Chapter 12

Draco returned to the site of the auction only to run directly into Thomas.

"Good evening, Lord Malfoy, I saw you left with our prize this evening. I am surprised you are in attendance though. You aren't often mentioned in these circles," Thomas said with a sneer.

"I am not mentioned because most people know to keep my name out of their mouths because I do not tolerate loose lips in my company," Draco drawled, "You would do well to remember that Thomas should you seek to ever be truly invited to the table. I do hope you didn't think your bounty would secure you a place."

The words had their desired effect. Draco watched with a smirk as Thomas fumed in front of him. Draco decided it was time to make this party a bit more exciting and grasped the Galleon to tell Potter it was time to move in.

Draco heard it before he saw the flashes of spells. Like Draco most of these wizards had hidden wands including Thomas but he was stupid enough to believe Draco wasn't the threat, his last mistake. Draco knew he should just stun him and move on, but he was feeling less than charitable tonight.

"Thomas," Draco called out because he wanted to look the asshole in the eye when he took him down.

Thomas had just turned when Draco hit him with a nasty acid curse followed by an Incarcerous. He cast the counter for the acid curse and crouched down next to Thomas's bound form.

"Your first mistake was thinking you could lay your hands on Hermione Granger," Draco started but Thomas cut him off by spitting blood in his face.

"I have more than laid hands on that dirty whore, but maybe you don't know your little girl friend as well as you think. I saw you; you know in Paris and here in London I was suspicious after I saw her in France with a bloke who looked a hell of a lot like you. Turns out I was right. I just couldn't understand what the connection was. Now I see you were just a mud fucker all along."

"What about our positions in this interaction gave you the impression you were allowed to speak," Draco said quietly as he used his wand like a scalpel carving a thin line down Thomas's cheek, "I would love nothing more than to bleed you dry and discard your body in a dumpster like the rubbish that you are but unfortunately as an Auror assigned to track down and arrest you that would likely be frowned upon. I will however delight in ringing every drop of information from you until the moment you are sent off for a life sentence in Azkaban."

Draco drew another line down his cheek as sweat formed on Thomas's forehead from his effort to appear unaffected. This just wouldn't do. Draco decided that his acid curse injury would do with a bit more decoration and placed a horizontal slice across his torso. Thomas gasped slightly and Draco smiled, he would likely get hell for this later, but he just could not be bothered to care.

"You will never take out my operation and I won't even make it to Azkaban my associates will ensure that doesn't happen. You don't know enough about my operation to use Veritaserum on me," Thomas gasped out as Draco sliced his chest again a little deeper.

"It's good then that I am a very skilled Legillemins, we are going to see a lot of each other very soon," with that Draco petrified and stunned him to join the rest of the Aurors.

The room was filled with the cloying tang of dark magic, but the Aurors definitely had the upper hand and with Draco coming from the rear he was able to help turn the tide.

"Malfoy, about time, let's send these Auror scum to their graves yea?" Macnair Jr. sneered at him.

Draco sent a slicing hex to his Achilles tendons before disarming and stunning him. He moved on silently and had taken down four of the ten or so remaining wizards before they realized he was not on their side which worked for him, he was itching for a fight anyway. Potter's face appeared through the haze and together they boxed in the remaining dark wizards Draco was casting some highly questionable spells, but he could easily defend his actions when Avadas were being tossed about like confetti. Really these asreholes had no imagination.

The blonde woman was still standing in front of her and speaking. She let more of the Occlumency fall away.

"...Hermione dear, I am Narcissa I know we haven't seen each other in a long time, and we have never been formally introduced but you are safe here," her tone was gentle.

Narcissa, Narcissa Malfoy. Draco had come for her. She collapsed to her knees letting the last of her control go. She was sobbing but no sound was coming out because she was still silenced. Narcissa seemed to realize quickly as she pulled her wand and cast a Finite. Hermione's sobs came out in loud panting gasps now.

"Henriette," Narcissa called.

The house elf popped back into existence, "Please take us up to the guest suite we prepared earlier."

The little elf approached Hermione.

"Master Draco is telling me I needed to tell you, Henriette is not a slave mistress pays Henriette, though Henriette would be just as happy to not be paid," the tiny elf chirped.

Hermione found herself smiling weakly despite everything. Draco had really considered this something important that she know immediately. He knew her so well it was painful. Was she more than a job to him? He had brought her to his home he could have taken her to St. Mungo's but that would have been such a nightmare. Henriette took her hand and moments later they were in a huge bathroom and another elf was drawing the bath.

"Oh mistress, it is Tuppy's most sincere delight to be meeting you though I wish it was not because mistress is in such a horrible nightmare. Tuppy will take care of you now. You will have anything you need you just tell Tuppy and it will be yours," the elf said clutching Hermione's hand and pressing kisses to the top.

"Tuppy is Draco's personal elf as Henrietta is mine, Tuppy has known Draco all his life," Narcissa said by way of explanation for the elf's behavior.

"Thank you Tuppy," Hermione said with as much sincerity as she could.

She wanted to protest to this treatment, but she knew it would likely just upset this elf.

Narcissa turned her back as Tuppy helped Hermione undress and lower herself into the bath. Narcissa turned back to her a moment after she sunk into the depths of the tub. The water lapped at her collarbones, there must have been relaxation potions added to the water because she felt the tension leave her body almost instantly. Tuppy began to scoop water with a pitcher and lather soap into Hermione's hair.

"Do you want to talk Ms. Granger, or would you prefer to just wait for Draco?" Narcissa asked.

