Authors Note: Finally here it is. The delay was mainly due to my workload which increased tenfold over the last few months. Thanks as always to my beta who had to edit this as well as juggle other commitments, and to Cat for letting me borrow the name of her cat.
Chapter Twelve
The sound of her wand vibrating against the wood of the bedside table made Hermione stir and open protesting eyes to stare round her in momentary confusion. Then, memory returning, she looked around her spacious room at Malfoy Manor while blinking the sleep from her eyes. The wand vibrated again but years of conditioning had her wide awake and swinging her feet to the floor. Aurora must be awake and crying.
Hastily pulling on her dressing gown, she hurried to the door and pulled it open. She hoped that no one else had heard the child cry out and moved swiftly on bare feet across the dimly lit corridor and pushed open the door to Aurora's bedroom.
The room was lit by a nightlight sitting on the bedside table, illuminating her daughter's pale, frightened face as she sat staring wide-eyed around her. Aurora was clutching a well-loved, battered teddy bear almost as old as she, and trying not to cry.
"Mummy? Mummy, where are you?" Tears glinted in the child's eyes as she huddled further into the bedclothes, searching the large shadowy room for her mother.
"I'm here, darling. What's wrong?" Hermione sat down on the side of the bed, and immediately, Aurora crawled into her lap, burying her face against Hermione's shoulder.
"Mummy, I don't like it here, I want to-"
"Shh, baby, it's okay. Hush now or everyone'll wake up," Hermione soothed, rocking the small figure in her arms and wiping away the child's tears.
Aurora clung to her, small body trembling. "I don't like it on my own, I want to sleep with you," she said, looking pleadingly into her mother's face.
"Of course you can sleep with me, darling, but I would have thought you'd want to stay in your nice new room," Hermione coaxed gently. She was tempted to take Aurora back to her own room, but knew this would be but a temporary solution to the problem. This was their third night in the Manor, and for the last two, Aurora, exhausted by the excitement of the day, had slept right through the night.
"No, I want to be with you, like before. Mummy, I don't like it now!" the child insisted tearfully, arms clamped tightly round Hermione's neck.
Behind them the bedroom door was pushed open, and Draco, wearing a dressing gown, entered the room, making both females start with surprise. Turning with difficulty to face him, Hermione saw that he too, looked as though he'd jumped out of bed in a hurry. His blond hair was dishevelled, and he still looked half asleep as he came to sit beside her, stifling a yawn.
"I hope we didn't wake you," she said stiffly, conscious of the flimsy dressing gown that clung to her like a second skin and barely covered her knees. She wished she'd taken time to put on something slightly more substantial, and defensively drew Aurora closer against her.
"Not in the least. I charmed my wand so it would alert me when Aurora woke up." Leaning forward, he wiped a tear from the little girl's cheek with his thumb. "What's wrong, Princess?" he asked with concern.
Aurora scowled and turned away from him. "Nothing," she replied, not looking at him, instead pressing her face into her mother's shoulder.
Hermione saw a look of hurt pass swiftly over his face, to be masked with a bland expression. "She must have had a nightmare and is a bit edgy," she explained gently. "It's impossible to reason with her in this mood; she's overtired, aren't you?" She smiled down at her scowling daughter in an effort to break the tension that had sprung up in the room.
Aurora didn't return her smile, but turning, glared at Draco. "Go away! "
"Aurora!" Hermione remonstrated automatically, but the child ignored her.
"I don't want you, I want Mummy! Go away!"
Draco drew back as though stung. "But Angel-" he tried but was cut off.
"I want to go home and…and–" She broke off and began to cry in loud gulping sobs, burying her face against Hermione once more.
He frowned, looking bewildered and hurt, and Hermione felt a dart of sympathy for him go through her. No matter what she might think of him, he was trying to do his best for Aurora. Never having encountered a fractious four year old, he was learning the hard way that parent/child relationships were a lot more complex than they seemed on the surface. "Take it with a pinch of salt," she advised, putting a hand on his arm. "She's overwrought and tired. She'll be fine in the morning."
Leaning forward, he made to draw Aurora into his embrace, but she squealed and pulled back. "Go away! I don't want you, Mummy, make him go away!"
"I don't know what I've done to make her behave like this towards me. She was fine earlier," he said in a dejected voice, turning to Hermione.
"Don't worry about it; she'll be fine after a good night's sleep. You'd better go while I get her settled for the night." She gave him a sympathetic smile he did not return. Instead, he sighed, and getting up, left the room.
It took Hermione a while to calm Aurora down, but finally the child fell asleep, curled up against her. She lay in the dim room listening to her daughter's even breathing and sighed to herself. She wasn't surprised at the night's events; if anything, Aurora had held out longer than she had expected.
The last two days had been full of people coming round and congratulating her and Draco on their marriage. Some comprised of Steven Fits-Gerald's family, who had travelled from America to wish them well, and business associates of Draco's from all over Europe and the States. This was not to mention Narcissa's friends, both British and American, who had called to 'pay their respects'. She knew that curiosity more than anything else about both her and Aurora had induced these people to travel to England to convey their best wishes. So much for a quiet wedding. The day itself had indeed been quiet, just their families and friends, but the next day, people had descended upon them like an avalanche, their curiosity fuelled by the photos of the wedding published in the Daily Prophet and other British newspapers and magazines.
