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The Dare	By : Tassanaburrfoot Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 82904 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 11
Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter. Don't own any of the characters. Am not making a profit.

Chapter List
- 19
- 20
- 21
When Hermione had come to the Manor during the Christmas holidays, she had been impressed with how beautiful everything had looked. Narcissa had really made the Manor look warm and rich and welcoming. Sure the Malfoys had a lot of money, but it was more than that.

As the Muggle born witch followed her fiancé into the parlour, her jaw dropped and her eyes widened. It was like stepping into a secret garden. She hadn’t much thought about the path to the Manor nor the walkway around it. She had expected those to be decorated with blooming floral. But to see that inside the Manor seemed to be blooming as well… She hadn’t realized how many windows the Manor had. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the sunlight touching boutiques of roses, begonias, and irises. A light breeze tickled her arm and the bushy haired girl smiled as she glanced around.

“She loves going overboard,” Draco commented. He took Hermione’s hand and led her further inside where they could hear music playing throughout the Manor.

Hermione’s smile widened even more at the sound. “It is very lovely,” she said.

The Pureblood glanced at her and the corners of his mouth lifted a bit. “Theo told me that he and Lovegood would be arriving this afternoon and Blaise said he and Padma would be following, if not accompanying them. We should probably head upstairs. We do have some time to kill before they get here.”

However, Hermione had other ideas. “Where is that music coming from?” she wondered aloud.

Draco paused for a moment and tilted his head upward, listening to the sound for a moment. “The drawing room,” he stated. “Father has a grand piano there and that’s where Mother keeps her harp. From the sounds of it…”

But he never had a chance to finish his statement as she began walking to the drawing room, dragging him along with her. The wizard made a sound of protest, but Hermione ignored it. “Oh, come on, Draco,” she chimed with a giggle. “During Christmas when I had seen the drawing room, I was itching to watch them play together. Please let me see it?” She gave him a wide-eyed, pleading gaze and he felt himself relenting.

With a sigh, he allowed her to pull him to the drawing room. Sure enough, his parents were in the room, playing. Narcissa looked so beautiful in a light blue, flowing gown. It had a swooping neckline and short sleeves. Her hair was pulled back and hung down her back. Lucius, for his part, had his hair drawn back in a ponytail and had taken off his outer robes. The sleeves of his oxford were pushed up and the top few buttons from his collar were undone.

The younger couple watched as the two Purebloods played their song, Hermione furrowed her brow for a moment as she thought about what they were playing. It was a relatively happy, lively tune that she would never have expected to hear from them, but it was beautiful. They were so wrapped up in their instruments that the Muggle born was taken in by the candid view she was having of them. These two people who were usually so uptight were relaxed and seemed to be enjoying themselves. Indeed, Narcissa even had a whimsical smile on her face as she stole a glance of her husband. Lucius leaned back on his bench a little and… his own lips widened in a smile.

Hermione was floored by seeing something so natural happening between two people she had always seen as cold and unfeeling. She leaned into Draco as she watched them, resting her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his hands around her waist. They continued to watch the older couple for moment or two longer as Lucius glanced at Narcissa and leaned in to kiss her whilst still playing.

Hermione stifled a giggle, but Draco had had enough. He gave a loud cough and straightened his throat. Startled, Lucius banged his fingers on the keys and Narcissa froze, both looking at the young couple. The Muggle born gave her fiancé a sour look. “Why did you do that?” she hissed at him.

“Draco!” Narcissa cooed as she stood up and glided towards them. “Oh, darling, I am so happy to see you both!” Her smile was wide and she held her arms opened for them.

Hermione returned the Pureblood witch’s embrace, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “It’s so lovely to see you as well, Mrs. Malfoy,” she greeted.

“Oh, my dear, I must insist you call me Cissy,” the older woman pressed as she hugged her son. “We’re family now, correct? Or we will be soon enough. I won’t have you calling me ‘Mrs. Malfoy’ like some old woman.”

“But you are an old woman,” Draco pointed out, earning him a slap on the chest from his mother and another slap on his arm from Hermione. He winced and glared at both women. “Jesus! I’m getting attacked in my own home! Can’t a bloke catch a break?”

Lucius just shook his head as he stood up as well. Hermione noticed that as he did so, the sleeves of his shirt fell down as well. Stepping away from the piano, he walked up to the couple and gave Hermione a hug before patting his son on the back and shaking his hand. “You should know better by now, Draco. Have I not taught you anything these sixteen years?”

The young blond wrinkled his nose. He opened his mouth, but then shut it again. There were many things Lucius had taught him, but few of them needed to be mentioned in present company. “So, you’ve decided to take out the instruments, huh? What were you playing?”

“Mozart,” the older couple and Hermione said in unison. Draco’s eyes widened in surprise as Hermione giggled.

“Come, Draco. Let me teach you a thing or two about the classics,” Lucius offered as he waved a hand towards the piano. The young Slytherin looked helplessly at Hermione as the Muggle born smirked.

