Chapter 15: To Market, To Market, To Catch A…
"Surprise!"
Draco's eyes widened.
There was a plainly clad peasant lady on his doorstep. Her hair was modestly pinned up at the back of her neck and she wore a simple dress of coarse blue cotton.
"Hermione?"
"The one and only," she said and curtsied, pleased to see the effect her change of outfit had on him.
"Where did you get that dress?"
"I sewed it!" she said proudly, twirling around on his doorstep to show off her handiwork.
"I didn't know you could sew!"
"Well, I told you it was a surprise."
"And have you dome something new with your hair?" asked Draco.
"Latest style in London… the peasant look"
"Well then I'm really cutting-edge" Draco said, and they both laughed. "It's nice…not your hair…I mean, your hair of course, but I mean the whole thing. You look good" he said quickly.
"Thanks" she said.
Hermione and Draco faced each other at the door of his cottage, both suddenly a bit shy.
"Shall we go?" he asked.
"Lead on."
Draco stepped out of his cottage and latched the door. There was no lock or key. There was nothing worth stealing inside anyway. They started along a worn path through the field, toward the smoke curling in the air from the main part of the town. It was a beautiful summer's afternoon- hot and breezy, with the smell of hay in the air.
Hermione carried a basket on her arm, as she had seen other peasant ladies do. Eventually, she couldn't resist swinging it in the air as they walked along.
"To market to market to catch a fat pig…" she sang softly.
"We're not going to get a pig. We're looking for a dove." said Draco seriously.
"It's a child's rhyme, silly." Hermione said. "Home again, home again, jiggety jig."
"Say another one"
"Lady, lady
on the sea-shore, she has children one to four, the eldest one is twenty-four,
then she shall marry a: tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, rich man, poor man,
beggar-man, thief!" Hermione skipped in time to the old skipping-rope rhyme she
remembered from Primary school.
"You sure know a lot of crazy muggle rhymes" said Draco.
"Don't you wizard children learn rhymes when you were young?"
"Yes…" Draco said, thinking of the times when Lucius had left Narcissa to look after him entirely by herself. She would sing to him them, something that she dared not do when his father was around- Lucius thought it was "sissy". Those had been wonderful times, but rare indeed.
"Go on."
"It's silly" Draco said.
"Oh come on…I just sang a rhyme about a pig."
"Ok…but you'll laugh…
…There is a cow on the mountain,
A fair white cow
She goes East and she goes West,
And my senses have gone for love of her
She goes with the sun and he forgets to burn,
And the moon turns her face with love to her,
My fair white cow of the mountain!"
Draco said it all in a rush and his face was red. He hadn't recited that rhyme for years and was surprised he still remembered it. He thought Hermione would laugh at him but instead, she clapped her hands in delight.
"Wow! That's fantastic!"
"You think so?" Draco felt better.
"Sure…I never knew there were wizarding rhymes for children."
"Sure there are…my fair white cow of the mountain," he said, and patted her on the head.
She grinned. "I go East, and I go West…"
"My senses have gone for the love of you…" he said, softly, keeping a steady pace at her side.
"I go with the sun and he forgets to burn…" she continued.
"And the moon turns her face with love to you…"
"My fair white cow of the mountain"
"Cows have four stomachs, d'you know?" Draco teased. "No wonder you always ate such a lot at Hogwarts."
Hermione looked up, smiling mischievously.
"Come closer," she said.
Draco leaned forward and she bent towards his ear…
"MOOoooOO!"
"AAaagghhhh!"
Hermione giggled at the stunned look on Draco's face…"I'll get you!"
…Hermione shrieked and ran away from him…
And that was how they ran all the rest of the way to the fayre.
Draco was glad Hermione could run so fast. He didn't quite know what he would have done if he had caught her…
They found themselves on the fringes of a thick crowd. The fayre had attracted folk from all the neighbouring towns as well. It was noisy and full of smells. The guilds had set up large stalls each covering a section of the town and their banners flew high declaring their trade- whether it be wool, or cloth, or smithying. Individual traders had also set up stalls trading or selling goods such as leather-work, shoes, pots, pans, knives, baubles and foods.
