Chapter 3: My mother in law to be

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Hermione patted her wild fringe down a bit whilst admiring herself in the mirror. Her hair was pulled back tightly into an elegant braid, thanks to Lavenders careful ministrations. She wore one of Parvati's turtle neck sweaters. It was a deep red colour, as if to defy the slytherinness of her future mother in law. She wore her own knee length tartan skirt and a pair of spotless black Mary Janes.

In Hermione's opinion it was a very neat appearance, any mother in law would love this right? Lavender had tried to talk her out of the skirt but Hermione couldn't be swayed.

Confident she met up with Malfoy at the entrance of the Great Hall. Malfoy looked her up and down, an obvious grimace of dissatisfaction on his face, "You can't wear that." He said decisively.

Hermione frowned, "Why not. I like it."

Malfoy sighed, "Exactly. You look like a mudblood and my mother will hate it."

Hermione glared at him, "I do not look like a mudblood, I look like a perfectly respectable and trustworthy young girl and you'll mother wont care what I wear anyways."

Malfoy rolled his eyes, "It's your funeral." Hermione wanted to snap something back but he offered her his arm, which immediately brought her to silence. "Let's just get this over with."

Hermione nodded silently and slid her arm into the crook he presented her. They started to walk up the stairs, ignoring the curious stairs of by passers. Everyone knew of the marriage law, but they found discovering who was engaged to who very interesting.

Hermione blushed as she asked, "Where are we going?"

"To the Malfoy Quarters. My father bought them for me in third year and I've been living in them ever since. They are in the east section of castle on the fourth floor; you've got the view of the lake from there. There's a master bedroom, two spare bedrooms, a living room with an attacked kitchen and a formal dinning room. After the Christmas Holidays we'll be living there for the rest of the school year."

Hermione looked at him agape, "That's huge! But will other people live together as well at school?"

Malfoy smirked nastily, "If they can afford it."

Hermione thought of Ron and Luna, and Ginny and Lee. They wouldn't be able to. "Those who cant afford to are lucky then," she couldn't help but say a bit regretfully.

Malfoy looked at her curiously, "Why?"

Hermione stared him right in the eye as she said straightforwardly, "Because then they wouldn't have to live with somebody they hated."

Hermione couldn't determine if it was hurt or anger flicking through his eyes, but Malfoy's reaction was composed, she had to admit. He snapped his head back so he looked straight on forward, he only tightened the grip on her arm hard enough for it for be slightly painful and held his chin up high. He didn't even grant Hermione a come back to respond to. In that moment Hermione realized that Malfoy had won. How annoying.

They reached the fourth floor and Hermione started thinking about her favourite book, Hogwarts, a history. She remembered that the east section of the fourth floor and the west section on the second floor of the castle had guest rooms and even rooms which could be bought for richer students. The last slytherin headmaster was the one to implement this idea into the school and Hermione was surprised she had never visited this part.

Half filled with dread, and half with excitement they reach two large dark brown oak doors. Malfoy tapped the door handle with his wand and slowly they swung open to reveal a beautiful decorated living room.

The room was very light and lushly furnished; orchids were everywhere, on the coffee table and on the window sill, even in a large porcelain pot in the corner of the room. The floor was a light type of wood, laid down in a zigzag pattern. There was white carpet in the middle of the room, on which stood the glass coffee table and two sofas; one was a creamy chaise longue (one of those very long sofas which have a kind of chair like structure, but then longer and one of the arm rests is missing) and a cute little dark emerald canapé. There stood a large dark wood cupboard against one wall, and a beautiful white grand piano stood in the corner of the room by a window.

The room had only 3 walls, since it flew in gently over into a clean, traditional looking kitchen. There was one door in the room, next to the cupboard and another door in the kitchen. Then there was the door she was currently standing in.

Hermione thought to herself that his mother must have been the decorator. Speaking of her, Hermione spotted a very thin and very tall woman sitting on the creamy chaise longue. Narcissa Malfoy, wearing a white dress, heels and a large light blue scarf got up from the sofa with an elegance Hermione thought must have been practised a thousand times.

(A.N : Okay babel fish French :P I'm sorry to the people who speak actual French)

She held out a thin bony hand to Hermione, her thin spindly fingers encrusted with large gold rings, "Enchantée," she said in a surprisingly warm voice that didn't befit her at all.

Hermione shook it cautiously, "Ah non! Draco! Elle salue comme un fermier. Les regards aiment un aussi." The woman exclaimed and drew her hand back quickly. Hermione who could speak some French understood her perfectly, and she didn't appreciate being called a farmer or it being said that her greeting was farmer like.

"Merci Madame. Il fait très beau de vous rencontrer. Je peux ressembler à un fermier, mais vous ressemblez à une araignée." she replied sweetly. Calling your mother in law a spider is fun to say the least.

