"Again" The tall slender witch circled the brunette currently meditating in the air.
"Isn't this just muggle yoga?" She whined all so childishly.
"It shouldn't be so hard for you then" The mirth and sarcasm in Narcissa's voice was enough to peak the annoyance of the floating witch.
"I'm trying my best" Hermione seethed through gritted teeth.
"Stop with the cheek madam" With a swift and a whoosh Cissy's wand came gently down on Hermione's bottom with a resounding crack. Feeling the full force of the hit her concentration broke and Hermione fell to the floor before getting back up in annoyance and facing the elder Malfoy.

"Right that's it! I can do with the subtle looks when you don' think I am looking, I can do with the small jibes to my clothes and at my appearance and I can also do with knowing you don't fully or really approve of this whole mess. So cards on the table Narcissa Malfoy, what is it that truly gets to you about me? I have tried my up most best to accept this ... well this mating bond but I cant knowing I am not fully wanted. What is it about me you do not like?" Hermione demanded with her back straight and a hand on her hip, almost pleading desperately for an answer.

"You are more naive than I first thought halfling. There is so much more to the mating than meets the eye" Cissy turned her back on Hermione and sauntered out of the workroom. Cissy had Lucius clear out one of his medal rooms so she could have the fully functioning room for her use. Besides how many medal and trophy rooms did her Husband really need?

Grabbing her black cardigan from the corner of the darkened off room Hermione followed her tutor from the room and down the corridor to the left. Cissy walked down the familiar path knowing her halfling was following her, she needed to know this whether it was against her husbands wishes or not. It had to be done. Hermione nearly walked into the back of Narcissa as she came to a stop to a dark wooden door, Plugging her wand into the key hole to activate the door locking device Cissy knew this was the right thing to do.

"Have you not ever wondered why our hair is so blonde?"
"You use alot of bleach?" Came Hermione's sarky reply resulting in the older witch chuckling lightly as she patiently waited for the lights to fully adjust.
"It seems so long ago since the War of Agromoor. Father and Lucius forbade that I go and join in the fighting with the men but of course it is not in my nature to sit at home and wait around, neither is it in Bella's. Tucking our hair into buns and pulling spare armor over our bodies you wouldn't be able to tell if we were male or female. Every sex, race and species turned up that day from Wizards, Witches, Vampires, Giants, Orcs, Dwarves and of course Elves." Hermione remained silent as Narcissa repressed into her dream like state.

Cissy paused allowing Hermione's brain to catch up. Above the grande fireplace was a painted portrait of an Elf family looking down on the pair, Hermione couldn't help but feel like she should curtsy at the portrait they looked that Royal and Regal.
"We rode on horseback for 5 days and 4 nights solid only resting for an hour or so at most. The harsh winds and freezing cold rain assaulted our bodies at any chance it got, You would think us to be tired but we was ready and eager for war. How young and stupid I was, how we all was. When we reached Agromoor that is when I saw him, I saw my Husband riding a few horses ahead of me, I knew it was him as my black lace favor was tired tightly around his spear. Of course we carried our wands but as you know, When it comes to jostling the riders ask a chosen lady to wear their favor on their spear. My Husband wanted to take mine to the grave. Silly man even then always over exaggerating."

Hermione pulled her mind out of her daydreaming to look at her tutor who stared gravely up at the portrait.
"The war was horrific, many lives were lost, plenty of blood was spilled onto the dirty wet mud of the field. I fought with all my might trying to keep my head safely on my shoulders as well as trying to look out for Bellatrix. A humongous Orc came running at me and my horse with a sword, he was too quick and skilled for me to successfully beat in sword duel and it was far to risky to reach for my wand, soon the beast scared my horse so much into a fit and she fled leaving me alone, with my bottom in the mud.

The Orc stood above me with his sword vertically straight about to plunder it into my stomach before my knight in shinning armor came and saved me, with a quick swipe of his sword the Orc's head came clean off his shoulders. I stared up into his eyes as he offered me his hand, and I gave it to him but of course he pulled me up quick and roughly, jolting my torso forward and my head back resulting in my head shield falling back revealing my face."