“Oh, Hermione, you simply must see the begonias and the back garden,” Narcissa stated as she linked an arm around the younger girl’s and began leading her out of the room. “Hikup has been working so hard, and he’s really done a beautiful number on everything.”

“Hikup?” Hermione asked curiously as they walked out of the drawing room and through the ballroom to the back.

“The garden elf,” Narcissa explained without a thought. “He’s been in the family for years, quite old, but dedicated. Lucius wanted to retire him, but Hikup would have none of it. Said that as long as he was breathing and could move, he wanted to work, and I think he enjoys it.”

Hermione bit her bottom lip. She wondered, briefly, just how much Hikup truly enjoyed his work and how much he was led to believe he enjoyed it. Those thoughts, though, floated out of Hermione’s mind as Narcissa opened the door to the back garden. If the Manor was a secret garden, then the back was Persephone’s Paradise. Everything was in bloom, there were white marble fountains with cherubs dancing in the waters and topiaries of various animals and magical beasts.

“A few days ago, we were in the farmer’s market, and I saw the most adorable little hippogriff,” Narcissa told Hermione. “I thought that it might be nice to get it for Draco so he could learn that they aren’t all bad, but Lucius wouldn’t let me. After that incident a few years back, he didn’t think it would be a proper thing to gift Draco with one. Appreciation and all that, but I honestly think Draco wouldn’t have minded.”

Hermione frowned at that, thinking back to her third year. “Buckbeak wasn’t a bad hippogriff,” she argued. “Honestly, if Draco hadn’t insulted him…”

“He did what?” the Pureblood asked curiously.

Hermione sighed. “The lesson was going rather well, Cissy. He had even been able to pet Buckbeak, but then he had called Buckbeak a ‘stupid, ugly pigeon.’ Even after Hagrid had warned us about insulting the hippogriffs. That was why Draco was attacked and, honestly,” she made a face, “I still think Draco was over exaggerating about his injury, though I could be mistaken on that. I do know Madam Pomphrey had healed him well enough.”

Narcissa looked at the girl thoughtfully for a moment. “Truthfully, it wouldn’t surprise me, thinking back on it now,” she said, honestly. “When he was younger, he would often fake injuries and make things out to be more than what they really were. I’m afraid Lucius and I indulged him, too. Anything to make Draco happy. I hated to see him cry or be upset. He was such a sweet boy most of the time and I was just so proud of him.”

(II)(II)

“So, what are we going to do about McLaggen?” Draco asked as he sat at the piano. Knowing his mother would keep Hermione in the gardens for quite a while, he took advantage of this opportunity to speak with his father. He doubted he would get another chance. “And Astoria claims you had sex with her. Please tell me she’s lying.”

Lucius lifted a brow as he took a seat next to Draco and began playing the melody he had been playing before, though softer. “I do believe you and your friends had managed to quell McLaggen well enough, but if you like, I can come up with something to get him out of your hair quicker. As for Miss Greengrass… I wasn’t aware what I did in my personal time was any of your business.”

“Does Mother know?” Draco questioned as he watched his father’s fingers glide across the keys.

The older wizard sniffed. “Does it really matter?” he challenged in return. “If she doesn’t know, it’s better that she’s left in the dark, yes? But you and I both know she is a lot smarter than that. Your mother is a clever lass, hence why I married her. I’ve no doubt she knows as I haven’t really had a care to keep it a secret from her. Besides, sex is sex. It does not equate love and there is only one woman with whom I’ve decided to dedicate my heart and my life to.”

“Be that as it may, if Hermione gets wind that you frequently indulge in your fantasies, she might mistakenly believe that I am doing the same,” Draco reasoned.

“Are you?” Lucius asked, glancing at his son out of the corner of his eye as he continued to play.

Draco frowned and glared up at his father. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he hissed. “Why should I when Hermione consistently gives me whatever I want?”

“Then you shouldn’t concern yourself with what I do. Even if Miss Granger learns of my scandalous behavior, I highly doubt she will compare me to you, especially if you continue your religious pursuit of her,” the older man pointed out. “She isn’t stupid enough to think you would pursue someone else whist also courting her.”

“But is it stupid, though?” Draco pressed. “Think about it, Father. Shortly after she and the Weasel started dating, she walks in on him banging her old roommate.”

“Do not,” Lucius snapped as he glowered at his son, “ever compare yourself with that lot. You are my son and you are a far better man than that imbecile could ever even hope to be. Aside from that, you are a prince.”

“I’m not a prince,” the younger wizard argued.

“Yes, you are,” Lucius retorted. “And the sooner you start believing that, the easier it will be for you and your princess to become the strong force I know the two of you are.”

Draco glared at his father for a moment. “I don’t want your actions jeopardizing my relationship with Hermione. And sleeping around with the local prostitutes can do just that for me, even though I am not partaking in your indulgences.”

“Have you been able to convince her to bind with you yet?” Lucius asked as he allowed his fingers to float into another Mozart song.

