A Future Uncertain

Chapter 16: The Visit

The breach of the wards happened a solid three minutes before the sound of the fourth charmed doorbell-chime. The first three chimes, Draco whistled along. Usually there wasn't enough time for guests to ring a charm, let alone four times.

At the fourth sound he walked to window. Mumbling while pushing the thick, burgundy curtain aside. "What on earth is taking the elves so long?"

Hermione shut her book loudly and sat up on the couch. "You know, I'm sitting right here," she said, giving him a no nonsense glare.

Draco scrunched his nose. When he went looking for her this morning, he had searched the entire manor before asking an elf to find her. It was the first time he had inconvenienced himself in order to spare an elf from something they did easier- and a hell of a lot quicker- than he. Daisy came back in less than a minute reporting Hermione was reading in his private study.

He marched up the staircase and through his room, ready to yell at the invasion of privacy, but stopped sharp in the doorway. Hermione was lying on her stomach, book in hand, waving her feet in the air. The curtains were drawn, but the fireplace illuminated the room well enough. She lifted her eyes lazily to the intrusion, and Draco decided it was best not to torture her too much.

Which left the last two hours filled with questions about the missing, and now found, book. Putting his glass of firewhiskey on the end table next to the window, he looked down at the tattered book once more- blank like the last hundred times he looked at it. For some unknown reason he couldn't provoke out of her, she charmed the book wordless when he looked at the pages.

Turning back to the window, he stood taller and looked back down towards the front door. "I know! You've been sitting in my study all day without an explanation. So, since I've so graciously allowed you to stay, could you please tell me what book you're reading?"

Ignoring his question, and trying to get him to leave her alone, she continued on her mission to change how the Malfoys treat their elves. "Instead of relying on the elves, maybe you should go answer the door," she said sweetly.

Giving a barely-there glare at Hermione, he walked over to her and ripped the book from her hands. Taking another look at it, its contents remained hidden. Another chime went off, and Draco rolled his eyes. He tossed the book back to her and left to greet the guests.

Yelling after him, she called, "You need to start paying them too!"

Not likely, he thought, before he began replaying and strengthening arguments in his mind for the next time she mentioned paying the house elves.

Swinging the door open with his wand, he stood in the center of the foyer. "What an unpleasant surprise," he said, directing the comment towards the redhead standing under the portico.

Ron's face grew pink, but his partner was all business. "This is not a surprise," Kingsley corrected, holding his head high and taking his first step into the house. "We have arranged a meeting with your parents."

"Yes of course. Must have forgotten," he said, rolling his eyes. Between the minister's serious attitude, and Hermione refusing to tell him about the book, it looked like the day wasn't going to be any fun. "Right this way."

Kingsley walked beside Draco while Ron trailed a few metres behind, refusing to get any closer to Malfoy than needed.

"So how's the investigation going?" Draco asked, trying to get more information than his parents were telling him. Instead of acknowledging him, they continued walking in silence.

Malfoy stopped just short of the office door. "I asked a question," he snapped.

His family hadn't been supportive of Shacklebolt becoming minister, and if it weren't for the self preservation instinct that ran in the Malfoy genes they wouldn't even support him in public. Behind closed doors however, there was no use saving face.