LADY MALFOY
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and everything related belongs to J. K. Rowling. And the places I mention, in the story do not belong to me.
Author's note: Many thanks to my ever-wonderful beta, Phoenix Soar and also to my dear reader, momocolady for helping me with some of the OC names.
This chapter is dedicated to oh so cute and hot, Tom Felton (aka Draco Malfoy *dreamy sigh*) who celebrated his 22nd birthday yesterday i e., 22nd September and also to my beta, Phoenix Soar who celebrated her birthday on 18th.
Wow guys, thank you so much for those awesome reviews!!! *crying shrilly in absolute happiness*
You are feeling glad that you can't hear me, aren't you?
Since I know that you will be impatient to get to the new chapter, I put the answers to your questions and other notes in the end so enjoy!!!
Warnings: AU NON-MAGIC. Harry is a female. You will find swear words but quite seldom. Few more OC's introduced in this chapter. I will add further warnings as story progresses.
Chapter 16: Misunderstandings cleared
It had been two months since Draco had properly spoken with Harriet. Hence, Alexandra took it upon herself to provide companionship for Harriet every moment she could spare and thus keeping her from drowning in gloomy solitude. Needless to say, they drew more closer to each other by the end of each passing day.
"Grandmother, I have been wondering about something ... ever since I heard of you ... and I have been meaning to ask you about it ... for a few days now, but ... I … I am afraid you will take offence," Harriet hesitantly muttered while massaging her sore knees with the herbal oil that she had given her as a Christmas present.
It was a late afternoon of May and Alexandra was perched on her bed with her legs outstretched whereas Harriet was sitting beside them at the foot of the bed.
Alexandra glanced away from the book she had been reading, to Harriet. "Darling, you can ask me anything. I promise, I won't take offence," Alexandra assured her, peering at her from the top of her reading glasses.
"Are you sure?" Harriet uncertainly asked again.
Alexandra nodded her head emphatically and motioned for her to continue.
"Well," Harriet hesitantly ventured, "How is it that you were able to not just run but also expand the family business before Mr. Malfoy took over, when a woman's financial education doesn't extend beyond dealing with weekly accounts of household inventory?" And then, tilting her head a little, she asked curiously, "Did Grandfather teach you how to run the business?"
Alexandra laughed at that.
Harriet stared bemusedly at Alexandra until Alexandra composed herself. "Did I say something wrong?"
Alexandra shook her head with an assured smile.
"Your grandfather's views regarding a woman's station in the society were no different than that of ninety eight percent men in the world," Alexandra admitted ruefully. "Maybe that is part of the reason why he failed to foresee Narcissa's manipulations of Lucius concerning the family business."
"But then, from whom did you learn?" Harriet queried, furrowing her brows.
"Dr. Farrell Derwin," Alexandra said fondly. "I owe my business management skills solely to my father."
Harriet's eyes widened at her admittance. "Wait a minute, you are the daughter of the Dr. Farrell Derwin of Aberdeen Shire, Scotland!" Harriet cried in utter shock.
"Yes," Alexandra accepted with amusement shining in her eyes at Harriet's reaction. "Do you know him?"
"Know him! We, nurses and midwives, worship Dr. Derwin everyday for his outstanding contributions in medicine for the women!" Harriet gushed, still wide-eyed. "He is like a messiah to the women all over the world!"
"That is high praise, indeed!" Alexandra acknowledged with a smile.
"He deserves no less." Harriet responded reverently.
Silence reigned for a long moment as Harriet came to terms with this piece of information.
"Whilst reading the works of such brilliant men, I often wonder about their personal lives. Will you tell me more about Dr. Derwin, please?" Harriet requested her.
"Of course, dear," Alexandra acquiesced with a smile.
Losing herself in the memories, Alexandra started a moment later, "When my mother died of miscarriage, my father and I were left heartbroken. Several of my father's friends and relatives appealed to him to marry again for he wasn't even thirty and I was only four when the tragedy occurred. But my father refused, saying that he could never love another woman like he loved my mother. Drawing comfort from each other and Mother's memories, we continued to live on. He remained single till his death almost twenty five years ago."
"I am extremely sorry, Grandmother," Harriet said plaintively for she understood the pain of not having a parent. "Was your mother's death the reason why Dr. Derwin focussed his entire work on finding and improving treatments for women's ailments?"
"Partly," Alexandra agreed with a sad smile. "Two other women were also responsible for stroking and fuelling his passion. One was his childhood friend, Mrs. Constance Chalmers and the other was …"
"You," Harriet intoned insightfully.
"Me," Alexandra smiled. "I suppose Arthur told you how his grandmother, Mrs. Amelia Weasley, helped me during my difficult pregnancy with Victoria," she said though there was a slight question in her tone.
Harriet nodded in agreement, "He told us when he was explaining how you came to become a good acquaintance of the Weasley family prior to our marriage."
Alexandra nodded before continuing, "Father became fretful that I would suffer like my mother or share her fate every time I became pregnant. He took his anxiety out by directing scathing remarks and dirty looks at my husband from the day we announced my pregnancy to the day I safely delivered and was convinced that I would not be suffering from any ill effects," Alexandra said chuckling, her distant gaze holding fond amusement.
Harriet smiled in understanding.
"What about Mrs. Chalmers?" Harriet enquired politely after a quiet moment.
Suddenly Alexandra's serene face acquired a grim look, "As for Constance, I never met the woman personally, but I heard a lot about her through Father. She was his close childhood friend. When they grew older, Constance disappeared from my father's life as a consequence of her marriage. It was years before Father found her again. But alas, she had already forfeited her life, too broken to continue living under her in-laws' torment and insecure in her belief that she had no other refuge. Poor woman was ill fated from the start. First being born in a family whose members least cared for her welfare and then married to an abusive husband."
"Oh," Harriet whispered, distressed as vague images of her relatives flashed in her mind.
A couple of minutes later, "Anyway," Alexandra changed the direction of their conversation, noticing the rising despair in Harriet's face, "My father was a peculiar kind of wealthy man who preferred spending time either in his lab or with his daughter rather than attending parties and balls to retain his old social acquaintances or make new ones. While he was respected by middle class and lower class populations in Scotland, the high class frowned upon his progressive ideals and works," Alexandra chortled.
"As a father, he gave me complete freedom that any girl would be envious of. Despite my young age, Father let me choose whom I wanted to associate with. When I wasn't studying with the tutors, I used to play with the children of servants and maids and, sometimes, go traipsing around the village with them," Alexandra said, looking at Harriet who was now staring at her in disbelief and astonishment.
"But you are always so graceful!" Harriet exclaimed at last. For the life of her, Harriet could not imagine the impeccable Alexandra playing in filth.
Alexandra laughed at Harriet's reaction. "I wasn't always refined. No, it was Lady Aldabella Wyatt, my father's elder sister, who put an end to my hoyden ways," Alexandra told her, chuckling.
"Aunt Alda lived with her husband, Lord Tony Wyatt, in London until he retired from his position as a member of the House of Commons. To share mutual companionship with my father, they decided to settle in Aberdeen Shire."
"When they did arrive at our house, Aunt Alda was appalled with the way my father was raising me and scandalized by my unladylike behaviour. She immediately demanded him to transfer my responsibilities to her. I wouldn't have accepted that if not for the fact that my uncle and aunt, consequently, became our neighbours. Father reluctantly agreed, but with one condition that I be given a gentleman's education along with etiquette and household management. Aunt Alda highly disapproved, but she had no choice but to agree." And then, upon seeing the quizzical look on Harriet's face, "You see, she was a stickler for age-old customs and lifestyle. Since they did not have any children of their own, my aunt focussed all her time properly raising me," Alexandra elaborated.
