CHAPTER NINE

'The weird thing about houses is that they almost always look like nothing is happening inside of them, even though they contain most of our lives. I wondered if that was sort of the point of architecture.'
~John Green, The Fault in Our Stars~

Her talk with George had managed to push her impending dinner plans with the Malfoys out of her mind. But now she was home from work and her mum looked like she was going to have a panic attack. There was a reason the Grangers never threw dinner parties. Hermione dropped her purse in the living room (and the black shopping bag that had a bottle of lemonade) and joined her mum in the kitchen, helping her cut vegetables.

"Just take a deep breath, mum," Hermione tried to smile reassuringly, but she was nervous also. She didn't want to have to deal with Lucius looking like he had just been sent to the dirtiest slums in the world. There was no way their home would compare to the Manor, but this was their home and she was proud of it.

There was sweat on her mum's brow as she slaved away over the hot stove. "We're not trying to impress anyone, really. The important thing it to show them what it's like to be muggles and a muggle born witch. We're equal to them," Hermione went on, setting the potatoes in a bowl of water.

She saw her mum stop stirring the sauce and smile at her. "Thank you, dear."

"You go get ready," Hermione smiled, "I'll take over for a bit,"

Her mum protested, but after a few urgings left the kitchen. There were two cameras in their tiny kitchen, making it hard to move around, but she was able to add the garlic into the sauce and stir, while also making sure the lamb wasn't drying out. She had learned to cook on Christmas trips home and summer vacation. It was always important to her mum that she learn so she could take care of herself one day.

The cameramen started asking her questions about tonight. "I'm a little worried, but I think it'll go fine. I guess Narcissa will have a lot to talk to my mum about. And as long as there is good food, it won't be too bad," She smiled at her own lame joke and tasted the sauce.

"Do you think the Malfoys will like your house?"

"It obviously won't compare to theirs. But this is our house, it's where I broke my arm when I fell down the stairs and this drawer," She gestured to the cream coloured one next to the stove, "always needs some strength to get open. I don't know if the Malfoys have things like that in their home, but it's ours and it's where we made our story,"

Crookshanks walked into the kitchen, then, his tail up. He rubbed his head against her leg, purring. She smiled down at him, using her foot to rub his side. Crookshanks had spent all of yesterday evening off in the corner unhappy that Ron had been around. Tonight he was much happier, even looking like he wanted to chase some birds this morning as he looked out the window.

"And if they don't," She said, smiling, "they can suck it,"

She left to get ready, slipping out of her work trousers into a pair of jeans. She wasn't dressing up for dinner in her own house. She changed into a t-shirt, it had a can of coke on it- bright red. She wondered if she should have changed... it might just provoke Lucius and Draco into being gits. She looked through her drawers, changing into a blue 'Doctor Who' shirt. She doubted they'd know the show, since it was muggle, and most wizards didn't have a tv.

Her mum frowned when she saw what she was wearing. "Hermione, really?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and got plates from the cabinet to help her mum set the table. "What?" She saw her mum was wearing a blouse and had pulled out a pair of pearls. "You look nice. But why are you wearing shoes?"

Her mum blew some hair form her face. "Because, Hermione, we're having a dinner party,"

"I'm not putting shoes on." she paused, then added, "or socks. We're home, mum. We're not putting on some big show for the Malfoys. We don't live in a bloody mansion."

"Hermione, just-" she sighed, apparently deciding it was a lost cause, "Just set the table."

Her dad finally got home from work. He looked exhausted, judging by the bags under his eyes, and only had time to kiss her forehead before he was hustled off to the bathroom to shower by his anxious wife. Hermione dropped down onto the couch, turning the tv on- her mum wouldn't have been this worried if the Weasleys were coming over.

She watched the news for a bit, but then changed it to a game show while she waited. She could smell dinner as the finishing touches were added. It all smelled amazing.

"Hermione! Get the drinks, please!" Her mom called and she obediently went to get the bottle she had left by the table near the door. She hadn't counted on the Malfoys enjoying lemonade so much, but they did. She left it on the table and then dropped back onto the couch.

Her phone buzzed and she pulled it out, seeing a text from Harry: With Ron, the others, and Jenna go-carting. Don't you wish you were here?

She grinned. She did wish she was with them. She'd only been go-carting once, and it hadn't gone well, but that didn't mean she wouldn't have given it another chance. Especially if it meant getting out of this. But she was happy her friends were having a good time.

Her phone buzzed again and she read: Ron just crashed. The camera got everything.

The doorbell rang just as her dad was walking out of the bathroom. Her mom shrieked and Hermione saw she was in the middle of bringing the lamb to the table. "I've got it," She assured her mom, walking over to the door while she wrote back to Harry.

Perfect, can't wait to see it. Gotta run- doorbell just rang.

She looked up after she hit send and saw she was staring straight at the Malfoys. Her eyes found Draco first and saw he was wearing his usual black ensemble. Narcissa hugged her, "Hello!"