Hermione felt overwhelmed by the noise and smells. She had been kept away in the manor for so long that she was no longer used to the large crowd- which was really no worse than the Saturday crowd on Oxford Street. There were so many people! All around her, peasant men and women went around with baskets shouting and laughing with each other. Well-dressed guildsmen, merchants and upper-servants could also occasionally be glimpsed making their way through the crowd. Gaily-dressed acrobats and players wandered by. Some of them were wearing gaudy masks.
"You all right?" she felt Draco touch her arm.
"Yes," she said. But the truth was, she didn't know where to go or what to do!
"Let's go look for the livestock" he said, holding her arm and steering her through the crowd.
They seemed to walk for ages. The town of Mildenstowe was much bigger than she had ever imagined! There were three storied houses lining the streets, and well-paved roads ran through the town. And all this was owned and run by her father?
"This way I think" Draco said, leading her down a slightly less crowded street. From somewhere, Hermione could hear the piping of a flute.
"Oh!" she gasped suddenly, and put her hand to her nose.
"Yes, we must be near." Draco said, screwing up his face as well.
They emerged into a clearing flanked on two sides by low buildings and opening out onto a field. Drovers of cattle, sheep, pigs, geese, chickens and horses were spread thickly over the field as far as the eye could see. People were haggling and shouting and the smell was overpowering.
Hermione gingerly gathered her skirts about her and stepped through the droppings.
"Where are we going?"
"To the fowl" muttered Draco, gingerly stepping through the muck on the ground.
"Ugh…it's pretty foul here already"
Hermione followed him, feeling hot and sweaty from the crowd and sun.
Eventually, they reached the section which sold chickens and geese. A peasant couple had bought six geese and were tying their necks together with a cord. Amidst the squawking and honking, Draco greeted the stall holder and asked him, "D'ye have doves?"
"Loaves?" said the fat peasant curiously.
"Doves!" yelled Draco.
"DOVES?" bellowed the man, "Ye be wantin' doves? Ye'd best be tryin' over't, wit' them quails and pheasant though I t'aint nivver seen doves afore sold."
"Thank ye" said Draco.
Hermione smiled weakly at the peasant who was rubbing his head curiously and followed Draco over to another stall on the other side of the field. The stock here was all game-fowl and the bloodied carcasses of pheasant, pigeon and quail were laid out row upon row at each stall like a bizarre death carpet. Hermione began to feel queasy. The sun beat relentlessly down.
Draco was speaking to one of the stall-holders and the man looked surprised.
"Doves? Them be gen'tlmen's birds, each rare a-piece. Ye migh' find'em at the traders or gamers back over't. I think I seen them bein' sold a pair a guinea. That be a bit out of t'range for ye wouldt'nt?...Er… Young'un, your lady looks a bit faint. Tis best you look to her, the heat o 't day can get tryin"
Draco turned and saw Hermione standing limply by his side. She looked worn out and pale.
"Thank ye" he said and quickly put his arms around her shoulders.
"Tis best ye take her over't traders and gamers. There be seatin' and shade there, and the best ale this side o'Aldeburgh."
"Sorry…it's the heat…and…and the smell" apologized Hermione as Draco walked her back to the town centre. "I need to… sit down."
"Ok, hang in there. We're nearly at the benches."
They arrived back at the town square. There were benches and crude tables set up all around. Clearly, Hermione wasn't the only lady affected by the heat. Peasant ladies were seated on the benches all around fanning themselves and drinking ale. Men were leaning on the tables, playing dice and shouting.
"Sit here, I'll get you a drink."
"Thanks"
Draco wandered off to one of the ale stalls. He fingered the coins in his pocket. He only had six coins…how on earth were they going to be able to afford the dove?
"Two mugs" he said to the stall holder and handed over two of his coins. He only had four left. He returned to Hermione with crude tin mugs of ale. It was cool and refreshing.
Hermione drank thirstily. All that time in corsets and living in the manor must have softened her! She used to be able to keep up with Harry and Ron on all their adventures, and she couldn't even survive a medieval fair now!
"Feel better?"
"Yes, loads" she said. Draco was sitting next to her, so close that their sides touched. It was a very crowded bench.
"Er…Hermione. We've got a problem…I…I…don't have enough money to buy the dove." Draco wanted to laugh. The words sounded so ludicrous. He thought of his Malfoy account at Gringott's back home and his purse which always contained more galleons than he knew what to do with.
