Chapter Two – The Scarlet Room
Author's Note; I've decided to post this up front since I'm replying to comments right here.
Notwritten, MISS'Hannah-MarieHale'BOOKWORM, EL NENEO, Megan Consoer, catysmom & Ravenclaw Babe – Thank you so much for the praises & positive feedback to the first chapter. I wasn't sure if my style of writing would be good enough but all of you managed to clear my doubts & I will definitely be writing more chapters for this. I do hope I would be able to complete this without making all of you wait too long; my national exams are around the corner & I have so much studying to do!
Tiluthia – What you said really made sense so I have removed all "&s" from the main story and replaced them with A-N-D. It does make the story flow a fair bit better and more professional. Thank you for the advice.
For all of you who are following this story and/or has added The Other Pureblood into their favourite list, I am grateful for your support.
On a side note, I went through the first chapter again & tried my best to clear up some typing errors. If any of my readers should notice any that I left out, whichever chapter it is from, do not hesitate to PM me or leave a comment stating the mistake.
I've also changed the title of the story from Sister Dear to The Other Pureblood. Sister Dear sounded a little washy. I believe that if I were to be serious in writing a full, serious fiction, I'd better start with a title that's a little more serious & Sister Dear just didn't cut it. So thank you for reading through all this crap & it's on with the show!
This chapter, I personally feel, was very long-winded and detailed because I wanted to put down the way I imagined Malfoy Manor to be. I considered splitting up parts and putting in descriptions where needed but then I thought, the readers would surely be confused were I to suddenly say "She lay down in the West Wing" or "He sat in the East Wing, staring at the fire…" Do bear with me for this chapter.
Disclaimer; I do not own the characters nor did I write this for the sole purpose of earning any moolah.
When the sun sets, Malfoy Manor instantly turns into the "Haunted castle" of every child's nightmares. The tall, imposing gates with intricate black roses and daggers, entwined with an "M" guarded the manor. Only family members and close family friends were allowed to enter and leave the Manor grounds through apparition and other guests had to contend with apparition right before the gates and waiting for a house elf to admit them. It is a little like how Hogwarts was built but on a smaller scale. The house itself was built with very dark graphite and complimented with black tiles to form the roof. Windowpanes were dark silver, bordering gray, with windows that could see out but never in. Beneath each window grew a rose bush from which roses of darkest reds blossomed and the veins of the roses climbing high over the Manor's walls, chasing intricate shapes and patters. Two trees rivaling the size and intimidation factor of the Whopping Willow flanked the house on either side, its canopy seemingly blocking the sunlight, save for a few choice rays, from brightening the exterior
The main doors were black, just like the rest of the exterior design and fearsomely imposing with two serpent-head knockers on each door (not that they were ever used), each with the brightest emeralds as eyes, so bright that it seemed to look through the very soul of guests. Upon entry, guests would be greeted by a huge foyer with polished marble flooring and at the end of the floor, the grandest staircase, in laid with luxurious red velvet; enough to rival Buckingham Palace's grandeur itself. The crystal chandelier, which hung overhead, only served to add to the feel of glamour and prestige of this place.
It was at the foot of these steps that Lucius and Draco had brought a wide-eyed, tear-stained Hermione. Silently, she dried her tears and surveyed her surroundings with her new crystal blue eyes, which glimmered with approval as she gave the slightest of approving nods. Grand but not too gawdy. Perfect. A pop echoed and swiveling around, she spotted two house elves dressed in matching white towels. "Mimsy, Pocky, this is Miss Hermione, my daughter. Take her trunk to the Scarlet Room, I trust you have prepared it?"
"Oh yes Master, Mimsy and Pocky is cleaning room all of last evening sir!" Mimsy piped up. With another popped, the pair disappeared with Hermione's trunks.
Turning to Draco and Hermione, Lucius said "Will you being your sister on a tour of the manor and show her to her room? I have some serious business to attend to." Draco nodded almost eagerly and flashed a shadow of a smile. Planting a hesitant kiss on Hermione's forehead (she only recoiled slightly), Lucius ascended the grand staircase and headed towards the North Wing.
Left alone, Hermione eyed Draco skeptically. In response, he raised a blond eyebrow as if to say what?
"Am I supposed to trust you after a full decade of insults and assorted hexes thrown my way?" she asked casually.
