Most ardently Vicewift Night Chapter 11 Just because Hermione
hoped to avoid the Greengrass Grove Drawing Room for the
remainder of her stay in Kent didn't mean she was uninterested
in exploring the lush floral gardens that encircled the
ostentatious Manor. Since her afternoons at Shell
Cottage were often free to enjoy as she wished, she elected to
stretch her legs and roam through the picturesque grounds,
finding hidden alcoves where she could read or practise magic
undisturbed. They were large enough that she
could walk around much of the gardens without ever having to
come into view of the Manor, a characteristic which she greatly
appreciated seeing as she was not fond of its current
inhabitants. On her first two days exploring,
she didn't encounter a single soul, only a duck pond and a
circular stone pavilion covered in blooming wisteria, but her
good luck was bound to run out. She'd made it halfway through
her usual walk when she came across a small party enjoying
their own promenade along the path.
Miss Granger? Mr. Knox greeted her with a warm
smile. What a lovely surprise.
The wizard was accompanied by three others, Lady Greengrass's
daughter, her ward, and her sullen houseguest.
Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Nott, Hermione, courtesy to the gentleman and
his companions as they reached each other.
Forgive my intrusion. The weather was so pleasant to
stay indoors. Your presence is most welcome
here, Miss Granger. I hope you have enjoyed the
gardens. Miss Greengrass spoke up
unexpectedly. I am, thank you.
Hermione replied, somewhat baffled by the sudden shift in
the witch's demeanour. This is Daphne and I's favorite
season. She continued, briefly offering
Hermione a warm smile before her expressions seemed to grow muted
once more. Since my father's death, we
haven't been permitted to enjoy it as much as we would like, but
with Mr. Nott and Mr. Malfoy as our guests, my mother has
permitted us to be out more than usual.
Without the judgmental eye of her mother, Miss Greengrass
appeared entirely at ease. The witch had barely spoken a
word at dinner the other night, so seeing her so bright and full
of life only made Hermione all the more sympathetic to her.
If Hermione had struggled to keep herself collected after a
single evening under the appraisal of the Lady
Greengrass, she knew she would fare far worse if there were no
escaping the witch. Missus Weasley was by no means a
perfect mother, but she would never belittle Hermione publicly
the way she had witnessed Lady Greengrass speak to and about
her daughter and ward. Now, in the daylight, the
similarities of Miss Greengrass and Miss Bennett were all the
more obvious. Their hair had been both the
same shade of strawberry blonde, and the twin smiles they offered
were nearly identical. It would be impolite to ask,
however, but she could not help but wonder if perhaps the
witches were connected by more than just a bond of friendship.
They have been a delight these last days, Hermione replied to
Miss Greengrass. Just yesterday I read for an
hour in the pavilion. It was so peaceful.
I was not aware that you had been here, Miss Granger.
Mr. Myerfoy's presence had nearly been forgotten by the
time he joined the conversation. Today is my third day visiting.
She informed him. As a matter of fact, you caught
me on my usual path through the garden.
She could not help but think that if she informed him of her
typical route, his desire to avoid her would keep them from
crossing one another for the duration of her stay in Kent.
Can we convince you to break your routine and join us?
Miss Greengrass enquired. Daphne and I have so little
chance to make new friends with a mother like Lady Greengrass.
She wasn't surprised to hear the witches had difficulty making
new acquaintances. I must decline today as I was on
my way back to Shell Cottage for tea with Lavender.
Hermione answered, though she felt somewhat guilty in doing
so. And I'm not sure if your mother
would approve of you calling me a friend, Miss Greengrass.
She made her distaste for me quite well known at dinner.
My mother despises everyone, Miss Granger, so you're in good
company. Besides, it was quite amusing to
see her so rattled. I almost certainly would like to
be friends with the witch, whose mere presence she finds so
intimidating. I I'm not sure if I'm capable of
leaving such their strong impression, but I have no
objection to being friends, Miss Greengrass.
The witch continued to perplex her, but her intention seemed
genuine. Then you must call me Astoria.
She insisted before gesturing to her companion.