She supposed she should have expected the interest and curiosity of the wizarding population, but had been unable to think past the wedding itself and all the complications it presented on both a physical and emotional level. She smiled to herself, remembering the look of horror on Draco's face when the first guests had arrived. He had swiftly recovered from the surprise and spent the next two days playing the perfect host. Narcissa had not been surprised in the least. In fact, she had been the one person who had calmly accepted the situation and slipped effortlessly into the role of hostess, revelling in the chance to show both Aurora and Hermione off to the world.
Aurora, never a shy child, had at first enjoyed all the extra fuss and attention as long as one of her parents was in sight, but as the second day had worn on, had clung to her mother. Hermione was not surprised in the least at tonight's outburst, and wondered again how Draco was feeling. She would try and explain the reason to him in the morning; the poor man deserved at least that much. So resolved, she fell into an exhausted sleep.
XoXoXoXo
"I am absolutely exhausted," Narcissa smiled at the other occupants of the breakfast table. "Thank Merlin the days for visiting are over; I don't think I could have stood another one."
"I honestly didn't think they'd rely on such an outdated custom," Draco grumbled, scowling. "This is the twenty-first century for Merlin's sake, not the Middle Ages!"
Hermione blinked in surprise. Yesterday he had been more than happy to play the affable host, chatting amicably to anyone who called, including Ron and Harry, who had dropped in during the afternoon, but today he was like a bear with a saw head. She wondered what had brought about the change.
"They obviously thought that we'd prefer to keep to tradition. That's understandable, the Malfoys being such an old family," Narcissa replied with evident pride in her voice, ignoring her son's scowl.
"Hmph," was Draco's only answer, and he disappeared behind the morning's Daily Prophet.
"As you say Narcissa, it's over now," Hermione put in quietly, buttering a slice of toast for Aurora and pouring herself a cup of fragrant coffee, causing Draco's frown to deepen over the pages of the newspaper.
Reaching forward, he took a slice of toast from the rack in the centre of the table, buttered it, and placed it on Hermione's plate, his eyes steely.
Immediately, Aurora, who was seated between them, and had remained silent until now, piped up, "Oh no, Daddy, Mummy never eats breakfast. She doesn't have time."
"Ah, but we need Mummy to keep her strength up, don't we? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so we all have to eat it!" Draco smiled at the little girl, his black mood lifting for a moment, and she nodded. His eyes then rested briefly on Hermione, their expression grim.
She decided that it would be prudent not to argue, and so began to eat the toast. She had never before had much time for breakfast. Getting Aurora ready for nursery and herself for work, on top of doing various chores before leaving the flat, meant she rarely had time to grab a cup of coffee, let alone breakfast. She had become used to not eating before midday and felt slightly queasy as she chewed the toast. However, Draco was in a very strange mood and she didn't want to aggravate it more than she had to.
Her mind went back over the last two days and she frowned in thought. Visiting Days as they were known were two days in which the newly-wedded couple's acquaintances could pay their respects and pass on their best wishes for the couple's happiness and health. They had originally been meant for landowners whose tenants would be expected to meet the new mistress of the estate and pay their respects. Hermione knew that these days, not many witches and wizards adhered to the practice, most couples leaving for their honeymoon straight after the wedding reception. Her marriage however, was not one which would be termed 'normal', and so a honeymoon was out of the question. She supposed being so well-known, people couldn't resist paying them a visit.
"Will all the people come again today?" Aurora asked, looking up from her breakfast. The tantrum of the night before was forgotten as she turned towards her father.
"No, Angel!" Draco's bright smile was back as he surveyed the child. Then in an undertone, he added, "At least, they'd better not!"
"Harry and Ginny had Visiting Days after their wedding. They said it was a good way of getting boring formalities over with in one go." Hermione smiled at the recollection, as with difficulty, she finished her toast.
"Yesterday, you said the exact same thing, Draco. What's changed your mind?" his mother asked mildly, taking a sip of her own coffee.
Draco scowled again over the pages of the Daily Prophet. "A person can change their mind, can they not?" he drawled. "Originally I thought it was a good idea, but now all it's achieved is bad tempers and disharmony!"
Hermione felt her heart sink. So that was what Draco's bad mood was about; she should have guessed. He was still angry about Aurora's rejection of him the night before.
Narcissa simply shrugged and continued drinking her coffee. She had clearly had experience with Draco's moods before, and was not going to rise to the bait. Instead, she changed the subject smoothly. "What are your plans for today?"
Hermione, glad for the change of topic, put down her own coffee cup. "Well, I have to sort some things out at the flat; just odds and ends you know. I plan to get it over with this afternoon."
"I thought we might do some shopping this morning," Draco intervened smoothly. "If that's okay with you of course, Hermione. Can the sorting of the flat be put off for another day maybe?"
She nodded, unsurprised at his plans, knowing instinctively that he'd want to buy Aurora and herself clothes and things which befitted people of his family. She had never really considered clothes in any detail over the last few years, other than to consider whether they were practical and serviceable. She had made more effort with Aurora's wardrobe, always on the look out for good bargains in the large Muggle department stores. Now, however, even though her short-sleeved cotton dress was perfectly acceptable and fashionable, she felt scruffy beside Narcissa's cool elegance. She doubted that Aurora had fared much better in his view, even though her outfit was one of Gap's latest creations. So much for the shopping spree she and her mother had gone on before the wedding to equip them with new clothes. No doubt Draco intended to buy both her and Aurora new wardrobes, probably the best that money could buy.
Draco smiled. "Would you like to join us, Mother?"
"Well, if I wouldn't be in the way, it would be lovely." Narcissa's eyes flicked to Aurora, the longing in them evident.
