RP: Manor-born and Muggle-born

[pb_draco]

Characters: Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger
Location: Malfoy Manor
Date: 14 March 2000, after their appointment
Status: Private
Summary: Draco takes Hermione for a tour and some reassurance after Meeting The Parents
Completion: Complete

Comments

[pb_hermione]

Hermione was tense. She knew she was tense. She knew she looked tense. She knew that everyone there had known she was tense, which only served to make her tenser still. The tension did not go away simply because she and Draco had left his parents to take a tour their home. In fact, it only served to increase Hermione's anxiety.

Before last night, she'd been slightly nervous but not particularly tense about the introduction to his mother, which Draco had told her would take place in his mother's family home. Then last night, the platinum ferret that was her boyfriend, decided he should 'probably tell her' that the location had been changed and not only would she be introduced to Narcissa but also to Lucius and the introduction would occur at Malfoy Manor. Hermione had been more than a little upset with him over springing it on her like that, even more so because apparently he'd known all week and hadn't had the bollocks to tell her right away. It wasn't that Hermione had found it particularly frightening encountering his parents

[pb_hermione]

'And he wasn't even there.'

Hermione's heart went out to him. "Draco, don't you think he'd have spared you that if he'd had a choice? I don't believe for a moment that the man I saw searching frantically for you while a battle was going on all around him is the sort of man who would've abandoned you given a choice." She closed her eyes and leaned against his shoulder in turn. "I know he didn't take the news of us dating well, Draco. I know he'd rather I had magical parents. I know he isn't blameless and I'm not even sure he's a good person. I don't really know him at all. But I know what I've seen and I know you. You would not have done the things you did for your family if you didn't love your parents. Both of your parents."

"Lucius Malfoy is never going to learn to do more than tolerate me if he thinks I'm the wedge between the two of you. Whatever your issues are with your father, you should try to work them out for everyone's sake," she told him honestly.

[pb_draco]

"Little tough for him to protest since he was in prison at the time. He didn't even know." Draco squeezed Hermione without realizing it, then exhaled slowly, trying to keep himself calm. He was talking too much. It was one of his failings, and he knew it, and it got him into trouble far too often. He was treading on the edge of a conversation he didn't want to have, moving too close to the memory of a night he didn't want to remember. He took several steady breaths, forcing the images and the anger down, locking them up where he kept all the things he didn't want to think about

[pb_hermione]

"It was hard for you too and look where we are now," she kissed his jaw gently.

"While I can't say I wouldn't rather they simply accept me and get to know me, I don't need my name on a tapestry to validate our relationship. I am sorry I'm not able to give you a lofty bloodline and the Pure-blood children that are apparently required in order for your line to continue." Hermione didn't need to be reminded she was inadequate for the future production of heirs.

[pb_draco]

Draco chuckled quietly, not especially amused, but it was laugh or let the anger come back. "I couldn't protest either. Considering my alternatives were a hell of a lot worse than accepting the Mark, it would not have been a good idea to try and refuse."

He didn't much like the emphasis she put on 'required', and Draco leaned back to look at her face, trying to read her feelings in her eyes. "That's ... far less important to me now than it is to them, Hermione. I'm not going to-to resent you. Or them. I'm looking forward to children, with you. Half-blood means nothing next to having them with you."