"So that's all that Mac and Stolford sent you. Blaise and I are looking into how to pay him more but it will take some doing." She finished and looked at her watch. They had twenty five minutes left and she wasn't sure what to say.
"How was France? Where did you stay?" Josh asked her and stacked the papers he had just gone over in front of her. She put them back in a folder and sat further back into her chair.
"France was so good. I didn't want to come home and even found that after a while and some charms mastery, I like the heat and the sun. I bought a place there. We call it the Escape and it's floo or apparition only so as private as we could get. We were outside a lot this summer and that was good for all of us. Sinclair nearly turned brown and Sabrina's hair lightened a lot." She watched his face and as usual wasn't sure what was there. He didn't reply so she kept going.
"Everyone came. Narcissa's probation hearing was won so it's over and they brought Teddy often and Harry came on weekends. Our Thursday teas continued. Blaise was there a lot and Claudia and Corbin came too. We wandered around small French towns and took muggle transportation to see some sights. Sinclair showed us around Nice and Monday to Thursday we went to the Toulouse pitch in the afternoons for his quidditch lessons. It was amazing to just be." She finished and this time waited him out, not wanting to just keep speaking without some response.
"The Falcons pitch?" He asked her and she smiled.
"Rowle suggested I write the league administration and ask so I did. A few letters in they asked if there was someone I knew of or would prefer they approach. He had mentioned Versende and I didn't have another name in the French Leagues to offer. It worked out and Sin had so much fun. Worked so hard all summer." She said it with pride. Having talked it over with Narcissa and Andromeda, who assured her that was normal and healthy to feel that way. He smiled a bit, then a small grin.
"You spent most afternoons of your summer in the quidditch stands and liked it." He said in a drawl and she couldn't help her small laugh.
"I always watched Harry play and enjoy it when it's not just watching nameless people fly around. The World Cup was good too." She answered and he nodded at her.
"What is happening during your tea times?" He asked her and she smiled at his tone. Draco said this was what they called their Thursday get-togethers. The last one had wine instead of tea and ended with dinner.
Harry came and got Teddy for the evening so they were all footloose and fancy free. He had asked her how he could offer to have him. Be more involved and that had worked out. He took an afternoon shift on fridays and then had him overnight Thursday's. It meant she didn't have him every week but it was worth it.
"We always start with issues someone has noted down. There are usually many but few we are ready to take on in anyway. Then we talk over what we might do about it and if it is connected to anything else we are paying attention to. Sometimes this takes the whole two hours someone has and we break up then. Other times we are distracted or even bored and so we gossip or talk about things we have going on and it's a later dinner and some end up staying. Usually we host." She finished and he was looking at her with what she thought was contemplation.
"Could you give me an example?" He seemed to want to know and he had asked her a follow up question which didn't always happen.
"Of course. Last week we had two main things to discuss. The papers and the social season. Or lack of journalism and the even more dire lack of the usual get togethers and parties. More than the small family groups that have met since the war. Weddings have been few and quiet. So we brainstormed some people we thought might want to write actual articles and drafted some letters and then argued over reinstating previous events or creating new ones. Decided on both and were hungry after that so Salty pulled out all of the stops and we had a six course meal in the formal dining room while drinking too much wine and making lists. The elves don't like us writing during meals but we do it anyway." She finished and he smiled at her then. She smiled back and hoped it didn't shut his down. It didn't and he gave her wrist a look.
"Seven minutes." She said and pulled out the pictures she had brought, minus a few extra of Sabrina. Watching them look at pictures was interesting and revealing. Josh flicked quickly through them and then examined them slowly.
"This is your escape?" He asked her and she looked at the picture Blaise had taken from his broom. The three of them were laying in a triangle shape and waving up at him.
"Yes. About halfway to the pitch. Sin and Blaise had been flying so we were hanging out where we could watch, then he got hungry enough to come down." He watched her and then the picture again. Not showing much and then he flipped through a few before stopping.
"Nothing in the papers that is different or I need to see?" He asked her without looking up and she thought for a second and opened the folder again, flipping through the pieces of wizarding publications.
Rosier takes heat for public defence of known supporters and questionable rituals. She knew what it said and watched his face. Then looked down when his hands clenched around it and waited.
"We don't have much time but I assume this is biased?" He asked her and she looked up when he slid it back to her.
