From what Hermione understood about visiting privileges at Azkaban, those in medium security were allowed only one visit per month. When Hermione asked Narcissa about this, she brushed it off, saying that next month they were allowed a December visit and an option to see Lucius on Christmas Day, so she wasn't too concerned.
Hermione was. She was very concerned.
With Narcissa's blue eyes examining her over her teacup, there was no option to say no.
On Tuesday, she received a memo from Robards in the Auror Office requesting her assistance with another case. She had to postpone her follow-up meeting with Mathilda until the next day, but Mathilda did drop by her desk to mention that the Minister would be joining them tomorrow. She winked at her, and Hermione hated that Draco was right. Meeting with Kingsley on Monday afternoon had just secured her a project.
She entered the conference room upstairs and found Draco, as expected, examining maps and charts and all sorts of diagrams. He handed her a coffee as she settled in, explaining the case and what it was they would work on. There was no indication that he was at all fazed by the Skeeter article the day before. And there was no indication that he had any sort of opinion about her visiting his father on Saturday.
Hermione ached to ask him, to maybe get advice, to figure out what Lucius wanted. To ask, "Draco, what's the best way to come out of a conversation with Lucius Malfoy alive?"
But perhaps he didn't know about it. And that confused her more.
"When will you announce now?" Hermione asked after an hour of silence.
His eyes flipped up to her, and he answered, "This coming Monday." That was all he said. He continued reading the chart he was on.
Hermione nodded. She would need to make sure nothing interesting happened over the weekend, so she would not ruin his announcement again. She supposed that meant that both parties needed to come out unharmed on Saturday.
~*~
What does one wear to meet Lucius Malfoy?
She was sure Ginny would have some ideas... if only she'd decided to tell Ginny what she was doing today. Ginny had been preparing all week for an out of town game with the Harpies. She'd been bumped to first string for the winter, and Hermione could see the stress and joy in her during the limited time they'd spent together, so she didn't bother telling her. It wasn't a big deal anyway. Lucius Malfoy wanted to thank her, in person, for speaking at his son's trial.
Hermione considered leaving a note, mentioning the location of her will and the key to her Gringotts vault.
She continued her attempt to plait her hair, while frowning at that morning's Skeeter article and picture. Draco and Katya had gone out again last night. They'd had dinner at a café followed by a few drinks at a classy bar. There were two pictures, one of the two of them talking over dinner – Draco laughing at something she said – and one of them at the Apparition point outside the bar. Draco had her pressed against the brick, his hand on her hip and her fingers in his hair. A much different kiss from the one pictured two weeks back. Skeeter mentioned that they did not Apparate home together. Thank Merlin for small miracles.
Hermione decided that if she could survive today's chat, she could probably survive a few more dates on her calendar, and promised herself to at least follow up with dear Rolf Scamander, if anything. The evening wouldn't end like Draco's had, but at least she'd be getting to know new blokes, training herself for dating.
She looked at herself in the mirror. As presentable as she could be, she penned a quick note to Morty, saying she had an appointment this morning at 9AM, but fully anticipated being there by opening.
Narcissa had suggested that Hermione come over just before so she could Floo from Malfoy Manor, which was already connected to the Azkaban fireplaces. The Floo Network would open precisely at 8:45AM and stay open for precisely three minutes. Earlier in the week Hermione had weaseled out of Harry that they would be having a Quidditch practice Saturday morning, even without Ginny, so Hermione was sure that Draco would not be at the Manor.
She looked at herself in the mirror again. She grabbed her bag and tossed the Floo powder into the fireplace.
"Malfoy Manor."
Mippy was waiting for her. The elf smiled so wide that Hermione almost laughed at the way the expression pulled her face.
"Miss Hermione Granger." Mippy greeted her and bent into a curtsey. "Mippy takes you to the library now."
Hermione smiled despite the curdling in her stomach, and followed the little elf that was wearing only a dress and fuzzy socks. They passed the grey busts of the Malfoy patriarchy, and Hermione avoided Lucius's grey stone eyes as Mippy opened the library doors.
"Hermione, dear." Narcissa stood. "You look lovely."
"Oh, thank you," Hermione blushed. She spent enough time on her appearance to warrant that compliment, she supposed. "Good morning, Narcissa."
