Regina-terrae pointed out in her review of the previous chapter that Montague, Christine's last name, is also the name of a Death Eater. I checked, and she's right. But, obviously, my character is NOT related to that Death Eater, it's just a coincidence, as I like the last name. I've gotten mixed reviews on Christine/Severus, so I think I'll just keep going as I am, and you guys can tell me if you hate/love Christine before I try anything.
Christine was busy unpacking and listening to the girls next door, who were busily discussing the boys, who had rooms across the hall. Apparently this was a discussion on what Mr. Malfoy would get for Miss Granger's birthday, which was coming up in one month. The girl was protesting, saying he didn't need to get her anything, while the other girls objected. Christine smiled. She remembered being that young. She jumped when someone knocked on her door, and turned to call out when 'Professor' Severus Snape opened the door. She dropped the pants she was trying to fold in irritation.
"I could have been naked for all you know." She snapped irritably.
"You weren't. I checked. Besides, why would you need to?" he asked. Christine glared, but decided that she shouldn't fight this. He was, by Draco Malfoy's own admission, a 'surly piece of work', but would get work done.
"Can I help you?" she asked tightly, trying to be nice."There isn't any food. We need some." He said, as if she was an idiot.
"So?" she asked.
"I've never been Muggle, Miss Montague. I have not the faintest hint what to do about our present situation." He said, as if he was talking to a four-year-old with questionable brain capabilities.
"Fine, we'll get some groceries. Change into something…less bat-like." Christine said, grabbing a sweater. "You have Muggle clothes, I presume?"
"You expect me…to accompany you?" he asked, as if she was asking him to sprout wings and sing love songs.
"Of course. I'm not doing all the work, you know." Christine said, and pushed him towards his room.
After Christine informed the boys that they were leaving, Harry and Ron went out into the backyard to see what was out there, Rose went off to explore the attic, and Ginny was reading on the couch in the living room. Hermione was sitting on her bed, her eyes closed. Draco was about to say her name when he felt his arm grabbed.
"Malfoy. We need to talk to you." Harry said, and Hermione's eyes opened. She smiled, and raised her hand, as if to save him, but, alas, no luck—Potter dragged him off. Draco shoved away from him when they were in the hall, and straightened his sweater.
"Can I HELP you Potter?" Draco asked, annoyed.
"Yeah. Come on. We've got information that might be helpful to you." Harry said, and Draco, irritated, followed. Why did Potter think it was cute to talk in riddles?
Hermione, wakened after Harry dragged Draco from her room, pushed up off her bed and went to explore the house, as all she'd seen were the living room, her room, and Draco's room. It was a very simple house, smaller than the one Hermione had grown up in. She wrapped her arms about herself, and went to one of the larger bay windows, and stared out at the horizon, seeing the little cemetery where they had buried her parents in a private ceremony. She wasn't allowed to visit them without a registered Auror accompanying her, and even then, she could only have ten minutes with her parents, and the Auror stood close by her side.
"Hermione? What are you doing?" she jumped, and turned to see Ginny.
"Thinking." Hermione said vaguely. Ginny brushed back a copper strand of hair.
"I'm sorry. I never told you that, but I am." She whispered.
"It wasn't your fault. It was no one's fault but Voldemort's, no matter what Draco says." Hermione whispered.
"Are you gonna be okay?" the younger witch asked. Hermione nodded.
"It'll take time, but eventually I'll be able to think of them without pain. And I'll know that they are somewhere, no longer in pain, and they think of me too."
"What kind of 'Retards R Us' club is this?" Draco snapped irritably. Harry leaned against the garden wall, and Ron was sprawled in the grass, idly picking grass.
"You'll owe us in a minute Malfoy, so you can humour us, I'm sure." Ron said smugly. Draco let out what was half growl, half snarl, and Ron laughed.
"Ron, stop baiting him. He's having a hard time accustoming himself to being friends with—what was it, Malfoy? —Potty and the Weasel." Harry said, and Draco knew—he'd known it—that those nicknames were going to come back to bite him in the ass.
"Just tell me, idiots." Draco snapped.
"Well, today is August 25, so you have little less than a month until our dear Hermione's eighteenth birthday." Ron dropped that little bombshell like nobody's business. Draco's mouth fell open. For the first time in centuries, a Malfoy was shocked out of his Pureblood socks.
"What? What the hell did you just say?" Draco demanded.
"Hermione's birthday. September 19th. You need to get her something GOOD Malfoy." Ron said, almost rolling in his glee. Damn redheaded menace.
Christine consented to accompanying the girls to the mall. One, because Hermione had asked, and Christine knew the girl was going through a rough time after the death of her parents, and two, Christine desperately needed some underwear.
"All right. Let's go in here." Ginny said, almost having exploded in glee when she'd seen all the 'cute' Muggle shoes in one store. Christine rolled her eyes—in the typical 'teenagers' way—and followed the laughing girls into the store. She was looking at nice, practical sneakers when she heard raised voices.
