Chapter 23

Both men stood as they entered. Her eyes were immediately drawn to Draco's searching, worried ones as he approached her, but Lucius' clipped voice made her quickly turn her attention to him.

"Ah, there you are. You look absolutely enchanting Cissa, darling."

Hermione watched his eyes flicker with barely suppressed contempt before he smiled at her, "We meet again Ms. Granger."

"Mr. Malfoy," she nodded with a tight smile.

"You have changed quite a bit from the child I remember," he said as he turned and led his wife to the seat beside him.

Hermione didn't know quite how, but she knew she had been somehow insulted. Before she could even try to come up with a reply, Draco took her hand and shook it a little, forcing her to look at him.

She read the question in his eyes and knew he wanted to know what had transpired upstairs. She smiled at him to let him know things were fine. Then, partially to piss Lucius off, and partially because she just wanted to, she went up on her toes to kiss him softly.

"I'll tell you later," she whispered against him.

He nodded and his face relaxed, as he put his hand on her back to lead her to the sofa across from his parents.

No sooner had she sat down than two house elves appeared to wordlessly serve their tea and scones. She was mildly surprised to hear Lucius thank them before he dismissed them.

"So, Hermione, Draco tells us you are a primary school teacher," Lucius said as he stirred his tea.

"Yes, sir," she replied and mimicked his actions. "I am as yet an assistant, but will have my own class in September."

He sat back and looked at her in challenge, "Not a professor at least? You don't see that as a waste of your well-lauded talents?"

Narcissa sighed as Draco sat forward to address his father, but smiled inwardly when Hermione placed her hand on his knee. She watched as Hermione calmed him instantly, but unobtrusively, even as she covered her action by leaning forward to set down her cup gracefully.

Hermione held her polite smile as she answered, "I assure you, I have been asked that question quite often, Mr. Malfoy and, my answer is this. While I would have undoubtedly gotten along quite well in the many of the other fields offered to me or suggested by my friends and family, I feel they would have been the waste. By teaching the youngest of the next generation, I get to pass along my hard-earned knowledge and experiences, and maybe help shape their young minds to be more open, free-thinking and accepting in the future. We wouldn't want to repeat the horrors, prejudices, and mistakes of the past, now would we?"

Hermione knew she had scored a direct hit when he simply looked at her and then sipped his tea in silence.

Narcissa sat forward a bit with a genuine smile, "As you know, Draco was home schooled, as were Lucius and myself. Please tell us more about your school and lessons."

Hermione briefly outlined her general lessons and the children she taught, speaking directly to Narcissa, and only allowing her eyes to light on Lucius often enough to be polite. He tolerated her and the conversation for a while before changing the topic to Draco and his Law Enforcement training. As he spoke, Draco unconsciously toyed with her hair where it lay across his hand on the back of the sofa. And, Hermione found herself having to fight the childish urge to poke her tongue out at his father, as his eyes followed his son's movements.

Draco then directed the conversation to other topics, which included bits of their relationship and that of their friends. The older couple was surprised to hear of Blaise's marriage. But, while Narcissa was pleased that he had found someone to "settle him down," Lucius was angered.

"He MARRIED a damn muggle?!"

After the last hour of his polite restraint, Hermione was taken aback by his explosion.

She raised a brow at him and coolly replied, "Beth is a wonderful person and a good friend. Blaise is lucky to have found her."

He looked dumbfounded. She was unsure whether it was because she'd dared to address him directly, or because he actually couldn't comprehend such a thing.

Draco added, his voice laced with warning to his father, "Father, I assure you B has definitely found his match. They're perfect together. You will see it at the wedding."

Before Lucius could snap out a refusal to attend, Narcissa jumped in with a smile, "Oh, we're going to be invited? Isn't that wonderful? I look forward to it."

Then she glanced at the clock in the corner and said, "Well, I know we all need some time to get ready, so I suggest we retire for a bit."

She stood and both men shot to their feet. Hermione followed suit and Narcissa turned to walk from the room, her hand in her husband's.

"Hermione, I will trust Draco to show you where everything is, but should you need anything, please do not hesitate to ring for an elf."

