exhausting. On one hand, she hadn't known him much at all and wasn't terribly motivated to impress, but then, it was a date, and she had wanted to look like she was making an effort. In the end, it hadn't gone well, but she wasn't giving up. She had three more wizards to go out with and get to know better, and she really wanted to stay open to the process.
In addition to her dates, Ginny's baby shower and lunch with some friends from Hogwarts were social events sprinkled in her calendar. The Malfoy Foundation had nothing going except for a few planning meetings, and she was only needed for one of them.
But she knew things would come up, and she wanted to be open to them. Two months in, she was still very happy with her decision to trim her schedule.
Friday, MARCH 10
Shortly after tea time, Hermione received a letter through the Ministry's mail system. It was clearly from someone outside the Ministry, but she was surprised to find a note from Narcissa asking her to come to the Manor when she was finished with work. She'd said there was no rush and there was nothing especially alarming in the short note, but Hermione sensed that there was something Narcissa wasn't saying.
She immediately hurried down to the office that Harry shared with Draco to see if the latter was there. He wasn't.
"Where's Draco?"
"Well, hello to you too, Hermione," Harry said with a lopsided grin. "Didn't expect to see you again today. He got a message from his mother just a few minutes ago and said he had to go home. I don't know what it was about."
Hermione sighed, not sure what she should do. "Thanks, Harry."
"Everything okay?" he asked, his grin morphing into a slight frown.
"I'm not sure. I'll talk to you later." She didn't wait for him to respond and returned to her office, wondering if she should wait until the end of the day or not. Part of her wanted to follow Draco and go to the Manor immediately. But if Narcissa had wanted her to come then, she'd have said as much. And she'd apparently wanted to see her son. Hermione shut the door to her office and exhaled in frustration. She knew that nothing she did at work would be very productive because she was anxious about whatever Narcissa had to say.
She decided to go take her work somewhere else, away from her office where there was a chance she could focus. She chose a café in Diagon Alley, and while she wasn't terribly productive, the change of scenery was a welcome distraction. When working hours were officially over, Hermione Apparated directly to the Manor. She felt oddly frantic, even though she had no reason to.
After what felt like an hour, Draco answered the door. He smiled weakly and opened it wide. "Hey."
"What's going on?" Hermione pulled off her cloak and started walking, though she had no idea where she was going. Draco hurried and led her into Narcissa's favorite sitting room.
"Mother will tell you."
As soon as Hermione entered the room, Narcissa let out a breath of relief. Hermione could tell that she was agitated, though trying very hard to remain calm and poised. "Hermione, thank you for coming. I'm afraid I have some unfortunate news. It's about the fundraiser in April. The hotel in Diagon Alley, where we held the dinner in January, had to cancel us and a number of other events due to an infestation of doxies that could take months to clear."
Hermione's thoughts started whirring. The April fundraiser was the second biggest event of the year for the Malfoy Foundation, and they had been working on it since December. Finding a new location on such short notice would be a Herculean task. "What are our options?"
Narcissa clasped her hands together and her lips tightened, a clear sign that she was worried. "I don't know. It's only a few weeks away. How are we going to find somewhere to host an event for over four hundred guests that isn't already booked at this point? We sent invitations out two weeks ago, and we've got to solve this quickly or the entire thing will be a disaster."
Draco approached her with a piece of parchment in his hand. "I've tried to start a list of places we might try."
Hermione took the slip and glanced over it. There were only a handful of locations and she knew without even asking that half of them wouldn't be available. "What about something in the Muggle world?"
"Honestly, you know I'm fine with it, but logistically speaking, it's always so much harder." Narcissa wrung her hands. "There's making sure all the attendees dress appropriately, handling arrivals and departures, containing any and all magic that might be performed… We've done it in the past, and with enough time, it works fine." What she didn't say was that with such little notice, it would be hard to pull everything together smoothly.
Hermione glanced at Draco. He stood with his arms crossed and his brow furrowed in thought. When he sensed her watching him, he looked up, an expression of determination in his eyes. She turned back to Narcissa. "Draco and I will take care of it. It's Friday, so we'll start first thing tomorrow morning. We'll brainstorm all night if we have to and come up with a good list of places to try. What do you say?"
Narcissa seemed surprised but only for an instant. Her gaze shifted to Draco and softened. She smiled. "I would be so grateful for your help, of course, Hermione."
"We should get started," Draco said, sounding tired but resolved.
"I'll order up some supper." Narcissa seemed calmer already. "Shall we have our meal in here? Or move to the dining room?"
Draco glanced around the room. "I think the dining room would be more comfortable for eating and then brainstorming."
Narcissa nodded. "I agree."
Three hours later they were finished with dinner, scraps of parchment strewn across the table and the beginnings of a list in hand.
"Would either of you like some dessert?" Narcissa asked, stifling a yawn. "Pardon me, I can't keep my eyes open."
"I'd love something," Hermione replied. She grinned at Draco, knowing that he would never turn down something sweet.
