"Wait, wait." The two of them sat in the tent talking for quite awhile. Rather, Malfoy listened as Hermione explained her plan. Draco needed a few days to rest before they attempted to become members of the Hogwarts faculty. "You think this is going to work based on the fact that teachers aren't mentioned for the subjects Ancient Runes and Potions?" Malfoy still wasn't convinced with her plan. "What about changing things. I think teaching at Hogwarts would change quite a few History books Granger."
"Unfortunately we haven't got much of a choice.' Hermione informed him as she transfigured her spare clothes. Walking around in modern day slacks and a blouse wouldn't exactly let them remain anonymous. "We are going to have to purchase more clothes. We already stand out by the different spells we know. Diagon Ally hasn't even been built yet. Damn."
"We could always get muggle garments and transfigure them. I mean what do they wear now? Cloaks, dresses, and robes I'm assuming."
"According to the portraits yes things of that nature. I doubt I'll be able to wear anything but dresses." Hermione sighed look at the dress before her. It was lovely, a deep yellow with purple on it. They needed to gain the Founder's' trust and looking radically different wouldn't help.
"Alright. You stay here. I'll go and fetch us some more clothes." Hermione paused for a moment pulling the dress on in the room attached to the tent. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone."
"Wouldn't dream of it." Malfoy eyed her generously as she stepped out of the attached room, his eyes trailing from the hem of the dress all the way to the modest neckline. She looked the part. Hermione didn't notice that he had eyeballed her, instead she'd carefully been placing the beaded bag, now a necklace enchanted to look like a ruby, around her neck. "I actually feel like sleep might do me some good." From the looks of him, Hermione didn't doubt it. He looked as if he needed a week of sleep. He probably hadn't been getting much, or any depending, from the work he'd been doing with the orb.
"Right well. I'll be back as soon as I can. Meanwhile you try and think of the name you are going to go by and your back story." Gathering up the skirt of her dress Hermione placed a small spell on the tent. One to let her find it again when she came back. Imagining herself outside modern London she apparated apprehensively with a crack. To her surprise she landed in the middle of a barn, giving a pair of horses quite a start.
"What the devil is going on!" The sound of footsteps made Hermione turn, wide eyed. "Blood hell." The man who yelled skidded to a stop at the site of Hermione. He wore a plain white tunic, brown britches held up by suspenders and a head full of flaming hair, all set off with a distinctive nose. "Pardon me miss, but what are you doing in my barn?" He asked after a moment of staring at her dress. Hermione wondered if she had made it too fancy.
"Oh, My deepest apologies. You see I am just utterly lost. I was looking for a shop and must have," Hermione saw that his hand had clasped around something tightly behind his back. Something she could only assume was a wand. ", well I missed my stop." She told him carefully hoping she was right about him. He seemed to understand and softened, hand falling away from his back, sliding a wand quickly into his pocket.
"You are mighty close Miss. There is a town about 2 trots south of here. You can go see Madam Yvonne Yaxley about robes." He winked at her. "I've got a fireplace if you'd like." He added.
"A fireplace? You have Floo Powder?' Hermione asked deeply confused. Everything that she had read insisted that Floo Powder had been invented in the 13th century.
"Floo Powder?" He looked confused. "No, no. I've got a fireplace, with a portrait hanging above it?" Hermione understood then, her mind flashing back to the portrait they had taken into the Room of Requirement years prior. "Come on, we'll get you on your way Miss?" He looked at her expectantly opening leading her toward his small home.
"Hermione, Hermione. . .Selwyn." Hermione could have kicked herself. She didn't know how prominent the Selwyn family was, what if he had heard of them before?
"Selwyn you say?" Hermione's heart hammered as he opening the door to his drawing room. "You must be one of Alfred's eight girls. I see it now. That hair. Looks just like Ariella." He tapped on the portrait of a large apple tree twice with a fat, crude wand. "I bet you get that all the time though don't you? You just tell Yvonne that Corvac Weasley sent you. She'll take care of you. She's sweet on me." Corvac winked at Hermione reminding her painfully of Ron. "Be safe, and remember first left, then your third, and straight on to the end."
"I will, thank you so much Corvac. I won't forget your hospitality." Hermione promised slipping into the vast tunnel. It was lit with torches, already Hermione could see it was long with many turns and twists. It seemed to Hermione that the tunnel was frequently used. Her theory only confirmed when a small bustling wizard zipped mast her turning down a dark path, presumably to a different painting. Coming to the end, with a matching portrait Hermione opening it slowly.
"Come in, come in!" A pretty soprano voice called almost immediately. "Hurry dear before one of the muggles see you." She added moving to help Hermione out of the tunnel. The plump, sweet face woman smiled up at her barely 5' tall. She looked surprisingly kind with her chubby face, light hair, and big, blue eyes. "What can I do for you love?"