And Daphne, of course. Daphne's countenance was more
reserved than that of her story is, but even the green grass
ward nodded adamantly at the witch's insistence on a more
intimate cordiality. Oh, is this not a lovely turn of
events? Mr. Nott exclaimed.
Now we all may be friends, wouldn't you agree, Draco?
Hermione's attention was once more drawn to the glowering
gentleman, only to realise his face no longer seemed as harsh
as before. I suppose.
His voice was low while he gave his reply.
I have been informed of late that my skills at making friends
could require some practice. His eyes flashed to her, a
knowing expression in reference to their prior conversation.
Whoever would have told you such a thing, Mr. Malfoy?
Astoria asked in concern. Ignore them, clearly they do not
know your character at all. Hermione did her best to keep
her face composed. Apologies, I really must be
going. She said, now desperate to
escape the conversation before it led to another argument with
Mr. Malvoy. Lavender will worry if I'm late.
Of course, we will see each other again soon.
Astoria declared. Good day Hermione, good day
Astoria, Daphne, Mr. Nott and Mr. Malfoy.
She cursed for a final time before walking off in the
direction of Shell Cottage. She didn't turn back, but she
could feel a set of eyes on her as she scurried away from the
encounter. With a full 3 weeks remaining
before her return to the borough, she wondered how much
more she would see of her new friends.
She saw more of the inhabitants of Green Grass Grove than she
predicted over the next few weeks.
On the days with good weather, it was common to find Astoria in
Daphne ambling around the grounds.
Sometimes they were escorted by Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Knott, while
in other instances they seemed to have snuck out to enjoy the
gardens with only each other for company.
During a day of particularly fine weather, Hermione convinced
Lavender to join her and the four witches had an impromptu
picnic together without any of the gentlemen or Lady Greengrass
being invited. While she knew Lavender was
happy with her marriage, it was easy to see that the witch was
struggling to make friends within the neighborhood and
hoped that by meeting Astoria and Daphne on neutral ground,
they would be able to get to know one another better.
With no Lady Greengrass scrutinising Lavender for any
imperfection, speaking for Astoria, or outright ignoring
Daphne, the witches were able to participate in a pleasant
afternoon together. Hermione was confident that the
witch's friendship would continue to blossom after she
returned to Ottery St. Catchpole.
On days when she didn't encounter Astoria and Daphne,
she still didn't find herself alone.
She had thought that by telling Mr. Malfoy her routine, he would
be better at avoiding her. Alas, it seemed he was too
stubborn to break his own schedule in order to prevent
them crossing paths. What was more irksome was that
each time she encountered him, he would change the course to
walk with her in what other direction she was headed, even
if it seemed to take him further from his intended destination.
Despite her reminders that his efforts at chivalry were
unnecessary, he refused to relent in leaving her to walk
the gardens alone. Since it seemed he would not
change his daily stroll, she took it upon herself to leave a
bit later than usual in hopes of avoiding the wizard.
Her efforts had proven effective so far, but it did not stop her
from encountering other creatures.
Hermione was about halfway through her walk when she came
across a pair of house elves attending to a shattered stone
birdbath. She had not seen them at first,
but the wailing had alerted her to their woes before she rounded
the bend in the path. What will Mistress say when she
hears? The elf sobbed.
She will punish Winky. Winky broke the bird bath.
The second elf said. And Mipsy didn't stop.
Her both distraught elves failed to notice her approach,
prompting her to clear her throat.
Perhaps I can help. This was apparently the wrong
thing to say, as both elves hysterics only increased with
her arrival. Oh, now her guest has seen
Winky. And Mipsy Winky cried, her whole
body shaking. Mistress will punish us most
severely. Hush, please, Hermione pleaded
with the creatures. I think I can help, and no one
will even have to know I was here.
She pulled out her wand and began to reassemble the
shattered birdbath. Hermione thanked Ginny and
Charlie for their recklessness, for giving her multiple
opportunities to practice the complex Transfiguration entirely
focused on the task in front of her.
It only took a few seconds before the final piece fell into
place, the stone looking as unbroken as it had been during
her last jaunt through the gardens.
See, there we go. It is like it never happened.
