Marriage Law (Dramione) (Completed)

Tea Part One

*Who has two thumbs and decided to update this story? This author! Happy holidays! By the way, this chapter is in Narcissa Malfoy's point of view (did anyone ask for this, no. I just wanted to) and most people are going to hate the next couple of chapters after the Tea chapters.... oh well I warned you.*

Narcissa Malfoy did not feel lonely. She enjoyed the vast solitary environment of Malfoy Manor; the silence helped her think clearly. The only noise she missed was the sound of her son’s voice. When Draco laughed, Narcissa grinned from ear to ear and warmth spread throughout her body. The older woman hadn’t heard that laugh in years. She would do anything to hear that laugh again but all of her attempts to reach out to him were futile. They disagreed about what was right for Draco’s life and that abomination of a law pushed them further apart. Narcissa just wanted her son to see the beauty in a proper magical marriage and he could not have that experience with that vile creature he claimed to love.

A pop interrupted her breakfast and a small house elf wrapped in a crisp tea towel curtseyed towards Mrs. Malfoy, “Mistress, there is a girl at the door. She claims to be your daughter in law,” the elf said cautiously.

Narcissa’s tea cup tumbled out of her grasp and crashed to the floor. Ignoring the shards of precious porcelain scattered around her dining room floor, the woman marched into her foyer. Standing in the entryway of her home was an unwelcome guest.

“Hello Mrs. Malfoy, you look very well,” the young witch said with a tight lipped smile.

Narcissa scoffed, “Skip the pleasantries, what do you want?”

“I wanted to take you out for tea, have a little chat,” the creature responded.

Narcissa narrowed her eyes. This must be some sort of sick joke, the woman thought, I’ve done everything in my power to keep that little whore at bay and she’s still trying. “Well, I have plans with my son but you can come by tomorrow afternoon and we will chat.”

In all honesty, Narcissa wanted to stay as far away from Hermione Granger as she possibly could but the holidays were quickly approaching and she did not want to give her son an excuse to skip Christmas dinner, for the fourth year in a row. She was a phenomenal hostess and the constant denial of her invitations irked the witch’s soul.

“Actually, Draco had to cancel. There was a last minute issue with a client so I thought we could go out for tea. We have some things to discuss.”

A frown appeared on Narcissa’s face, “If you insist on this little meeting of yours, I know a tea shop a few miles from here. We can floo there.”

The creature raised an eyebrow, “As lovely as that sounds, I believe it would be more wise for me to pick the tea shop. Afterall, I do not know if I can trust you not to poison me if you had the opportunity.”

The creature made a fair point. If Narcissa had the opportunity to poison Hermione Granger, she would take it in a heartbeat. If ‘the brightest witch of her age’ was out of the picture her son might see the potential in a pureblood wife.

“Alright, lead the way.”

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When Hermione had the opportunity to trick her mother in law into going out for tea, she took it. She needed to go directly to the source of her head aches for answers. 

Their waitress finally approached their table with a pot of lavender tea and an assortment of posh looking treats.

Hermione poured her cuppa and sighed, “You’re probably wondering why I invited you here, Mrs. Malfoy.”

“Are you pregnant?” the older witch said bluntly.

Hermione choked on her tea and tried to regain her composure, “No, nothing like that. Draco and I want to wait a little longer to have children-”

“You plan on having more than one?” Mrs Malfoy interrupted.

“Yes, I want at least two or three but Draco wants as many as possible.” Hermione set her cup on the table and look directly at Narcissa, “I’m sure you’re interested in the number of grandchildren you’ll have to painstakingly scorch off of your family tapestry but, I have a few questions before that.

“How did you get the picture?”

A wicked grin slithered onto Narcissa’s face, “Whatever do you mean dear child?”

“Now that’s just disappointing, Mrs. Malfoy, you’re never one to play dumb. The picture that happened to grace the front of the Daily Prophet a week ago. You know, the picture of me snogging a women. It was locked away in a charmed safe, in Draco’s and my vault.”

Hermione went through great lengths to hide that picture. She found her fair share of keep away charms that claimed to work. They worked for years but her mother in law broke through her tedious wards within a fraction of the time. The young witch needed to know why and how. She could not go back and change what happened but she could prevent the rest of her skeletons from falling out of her closet.

“Oh you mean the picture that was in the Malfoy family vault? A few months ago I noticed a safe I’ve never seen before and the wards around it were, mediocre. So, I brought it upon myself to do a little bit of investigating.”

“That doesn’t not explain why or how it ended up in the daily prophet.”

“My dear girl, you cannot be that daft?” Mrs. Malfoy haphazardly slammed her cup onto the table and aimed an accusing finger at Hermione, “I don’t like you. You stole my son away from me and poisoned his mind with your muggleish beliefs. You ruined my relationship with the only family I have left and I know Draco and I will never be the same. If I have the opportunity to make your life a living hell, I’m going to. Mark my words, If I were you, I’d watch your back because that was only the beginning.”