"Oh that's all right," Hermione said calmly, taking a sip of her drink. She leaned over and whispered in his ear, "I've got a pouch of guineas with me. How much do you have?"
So this is how it felt to be poor! He was going to have to ask Hermione to pay for everything! "I have four silver coins" he said dully. "Those are my wages for the week. I had six but I just used two to buy us our drinks."
"What?! You used a third of your pay to buy our drinks?" Hermione sputtered on her ale.
"That's me…the big spender." He said, draining his mug.
"Oh Draco… Next time, I'll pay."
"It's the first time I've spent a third of all I own on someone."
"Thanks" she said, "I mean it."
"It's pretty scary, having so little. But you know what, I don't really have anything to buy anyway. Back in the future, I got so bored with spending my money…I bought horses for Malfoy Manor, I bought house-elves, more dress-robes than I knew what to do with…To tell you the truth, these drinks are the first things I've bought in three months. I guess one doesn't really need a lot to be happy."
Hermione looked at him out of the corner of her eye. Draco had certainly changed. He wasn't the spoilt brat she had known back in Hogwarts anymore.
"You're happier now? I thought you hated life as a peasant."
"It's funny…it's not that I like it. But things don't seem to matter so much anymore. I don't get so upset over things. It…It's what I said I needed to talk to you about. It's like these three months, I've sorted myself out. Had time to think, which I didn't have time to do back in the future."
"Me too" nodded Hermione. "Isn't it odd? Like these three months were actually good for us. Maybe being sent back in time wasn't so bad after all."
"And we got to …" Draco said quietly.
"Buy a ribbon for your sweetheart?" a voice with a heavy accent interrupted them.
They looked up and saw a smiling old lady with a basket full of colourful ribbons. They both blushed furiously. "Go on, lad. She's lovely…and with one of these in her hair, she'll be lovelier still."
"He's not my…"
"Okay" said Draco, taking out his purse. "Which colour would you like, Hermione?"
"Draco…you shouldn't spend anymore on me!"
"There, there, lass. I know a bonny couple when I see one, and this lad wants to buy you something pretty. It's just one silver coin."
"Go on Hermione, choose one."
"But Draco…"
Draco dipped his hand into the lady's basket and picked up a light blue satin ribbon. It was perfect for her.
"We'll take this." He said and gave the lady the silver coin. The old woman smiled and bit the coin, putting it away in the folds of the dress.
"Look after her lad," she said, "she's a true rose." The old woman gave them a shrewd glance and lowered her voice, "…and you are a strong young sapling indeed. Well met, this day! Look after her… oh! Well met Draco and Hermione!" she chuckled and moved away.
Draco and Hermione were stunned.
"Wh-What did she say?" said Hermione.
Draco's fingers had frozen around the blue ribbon. "Where did she go?"
But the old woman had disappeared.
"Sh-she said…she called us…"
"It's impossible" said Draco shortly. "It's her accent. She must've said fare ye well and bonny or something."
"B-But…"
Draco placed the soft blue ribbon in Hermione's hands. "She's only an old woman…don't worry about it. I'm sure we heard wrong."
"B-But…"
"Put on the ribbon, go on."
Hermione lifted her arms and began tying the ribbon around her bun. It was a brilliant light blue, like the sky on that day.
"It's lovely, thank you" she said.
"It goes with your eyes."
Hermione instantly lowered her eyes, feeling shy.
"Let's go and get our doves," she said, standing up and jingling the gold guineas in her pouch.
****************************************
As it turned out, they didn't just get their doves. When they headed back to Draco's cottage, Hermione's basket was filled to the brim with food of all sort. She had insisted on buying cheeses, hams, chewets and pies.
"We'll never finish all of this!" protested Draco, lugging the heavy basket beside her.
"You'll see" Hermione said. He's getting awfully thin. She thought. I'm glad I bought as much food as I could. Anything we can't finish tonight he can eat over the next few days. Ha, I am buying food for Draco Malfoy. What would Harry and Ron have to say about this!
