As always, enjoy.

A/N down below.

.~.

Beauty is Beast

Chapter Four

.~.

~*.*~

Tear through the words of text

See past the comforts of old

And come to know what forbids the trance

Of unsullied consequence.

A whisper of a voice.

~*.*~

London, England

Thursday July 5, 1742

Hermione watched from afar. The young couple speaking to her best friend looked genuinely nice, but she felt an ever present presence of a darker force. Ever since their arrival, she was instilled with the belief that her future adoptive parents were evil. They were terrible liars, she knew. Underneath their personas was a life of deceit, gambling, with the slightest indication of abuse. They could not provide her what she needed- a family, a stable family, or even nourishment. How could they when they could barely feed themselves? Their clothes had been stolen, they had only bathed just two days prior and the woman was hiding something that even in a time like this would be frowned upon, wedded or not. Hermione wished she could reveal to them what her heart had expressed. But, it was times like this that she had to be happy for her friend, no matter the dire consequences of remaining silent.

It's been several weeks since she was told about the adoption. As much as she would like to be happy for her, she still could not get past the vexation that something may go wrong. They seemed like a lovely couple, but they were not. Call it intubation or a sixth sense, but she knew a fraud when she saw one. While Elizabeth spoke to her new mother and father, Hermione stayed within hearing distance. Clothed by the sharp corner off from the where the drawing room was, she was able to conceal herself well whilst listening on their conversation.

The woman's words were kind, the man's authoritative, but gentle. Every time they spoke, it was as if another underlying tone would break the code of their words.

"Darling, we could not wait another day to see you again."

'We honestly had nothing better to do this day. We had no choice but to see if you were alive and well. Making money off a dead child is not fashionable, unfortunately.'

What type of person would even conceal that from a child? She did not know, but she knew that she had to find a way to keep the couple away from her. Then, she could rest in peace.

Just as the conversation was drawing to an end, an odd sensation came over her. Like she was being watched from away by some wondrous force. She did not think much of it. In fact, she completely disregarded it the moment she saw Elizabeth hug her adoptive mother, the woman's grip tightened around her for the briefest of moments, as if revolted of hugging her. They pulled away and Ms. Cole, whom had chaperoned the meeting, smiled at her. She returned it before leaving her adoptive parents side. Her mother sent her a fleeting kiss before they disappeared.

Hermione smiled as Elizabeth skipped over to her. A pretty smile was playing on her lips.

"Is it not magical?"

Hermione winced at the word, but chose to not speak a single word. Her voice was musical, and she felt inexplicably drawn to the darker shade of light.

"They have asked to have tea with me later this week. How can I not agree to join them?"

"I am so happy for you, Elizabeth. Truly, I am." Hermione bit her lip as to fight back the tears that stung at the corners of her eyes. If it was one thing she was horrible at hiding her emotions would be it. Elizabeth took immediate notice, her smile falling from the grace of her lips.

"Dear Hermione. What is troubling you?"

A weak smile graced her features. "Nothing is troubling me, I assure you. I am just so incredibly happy for you." A lie, but Elizabeth seemed to believe it.

"I am sure you will find a place to call home as well, my love." Elizabeth continued to swoon over the fact that she has found hers. "And, when that day comes I will be there for you. I promise."

"You do not have to promise me anything." Hermione linked her arms with hers and she set off to their next destination. The carnations needed to be watered, and it was up to them to give them nourishment. Ladies like them were not against getting their hands a little dirty. Plus, it was quite fun to play in the mud. "I just hope that this is what is best for you."

"Best for me?" she quipped questioningly. "Why on earth would it not be?"

Elizabeth turned her head slightly and regarded the older girl carefully. While a flicker of deception did not cross her face, Hermione had a feeling that she knew of the underlying reason behind the words. Although she tried her very best to keep it a secret, it seemed as if her true thoughts had come to the light.

