Sitting in the library at the Dale she thought over the last few days while she waited for Harry and Andromeda to come for dinner. So much had been happening and nothing had changed. Yet.
A week ago she had come through the floo from Grimmauld and stood in the wood panelled room with a fireplace in each end and waited.
As she looked at the tiled floor and long windows running from floor to ceiling in the tall room she tried to feel anything of the place. Fear or uncertainty. Then she did get a slight shock when and elf popped into the room and then three more followed quickly.
"Yous is Missy Charlotte. Master says yous like other name. It be hard so Zavi calls you miss. We no be's free miss. You'd be our miss and we be's your elf's." This was said in a rush and the three elves lined up behind the spokeself nodded in ear flapping agreement.
"Alright. No freedom against your will. Fair?" She asked none of them nodded. Only looked at her.
"Which one of you is Salty?" She asked and waited for some indication. Eventually the middle elf in the row waggled it's ears and stepped forward. Looking unsure and Hermione grinned at the creature who was staring curiously if fearfully at her.
"Rowle suggested I request a brownie sundae from you as often as you will oblige." Her tone was serious and the elf wiggled it's ears and saluted which made her chuckle.
"Miss be's having sundae after meal. You's coming here. Master says." It was clear that this elf expected her masters orders to be carried through and she could imagine Josh assigning orders to the line up of elves. They did look clean and not as if they expected punishments.
Watchful and defensive is what she had decided and they didn't trust her. Not to break something or even get hurt. Definitely not to make herself a piece of toast or cup of tea.
They did like feeding her though and discovering what she liked. Conversations made them nervous and she hoped they would eventually calm down. It had been an adventure of sorts, coming here. Exploring the big house and it's immediate surroundings. It was summer and so the gardens were lovely. One of the elves, Petal, took care of most of that and the others chipped in. She wasn't allowed to help until she could name all of the plants in the area she was working on. So far she wasn't even close.
Having requested a guest suite and ignored the mutters and suggestions for more suitable locations for the miss of the family, she had been surprised to wake up this morning in a different room than she had gone to sleep in. The wards she had put up didn't account for the elves and she was chagrined to have underestimated them. Orders would be needed and she didn't like that. The look said they would take advantage of their freedom and she couldn't help feeling some amusement.
There was an H on the door in a similar calligraphy to the way Charlotte had been written on the file in the lawyers office. As if this family had its own font. Across the long foyer on the third floor was a set of double doors with an equally intricate J and she knew this was the family wing. Those were Josh's rooms and she didn't ask if this door had been blank or had a C on it before. Deciding that it didn't matter. The elves were much happier with the Miss in the correct room. When she tried to retaliate with asserting she only wanted tea and toast for breakfast, they had been making her intricate plates for one, they had again outsmarted her. She had eaten four different kinds of toasted bread with several of the dozen or so spreads and toppings.
Her rooms were huge and basically a three bedroom flat without a full kitchen. There was a counter and sink in a nook with a bowl of fruit and tray of pastries. Her room was done in lovely purples and blues with white and grey. It was more plush than she would have put together but not gaudy or particularly ornate. The dark wood furniture looked good against the light grey walled and the banks of windows had made it seem open and airy. She would like the long window benches when it rained. Until then this was her favorite spot indoors.
A mezzanine surrounded the left side of the tall long library area. It was rectangular and the mezzanine formed an L shape along a long and short side of the rectangle. In the corner she had found a chaise with a desk against the back wall. There was a huge low ottoman and she had brought pillows and blankets up here. Some of her books too. Then a box to keep random bits in and a plant Neville had sent her on the window ledge. It was a small part of the house but the place she had chosen to make hers. The first one she had chosen and she wanted to paint the walls a light cream than the darker brown plaster they were. Maybe she could ask him next time she was there. Instead of so much discussion about the papers, they would have other things to talk about.
Eventually she heard a chiming sound and knew one of them was here. Knowing that she wasn't supposed to shout and that an elf would tell him she was coming, she didn't run down the stairs to the main library level but she did jog. Her messy haired friend was walking down the main hallway towards her when she found him and his smile was reassuring. It seemed easy and comfortable.
"How are you Harry?" She asked him and he shrugged before gesturing she lead the way.
"Want to go to my first spot? No surprise it's in the library." He nodded his agreement while laughing at her chagrin. When he was stretched on the chaise and she sat cross legged on the ottoman, she waited for him to speak. He had come half an hour before Andromeda so she thought maybe he wanted to talk to her.
"I think I'm going to go back to Grimmauld." Was what he said after minutes of looking at her. All she could do was nod. It wasn't surprising.
"Alone?" Was her eventual question.
"Yes. Ron will be there sometimes and Ginny too until school starts. Are you going back?" He was watching her carefully and she bit her lip before answering.
