Edited 10/11/2023 Minor Grammar/Spelling
Hi yes, I have an ALL WEEKEND TRAINING for w
ork.. I'm heated about it. So I have 3 chapters for you today because I've been sitting at my computer all day trying to pretend to be engaged in it. :(
Any who, 1/3 for today!
Tuesday, September 15, 1998
Hermione was, in a word, bored. Well maybe bored didn't quite cover it. She was frustrated and antsy, and felt very caged in. She'd considered a great many things to distract her, but even plotting out lesson plans off of their Hogwarts notes wasn't cutting it. It didn't help that everyone else was engrossed in other things.
Millie and Jean Granger spent the vast majority of the day locked away in one of the studies off the foyer. Hermione had tried to get them to allow her into the planning of the Baby Shower, but was firmly turned away. She attempted to get Theo to take her to the school to see how the elves were coming along, but he had family business to attend to. Richard was meticulously painting the model of Mitternacht he'd been working on. Honestly Hermione couldn't understand how he could deal with the very tedious small tasks involved in his model making. And of course Draco was at work.
Finally, she was bored enough to go to Headquarters. Remus and Kingsley were locked in the office doing planning, Harry was off on a mission with Neville, Andromeda was working with patients, and Narcissa was out with Teddy on an adventure in Muggle London. She huffed as she stomped around the building hoping someone would save her from her endless boredom.
She stalked past the library for what felt like the twelfth time when she heard someone mumbling. Hoping that this was her answer, she entered the room. Regulus Black was standing in front of one of the bookshelves mumbling to himself. "Hello, Lord Black," she said formally.
"Lady Malfoy Nott," he said, inclining his head seriously. After a moment, his serious face cracked and he let out a laugh. "Gods I hate that. I never thought I'd have to be Lord Black. I thought Siri would come to his senses and…" he trailed off and plopped down on the couch.
"Well at least this way you can change the name of the Black family. He'd be proud of you," she said, sitting across from him. In the blur of the last few months, she hadn't been able to connect with Regulus as much as she would have liked. "I can't wait to be done with all this so I can just be Hermione again. I'm already exhausted by the pomp and circumstance of the Purebloods."
"You're lucky you weren't raised like us," Regulus said, relaxing into the couch further. "I've been out with Andi and Cissa a few times to explore the Muggle world and I have to say the Dark Lord's rhetoric is bollocks."
Hermione chuckled, "Yes well, Draco also had to learn that lesson later than he ought."
"I'm sure you showed him," he said, grinning at her.
"Oh I did. Honestly Theo and I didn't make it easy on him." After a few minutes of companionable silence. "I've been discussing House Elf treatment with the elves these past couple of weeks."
"Ah, one of my favourite topics," he said seriously. "It always bothered me to see how the elves were treated by Witches and Wizards. They're supposed to be our companions, not our slaves."
"Exactly, it's something so close to my heart, especially with the history in Martinique…"
"How have you handled having them?" Regulus asked curiously, crossing his legs on the couch.
Hermione thought for a couple of moments. "It's been quite interesting. I've noticed how the bond between me and the Nott elves has flourished, the more I've fed the bond the more they seem to allow their personalities to come out. I've had quite a few talks with them. I tried to free the Hogwarts elves when I was younger, but I didn't really understand the bond that they have. Our magic is connected. Through each other we find strength-
"Yes!" Regulus said excitedly and Hermione was reminded that he was only 18. "That's how it is with Kreacher. Siri never understood, Father mostly ignored him and Mother poisoned the bond. When we were younger, he was often more of a family member than anyone else I knew…"
Hermione smiled at him. "I'd like to work on Elf Rights after the War. I think they deserve protection and a healthy bond. I mean everyone does. I'm hoping Remus will help me with some pro-Werewolf legislation as well."
"You have big plans, Hermione," Regulus said with a smile. "I think I'd rather like to go into Magical Law, and Creature Rights sounds like something I could be quite passionate about."
The rest of the day was spent pouring over books on Creatures and their Rights. Hermione found that she rather enjoyed Regulus and he provided the perfect partner in conversation. While Theo and Draco would have discussions about anything and everything for hours, they didn't have the same passion around Creature Rights as she did.
Regulus Black was a kindred spirit in a way that she'd always suspected. If anything good was to be said about this extended foray into the War, Regulus Black would definitely make her list of highlights. By the time Draco came to find her after the sun had set, the two of them were surrounded by piles of books about Law and Creatures, and were talking animatedly about the list they'd created and the goals they were hoping to achieve once the war was done.
Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think or if you have any thoughts about what might happen next!
