Hermione swallowed, choosing her words carefully. "I'm sure your wedding was beautiful, Mrs. Malfoy."

Narcissa stared out the window. "It was," she hummed. "It was at the Chateau de Chambord." Her lips quirked and her eyebrow lifted. "My family has traditions, as well."

A shocked breath pushed from her lungs as the words sunk in. The older woman sent a satisfied smirk towards the gazebo, and gestured for Hermione to continue on with her. As they descended the stairs, Hermione meditated on whether Lucius Malfoy had met his match. Perhaps Lucius didn't hold as much power as he liked to believe.

Narcissa led her out the front doors into the May morning. They turned right at the bottom of the steps, winding around the perimeter of the Manor while Narcissa showed her the flowers she'd brought over from Norway, the tree that had survived the battle on the Manor in 1643, the seam in the exterior wall where the expansion had begun.

They stumbled across an old hunched elf weeding the bluebells on the north side of the Manor, and Narcissa stopped. "Hix, dear. This is Miss Granger. She will be staying with us." Hix nodded a greeting. "Anything we can do to make her stay more comfortable, we will endeavor to do it."

Hermione's brows drew together, lips pursed. Perhaps Narcissa meant to lull her into complacency as she joked about wedding plans, crooned about shrubbery, and offered her tea in comfortable chairs. But there was an echo of "indefinite" in her words, and a shiver of "custody" in her tone. Reminding her of exactly where she was. Who she was.

They moved away from Hix and the bluebells and Hermione scowled at her feet. She need to focus. She needed to find a way for Narcissa to show her the perimeter. They arrived at the bank of the lake in a tight silence. And just as she opened her mouth to question Narcissa, she spoke.

"Europe is a catastrophe at the moment."

She looked up at the blonde woman, startled. Narcissa glanced around for eavesdroppers before continuing.

"I cannot free you, Miss Granger." Hermione's breath caught. "Even if I thought it would be safe for you on the run, I could not. If you were to... 'escape,' Draco would be punished for it."

Narcissa Malfoy pressed her lips together, looking out past the hedges, and Hermione felt a cold wind inside of her, settling around her ribs.

"So," Narcissa sighed, standing tall. "We will keep you under our care, and we will keep you comfortable. I am sorry for all that you've lost, but I cannot offer you more than the assurance that Malfoy Manor is the safest place for you."

It wasn't the first time she'd heard those words, and she understood them no better the second time.

Even if she were to believe that, why was she the one to be safe? Why was she special?

She took a deep breath, heart hammering in her ears. "How is that?"