"I don't think so. Kingsley says I can challenge the NEWTs. Part of me wants to but the rest is not happy about the idea. I'm not her really and I don't know if I could pretend that I am." She had kept eye contact the whole time and could see his own conflicted emotions.
"Do you want to?" It was blunt but she didn't know how else to ask and Harry responded well to direct questions.
"Yes and no. Ginny wants me to and it would be alright to go back. I would be faking it though and McGonagall would know." They shared a small laugh at his bemoaning their previous Head of House and her eagle eyes at noticing such things.
"There are weekends and vacations if you want to take Kingsley up on his offer." She didn't want him to do anything he didn't want to and had seen the brightening look on his face when he had offered a longer Auror training program without NEWTs or a spot waiting for him if he wanted to take them.
"I'll figure it out. Have you talked to Ron?" His direct look received an exasperated one from her. He would already know. Since he had brought it up she answered.
"Not outside of what you have seen. The few dinners I've been invited to." He had been in the papers with Seamus and Dean among others. It should bother her more but it didn't. She wanted him to be happy and they all deserve the space to be themselves. If Harry hadn't been talking to her regularly then she would have been upset. He looked her over carefully and then his nod said he believed her. That she was okay and she wondered how much he had been worrying about her and Ron. Hopefully it hadn't been keeping him up at night. They had enough actual problems. The still serious look in Harry's face said he wasn't finished questioning her and she waited.
"Are you okay? You didn't say much about the visits except that it was okay. Better than you had thought." This was probably why he was here early and she smiled softly at his concern and even nosiness.
"Yes. It's more comfortable here than I had thought. Josh was uncertain and I don't know what he expects from me. It was good to see him though and it was nice to surprise him. I think I did, when I said I would come back. Rowle was more surprised but not angry or whatever I would have thought. I did snatch his freedom away without his knowledge. He wouldn't even have had to sign one of the contracts if I didn't, now that his father is dead. I'm witch enough for him, that's what he said once it sunk in a bit." She was thinking over that day and as unsure of the future as she had been before. Not so frightened though.
"Of course he's alright with it Mione. You are a catch." His wink made her laugh and he held her eyes seriously for a moment before the chime sounded and they both stood. Ten minutes later they were seated around the end of a long table and Zavi was holding a sleeping Teddy Lupin in a chair further down. All of the small creatures attention on the blanket wrapped shape. The elf had practically begged to be allowed to hold the baby while they are. Andromeda had laughed lightly and acquiesced with an approving glance to Hermione.
"Tell me what had you stuttering over your words when I asked about the lawyer appointment." The dignified witch requested and Harry looked interested.
"Sabrina is with their aunt. I didn't know that until Josh said that's where she would be and so I offered Rowle to try and get custody of her if that's what he wanted. I didn't know what to expect but he wants me too. The lawyer suggested I petition the Wizengamot but that will take a long time, trials haven't started yet and apparently they are still short on members and sorting themselves out. So he suggested the bride rights." Her tone asked the question and Andromeda looked up in surprise. Harry Just watched them and she felt uncomfortable.
"Is that a possibility?" The question was polite if a bit sceptical but she only nodded and ignored the slight blush on her cheeks. Harry noticed though and she knew he would speak.
"What does that mean?" His tone was curious and he was looking between the two of them. Hermione looked down for a second t try and decide how to phrase what she knew and what the lawyer had said.
"It's an old right that was used when a contracted wizard was called away. To war usually in those days. It allows a betrothed bride to use her virginity as collateral for access to the wizards House and most of the Lady's prerogatives." Harry blinked twice and then looked at her with a pained expression and she nodded once. Yes, she was still a virgin and had known this.
"I see." Andromeda and her shared a smile at his embarrassment and then Hermione looked her question.
"I hadn't considered. I suppose that even I have been swayed by the gossip. The papers have you sleeping with nearly everyone you've come into contact with." Her dry tones made Hermione snort and she shook her head at the apologetic look on Harry's face. Not his fault or his problem.
"Are you ready for everyone to know? Nothing seems private and it won't be hard to figure out once you have custody of her." This was the question and it seemed irrelevant. If there weren't any drawbacks then it would be the quickest and surest way to accomplish this. The public knowledge of her virginity was unfortunate and it explained the long looks from the lawyer too. He didn't want to ask her anything and so haltingly explained the ritual in a clinical way.
"Yes. No, but I'll do it. Having not had sex is hardly something to be embarassed about. It's not, only what people might say. Already people are different with me. I cried when I got Neville's letter. The first person outside of you two and Kings to write me just to assure me that he didn't think any differently of me. Nothing had changed except my last name and he hoped that it felt like finding a brother rather than losing myself." Her admittance was sad and both of them looked their support, even if they didn't have words.