Narcissa gestured for her to sit and offered her a coffee. Hermione said yes, and then considered whether caffeine would be a wise choice with the current state of her nerves.
As Mippy produced the coffee cup and saucer and then disappeared, she said, "Oh, Narcissa. I completely forgot that I meant to bring back those books I borrowed." She shook her head. "How silly of me."
"Oh, that's fine, dear," Narcissa waved her hand. "You'll just have to come back soon and exchange them for new ones!"
Narcissa smiled and sipped her tea. Narcissa seemed to think that Hermione would come out of this meeting unscathed, and that settled Hermione's stomach a bit. Either that or Narcissa would have Mippy retrieve the books from her flat after her body was buried.
She decided to take it easy on the caffeine.
Hermione turned to set her coffee cup down and stopped when she saw an ornate golden box on the side table. Its lid was open and the most decadent diamond ring she'd ever seen was resting in the folds of the fabric.
"Is this your ring, Narcissa?"
"At one point." She appeared around Hermione's shoulder, looking down at the ring. "I apologize for having it laid out like this. I need to take it in for altering."
"It's stunning," Hermione said. She watched as the sides of the diamond twinkled with magic. She didn't know much about diamonds or the cut of them, but this ring was remarkable.
"Thank you." Narcissa's voice floated over her shoulder. "It's been in the Malfoy family for generations, passed down to each new fiancée." The word rang in Hermione's ears, as Narcissa continued, the ring glinting. She wondered how many diamonds were set in it. "I remember the day Lucius gave it to me. I was so angry with him that day because of some silly thing he'd said, and I was - No, dear! Don't touch it!"
Hermione jumped. She looked around, trying to find the person who was reaching for the ring and found her own fingers inches away. Narcissa had jumped up and grabbed her arm.
"I-I... I don't know what just happened," Hermione stammered. "I'm so very sorry, Narcissa." Her face was hot and she couldn't look her in the eyes.
"No, no," Narcissa said, hand on her heart. "It's my fault, dear." She pressed the back of her fingers to her lips. "I should have known..." Narcissa leaned down to her and grabbed her shoulders. "It's not your fault, Hermione. There are... enchantments on the ring, to ward off..."
"Muggleborns." Hermione finished it for her.
"All non-pure-bloods." Narcissa breathed. "It has a bit of dark magic to attract those who might be cursed if they touched it." Narcissa frowned down at the ring, and Hermione looked at a point over the woman's shoulder, heat coursing through her from embarrassment. "That's actually why I'm taking it in today – to have a curse-breaker look at it."
"Again, I am so very sorry, Narcissa."
"Oh, nonsense." Narcissa ran her hands up and down Hermione's arms, comforting in a way that made her miss her mother. "I shouldn't have had it laid out like this. Mippy!"
Mippy popped in. "Yes, Mistress?"
"Mippy, please take the Malfoy ring to my study."
Mippy snapped and the beautiful box floated over to her hands, just levitating above them, and Hermione wondered if the Malfoys had also cursed the ring against thieving house elves.
"The ring is very pretty, yes?" Mippy said, and it took a moment for Hermione to realize that the elf was talking to her. Mippy's eyes were wide as they looked up at her.
"Oh, yes, absolutely." Hermione smiled down at her.
"It belongs to Master Draco now. And he gives it to someone very special soon."
Hermione's heart jumped. If the elf knew that Draco was going to propose soon... The image of Draco laughing with the Bulgarian girl, pressing her up against the side of the bar and his hand squeezing her hip. And Hermione remembered that Katya Viktor was half-blood. And an engagement ring that was meant to be worn on a pure-blood's finger would need to be taken to a curse-breaker...
"She'll be very lucky." Her voice cracked on every word.
"Are you ready, dear?" Narcissa's voice cut through the library. Hermione checked her timepiece and saw that it was 8:43AM. She breathed. Narcissa continued, "We have the library fireplace tied to the Azkaban Floo, so you can pop through right here."
She stuttered a reply and Narcissa produced the Floo Powder. Hermione hitched her bag on her shoulder and joined Narcissa at the fireplace.
"Is there... is there anything I should know? Or..."
"You'll be met by an Auror who will check you in, and walk you through procedures. And you'll meet with him in a private room."
