My Fair Witch
Hermione rung her hands together as she stood in front of the mansion. She couldn't believe what she was about to do. With one last deep breath, Hermione knocked on the door.
"Coming!" a voice called from inside. "Yes?" Draco Malfoy opened the door. He was wearing dress pants and a blue collar shirt. A neck tie was loose and hanging like a scarf. His face had matured since she had last seen him and for some reason he looked less... vain.
"um...hullo" She mumbled , pulling her shabby torn up coat closer around her neck.
"Well, well. Granger. It's been a while since I last saw you." He looked her up and down "You look horrible."
"Can I come in?" She asked ignoring his comment on her appearance.
"What have you been up to any ways?" He asked, motioning her inside. "I expected to see you at the reunion. It's only in about six months." Hermione looked around before answering. It was a rather small room with one single stair case going up. She assumed the more impressive part of the huge house was up stairs.
"Well," She said finally "I've been working at a small science company. We lost our funding a year ago, but.... " She trailed off.
"Well?"
"Can you teach me how to be a lady?" She blurted out. "There, my very last ounce of self respect is gone." Hermione looked at him. She saw him smirk.
"Well, this is new new. Why didn't you ask someone else? Hell, it's not like we were friends or anything in school."
"See, that's just it. You grew up in rich family, and was taught manners and poise and other stuff... Who else would I go to? Lavender Brown? No, I got in a big fight with her in seventh year. Parvati Patil? No she took Lavender's side. Harry, who lived with his abusive aunt and uncle? Ron? Who--"
"Okay okay, I get it. Don't worry I wont ask you anymore questions about your motive. Dandelion!" He called. A small house elf bounded down the stair case. "Dandelion, take her upstairs, put her in a bath, and burn all her clothes. Get me a seamstress down here, in mean while, you can just...wrap her in a paper bag."
"Excuse me!" Hermione's face flushed with anger. "I'm not to be put in a paper bag and have my clothes burned.
"Hermione." Draco put is hands on her shoulders. "When I'm done with you, men with be lined up just to touch your hand." Hermione started towards the door shaking her head.
"This was a bad idea. I'm leaving."
"Have a chocolate Hermione." She turned. Any fool could tell she was to poor to be able to buy sweet treats. She loved chocolate .
"How do I know you haven't put some hex on it?" She asked bitterly.
"Ah, okay. Here, I'll eat half, you eat half." Hermione watched him suspiciously as he snapped the chocolate in two and pop on piece in his mouth. Cautiously she took the other piece from him and bit into it. She wasn't sure weather it was because she had been eating nothing but oatmeal for the last year, or if it was extremely expensive and made of only the finest ingredients, but the chocolate seemed to melt in her mouth as if it were snow.
"Good huh?" Draco commented. "You could have boxes of them everyday." He grabbed her wrist and started running up the stairs "and galleons and new dresses and carriage rides--" Hermione let out a shriek.
"Unlike you, " She stated stopping halfway up the stair case " I don't need that to be happy." She looked at him squarely. "Now, I'm willing to pay you for lessons." She pulled out a paper and pen "How much?"
"Well, there's my time, the dresses, the food..." Draco did some calculations. " 100 galleons." Hermione's jaw dropped.
"Forget it." She sighed as she made her way down the stairs.
"Fine, but I bet I could do it in time for the reunion." He called after her.
"I'm willing to take that bet." Hermione turned. A man in his thirties was coming down the stair case. He had brown hair and blue eyes. The only giveaway that he was older, was the strands of white hairs and the crows feet at the corners of his eyes.
"This is my friend charles. He's visiting me. Interesting bet there Charlie." He commented.
"I bet you can't make her look like a queen in six weeks, I'll even pay for the whole thing! I bet you 500 galleons you can't do it!" A smile touched his lips as he winked at Hermione.
"Okay deal" Hermione answered for Draco.
"Wha- hey! Fine your on Charlie. Hermione, first lesson starts tomorrow. Dandelion will take you upstairs and show you where your sleeping."
