A longer chapter this time - please read and review!

The next morning Hermione allowed Twinkle to dress her and the house elf commented on how well she looked in her green robes. Once she was ready she waited for Draco to emerge from his bedroom before making her way down to breakfast, relieved that the portraits weren't muttering amongst themselves today.

"Father says we're going to learn to write with a quill, like he and Mother do," Draco told her proudly as they hurried towards the dining room, the smell of bacon wafting into the hall.

"I can write a little bit already. We do letters and numbers in school," Hermione replied.

"Oh, that's just a Muggle school!" he scoffed, "Home lessons are going to be much better."

Hermione was a little chastened as she tucked into the delicious breakfast that Dobby set before her. She was learning that mealtimes were important to the Malfoys and that the family always ate together, whenever possible. She was also learning that children had to wait to be spoken to in this house, something that Draco was also coming to terms with.

"Well, are you excited about your lessons, Hermione?" Auntie Cissa asked her.

"Are we going to learn any spells, Mother?" Draco interjected.

"Now, Draco, I was talking to Hermione. Wait your turn, please, dearest."

The boy's face fell, and he didn't cheer up all the way through breakfast. He rallied a little when they were introduced to Professor Abbott, who shook their hands and told them he hoped they would get along very well. Hermione did not find out for a little while that he was not a real professor, like the ones in universities, but that "Professor" was an honorary title for a teacher in the wizarding world. He wore a brown hat with a purple ribbon and had a long beard and glasses that perched on the end of his nose. Hermione couldn't take her eyes off the silver streaks in his grey hair that seemed to shimmer.

The professor explained firmly but gently that he would start her off with a pencil, as that was what she was used to but that she would need to start using a quill very soon. He needn't have worried. By the end of that morning's lesson he was very impressed with her writing skills and within a few days he informed the Malfoys that she would be moving on to a quill next week. He gave both children a special reader, designed for young witches and wizards, to teach them words like "cat" and "broom" but Hermione was soon ready for more and the next day he had a couple of more advanced books with him.

During that first week, most of his time was spent with Draco who didn't seem as enthusiastic about his lessons. Hermione was sure she caught him glaring at her out of the corner of her eye at times, whenever the professor praised her. The quill pen was strange and the parchment a bit scratchy but she knew this was part of her new world and she did her best to get used to them both.

These were not the only lessons she received. On the Wednesday afternoon, after their third day of home lessons, Auntie Cissa brought her into the drawing room and Summoned her needlework basket to them. She showed her a variety of pretty samplers that she had made, featuring birds, flowers and various patterns in different colours and explained that Hermione would be learning to sew and embroider in addition to her regular lessons, and in time would be making samplers like these. In the meantime, she would watch as Auntie Cissa worked on her own creative projects and listen as the process was explained to her.

Hermione was curious about this as her mummy didn't have time to do sewing or embroidery so this would be new to her. It wasn't the same as reading but it would still be interesting. Her foster mother went on to explain that it could be done with magic if necessary but doing it by hand would teach patience and perseverance.

"It isn't good to sit around idly," she advised, "A young lady should always have something to occupy her spare time, and needlework is a very suitable activity, both for now and for when you get older."

Hermione tried not to think about her school, or her bedroom at home, or how it was Wednesday today, the day her mummy would finish work early and bring her to the newsagent for her weekly comic on their way home, where Mrs Patel would have it waiting for her. She wished she had some way to count down the days until she would see her parents again. Maybe they would bring her to the park during this visit? Soon, Auntie Cissa could tell her mind was elsewhere and sent her upstairs to play where she entertained herself with a jigsaw for a while.

As time went on, Hermione would realise that the Malfoys had a list of Suitable Muggle Activities, as she grew to call them, such as playing the piano, knitting, horse riding and other pursuits that witches were allowed to pursue without feeling that they were traitors to their community, and that Hermione was to sample all of them before she left for Hogwarts. Quite simply, Auntie Cissa was training her to take her place in elite pureblood society. During that first month she taught her young ward about dressing herself and used both her wand and a jewel encrusted hairbrush to try to tame her frizzly curls. If the weather permitted she took Hermione for walks around the grounds and made every effort to answer her many questions.

"What's a Mudblood?" she asked one day as they took a tour of the herb garden. It was less than a week since her arrival and the portraits were muttering again.

"Well… It's just something we call magical people whose parents are Muggles. Like you, in fact. Why do you ask?"

Hermione hung her head. "I heard the people in the portraits saying it. I don't think they like me."

"Is that right? Don't you worry; I'll be having a word with them."

