Irredeemable (Harry Potter fanfiction)

14 - Muggle Relations

Draco had no opportunity to speak to Hermione alone before he went home that night, aside from a quick kiss on the doorstep and an invitation for him to come over and study on Monday whilst her parents were at work. He felt like meeting her parents had gone well, they certainly seemed amiable enough and considering that they were muggles, they seemed intelligent and well, normal. More pleasant to be around than any pureblood family he had spent any time with. Still, he was looking forward to Monday, and a chance to get Granger to himself. He allowed himself to daydream about how he would repay her for the backseat dalliance of the afternoon, and the journey home seemed to take no time at all.

His mother was just on her way to bed when he got in.

"How did it go?" she asked him. "Do you think they liked you?"

Trust his mother to start with the questions when all he really wanted to do was go to bed!

"I think it went well. They were very pleasant; her mother invited me to stay for dinner."

"Good! That is good. Are you seeing her again tomorrow?"

"No, we are going to study together on Monday." He noticed how his mother seemed to brighten slightly at the news, and felt rather guilty when he realised how little time he had spent with her whilst he had been home from school. "Shall we go into town for lunch tomorrow?"

His mother's face fell. "I don't really know if that is a good idea. I suppose the Leaky Cauldron wouldn't be too busy…"

"No, I mean out somewhere that muggles go! Like that café down on the corner near the tube station." He knew his mother wouldn't want to go anywhere where she would be scrutinised by other wizards, also they couldn't really afford to waste gold needlessly on luxuries like eating out. But with Draco's replicated muggle money they could do what they wanted in the muggle world!

"Somewhere muggles go!?" Narcissa seemed genuinely shocked. "I wouldn't know what to do in such a place."

"Well, we can go out tomorrow and then you will." Draco was flippant, feeling rather annoyed that she was so hampered by the belief that muggles were inferior that she didn't go anywhere or do anything.

"Is that what you have been doing with this girl? Going out to muggle establishments?" She looked at him disdainfully and he felt his annoyance ratchet up a notch.

"Some of the time, yes." He answered, his voice equally cool; suddenly his mother didn't seem so thrilled that he had a girlfriend after all! "I don't see why you are so shocked, after all we live in muggle London now so of course we will have to use muggle transport and shops!"

"I know that Draco, I just don't feel at ease when I am surrounded by muggles. They are ignorant, volatile creatures, prone to violent outbursts against things that they don't understand. You can never trust them!"

"Don't you think that opinion is a little out-dated mother? The muggles I have met seem perfectly normal."

"Don't confuse muggleborns with muggles Draco. They know of our world and have no reason to be hostile towards us. Muggles on the other hand, would have every reason to try and use us or destroy us for our magic. I should have realised that mixing with half-bloods could make things rather conflicted for you. Whichever of her parents it is who is a muggle I'm sure are perfectly normal and pleasant, but they have embraced our world Draco, other muggles are not the same."

He could tell that his mother truly believed that she was trying to help him and that she thought that what she was saying was true. "I just thought it would be nice to go out for lunch," he said, wishing that he hadn't made the suggestion. He knew he shouldn't have been surprised by his mother's views, after all that is why there was a statute of secrecy, but he still felt disappointed. Although why he wasn't sure; it wasn't like he was going to try and get his mother to accept his and Grangers relationship as something serious, was he?

"It was a nice idea darling." Said Narcissa, effectively ending the conversation. "How about I make something special instead?"

"Thank you, mother." He replied, turning to walk up the stairs, resigning himself to being stuck in the house making stilted conversation and eating a meal that would not compare to the muggle food he had eaten earlier that night.

Once in his room, Draco sank down to the bed and emptied his pockets onto the bedside cabinets, placing his wand carefully beside his wallet of muggle money and various crumpled receipts. He had finally gotten used to his new wand; Beech, 11 ¾ inches, springy with a Phoenix feather core.

He had never gotten his old Hawthorn and Unicorn Hair wand back after the battle for Hogwarts, so had to get a new one once Ollivander's re-opened. It hadn't been the nicest of experiences going to Diagon Alley to the shop of someone his family had imprisoned and tortured. It was a relief when he found that Ollivander no longer served customers but had his apprentice, Jacob Fawcett, whom he vaguely remembered being a few years above him at Hogwarts, as front of house instead.

Fawcett knew who Draco was of course, and viewed him with disgust, but still did his job of matching him with a wand. It had taken ages to find one suitable; Draco started to wonder if the wands somehow knew that he was morally corrupt and didn't want to be used by him, but finally they had come to the Beech and Phoenix one he now owned.

It hadn't felt like his previous one had, making it feel like the magic sparked in his veins, but instead there had been a spreading awareness, an affinity of sorts with this wand, far more subtle than with the other one.

Fawcett, whose demeanour had warmed slightly during the consultation, seemed rather bemused by this pairing, telling Draco "maybe you aren't completely…" before trailing off and going to the till to take payment.