Hermione and Draco followed them out of the room and back to the staircase, "Thank you, Narcissa. But, I'm sure I will be fine."

When they reached the stairs, Narcissa leaned forward to receive a kiss on the cheek from her son before she took Hermione's hand for a brief moment. Hermione was happy to see a glow of pride in the older woman's eyes.

I guess I did okay.

"We will meet you here to greet our guests in two hours," Lucius commanded.

Draco nodded and inclined his head a little to his father, before he turned to Hermione, placed his hand on the small of her back and led the way up the stairs. He took her back to his room and shut the door behind them. She looked back over her shoulder to see him leaning back against the door with his eyes closed.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked as she went back to him. "All in all I thought that went rather well."

He laughed and put an arm around her shoulders as he walked back to his windows, "Well, until you and Father were about to begin hexing each other."

"It wasn't that bad," she mumbled around her little smile. "Yet."

"No, it wasn't," he smiled down at her. "But, you didn't see the flash in your eyes when he insulted Beth. I honestly started planning his funeral."

Because he laughed when he said it, she didn't get offended and knew he wasn't too upset.

"Well, your mother and I got on well enough."

'Yeah, about that. What happened up here with you two?"

She glanced back at the room and shivered involuntarily in revulsion at it. But she brought her eyes back to his and answered him.

"She wanted to let me know how much she loves you. And, she expressed her feelings about me."

She felt him stiffen and stroked his chest as she smiled, "No worries. She actually seems to want to like me. Whoda thunk it, huh?"

"That's it? You were up here alone for thirteen minutes," he asked.

"But who's counting," she joked. "No, Draco, we talked. She wanted me to know she's not against me, or us. And, she warned me, unnecessarily, that your father is. And, she gave me a kind of pep talk on how to handle some of the people coming tonight."

He seemed to slowly take in her words as he nodded, "Okay."

"She wants me to teach her to cook," she laughed softly in memory. "Can you just see that? Narcissa in her beautiful robes, dripping in jewels, sweating over a hot stove."

Draco laughed, "She's always had a fascination with the kitchens. When I was very young she used to sneak me down to them and we would watch the elves from our hiding place. It was a game to me, but I remember her talking about someday making me cookies."

"I wonder why she never just tried it," Hermione thought out loud.

He sighed and looked away, "A Malfoy doesn't do manual labor."

"Lucius law?"

He nodded and then shook away his thoughts. "Will you take a walk with me? I have something I've always wanted to do."

She glanced at her watch and calculated how long it would take her to get ready, "As long as I still have time to get ready. I wouldn't want to upset your father's delicate sensibilities by being late."

"I think he would survive," Draco laughed. "But, it won't take long. Come on."

He took her hand and led her back out and down the stairs. There, they turned and went behind the stairs to enter the long ballroom. House elves moved about quickly as they finished the final preparations for the party. But, Hermione had little time to appreciate the beauty of the room, or the elves hard work, as Draco hurried them towards one of the seven sets of double doors. He flung the doors open and turned to walk down the long patio. But, he was jerked to a stop when Hermione's feet planted as she took in the sprawling lawn and manicured gardens that seemed to go on forever.

"It's beautiful," she gripped his hand and whispered in awe.

He turned to look out and tried to see what she saw. "I guess it is."

She leaned back against him and sighed, "I always thought…well, I just never dreamed it would be so…lovely…romantic."

He smiled that she had found some beauty in a place she had so feared and retook her hand, "Come on. I have to get you back in time to get ready, remember?"

Hermione let him lead her across the patio and out to the lawn. She knew he was eager to show her something, but she couldn't stop herself from craning to see all she could. Beautiful statues dotted the gardens and flowers from everywhere in the world bloomed magically together and blended into a natural beauty. For a moment, as a light breeze carried the flower scent in the air, with her hand in his, she could pretend they were the only two in the world. It was breathtaking.

They crested a hill and he stopped and looked down at her.

He reddened a little, but said, "I know this may seem corny, but here goes. Turn around."

He heard her sharp intake of breath at the view and smiled against her hair.

