Hello all you who read this. Thank you for reading it after such a long break. I hope to have more for you sooner rather than later. Let me know if you find errors as I am my only Beta. Reviews are helpful as well. I own nothing and make no money from this endeavor. Sweet T.
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There was silence as they continued to walk until they reached a split in the direction each had to go. Before Mina broke off to her class she turned and looked at him, "Honestly, I would rather she...I mean I don't want to have to defend myself at every meal, but, yes, I would still appreciate a place to stay this summer."
"You won't have to. I will remind her that you're a respected and honored guest. Hopefully, she will just ignore you for the summer. I think that's best anyway." Draco replied.
She sighed and her shoulders lost some of the tension reading the letter had placed on them. "Ignored would be great. Thank you." She smiled and nodded her head in thanks before turning toward her classroom. "Best get going, you don't want to be late to class," she said over her shoulder.
Draco realized that her timing had left him with just enough time to make it to his first class of the day if he hurried.
The last three weeks of the school year were busy, hectic and filled with stress but in what felt like one fell swoop the end of year exams, O. and N.E. were taken and students were just relaxing before the end of year feast. The teachers were relaxing as well but there was still a lot of activity for them. The mandatory evacuation of the school so the final reconstruction could happen was putting more than one professor into a tizzy.
Mina was buzzing around the common room making sure she had everything packed and more importantly organized. Draco sat on the sofa watching her and chuckling. "Mina! Enough."
She didn't stop her activity but glanced at him. "I have to make sure I have everything." She looked at him sitting, doing nothing but watching her. "What about you? You need to get packed."
"I'm packed. All done. Just waiting for you to finish your obsessive….flitting about." He smiled at her.
Giving him a side look, "I don't want to forget anything. I don't want...I've been stalled on the Mirror Shield, I have to finish the Imperious Curse block and I'm still confused on why the time limit didn't work on you."
"Are you trying to tell me that you don't have everything memorized, categorized, alphabetized, and every other-ized out there?"
She raised her chin a little, "I might have but there is a lot of information to remember. I want to make sure I have everything with me just in case. Even I can forget something or make a mistake." She came and sat next to him. "I just don't want to waste my summer."
"Waste your summer? Tell me you plan to leave the library every once in a while? Have a little fun?"
Deadpan, "This is fun." He looked at her in abject horror before she broke into a big grin, "but I am open to doing things other than research...should they present themselves, that is."
"Glad to hear it."
"But until then, I need to make sure I have everything. So, human distraction, leave me alone and let me finish so we can get out of here."
Draco threw up his hands and headed for the door. He turned to speak one more time, "by the way, Granger, McG said the staff could come back if we needed to. We just had to make arrangements with her beforehand." He ducked out the door as quickly as he could as he was sure she was about to throw something at him. It never came because what Mina had in her hand was one of her research books; it wasn't getting thrown even at blonde human annoyances.
Within an hour Mina was walking toward the Hogwarts Staff Floo Access Room. It was a smallish room containing three hard ladder back chairs and a large fireplace with a sizable pot of floo powder on the mantle. Draco was waiting on one of the chairs. He was using his trunk as a footstool while reading as he patiently waited for his flatmate and fellow professor. He heard her approach and closed his book as he stood in greeting. "Ready?" He asked.
Mina took a deep breath, held it and then slowly released it. "As ready as I will ever be." She repeated her deep breath.
Draco tried to smile in encouragement but knew he fell short when Mina snorted a laugh. He replaced his book in his trunk, shrunk the whole thing down to fit in his pocket and tucked it away. He waved Mina toward the floo and followed behind her. She grabbed a handful of floo powder and stepped into the fireplace. He stepped in and faced her. He pulled her into a tight hug just before she dropped the floo powder and he called out "Malfoy Family Floo". They spun through a blinding series of fireplaces before being spit out.
As they stepped out into a comfortable room a startled house elf let out a squeak before popping away.
The elf, Andis, arrived in the private study of Narcissa Malfoy. "Excuse me, Mistress, but the Master has been arriving with his guest," she paused just a moment before adding, "at family floo!" The elf seemed quite upset that a guest arrived via the family entrance.
Narcissa stood to face the elf. "Is tea ready?"
"Yes, Mistress."