Draco sighed. “We haven’t broached the subject,” he admitted. “Between McLaggen and all the other proposals she’s been given… Not even a day after McLaggen’s failed attempt, breakfast in the Great Hall was interrupted by several large owls carrying gifts to Hermione from various suitors. And Ginger has informed me that her older brother, Charlie, has taken an interest in Hermione as well. She asked me if Hermione was going to spend the entire time here at the Manor this week or if she will be making an appearance at the Burrow.”

“I’ve invited Hermione’s parents to the feast this weekend,” Lucius announced. “And Mr. Potter and his bride-to-be will be coming as well, so there is no need for her to leave here until you’re both back on the train to Hogwarts.”

“What of the other Weasels?” Draco asked, looking at his father curiously while silently praising the man’s forethought. “And how are we going to protect the Muggles from the scrutiny of the rest of our guests?”

Lucius frowned as he missed a note in his play. Wrinkling his brow, he paused and looked at his son. “Miss Weasley is the only one from that family that I will ever invite here. And I wouldn’t even have invited her if your mother hadn’t insisted upon it. As it stands, our halls will need to be sanitized as it is once she leaves, so I refuse to have any more of that brood here. As for Mr. and Mrs. Granger, they will be taken care of. Your mother has cleaned out the guest bedroom in our suite. They can stay there when it is time to retire so that they can been watched over properly. I also added an addition guest room in your suite for Mr. Potter and Miss Weasley.”

“Hermione will want the Weasleys, all of them, at our wedding. There is no stopping that,” the young Slytherin warned as he ran a hand through his hair.

“Stop that. You’ll make your hair fall out,” Lucius spat. “This summer, Lupin and I will be traveling to the castle your betrothed owns. We all will be as she will need to see what it rightfully hers and become acquainted with the grounds and staff.”

Draco’s jaw dropped. “There’s staff?”

The ex-Death Eater shrugged. “Did you doubt there would be? My boy, you underestimate the extent of what your betrothed as inherited. That castle has been maintained from the time Merlin had owned it personally all the way until now. The staff has even taken it upon themselves to maintain a steady population, knowing that one day an heir would appear, and a castle of that size requires plenty of staff to care for it properly.”

Draco’s lips pinched together. “Just how big is this castle?” he asked.

A gleam flashed in Lucius’s eyes as he returned to playing the piano. “Just wait. You’ll see,” he stated mysteriously.

The young man stared at his father for a moment. “You’ve seen it?” he inquired, his fingers faltering over the keys.

“Pay attention to what you’re playing,” Lucius reprimanded as he continued through the song they were playing together. He snorted. “Of course I’ve seen it. Shortly after we left Miss Granger at Hogwarts, Lupin and I journeyed to the castle to see what it was she was getting herself into. Mostly, the wolf wanted to make sure it was secure and to see if there was anything we needed to start doing to get it ready. However, according to the head of the staff, they had been waiting for a new heir to show up. It was luck that I had discovered the connection between Miss Granger and Merlin. If not, I fear the castle and all its inhabitants and holdings would have been lost forever.”

“That’s not necessarily true,” Draco replied, his brow furrowed as he tried to pick up the notes again. “If you hadn’t found it, then I have no doubt that one of our descendants would have, especially given how intelligent Hermione is. Our combined brains will no doubt produce children who are extraordinarily intellectual.”

The older Slytherin said nothing to that point and, for a moment, the father and son had fallen into a comfortable silence as they managed to pick up their musical duet. The years of private piano lessons and his dedication to perfection had done Draco well.

As they transitioned into another song, Lucius glanced around, his eyes ever watchful of the doors. “Draco,” he said softly as his fingers ran over some final notes and he stopped playing. Draco followed, dropping his hands from the keys and turning to look at his father. The two nearly identical pairs of silver eyes met one another as father turned to son. “I cannot stress to you how important you and Miss Granger binding to one another is. If you marry without the binding, there will still be a chance for her to break things off if she chooses.”

“I know that,” the boy said with a frown. “I don’t intend to let her slip through my fingers, Father. I will convince her to fully bind herself with me and we will be married. I would like to do it sooner, but she doesn’t want to get married until after we graduate.”

Lucius nodded. “Which is smart of her,” he reasoned. “With the both of you ensured for the positions of Head Boy and Girl, there is no point in marrying yet and mucking that up. But you need some way to ensure that she will marry you.”

Draco’s eyes narrowed as a sly brow lifted. “Won’t binding her to me actually be the same as us marrying without all the bells and whistles?” he asked. “Honestly, given the current state, I might as well impregnate her.”

“No,” Lucius argued. “Impregnation isn’t necessary. Not at this juncture at least. This summer, we’ll be spending a lot of time at the castle. It will be the perfect opportunity for you to bind with her. What’s more, if we can convince your little friends to take the trip with us, that can help make it seem like an important venture. Perhaps Zabini can do the same with his wife. Gryffindors are much like their House mascot in that, they do things together. It’s a sort of pack mentality. If Miss Granger sees Zabini doing it and, perhaps Nott as well…”

“Hermione is not the conventional Gryffindor, though,” Draco pointed out. “She had told me of the conversation she had had with the Sorting Hat. It had actually toyed with the ideas of putting her in either Ravenclaw or Slytherin at first. Besides, it won’t be as easy as you assume. To do as you suggest, I’ll also have to convince Blaise and Theodore to do the same with their witches. And then, they will have to convince their witches to go through with it and Lovegood is still a virgin and underage.”

