Chapter 8
They had decided it would be best to wait a day before going in search of a dragon. Draco was still not happy that Hermione insisted that she went. Other than hexing her and hiding her in a bureau he was at a loss to do. He also didn't want to deal with a vengeful woman that he had crossed; especially if that woman were Hermione Granger.
So resigned to his unhappy fate he didn't bring up the subject again. The look of the cat that got the cream bothered him. She was so self-satisfied he wanted nothing more than to revert to his old ways and wipe that look off. He held strong, though. Tonight they had agreed to attend a dinner party at the Abernathy's so they could plan their adventure better.
Draco waited down in the foyer rather restlessly for Hermione. Why women were always taking their damned time to get ready was beyond him. He hadn't taken her as one of those women to hold up someone for something as silly as dressing.
He heard the light tread of footsteps leading down the grand staircase. His breath came out in an inaudible whoosh. His eyes took her in all at once. She was dazzling in a lavender dress; cut in the empire style with sleeves that hung off her creamy shoulders. Diamonds blazed around her throat and on her ears. Her gloves reached up to her elbows. Under the lacy bottom of her skirts she lifted so she didn't trip he saw matching high heeled slippers. Her hair was pulled halfway up with diamonds threaded through her luxurious curls. He swallowed hard.
Draco's appearance wasn't lost on Hermione either. She feigned disinterest but her eyes traveled the length of his body. He stood tall and proud; shoulders broad. He wore a blue jacket with a gold waistcoat. She could tell his belly was taut and muscular even underneath his evening clothes. His breeches were stretched tight across his thighs. She felt heat flood her body but quickly pushed it away.
Last thing she needed was to form any kind of attachment for her old school bully. He may be a handsome devil but she knew from experience he held a heart made of pure ice. How could he not, look who his father was?
She smiled graciously as the butler helped her with a cream cloak since the night held a bit of chill in the air. Draco put on a great caped cloak that emphasized his broad shoulders even more. After pulling on his black gloves he pulled his hat down low on his brow and escorted Hermione to the conveyance awaiting them.
Since the Earl could not come with them due to a prior engagement a maid attended Hermione for proper chaperonage. Draco was relieved since he did not have to carry a conversation with her. They rode in silence, which didn't bother Draco in the least. He noticed, however, Hermione squirming in her seat wanting to bring up the topic from earlier.
He turned his head to the window to watch the passing scenery in the fading light ignoring her imploring looks.
He heard a soft whisper of words and turned his head sharply. The annoyingly clever witch put a spell the maid was momentarily deafened to their conversation. She was looking out the other window so Hermione didn't seem to concerned she'd notice they were speaking.
"Don't," came Draco's harsh words.
She blinked once in surprise before ignoring him. "Surely you see how silly you are to try and shield me from something as absurd as going against a dragon. Come, Draco, a dragon is the least daunting thing I've come across in my life time."
He lifted a sardonic brow. "Have you battled a dragon before?"
"Well, no." she said. "But I can't imagine it being too hard."
Draco looked up at the ceiling and prayed for patience. "Why would you assume such a thing?"
She shrugged one shoulder elegantly. "You and I are fairly competent with a wand. How hard could it be? Have you been up against many dragons?"
He stared at her through the dawning darkness. "I have had my run in with a dragon or two."
A spark lit her eyes and she leaned forward forgetting about the maid next to her. "Do tell me about it."
Draco's eyes strayed to the maid next to her. She was still staring out the window. "Hermione it is no great adventure, nor romantic, like you are conjuring up in that pretty little head of yours. It most often or not ends up to be a battle of life and death. Once you tread into a dragon territory you either restrain it, if you are able, or kill the great beast."
She waved her hand in the air. "Of course there is a sense of romance to a man slaying a dragon, though I don't condone it. One cannot help wonder how exhilarating it would be around one, though."
He stared into the swirling amber eyes of hers. She had changed from cautious to fearless. It scared him a bit. He much preferred for her to be the ever cautious one. Bad things tended to happen to those who were not.
Draco was startled when the carriage came to a lurching stop. The door was thrown open and stairs let down. He jumped down and held out a staying hand for Hermione to come down. He offered her his arm and her fingers slid into the crook of his arm. The soft click of her heels on the pavement followed them to the door.
A livered butler opened the door and bowed. "May I take your cloaks and hat, Your Grace?"
He helped Hermione from her cloak and handed the man his along with his hat. They were showed to the drawing room where several guests were already sitting taking before dinner drinks.
"His Grace and Lady Sophia," the butler announced.
The Marchioness rushed forward to greet her two new guests. "I'm so glad you two could come on such rather short notice."
Hermione gave her a gracious smile. "We would not miss it for the entire world."
"Rather helps we also had no other plans," Draco murmured for Hermione's ears alone.
Hermione gave him a slanting look that warned him to keep his tongue still. He complied and followed her further into the room. "Your Grace," called.
Draco felt himself tense up to the lilting voice of Lady Victoria. Why must he be plagued with this hoyden where ever he went? He would surely have stayed home had he knew she was a guest.
He bowed to Lady Victoria as she curtsied prettily. "Lady Victoria, you look refreshing in that cream."
Her cheeks grew rosy at his compliment. "How very gracious of you to say so, Your Grace." She fluttered her lashes in invitation to him. For what, he had no clue. He just knew he wasn't going to find out anytime soon.