In Hermione's hand, she swung a cage containing two snowy white doves. They hadn't been hard to get at all… after that strange encounter with the ribbon lady, they had gone over to the foreign traders and easily found one selling exotic birds. Hmm, the strange ribbon lady…who was she? And had she really called them…
"Are you still thinking about her?" Draco asked.
Hermione was startled. "Yes."
"We heard wrong, I'm sure" he said, unlatching the door to his cottage and kicking it open.
"How can you be so sure?"
"She had such a thick accent. She could have said an old celtic greeting or something."
"No it's not just that, " Hermione said, slowly putting the doves on the floor of the cottage, "Now I remember. She said I was 'a true rose'. That's really odd."
Draco shrugged, unpacking some of the food from the basket. "She only means to say you're…well, you're p-pretty, Hermione."
She was too distracted to notice his stammer. "No, you don't understand. My old nursemaid, Mary, always says I have a face like a rose. Isn't that a strange coincidence?"
Draco grinned, "Ok, ok, Hermione. We know lots of people think you're pretty. It's an expression, that's all."
"You don't think it's strange?"
"She also called me a young sapling… it's called simile Hermione. When you compare one thing with another. Didn't they teach you that in muggle primary?"
Hermione wondered whether to start telling Draco about what she had learned about her childhood back at the manor. Somehow, she couldn't help feeling it was all connected but she decided that now was not a good time to start on the big mystery. At least, not till she had tackled the priest about it and found out more. She furrowed her brow. "I think it's odd that's all….hey! Where're you taking all that food?"
Draco was at the door, with a basket half-full of various foods.
"We're going for a picnic. You don't think we'd eat in this musty dump do you?"
"Where're we going?"
"I'll show you, c'mon."
Draco held the door open for Hermione as she followed him, dove cage in hand.
"This way." He walked towards Flinders wood but turned towards the stream. They followed the stream downhill for a short while, skirting the wood, till they came to a small grassy embankment filled with wildflowers.
"Oh! What a wonderful place!" Hermione was enchanted.
"Yeah- I discovered it when I did a bit of exploring after Midsummer. I was… exploring." In truth, he had been searching for signs of the fay. So far, he had no way of finding out if his wish had come true yet and he had often wondered since then if it was all some bizarre dream he had had. Draco dumped the basket on the ground and began stripping off his shirt.
"What're you doing?!" gasped Hermione.
"What's it look like? I'm going to swim. Care to join me?"
Hermione turned away as Draco's bare torso appeared in front of her. She felt even more shy than when she had first seen him shirtless after his flogging. He was very muscular now, if not more than a bit too lean. Somehow, she couldn't quite look at him the same way any more.
"Don't worry, I'm keeping my hose on" he winked.
"Like you would dare not to." she said.
"Well, care to join me? You'd have to step out of that lovely dress you sewed" Draco said, cocking his head to one side and grinning wickedly.
"Certainly not!" Hermione said, aghast at the idea. She couldn't believe she was letting Draco tease her like this and she wasn't even really upset!
"Suit yourself," he said, and leapt into the stream. It was shallow- only up to his waist, but deep enough for him to swim around in it. Hermione settled herself as near to the edge as she dared. It certainly was very hot. She began to wish she had the nerve to strip off her dress and join him. She had loved to swim back in the future. Oh, if only she had her bathing suit with her. She noticed the white scars on Draco's back and felt pleased that the flogging had healed properly.
"Ahhh….the water's so cool" teased Draco, paddling up to her feet. His blonde hair was slicked back now, making his handsome features even more prominent. He had good cheekbones, a strong chin, brilliant blue-gray eyes…
"You're sweating" he said, throwing himself on his back in the water, "Sure you don't want to come in?"
"No thank you," Hermione said primly, dabbing her forehead with her sleeve. "I'm perfectly comfortable as I am."
She absently plucked wildflowers as she waited for Draco to finish splashing around. Now and then, she would sneak looks at his strong body cutting through the water as he swam. She felt little shivers run through her. This evening was so perfect. The summer sun hung gently in the sky, there was soft wind rustling through Flinders Wood, the stream burbled cheerfully, and these masses and masses of beautiful wildflowers around her….
"Knut for your thoughts?"