Harriet intently listened to her, fascinated by it all.
"Throughout my transformation into a proper high class young lady, Father and I remained close. At the end of each day, we used to laugh at how I gave Aunt and my newly appointed governess a hard time as they struggled to rid me of my unladylike habits. When I turned sixteen, my aunt brought me to London and introduced me in the court, which was followed by several parties and balls. It was in one of these balls, that I met your grandfather," Alexandra confessed, her blue eyes twinkling with love and affection.
Harriet smiled in response.
"Lord Malfoy was a charming young man from a wealthy and old high class family. According to my aunt, he had all the qualities to make a perfect husband for me. But my father was of a completely different opinion. He hated the arrogance with which Lord Malfoy carried himself," Alexandra confided in her with a small smile.
"What about you?" Harriet asked in hushed tone, looking intrigued.
"Well, I certainly found Lord Malfoy handsome. But, then again, most of my suitors were quite attractive," Alexandra said, throwing a mischievous wink at Harriet who giggled.
A moment later, sobering herself, Alexandra continued, "It was his persistence to have me as his wife that set him apart. Lord Malfoy followed me to all the parties and balls that I attended during that season and then, all the way to Scotland, not at all deterred by my father's incivility. In those nine weeks, I did not even realise when I fell in love with him." Her eyes looked brighter than usual and a small smile played on her face.
Harriet watched, enraptured, as Alexandra lost herself in her memories again.
"It took the combined persuasion of my aunt and myself to make my father to agree to Lord Malfoy's marriage proposal. Not without any condition though. Father firmly told him that he would agree to this union only if Lord Malfoy gave a written statement that he or his family would never claim the inheritance that I would receive after his death. Lord Malfoy agreed without a second thought. Whether it was because he wanted to prove to my father that it wasn't my wealth that enticed him to me, or to show me his unbreakable intention of marrying me against all odds, I could never find out," Alexandra said distantly, staring far off.
Harriet flushed at her words, but then remembering her companion, she quickly gathered herself from the shock and schooled her face to a neutral expression.
"My father-in-law, on the other hand, was an overly ambitious man who strongly believed that any union to the Malfoy member should bring about either wealth or social standing to the family. And despite all his wealth, Father lacked proper social connections, so he would have had to forward his wealth for our marriage to happen, which he absolutely refused to do. My aunt, however, was outraged by my father's stubbornness and decided to pay my dowry herself, completely disregarding my father's disapproval."
"Till now, I own and control my father's monetary wealth and property in Scotland. Before his death, my father urged me that I not give or spend that money on my husband or our male heirs unless they are in danger of destitution. He wanted the money to be held by his female descendants. When my father made such a shocking demand from Lord Malfoy after his proposal, I did not understand his intention. I even inwardly blamed Father for I thought it was his plan to try to break us apart, but much later I realised that he was merely taking precautions so that I or my daughters would not suffer from a similar fate as his dear friend," Alexandra sighed, and her expression held a combination of sorrow, remorse and shame.
Gazing out at the gardens through the large window for a long moment, "Our marriage didn't lessen Father's disliked Lord Malfoy and Lord Malfoy reciprocated that sentiment with equal fervour. It came as no surprise to me, considering their clashingly different ideals and views. But they kept a civil tongue in my presence for which I was immensely grateful," Alexandra said with bemusement.
"What happened to Dr. Derwin?" Harriet asked softly.
"He died, dear, of a heart attack almost twenty five years ago," Alexandra replied sadly.
"I am so sorry, Grandmother. Apart from his incredible works in the medical field, Dr. Derwin seems like a great man," Harriet offered with utmost emotion.
Giving a small smile in return, Alexandra added, "Considering the passion for medicine that you share, I would say you two would have got along famously."
"You think so?" Harriet asked eagerly, her eyes wide.
Alexandra nodded with amusement.
"Did Mr. Malfoy know him?" Harriet questioned her after a while.
"Draco?" Alexandra said to which Harriet silently nodded her head once. "He was only two when Father died. Though Draco met him, I don't think he remembers much of his great grandfather."
There was a long pause.
"The inheritance that I received from my father was considerably large. Since Lord Malfoy was a man of his word, he provided me with everything I ever needed or wanted so that I would never feel the need for my father's money. So I transformed a part of that property into an almshouse for destitute women. A couple of our trustworthy friends take care of it in my absence and also organize charity balls to raise funds for its daily running. I used to attend the annual parties usually held in June until my illness started, restricting me from travelling great distances," Alexandra divulged to her.
"That is quite noble of you, Grandmother," Harriet remarked, gazing at her in veneration, and then mused quietly, "I wonder why Mrs. McGonagall did not approach you."
"What is it, dear?" Alexandra enquired her.
"You know, my governess, Mrs. Minerva McGonagall," Harriet began and then at Alexandra's nod, she continued, "She heads the women's society in Wiltshire. Members of that society provide help to the destitute and abused women around the county and also fight for women's rights. I wonder why they did not approach you with the membership when you could have been a profound inspiration to all the women who are trying to stand on their own feet," Harriet replied in a curious tone.
"They did approach me, but I had to refuse," Alexandra replied demurely.
"But why?" Harriet frowned.
"Remember, darling, I come from a business family whose partners and associates are all men. My joining that society would declare my disapproval of the current situation that only men should hold professions while a woman's place is in the house. That will surely cause them to withdrawn their partnerships. I do have to look out for my family and perform its responsibilities," Alexandra explained softly and then, noticing the frown on Harriet's face, "Do you think ill of me?"
Harriet shook her head emphatically, "Everyone has a different way of helping people. I only applaud that, despite your family obligations, you still managed to provide a home for all those women in Scotland. I know a lot of women in your position wouldn't have cared," Harriet pointed out with an understanding smile. 'I am cheating everyone, including God, and making a mockery of the sacred union of marriage just to save my family from poverty. I am hardly in a position to judge others,' Harriet thought with an internal snort.
Alexandra nodded with a somewhat relieved smile.
A couple of minutes passed in silence as they both lost themselves in their thoughts.
"But then how come they accepted you heading the Malfoy business for eight years?" Harriet finally asked in bewilderment, comprehending her other implications.
"They did not; at least; not at first. Many of them refused to even meet with me, thinking what I could possibly know about business management, much less have something to say or offer to it. It took me several months to make them agree to meet with me. Even when they did, they refused to listen to any of my suggestions or plans. The first couple of years of my heading the family were difficult as I struggled to make not just our business associates, but also family members accept my leadership," Alexandra confessed wanly.
"You said Grandfather did not care for women's empowerment," Harriet stated, remembering Draco's reaction at learning about her profession. "Then how did he react after learning of your education?"
"Having come to know my father, I don't think my distinctive education came as surprise to Lord Malfoy. He just chose to act ignorant of my intellect," Alexandra answered with a shrug.
"And that did not bother you?" Harriet asked, furrowing her brows.
Alexandra looked knowingly, noting the disapproval and the bit of anger in Harriet's eyes. "It did bother me at the start. Coming from a family whose Head was a progressive man; I did find it difficult to adjust in the highly conservative family of my in-laws. But I have my aunt to thank for, as she was successful in instilling in me the fact that not all men would be as approving and much less supportive of the idea of social independence of a woman as my father."
When Harriet continued to look miffed at her reasoning, "Do you know, dearest, why a marriage is considered a sacred union?" Alexandra asked softly.
