A/N: Love to reviewers and my dear Countess Black
"A wizard's home is his castle, and he is the head of it. The witch is the heart, the vital organs. The wizard conceives ways for the parts to move all in harmony, but the witch manages them and sees to the needs of every part."
-De Familia
Draco set down his cup. "You're in earnest, Father?"
"Quite. It would be good to finally get some use out of the place, I daresay. And it would give you children some time to get used to...things." He looked away and Draco felt his cheeks burn. Sometimes it rankled that he'd a wife he'd yet to enjoy, but in the balance, perhaps it was better they not complicate things with that right now.
"And' said Narcissa, cheerfully nibbling a scone 'Father and I could visit frequently to see everything was going according to plan." She didn't especially want Draco and his wife to go away, but if it would encourage them to do something besides argue, she was all for it.
"Hermione might like that. She likes old things."
"Yes. Do go and ask her. I wish she'd taken tea with us."
Narcissa nodded. "We mustn't push too hard. Poor child's enough to deal with."
Draco, after asking to be excused, rose and quickly walked to his-their-rooms. Hermione was listlessly picking at some sweetmeats and pretending to read a book of poems Draco had deemed most suitable.
"Darling?"
"Hello."
"I've some exciting news. We're going to Wales."
"Wales?"
"Yes. Father's decided we're to open the old family estates there, and you and I will go and oversee it."
"Oh." Hermione set down the plate of food and nodded. "I'll ask Tibby to pack for me."
Draco came and sat perched on the arm of her chair. "Aren't you excited, precious?"
"Not really."
He pretended not to hear. "We'll be there until Christmas at the earliest. It will be quite rustic, at least at first. Can you handle that? We'll have elves, of course, no need to worry."
Hermione nodded again. "It will be fine."
Draco pulled her up and kissed her lightly on the mouth. She neither hindered him nor, especially, encouraged him. "And there's quite a library there, I'm given to understand."
Hermione's interest was piqued, as he'd meant it to be. Her eyes had a spark of life in them. "Really?"
"Oh, yes. Hypatos Black was quite a renowned collector of the bizarre. Probably find all sorts of strange specimens and whatnot."
"When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow after dinner."
At supper, Narcissa was teary eyed. "I can't believe my baby is going to Wales."
"Mother, really." Draco blushed and looked at his wife, wishing she'd take the bait and tease him. She poked her fish and said nothing.
For the first time in ages, Hermione's mind was thinking of something that held the promise of enjoyment. Books in runes...books in middle English...books written by quill in abbeys a thousand years passed...it was all she could do not to rub her hands together with glee.
That night in bed, Draco looked at his wife, who was lying with her head on his chest as he'd asked her to. Having finally reassured the veela part that they were safe physically, Draco was finding in himself a strong, persistent urge to bond emotionally as well.
"Are you very tired, love, or would you rather cuddle and chat?" He wanted it to be the second; it would be a little like she'd asked him for affection, wouldn't it, if she didn't reject the offer?
"If you'd like to talk, we can."
He smiled and gently kneaded her shoulder for a moment. "I can't wait to explore, can you? Everything should still be usable, mostly. Probably smell musty, though."
Hermione half lifted her head. "Truly?"
"Of course. Noble families in those days had many residences, and when they tired of one, they put everything in stasis and came to another. We might even find some personal effects."
Hermione actually smiled a little. "That's incredible."
"Mmm, I don't relish that part. I've no urge to spend time rooting through my great great-and so on- grandfather's small clothes."
Hermione snorted despite herself. Counting it as a small victory, Draco spelled the lights down. "Would you like something to help you sleep?"
"I'll be all right." He mentally huffed, but settled for giving her a kiss on the forehead. "I shan't sleep until you do, precious. Just let yourself drift off."
Madam Malkin finally came at eleven AM, and Hermione, who loathed shopping of any sort, submitted to being poked and pricked and made to stand still while Narcissa and the seamstress witch debated cut, style and colour. She was slightly in awe of the sheer number of garments being made, which was possibly more clothes than she'd ever had in her life, combined.
"And the cobbler is coming to see to shoes. Is there anything you think you might need, darling?"
"No, Mother."
Narcissa nodded. "And you say it will be done in three days?"
"Possibly sooner. My elves are very skilled." The witch bowed herself out. Hermione sat down, relieved, until the cobbler came and took her measurements for several pairs of shoes, with very low heels and ties across the top.
