A Wonderful Fortuitous Love

42. The Hunt

“Ah. Hermione, just the girl I wanted to see.”

Having been heading to the back of the tent so as to find a place where she could Apparate without causing unwanted attention, Hermione cringed, recognising the voice behind her, and involuntarily turned. She arranged her face into a bright smile. “Natalie! How nice to see you.” 

Her smile also looked a little forced. “The wedding was beautiful, wasn’t it? Mrs. Lovegood, or I should I say Longbottom, looked so radiant in her dress, a real picture of happiness…” Her voice trailed off as she gazed at their surroundings, her smile fading quickly to a frown. “Why are you out here away from the party?”

She faltered, her own smile drooping slightly. But she forced the corners of her mouth up like nothing was wrong and said the first thing that came to mind. “I was looking for those flowers that were on the archway, you know, the blue-ish ones.” 

Natalie cocked her head and pointed over her shoulder. “Hermione, they’re right by the front door – there’s a whole bush.”

“Oh. I must have missed them.”

“But I saw you walk right by them when you went into the house.”

“Oh.” She let out a tingling, superficial laugh. “I mustn’t have been looking.”

“Yes…” she replied slowly, and Hermione very much hoped she only imaged Natalie’s eyes narrowing.

Inwardly, she winced at how stupid she must be sounding. Truth was, she was good at small lies. However, when the lie grew larger and larger she would always waver and stumble and give herself away. This time was no exception. Quickly, she changed the subject. “So just why did you want to see me?” she asked as politely as she could.  

“Hm?” Natalie blinked a few times. “Ah, yes. I was wondering if you’ve seen Draco.”

Hermione felt her heart drop before she’d even finished her sentence. Maybe she should have just run for it when she had the chance.

“You see,” she continued, “I haven’t seen him all day. Not before the wedding and obviously not after. And considering you two… live together,” she spoke the two last words slowly, with an almost distasteful air, “I thought perhaps you would know where he was.”

“What exactly do you need him for?” Hermione questioned, again doing her best to sound politely curious.

“Oh, not much,” she said offhandedly. “To catch up, see how he is and hopefully get him and Ophelia to dance before the wedding’s over. Practise for their own,” she added in an undertone with a barely concealed expression of excitement. It disappeared fast though, and in no time at all she was back to business and looking more serious than ever. She stepped closer to Hermione and asked, her tone still low, “Draco is here, isn’t he?”

“Yes,” she said firmly, because she would make sure he would be.

She stared calculatingly at her a moment longer. “Good. Because if he isn’t, it may damage his whole future with my daughter. Draco already openly dislikes Mr. Potter and the Weasleys, who are all very famous and important. If he were to also dislike the Longbottoms and Lovegoods… well. We can’t have that, can we?” She paused, apparently waiting for Hermione’s agreement. She nodded. Only once because she really did not agree at all.

“Therefore,” she went on, slightly louder, “it is essential for him to be here.”

It was so sternly uttered and direct that Hermione wondered if Natalie already knew. She drawled out words long enough to rival Snape, and looked straight at Hermione as though she could see right through her and her lies. She resisted the urge to fidget uncomfortably.