She saw Marty was with them also, but she didn't ask why. The cameras came in first, getting set up. She shut the door behind them and followed them in. They looked out of place- Narcissa was wearing pearls also with her dress. Draco was so formal in all black and Lucius' cloak must have been hot outside. Her house was simple compared to how dressed up they were. She watched them take little looks around, especially at the pictures on the walls that weren't moving, and wondered what they were thinking.

"Hey," She smiled, welcoming them in. She felt the words slipping out of her mouth before she could think about it, "Do you always dress like you're going to a funeral?"

Draco looked at her and she wanted to take the words back. He didn't seem like he found her words amusing, and she braced herself for whatever hurtful thing he was going to say. He had, after all, had no shortage of things to say in school. He didn't get to say anything since both her parents walked into the room and she was forced to introduce them.

They all took a seat at the table, Hermione next to Narcissa and her mum. Draco was across from his mum, next to his dad, who was next to her dad. Lucius was across from her, so whatever scowl he decided to make, she'd notice every one.

"Hermione, I finally got around to reading one of Shakespeare's plays," Narcissa said, happily, "I read the one called 'Romeo and Juliet.' I must admit, some of the language was a little hard, that's why it has taken me this long to tell you about it, but it was lovely. It wasn't really a love story, was it?"

Hermione shook her head, "That's great. No, I don't think it is. A lot of people like to say its the best love story there is, but it really isn't. And you have to wonder if Shakespeare is actually mocking young love or innocence, in general. After all, their 'love' is based on attraction. And just before they met, Romeo was pining away over some other girl."

"Yes, and you have to wonder if they would have felt the same way about each other had they not been torn between two feuding families. And the idea of fate is interesting- that your life is predestined and there's nothing you can do to change it. Was it really fate that killed them, or was it just their brashness that didn't allow them to look for any other options?" Narcissa asked.

"Exactly, they were too young to think of any other way. 'The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.'" At Narcissa's stunned face, Hermione added, "It's from another muggle book: 'Catcher in the Rye.'"

"That's a very nice quote," Narcissa said, "Maybe I shall read that book soon."

"So Hermione got you reading Shakespeare," her mum grinned, "Typical. How did you enjoy the museum?"

"It was fantastic," Narcissa gushed, "I especially loved that Piccaso guy. He was very strange."

Her dad laughed, "Yes, I never quite understood his work,"

Draco looked at her and said softly across the table, "To answer your question Granger, I always dress sharp."

She snorted, glancing over at him. "That's a funeral outfit."

"And what exactly are you wearing?" He scoffed, eyeing her t-shirt.

"Do not get snippy with me. The Doctor is the best character of all time and 'Doctor Who' is the best show in the whole entire galaxy. He's an alien, traveling through time saving the world. But he's also hurting because he's the last of his kind even though he destroyed them all." She grinned at him, in a 'beat that' kind of way.

Draco didn't look impressed. "That's all? He's got a time turner? Anyone can have a time turner."

She remembered in third year when she had a time turner. Not everyone could have one. McGonagall had had to pull some serious strings to get her one. And the Ministry had made her give it back at the end of the year when she decided for the following year to take an easier course load. She hadn't even been allowed to tell Harry and Ron about it. Maybe for pure-bloods like Draco Malfoy, time turners were the usual birthday present, but for normal people, it was a big deal.

Hermione's mouth dropped. "No. He has a TARDIS: Time And Relative Dimensions In Space. It's a blue police box."

Draco rolled his eyes, clearly not impressed. "He has a... box. What he needs is a time turner."

"You're impossible," She huffed. "You're just jealous because I dress better."

"Granger, we all know who the attractive one is here. And its not you," There it was. Hermione sucked in a breath, instantly back at school. She had been used to being called ugly and she had kind of forgotten that Draco Malfoy, the boy in front of her, had usually been the one behind it. But in the last week or so, they had gotten along a bit, having simple, easy conversations that usually never got too personal.

She looked away, not noticing the way his face fell. She tuned back into the conversation about art that was going on around the table with the adults sans Lucius. "Hermione loves Jackson Pollock. Do you know him, Narcissa?"

"I can't say I do..." The older woman admitted, not looking happy at the fact.

Hermione had to smile at how eager Narcissa was to learn everything about literature and art. "No, no. You do," she said, happy to step in and cheer her up, "He's the guy that splatters paint. You said it looked like something a five year old painted."

"Oh!" Narcissa beamed, thrilled to understand. "Yes, I didn't understand that," It was like she had been starved of all this knowledge her whole life and was willing to take a crash course now.

"I don't either," Her dad said, "These two love him." He gestured at his daughter and wife, "Anything these days can be art. Art is a landscape or a person, not paint splatters. Anyone can do that. I should up at that museum by now if that's art."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You just don't get it," She stuck her tongue out at her dad who chuckled.

Her mum said, "Narcissa, I'm quite surprised you've been so eager to learn all this muggle stuff. I would have thought you wouldn't be interested."