"You needn't worry, Hermione." She smiled sweetly. "They are good to me. I promise. I assure you that your insecurities are driven by some need to protect me, and I appreciate it. However, if I did not think they were good people, I would have told Ms. Cole and surely the agreement would have been annulled."

That is not what I am talking about, Hermione thought bitterly.

"Yes, quite right you are." Her words came out unprofessionally.

Elizabeth did not mind. "Well, not that is settled, why don't we go to the garden and see how our children are doing?"

Their children were another for flowers. A smile graced her face and the girls set off to the garden in a fit of giggles and swirl of vibrant colors.

They laid in the small field until their skirts and bodice's were stained with dirt and grass. Their hair was a mess, with twigs and other natural debris coating their once delicate curls. Mud had found refuge underneath their nailbeds, and their rosy hued cheeks were covered in a fine layer of grime. They epitomized the very idea of uncleanliness, but neither cared much for the appearance at that moment. They did not have a single individual to impress, and if they did, Ms. Cole would see to it at once that they were made presentable once again. Although frolicking in the fields was looked down upon, there was nothing much to do when it came to becoming one with the earth. Elizabeth and Hermione just felt it in their nature to break away from that bond, and find their own place.

"Is it not a lovely day?" asked Elizabeth as she leaned back and spread her arms and legs angelically. "What a fine day to enjoy basking in the sun, barricaded by flowers and reservation. There is no better way to go about the day than this, no?"

"You are so right!" cried Hermione as she laughed and joined her friend. "I cannot think of a better way to spend this day." Which was rather odd, she had to admit? She usually would stuff herself inside and read to her heart's content. But not today. She would very much like to stay where she was, reclined back against the prickly grass, her hair a complete and utter disaster, and her skin almost the same hue of the dirt- as dirty as it was, it was truly refreshing not to have to worry about one's presentation. Even for a hour or so.

"Alas, as much as I would love this day to continue, we must take our leave soon."

"Why is that?"

"You did not hear?' she gasped. "Our Lord and Lady are arriving today! Ms. Cole told my mother and father this morning. You must have been far too busy eavesdropping on my personal affairs to listen."

A blush blossomed across her cheeks. "Elizabeth, I-"

She raised a hand, demanding her silence. "It is perfectly alright, Hermione. I am not angry for what you did. Just, do not do it again."

"I will not, I promise!" she still felt incredibly guilty for invading on her privacy. Luckily for her, Elizabeth was understanding. Even more for her own good. Hermione was grateful that she was all too forgiving and that she did not lash out like normal individuals would under the same circumstance. She loved her dearly, and sometimes her gentle nature got the best of her. She did hope that she would eventually grow out of that and look at the world and the occupants more carefully.

Once the sacred vow was made, the girls ran off on their own adventures. Elizabeth was still insisting that the flowers did not have enough of water, and like any young child, the demand to rectify the problem.

Hermione stayed behind, finding reclining back against the grass a more pleasurable pastime. Her thoughts wandered, guiding her to a peaceful and serene reverie. The image of clear skies, a vast, open forest with fury little animals found production within her mind. She read somewhere about his place, but alas she could scarcely place where. All and all, it could just be a fabrication of her mind, for it was nothing like the sort of wonderment found in the real world.

Could it be magic? she wondered. No, of course not. Though, Unicorns did not exist in the present time. Have they ever? If so, where? What other creatures lurked underneath the veil of protection placed upon the world beyond?

She hoped with all of her little heart that it did exist. She did not know if she could continue to live without the possibility of some explanation to these vividly clear masterpieces. Artwork such as the Unicorn, despite not remembering the exact origin of where she heard the term, could not hope to exit with someone believing in it.

As she laid back, staring at the formation of clouds overhead, she closed her eyes, her mind conjuring the very creature from the surrounding terrain. Whilst it took shape before her behind closed eyes, she missed it as it ran away in a cloud of pearly white smoke and a little boy with grey eyes watching her creation as she conjured up another in its wake.