Narcissa knew this as well and didn't even wait for a response from him before summoning a house-elf. "Bippy, please send up a small selection of whatever sweets you've got on hand for Draco and Hermione." The house-elf nodded and bowed before disappearing. Narcissa stood. "I'm off to bed, darlings. I'll see you in the morning, Draco, and you can fill me in on what I miss." She bade them goodnight and gave Draco a kiss on the cheek on her way out.
Hermione stretched and pulled the list closer to review it. Most of them were sites in the wizarding part of England, but there were also a few Muggle places they could try if nothing else worked. "It's too bad we can't simply call these places," she muttered.
"Are you sure you want to spend your Saturday doing this?" Draco asked. He had pushed his chair away from the table enough that he could stretch his legs out in front of him. He'd long ago shed his suit jacket and tie, though Hermione couldn't imagine he could feel all that relaxed in nice trousers and a button-down shirt, even if the top button was undone and the sleeves rolled up.
"Of course," she replied easily. "This is vitally important. What time do you want to get started tomorrow?" A sudden thought struck her. "You probably have plans! I didn't even think, Draco. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have blurted out and volunteered your help without speaking to you first!"
He shrugged. "Nothing I can't easily rearrange if necessary."
"Let's hope we're finished before then!" She laughed.
Just then the house-elf appeared with a large tray of delicacies. Bippy set the tray on the buffet and bowed to Draco. "Please let me know if you need anything more, Sir."
"Thank you, Bippy," Draco said kindly, his eyes focused on an especially chocolatey-looking cake. He went to the table and cut himself a large slice, then poured himself an oversized glass of milk. Hermione laughed when she realized that the elf had brought it especially for him.
"You really have such a sweet tooth." Hermione went to join him so she could peruse the spread. Finally, she chose a delicious looking cheesecake and cut herself a liberal slice. She sent him a look, daring him to comment, but he merely raised an eyebrow and returned to his seat.
"I might," he admitted, savoring his first bite.
Hermione settled back into her seat beside him and tucked in to her own dessert. It was just as incredible as it looked. They ate in silence for a few minutes, then Hermione sighed. "Where shall we start? I know your mother said she was open to Muggle locations, but I also understand her hesitation to have something there. I'm sure there's something I'm missing."
"I say we start with places in our world, and if nothing works out, we really have no choice but to try something else."
She took her last bite and set down her fork. "That was amazing." She yawned. "I should get going. What time would you like me to be here in the morning?"
He shrugged. "It won't take us long to travel, and I doubt anything is open for business before nine."
Hermione nodded once. "I'll be here just before nine then."
Draco escorted her to the Traveling Room. "Thanks for coming. I know you and my mother work really well together, but I know that she still appreciates what you do for her—and for the Foundation."
"I love the work your mother does. And you with her." She grabbed a handful of Floo powder and turned to smile at him. "I was happy to come. And happy to help tomorrow. It's a good thing my calendar is so clear, right?"
He chuckled, his long fringe falling over his eyes, which he then swept away. "That still going well?"
"Yes!" She bounced slightly on the balls of her feet. "I've read ever so many books since the start of the year. And I've tried some new restaurants I've been wanting to try. It's been lovely. And I've even had time to spend with some friends I hadn't seen in a while, friends I'd see in passing and always want to get together with but couldn't find time."
"I'm glad to hear it," he said with a smile.
For half a heartbeat, they stood there, eyes on each other while the flames in the fireplace crackled. One of the logs popped and Hermione jumped slightly, then laughed at herself. "Well, good night, Draco." He nodded and gave her a small wave as she disappeared in the bright green flames.
ooo
Saturday, MARCH 11
Hermione knocked on the front door of Malfoy Manor at precisely eight fifty-two; just enough time to greet Narcissa and Draco and get to their first destination by nine. Narcissa opened the door and smiled warmly. Then her expression became one of surprise as she took Hermione in.
"You look lovely, dear!" she said, welcoming Hermione in. "I'd offer you a cup of tea, but I know you and Draco plan to leave soon."
"Thank you. And yes, we're planning to be somewhere at nine. My hope is that we can be finished by lunch time, and maybe then I could accept your offer of tea."
Narcissa gave her a pleased smile. "I hope that as well, Hermione." She glanced around the large foyer, her smile dipping slightly. "That's odd, I thought Draco was right behind me."
Hermione didn't see him anywhere. "Shall we go ahead to the Traveling Room?"
"Yes, let's do that. Perhaps he's already there waiting."
He wasn't, but he arrived shortly after they did. Hermione thought he looked nice, dressed in black trousers, a shiny gray button-up shirt, and black vest. He wore black dress shoes and carried a sport jacket on one arm.
Narcissa's expression turned bemused when she saw her son, and she raised an eyebrow. "Thank you again for doing this for me today. I've got to speak with so many people: the caterer, the florist, the designer… Without a location, we won't be able to make concrete plans, but we can get started on something."