She wiped the perspiration from her brow at the exertion of
magic, but smiled at her success, looking back at the
elves whose eyes had gone wide. Miss helped Mipsy and Winky.
Mipsy said, the all evident in her voice.
Miss did not have to do that. It was no trouble, I was happy
to assist. She took her wand back in her
dress pocket. Oh, and how rude of me, I failed
to introduce myself properly. I'm Miss Grainger, a familiar
voice interrupted. Hermione turned around abruptly,
clutching her chest at the gentleman's sudden appearance
only a few paces away. Mr. Malfoy, you frightened me.
Apologies. He mumbled before taking a step
back and clearing his throat. What are you doing?
She felt rather protective over the two elves still cowering
behind the repaired birdbath. I'm out for a walk, as I always
am at this time of day. Hermione answered, leaving out
the fact that this walk was half an hour later than the ones she
had previously partaken in. What are you doing here?
I was wondering what all the noise was about and came to
investigate. Oh, Mr. Malfoy, Winky is so
sorry for disturbing you, Sir. The elf resumed crying.
Winky will punish herself for such rudeness.
You will do no such thing. Hermione exclaimed.
But Winkie is needing to be punished for being so loud.
Miss Mipsy informed her. Mistress is very clear that the
elves not to be seen or. Heard in the garden.
Please don't hurt yourselves on our account.
She turned to the wizard. Mr. Malfoy, please tell them
there is no need. Mr. Malfoy did not appear to be
prepared to deal with Hermione's pleading.
She certainly did not want to see any harm come to the
creatures on her account. After a moment of appraisal, he
turned back to the elves, Winky and Mipsy.
He addressed them in a firm tone.
Please return to your duties and do not punish yourselves for
anything that happened during your conversation with myself or
Miss Granger. I shall not speak a word of this
to your mistress, and neither shall you.
Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. Mipsy bowed low as Winky
sniffled and mirrored the action.
They offered no further farewell before a loud crack signalled
their departure. Hermione stared at the spot they
previously stood, her eyes eventually roaming back to the
bird bath and then Mr. Malfoy. Miss Granger, shall we continue
your walk? He offered his arm, his face
returning to his mask of indifference.
Oh yes. She shook herself out of her
thoughts, ready to put the incident behind her.
Thank you for your help. It felt strange to thank him,
but she was grateful for his assistance.
Think nothing of it. I have far more experiences with
ourselves than you, but as you said, all skills can be improved
with practice. Hermione snorted at the
sentiment. That skill I hope never to
acquire. I never wish to be another
creature's master, Really. Most affluent families have
ourselves in their service, Miss Granger.
It is unavoidable. Mr. Malvoy stopped then to look
down at her. It is a barbaric practice.
Hermione declared, chaining another creature to a life of
slavery. But they are not human.
His face took on a near sneer. They still have thoughts and
feelings, Mr. Malfoy. She struggled to explain.
You saw how upset they were, how worried they were about being
punished for merely being seen. Perhaps, but what is the
alternative? They would have no purpose if
not to serve their masters. I'm not saying that they
shouldn't be allowed to work if they choose to.
Hermione gritted her teeth at his justification.
But they deserve a choice in the matter.
They should be paid for their work and free to seek out new
employment. If the estate owner is unkind or
forces them to endure, I'll treatment just as any other
servant has the freedom to do. The estates would collapse
without them if they all decided to leave.
Magic is built into the very foundation of the properties and
it would take a dozen muggles to do the work of one elf, not to
mention the expense of employing that many people to compensate
for the loss. Then it is on the holders of
those estates to ensure that they are paid fairly for the
value they provide and treated with the respect they are due if
they want to retain their employment.
The matter was quite simple in her mind, but then again, this
was Mr. Malfoy she was debating with.
I still do not see what the issue is.
Perhaps the Wizengemot could take up a new law to improve the
conditions and punish those who abuse them, but you would not
find a wizard or witch in England who would willingly give
up their households. Half measures are not enough.
She could not concede to his statement.
One can only be part of their liberation or complicit in their
suffering, and I for one, Mr. Malfoy, refuse to be complicit.
