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Her mother was sobbing earnestly into her hanky again.

"Dear child," she warbled. "Your head is forever stuck in those books. You hold them in higher regard than your own sibling!"

"I do not," Hermione denied, hoping to hide the latest hardback in the ruffles of her skirt before her mother noticed. Too late. Hermione resigned herself for a fresh bout of lecturing and sobbing and she wasn't disappointed in the slightest.

"Dear God!" Her mother wailed, throwing her arms up to the heavens. "Why have you graced me with this child? You could have at least made her gender match her radical ideals!"

"Now, now" Earl Granger interruped gravely. "Hermione is lovely child any parent would be proud to bear." He cleared his throat. "We just need to cut back on her reading is all."

"Not you too, father!" Hermione cried, standing so abruptly the book concealed within her dress fell outlandishly to the ground. Lady Granger visibly jerked in her seat when the thud echoed around the entire library and Hermione fought to roll her eyes. They were in the library for goodness gracious sake- did reading within the four walls sound like such a ridiculous concept? Truly?

"You sit back down, young lady," her mother hissed and growled in outrage when Hermione defied her.

"I shall not! I will not! You refuse to buy any more reading material, isn't that punishment enough?" A punishment too grave, in Hermione's opinion. The library the Earl owned was extensive but too small for a burgeoning mind. After reading every scrap it had to offer, Hermione had to resort to re-reading texts and disagreeing with the majority of it. Most of it spouted Anti-civillian law, written by archaic and close-minded individuals.

But it was interesting to see how deluded they were.

Her brother Henley, who was sure to be darkening their doorsteps soon, was a closed minded individual himself. He doted on Hermione though, but wasn't opposed to giving her a quick backhand if she dared step outside the box. Henley was currently away at Military Service, but was visiting the Grangers for the summer before he was whisked away again to Alaska.

Hermione was looking forward to his arrival. So much so, she forgot to continue her argument when the library door swung open, and Henley stood there in his uniform. Earl Granger immediately half-rose from his seat, her mother gave a half-excited whimper but they were far outclassed by Hermione, when she threw herself across the room into her brother's arms.

"Henley!" She squealed. "At last your home!" And proceeded to rain kisses down on her brother's tired face.

"Alright Hermione," Her father sighed, sitting back in the chair. "Let your old parents say our greetings too. Be sure to run along and tell Mary to start evening's dinner. Henley's back home now."

Beaming, Hermione nodded and left her dear brother to it. There was a slight spring to her step as she walked down the corridor and past a suit of armour.

"And a good day to you too," she curtseyed, and rapped her knuckles against the visor fondly. Mary was down in the kitchen, close to nodding off by the table heavily ladened with finely chopped carrots and celery. The stove was on full blast, water bubbling merrily away ready for some recipe of some sort. Hermione frowned, and instantly moved in to lower the heat of the stove. Any longer, and there wouldn't be anything left!

"Mary," Hermione said, unwrapping the chicken breasts from the paper, and putting deep incisions into the meat. She quickly followed through by dipping it in egg yolk and rolling it in some breadcrumbs. She turned back to give Mary a cheeky grin but saw the elder girl looked on the verge of hysteria.

"Lady Hermione!" she shrieked, now looking thoroughly awake. "I was to make broth with that chicken! Get away, you blasted girl! And take your new fangled way of cooking with you! Be sure to open up a shop and tell me the results, you invincible little-"

"Now, Mary," Hermione gasped, jumping away from Mary's outstretched hand. "I am your mistress, so we'll have none of that-"

"Mistress! Come here and I'll show you mistress!"

By the end of it, both girls winded up at the table clutching each other and laughing. Mary was the only servant Hermione could get away with this sort of behaviour, and because of that reason, there was something close to a sisterly bond between the two. Hermione was Mary's way into the aristocracy of Great Britain, and Mary provided just a vital link into the commoner's way of life.

"Henley's back," Hermione laughed, and prentended not to notice when Mary blushed. "So be sure to cook up a heaven. I must be getting back too. There are such great matters I wish to discuss with him."

"Oh, Lady Hermione," Mary groaned. "You're still not pestering him for a new book, are you?" And a twinkle of the eye was her only answer.

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All throughout dinner, Henly knew Hermione was itching to ask him something. Everytime he looked up to engage in conversation, or perhaps start one himself he would see Hermione staring adoringly at him and not concentrate on her own dinner plate.

