Sunday approached on swift feet. Hermione had been looking at the red gum paste off and on for an hour. She could not bring herself to press her finger to the past and she could not ignore it either. She wondered how it would feel under her finger. She needed to know how it would bind her. She threw up her hands and slouched away from the invitation. She took a few moments to dress in what could be considered acceptable garden attire. She left her wild hair unencumbered as she always did these days. No potions or spells to hide behind. That was not acceptable anymore. It was not real.

She paced and frumped about attempting to be caught up in some project that would make her forget the time and perhaps miss the engagement entirely under the guise of tricking herself. She found that she could not throw herself into anything with enough vigor and her interest in the tea party was too great to allow her to be distracted.

At half past noon, She picked up the invitation and wrapped it back in its packaging. She was careful not to touch the red gum. She reluctantly apparated to the residence apparation point using the instructions on the back of the card. She was before the foreboding grounds too quickly. The home was large and old. Its gothic style old even compared to most wealthy families' standards. It reminded her of a black painted pumpkin with sharp, jagged teeth.

The front door opened at her approach and tall servant of indeterminable gender stood in the door's shadow. The servant had two thick red lines tattooed at the base of the neck. They resembled the fat straight lines coloured markers made if you slanted the marker tip to the side.

"Please allow me to welcome you to the gardens Miss Granger". The voice was deeply masculine with a slippery quality to the tail end of his words. It was as if his mouth couldn't grab the words before they glided out into the air.

He waited for her to cross the threshold as his patient hands gestured towards an oddly country-chic door with old style wood grid pattern intersecting the window that led to a manicured garden. When she was fully inside, he began walking her over to the garden entrance and she surreptitiously looked about the humble hallway. The candles were unlit and the only light came in through the open shutters lining the foyer and adjoining hallways. There were very few specialty items or expensive furnishings on immediate display. She'd heard that the Greengrass family vaults had been greatly reduced in grandeur after the wartime reparations. However, she'd assumed that Daphne's marriage to Gregory's older brother would have secured the young woman a lifestyle more in keeping with her upbringing.

Too quickly, she was back outdoors and walking through the lavish gardens. The gardens were the opposite of the inside decor and much more in line with Hermione's vision of a wealthy homestead. The rose bushes were docile and clean while the large shrubs were perfectly sculpted into mythical creatures that looked both ferocious and heavily yoked. Close to the house was a large paved pavilion with luxury lawn furniture, gold hardware, modern lighting and table settings.

In the center of the pavilion sat the beautiful lady of the manor wearing fashionable summer robes and large hat resembling that of a muggle royal. Next to Daphne was another woman, wearing an even larger summer hat that obscured her face. By the extreme softness of her hands, from too many moisturizing potions, Hermione guessed the other guest was a bit older than Daphne and Hermione. Daphne's mother or aunt most likely.

Hermione, upon seeing an unexpected second lady, felt her back stiffen. She had not expected anyone beyond Daphne and she couldn't help feeling concerned. she reasoned that tea parties usually had multiple ladies in attendance and she should have been prepared and yet she was not ready to mingle. She had hoped to get down to the business of the mysterious item and be off rather soon after. She had a strong sense that it would not be a short affair after all.

Daphne and the woman were speaking in low and slightly sharp tones but the conversation abruptly ended as the servant and Hermione approached. Daphne's creased forehead smoothed instantly and her shoulders rolled back pleasantly. Hermione wished she was able to compose herself so quickly. She imagined it was learned in finishing school or perhaps it was simply bred into highborn women.

The servant led her to the table and pulled out her seat. She sat quickly and looked down as the servant pushed her chair easily into the proper place. Without ceremony, he poured her tea and was off. She felt as if her security blanket was being ripped from her although she would not miss looking at the red stripes down his throat. They reminded her of congealed blood.

"Thank you Miss Granger for accepting my invitation". Daphne said with an air of restrained politeness. Hermione responded in kind. Daphne inquired into the acceptability of the tea and Hermione assured her that it was lovely. A short silent erupted where the other woman's opinions would need to be accounted for and yet neither the woman nor Daphne said anything. Right as Hermione began to feel the need to look over at the silent woman seated next to her, Daphne interjected.

