Nott Manor
It was Saturday morning when an annoying sound made her open her eyes. The intense light filtering through the window dazzled her for a moment. She wondered where her curtains were. Looking around, she realized that she had fallen asleep in her living room. She got up from the couch, feeling a discomfort in her lower back from falling asleep in an uncomfortable place, and walked over to the window sill, where she found the cat wagging its tail from side to side, intently watching her owl on the other side with predatory eyes.
"Crocks, we've been over this, you can't eat Hermes," she lifted him in her arms to lower him to the ground, sighing as the cat turned and walked away offended. After allowing her owl to come in and give her an owl treat, she opened the letter she brought with her and read her friend's reply.
Theo and I will be happy to help you. We'll be with you at ten o'clock. I've already asked Theo to open his Red Flu so that you can get there safely. Love, Luna.
She was surprised that Theo accepted her into his home, as she had expected their meeting to be in a more public place. The fact that Luna mentioned that Theo would set up his network against the complaint to facilitate her arrival suggested that he was willing to help her with her project, which comforted her.
However, she felt somewhat uncomfortable. She had never visited Nott Manor before, nor had she interacted much with Theo since he started dating Luna. He remembered the time when his friend had announced to her group of friends, during a night out at the bar they used to frequent, that she was in a relationship with Theodore Nott. That had surprised them all and there was some mistrust about it, commenting that maybe she was under the effects of Amortentia. Luna assured them that there was no reason to worry and that she wouldn't force them to live with Theo if they didn't feel comfortable. She promised to be patient and hoped that, in time, they could all be friends. Although everyone was showing their skepticism, they knew that there was nothing that could burst Luna's dreamy bubble.
Hermione guessed that maybe Nott was no longer clinging to his purist beliefs, otherwise her friend wouldn't have noticed. Besides, she knew Luna wasn't shallow and wouldn't be easily fooled by a pretty face.
He looked at the clock resting on the shelf and exclaimed, "Shit!". He had slept longer than necessary and only had a few minutes left to get ready and go to the meeting. There was no time for breakfast, so he hurried to the bathroom, undressed and cleaned up as quickly as he could.
At times like this, he wished he had a time-turner again. She had always been a punctual person and hated being late, so she couldn't afford to make such a mistake. She dressed in comfortable jeans and her favorite sweater made by Mrs. Weasley. There was no time to fix her hair, so she let it fall freely. She stowed her wand in her bag and headed for the fireplace with a handful of powder, reciting the Nott Manor address before disappearing in green flames.
When he came out the other end, he found himself in the lobby of Nott Manor. The place was impressive, with high ceilings and elegant decor. He had thought Nott Manor would be a gloomy and intimidating place, remembering what Malfoy Manor was like and his horrible experience, yet he was surprised that this place exuded a sense of peace and serenity.
The tranquility was short-lived when a house elf materialized in front of her, looking at her with wide eyes.
"Dinkye welcomes you, Miss Hermione, to the noble House Nott," the little elf spoke with a beaming smile. Another pleasant surprise was to discover that Dinkye was wearing a pretty blue dress adorned with ruffles and matching shoes. It was evident that she was now free.
"Hello, Dinkye. It's nice to meet you. You look lovely in that outfit," Hermione expressed, noticing the excitement in the elf's eyes.
"The pleasure and honor are entirely mine, Miss Hermione. Allow me to lead you to the main hall, where young Nott and Miss Luna are waiting for you," Dinkye replied humbly.
She followed Dinkye and as they proceeded, Hermione couldn't help but marvel at the beauty and majesty of the mansion. The walls were adorned with ancient paintings, masterpieces that seemed to whisper stories of ages past and detailed tapestries that told the story of the Nott family through the generations. The high ceilings were ornamented with delicate moldings and reliefs, adding a touch of grandeur to the ambiance. Soft light from crystal chandeliers cast glints on the intricate details of the furniture.
Finally, they reached the main hall, where Theo and Luna were waiting for them. Upon entering, Hermione was overwhelmed by the elegance of the place. The sophisticated velvet armchairs and carved wooden tables added to the ambiance.
Finally, they reached the main hall, where Theo and Luna were waiting for them. Upon entering, Hermione was overwhelmed by the elegance of the place. The sophisticated velvet armchairs and carved wooden tables added to the ambiance.
