Borrowed Hearts
Summary: 'You know how you like to make up stories sometimes honey? Well this is going to be just like that. We're going to pretend for a little while.'
Based on the Christmas movie by the same name.
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I own the rights to neither the Harry Potter books nor the movie Borrowed Hearts
Author's Note: Alright, it took some time but I finally got this chapter up. I'm not sure why but I had some struggles with this. All good now though and I'm finally back in the groove of the story (I think). Anyways, thanks for all my readers… particularly to those who have reviewed. It means so much to me! I hope you enjoy Chapter 5.
Chapter 5: What Could Go Wrong?
The next day, Hermione hurried about her small apartment, gathering up the final things she and Josie would need while they were away. It was strange. Hermione had always imagined Draco Malfoy as the type of wizard who would live in a giant castle, high above a town that he could overlook and rule over. Never did she imagine he would live in London with both wizards and muggles all around him. It was definitely a surprise. But then again, so was the fact that she had agreed to help him with this crazy scheme. Still, she needed the money and it was only for two days.
What could possibly go wrong?
"Now Josie," Hermione said, bending down next to her daughter as they prepared to depart. "You know how you sometimes like to make up stories, honey? Well this is going to be just like that. We are going to pretend for a little while."
"You don't like it when I pretend," Josie said simply.
Hermione nodded. "I know. But we're doing this as a favor for an old friend of mommy's. We're just going to be helping him out for a couple of days, ok?"
"Ok, mommy," Josie replied. She was excited to go and live in her dollhouse.
Hermione smiled at the beaming girl. "Well then… let's be off!"
Hermione took Josie's hand and together they stepped into the fireplace, shouting the address to the Malfoy home.
The parlor that Hermione and Josie stepped into was dimly lit and chill, despite the fire that they had just stepped out of. In the center of the room, Blaise and Draco sat with a middle aged woman whom Hermione did not recognize. All three went silent and turned to stare at them as they entered. The woman sneered as Hermione self consciously wiped away ashes from her clothes in an attempt to look more presentable.
"Good! You're here!" Blaise said at last.
Hermione nodded her head. Meanwhile, Josie had bolted across the room and onto the sofa. Hermione shot her a look and gestured for her to get down but Josie simply shook her head, leaning back in the seat and smiling gleefully. Hermione silently sent a prayer up to the gods to make Josie behave for the next couple of days. The last thing she needed was for Draco to think she was unable to control her own daughter.
"So…" Draco began as Hermione took a seat. "Does everyone understand what we need to do?"
"Sit lazily in your house, pretend to be a Malfoy, by acting as pompous as possible," Hermione replied, checking off each item on her fingers. "Really Malfoy, it's not that hard."
"For your information, Granger, it takes a lot more than that to be a Malfoy… I merely make it look easy."
"Right…" Hermione scoffed.
The woman sitting beside Draco sniffed haughtily. She leaned in toward Draco and whispered something into his ear. Blaise moved over from his seat to listen in as well.
Hermione sighed and looked around the room while waiting for the little pow wow to end. No, it definitely wasn't her, the room was frigid. And it wasn't just the people in it. It was the environment in general.
The room was done in dark woods and dark greens. There were plenty of windows around but all of them had their huge velvet curtains drawn to keep out the light. The furniture and decorations were spotless without a speck of dirt in sight. Rather than enhancing the room though it only added to its coldness.
"May I make a suggestion?" Hermione asked suddenly, interrupting the little discussion the three were having privately,
Draco glanced up at her. "If you must."
"Your house is… nice," Hermione began, gesturing about the room. "But it doesn't exactly scream cheerful, family home. It doesn't seem like a family lives here. In fact, it doesn't even look like you live here."
Blaise glanced around the room. "It is a bit cool, isn't it?" He said with a nod.
"Exactly!" Hermione agreed. "But if you scattered some toys about and had a nice big fire going in the fireplace…"
"Great idea!" Blaise cried enthusiastically. He turned his head toward Draco who was looking at the two of them like they had both gone mad. "That's a great idea, she has Draco."
"Now, let's not get carried away here," Draco said cautiously. "It's only two days after all. No need to go over board here."
"No! No! She has a point!" Blaise protested. "It sets the scene!"
Hermione smiled, glad to have someone on her side.
"Precisely! I mean, take this tree for example!" Hermione walked over to the tall Christmas tree that stood in the corner of the room. It was large and imposing with sparkling silver ornaments and big bright lights dangling from it. Here and there it sparkled from what she assumed must have been fairy dust. The thing was practically all silver. It was the only bright thing in the room… unbelievably bright actually.
"It's beautiful," Hermione continued. "But… Did a designer do it?"
"Yes," the woman beside Draco perked up straighter, smiling proudly at the tree.
Hermione nodded her head. "Yes, I thought so."
The woman's smile faded quickly. She pursed her lips and glared at Hermione.
"Wait a minute! You're not touching my tree!" Draco cried possessively.
"It's just a tree, Malfoy," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.
"MY tree!" He argued, reminding Hermione greatly of Josie during her gimme phase when everything and everyone was hers and hers alone. Hermione shook her head.
"OUR tree," she corrected. "If we're going to make this little plan of yours believable we have to go all out and that includes the house and its items… along your precious tree!"
Draco glared, still pouting slightly. "What's so wrong with the way it looks now?"
"Let's just say that it gives off the impression that a rich, egotistical prick lives here alone and not a loving family," Hermione replied. "A real family tree would look old fashioned with bright colors and handmade crafts. It would have pinecones and ribbons and candles!"
Blaise was positively beaming now. "Brilliant! Hermione, you're bloody brilliant! Even smarter than you were back at Hogwarts! Draco, do whatever she tells you to!"
Blaise now turned his attention to Josie, who, throughout all of this had sat quietly. "You kid! Do you think you can remember to call Draco here daddy for a few days?"
Josie turned toward Draco, smiling sweetly. "I think I can manage that… Daddy."
"Thank you Jenny," Draco said with a nod.
"Josie!" she corrected him.
"Right…" Draco turned toward the woman who was still seated at his side. "So Mary, what do you think?"
The woman called Mary got up from her seat and turned to stare at the two outsiders who stood before them.
"Well," she said after some time. "They're certainly a challenge! What with they're bad posture… and that hair!"
Hermione bristled in anger. Next to her, Josie looked up at the woman.
"Hey," she said, tugging at the Mary's bright blue skirt.
Mary bent down, a fake smile plastered on her face. "Yes darling?" she sang sweetly.
"What's wrong with your face? It's so tight..." Josie asked curiously.
Hermione choked back a laugh. "Josie!" She reprimanded. She glanced over toward Draco to see the faintest glimmer of a smile on his lips.
A second later it was gone, however, and replaced with his usual know-it-all smirk.
"Well, why don't we go upstairs and get ready?" Draco suggested.
Mary looked like she wanted nothing more than to walk right out the door. One look from Draco, however, and she swallowed her anger. She nodded stiffly and turned to go upstairs, leaving Hermione and Josie to follow.
Draco and Blaise watched as the three women left the room.
"This had better work Blaise," Draco muttered.
"Hey! No worries buddy!" Blaise reassured him. "It's only for a couple of days. What could go wrong?"
Author's Note #2: And so marks the end of Chapter 5… hope you all enjoyed! Next chapter you get to meet Del Campo and see if he believes this crazy scheme or not. In the meantime, please review!!!!