Chapter Ten
Hermione stood up and walked to the wall next to Sirius' vacant portrait. She wondered briefly whether he had any other portraits that he went to visit. She reached the wall and she realized that it might not be safe to enter the. She didn't know if there were any anti-Muggleborn wards. She pulled out her wand, determined to find Draco.
Hermione went to the wall and was relieved to see the wall begin to shimmer. She took a step not sure what she was going to find on the other side
She walked through the wall and into a mirror image of the room she had just left. Her suspicions that Draco had modeled his room that branched off the library after his actual bedroom at Malfoy manor were confirmed. She looked around and saw that there were no there were no trophies, no obvious personal belongings anywhere that Hermione could see. This just didn't look like the room of a teenage boy, especially not one born into such wealth and so proud of it.
Looking around the room she not only noticed that Draco was not in it but also that there was a trunk on the bed half packed. It stuck out like a sore thumb in the pristine room. Hermione didn't think she could find a single speck of dirt in the room if she had all day.
She breathed a sigh of relief as it occurred to her that no alarms had sounded. No one had been notified of her presence in the house.
Hermione made her way to a door off to the left of the room where she wanted to find Draco." She needed to tell him to come back with her. She couldn't have him thinking he couldn't trust her.
She opened the door and peeked her head out, not to find a hallway, but an enormous bathroom complete with an Olympic sized bathtub. What looked to be a waterfall, but which she quickly realized was a shower stood against the far wall, and lined against the edge of the bathtub all the way to the shower were dozens and dozens of scented soaps and oils. Hermione wandered up the row, occasionally stooping to pick up a lovely bottle and smell its contents. The scent of lavender soothed her, and at the same time reminded her of her mission to find Draco. She realized she was wasting time and left the bathroom.
She peered out to see a hallway lit with floating fairy lights. She didn't have time to plan her next move because at that moment she heard a popping noise behind her an turned to see a house elf looking up to her with his hands on his hips.
This elf was identical to the elf Harry had freed from the Malfoys.
"Dobby!" she took a quick step forward to hug him but was stopped abruptly when the house elf raised a hand inches from her face.
"No Miss I is not Dobby" the little elf spoke in a tone nothing like the one Dobby would use with her. "You miss is not supposed to snoop. You must get ready." he said grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the room and across the hall to another bedroom.
"What is your name?" she said, lowering herself down to his level. "Are you related to Dobby?" Hermione said after the elf let go of her and she found her voice.
"My name is Doop I was Dobby's twin Miss." He did not look at her as he made his way to the bed. "The Mistress and young Master are waiting for you on the patio Miss Tea, time is starting at three; you must chance your cloths."
He motioned to the bed where three sets of dress robes were laid out. A low cut black robe that came to about her knees, a pale blue robe that looked a little tighter then she would have liked and a pink robe with frill around the bottom.
Hermione didn't do pink, so that robe was out. She looked at her two remaining options and chose the lesser of the two evils the blue robe she figured it was appropriate for a patio. She slipped into the robe it didn't fit perfectly but she did like it she stood in front of the mirror. She heard a voice. "A bit tighter here…. A bit looser there …" the robe began to mold itself to her curves it fit perfectly now like it had been made for her. It was then she noticed that it was the mirror who was talking. She opened her mouth to see if it would answer her if she spoke but she was cut off by another pop.
"You needs shoes Miss." Doop said holding out a pair of blue heels that matched her dress perfectly, there was only one problem. Hermione didn't know how to walk in heels.
"Let's go, let's go Miss, we mustn't keeps Mistress waiting." He said, handing her the shoes and opening the door. She sat on the edge of the bed and put on her new shoes. She was grateful when she felt them mold to her feet. She walked to the mirror and it was in that moment that she began to panic. She knew basic table manners but she didn't know if things were different for pure bloods. She had no time to be nervous it was ten to three and she had to go.
On the short walk to the patio she realized quite a few things. First of all the Malfoy's were clearly very rich. The furniture looked old and expensive, as if it had been passed down for hundreds of years. By the look of the portraits on the walls it looked like each member of the Malfoy had a portrait painted before they died. She saw countless blonde men and woman looking down on her some approvingly and some clearly disgusted by her presence. She saw three portraits at the end of the hall with the names Draco Narcissa and Lucius. The first two were occupied with sleeping carbon copies of Narcissa and Lucius. Draco's frame was still empty. The second and more important thing she realized was she had been so determined to come get Draco that she had not even thought of what she was going to say to him. Now, not only did she have to deal with him but she had to deal with Narcissa as well.