Hermione swallowed. "Alright. And is there anything you'd like me to tell Mr. Malfoy? Or is there anything I should be prepared for?" Hermione felt silly, asking Narcissa for advice on how to speak to her husband.
Narcissa smiled, seeing through her. "He just wants to thank you for helping rehabilitate Draco's life. And to officially meet you."
Hermione bit her tongue, about to comment that they had met. He was either ignoring her at Flourish and Blotts or casting curses her way in the Department of Mysteries, but they'd met.
Hermione grabbed a handful of Floo powder, tossed it in the fireplace, stepped in and said, "Azkaban Visitor Center."
The image of Narcissa smiling at her holding the bag of powder spun away from her and she landed in a stone room. Three chairs lined the far wall, and metal gates to her left separated the room from a dark hallway. It was still cold, even without the Dementors.
An Auror approached the gates from the other side, and began unlocking them with a series of complicated spells. He grinned at her as the gate opened and said, "Hermione Granger?"
"Yes, hello."
"It's excellent to finally meet you in person, Miss Granger." He shook her hand. "Come with me."
He led her to a small room with cabinets. He instructed her to remove all jewelry or metal objects from her person, and place her purse and wand in a cabinet. He ran her over with a spell to reveal hidden objects, like weapons or secondary wands, and then had her sign an agreement regarding the use of wandless magic.
He then passed her off to another guard, who opened a series of more gates, locking them all behind him. The echo of their footsteps on the stones rattled her nerves, and she began looking behind her every six steps, anticipating someone following them.
They arrived at a normal looking stone door, and the guard told her that she would only need to knock to indicate that the meeting was over and she would be immediately let out.
The guard opened the stone door. And Hermione found Lucius Malfoy, hair pulled back, grey Azkaban robes, hands clasped in front of him, and sitting at a two-person table. There was a scrap of paper on the table in front of him.
He looked up at her and his mouth smiled at her while his eyes did not.
"Miss Granger."
The guard nodded to her and closed the door.
"Mr. Malfoy."
He gestured to the empty chair across from him. She felt the ghost of where her wand usually pressed against her hip.
She pulled the metal chair out, and the scrape against the stone was obscene. She sat, pushed an escaped lock of hair away from her face, and returned her gaze to him to find him watching her. She blinked at him, but he did not speak.
"It was very kind of you to want to meet with me, Mr. Malfoy. I must confess, I'm still shocked that you would give up your weekend this month with your family."
"Well," he said, and his voice was so familiar, but they'd barely spoken in the past. "Narcissa convinced me that it was very important to meet you, Miss Granger. You've become so important to her."
The words were sincere but the intention was not. Again, Hermione had the sinking fear that she would not survive this meeting.
"She's become very important to me, too."
"And you've been getting on with Draco, I hear." His voice lilted. It was such an opposite effect than his son's drawl. It made him sound more interested than he was.
"Yes," she said, unsure of where to go with this. "We both work at the Ministry now."
"That's wonderful." She could tell it wasn't. "I can't thank you enough for speaking at his trial, Miss Granger."
"Of course, sir. It was the right thing to do." Her safest response. Her eyes flickered to the small piece of paper resting between his fingers.
"Narcissa wanted me to thank you for that, and to get to know you better," he said. He sat very tall and still and watched her. "But none of that is why I invited you here today."
Hermione blinked at him. She swallowed. "Oh?"
He pushed the folded scrap of paper to her. She plucked it from the table, and after a nod from him, she opened it.
Graceful
Exquisite table manners
Skilled in hosting
Witty
Charming
Leader amongst social peers
Beautiful
Fashionable
Level-headed
Financially knowledgeable
Obedient
Trained in décor
Practiced dancer
Intelligent
Cool-tempered
Pure-blood
Hermione read over the list twice, eyes tripping over the even scrawl. She folded the page again and brought her eyes to meet him, heart beating fast.
"And what is this?"
"A list." He leaned forward in his chair. "Of qualities in a Malfoy wife."
Hermione sat very still, waiting for him to speak again. When he did not, she tried, "Would you like for me to pass this along to your wife and son?"
"No, you hold onto that, Miss Granger." His eyes never left her face.
"Are you... assigning me the task of finding a suitable bride for Draco?"
He lifted a brow at her, just as his son did. He stood from the table, and Hermione kept her eyes on him, keeping her breathing even.
