Yay! It's the weekend! We made it. I am having a hard week, but it gave me some down time to be able to write this chapter.
Tempest Winds
Chapter 8
"Draco!"
"Mother!" Draco said, standing and embracing his mother, who clung to him tightly, as if he would be ripped away from her.
"My darling, how are you?" She whispered in his ear, running her hands down his arms and squeezing his hands.
Draco pulled back and looked his mother over. Her eyes swarm with tears of happiness and a hint of desperation as she searched his face and features for any sign of distress or illness.
"I am fine, Mother, and you?" He asked, noting the dark circles under her eyes, her more angular features, as if she hadn't been eating.
She was about to respond when she stopped herself, her hands tightening in his and then looking down at their grasped hands. Narcissa turned her hands over, gripping his as she studied them.
She ran her finger over his newly calloused hands and Draco noted her lips purse in anger.
"What is this about?" She asked, her voice tense.
Draco looked down at his hands, noting the callouses and shrugged, "It's nothing."
"What have you been doing?" She insisted.
"Laundry, mainly," Draco said, "Cooking, chores."
"This is caused from chores and cooking?" Narcissa asked skeptically.
"All my chores and cooking are currently manually done rather than by muggle machinery or magic," Draco explained, knowing his mother wouldn't be happy with that information.
"For what purpose," Narcissa spat, looking over her shoulder for Andromeda.
"For educational reasons," Andromeda supplied easily, not even looking up from her book as she sat in the living room to chaperon their visit.
"Education?" Narcissa said, releasing Draco's hands as she turned and confronted her sister, "What can he possibly learn from doing servant's work?"
Andromeda sighed and said, "Narcissa, do you ever feel embarrassment or shame for your unearned privilege and entitlement?"
"No," Narcissa said cooly, "I am quite proud of the heritage which has made me thus."
Andromeda rolled her eyes and said, "Draco has been doing a fabulous job with what we have termed 'experiential learning'. In order for Draco to gain and understanding, and more importantly, an appreciation for muggle ingenuity, he has been tasked with doing tasks manually, then we transition to muggle machinery. It's been quite successful."
"I highly doubt that, Andromeda," Narcissa hissed angrily.
Draco reached for his mother and touched her arm, causing her to turn towards him, her expression full of concern and regret.
"Mother, I will admit, I didn't like it at first, but I have learned much with this tactic in a short amount of time and have passed my exams as a result," Draco said in as reassuring a tone as possible, "Let's not let our visit be wasted on this."
Narcissa looked like she wanted to argue, but then followed Draco to the window seat in the front window.
She looked out the window for a moment and then back to him and said, "Your father has written, inquiring about your studies. We both hope this will be behind us when you come back from your school holidays."
Draco nodded, but frowned when he realized his father wouldn't be there for that.
"How is he?" Draco asked softly.
"He assures me he is managing," Narcissa said, glancing at Andromeda for a moment, before turning back to him. She grabbed his hand and Draco felt a piece of paper between their hands.
Draco nodded once and slipped the paper in his pocket, glancing towards Andromeda who was still engrossed in her book.
His mother cleared her throat and said, "I can't believe you are going back to school in a week."
Draco nodded and asked, "Will you arrange for my school trunk to be sent to the station?"
Narcissa nodded and said, "I have been approved by Officer Lang to meet you at the station to say goodbye and bring your things."
Draco nodded, wondering if there was anything he would need that she wouldn't think to send along.
"I had a delightful tea with Queenie Greengrass earlier this week. She was telling me about her girls and their summer. Apparently that younger daughter of hers, Astoria is her name, she is quite accomplished. Finished with top marks in her year."
Draco sighed, knowing when he was being bated into a conversation on potential prospects, "Yes, I believe she was 4th in her year. Not exactly top, but very impressive."
"You should really make an effort to get to know her this year," Narcissa encouraged, "She could be a good partner for you."
"Mother," Draco said, reigning in his annoyance at her insistence, "She will only be a fourth year this year. And I am just trying to get through this nightmare summer before I add courting to my long list of things that need my focus."
"Don't be silly, Draco," Narcissa said, chuckling, "Astoria will be more than expecting male suitors to start courting her at this age. I know I was starting to get interest in my fourth year."
Draco swallowed, not wanting to reveal he had no interest in dating Astoria Greengrass, at least not yet.
"Just try to befriend her, Draco, please," Narcissa requested, "It's very important to your father and I that you start thinking about your life outside of Hogwarts now that…"
She trailed off, but Draco knew what she was thinking. Now that his father was in Azkaban. Now that the Dark Lord had returned. Now that he would be expected to follow his father's footsteps. Now that he would have to take up the mantle of Malfoy heir.
Draco felt the pressure in his chest increase at his mother's words, both said and unsaid.
Draco swallowed, looking down at his hands in his lap. They were clenched in tense fists and he immediately relaxed them and said, "I will try, Mother."