Harriet looked baffled at her abrupt question, not understanding the relevance. "Because you are promising to love and care for your spouse," Harriet answered slowly after some time.
"Ah, yes," Alexandra said. "As a human being, it is universal for a person to love their parents, siblings, lifelong friends and children because of the innate affinity you share with them and, henceforth, you continue to love them despite their shortcomings. But, with a marriage, you are joining your life with that of a complete stranger with whom you share neither blood nor familiarity. You are promising to accept his or her flaws and still love and care for your spouse. After all, next to your family, a spouse is the only person you will come to know that intimately. A marriage is considered sacred because you will not let any disagreements between you overwhelm you into giving up, and still struggle to endure together."
Alexandra smiled at the intense yet thoughtful look on Harriet's face.
"I learned to accept your grandfather's flaws like he did mine," Alexandra confessed. "He gave me as much freedom as he could afford which was lot compared to my preceding wives and daughters of the Malfoy family."
Harriet thought over the truth in Alexandra's implication of intimacy. As her husband, Draco knew more about her bitter past than her best friend, and as Mrs. Draco Malfoy, she was knowledgeable of his nightmares that even his grandmother, an extremely close relative, wasn't aware of.
Harriet nodded with a smile, finally comprehending the meaning behind her words.
"Do you miss nursing, Harriet?" Alexandra enquired, turning serious.
"Uh ... mostly when I have nothing to do," Harriet responded with some reluctance.
Harriet, who had her back turned to the door, did not see the silhouette of Draco at the doorway disappearing, unlike Alexandra who had been aware of his presence for the past ten minutes.
One late Sunday morning, Harriet was returning from the gardens when she saw Francis and Landen carrying heavy looking packages towards the library. Curious, Harriet followed them.
Placing the packages on the mahogany table, Landen left for this post at the front door while Francis removed the package covers.
"Are those new books, Francis?" Harriet asked, moving towards the table.
"Yes, Mrs. Malfoy," Francis replied promptly. "They have just arrived."
Looking interested, Harriet picked up a book. Her eyes widened as she read the title and then took a closer look at the other books. "But these are all ..." she muttered, realizing that they were all on the same topic.
"Did Lady Malfoy order these books?" Harriet demanded impatiently, glancing at Francis.
"No, madam," Francis frowned. "It is Lord Malfoy who orders new books every six months to add to the collection in the library."
"Lord Malfoy?" Harriet muttered to herself in amazement, and then, a minute later, "Where is he?"
"He is in the study on the ground floor, Mrs. Malfoy," Francis informed her, and then blinked as Harriet hurried out of the library.
Walking as fast as her dress and decorum would allow, Harriet approached the study and, without knocking, barged inside. "Mr. Malfoy, I …" Harriet faltered, noticing a man sitting across Draco who, along with her husband, was staring at her sudden interruption.
Flushing in embarrassment, "Er ... I am sorry; I didn't know you had a visitor. I will come back later," Harriet said quickly, backing out of the room and closing the door behind her.
Harriet impatiently paced inside the drawing room, frequently peering at the closed door of the study, which was directly across the room. The thought that Draco had finally forgiven her engendered an immense relief and joy inside her. Harriet was truly heartened by his unexpected gesture of showing his acceptance of her profession and she was left with an inexplicable feeling at the pit of her stomach. She could not wait to thank him for his prodigious gift.
After what seemed like forever, the door to the study opened. Both Draco and his visitor left the room and walked towards the porch.
Harriet sighed in disappointment, thinking that Draco was leaving the manor, but when she noticed him coming back inside five minutes later, she rolled her eyes at her silliness. Draco was just escorting the guest out.
With her face glowing in happiness, Harriet pushed herself forward towards him as soon as Draco walked further into the foyer and thus effectively halted him in his stride.
"Thank you so much for the books, Mr. Malfoy," Harriet started fervently and, seeing the frown on his face, she silently gestured to the library. Draco's expression cleared in understanding as he stared into her bright green orbs. "But you didn't have to buy all those expensive medical books. One or two would have been enough ..."
"Yes, I had to," Draco interrupted her. "When I was looking through the ledger, I noticed that the library severely lacks in medical books. The one you were reading was the only book available previously. Considering Grandmother's illness and the brood of children that the family has at the moment, I thought it would to be prudent to have some medical books on hand in case of an emergency," Draco said brusquely.
"Oh," Harriet whispered with a crestfallen expression.
Draco had never seen the light in one's eyes change from sparkling to dull with such celerity.
Composing herself a minute later, "Yes, of course, you are right," Harriet nodded once before disappearing through the nearest door. As a result, a twinge of guilt and shame welled up inside him that Draco squashed with quick ruthlessness.
"Couldn't you have just accepted her gratitude?" Alexandra commented with a heavy sigh, having witnessed their interaction.
"I have no reason to," Draco drawled with a sneer. "I ordered those books to help me in case of medical emergencies."
"Considering your uneasiness around sick people, I can see how you would need those books to help the said sick people," Alexandra remarked, shaking her head in disappointment.
On the sixteenth of May, Harriet was ideally sauntering through the first floor corridor when she noticed Draco leading Blaise to the parlour. Her face split into a wide grin at the sight of her friend. Feeling ebullient, Harriet rushed down the marble stairs and dashed towards the room.
As soon as she reached the doorway, "Blaise!" Harriet cried with a huge smile playing on her lips while her emerald orbs twinkled vibrantly.
"Harry," Blaise greeted, standing up; though his voice was much more subdued, the pleasure at seeing his friend was no less as he graced her with a warm smile that was only reserved for his own family, and of course, Harriet. "How are you?"
"I am quite well," Harry lied with imperceptible hesitation before asking, "How are you?"
"Very well," Blaise answered cheerfully and then, gesturing to the chairs, he added, "Come, sit with us."
Nodding with a smile, Harriet sat on the other end of the sofa that Blaise was occupying when she arrived. "So tell me, was your business trip successful? You left the county for five months. Did you have any trouble? It was wise of you take Susan with you …" Harriet eagerly continued to inquire him.
"Slow down, Harry," Blaise chuckled, causing her to smile sheepishly.
"Yes, the trip was successful. In fact, it was more successful that I had originally anticipated. My business was concluded by the end of March. But since we could not go on a honeymoon in August and the weather was so fine, I thought I would take Susan on a tour," Blaise confided to her.
"I see," Harriet nodded with a smile. "So, where did you go?"
"We travelled around the Lake District and believe me when I say, it was worth every penny I spent …" Blaise continued to apprise her of their trip.
They were so immersed in their conversation that they both completely forget the presence of the third person in the room. After ten minutes or so, Harriet absently glanced at Draco only to find him glaring daggers at them. Harriet felt herself pale at the ferocity of Draco's glare and, in the next instant, Harriet had sprung out of her seat.
"Er … I totally forgot to offer you refreshments. I will go arrange it," Harriet muttered, hastily leaving the room much to the bewilderment of Blaise. He frowned as his gaze drew to the bell that was used for calling the servants situated on the table standing beside the very seat that Harriet had been previously sitting on.
A few minutes later, when a maid alone entered the room with tea service and some snacks, Blaise enquired Draco of the reason for Harriet's strange behaviour. In response, Draco stoically feigned ignorance.
Harriet only appeared again to bid welfare to Blaise when he made to leave. He utilised that moment to question her action. In reply, Harriet again lied, saying that she had been in the middle of an important task when she sighted his arrival and that she had only intended to come and greet him. She apologized for vanishing on him in such manner shortly thereafter.
