In-Laws

In-Laws

By: Tassana Burrfoot







Chapter Three





Two more weeks had passed and Narcissa was found eating a few bits of cheese. She smiled kindly at the dark Italian boy sitting across from her as she popped another cube nto her mouth. Indeed, he was possibly the only person of late who received any of her genuine smiles.



The relationship between her and her daughter-in-law was extremely strained. They had found a common goal and were able to be civil to one another because of it. Other than that, they remained apart.



The only person Narcissa found comfort in was Blaise Zabini. She had known his mother in school, a beautiful Slytherin. Though Narcissa had been envious of the girl\'s beauty, she had found the wisdom to befriend her.



Blaise was a pleasant enough boy. He had inherited his mother\'s looks and charm. He had been the one to finally persuade Narcissa to eat, even if it was "Muggle food."



"It\'s not that bad," Blaise comment as he popped a roma tomato into his mouth. He chewed for a moment, savouring the taste, before swallowing and continuing, "Mr. Granger said he\'s making us a bar-be-que, whatever that is. Padma assured me it\'s worth it. She went to a Muggle bar-be-que once with that Mudblood Thomas."



Narcissa rolled her eyes. "Honestly. A man cooking? Have you ever heard of anything so strange? I don\'t know how much more I can take of these Muggles," she sniffed in annoyance. "How Draco managed an entire summer is beyond me."



"Draco didn\'t have a choice," Blaise reminded her. "And neither do you, really. Hermione has worked nonstop on both Draco and Lucius\' case."



"I thought she was suppose to give Lucius\' case to that Weasley girl?" Narcissa questioned before placing a sweet meat in her mouth.



Blaise shrugged. "That doesn\'t stop her from putting in her two Knuts. She was the same was in school. Professor Snape was constantly deducing points from Gryffindor because Hermione would help that idiot Longbottom."



"Oh, if only Severus was still alive," Narcissa lamented, sighing in frustration.



"He\'d be in Azkaban," Blaise pointed out. "Dumbledore\'s orders or not, Snape still murdered the headmaster. Furthermore, he allowed Death Eaters to teach at the school. Not to mention all the other crimes I\'m sure the Ministry would have charged him with. And with Dumbledore not there to defend him this time..."



She just grunted grumbly. "So, when is the Muggle cooking?" she asked, changing the subject.



Blaise shrugged. "I think this afternoon. They\'ve invited Thomas and Finnigan as well. Oh, and I\'ve a treat for you."



She looked at him curiously. "A treat?"



He flashing his charming smile. "Yes, Potter and I agreed that, if all goes well this afternoon, we may take you and Hermione to visit the Malfoy men tomorrow."



"Please tell me you are being serious," she begged, her eyes flashing with hope.



He nodded in confirmation. "It\'s true. Potter has some pretty good connections within the Ministry, namely the Minister. Draco and Lucius wil be allowed time to prepare and greet you properly. You\'ll both get to visit both of them at the same time, in the same room. You and Hermione will have to check your wands at the door, of course, but Draco and Lucius won\'t be too bound."



Narcissa momentarily forgot her prim and proper manners as she threw her arms around the young Slytherin. "Oh, Blaise! How can I ever thank you?"



"Don\'t thank me, thank Potter," he said as he returned her hug. "This is all his doing. We are lucky to have Potter on our side for once."



She pouted as she withdrew from him. "I hate owing these people so much. I\'ll be so happy when I can go home with my husband and son and relax."



"Don\'t forget your daughter-in-law," he commented.



She snorted, "Yes, well, something tells me she won\'t be pleased with returning to Malfoy Manor."



He knew what she was referring to and couldn\'t help but agree.





(II) (II)





The Grangers had a relatively large backyard. The center of the yard had an oval shaped inground pool that went from four feet deep down to nine feet. A half covered deck reached out from the back door onward for about twelve feet. It also stretched along the house for twelve feet.



Near the pool, away from the deck and off to the left, was a painted white gazebo. To the right of the pool was Mr. Granger\'s toolshed. The yard itself smelled of fresh cut grass. Two large oaks stood proudly away from the pool.



