A Sponsor & A Gentleman

Part VIII

"And this room here," Hermione pointed within a threshold, "this is another guest room. It's the biggest so probably be best to put your parents here when they come visit. We have the room, you know. It wouldn't be a bother."

Draco Malfoy observed the room, just as he had all the others. It was his first time in the Granger family home. Hermione was giving a tour. Caprica was safely entertained and coddled by William and Stacey. No harm would befall the infant within their presence.

"Mmm." He said. His fingers gripped his chin as he thought. The wheels of his mind moved and turned in deep contemplation. "It is easy for them to apparate home. There's no reason to inconvenience yourselves."

"It isn't an inconvenience, Drake. They're family."

His lips curled to a soft smile. They pressed against her cheek.

"Whatever you desire, love."

The Granger family house was in Hampstead, just outside London. There were six bedrooms. Plenty of space for the family of three and visitors. The Granger's had not the opportunity to host since the death of Hermione's grandparents. They hadn't the family to share their time and love with. It was only the three Grangers with whom shared the large home.

It had not crossed Draco's mind as being spacious. How could it when he was raised in a mansion with tens of rooms to spare? He failed to consider that most families had one guest room. One. If they were lucky.

It took her explaining the rather typical home of a person for him to realize that estates with spanning lawns were not the constant, but a true rarity in the world. Most of London lived in flats. Flats, while luxurious, were meant to be small as to fit a large population within an area.

Life outside of Wiltshire and the well combed lawns of ancient wizard families with vaults upon vaults to their name was foreign to the Malfoy heir. It was foreign to most of Slytherin house. Their lives high on a hill were all they knew. The wizarding world did not encourage growth, expansion, or adaptation especially in circles of long-standing family lines. Those with magical abilities seemed happy to remain in a constant state of medieval dress and décor without the touches of new society or change.

As a muggleborn, Hermione was accustomed to change. Lots of it. The muggle world changed all the time. Innovation was the market in which all things birthed in the modern world. There were many ways to improve life. It was a respect Hermione held for the other world she knew. Good was not good enough. Just because something worked, did not mean that it couldn't be improved to work better.

Recent years showed that magical blood was slipping. Less and less children were being born with abilities. More squibs appeared within magical lines, the most in centuries. It was now more important than ever to assimilate in muggle life. Soon, it was going to be the only thing left.

"I quite like the additions your father made to your room," Draco said.

The other side of Hermione's bed had been given a matching bedside table and chest of drawers. Both in matte black. It sharply contrasted the lilac and mint green hues of the rest of the room.

Hermione smiled. "At least it is not a secret that we share a bed like at the Manor."

"What I do not like is the distance between our bed and Caprica." His feet trekked down the corridor to the two rooms where they were to stay. "It is too far. She's too little to be so far."

For all the love she held for Draco, his dramatics were the only thing that tired her.

"She's right across the hall."