The little girl had warmed slightly to her over the last two days, but still was hesitant to spend any length of time in her company alone. Hermione could see how much this hurt the older woman, and hoped that as her planned stay of two weeks wore on, Aurora would lose some of her initial wariness and accept her.
Aurora now asked, "What are we going to buy?"
"Oh, lots of things. Clothes and things like that." Draco drew her to her feet and grinned while brushing toast crumbs off her top.
Hermione was relieved to see that she didn't pull away from him, but taking his hand, walked across the room with him happily enough, Narcissa following them, wearing a disconsolate expression.
"But we don't need clothes and stuff," Aurora protested as they went into the hall. "Mummy bought lots of new clothes for both of us last week and she said it cost a lot of money!"
Hermione felt her face start to burn as she climbed the stairs ahead of her chattering daughter, wondering how to put a stop to the conversation.
"Oh?" Draco's question was casual behind her, but she didn't miss the note of curiosity underlying it.
"Yes, and she said that you should have no weason to moan about our clothes because they were decent."
Reaching the top of the stairs, Hermione turned and took Aurora firmly by the hand. "We'll meet you downstairs in ten minutes or so," she said swiftly, not meeting Draco's amused gaze. "Is that okay?" To nods of agreement from the others, she steered Aurora firmly into her room, her colour still high.
She spent the next ten minutes getting her excitable daughter and herself ready for the shopping expedition with mixed feelings. Part of her was looking forward to getting away from the Manor for a while, but another part was wondering whether it was wise to accompany Draco on this shopping trip. Then shrugging, she told herself to stop worrying and simply enjoy herself for once. She would deal with any problems when and if they arose.
Soon both were ready and making their way downstairs to where Narcissa and Draco were waiting.
"Are we going to go by Floo?" Aurora asked eagerly, moving towards the large ornate hall fireplace.
"You and I will use the Floo, and Mummy and Grandma can Apparate. How's that?" Draco swung her up in his arms as he spoke.
"Bwilliant!" she squealed excitedly, grinning at her mother over his shoulder.
"Right then, we'll meet you on the ground floor of Harrods, at the entrance of the food hall," Draco said to the two women before scooping up a fist full of Floo powder and throwing it into the flames.
"What? Harrods?" Hermione spluttered, completely taken aback. "But I thought we were going to Diagon Alley!"
It was Narcissa who answered. "Well, dear, don't you want Muggle clothing? Harrods is the only place to get anything decent that's reachable by Floo."
"Yes, but I wasn't aware they catered for wizards," Hermione said haltingly. "The few times I've been there I've never seen a fireplace or Floo powder."
"They do have a small collection of robes but it's not particularly inspiring. No, we'll get wizarding wear from Diagon Alley; much more choice and the latest fashions. As for the Floo, it's only visible to wizards, if they look for it that is," Narcissa explained. "The Malfoys have always had an account with Harrods, although it wasn't used much during my former husband's lifetime."
"There's a small alley by the side of Harrods you can use to Apparate," Draco told her, hefting Aurora more securely into his arms. Then he stepped into the green flames, Aurora clinging tightly to him, and they disappeared from view.
"Well we'd better go as well or Draco will start grumbling again." Narcissa moved towards the Apparition chamber as she spoke. "Now aim for a small alley with high brick walls but from which the sign for Harrods can be seen clearly to the left." With a small pop, she vanished.
Squaring her shoulders, Hermione concentrated on the alley, still bemused that Harrods provided for wizards as well as Muggles, but more surprised that the Malfoys of all people patronised the well-known Muggle department store. Then clearing her mind, she too Disapparated.
XoXoXoXo
The flat was silent when Hermione entered it, and she breathed a sigh of relief as she shut the front door behind her and flopped down on the sofa in the sitting room. It was good to be back in the place that had been her home for the last five years, and held some of her dearest memories. She looked round the room, now bare of the photographs that had jostled for space on the mantel piece, and which now sat in a neat row on her dressing table at Malfoy Manor. There was an unlived-in air about it, even though they had been gone less than a week.
She sat back, and kicking off her shoes, tugged off the slim platinum wedding band adorning the ring finger of her left hand, and looked down at it nestling in her palm. Never having worn rings for any length of time before, she could not get used to the feel of the clinging piece of metal and removed it whenever she was alone. She certainly had no intention of wearing the ring while at work, whatever Draco may say. The ring had symbols engraved around it, and she wondered what these meant. Maybe one day she'd look them up. Her thoughts went back to the day before and she grimaced.
She and Narcissa had met Draco and Aurora outside the famous food hall of Harrods and they had proceeded upstairs to ladies' fashions. There they had met two young women, staff members who turned out to be witches dressed as Muggles. They had lead the family to a small side room, furnished with comfortable sofas and had swiftly taken both her and Aurora's measurements. They had then brought in armfuls of clothes, displaying them for their inspection. There had been every kind of outfit a woman could imagine, and Draco and Narcissa had taken no time in picking out things they thought would suit her.
Her protests had gone unheeded and finally she had given up, knowing it would be futile to argue with them. Within two hours, Hermione had been provided with a wardrobe which would be the envy of any young witch. They had selected over fifty outfits between them, ranging from the extremely casual to the very formal. She had been told that the clothes would be altered to fit her and had no doubt of this fact. They had then proceeded to do the same for Aurora, and this time she had not protested, instead helping them to select things which she thought would suit her daughter's colouring.
