Once Upon A Wizard's Dream The characters all belong to J.K. Rowling and the plot is based on William Shakespeare's A Midsummer's Night Dream

Chapter One

Of Parental Warnings, Secrets, Love Potions and Plans

Hermione sat quietly on the flower covered sofa, facing her parents. She was picking at the sofa covers and staring at the floor. "Uh, honey..." Hermione's father cleared his throat. She raised her head quickly, smiling. "So what did you think of him?" she asked in an eager voice. Her mother leaned forward, frowning slightly. "Sweetheart, Ron Weasley is nice boy, but ...." She seemed to search for the right words. "He is .... No that's no right, let me put it this way. Ron's father is not very rich and Ron has no ability to become rich or successful in a pleasing manner -" Hermione let out an angered squeal and leapt off of the couch. Her father held up a hand and bade her to sit down once more. Hermione did so. "Look, Hermione, we only want what is best for you. Your mother and I just don't see how Ron will be able to meet your needs and make you happy in the years ahead. We do realize he is a very nice young man, but that can only get you so far in life." Her father leaned back, wrapping his arm around Hermione's mother. "We have found some one who we think will be able to meet our standards and yours." Hermione was no longer listening. She loved Ron very much and had hoped that he could have charmed her parents by bringing him home to meet them. However the weekend had gone horribly even though Ron had tried his best to be charming.
"---- Harry Potter." At the sound of her friend's name, Hermione jumped. "What? What does Harry have to do with this?" Her parents smiled. "Well, he is the one we want you to marry honey." Hermione shook her head. Yes Harry was her friend, but hearing his stories of his success got boring after a while and he had gotten somewhat pompous over the years. "Harry is my friend, but I could never marry him. I love Ron." Hermione slid from the couch and kneeled on the floor. Her mother leaned down and took up her hands. "Yes we know that sweetheart, but Harry is a wonderful, kind young man." "Not to mention he is very rich and is going to wonderful places. You would do well to marry him." At the last words, her mother's hands tightened, squeezing Hermione's hands painfully. "We would like to warn you. If you continue to see Ron in a romantic manner, things could get very bad, very bad indeed. Start thinking about Mr. Potter. He is the right choice to make in this matter." And with that, her mother let go of Hermione's hands and Hermione's father left the room.
Tears began to stream down Hermione's face. What had made her parents act this way? They had never objected to her seeing Ron and they had never brought up the subject before. And her parents had never said a word about Harry Potter or about money. Hermione wiped the tears from her face, she needed to talk to Ron.

"And that's your big plan?" Ginny leaned forward on her bed and looked up at Hermione. Several months had past since Hermione an her parents had talked and the school year had now begun. Hermione sighed and plopped down on her bed, the hangings swung and she batted at them with her foot. "Yeah, I know it's not much, but Ron and I .... We have to do this. We just can't let my parents do this to us." She flopped back against her pillow and brushed her hair back from her face. Ginny pulled her pillow out from behind her and laid it in front of her and then laid down on it. "So let me get this straight, one night in the near future, you and my brother are going to sneak away and get married? Is that legal? I mean, what are you parents going to do? Mine will be mad that they missed your wedding." Hermione sat up. "Look Ron and I are both in our seventh year, his eighteen and I'm close to it. It is legal, as long as we have a license, and a ceremony ((I have no idea about the marriage laws in Britain, so just pretend I do)). We figure, we'll have your parents come and witness for us and then have a party after wards when my parents can't do anything about it." Ginny huffed a sigh and propped her head up on her fist. "Are you sure about this? I mean, what about Harry?" Hermione groaned. "Harry is a great guy, for a friend, and I know that he claims to be in love with me, but I love Ron and Harry is..... Harry is just a friend." Ginny nodded. "Good, maybe once you and Ron are married, Harry will see me." Hermione smiled at the younger girl. "I'm sure he'll realize what a great girl you are Ginny and fall madly, deeply in love with you." The two laughed and then moved on to talk about Hermione and Ron's wedding plans. An hour passed and the other girl's sharing the dorm room came in and the four of them got read for bed. "Ginny?" Hermione whispered into the darkened room. "Yes?" Ginny answered. "Please don't tell anyone about Ron's and I's plan. I don't want anyone to know yet." Ginny sighed. "Sure Hermione, whatever you want." She waited until all the other girls were asleep before she slipped out of bed and fumbled around in the dark. Her hand grasped her school robes and she tugged them on over her pajamas. She made her way to the door and made her way out into the dimly lit hallway. She made her way down the stairs, across the common room, and up the stairs to the boys' dorms. She had to see him, to talk to him. "Are you sure about this?" Ginny nodded. "Yes, Harry, she told me everything." She looked up at Harry, watching the firelight play across his face. She had hoped telling him about Hermione and Ron's plan would make him indebted to her, but right now it didn't look like it was working. "Hmmm, I've got to stop them somehow. There must be something I can do." Harry paced across the room, running his fingers threw his hair. "Tell me, do you know when they plan to run away and get married?" He drew close to Ginny, his lips only inches away from her's. She gulped. How she would have loved to kiss those lips. "No not yet, they haven't decided on a date yet, but Hermione will tell me and I will tell you when I find out." Harry nodded and his lopsided grin flashed across his face. "Thank you Ginny, you're a good friend." He drew away and went to stand next to the window seat. She sighed and leaned back in the chair. She had wished that he would have done something, anything else. She had hoped to make him like her more by telling him Hermione and Ron's secret, but it only seemed to encourage Harry to go after Hermione more. "Go on Ginny, it's late, go to bed." Harry didn't even turn to look at her. Ginny smiled weakly. "Good night Harry." She got up slowly and headed up to her dorm, leaving Harry down in the Common Room. He had to do something, Hermione was his and he was not about to let Ron take her away from him. Harry turned and went back to his room and fell asleep, dreaming of the pretty Gryffindor girl. But Harry had not noticed someone was watching him and Ginny threw the window as they had chatted. Peeves drifted away from the window seal with a cackle and flew up to the highest window in the highest tower. He flew in to Dumbledore's room and began to dance around the room, singing at the top of his lungs.
"Two young lovers, running away