Narcissa nodded her head and apparated to outside the family entrance. She opened the door to find her son and his guest just preparing to leave. "Draco! Darling! You're home! I'm so happy to see you." She pulled him into a hug. As she pulled away, "did your guest decide not to join you?"
Draco eyed his mother. He knew his mother had seen Mina standing just a step away. "Mother." It was obvious he didn't approve of her tactics. He cleared his throat before proceeding with introductions, "Mother, may I introduce Miss Hermione Granger?"
Narcissa turned her eyes to the young woman before her. "Of course. Miss Granger."
Mina knew that was as close to a welcome she was likely to get so she stepped forward and held out her hand, "Mrs. Malfoy, a pleasure to meet you."
Narcissa looked at the outstretched hand and sniffed as if she smelled something unpleasant. She shifted her eyes to meet the steely-eyed gaze of the young woman. She shook the hand but added, "Lady Malfoy, Miss Granger."
Mina nodded her head but kept her face emotionless, "As you wish. Clinging to the antiquated ways that so recently caused so much pain in our world is an excellent thing for a respected Lady such as yourself to showcase."
Narcissa's eyes turned from disdain to glacial before Mina had finished speaking. "Draco, tea is ready but I'm afraid I won't be able to join you. I'm sure you will be a good host that honors the history of the Malfoy family. I will see you for dinner." She turned to Mina, "We dress for dinner here, Miss Granger." She turned to leave the room. "Oh, yes, tea is in the East Drawing Room."
Mina blanched but Draco moved into action, "No Mother." Narcissa turned to look at Draco. Her only expression was a raised eyebrow. "Andis!" Draco called.
The elf popped in but didn't say anything. "Please have tea served in the library in 30 minutes." Andis looked at Narcissa for confirmation but realized that the Master of the House had spoken. She simply bowed and popped away.
Narcissa smiled, "Of course My Dragon, an excellent idea." Narcissa cooed at her son before she turned around and left the room.
Once she left the room, Draco took Mina in his arms. "Are you ok?"
"I'm honestly not sure. Did that all really just happen?" Mina responded.
They separated but continued their conversation as he led them out of the room. "It did and what you said was...I don't think anyone has ever stood up to her in such a pricelessly Gryffindor way."
"Oh Draco, I hope it wasn't too harsh. It's just that she was so...I'm sorry if I've cause you more trouble."
"No, Mina. No. It was a bit harsh but she needed to learn that you won't just stand there and be degraded by her. Though, I wouldn't expect her to take you shopping any time in the future though."
Mina laughed, "No I won't." Mina was looking around at the house around her. "So, where are we going?"
"Oh, I forgot to ask which suite she had readied for you. Andis."
The little elf popped in. "Master?"
"Which suite did Mother have you ready for Miss Granger?"
The rooms on the third floor, Master."
Draco closed his eyes, dropped his chin to his chest and shook his head. "No, Andis. Please change her suite to the guest suite nearest my rooms." Andis nodded in understanding.
"Draco, wherever she placed me is fine. You don't need to have them change my room."
"Mina, she put you in with the elves. You are a guest, not a servant and the elves would not enjoy you invading their space."
Draco returned his attention to Andis, "Did Mother give you any other instructions as regards Miss Granger?"
Andis looked nervous but she still answered. "Mistress says wes don't do anything to help Master's guest. That Master's guest is not worthy of beings here. Mistress says Master's guest would," here she lowered her voice to a whisper, "free us!" Andis was visibly shaking. "Wes not want clothes Master, please!"
Mina knelt down to talk to Andis the elf. "Andis? I'm not here to free you. I understand that you are happy here and I made Draco a promise that I wouldn't try to free any of the elves. Now, I make that promise to you, Andis. I promise that I will not try to free any of you elves."
Andis looked at her then at Draco. Draco nodded his head that it was the truth. Andis returned the nod then popped away.
"Really Draco, I can stay wherever. I don't need a suite." Mina tried to persuade him as he took her hand and helped her to stand.
Draco gave her a look, "It will make the elves feel better to have you in a guest suite and not sharing their quarters. And I thought we were still going to work together?"
She looked at him in a way that yelled, 'DUH!' but just nodded her head. Neither had released their hand from the other so he used the connection to start them walking down the hall.
"It'll be better and easier for both of us if you are near to both me and the library. Isn't it better to be close to the library?"