"Oh! Hello Hannah!" a girl said, addressing Hermione. Christine watched from her advantageous position behind the rack of Nikes.
"It's Hermione." Hermione said, drawing the word out. The girl scowled.
"Oh, that's right. Who are your little friends?" she asked.
"Ginny Weasley and Rose Malfoy Dawson." Hermione said, and each redhead waved and smiled tightly.
"Oh, that's right, I met you two earlier." She said. "Alyssa Daniels." The blonde said, flipping her hair over one shoulder. "Where is Draco?" she asked, no beating around the bush. The girl had the tact of a rampaging bull, Christine thought.
"Home. We're here with my—aunt." Hermione improvised. Alyssa's eyes narrowed.
"Draco lives with you?" she asked.
"Yes. We're exchange students, from Scotland, and we're here staying with my aunt and uncle, who moved her this summer." Hermione said, lying a blue streak. She'd never lied—she hadn't known it could be so much FUN.
"How sweet." Alyssa cooed. Ginny made a disgusted face, and Christine decided it would be a good idea to separate the girls before Ginny got any hexing ideas.
"Niece Hermione!" Christine called loudly, and rushed up to the group of girls.
"Aunt Christine! I was just telling my…friend Alyssa that I was staying with you and Uncle Severus." Hermione smiled sweetly, and Christine couldn't wait to get that seventeen-year-old demon alone. Uncle indeed! Gag!
"Well come on. Wouldn't want to be late. Draco would so HATE for you to be late for your date." Christine said. So what that she was twenty-nine-nearing-thirty? She'd had girls just like Alyssa tease her mercilessly in her seven years at Hogwarts, and had never forgotten it.
"That's RIGHT Auntie. Thank you for reminding me. I'll just take these—" Hermione grabbed a completely frivolous pair of black stilettos— "and we'll get back to the house."
Hermione laughed loudly when they were in the car. For a moment, she hadn't thought of her parents dying. She'd heard her father's voice ('Use your intelligence as a weapon, Ducky. That's what'll get 'em!')
"Hermione Jane Granger! You—you wild woman!" Ginny laughed delightedly.
"I couldn't stop myself. The words just—just tumbled out! She's been trying to filch Draco since we got here—and she's known him a grand total of an hour." Hermione said. Rose laughed.
"Well, she'll know not to mess with you Hermie."
"What the hell do you expect me to get her? Books?" Draco snapped at the two boys who were shamelessly enjoying his discomfiture.
"NO! Never! We've gotten her that for the past seventeen years. It needs to be different this year. It's the big one-eight. According to Hermione, this is a big thing in the Muggle world. It means you're an adult." Ron said, pleased he'd remembered that.
"Okkkaaayyy…so that means I'll need to get her something good. Something great. Something…un-Hermione-like. Something no one would think of." Draco mused aloud as the Golden Duo watched on.
"I've gotten her a watch, and Ron's gotten her a very rare tapestry. So you can't steal our ideas." Harry said, and Draco sneered.
"Like I'd get Hermione a rug." Draco said.
"TAPESTRY." Ron said, clearing that up.
"So, birthday girl, what do you want to do for your birthday?" Ginny asked as she methodically chopped onions.
"I don't really know. I mean, what can we do?" Hermione asked, peeling potatoes.
"Whatever you want, sweeting." Christine said, dumping the ingredients into a large pot on the stove, and lighting it.
"Could we go to dinner?" she asked.
"Yes, of course. I'm sure we can make 'Uncle Sevvie' attend." Christine mocked, and Rose snorted into the salad bowl.
"Rose!" Ginny said, and Rose shrugged.
"Excuse me?" the women turned at the deep drawl, and Hermione had to fight to keep a smirk off her face as she saw the priceless look of shock on Professor Severus Snape's face.
"Well, Hermione's birthday is coming up, and we're planning her day." Christine said.
"Miss Granger?" he asked, and Hermione smiled. She'd wondered if he actually knew the given names of his students.
"Yes, HERMIONE. I said we'd take her out to dinner. Of course, since she told some of her schoolmates that we're her aunt and uncle, it'll be expected. Of course, we'll be getting you some Muggle clothes—and a haircut." Christine said.
"A WHAT?" Snape asked incredulously.
"Don't worry, 'darling'. It won't hurt a bit." Christine said, the smile on her face decidedly evil. Snape shuddered. Damn Dumbledore and his plans. Always got him into trouble.
Not a lot of Hermione/Draco fluff, but I want Draco to be a little agonized over what to get Hermione for her birthday, because I want him to realise that, you know, this is 'the girl' and that it should be special.
NOTICE: Updates will be on SATURDAY and SUNDAY ONLY. School has restarted, and since it is my very last semester (I'm a senior in high school) this is VERY important. Bear with me, and understand that since most of my classes are Advanced Placement, I need to focus. I am, however, getting on the computer for about two hours a day, and one hour of that will be writing on this story. So expect long chapters to make up for the week delays.
This chapter is late because I had to baby-sit most of this week. I apologise.
Courtney