She never knew what her foster mother said but it seemed to do the trick, for a while at least.

oOo

One thing she grew to hate was being introduced to the Malfoy's wide circle of friends and relatives. They all knew each other from years ago and often seemed to be related distantly, although Hermione could never remember exactly how. The first time was just over a week after she arrived and one of the first people in the drawing room to greet her was a Mrs Flavia LeRoy.

"You remember Mr LeRoy who brought you to the Ministry? Well, this is his wife," Narcissa told her eagerly before pushing her gently towards the plain but stylish woman who was sitting near the piano.

"How do you do, Mrs LeRoy? I'm very pleased to meet you," Hermione said, a little nervously, holding out her hand. She could not imagine that horrible man having a wife. Narcissa squeezed her shoulder, letting her know she'd done it right. Suddenly the whole room seemed to be gushing over her. They stroked her hair, pinched her cheeks and cooed over how adorable she looked in her robes until the Professor arrived and she eagerly hurried out of the room for her lessons.

oOo

Narcissa had been watching the scene contentedly and once her foster daughter was out of the room she was glad to tell everyone how happy she and Lucius were to play their part in teaching a Muggle-born about their world. A very elderly blue haired woman at the back was listening intently and with some bemusement. She was Narcissa's grandmother's second cousin although Narcissa always addressed her as "Auntie".

"Such lovely manners! Who would have thought that Muggles could teach their children good manners?" she remarked coolly, stirring her cup of tea.

Mrs LeRoy had been about to sip her own tea but placed it back down and laid the spoon on the saucer with a hint of smugness.

"Actually, I can imagine her parents doing just that," she announced to the room, before discreetly looking around to make sure she had everyone's attention. "I didn't meet them myself, of course, but Articus says it was a very respectable house – clean, tidy, in a nice area, all that kind of thing. Lots of books, too."

"A Muggle house with lots of books! I can't imagine that," remarked the blue haired lady.

"Apparently the parents are dentists," Mrs LeRoy continued, "Sort of like Healers, but for teeth."

"Healers for teeth? How curious," another woman pondered allowed, while another wondered if Muggles had Healers for each part of the body, making everyone chuckle.

"It is curious, but Arty says it's a very well respected job in the Muggle world. They're professionals, apparently, and would have gone to University for several years and taken important exams. They were planning on sending Hermione to a private school, in fact."

Narcissa listened with interest. She hadn't really thought or cared about what the Grangers did in the Muggle world but it pleased her that Hermione came from a respectable home. A Muggle home of course, but still, it was a good start.

"You should see some of the homes he has to visit," Mrs LeRoy went on, "Honestly, some Muggles are practically living in their own filth. A few weeks ago he had to Re-locate some poor Mudblood from some absolutely dreadful place in London. Well! The names he was called! I wouldn't repeat them here, I can tell you."

Narcissa was glad to have peace and quiet after they had all departed via the Floo network or Apparition, with plans to meet up next month. She sat in on Draco and Hermione's lessons for a little while and was impressed by the girl's knowledge and interest in what she was learning. Her parents might be Muggles but they had clearly done their best and had tried to bring her up to be polite and well behaved. It did not change her views on Muggles in general however, as the Grangers were clearly the exception to the rule and she certainly had no wish to meet any. She still had the first Visit to get through and was not looking forward to that, but Hermione would want to see them and she was not going to upset her foster child by denying her this.

oOo

The weeks passed. Hermione got to know Twinkle a little better although the little house elf always looked surprised when the "little miss" invited her to play with her. She stopped asking when she saw Twinkle's eyes darting around the room nervously, or if she started avoiding eye contact. Once she overheard Uncle Lucius shouting at her for not having Draco at the breakfast table in time and how important timekeeping was here in the Manor. After she heard him go back downstairs she sneaked across the landing where Twinkle was making Draco's bed while berating herself for being "a terrible house elf".

Hermione felt sorry for her but she was five years old and did not know what to say or do. When Twinkle looked around and saw her she crept back to her own bedroom quickly, unable to look at the house elf. It was almost a relief to hear Auntie Cissa calling her for her lessons and she hurried down the stairs, trying to put the scene out of her mind.

oOo

During the third week they were both surprised to see Uncle Lucius enter the school room instead of the professor. They were even more surprised when Draco was sent upstairs to play, leaving Hermione alone with her foster father. Taking his wand from his walking cane he made a huge tapestry appear on the wall facing her. It was full of people's names, with lines and arrows between them. With his usual formality he explained that this was the Malfoy family tree and that she would be learning about it from time to time over the next few years, along with Draco who already knew a little of his heritage and ancestry. Hermione learned that day that Auntie Cissa had been part of the Ancient and Noble House of Black before her marriage and that the two families were among the greatest wizarding families in Britain.