You shall find it quite difficult to convince others to
take up your passion in this endeavour, Miss Granger.
Nothing worth doing is ever easy, Sir.
She could spot the gate to the garden that would deposit her a
short distance from Shell Cottage.
On that matter, we can agree it was a minor concession, but
Armani felt no further urge to push him on the matter.
After the intensity of the verbal sparring with the wizard,
she was keen for a respite and quickened her pace to hurry them
along. Once they reached it, Mr. Marfoy
bid her farewell and set off down the path she had learnt
from her various trips that would return him to the Manor.
Throughout the remainder of her walk to Shal Cottage, Hermione
revisited the encounter. It still puzzled her how much
the wizard seemed to seek out conflict with her, but she had
been appreciative of his help with the elves and hoped that
they had not ended up in any trouble due to her interference.
From their reactions alone, it appeared Lady Greengrass was not
opposed to punishing the creatures for displeasing her,
even if it was an accident. The way Mr. Malfoy spoke to the
elves made it clear that he most certainly had familiarity with
ordering them about. She was convinced that he had at
least one elf in his possession, though he likely left them to
attend to his manner in Wiltshire.
She didn't want to believe that the gentleman could be as cruel
as Lady Greengrass, but it would be impossible to know unless she
travelled there herself. Not that he would ever extend
her an invitation. Her last week in Kent was marked
with terrible weather all day. Downpours became commonplace and
Hermione was disappointed to find herself locked inside Shell
Cottage on her last afternoon before she was set to return to
London and then on to the borough.
There was a break in the rain and she could not stop herself
from visiting the Green Grass Grove Gardens a final time while
Cousin Ron and Lavender attended to some business in the nearby
village. Despite a week's worth of bad
weather, the gardens were just as welcoming as before.
Hermione was greeted by their vibrant colours and had been so
distracted that she did not see Mr. Knott until he called out to
her. Miss Granger, we meet again.
His smile overtook his entire face.
I had been hoping for a chance to say goodbye before you left
us. Oh, hello Mr. Mart, I'm pleased
to see you too. She much preferred the exuberant
wizard to his friend in the residence.
Can I join you? He enquired.
Yes, of course. She had no objection to the
gentleman, and while she'd spent the last few weeks getting to
know Astoria and Daphne, she realised she knew very little
about the jovial wizard before her.
Even so, the witch's recommendation helped soften her
to him immensely. After all, Mr. Nott was a
likeable character, and she found it impossible not to be
fond of the wizard and his good nature.
In her opinion, his only apparent flaw appeared to be his
close relationship with Mr. Malfoy.
Once again, Hermione found this most perplexing.
It was like with Mr. Sabini, the wizard was contrary to Mr.
Malfoy in every way. What was it about Mr. Malfoy
that attracted him to gentlemen so different from himself?
Store? Miss Greengrass and Miss Bennett
will be sad they missed you. He said as they resumed their
pace. You know your friendship has
meant a great deal to both of them during your time here.
Lady Greengrass has a habit of scaring off anyone they truly
admire. Hermione caught the wizard's
familiarity and her curiosity took a different direction as
she made her reply. Have you known them long?
Not as long as Draco. Lady Greengrass and his father
have been scheming together since Miss Greengrass's infancy.
I only met the family after I graduated from Hogwarts.
It is nice that the witches have each other at the very least.
They are so very similar. She would not voice her thoughts
on how similar she found them, but Mr. Nott seemed to
understand her implication. I'm surprised you do not know.
It is an open secret that they are half sisters.
Hermione's head whipped to look at him.
Is that so? Yes.
He nodded. Lord Greengrass had an affair
with a witch in the early years of his marriage, and Daphne was
the result. Her mother passed during labour
and he took in his daughter to raise her as a ward, having her
keep her mother's surname. Lady Greengrass was pregnant
with Miss Greengrass when the affair was uncovered and has
hated Miss Bennett ever since. That is quite a scandal, Mr.
Nott. The wizard simply shrugged.
Yes, well, it doesn't bother her story or a Daphne that people
know. Only if they are unkind to
Daphne about it, which I am certain a witch as generous as
you would not be. Of course not.