Draco leaned in and kissed his mother's cheek. "Of course, Mother. Have a productive day."
ooo
Three and a half hours later, they walked out of their eighth "Sorry, we can't help you" location in a row. They stood motionless outside the door for a moment. Hermione felt a little discouraged but she refused to give into it. A gentle breeze rippled through her hair and dress.
"What are you thinking?" Draco asked, shoving his hands into his pockets and kicking at something in the sidewalk.
Hermione considered the question, trying to sort her thoughts, but there was really only one overriding feeling. "I'm hungry," she said with a little smile.
Draco nodded and glanced around. "I saw a little Italian place up the street. We could go there and discuss our lack of success while we eat."
She groaned playfully. "Yum, I love Italian." They walked quietly down the street until they came to the restaurant. Draco opened the door and Hermione went in. Suddenly the mood felt very… different. She struggled briefly with feeling odd about being there with him, right then, having lunch with just the two of them, but they had done it numerous times before, always as part of their work for the Foundation. Why should today feel any different? She pushed away such not-quite-thoughts. They were only eating because they were hungry while working for his mother. Besides, after the excursion to shop for Ron, she had established a policy of very definitively not thinking about what Pansy had said.
Draco seemed perfectly at ease, and Hermione assumed he was. The restaurant was nicer than she had expected, and she was glad she was dressed appropriately. They examined their menus in silence, then when the waiter came, she ordered a dish of pesto lasagna. When he ordered a glass of wine with his meal, she did the same.
Once they were alone, Draco frowned slightly and stared at something on the table. "You look very nice today. Do you have somewhere to go?" Just at the very end, his eyes met hers.
She fought the blush stealing across her cheeks and took a sip of water, breaking their eye contact. She had dressed with care, in a dark teal organza dress. The bodice had a wide band that wrapped around, and swaths of fabric coming from the band over each shoulder that formed a V-neck, giving the barest hint at what was beneath. The skirt was flouncy, with a few layers of organza that floated on each other and made her think of waves. She'd done her hair, taking care to tame the curls, and she'd even put on a little lip gloss. A pair of silver strappy heels completed the look.
"Ginny's baby shower is this afternoon," she replied, taking a sip of water. "I thought I'd better dress for it in case this takes us most of the day."
"Ah."
"I could say the same to you, you know," she said, trying to steer the conversation to something light. "Do you have plans tonight?"
He shook his head quickly. "I saw you when you arrived and thought I should change. I thought we should look like we belong… um, I mean, that we… matched, I guess." He seemed a little flustered. "I didn't think it made sense for me to wear denims and a Quidditch jersey, for example."
"Oh! I think I understand you. Our styles should coordinate to appear as professional as possible."
"Yes. Precisely."
When their food came, something occurred to Hermione, something that might help in her efforts to not think about Draco in any kind of way. "Hey, has anything happened for you after the speed dating?"
He gave her a very odd look and just shook his head. "No, and I don't expect anything to come from that."
Hermione said, "I thought you put someone's name down. Didn't you tell me that?"
"Yes, but that doesn't mean anything will come from it."
She chewed thoughtfully. "I suppose that's true. But you never know. I just recently finished scheduling my last few dates from that night, so maybe she's just waiting."
His gaze was piercing and slightly disconcerting. "You've scheduled your last dates?"
"Yes," she replied. "At the end of last month." She didn't tell him that she'd had to reschedule one of them in order to join him today, though it had been on the tip of her tongue a few times. She didn't know why.
Draco nodded once. "I see. Well, maybe you're right. Who knows. How have your dates gone?" He asked the question as though he had glass in his mouth.
"Honestly?" She chuckled. "Not great. So far, there will be no repeats. But I don't really know what I expected to come from something like that. It was a long shot, I suppose. I have two more."
"A long shot," he repeated to himself. "Indeed."
Hermione couldn't help but feel weight in his words, though she had no idea what it might mean.
After a moment, Draco cleared his throat. "What do you think of our morning?"
She sighed. "It doesn't look good. I wasn't terribly surprised that a few of the venues were booked already, but all eight? That did give me pause. I know there isn't much time, but I had hoped something would work out. What are your thoughts?"
Draco nodded. "I agree with your assessment of our options thus far. I think we need to look at… other places."
She knew he meant in the Muggle world and she appreciated his consideration in not saying it aloud, since they were eating in a Muggle restaurant. Hermione bit her lip. She was somewhat hesitant to make a new suggestion after all the time they'd spent the night before working on a list of Muggle ideas, but since remembering the place, she hadn't been able to stop thinking about it. "I thought of something last night. It's this place I went as a kid once. It's beautiful. I think it might be perfect, and it would address all of your mother's concerns about using such a location."
Draco raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Something new? I'm curious."
"It's a large property in Sussex called Wakehurst. They have over five hundred acres, a very large, beautiful garden with plants from all over the world, and a big old house." She glanced around, then discreetly cast a Muffliato.
He chuckled. "Sounds a little bit like my house."