She and Narcissa had then been taken to the lingerie and footwear departments, and she had selected shoes and underclothes to go with some of her outfits. Finally they had left Harrods, and Hermione's head had been spinning. Draco and Narcissa however, had been utterly calm as they dined in a popular restaurant in Diagon Alley before taking her and Aurora to various wizarding shops selling robes, shoes, and to Hermione's discomfort, lingerie. In each, they had been kitted out with the best that gold could buy. She had been more than ready to return to the manor afterwards, and they had spent the evening quietly, too exhausted to do much other than read and watch TV.
Glancing at the bookcase, she reminded herself that she needed to find out more about the Rune Proclamation and exactly what the colours had meant, especially the gold, when she had the time. Hogwarts library would no doubt contain a book on the subject, and maybe she could go there in the next day or so.
She got up and stretched. Sitting around wouldn't get the flat sorted out, and she had left Aurora with Draco for the afternoon. Dropping the ring onto a side table, she began to sort through the drawers of the desk. Soon she was busy sorting out piles of paper, books, and other items, discarding those which could be got rid of and packing away with a flick of her wand, those she wanted to keep. Turning to the bookcase, she began to systematically pack all the books on it into cardboard boxes, sneezing as she reached to the back of the deep shelves to retrieve dusty reference books she rarely used. Most of these would go into her study in the manor, a room she had barely looked at since she had moved in.
She finished quickly and moved over to the large entertainment cabinet which housed the TV, the combined DVD/video recorder, plus the HiFi system. She began to pack all her and Aurora's videos, DVDs, and CDs. She decided to put dust covers over the electrical equipment, thinking that it would come in use to her tenants.
She was just putting the last cover over the TV when the doorbell pealed in the empty flat, making her jump. Lifting her head, she was tempted to ignore the summons, let whoever it was go away and leave her to get on with things. She was far too busy to entertain someone, but the bell pealed again, longer this time. Throwing down the dust cover, she picked her way through the boxes into the hall. Then with an irritated sigh, she pulled open the front door and stopped.
Draco stood on the threshold; his eyes amused as they roamed over her dust-covered clothes and flushed cheeks. She knew there was a streak of grime on her cheek, and her hair looked as though a bird had recently nested in it.
"What?" she asked in a testy voice, while colour flowed in a crimson wave into her cheeks.
"May I come in?" he smiled down at her. "You've been gone for the past two hours; I thought I'd see if you wanted any help."
"Where's Aurora?" She moved aside to let him in, wishing that she'd at least tidied her hair before opening the door.
"I left her with Mother. They were discussing the possibility of getting a kitten and hardly noticed my leaving. Talking about cats, where's that cat you used to have at school?"
"Crookshanks died. I've never got around to getting another cat." She felt faintly annoyed that he had followed her here, almost as though he wanted to check up on her, although why, was a mystery to her.
"I can guarantee that she'll have one by the time we get back." Draco smiled as he moved further into the flat. "Blimey, what have you been doing in here? There're things everywhere." He surveyed the piled up boxes with a raised brow.
"I've been sorting stuff out, as I said. I hadn't realised how much there was to get through. I'm almost finished in here though." She picked her way through the boxes back to the entertainment cabinet.
"Can I do anything to help?" he asked, moving further into the room.
"Could you reduce the size of these boxes? I'd like to take them back with us." She waved her hand at the boxes strewn to one side of the French windows. Now that he was here, she might as well make use of him. "The rest is stuff that has to be thrown away."
He nodded and got to work shrinking the boxes and putting them into his pocket.
Soon she had finished in the sitting room and moved into Aurora's room, Draco following her. She was glad that she had sorted out most of the stuff in the bedrooms before they had left, especially that which held sentimental value. Swiftly, she packed up the child's old clothes and other odds and ends, and soon the room was impersonal, stripped of everything that identified it as Aurora's.
"I've decided to rent the flat," she told Draco as she stripped the bed. Now was as good a time as any to drop the bombshell she knew he wouldn't like.
"Oh?" He lifted a pale brow in enquiry. "Why's that?"
"Well, it'll ensure that the flat doesn't stay empty. Now it's just a case of getting tenants. I thought it would be ideal for a young couple." She moved past him into her own room as she spoke, conscious of the frown that creased his forehead.
"Why not sell it? That way you'll be rid of it for good. Tenants are a lot of hassle Hermione, as well as a risk. A rotten tenant could decrease the value of the flat due to damage and neglect."
"I've spent the last five years of my life here," she replied, starting to go through her dressing table drawers. "I'm very attached to it and don't want to consider selling. Anyway, you never know, one day it may come in use."
"In use, how? Hermione, you won't need this place again. What's the point in hanging on to it?"
She shrugged in reply, knowing they would never see eye to eye on the matter. To her, the flat represented security of a type that he would never understand. The income provided by the rent was money she intended to save up for a rainy day. "Maybe not, but it's still mine and I'd like to hang on to it for the time being. I may sell it later on if the duties of a landlady become arduous," she dismissed casually.
Turning to the wardrobe, she packed up the last of her clothes then eyed the topmost shelf, on which sat a large sealed plastic box. She hesitated, unwilling to lift it down in front of Draco or draw his attention to it.
Noticing her hesitation, he moved to stand beside her. "Shall I lift that down for you?" Not waiting for a response, he lifted the large crate down and deposited it on to the bed. "What's in here?"
"Oh, not much, just a few papers and things," she said evasively. "Leave it here; I'll deal with it later."
"I'll shrink it and put it with the other stuff then," he said, pointing his wand at the box, but she grabbed his arm to stop him.
"No, don't." She moved to stand in front of the box. "As I said, I'll deal with it once I've finished sorting everything else out."