Betrayed by the ones closest to them

Magic, magic, enchant them all
While asleep they lay
With elderberry stem
And tail of a Snellder Snall
Make things right, or doom them all." "Now, now Peeves, stop that racket and come down here." Dumbledore motioned for Peeves to take a seat next to Minerva McGonagall. "Minerva my dear, more tea?" Dumbledore smiled at her over the tops of his glasses and poured her another cup full. "Albus, darling, Peeves is speaking the truth. Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley are planning to elope and get married. But I do not understand what Peeves means by 'Betrayed by the ones closest to them.' " Dumbledore shifted in his seat and took a sip of his tea. "Well Minerva, it appears that young Mr. Potter apparently is enamored with Miss. Granger and Miss Ginny Weasley, enamored with Mr. Potter. It's all a very entangled web." He sat back and took another sip from his tea. Minerva leaned forward, picked up a cookie and took a bite of it. After she had finished chewing, she asked a question. "So what your saying or really what Peeves is saying, Ginny and Harry are going to betray Hermione and Ronald." Dumbledore nodded and finished eating a cookie. "Yes, now Peeves, why don't you tell us what is going on?" Peeves had for the past few minutes been spinning around the room, eyeing the plate of cookies. He swooped in and grabbed a sugar cookie and then flew off to a corner where he demolished it in a few bites. "Peeves, tell us what all this is about?" Dumbledore set his cup down and turned to look at the small floating man. Peeves smiled and zoomed a little closer to the two Hogwarts teachers. "Mudb – Granger told little Weasley a secret and little Weasley told Potter." He began to cackle and repeated "Told Potter," over and over again. Minerva rose from her seat and grabbed Peeves' ear and shook him. "That's enough, now have a cookie and go sit in the corner." Peeves did as he was told, but grumbled and made rude gestures until Dumbledore glared at him. "Albus, there must be something we can do. Even I can see how much Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger love each other and it is sad to think about Mr. Potter spurning the youngest Weasley." Dumbledore took a moment to refill his cup, drop a sugar cube in and stir in a drop of milk. "Yes, we are going to do something." He paused to take a sip, smiled and nodded in satisfaction. "We're going to do exactly what Peeves said." Minerva leaned forward, a puzzled look on her face. "Well.... Albus, tell me, what are we going to do. What do you mean by that?" Albus stuck his nose over the plate of cookies and eyed them, finally taking one. He bit into in and closed his eyes, savoring the sweetness. Minerva cleared her throat impatiently and raddled her cup on it's saucer. Albus finally opened his eyes. "When elderberry stem and a Snellder Snall's tail and a few other ingredients are combined the potion that it makes is called True Love's First Look." Minerva gasped as she recognized the name. "You mean, the potion, were if it's rubbed on the eyelids of someone, the first thing they see, they fall instantaneously into love with them." Dumbledore nodded. "But their just children. We can't use it on them." Minerva leaned forward, headless of her tilting teacup, filled with tea. Dumbledore smiled. "The effects of the potion can be reversed. And Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley already have made plans to elope and get married. They sound like no children to me." Minerva realized what her teacup was doing, set it on the table and leaned back in her chair. "Well ...... If the first person they see is the one they fall in love with, then how will they see the right person? The girls aren't allowed in the boys' dorms and the boys aren't allowed in the girls'." Dumbledore smiled once more. "The potion could be changed slightly, so it is the first girl or boy they see, and we arrange something to send the proper girl out at the right time." Minerva seemed satisfied by this answer, picked up her teacup again, stirred it with her finger and then took a drink. "So who will apply the potion to Mr. Potter's eyes? It would look quite strange for one of us to be in a student's dorm." "Peeves." Dumbledore sat back and looked up at the little man who was singing nonsense to himself as he zoomed around the room, munching on cookies.

((This is my first fan fiction, so go easy on me, but please review. I am looking for a beta reader, if you wish to help me on my quest for one, my email is dragondemon12hotmail.com and my AIM is gryphonhawk12. Thanks for reading :) ))