Hermione nodded. "It's a lot like your house. I know your mother would rather not host events in your home if at all possible. I was looking at the map of the place, and near the back of the property there's a lake. We could set up tents back there, amid the trees, put up some Repellant Charms, and nobody will know we're there. Guests can arrive there via Portkey, there won't be any need for altering the dress code."
"The event would be outside," he observed. "We've not really done that before."
"I know. But we're running out of options and time. The large tents would serve as a cover for both our activity and rain. People visiting the gardens would think nothing of it. We'd make it so that nothing happening inside could be detected in any way by someone outside—not that anybody would get close enough to see. But it will get dark, so we don't want any light from spells causing alarm." She took a quick breath and continued. "Plus with spring and all the flowers blooming, I think it would just be beautiful and a really lovely place for this fundraiser."
"I'm open to the idea. Making it easy on our guests is extremely important, and it sounds like this could work. Not to mention that we don't have a whole lot of choice at this point."
"I agree," she said. "I think it will be lovely, maybe even better than the original plan."
Draco laughed. "Let's not be hasty. At least, don't say that to my mother."
Hermione grinned. "Not until after, perhaps. If everything goes well."
"Speaking of going." Draco dabbed his lips with his napkin and set it down, then polished off his wine. "Are you finished?"
"Yes." She rummaged through her purse for her wallet. As usual, when they were in the Muggle world, she paid for their outings, knowing that Narcissa would reimburse her. After all, they were on Foundation business. Once that was taken care of, they stepped out of the restaurant and Hermione motioned toward an alley she had seen before. "The good news is I've been there before so we can Apperate."
Draco nodded. "Lead the way."
Once in the alley, Hermione held out her arm for Draco and he twined his with hers.
"Ready?" she asked, steeling herself. It was never exactly enjoyable to side-along Apparate, especially for the rider. Draco stepped close to her, closer than she was used to him being, and she ignored the way she didn't mind his proximity. "Here we go."
They arrived in a clump of trees beside a parking lot. A startled squirrel scampered up a tree, shrieking at them. Hermione quickly disengaged from Draco and started toward the visitor's center. He followed, hands in his pockets.
Once inside, she asked to speak to someone about reservations, and after a few minutes, the Manager, a man by the name of Stanley Bartlesby, came out to see them. "Hello," he said warmly after looking them over. "Welcome to Wakehurst. How may I help you?"
Hermione and Draco looked at each other, then she spoke. "We're interested in seeing if you have availability for something in April. I know it's very short notice, but we had to ask."
Bartlesby looked genuinely disappointed. "I am so sorry, the mansion is completely booked in April."
"Oh, we don't need the mansion," she said hurriedly. "We were thinking of something a bit more secluded? Surrounded by woods, really. Near the lake? I think I saw on the map some open spaces near there." She knew they could adjust the area to their needs.
The man's face brightened slightly. "Well, we don't normally rent out portions of our grounds, but we don't have a policy against it. What sort of services would you be requiring?"
"We're thinking of using tents for seating. We can supply those, if you don't have what we need."
"How many guests?" Bartlesby asked.
"It should be around four hundred," she replied, glancing at Draco.
Bartlesby smiled slightly. "Four hundred. How lovely. Tents in the woods; are you very certain, Madam?"
Hermione blinked, a bit startled at the question. "Oh, yes, it would be perfect, really."
"Well, I can say with certainty that there are no reservations for the woods near the lake for any weekend in April. What day are you looking at?"
She grinned, unable to contain her excitement. "The eighth, please."
"Let's just get the paperwork started, shall we?" Bartlesby said, motioning them to follow him. He led them to an office with a large window behind his desk. "Please, make yourselves comfortable. Can I get you something to drink?"
"Water, if you have it," Hermione replied, taking a seat. Draco declined and sat beside her.
"Will you need two tented areas?" Bartlesby asked, pouring Hermione's glass. "One for the meal, of course, but something different for the ceremony? Or were you hoping to use one space for both?"
It took Hermione only a few seconds to realize what the question meant, and she sent a wide-eyed look at Draco. He seemed rather confused, however, so she quickly answered the question in the hopes that he wouldn't think about it too much. "Just one setup is all we'll need."
"You'll be wanting some kind of stage area, though, am I right?"
Hermione nodded. "Yes. And a dance floor." If Bartlesby thought this was for a wedding, then she needed to let him continue thinking that without alerting Draco, who might try to correct the error. A wedding made the most sense of any scenario Hermione could think of involving a large space to host four hundred people, and she didn't want to have to come up with a different explanation.
"Naturally," the older man said with a slight smirk.
"We can provide the caterer," Hermione said. "You won't have to have your people tromping through the grounds to bring us food."
Bartlesby nodded. "This all sounds… rather easy on our part."
She gave him her most brilliant smile. "Oh, I'm so glad to hear that, Mr. Bartlesby. And I'm so grateful that the space is available."
"How much will it take to rent the space?" Draco asked, piping in for the first time. Hermione wasn't sure what he was thinking, but she hoped he was feeling favorably about the location. She knew that, since it was a fundraiser, cost was very important in order to maximize the use of the donations.