Hermione rung her hands together as she stood in front of the mansion. She couldn't believe what she was about to do. With one last deep breath, Hermione knocked on the door.
"Coming!" a voice called from inside. "Yes?" Draco Malfoy opened the door. He was wearing dress pants and a blue collar shirt. A neck tie was loose and hanging like a scarf. His face had matured since she had last seen him and for some reason he looked less... vain.
"um...hullo" She mumbled , pulling her shabby torn up coat closer around her neck.
"Well, well. Granger. It's been a while since I last saw you." He looked her up and down "You look horrible."
"Can I come in?" She asked ignoring his comment on her appearance.
"What have you been up to any ways?" He asked, motioning her inside. "I expected to see you at the reunion. It's only in about six months." Hermione looked around before answering. It was a rather small room with one single stair case going up. She assumed the more impressive part of the huge house was up stairs.
"Well," She said finally "I've been working at a small science company. We lost our funding a year ago, but.... " She trailed off.
"Well?"
"Can you teach me how to be a lady?" She blurted out. "There, my very last ounce of self respect is gone." Hermione looked at him. She saw him smirk.
"Well, this is new new. Why didn't you ask someone else? Hell, it's not like we were friends or anything in school."
"See, that's just it. You grew up in rich family, and was taught manners and poise and other stuff... Who else would I go to? Lavender Brown? No, I got in a big fight with her in seventh year. Parvati Patil? No she took Lavender's side. Harry, who lived with his abusive aunt and uncle? Ron? Who--"
"Okay okay, I get it. Don't worry I wont ask you anymore questions about your motive. Dandelion!" He called. A small house elf bounded down the stair case. "Dandelion, take her upstairs, put her in a bath, and burn all her clothes. Get me a seamstress down here, in mean while, you can just...wrap her in a paper bag."
"Excuse me!" Hermione's face flushed with anger. "I'm not to be put in a paper bag and have my clothes burned.
"Hermione." Draco put is hands on her shoulders. "When I'm done with you, men with be lined up just to touch your hand." Hermione started towards the door shaking her head.
"This was a bad idea. I'm leaving."
"Have a chocolate Hermione." She turned. Any fool could tell she was to poor to be able to buy sweet treats. She loved chocolate .
"How do I know you haven't put some hex on it?" She asked bitterly.
"Ah, okay. Here, I'll eat half, you eat half." Hermione watched him suspiciously as he snapped the chocolate in two and pop on piece in his mouth. Cautiously she took the other piece from him and bit into it. She wasn't sure weather it was because she had been eating nothing but oatmeal for the last year, or if it was extremely expensive and made of only the finest ingredients, but the chocolate seemed to melt in her mouth as if it were snow.
"Good huh?" Draco commented. "You could have boxes of them everyday." He grabbed her wrist and started running up the stairs "and galleons and new dresses and carriage rides--" Hermione let out a shriek.
"Unlike you, " She stated stopping halfway up the stair case " I don't need that to be happy." She looked at him squarely. "Now, I'm willing to pay you for lessons." She pulled out a paper and pen "How much?"
"Well, there's my time, the dresses, the food..." Draco did some calculations. " 100 galleons." Hermione's jaw dropped.
"Forget it." She sighed as she made her way down the stairs.
"Fine, but I bet I could do it in time for the reunion." He called after her.
"I'm willing to take that bet." Hermione turned. A man in his thirties was coming down the stair case. He had brown hair and blue eyes. The only giveaway that he was older, was the strands of white hairs and the crows feet at the corners of his eyes.
"This is my friend charles. He's visiting me. Interesting bet there Charlie." He commented.
"I bet you can't make her look like a queen in six weeks, I'll even pay for the whole thing! I bet you 500 galleons you can't do it!" A smile touched his lips as he winked at Hermione.
"Okay deal" Hermione answered for Draco.
"Wha- hey! Fine your on Charlie. Hermione, first lesson starts tomorrow. Dandelion will take you upstairs and show you where your sleeping."