Lucius thought for a moment. “Nott can still bind with her without risking her virginity before their wedding,” he said carefully. “All he would need is a bit of her blood and the consent of her father.”

“Which he won’t get unless he can pay the dolt off,” Draco spat.

Lucius looked at his son, frowning. “What are you talking about?”

The boy scoffed. “Looney’s father. He wants this outrageous sum of money for Luna’s hand. It’s ridiculous! No one else would even give that blasted girl the time of day, much less want to marry her. And here’s Theo with this crazy idea that he actually wants to tie himself to the bird permanently, Merlin only knows why, and her father wants payment for the right to marry her.”

Lucius raised a carefully chiseled eyebrow at that. “When Mr. Nott marries the girl, everything that belongs to her will become his as well,” he commented.

“I know!” the young blond shouted indignantly. “The only reason I can think of behind that rubbish is that he wants to make sure he’s ‘properly compensated’ for, but really. It’s not like some other bloke would be idiotic enough to marry her. If not for Theodore, she’d end up being some weird cat lady with all her imaginary beasts.”

“Is that all that’s holding Mr. Nott back?” the older Slytherin asked. “The Notts have old money and are rich enough that he shouldn’t have a problem affording whatever it is her father is asking. Of course, paying for a bride is a bit out of date, but if Mr. Nott feels she is worth the price, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Draco gave his father a bored looked. “He shouldn’t have to pay anything for her,” he huffed. “The girl is practically useless. Watch. You’ll see this evening when they get here. Nott’s picking her up from her home and they should be here at about 4 o’clock.”

“And Mr. Zabini?”

“Should be arriving a few minutes after,” Draco replied. “They’ll be staying for the week, too.”

“Naturally,” Lucius commented with a small smile and a nod. “Perhaps Narcissa will take the girls shopping in the local village. Though I don’t see why they couldn’t take a trip to Diagon Alley. Now that Hermione is the heiress of Merlin, she will need to learn to dress the part.”

Throwing his legs back over the bench and standing up, Draco stretched and gave his father a smirk. “Yeah,” he said dryly, “good luck with that.”

(III)(III)

Hermione’s smile widened as the blonde Ravenclaw glided into the room. “Luna!” she called as she approached the younger witch and hugged her.

“Oh. We’re hugging now?” the wistful girl asked, though she returned the Muggle born’s hug.

The older girl giggled as she released her. “It’s what friends do, isn’t it?” she questioned as her smile faltered a bit.

“Friends… I like that,” Luna stated as she watched the two Slytherins enter the room. “Theodore, Hermione has called me her friend. That is alright with you, yes?”

The tall, lanky Slytherin shrugged. “I wasn’t aware that you weren’t…” he commented slowly, “but sure. Perhaps if you ask nicely, Hermione will even agree to be your maid of honor.”

Luna shook her head. “She and Draco will be married by then,” she pointed out. “She can’t be my maid of honor. Though maybe she wouldn’t mind being my matron of honor. Would you, Hermione?”

Theodore smiled as he pulled the small girl close to him and kissed her on the cheek. Hermione just stared at her, dumbfounded. “Of course, Luna,” she said after a moment as she shook herself back to the present.

Draco scoffed, but said nothing. Theo shot him a look, daring the Slytherin to say something, anything. The blond Pureblood just rolled his eyes. “Supper will be soon. If you both would like, we could show you to your room so you can fresh up,” he offered, instead.

“Oh, that’s nice of you,” Luna said serenely as she bent down to pick up her suitcase, but Theodore stopped her.

“You don’t have to do that, love,” the boy said as he took her small hand into his. “Let’s go ahead to Draco’s suite. The elves can take care of our luggage.”

Luna smiled at that. “It’s like going to Hogwarts,” she surmised, earning her a chuckle from Theo.

“Yes, love,” he said softly. “Just like going to Hogwarts, but better.” He leaned into her and stage whispered into her ear, “Only there are no test or homework.”

Draco and Hermione shared a look with one another as the Ravenclaw gave her boyfriend a kiss on the cheek. Rolling his eyes, Draco scoffed again and was about to turn to lead them away when Blaise and his wife came to the door.

“I’ve been married for three months and my mother still thinks she has some control over my bloody life!” Blaise complained as he and Padma passed over the threshold. “Hello there, love,” he greeted Hermione with a one-armed hug.

“Hello,” she chimed, returning the hug and turning to Padma. “Is everything alright?” she asked.

Padma sighed. “It is what it is, right? Blaise’s mother is still furious over our marriage. She actually threatened to disown him if he doesn’t ‘come to his senses’ soon,” she tsked. “I thought it amusing at first, but Merlin can that woman be vicious!”