"Oh yes. It ignores the push I've made for several law changes and other things. It's a new slant though and has had some interesting results. The family grimoires being brought into it made things more decisive and less. Mrs Greengrass is more friendly but I've had a few muggleborns and even looser purebloods stop me on the street and berate what those traditions led to. It's complicated and people have so many issues tied up in simple and sometimes benign things." He nodded when she finished speaking and flicked through the pictures.
"What dance is that?" He asked and she knew she was blushing when he smirked at her.
"Blaise won a bet. Convinced an old german couple that had never left their family lands for more than a night to move to England and live in a similar cottage. While processing potions ingredients and bringing their contacts with them. They are amazing and it should be a big jump in ingredient availability. Anyways we went salsa dancing in Barcelona for my birthday. Three lessons, he got to dress me up, and photographic evidence." She admitted and he laughed then. The most genuine one she had heard and she was sorry to hear the guard knock on the door. His smile fell but his nod was a welcome change from nothing at all and she made sure she had everything before smiling one last time and pulling the door open.
It wasn't Austins but Samuel Ricker who was her escort today and he looked like a baby in this cold stone place. Afraid of it and trying to hide it. She did her best to smile reassuringly without making it too bright. Not too friendly or people seemed not to know what to do. Pansy had been offering comments and Luna said her smiles were too much for some people.
"Would you like a guard?" Ricker asked her and blushed a bright pink. His shock of dirty blond hair looked lighter against the colour climbing his cheeks.
"No thank you." She said politely and didn't acknowledge his stuttered response. Then he gestured which door and she entered it. Then giggled as quietly as she could.
"Trainee again?" Rowle asked her and she looked at him then nodded. She was tired of seeing them in grey. Otherwise he looked alright and there were no bruises or cuts she could see. He was smirking at her and she couldn't help her smile. It was so good to be genuinely amused here or with him.
"His blush when he asked if I wanted a guard indicated his train of thought." She said and he raised a brow and then laughed.
"I didn't think it was that conjugal of a visit." He said and she sat down and then pulled out Sabrina's letter and the stack of pictures. As usual she looked away when he opened the envelope and didn't look at him again until he had put it back in and slid it toward her. She put it in the folder and then did watch him look through the pictures. He didn't flip through first and then retrace but examine each one quickly or more closely.
Wondering if she would know what the little facial movements meant one day was interrupted by his stillness and she wasn't sure which picture it was.
"Where is she going?" He asked her and she waited for him to show her before she sat back and answered.
"Blaise and I took her and Claudia to an evening of Shakespeare in the park in Marseilles. Why they had it in France I don't know. They brought their own blanket and basket and we were about a hundred feet away and behind them so we could see. They had a lovely time and got to use all of the French they had been trying to learn and it was fun for them to get dressed up. We took them to a few more formal events and things." She finished and he looked back down.
"What are you wearing?" He was laughing and watching the picture of her and Blaise replay. Blast the man. Draco had loved the copy in his den and had encouraged him in his bid to have it sent.
"It's traditional salsa attire I assure you. Authentic and still smells like the witch who made it. I will lay out the parameters of the next bet I make with him, I can assure you of that." He was looking between her and the picture. They barely looked the same except her hair. Which wasn't as glossy now as it had been that day but it was long and free.
"What were the parameters?" He asked as he flipped through and smiled at what she thought were the more domestic photos. The two of them studying and outside.
"You'll let me take you out for your birthday. My choice and my treat. You'll take part and won't quibble or try and get out of it. Deal." She said and knew he heard her chagrin. His grin was Slytherin when she saw it and she couldn't help the smile. She was more familiar with it now and less disturbed by it.
"When is your birthday?" He asked her and she blinked and watched him stack the photos up.
"I thought it was September 19th until I found out about Josh but it's actually the 13th. We went on the sixteenth." She rolled her eyes at the complicated answer to his question and he just nodded seriously.
"Yours?" She asked him and didn't let on that she knew the answer.
"March 21st. How was the back to school rush this year?" He asked and she smiled easily.
"Better. There were two of them and we had some conversations in the run up and many over the summer. Sabrina was ten times better this time. Did she write about her coming here in her letter?" She asked him. Not sure if she should speak about that.
"Said she didn't feel like it was the best for her or me. That you would explain if I wondered why she didn't come." He said and looked down. She waited until he looked up and gave her a firm nod.
