Hermione Zabini

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Hermiones pov.

Blaise was not wrong. Within minutes of him leaving Mother appears. She knocks on the closed door but had opened them and let herself in before I could say enter.

She takes a seat beside me on the bed. The silk sheets were comfy to rest on. Sitting up to give her my full attention she turns to me.

'You like it?' She asks motioning to the various pieces of furniture in the room and the room itself.

I let out a small laugh. 'It isn't anything like I am used too.' I say honestly and Mother smiles at me softly. A silence falls between us, both lost in our own thoughts.

Mother clears her throat. 'We desperately wanted to keep you Hermione, I hope you didn't think otherwise. If I had a choice... If I could have guaranteed your safety....'

She disappears into her mind again to what I assume is memories of the darker times she has had to face.

I put a hand on Mothers shoulder and she looks at me in surprise as if forgetting I was there. 'It's okay, I understand.' I say soothingly and mother nods in response. She inhales deeply and a smile is shown on her face.

'Well then Hermione, it is good to have you back my dear.' She says cheerfully. Too cheerfully in my opinion. 'Has Blaise mentioned about your house elf?'

'Uh yes...Frankie I think.' With a pop a smallish house elf lands into my room. I jump in surprise but mother doesn't seem bothered.

'Is there anything I can get Mistress Zabini?' Frankie asks.

'No thank you, I will call if I need anything.' I say and Frankie bows and with a pop is gone again. I take it now is not a good time to debate the rights of house elves?

'Glad to see you are settling in.' Mother stands and walks over to the walk in wardrobe and opens it. On finding nothing inside she turns and looks at me questioningly. 'Where are your clothes dear?' She asks. I point silently to the bag that had been put under the desk which held a few outfits.

She picks up the bag and puts it on the desk, opening it and spilling its contents. 'Blaise mentioned that you and Draco don't get along dear.' She says casually and I raise an eyebrow. Not that she can see it.

'We have... history.' I say hesitantly. Mother does not say anything. She finishes emptying the small bag of its contents and shakes her head.

'This will not do, you need something to wear dear. Multiple things actually.' I open my mind to protest because I do in fact have plenty of things to wear but mother was already walking out the bedroom door. 'Be ready in a few minutes darling, we are going shopping.'

Well, how different can shopping be from before?

*

The answer to that would be a lot. There was not a store that we did not enter. We didn't even have to carry our purchases yet my whole body ached. Mother explained that once we buy the item the owner of the store puts them out back and in fact fathers job is to go to all the shops later and pick up all the bags and take them home. When I asked if someone else could possibly do it instead because it must be a hard job for father; mother laughed and said she originally used to do it to wind him up but over the years it just became routine.

Apparently, father old mother once he enjoyed doing it. But according to mother she shouldn't actually know that as father was drunk at the time and had mistaken my mother for her sister when telling her this.

Once hearing the Zabini name the people inside the store were all so happy to help. I learnt that once people hear money, they suddenly become the nicest and best host that the world has ever seen.