Chapter Seven: France
Draco received a reply from his mother almost immediately. She wrote that of course Hermione was welcome for the holidays, and to please inform her that they would be spending the first five days of their holiday on their property in France. They would return to England for Yule and would then be hosting a New Year's Eve ball. She also suggested having Hermione fill her parents in on their agenda in case they needed to get ahold of her, but Draco kept that part of the letter to himself, not wanting to upset his friend.
The information that they would be going to France made Hermione nervous; she had never been there before and couldn't understand the language, and her parents had never given her any extra money. She didn't know how to broach the subject with Draco or Harry. She was rather embarrassed at not having a single Knut to her name.
The ball was another matter altogether. She didn't own any fancy dress robes or a gown, and she was sure she couldn't show up in her school robes. The thought of being that poor muggleborn girl in the corner of the extravagant room had her all but breaking into a cold sweat.
Her parents were both dentists, and while they certainly had their fair share of money, they didn't spend much of anything on Hermione that was outside of the scope of her basic needs. They also did not generally let Hermione be present for anything fancy–not since she'd been about three, which was when her magic started showing itself.
They didn't trust that she wouldn't embarrass them, so when they went to fancy parties and attended all sorts of events, Hermione stayed home with a sitter.
"Oh, the ball is going to be so much fun," Pansy said dreamily, staring at her morning porridge but not eating it. Hermione agreed aloud, but deep in her bones she was considering telling Draco and Harry that she couldn't go. Thank you for the invite, but it would probably be best for her to stay at the castle after all.
The boys had a different take altogether on the upcoming ball from Pansy's point of view. Dancing all night really did not sound like a good time, but Draco and Harry had been taught many ballroom dances over the years, so they could at least fake their way through and make it seem like they were having a good time.
Draco grunted and ate the final bite of his toast before getting to his feet.
"Potions," he said, and the entire group of friends stood.
"Tonight after classes I will tell them I won't be able to make it for the holidays," Hermione told herself, feeling rather blue.
As much as Hermione wanted to back out of going to the Malfoy family home for her holidays, she just couldn't bring herself to go through with it. Maybe it was selfish, but she really did not want to spend the holidays entirely by herself. She was already feeling like her parents didn't want to spend time with her, and this would be the first Christmas season she would have to spend alone. She didn't feel prepared for it. So instead, she decided that she would just stick by Draco and Harry during their trip to France and not spend any money. She would find a way to decline the invitation to the ball.
That was how Hermione found herself making her way toward Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy after getting off the train, having been split from Harry and Draco in the chaos of students. She felt the prying and curious eyes boring into her back from the crowd of people as she nervously approached Draco and Harry's parents, who she recognized from their visit to the castle in October.
"Miss. Granger!" Narcissa called, waving her over happily.
Hermione approached them shyly and gave them a small smile. "Please call me Hermione. I really want to say thank you for allowing me to spend the holidays with you and your family, it means more to me than you know."
"Think nothing of it," Lucius responded, and Hermione looked at him in surprise. She had, of course, heard nothing but terrible things about Draco and Harry's parents from her peers, especially about their father.
Gryffindor house had nothing nice to say about them, and Hermione knew that was one of the reasons why her house had shunned her. She spent too much time with "those slimy snakes," but they treated her nicely. Her own house wouldn't have liked her even if she didn't spend time with the Slytherins. It was clear by how much they teased her for everything she did.
"You're more than welcome, Hermione. Draco informed us that you would be staying at the castle alone, otherwise, and I couldn't imagine anyone having such a miserable holiday."
Hermione nodded, realizing that they didn't want to be overtly thanked. "I appreciate it all the same," she answered, dropping her eyes to her clasped hands.
"Mum!" Draco called, dragging his trunk forward with a grin while Harry tucked himself into Lucius' side comfortably.
Narcissa pulled Draco in for a tight hug and his cheeks reddened while he quickly returned it and tried to get away from her. Hermione couldn't help but smile at Draco's antics as Narcissa looked around and realized a crowd was watching them all closely.
"Shall we?" She said to Lucius, who also seemed aware of the eyes on them. He nodded and held a hand out to Hermione, who grasped it gratefully and was pulled into Apparation between Lucius and Harry.