Slightly perplexed, Draco had paid the 9 Galleons he was charged with a wince; they really couldn't afford to spend this much but he couldn't share a wand with his mother forever, particularly if he was going to go back to school.

He had struggled with the wand at first, finding that even the simplest of spells were less potent and required more concentration than before, but with regular practice he found that this wand was more powerful than his first had been, almost like he had to earn it's loyalty before it would perform to its full capacity.

He got undressed, unceremoniously chucking his clothes on the floor before flopping back on top of the covers. He thought of Granger, wondering if she was thinking of him and anticipating their return to school. It was going to be hard to spend time alone with her, and her friends were no doubt going to try and persuade her to stop seeing him. He leant over and grabbed his potions book from the desk; no doubt sleep would be elusive again tonight.

Draco got up late next morning after a night spent tossing and turning, and was still half asleep at the breakfast table when his mother came down. He accepted the tea his mother offered, and was surprised when she sat down with him instead of making herself something to eat.

"You were right yesterday," she began resolutely, like she had been thinking carefully about what to say. "We do live in muggle London, and I do need to go out more. Particularly if you and this girl are serious… Anyway, I would like to go out for lunch today."

This was unexpected. Draco felt a surge of affection towards his mother; she really was trying to keep their relationship harmonious.

"Thank you mother," he said warmly. "We will have a nice time." He gave her an encouraging smile. Maybe she could come to accept Granger in the future? For the first time Draco felt hopeful that maybe he could be serious about Hermione; it was a scary thing to admit, even to himself.

A few hours later, they set off down to the café for lunch, Narcissa clutching at Draco's arm the only outward sign of her unease at going to a muggle venue.

Draco found them a table, and then ordered Afternoon Tea for them both from the young waitress who appeared with menus. Narcissa was looking around like she was expecting a mob of murderous muggles to leap out from under the tables and accost her.

"See mother," said Draco in an undertone. "Its fine isn't it?"

"Yes," she conceded. "It's actually quite pleasant."

The waitress returned with a pot of tea and a tray of little finger sandwiches, arranging them carefully on the table. Draco smiled and thanked her, earning him a flirtatious smile in return. It had not gone unnoticed by his mother, who pursed her lips in disapproval. No doubt it was a sign of muggles' loose morals and corruption, Draco mused, fighting the impulse to roll his eyes.

Narcissa thawed slightly as they began to eat, and by the time the stand with scones and five different varieties of cake arrived she was talking about something that Teddy had done that had reminded her of him as a baby, smiling fondly. She seemed to relish the scone ritual too once she had seen Draco prepare his, and he was pleased she had relented and agreed to come out.

Once they had eaten all they could, Draco took out his muggle money to pay, ignoring Narcissa's look of shock at how much he had until they were outside.

"Where did you get that money?" she hissed, as soon as they were out of earshot of the café.

"Calm down mother, I made it." He said, wondering how she would respond.

"Made it how? What could you have done to earn that much?" she was obviously imagining nefarious schemes by the look of horror on her face.

"Not earnt it, made it." At her disapproving look he continued; "I just replicated the money I had. The muggles really can't tell the difference. After all, it's not like real money, its only paper!"

"But Draco, it represents real money." His mother now looked worried. "We cannot afford any trouble; this could look bad to the ministry…"

"Why would the ministry notice or even care? The muggles aren't aware and it only amounts to a couple of Galleons here and there, nothing that would be considered extravagant. Mother, you must admit, this could solve a lot of problems."

His mother looked hopeful and frightened all at once. "I don't know Draco… I suppose if I shopped in muggle shops occasionally then it would make things a little easier."

Draco smiled, knowing that she was as unused to being poor as he was and probably hated it just as much. The rest of the day passed pleasantly; Narcissa seemed to be in a good mood and they talked of school and the upcoming exams, skirting around the subject she was really interested in, much to Draco's relief.

Draco slept a lot better that night, and was up early in anticipation of going to Granger's to study. He was expected any time from 9am, so was stuffing books into his bag when his mother came down for breakfast wearing her green velvet dressing gown.

"Will you be home for dinner?" she asked him, boiling the kettle with a flick of her wand and tossing a teabag into a cup.

"I'm not sure." He replied, rather hoping that Mrs Granger would invite him to stay again; her cooking far surpassed his mothers. "Don't worry about making anything for me, I can always make something when I get home if need be."

"I would really like to meet her." Narcissa said casually, busying herself stirring her tea and adding milk.

Draco was silent whilst he considered her request; she did seem more reasonable about muggles at the moment. And technically, Hermione was partly responsible for their freedom. Surely after the initial shock had worn off his mother would come to realise that Hermione was a perfectly acceptable choice?

"I will talk to her about it." He told her finally. If Granger was agreeable, then he would tell his mother and arrange a meeting.

"Good!" she replied brightly. "I know that you think I'm going to ruin everything for you somehow, but you have met her parents, so I don't see how this is any different."

'Apart from the fact you think her, and her family, are beneath us' Draco replied in his head. Out loud he said; "I'll ask her. I'll see you later, I don't know what time." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, gathered up his stuff and headed for the door.