One: War Gossip
My mother Jane always said that I had three decent things going for me in this life: brains, poise, and a good family name. She never mentioned my looks, even though ever since I was young, my hair has always needed sleekeazy solution to tame my dyed brunette curls into gentle waves. My teeth needed drastic orthodontic spells in order to tame my buck teeth, and a strict diet, and exercise routine to tame my figure into its perfect 20 inch waist that tells the world that I am a lady first and foremost.
I was entertaining my latest beau, Draco Malfoy, and trying my best not to tan in the late afternoon sun, because I tend to tan easily, and freckles dot my cheeks slightly. My half brother Blaise was off in the village doing...whatever witch that he had his eyes on this week. I am coming up in my spinster years, 22 and my parents still have not married me off yet, although why, I have no clue. Blaise is not married either, although wizards get more of a choice in who takes them off the marriage market, but that's the sexist society we live in, I suppose.
"....Of course, when the Dark Lord picked me out to take out old man Dumbledore, I just had to accept, y'know, for the war cause, I mean," Draco rambled on.
"War, war, war," I yawned. "That is
all
the young wizards talk about at the balls lately! I get so bored I could scream. Besides, I don't think there is going to be another war. Didn't Dumbledore defeat the last so called Dark Lord, and stole his wand from him?"
Draco rolled his silvery gray eyes, "Well...yeah. But come on, Hermione, even Blaise supports enlisting into the new Dark Lord's ranks, and he's your brother."
"
Half
brother," I reminded him. "Remember? Both mum and I are as white as milk, and he's just as tan as my step father. You know I'm a Lovegood by birth, but mum insists that I dye my hair brown to keep up the appearances of looking less Lovegood-like and more Zabini."
Draco chuckled, "Yeah, well, you're cute as both a blonde and brunette, girl, and you know it. But let's talk about the ball at Twelve Oaks tomorrow, and barbeque before that."
At the mention of the word barbeque, my interest suddenly piqued. "Ooo! I cannot wait to see what renovations the Potters put into the house this time! Do you know if Harry is going to be there?"
Draco sighed, "Gods, Hermione, must you always ask after Potter? Everyone knows that aside from politeness, he hasn't shown you one iota of interest in you?"
I put my hands on my hips, and gathered my skirts and stood up. "Fine! Then, I'm going back in the house where I will no doubt be less bored by all this talk of imminent war."
Draco spun me around and he was about to say something when Blaise rode up on his horse. I greeted my half brother happily, "Hey, Blaise. Draco was just telling me about the barbeque at Twelve Oaks tomorrow. Is it really true about...you know, Harry?"
Blaise nodded, "I'm afraid it is, sis. I--"
"I don't believe it!" I shouted, and took off towards the stables. I wasn't thinking clearly. No, no, no! It just wasn't possible, Harry loved me! He all but said it so many times during our dances together, and he was mine, I just knew it.
I saw my step father riding into the stables on Blackmoor, his prized stallion. I never understood why papa had to name his horse a somewhat racist name, but when I asked about it, papa laughed and explained that he had to give tribute to where his horse was from, rather than name him some silly name like Shadow, or Coal. Papa gracefully jumped Blackmoor on the last fence, and he pulled up to me, and dismounted.
"Well, hello there, Min. Come to greet your old man?" He greeted. "Or, are you here to tell on your mama that I was jumping again like your sister Suellen did a week ago?"
I rolled my eyes, helping him take the reins so he could walk Blackmoor back to the stable. "You know I'm no tattletale like her, papa. But it
does
seem to me that after nearly breaking your neck last Christmas jumping that same high fence, I'm concerned for you is all."
Papa escorted his horse into his paddock, and closed the gate. "I won't have my own daughter tell me what I can and cannot jump. It's my own neck, so it is."
"Fine, you jump what you please," I reasoned. "But may we walk further, papa? I'm...disturbed about something Draco said during his call to me this afternoon after tea."
My stepfather rose an eyebrow. "Oh? Has the Malfoy boy been trifling with you, or your sisters? If so, I will have a stern talking to Lucius about it myself."
"Oh. No, papa! Draco is the epitome of gentlemanly wizard behavior. It's just...I heard a terrible rumor from him that Harry Potter will be marrying Ginny Weasely," I confessed all in a rush.
Papa relaxed. "It is no rumor, pumpkin. I just returned from Twelve Oaks myself, and yes, despite such horrid prospects, James Potter wishes to honor tradition and wed his son to the Weasely girl."
I began to tear up, my heart absolutely crushed! "It...It can't be true! He can't! Harry all but said that he loves me, and no other."
But my stepfather would not be moved. "Has the Potter boy said as much? Has he asked you to marry him flat out?"
"N-No."
"Then why would you think that he loves you as more than a friend?" He asked.
"I don't know, papa," I admitted. "We've just always been close, we've been able to tell each other anything, especially about my biological dad being locked away in St. Mungos, and his mum for being in a...well...low profession for a witch of her social rank."
My stepfather understood, and he hugged me tight before releasing me. "Hermione, I look on you as my own daughter, blood don't change that, girl. But it seems to me that you read into your friendship with the Potter boy as delving into the suitor status, rather than him seeing you as a surrogate sister. But, if Harry wanted to marry you, it would be with misgivings, but I would say yes. I want you and your sisters to be happy, and wed for love if that's possible. Can you honestly say that you would be happy with Harry?"
"I would!" I said stubbornly.
He wiped away my tears with his brown callused thumbs. "Well, perhaps at this barbeque tomorrow you will meet someone more eligible. Chin up, girl, and don't worry, things will look up in the end, you'll see. Now come on, let's go up to the house before the servants set out a search party for us."
We shared a laugh over that, but I kept my thoughts to myself. Perhaps Harry didn't know that I loved him? But, if I told him at the barbeque that I loved him, then he could call the whole thing off, and not tie himself to those hillbilly purebloods after all! I just had to wear the right dress for the occasion, and nothing was going to stand in the way of my goal to be with the wizard of my dreams at long last. After all, tomorrow is another day...