"Oi! Granger! You didn\'t tell me you had a pool!" Dean exclaimed, looking at the presteen water longingly.



Hermione shook her head and laughed. "There are some extra trunks in the shed. My father keeps them for when my cousins come over," she told him.



Dean smiled happily as he and Seamus went to the shed. Mere moments later, the two were racing to the pool. Water splashed everywhere as they dived in.



Hermione was in a wonderful mood. Harry had told er of the prison visit she and Narcissa were going to be allowed to have. She couldn\'t wait to see her husband again.



She glanced at the older Mrs. Malfoy and sighed If anyone should be happy about tomorrow\'s visit, it should be Narcissa. Hermione had never seen anyone pine as much for her husband. It was heartwrenching.



Hermione had been grateful when Blaise had answered her owl. She and the pureblood weren\'t the best of friends by any means, but she knew how much Blaise cared about the Malfoys. He was able to pull Narcissa out of the depths of her depression just in time. Had he waited any later, and Hermione feared the woman would have died.



"So, what do we do at a \'bar-be-que\'?" asked a voice to Hermione\'s right.



She turned and smiled at the Italian boy who had just been in her thoughts. "Well, you could go swimming, if you want. Harry\'s setting up the chess set under the gazebo. When Luna and Padma get here, Ginny and I are going to set up a net for badminton. There\'s a hammock between the two trees if you\'d like to laze about. And of course, there\'s always conversation to be had," she suggested.



He raised a slim eyebrow. "Potter\'s setting up wizard\'s chess?" he asked.



Hermione nodded and then laughed at the surprised expression on Blaise\'s face. "My parents may be Muggles, but they\'ve lived the past eighteen years with me. Considering how people keep Flooing into our home, I highly doubt a game or two of wizard\'s chess will bother them."



She could tell he was turning this information over in his head. As hard as Blaise tried, Hermione knew he wasn\'t comfortable in this setting. He had been in the Wizarding World his entire life. Muggles, and everything pertaining to them, were a bit beyond his comprehension.



He mentioned helping Harry and walked away. She decided to see if her father needed any help and went up to the grill. "Daddy?" she said, drawing his attention.



He glanced up and smiled at her before flipping over a hamburger patty. "Hello, dear," he greeted. "I can\'t remember the last time you called me \'Daddy\'."



She smiled as she slipped an arm around his waist in a half hug. "I guess that means I\'ll have to call you that more often... Did you need any help?"



He kissed her on the forehead. "No, princess, but if you\'d like, your mum and Ginny are inside. I know one of them could use your help."



She reached up and kissed him on the cheek before slipping inside. She walked into the kitchen just as Luna and Padma arrived. She greeted them both with a smile that reached her ears.



"Wow, Hermione, I haven\'t seen you this happy in ages," Padma commented.



Hermione shrugged, though her smile as possitively gleaming. "I\'m going to see Draco tomorrow. I can\'t wait!" she squealed, feeling like a teenage girl again.



"Yes, Blaise told me about that," Padma said, smiling at Hermione\'s happiness. "It\'s a shame Draco can\'t receive gifts. But, I might give you a greeting card for him anyway. If not, make sure you tell him how much he\'s missed."



Hermione agreed as Luna asked what a greeting card was. Padma explained, "It\'s a Muggle thing. Dean had shown me one once a few years ago. his mum sent them to him when he was a Hogwarts. They usually say little things like, \'I miss you,\' or \'Happy Birthday.\' It\'s just a nice way of showing someone you care."



Luna\'s eyes lit up. "Oh, Hermione," she asked, turning to the Muggle-born, "do you think we could go get a greeting card? I\'d like to send one to Draco and Lucius as well."



Mrs. Granger piped in, "That sounds like a wonderful idea! Hermione, why don\'t the four of you go and pick out some nice cards for Draco and Lucius? The drugstore is just up the street and I\'m sure the men would appreciate knowing they haven\'t been forgotten. Your father and I will go later and pick a couple of our own."



Hermione raised an eyebrow. "What if the prison doesn\'t allow them to keep the cards?" she asked.