To his complete horror she latched onto his arm and paraded him around the room. Hermione glanced up and looked at the pained expression on his face. She felt like she may need to save him but a familiar voice whispered next to her ear, "Hello, my dear, I was hoping you'd be here."
She met the eyes of the Earl of Canton. "My Lord, how lovely it is to see you here. I'm always ready to see a familiar face."
His face lit up reading more into her words than she intended him to. "Indeed so, madam, it surely is."
A footman came through with a tray full of wine; Hermione accepted a cup. She studied the Earl over her glass. He really was quite charming and his good looks didn't hurt anything. If she could only find a man with such an easy manner and smile in her time line, surely things wouldn't seem so bad when she came home at night to be greeted by him. He rested his fingers against the small of her back when no one was looking, caressing softly.
She felt a little apprehensive of his forwardness. She did not move away, not wanting to draw eyes to her and the Earl. His behavior was not the best at the moment. It was that moment that Lady Victoria decided to drag Malfoy over to the corner she was in with the Earl.
She was smiling brightly as she clutched Draco's arm. His face was now impassive; however looking into his eyes she could see his little patience at being her toy.
"Lady Victoria it is nice to see you again." Hermione said kindly.
The redhead sized her up before giving her a challenging look. Hermione was taken aback by that. What was wrong with the girl?
The Earl bowed and murmured his compliments to Lady Victoria who yet again beaming again. He turned a disdainful eye over to Draco. "Your Grace," he said icily.
Draco chose to ignore the man. While good manners dictated he acknowledges the man he decided to take a page from his father's book. The man was beneath him and his notice. He knew his bloodline went further back than this man's, even in this age.
Hermione felt the Earl's hand tighten on her hip. It was that moment that the butler announced dinner. Draco was forced to lead Victoria into the dining room and that left the Earl with Hermione.
He couldn't like it. The man made him on edge. Although he was polite in public and courteous around other people there was something in his eyes. He'd seen many of those looks from the Death Eaters that traipsed through his house as he grew up. Hell he knew the look from his own father.
His hold on Hermione was possessive. It boiled his blood to see the man handle her so, like she belonged to him. She belonged to no man and he would make sure of that in this time. She was getting dangerously close to this man for his own good. If she didn't stop she would force his hand.
They were seated around the table of at least twenty guests. Draco had the misfortune of not being seated anywhere near Hermione. He had to make polite conversation with people he didn't know. Again his upbringing gave him a slight advantage to all of this.
Hermione had a look of slight discomfort on her face. She was not used this type of intimate surroundings. She forged ahead the best she could and Draco felt a burst of pride. She would fare okay if she kept the route she was.
It was a tiring evening for Draco. He did everything he could to dodge Lady Victoria's advances towards him. She tried to force his hand in having him take her for a ride through Hyde Park but he managed to artfully dodge her claws thus far.
The Marchioness gave the ladies the nod and they all rose to adjoin the drawing room for tea while the men took their port and cigars next to the fire. Draco was content to listen to the men's idle chatter about what had been going on in the House of Lords while he slowly drank his port. It burnt a slow path down his throat to rest in his belly. He felt his shoulders start to relax now that he wasn't trapped next to the vivacious Victoria.
When the men joined the ladies in the drawing room they had just wrapped up their tea and were having conversations about the new styles coming into Bond Street from France.
The evening seemed to drag on until eventually the firsts of the guests started to trickle on by. Hermione and Draco made sure they were deliberately the lasts one to leave the house.
The Marchioness beamed at them in the front foyer. "I would like to extend an invitation that I hope you shall not refuse."
The Marquess slid an arm around his wife's waist. "In truth if you accept it will be a lot easier for us to go on your journey."
"What invitation would that be, ma'am?" Hermione asked as Draco helped her with her cloak.
"We are throwing a house party in the country for a week for my birthday." The Marchioness announced.
"How exciting," exclaimed Hermione, "when shall it be?"
The Marchioness gave a smile. "We are leaving tomorrow to prepare. It's to be within the next three days that guests start to arrive."
"But you mustn't feel like you a pressure into attending." The Marquess said.
"Nonsense," Hermione said smiling, "We wouldn't miss it for the world."
Draco sighed. "Hermione we cannot commit to something without know the Earl's intentions. You are after all playing a maiden."
A brow raised high. "Playing? I am still a maiden, thank you very much."
Draco said nothing but stared at her.
"Oh, fine!" she conceded. "We shall check with the Earl to see if anything is to be going on. I imagine he will have to come and play chaperone anyhow."
The Marchioness beamed with happiness she fairly exploded. "Wonderful, just wonderful! I can hardly wait for our adventures to begin. It keeps me up at night just thinking about such fun."
Her husband patted her on the back. "Unfortunately she does not lie about this. It's all I can do to get to sleep through her excited chatter. Again, I blame you for this." He said to Draco with good humor.
Draco gave a mock bow. "Always your loyal servant, My Lord."
He pulled on his gloves and hat after his cloak and opened the door for Hermione. The cool night air danced through the doorway as they said their goodbyes. He quickly ushered her into the waiting vehicle where there were hot stones waiting and a rug for their laps.
Draco leaned his head back against the cushioned seat and enjoyed the silence. He needed to find a way to get the ingredients he needed without Hermione knowing or following. He feared he was in over his head at this point.
If only there was a way to distract her.
Two chapters up in one day! Hope you enjoy this one. I'm thinking after this one I write a story about after they get back to the present or writing one on a different time line with way different twists and turns. Let me know which you think.