Draco chuckled and sat down on the lowest step, patting the area next to her bidding her to have a seat. "Gran-, Hermione, all this while, I always knew you were my sister. As I grew up, Mother always told me bedtime stories of the death eater who had to sacrifice his beloved mistress and infant daughter, hiding them in the muggle world to keep them safe. And the most important thing was that I played a part in ensuring their safety. Before leaving for Hogwarts, Father took me aside and told me that you would be there as a muggle born girl called Hermione Granger. But to avoid suspicion, I could not reveal any affinity for you, any love that I had for my baby sister. I resorted to being the evil bastard that you knew, the one who taunted you and insulted you just to cover up the love I had. I am so sorry Hermione."
In his eyes, Hermione could see the pain and remorse and in that instant, she knew that he was telling the truth. On impulse, she lunged forward and enveloped Draco in a bear hug, holding him tightly. Never in her wildest dreams (or nightmares, rather) did she think she would willingly touch a single hair on Draco's body. And yet, she was embracing him and whispering into his ear "Only if you agree to forgive me for nearly breaking your nose." She grinned cheekily when he poked her in the ribs. Draco pushed himself off the step and held out his elbow, inviting Hermione to follow suit. With a minute little curtsey, she slipped her arm into the crook of his elbow and the pair set off to explore.
The South Wing consisted of the foyer, the first area of the house she popped up in. This was where, in the event of balls and dinner parties, guests would be greeted and cocktails flew freely. On the left of the grand staircase was the dining room complete with a long table and decorated with green and silver velvet. This dining room is only to be used when a dinner party has been planned for. The table itself could sit up to 70 guests and could be expanded if more were to be invited. To the right was the ballroom. Parquet flooring covered every inch of the floor and a raised platform at the end of the room acted as a stage for the orchestra. There were windows all around the room itself and just like the dining room the main colours of the ballroom were emerald and silver. This room was huge, just as huge as the Great Hall back in Hogwarts. Round tables could be set in the room if there was not enough seating for dinner in the dining room. The stairs itself was a prop when it came to these social events. Once all the guests have arrived, the family would enter, fashionably late, descending the steps from the North Wing, to ensure that every eye was on them.
The East Wing was Lucius' personal office and meeting rooms. His office itself was sparse; a huge mahogany desk with stacks of parchment and a dozen or so quils strewn all over the table. Lucius sat on an almost throne-like chair, leaning back with his fingers on the arms of the chair. Hermione and Draco stifled a giggle as they watch the clearly uncomfortable wizards squirm and blabber under Lucius' scrutiny. They appeared doubly anxious at the appearance of a certain brunette with the typical features of the female Malfoys.
The Manor's living quarters were located in the North Wing with each room bearing a unique design, revolving around the theme of the engraved plaque on each door. The Silver Room was the master bedroom and obviously belonged to their father. Placing a finger to his lips, Draco muttered "Alohomora" and the door swung open. The pair poked their heads pass the doorway and Hermione gasped at the sheer size of the room. Well, it was more like a chamber! There were two rooms within The Silver Room, the first of which held Lucius' personal library and liquor cabinet; well stocked with the Wizarding World's best Firewhiskey, Hermione assumed. They dare not venture to the bedroom itself so as quietly as they had snuck in, they closed the door behind them and locked it once more.
Flanking his rooms were The Emerald Room and The Scarlet Room. Smiling, Draco pushed the doors of the Scarlet Room, revealing a whole room that could possibly fit the Granger's whole living room AND kitchen! The décor was, as suggested by the plaque, centered dark shades of scarlet. A luxurious four-poster bed draped with silk sheets and drapes stood proudly in the middle of the room while to the right, a bookshelf with a mini collection of the Wizarding World's classics stood next to a desk similar to that of Lucius' work desk. Two doors stood to the left of the bed and with an enquiring eyebrow, Draco explained, "Walk in closet and bathroom." Hermione stared, mouth agape as she strode towards the closet.
"This was your Mother's room." Draco whispered suddenly. Hermione swiveled around, and stared at Draco as he continued. "My mother was in The Emerald Room while your mother was here. Father was, of course, in the Silver Room. We used to slept in the nursery just two doors down, The Lavender Room but it soon became my own when you had to leave. Before Mother passed away, I was in The Sapphire Room next door, nobody was to touch the Scarlet Room and only the house elves were permitted entry to clean occasionally." He gestured towards the desk and the books "Your mother's personal collection and I believe her personal knick knacks such as jewellery and the likes of it are in the drawers. And I believe that a vast amount of her robes are in the closet too." Hermione nodded, eyes glazed with tears. She changed her course and strode towards the books, running a loving hand over the rough leather covers and breathing in the scent of old classics. She was just about to pull the drawers of the desk open when Mimsy popped up next to the bed. "Mr Draco and Miss Hermione, Master is calling you for lunch in the West Wing."