"I am unwilling to part with a single item on that list, Miss Granger." He walked around his chair, and placed his hands on its back. "Except the final one."
Pure-blood.
Hermione brows came together. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
"I receive the paper here in Azkaban, Miss Granger. I know the two of you are romantically involved."
Her breath left her in a puff. She turned it into a laugh.
"You know what Rita Skeeter tells you."
"I can see the pictures, Miss Granger. They don't need Skeeter's... artistic interpretation." Hermione tightened her jaw to keep from speaking. "And besides, even if I did not have the proof in the pictures, I have the word of my wife. Who's grown quite fond of you as more than a friend. As a daughter, she told me." His eyes sparkled at her.
Oh, Narcissa. What have you done.
"I apologize, Mr. Malfoy." She looked down at the table to gather her composure before looking back at him. "You have been misinformed. There is nothing romantic going on between your son and me. We're just..." She stopped.
"'Just friends?'" He smirked at her.
"We're barely that."
He raised a brow.
"Yes, Draco has tried throwing me off the trail as well, going on dates with that Bulgarian half-blood every time the two of you are pictured together in the paper," he said. She blinked at him and watched as he scratched his jaw. She filed that comment away. "You'll come to learn, Miss Granger, once we are..." – he took a breath – "family... that I do not enjoy games." He began a light stroll around the table, coming around the back of her chair. She recognized it as an intimidation technique. She remained still. "I know that this relationship has been developing for years."
His voice drifted over her right shoulder, and she listened to him complete his trip around her chair.
"I don't know what you're talking—"
"I already know about his visits to Narcissa's mother, Miss Granger." He said it like it was supposed to mean something to her. "Getting around the inheritance binding spell." He muttered, "Squandering his future. All for you."
He appeared in her sight again, and leaned against the table, crossing his ankles so casually. He examined her. Hermione's mind was racing.
"I don't... I think you've misunderstood, Mr. Malfoy." She cleared her throat and he let her continue. "I don't know anything about Narcissa's mother, and if he was asking for money, for ways around the inheritance, I'm sure it was for the business he's trying to build."
His eyes immobilized her, in the way his son's did, but without the flicker of something else.
"This was years ago Miss Granger. And I'm not talking about the business. I'm talking about the Auction."
Her veins turned to ice. And she felt the blood drain from her face.
"What Auction?" she tried.
Lucius's lips spread into a smile. It was disturbing.
"I will add 'Convincing Liar' to the list of desirable traits for you to work on Miss Granger."
Her heart ricocheted around her ribcage. She struggled to pull air into her lungs as she watched him step away from the table and begin another arrogant stroll back towards his chair. Hermione was still trying to pull together all of this information when he continued.
"Druella can't be blamed for tattling, of course. She came to see me shortly after Draco begged her for the money, asking me to show him some pity."
"What money?" She breathed.
"The 35,000 galleons, of course."
There was a gasp, and it took Hermione a moment to realize it had come from her. She looked at her hands. They were shaking.
"Ah," he continued. "So, you do know the story." He grinned at her. "I must admit, it took me quite a few weeks to piece together what the money was for. Slave-trading wasn't really my cup of tea with the Death Eaters."
This wasn't right. Hermione balled her hands into fists to keep them from trembling. He told her he would sell her if given the chance. This wasn't... If he bought her, she would have been his in this dystopian future, no profit made. What would the purpose of that be?
And trust me, Granger. It isn't your housekeeping skills that they were after.
She looked up at Lucius, and he was watching her from his side of the table. She gathered herself, and tried to see it from his perspective, seeing as her perspective was giving her a headache.
"So, let me understand this correctly." She set her eyes on him. "You catch your son trying to buy a girl like a common whore, you see a few pictures in the Prophet of his 'lust-filled eyes,' and you decide it's time to turn her into 'wife material.'"
He smiled and looked down at the metal table.
"How unfortunate it is that you are so intelligent, Miss Granger. It keeps you from seeing the truth." He placed his hands on the table, leaning down to her. "He wasn't going to buy you. He was going to save you."
She breathed.
The eyes looking at her matched Draco's. She focused on them, focused on them while her brain worked. It didn't add up.