And after all the trouble Mary went through!

Finally as the evening drew to a close, he decided to confront her about her behaviour. He pushed the chair back and excused himself, dropping his serviette on the table as he went out the room. The moment he was outside, he quickly ducked into the opposite room and waited until, slowly but surely, the dining room door creaked open behind him and Hermione cautiously stuck her head out.

She looked disappointed to find the hallway empty, and crept even further out to look both ways.

The last thing she expected, was for her overbearing brother to throw open the door from across her, and wrench her into the room with him. Hermione's heart stuttered as Henley pushed her in a chair and sat across from her.

"What is it, Hermione? You're trying my patience!"

"I-I,"

"Well, spit it out!"

"Did you get my book?"

The question was surprisngly meek and Henley looked up just in time to catch his sister draw an imaginary line with her toe.

"Hermione..."

"It's just that I've read everything here! And I'm half out of my mind with boredom! You promised me, Henley. Please don't let me down."

The heavy silence seemed to confirm her fears, as Hermione fell back with tears in her eyes. Henley was extremely bemused to see this burst of passion from his usually tranquil sister. His sibling was a queer one alright. Whilst other girls felt this strongly about new gentlemen in the neighbourhood, Hermione seemed to have discovered her first love in something inanimate.

How on earth was he ever going to marry her off?

"I'm sorry Hermione, but I joined the Royal Guards because of the hand-to-hand combat not because of books. Speaking of which, you're getting too heavily invested in them. I was speaking to father earlier, and he has agreed to put lock and key on the library."

Hermione felt like her heart was breaking in two. She placed a fist on her chest and doubled over in misery.

She was crying unabashedly now.

"You're a lady, Hermione. Do you not gather what that means? You are not going to grow up to be a warrior or a scholar. The french and latin lessons, as well as the embroidery isn't to make you question the world and tear it apart. It's meant to be make you refined. Subservient. When you marry, you're husband will want you for your looks and hosting skills. Not because you can recite more Shakespeare than him."

Hermione's wails increased in volume.

"I love you dearly, sister but even you should know by now a woman is not equal to man. She is inferior. Mentally and physically. So let this be a lesson to you, and stop your perilious queries at once. Several suitors have already asked for your hand, and you most certainly will have a groom by the end on the month."

Henley was taken aback when the sobbing ceased almost immediately. Hermione looked up from her lap, with blood red eyes and a trembling lower lip but she managed to incline her head all the same, before arising from her seat. In proper etiquette, a woman was not allowed to leave a room unless she was dismissed, but Henley found it in his heart to let her off just this once.

"It is a pity," he murmered, stalling Hermione. "If you had been born a man, with a mind like that you could've gone far. Although the Kings Guards training is violent as they come, you could have applied for clemency and studied the books instead. The library at the Kings Court is exhuberant, by far the best in the country and perhaps the world. Every single book you could find there. It truly is a thing of beauty, but alas..."

A tear dribbled down Hermione's chin for what could have been, before she dashed it off angrily and stormed out.

That night, as thunder and lightened crashed against the walls, Hermione found sleep elusive as she twisted and turned. Tonight had provided many revelations, not least she was going to marrited off to a wealthy suitor within the month. If Henley had not spilled the beans, Hermione doubted she would have found out until the Wedding Day itself.

Her parents were untrustworthy like that.

Everytime she thought of the mystery black cloud who was her husband, her gut clenched in painful knots. He probably had it easier, since he was a man and all. Hermione spent a while drowning her sorrows, by wetting her pillows with her tears. Before fading away into nothingness, as she started blankly at the opposite wall.

What was the answer? What was the conclusion?

Unless she was boy, it seemed like she had no chance in the world. If she had been a boy, she would've been allowed to read as many books as she liked. People would have consulted her before marrying her. If she had even been a boy, she wouldn't have to worry about marriage in the first place. A gent could remain a bachelor until he was one and fourty and nobody would bat an eyelid.

If only she had been a boy!

Hermione banged her fist against the bedspread as lightening eclisped the room in electric blue. She shot upright a few seconds later, as coarse thunder rolled around the room.

What if she became a boy?

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YES, THIS IS A GIRL DRESSES UP TO BE BOY CLICHE. Think She's the Man. But set in Olden times?

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