She smiled in relief, squeezing his hand, "Thank you, darling."
Draco looked up as Andromeda cleared her throat and said, "Draco, will you help me prepare some tea for your mother?"
Draco nodded and stood, smiling briefly at his mother before following his aunt.
Draco and Andromeda worked quietly around the kitchen. Draco placed the kettle on the stove as Andromeda grabbed down the tea tray and cups.
Draco began to prepare some sandwiches and biscuits on the tray when Andromeda turned to him, leaning her hip on the counter and crossing her arms.
"You know, if you don't want to date Astoria Greengrass you don't have to. That life outside of Hogwarts, well, it can look however you want it to. It doesn't have to look any certain way, Draco," she said gently.
Draco glared at her and set the biscuits and sandwiches on the tray with a little more force that necessary.
"What would you know about it?" Draco asked, "You turned your back on your own family."
Andromeda looked at him as if she pitied him, which made him uncomfortably angry.
"Exactly," Andromeda said, "I didn't want to start courting pureblood suitors in my fourth. I didn't want to be sold to someone as a "suitable partner". I wanted more. And when I realized that my family's love was conditional on me wanting less for myself, I had to make the hard decision to stop seeking their approval so that I could live my life as I wanted."
Draco swallowed as he looked at her, wanting to scream at her. But the tea whistling on the stove interrupted him and he grabbed the pot and added the water to the small pitcher.
"Just wanted you to think about it," Andromeda said behind him, "And if you need someone to talk to about it, I am here for you Draco."
Draco felt a lump in his throat as he heard her walk through the door to the living room, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
He grabbed the sugar from the cupboard, trying to imagine a life for himself outside what had been instilled in him since he was a child, an exact replica of his father and his choices. That vision of his life used to make him happy, but now it made a feeling of panic curl in his stomach and grow the longer he focused on it.
I wanted more…
If there was more, what would that look Iike for Draco?
An image of Hermione, kicking her feet in the stream, angling her face to the sun came to mind. Draco squeezed his eyes shut against the image, trying to clear it from his mind. But it was replaced by different images, one after the other. Hermione walking towards him with the corners of her half of his folded sheet. Hermione pulling her riotous curls up into a messy bun on top of her head, a few tendrils escaping and brushing the skin on her neck.
"Draco?" His mother called from the living room.
Draco stood up straight, looking down at the tea set, grabbing the cream from the fridge before hurrying out to rejoin his mother and aunt.
"Sorry, I spilled the cream," Draco stated.
Narcissa smiled and said, "That's okay, dear."
Andromeda gave him a tight smile and then began serving tea, handing a cup to Narcissa before Draco and herself.
Surprisingly, Narcissa asked Andromeda about how she and Ted were going to deliver Draco to Platform 9 3/4. This lead to them discussing the upcoming year at Hogwarts and Draco's mind wandered back to Hermione. An image of her sitting in the kitchen at the table in a tank top and denim shorts, flipping her sandal against her foot as she thought something over.
Draco shook his head, again trying to clear the image from his mind.
"Draco, is something wrong?" Narcissa asked, looking at him in concern.
"Uh, no, I uh, I just have a bit of a headache," Draco said, rubbing his forehead for added effect.
Narcissa looked to Andromeda and asked, "Do you need a bit of a lie down?"
Draco shook his head and said, "The tea seems to be helping," not wanting to waste any time he could get with his mother.
Andromeda nodded and they all sipped their tea quietly, trying to come up with something to discuss.
Hermione
Hermione cracked open her book at the table, yawning. She hadn't slept well the night before and was weary of the long day ahead of her and Draco. Who had yet to make an appearance.
She looked outside the kitchen window as she began filling the tea kettle. It really was a peaceful little community, she thought as she watched a family stroll towards the village center.
She heard someone walk down the stairs, assuming it was Draco coming to meet her for their lessons. She moved to the stovetop to place the kettle on the burner, turning it on as she heard Draco enter the kitchen followed by the sound of dropping books.
She spun and noted Draco standing still as if he had been petrified.
"Are you okay?" She asked, wondering why he was looking at her in shock.
Draco seemed to shake himself out of his thoughts, but he glanced her up and down, his mouth closing, a small muscle in his jaw moving.
"What are you wearing?" He asked, gathering his books and sitting at the table.
Hermione looked down at her outfit in confusion. She wore black yoga leggings and a Bulgarian Quidditch tshirt that Viktor had leant to her and that she had kept.
"Shirt and leggings," she answered, "I had a yoga class this morning and came straight here."
Draco only stared at her a moment longer before organizing his papers and opening his book.
"Oh I am sorry, was I expected to wear a ballgown to our tutoring?" She asked with a smirk as the tea kettle began to whistle.
She turned back to the stovetop and grabbed the kettle off the burner and began pouring it into the teapot and grabbing two cups.
She placed them on the table on her way to the fridge to get the cream and sugar.