She would also be learning about a group of pureblood families known as the Sacred 28 and would learn all twenty eight surnames by heart, which scared Hermione a little. He told them about his parents, Abraxas and Medusa and his grandparents, as well as Auntie Cissa's parents, Cygnus and Druella who lived in a fine house called Black Manor and about her sister Bellatrix who was married to another pureblood and lived abroad, although he looked a bit uneasy when he told them that bit. Hermione wanted to know why there were so many funny names on that tapestry but she also knew Uncle Lucius wouldn't be happy so she kept quiet, trying not to smirk.

oOo

Auntie Cissa was as good as her word and brought her back to Diagon Alley, without Draco this time, and bought her a few more outfits as well as two new dolls and a stuffed cat. She also bought a new outfit for herself, in her favourite shade of green before treating Hermione to afternoon tea in a pleasant café with roses on the cups and saucers where a friendly waitress dressed in black and white brought her a tall glass of pumpkin juice. In another shop her "auntie" bought some hair accessories for both of them, including some kind of special shampoo to use on Hermione's frizzy hair which she was determined to bring under control. She explained that it was called Sleekeasy's Hair Potion, one of the best grooming products in the wizarding world.

Once more, people greeted them eagerly and they were served promptly everywhere they went. In the bookshop, Auntie Cissa showed her a nice, colourful book, Hadrian the Halfblood, which was the first in a series about a little boy whose father was a Muggle and whose mother was a witch. They also looked at a big, thick book about Hogwarts and another about Quidditch.

Draco had scoffed when it turned out she had never heard of Quidditch but his mother had reminded him that Hermione was new to the wizarding world and needed to learn all these things. If she found out about it maybe they could play it together? Still, the story book looked good too, and as the family in it seemed to be visiting somewhere that looked like Diagon Alley she chose that instead.

The street still fascinated her and this time she was able to ask more questions about the shops that adorned it, as well as the huge building that housed Gringotts Bank where Auntie Cissa had to do some business. The goblins scared her a little but her foster mother told her they wouldn't harm her, although she sent them a warning glare as she said it. The bank was far bigger than the one on her local high street and she couldn't help looking around at the ornate ceilings and the odd looking contraptions that brought you down to your family vault.

Once they were finished at the bank they went back to the café where they'd had afternoon tea and travelled home by the Floo Network. This was a bit different to Apparition as you had to step into a fireplace and travel past other fireplaces, but she knew Auntie Cissa was used to this and would look after her. She was glad to step out into a familiar drawing room where Draco and Uncle Lucius had already arrived home from their time in the Ministry, even though she felt dizzy at first and needed to sit down.

"I thought you might like to travel a different way," her foster mother told her, sitting next to her. Once she'd recovered a bit Auntie Cissa reminded her that it was only two days before they would be going to the Ministry to see her parents. For Hermione, that was the best part of the day and she hoped the two days would pass quickly. The magical world was great but she couldn't wait to see her mummy and daddy again.

That night, Auntie Cissa read the Hadrian the Halfblood story to Hermione and Draco before they went to bed. She liked the pictures but the daddy in the story seemed a bit…odd somehow, grinning stupidly at the sights around him and pointing at things. She didn't think she had been like that today, but maybe some people were? But as the story went on, she became more and more puzzled. The family bought some new potions and when they got home Daddy tried to make a potion of his own in the cauldron only for the whole thing to blow up, leaving him with a blackened face and his hair sticking up on end.

Auntie Cissa chuckled at the picture before reading on: "Oh, I am a silly Muggle, aren't I!" said Daddy, as Mummy and Hadrian laughed."

She and Draco both seemed to think this was funny but it annoyed Hermione that an adult wouldn't know how dangerous something was. Her own daddy was always warning her about hot surfaces and things like that. It was the first time she hadn't enjoyed a story from her new world and it bothered her a little, enough to make her ask about it.

"Everyone knows Muggles can't do magic," Draco explained, or at least he thought it was an explanation. Hermione thought about the story that night, among many other things. She knew Muggles weren't as stupid as that but all her racing thoughts made her toss and turn and in the end she gave up trying to understand it. She missed being able to get in beside her mummy and daddy if she couldn't sleep and she did not think the Malfoys would allow her do that, not that she wanted to.

Two days she thought as she snuggled up with her new dolls, Aster and Daisy. Auntie Cissa had named Aster, explaining that it was a type of flower that looked like a star, and Hermione had chosen Daisy's name. Maybe she could bring them to her visit and show her parents? Two more days… If she closed her eyes she could imagine that her parents were only in the next room, listening to their radio programme before they went to sleep, instead of miles away.

Eventually she slept, dreaming of their warm embrace.