"Corvac sent me." The woman's eyes sparkled at the mention of his name and her cheeks flared pink. "I need a few gowns, robes, britches, men's robes, tunics, and cloaks. My friend and I, we lost all our luggage travelling." Hermione explained though the woman was already beginning to move her into the front of the little shop. Hermione could see a few others around, people walking here and there.
"Oh dear, oh dear, that's horrible. Of course. You come with me and I can rustle you up more than a few things. Might take me a few hours to get them all together. It'll cost you five galleons for all of it, is that a problem?" She stopped, holding a large mass of white cloth, her eyes worried.
"No, no that won't be a problem at all. I'm in no hurry either, please take your time." Yvonne smiled, nodding and Hermione and zipping off to grab more cloth and a variety of colors, some looking dangerously like satin. Hermione settled herself on a plump chair, watching as Madam Yaxley set to work. A part of Hermione couldn't help but marvel at the whole situation, at the ancestors she was getting to meet. Madam Yaxley seemed perfectly polite, how her descendants had fallen so far, Hermione didn't know.
"Have you heard about the school that's been opened?" She asked Hermione, her wand flicking as a needle began to sew the snow colored cloak quick as lightning. A fur collar adding itself to it only made Hermione appreciate her skill more.
"I have indeed, it's where my friend and I are travelling to. He got hurt unfortunately and is resting now." Hermione explained.
"The poor dear. Lost your luggage and he got hurt. I hope it wasn't the chimera they say is wandering about nasty stuff." Hermione's face took a severe turn at the mention of a chimera, though Yvonne missed it. "What business do you have up at the school?" She asked curiously moving her wand so that a deep emerald cloak trimmed in black fur sewed itself.
"We actually wish to be teachers there." Hermione grinned as a glass of wine appeared on the table beside her. Scooping it up she drank from it, surprised at how sweet it was.
"Teachers!" Yvonne's big blue eyes widened, she smiled brightly at Hermione. "That's wonderful. We need more young people like you taking charge. A teacher. If I knew anything more than making clothes I'd go teach myself." Hermione couldn't help but catch the way she all but put herself down.
"I couldn't make clothes if I tried." Hermione told her quietly, not watching as Yvonne stopped moving. She didn't want a fellow witch feeling inferior. "That kind of magic has always eluded me. You are better than you think." She assured Yvonne making the woman flush muttering her gratitude.
Two hours later, Hermione left her shop with more outfits than she had counted and Yvonne demanding that she come back soon so they could have dinner together, and she could show Hermione a few simply spells.
Returning to the tent, Hermione wasn't surprised to find Malfoy asleep. He had eaten the rest of his chocolate and no longer looked as if he were wasting away. Night had begun to fall and a chill settled in the tent. Hermione started a fire in the cooking pit quietly, not wanting to wake up. The smell of the leftover lamb stew she had packed though roused Draco, who stiffy got to his feet moving into the little kitchen with Hermione.
"Were you able to get some clothes?" He asked sitting down. He sounded a little strained as if the walking had been more painful than he had assumed it'd be.
"Yes, I actually found a witch's shop and got more than a few sets of clothes for us." Hermione told him proudly. " Have you given any thought to your new identity?" She asked pushing bread, soup, and Abby's elf made wine toward him before settling down herself.
"I already know who I'll be. What about you? Have you given any thought to who you are now?" He asked with a smirk before eating a giant spoonful of the soup.
"Hermione Selwyn, one of Alfred Selwyn's eight daughters. And you? Who are you Malfoy?" She asked trying not to let him get under her skin. His growing smirk only provoked her though.
"I'm Draco Malfoy, Miss Selwyn." He answered her simply drinking his wine.
"Oh, ha, ha very funny. I need you to take this seriously Malfoy. Don't you want to go back to our time?"
"I am taking this seriously Granger. The Malfoy name is older than you think. Armand Malfoy came to Britain from France in 1012. He had one younger brother, Draco." His smirk reappeared as Hermione fumed. "Draco died in 1011 before Armand came to Britain. Knowing one's family history is useful. So again, I am Draco Malfoy."
"Well, that's just lovely for you." Hermione had no other retory and they finished their meal in silence, though his smug expression spoke volumes.
"You know, we are going to need to discuss what we are to each others. The Founders will make their assumptions of course." Malfoy couldn't help but press Hermione's buttons, the magic around her all but crackled. "We could tell them. . ."
"We are old friends turned traveling companions, that's what we'll tell them and that's all." Hermione interrupted washing her bowl hastily. "Good night." She marched into the adjoining room, wishing sourly she had been able to slam a door in his face.