In the looking glass of her Pensieve, Madam Maxime could make out the frightened look that fell on the little girl's face as she collided into her. Her eyes lit up with unpronounced certainty; a childlike wonder that would grow to serve her even in the most stressful of time. Even as Maxime walked around her floating form, she could sense the source that emanated like a burning candle from within. Through the misguidance of the children that bullied her, she had grown so weak, so fragile. She could see it. Flickering as if holding onto its last bit of life. The little girl had given up. The Headmistress of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic yearned to pluck the blossoming flower from the garden in which she laid. Even in the early morning, she was gorgeous and so full of life.

Magic.

Oh, yes. Magic.

That was what was providing the natural glow that ignited from within her. Like the mystiques of the moon, it captured Madame in a hauntingly hypnotic dance.

"Madame Maxime?"

The black-haired witch turned to find one of her students standing before her. Her blue and white skirts whispering against the wooden floor of her office. The Headmistress of Beauxbatons smiled at the girl, a flurry of butterflied appearing between them.

"Qui, mon Cherie?" she asked in their native tongue. "What can I do for you?"

The young woman hesitated for a moment, knowing well enough that the sanctuary of her office must be upheld at all times. Maxime immediately sensed her distress, having waved her hand to put her Pensieve away back into the wall in which it was conjured from. As soon as she did, she turned her attention back to the girl, smiling, as if signaling for her to speak.

Hermione awoke to distraught voices and loud bangs. Elizabeth had come to collect her, pleading with her eyes rather than her voice that her presence had been requested at once. The entire Orphanage was in an uproar; apparently, the Lord and Lady's arrival had been entirely underestimated, and that they were arriving in the coming hour.

"Ms. Cole is displeased," cried Liza as she rushed Hermione to the kitchens to clean up. She rummaged through the drawers, producing a fine cloth before submerging it in a bowl of water. Once done, she ushered Hermione to stand in front of her so she could clean up the bits of dirt that still lingered upon her cheeks and in her hair. With a welcoming, encouraging smile, she was able to get rid of most of the dirt and was now straightening up her light blue skirts and bodice. "Here, mother gave this to me before we departed."

Elizabeth took out a small vial of lavender colored liquid. Perfume, the clever girl realized.

"Liza, I-"

"Nonsense," she snapped, practically slapping her hand away as if to tell her that her words were not welcomed by her ears. "I do not wish to hear your excuses. It is my gift to you."

"It is your gift- your mother- to you. "

"I know," she laughed, triumphant with glee. Not many can say that they made the Hermione speechless with mere words of their own. "Try it. It is very lovely and I do believe it suits you."

Hermione reluctantly agreed, spraying the light colored substance on her wrists before rubbing them together. The most sensually pleasing scent invaded her nose. Never has she smelt something so sweet, so alluringly provocative. The perfume reminded her of the first couple of days of spring, and to think that someone was able to procure the scent and captured it inside the tiny vial was magical.

"Oh, I do like this scent."

Liza beamed. "Did I not tell you?" she squealed, running her fingers through Hermione's girls. "I do think it suits you more than it does me. I wish to give it to you one day."

"Elizabeth, you cannot possibly-!"

She placed a finger on her lips and whispered," You need to stop talking." the younger girl said. "If I want to share my gift with you, then I am in the right mind to do so. Please do not argue with me, 'Mione."

Hermione stared unblinkingly at her friend, focusing on the tired gaze of the young girl as she pulled away to ring out the cloth that she used to clean her. Something about her demeanor, or perhaps the way she walked made her think that there was something else going on that she wished to tell her. But, of course, she could not. Would not, really. Stubborn as Elizabeth was, Hermione wished she trusted her enough to share her concerns. Even the smallest of thoughts, that way she could at least begin her journey that would allow her to help.

"Shall we go?" Liza asked, her voice weak.