"Hermione, what's in there?" Draco's curiosity was aroused as he eyed the box. "What's so precious that you don't want it shrunk?"
"Nothing much; just a few odds and ends that don't belong anywhere else." She could tell by his expression that he wasn't convinced as he eyed the crate. The box contained things that she held most dear; mementoes of Aurora's babyhood that she would treasure as long as she lived. She knew that she should have removed it beforehand, and berated herself silently for not doing so. But then she hadn't expected Draco to be here, not wanting to reveal its contents to him yet, having planned to go through them this afternoon without any onlookers before taking the box to the manor.
Ignoring her words, he pointed his wand at the lid of the box and it flew off. He drew in a deep breath as he gazed down into it. "Oh, Hermione! Wow, Oh my…Merlin! I didn't know you had such a treasure trove here!"
"Most people collect such things," she said stiffly, indicating the boxes contents. "I'll transport this as it is."
"May I see what's in there? Please, Hermione?"
His expression held such pleading as he looked at her that she didn't have the heart to refuse him. "Just be careful; some of the stuff is quite delicate."
"Of course." He moved forward, and with infinite care, began to empty the box, laying each item down as though it were made of porcelain.
She watched as he took out the frame containing Aurora's baby photos which had been taken at the hospital hours after her birth. Being Muggle photographs, they didn't move, but he didn't seem to notice as he gazed down at the plump baby who stared back with large liquid grey eyes.
"Her hair's very light in colour," he commented, eyes shining as they traced the fuzz on top of the baby's head.
"Yes, it darkened as she grew older." She reached into the box and drew out a small pouch, opening it and holding it out to him. "The hair I managed to save the first time she had it cut."
He stared for a long moment at the fine strands of light hair in the pouch, then took it from her. Finally, he retied it and replaced it reluctantly in the box. "I don't blame you for not wanting to shrink this; it's too precious." He picked up a tiny, ribboned silk dress and turned it over in his hands. "When did Aurora wear this?"
"The evening when Harry and Ron qualified as Aurors," she said, starting to put the mementoes back in the box. "She was only three months old at the time. We'd better go; Aurora will probably be wondering where we are." She was relieved that he had not questioned her as to why she hadn't shown him the box earlier and watched impassively as he studied the tiny dress.
"Mother said she'd call if she became distressed. Stop worrying, Hermione, she's fine." He picked up a rattle and turned it over curiously.
"Call?" Hermione asked, frowning. Surely Narcissa wasn't expecting to use the Floo; Hermione had had it disconnected when they moved.
Draco replaced the rattle and picked up a tiny silver spoon. "Yes, Hermione, call."
"But how though? The Floo's been disconnected; she won't be able to get through that way."
He sighed deeply and turned to her. "Sometimes you can be very dense. How do people call one another when they need to speak without the use of the Floo? By using a mobile phone of course. Use that brain you're so well-known for."
She felt her mouth fall open and swiftly shut it. "But I thought that…well, that she wouldn't…" She broke off, unsure of what to say. She had not considered that the upright and traditional Narcissa Fits-Gerald would own a mobile phone. But then she reasoned, the woman now lived in America where witches and wizards used Muggle appliances almost as often as Muggles. The drawing room of Malfoy Manor boasted a state of the art HiFi system, and there was a flat screen television in the smaller but no less impressive sitting room. No doubt Draco also had a computer in his study; she had not thought to look. Narcissa had most likely been forced into using Muggle technology, as in America, everyone, be they pureblood or Muggleborn, used it.
He replaced the remaining items back in the box and put on the lid, then turned to her, his eyes moving over her from head to foot. "You think a lot my dear." A frown crossed his brow and he snatched up her left hand, his smile gone. "Your wedding ring, where is it?"
"What?" she asked distractedly, her mind still trying to wrap itself around the concept of Narcissa using a mobile.
"Your ring, Hermione, your wedding ring." He shook her hand for emphasis, staring down at her bare ring finger.
"Oh that. I took it off. Don't worry, it's perfectly safe. I left it on the side table by the fireplace in the sitting room."
His scowl did not diminish. "Why did you take it off?"
Pulling her hand from his grasp, she shrugged. "It would have got in the way when I was busy."
He raised his wand and accio-ed the ring from the sitting room. It flew into his hand, and taking her left hand, he slipped the ring back onto her third finger. "Please don't remove it again. It won't get in the way of whatever you're doing. Platinum as you well know, has no effect on magic. Now, is there anything else left to do?"
His expression was bland and she wondered what he was thinking. There was more to the matter of the ring that he wasn't telling her, or why else would he have panicked like that?
"No, that's it. I just need to wash all the curtains and tidy up a bit but I can do that another day. Why don't you go back? I'll be there in twenty minutes; I just want to shower first. I feel grubby." She could have showered back at the manor but decided that it would be better not to turn up there looking unkempt. There was no need to invoke Narcissa's displeasure before she had to, and Merlin knew that she would have to soon enough.
"You've nothing to change into," came the amused reply as he surveyed her dusty and rumpled clothes, seemingly having put the last few moments from his mind.
She bit her lip, not having considered this. Ah well, she would get rid of the dust by a quick cleaning charm, not ideal by any means, but better than nothing. She could change back at the manor. Beside Draco's crisp jeans and t-shirt, she felt distinctly worst for wear, only too aware of her hair clinging to her face in sticky strands, and the dust that coated her in a layer of white from where she had cleaned under the beds and the back of the bookcase. Even with the aid of her wand, she seemed to have attracted a lot of dust. "I'll manage," she dismissed, turning away. "Can you take those boxes back with you? I'll sort them out when I get back. I won't be long."