Draco strode towards his sister and placed a hand on her lower back, using his knuckles to catch stray tears that managed to escape. Nodding at Mimsy, he slipped into the walk in closet and emerged a few seconds later with a simple black robe to wear over Hermione's muggle tracksuit. He smiled and with a hand on her lower back, guided her to the West Wing.
The West Wing, it seemed, was where the family congregated. The décor was simpler and relaxing then the South Wing and the East Wing. It was where the Library ("Oh my Gods, all the books! I could lock myself in here!"), a mini Kitchen (if the family wanted to cook up their own meal), the family dining room and a family area with plush couches and a warm fire was located.
The siblings entered the family dining room to find that Lucius and a guest were already seated. Upon their arrival, Lucius rose from his seat and guided Hermione to seat on his right and Draco to his left. Only when she was seated did she notice the guest; Severus Snape. "Sir!" she exclaimed, not sure if he recognized her with the spell removed. Severus Snape smiled and said "Ah, Lucius, you have reversed the spell. It is good to see you back Miss Malfoy." Hermione stared at him dumbfounded, unsure if her ears were deceiving her. "Professor Snape, you knew? You knew all along?"
"Well the spell that altered your appearance had to be accompanied with a very complicated potion made, made with the rarest ingredients. I was the one responsible for brewing it, of course I knew. And please, I am no longer your Professor. Simply call me Severus."
"Severus" she whispered, rolling the syllables on her tongue and marveling at the unfamiliar sounds; never before had Hermione called him by his first name. Suddenly noticing that he was still looking at her and probably heard her whisper, heat rushed to her cheeks and she dropped her eyes to her plate.
Now that he was right here, sitting across from her, old feelings of lust and desire spread through her veins like fire. His silky deep voice used to send her reeling during Potions and when his breath tickled her neck while he scrutinized her progress from behind, she was moved to sheer distraction, threatening to cause more harm to the class then Neville ever had, by adding in various volatile ingredients. Blushing once more, Hermione noticed that lunch had been served and trying her best not to look up and seek those glittering ebony eyes, she dug in.
Lunch went on with Lucius and Severus discussing his investment in the latter's private potion's business while Draco filled Hermione in on the family's dos and don'ts and the various activities, habits and routines that went on in the family and he also revealed that through the French doors in the family room was a beautiful garden which was started by her very own mother. She listen half-heartedly as she watched Severus discreetly but no matter how hard she tried to be nonchalant, he always turned to look right into her eyes, a quirk of a smile evident on his lips, causing her to blush furiously again. Just as she was recovering from a near heart attack from getting caught looking again, an owl tapped impatiently at the window, a scroll bearing the seal of the Order of the Phoenix attached to its foot.
A meeting had been called for all members, Hermione and Severus included, the very next day at 1100 and Mrs Molly Weasley had graciously agreed to provide lunch for the hungry members. With a sudden realization, Hermione groaned and buried her head in her hands, mumbling "Oh no, what would the Order say, now that I'm a Malfoy? And Harry. And Ron!" She took several deep breaths before lifting her head up and facing the inquisitive expressions of Severus, her Father and her Brother. The parchment was passed around and the three groaned in unison.
When the desert was finally cleared away, Severus and Lucius proceeded to the East Wing for more serious discussions and Draco, who was the supervisor for the Malfoy's Real Estate and Quidditch investments, had to rush off for a 1400 meeting. Left alone, Hermione returned to her room and entered her closet, gasping at the sheer amount and variety of textiles and colours that were her mother's old robes. Styles ranged from glamorous to simple yet sophisticated but all in all, they were all classics and Hermione could see her mother's particular style streak even in her Muggle attire.
Levitating her trunk over, Hermione began unpacking, mixing her clothes with that of her mothers. In the process, Hermione had shrugged the black robes off and opted for a more comfortable, almost ragged cotton robe that she found in the bottom of a pile. Snuggling in the material and loving that the robes, though untouched for over a decade, still smelt faintly of her mother's perfume, she fell into a deep sleep on the carpeted floor of the closet, dreaming of the times she spent with her mother as simple muggles before the war.