Hermione was shown to a bedroom by Narcissa. Upon their arrival, an army of strange-looking creatures popped into view, gripped all their luggage, and disappeared. Hermione let out a squeak of fright upon first seeing the House Elves, but pressed her lips together so she didn't embarrass herself further.
"This wing of the house belongs to Draco and Harry, but we've set up a room for you here as well. I figured you wouldn't want to be all the way on the other side of the house in our wing."
Hermione nodded in understanding, and truthfully she was grateful; she would much rather have a room near her friends than their parents.
She hadn't considered before how rich Draco and Harry actually were, but upon seeing the size of the mansion they lived in, the fact that they had fourteen House Elves, a Quidditch pitch, a pool and a lake, and a literal library, she was finally coming to terms with it.
She wondered if all of her Slytherin friends came from extremely wealthy families. The thought made her nervous and cemented the plan to decline the ball invite; these children had all been raised much differently than she had.
Narcissa opened the doors and gestured for Hermione to enter, catching the look of pure wonder on the younger girl's face.
"This is all for me?" She asked, taking in the king-sized bed, fireplace with a seating area, large desk, walk-in closet, and bathroom; the doors to the latter two wide open.
"Of course," Narcissa said. "Feel free to unpack and sort through what you'd like to bring to France, as you won't need your entire trunk. Dinner is in about an hour, and I'll send the boys to escort you so you can find your way. Draco and Harry's rooms are in the next corridor, so please feel free to visit with them."
"Thank you so much for everything," Hermione said quietly. She could feel the tears beginning to gather, accompanied by a stinging nose, so she turned away from Narcissa quickly. She didn't want to be considered a bother, and breaking down with sobs in front of her friends' mum would probably be considered troublesome.
Narcissa seemed to hesitate a moment at the doorway before leaving the room, saying she absolutely must check on dinner.
They were seated around the dinner table, Lucius at the head, Narcissa on his right and Draco on his left. Harry sat beside Draco and Hermione was seated beside Narcissa. Hermione sat quietly and watched the family interact, seeing how loving they were to one another and feeling a stab of jealousy. Why did she have to have muggle parents who didn't care about her? Would they even want her to return during the summer? Hermione knew that they had started distancing themselves the moment she began to show magic, and it hurt. Especially as she began to realize just how cherished both Draco and Harry were.
Harry was like a completely different boy at home than he was at school. He was no longer quiet and withdrawn, but was telling Lucius about his studies proudly as his father smiled at him happily. He was gesturing with his hands as he explained learning to levitate different objects, and included Draco in the conversation easily.
Hermione knew since she met him that Harry referred to the Malfoy's as his own parents, but she could never understand how the boy could brush off his biological parents so easily until she witnessed the interactions of the family. They really did seem like Harry's own parents as well as Draco's.
They were eating the main course of the evening. Hermione was desperately trying to follow Narcissa's lead on utensils – she had never been required to know the difference between them all, as she generally never left her parents' house – when Lucius spoke to her.
"I hope you're looking forward to spending the Yule season with us, but I must ask, why are you not spending the holidays with your own parents?" His face was open and she could see the question there.
Hermione felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment, and she dropped her eyes to the table for a moment while she thought. She could tell them how she'd practically raised herself, or how she very rarely left the house growing up. She could try and explain how her parents didn't say the exact words, but it was obvious over time that they just generally didn't want her. Not since her magic began to manifest.
"My parents are not impressed with my… abilities," she finally muttered, pushing a piece of beef Wellington around on her plate and desperately trying to avoid eye contact with any of the Malfoys.
"They don't appreciate you for being magical?" Narcissa questioned before she could stop herself. Her surprise was justified. As far as she was concerned every child who could wield magic was special, could possibly be trained in ways that mere Muggles wouldn't even deign to comprehend.
Narcissa had so many questions, but she could tell that this was going to be a fragile time for Hermione. It was obvious to her that the small pre-teen was struggling and embarrassed about the entire situation, and she cursed Lucius in her mind for bringing up the subject so tactlessly. Men.
