LOST TIME ~ H. Granger and R. Black

20. dinner party

'You're actually pretty good at this.' Hermione laughs, shooting the ball back to Regulus.

'I've always seen the muggle kids in my street do this. It's pretty fun to be honest.' 

Hermione was very surprised with the soccer skills that Regulus had. They decided that they should probably do something fun. Regulus had recieved a letter saying that he was expected for dinner with the rest of the family. He had to be there at 8 and Regulus had told her that they had to be prepared because Voldemort could be coming too, even though he wasn't named in the letter.

'What's the time?' Hermione asked, missing the ball Regulus schoot her. 'Maybe around 6...' Regulus clearly didn't knew either. 'Then it's nearly time to get ready.' Hermione sighed. 'What? we have 2 more hours right?' 

'And?'

'Why would it take you so long to put on something else?' 

'Why do i have to wear something else anyway?' 

'You are wearing your literal Gryffindor school uniform?' 

Hermione laughed. Right, no one could know that she was a gryffindor. Regulus laughed too. Hermione once again tried to shoot the ball in a straight line. 'You're getting better at this too Granger.' And with that they went inside. 

'I'll show you where the bathroom is. '

'Don't worry, i will find it on my own.' Hermione smiled.

'How?'

Hermione laughed akwardly. 'No idea, you can show me...' 

Once in the shower Hermione finally could take a breath. These few hours weren't that bad at all. the only thing she worried about now was what she was going to wear. The only thing she had in her magic little bag was one of Marlene's dresses. It didn't fit her anymore and Marlene had told her that it would look great on her. It was a red dress, pretty short and very extra. Just how Marlene liked it. What she didn't bring into her little bag was shampoo so now she was forced to use the 3 in 1 bodywash she found. She stepped out of the shower and took the shower that she had layed on the cold, dark floor in front of the shower. 

She glanced at the pretty red dress before putting it on. She looked in the mirror, her reflection smiled back. She brushed out her hair, while humming one of her favourite songs. When she was done she finished her outfit with high heels and a pearl necklace that Harry had bought her for Christmas. She left the bathroom and walked back to Regulus his room, struggling only a little bit to walk normally on her heels.

She knocked on the door. 

'Come inside.' 

Hermione opened the door and stepped inside. She found Regulus sitting at his desk, writing. 'Is this okay?' Hermione asked. Regulus looked up at her. 

'You're fucking beautiful Hermione.' 

Hermione started blushing and looked away. 'Thanks.'

'I just worked out our plan for this summer.'

'Plan?'

'The Horcruxes?'

'oh yeah, sure.' Hermione walked over to Regulus his bed and sat down. Regulus turned his chair around so he could look at her while talking. 'So. We have 7 horcruxes right now. I have no idea what they are and where they are, but they are on important places for him, from what my parents have told me.' Hermione nodded.

'So... what we have to do tonight is find as many information on where and what these things are.'

'We can do that.' Hermione was rather confident. How hard could it be to find out about this while being surrounded with Voldemort's followers. 

'Don't get too confident. If anything goes wrong you can be in terrible danger.' He said.

'Don't worry so much. We can do this.' 

***

An hour later they stood before a big Mansion. It looked more like a little castle to be honest. 'Are you ready? Don't talk if they didn't ask okay. I'll answer their questions.' 

Hermione nodded, but didn't answer. Their hands slightly touched each other but they didn't move. Hermione sighed, then grabbing his hand. So they walked trough the neat garden. Once they stood before the door Regulus knocked on the door.   4 times. Hermione wondered if this was some secret sign.

A woman with long, blond hair opened the door. She looked around a year of 27, but she was really pretty. 'Regulus! Glad that you came.' She smiled softly. 

'Nice to see you too Narcissa.'

Hermione could clearly see that he was talking to Draco Malfoy's mum, even though she looked quite young. Narcissa looked at her and Hermione smiled at her. 'Who's this?' She said. 'It's a friend of my school. Her name is-'

' Valerie.' Hermione says.

Regulus looks at her, his eyes wide and his lips thin. 'That's a... beautiful name.' Narcissa says, smiling back at her. 'Why don't you come inside.' Narcissa steps aside and Regulus pushes her inside, still holding her hand. 'They are all in here.' Narcissa says, and without warning she opens the door and Hermione is confronted with more then 20 people just staring at her. Everyone had stopped talking and was now looking at them. 

'Regulus! My dear, who is that girl?' A woman stands up. Hermions grabs Regulus his hand even more. He can't say her real name. They will know in a few years. Narcissa at least will now. It could only be dangerous for her. 'Mum, this is Valerie, a friend from school.' He said, smiling at her. Regulus his mum comes dangerously close and then looks at Hermione. Walburga Black is a stiff woman with black hair in a bun and a manipulative face.

'Is she...'

'Yes, pureblood.'

The woman nodded and kept staring at Hermione, before walking away. Regulus said hello to the people in the room and music started playing again and everyone just started normally again. Once they finally said hello to everyone Hermione and Regulus walked over to Narcissa. 'Want to go outside?' She asked.

Regulus just nodded so Hermione followed the two of them to the garden.  They walked in silence untill Narcissa stopped. The view was amazing and they were staring at a dark lake from under a willow tree. It was already getting dark outside and the moon was out.

'He's coming tonight.' Narcissa says.

Regulus doesn't answer. He probably understands what she meant with that.

'Who's coming?' Hermione asked, not really sure. 

Narcissa looked at her. Her eyes stared into hers. 'Lord Voldemort...' She says. Hermione tries to stay calm. 'Do you know him by the way?' She asks, like it is the most normal  thing in the world. 'Yeah... a bit.' Hermione wasn't lying after all, she had been confronted with Voldemort lots of times, always because of Harry of course.

Narcissa lays down on the grass. Her long blond hair laying behind her. Then she looks over to Hermione, the two of them made eye contact before Hermione looked away.

'We should probably go inside. It will not be to long untill he's here.'