Chapter 1
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot.
Hermione Granger was standing in front of a full-length mirror, observing her body. By the looks of it, her physique has improved a lot. Her hair was straighter and longer, and was flowing halfway through her back. She was wearing a long silver dress that fit perfectly to her contour. It fell all the way down her ankles. There was a ribbon on her waist that tied to her back. Her feet were wrapped in elegant silver shoes that sparkled under the light.
She sighed as she moved around to see how she looks like on all sides. She paused as she observed herself from head to toe. After doing a complete turn around, she smiled to herself. She has always been a perfectionist. But she never imagined that she would one day be watching herself grow into a full blown woman in front of the mirror. It was her first date tonight.
A voice trailed echoed from downstairs. "Hermione, honey, your date's here!"
"Be right down!" Hermione shouted. She walked across her room past her bed and into her closet. She opened one of the doors and reached for a small leather box. Hermione held it in her palm for a few seconds. She seemed to be looking through the box, deciding whether she would open it or not. But before she could stop herself, her other hand had reached for it and lifted the cover open.
It was a necklace. A beautifully crafted necklace. Its chain was adorned with tiny sparling gems, pieces of glistening crystals that looked like diamonds. But as she held the pendant, a few tears rolled down her cheeks. It was emerald. And it was protected by a silver strip of metal that was crossed around it.
"Thank you," Hermione muttered to herself.
She walked back to the mirror and held the necklace over her chest. She then unlocked the chain and wore it around her neck. It fit perfectly to her dress. It seemed like it was made exactly as its ornament. She smiled. And after one last look into the mirror, she gracefully walked out her bedroom door to meet the man waiting for her downstairs.
***
Hermione stopped at the landing above the flight of stairs. She looked down and saw a handsome young man smiling at her. She smiled back. His escort was wearing black satin robes that matched her dressed. For a moment she just wanted to stand there and observe him, look straight into his eyes and feel all that passion. She kept on wondering how one look into this man's eyes gives her all the comfort and security in the world. She knew it was going to be a perfect night. Then her man spoke.
"You look astounding."
She wanted to hold her breath until she gets down. So slowly she dragged her feet down the flight of stairs, careful not to trip into her dress. She was holding the hem of the skirt upward, poised like a princess ready to be presented in her first ball. Though her audience consisted of only three people, her escort and her parents, who looked like they won a lottery, proud of raising a daughter so beautiful, it meant everything in the world for her.
When she reached the final landing she turned her head to her parents, who were at either side of her escort, then back to him, then did her curtsy. "Thank you."
"What's all this about?" the man asked him.
"Just glad to be your princess," Hermione replied.
"Well, I am honored to be your prince," the man answered back.
They stayed like that for a moment, locked in each other's stares. Until Hermione's father spoke. "The car is waiting for you outside."
"Thank you, father." Hermione moved towards his father and gave him a light kiss on the cheek.
"Take care!" her mom spoke. She kissed her mom as well and gave her a hug. Hermione noticed her mom was sobbing.
"I'm not going to get married," she said, wiping her mother's tears.
"Everything's just happening so fast. Last time you were just refusing to get your braces and now... now you're going on a date dressed like Cinderella!" her mother said almost eating her words.
"Don't exaggerate, mother. And I'll be back. Don't wait for me, I have keys." She managed to smile as she took her escort's hand. They moved towards the door and turned around to say goodbye.
When they were inside the limousine, Hermione was the one who spoke first. "You know, you didn't have to go to all these trouble just to impress me. I'm really not cut out to this princess lifestyle."
"Then you shouldn't have worn that dress," the man replied, grinning.
They were silent again until the young man turned around, reached for her hand, then looked intently at the necklace she was wearing. "That's a beautiful necklace. It fits you."
Hermione smiled and spoke the very thought she had on her mind the moment she opened the box a while ago. "Yah, reminds me of your eyes."
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot.
Hermione Granger was standing in front of a full-length mirror, observing her body. By the looks of it, her physique has improved a lot. Her hair was straighter and longer, and was flowing halfway through her back. She was wearing a long silver dress that fit perfectly to her contour. It fell all the way down her ankles. There was a ribbon on her waist that tied to her back. Her feet were wrapped in elegant silver shoes that sparkled under the light.
She sighed as she moved around to see how she looks like on all sides. She paused as she observed herself from head to toe. After doing a complete turn around, she smiled to herself. She has always been a perfectionist. But she never imagined that she would one day be watching herself grow into a full blown woman in front of the mirror. It was her first date tonight.
A voice trailed echoed from downstairs. "Hermione, honey, your date's here!"
"Be right down!" Hermione shouted. She walked across her room past her bed and into her closet. She opened one of the doors and reached for a small leather box. Hermione held it in her palm for a few seconds. She seemed to be looking through the box, deciding whether she would open it or not. But before she could stop herself, her other hand had reached for it and lifted the cover open.
It was a necklace. A beautifully crafted necklace. Its chain was adorned with tiny sparling gems, pieces of glistening crystals that looked like diamonds. But as she held the pendant, a few tears rolled down her cheeks. It was emerald. And it was protected by a silver strip of metal that was crossed around it.
"Thank you," Hermione muttered to herself.
She walked back to the mirror and held the necklace over her chest. She then unlocked the chain and wore it around her neck. It fit perfectly to her dress. It seemed like it was made exactly as its ornament. She smiled. And after one last look into the mirror, she gracefully walked out her bedroom door to meet the man waiting for her downstairs.
***
Hermione stopped at the landing above the flight of stairs. She looked down and saw a handsome young man smiling at her. She smiled back. His escort was wearing black satin robes that matched her dressed. For a moment she just wanted to stand there and observe him, look straight into his eyes and feel all that passion. She kept on wondering how one look into this man's eyes gives her all the comfort and security in the world. She knew it was going to be a perfect night. Then her man spoke.
"You look astounding."
She wanted to hold her breath until she gets down. So slowly she dragged her feet down the flight of stairs, careful not to trip into her dress. She was holding the hem of the skirt upward, poised like a princess ready to be presented in her first ball. Though her audience consisted of only three people, her escort and her parents, who looked like they won a lottery, proud of raising a daughter so beautiful, it meant everything in the world for her.
When she reached the final landing she turned her head to her parents, who were at either side of her escort, then back to him, then did her curtsy. "Thank you."
"What's all this about?" the man asked him.
"Just glad to be your princess," Hermione replied.
"Well, I am honored to be your prince," the man answered back.
They stayed like that for a moment, locked in each other's stares. Until Hermione's father spoke. "The car is waiting for you outside."
"Thank you, father." Hermione moved towards his father and gave him a light kiss on the cheek.
"Take care!" her mom spoke. She kissed her mom as well and gave her a hug. Hermione noticed her mom was sobbing.
"I'm not going to get married," she said, wiping her mother's tears.
"Everything's just happening so fast. Last time you were just refusing to get your braces and now... now you're going on a date dressed like Cinderella!" her mother said almost eating her words.
"Don't exaggerate, mother. And I'll be back. Don't wait for me, I have keys." She managed to smile as she took her escort's hand. They moved towards the door and turned around to say goodbye.
When they were inside the limousine, Hermione was the one who spoke first. "You know, you didn't have to go to all these trouble just to impress me. I'm really not cut out to this princess lifestyle."
"Then you shouldn't have worn that dress," the man replied, grinning.
They were silent again until the young man turned around, reached for her hand, then looked intently at the necklace she was wearing. "That's a beautiful necklace. It fits you."
Hermione smiled and spoke the very thought she had on her mind the moment she opened the box a while ago. "Yah, reminds me of your eyes."