"Not at all," Hermione answered, meeting Lucius' eyes fleetingly before she glanced at Narcissa. She steeled herself, knowing that she needed to bring up other matters and looking for a way to change the subject
"I'd also like to thank you for inviting me to France, but I…" her cheeks reddened again, "... I don't have any spending money. I'd still be delighted to come to France, but please don't feel like you have to pay extra for me. I can stay at the house when you all go out for the day. I also simply cannot attend the New Year's Eve ball; I don't own anything nice enough for such an occasion. But thank you."
Hermione rushed the words out as quickly as she could into the increasingly silent room and refused to meet Draco or Harry's eyes. She was beyond mortified.
Silence continued to reign after Hermione's small speech, and she had the distinct feeling that Lucius and Narcissa were communicating silently while she sat there, embarrassed beyond all measure.
"We will get it sorted out," Narcissa assured kindly. "Don't worry about it anymore," she added, meeting Hermione's eyes knowingly.
Hermione was awake early the next morning, she hadn't slept well because of the anxieties she was feeling, but Narcissa had told her not to worry about it, so she hoped she was still invited to France with the family. Like she said, she would be happy even if she sat in the family home while the Malfoy family explored; she just didn't want to be completely alone.
She had found a smaller trunk in her closet and half heartedly packed some outfits, still feeling unsure and anxious about the upcoming trip. She showered and brushed her teeth, then added her toiletry bag into the luggage with her few outfits.
She was just snapping the clasps on the trunk closed when there was a knock on her door and Narcissa entered, the beautiful woman taking a seat in one of the vacant chairs in front of the fireplace and gesturing for Hermione to join her.
"We will be leaving for France shortly, and we will enjoy a nice breakfast upon arrival, but I thought we should have a quick chat."
Hermione nodded, nervously taking a seat opposite of Narcissa and wringing her hands. Were they going to send her back to the castle of Hogwarts? Was she too emotional and too much of a burden? Did her parents have the right idea, not wanting her around? Was Narcissa here to tell her that while she seemed like a nice girl, they just weren't able to take her abroad for some reason or another?
"Lucius and I spoke at length last night about our unusual dinner conversation," Narcissa began, peering at Hermione closely. She could see that the young witch was exceptionally nervous and scared looking, and Narcissa thought she could see the girl's demeanour sag as she spoke.
"We knew upon inviting an extra guest that we would be spending a few more galleons than usual on this holiday, however I don't want you to fret about it. We would have never invited an eleven year old on a holiday and expect them to pay for it themselves."
"I'm twelve, actually," Hermione responded. She was always proud that she was among the oldest in her class, and it gave her a sense of responsibility for those younger than her. "My birthday is in September."
Narcissa smiled. "Twelve, then. We will pay for the trip to France, as we had planned to do from the beginning, and you won't fret. You're here as our guest and to have fun with my children, and you're much too young to be worrying about money."
Hermione wanted to argue. She wanted to ensure Mrs. Malfoy that she was responsible for much more than other children her age, that she had been taking care of herself for years, and she always saved any muggle money she found while cleaning and knew how to be responsible with it; she just hadn't thought to bring it with her to Hogwarts. She had walked herself to the public library since she was five years old, and she read books to ensure that she could learn faster; could understand the world quicker.
"Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy," she said, instead. "As long as you're sure that bringing me along won't cost too much extra."
Narcissa thought it was unusual that a child of twelve would be worrying about such things, and had to wonder if she was parroting words from her own parents.
"Money is not an issue," Narcissa informed casually, determined to keep her cool. She wanted to observe Hermione for the next while and see what else she could figure out about the young, quiet girl.
She hardly spoke and Narcissa was under the distinct impression that everything she said was thought about thoroughly before being spoken aloud. She wasn't worried about Hermione being a danger to her children, but she was worried about the girl being a danger to herself, in the long run. Hopefully she'd open up a bit more to Harry and Draco over the next fortnight. "Now let's go meet the boys."
Hermione nodded and followed Narcissa to her feet, barely noticing when the older witch called a house elf and asked that Hermione's luggage be delivered to their home in France, since everyone else had wardrobes there and wouldn't require luggage.
The entire group met up at the same time, it seemed, in the drawing room. Draco and Harry trailed Lucius down a long corridor, and Hermione slowed down a bit once they were all caught up with each other.
