A Rake, A Spinster, And An Arrangement

Chapter 26 : A Welcome (Ep 6)

As the carriage approached Malfoy Manor, Hermione stared out the window in absolute wonder. She had known that his home would be large and grand, given that this was his Ducal Seat, but to actually see it for herself, to see the grand lawn and gardens and fields, to know that this was all his... Before, she had become Draco's wife. Now, she truly felt like the Duchess of Wiltshire.

Of course, it was all in name only, given Draco's entailment, but still, to the rest of the world, this was their home, their estate, their right, their property. And, while Hermione had never been materialistic, it was still astonishing to take it all in.

The road to the front steps seemed to take forever, and Hermione stared out the window the entire time, completely ignoring Draco, who was sitting beside her. Oh, to have grown up in such a house! The Potters had always had a small modest home, of course, but they were often in the city. The Weasley Home in the country was also rather nice and quaint, but this was something to behold.

She could only imagine the amount of staff that were required to run such a magnificent place, and she was now the Mistress! Oh, she should have listened better, when Lily had tried to teach her about running her own home.

A finger ran underneath her chin, drawing her attention away from the house, and she turned to see Draco smiling at her, amused. She sought out some sort of quip, something to tell him in jest, but his lips were once more upon hers, and in seconds, he had her on his lap.

She was ravenous for him. After their night spent together, she had been quite sore, and while she had wanted to repeat the process, they had agreed to wait until they had arrived, and he could give her a proper bath. That did not mean, of course, that he had not used his fingers to bring her to another peak, citing that the action would help her to relax. It also did not mean that they had been able to keep their hands off of one another during their journey.

The carriage came to a stop, and Hermione forced her lips from his, knowing that it would not be proper for the servants to see. The door to the carriage opened, and Hermione brushed back her hair from her face as she went to step out, taking the footman's hand to do so.

All of the servants were lined up the steps, from the stable boys on up to the housekeeper, all in their nicest uniforms, waiting for their arrival. Hermione would have to learn each of their names and duties quickly - she would not want to make a fool of Draco, by misspeaking.

So much to learn.

Draco stood beside her, and on instinct alone, she looped her hand through his arm, relying immediately upon his strength as they began walking up the steps. Each servant, in turn, bowed or curtsied, politely calling her Your Grace . She would have to get used to that as well.

"Good Day," Hermione answered every few, smiling and nodding. Oh, goodness. This would be a change.

There, at the top of the steps, was the housekeeper, Mrs. Filch. Draco had warned her about the older woman - she might be a bit off, but she was well meaning, and could run the household. That was all Hermione could hope from a housekeeper. Apparently, the woman had also been a friend to his mother, and had been the one to pass the correspondence with the Marchioness of Waterford.

It was because of Mrs. Filch that his mother's artwork had been saved.

"Welcome back to Malfoy Manor, Your Grace," Mrs Filch said as she dipped into a curtsy.

Hermione did not listen as they began to chat, about the house, about the preparations, about whatever else. Instead, her eyes were scanning the windows. Behind which would be the library? Oh, she hoped it was as big and grand as Draco had promised her. She intended to spend hours within the library walls, never stirring if she could help it.