"Then at least they\'ll know they were thought of," Ginny said. "I think it\'s a good idea as well. We should go now so we can get back in time for dinner."



As they walked out of the house, Hermione grabbed her purse. She knew none of the other girls understood Muggle money.



(III) (III)



The moment they stepped into the Muggle drugstore, Hermione almost regretted bringing the witches there. She was horribly reminded of the first time she had stepped into Diagon Alley. The three pureblood witches were awed.



"Hermione, don\'t ever bring my dad here," Ginny warned as she looked at a small water fountain. "You\'ll never get him out!"



The Muggle-born couldn\'t help but agree. Knowing Mr. Weasley, he\'d try to buy the whole store! Or, at least, spend hours admiring every small thing. She glanced at the clerk and mouthed "tourists" before steering her friends towards the card aisle.



They spent the next hour looking for the perfect cards for Lucius and Draco. When their cards were finally selected, Hermione led them to the counter to pay for their purchases. She wasn\'t surprises to see the mound of sweets and other things the three witches added. The clerk rang them up and gave Hermione the total.



As Hermione dug through her purse for her credit card, Luna asked, "How much is that in Galleons?"



Hermione pulled out the plastic card and handed it to the clerk. "I\'ll figure it out later, Luna."



The clerk handed a slip of paper to the Muggle-born, which she signed. She took the receipt he handed her and led the other witches out of the store.



"Do you think the prison will allow gifts?" Ginny asked. "They aren\'t magical items, just Muggle stuff."



Hermione shrugged. "I doubt it. I don\'t see why they couldn\'t keep the cards, but these other things could be considered weapons. Especially things like that fountain you bought and the snowglobe Luna got."



"Actually, I bought the fountain for my dad," Ginny said apologetically. "I got Draco that battery operated razor... Course, now that I think about it, the razor might be more interesting to my dad."



"No, the fountain should do fine," Padma cut in. "I don\'t think it will matter much to Mr. Weasley. And that razor could come n handy for Draco. I can\'t even imagine what his face must look like right now."



Ginny nodded. "I got one for Lucius as well. Along with some extra batteries and shaving gel. I don\'t know them very well, but I know how they both are about their appearances."



"It\'s a very thoughtful gift," Hermione agreed. "But, I still don\'t think they\'ll be allowed to keep them."



"I bought Mr. Malfoy a picture frame," Luna said. "If you could get him a picture of his wife and son, perhaps he won\'t be so lonely in that cell. I bought the snowglobe for Draco because I thought it was nice. He likes nice things."



Padma nodded. "Actually, I bought pretty much the same things, only for the opposite people. Draco has this picture that he carries around with him, so I got him a frame so he could keep it nice. I got Mr. Malfoy the snowglobe because Draco told me once that his father loves winter."



Hermione found they were all thoughtful gifts. Though they were Muggle-made, they were useful. But, Hermione knew such gifts wouldn\'t be allowed. She even doubted her own gifts.



As for herself, she had bought both men each a pack of Logic Problems and a small handheld game with extra batteries. She also added a pack each of mechanical pencil with refills.



She hoped they would be allowed to keep their gifts. She couldn\'t begin to imagine what it must be like for them. Sheer boredom alone could drive the most sane person mad. But, she still wasn\'t sure they would be allowed. It was prison, after all.



Hermione led the girls through the gate and into the backyard. From the smell, dinner was ready and Hermione did not wish to wait anymore.



Harry had joined Dean and Seamus in the pool, though Blaise remained by Narcissa. The dark Italian saw the girls approach and raised an eyebrow. "What did you buy?" he asked, looking at the bags they carried.



Mrs. Granger smiled. "I thought you were just getting cards," she commented.



Hermione sighed as she placed her package on the table. "We were. Then, we thought it would be nice to get them a bit of something."



"They\'re not allowed gifts," Blaise informed the girls. "It\'s prison Gra... Hermione. You\'ll be lucky if they can even keep the cards."



"I thought about that," she answered. "But, we haven\'t bought anything harmful. To any normal wizard, it\'s just Muggle junk."



Narcissa looked indignant. "You bought my husband and son junk?"