Malfoy didn't agree, in fact he looked positively mortified. Narcissa looked at Hermione sharply, then let out a shrill laugh, "Oh what a witty girl you have here Draco." She said, "At least she speaks French! I wonder what else she can do." She sighed, a knowing smirk on her face.

Malfoy harrumphed awkwardly, "Well yeah. Granger, I mean Hermione is very smart."

Narcissa sat herself down again on the coach, sipping luxuriously from what appeared to be a piña colada, she then looked up and smiled, "Well don't just stand there! Sit down on the canapé, make yourself comfortable. Draco, leave us." She waved a dismissive hand at her son. If Malfoy looked mortified before hand, it was nothing compared to this, "Mais ma mère! Je pense que je dois être ici!" he said urgently.

Narcissa raised a fantastically threatening eyebrow at him, "Draco, my son. I'm asking you, no, ordering you to leave. Be a man and accept my request. In fact run down to the kitchens and tell them to prepare the lunch I requested and then go do some homework. You may pick up your fiancé in time for dinner."

"I'm not your maid!" Draco whined.

Narcissa sipped her drink warningly, maintaining a fight to the death through mere eye contact with her son. Draco sighed, "Very well. Good day to you both." He bowed as graciously as his body would allow him, considering it was stiff with anger by being overruled by his mother.

Draco left the room quietly, and Hermione now turned to look at Narcissa anxiously. "Don't ever wear those shoes again." Narcissa started the conversation with, and then added, "and burn the skirt tonight. Tartan and plaid is forbidden in the Malfoy family. At least, it is now."

Hermione blinked back at her, "Okay," she stammered, thrown off by the directness of this woman. Narcissa swept her long hair over her shoulder and put her drink down, she took Hermione's hand in her own, "Your hands are dry. I was expecting this."

She let go of Hermione's hand with such abruptness it dropped unceremoniously onto the coffee table. Narcissa got up and disappeared through the door by the cupboard, a moment later she returned with a pink bag.

"I've prepared some beauty products for you." She said as she put it down onto the table. "Hand cream, most importantly. Face cream for soft skin; face cleaner to get rid of those zits which are covering your face and some tweezers for you eyebrows. Make up and anti aging cream is in there too. Salve to firm your legs and arms and stomach. Lotion for silk like skin. Hair products, but I don't know how much effect they'll have on that," she said disgustedly, shooting a doubtful look at Hermione's bushy coupe.

Hermione looked at the array of beauty products, "Thank you. I think."

Narcissa gathered them up again and placed them back into the bag, "now that we have that dealt with, we must talk about posture. Malfoy's don't slouch or let their tummy hang like that." Hermione immediately sucked in her stomach and straightened her back but Narcissa only rolled her eyes at her.

"The way you dress. Unacceptable. Well, I heard the marriage classes will improve that slightly but you're not going to be a common house wife like the rest of them. You are going to be a common house wife who happens to be a Malfoy. So, we need to get you appropriate lingerie, skirts, blouses and evening gowns." Narcissa stood up and started walking around the room, "From the day of the wedding I'll be in charge of your wardrobe. Speaking of which, I'd like to see the wedding dress. Seeing you now and how you dress I fear I might have to order another one."

Hermione opened her mouth to reply but Narcissa cut her off, "Also, only speak when given permission to speak. I am your superior in age and in class, and not to mention in blood. Now shut your mouth, its not elegant to leave it hanging open, birds might nest in it...If your hair is already taken that is.'

Hermione felt angry, but had lost control, well she never really had control, she was in unfamiliar territory so figured the best way to deal with this was to let it just all wash over her. She would remain Hermione. She would remain Hermione. She WOULD remain Hermione.

"Block your mind you insolent child!" Narcissa suddenly screamed, "You think you're so smart? Well your mind is wide open, anyone anywhere could jump into it just like that she snapped her fingers. Either taking over your body or getting to know all your dirty little secrets. A Malfoy MUST, and I say MUST be able to close his or her mind or they will die."

"How?" Hermione asked in a small voice.

"Gosse insolent. Putain stupide. La pense si futée! Par un dieu, elle est faible! Tous les lapins sacrés dans un ragoût! Elle devrait être un siège de toilette pas une sorcière avec cet intellect." Narcissa cursed in the language of love.

Hermione got up, "That's it! I'm going." She declared haughtily, and then added in a sugary tone, "Nice to meet you."

Narcissa glared at murderously, "Sit down." She ordered.

Hermione, not knowing quite why, sat down again. "Very well. You are a smart girl and I can only assume that you are a fast learner. You have heard of occulemency? I suggest you learn it. Now, Tinka!" the woman barked. Immediately a little house elf shot forward, "Yes Madam Malfoy?" she asked. "Bring me Ms. Grangers wedding dress."

The elf nodded and shot off again. Hermione watched Narcissa coolly, "you can't control me completely," she said quietly.

