Welfare for Orphans of War

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chapter one : the meeting

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Hermione nervously sat at her oak desk as she waited for the response to come. She chewed her quill absentmindedly and tapped her foot with impatience. Of course, it hadn't been very long since she had sent the letter, so Hermione would have to wait for a short while longer.

Ten minutes passed of Hermione chewing her quill and tapping her foot before the grey owl with a wing span of several feet swooped in through the open window. The owl nipped at her fingers as she went to untie to response. The owl was a beautiful grey color, when the sunlight reflected off it's feathers there was hints of silver that shone bright. Hermione impatiently huffed before grabbing an owl treat and handing it over to the owl. It hooted in gratitude as Hermione untied the letter. Once she was done untying the letter, she inspected the packaging. The envelope was a cream color, and the wax seal have the engraving of the elegant Malfoy 'M'.

As soon as Hermione broke the golden seal on the envelope, the owl flew out the window. Hermione quickly gathered her wits before reading the brief letter. It read:

Ms. Granger,

I have come to the conclusion that I would love for you to help me in my charity. We shall have brunch at ten o'clock tomorrow. Meet me at La Rose Noire to discuss logistics. Please do not be late and dress accordingly.

Narcissa Malfoy

Hermione had to re-read the letter a couple more times because she just could not comprehend what the beautiful and loopy handwriting said. A smile broke out onto her face when she finally fully comprehend the letter. She was just accepted onto the board of Welfare for Orphans of War.

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Hermione awoke the next day at six o'clock in the morning. The window located by her bed showed what the sky currently looked like, and it wasn't all that exciting. The sky was just breaking dawn and the dark grey storm clouds covered up most of what should be a beautiful sunrise. The dreary sky made her anxious for what was to happen today. A meeting with Narcissa Malfoy was huge, but joining the board for the Welfare for Orphans of War was even more nerve-wracking.

Slipping out of the comfort of her large, warm plush bed, she became ultra-aware of the coldness of the wood floors beneath her feet. Hurriedly, she grabbed some of her favorite fuzzy socks from her dresser before going down to the kitchen to make herself breakfast. While she cooked up her eggs, she thought of the meeting that was in four hours. Wondering if Narcissa will like her; or if Narcissa actually accepts Hermione onto the board.

When Hermione sat down at her table, the only thawing she could do was stare down at her food. True, while they it did smell delicious, Hermione didn't know if she could stomach any food right now. So she grabbed a piece of plastic wrap, and put it over top of her food and shoved it into the refrigerator promising herself that she would eat it tomorrow.

As soon as she was done putting away what was her should be breakfast, she went to the bathroom to take a hot shower. Turning on the water, she turned until it was the right temperature. The steam from the hot water billowed out the shower as if it was fog from a fog machine. The bathroom mirror quickly fogged over until the only thing it reflected was fuzzy images. Undressing from her pajamas, she slid into the shower. Immediately she could feel most tension leave her as the water pounded onto her back. After standing there for a few moments enjoying herself, allowing the warmth of the water to wash away any knots in her back, she decided that it was time to wash her curly mop.

She throughly washed her curly mane, the feel of her fingers pressed against her head soothed the onset of a headache. Washing the strawberry smelling soap from her hair, she finished her routine then stepped out. The cold air that lingered in her house stung and nipped at her wet skin.

Shivering, she quickly pulled a thick towel from the closet and wrapped it around her body. The warmth flooded back into her as towel trapped the warmth against her. Leaving the bathroom, Hermione went and changed into a semi-formal dress for the brunch.

The dress was a Leslie Fay scuba dress. Peach in color and flowers accented Hermione's skin tone nicely. The round neckline showed no cleavage, and with it being sleeveless allowed for more movement. It hugged her curves, and accented her bottom and bosom nicely.

One Hermione was completely dressed in the dress, she grabbed a pair of nude heels, and a silver necklace to complete her look. Hermione did her makeup simply with a touch of mascara and some light pink lipstick.

After many years of unmanageable hair and being young, as Hermione matured, so did her hair. The once unruly hair, was now pulled back into French twist. A few golden brown strands of hair hung out and shaped her face. Smiling at herself in the mirror, she walked back into the bathroom to brush and floss her white teeth.

Giving herself a once over after brushing her teeth, Hermione took a look at her clock that read: a quarter until ten. Going over to her coat rack, she grabbed her long coat and her purse before grabbing a handful of floo powder. Hermione stepped into the fire, and clearly spoke 'La Rose Noire.'

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La Rose Noire was a very posh restaurant Hermione stepped out into. The high vaulted ceilings and the crystal chandeliers hung overhead. The walls were a light cream color and the trim was a pale pink color. Rose gold was splashed throughout the decor. There was black chairs which seemed to accent it even better than if it were white.

Hermione looked around in awe at the beauty of the restaurant. Sure, she's been in some nice places, but this was the most beautiful place Hermione was even been to.

Stepping out of the elaborate fire place, Hermione cast a quick scourgify on herself before going over to see the host. She smiled kindly at the man who just gave her a hard look, as if questioning if she should even been in the establishment.

"I have a meeting with Narcissa Malfoy." Hermione finally said after receiving no form of acknowledgement from the man.

"Oui, je pense madame Malfoy est la." The man's thick accent made it hard to understand what he was saying, but after taking four years of French, Hermione could easily understand what he was saying.

"Merci. Que-est ce où Madame Malfoy est?" The man nodded and motioned for Hermione to follow him. She followed behind him deftly. The scenery of the restaurant was enough to amaze her.

Narcissa sat in the back of the restaurant, in a private room. With her sat a couple more people Hermione did not recognize, but soon hoped she would be working with them in the near future. Hermione smiled at everyone seated around the round table. A tray of small sandwiches and desserts sat in the middle of the table. Hot water was in the teapot next to tray, and an assortment of teabags were put into a bowl. A bowl of cream and a bowl of sugar cubes sat side by side near the teapot, as well.

By the time Hermione went to thank the waiter, he had already left the spacious back room. Shaking her head, Hermione turned back to the table of people, smiling at all of them. Narcissa stood up to greet Hermione when she came over to the table.

"Hello, Hermione." Narcissa firmly grasped Hermione's hand in a handshake before presenting the young woman to the people around them. "I would like for you all to meet Miss Hermione Granger who will be joining our board." Everyone around them gave large smiles and congratulations to the young woman.

"It's nice to meet you all," Hermione finally stuttered out after taking a few seconds of modest praise.

"Please, Dear, it is all our pleasure. A heroine of war wants to join our organization. I am thrilled!" A thin woman from the other side of the table said. Her shrill voice causing Hermione to feel the onset of a headache. Instead of grimacing, Hermione just smiled through the pain.

"Hermione, please take a seat and we will begin business." Narcissa ushered Hermione to an empty seat right next to the Malfoy. Once Hermione sat down into the straight back, black chair, everyone else sat down too. "Now, let's get down to business."

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Hello dear readers! This is a new story i have been working on for a while now so i hope you enjoy it. Currently this is the only chapter I have written but I am going to be publishing the chapters every friday, so if you want to stay tuned in i recommend you subscribe and comment!