Hermione rushed to confirm. Though it does provide an
explanation for Lady Greengrass's coldness towards
Daphne. I feel terrible for her having
to grow up without a mother or anyone to care for her as a
mother should. When Lord Greengrass was alive,
she was better looked after. He was a cold man in my limited
experience, but he cared for both his daughters and ensured
they received the same education.
Their governess was a bastard herself and raised them without
much interference from Lady Greengrass in their early years,
so it wasn't until later in their childhood that they
learned the truth. At least that was in her favour.
With such a respectable education, she should be quite
desirable to many Wizards. I'm surprised she has not
married sooner in hopes of escaping Lady Greengrass.
Even a bastard daughter wouldn't be enough to scare away some
suitors with the status her father held.
Ah, yes. Mr. Nott nodded.
I would agree with you, but since Lord Greengrass's death,
Lady Greengrass has made it clear she has no plans to pay
the witch's dowry, even though her father left her with a
respectable one. How cruel.
Hermione cried. Surely that something can be
done to remedy this. And the easiest solution is for
Miss Greengrass to marry. There was a bitter edge to the
wizard's voice. The entail for Greengrass Grove
will have her inherit when she is wet and her husband will
claim the Wisengemot seat. Lady Greengrass will lose her
ability to interfere after that. But Astoria doesn't want to
marry, Hermione concluded based on the wizard's speech.
I suppose the more accurate answer would be that she does
not want to marry any of the Wizards her mother deems
appropriate for a witch of her status.
Mr. Nott's distinction only confused her further.
So Lady Greengrass only wishes for Astoria to marry a pure
blood? Surely there are plenty of
Wizards to meet such criteria, you and Mr. Malfoy among them.
Is that why you were here to court Astoria?
And you are half correct again, Miss Granger.
Draco is most certainly in Lady Greengrass's sights, but I would
never be up for consideration, seeing as I am a Wizard of
little standing. There was a bitterness in his
voice she could not place. Little standing?
Hermione asked in clarification. I am the spare of a spare, you
see. Mr. Nott's face conveyed sorrow.
My eldest brother is set to inherit my father's fortune and
my second eldest brother will be given a sliver of his wealth to
keep him comfortable and out of sight.
I am to be left with nothing. The more Hermione learnt about
how these pure blood families operated, the less she wanted to
do with them. I'm so sorry.
She could offer the wizard nothing but her condolences.
I wouldn't fret over me too much, Miss Granger.
My occupation affords me a comfortable life, and Draco
insists on paying me well for my services.
He smiled, but it did not meet his eyes.
You work for Mr. Malfoy? Indeed, not many know this, but
Draco is the heir to two magical bloodlines, Malfoy and Black.
As such, he holds two seats within the Wisengemot.
Despite knowing this knowledge already, Hermione said nothing,
letting Mr. Nott continue. Since the wizard cannot vote in
multiple seats, Draco has employed me as his proxy, and I
shall remain at his disposal for as long as he will have me.
While she did not wish any ill will towards Mr. Nott, Hermione
wanted to scream about how that seat wasn't Mr. Malfoy's in the
1st place, but she held her tongue on the matter.
Returning to the previous topic at hand, It seems that everyone
is at Mr. Malfoy's disposal. She couldn't help but quip.
Perhaps he should simply marry Astoria and secure himself a
lasting convenience of that kind.
Draco does not wish to marry Miss Greengrass, the wizard was
quick to dispute. But any which he does marry
would be quite lucky to have him.
His immediate dismissal of Mr. Malfoy's intentions towards
Astoria only added further to her confusion about why the
wizard was here in Kent. But it could be assumed that
with Mr. Knott also in attendance, the Wizards were
here to negotiate a deal with Lady Greengrass in regards to
the upcoming Wussengemot session.
I am sure the future Missus Malfoy will be quite rich.
She remarked. There was an undeniable fact
that the witch would not be allowed to live in anything less
than luxury, of course, but she will also find herself with a
loyal companion for her husband. Mr. Knott replied.
As a gentleman who has known him over half my life, I consider
him one of my closest friends, and no one could speak on his
character better than I, except perhaps Mr. Zabini.
