The Right Thing To Do

Chapter 11

"I- Yes, thank you. I agree. It would be so lovely to get to know you as well." Hermione smiled and found she couldn't blink.

"Was Mortimer able to cover your shift?" Narcissa released her hand and lead her to the cushioned chairs. She glided into her chair, and Hermione tried to replicate the motion.

"Yes, he was very kind to allow this. He's really a great man." Hermione crossed her legs at the ankles, instead of at the knees like the Muggles do. "Both he and Maggie are wonderful people." She opened her mouth to ask Narcissa how long she'd been patronizing Cornerstone, but stopped as she took in the room for the first time. She wasn't sure how she'd missed it, but they were having tea in the Malfoy personal library.

"Oh, my," Hermione muttered while spinning in her chair to see the stacks upon stacks of tomes and old volumes. Malfoy Manor's library was cited as one of the oldest and most expansive libraries in all of Wizarding England, but of course when Hermione read this in her second year, she never imagined she would get to see it one day. Everything was immaculately dusted and cared for, and there was even a catalog near the door that would assist you with any topic you desired.

"Oh, yes," Narcissa said. "I hope you don't mind leaving Cornerstone's books for ours. Our drawing room is being renovated."

"No, no. I'm absolutely floored. Your library is beautiful Mrs. Malfoy." Her eyes danced along the spines, finding what she thought might be a first edition of Moste Potente Potions tucked in between two heavy volumes.

"Please, dear, call me Narcissa."

And just like that, Hermione was brought back to the oddity that was tea with Narcissa Malfoy.

"Narcissa. Your library is beautiful." Hermione smiled. She wondered what to do with her hands, so she just let them lay awkwardly on her lap.

"Thank you, dear. You will have to come by just to browse one day. Any book you would like to borrow, it's yours." Narcissa waved her arm and Mippy appeared with the tea service before Hermione's brain could process the idea of browsing the Malfoy library.

Mippy pushed over a cart with the most decadent looking sandwiches and scones. Mippy snapped and the teacups and saucers were produced from thin air. She laid them down on the table between Hermione and Narcissa. Hermione was entranced, but of course cautious when it came to house-elf servitude.

"Tell me, Miss Granger." Hermione looked up and Narcissa was watching her. "You work at Cornerstone Books on the weekends, but during the week you work at the Ministry?"

"Yes. At the Department of Magical Creatures, in the Beast Division."

"Fascinating." And she actually looked fascinated. "And what does the Beast Division entail? Werewolves and Centaurs, yes?"

"Yes, the Centaur Liaison office, the Werewolf Registry. But also the Ghoul Task Force and the Dragon Research and Restraint Bureau, which is where I spend most of my time." She watched as Mippy poured their tea and set small plates in front of them.

"Thank you Mippy," Narcissa said, and Mippy disappeared. "Dragon research? That must be quite interesting." She poured milk into her cup and began stirring without a single "clink" against the teacup edge.

"Yes, it is. I analyze and write reports on dragon eggs found around Wizarding England, and I've requested to head my own research project on Gringotts, actually. You see, up until a year and a half ago, there was a blinded dragon chained in the bowels of the building, used as a security method for the more important vaults. They tortured the dragon to respond to certain sounds and..." Hermione realized that it is possible Narcissa knew everything about this dragon, as it was her sister's vault they had broken into. "And I would like to help the goblins come up with an alternative, so another dragon is not tortured in this way."