"Are you excited?" Draco asked her. He knew she had never been to France before and was excited to have someone new to show the sights. He and Harry had been going to France yearly, so it wasn't new to them anymore, but he was still excited. He loved travelling.
"I'm nervous," she admitted quietly. "I don't speak the language and I just have no idea what to expect."
"It's going to be fun, I promise."
Hermione tucked her hair behind her ears nervously and nodded. Lucius held his hand out to her again and they were gone.
"Wow," Hermione whispered to herself as she looked out the window of the room she was staying in. She had a gorgeous view of the Mediterranean, and even though it was cold and snowy outside her window, it was still the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. She figured she could stand there all day, watching the movement of the water, Mother Nature at her finest.
"Unpacked?" Draco asked after rapping on her door lightly. Hermione nodded before finally tearing her eyes away from her view. "Yes," she breathed. "I didn't bring much, so it didn't take long. I'm glad the House Elves didn't do it for me again, though."
"They do it wrong?" he asked, confused.
"I just don't like people going through my things," she responded, thinking about the bullies at her primary school in the Muggle world and the amount of things she'd had stolen.
Draco shrugged and changed the subject, not understanding the issue. Of course, he had no way of knowing that Hermione was a very private person, compounded by the fact that she could trust no one in Gryffindor house at Hogwarts.
"Is this a Muggle town?" she asked Draco as they made their way through the corridors.
"No," he laughed. "This is L'île de Circinus, our island that is unplottable and heavily guarded by spells and wards. We can go into the Muggle world, if you wanted, but our parents usually Apparate us to Place Cachée, which is kind of like the equivalent of Diagon Alley. Just… French."
"Oh!" Hermione squeaked, excited. She couldn't hold the sound in as she thought about the amazing things she could learn and see in a completely different magical community. But her excitement dampened a bit when she remembered that she didn't have any money, and she would be damned if she would let the Malfoys spend excessively on her. She'd look around, but not show too much interest in anything.
"I'm starving," Harry complained as he met up with them in the corridor. "Mum said breakfast was going to be ready after we arrived and we're still waiting."
"I think she was waiting for Hermione to finish unpacking," Draco replied with a shrug.
"Well, let's go then!" Harry cried, completely missing the embarrassed blush creeping up Hermione's neck.
"You didn't need to wait for me," she responded quietly. "I didn't know…"
Harry groaned and started to rub his stomach, but his brother shoved him and raised an eyebrow, gesturing to Hermione. He could see that she was feeling awkward but he didn't know how to fix that for her.
"Let's go," he whined, and took off down the corridor. Draco released a breath and looked to Hermione, who seemed to be trying to sink into the carpet. He gave her a small smile and gestured down the hallway, which she began to follow him down.
After breakfast, Lucius announced that they would be heading to Place Cachée once everyone was ready, and Hermione could barely tamp down her excitement. She remembered how amazing it had been to go to Diagon Alley for the first time, and even though her parents weren't as thrilled by the sights, Hermione felt like she was finally going home.
She could tell, though, that the only reason her parents had taken her at all was because it was a requirement. She was too young to travel alone, especially to an entire new world, so they grudgingly took her.
She knew that going to Place Cachée was going to be an even better experience, because she was accompanying people who had been there numerous times and would show her around. She wouldn't have to try and keep her curiosity at bay, because there was no one there she would make feel bad by her fascination with the magic that was an integral part of her life.
"I just need my coat and mittens and I'll be ready," Hermione said, but before she could even make a move, house elves popped into the room, each carrying the appropriate garments for winter.
She took her coat gingerly, still unused to having servants, but tried to play it cool since it was such a normal thing to the family hosting her.
Once they were bundled up, each child took the hands of an adult and they disappeared. Hermione opened her eyes and realized they were in a quiet alleyway. She glanced at her companions and could see that Lucius was suddenly looking less than comfortable for a moment before he blinked and told the children to follow close to him and Narcissa.