The Muggle born frowned and placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “I’m sorry…”

But Padma just shook her head and gave a soft smile. “Don’t be,” the witch reassured her. She looked lovingly up at her husband. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Blaise’s white teeth glistened as his smile grew. The sound of a cane tapping on a bit of polished floor, drew the attention of the young magic users and they all looked towards the stair to see Lucius walking their way.

“Supper will be shortly,” he announced to the group as he approached them. “I do hope none of you are late as Narcissa worked hard with the elves to make sure everything was perfect.”

Hermione’s frown deepened at the mention of the house elves. More than likely, Narcissa had told the elves what she wanted and then made sure they had done it right. As the Muggle born witch followed her betrothed and their friends to Draco’s suite to put away their luggage, she thought about the elves and wondered if the Pureblood matron had ever truly lifted a finger to actually clean in her life. The resounding negative answer blared in the bushy haired girl’s mind. She knew it shouldn’t upset her, as she knew they were wealthy people. If not for house elves, there wasn’t a doubt in Hermione’s mind that they would have maids and butlers.

She paused mid-step, nearly having Theodore collide with her. Draco turned his attention to her, his eyes filling with concern. “Alright there, princess?” he asked, taking her hand into his and giving it a light squeeze.

The Gryffindor blinked. “I…” she hesitated as she tried to bring herself back into the present. Taking a deep breath, she shook her head as her eyes focused on the wizard. She gave him a soft smile. “I’m fine, but… perhaps we can discuss some things a bit later?”

He gave her a puzzled look and nodded slowly. “Sure,” he promised. “After supper.”

Her smile grew. “Yes. After supper.” She glanced at the wistful blonde girl to her right then. “So, when are you getting married, Luna? Have you at least picked a date?”

(IV)(IV)

Draco clasped Hermione’s hand under the table as he used his other hand to fork a bite of mashed potato. It wasn’t a gesture he did often, but how she had acted earlier set him off balance. The look in her eyes when he had spoken to her unsettled him.

The argument he had had with Pansy came back to the forefront of his mind. Was Hermione somehow figuring out all that he was keeping secret from her? Though he was certain Astoria had no memory of every detail of her rape, the concern that she did was still there. He didn’t feel particularly guilty over what had happened, but he was a bit fearful that Hermione would learn of it and all of his careful planning would be for naught.

“Oh, Hermione,” his mother gushed after a moment, “you simply must allow me to take you shopping. The other day, I was out with Mrs. Parkinson and I saw the most beautiful Spring gown that would look perfect on you. I thought of buying it right then, but I thought you’d like to see it first.”

The young wizard felt his betrothed’s grip tighten on his hand momentarily and he glanced at her to see her cheeks redden. “Thank you, Cissy,” the girl whispered after swallowing the food in her mouth. She released Draco’s hand and dabbed her lips softly with her napkin. “That really wouldn’t be necessary. I have plenty of gowns…”

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous,” the older woman interrupted, waving her hand to dismiss the thought. “This banquet is going to be perfect and you simply must look like the princess found. Merlin knows everyone is already expecting it.”

“You didn’t gossip to anyone, did you, Mother? I’ve told you that Hermione hates to be the center of attention,” Draco drawled as he picked up his own glass of wine.

Narcissa wrinkled her dainty little nose. “Of course, darling. I never said a word about anything. No one even knows about the announcement the two of you will be making. But, isn’t that the point, my love? You want to make it a huge, shocking spectacle that will leave no doubt in the minds of others. One look at the two of you, the most perfect couple of the year, and no one will think twice of trying to intervene. I’ve actually considered having you wear this really lovely bit of head jewelry, Draco…”

“Stop right there,” he interrupted, looking horrified. “You’ve lost your bloody marbles if you think I’m going to wear some ruddy crown. Father, you won’t let her, will you?” he stared at his father imploringly as Theodore and Blaise both snickered in their glasses.

Lucius shrugged nonchalantly and raised a brow. “It would certainly make a statement,” he commented, sending Hermione a wink when she looked at him, aghast.

Draco’s face fell before it hardened and his eyes narrowed angrily. Tightening his grip on his fork, he growled, “I won’t do it. Put me in the finest robes, I don’t care, but don’t you dare come near me with a crown or anything even remotely similar.”

“Oh, calm down, Drake,” Theo said with a snort. “You’ve already been dubbed the Slytherin Prince. Why not have…?”

“Finish that question, Nott, and I will hex you,” the blond warned, glaring at the raven haired boy from across the table.

“There isn’t any royalty in the Wizarding World,” Hermione pointed out. “And besides, Draco and I aren’t married yet, so even if people do start trying to consider me as such, they would have to wait until after we wed to give any sort of title to him. Honestly, though, the last thing I want is to make it more of a spectacle than it has to be. If announcing our engagement will put a damper in the petitions, that would be great, but I don’t want to be seen as a princess, or something more. Our Wizarding government is run by the Ministry and that’s good enough for me.”

“There are many people, though, Hermione, who are tired of our government,” Blaise stated. “I wouldn’t put it past these people to attempt to look to you for some sort of change. And you’ll have the influence to affect such things. All that talk you do about house elf and werewolf rights… you would have more clout to actually do something about it.”