Hermione's feet stalled as she heard the familiar name uttered.
You know Mr. Zabini? Her heartbeat rapidly in her
chest. Yes, we were thick as thieves
during our years at Hogwarts, though we haven't seen him in
some time. Draco saw him recently and saved
the wizard from an imprudent marriage, from what I heard on
her journey here. Throughout this entire exchange,
Mr. Knott had shown himself to have a propensity for gossip.
He had freely given away the secrets of the residents of
Greengrass Grove, but nothing he had shared up to this point was
as valuable to Hermione as the words he had just uttered.
If Mr. Knott was telling her the truth, and she had no reason to
believe he would lie to her about such matters, then Mr.
Malfoy was the cause of Luna's recent unhappiness and therefore
Hermione's ire. She had assumed it was Pansy,
after all. The witch had done her best to
keep the couple separated over the last few months, but it
seemed that she had not given Mr. Malfoy the credit he was due
as the main culprit. His participation in such
subterfuge was a crime for which she could not forgive.
Did Mr. Malfoy give a reason for this interference?
It was a struggle to keep her voice calm.
There were apparently strong objections to the lady.
Objections. Her voice came out higher than
she intended, but she took a deep breath before adding.
Was it like a fortune? When Mr. Sabini made his way to
Featherfield last spring? He had taken to Luna at once.
Her modest dowry didn't seem to be an obstacle for him at the
start, so it surely shouldn't have caught the wizard unaware
as things progressed between them.
Besides, what the witch lacked in fortune, she made-up for
tenfold. There was no denying that
Hermione's sister was beautiful and kind and gentle.
It was quite impossible to not find her endearing.
No, I believe it was her family that was deemed unsuitable.
So he separated them. Did Mr. not catch how hollow her
voice had become? From what I've been told, yes.
I know nothing else on the matter.
The blow to her chest knocked all the air from her lungs.
Her mind reeled from the revelation, knowing it would
only be a moment before her anger overtook her.
When she saw the fork in the path ahead, she took it as her
opportunity to make her escape. Forgive me, Mr. Nott, I must
leave you here and return to the Weasleys.
I have much to pack in preparation for my return home
tomorrow. No, of course, Miss Granger.
He bowed low. I shall hope we meet again one
day. As soon as Mr. Nott disappeared
from her line of sight, Hermione sprinted through the garden for
an escape. She'd been so distracted by the
torrent of emotions overwhelming her that she failed to notice
the springtime storm fast approaching.
The Rolling Thunder felt like more of an expression of her own
emotional state rather than the inevitability of the spring
weather in England. Her peaceful stroll through the
Green Grass Gardens on her final day in Kent had quickly morphed
into something that left her inconsolable.
Her tears mixed with the rain, which soon turned to a downpour.
She took shelter in the pavilion on the edge of the Green Grass
Gardens, hoping to collect her thoughts before she returned to
her hosts. She was not sure how to explain
her tears to them. Cousin Ron would not understand
them, and Lavender would ask far too many questions as to their
origin. The first coherent thought she
could muster was that she was thankful she would be leaving
Kent without coming across Mr. Malfoy again.
His constant presence over the last few weeks had made her feel
as if he were haunting her, always appearing when she least
expected him. Her departure tomorrow would be
a welcome end to her acquaintanceship and she could
finally sever all ties with him forever.
Good riddance. Hermione sat on the stone bench,
looking up at the wisteria hanging from the structure.
The scene was quite beautiful and had been her favorite hiding
spot during her visits, so it seemed fitting to be the place
to offer her refuge when she most needed it.
She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, letting the
raindrops from the floral canopy above kiss her face and wash
away the evidence of her tears. A few moments more in the
respite allowed her breathing to even out.
The peace she had managed to recover could not last, however.
She heard the soft padding of footsteps approaching.
Her eyes opened instinctively in alarm, startled by his looming
figure closing in before she could anticipate him.
Standing quickly, she watched as the very man she wished to never
see again suddenly appeared before her, his clothes soaked
through, dripping from the rain onto the stone floor.
Miss Grainger.