She jumped. Draco was leaning back on his elbows next to her. The sunlight glinted off his shining wet torso and his wet hose clung to his legs. Oh, my thoughts now would cost you more than a knut…
"Knut for yours" she countered.
"Well, M'Lady," he said, "I think we should set these two doves free as soon as possible."
"I agree" she said. "You do the honours"
Draco opened beside her and deftly plucked a couple of feathers off one of the doves. It cooed angrily and flapped its wings.
"Shall we let them go now?"
"Oh yes. I never could stand to see birds in cages. The fair today was awful in that way."
Draco smiled. Yet another thing he had learned about Hermione. "All right then. Since it means so much to you…" He handed her the cage.
"Let's do it together" Hermione found herself saying.
"Why?" Draco looked surprised.
"I don't know, it seems so…symbolic. You know, letting birds go free. And besides, we're friends now." What am I doing? Hermione could hardly believe herself. Again I am testing him, pushing the limits, what do I want, what am I doing?…
'Friends' Draco thought are you sure that's all you think we are, Miss Hermione Granger? You who let me hold your hand in Flinders Wood and buy you ribbons for your hair? You who bring me salve for my back and write me letters every day?
Wordlessly, he put his hand on hers she didn't resist. She lifted the cage up to him and together, they opened the catch. The doves took a moment to realize they were being set free. Then, they were off into the sky, disappearing beyond the outline of the wood. Hermione and Draco put the cage on the ground.
He was still holding her hand. He felt her start to pull away from him but this time, he tightened his fingers and held her more firmly. She wasn't looking at him, he could see her ears had turned red. Strange, I should feel nervous like the last few times, but I don't. How come I feel so confident tonight? Yes, this is more like the old Draco Malfoy. Draco took a deep breath.
"Hermione… I need to talk to you. Please don't say there's nothing going on, because you know that's not true."
Hermione still couldn't bring herself to look at him. Her heart was pounding so hard she thought her chest would burst. A million different thoughts ran through her mind. It was as much as she could do to nod. His hand on hers felt warm and comforting.
"I think you know what's happening to us. I don't know how or why, all I know that you've come to mean a lot to me now. Do you know what I mean?" his voice was steady and gentle, and Hermione felt her courage rise.
"Yes." She said. "I never thought it possible before, but I feel the same about you."
He smiled and squeezed her hand. "Hermione, look at me."
She lifted her face to his. He could see the uncertainty and fear in her eyes, but also excitement. Now's my chance, Draco told himself do it do it do it do it. She won't resist.
He leaned towards her.
"Wait."
Hermione put her hands on his shoulders and stared seriously at him. Her brows creased in worry and she seemed to be going through a terrible inner struggle.
"Hermione, are you all right?"
I have to know thought Hermione. I am doing a terrible thing but if he can do this for me, it means he really cares, and that will make it all right. I have to know.
"Draco, will you break off your engagement to Blaise Zabini?" she said in a rush.
"What?!" Draco couldn't believe his ears. "Break off my engagement to Blaise?!"
Hermione felt like she had been shot. What a fool she had been. This was the only thing holding her back, and she thought she could change it.
"Never mind" she said, "Forget I asked" She turned away from him and tried to remove her hand from his.
What the hell were the fay folk playing at? They LIED to me! They didn't do one fucking thing about my engagement!
"No, wait" he said, holding her hand even more tightly against her struggles to break away. "You think I'm engaged to Blaise Zabini?"
Hermione glared at him, "What are you playing at Draco? You know, and I know, and the whole of Hogwarts knows you are! And until you decide to break it off…well, then nothing's going on." She couldn't help it, tears were running down her face. She had never felt like this before, scared, out of control….there was nothing in the textbooks about situations like this…
Draco thought fast. Okay, so the frickin' fay played me out. Sod them. I'll deal with it myself, however nasty the consequences. Oh shit…even though the consequences for breaking off a wizard engagement are… shit shit shit….
"Of course I'll break it off!" he said loudly and suddenly.
Hermione nearly jumped out of her skin. Why was Draco speaking so loudly?
"Draco…"
"Of course I'll bloody break it off with her! You don't think I would play around like that do you?..."
"Draco…"
"I'd written it off ages ago! As if I'd treat you like that!..."
"DRACO!"
"WHAT?"
"You're hurting my hand!" Hermione said.