His voice was soft as he said, "Once upon a time there was a little boy. He was exceptionally smart and unbelievably gorgeous. And, he was obnoxiously rich. He lived in a very large pretty house. He had a mother who loved him and a father who would give him any object he desired. But, he was lonely. One day while out walking by himself he found the most perfect spot on the whole grounds, the one from which he could see everything and it looked inviting, not lonely or scary, as it sometimes seemed. He made a promise to himself that day that he would never again set foot on that spot. Not until he had the most perfect person to share its beauty with. I kept that promise to myself and never again went to that spot. Not until today."

He paused and turned her to look at him, "Thank you for loving me, Hermione."

Her smile was dazzling even as a tear slid down her cheek. "It's beautiful. Thank you for sharing it with me."

For a moment neither moved as they shared the quiet beauty of the moment. Then he brought her close for a kiss that fired their blood, but soothed their souls. Turning her once again he began to point out his favorite places. He didn't have childhood haunts to share as she had. But, he could tell her about some of the good times from his past, reveal his play spots with Blaise, and show her his mother's favorite picnic spots. He wanted her to know that it hadn't all been sad or bad for him.

When he pointed back at the sprawling mansion, she saw his window winking at them and finally understood. "So, this is where you've been staring all day."

He nodded as he gazed at the house, "Come on. We should head back."

As they walked back, hand-in-hand they talked about his time alone with his father, and she shared a little more about her talk with Narcissa. Neither noticed that two sets of eyes that followed their progress. One pair, in a corner window, released happy tears. The other, from a dark study, glared at them, squinted and calculating.

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Hermione stood uncomfortably by Draco as she participated in the greeting of guests. She knew she looked the part, as he had spent a good amount of time convincing her. When they had reached the older couple at the bottom of the stairs, Narcissa had nodded her approval and complimented Hermione on her choice of black and gold robes. Even Lucius had been forced to offer up his version of a compliment.

"You're hair isn't nearly as unruly as I remember. A very wise use of your magic, Ms. Granger."

He had then turned and nodded to the house elf nearest the door to allow the guests in, thereby ending the conversation. Hermione would have been offended if Draco hadn't laughed under his breath, and Narcissa hadn't rolled her eyes slightly behind her husband's back.

She had then been forced to stand beside Draco and to the right of Lucius as she did her best to look like she belonged. Narcissa stood closest to the door, while Lucius took care of the initial greetings; introducing her as Draco's friend. Hermione got to meet people whose names she knew, but many of whose faces had only been masks to her in the past. She had expected the looks of shock, or at least startled surprise, and prepared herself for them. What she had not expected were the ones, thankfully few in number, of blatant disgust or dismissal. Her face hurt from her forced smile, but she held herself proudly as each person looked at her with his or her own version of interest. There were only two instances over the next twenty minutes where she felt the desire to turn and run.

The first was when the Goyle family arrived. She nearly stepped back at the matching looks of hatred on both the father and son's faces. Draco's hand on her back and the slight lift of Narcissa's chin, which she caught from the corner of her eye, stopped her flight. She heard Narcissa's words from earlier in the day and fixed her smile to show them all she would not back down. Draco barely acknowledged his old school friend and former bodyguard and then turned away abruptly to greet the next guest.

The second occurrence came with the arrival of the Parkinson Family. The family was announced and Hermione stopped her fidgeting instantly. Her eyes flicked to Narcissa and she found herself mirroring the older woman's regal stance. She smiled a little to herself at the almost imperceptible nod of approval. Hermione saw the dark swaying hair first, but when her parents moved a little to the side, she looked into the face of Pansy Parkinson. All four members of the family smiled at Narcissa and bowed slightly to Lucius as they thanked him for having them. Then Narcissa said her name and Hermione found herself the object of four matching, penetrating stares of hatred. Pansy lost some of her control and actually let out a tiny shriek as she stamped her foot in anger. Her parents both took an arm to remind her of her place, but their sneers told everyone of their real feelings. Then, her younger brother, who Hermione had never met as he had attended Durmstrang, stepped forward to stand in front of her.

His voice was low as he hissed, "I never dreamed the Malfoys would allow such mudblood trash to sully their home!"

