A/N: Yes, they tried the most dangerous one first. But Ginny and Draco are plenty capable, nevermind the fact that Bellatrix would never let Hermione get hurt.
Enjoy!
Hermione and Draco stood in the Black library, going through all the books and making sure they weren't in disrepair. So far, they had been lucky enough that all the books were in near perfect condition, but some of the books were older than Hermione could guess and it never hurt to be sure. She knew they were probably magically preserved, but no one had been living in the house for decades and whatever magic kept them in good condition might have worn off.
They had already cleaned out the room, opening the curtains and window to let in some fresh air. They had removed the dust from every surface they could see and cleaned out the fireplace. A small fire was burning, even though it wasn't necessary. The crackling of the fire put them in a meditative state as they idly flipped through books.
"Do we seriously have to check every single one? They've all been fine, Hermione," Draco said, putting a book back in place and leaning his head tiredly against the shelf.
"Just because they've been fine so far doesn't mean there aren't any damaged books. You can take a break if you need." Hermione's focus never left the books in front of her. The ones they had already checked were notable from the charm they put on them so they wouldn't recheck books over and over. There was a trail of bright books through the muted colors of the library.
"I don't understand how you can spend hours just flipping through books. Don't get me wrong, I love books as much as the next guy, but this is kinda boring." Draco sat on the couch, the springs creaking under his weight. He tensed, ready to stand if it seemed like it would break.
"Think of all the information this library contains, Draco. This is the result of generations of collecting and caring for books. Some of these probably aren't anywhere else. It could be beautiful again, it just needs some tender loving care."
Draco watched Hermione place another book on the shelf. His eyes followed roamed the room, tracing the bright spines. Hermione's progress was steady and organized as she went shelf by shelf, working across and down. She spent the same amount of time on each book, reverently stroking the pages within. Draco's own progress was more chaotic. He had picked up books at random, which is what prompted them to do the charm in the first place. Here and there, bright spines stood out amongst the drab covers, in no order other than the one Draco had decided on.
The young wizard rose to his feet with a sigh, again pulling a book off the shelf and checking it. He would feel bad if he didn't help, even though he knew Hermione had no problem going through all the books herself. She had asked him for the sake of company but it also went faster if they worked together. They had been at it for a few hours already but they were just about halfway finished. They had known it would be a large task and they had brought food with them in case they needed to eat. Draco heard his stomach rumble, quickly echoed by Hermione's. They looked at each other and laughed.
"Well, I guess that means we should take a break," Hermione said, putting the book in her hands back on the shelf.
"Should we eat in the garden?" Draco grabbed their basket of food, hesitant to open it in the library.
"That's a spectacular idea. It'll be nice to be outside for a bit. Even with the window open it's still stuffy." Hermione extinguished the fire with a flick of her wand.
"It's probably because it's been closed for so long. Maybe it'll be better when we get back." Draco offered his arm to Hermione as they exited the room. She took it and together they walked through the Manor to the garden.
"So, how would you feel being my Best Man with Ginny as my Maid of Honor?"
"I'd feel like that's an awesome idea. Just don't pick a color that's too girly," Draco teased.
"Light pink it is, then. I don't know if I can talk Ginny into it, but we'll see." Hermione laughed as they exited the Manor, finding a spot in the shade of a tree to sit.
"I'm sure with a little convincing it'll be fine." Draco opened the basket, pulling out sandwiches and fruit, followed by water and pumpkin juice.
"Maybe if I promise to build a Quidditch pitch she'll agree."
"I could see that working. But, seriously, what color will we be wearing?"
"I have to talk to Cissa about it. She'd be able to help me pick a color that looks good on both of you."
Draco nodded, biting into his sandwich. They sat in silence while they ate, enjoying the warm weather. The gentle tweeting of birds could be heard in the distance, something Black Manor hadn't experienced in decades. The building was still an imposing sight, but the garden offset it, providing a refuge from the glaring house. Hermione and Draco had just started working inside the house. The library was the first room they had cleaned in its entirety, but they had opened most of the windows and did a cursory clean. The other rooms probably wouldn't take as long as the library, but they expected the room to take most of the day.
"Cissy, do you think Hermione would want to visit the Muggle world on our honeymoon?" Bellatrix asked, sitting on the counter in Narcissa's potions room. She watched her younger sister examine different ingredients, swinging her legs as they dangled off the edge of the counter.
Narcissa let out an exasperated sigh, keeping her back to Bellatrix as she set aside what she needed. "Honestly, Bella, I think Hermione will love whatever you do with her. You already have a plan, why are you thinking about changing it?"
"I just want it to be perfect."
"It will be, but if you're that worried then don't make it a surprise. And get off my counter." Narcissa turned to glare playfully at Bellatrix until she sheepishly got down.
"You're thinking way too hard, Bella. Just stick with your plan, it's already perfect," Andromeda said, putting her hand on Bellatrix's shoulder.
"But what if she wants to see things and do things?"
"Bella, it's a honeymoon. The whole point is to be together and enjoy yourselves. After this whole thing, I guarantee you the only thing Hermione wants to do is relax." Narcissa hefted a cauldron onto her worktable, following it with the ingredients she had picked out.
"What's this I hear about a wedding and honeymoons?" Severus asked, descending into Narcissa's workroom.
"Oh, you received your invitation, good!" Bellatrix exclaimed, giving in to Andromeda's pulling on her shoulder to move her away from the counter.
"Yes, I am very excited to attend. It's about time." Severus gave the three sisters brief hugs before examining the ingredients Narcissa had set out.
"Do you think it'll work, Severus?" Narcissa asked, watching as he examined each ingredient.
"It's worth a shot, right? Andromeda gave it her best shot and this is looking to be the best thing we can all come up with." Severus set the ingredients down, turning to Narcissa. "I'm sure if this doesn't work, we'll come up with something that will."
"Not exactly the encouragement I was hoping for, but it's better than nothing," Narcissa mumbled.
"It's not as if this has ever been done before, Cissy. You have to play with the magic to understand how it works. This is one of those cases that requires a lot of playing."
Narcissa found Bellatrix's words more encouraging than Severus's had been, but then again, Bellatrix always knew how to make her feel better. "Thanks, Bella. Let's get started, then."
Bellatrix did her best to stay out of their way, providing a fourth set of hands if they needed it. Potions weren't her specialty, not that she was hopeless, but Narcissa and Andromeda always displayed the patience necessary. Severus had always had an affinity for potions. Bellatrix, on the other hand, had always been too wild and untameable. Potions required delicacy and order, something Bellatrix had struggled with during school. It was easier now that she had Hermione to help calm her, but it always lapped at the surface, just as it did in Hermione. Bellatrix watched as Narcissa divided the contents of the cauldron into two vials, handing one to Severus and setting the other to the side.
"Here's hoping," Severus murmured, raising the vial and turning on his heel.