"Considering we've never rented this particular spot before, I'll need to consult with a few people before I can get you a quote." Bartlesby stood. "Would you excuse me?"
"Of course," Hermione said pleasantly.
As soon as he was gone, Draco leaned over in his chair. "I have clearly missed something."
Hermione chuckled and shook her head. "He thinks we're planning a wedding." When Draco frowned, she continued, "That we are getting married."
"Ah." He sat up very straight, a wry smirk on his face. "That makes sense."
"Will you... you know, play along?" She was almost certain he would, but how would he feel about the idea? Surely they wouldn't be called upon to demonstrate their affection.
He tutted. "Of course. This is for the Foundation, and I'm a Slytherin at heart. Even if I am a bit muted since the war."
Hermione sent him a questioning look but they didn't get to continue as Bartlesby bustled back into the room.
"All right. We can do this for five hundred pounds. However, considering the circumstances, we're going to need you to sign a few waivers and also pay a two thousand pound deposit, which you will receive back after the event."
She glanced at Draco, wondering what he was thinking. The rental price was very low, but the large retainer might give him pause. "Why so much?" he asked with a slight frown.
"As I said, we've never rented out the grounds before. It's simply to cover ourselves in the event of major property damage. I'm sure nothing of the sort will happen, of course." Bartlesby winked at her. "I can't say why, but I'm simply taken with the two of you, and if you're coming to me mere weeks before such an important occasion, I daresay you've had quite a bit of trouble elsewhere. I hope you find this to be helpful."
"May we have a moment?" Draco asked.
"Certainly. I'll just step outside; you can find me when you're ready."
When the door closed again, Draco turned to her. "Four hundred Galleons for the deposit, right?" She nodded. "And one hundred for the space. Mother will be pleased; the event hall that cancelled us cost more than twice that."
Hermione beamed at him. "Excellent! I'll get him." She found Bartlesby a few feet away beside a drinking fountain. "We love it, and we're so grateful for what you've done for us!"
The older man gave her a satisfied smile. "That's wonderful, just wonderful. We can sign the paperwork and we'll be all set."
Fifteen minutes later, they'd finished, and Bartlesby tucked their papers into a folder and set it aside. "Please, feel free to stay and visit the grounds. On the house." He handed Draco a map. "The views of the Mansion House from the Pond are some of the loveliest, and the gardens house plants from all over the world."
"Thank you, that's very kind!" She stood and shook hands with the kind proprietor. Bartlesby seemed to be waiting for something, his eyes darting expectantly between her and Draco. Draco must have noticed because once he was beside her, he took her hand in his. Hermione forced herself to stay calm and collected while Draco again thanked Bartlesby. Then he gently tugged her along behind him into the hallway. Hermione could feel Bartlesby watching them, and she gave him a small wave as they exited the building.
Draco didn't release her hand immediately, instead waiting until they'd walked sufficiently out of sight of the visitor's center. Again the awkward sensation she'd felt at the restaurant returned, but as before, he seemed not to notice it. He began studying the map. "I suppose we ought to look around a bit. Anything sound interesting? What's a seed bank?"
"It's a storage facility where they gather seeds from around the world to store them. In case of extinction."
He gave her a sharp look. "Extinction?"
She nodded, amused by his apparent alarm. "Muggles worry about changes in climate affecting the viability of human life and the plants that nourish them."
"Should we be worrying as well?"
"Probably," Hermione replied. "But let's not get into that right now." She moved beside him to look at the map. "Let's try the Pollination Garden. If anything is blooming, I'd expect it to be there. And we'll get to see the Mansion as well."
Draco nodded and folded the map, sticking it in his back pocket. "Do you have a favorite flower?"
The question was surprising but not unwelcome. "Peonies. Without question. They have these large buds that simply burst into bloom. I love to keep large bunches of them around the house, in various states of bloom, when they're in season."
"And when is that?"
"Oh, not for a while. How about you?" She grinned, expecting him to backpedal or make some snarky comment.
Instead he didn't hesitate. "Did you know that a few years ago, some Muggles ran a campaign to establish county flowers? Wiltshire was given the Burnt-tip Orchid, and it just so happened that Mother had an entire patch of them in her garden. I started paying attention to them because notices were put up around the town, and I connected with the way the buds are a very dark purple but they open to reveal these tiny, pure white flowers. They almost look like little people, emerging from the dark, being given a second chance." He paused. "Obviously I'm only telling you this because I know that you know that I would never speak to you again if this got out."
Hermione laughed. "I'd never tell. Wild horses couldn't drag it out of me."
He smiled warmly at her, one of those rare, genuine expressions from him that never failed to make her breath catch. "I draw them occasionally."
"I'd love to see that." They'd just reached the Mansion and Hermione gasped. "Oh wow, it's beautiful!"
They stopped side by side to admire the enormous house. Draco opened the map again and read. "There's a gallery of botanical paintings on display inside. Want to look?"