"And a few pairs for dress, but it isn't as though you'll need them in Wales, my love, wouldn't you say?"
"Yes, Mother."
They left after the noon meal. Draco embraced his mother, shook his father's hand, and helped Hermione into the carriage that Lucius had ordered the gardener to bring round, seeing as the Floo system was less than two hundred years old. Directed purely by house elf magic, and driven by the tireless Ridgey, it would be their primary source of transportation, at least until the Floo worked.
During the whole long trip, neither said very much. Hermione was sunk into her own thoughts, and Draco was watching her, and wondering what they would find. Father had the whole place warded tightly not two days previous, but Draco knew he'd be compelled to entirely re-ward everything, aside from the grounds and other obvious points of potential hazard.
They finally alighted at a huge and weather tossed castle, crouching on the edge of a cliff like a bird of prey. One side faced the sea, and presented a sheer drop of nearly a thousand metres; the other side was as forbidding, and almost as impregnable. Draco blessed Father for having chosen so well.
Ridgey parked them in the courtyard and the elves appeared, bowing and sobbing. They had ten, a decent enough skeleton staff, at least until Mother helped Hermione to understand the finer points of household management and Hermione decided they needed more.
Included in that number was a lady's maid, a gift from Mother to Hermione. It could be told from the others by it's finer pillowcase, and the look of mad devotion gleaming in it's huge eyes.
"Hello, everyone." Hermione pulled herself up straight and forced herself to smile. Just because she was unhappy did not mean others should have to be. "Thank you all for meeting us."
The elves wailed louder. Draco squeezed his wife's arm and said "Enough! Introduce yourselves, and be quick about it."
They did, still weeping, and Hermione moved down the line, greeting each by name and accepting their sobbed promises of eternal devotion. Draco simply nodded, wishing they were inside and not wasting time with silly formalities.
"We is being Leesy. We is excited to be serving a Madam again."
"Who did you serve previously?"
"Madam Euphemia Mink of Sheffield, Master."
"Did she die?"
The elf nodded and wiped her eyes on her pillowcase. "She was being 118."
"Ah. Childless, I presume, which is why Mother acquired you."
"Yes, Master." Draco nodded indifferently, pleased by the elf's bona fides, and knowing Mother would never give Hermione a bad elf. "Serve my wife well or face the consequences."
"There's no need to threaten, Malfoy. I'm sure Leesy and I will get along splendidly." Hermione smiled at her new maid, appalled she could actually say that, and let herself be led into a dust laden hall.
The house keeper elf, Rinky, ceremonially handed Hermione a ring of keys. "These is being Madam's now. Madam is chatelaine of this house and everything being within."
Hermione nodded and put the keys in her little pocketbook. "May we see the master bedroom now?"
The master bedroom was in the heart of the keep, overlooking the sea, high enough to thrill Draco to his bones. "Merlin, what a view." Below them, spray danced and flew and gulls shrieked.
"Rinky, would you please ask your helpers to clean this room first? And undo the stasis spells so we can check the bedding?" Sniffling, Rinky did just that, and within a few moments, there was a fire lit in the grate and elves were shaking out the heavy bed robes and airing the curtains.
Hermione watched them a moment and then calmly turned to Draco. "It would be helpful to have my wand back."
"We'll see. For right now, direct the elves to do whatever you'd like."
She nodded. "Peasy- is that right?-where's the lavatory?"
The elf pointed a dark, close room in the corner. "That is being chamber of ease."
Draco's eyebrows met his forehead. "No indoor plumbing, then."
"No, Master."
"Would you please see that it's cleaned? I should like to avail myself of it." Hermione had seen enough diagrams of castles to know that the room would likely be a hole cut into a stone bench, with a pipe which led directly to the ocean to prevent invaders from climbing inside.
"You really intend to use that?"
"There's nowhere else."
"True. I'd hoped this castle had something like a normal lavatory. Some wizarding castles had early prototypes, when they closed this place."
"When was that?"
"1538. I don't know why."
The elves soon had the room sparkling, and Hermione, after using the dark, cold chamber of ease, came back out and sat on the huge bench near the fire, grateful Narcissa had the foresight to send toilet paper.
"What shall we do?"