Lucius stood to his full height again. "Here is my proposal, Miss Granger." His voice slid over the word "proposal," like it was a private joke between the two of them. "You will begin shadowing Narcissa at her social engagements. Learn from her, from her mannerisms, from her expressions. She will put you in contact with Madame Michele, a Charms and Etiquette mistress that teaches all pure-blood girls the important manners. Most girls start at age eight, so you will have a long way to go. You will research the Malfoy family history, becoming familiar with the lineage, the famous ancestry, the Manor itself..."
Hermione let his voice wash over her. He continued. He listed several more manners teachers, dance teachers, interior decorating specialists.... She let him speak. She let him speak so she could think.
Her brain ran through the past ten years, trying to piece in this new information should she chose to accept it. To save her. It was incongruous. There was not a single moment in the past ten years of her life where Draco Malfoy would have saved her. And he had made it perfectly clear that Malfoy Manor was no exception to that rule. She'd thought by not identifying them that night, he had cared, or wanted them alive, but he had denied that. Hadn't he?
I didn't give a fig about saving the world, or stopping the Dark Lord – or you and your idiotic friends for that matter!
Her eyes glazed over the table top and Lucius's hands as they moved.
"...who will then bring you to tea with my mother. You will not mention your parentage unless it is brought up..."
She thought back, before the war began. To buy her, yes. To humiliate her publicly in front of the Slytherin boys who'd won the war. To pass her around like a whore if that was what suited him. To parade her in front of the remaining members of the Order, proving that the Golden Girl was just as tarnished as the rest.
These were the thoughts that had kept her up since the moment he told her about the Auction six weeks ago. The most valuable slave would not be treated as just a slave or just a concubine.
"...at which point you will begin an account with Madame le Roux who will take measurements..."
She thought back. Was it possible Draco wanted her? There were times now where she could see something in his eyes, something more than teasing, but back then? It's possible he would have bought her to satisfy a curiosity. To hear her virtue being discussed amongst the elder, crueler Death Eaters, or his friends even, and decide that he had tortured her and invested in her over the years – he should be the one to reap the rewards.
These were possible scenarios.
She looked up, and Lucius wasn't done. He walked like his son. Calm and in control of his body.
"... with the ceremony in the garden of the Manor. Reception to follow in the ballroom..."
She thought back. His hand against her hip in Umbridge's office, then shoving her away. His eyes cutting through her at the Yule Ball, as they spun around each other. His voice taunting her, drawling across her ears over the years. The memories that mattered to her, had mattered not at all to him. It was inconsistent. Lucius was bluffing.
Draco would not have sacrificed his inheritance, his future, to save her from becoming another man's slave.
"...You will then—"
"I will not."
He stopped his pacing. He looked down at her. She set her jaw.
"I appreciate the steps you are taking to ensure your lineage and your name are preserved, Mr. Malfoy, even with a Mudblood for a daughter-in-law."
He stood still and cocked his head at her.
"But Draco and I are not engaged. So, I will not abide by your demands."
He smiled at the ground. "'Draco,' is it?"
She swallowed. "Yes. Draco. We are friends now. But he was never in love with me and he has no intention of proposing to me. So, you may refrain from embarrassing yourself any further."
Her cheeks reddened as his eyes paled.
"You poor, foolish girl."
"I have no intention of becoming 'Lady Malfoy,' so I will not need your list." She placed it on the table, and stood, turning to the door.
"I do hope you've memorized it, Miss Granger." She closed her eyes in exasperation. "For the majority of his inheritance is still tied up with me. If I hear that he will be engaging in a relationship with someone who does not meet my demands of a Malfoy woman, I may decide to keep the rest of the money tied up until a suitable partner is found."
She turned to him. "You would ruin his business venture just to spite me?"
"Heavens, no, Miss Granger." His voice dripped. "Everything I do, I do for my son."
She stared at him from across the room, palm on the door.
"You have nothing to worry about Mr. Malfoy. You may keep your last item on your list."
She knocked on the door. The guard opened it immediately and nodded at her.
His voice floated to her. "See to it, Miss Granger."
The guard locked him in and escorted her down the hall, locking every gate behind them. Her feet clipped against the cold stones. Her fingers locked around her wand as it was given back to her. The same guard as before smiled at her and walked her to the entrance. The stone fireplace loomed at her and he unlocked a cabinet containing the Floo powder.
