It was a very small course. The air in the room was still. No one spoke a word to each other. Hermione wished she hadn't accepted the offer. A horrible first meal as a couple, but it was finally over.
Lucius had taken his last bite and sipped his glass. He rose from his table and with a snap, one of the elves had vanished all their plates. "Let's move to the drawing-room shall we?"
Hermione gulped as Draco helped her out of her seat. The drawing-room that Bellatrix had taken her to all those years ago was destroyed. The amount of dark magic that lingered was simply too much to even enter. This drawing-room was in a different wing of the manor. It still made Hermione's skin crawl.
Everyone took a seat at the large table in the center of the room. There was a single portrait of a woman with brown hair and hazel eyes. She had a distant look in her eye, her portrait lay still. Hermione couldn't read the name from her position.
Draco had opted to sit next to her this time on her left. Across from her Pansy stared at her nails looking incredibly bored and Goyle was on her right.
"Are we waiting for someone else?" Hermione asked.
This was everyone who had been at the dinner.
Not a minute after she asked Blaise had rushed through the door taking a seat next to Draco.
"I think that's everyone now," Draco muttered.
Lucius said nothing, folding his hands above the table. Finally, a man walked through the door and took a seat between Lucius and Goyle. He looked familiar. Dark hair and tanned skin, about the same age as Lucius.
"Sorry I couldn't make it to dinner. I had some last-minute affairs to get in order so I apologize" the man said.
"Thank you Rodolphus. Now we can finally hope to continue."
Hermione stared at the man. Rodolphus Lestrange, Bellatrix's husband. He was constantly in the Dark Lord's circle of death eaters but was rumored to have escaped the mark. His wife was much more enthusiastic about her support than he had been. She didn't remember seeing him at the reception.
"Centuries ago the children of the black family experienced something tragic. The youngest daughter Aurelia had died as a result of a game gone wrong. However, thanks to the magic streaming through their blood they were able to save her. Now, each time someone marries the Black family, they play a game with the remaining bloodline to honor her. Unfortunately, Andromeda could not be here to join us today. Nevertheless, the show must go on."
Lucius rose from his seat and walked to a set of cabinets lining the wall. He retrieved a small black trinket box. He carried it carefully toward the table and set it down in front of Hermione. He walked back to his seat before continuing his directions.
"The box will select one of ten cards to be played, each card has the name of the game written on it. Whatever the game is, we play" he drawled.
Hermione snorted, "I knew this family had to have some sense of humor. All this drama for a game of jacks."
" I don't know who Jack is, but my game was wizard's chess. I won of course, just barely." Rodolphus added.
"Even Andromeda's husband played despite being outcasted from the family," Narcissa spoke from the other side of the table. "I believe his game was 'Statues'."
"And you Lucius?" Hermione asked.
"Exploding snaps" Draco answered for him.
"Yes, that was a particularly horrible game with your grandmother." He shook his head to be rid of the memory. "So Hermione, all you have to do is wind the box up and wait for the card."
Hermione nodded her head and wound the box. The familiar children's jingle felt eerie in the dark quiet room. Everyone's eyes focused on the small black box in front of her. Draco gripped her knee from under the table so tight he might've cut off the circulation had she not brought her hand over his. The jingle came toward its end and a card popped out the side of the box.
The bride grabbed the card and started to laugh.
"Well, what is it, Granger?" Pansy asked.
"This is hilarious," Hermione smiled. "I can't imagine you all playing it."
"Just say what you got Hermione." Draco gritted.
She rolled her eyes and revealed the card to the table. "It's hide-and-seek."
.
Draco's face was ashen. Blaise dropped his gaze to the table. Goyle rubbed a large hand over his face as Pansy smirked. Lucius drummed his nails onto the table before giving a small smile.
"Yes, it is quite silly of a game."
"So, is it traditional rules then? Do I hide or seek?" She asked, less jovial than when she first saw the card. The smile still playing on her lips.
"Oh, Hermione you must be the one to hide according to the rules," Narcissa replied.
"...Okay. Well, obviously if you find me you win. How would I win? How long would I have to hide?"
"Miss Hermione, should you somehow evade all of us until the sun rises then that would name you the winner of the game."
She scoffed. "That's certainly a long game seeing how it's nearly midnight now."
"Oh don't worry Granger, I don't think you'd want a short game," Pansy cut in.
"There is one more rule for this particular game," Lucius announced. "Since this was her favorite game as a child, she played it before enrolling at Hogwarts, therefore, she had not received her wand."