Narcissa could only smirk at this, "For such a brilliant witch you are surprisingly clueless. In fact after lunch I'm going to request Professor Dumbledore that you move into these chambers immediately. I'd like you and my son to get more acquainted with each other."

Hermione sat there mouth agape, "You can't do that! It's my life, my choice!" Narcissa poured herself another alcoholic beverage, "It is and it was your choice. You chose Draco, deal with the consequences." She said coldly.

It was at this moment that Tinka returned bearing Hermione's dress. Hermione watched Narcissa's reaction anxiously. Narcissa held took it gently from the elf and held it up so that it long luxurious skirts fanned out of the floor. "I will grant you one thing, girl." Narcissa said, "It's a beautiful dress."

Hermione smiled, "Draco, I mean Malfoy, I mean Draco….uhm….your son said I had to think slytherin and Malfoy and this is what I went for."

Narcissa took the dress and tapped it with her wand, she then tapped her wand to Hermione. Immediately Hermione's clothing was replaced with the dress. Hermione looked down at her figure and blushed.

Narcissa walked around her in silence a couple of times, "It suits you. It suits Draco and the family. Here, Tinka do her hair up in a French twist."

The elf seated Hermione down and immediately whisked out some pins and pearl netting and within 5 minutes the elf declared she was finished.

Narcissa smiled in a satisfied manner and with a flick of her wand to transfigured a lonely coffee cup into a full length mirror. She indicated at Hermione to go there.

Hermione got up carefully, cautious not to crinkle her dress. She gasped at her own reflection; she looked like herself, just better. Her hair was up and was kept there with a delicate netting of pearls. Her dress was an ivory coloured strapless gown. She had a very elegant and a very long trail, and a thin piece of see-through netlike fabric which started at the top of the back could be wrapped around her arms or hang loose to merge with her trail like a set of angel wings. The top part of the front had a slight curve to it to enhance her small bust, whilst another careless flick of Narcissa's wand made a very tight, almost choker like string of pearls circle her neck.

Narcissa looked thoroughly pleased, "You maybe a mudblood, but with that dress nobody would know." Hermione frowned, it wasn't exactly a compliment. "Urm, right," Hermione said, "Could you tap my own clothes back on please? I wouldn't want to ruin the dress."

Narcissa nodded and a few taps and whisks later Hermione sat on the canapé again dressed in what Narcissa thought was an outfit for a farmer's daughter.

Luckily Hermione wasn't the wearing the dress anymore, since Draco entered the room, accompanying the house elf bringing the lunch. He looked warily at his mother and shot an anxious look at Hermione, "How are things going, ladies?"

Narcissa rolled her eyes, "Don't be so fussy Draco. I won't harm her. I have changed my mind, you may have lunch with us, I need to tell you something."

Narcissa walked them to the dinning room where the house elf was setting the table.

Narcissa sat down at the head and directed Draco to sit at her right, while Hermione sat on her left. "Very well. I have decided that Hermione will be moving into your chambers tonight." Draco looked stricken, "Mais non! Je ne veux pas cela et Hermione ne veut pas cela. C'est impossible!" Draco exclaimed ina rush of french.

Narcissa, "It is very much possible, and you can not decide. Besides, it isn't required to share a bed, let alone a room yet until your marriage. Hermione can reside in a guest room."

Hermione looked tentatively at Malfoy, who had gone red. "I just…its…..how?...why?...no…..its….just….mother!" he stammered.

"Speaker proper sentences Draco!" his mother scolded. She picked up a ball of potato mash and scooped some onto her plate, she then passed the ball to Hermione. Hermione followed and passed it to Draco who set it on the table with a thump, "This is ridiculous!" he declared, "I will write to my father." Narcissa laughed as she forked a piece of broccoli and held it up, "Your father fully agrees with me, in fact it was his suggestion. Don't fight it Draco, beside what difference will it make. You'll be married in 3 weeks time anyways."

Draco ate a piece of chicken angrily, "It does matter! That is three weeks of lost freedom!"

Narcissa pushed her plate away, "Disgusting this Hogwarts food. How can you live with it Draco?" she said distastefully.

Hermione who thought it tasted sublime said nothing in fear of the reaction, Draco however rolled his eyes, "You're announcement has ruined my appetite, I will have lunch in the great Hall. I request that Ms. Granger accompanies me." He said it so sternly that Hermione immediately got up, eager to escape.

Narcissa made no noise in protest instead she said quietly, "Very well. I will continue with the organizing the wedding. Hermione, please write to your parents that I will visit them Tuesday."

Hermione nodded shyly and followed Draco's angry march out. Once outside the Malfoy chambers, Draco snorted angrily, "Oh that….." he said darkly, "She doesn't know what she is doing."

Hermione didn't listen to him; it wasn't directed at her anyways. She thought about her parents, and how odd this situation may seem to them.

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