Hermione POV
My head felt heavy on warm sheets in an unfamiliar bed. It took only seconds for my waking brain to take over for my sleeping one. I remembered lying down on a couch when we arrived by floo at the Malfoy guest house, waiting for the promised snacks. I must have fallen asleep, too comfortable from the gillyweed. I opened my eyes to a room that was decorated in delicate green florals and silver accents. At least the one wall that I could see without moving from my right side was decorated that way, and the window outside showed a garden that must have been magic to be so beautiful. I could only just make out the tips of flowers that were too colorful for December and perfectly trimmed hedges. Despite the gorgeous setting, my stomach tightened. Somewhere lost in my high, my heart had spoken for my brain. The words had come out of my mouth the night prior, the panic rising in my belly quickly squashed by the control of the gillyweed. In my moment of bliss, I'd made a terrible decision. The skin on the back of my neck prickled, conjuring a strange clammy sweat, and green sludge like magic began to slough off me. What the fuck have you done, Hermione?
The crack of an apparition made me jump.
"Good Morning, Miss Granger."
My flight or fight response had already kicked into high gear. The simple phrase from a small, unknown, voice had my legs half way off the bed that was covered in perfectly white sheets, my wand from the night stand in my hand. A house elf stood in the doorway with a tray of tea, coffee, and scones- a house elf in clothes, extremely fine clothes. My eyes brimmed wet, my mouth slightly open in a mixture of dwindling fear and surprise.
"Posy didn't mean to startle you, Miss. Posy was just alerted to the Malfoy's guest waking and wanted to bring the Miss breakfast. Does Miss prefer tea or coffee?"
My mouth remained ajar, struggling for the words to reply, to thank her or ask her how she got such a lovely dress. I wanted to ask her if Malfoy knew about it or how Narcissa treated her. I wanted to know her story, even though her kind smile spoke volumes. It wasn't enough to see a Malfoy house elf look so happy. I wanted to hear her tell me, but I had to ask and the words were clotted in my throat like thick cream. There were so many things I wanted to say and the fact that I couldn't say them was aggravating me, enough that the green in my magic was met with gold. The smile on Posy's face fell when I didn't respond and my heart ached.
The S.P.E.W. was a long forgotten relic of my past. Still, seeing the results of an elf that appeared to be free at Malfoy Manor made me feel something close to wonder. I wanted to talk to her, so I would. No ifs, ands, or buts. I would talk with this house elf dressed like pure blood royalty. I was Hermione fucking Granger, magically bonded mate to two bad ass Slytherins and a hero to the wizarding world. Some selective mutism bred from trauma wasn't going to stop me from speaking, from getting to know this creature.
"Tea, please," I said, setting the wand down. The two words were simpler than long sentences. I got them out without a hiccup, but that was nothing to celebrate yet.
She stepped inside the room, past several doors that I could only assume were a closet and bathroom, before placing the tray down on a small table in the corner that was nestled between two massive, green arm chairs.
I stood and noticed then that I was clothed only in a long shirt that was heavily scented in the men I loved over a pair of delicate underwear. A blush crept on my skin. Thankfully, the shirt was long enough to cover the important bits. Malfoy and Theo had changed me at some point, put me to bed, left me to rest. They hadn't just changed my clothes, they had changed me. I could do this without magical suppressant, without an excess of anger. I took a deep breath, swallowed away all of that choking silence in my throat and spoke again before she could disappear from the room.
"And would you sit with me if you aren't too busy? I'd love to talk with someone."
The elf's straight face morphed back into the wild smile from before. "Posy would love that. Posy often keeps Mrs. Malfoy company during her meals."
After I had taken a seat, she poured me a tea and I mixed in my cream and sugar while she pulled herself up into the vacant chair. I fought the urge to let the quiet take over and pushed out another question.
"Do you enjoy working for the Malfoys?" The green magic lingered, pooling on my skin, simmering as if waiting for me to fail, for my trauma to consume me. I took a sip of my tea.
"Oh, very much, Miss," she replied with a nod. "Though it is quiet now with Mr. Malfoy gone."
I choked suddenly, placing the cup on the table to allow myself to cough without spilling everywhere. At least Posy couldn't see the flash of gold, or feel the turning in my belly. Nothing about Lucius Malfoy should affect me so much. He was a rotten man that used the quest for power to control his whole life. He was rubbish and yet the thought of the elf missing that vile man made me feel angry and confused.
"Are you alright?" Posy looked about ready to call for help, but my coughing subsided just enough for me to wave off her concern.
"I'm fine," I said, squashing the tickle in my throat from the last bit of tea lingering just outside my lungs. I took a deep breath, desperate for more information. If what Malfoy said was real, his mother had changed, but how much could she change if her house elf still wanted that pretentious arsehole around? Did I misunderstand? "Do you miss Mr. Malfoy?"