"That sounds nice. Maybe they'll have a Burnt-tip Orchid on display."
He grinned boyishly and they made their way to the mansion. After they'd perused the paintings for half an hour, Hermione saw a pattern in the floor tile that reminded her of a chess board. "Oh! Draco! Have you seen Tabitha recently?" Tabitha was the girl he'd met at St. Mungo's at the Valentine's Party.
His gaze followed hers to the floor and he nodded. "I was just there last week."
"Has she beat you yet?" Hermione nudged him playfully with her elbow.
"She made me promise not to let her win again," he said with a sigh. "I can still go easy on her."
"Don't. You should play without holding back. For so many reasons." She started counting her fingers with each point. "She'll respect you more for it. She'll only work harder to get better so she can someday beat you. She won't want you thinking you're letting her win because she's sick."
"But that's—"
"I know that's not why, but I'm sure she gets that treatment a lot. Think about it, all right?"
Draco sighed. "I'm sure you're completely correct. Thank you. I'm absolutely determined to see that she gets to Hogwarts."
A swell of pride filled her chest and she smiled at him. "I'm certain that whatever you decide to do, you'll be successful."
They'd finished looking at all the paintings and were walking aimlessly through the open parts of the mansion. In one room there was a large grandfather clock that began chiming as they walked through. When the clock struck three, Hermione gasped. "Oh no! Is that the time?"
Draco's gaze also went to the clock. "I think so. It feels like it's about right."
She grabbed his wrist without thinking. "I'm late for Ginny's shower! I have to go!"
He immediately started looking around for the nearest exit. They couldn't simply disappear from inside the giant mansion because there were too many Muggles around. They hurried outside and into the nearest woods. Once they were sure there was nobody around, they stopped, both slightly out of breath.
Hermione gave him an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry I have to leave like this! I was hoping to come with you to talk to your mother about this place. I hate to leave you with that."
He waved dismissively. "It's no big deal. She's my mother. I'm used to this sort of thing. Plus she trusts me, and you as well, and I think this is a good decision."
"You mean you don't need my help for every step of this process?" She chuckled. "I'm joking. I still feel bad I have to rush away."
"Don't. It can't be helped. You're late, so you'd best get going."
She nodded. "Right. Well, I'll see you later, Draco. Please, owl me and tell me what your mother says. And tell me if I need to do anything."
"This isn't our first time, you know. We've done this sort of thing before."
A slight blush crept up her cheeks. "Yes, of course. It's just that I am so excited about this, I want to be there for everything. But I can't. Thank you, by the way, today was lovely!"
Draco gave her a slight wave as she Disapparated.
Friday, MARCH 17
"It's going to be a quick lunch today," Harry said as he slid into the seat opposite Hermione. "Malfoy and I have to head out on a case in…" He checked his watch, then grimaced. "Twenty minutes. But I have to eat, so here I am. No point in canceling."
She grinned. "We can make this a very efficient conversation. My week has been fine. Nothing out of the ordinary."
"You've got a big conference coming up, right?"
"In May. It's in Paris. The biggest annual gathering of Magical Creatures experts from around the world. Last year in India was incredible and I'm really looking forward to this year's."
He chuckled. "I'm glad. Ginny's doing fine, Ron and Pansy are surprisingly well-suited, and George brought Luna round for Sunday brunch this week. We missed you."
"I know. I miss The Burrow. I don't think I'll skip this week."
Harry beamed. "Great! I know everyone will be thrilled to see you!"
"I appreciate the way everyone has respected my wishes. Well, mostly." She shook her head. "Ron wasn't thrilled when I suggested that maybe I wouldn't come to his birthday dinner earlier this month. But really, I couldn't miss it. I was thankful that I had the evening free."
"That's one good thing about being careful, I suppose." Harry jabbed his steak and kidney pie. "You've got room to say yes to fun things. To be fair, though, you have always kept a ridiculously full schedule, Hermione. More than probably anybody I know. As much as I miss seeing you outside of this cafeteria, I'm glad you're doing this. For you."
"Thanks, Harry. I have to admit, I'm much more relaxed. And the things I do say yes to, I enjoy more than I expect. I think it's because I have so much more time for myself."
"How did your dates go? You had two more, right?" Harry asked.
She shook her head. "I only had one, and it was nothing exciting. There won't be a repeat. And then the second one I had to reschedule because something came up with the Foundation. Draco and I spent most of the day Saturday finding a new location for April's fundraiser. I was late to Ginny's shower because we were still out." For some reason, she kept to herself the fact that she was late because they had been looking at art after they had finished their task.
"Oh, really?" Harry asked with a strange expression on his face.
"Yes. We spent all morning and into the afternoon trying to find a new location because the one Narcissa booked had to cancel on us. We found something, but I had to leave from there and go straight to the shower and I was late. Then that night, Draco sent me an owl telling me that his mother loved the location, so I went over the next day to help with invitations. We sent them out weeks ago, but now we have to send revisions. Narcissa found a printer to work all night Saturday, so all we had to do was stuff and address the envelopes." A memory from the day before made her smile.