She reached the patio and saw a long table with about fifteen chairs. It was clear that the Malfoy's liked to entertain guests. All the way at the end she saw Narcissa sipping tea at the head of the table and reading the daily profit, and Draco sitting on her left reading a book.
Draco looked up and saw her standing awkwardly alone in the doorway. His face was stony and unreadable and there was not even a hint of happiness to see her.
Hermione at that moment felt that she had crossed a line in coming here. If Draco wanted to see her he would have come back to her. Now she was in over her head and she didn't know what to do or say. Draco was just staring at her over the top of his book. Narcissa had not yet noticed her.
Hermione realized this might be her only chance at leaving .Once Narcissa noticed her she would have to explain herself and she hadn't thought that part through yet.
She spun on the spot and silently thanked the balancing spell that had been placed on the shoes. Before she took a full step, the door to the house closed trapping Hermione outside. It was at that moment that Narcissa chose to acknowledge her presence.
"I had been wondering what was keeping you. Now come. Sit." Narcissa said looking up from her tea Hermione turned and saw Draco putting away his wand and looking at his mother in awe.
"You knew that she was here mother, and you didn't feel the need to alert me?" Draco said in a disrespectful tone that wasn't exactly making Hermione feel better about coming.
Narcissa clearly wasn't planning on answering her son. She put on a stern face.
"Now now Draco, aren't you being a little rude? You haven't even invited your guest to sit." she turned her attention to Hermione "we did teach him manners, but he seems to have forgotten them.
"A guest is invited, Mother," Draco drawled lazily. "I don't know why Granger is here, but it's certainly not as my guest."
The comment stung, but Hermione was more concerned about what to do with herself while Draco and his mother were clearly at odds as to whether or not she should stay.
"Are you just going to stand there or are you going to join us?" Narcissa said, still glaring at her son, but indicating the chair on her right side to Hermione with one perfectly manicured hand. Hermione didn't say a word; she just started walking towards the table. When she had nearly made it to the relative safety of her chair, Draco stood suddenly."Hermione might I speak to you for a moment in the garden?" he said a voice full of false courtesy
And before Hermione could open her mouth to agree because she would rather Draco yell at her then sit at that table and eat in awkward silence for Merlin knows how long.
"Draco… don't be absurd!" Narcissa hissed quietly, "let the girl sit."
Hermione thought for just a second that Draco would ignore her and walk to the garden and she would be able to escape whatever Narcissa had up her sleeve .But all hope went down the drain when Draco sat back down looking at her. She could not read his face. She had no idea what emotion he was feeling. Angry, upset, nervous? She took the final steps toward the table as if she were ascending the gallows.
Narsissa picked up a bell and rang it. Instantly, Doop appeared.
"Tea Miss? Cake?"
She vaguely heard Narcissa speaking to the elf. We'll take our tea now. And bring out a cake as well."
Hermione took this opportunity to compose herself. She could do this. Sirius had said that Narcissa was a good person at heart. She had nothing to worry about.
The elf nodded and disappeared.
She realized that she hadn't eaten since Draco left. Her stomach let out a loud growl. She rose her eyes off the table briefly to see what the two Malfoy's were doing he was looking right at her. She still couldn't read his expression, it was infuriating.
For a minute they all sat and ate in silence it was Narcissa that broke the silence.
"So you are the Muggleborn that my son has been hiding out with?"
"Yes Mrs. Malfoy. Hermione Granger."
"She is one of Potters friends mother."
"Potter's ... friends .... Oh the bookish one. I have heard about you. You are the one who beat Draco as top student for the past 6 years."
Suddenly Narcissa looked alarmed "Then why have you come?" Hermione braced herself to answer the question she had been dreading.
"She came to speak to me mother so if we are finished here we will excuse ourselves to the garden"
"Draco. I haven't even begun to—" She was cut off by her son who spoke with a voice filled with so much authority he forcibly reminded Hermione of Snape on a bad day.
"Mother."
Hermione wasn't surprised when Narcissa closed her mouth and nodded. Draco's voice was slightly scary.
"We will speak later Hermione," she said her voice quivering, trying to contain her anger.
Draco walked around the table and held out his arm to Hermione who took it like she had seen so many women do in movies. They walked in silence until they reached a clearing by a stream.
Draco looked at her, and for the first time since she'd first seen him sitting at the table, she could read his expression. It was not happiness or lust as she had been hoping. The expression she saw in his silver eyes was anger. He let go of her arm coldly.
"Why did you come here?"