Aconite - Dramione/Blinny

Ch. 44

Hermione stared up at the gates of Malfoy Manor nervously, clutching her bag tightly to her side. She wasn't excited about meeting Lucius and Narcissa on her own; she had tried to delay the meeting when Draco said he needed to work late, but Lucius insisted that they couldn't wait any longer to plan the decisions that she and Draco were in charge of. Draco reassured her that he would arrive immediately after he finished with work, but it did little to calm her nerves.

With a heavy sigh she pushed through the gates and made her way up the cobblestone path, keeping her eyes down as she approached the building. Her past visits were easier with Draco by her side...

The door was opened by the time she made it to the steps and Lucius was standing in the doorway, smiling at her.

"Hermione!" He greeted happily, pulling her in for a hug. "It's wonderful to see you! I can't tell you how grateful we are for your help in this!"

She returned the hug but gave a nervous smile in return. "I'm certainly curious to see how a Malfoy gala is run!"

Lucius chuckled as he ushered her inside and shut the door behind her. "Come now, dear; no need to hide behind a smile. I can tell you're nervous."

"Is it that obvious?" She asked, looking around quickly.

"Narcissa's upstairs in one of the drawing rooms," He said quietly, clasping his hands behind his back. "And she's nervous as well."

"She is?" Hermione blinked. "Why?"

Lucius smiled slightly. "Well, she's been hoping to use this event to help mend things between you and her. She feels terrible for how she's treated you in the past and wants to use this as a chance to make things right."

Hermione stared at him in shock, and his smile simply widened in response. He then gestured towards the stairs and asked, "Shall we?"

She could only manage a nod as she reluctantly followed him up the stairs, glancing around nervously still. He led her down a hallway towards a large, open sitting room. There were many windows with the curtains drawn, allowing light to flood into the room and give a soft glow. A group of four arm chairs were set up around a table off to the side in front of a fireplace while a set of couches and a chaise lounge were on the other side of the room. Bookcases lined the walls, and while Hermione was drawn to them, she knew that now was not the time as she laid eyes on Narcissa.

Narcissa was seated in one of the armchairs, elegantly poised as she leaned slightly forward to read the papers that were on the coffee table in front of her. Her back was straight and her legs were neatly crossed at the ankle, but what surprised Hermione most about the older witch was her hair. In the past her blonde hair was always pulled up into a tight bun, out of the way. But now her hair was down and straight, and only a small portion of the top front bangs were pulled up into a pompadour. She seemed more relaxed as well, even smiling slightly to herself as she went through the papers.

But when she noticed that Hermione and Lucius had entered the room, her demeanor changed as she looked up and the slight smile was replaced with a subtly nervous look as she straightened up in her seat.

"Good evening," She greeted politely with a nod.

Hermione returned the nod. "Good evening, Mrs. Malfoy."

Narcissa nervously clasped her hands in front of her, glancing towards her husband before looking back towards Hermione. "Is Draco not with you?"

"He's working a bit late, dear," Lucius said as he gestured towards the seats. "We can begin planning while we wait for him; he's already said that he will come as soon as he's off work."