A/N: Hi everybody :) This is my first Harry Potter fanfiction and although I've already written stories before and read quite a lot of HP stories before I wrote this it was kind of difficult for me to handle the new characters and everything. I hope this chapter turned out fine anyway. Have fun reading :)

Liaison Dangereux

Chapter 1

„Hermione, where are you? The guests are waiting for you!" A strict looking woman in her thirties was standing in the door way to the garden, her hair tied up in a tight bun and scanned the area with sharp eyes. After some more shouting and waiting, she gave up and sighed. Adjusting her glasses, she half turned around, ready to go back into the mansion. "Just don't let the guests wait too long. Your father would be very displeased."

As soon as the woman had disappeared, the head of a teenager popped out from between some branches of the old linden she was sitting on, a scowl adorned to her face. Her name was Hermione and the reason behind her hiding in the garden was simple. She hated to talk to 'her' guests.

Why, you ask? Because in Hermione's opinion, they were all uneducated, spoiled brats, who were only after her father's money and his respect. Yes, her father was a very rich and influential personality in this country. And she was his only child, age seventeen. Her mother died, when she was still very young. The only thing Hermione knew about her mother, was that she was a very intelligent woman. That, and she had nearly looked the same as herself.

Often people would tell her that she was as beautiful as her mother, a mirror image almost. Hermione didn't like it, when they said stuff like this. She had never got to know her mother, only knew her from pictures and stories. When she was told stuff like this, she always felt like foreigners knew more about her mother than her and this really bothered her to no end.

It was true though, she had the same facial features as her mother, as well as her brown hair, which had a tendency to be a little bushy and hard to tame. She looked like a younger clone from her mother. She even had the same curves as her! Except her eyes, which were a dark brown, like her father's.

Speaking of her father. Minerva was right, he would be very angry, if she didn't show up any time soon. Minerva was her chaperone, since her birth. Although she was very pretty, she hid it behind this grim expression of hers and the strict air, which always seemed to surround her, like the odour of a perfume.

Although neither Hermione nor Minerva really showed it, both cared for each other. Minerva was somehow the mother, which Hermione never had, whereas Hermione was like a daughter to her. Also, Minerva was one of the very few people that the teenager really trusted and confided in.

Sighing frustrated, Hermione hang onto a thick branch and slowly started to climb down the thick, chappy trunk. The last two meters she just jumped and landed safely on her feet. She quickly rearranged her tousled hair to its normal state and brushed the dust and leaves away from her dress, which looked like she had slept in it and was torn on a few places.

Hermione shrugged it off and headed for the room, where the guests usually drank their teas, while they talked about everything that came to their mind – which wasn't much. Not caring to get dressed properly, she opened the old wooden door and stepped in.

Glancing quickly around, her mood sank even further than it already had. Today's guests were some of her so called 'friends'. There on the sofa sat Parvati and Padma Patil, the twins from an influential salesman, both clothed in pink, which seemed to give Hermione a headache just from looking at it. The two girl were currently chatting with Pansy Parkinson, an unfriendly and begrudging person, who just came over so that her face would be seen in this mansion.

Standing at the window, each of them a glass of champagne in their manicured hands, were Fred and George, who were cheeky womanizers and laughed about something, supposedly one of their dirty jokes. Next to them was a blushing Ron, who was taller than both of his brothers, even though he was a few years younger. They all belonged to the same family, the Weasleys, an old and respectable family, with a long history. There were even more siblings, but Hermione didn't know them by name and she wasn't interested in any of them anyway.

Hermione was just about to give up and just endure what destiny, or rather her father, wanted her to, when a firm hand gripped her lightly on her shoulder to get her attention. Irritated, she turned around to face this intrusive person, but her face immediately lightened up, when she recognized who it was.

"Hi, Hermione. Sorry I'm late. But Luna took forever to choose her earrings." Standing in front of her was Harry Potter, one of the few people Hermione was glad to invite over, his raven black hair tousled as ever and an apologetic grin on his face.

She smiled reassuringly and slightly shook her head. "It's okay, I've just arrived myself, don't worry about it. Where's Luna?"

Harry furrowed his brow. "Actually I don't know. One moment she was behind me and talking about this imaginary animals of hers, the next she was gone. We were already late, hence at least I wanted to say 'hello'."

"Let's go and search for her." Hermione had a good idea where Luna would be. This mansion had a wonderful garden, with the most beautiful and exotic flowers. Just the right place for the somewhat excentric Luna. Indeed the girl often did or said strange things, which didn't make much sense to anybody, but for this Hermione liked her.