Draco found himself agreeing with Blaise on this and he nodded his head. “Yeah, what was that group you started called again? Spew?”

“S.P.E.W.,” Hermione corrected. Seeing the looks of confusion on both Lucius and Narcissa’s faces, she clarified, “The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare: To Stop the Outrageous Abuse of Our Fellow Magical Creatures and Campaign for a Change in their Legal Status.”

Narcissa’s eyebrows flew to her hairline as Lucius simply frowned. “My, what a mouthful,” he commented as he took another sip of his wine. Setting his glass down after a moment, he continued, “Tell me, Miss Granger, exactly what would you wish to do with this cause, apart from the obvious.”

“I want to give them a voice,” she told him. “Not just elves, but all magical creatures. They have rights, or at least they should. Werewolves, goblins, centaurs… they are coherent and they can reason. So why shouldn’t they be given the same rights that we have? They aren’t lesser than we are and, particularly in the case of house elves, can actually be more powerful than the average wizard.”

“One would think this, yes,” he relented with a nod. “However, house elves strive on the desire to feel wanted, to be needed. If you take that away from them, you strip them of their need to live.”

Hermione pinched her lips together. “I don’t want to take it away, honestly, but I do feel they should be compensated. They should be given fair pay, holidays, time off…”

“A house elf has everything provided for them; food, personal hygiene products… what do they need money for? As for time off, what do you suppose they should do with this ‘time off’? An idle house elf becomes a mischievous sort of creature, hardly better than a cornish pixie,” he explained.

“It should still be their decision,” she argued. “Keeping house elves without compensation is no better than keeping a human slave. Also, all this unnecessary desire to punish themselves should they upset their employer is ridiculous and cruel. They are sentient beings, Mr. Malfoy, and as such, they should be given care, not harm.”

“And who said anything about not caring for them?” he asked as he meticulously folded his napkin and placed it on the table next to his plate. His silver eyes never left her.

Draco watched as the Muggle born gave his father a look more than suggested her idea of how much a wizard should care for the elves. “Dobby,” she snapped, sitting back in her seat and folding her arms in front of her.

The Slytherin paled at the mention of that name and felt his jaw slacken in shock as he stared at her. Theodore and Blaise glanced at one another before looking at Hermione, concern filling their eyes. For her part, Narcissa did not budge nor show any emotion, just sat there, staring at her plate.

The silence in the room was loud and tangiable and suddenly interrupted by a soft intake of breath. “Oh, Dobby is such a nice elf, isn’t he, Hermione? Just yesterday he was so kind enough to bring me a plate of fresh baked cookies,” Luna said gently. She looked at Theodore who had gazed at her in surprise. “He’s quite intelligent,” she continued on as if the topic was no more important as the weather, “I didn’t even ask him for cookies, but he had somehow known that I hadn’t been to supper that night and he wanted to make sure I had had something to eat before bed. He even brought me my favorite kind. So thoughtful of him, isn’t it?”

“Yes, Luna,” Hermione said after a moment, staring pointedly at Lucius. “He is thoughtful, intelligent, kind, and generous. Never have I met a humbler person.”

“Humble,” the Pureblood patron scoffed as he picked his fork back up. “Tell me, Miss Granger, do you take pleasure in bringing up past servants who have been ungrateful in their lives, or are you simply ignorant of the measures wizards go through to ensure the house elf’s continued survival?” He took a bit of his steak and watched her as he chewed.

Draco could hear the way his betrothed grinded her teeth and watched her square her jaw. “Ungrateful in their lives? ‘Measures wizards go through to ensure the house elf’s continued survival’? What bigoted nonsense is this you’re spewing? We don’t live in the Dark Ages, Mr. Malfoy. We don’t need house elves to survive, which means that the only reason they are still being treated unfairly is because of wizards and witches who do not understand that a house elf is a person just like everyone else!”

Draco knew his father would lose his patience soon if he didn’t say anything, however, he was too interested in seeing where this would go. He didn’t necessarily agree with her, he didn’t really even care. However, he admired her passion and enjoyed the stirring in his groin as she became heated.

“House elves have been serving all of wizarding kind for far longer than the ages of all of us combined,” Lucius explained surprisingly calmly. “They, for the most part, are treated with care and respect.” Hermione snorted at this, but the Pureblood wizard chose to ignore her as he continued, “What yourself and Mr. Potter have experienced with Dobby is a fluke, nothing more. A house elf’s entire purpose in life is to serve. If you take that away from them, the consequences could be dire. Not to mention, were it not for house elves, you wouldn’t have a ‘fortress’ to lay claim to as it would be nothing more than a pile of rubble and ruins, no doubt discovered by some Muggle attempting to score a bit of gold at some archeological ‘find’.”

“Dobby isn’t a fluke,” the bushy haired witch countered. “Kreacher is another example. Ever since Sirius got out of prison, Kreacher has been ill-treated by him because Sirius made the choice in not disconnecting Kreacher from his mother. This, I believe, is what led to Sirius’s death, not a miscalculation on Harry’s part.”