Blaise, however, wasn't fooled for a second. He had noticed the rather heated and bitter looks that Draco was directing at Harriet and also how his address towards him had turned slightly cold after her disappearance. With some effort, Blaise quashed his urge to demand Draco whether he had dared to break the promise he had made to him before the wedding. Blaise recognized that he had no valid reason to voice his doubts and he knew that Draco would not take kindly to the unfounded accusations. But now that he was back at Wiltshire, Blaise decided that he would watch the couple closely and confront his temperamental childhood friend if he found the slightest proof that Draco was hurting Harriet in any way.
On the late afternoon of the twenty eighth of May, Draco, who had just returned from the factory, strode into the drawing room where Alexandra and Harriet were sitting. Greeting only Alexandra, Draco turned and stared at Harriet while she resumed her embroidering, trying to look undaunted by his lack of greeting towards her.
"Well, Mrs. Malfoy, go get ready. We have to leave in an hour," Draco drawled irritably at her. A week ago, Arthur had sent them an invitation to attend the annual Spring Ball in Biddestone.
"I am not going," Harriet replied quietly to the surprise of both Alexandra and Draco.
"What?" Draco frowned.
"I don't feel like attending the ball," Harriet cleared with a shrug.
Her casualness only added to his frustration. "Why didn't you say so in the morning?" Draco snarled wrathfully. "I wouldn't have bothered to delay my important tasks and hurry back to the Manor just to escort you to that stupid ball!"
"Draco!" Alexandra exclaimed in shock and strong disapproval.
Harriet flinched at his harsh tone, looking deeply stung. Wordlessly, Harriet hurried out of the room in the next instant.
Harriet found herself on the large balcony in the west wing, taking great gulps of air to prevent the sobs from escaping. She firmly told herself that she would not cry. Breaking down would imply how much her husband's mean words had affected her.
Not five minutes later, Draco stalked towards her and, roughly grabbing her elbow, he wrenched her close, causing Harriet to gasp loudly in surprise.
"Are you trying to make me look bad in front of my grandmother?" Draco growled, glaring dangerously at her.
'You are doing a fine job of that yourself,' Harriet thought bitterly, but answered him by shaking her head tightly.
Frustrated at her silent reply, "Then why the hell do you refuse to go to the ball?" Draco demanded, aggressively shaking her.
His rough treatment of her only managed to awaken the anger that she had been suppressing for weeks now. "Since you did not bother to conceal your disdain for me in front of my sister and my best friend, I am trying to do my best at keeping our relationship from the scrutinizing eyes of the rest of my family and friends and thus, prevent them from speculating about our unconventional marriage!" Harriet finally exploded, her face flushed in rage.
Thoroughly taken back by her words and gaze, Draco loosened the painful grip he had on her elbow.
"I tried my best not to give your family a reason to question my status as your spouse, but you could not return the same courtesy to me, could you?" Harriet said accusingly, her eyes bright with unshed tears.
Staring at her in bafflement, "What's that suppose to mean?" Draco asked with his brow creased. His tone had dropped few octaves from the one he had used just a moment ago.
"Oh, now you want know," Harriet said peevishly, "You know, Hermione started suspecting our marriage, having observed your behaviour towards me during her visit. Did you know what she said? She said our marriage ..." She suddenly stopped, her eyes wide in shock for almost making the mistake of repeating Hermione's words to him.
Harriet continued to stare at him with her lower lip quivering a little with restrained emotion, while Draco intently studied her expression in contemplation and there was no mistaking that whatever her friends had said regarding their marriage, it had deeply hurt her and thus, he allowed himself to feel smug for a brief second for disapproving their visit from the very start. Now staring at Harriet's depressed state, Draco felt a bizarre urge to take her in his arms and comfort her. In the very next instance, he froze at even having entertained such an idea.
Harriet tightly closed her eyes momentarily to avoid Draco's penetratingly intense stare and also to control her overwhelming emotions at the same time. Finally fluttering her wet eyelashes open, Harriet pulled her arm from his grasp and, with a blank look on her face, swiftly made to leave.
Nonplussed, Draco watched as she stiffly walked away from him.
Harriet had enough of watching herself every instant around him, afraid of unknowingly annoying him or fuelling his anger, going out of her way to avoid him or acting non-existent because he apparently disapproved of her mere presence. Those were times when she felt like running all the way back to the Biddestone on bare feet, but then she would remember Ginny. Harriet hadn't been so naïve not to have noticed Ginny's displeasure when she was first brought to The Burrow. But Harriet had thought that after living together for all those years, Ginny had finally accepted her as a family member; obviously not if Ginny's bitter words and complete lack of concern of ruining her marriage were to be taken into consideration. 'I am fated to be left homeless every time I show any anger,' Harriet thought cynically.
As for her husband, it had now become clear to her that Draco had no intention of forgiving her any time soon. She finally realized that her infraction wasn't that great to deserve months of redemption, suffering under oppressive silences or enduring his parsimonious treatment. She had many disappointments over the years, but never had she dwelled on them this long. She had simply accepted as cest-la-vie and moved on. As such, she was tired of living in brooding misery and gloom because of the man who wouldn't be gentleman enough to accept her sincerest apologies and earnest regrets.
Harriet halted at the doorway and, without turning around, she staunchly spoke, "Mr. Malfoy, as a punishment for prying into your past or just because I am your wife now, if you think I will allow you to censure me against my old friendships, then you are sorely mistaken."
Understanding her reference when Blaise had visited the Manor, "You forced your presence on us!" Draco exclaimed angrily.
Harriet whipped her head around, looking affronted. "It was I who invited him to the Manor!" she fumed. "Despite that, if Blaise had urgent matters that he wanted to discuss with you in private, he would have told me so. We are quite open about our feelings and our friendship isn't that formal," she added tartly. 'Unlike our martial relationship' was left unsaid, but Draco heard it loud and clear.
An intense feeling surged in his chest that Draco absolutely refused to recognize as jealousy when he remembered the absolute pleasure on Harriet's face at the sight of Blaise or their easy and comfortable interactions. "Weren't you just speaking of keeping our marriage hidden from the outside world?" Draco drawled mockingly, focusing on her first statement and thus, refusing to acknowledge the second one.
"When Blaise wrote me a letter informing me of leaving Wiltshire for some business and henceforth unable to visit the Manor on Christmas, I asked him to visit us as soon as he returned from his trip. And that was in December!" Harriet spat, her eyes flashing in fury.
Draco had no retort for that, so he simply settled for glaring at her.
"And you obviously seem to have forgotten that Blaise is as much my friend as yours. If Blaise visits the Manor, it is not just to meet only you anymore," Harriet reminded him with an angry hiss before storming away.
The difference during dinner that night was not the undesirable silence, but the interchanged attitudes of the young couple. Unlike his usual coldly impassive self, Draco looked thoughtful and a tad bit disconcerted whenever he cast a furtive glance at Harriet's hard and stony expression. Instead of being disheartened by the negative vibes, Alexandra was profoundly assuaged at learning that Harriet wasn't going to complacently accept Draco's irrational behaviour in silence anymore. Now, Alexandra was confident that it was only a matter of days before the young couple in front of her patched up.
Harriet was unsurprised to find that Draco had ignored her advice if the continuity of his nightmares were any indication. When, as an eleven year old girl, she had been too proud and stubborn to discuss them with loving and supportive parents, then Harriet could understand why a fully grown man, a Lord of the family even, would find it difficult and uncomfortable to admit to anyone about suffering from them.
