"I am afraid we would need to go find some herbs for a possible potion that I can make. And we were wondering if we could have a look at books on the following subjects if you or any other person you know might have access to these?" Malfoy said handing out a list of books to Hector Fawley.
Hermione was currently pretending to make notes off books from the Fawley library. It had a fair amount of books, but it paled in comparison to the Malfoy Library or her favourite, the library at Hogwarts. She was honestly just rereading about things she already knew off or was trying to pick on some new knowledge. There was nothing in these books that could heal a diabetic. They had rather outrageous notions that diabetes meant that the sugar content in a person's body was going down so the person must be fed more starch and sugar, instead! They were killing people based on assumptions!
"Well, I am afraid that our library does not have these books, but I will send a word out to the Ministry and the other Aristocrats. They might have a few in their library."
The Lord Fawley then went away to write the necessary owls.
"What books Draco?"
"I wrote down a list of potions books that are there either with the Ministry or with us Malfoys. A few stray copies might be with a few other pureblood families, but all of them are there in the Malfoy Manor. And Malfoys don't lend books, but they do let you come have a look at them in their library." He had a glint in his eye and a devious smirk plastered on his face.
Hermione got up from the chaise that she was sitting on and stood in front of him now. Her smirk matched his. "So this is your ploy to get access to the Manor? Isn't it? How absolutely brilliant"
"Shhh...Lady Malfoy or someone would hear you." He smiled and moved towards his potions notes.
Him calling her that sent a shiver down her spine every time. She turned back to her own notes and started browsing through.
A few days passed unceremoniously with Hector Fawley managing to get the Ministry to owl a few books to them. All of which Draco was quick to dismiss the next day as they arrived, claiming that they did not hold any detailed information.
Hermione had wondered what if all the books had copies at the Ministry. Draco had quickly told her that there were a few books with the only known copy in the Malfoys' possession since centuries.
A week later, Lady Fawley was feeling much better and had started going for her daily walks in the gardens. She was rather fond of tending to her rose bushes which constantly reminded Draco of his Mother who loved to do the same.
One day, while in the chambers of the Fawley Matriarch, Hermione sat, simply reading some stories to the old lady. They both had a passion for reading, but with old age and a foggy vision, it was a strain for Nigella Fawley to read anything on her own. Hermione found it as a wonderful opportunity to do some reading for herself while fulfilling some wishes for the elderly dame.
She had just finished reading from the book, when suddenly the usually stern matriarch asked, "You are happy right? With your marriage that is?"
Hermione was taken aback. They had discussed many things, but anything domestic or personal was never touched upon. "Well, yes. I suppose. I am happy with dear Draco." She hoped she sounded convincing enough.
"You look happy, don't worry. Don't mind what I am going to say, but I think you don't give the young man enough credit dear girl. Take this from an old woman who has seen enough."
"I am sorry but I am actually confused as to what are you referring to."
"Well, he clearly takes care of you. I have seen it myself. He keeps an eye on you, a protective eye, not the jealous suspicious kind, when other men are around especially at the dinners we host. He often asks about your health and well-being to my nurse, if you have happened to say anything about being uncomfortable. He is extremely fond of you, in fact, he is smitten by you. That is quite obvious. And so are you, but you don't show it enough to him I suspect. Do you?" She gave Hermione a knowing smile.
"I do...uh...I guess. We are quite compatible. We just balance each other in the right way." She was shocked at her own admittance. She had thought about it in flashes but had always quickly dismissed her thoughts.
"That you do. We all know that, trust me. Even those that have met you both just once, would know that. But I am talking about appreciating the man's efforts and putting some of your own. I don't believe that only the woman should be giving in marriage. It should be the same for both man and wife. I was married to my beloved husband for so many years and showing appreciation for each other kept the love alive till the very end. It still burns the same, even after he passed, you know?" Her eyes were now moistened and Hermione's heart warmed at the sight. She gingerly placed a comforting hand on the Lady's. She wondered if she would ever feel love as strong and be telling stories of how she fell in love with her husband. In her real life, she was married to her work, as the people around her often pointed out. And she knew that would never change. She wondered if there was any man who would ever appreciate or simply accept her with all these mannerisms.
She had Harry and Ron who could 'deal with her bookishness'. But Ron being able to deal with it did not mean that he had necessarily accepted it. Yes, he accepted it as a part of her, but he did not necessarily accept it as something that would stick around for the rest of his life. He did not want a girlfriend or a wife who would research every single nuance before even attempting them. She couldn't blame him honestly, she knew it could get tiring to keep up with her, but she wanted someone who was willing to just try.
Later, that evening, she sat reading in her chambers when Draco burst through the door.
"Guess who got permission to visit the Malfoy Manor tomorrow!"
"Let me guess. Peeves?" She gave an amused smirk at how his excitement deflated at her remark.
"Killjoy." He mumbled.
"So tell me how does it feel to be able to go back home?" Hermione finally broke into a smile.
"It won't be my home until more than a century later. But it feels great like finally something that I know and can hold dear in this era, except you." He did not know where had that last bit come from. He looked away, flushed. Hermione noticed the red tips of his ears and felt her own cheeks take on a matching pink tinge.
Neither spoke of it again and an awkward silence took over which was starting to grate on Hermione's nerves. She could feel the heavy silence descend upon them like an unwanted cocoon. So she did the thing that came to her naturally. Asked a question.
"Draco, there was something that had been bothering me lately. Rather the lack of it has been bothering me actually."
"Hmm?"
"I am a muggle born living in the lap of luxury and even respected at the house of these great purebloods. Are the Fawley's just generally a tolerant family or are they dealing with me because they have no option for the sake of Lady Fawley?"