Just when they were about to exit, Fred pushed Ron between the shoulder blades and he stumbled forward, coming to stop right in front of Hermione, where he nervously fidgeted with his long fingers.

Hermione eyed him suspiciously, a little taken back by the boy's strange behaviour. His cheeks where flushed again and for an odd reason he seemed to be very interested in the carpeted floor.

After waiting for a few seconds, Hermione rolled her eyes and turned to leave, making an extra memo to herself to keep an eye on this Ron. Suddenly he broke the silence and shouted more than he said. "I – I really like your dress, Hermione!"

Hermione nearly stumbled over her own feet and Harry had to bite back his laughter. Before Hermione could react to Ron's compliment, the boy was already gone and hid behind his twin brothers.

Harry burst out in laughter, as they walked out into the garden. "I knew, this guy has a thing for you!"

"Honestly, I think this guy has a problem,"muttered Hermione more to herself than to Harry, as she looked down on her dirty, torn dress. Then she spotted Luna and Ron was forgotten. "Luna, here you are!"

Said girl lazily looked up from the blooming rose she had caressed in her slender hand and a smile spread on her face, when she recognized Hermione. Happily she skipped towards her and embraced her in a loopy hug, which left Hermione breathless. "It's good to see you again, Hermione."

Hermione laughed and shoved Luna away from her. "Silly, we've just seen each other the day before, remember?" Luna just smiled more and her hooded eyes took in Hermione's facial expression.

"I can tell from the look on your face that you're having unwelcome guests again." Hermione nodded and she sighed. "Padma, Parvati and Pansy. To top it off these strange Weasleys. Doesn't matter though, cause now you're here."

Harry and Luna were her best friends and they've known each other since child hood. Their parents weren't rich like her, but still quite well-off. Hermione was a very bookish person, who preferred to keep herself to herself rather than fake sympathy like other persons, such as Pansy. But Harry and Luna were special. Hermione herself wasn't sure, why she let these two be so close to herself, but it just happened and actually she was very glad to know them.

"It's your birthday soon, right? Do you know what your father has planned for you?" Asked Harry, while glancing towards the mansion. Hermione sighed. It was kind of a tradition that her father would always try to make something really impressing for his daughter. The problem was that it was only impressing for him and for her…well you can guess.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I really don't know, he hadn't told me yet. But I hope it's not something like a masquerade ball, like the year before. It was horrible, honestly."

Luna just chuckled, then pointed to something behind Hermione and Harry. "Well, then just ask now." Hermione turned around, a little confused as to what Luna was meaning.

"Oh." Hermione tried to fake a smile, but she feared that it looked more like a grimace. She supposed that her father was going to scold her, because she let the poor guests alone. She really didn't want to deal with this now. "Yes, father?"

"Hermione, dear I've been searching for you. Hi, Harry, Luna." He nodded his head slightly to the siblings, then threw his light brown, slightly curly hair back in a swift motion. Hermione just rolled her eyes at her father's vain behaviour. May I introduce to you the charming, successful, most handsome man in the world? Gilderoy Lockhart, nice to meet you.

He threw a charming smile at all of them, which just looked silly in Hermione's opinion, then turned again to speak to his daughter. "It's about your birthday present. You know, at first I've wanted to organize another masquerade ball, because you've enjoyed yourself sooo good the last time. Pansy told me everything, how you laughed and all."

'Haha, I bet she did.' Hermione frowned inwardly, while trying to force an interested expression on her face. Seemed to work though, as her father just continued with his little speech.

"Well, since I'm your father, I want you to experience new things. Besides it would be boring to do the same thing in a row, right?" Hermione nodded, like the good daughter her father expected. 'You mean it would look weird to our guests, if you'd repeat yourself.' But although she already feared another embarrassing birthday party, a part of her was actually curious about what her father had in store for her.

Gilderoy flashed another dazzling smile, before exclaiming proudly. "Daughter, your father has organized a trip to China for you and you can take whoever you want with you."

Hermione's jaw literally dropped to the floor. He couldn't be serious!

First chapter :) Tell me what you think about this story. It's really AU, no magic and all, but I'll mainly use characters from the original HP books.

Oh, and what do you think of Gilderoy as Hermione's father? Actually I wanted her parents to be her real parents, as in the book, but since I didn't know their names..and I think it's really funny. Just imagine, Gilderoy as your father xD