Though his nightmares were less frequent, occurring thrice or four times in a month, Harriet watched him suffer through them in despair. All she could do was hold his hand and offer him some comfort. Harriet was at least relieved to discover that whenever she held his hand, his nightmares lasted only for a short time.
One late night of early June, Harriet, having been woken by his jerking limbs, subconsciously soothed him during his unpleasant dream until she felt him relax and eventually drifted back to sleep herself. A habit she had fallen into over the last seven months.
Unbeknownst to Harriet, for the first time since their marriage, Draco had woken up because of the nightmare. Wanting to escape from the vivid images of the past, he made to open his eyes, but the touch of a gentle hand on his forehead and his hands halted his movements. A couple of seconds later, he felt the said hand gently pushing his fringe back and carefully dabbed a cloth across his forehead that was moist with beads of sweat. It took all of his self control not to shiver when a warm breath delightfully tickled against his ear next.
"Shh, Draco, Anna is fine; she is safe and happy as are you. Lucius and Narcissa will never hurt you or her again." He heard the soft voice of his wife whisper in his ear to his absolute shock. The hand that was resting on his forehead started stroking his platinum blond hair whilst the other caressed his hand. In the meantime, Draco internally debated on which point he was more stunned, Harriet's tender use of his first name or her consoling words. He also could not decide whether or not he should feel insulted at being treated as a small child who had a bad dream about ugly, scary monsters.
Draco kept his eyes closed and body relaxed which wasn't a difficult task with the way she was alternately running her fingers through his hair and smothering it, though he struggled against succumbing back to sleep under her gentle ministrations. He had to confirm for himself whether the person comforting him was, in fact, his wife.
Almost ten minutes passed when Draco felt the stroking hand slow and eventually come to rest limply on his forehead and the breathing of the person next to him even out. Draco could not help but note how deliciously warm her palm felt against his forehead and the one holding his hand.
Finally, Draco opened his heavy lidded eyes and slowly turned his head to the side so as not to jostle her hand off his forehead, to find Harriet's face nuzzled on the fluffy pillow quite close to his. Staring at her serene face for a long moment, Draco allowed himself to feel ashamed of doubting her intentions, disregarding her confessions and explanations and discarding her apologises. Draco let himself feel guilty for behaving so callously towards her over the past five months, his face twisted into an apologetic grimace. Despite her quite apparent anger at his nasty behaviour over the previous few months, she still did not hesitant to comfort him.
One afternoon, Harriet was amusing herself by gazing around the landscape through one kind of brass telescope situated in the gallery on the top floor of the Manor. She suddenly paused at the sight of a wide stretch of violet along the steep of a hill. Adjusting the lens to focus on that particular area, Harriet intently took a closer look at the spot, only to gasp loudly at her discovery of nature's treasure.
Backing away from the telescope, Harriet quickly walked towards the bell and rang it loudly. Five minutes later, Francis entered the gallery.
"You called Mrs. Malfoy?" he asked politely.
"Yes, Francis, could you send Abraham up here?" Harriet requested, dazedness clearly in her tone.
"Yes, Madam."
As soon as Abraham walked inside, "Oh, Abraham, come here and see whether the plants growing on that hill are, indeed, Lavender herbs!" Harriet said impatiently, gesturing to the telescope.
Checking to ensure that the lens was still focussed on the area, Harriet moved away from the instrument. Approaching the telescope, Abraham bent and examined the hill as instructed.
"Yes, madam. They are lavender plants," Abraham confirmed after a minute. Taking another look into the instrument, he added, "A lavish growth too!"
Eagerly nodding in agreement, "Does the land around the hill belong to anyone?" Harriet inquired.
"No, madam. I don't think so," Francis replied much to the delight of Harriet.
"All right. Thank you. You can go."
Next day, the family was having breakfast when Alexandra spoke up, "So, all set for your excursion, dear?" Yesterday afternoon, Harriet had excitedly explained to Alexandra about the lavender plants on the hill and discussed her designs over her discovery. Though Alexandra found her future adventure to be a little tiring, she was glad to see Harriet back in spirits.
"Yes, Grandmother. I will leave immediately after breakfast," Harriet responded with a smile.
"Where are you going?" Draco questioned her, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.
"I am going exploring to the first hill to the south of the Manor to collect some herbs," Harriet answered, directing a determined look at him, daring him to object.
Over the last week, Draco had been behaving rather oddly towards her by asking her if she needed money for her personal use, enquiring after her correspondence with his cousins, especially Sirius, and basically trying to make small talk with her to her utter perplexity. When he queried after her family, Harriet misunderstood that he was probably worried about what Hermione might say about their marriage to her family. In response, Harriet had scathingly told him that Hermione would not divulge her affairs to others, even to the Weasleys, without her express permission.
She could not fathom whether this change in his behaviour was because he had finally forgiven her or because he was worried that others might start questioning their abnormal marriage. The second reason always left Harriet feeling infuriated at him.
Draco did not say anything, instead, 'Does she think I am keeping her a prisoner here?' he thought, frowning at her.
"You are taking a servant with you, yes?" Alexandra enquired mock casually, breaking their staring contest.
Glancing away from him, Harriet nodded, saying, "I am thinking of taking Gregory if you do not mind." After all, Gregory was Alexandra's personal carriage driver. He was instructed to be always available at the Manor to bring Dr. Derwent in case of her medical emergency, especially in the absence of Vincent. And, after their conflict, Harriet did not want to take Draco's carriage driver, Vincent.
"Gregory, for such a delicate task?" Alexandra tutted in disapprobation. "No, no, you ought to take Dean with you. He is young and athletic. He would be of more help to you than any other."
Harriet silently mused over her recommendation for a brief minute. "You are right, Grandmother. I will ask him to join me …"
"Absolutely not!" a loud exclamation from Draco cut Harriet off. Befuddled at his strong refusal, Harriet turned her head to stare at Draco.
Reassuming his cool demeanour a brief minute later, "It would not be appropriate for you to be seen traipsing around with another man," Draco reasoned with a drawl.
Bristling at his remark, "Dean is our servant!" Harriet reminded him with a retort.
"A male servant," Draco corrected her and then decidedly announced, "No, I will be the one to escort you there."
'Mission accomplished,' Alexandra thought with a tiny yet wicked smile that was carefully hidden behind her cup while Harriet stared at him owlishly.
"You will take me there?" Harriet asked warily at last, still staring in disbelief at the man who had acted as if he could not wait to get himself away from her only ten days ago.
Draco nodded curtly. "I have no other plans for today. I can spare a few hours."
Breakfast ended shortly. Accepting farewells of having an enjoyable trip from Alexandra, Harriet accepted a large basket from Maria. She kept throwing glances at him, which was a combination of wonder and puzzlement as Draco silently ushered her outside.
When she realized where exactly Draco was leading her, Harriet came to a stop. "Why are we going to the stables?" she asked a bit nervously.
"You did not think that we would be walking all the way there, did you?" Draco snorted, glancing at her over his shoulder. "Come now."
Hesitantly dawdling after him "Er ... Do you mean we are taking a carriage?" Harriet enquired with hope that was quickly fading.
Draco frowned at her mindless questions. "Of course not! There is no proper pathway for the carriage to be drawn. The land is too uneven. We will go horseback," Draco informed her as they reached the stables.
Walking inside the stables, Draco turned around to ask Harriet to choose a mare only to notice her absence. With a frown marring his features, Draco called for her and when he received no reply, he impatiently retraced his steps. Draco found a bit pale-faced Harriet standing rigidly, staring at the entrance.