"If you want to see her and don't want to wait until next September then tell her and she will come. She could come now and wants to see you. It's mostly that she would have to go back to school after. Keep going like it didn't affect her and she is just starting to really feel better. I think, when you do see her, well I hope that you think she has improved. I see less anger and less sadness. More willing to be with others and in closer proximity. Doesn't love to duel but can alone or with a partner and is getting better. She doesn't love it though, for fun." He had nodded twice while she spoke and smiled a bit at this.
"My take on it, for what it's worth, is that she wants there to be less between when she sees you and getting out. Less holidays and less time." Hermione bit her lip and wasn't sure if she had been right to speak like that. So directly about something he surely struggled with too.
"I'm grateful. That she won't come until it's closer to the end." His tone was gruff and she looked up. He wasn't looking at her with anger or even sadness but it was something between them. Maybe he would speak, so much of these visits were her talking and sharing. Nothing from them and their lack of choice in the situation made her unwilling to push them.
"You can say whatever you want. Talk to me. If you want." Her voice was quiet and she felt as if maybe she shouldn't say so but he just watched her and then leaned forward onto his forearms.
"It's surreal. Better now than at the beginning but I can't imagine living with you or even picture you really. Day to day or your expressions. It's getting better now, a bit. Draco talked about you as much as he could. What he thought and what he actually knew. It helped too, a bit. So you being out there is harder to imagine. Sabrina though. I can imagine everything. Good and bad. It's harder to imagine her happy on holidays or whatever, I've never seen her so happy. Or can't remember since she was little." He broke off then and she wasn't upset he had stopped but so profoundly grateful that he had shared something with her. Something so personal as his thoughts. Then he looked up again and she noted he was expectant. Glad she knew what that was and she didn't hesitate. Just went with her gut instinct.
"In my own way it's the same. People talk about after to me. When you are out and we are together. Married. Live together and deal with life things. Sinclair asked me his first question about us in his letter yesterday. Where will we live when he comes home. I didn't have an answer and never do. People seem to speak as if it will just happen. The house thing was stirred up by the Escape I think. Being somewhere else." She said and he smiled a bit at her. Not a wide one or a grin but something and she flushed. Felt her emotions spike and wondered if some of this was the rights or just how important this strained relationship would be to her one day.
"Escape?" He asked her and she understood that he didn't know.
"That's what I called the floo address for the house in France. On the coast about two hundred miles from the northern Spanish border. I loved it and so did Sin and Rina. It was amazing to just be and it felt different in that place. A place with none of the crap from before we were together." He held her gaze then, and she wondered what Sabrina had wrote.
"We didn't have a house between Josh and I?" He asked and sat back.
"Many as you know. Some should be rented out or sold. Gorgeous places just sitting empty. At least we could use them somehow. This one isn't a Rowle property or a Rosier one. It's mine. Sabrina's and Sin's too. A vacation home and not a Family property, unless we need it to be for legal reasons." She watched him think that over and then nod.
"Can I come too?" He asked her then and she thought it was a serious question.
"Yes. I thought it might be good to have somewhere that isn't previously associated with anything. No ghosts or the feeling of having to wrestle space into suiting you. Like I've done at the Dale. Made pockets of it comfortable and tried to keep the essence of it the same. It's not mine. It's Josh's and will be Daphne's. So it is easier to make some more changes now. She loves to decorate and design so we do that and I know if she likes it then it isn't wasted or just for my temporary comfort. The escape was kind of a blank canvas and I've left the master suite closed." Pansy had encouraged her. Been relentless nearly in her subtle and less subtle turns of temper or tack. If he was the only man she could be a woman with, then be herself. She said such ridiculous things but meant them and so it was somewhat like Luna, in that it was hard to ignore.
"A blank canvas." He said and she watched him look her over again.
"Did he get flying lessons?" He asked her and she smiled. Couldn't help the nearly smug feelings she had about how well that had gone.
"Yes. I ended up taking your advice and owled the league, addressed it to whom it may concern and had a return letter in two days. The Vice President of public relations and he was helpful if uncertain how to be so. He seemed unwilling to just contact people without direction and so the third time he asked me for a name I caved and gave him Versende. Who owled me the next day and the team seemed to enjoy it. I guess most of them stay and play for a couple hours most days. So he went Monday to Thursday for seven weeks and loved it. Took in every word they said and worked so hard. Ran and did stairs, stretched morning and evening nearly every day. Passed out on the couch early most nights. He's gotten so much better and I think chaser though most of the team votes seeker. He's small and light." He smiled at her and then shook his head.
"Witch. That boy is lucky. Tell me what your plans are." He requested and looked intent again.