"Oh…sorry" Draco realized he had been gripping her hand more and more tightly as he made his assertions. He let it go.
"I said you're holding it too tightly, I didn't say to let go" Hermione said through her tears.
Draco felt a wave of relief wash over him. So maybe he hadn't handled it brilliantly. But all wasn't lost yet. He wasn't very good at this whole courtship thing. His whole stomach felt in a mess. He was crazy about Hermione, yet he didn't know what she wanted, and he had to break it off with Blaise, whom he didn't like, but then there were the consequences for breaking off an official wizard engagement. DAMN! A million thoughts flashed through his mind…
His Slytherin nature always made him look for the simplest and most advantageous ways out of sticky situations: like getting engaged to Blaise in the first place to rebuild the family honour. But it seemed there was no side-stepping out of this one.
He couldn't understand it… Why didn't the fay just make it all go away!
What he had promised Hermione was possibly the hardest thing he had had to do in his privileged, money-oiled, pureblood life… CRAPPING BLOODY SOD THE FAY. At least, if it was going to be difficult to do, it was something worth doing. Because as he looked at Hermione, the strong, beautiful, clever witch next to him - he realized that it really was something worth doing. He had never felt that way about anyone or for that matter, anything in his life before.
"Don't cry" he said at last to Hermione. "Er… it makes you less pretty?"
"Oh you!" she said and dried her eyes on the hem of her skirt.
"This isn't quite the romantic picnic I planned" he said lamely, pushing back a hair of hers that had come loose from her bun.
"Oh you planned all this did you?" she said.
"You don't think we came here to picnic by accident did you? Perfect bubbling brook, nice soft grass, icky sweet wildflowers everywhere giving me hay fever…"
"I didn't know you had hay fever?" Hermione was smiling at last.
"Well…I don't. But if I did, all these wildflowers sure would set me off."
She threw a bunchful of them at him with her free hand.
"What's so funny?" he said, watching her suppress giggles.
"You've got a daisy stuck in your hair."
"Great." he said, searching for it.
"It kind of suits you."
"I think it suits you better." He said, plucking it off his hair and placing it behind her ear. He smoothed down her hair with his hands, and the action calmed her. "I…I want you to know that I mean what I say. My promises are as good as gold. When we get back, the first thing I'm going to do is to break off my engagement."
She nodded. "I believe you. But I still feel bad for Blaise. I feel like this is all my fault somehow."
"Blaise doesn't love me," Draco shook his head, "She was infatuated with the idea of me, but we didn't get along. We even talked about breaking it off a few times, but there were so many things holding us back. She's terrified of her father for one thing, and…and…well, it's not easy to break off a pureblood wizard engagement."
"What do you mean?"
"It doesn't matter. It's too complicated to explain, but just rest assured that I'll do it." He grinned. "The whole thing was ruining my life, you know. I hated the thought of being married to someone I didn't love. I know I became bitter and cruel to Blaise about it, but I couldn't stop myself. And I promise you, everything will be all right. Don't feel bad about it – you probably did Blaise a big favour. Her getting married to me would have ruined both our lives."
"I knew you two weren't really getting along, but I still feel bad about it." Hermione admitted, "If I didn't muck up that Potions NEWT, we wouldn't be stuck here in the past, and all this wouldn't have happened, and we wouldn't have…wouldn't have…"
"Wouldn't have what…hmm?" Draco asked innocently.
"…Wouldn't have gotten to know each other better."
"And I know you like what you've gotten to know about Draco Malfoy." he teased, taking both her hands in his. "What's not to like? Handsome, witty, suave…"
"Egotistical, pompous, infuriating…"
"My senses have gone for love of you…" Draco murmured, suddenly drawing her close to him. Nothing was going to get in his way this time.
"You go with the sun and I forget to burn…" Hermione whispered. She felt like she had when she had drunk too much elderberry wine at the Weasley twins' twentieth birthday party. Her head began to swim and her body began to tingle all over. She was deliciously aware of Draco's arms holding her tightly, the pale skin of Draco's chest against her own, Draco's clear gray eyes, Draco's slightly sweaty smell…Draco.
"I turn my face with love to you…" he said, and tilted her face up to his gently.
"My fair, white…"