"Mrs. Malfoy, stop procrastinating," Draco snapped, breaking her trance. "Come inside and pick a ride."
Swallowing the lump in her throat, "Can't we just walk? It is really pleasant weather with a light wind and warm light," Harriet appealed to him again in a hopeful tone.
Draco studied her countenance in silence, trying to understand the reason for her apparent reluctance. Suddenly, comprehension washed over him.
"You do know how to ride, don't you?" Draco voiced his doubts. Like many things, the Malfoy Manor housed a fine breed of horses and not once had he seen or heard of Harriet taking advantage of that opportunity during the spring.
Harriet stiffened in response and that was enough for Draco to confirm that his observations had been dead-on, but that only served to raise more questions.
"I remember seeing a couple of horses in The Burrow. Even if they did not have any, how can you not know how to ride a horse?" Draco questioned, his eyebrow arched in incredulity.
"No one knows everything," Harriet snapped defiantly, averting her now flushed-looking face away.
"Yes but …" Draco spluttered before demanding a minute later, "Horses are our primary transport! Why did your family or even your tutors not teach you how to ride?"
"They wanted to. Only I wasn't interested," Harriet shrugged nonchalantly, still not looking at him.
Draco looked at her with narrowed eyes for a brief moment before a teasing smirk broke on his handsome face. "You are afraid of horses," Draco declared confidently, his voice indicating a combination of laughter and confusion.
The colour drained from Harriet's face yet again as she tried to deny it, "I am not. I travel in carriages all the time!"
"Because they are enclosed, hiding the view of the horses," Draco argued with amusement.
"I did not mind travelling in a Bride-wain!" Harriet retorted indignantly.
"You were preoccupied with other matters that day," Draco immediately countered, gazing knowingly at her.
Feeling frustrated at his incessant teasing, "You would be afraid of them too if your cousin tried to trample you under his horse just because he thought it would be amusing to him and his friends!" she blurted out without thinking. Seeing his wide-eyed look, Harriet inwardly repeated her words. When the words she had just uttered registered in her mind, Harriet's eyes bulged in shock and she quickly covered her mouth with her free hand.
"What did you say?" Draco asked at length in a hushed tone that was underlying the rage he was feeling at the moment.
In reply, Harriet hardened her expression. "I am walking there. If you still want to accompany me, then choose whatever method you wish to commute by," she said blankly before swiftly turning and walking in the direction of her destination.
Draco thoughtfully watched as his wife walked away for a couple of minutes before he re-entered the stables.
Harriet had already walked few yards when she heard the resounding noise of hooves that were obviously of the beastly animal against the hard ground from behind. Stubbornly looking forward, Harriet did not acknowledge Draco who was following her. It turned to be a mistake for her because in the next instant, Draco grabbed her around the waist and pulled her up onto the leather saddle in front of him, ignoring her loud cry of shock.
Protesting loudly, Harriet struggled against his tight hold around her midsection while keeping her eyes firmly shut.
"Mrs. Malfoy, cease your jerky moves if you don't wish us to fall off a racing horse," Draco stated calmly, staring forward.
He would have been on the receiving end of her deathly glare if Harriet weren't averse to opening her eyes, so she settled for shrilly crying in outrage.
"And your shrieks too if you don't want to startle the horse enough for it to throw us down," Draco added in amusement.
Harriet pursued her lips, nettled.
"Oh my god … why the hell did you do that? Stop right now, I want to get down … God ... you cannot force me … stop … oh God … you are mocking me, aren't you? … You find this funny …" Harriet continued to bemoan though in quieter tone, in between taking loud, deep breaths while clutching Draco's coat and hiding her desperately frightened face in his shoulder. Despite the thick saddle, Harriet, with her heart racing in panic, felt the flexing of the muscles on the horse's back.
In the meantime, Draco kept glancing amusedly at Harriet when he wasn't manoeuvring the horse. "Mrs. Malfoy, I compelled you to ride with me so that you can get the feel of riding a horse. Not to keep your eyes closed!" Draco admitted with an exasperated sigh. "It is the first step to overcome your fear of the horse and ride them with carefree. Open your eyes. You are not under the horse this time, but on it. Experience the feel of the wind rushing against your body."
"I am absolutely chipper without knowing how to ride," Harriet snapped reproachfully, refusing to heed to his suggestion. 'And you are one to talk. You never took my advice to overcome your nightmares,' she wanted to add, but her conscience held her tongue back.
Knowing that Draco had no intention of obliging her, Harriet resorted to repeating every two minutes, "Are we there yet?" to Draco's annoyance.
After what felt like forever to Harriet, but only ten minutes in actuality, their horse slowed and came to a halt in the next minute. With a quirk of his lips, Draco pulled free of her grip on his shoulder and jumped down on the ground while Harriet tensely sat on their transport.
"See, it wasn't so bad, was it? And it would have been at least an hour more if we arrived on foot, not to mention we would have tired ourselves out," Draco reasoned softly, sliding his hands on her waist and helping her down. A flicker of guilt crossed his face when he felt a shiver of fear running down her back.
Harriet did not open her eyes until she felt the ground under her feet. "You are just too lazy to walk," Harriet snapped again, throwing a withering glare at Draco before climbing the hill.
Shaking his head drolly, Draco tied the horse to one of the trees at the foot of the hills and hurriedly followed her.
As they climbed the hill, Draco started the conversation. "So if you do not know how to ride, how did you get around everyday? I cannot imagine your whole family using the same carriage to travel to different destinations. You used to frequent Blaise's house in Swindon in addition to your governess, Mrs. McGonagall's house in Chippanhem, yes?" Draco asked curiously, now leading her.
Frowning at him for not dropping the issue, "I used to walk," Harriet replied curtly and then, "You should try it sometime. It is a good exercise," she added sarcastically.
Arching his brow at her quip, "You don't have to worry about my health, Mrs. Malfoy," Draco drawled and then cheekily added, "and I do indulge in certain activities that exercise my body."
"Like what?" Harriet asked, interested though trying to look nonchalant. "I always thought that riding was an exercise for the horse rather than to the rider."
Biting back his chuckle at her remark, "Fencing, hunting …"
"Figures" Harriet muttered with a roll of eyes.
"… swimming and a couple of sports," Draco listed, taking her outstretched hand and pulling her up over the steep path. Gazing at her, he added, "And you are wrong about riding not being an exercise for the rider. You do need to exert some energy in manoeuvring the horse."
With a blush rapidly creeping up her face, Harriet coughed and hastily averted her face away from his intense grey eyes. Remembering himself, Draco dropped her hand that he was still holding and, turning around, he continued on with the journey.
Half an hour later, when they had finally reached their destination, they instantly caught a strong whiff emanating from the thousands of lavender flowers along with a few other wild flowers, whose plants spread on the mostly flat area of the hill.
Harriet's face split into a wide grin at the exquisite sight of violet coloured flowers with occasional white and yellow coloured wild flowers. Without further ado, Harriet placed the basket she was carrying on the ground and pulled out two cutting knifes that she had borrowed from their gardener. Handing Draco one, Harriet showed him the proper way of cutting the stems.
'This is manual labour meant for servants,' Draco wanted to protest but then he remembered that it was he who refused to allow the servant to go and also, he did not want Harriet to have any more bad expression of him than she already does. He thought this would have to do in place of a verbal apology for his past conduct.
When Draco silently nodded in understanding, they set to work in silence. In the next two hours that followed, they pruned almost all of the plants off the flowers between themselves. Watching Harriet carefully stake the stems in the basket that was now filled to its brim, "That's a lot of lavender," Draco remarked lightly.