"What? Why are you smiling?"
Hermione chuckled. "Just something Draco did while we were working. Did you know he is an accomplished calligraphist? I had no idea, so he casually suggested we compete to see who could address the most envelopes. He totally set me up, playing it cool at first, then vastly outpacing me. After a while, he confessed that he'd been doing calligraphy since he could hold a quill. Apparently, Narcissa has always enjoyed putting on events of all kinds. He was even doing wandless calligraphy, up to three envelopes at a time, with different addresses. It was incredible. We laughed a lot."
Harry gave her an exasperated look. "Hermione, I love you but…" Then he just shook his head. "Nevermind. I've got to get going." He shoveled three more bites into his mouth, then started cleaning up his tray. "Oh, before I forget, Seamus wanted me to invite you out tonight. It's St. Patrick's Day, and he's rented out this pub he loves back home. But don't feel obligated." Harry pulled a scrap of parchment out of his pocket. "Here's the address if you can come. Later, Hermione!"
ooo
Hermione went to the party. She was about an hour late but judging from the noise and the chaos, the celebration had gotten started pretty early. The pub was loud, raucous, and full. She squeezed her way to the bar and ordered a drink, looking around for somebody she knew. She spotted Harry in a corner and Ginny nursing a water next to Ron and Pansy. As she made her way over to them, she saw that Neville, Hannah, Luna, and George were there, too. They greeted her warmly and pushed a bowl of chips toward her.
"You just missed it!" Ron exclaimed. "Neville and some bloke we don't know just had an epic game of pool. Neville won, barely, and the other guy got all angry and red in the face. We thought he was going to punch Neville, but then he slipped and hit his head on the edge of the table and there was a lot of blood." Everyone was quiet as Ron finished. "But they got it and him all sorted."
"That's terrible," Hermione said.
"Yeah." Ron nodded seriously.
Hermione shook her head, wondering what she'd gotten herself into.
Eventually, Seamus made the rounds and welcomed her with a boisterous hug. Then he continued his journey around the room, returning at regular intervals to greet them.
After about two hours, Hermione found herself sitting at the bar alone, chatting occasionally with the bartender. When the couple beside her got up to leave, a wizard with terrible hygiene invaded her space and shouted, "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me why I saw you float through a wall. If you're a ghost, I'd totally let you haunt my dreams." Then he guffawed loudly and backed away, high-fiving a friend and tossing back another shot.
Hermione gritted her teeth and faced the wall again. She sensed someone new in the seat next to her, and they exchanged a casual greeting.
"I heard what that Neanderthal said to you," the man said after ordering a drink: whiskey, neat. "He's a complete tosser."
The word Neanderthal caught her off guard but she did her best to hide it. "I think it was some sort of prank, honestly."
The man swirled his drink, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Do I know you?"
Hermione fought the urge to roll her eyes again, instead giving him a tight smile. "Maybe. Did you go to Hogwarts?"
He grinned. "I did go to Hogwarts. And actually, I know who you are, but I've been trying to work up the nerve to talk to you for ten minutes. I saw that wanker make a terrible pass at you and figured I couldn't possibly do worse than that."
That drew a real smile from her. "Well, then I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage." She studied him more closely and saw that he was tall, dark, and he did look vaguely familiar.
He held out his hand. "Marcus Flint. I don't believe we've ever been formally introduced."
Her eyes widened in recognition. "Yes! I remember you. You were Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team for my first few years at school."
"That was me," he said with an easy smile.
"I believe that you, along with Crabbe, Goyle, and Malfoy, dressed up as Dementors to try and scare Harry?"
He faltered then, chuckling awkwardly. "I'd hoped you wouldn't remember that."
She smirked. "So, Marcus, what do you do?"
Relieved that she was still talking to him, he let out his breath in a rush. "I'm an Unspeakable so I can't really tell you what I do."
"What?" Her jaw dropped. All she remembered of Marcus Flint from school was that he was long on muscle, short on brains.
He gave her a bored look. "What? You didn't think that someone like me could become an Unspeakable?"
She instantly felt ridiculous at making such a snap judgment. "I'm so sorry. It's just that I've never actually met an Unspeakable before. It's kind of a surprise, is all. I wasn't expecting that."
"That's fair. And anybody who knew me in school wouldn't have expected it either." He shrugged. "What can I say? I'm actually not just a Quidditch lughead, though I did my best to convey that in school."
Hermione's interest in Marcus skyrocketed. First, he wasn't an idiot like she'd assumed. Second, he was actually quite handsome. She turned her body toward him, just a little, and smiled. "Well, can you tell me anything?"
He grinned.
They talked for about an hour through two drinks, then Hermione yawned. "I'm so sorry. I don't know why I'm so tired."
"It's late," he conceded, finishing his drink.