Draco then put down the book he was reading and looked at Hermione. She looked rather unsure. She looked as uncomfortable discussing this with him as he was with her because it was the reminder of a violent past based on these very prejudices. Draco's eyes softened.
"The prejudice, Hermione, was initially not based on one's origins of magic. The pureblood aristocracy was powerful because of the position in society they held irrespective of their magic. They were the closest thing to what you muggles have as nobles. These families are centuries old and they gain power with each addition. So it was the sensible thing to do that they marry their children to each other to gain access to the other's wealth, power and loyalty. Years, centuries of interbreeding, really."
Hermione was looking at him intently now.
"The Blacks, for example, are the most widespread family. Nymphadora Lupin was my cousin as you know, but Sirius is my Mother's cousin too. In fact, I am related to Potter on his father's side! It is not surprising for us to find long lost blood relations. But the thing is that all this power got into their heads. They started believing that they were entitled to all the wealth and power just because of their family name, their bloodline. And since, the family name passes through sons only, the power came to be associated with the surname and the sons they had."
Hermione grimaced at the ridiculous notion of patriarchy.
"And no Granger, I don't believe in all this. I know you disapprove, so do I. I believe that it's the mother's care and affection that make the children great and not the father's blood. I am who I am today because of my Mother. If I had anything to do with my father's blood, I would be a person I would loathe myself." he said with a foul taste in his mouth.
"This blood prejudice was a notion simply borne of the fact that no other wizards were as great and as powerful as those born into the pureblood families. Power attracts power. That sort of thing. Looking down upon muggle borns existed, but it was from a societal point of view. Gradually as the interbreeding increased and more and more squibs were born, the hatred the families felt for the bright and brilliant muggle born witches and wizards, much like yourself, increased. Unfortunately, my family, unlike the Fawley's already saw themselves above everybody else. They bought into the prejudice much before any of the other families."
"You still feel that way, don't you? That you are better than most if not all?" Hermione suddenly mused.
Draco almost took offence until he saw the amused look on her face. She was teasing him.
"I do. But give me a reason why I should not? Am I not more skilled as a wizard and way more dashing than most? My people skills are equally good too." He grinned.
"I am not so sure about your people skills Malfoy. Unless by that, you are implying 'being a mean git to people' skills."
"So you agree with me about my skills as a wizard and my looks?" he teased in return and was met with a cushion that was hurled at him in jest.
They both started laughing. But Draco's face suddenly darkened as he looked at her. "What happened?"
"We can't tell anyone that you are muggle born while at the Manor, understood? They might not openly mistreat you in this era, but I don't think I can tolerate the disdainful looks and taunts they might throw your way."
She exclaimed, "But I am proud of who I am Draco."
"But you are not Hermione Granger, Brightest Witch of our Age and Gryffindor Princess in here. You are a simpleton from Italy married to a pureblood. They will not like you one bit even if they don't hate you. My family has harboured their dislike of muggles since a long time. The other purebloods started feeling such scorn only after Grindelwald rose to power to establish Wizarding Supremacy. They then realised how muggles made life restricted for them and thus came to loathe everything that was associated with them. Including the witches and wizards with muggle origins. If there is animosity in this era, it became the disgusting hatred you have faced, later with the rise of Grindelwald."
Hermione knew what had happened back then. She had spoken to Aberforth plenty of times even after the war ended. The trio had often visited him, especially on Dumbledore's death anniversary each year. It was strange that none of those dates mattered anymore because those events were yet to occur! She often wondered if they would return to the present to see that a few weeks had passed where they were missing. Or if they would return to the exact moment of their departure; she was sure the flash of light they had seen had something to do with it. But she knew better than to mull over things that pained her by reminding of all those loved ones that she left behind.
They had been back to the cottage quite a few times on the pretext of looking for some special plants, but nothing of interest had turned up so far. She had even cast an undetectable spell that would alert them if anyone entered the cottage; a spell that she had mastered to protect their camping site while they were on the hunt for Horcruxes in the Forest of Dean.
The next day, both of them were ready at the Apparition point to go to the gates of the Malfoy Manor. Malfoy knew he would immediately be identified as a Malfoy at the Manor so he had transfigured his face to be a little rounded and turned his hair into a darker shade of blonde.
He had also turned his eyes into a more believable shade of blue. To Hermione, he still looked like Draco more or less, minus the nuances, but to the Malfoy's he was just a tall blonde man with piercing blue eyes.
As they walked to the gates, they opened on their own and Draco held Hermione back. "What?"
"The old magic in the Manor recognises me as a Malfoy even if am not even born yet. So, all gates and doors would open for me. We have to be careful of not being discovered."
She nodded and took a step back as she saw a carriage move towards them. The gates closed once again. The Malfoys had acres of land around the Manor, so it was expected that they pick their guests from the gates in a carriage. The couple patiently waited outside the place both of them held memories to; pretending as if this would be their first visit. While one's memories haunted her each night, the other's memories turned from happy fond ones into the nightmares he was more accustomed to now. Each tried to look as calm and collected as possible as the gates opened and the Thestral-drawn carriage halted in front of them. The magnificent black beasts that both could now see because of deaths and torture that were yet to happen but neither could unsee.
(A/N)
I had free time on my hand until my birthday dinner so I thought might as well leave a cliffhanger for the next two days while I am at it.
Hope this explains a few plot points, including how blood prejudice grew as per my understanding of the Potterverse.
Favourites and reviews always welcome!
Also, for some reason, I can't see three reviews that are left for me. It says 25, I can only see 22. I have been told it happens from time to time, so if I was unable to reply to your review, I am extremely sorry. I will definitely get back to you as soon as I get to see the reviews.
Mili