She nodded. "Yes," Hermione linked arms with her, escorting her through the mass conundrum that surrounded them. "Why is Ms. Cole so upset?"

"The arrival of the Lord and Lady was not anticipated. I heard that she had just received their letter, and as you can imagine has made everyone anxious with excitement. We have but only a couple of hours to get everything in order."

"When were they due to arrive originally?"

"A week from now." Quipped the younger girl. "They were in town for business and decided to stop by before going back to Wiltshire to retire for the remaining weeks of summer."

"A holiday getaway?"

"Indeed, though I do not understand why they would be going home so early. Usually the travel during this time of the year, coming home only during the Fall and Winter. It is very peculiar…"

Hermione did not know much of nobles and where they spent their free time, but did sound very strange that they opted to retire home earlier than their projection time. Perhaps they had other business to attend to in other surrounding towns? She could only speculate.

The girls arrived to the third floor just in time. Ms. Cole was just arranging chores for the abled-body children, giving the older orphans the more tedious of tasks.

"I see you have to sweep the drawing room," Liza muttered. All the orphans were staring at her too.

"What is wrong?"

"Did you not hear?"

"Hear what?" she frowned.

"No one is allowed in there!" Squealed Olivia as she ceased sweeping, her least favorite of chores. "The Lord and lady are rumored to be converging in the Drawing Room on the second floor. We are forbidden to go there normally. Why Ms. Cole has given you the task to tidy it up is truly bizarre!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. The girls truly had lost their minds. With their Lord and Lady arriving at any moment, they might as well have drove themselves to utter madness. She just did not understand their anxiousness, despite never having properly met the Lord or his wife. But, as an afterthought, she could account this to be one of the many learning experiences. Maybe she would be lucky enough to actually see him. Not that she did not think she would be able to regardless of what chore she was assigned. She only had her doubts to inspire her.

"We shall see," she said, her voice cheerful. The girls looked as if they all had truly lost their minds. With her relaxed attitude, they might as well have. Hermione was just not the sort of person to fright over little details, no matter how colossal the situation may appear. Why frighten herself to death with the arrival of the Lord and Lady? Why did it have to be life dependent that they liked her or not? She just did not understand. "I will see you all later."

Hermione busied herself, knowing the girls were following her every move as she walked away from them and ventured down the stairs to the second floor.

Thoughts of what was to come plagued her. Deep down, she hoped without certainty that they did like her.

Lucius Malfoy regarded the iron gates of the Orphanage judiciously. Accompanying him was his wife, of who made a statement with her wintery white formal dress and intricately styled blonde hair. Her sparkling sapphire eyes captured his and he presented her with a mild servitude of a smile. They had traveled a long way, reappearing from the oblivious eyes of the Londoners across expanses far greater than their own imagination. It was a hefty dangerous job, and he was glad that they both made it through safe and sound.

His wife, Narcissa, was not too thrilled about the journey. He had asked her approval and swayed her into accompanying him just for the mere amusement of her company. She was a simple woman, with even simpler expressions. She truly did make the perfect companion, and he had been thrilled to know that she agreed to come along while he took care of business.

London was a pleasant place, he must admit. But, that was as far as his affection for the town would lead. He did not particularly like traveling, especially to the far reaches of the land. Frankly, he would very much rather be at home and away from the Muggle metropolis. Even his wife agreed wholeheartedly with his decision. Apparition was a still a dangerous affair, as was Portkey. Both strived to be different, and he was thankful that they had only a short distance to travel. The rest was carried out on carriage.

"Sire," the coachman said, bowing slightly as he spoke," will you be in need of service?" he asked.

Lucius waved him away. "No, we will not." He told him. "We shall return shortly. In the meantime, take the horse to be watered and fed."

"Yes, sire."