They left the alley and joined the people walking around the chilly streets. No one looked at them twice, and the group was quickly making their way toward a bronze statue erected on the cobblestones. As they neared she could see that the statue was of a woman wearing Wizarding robes. She was high atop a large stone base, and as they got closer she winked at them and began lifting her robes to the side, sweeping them away to reveal a blank stretch of stone beneath them.
Lucius hurried the children and Narcissa through the barrier beneath the woman's robes and quickly followed them through, breathing a sigh of relief once everyone was safely in Place Cachee.
"Were we just in the Muggle world?" Hermione asked in confusion. This was much different than the entrance to Diagon Alley.
As she looked around and took in the sights of Place Cachee for the first time, she couldn't help but notice that the layout and buildings were exactly the same on this side of the bronze witch, only much more magical.
Fascinating.
"Yes, Hermione, we came through the Muggle side. Normally we apparate directly into the alley but we thought you'd enjoy seeing the entrance. It's much different than what we're used to," Lucius responded, and his uncomfortable nature just moments before made sense.
"Thank you," she responded politely, pleased that they had decided to let her see something she would have never experienced otherwise.
Narcissa was smiling at her encouragingly as she began to look around Place Cachée again. It seemed so much more dignified and fancy than Diagon Alley; it wasn't full of obnoxious colours and the witches and wizards milling about were wearing fancier clothes than she was used to seeing.
"You three go and explore, we will follow your lead," Lucius said, and Narcissa shooed them away with her hands. Draco smirked and shared a glance with Harry before the two immediately headed for a quaint shop called Gaston McAaron. Hermione followed behind, taking in the sights all around her with wide, sparkling eyes and a faint blush on her cheeks.
Lucius went ahead with the boys and Narcissa trailed back with Hermione as she slowed her pace to memorize everything around her.
"They headed for the Quidditch shop first, of course," Narcissa mused with a slight smile as Hermione finally realized they had fallen behind considerably. "I think you'd be interested to know that Gaston McAaron was the first shop ever built in Place Cachée, all the way back in 1392."
Hermione gasped at the knowledge she had just gained, and she was pleasantly surprised that Narcissa knew this was something to share with her.
"Place Cachée is older than Diagon Alley," Narcissa continued, letting Hermione soak up her words. "It's said the first buildings in Diagon Alley were built in the early 1500's, but for some reason the British Ministry of Magic doesn't seem to have exact dates like the Parisian Ministry does."
"I've never been somewhere so old before," Hermione said in awe.
Narcissa let out a little tittering laugh that had Hermione looking at her in confusion.
"Oh, Hermione," she began, her crystal blue eyes sparkling, "Malfoy Manor was built in 1067."
Hermione's jaw dropped.
"It's true," Narcissa continued. "But enough history for now, I think. I'm sure the boys are nowhere near done." Narcissa gestured for Hermione to follow. "Are you interested in Quidditch?"
Hermione couldn't hide her distaste. "I don't enjoy brooms, at all. I have only seen a couple Quidditch games since I got to Hogwarts but I don't like it. It's so… dangerous!"
Narcissa laughed again and Hermione couldn't help but wish she could be so dainty and beautiful one day.
"I agree with you there, I can't tell you how many times I've refused to watch the boys learn how to fly. Let's skip the Quidditch shop, then."
Hermione followed Narcissa's lead and soon enough they were coming up on a large shop named "Magillard Plumes and Tomes."
"A bookstore?!" Hermione asked, unable to reign in her excitement before reminding herself she wasn't spending any more of the Malfoys' gold than necessary.
Narcissa nodded and led her through the door.
On their last day in France, the boys went with Lucius to a Quiberion Quafflepunchers match, leaving Narcissa and Hermione on their own.
Narcissa had decided that they would finish their trip with one last visit to Place Cachée, as she had some last minute shopping to finish up.
Hermione was excited for more one-on-one time with Draco and Harry's mum. She was thoughtful, smart, and considerate to Hermione's feelings. She didn't ask her hard questions about her previous life all that often and Hermione felt like she could really begin to let her guard down around her.
Narcissa Apparated the two of them directly into Place Cachée, as Lucius did not feel comfortable with them visiting the Muggle world without him present.