She found herself wanting to know more about Marcus, and before she could change her own mind or talk herself out of it, she blurted, "Have you ever gone on a date with a Gryffindor?"
His grin widened. "Have you ever gone out with a Slytherin before?"
The very briefest flash of Draco went through her head but that was ridiculous because she shouldn't be thinking about that. "No, I haven't," she admitted. "But I've never been asked."
He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms, a playful twinkle in his eye. "So you're saying you would?"
She smiled coyly. "There's only one way to find out." Part of her couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth, but then, she'd had a few drinks, and Marcus was smart and interesting, so why not?
"Okay. I'll bite. Would you like to have dinner with me?" Marcus asked.
She pretended to think about it, putting a finger to her lips and looking off to the side. "Um, well…" When he started to squirm just a little bit, she said, "Yes, I'd like that very much."
He exhaled in relief, and she thought she detected a flash of something in his eyes. "Are you free tomorrow?"
It was on the tip of her tongue to say no when she remembered she had a date already and she had determined that she wouldn't schedule two big things—such as two dates with brand new men—in one day. "Oh, um, not really. I've not got a free Saturday until… April sometime. And before you ask, I'm only available on Saturdays." Marcus seemed puzzled, but she was resolved not to break the rules she'd put in place. The last two weekends in March she had dates-Tony, the one she'd rescheduled from earlier in the month and Phillip who'd seemed nice enough during the event-then in April, she had scheduled herself a day with nothing, and the following Saturday was the Foundation event. She considered inviting him to that, but something held her back. "I could do the third Saturday in April, if you're available."
Marcus grinned. "Yes, absolutely. It's a date."
Saturday, MARCH 25
Hermione tugged her jacket tighter around her shoulders as she wandered through a little park near her flat. She was looking for a bench or a nice spot of grass on which to sit. Making time for herself was something she hadn't at first thought a priority, but when her calendar cleared and she found herself a bit adrift as to how to spend her time, she realized she needed to find things that truly soothed her soul. Sometime in January, she'd been so out of sorts that she just walked out her door and kept going. Not only did the walk itself soothe her, but so wound up in Hyde Park, and seeing all the nature around her worked wonders on her state of mind. Even though nothing seemed to be growing, she found something lovely in the black, leafless branches against the gray sky.
Since then, she often walked to the park, slowly watching the plants wake up. February had been dreary, but now at the end of March, signs of life were beginning to peek through. Trees were starting to bud, and she could see pops of color here and there amongst the barren landscape.
She found her favorite spot unoccupied and sat down after casting a drying spell on the bench. It was the end of a long day, and she felt weary. She'd spent the morning helping her mother clean out the closet in her parents' guest room, then met Phillip for her final speed dating date. It had crashed and burned. They'd met for brunch and it'd started fine, until the conversation turned to the definition of brunch. They had ended up arguing for thirty minutes over what constituted brunch, and not in a fun way. She'd eaten as quickly as she could, and then Philip asked for her to pay, since she was, you know, a war hero and probably had way more money than him. It was unbelievable.
Out of the four men she'd met on Valentine's Day, there was only one—Tony, whom she had gone out with the week before—she felt any desire to see again. He was the one she'd cancelled on to work with Draco, and he'd been skeptical when she'd told him the reason for cancelling. She was thinking of inviting him to join her for the Foundation's fundraiser.
If not for Marcus, she'd have felt very discouraged about dating, though she knew she shouldn't have put such hope in the speed dating experiment. There had been something of a rush when she'd learned that all four of the men she'd felt a connection with had indicated the same, but she'd come to suspect they'd done so merely because of who she was.
And, really, her expectations should have been more realistic. She'd had more fun with Draco during those four minutes than the rest of them combined, but she was actually looking forward to her date with Marcus. She had no idea what he had planned, but he'd already sent her a note saying she would need a semi-formal gown.
The thought made her smile and she felt a silly swoop in her stomach. Sometimes she wondered if she'd see him at the Ministry, but in the week since bumping into him at Seamus' party, she hadn't. That didn't stop her from looking, though. Harry had been amused by her dating antics, but there had been something in his expression—a tightness around his eyes, an overly enthusiastic smile—when she'd told him about Marcus.
Hermione wished now that she'd asked him about it. A gentle, chilly breeze surprised her, tendrils of cold air sneaking inside her coat. With a surreptitious flick of her wand, she reheated her tea and took a sip, adjusting her coat and scarf to keep her warm. March was almost over, and Hermione felt like there was something she was missing. She'd wanted to date because she'd wanted to fall in love, but had she really thought it would happen quickly? If she were honest with herself, she'd admit that she'd at least hoped to be in the beginning stages of a relationship with someone by the end of three months.
But romance and love weren't things she could schedule or plan; she knew it would happen in its own time. She had done the work of making time for it in her life, and now she just had to wait. Waiting had always been hard because it forced her to admit that she didn't have control. Since making her New Year's resolution, however, she'd focused on not just making time for love, but making time for herself. And that, all by itself, if nothing else came from her efforts, was worth it.