"Hermione," Luna's melodious voice greeted her, walking barefoot as if floating towards her, reaching out to embrace her. "It fills me with joy to receive your letter. I knew it was only a matter of time before you were encouraged to meet Theo."
A weight of guilt fell on Hermione's stomach. She hadn't mentioned in the letter that her intention was to socialize, but she forced a smile at Luna.
"Luna dear, I don't think that's the reason for my visit," said the figure standing a safe distance behind Luna. When Luna released her from the embrace, Theo approached Hermione with an outstretched hand. "Granger, welcome."
Hermione reciprocated the greeting. "Thank you for seeing me on such short notice."
"Don't worry, please have a seat. There is something I can offer you," Theo replied.
Hermione was about to politely decline, but her stomach growled at the thought of food and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
"Oh, Hermione, are you hungry?" asked Luna with concern.
"Don't worry, Luna. I just came home really exhausted and overslept more than usual. I didn't have time for breakfast," Hermione explained.
"That can be arranged," Theo interjected. "Dinkye, dear, would you be so kind as to bring our guest something to eat?"
"Yes, sir, what would the young lady like to eat?" asked Dinkye.
"Really, I don't want to cause any inconvenience," Hermione replied, feeling uncomfortable in her seat.
"It's no bother, Granger. Besides, Dinkye makes a delicious apple pie and it would make her very happy if you tried it," Theo said with a reassuring smile. The little elf blushed again as she looked at them anxiously, and Hermione felt unable to turn her down and hurt her feelings.
"Okay, I'll accept the cake," Hermione agreed with a smile. Dinkye disappeared and left the three of them alone, only to reappear with a tray in his hands and a slice of pie that made Hermione start salivating just at the exquisite smell it gave off. She chewed the first bite and marveled at the taste, she was not a fan of sweet things however this dessert was exquisite.
"Dinkye, this is delicious. It's the best thing I've ever tasted. I didn't think there was anything to beat Hogwarts food," Hermione exclaimed. The elf squealed with delight.
"Dinkye is happy you like it, miss. It's Mr. Malfoy's favorite dessert," he replied, puzzling Hermione. No one had mentioned Malfoy in a long time.
"Oh, I see," Hermione muttered, trying to process that information.
"Dinkye, you are dismissed and thank you for your services," Theo spoke. The elf disappeared with a smile, leaving them alone again. Hermione adopted a more professional posture and began to speak.
"Mr. Nott, as I'm sure you know, I came here because..."
"Theo," he replied, staring at her with his blue eyes. "Please, call me Theo. No need for formalities, and when you say 'Mr. Nott,' I feel you mean my father," he added with a certain tone of disdain in his voice at the mention of her father.
"It's okay, Theo. The reason I came here is because I need help with a cursed object that's causing me trouble getting it repaired," Hermione continued.
"That would explain why there are Nargles flying around you," Luna commented with a frown. Hermione decided to overlook that comment. That was Luna being Luna.
Hermione decided to go ahead and tell them more about her situation. She took a moment to organize her thoughts and then continued.
"You see, it's about a cursed emerald necklace. I've tried gathering information and using known spells to undo the dark magic, but so far they've all failed," Hermione explained in frustration.
Luna, with her characteristic curiosity, asked, "What kind of curse does the necklace have?"
Hermione inhaled deeply before replying. "It is a constant torture, it manifests itself through blue flames that burn the skin. These hellish flames not only cause excruciating physical pain. As the curse intensifies, the emerald necklace clings to the neck of the wearer, becoming impossible to remove. Each attempt to free oneself from the necklace only increases the intensity of the pain and the tenacity with which it clings."
Theo nodded seriously as he listened intently. "That is clearly very advanced dark magic. I understand why you came here. You want to know if the son of an infamous Death Eater has any knowledge of this."
"Well... yes," Hermione hesitated, feeling a little nervous. "But not specifically because of that. It's not that I associate you directly with him. I've read your record and I know you weren't involved in a lot of things."
"Relax, Granger," Theo interrupted with a mischievous smile that reassured her. "I was only joking. So, tell me how I can help you."
"I have found in the Ministry files that several jewels with similar properties were confiscated and removed immediately, so there is no record of spells to break their curses. And among those jewels was your name as the owner of one of them," Hermione revealed.
"Theo," she said softly, noticing how the smile on Theo's face disappeared and was replaced by sadness and seriousness. "Could you tell me about the ring?"
