Disclaimer: I don;t own the characters in here...well, except the one's I'm going to create...but...the rest...its J.K. Rowling's possessions...not mine...
A/N the italic words are P.O.V. of the character...this is my second story in just a mini series compare to my first which is interminable amity...this story just popped up on my mind yesterday...this is more on details...the place, the people, etc. while interminable amity is more on situations based on life itself...so...again...i hope you would enjoy this...i hope you would support this story and please...review!thanks!
Chapter 1: Bankrupt
Flashback...
Hermione ran downstairs eager to eat breakfast, for she was excited for this day to come. It was her 18th birthday and there will be a party tonight. She knew her parents and her friends had conjured a surprise party. But for her, it wasn't that surprising for they did it every year since she was born. She pulls her ponytail band from her wrist and ties her messy hair. She was now standing at a long corridor. It was line with dark wood paneling. On the walls were Italian Renaissance period paintings, from Michelangelo to Raphael. The floor is contrasted by the walls; it was white marble with a long red carpet leading to a two oak door.
She looked at the door. She slowly walks to it and heard muffling voices. She leaned in to it and decides to eavesdrop. "We can't tell her," said a soft spoken lady. "We have to. She has the right. She is our daughter, Barbara," said a low very manly voice. She knew right then and there that her parents were hiding something from her. It seems, hearing their voices, it was a very serious topic. She can't deal with this any longer so she turned the knob of the door and gently opens it.
She was looking on the floor when she entered their dining room. Facing the entrance door was the dinning table made from maple tree and in the color of dark mahogany. It was composed of fourteen white pearl satin covered chairs. Next to the dining table, were four large Victorian types of windows. It was covered with white thin cloth curtains. She knew her parents were surprised to see her that early in the morning. She looks up at them and her face became worried. "What's wrong?"
Her mother who was now at her thirtee's wore a shock in her face. While her father with dark messy hair with streaks of white beams at her presence in the room. She walked towards them and sat in front of her mother. "Hermione, dear…we have to tell you something," her father said. Hearing this, she picks a toast and some eggs and placed them on her plate. "Ok, go ahead. Spill it," she said, holding her toast and about to eat.
"First of all, Happy Birthday dear," he said, holding a black small velvet box with a white ribbon circulated on it. She opened her mouth, placed her toast again on her plate, dusts the bread crumbs from her hands and accepts it. She immediately opens it. Her mouth was still open when she saw the ring which she wanted when they were in Japan last month for her half part graduation gift. It was an oval 25-karat pink diamond ring. And, if she wasn't mistaking it was worth half a million dollars. She pulls it from the box and inserts it on her right middle finger. She raised her hands to get a better view of the ring on her finger. She closed her mouth and happily sighed, "Dad, this is perfect," she turned to her father ", I love it!"
He blushed and was also thankful for his one and only daughter liked it. She stands up and hugs him. "Thank you so much, Daddy." His eyes were now welling up with tears. "Oh, no problem. I would do everything for my daughter." She sat down again and seeing her father teary eyed was touched. "Ah, dad! Don't cry!" He wiped his tears with his napkin. "So, what is it you two," she said looking both at her parents ", want to tell me?" Her father hesitates for a moment and looks at her mother. Her mother looks from her father to her. She picks again her toast while her mother spoke. "Your father and I decided to sell the mansion…" Hermione who swallowed whole her toast midway to her mother's sentence, began to choke. "Agseghk…" Her father immediately jumps from his chair and starts to pat her back.
Hermione, who was still struggling to get some air, picks up her orange juice and gulps it down to her throat. She raised her hands to her father, signaling to stop. Her father for the last time pats her on the back and returns to his chair. She closed her eyes and bangs her hands to the table. Please, tell me…this isn't happening…please, can someone wake me up? For a minute or so, she keeps on feeding her mind that what she heard a moment ago was not true and she was just having a bad dream. She stops thinking and it came to her senses that she was still on the dining table with her parents.
She opened her eyes. Still looking at her plate containing bright yellow eggs on it said, "Tell me, you were just joking…" Her mother leans in to the table. "Sorry dear, but we're not. Attorney Johnson arrived last night and he said we're losing a lot of money…" She looks from her plate to the ring her father gave to her just a moment ago. Playing with it she sadly asked, "How did it happen?" Her father now leans also towards the table. "Dear, our tobacco and wine business aren't working. Attorney said, in a week's time we're going to be bankrupt. And the worst part of it is everything your mom and I built for twenty years would go to waste. Every assets that we own around the world would be gone if we don't pay our liabilities in a weeks time." he said, feeling sorry for his family's lost. "You didn't understand my question. How did it happen? What leads us to this stage of our business? What's the cause?"
"Dear, in this time of the world. Tobacco and wine isn't in consumer's interest anymore. They prefer technologies, etc. Tobaccos and wines are just required now for special occasions or celebrations only." he said, explaining everything he could so that his daughter could understand. "Is there any way we could manage to bring back again the business?" she said, a tiny hope in her voice. "Sorry, dear. The only solution here is to pay the liabilities."
"THEN PAY IT!' she angrily said. "WE CANT FOR WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY IT!" her father shot back. "HOW CAN YOU EXPLAIN THIS?" she said, pointing the finger on her right hand. "I BOUGHT THAT WHEN WE WE'RE IN JAPAN! ATTORNEY JUST CONFRONTED US ABOUT THE BUSINESS PROBLEM LAST THREE DAYS AGO! SO, DON'T TALK TO ME LIKE THAT YOUNG LADY!" he said, can't imagine the disrespect he was getting from his daughter. She lowers her head. "Sorry, dad. If I pawn this ring can we pay everything in the liabilities?"
"No, it wouldn't even pay one-eighth of it." he said. She became terrified. "WHAT?" He disappointedly nods. "Ok, now you're planning to sell the house. Will it pay all of it?" He shakes his head no. "So, this leads to one thing…we're going bankrupt. Where are we going to do? Where are we going to live?" she said, with worried look on her face. "We don't know, dear."
"Please, I'm begging you even if we'll no longer live in here…don't sell this mansion. Dad, please? I grew up in this place. I just can't let it go." Her father holds her face and said, "If we don't sell this, what are we going to do with this mansion? Dear, your point is useless. You have to let it go now. We no longer have any money." She sighed in defeat. "Ok."
End of Flashback...
Thinking about that day, she looked at the mansion where she grew up. It was the safest place she could ever think of before Hogwarts. After that conversation, the next day her father died in heart attack. The doctor said he can't endure the problems coming to the family. Thus, his heart failed. The next day was the burial. After the burial, the next day, she found her mother gone. In a weeks time, like her dad said, they're family became bankrupt. She was the only Granger left in America. All of her relatives lived in London and she felt lonely for the past few days. Depressed on what turned out to be her great life turns into a nightmare she can't forget. And now, where will she go? All of her so-called friends turn against her. Her relatives dropped her like a stone from the beginning when they found out she was a witch. Harry, she can't tell where he is right now. Ron and his family moved into Egypt after Bill was promoted in his job there. She was glad a bit for she was given by Attorney Johnson a ticket to fly in London. Maybe, there I could find my fate… "Ms. Granger, we have to go." her long time driver, Alex, said. She weakly beamed at him and walks towards the passenger seat of their black limousine. She sat and Alex closed the door beside her. Alex then jogs towards the driver's seat. As the limousine pull through the driveway, for the last time she looked behind her at the mansion. I'll come back someday…I promise…
A/N ok...for any suggestions, comments, questions, etc...just post it in a review...i would really appreciate it and would be open for anything!thanks!REVIEW PLEASE!