"Yes, it looks a lot now, but I would be surprised if I get more than five medium-sized bottles of its essence," Harriet told him.
Suddenly, Draco's stomach growled loudly in hunger. Seeing his embarrassed face, Harriet smiled softly and said, "We are done. Let us take a break before we head back to the Manor."
Both searched the area for a place to sit, but it was Harriet who noticed a single rock standing a yard away. "Come on," she said, leading him to it.
The rock wasn't large enough and, as such, their shoulders along with their thighs touched when they sat together. Something that Harriet was too busy searching the basket for food to notice unlike Draco. In order to deviate his mind from the sensations, Draco said, "You still haven't told me why you were so intent on coming here and collect these flowers."
"Oh yes," Harriet said realising the truth in his statement. "Well, you see, lavender flowers have so many medical uses. Lavender is used to treat loss of memory, swooning fits, headaches, hysteria, hoarseness, palsy, toothaches, sore joints, colic as well as coughs. It is also used as a stimulant for chest pains and to treat upset stomachs, kidney disorders, dropsy, dressed wounds, jaundice, and insect bites," she recited and then pointing to the plants, she added in emphasis, "See you can't find any bugs wandering around the plants. That is why it is placed between clothes and linens as a fragrant repellent of moths and mosquitoes ..."
Draco stared as her eyes sparkled as she excitedly spoke of the medical wonders of lavender.
"… I plan to dry these flowers and then make their oil," Harriet finished.
"Would you like a fruit or bread, Mr. Malfoy?" Harriet asked, returning to the perusal of the lunch that Marie had packed for them
"Fruit."
"Which one? There are apples, peaches and grapes," Harriet listed.
"I will take an apple," Draco answered promptly. Smiling, Harriet handed him an apple and took one herself.
"Oh, she seemed to forgotten to provide a knife," Harriet commented lightly. Shrugging, Draco decided to use the one that Harriet had given him previously.
He was just about to cut the fruit when Harriet grabbed his wrist. "What are you doing? Don't use that! It's filthy with plant fluids, dust and all," she objected.
Raising a brow at her, "Then what do you suggest I use to cut it?" Draco asked her.
Rolling her eyes in response, "Can't you just eat it as it is?" Harriet said, exasperated. When Draco looked like he wanted to protest against such indecent eating, "Mr. Malfoy, I am the only one here and I don't care about proper etiquette at this moment, especially considering that I am just about to do the same," Harriet huffed, taking a bite of her apple to prove her point.
Draco studied his fruit for a moment before reluctantly bringing it to his mouth and, at Harriet's encouraging nod, he took a bite of it.
Staring at the valley beyond, Harriet did not notice as Draco's eyes drifted back to her face. His gaze spanned the side of her expressive face until it drew towards her mouth. Draco unblinkingly watched for a long moment, captivated as Harriet took another bite and then licked the juice off her plump lower lip.
All of a sudden, Draco leapt to his feet and moved away from her before he gave into his unwanted desires, leaving Harriet briefly confused. On the pretence of looking at the landscape, Draco walked towards the edge of the cliff and stared off.
"It presents a beautiful view from up here, doesn't it, Mr. Malfoy?" Harriet remarked, gazing at the tiny forms of magnificent Manor houses with gorgeous gardens and lushly green lands on this part of Tisbury.
Seeing his silent nod of agreement, "Did you ever come up here before?" Harriet asked interestedly.
"I would have to say, no. In all our exploits around the county, none of us thought of venturing up here," Draco admitted, glancing at her over his shoulder.
"That might be because you were fated to come here with me," Harriet said with a mischievous smile.
Draco looked at her for a long moment before saying with a slight twitch on his lips, "Maybe."
They spent the next half hour lingering on the hilltop. Draco did not retake his previous seat beside Harriet; instead he walked around gathering some wild flowers. Before they set out to trek back, Draco causally handed the flowers to Harriet to her pleasant surprise.
"Thank you," Harriet whispered, brightly smiling at him.
Their trek downwards passed in comfortable silence.
"Mr. Malfoy, watch your step, the mud is dry and loose here," Harriet cautioned him as she carefully walked in the lead.
"What?" Draco asked absentmindedly, doing exactly the opposite of what Harriet had warned him.
In the next second, Harriet heard the rough crunching of the pebbled soil against boots, which was immediately followed by the loud thud of a body crashing onto the ground. Harriet swirled her head around and watched in horror as Draco rolled down the sloped surface. Fortunately for Draco, he reached no further than ten steps. A thick cluster of shrubs had halted his progress. With her heart in the throat, Harriet ran down to him and crouched beside his outstretched body lying on the bed of tiny shrubbery. Looking at his confused eyes, Harriet worriedly asked, "Mr. Malfoy, are you all right?"
Glancing at her terrified face for a long pause, Draco slowly nodded.
"Did you hurt yourself anywhere?" Harriet inquired further, though keeping her tone low.
Draco felt around his limbs before answering, "Surprisingly, no."
Releasing a huge sigh of relief, Harriet helped him sit up. Now that she was sure that Draco had acquired no injuries, her lips twitched before an involuntary giggle escaped from her mouth. Draco, who was in the process of dusting his shoulders, narrowed his eyes at her, having heard that. Looking at his immaculate hair that was now mussed up with twigs, leaves, flowers and grass sticking from it, Harriet could no longer contain her hilarity and burst into a fit of laughter.
Directing a dirty look at her, "You find this amusing, do you?" Draco scowled, incensed.
"Mr. Malfoy … everyone knows … that you were … born with a silver spoon … in your mouth … but now … you can add that you … you slept … in a bed of … flowers to ... to that phrase," Harriet managed to say between giggles before bursting into laughter again.
"Is that so?" Draco drawled before his eyes acquired an evil glint. Grabbing her wrist, "Then why don't you join me so you can share the credit?" Draco said before pulling her down with him and extracting a startled yelp from Harriet.
A moment later, a ruffled looking Harriet sat, glaring, beside him. Now it was Draco's turn to laugh. Her indignant pout, however, transformed into a surprised yet pleased smile at the sight of Draco's unrestrained laughter.
Composing himself upon seeing Harriet's pointed smile, Draco averted his eyes and resumed dusting off his clothes and then ran his hands through his hair.
"Allow me," Harriet requested quietly and Draco looked thoughtfully at her.
When Draco inclined his head in invitation with slight twist on his lips, Harriet pushed herself forward and stood on her knees in front of him. She ran her hands through his hair, removing the particles from it whilst Draco closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of her fingers across his scalp. He had forgotten how much he loved when someone ran their hands through his hair. Draco remembered that his grandmother was the last one who had done it and that was ten years ago. Now, Draco allowed himself this one indulgence that his wife freely offered.
Brushing themselves off and straightening out their appearance as much as they could, the young couple continued along their journey.
As they reached closer to the foot of the hill, Harriet's fear of their ride started to rise again. Deciding to tough it out and be done with it, Harriet silently yet nervously allowed her husband to place her on the saddle and then ride their transport back. Again, she tightly nuzzled her face into his chest.
"Open your eyes, Mrs. Malfoy," Draco said softly, his voice as close to pleading as he would allow.
With much hesitation, Harriet, clutching her arms tightly around Draco's waist, slowly turned her head around and peered at the front as the horse raced forward.
Noticing this, Draco smirked smugly. Five minutes later, they reached the Manor.
Again carrying her down, "See you have improved already. All you need is a bit of practise," Draco remarked encouragingly.