Theo kept his gaze fixed on the floor, and it did not go unnoticed how Luna placed her hand on his in support. At that moment, Hermione understood that she was touching on a sensitive subject and mentally chided herself for her lack of tact.
"It belonged to my mother. My father gave it to her during their engagement. That ring was what killed her," Theo said in a voice full of harshness.
"But she was his wife?" exclaimed Hermione in horror.
"My parents were married through an engagement agreement. There was no love in their marriage. My mother was the kindest witch I've ever known, while my father was bloody scum. Ever since I was a child, my father hated me. When I started to show my magic, he saw me as weak and an embarrassment to the Nott family name. He liked to take it out on me, hitting me and yelling at me. My mother would always defend me and he would end up torturing me. She in front of my very eyes," Theo continued, his voice . . charged with pain.
"He said my mother was overly protective of me and that it made me weak. He saw her as an obstacle in my way of becoming a dark wizard like him. And he didn't mind getting rid of her. He couldn't." He didn't kill her outright without being damned, so one night he threw a narcotic on her and enchanted her ring so she could never take it off. In the meantime, the curse took hold of her, completely draining her magical core. Over time, she began to weaken. and the pain eventually killed her," Theo revealed in anguish.
By the time he finished speaking, Theo was shaking. Luna called Dinkye and asked him to bring her a cup of tea to calm her boyfriend down. Hermione felt miserable after hearing the heartbreaking story.
"That kind of death was quite common in the most prestigious pureblood families" Luna spoke calmly.
"Theo, I'm so sorry for bringing it all back to you. If you don't want to continue, don't worry," Hermione said sympathetically.
"But I want to help, Granger," replied Theo with determination.
Hermione admired his predisposition and let him continue.
"Anyway, when my mother died, my father devoted every day to teaching me about dark magic. Although it was not my particular interest to curse objects, in my library you can find information about his incantations. I'm sure they can be useful to you. Luna will guide you and feel free to explore any books you wish. I have other important business that requires my attention and cannot accompany you." Theo explained.
"Don't worry. You were a great help, Theo," Hermione thanked with a smile. Luna got up from where she was sitting, gave Theo a soft kiss on the lips and then led Hermione down the halls again.
"He doesn't really like to reminisce about his past," Luna commented.
"I'm really sorry I made you remember, I really am. But I thank you for convincing him to help me, Luna. I want to apologize to you for not showing my support when you two started your relationship," Hermione expressed sincerely.
"Before, the mansion was horrible," Luna said as her blonde hair floated gracefully and her dreamy eyes gazed at the ceiling. "It was dark and full of negative energy. In fact, the first time I came here it was because it was infested with Nargles. I convinced Theo that I should remodel it. I couldn't live alone in such a dreary place."
"It's quite lovely, I must admit. I think people judge it by its history," Hermione commented smiling, and Luna smiled back.
The library stretched majestically before Hermione's eyes. The bookshelves reached up to the high ceiling, filled with old, dusty books that seemed to whisper lost stories. Sunlight filtered through the tall windows, creating a magical atmosphere in the vast space.
Hermione walked among the aisles, letting her fingers caress the spines of the books as she explored. There were shelves devoted to various subjects: potions, dark spells, advanced herbology, and many other occult knowledge. Each shelf was a treasure trove of wisdom and secrets waiting to be discovered.
Luna followed closely, her gaze dreamy and curious. A connoisseur of the library, she moved gracefully through the aisles, pointing out books of interest and sharing anecdotes about some of them. Hermione was overwhelmed by the vastness of knowledge spread out before her, but also excited by the opportunity to learn more about dark magic and find possible solutions to break the curses that plagued the confiscated jewels.
After a while, Hermione found a cozy corner with a couple of armchairs and a small table. Luna invited her to sit down and they began to peruse the books they had selected. Dinkye had brought them lunch. They flipped through pages filled with ancient writing, mysterious symbols and forbidden spells. Hermione was diligently taking notes, capturing every relevant detail in her notebook.
She wondered why the Ministry hadn't confiscated the more obscure texts, but was grateful to have access to them at the moment. After a couple of hours, she felt satisfied with all the notes she had made, and put her notebook away in her trusty bead bag. Both women left the library, and Luna returned to lead Hermione toward the Flu Room. Before they entered, they heard male voices talking. Hermione recognized Theo's voice, but the other sounded vaguely familiar.
When they entered the room, Hermione froze when she saw the person Theo was talking to: Draco Malfoy.