Madness

Chapter Fifteen

Two days later Hermione emerged from her room, showered and dressed in a mustard sweater, with warm trousers and socks so thick that she didn't need to put on two layers. She found them all in the dresser drawers and, stunningly, they'd all been exactly her size.Hermionie decided that if she was going to be here for a while, might as well explore and find something useful to do. Tilly already, most expressively, declined her permission to help in the kitchens or with any chores.

There were only a few things that Hermione could even think to do.

One of those was to walk the grounds. Breathe in the crisp winter air. But she hadn't been able to find any shoes in the room, so there went that idea.

The Zabini library was next, even though Hermione knew it wasn't as extensive as Nott's or Malfoy's. She still wanted to browse through it, of course. Every library was different. Every volume would be new to her. And she missed the smell of the pages. The peaceful feeling Hermione always got as she trailed her finger along the spines, walking through the aisles.

Making her way to the library, which she wasn't actually sure where it was, Hermione took her time and looked over the house. Like before, she immediately noticed the exquisite detail of the decor. She recognized a woman's touch when she saw it. Astoria? Mrs. Zabini pre-death?

Daphne?

Hermione recalled what she had heard when she was brought before Voldemort. He didn't approve of triads. The Dark Lord had declined to allow Zabini to marry both sisters. Now he was only married to one. But they both lived here? At least, that's what she had gotten from her conversation with Blaise a few days prior.

She supposed it really wasn't her business.

Romance during a war... Must be nice.

But did they all? Together? At once?

They were sisters, though.

She knew triads used to be a normal thing in the wizarding world, Hermione couldn't recall if they ever included family members. Or were they specifically with family members? She cringed, knowing one thing for certain... that muggles certainly wouldn't see the pureblood ideals as proper, or even sane.

Hermione pursed her lips. She shouldn't be thinking of this. And it probably wasn't like that at all.

"It isn't."

"Merlin!" Hermione gasped, turning around to see an elegantly dressed Astoria Greengrass.

Donned in a floor length dress with an sheer overcoat secured with a pin, Astoria smirked, and looked her up and down. "Draco was right, you do think ever so loudly. Dirty things too, he didn't mention that part."

"I-I am so sorry, A-ast-Greengra-Mrs. Zab-"

"Astoria is fine, darling. We aren't too official here." She giggled. "Hermione?"

"Yes?" She stopped stuttering and stood up straight, feeling as though she was being inspected.

"You aren't, I'm just looking at you. Were you looking for something? The dining room, perhaps? Or, oh! The library, of course, you must come see it."

Hermione flushed at how accessible her thoughts were and tried harder to keep her walls up and mindful doors closed and locked. "Yes, please. I would love to see the library, Astoria."

"Right this way." The blonde swung her hand out, pointing down a marble hallway.

XXXX

Astoria showed Hermione to the library, giving her a tour as they went. Her heels echoed with each step she took, clicking down the hallways. Astoria had a shimmer in the air around her, and Hermione couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. Like an aura. She radiated joy, even in the midst of her circumstances.