Hermione blanched at the intensity of such hatred from a stranger as a quiet fell across the crowd of people nearest them. It was shock only that made her hold her ground and her tongue. Narcissa and the senior Parkinsons gasped. Even Pansy lost her fighting stance as she stared in horror at her brother's lack of decorum. Draco growled low in his throat and would have launched himself at younger man had his father's oily hiss not stopped all movement in the vicinity.

The sound was menacing as he said in a voice Hermione hadn't heard since her fifth year of school, "Young Master Parkinson, if you EVER malign my family in such a way again, I will personally see that you pay for it. Dearly. Now, you will apologize to Hermione and my son, before you and your family take your leave!"

Hermione was surprised beyond her imagination to be on the other side of things when Lucius was pushed to protect his family from any level of disrespect, even if it meant protecting her, too. She saw the entire Parkinson family pale in the face of his anger and watched their mouths move in apology, before they backed out of the room. Her brain hadn't registered their words, because it had stopped working the minute Lucius had said her name with familiarity for the first time. And, in her defense!

What? What?! So, he can call me that horrible name, but no one else can? Well, think it about me anyway. What the hell kind of twisted logic is that? And, I thought he wanted me tested tonight. Well there was your friggin' test! Did I pass, oh great one? You damn hypocrite! And, what was that? Now, I'm a member of your family?! What the…Okay, Twilight Zone!

Hermione was so lost in her private rant that she didn't hear the names of the next couple to step forward. She would have continued to stare dumbly at them had Lucius not turned to look down his nose at her and take her arm in his icy hand and repeat the couple's name.

She risked a glance up at him and saw his answering look of warning. We will have no further embarrassment tonight! Hermione looked away as she fixed her smile and applied herself once again to the task of greeting.

So his anger and discomfiture with the Parkinsons outweighs even his hatred of me? What? So now you don't want to embarrass me in front of everyone? Oookay. Pride before paybacks, I guess.

She would have continued her private shouting match had she not felt the tension radiating from Draco. It dawned on her finally to stop thinking about herself for a moment and think of how he felt. She quickly realized he would have been hurt by Gregory Goyle's dismissal, but enraged at the Parkinsons' display. And, it hadn't helped that he hadn't been allowed to defend her himself.

As the clock chimed the half hour, Narcissa signaled the musicians to change the music and took Lucius' hand to leave the door and begin the dancing. Hermione could finally turn to Draco.

When their eyes met, she saw his regret and sorrow. But, before he could open his mouth, she shook her head. Stepping closer she lifted her hands to brush imaginary dirt from his lapels as she lightly caressed his chest. She felt his muscles bunch beneath her hand and saw his hands flex and release.

Since she knew everyone was watching them, she smiled brightly up at him as she whispered, "Don't you dare apologize for those sorry excuses for beings! Just let it go. I have. It's over, hon. And, don't forget your father is watching us."

Hearing that, he forced a smile back to his face and nodded as he whispered back, "Do you want leave?"

She laughed softly, "Before our dance and that incredibly long, boring, but delicious dinner? I think not."

He laughed out loud at her joke and leaned down to give her a quick kiss, "You're amazing."

She allowed the kiss to roll over her and then winked at him as she saw the remaining tension leave his face, "Don't I know it darling. Shall we?"

When they turned to the crowd, she saw several heads turn away so as to not be caught staring. But, she met Narcissa's eye and the woman's simple smile and nod, conveyed her approval of Hermione's handling of the situation. When they turned in a circle, Lucius' eyes met hers. And, while she still saw resentment, gone were the outright hatred and contempt.

Draco and Hermione spoke to very few people for longer than a moment between dancing and dinner, but she did get to spend some time getting to know Blaise's family. His father was a lot like Blaise and she found herself laughing quite a bit in his presence. His mother, on the other hand, was exactly the woman Hermione had expected Narcissa to be. She was cold, unbearably polite, very pretty, and bowed to her husband's every small demand. She was so fake Hermione felt she was talking to a robot. His sister, Blythe, was seven years younger than Blaise and in many ways reminded Hermione of herself at fifteen. She was smart, a bit awkward, slightly uncomfortable in her skin, and spoke only of school and how much she enjoyed her classes. Hermione was very surprised to hear the girl say she had been placed in Gryffindor. And, she laughed in delight when Blythe confessed quietly to admiring Hermione so much that she had threatened to hit a girl who had challenged her for Hermione's old bed.