"I have been silenced for well—I don't actually know how long I was gone but I know it had to be a few weeks because I have lost weight. Talking seems overwhelming at this moment. I am also rather overcome returning to the Manor though I know it is not the same home since I was here last. And please call me Hermione," Hermione said with tears leaking down her cheeks.

Narcissa had come to her side and taken her hand.

"Of course, Hermione dear. It is only natural to be overcome you do whatever you need in this moment to process. Draco told me you were taken almost four weeks ago, he learned of your abduction and—sale only four days ago though," Narcissa said hesitation evident in her tone.

Four weeks how had no one noticed, the grief rose in her. Was her reclusion and avoidance of company so strong that her friends didn't recognize her behavior as suspicious for that long?

"I will make no excuses to you on behalf of my son. He doesn't deserve it quite frankly and I hope you give him hell for it," Narcissa said in an imperious tone.

This surprised Hermione, she had always assumed the sun rose and set with Draco in Narcissa's mind. She had not expected her to speak in such a cold tone about her son.

"I see you are surprised at my coldness; well, I assure Hermione dear that while my son is my whole world I do not condone every action he has taken in life. I love him unconditionally but when he acts like a complete lout, I will let him know it because I love him," Narcissa smiled a wicked glint twinkling in her eyes.

"Narcissa, Draco can hardly hold all the blame for this mess we are in. I pushed him away just as much if not more than he did me. We both made mistakes," Hermione said quietly.

"Hermione dear while you may also been blind to his true feelings it is an honest mistake on you r part. Why would you assume my son had feelings its not as though you have a warm history with him. Well it will not do to dwell on the past, just be honest moving forward, I have already told him as much," Narcissa said.

Hermione considered Narcissa's words. Could Narcissa really mean that?

Tuppy had been massaging oils into Hermione's curls when she finally chirped, "Tuppy is all finished would Mistress like to sit in the tub more or would she like to be shown the library or perhaps just her bed for the night?"

At the mention of a library Hermione perked up, and let her spinning mind be distracted for the time being.

"Could you actually do an enormous favor for me Tuppy?"

"Anything Mistress is needing Tuppy would consider an honor to provide!"

"My wand is in my home. I was taken from a Muggle place, and I never take it with me there I always leave it safely at home. Though that will likely change from now on I will never be without it again," her tone growing bitter as she finished her statement.

Tuppy's large eyes were filled with tears now and Hermione was so perplexed.

"Oh, Mistress Tuppy hates more than anything that you suffered and wishes that she could make it better. Tuppy will return momentarily with your wand mistress so you might feel more like the strong and powerful witch that you are," Tuppy exclaims and pops away without another word.

Henriette steps forward then and helps Hermione out of the bath drying her off. Narcissa sits her down in front of a vanity to dry her hair.

"You will have to teach me your ways I don't think my curls have ever been quite this sleek and glossy," Hermione said with a small smile.

"You may have remembered my sister—had rather unruly curls. Well before she became entirely consumed with Dark Magic I used to help her tame them into something less resembling a birds nest," Narcissa said eyes cast down.

Hermione wondered what it must be like for Narcissa to have watched a sister turn into a homicidal maniac.

"Have you ever reconnected with your sister Andromeda?" Hermione asked gingerly, "I met her after the war, with what I know about you now I see how you are alike."

"I have not, I was the one that burnt the bridges and I do not feel as though I have a right to rebuild them. If she ever came to me though I would gladly mend the rift," Narcissa said with a sad smile gracing her delicate features.

"So, I think I would like to see the Library," Hermione said.

"Then to the Library we shall go, after you are dressed," Narcissa said walking out of the bathroom with Hermione following.

The room was grand, bedecked in creams and rich black accents. Delicate black gossamer curtains hung around the four-poster bed covered in cream bedding. The room was elegant and romantic. Draco had not lied when he said the house was different. She never imagined the Manor to have any room that felt the way this guest room felt. Narcissa had walked into the closet and returned with several clothing options.

"You just have cloths for guests available?"

"Draco told me he would bring you back to the Manor once he safely removed you from those Dark Wizards. I figured clothing would be helpful, so I took the liberty of buying a few options I hope that is alright," Narcissa said a note of uncertainty in her voice.

"That was very kind of you Narcissa thank you," Hermione said as she chose a cozy jumper and to her unending shock leggings.

"Narcissa did you go to a Muggle shopping center? These are leggings and I know for a fact wizarding Britain is still firmly against these," Hermione said with a conspiratorial smile on her face.

"I will not lie; I had a personal shopper go find those for me because I knew you might like something you likely wear often. I however would not even know where to begin looking for such an item. I hope they fit and are comfortable. I did personally choose everything else," Narcissa says with a sheepish smile.

Hermione felt like the world had turned upside down. Narcissa Malfoy had personally picked out clothing for her and then gone so far as to procure Muggle leggings for her to increase her feeling of comfort. She stepped into the closet to pull the outfit on. She wanted to hug Narcissa, but she wasn't sure the witch was quite that comfortable with her or hugs in general.

Tuppy popped back in at that moment though with her wand. Tuppy placed it in her hand with a smile. The touch of the vine wood in her fingers felt like coming home. Her magic hummed in her chest releasing a tension she had not noticed until it was relieved.

Smiling at her Narcissa asked, "did you want to walk to the Library, or shall the elves just take us? I only ask given your history with my home."

"I would like to walk, to see the change. In a way it feels like sutures being removed from a wound that is healed. Irritating because the now useless sutures itch. I realize you probably don't get my reference as wizards have no need for such things because magic can heal the skin but that is the best way I can describe this feeling," Hermione said with a smile.

Narcissa returned her smile.

"Then right this way my dear."