Draco shot up from his chair and slammed his hands on the table. "You can't be serious!"
"Draco sit! You know as well as I do that those are the rules. There will be no wands. We will all leave them in here on the mantle until the game is over."
The hair on the back of her neck stood. Her skin prickled and she could practically hear every bone in her body telling her to leave. One after the other they all got up to place their wand on the mantle. Hermione was hesitant but conceded. They said it was necessary, it is just a game. It's just a children's game it couldn't be too bad.
Two minutes till midnight.
"The game will commence at midnight. The entire grounds are at your disposal for hiding Hermione. As stated before, should you stay hidden until sunrise you will have won. Should one of the people in this room find you and bring you back here, you will have lost. Understood?"
She gave a crisp nod.
"Good. We will go ahead and give you a head start. Pip!" Lucius called.
Draco reached out and pulled her close. He squeezed her tightly in his arms and whispered. "When the music ends go directly to my old room. I'll meet you there."
He let her go and her brows drew in concern. The smile was now completely gone from her face.
"Yes master," the house-elf spoke as he popped in.
"The music, please."
With a snap of his fingers, a song began to echo in the room for the game. She waved goodbye and exited out the doors of the drawing-room.
.
.
"Alright everyone, gather around the mantle." Lucius opened the cabinets.
"Father you can't be serious, please."
Lucius pulled out a crossbow and handed it to Goyle. "Draco, you know this is something we must do. Do not be the cause of your family's downfall."
Draco stepped in between him and the mantle clenching his teeth. "How can I when you did that all on your own? Six years you and mother haven't been out in society for six years. You've been relying on my and Hermione's efforts to have a saving grace with the world. What was that all for then?"
Lucius scowled and pushed his son away. "It must be done. It's far too late now; the card has already been selected. There is nothing we can do but play the game."
"Like hell, there isn't!" Draco shouted while shoving his father against the wall behind him. "I refuse to just stand here while you plot to kill my wife!"
He grabbed his cane from his side and struck Draco's cheek. "You useless boy! Can't you see I'm doing this for us for our family?" He kicked his side as Draco struggled to get up. "Goyle restrain him."
Blood dripped from where his father had hit him. Goyle proceeded to drag a flailing Draco out of the room down a hallway.
The song finished the last note.
.
Draco's childhood bedroom was on the other side of the manor. It was an entirely separate wing. Hermione paced the hallway listening to the song's tune.
Run, run, run,
Time to run and hide
Run, run, run
And now I'm going to find
It did nothing to ease her nerves. She tried to focus on her breathing and started to pick up the speed as she neared the stairs in the foyer of the manor. She hiked up her dress and hurried. She barely had a minute, there was no way she'd reach the room in time. She tried to think. From where she stood, the stairs turned a corner that wouldn't be seen from the first floor.
Run, run, run,
Stalk the night away
Scuttle off into the night
But what'll be behind you?
Her heart was pounding in her chest as she bolted up the stairs. She reached the landing and froze when she heard footsteps.
"Ssorry," a bald man in grey dress robes slurred. "Steppin out for a smoke." He smiled as he stepped around the tule of the dress.
She watched as he stumbled down the stairs before shaking her head. She didn't realize others were staying in the manor. Surely that meant that this game was just that, a game. They would not risk other wizards' lives, not so soon after the war. She eased up a bit as she reached the top of the stairs.
Let the countdown begin
Ten!
Nine!
She walked down a new hallway peeking into the rooms she passed. This wing was reserved for immediate family members, yet she didn't have the slightest idea who that man was. He had a familiar face, something in the way his nose turned up.
Draco's room was only a few more doors down, but she knew the song was reaching its end. She found the room with the man's belongings and rushed in.
One!
Ready or not, here I come!
She closed the door soundlessly. Hermione knew she was limited by her dress. Though the room was spacious, there were few places she could fit in. She surveyed the room and decided upon a decently large armoire along the wall close to the walk-in closet. The closet would've been ideal; had there been more than four dress robes. So, the bride bunched up her wedding dress and climbed into the armoire. She shuffled the coats to obscure herself and her dress.
She would get to Draco's room the minute she knew it was safe. Until then, she clutched her knees and waited. It was just some silly game.
Author's Note: Sorry for the shorter chapter, it was just best to cut it off here. I hope y'all are enjoying it! Thanks everyone following and favoriting the story, it means a lot :) Oh! Also the song that's playing is literally called "The Hide and Seek Song" by Headquarters Music in case you wanted to add to the effect lol see you all the next chapter