Dinner was made more enjoyable because Narcissa had seen to it that Hermione was sat to Draco's left, while Blythe was put on her left. Their quiet conversation all the way through dessert kept it from being abominably boring.

After dinner there was more dancing and the cake was served to a round of polite applause. Then people began to take their leave. Hermione knew it was mainly because they didn't want to risk Lucius' wrath by offending Draco, but she was still surprised by the number of people who sought them out to thank them (mostly Draco) for a lovely evening and say goodnight.

Her face ached from smiling and her feet begged to be released from her shoes, but she kept up her smile as she stood by his side, not too far from his parents, and said good night to the last of the guests. Draco seemed to sense her need and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Only a few more minutes, love."

It took everything in her to not groan and fall against him when the front doors finally shut. But, just as she let her back slump a little Narcissa and Lucius walked back to them.

Narcissa's smile was happy and real, as she took Hermione's hand and laughed, "We will be right back."

Hermione allowed herself to be led to a powder room close by. Her mind raced to figure out what Narcissa could possibly want of her for which they needed to be alone.

Narcissa shut the door and smiled at her as she clasped her hands together in joy, "You, my dear girl, were magnificent!"

"Oh!" Hermione's mind blanked. Then, belatedly she stuttered, "Thank you."

"No, thank you. Even Lucius commented on how much you surprised him tonight. You have made me very proud of my son for finding you."

Hermione nodded her thanks again and stared in wonder at the difference in Narcissa. Throughout the evening she had been the consummate hostess. Now, she was once again the giddy, loving mother from their earlier talk. The instant dropping of her façade was amazing.

Narcissa continued, "For the first time, I finally have someone to share my final party traditions with. These are things I never could share with my son, and since I never had a daughter of my own with whom I coul…well, I hope you don't mind me pulling you along."

Hermione could only nod in agreement as she wondered what else she could possibly have to do.

"Okay, first please remove your shoes."

Hermione's eyes widened and she thought she had heard wrong, "I…I'm sorry?"

"Come on my dear, off with them." Narcissa was already working on the straps of her second shoe when Hermione finally stooped down to remove her own.

When they both stood barefoot, Hermione followed Narcissa's directions in a shocked stupor as they scrunched and released their toes. When Narcissa started explaining that she should roll her ankles and stretch her foot muscles, she figured the woman had plain lost her mind. But, Hermione dutifully obeyed and then, as directed, turned with her to face the mirror.

"Now, think of every single inane, silly, boring, or just plain stupid thing you heard tonight."

Hermione looked quickly at her and Narcissa explained, "It helps you frown, sometimes when the company is bad enough, it happens quite quickly."

Hermione felt unsure, waiting for the trick, but she let her face fall into a frown. The release of her tightly held muscles hurt so baldy, she released a soft groan.

"I know," Narcissa frowned at her cheerfully, "but it feels positively exquisite after a moment. Now, massage the muscles right behind your jaw. It helps in the relaxation."

Hermione found herself asking, "You do this after every party?"

"Oh yes," Narcissa replied around her own massaging fingers, "if not, my face aches for days after one of these soirées. Now, the last step, and please don't try to be lady like on my behalf."

To Hermione's further surprise, Narcissa led her through a series of back bends and rolls which helped stretch and relax her aching back. When they straightened back up, and looked at each other in the mirror, they laughed together at the redness of their faces. Narcissa leaned back against the counter and fanned herself to cool her face.

"Where did you learn this?" Hermione asked and found her face no longer tight when she smiled. "Why not use magic?"

Narcissa laughed, "Magic is too easy, too quick. This gives me a few minutes alone. And, as for why, self-preservation. It took me a while to figure out that while these events left me tense, tired and sore, they seemed to give Lucius a surge of extra, uh, energy, so to speak. So as to not be worse off the next day, I found a way to relax myself beforehand. He often doesn't give me a lot of time after the last guest leaves."