She thought of her bed. She thought of her shower. She thought of climbing under the covers until everything went away, turning off the lights.
The guard tossed the powder, she climbed in, and he stated "Malfoy Manor" for her before she could process it. The Floo swept her away and she landed in the Malfoy library, facing the model of a perfect Malfoy wife.
She smiled as Hermione arrived. "Hermione, dear." She sat in her chair, reading a book and sipping her tea.
Hermione stared at the beautiful blonde woman, head pounding.
Graceful. Skilled in hosting.
"How was it?" Narcissa set her tea down on the end table, in the same spot the diamond ring had rested earlier.
The ring that was being taken to a curse-breaker so Draco could marry a Mudblood. She understood now.
A laugh bubbled out from her chest before she could stop it. She wheezed air back in, and felt her head spin, tears pricking her eyes.
Narcissa changed in a second and she stood. "What's wrong?" And it was so maternal. It was so much like how she wanted her own mother to look at her, that she knew what she had to do.
She had to break up with Narcissa Malfoy.
"Narcissa," she spoke, and her voice cracked. "Draco and I... we don't have a relationship."
Narcissa stood very still, with her hands folded in front of her. Hermione admired how she gave nothing away. She wondered where that fell on Lucius's list.
"Of course, you do, dear." Narcissa smiled, lips closed. "You're old schoolmates, you've survived a war, and now you're becoming friends."
"Yes, and that's all there is," Hermione said, feeling her heart breaking. "I believe I've lead you to believe that there is more going on. And for that I'm truly sorry." She felt her voice crack again.
Narcissa looked down at the rug, displeased. "What did Lucius say to you?"
"He was actually quite in support of this 'arrangement' that you've concocted. He found a way to negotiate for what he wants." Hermione swallowed. "But it's not what Draco wants."
"Did Lucius tell you that?" Narcissa said, lips tight.
"He didn't have to," Hermione said. "We're not courting, Narcissa. And something tells me that Draco has no idea about my meeting with Lucius, or about the ring you're taking in to be altered."
Narcissa gave her a rueful grin. "It's only a matter of time, Hermione. I thought it best to be prepared."
Her pulse jumped, thinking that Narcissa knew something she didn't. But she killed that dream as quickly as it came to her. Narcissa and Lucius had built something on a foundation of sand. Then she remembered Draco's inheritance, tied up with Lucius until he saw fit. No, she needed to end this.
"There is nothing to prepare for."
Narcissa frosted. She bit the inside of her cheek, studying her. Hermione felt so alone here, now.
"I should leave," she said. "Goodbye, Narcissa. And thank you for everything." Her lungs were burning as she turned to the library doors. She was losing her grip, eyes blurring.
Her voice called to her as she grasped the door handle. "You do not wish to marry my son?"
And Hermione laughed. She was about to have a full mental break, she could tell. She closed her eyes, and shook her head. How did things get so turned around? She turned to see Narcissa watching her, calculating. And she heard Lucius's voice.
See to it, Miss Granger.
She knew Narcissa wouldn't leave it alone. She couldn't leave it open, her answer ambiguous.
"No, I do not."
Narcissa remained still. Cool tempered and level headed. Hermione nodded to her in goodbye, and turned to the doors as the first tears fell.
She flung open the doors, hurrying out, and gasped to find herself facing the bust of Lucius Malfoy, forgetting that it was there. She turned quickly to her left, intending to sprint out of this house and almost smacked into Draco, three steps away and hair wet from showering after Quidditch, just as surprised to see her.
He looked between her and the open library doors. He stepped forward, taking in the tears on her cheeks and the erratic way she was sucking in air. "What's happened?"
She couldn't stand it any longer. These three people were too much.
"I'm – Draco, I'm so, so sorry for everything. I – I didn't mean any of this." She felt new tears pricking her, and hot embarrassment thinking of how Narcissa would explain this to Draco. How Hermione's stupid actions and uncensored feelings had misled his parents, and almost forced him into an engagement with her. She turned and ran, tearing down the hall, flying past the fireplaces and out into the courtyard.
Draco watched her run. He turned to see his mother, in her library, at the alcohol cabinet.
"Well, Draco," she whispered, swirling a glass of gin. "Your father's managed to ruin everything." She downed it.