"I'm going to check the wards. You sit here' he pointed to the bed 'and write a list of what we need. We'll send Phoebe for it." Draco's eagle owl had been brought, of course, and he meant to go and visit her first chance.
"Is there anything you need?"
Draco was delighted she'd asked such a wifely question without prompting. "No, my darling, but thank you for asking. Leesy' the elf turned and looked at him humbly 'help Madam remember what all a lady needs. Price is no object, understand?"
As Draco was warding every inch of their quarters, Hermione obediently sat. The beds had been warmth charmed by the last elves to clean them- it gave the creepy impression that the previous inhabitants had just left, and would return anon to climb back under.
"Madam is needing combs for hair."
" I brought a set. What about cleaning supplies? Is there enough?"
Leesy waved her hand. "For Rinky to be worrying. Is Madam having face powder? Rouge?"
"I don't need any. What about wood for the fires?"
"Mistress Narcissa is sending everything like that. Cologne water?"
"That's not important right now.' Unfortunately, she couldn't think of any other good reasons to avoid this topic, as Narcissa had sent ample supplies to get them started.
Leesy frowned. "Master is saying-"
"I heard what he said. Let's make a game of it. When he returns, let's see what we already have here. I'll bet there's plenty of usable things lying round."
Leesy smiled, in her element. "Madam is needing pomade for hair, and..."
Draco took nearly an hour and deemed the results barely adequate. But it would have to do, because he wanted desperately to get back to his wife and see what she was doing. He found her resting in their enormous bed, which put the old one to shame. She sat up when she saw him and handed him the list.
"I don't think I need half of this, but Leesy's been quite insistent."
Leesy nodded solemnly. "Leesy is knowing these things."
Draco nodded. "Quite. What shall we do now?"
"Have a scavenger hunt."
"Sorry?"
"Before we send this, Leesy and I are going to have a scavenger hunt to see what we can find here first. If you don't mind."
"You needn't, my pet. We can afford to buy you new."
"I know. But this might be fun."
Draco helped her up. "Let's start, then.
The first step was the big wardrobe in their own room. The elves pulled everything out. Hermione picked up a random garment and held it to herself. It was a deep brown velvet, with hanging sleeves, and it looked like something Holbein had painted.
"Amazing. It still smells of lavender, even."
Draco bent and smelt it. "Does. What are we looking for?"
"Hair combs, things of that nature." Hermione picked up another dress, a heavy pearl grey trimmed in fur. She rubbed the fur to her cheek, thinking of dear grumbly Crookshanks, and sighed.
After the clothes had been put aside, they found several cauls, nets, and other things they could use to bind Hermione's hair to Leesy's satisfaction. They also found handkerchiefs, gloves, a pomander of chased silver, and a vinigrette in filigree.
" I wonder why all this was left."
"They meant to come back for it, perhaps."
Every room was the same. It seemed eerily as though the people would return any moments-beds, shimmering in stasis, were yet turned down. In the great hall, the table was set with silver plate. Even the candles, five hundred years old but perfectly usable, were there, waiting for a match.
"I should think we'll find the answer in the library."
Hermione nodded. "What would you like for dinner?"
"Supper, precious. Mother sent us a goose. I shouldn't mind goose and parsnips in wine, myself."
"All right."
As their food cooked, they counted the items they'd found in their search. Combs, stockings, razors for Draco, ribbons, jewellery of all sorts, much of it fairly average but a few good goblin made pieces. Books galore, inkwells, buttons, all the detritus of life which never really changes.
"Why didn't anyone open this place up in all that time?"
"These sort of castles fell out of vogue, and indoor plumbing means that places didn't start to smell like they did before."
They ate goose and parsnips in near silence and drank some of the strong cider which had lain for all that time in the cellar. It tasted sharp and sweet and wonderful. The larder, Rinky reported, was quite full. It was best not to eat the cheeses and such, but there was ale, wine, cider, elderflower cordial, and even lavender water for Hermione to sprinkle on herself.
In the cool, damp dark, they undressed and slid under the heavy selkie robes. They found one another in the darkness and Draco took her in his arms, as he did every night.
He thought perhaps the new surroundings would encourage his wife to open up, but she didn't. Her breathing reminded him of the steady whoosh of the tide.
Hermione went to sleep delighted to have something to do, and contemplating the mystery at hand-why had a castle full of people left everything and never returned?