"I must apologize that I have not introduced Mrs. Malfoy. It must seem impossibly rude but I believe she has fallen asleep and I was reluctant to wake her." Hermione looked over and it did appear that Narcissa's chin was resting on her chest. Her eyelids were closed but the eyes underneath appeared to be fluttering wildly. The discomfort at being seated next to Narcissa Malfoy was crackling. Her mudblood scar felt itchy and raw. Her legs felt restless in her seat.

Daphne felt Hermione's unease and hovered a soft hand above Hermione's own tightly clasped fist. She did not actually touch Hermione, perhaps Daphne knew that would be an unwelcome feeling or perhaps touching a muggleborn was too far beyond the limit of civility. Hermione looked up at her with mild annoyance and wondered what sort of silly game this was.

"I would like to know what I am doing here" Hermione said evenly. She wanted to be as calm as Daphne appeared to be. She wished she had the Slytherin talent for not showing her emotions. For some reason, Draco Malfoy's stony face floated into her open mind as she thought this.

Daphne, seeming to sense that she could quickly lose Hermione's patience, made a decision. She placed her smooth, unworked hand atop Hermione's and patted it gently. Daphne smiled reassuringly and seemed to say with her whole body that "You are safe here." While Hermione did not appreciate the subtle bit of emotional manipulation, she relented and relaxed her body a bit.

"I will not keep you long here. I know that the great Hermione Granger has never been one for long dalliances." Hermione bristled at the unnecessary remark but remained silent. "To be honest, your business is not with me but with dear auntie who seems to be awake. I assure you that you will be intrigued if you'd stay a moment to listen."

Narcissa Malfoy was stirring alongside her. Hermione, even more rankled that she had been duped into listening to the Malfoy woman, turned towards the older woman with narrowed eyes and a hand on her wand. Narcissa's eyes were already appraising Hermione cautiously and they did not lose their edge when she realized the Hermione was waiting for her to begin.

"I imagine Daphne has already welcomed you to tea and solicited the necessary pleasantries." Hermione started at the brisk overture always remembering Narcissa as a genteel, though prejudiced, lady. Hermione had not expected the business like manner with which Mrs. Malfoy addressed the room.

"I'm sure you have heard that my son is no longer with us," She began and Hermione attempted to stammer out a clunky condolence but was cut off as Narcissa continued, "Yes, yes thank you."

"What almost no one knows is that an amulet- that I nor anyone in my circle can account for." Mrs. Malfoy stumbled slightly over her words as if saying them caused her to trip. "It was found wrapped tightly around his neck". She finished out in a dignified rush. At Hermione's stunned face, Daphnee quickly interjected.

"Draco left the world by his own means. The amulet was not used as a weapon. Auntie only meant that it was a choker style necklace." Hermione nodded warily.

She could only wonder at what emotional pain had caused the young man to die by suicide. The wording also struck her, "left by his own means". Hermione had heard various descriptions of completing suicide but that turn of phrase felt malingering. Wrong.

Narcissa continued where she had left off as if reading from a practiced script. Hermione found her steady resolve to finish her difficult story admirably sad. No parent should have to discuss the disturbing details of child's death, especially to a young woman she barely knew or tolerated. Hermione could only wonder at how important this must be to Narcissa to reach out to Hermione of all people.

"The amulet is of no origin that I could trace. I have had little luck understanding its properties or significance. I know that you spent some years training as an unspeakable but did not manage to complete your training." Hermione clenched her jaw at yet another unnecessary slight but felt Daphne's pleading eyes on her.

"Yes, I did pursue that career for a time" Hermione stated in a clipped voice.

Narcissa blinked dismissively and said in a dry tone, "I wasn't insinuating anything by it Ms. Granger. I was only stating common knowledge. '' Hermione remained silent.

Waving a hand, she went on. "My attempts to reach out to the Unspeakeables has been most difficult and I fear rather fruitless. I had hoped that your experience with them could be of may look into it if you were to bring to them".

"What makes you think the amulet is an item that would need to be researched by the Unspeakeables? Even if I were willing to use my contacts as you insinuate, they'd hardly stop their work for such a request." Hermione sniffed knowingly.

Narcissa narrowed her eyes like an eagle ready to pounce and Daphne cut in. "Our personal acquaintances cannot guess at its primary function or origin. We have been assured that the amulet exudes strong magic and was forged by creature of great power. The Malfoy family has an extensive purse collection of rare magical gemstones, literature and artifacts as you can no doubt guess. Naturally, they like many great families also have thorough records and ledgers detailing the collection's contents and uses."

