Chapter Five: Schedule and Rules.
Hermione had been awake for about two weeks now, and knew the Parkinson Mansion like the back of her hand. She knew everyone who was there by name, and little things about them, that most people wouldn't pick up. For example, the butler, – the Parkinsons only had a house-elf for food (house-elves cook the best) – Adrian was his name, he kept every piece of food separate on his plate, then ate all the beans first, say, or the carrots, then the fish/fritters, etc, in alphabetical order. The maid who opens the door, Alyson, has four daughters to her first husband, Maxwell, who died when the youngest was six (cancer), two sons and a stillborn daughter by her third husband, Drew, (the second husband, Samuel, couldn't impregnate her), and was one month pregnant with her fourth husband – Raymond's – child. Alexandra, who cleans the bathrooms, has a crush on Matthew, the stable boy, but Matthew doesn't return her affections. In fact, Hermione had seen him with a lover in a shadowy corner at night. She understood why they didn't reveal themselves, too – Matthew's lover was male. Those were just a few of the secrets and personality traits she had noticed.
Hermione was seated on her bed, under the window, reading a book, 'Daughter of the Forest', which was the first book in the Sevenwaters Trilogy. Tears were rolling down her cheeks – Juliet Marillier was, after all, a fantastic author. There was a tapping on her door. Hermione wiped away the tears and called out, "Enter!" in a croaky voice.
Tom cracked open the door. He'd come to visit her everyday, at around the same time.
Hermione sighed softly and pressed her Lord Of The Rings bookmark into the book, closing it and carefully setting it on her bedside table. Tom came and sat on the end of the bed.
And, as always, he started the conversation with the same question. "Have you remembered anything yet?"
This time, though, Hermione smiled. "Yes." Tom's face grew guarded and he tensed.
"Pray, tell." He invited tersely.
Hermione smiled as a far away look grew in her eyes. "I am about four or five years old. Mum holds my left hand, and Dad holds my right. They start to swing me. One, two, three, whee!" Her smile softened. Tom relaxed a little. "We're on the beach. Mum lets go of my hand to buy me an ice cream. It was a vanilla cone from Mr. Whippy, with one of those little flakes, and dipped in melted chocolate." Her eyes dulled and she came back to herself. "Then it becomes fuzzy, and I can't remember the rest of that day." She sighed, and her eyes returned to Tom. "How are you?"
"That doesn't matter." He dismissed her question. "I came to give you your schedule."
"My what?" Hermione blinked.
"Your schedule. You have a very full schedule, which starts tomorrow. You will be awake at six, and you will have physical training for an hour with Ewan Harris, then you will shower and have breakfast with me at half-past seven. At eight you will have a two hour lesson in healing, with the elf Miach Lyn* Harris. At ten you have a two-hour lesson in magical battles – practical and theory – with the two elves Kane and Kael Lyn Daint. At twelve you have lunch with me. At one you have another hour of physical training, this time with Avariella Belles. At two you have a two hour lesson in wand-less magic with the elf Mirabelle Lynn* Kyan. At four you have non-magical battles lessons – theory and practical – again with Kane and Kael Lyn Daint. At six you have one hour to do any homework you have. At seven you are expected to shower, and make ready to have dinner with me at seven-thirty. At eight thirty you have half an hour to get ready for bed and at nine the lights go out, and will not turn on until five-thirty."
Hermione's eyes were stormy. "How dare you presume to make decisions for me! I have no interest in learning any of this. Well, the wand-less magic and the healing sounds okay, but I refuse to do the rest!"
Tom's face grew hard. "I do not tolerate that tone of voice from anyone, let alone you! You will not have breakfast unless you have it with me. You will not eat with me unless you have showered. You will not shower unless you have done the hour of physical training. You will not have lunch unless it is with me, and you will not eat with me unless you have done the healing and the magical battles lessons. You will not have dinner unless it is with me, and then not is you have showered and done the second hour of physical training, the wand-less magic, the non-magical battles lessons and your homework." His mouth was tight with anger, but Hermione was furious.
She kicked him off her bed.
"Get out of my room, Tom. Never come back. I would rather starve than do what you told me to do!"
Tom's face hardened further still.
"Fine." He stalked out of the room. Hermione followed him across and slammed the door. "CRABBE! GOYLE!" She heard Tom yell. There was the sound of running, and, by peeking through the key hole, Hermione saw two large adults come skidding to a halt.
"Yes, my lord?" They bowed, panting.
"You are to guard this door. No one leaves, and no one, except me or someone with my written consent, is allowed to enter. Understood?" Tom barked out his orders.
"Yes, my lord." They bowed again, then stood one on either side of the door. Tom stalked away, leaving Hermione trapped in her room.
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* Lyn(n) is just a respected term for elves – male Lyn, female Lynn.