Mina knew she was doomed. Draco knew how to get to her and he ruthlessly used it. She gave him a fake glare just before breaking out in a huge smile. "The closer the better."
Draco laughed with her and kept her hand in his as he kept walking. "Let's head to the library then and wait for tea. That will give Andis time to get your room ready while I explain the layout of the library."
As they walked he gave her a brief tour and location reminders of where they had arrived via floo and where they were headed.
Since they were walking slowly and talking it took several minutes for them to reach the library. "Before I open these doors I have to warn you, it is actually bigger than Hogwarts' library so do not pass out!" He laughed.
"Oh please, I may like it or love it even but I doubt I would be so overwhelmed as to pass out." Mina scoffed.
Draco just smiled and opened the doors. Mina walked in and stopped in her tracks. She knew Draco was watching her so she took two or three deep breaths to steady herself before walking farther into the room. There was silence for several minutes while she just looked around. "Tell me," she whispered.
"Well, this collection is the accumulation of at least ten generations of Malfoy's if not more. Ever since we came over from France it's been expanded with each subsequent generation. We haven't had much time to add to it in the last few years but collecting rare books is something of a family...obsession."
He went on to explain how the library was organized and the dangers she may face. He explained that she should reach her hand toward a book without touching it in order to get a 'feel' for the type of book it was and the type of magic it contained. "As far as I know you are the first muggle-born to use this library ever so I don't know how some of them will react to you. Just be careful. If you have any doubts, ask for help, either me or an elf." Mina nodded but seemed distracted. "Promise me, Mina. Ask for help."
"Oh, sorry, I promise I'll be careful. It's just...this is...this book...it's beyond rare. I heard it went out of print more than 400 years ago and that they were all destroyed in the 15th Century yet here it is, right in front of me. Seeing this, I might pass out." She turned an amused smile to Draco so he knew she was only joking.
"I guess you better have some tea then. Shall we?"
MIna looked longingly at the ancient book but she nodded her head and followed Draco to tea. The rest of the day was spent learning how to navigate the manor and getting settled in her suite. The suite contained a bedchamber, ensuite, large walk-in closet, and a separate smaller room which contained a decent sized desk and chair. The lovely balcony that was accessed from her bedchamber overlooked the formal gardens.
Dinner that evening was an experience Mina found completely exhausting. Between not having anything appropriate to wear and "Lady" Malfoy's silence unless she was spewing a stream of belittling comments, Mina had no opportunity to enjoy any of the wonderful food.
Draco tried his best to be a good host since his mother was decidedly being as unpleasant as possible. It was obvious to Draco that his mother was enjoying every moment of the event. Finally, after a particularly nasty comment from his mother, he decided enough was enough. "Mother!" He gained her attention, "Thank you for dinner but we are going to retire, now." With this, he walked over to Mina and took her hand to help her stand. Blatantly showing that she was important to him.
He tucked her hand into his elbow as he escorted Mina from the dining room and led her toward her room. At her door, he turned her and saw that she had been silently crying. He pulled her into a hug, "I'm so sorry, Mina. I honestly didn't think she would be that horrid. I didn't think she could be that horrid to anyone."
Mina nodded her head where she was resting it on his shoulder, "I'm going to bed and try to pretend this night didn't happen." She pulled back from him and opened her door. She gave him a watery attempt at a smile then closed the door.
Draco turned and stormed back to the dining room. He found Narcissa sitting primly enjoying an after dinner aperitif. "Mother, how could you be so rude, so disrespectful to my friend who is also a guest?"
"Really Draco she's not a friend or a guest. You bring that...that filth into this house and expect me to just accept it. This is your father's house and you bring home trash! How dare you disrespect the Malfoy history by bringing that...mu...person here! The ancestral seat of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Malfoy will not stand for such blasphemy and if she has you so blinded that you do not see it for what it is, I will do what is needed to make her understand just how much she does not belong here."
"Mother, listen to me. I am the current head of this so-called great house and she is here at my request. You will honor that. If you could go to either the flat in Paris or the villa in Italy, I would suggest you do that. But since your choices have landed you under house arrest and therefore can't leave and I promised Mina full access to the library, I suggest you do your best to avoid her!"
He turned to leave the room but decided to say something more, "And we will not be joining you for dinner or any other meal for the duration of the summer unless you can be civil to my guest."