The Muggle-born shook her head. "It\'s not junk. It just seems such at first glance. We actually hope these items will cheer them up a bit."



"They\'re not allowed gifts," Blaise repeated.



The other boys approached then with towels wrapped around their waists. Harry looked curiously at the shopping bags. "What did you buy? Mrs. Granger said you were going for cards."



"We were," Hermione responded. She told him of their desire to give the men something to cheer up.



"They\'re not allowed gifts," Blaise said for the third time.



"You sound like a broken record," Hermione snapped irritably.



"Maybe if I keep saying it, it\'ll sink in," he shot back.



"Actually, Blaise is right," Harry said. "Prisoners are not allowed to receive gifts. However, given the circumstances, I might be able to convince them to bend a few rules for the Malfoys."



Ginny looked at him curiously. "Circumstances?"



Harry nodded. "Shacklebolt actually agrees with Hermione. He believes the Malfoys to be innocent, forced into action by Voldemort."



"So, why were they arrested?" Padma inquired, folding her arms. "If the Minister believes them to be innocent, why did he personally see to it that they were sent to Azkaban?"



"Once, because they were involved," Harry replied. "Two, because if he hadn\'t, they would have been arrested anyway. Lucius and Draco are two prime suspects. The Aurors were all ready looking to lock them up. Shacklebolt was present to make sure both Malfoys were treated fairly and no harm came to them. He\'s counting on Hermione\'s case to get them out."



"So, you think the Minister will allow them some comforts like gifts?" Hermione asked, hope rising.



Harry reached into Luna\'s bag and pulled out the snowglobe for Draco. "A snowglobe isn\'t call for alarm," he said to her. He browsed through the packages. He grimaced slightly at Ginny\'s gift. "I don\'t know about the razors, but the rest of the gifts are harmless enough."



"The razors should be fine as well," Hermione commented as she pulled one out. She took it out of the box and ran her finger along the blade. "These are relatively new models. The blades only work whn it\'s turned on and pressed against your face or skin. Even then, it\'s designed to do no more than a nice, smooth shave."



Mr. Granger\'s eyes widened when he saw the razor Hermione was demostrating. "Those are actually nice. I thought about buying one myself. Very nice, very expensive."



"Expensive?!" Ginny gasped, grabbing the bag. "Hermione, you didn\'t tell me how much it cost!"



"It doesn\'t matter," the Muggle-born told her.



"Yeah, Ginny," Harry added. "I was going to pay for them anyway."



Ginny glared at him. "Don\'t you dare pity me, Harry Potter. Don\'t try to show me up. Just because I don\'t have money..."



He pulled her into an embrace. "It\'s not pity," he assured her, rubbing her back. "Nor am I trying to \'show you up.\' I love you, Ginny. As far as I\'m concerned, my money belongs to you as well. I\'ve already put your name on my Gringotts account."



She looked up at him. "Harry..."



He softly hushed her. "I was going to tell you all of this later, but I suppose now is as fine as any. Ginny," he said, "you are everything to me. I can\'t imagine another day without you in it. All last year, all I ever thought about was you. You kept me going when everything seemed hopeless. I owe you my life in many ways. Perhaps after all this is over and we\'ve helped Hermione out, we could plan a wedding of our own?"



Ginny smiled. "Are you proposing, Mr. Potter?" she asked.



He gave her a wink. "Not yet. But, when the time is right, I intend to," he said, kissing her lightly on the lips.



Narcissa gave an asperatd sigh. "Could we please get back to our original conversation?" she interrupted, glaring at them disdainfully. "What makes any of you think my husband will accept Muggle things as gifts?"



Hermione pursed her lips. "We can\'t give them anything magical. Even Harry wouldn\'t be able to persuade the prison otherwise. Our only option, then, is Muggle things," she explained. "I\'ll have to show him how to use some of the stuff, but it\'s not difficult. Even it he doesn\'t like them, I think he\'ll accept them. Anything is better than nother."



"Which is what he currently has," Harry pointed out.



Narcissa just sneered. "I still don\'t think he\'ll accept them, but, by all means, try. It will give me a good laugh."



Hermione just rolled her eyes.