A/N: it's short but quick and mostly another set up chapter. Another will be coming quickly as I thought it should be a stand alone chapter. If you wonder how I fed my need for fanfiction when this story refused to let me write it the answer is simply Colubrina. I spent my time reading all her fics my personal two favourites are Green Girl and the muddy princess. You should read them two of you enjoy Dramione. I also stole a little idea from her and created a Pinterest account for my writing you can find it in my profile or by searching TheAngelOnYourRight in the pinners search section. Thank you again and enjoy.
Severus looked down at the desk in his study. "How long have you been here child?"
"What time is it?" Hermione asked looking up at the portrait.
"It's a half ten by the clock in Minerva's office." He sat in the chair in his portrait. "What has brought you here this evening and caused you to stay so late."
"I figured I should do some reading and your journals and great grandmothers are here. I need to know about pureblood world. It's a whole other culture and I'm having tea with Narcissa Malfoy tomorrow." She said closing the leather bound journal in front of her.
"Why not go to your mother?" He asked, "she could help you. More than anything those books could. Or my godson. He knows his mother quiet well."
"I've been spending quite a bit of time with Draco to be honest. I thought perhaps a few days apart could do us some good." She admitted. "I attempted to stay away yesterday and we ended up at dinner together."
"Ah the early days of friendship. I tried this with your mother it lasted 36 hours before she became worried that riddle had me offed. " he smiled. "What is it that I can help you daughter?"
" Marlene I suppose always instilled in me no to show up empty handed. I'm just unsure of what to bring. What would be appropriate and what would be considered an insult."
"Given that she is the sole parent around anything is appropriate since you are slated to marry her son, she does enjoy dahlias and the white Necterine tea available at the shop beside The Leaky on Diagon." He instructed, she nodded. " Now that we are alone tell me more about your current project at work I was thinking on it after you left there are a few texts that may help you here."
She spent an hour explaining the calculations she had worked with and the modifications she had made to the small contraption. The portrait directed her to three tomes on the shelves and back to the desk where she worked for two more hours transcribing notes. "Why do you not just take the texts home Hermione."
" But they are yours, they belong here with you." She said confused.
"The belong to you now and don't be silly Hermione even I don't belong here." Her father chuckled and a light illuminated in her eyes.
"May I take you home then. Somewhere you will have company eventually and that I won't have to floo over to consult you on this project." She was almost vibrating from the excitement.
"Do calm yourself, I told you before you may remove me at your will so long as you didn't place me in storage." He smirked.
"Do I need to use any special enchantment?" She asked reaching for the large frame.
"No but I do ask that you wait till I've moved to my Hogwarts frame and use a charm to levitate me. Also no shirking the frame it tampers with the magic." He instructed using his professor voice. She packed away his books as he retreated to his other frame and she moved this one carefully to the floo where she sent herself home. She had moved her father home.
Hermione spent her lunch hour in Diagon Alley shopping for her tea with Narcissa. She was leaving work early to make the 4 o'clock. She ran into a problem finding dahlias as it seemed they were out of season, perhaps she would skip the flowers all together she thought at the botanist's.
"Can I help you Hermione?" The young woman behind the counter asked.
"I have tea with Mrs. Malfoy this afternoon and was hopin for dahlias as they are her favourite." Hermione ventured incase there were some hiding the back. She recognized the girl as Amy Bender a Hufflepuff who would have graduated just this past fall.
"We haven't any till next week I'm afraid. The greenhouse wasn't producing good stock and my uncle had to send away for them. Why don't you try for a playful display of Hermione roses instead? " Amy smiled.
"Sure, as long as it doesn't seem to conceded. Amy I thought you had planned to apprentice at St Mungo's?" Hermione questioned as Amy created a bouquet and placed it in a green glass vase.
"I wanted to help people it seemed like the right thing to do but a week in I realized they were over run with apprentices. I bowed out I'm sure there is a better way to help and make sure that this world stays on a positive side of fair." She explained wrapping a gold ribbon around the cellophane.
"Mm so you're looking then?" Hermione proded an idea springing up.
"I suppose, but I'm happy here, I wouldn't complain at all." Amy was quick to cover not wanting to seem ungrateful for what she did have.
"Keep your eyes out for an owl." Hermione smiled handing the girl the payment and heading back to the office. She placed her purchases on her desk and went back to her arthimancy problem.
"Hermione roses? Please tell me you bought them for someone else and that they aren't from your suitor." Jennifer teased.
"I did, they are for Mrs Malfoy, are they lame?" She asked setting her quill down.
"No but had they been from her son I would say he doesn't know you at all, orchids or stargazers yes, a flower you share a name with a big fat no. You don't have to go for tea, I'm sure Sirius will have you out of this betrothal before you know it."
"I'm not sure about that, plus I have been brushing up on my pureblood customs and laws and I don't think Sirius should keep looking into it. Apparently he could get in trouble." She ventured carefully. She didn't want to deal with confrontation especially at work but if Jennifer could put the bug in Sirius' ear that perhaps he had forgotten himself in his excitement to help. It wasn't that Hermione wasn't grateful, she was, she loved Sirius but this world was new to her and she hadn't known then how great things would be between her and Draco. Maybe just maybe part of her heart like being tied to him. It had been just shy of two days and she felt part of her was elsewhere her mind wandered often to what he was doing.
"I don't know, I don't think he'd do anything that might get him in trouble." Jennifer said with a wink, causing both girls to laugh loudly and talk about Hermione's chat with both parents and where she planed to take things from there.