He watched him join three others. They settled themselves in, gently maneuvering his stallions to wherever the Orphanage kept their water and feed. Lucius' brows furrowed. The landscape was rather large, but in the middle of a busy street. There was no doubt in his mind that nourishment for his prized horses would have to come elsewhere. He decided to make a mental note of the occasion before turning back to his distraught wife.

"Darling, must we travel such lengths?" she asked her husband, smiling as he pulled her firmly against his body. "I do not see the reason why we had to travel all this way."

"Do you wish to rest?" Lucius much preferred to spend his hours in the privacy of their home, but he had matters to attend to. The Orphanage in which they were about to visit had become a hard burden that they did not wish to keep. Their debt has been mounting for a quite a few years, and he has found himself in the position of taking possession of the historical building and sending the employees and orphans to the streets. He cared not if they could afford to continue to pay for the expenses of running the building; all he had eyes for was the sum that the woman who was in charge of the Orphanage had instilled into his mind. The building itself was worth a great price; even the furniture may be of some value if brought to attention to the right individual. Lucius's mind worked gallantly. The children and workers were far from his mind.

Narcissa shook her head, careful to keep her balance as Lucius whispered something to the gates and stepped aside as to allow it to open.

"No," she picked herself up and sent her husband a reassuring smile. "I am perfectly fine. Thank you, my Lord.

Lucius pushed back a stubborn lock of hair and smiled.

"We shall not be long, my love." he comforted her, pressing a kiss to her temple. "I am merely here to work out some sort of deal with the woman who runs the estate. The building may have been given to these people, but that does not mean I cannot take it away just as easily and I wish to see what deal can be struck with her."

Something about his words did not settle well with the woman. Just as they were about to pass through the gates, she stopped and looked questioningly at her husband.

"Why on earth would you?" she chastised. If anyone had ceased the heart of his wife, it would be the orphans. "They may have a small debt, but that does not mean you cannot just take their only home."

Lucius tightened his grip on his wife's arm. How dare she speak out of term? Did she not know whom she was dealing with? If she did, she would have chosen her words more carefully. Instead of barking at her like a mad dog, he dug his nails into her elbow and smiled as her body tensed at the horrible action.

"Do not speak to me as if I am incapable of thinking, Narcissa." He let go of her aching arm and looked down at her unpityingly. "They may own me their lives, but I will not be spoken to like that. Do you understand? Fix yourself, or be gone. I can easily send you back home to attend to the elves that you are so unnaturally fond of, if it so pleases you."

The young woman shook, but remained silent. She did not wish to anger her Lord any more than she had.

"Very good," a smile came to pass across his face. "Now, shall we?"

He held out his arm and she took it without question.

The pair strolled without a whisper for quite some time until they found themselves greeted by the doors of the Orphanage and the entire staff. As soon as they stopped, they all inclined their heads down, a greeting meant for welcoming, but one Lucius regarded as a desperate attempt to appease to his more giving nature.

Without a single word, he returned the gesture, relieving them of the foolishness.

A/N: I must apologize for the late update. These past two weeks have been torturous. With that said, I am so terribly sorry and I hope you can find the heart to forgive me.

On another note, I did get a very rude review about a week ago. I know y'all are concerned about the interaction between Hermione and Draco, which will happen in the next two chapters. Be patient. That is all I can possibly say. If multi-chapter fics are not for you, then do not read them. It hurts when someone write a review like that when they know full well it will take a bit longer for an interaction between two characters to occur. I am thankful for the supporters of this fic, but it is a review like the one that I got that make writing a bit of a nuisance. It is not as enjoyable, knowing that someone is not completely happy with teh result of the fic thus far. Be Patient. Please. For me. Dramione will occur. Y'all just need to trust me.

On a lighter note- Another update will come on 6/9, followed by another on 6/12. They will be exceptionally long, and will only get longer from here on out. We are coming to the end of part one, however. Which will be followed by a time skip about three or so years into the future with Hermione around 15 and Draco 17.

Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. I will edit it some time tomorrow, as well as the last three.

Love you!