“Potter was fooled into believing Black was being held hostage because the Dark Lord wanted him to believe it,” Lucius pointed out.

“Harry was fooled by Voldemort because Kreacher didn’t have the desire to tell him the truth!” Hermione shouted as she pushed her chair back and stood up. “And Kreacher didn’t have that desire because Sirius treated him poorly. That poor elf had been locked away in that dusty old house for years since that old bitch died. The least Sirius could have done was shown him some affection and he failed! You want to talk about the wizarding care of house elves? Harry told me that the first time he realized Dobby belonged to you was when he watched you kick Dobby into Dumbledore’s office and then disregard him as if he were nothing! Dobby admitted to Harry how you would have him punish himself several times in one day! For what? Because he didn’t do everything you asked him to? He’s a person! Living, breathing, sentient!”

Draco tugged on her sleeve. “Princess, sit down,” he ordered quietly, but she ignored him.

“And let us not even get into the discussion of Winky, the house elf that once belonged to Barty Crouch and now resides in Hogwarts where she spends her days getting drunk on Butterbeer because she can’t handle the fact that he had let her go, even though in him doing so, he probably saved her life. But she will never see it that way because for some reason most elves see it as horrible to be given their freedom!” she barreled on.

“Miss Granger!” Lucius barked angrily. “Sit down!”

“Or what?” she challenged, leaning towards him and pointing a finger at him. “I dare you to try anything.”

Draco stood as well, positioning his body so that he was between Hermione and his father as he stared down at her. “Sit down, princess,” he told her, malevolence sparkling in his molten eyes. “I don’t know what the fuck your problem is, but you need to sit down and calm yourself.” He gently guided her back to her seat. “Everything was going well. What the hell happened to cause all of this anger?” he asked once he managed to get her seated.

She kept ducking her head and looking past the younger blond Slytherin to glare at his father. Finally, he grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. “Hermione!” he called, snapping his fingers in front of her face.

“Don’t!” she yelled as she tried to yank her face out of his hands, but he managed to hold onto her.

“Look at me, princess,” he growled when she continued to fight him.

The struggle between the two lasted for a few minutes before he finally got her to look at him. He frowned. “What has gotten into you?” he asked her, as he tried to maintain his cool.

“I’m sick and tired of privileged people thinking they have some right to walk all over the lesser,” she told him, tears dotting her eyes. “It’s sickening, Draco! Remus has been having a hard time getting people to take him seriously, house elves get treated like vermin who are only good for cleaning house and cooking our meals…”

“Darling, you aren’t going to solve all the Wizarding World’s problems by getting into an argument with my father,” he tried to reason with her. “We have to take things one day at a time, one problem at a time. You wanted to put Lupin in a position where he could provide for his new family and you did. Dobby is a free elf. From what I know, Dumbledore even pays him a salary to help out around Hogwarts, which I’m pretty sure he does for Winky as well.”

“Winky still gets drunk…”

“And that’s not going to get corrected by yelling at my father,” Draco pointed out. “If anything, you’re only making his point. Think of it this way, love: the moment you learned you were a witch, you’ve done everything you can to learn everything about being a witch and about the magical world in order to fit in, right?”

At her nod, he continued, “Now, imagine if someone were to come up to you, snatch your wand away, and tell you that you can’t do magic anymore. Winky has served the Crouch family with the same passion as you have for magic ever since the day she was given to Barty Crouch. And then, out of seemingly nowhere, he fires her, because that is what giving an elf their freedom essentially is. It’s yanking their wands from them and snapping it in two. Yes, house elves deserve some equality, wages, vacation, whatever. To be cared for and not to be abused or pushed to hurt themselves. But you’re looking at centuries, millennia, of them knowing only that. You’re not going to change it overnight.”

“But…”

“One thing at a time,” he urged her as he dropped his hand to her arm and gently rubbed it. “I’m behind you one hundred percent in your pursuit for their welfare and treatment, but we need to take baby steps, love. This is a whole new can of worms you’ve opened up and we still have other problems and issues to deal with.”

“What problems?” she asked, frowning.

He raised his eyebrows. “Our wedding announcement? Getting your castle set up? Dealing with the reporters who are just itching to interview you while cutting off these people who want to falsely lay claim to what is rightfully yours,” he suggested. “You want to help the house elves? According to Father, you now own quite a few of them yourself. If someone else manages to claim that castle as their own, you will lose any right to speak on the behalf of your own elves.”

She blinked several times. “What?” she whispered.

“Your elves, Granger,” he repeated. “The elves that have been living in Merlin’s castle belong to you now.”

She stared at him blankly. “But I don’t want house elves,” she replied woodenly.

“Trust me, Granger, you do,” he assured her. “Castles aren’t the easiest to upkeep, just ask Filch. And magic only goes so far. Though, perhaps we can offer them steady wages and days off? I think that would be a better use than letting all of them go.”

She nodded slowly, turning in her chair to stare at her food. “And health care,” she stated. “I want to make sure they are healthy. Perhaps even offer them clothing, not just as an effort to free them, but also so that they don’t have to wear tea cozies and pillow cases.”