"Naturally", Hermione said dryly.

"Despite the ministries attempts to deplete them after that skirmish" Daphne continued bitterly.

Hermione held back a growl. "Voldemort's war was certainly not a skirmish" she said hotly. The privilege of such people was ingratiating.

Narcissa smoothly cut the tension before it was able to build between the two young women. "I'd like to focus on my son." Both women turned toward her and she continued. "There were no records of Draco purchasing what must be a rare charm in our banking ledgers and there is no explanation for such a thing to be on his person. It took several hours and numerous spells for the amulet to unclasp from his neck. I must know what it means."

"That is very odd" Hermione agreed with alarm, "however I cannot be sure that will be a priority for the Unspeakables".

Narcissa looked crestfallen and began clenching her hands. Hermione feared that Narcissa may begin to sob, "But, I will reach out to my contacts to inquire". Hermione finished limply.

Narcissa and Daphne looked relieved and slightly surprised. Daphne, as if afraid Hermione would change her mind, gestured to Narcissa to reveal something. Narcissa, with trembling fingers, reached into her pockets and produced red velvet box of exceptional quality. Hermione looked at with trepidation as Narcissa opened the small box. Inside lay a small necklace- too small to comfortably lay on a man's neck but too large to be a bracelet. The necklace itself was made of spun gold that was weaved into circular patterns and thin lines. It reminded her of something a gothic heroine would wear on the cover of an old novel. At the base of the necklace sat a large bead made of swirling blacks, golds, reds and oranges. The colors moved and mixed on their own accord as if someone had scooped up an active potion and bottled it up in a glass container. She had never seen anything like it. The shifts and swivels of the colors happened at random and she found herself mesmerized by its unknowable pattern. In the back of her mind, she felt a sense of cold panic and a deep pressure on her spin as if the garden's gravity had intensified.

WIth a snap, Narcissa closed the box and the pressuring sensation was gone. Hermione shivered. Her curiosity had never been more piqued. She felt that old burning return to her: that zeal to uncover buried knowledge. The drive to shed light on the unknowable that carried her into the library stacks for hours on end. She felt Daphne looking at her with a knowing smirk. She cursed her open features. They had her and they knew it.

"Before I can allow auntie to release something so precious to a relative stranger, I must inquire about my note. More specifically, I must ask you to stamp the sealing wax." Daphne said cooly. Daphne knew she'd gained the upper hand.

Hermione remembered the note in her pocket with the untouched gummy substance. She felt cold under the warm summer sun. She produced the letter and tossed it on the garden table. "I know perfectly well that it is no ordinary sealing wax. What is it for?

"It is an ordinary sealing wax. You muggles stole the look of it without understanding its meaning." Narcissa said as though speaking to a child.

"Sealing wax has been used for centuries to ensure that a certain level of trust amongst parties could be well... sealed" Daphne finished, "It only means that you intend to return the amulet to its rightful owner upon completion of the analysis and any other subsequent discoveries. And that any said discoveries would be promptly relayed to the Malfoys without any personal usage by yourself unless in pursuit of the amulet's origins. We would not want any unsavory details released to the general public without our approval."

Hermione bristled at the insinuation that she would steal anything or release any salacious details like a common Rita Skeeter.

"We do not mean any offense Miss Granger. You must understand the precarious situation we purebloods are in these days. Our every move is exploited, tracked and reported on to a hungry populace salivating at our bloodied expense. I cannot allow my son's memory to be used even more against him anymore than it already has. '' Narcissa looked terrified and pleading.

"This sealing wax will also ensure you that we will appropriately compensate and protect you during this interval." Hermione screwed up her mouth at the protection caveat.

"If you would feel more comfortable, you can create the incantation for the wax. It is inactive until the incantation is complete. It will solidify only after the words have been said. Hermione looked over at the red box and she felt an excitement stir in her that she feared was long dead. she nodded jerkily at the two expectant faces. The bargain was struck.


Thank you to my new friends who chose to follow, favorite or comment on this story. I appreciate it so much. Also, I re-worked the last chapter for clarity and syntax. I apologize that it wasn't better edited the first time around. Nothing really changed with the content so no need to reread it. Thanks!