Hermione looked around in excitement again, her eyes catching a woman in stylish robes and a large hat making her way down the street, her many bags floating along behind her and causing a scene that the witch didn't seem to notice. Hermione giggled to herself almost silently when one of the bags knocked into a man who was just taking a sip from a coffee cup, causing him to spill it over his croissant. He grumbled and Hermione smiled to herself, and then watched in wonder as he waved his hand and his croissant looked brand new.
She had been distracted, so she was genuinely surprised when Narcissa stopped abruptly in front of a small shop.
"Maison Capenoir?" Hermione asked, predictably butchering the name of the French shop.
"Yes, we just need to duck in here for a moment," Narcissa said, a smile gracing her lovely features.
Hermione followed Narcissa inside and was surprised to see that the store was much larger on the inside than it looked on the outside. She still wasn't accustomed to magic in every sense of the word, and she couldn't stop looking around as she followed Narcissa into the bowels of the shop.
They finally stopped and Hermione focused her attention back to Narcissa, who was conversing easily in French with an older witch in beautiful robes.
The woman turned, austere and severe looking, and she eyed Hermione critically for a moment before answering Narcissa with a smile.
Hermione gulped. The woman had seemed to be sizing her up, but before she could start thinking about what the woman was thinking about her, Narcissa gripped the severe looking witch's hands and finished the conversation with a smile. The French witch bussed her cheek to Narcissa's before she broke away and walked behind a curtain, leaving Narcissa to lead Hermione to the front door.
Hermione wanted to ask what had just happened but she held her tongue. She didn't want to annoy Narcissa by asking about things that didn't really concern her, especially because she didn't want the older witch to decide not to bring her out again.
"Two more stops, Hermione, and then we shall head back to Britain to prepare for Yule."
Hermione nodded and followed Narcissa into the Quidditch supply store the boys had visited so excitedly their first time to Place Cachée this week, and since Hermione had not been in the store yet she looked around while Narcissa had a discussion with the shop owner. Again in French.
Hermione had no idea there were so many different types of brooms. There were also sets upon sets of Quidditch balls, leather gloves, flying clothes, and anything an avid Quidditch player could possibly want.
Their third and final stop was a quick visit to Odette Favre's Maison Fondée, where Hermione had to try her hardest to not show interest in the many different pastries offered. She eyed them hungrily, having never seen such elegant cakes, tarts, and pies. On the other wall were shelves of handmade candies, and Narcissa seemed to be buying a large box of assorted magical treats. She finished their conversation and approached Hermione, who was looking at the candies in interest.
"Lucius just absolutely adores French candies, and the boys are quickly following suit. I figured a box for the Yule celebration back in Britain would be perfect."
Hermione nodded distractedly and Narcissa could see the hunger in her eyes. She wondered if Hermione had ever even had half of the treats available, as she looked to be in complete awe. If she had realized that at the beginning of the trip, Narcissa would have brought Hermione here then and allowed her and the boys to buy some treats for themselves.
Narcissa and Lucius both had attempted to buy Hermione treats from Place Cachée and the other places they had visited, but the young girl would get an embarrassed look on her face and insist that she didn't need anything. Narcissa just knew that she was worried about taking too much from the family and didn't want herself to come across as a burden. It saddened her every time Hermione would look at something new, and her eyes would light up with joy moments before she schooled her expression into something calm.
"Why don't you pick out an assortment for yourself and the boys?" Narcissa offered, watching Hermione's cheeks flush pink. "I'm sure plenty of these are new to you, and even the boys haven't had them all. These for instance," Narcissa gestured to small red candies that apparently made the consumer converse and understand perfect French for two minutes straight.
"I - Well I can pick some things for the boys, but I don't need anything. I'm actually not allowed to eat sweets, because my parents don't approve of sugar."
"I insist, Hermione."
Narcissa plucked three empty boxes that were available for people to choose their own assortments and passed them to Hermione. The girl took them slowly, cautiously, and Narcissa nodded at her as she pressed the boxes into her hands.
"Take your time. Oh, it looks as though Francois is waiting for me to choose what I'd like in Lucius' box. Bring yours up to the counter when you're finished and we will get them sent back to the Manor in Britain.
"Thank you," Hermione whispered, almost wanting to cry because of the kindness shown to her by Narcissa Malfoy.