Draco grimaced as he glanced at his friends. That wouldn’t be an easy thing to do. “We’ll have to discuss it at length. Perhaps use words that they can understand as I know the moment you mention clothing to them, there will be a huge uproar and panic. You’ve seen how Winky reacted when she was presented with clothing, I would assume. You can expect that same reaction amplified by your own elves.”

(V)(V)

Draco was fuming as he paced the length of the balcony. After supper, Narcissa had offered to take the girls to the local shopping center and, despite Hermione’s protests, they all decided to go. He was glad that the Muggle born was spending time with his mother, knowing that the Pureblood aristocrat will help her become woven into how he knew she could be. Perhaps Narcissa would be able to convince her to get a mani/pedi and they’ll buy some decent clothes…

He growled as he spun on his heel and stomped the other way.

“You’re going to wear a hole in the floor,” Theodore warned as he joined him.

Draco shook his head in denial. “It’s concrete,” he argued. Looking up, the blond watched as his friend lit up a cigarette and offered it to him.

“It looks like you need it,” the boy reasoned. After a moment’s hesitation, Draco took the cigarette from him and drew in a breath.
Closing his eyes, the wizard relished in the feel and taste of the nicotine. It soothed him, though he knew he would need to wipe out the smells and clean up once he was finished. “She’s driving me mad,” he admitted as he leaned against the railing. “Not even here for a day and she’s picking fights with my father about house elf rights.”

Theodore nodded as he lit a cigarette for himself and watched as Blaise joined them. “I don’t know what to tell you, mate,” the tall, dark haired Slytherin commented. “I’ve never seen anyone as passionate as she was tonight.”

Draco nodded as he took another drag. “Yeah, I know. I was actually sporting a hard one before I decided to intervene.”

“Good thing you did, too,” Theo said as his eyes glittered in the fading light of the sun. “I haven’t shagged anyone in months and she was starting to look tempting.”

Draco’s eyes narrowed at that. “Don’t even joke about it,” he warned. “You know what would happen if you even attempt to go near her.”

“Now, see?” Blaise complained as he pointed his cigarette at the blond. “Why is it that Theo can make remarks like that and you don’t go all ape shit on him, but if I do it, all hell fucking breaks loose?”

Something in Draco’s eyes flashed as he took another drag. “Because unlike Nott, you’ve been known to take my sloppy seconds.”

“After you’ve already had enough of them,” the dark skinned boy pointed out. “I’ve never played with any of your current toys, Drake.”

“I don’t have any current toys for you to play with.”

“You’re missing my point,” Blaise growled. “I have no reason to go after Hermione as I know that, for one, you aren’t done with her. And secondly, I have no interest in Muggle born pussy.”

“Well, that’s crude,” Theodore commented as he wrinkled his nose. “Granger isn’t just some Muggle born pussy, is she?”

Draco stared at his friend suspiciously. “What are you on about?” he asked.

“Think about it, mate,” Theodore said. “Muggle born or not, if she wasn’t already dating you, I’d probably have a go at her given what she’s inherited. There’s hardly a Slytherin in all of Hogwarts who wouldn’t. I mean, McLaggen was a bloody idiot and he saw the potential. Bag her and you’ll never have another thing to worry about for the rest of your life.”

“McLaggen wouldn’t stand a chance with her and mind you be careful with what you say, mate,” Draco ground out, emphasizing on the word “mate”.

“Look, I’m happy with Luna,” Theodore stated as he blew out some smoke. “My point, though, remains the same. You need to do something. Keep her tethered to you some way until your wedding…”

“Father wants me to bind with her,” Draco revealed through his own puff of smoke.

The other two Slytherins stared at him. “Binding makes sense,” Blaise said slowly. “I’ve thought of doing it with Padma as it would keep my mother at bay permanently.”

Draco nodded. “You should,” he said. “And you should, too, Theo. Hermione isn’t usually one to follow everyone else, but if she sees that both Padma and Luna are agreeing to it… I might even be able to convince Pansy to bind with Adrian as well. We could lead Hermione to believe that it’s a normal part of life.”

Blaise rolled his eyes. “You won’t convince her it is. None of the Weasleys are bound to their mates and I doubt Potter even knows what it is.”

“I still have Ginger’s loyalty,” Draco said, snapping his fingers and dropping his cigarette on the ground. He sniffed the fire out and, using his wand, vanished any trace of the cigarette.

Blaise and Theodore followed suit and, together, the three boys rid themselves of the smoke and any evidence that they had taken the smoking break. “Think you can convince Ginny to bind herself to Potter?” Blaise asked as the three headed back into the suite.

“If not, I’m sure I can… persuade her to talk Hermione into binding with me,” Draco reasoned with a smirk.
Author's Note: So, this is the first part of their Spring Break. Ooo... things are heating up a bit, huh? Though, Hermione still hasn't mentioned the block. Hmm...

Hope you all enjoyed this little bit. The second part will be posted soon-ish. Thank you for those who have commented on the last chapter. Please let me know what you guys think! :)
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The Dare