He smiled, eyes not leaving her face, and in a silky voice, drawled, "Sometimes, I wonder how you managed to juggle a demanding job while bringing up Aurora. You can be amazingly scatty for someone who is head of a hospital department." Reaching into his pocket, he drew out a small bag, and a wand flick later, it quadrupled in size. "There you are, at least one of us has the ability to plan ahead." He gave her an indulgent smile as he spoke, and she scowled in response.
Opening the bag, she saw that it contained a fresh set of clothes; designer jeans and sleeveless top as well as underwear. It was one of the outfits that they had bought the day before. "Did you pack these?" she asked, colour rushing into her cheeks.
"Certainly; I thought you'd need to change after sorting out the flat, and guessing that you probably didn't have any clothes to change into, thought you would need these."
"Thanks," she smiled reluctantly. "I was so busy sorting things out in my head, I forgot to pack spare clothes."
He brushed his fingers over her cheek in a light caress. "Well, that's what marriage is all about; a partnership in which both spouses look out for the other."
"Yes," she agreed, dropping her gaze. The atmosphere seemed to have changed between them, and she wasn't quite sure how. "Well, I'd better get cleaned up. I won't be long."
"Of course. I'll wait for you in the sitting room."
She moved past him and locked the door of the bathroom with relief. She undressed swiftly and was soon under the spray of the shower, scrubbing away the dust clinging to her skin. Turning off the shower, she stepped out, towelled herself dry, and donned the clothes that Draco had bought with him. They fit her like a glove, accentuating every curve of her slim body. The sales assistant had indeed been right; the jeans and low-cut top had been altered so effectively, they looked as though they had been tailored for her. She towel-dried her hair and left it loose about her face.
She found Draco in the sitting room, sitting on the sofa leafing through one of the large photo albums, his expression preoccupied. At her entrance, he looked up.
"Feeling better?" he asked, eyes assessing her outfit.
"Much. We'd better go now." She glanced once more around the room to check that she had packed everything.
"I rang Mother while you were in the shower and she says that Aurora's perfectly fine. They went to a magical creatures shop and bought a kneazle kitten, which is keeping her occupied."
Hermione smiled. "She'll love that; she really missed Crookshanks when he died, and has always wanted another cat. I had intended getting her one for her fifth birthday."
"Well, the cat will provide common ground for the two of them to bond. Mother's looked forward to grandchildren since I left school." He grimaced. "There was one time when she decided to take matters into her own hands and started introducing women to me left, right, and centre. It was all I could do to escape. Even now I wonder how I managed to get away with my freedom intact."
She burst out laughing at the horrified look that crossed his face, imagining only too clearly his horror at his mother's attempts at matchmaking. Then crossing to sit beside him, she glanced down at the photo album on his lap, recognising it to be the one containing photos of Aurora from a newborn to her first birthday.
"Seriously though, Mother's been unable to think of anyone other than Aurora since they met. For all her smiles, she hasn't taken our daughter's indifference to her well, and jumped at the chance when I suggested that she baby-sit this afternoon," he continued.
"I understand what you're saying, but look at this from Aurora's point of view. She's been through a lot this last week and it's affected her deeply. I suppose accepting a new grandmother on top of moving home and us marrying was just too much," Hermione defended automatically.
"I know that, but it doesn't make it any easier for Mother. Going through all this stuff brings home how much she and I have missed," he said, looking down at the leather-bound album, open at a photograph of Aurora at the age of eleven months, taking a few wobbly steps forward. As they watched, she fell on her well-padded behind and tried to rise again. The caption beneath the picture read 'Attempt at walking independently - 22 September 2001'.
"That looks rather painful," he commented, watching as the plump child staggered forward a few steps, and losing her balance, landed once again on her behind.
"Oh no, she didn't feel anything; her nappy cushioned her fall," she explained, leaning closer to get a better look at the moving picture.
"Nappies have uses other than the obvious then," he smiled ruefully. "You won't mind if Mother has a look at these photos, will you? It'll mean a lot to her."
"Of course not. Maybe she'd like to make copies of those she likes and take them back to America with her. There're plenty of photos to choose from," she suggested impulsively.
He gazed at her, then smiled. "Thanks, that'll mean a lot to her. "
He fell silent but his eyes did not leave her face, and she felt the heat start to creep up her skin at his intent stare. Was there something on her chin, a piece of dust that she hadn't managed to remove maybe?
She cleared her throat in an effort to dispel the tension that had suddenly sprung up, but he didn't seem to hear her. Instead, he was stroking a finger down her cheek, the movement almost hypnotic in its intensity. She sat as though frozen as his finger stroked lightly over her skin, sending shivers along her taunt nerves, the photo album slipping unnoticed to the floor.
"I…We-" she began, but he cut her off.
"Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?" Then, not giving her a chance to respond, he bent and covered her mouth with his, and wrapping both arms tightly around her, pressed her against him.
Hermione, caught off guard, froze, and he began to brush his mouth over hers in a gentle but persistent caress. She thought afterwards, that it was probably that which was her undoing, and the thing that caused her to gasp and part her lips. Taking full advantage of this, he slipped his tongue into her mouth and began to kiss her more intimately while pressing her back into the cushions of the sofa. The rational part of her knew that she should be putting a stop to this, to slap him and send him on his way, but the feminine part which had been starved for so long, ignored it, revelling in the feel of him and responding. She became aware that he had loosened his right arm from around her and was sliding his fingers under the shoulder strap of her top, tracing small circles against her collar bone and moving downwards. Her mind was in turmoil as memories of another time five and a half years ago flooded it, the sensations he was creating seeming to have dragged them to the surface.