"I have had the lifetime of practise. No way am I going to do that again," Harriet announced stubbornly as they entered the porch. Draco shook his head in amusement.
Alexandra, who was waiting for them in the foyer, felt an immense satisfaction as she looked at the flushed happiness on Harriet's face and relaxed countenance of Draco.
"How was your trip, dears?" Alexandra enquired, smiling.
"Oh, it was absolutely great ..." Harriet immediately started, occupying the seat beside her.
Author's note: I hope you liked Alexandra/Harriet and Harriet/Draco bonding in this chapter.
Dr. Farrell Derwin is a fictional character of my own. I purposefully kept his works vague because I don't want to take away the credit from the real doctors/scientists who actually discovered/invented the treatments for women.
cest-la-vie is the French phrase that means 'Such is life'. I learned it a few days ago after one of my readers used it in the review.
Mountaineering was one of the hobbies in the 19th century.
There is one more use of Lavender that Harriet doesn't know, is that in middle ages it was considered a great aphrodisiac. You know, Lavender ranks highest right along with Pumpkin pie's smell that immediately arouses men *wink* Poor Draco, the phenomenal self control he must have exerted among hundreds of them!!!
In the 19th century, doctors used to treat barrenness in women whilst some people used to put lavender under the bed of newlyweds to ensure passion. Thank god, I did not put it under Harriet and Draco's wedding bed. *smirks wickedly*
I forgot to inform you an important detail when I gave the information on 19th century period and one of the readers, Sam was kind enough to point it out to me.
At the start, I said that the story is set in 19th century. In the summary, I also referred the Pride and Prejudice period because I thought you could relate and imagine that time easily. What I forgot to mention is that the wonderful author, Jane Austen belonged to Georgian period (1714-1830). Jane lived in late 1700 and early 1800 of that period to be more precise and she wrote Pride and Prejudice with that era in view. But my story happens in the Victorian period (between mid and late 1800, to be precise). Remember, I mentioned Queen Victoria's husband Prince Albert was responsible for the adaptation of Christmas tree in England. The reason I chose the Victorian era was because certain inventions and discoveries (Christmas trees, advances in medicine, emergence of profession called nursing, and few others that I won't tell you now) were made in that period.
I just thought I should mention this.
Onto the questions you had regarding the behaviour of Alexandra, Draco and Harriet in the last chapter then,
Many of you think that decisions made by Alexandra and Harriet was wrong and Draco's attitude was harsh. You are right, I wrote with that very intention because characters in my story will realistic people who will make mistakes in life. And this is not justification of their actions and I am merely explaining why they felt their decisions were right.
Draco: Despite being raised by Alexandra, Draco lived under Lucius's parenting for his first 15 years. It is not hard to imagine that Lucius taught him (firmly and not kindly) that Malfoys do not have any vulnerability or show emotions (other than anger, scorn) and if they do have them and cannot get rid off, they are not supposed to show it to others. Being an impressible kid, Draco had this lesson ingrained in him. Also, Draco doesn't trust Harriet yet and since he has no intention of keeping their marriage after 3 years are finished, he thinks Harry will expose his weakness to outsiders when she is no longer his wife. So, it was his fear of being ridiculed and hurt ego that was making him act his way (like 'hurt before you could be hurt' kind of thing). What can I say, Canon!Draco wasn't nice, Malfoy men don't do nice. In addition, men in that century were very big on masculinity.
Harriet: Telling Draco about her knowledge is a big mistake. I wanted it to. Despite the big decision regarding marriage she made or her skills, Harriet is only 18, a teenager who lacks wisdom that one gains only through life experiences. If Molly or Alexandra were in her place, they would have found a way to help Draco without hurting his ego in the process. Harriet's this action also shows Harry's major canon personality trait i.e., impulsiveness. Harriet isn't perfect.
Alexandra: Remember, Draco promised to keep Harriet happy in front of all the Weasleys, Alexandra and Blaise when he first came to the Burrow with his proposal. Since women did not have many rights protecting them in 19th century, a man's word held a lot of trust. Not keeping his word was considered very ungentle manly of him. Hence, Alexandra thought that at least for appearance's sake and for preventing his in-laws from questioning his word, Draco would behave well towards Harriet in front of them. Even she could not anticipate that his ego would matter more to him than receiving a blemish on his name. As for inviting Ginny, even Weasleys did not know how much she hated Harriet, so you can hardly expect Alexandra know it only after meeting Ginny a few times (none were one-to-one) before.
Ginny: When I started writing this story, I just wanted a character who was close to Harriet who would not be very approving of her (like Ron in 4th and 7th book of canon.) I had no intention of bring her up after the wedding. But when I sat to write the previous chapter, I just wanted to bring Cedric's feelings out to Harriet and Alexandra's reaction to it and their bonding over it. But alas, Ginny kept popping in my mind to create chaos in the absence of Narcissa. I didn't even realize when she became one of the antagonists; I had reserved that spot solely to Draco's lovely parents when I started. I apologize to those who are Ginny's fans and those who were expecting her to change. I am now officially declaring that this story has Ginny's bashing along with Lucius and Narcissa. Some of you suggested, which are all pretty good by way, that I do something about her but I need my antagonists, guys, I won't have a story to tell if everyone loves everyone (not a Brady bunch, no, no… no way) and all is well. Real life is no way like that. Keeping reading to know what happens with her…
My beta, Phoenix Soar asked whether or not Lucius would show his anger on Harriet?
In the canon, Lucius hates Weasleys including Molly, whether it is because she is Arthur's wife or because she is the daughter of the family who actively fought against Voldemort and his death eaters in the first war, I am not sure. Despite that he would never attack her in public, verbally or otherwise (except for sneering or glaring) because there is some propriety (aristocratic manners shown towards a woman) that he would follow. Similarly if Harriet had been a boy in the story, then he would not have hesitated in showing his disapproval to her. But Harriet being a girl will keep him in check. Lucius will expect Narcissa to do the tormenting instead.
I am really trying to keep the characters in their canon personalities especially Harry and Draco so I wanted to reaffirm their personality traits since as the story progresses, they will start showing more complex emotions.
Harry:
Impulsive, protective and possessive of people he cares, easily warms up to those who are nice to him, has the habit of bottling up his anger and exploding when it all becomes too much, compassionate, understanding (comes from his experience from living in a house where everyone hated and belittled him). Eager to be in good graces of those he reveres (Dumbledore, I observed this in the 6th canon book when Harry kept insisting on Draco's secret work), ability to easily and quickly forgive those who are truly repentant, as the talent for persuasion, determined, smart, bad tempered and finally reluctant to apologise just to patch up if he thinks he is not in the wrong.
Draco:
Protective and possessive of people he cares, snarky, spoilt, self-centred but not cold hearted like his parents (his reluctance to identify the trio in the Manor and his determination to save Goyle in RoR in 7th book. Can you imagine Lucius and Narcissa doing the same if they were in his place?), arrogant, possesses a sharp and biting tongue, academically intelligent, determined, witty, bad tempered, has knowledge of aristocratic manners (etiquette, dance and such), can be sweet (gentleman) when he wants to be and finally, a bad loser.
Tell me if I missed anything or that you think a certain trait that I aforementioned doesn't exist in them. I really really want to know.
Let me know if you have any more questions.
Thank you for bothering to read my rumblings. I hope you liked the new chapter now that their love story is picking up the pace.
Next one I am gonna make a fun chapter with more of Draco/ Harriet goodness in it! But you know what the magic word to get update soon is? Reviews that's right, people!!!
SO, PLEASE REVIEW, *puppy eyes*