Hermione sucked in her breath. She'd been wondering the same thing- she just hadn't brought it up. Narcissa had been the most interested from the start, as well. At that first meeting she hadn't seemed so standoffish. She had been worried about her husband, but that seemed to have vanished after the museum trip.

"I was never as extreme in my views as the others. I almost lost my family in this war and if the way to prevent that from happening again is to be open to change, then so be it. And all of this is rather interesting." Narcissa smiled before turning to Hermione's dad, "So that box over there," She pointed to the telly, "Colours and sounds come out of it?"

"Would you like me to turn it on?" her dad asked with a smile. Hermione had since turned the show off since their company arrived, but now her dad was walking over to their flat screen, excited to show it off. "This button right here turns it on and then-"

Narcissa jumped as the picture appeared. It was an infomercial for a special rag that would hold more water. Narcissa seemed amazed enough with the tv, but the special rag was too much. "Does it really work? Can we order one? What is a telephone?"

Hermione pulled out her phone as it buzzed. How is it going?

The horror, Draco thinks Doctor Who is stupid. My dad is currently showing off our tv. She wrote back to Harry. She didn't realise she had drawn Narcissa's attention and she handed over her phone.

"Narcissa," Lucius spoke, his voice stiff, "would you stop making such a spectacle of yourself and stop touching all their dirty-"

"It's fine." Hermione's mum cut in, "And none of our stuff is dirty," She narrowed her eyes.

Lucius didn't seem bashful at all at being caught. He slumped in his chair and shovelled another helping of vegetables onto his plate with magic. Was it really too hard to just use the serving spoon? How would he live if something happened one day and he couldn't use magic?

Narcissa gave her back her phone, but took the remote for her dad and attempted to change channels. A football game flashed on the screen before rapidly changing to a crime show and then to the news. "Fascinating. Did Shakespeare have one of these?"

"No," her mum laughed, "You know, there's a film of 'Romeo and Juliet.' We can watch it if you like. 'Mione, don't you own it?"

"Yup," She said, absentmindedly, texting Harry back.

"Hermione Jean Granger, put your phone away. That is bad manners," her mum scolded.

"Sorry," She muttered, sliding the phone onto the table.

"Will you refill the pitcher?" Her mum asked, and Hermione stood up without a word, taking the empty pitcher with her. When she got back to the room she was horrified to see Crookshanks rubbing up against Draco's leg. He leaned down to rub his head and the traitor cat let out a loud purr. Hermione nearly dropped the pitcher, but she made it to the table, shooting daggers at her cat for betraying her.

He didn't like Ron, her loving, sweet boyfriend, but evil, jerk Draco Malfoy was fair game?

She watched Narcissa ogle at the news. "And that's happening now? Live, you say? And we can see it?"

"It's like watching the Quidditch World Cup," Hermione explained, hoping to forget about Draco touching her cat. "Live at home instead of at the grounds. That's how most people watch football games. World Cup, UEFA, Champions League, Copa del Rey... you know... you do watch football, right?"

"It's a mudblood game," Lucius huffed, "Why would we watch it?"

Hermione saw both her parents glare, but they didn't understand the gravity of what he'd said. Before anyone could say anything, much less Hermione hex him into the next century, Marty stepped in. It was like he had become Lucius' personal guard dog.

"This whole operation is about ending prejudice and building relationships. Lucius, the whole reason you escaped Azkaban was agreeing to do this. So do this right or the Minister won't spare a thought tossing you in there." Marty scolded.

...whole reason you escaped Azkaban was agreeing to do this... It made sense. Hermione glared at Lucius, "Get out of my house."

"Herm-" her mum started, but Hermione didn't bristle at the harshness in her mum's voice. She didn't get it, but Hermione knew what Lucius said and what he meant. She'd spent her whole wizarding life being called that horrid name and living down because of it. But she wasn't going to let him be better than her. She was kicking him out of her house. He didn't deserve her parents' hospitality or their food and all her mum's anxiety. He wasn't worth of any of it.

"Get. Out." She said again, standing up this time. She felt the cameras in her face- this was good drama for them, after all.

Narcissa started to say something, but Draco stood up, tossing his napkin onto the table. "She's right. Lets go, father,"

"Thank you for dinner, it was lovely," Narcissa said, "I'm sorry for him,"

"You really don't have to go-" her dad started, turning the tv off.

"Yes, they do." Hermione didn't ease up on her glare as she stared at Lucius. He looked ready to murder her, except with magic since everything he did was with magic.

"After you," Draco smirked, holding the door opened for his father. He didn't spare a glance behind him as he followed the older man out the door and into a breezy summer night.

A/N Hi! How is everyone? Thanks so much to everyone that keeps reading and reviewing :) I hope you liked this chapter, it was fun to write. I like playing around with Narcissa's character and kinda pushing everyone's boundaries. Also, I love the idea of Hermione and Harry having cell phones haha.

Special thank you's to: Sparkxfly93, ILoveSiriusBlack4, FuryPossessed, Loveable Leo, and CrescentMoon12. You each make my day a bit brighter, and as some of you know I try to respond when I can. Thank you, thank you, thank you :)