Chapter 7 - Tea Time II

Chapter 7 – Tea Time II

“Narcissa! Hermione! So glad you could make it for tea. It has been too long!” Minerva greeted the two women warmly. She was seated in her parlor wearing a beautiful green plaid dress. “You remember my brother, Albus. He was busy attending to a business matter and had to miss supper the other night.”

Hermione felt her jaw drop open but could not have stopped it even if she had tried. Albus had rarely been seen since his retirement. Everyone else she had met in this macabre situation was still alive back at Hogwarts. Yet, Albus was sitting in a chair next to Minerva looking very much like he did when he had been at Hogwarts. He still sported his long white beard and had his half moon spectacles, but he was dressed in black trousers and crisp white shirt with a bright blue waistcoat. She almost did not recognize him without his robes.

Feeling three sets of eyes upon her, she snapped her mouth closed and murmured a greeting to her hostess. She sat down on a soft loveseat and arranged her flowered silk skirt around her. Looking up, she saw Albus smiling at her.

“I can’t tell you how happy we are that you will soon be joining our family, Miss Malfoy,” he said, “I can’t wait to hear the pitter-patter of little feet dancing through the halls once again. Harry and Severus are grown now, and once we get Severus settled, then we can…”

“Oh! How lovely, lemon cakes!” Hermione, desperate to change the subject, exclaimed.

“Oh, yes, how wonderful. Please try them. They are my favorite.” His eyes smiled and she knew that he was not fooled by her interruption.

“Minerva, you are sure that a month is not too short a notice for the wedding? I would like this wedding to be at the start of the Season, one of the first, big social events of the year.” Narcissa was one of the leaders of the ton and saw this as an opportunity not to be passed up. Besides, didn’t her darling little girl deserve the best?

“I believe that it would be the perfect start to the Season, Narcissa. I am just worried whether everything will be ready by then. Severus has stated he did not want a big fuss, but he just has pre-wedding jitters. Please, let me know if you need any assistance. Hermione, are you feeling well, dear?”

“I will take her out for some fresh air, my dear. Please, you and Narcissa continue your discussion of the wedding plans, and we will return shortly.” Albus offered his arm, which Hermione grabbed as if it were a lifeline.

“Oh, thank you so much, sir,” Hermione said once they were outside.

“Do not mention it, child. Why don’t you just call me Uncle Albus. Everyone else does,” he chuckled.

“Uncle Albus, I do not know if I can do this. It is all so sudden.” Hermione felt her own pre-wedding jitters coming on. She had always dreamed of falling madly in love with the man she would eventually marry.

“If you have any hopes of finding happiness and love, Hermione, you will follow through with this. Love is a very powerful force. It is what is behind every good romance story.”

Hermione looked at Albus closely. Surely, he did not know about her situation.

“Sir, what romance story?” Hermione asked.

“Oh come, my dear. Life is one big romance novel. The story of a man and a woman, coming together, sometimes reluctantly, and falling in love for the rest of their lives. You could also say that life is like lemonade. You start out with the basic ingredients: lemons, sugar and water. Easy to guess who the lemons are and who is the sugar,” he chuckled. “As you create the final product, if you add too much of any ingredient it becomes too sweet, too bitter or watered down and bland.”

“Do you really think we will fall in love? We barely know each other.” Hermione decided he was just an old man rambling. Nobody else was aware that they were not the real Duke and Hermione.

“The Hermione that I used to know was spoiled and manipulative. Her parents did not see that side of her, as she concealed it well from them. Draco has already been to see me, telling me how much you have changed since meeting my nephew. I told him to enjoy the change and hope that things do not go back to the way they were. He was satisfied with my lack of concern and quite pleased with the change.

“Let me explain a little about my eldest nephew. He is a little more... temperamental... than most people. Then again, he has a very important role to fulfill. He is capable of great passion but does not believe in displaying it. Be patient with him; the woman who wins his heart will have a treasure beyond compare. Just trust me, my dear, and see what happens in the end.” With that, he turned them back towards the parlor.

Hermione followed, thinking about what Albus had just told her. She was not sure if she believed everything he said, but she was willing to give his advice a try. For now, she was going to enjoy this new life, since it appeared that she was going to be here for a while.

The rest of tea passed uneventfully. It was after they had returned home that Narcissa dropped a bomb. “Hermione, darling, I know that things have been very busy lately. Is there anything about the wedding that you would like to talk about?”

“Well, now that you brought it up, yes. Whose idea was it that we sign marriage contracts?” Hermione demanded.

“No, darling. I was talking about something a little more romantic,” Narcissa was unsure how to bring up such a delicate topic. She did not want to shock her innocent daughter.

“Romantic?” Hermione was now lost. “What do you mean romantic? Like love?”

“Yes. Do you have any questions about love and marriage?” Narcissa sighed with relief.

“No, none. This is a contracted marriage, mother. It is nothing like you and father.”

“Hermione!” Narcissa finally said in exasperation. “I am talking about after the wedding. The wedding night!”

“Oh. Well, um, no. I don’t think I have any questions,” Hermione felt her cheeks start to redden. Oh, Merlin. Not The Sex Talk, she said to herself.

“I know that you are a good girl and have remained chaste. I just want to let you know that regardless of what you may have heard from other girls, the marriage bed is not all as bad as they say.”

Hermione groaned. The last thing she needed right now was a mental image of Lucius and Narcissa in the throes of passion.

“In fact, it is quite a pleasant experience. I just don’t want you to be scared. I am sure that Severus will be very considerate. He is such a nice boy.” Narcissa trailed off as she looked at her daughter.

Hermione didn’t know if she should laugh or cry. Hearing Severus referred to as a boy was almost more than she could handle. She wasn’t exactly sure how she felt about having to share a bed with him. She kept trying to not think about that. It made her stomach feel too fluttery.

“Are you all right, dear? Are you sure you don’t have any questions or concerns? All right, you may go, but remember, I am always willing to talk to you about this wonderful time in your life,” Narcissa said as she kissed her daughter on the cheek.

Hermione walked out of the room in a daze. She was not totally ignorant of what was supposed to happen. She had read a few books, talked with her mother while still attending Hogwarts, and dated Victor and Ron. She was not too concerned, as all she had to do was fall in love. Keep telling yourself you don’t have to do the baby part of the story, she told herself.

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Author's Note: So sorry about the delay in posting. I also need to apologize to my dear beta, Tinnidawg, for mispelling her name in the last chapter. A million thanks to you, my readers, and to Tinnidawg! I am truly humbled and awed to have my storied as one of the features. Chapter 8 is in the works and will be extra long.