"So you are dating Krum, then?" Draco asked as she resumed her seat a the table.
Hermione looked at him in surprise. He never asked her any personal questions. The first time it happened about her patronus, she assumed it was because he wanted to know the spell and nothing more.
Unless he wanted Krum's autograph, Draco had no reason to inquire about their relationship.
"No," Hermione said, "We are friends."
Draco scoffed and said, "Men don't gift their clothing and write to their friends they met once two years ago."
Hermione shrugged and said, "I never said I haven't seen him since fourth year. We have been in contact and seen each other when convenient, but with him in Bulgaria and me still in school, it's not the best time to go beyond friendship."
Draco looked up for a fraction of a second, but he seemed to find something that settled something in his mind.
"Why do you care?" Hermione asked, sipping her tea and studying his face which was resolutely looking down at his books.
Hermione felt a shock to see his ears turn pink, a light flush creeping up his neck. Was he embarrassed by her question?
"I don't," he said, busying himself with getting himself some tea.
Hermione decided to drop it, grateful he hadn't become nasty as he had before about Krum.
"Let's get started shall we?" Hermione asked, breaking the tension, " We are continuing reviewing primary functions of the Elder Futhark, the oldest of rune alphabets. Looking over your sketching from yesterday, most of the strokes are perfect, except here, where the downstroke is slightly skewed too diagonally. This can create powerful curses that hard to undo, so we will be doing more practice these today."
Draco and Hermione settled into lessons and after a couple of hours of sketching and having Draco practice walking her through chantings and translations combinations, he seemed to have mastered it.
As this was the first time Draco hadn't struggled through the lessons, she reached out and smiled, grabbing and squeezing his forearm in excitement, "Draco you have got it!" Now that he had this one alphabet memorized and the equations down, their work going forward would be so much easier.
Draco jerked at her sudden contact and as a result, spilling his tea and ink bottle everywhere.
"Merlin, Granger!" He snapped, jerking his arm away from her and righting things.
Hermione reached for her wand and quickly cleaned up the mess, knowing she wouldn't face consequences being in a magical home and it being a basic cleaning spell.
"Sorry, jeez, I didn't realize you were so jumpy," Hermione said, glancing at him from the corner of her eye in concern, "Shall we take a break?"
Draco nodded and jumped up from his chair and bounded out of the kitchen as if fiendfyre was licking his heels.
As the kitchen door swung behind him, Andromeda walked through the door, glancing after Draco in confusion.
"What's wrong with him?"
"I have no idea," Hermione said, equally confused, "He is very clumsy today, dropping books, knocking over tea and ink wells."
Andromeda looked perplexed then shrugged and moved to put in the groceries she was carrying.
"And how is it going today with Ancient Runes?" She asked, unloading cold items in the refrigerator.
"He has the patters and equations down finally, so it will be downhill from here explaining the rest of the materials that Dumbledore and Professor Babbling provided," Hermione said.
"Thank God," Andromeda said, unloading bananas, pears and apples in the fruit bowl on the table.
"Only a week and you will have your house back," Hermione said, finishing off her tea and standing to rinse it out in the sink and placing it to the side for later.
"I know," Andromeda said, grabbing a teacup and pouring herself a cup, "It will be rather lonely and quiet, I think."
Hermione smiled and said, "I thought you would be relived to live in peace again, although I am surprised how accustomed I became to our routines the past month or so."
Andromeda smiled and said, "I will miss you I think. May I write you at Hogwarts?"
Hermione smiled and nodded, "Please do. And tell Ted I would love to hear about his time at St. Mungo's as well."
Andromeda rolled his eyes, "Oh thank goodness, he loves talking about healing and hospital culture, and it drives me crazy hearing the same stories and medical theories sometimes."
Hermione chuckled and decided to pour herself another cup of tea and join Andromeda. She really was a lovely witch and one highlight of the time she spent tutoring Draco was getting to know her.
Andromeda began telling Hermione about when Ted became and intern at St. Mungo's and all the mistakes he had made in the beginning, causing comedic disasters.
They were laughing together when Draco reappeared and looked between them suspiciously.
"What are you two on about?" He asked, sitting down and pouring himself a cup.
"Just telling Hermione about Ted when he was first interning at St. Mungo's," Andromeda explained.
Draco seemed relieved and quietly sat, sipping his tea.
"Hermione says you've made some progress today?" Andromeda said, "Well done you."
"Thank you, yes, it's starting to to make sense," Draco said.
Hermione looked at Draco subtly as the three sat and enjoyed their tea, Draco inquiring about the shopping and some festival in the village.
She wondering if Draco would go back to being a cruel prat to her when they were back at Hogwarts. Or if the detente they had managed to reach between them would hold.
Hermione swirled her teacup, thinking about the coming year and all she had to do to prepare for what came next.
Hope you enjoyed! As always: reviews, messages and follows aren't necessary, but very appreciated. Have a great weekend!