Hermione was stunned at Narcissa's forthright admission and felt her jaw drop a little in shock.

Narcissa waited a beat to make sure Hermione understood her and then continued, "As my son is in many ways very much like his father and a Malfoy through and through, I would assume you will see what I mean for yourself later tonight."

Hermione blushed to her roots and started to stammer a reply, but Narcissa shushed her with a smirk much like her son's, "No need to be embarrassed, Hermione. I do know my son. Now, grab those lovely shoes and let's go enjoy our last glass of champagne together."

Hermione could barely meet Narcissa's eye as she nodded and followed the woman from the room. The back of her brain barely registered the fact that she was walking barefoot through Malfoy Manor as if it were a normal thing to do. They entered the same sitting room she and Draco had arrived in earlier to find the men in conversation and having a glass of firewhiskey. Hermione saw the name on the bottle and realized why it was Draco's favorite brand. She figured it must have reminded him of home.

As the woman approached both men stood and extended their hands simultaneously. Hermione perched on the edge of the sofa next to Draco, as Narcissa rang for their glasses. When the elf arrived, Narcissa took one glass and handed Hermione the other. Then she flashed a knowing smile at Hermione, which caused the younger woman to blush once more, before she lifted her glass in a silent toast and took a delicate sip. Draco and Narcissa kept the conversation going as they discussed events from the evening, while Hermione contributed only when necessary and tried to ignore Draco's hand sliding up and down her waist, getting closer and closer to her breast with each swipe.

Lucius seemed content to sip his drink and listen to his wife speak as he looked indulgently at her. He didn't look at Hermione at all, but she knew she was on his mind and that he was probably quite upset with her. She had let him down by not losing her control and acting like a child.

Conversely, she was quite proud of herself. She had survived the manor, his parents, their friends, and the party with grace, dignity, and her pride.

Soon, Lucius' hand drifted to Narcissa's knee and she shifted under his grasp.

Narcissa looked at the clock and said, "Well, we've kept you both long enough. I know you need to go soon, so why don't you go gather your things and come back down to say goodbye."

Hermione knew a dismissal when she heard one and rose to follow Draco's lead from the room.

When the door of his room shut behind them, she found herself pulled back against him. He held her tightly and leaned down to nibble and lick her ear as he sighed, "I can't wait to get you home."

He then pulled her hips back against him and rolled them together. He heard her sigh of pleasure and slid his hands up to cover her breasts and squeeze them through the fabric of her dress.

"You look amazing and smell delicious, Mi. I've been dying to peel this off and bury myself in you all night."

He then turned her around and lifted her to meet his lips. His arousal throbbed against her stomach and he moaned in satisfaction against her lips. Her body was suffused with sudden heat and she wanted nothing more than to demand he follow his words with actions. But, not there. She was more than ready to leave.

She pulled away with a soft sigh and said, "Come on. The sooner we get home the sooner we can finish this."

When he whined and reached for her again she laughed, "Remember the outfit from last night?"

He stopped and smirked wickedly as he nodded.

"I got it in red and gold, too."

She burst out laughing when he immediately grabbed his wand and flicked his wrist. Their things were ready to go in less than five seconds.

Very shortly thereafter they were entering the sitting room again to say goodbye to his parents. The couple sat together on the same sofa, but Narcissa looked decidedly disheveled and Lucius' robes were open at his neck. This time when Narcissa took her hand and leaned in to kiss her cheek, the knowing smile was returned, albeit with a blush on Hermione's part. Lucius shook his son's hand and expressed his desire to see him again soon. And, when he looked down at Hermione with a small frown, he surprised her once again by refraining from insulting her and simply nodding good night.

When they got back to Hermione's apartment, Draco wasted no time in getting her out of her clothes to see her second outfit. By the third time the earth shifted out from under her, Hermione had to admit that Narcissa knew her son very well.

I wonder what she would think of me if I owled her a thank you for the warning. Ha ha ha. Or, maybe I should owl Lucius to thank him for passing on this drive to his son. Bwah ha ha!!!
"Oh, sheesh, Draco. Again already?"

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Author's Notes –

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