With a groan, he tore his mouth from hers and began to kiss and nibble at her neck, locating without difficulty the sensitive spot at the juncture of her neck and right shoulder and sucking hard on it. Dimly she realised that there would be a mark there when he had finished, and it was this thought that made her blink and come to her senses. Swiftly, she pushed at his chest and he released her, lifting his head and gazing down at her with heavy-lidded eyes.
"Hermione-" he began in a husky voice but she cut him off.
"We'd better go," she said, scrambling off the sofa and straightening her top. Bending, she scooped up the photo album and deposited it into the box of mementoes Draco had placed on the coffee table without looking at him. The quicker they got out of here, the quicker she would gain her equilibrium.
"I'll take that." He took the box from her arms and led the way from the room, his expression shuttered.
Glancing around one more time, she said nothing as she followed him out of the flat and shut the front door behind her. Then they Disapparated to appear a moment later in the Apparition chamber of the manor. It was quiet as they emerged into the hall, and she wondered where Aurora was.
"Mother and Aurora are probably in the sitting room." Draco jerked his head towards the closed door of the small sitting room used by the family as he spoke. "Hilly? " At his call, a house-elf popped into view and looked up at him.
"Take these boxes and put them in Hermione's room."
"Yes, Master," the elf bowed, and with a click of its long fingers, levitated the large box in his arms as well as those he had shrunk earlier into the air in front of her and moved up the stairs.
"Come on, let's see what kind of animal that daughter of ours has inveigled Mother into getting," he said, turning to Hermione and grinning.
His tone was light and she nodded. If he could behave so casually, then so could she. She walked across to the door and pushed it open.
Aurora and Narcissa were both crouched on the floor by a basket containing a tiny kitten no longer than Hermione's hand which was busy lapping at a saucer of milk. At the sound of the opening door, both looked up.
"Mummy, look," Aurora said, beckoning her over to them. "This is Tiger! He's a kneazle and going to be my best fwiend."
"Oh?" Hermione knelt on Aurora's other side and looked more closely at the creature. It had large ears and its fur was brown with white spots. The tail was thick, like that of a lion, and its belly, chin, and feet were white. It surveyed her through large brown eyes and then went back to lapping the milk.
"What do you think?" Narcissa asked them. Her arm was draped around Aurora's shoulders and Hermione was pleased to see that the child was not pulling away.
"It's very sweet," Draco said, kneeling down behind Aurora and looking at the kitten over her curls.
"Tiger, that's an odd name," Hermione mused, looking once again the small bundle of fur in the basket and wondering what feat of logic Aurora had employed to arrive at such an unsuitable name.
"Well, I wanted a tiger but Gwanma and the lady in the shop didn't think it would fit in my bedwoom as they're weally big and a cat would be better, so I called him Tiger instead."
"A wise choice, Princess," Draco approved with a straight face. "I must say, he is very nice. Maybe he'll look more like a tiger as he gets bigger, you never know."
She giggled. "I don't mind if he doesn't; I like him as he is! Do you like him, Mummy?" She turned to Hermione, eyes glowing.
"Oh yes, he's lovely," Hermione enthused, also resisting the urge to smile at Aurora's reasoning.
The child however, was frowning as she surveyed her mother. "What's that on your neck, Mummy?" she asked, leaning forward curiously and lifting the hair away from Hermione's shoulder.
Hermione felt heat sweep into her face as she realised what Aurora must be referring to; Draco must have left a mark on her neck in the flat. She hadn't thought to look as she had been so intent on putting distance between them.
"It's nothing," she muttered, feeling as though her face was on fire as desperately, she sought for something to distract her observant daughter.
"Yes it is, it's a purple mark. Look, Daddy, what is it?"
Draco laughed easily, ruffling Aurora's curls. Clearly he didn't feel any embarrassment, and Hermione wanted to hit him. "You ask a lot of questions, little one," he teased.
"But what is it?" Aurora persisted. "It wasn't there in the morning, I know."
"Well, as Mummy said, it's nothing much. Sometimes when Mummies and Daddies are together, these things happen," he explained off-handedly
Hermione let out a choked splutter, and if possible, her face went even redder. She wasn't worried about what Aurora thought so much, she could handle her, but what must Narcissa be thinking? The older woman sat back on her heels, a smile playing about her mouth as she watched the scene before her. Of all the room's occupants, she seemed least disturbed. If anything, she seemed to be exuding an air of satisfaction, and Hermione frowned in puzzlement.
Then Narcissa said, "Oh look, Aurora, Tiger's finished his milk. Would you like to hold him now?"
Completely distracted, Aurora turned back to the cat basket, her mother forgotten in the excitement of holding the kitten, and Hermione, taking advantage of the diversion, jumped up and hurriedly left the room.
She ran upstairs and into her own bedroom where she examined herself in the dressing table mirror and winced. There on the side of her neck was a purple and blue love bite that not even the least perceptive of people would miss. No wonder Aurora had remarked on it. A fresh wave of colour sweeping her face, she banished the bruise with a quick prod of her wand before examining the rest of her neck just in case. To her relief, there were no other visible marks. A knock at the door startled her, and lowering her wand, she turned to face it.
"Who is it?" she called. If that was Draco, she would probably throw something at him.