Narcissa chuckled, a warmth flooded her body as her sanctuary alerted her to Lucius's presence, choosing to ignore it she went on allowing him to try and be a silent ninja of sorts.
"I have never seen my Husband as angry with me that day than in the whole length of our married years together and believe me when I say I was a silly careless young wife but Lucius, he has always had limited patience with me no matter what I through at him whether it be verbal or physical he takes it in his stride patiently, Anyway he threw me onto the back of his horse and we rode on, somewhere in the chaos he managed to seek out Bellatrix and throw her up and onwards we rode off until we got home. There is one thing worse then your lover being angry with you and that is you lover choosing not to speak to you through disappointment. It made me feel violently sick and nothing would ale it, not even Bellatrix and her continue nagging to go back and finish off the Dwarve she was fighting, truth be told the Dwarve had her hands down and if it wasn't for us getting to her in time she would have been slaughtered."

Hermione shivered slightly as goosebumps traveled up and down her arms.
"Lucius took us straight home and back to Mother before promptly leaving without so much as a goodbye, We had only been married a week before war broke out so we saw no point in me leaving my parents home until him and Father came back. Mother was mighty angry with us and sent us to our bedroom with all our outings and any privileges banned until Father returned home. Four months we stayed in solitude, not that Bella really cared. Every night she would slip out of our bedroom and meet Merlin knows who. When word came around that the war was over me and Mother raced over to the fountains of Ares and prayed mercilessly once more for a safe return of our Husbands. They came striding into town a few days later, Father came straight home and gave Bellatrix a good hiding before looking at me in disgust and told me to 'go home to my Husband'. I wrapped my travelling coat around my shoulders and apparated to Malfoy Manor. He was waiting, boy was he waiting, he had never looked so handsome that evening as he stood before the fireplace, light of the embers only illuminating a part of his face and what did you do my dear?"

Narcissa turned around and smirked at her Husband that stood by the doorway, allowing him to be aware she knew of his presence all along.
"I turned around, threw a good whiskey in the fireplace before making love to you on this very rug." Lucius wrapped his wife in his embrace lovingly as Hermione, feeling somewhat disgusted sidestepped off the rug.

"You see both me and Lucius come from pure elf heritages ..." Hermione smiled knowingly, she knew the portrait was of the Black family descendants of Wizards and Elves.
"The Elf Gods had a bit more to say to it than Lucius and Father had about our behavior, we gathered for counselling the next evening and was given a chance to repent for our sins. I repented sincerely and was given the job of cleaning the blood and flesh all the armor and swords ... By hand as well of having black strikes in my perfectly blond hair to remind me of my wrong doings." Cissa absentmindedly reached up and twirled with a strand of black hair.

"Bella of course, never repents and refused so naturally the gods punished her good and proper. Bellatrix Black was given a sentence of five years in a prison surrounded by Elf magic, Stripped of all her Elf magic permanently and her hair magically died black and was told to never return back to the homeland. I do believe this is what truly made her go mentally insane in the end."

"But whats all this got to do with me?" Hermione asked feeling as if she was missing something.
"Well, of course any children you and Draco produce may be Elf, well any children you and Draco produce could be just about anything with the heritage you both have. The curse Draco has been thrusted upon him painfully is more than meets the eye. Surely you know by now you two are life mates. Matings between any Elf and a partner is seen to be rare and is not to be treat lightly. Draco naturally been the male has to go through a series of tests by the Elf gods to prove his worth to you"

"Even though I am classed as a muggle?" Lucius placed a calming hand on Hermione's shoulder
"Blood status is nothing to the gods, now you being the blood of a Wiccan and a Vampire may be a problem, It will be something you will have to ask the gods if and when they request your presence"
Hermione nodded seriously, the full sincerity of the whole situation dawning down on her, How much Draco has and will do just for her to accept him. Almost desperately and was she been selfish by making him wait so long?

"Now run along my little halfling, your man has returned home" With parting and loving smiles Hermione turned and left the pair alone to be with a better understanding why Narcissa was struggling to accept her, how much was Draco being made to do by the Elf gods just for her to accept the bond.

Draco sighed as he kicked his black leather off in the pristine hallway of the manor, he had a hard morning at work and an even harder evening at Agromoor. Hermione was sat patiently in the parlor room on the ground floor, sat with her ankles crossed she was nursing a warm cup of hazelnut mocha in her small petite hands. Draco allowed his eyes to roam over her figure before walking over to kiss her cheek in greeting.

"Welcome home" She began softly, taking in his appearance. "I have just had an interesting conversation with your folks, nothing bad" Hermione immediately reassured after he stiffened in front of her. She reached out cautiously with one hand and reassuringly rubbed his knee.

"I'm beginning to learn a few more things with my lessons with your mum, i also learned a bit more of you heritage". "Exactly how much more did you learn?" He knew the answer, how could he not. "I know enough to finally base my decision on our future, what I want and what I think will be best for us in the long run...