"Well, of course Posy misses him. Posy helped raise him from a babe and will be glad when he is done with his schooling. He'll take his spot in the manor. He's already changed everything so much here- him and Mrs. Malfoy. He's always been such a bright wizard despite all that nonsense from his father's pursuits."
Malfoy was the man of the house now. Not Lucius. Posy didn't seem to have any fondness for her old master either.
"He is going to do such great things, that sweet boy." I could see the edge of tears in her large eyes as she talked about Malfoy.
"Posy is thrilled to have him home for the holidays, especially with Mr. Nott and Miss Granger of course. Last night the boys stayed up late with Mrs. Malfoy. They helped her decorate for the season. Posy hasn't heard them be so carefree in ages." She dabbed at the tears that spilled on her smiling face with her dress that probably cost more than my entire wardrobe. "Forgive an old elf for gossip, but Posy has overheard the boys speaking over the past few weeks and Posy feels like Miss is making our boys very happy."
The joy in her voice sent a shot of warmth through my stomach that heated all the green, replaced it with soft yellow and pink. I knew the colors were dangerous, but those ones felt like sunshine and butterflies on my skin, like all the good in the world.
"They make me very happy too," I said. It was the truth. They were making me happy- happy and strong and more like the old me with every passing day, every minute even. Just yesterday I wouldn't have been able to hold such a clear conversation without anger, suppressant, or thinking consciously on every word, stumbling to speak. The suppressant had been my saving grace, now it felt like the suppressant was only part of the solution. Maybe it had been my growing feelings that had been making the change all along. "I didn't think I could be happy again after everything that happened with Voldemort, but in true stubborn, Slytherin, fashion they've proved me wrong."
The mood in the room shifted at my mention of the dark lord's name. Posy shook her head, her giant brows furrowing.
"Posy can't say she ever agreed with all that dark wizard business. It wasn't her place to say then. The old Mr. Malfoy was raised in darkness. He treated us elves and anyone less than with such cruelty, unlike Mrs. Malfoy. She has always been kind underneath his control. That poor girl was so enraptured with him in the beginning, so lost, that she let herself fall pray to his darkness. Then when her son came along she knew better. Her love for him outweighed everything else. It was too late to leave then of course…oh, Posy is rambling. She should not be speaking of her Mistress anyway."
I expected her to hit herself, punish her body for speaking ill like Dobby used to do. Her hand squeezed the chair, clearly fighting back the impulse.
"Does Mrs. Malfoy treat you well?"
She looked taken back by the question, but I had to ask. I needed to know.
"Well of course! Mistress is the best thing to ever happen to Posy. She always did everything she could to protect us." She sniffled. There was a pause as she collected herself, the smile coming back, her happiness shining through."It's different now that Mistress is free, now that we're all free of that awful man."
I wasn't sure if she was talking about Voldemort or Lucius and it felt wrong to ask for clarification. She was happy, that's all the mattered.
"The Miss' tea is getting cold."
I lifted the tea cup again, sipping on the lukewarm liquid. Within five minutes I had drained the cup, nibbling on the scone between sips. It crumbled apart in my mouth and dissolved. It was exquisite. Of course the Mafloys would have the best scones ever made. It was so good in fact that I reached for another one.
"Are the boys awake yet?" I asked, nibbling on the second pastry.
It was surprising to me that they had left me undisturbed in the night, in a bed big enough to fit three. Perhaps they were still giving me space, space I no longer wanted. She turned her heard towards the door, listening hard. House elves had keen ears. I had no doubt that is how she knew I was awake. I often thought in my first year at Hogwarts that it may be some sort of magical sense as well.
"They are in the library in the main house. When Miss is ready, Posy will escort her to the guest house library and bring them over with the latest stack of research they have compiled. They seem rather excited about some early medieval scrolls they found last week."
Early Medieval?! I had never read anything that old. I felt my eyes go wide as saucers in excitement. She chuckled when I failed to act composed, dropping the half eaten second scone, no longer caring about the delicious treat. When I stood, I realized again how under dressed I was.
"Um, do you know where I can find some clothes?" I asked sheepishly.
"Miss' trunk is in the closet of course."
Oh, thank goodness. With quick feet, I made my way to the closet and dug in my steam trunk until I found a suitable enough outfit. I felt like I should wear a dress, but I didn't own one so I settled for a knee length black skirt and a warm, dark red jumper. After brushing my teeth, I situated my hair as best as I could with my fingers, ignoring the mist of yellow and pink that reflected in the mirror to stop myself from being distracted. I didn't have time to stare, to get lost in the beauty of it. I needed to figure out how to get rid of it, no matter how much I enjoyed the newest colors of my disease. Upon walking back into the room I noticed that Posy had quickly cleared the tray already. I almost felt bad until I realized how happy she seemed, gently wiping her hands across her beautiful dress to straighten it, waiting for me. She wasn't forced to do it, she wanted to do it. A free elf in Malfoy Manor. Stranger things happened every day I suppose. I was the Gryffindor princess in love with two purebloods after all. Stranger things indeed.