"It's me, may I come in?" Narcissa's voice answered, and reluctantly Hermione opened the door to see the other woman standing outside. Stepping back, she let her into the room before shutting the door and turning to face her.
"Sorry for disturbing you like this, but I thought I'd take the opportunity for a quick chat as Draco and Aurora are playing with the kitten," Narcissa started, her glance sweeping around the room.
"Right," Hermione answered warily, nodding at one of the armchairs. She had a feeling she knew what was coming and felt annoyance bubble up inside her. No doubt Narcissa was about to deliver a lecture on proper behaviour and etiquette, especially in front of children.
The other woman ignored the invitation to sit and strolled over to the windows and looked out. "It's a lovely view from here," she commented dreamily and smiled. "Anyway, I'm veering from the point." She turned back to Hermione. "I must say that I'm relieved that things between you and Draco are as they should be between husband and wife."
"What?" Hermione asked, completely taken aback.
"Well, dear, I was getting rather worried but didn't like to say anything, it being none of my business."
Deciding that she must have missed something along the way, Hermione blinked. "Sorry Narcissa, I'm lost, what do you mean?"
"You and Draco. I was getting worried that things between you weren't what they should be, but today has proved me wrong and I'm pleased," Narcissa explained patiently.
A horrible suspicion was taking root in Hermione's mind but she tried to ignore it. No, she couldn't think like that; the mere thought made her want to retch. Pulling herself together. She adopted a bland expression and shrugged. "Right."
"I'm sure you'll agree with me that a couple's sex life is very important. After all, what kind of marriage is it when they can't get the basics right? When there seemed to be no sparkle between you and Draco I started worry as mothers do, but this afternoon has proved me wrong, I'm pleased to say."
Oh heavens, her suspicions had been right. Hermione wondered if the floor would oblige her by opening and swallowing her up but it remained solid under her feet. Narcissa, far from berating her about the scene downstairs, had come here to express her approval of it. Hell must have frozen over!
"There's no need to look so shocked my dear. I too, am a woman you know," the blonde smiled, correctly interpreting Hermione's blank look. "All I'm saying is that there's nothing shameful in enjoying oneself with one's partner. Children can be very observant but you have to remain calm about it. Why, I remember one time when Draco was around six I think. We were on holiday in Greece and Lucius and I had spent the night well…enjoying ourselves. Next morning we slept late and in our haste to pack up, I forgot to get rid of the marks of our activities. You can imagine Draco's curiosity; it's natural in children. Aurora will get used to it in time I'm sure."
Trying valiantly not to imagine Narcissa and her former husband 'enjoying themselves', she swallowed. "As you say, children get used to it I'm sure."
"That's the problem, isn't it?" the older woman suggested shrewdly. "It's Aurora? She won't accept the fact that you are married now and that she has to share you. It would certainly account for the fact that you and Draco are sleeping in separate bedrooms and that you've slept in Aurora's bed for the last few nights. No wonder Draco was eager that I baby-sit her this afternoon; you wanted a bit more than a few snatched moments together. Well, that's more than understandable."
"Oh no, it was nothing-"
"Hermione, I'm not blaming Aurora in the least, far from it. She's a child and up until now, she hasn't had to share you with anyone, but she'll soon get used to things. I don't mind babysitting in the least if you two want to slip off for the afternoon, or even having her sleep with me at night to give you both time alone."
Deciding that the conversation had gone far enough, Hermione nodded. "Well thanks for the offer, it's appreciated." Then she went to the door, Narcissa following her reluctantly.
Once the other woman had gone, Hermione leaned her forehead on the cool windowsill and breathed in the fragrant summer air wafting in through the open windows. That had to be one of the most embarrassing conversations she had ever had. She was disturbed to think that Narcissa had noticed that she and Draco had not shared a bed; no doubt she had asked the house-elves who had told her. Well, Hermione would use Aurora as her excuse until Narcissa left, a day that could not come soon enough.
Her mind went back to the scene in her flat that afternoon, and she touched the place where the love bite had been. She was honest enough with herself to know that she had enjoyed that kiss as much as Draco; he had given her ample opportunity to pull away but she hadn't.
The kiss had awakened memories she had thought were long buried deep in her subconscious, memories of her and Draco on the night when Aurora had been conceived. She recognised that she had been as much to blame for the result as he. Maybe that had been why she had buried the memories so far in her subconscious, guilt for enjoying sleeping with a man whom she had always considered an enemy? She didn't know. What she did know was that there could never be a repeat of this afternoon, however much her body craved it. She didn't even like Draco, finding him high-handed and manipulative in the extreme. The man certainly knew what he was doing when it came to women, and this was what had drawn her to him, her previous encounters with men, mostly other trainee healers, having been deeply disappointing.
All she and Draco had in common was Aurora, and in a year or so, they would get a divorce and go their separate ways. Aurora would be secure, and that was what really mattered. Maybe then she would look for someone decent, someone with whom she had likes and interests in common, someone with whom she would enjoy the finer things of life, and someone who put her pleasure before his own. She was sure there were certainly plenty of men out there like that; she just had to find someone with decent morals as well, a feat surely not that difficult to do.
Glad that she had settled the matter in her own mind, she turned and left the room. She would behave as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened, and soon Draco would forget about it and find someone to satisfy him - no doubt there would be no lack of available women. She scowled as she went downstairs, ignoring the bitter taste in her mouth at the thought. Knowing him, he'd already forgotten the afternoon's kiss, so she must do the same and before she knew it, the year would be up and she could begin her search for Mr. Right.