DISCLAIMER: HP belongs to JKR. The storyline and all new characters, new character development, new developments are my intellectual property. Glorioux s
Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition The prompt: A song sung by Lisa Hale.
There's a little secret
I would like to tell you
There's a book of lies
I know they'll try to sell you
And they'll try, and they'll try
To convince you to buy you need them
So the next time you're down
Look inside not around.
I can bless myself
There's no need for someone's help
There's no one to blame
There's no one to save you but yourself
I can justify all the mistakes in my life
It's taught me to be, it's giving me
And I'll survive
'Cause I have blessed myself.
Bless myself – Lisa Hale
Making my own life. A Prequel_
Nothing had changed, the war was over, and his life was still a mess. And if he thought it about carefully enough, he would see that it was up to him to get what he wanted, because nobody else was going to do it for him.
The first thing he should do would be to get a piece of scroll and write his objectives, he needed to take the proverbial bull by the horns. He sat at his desk and started to write. In two hours he had written one line; that was not good, and it was time for Quidditch practice. He dressed with the proper attire, left, and, around 9:00 PM, he was finally back in his room.
Once again, he sat in front of the scroll and tried again. This time he came up with three goals, and the more than he read them, the more sense they made. He put the scroll away, wrote an Owl to send in the morning, and got ready for bed.
1998-1999 Hogwarts
Students were coming back from the Christmas Holidays; everyone was already used to the rubble and the reconstruction mess, thus, everyone duly ignored the mess around them. Some were happy and talking about their holidays, but there were many long faces amongst the crowd.
Hermione was quite and reserved, her search for her parents had broken her up. They had never left England; Death Eaters had killed them on their way to Heathrow.
The Granger's bodies were in a Morgue until her uncle had recognized them. An uncle she didn't even know existed. She had not yet talked to Harry or Ron; both had gone with a group to walk the Himalayas, an old dream of Sirius Black.
She felt a tug of her braid and turned around, "Harry, Harry, so good to see you." He held her tight, noticing how sad she looked.
"Where is Ron? He didn't owl once," she sighed, sounding defeated.
"Err, he is not coming back." He looked away from Hermione.
"What do you mean? He really needs to finish this year." Her heart beat disorderly, and her stomach hurt. She wasn't in the mood for more bad news, not one more.
"He accepted a place to play professional Quidditch in Australia. He met the daughter of a team owner, and they are engaged." There, he had said it; too bad that he didn't feel any better.
Her lip quivered, no tears, no more crying. "Ah, I see." That was all she said about Ron and with a flat voice added, "My parents are dead."
He held her tighter, "I am so very sorry, why didn't you owl?" he asked puzzled. He felt her cold trembling body and patted her back.
"I told Ron when I found out, I asked him to tell you the moment I found out, two days after you were gone." Tears ran down her cheeks.
"Hermione, darling," someone was touching her shoulder. Harry looked at someone he didn't know, maybe a fifth class, then a second one came, a twin from the looks.
"Ah, is you," Hermione answered.
The new comers inspected Harry with suspicion. "Potter, you are Harry Potter, " the wizard said in a clipped nasal voice.
"Are you making her cry, some friend you are, you didn't even come when she sent the news of her parents' death." The witch, who looked an awful lot like Hermione, asked and stared him right on the eye.
"I wasn't making her cry, who are you? " Harry was getting more upset by the minute, "Are you related?"
"Yes, we are, we are her family, her cousins. We recently came back from Australia, my parents went there after the first war. Hermione's father was my uncle. A curse damaged his magic core, and later he married a relative and close friend of the family a Squib, Juniper Applebee my mother's cousin, we are twice related. I am Lady Desdemona Agripina Dagworth-Granger, and he is Lord Winslow Horatio Dagworth-Granger."
Winslow would not even speak to Harry. The tall, lanky, curly hair wizard didn't like Harry. That was plain to see.
He had arrived a half day late and had missed the sorting of the new students, he noticed that the witch was a Slytherin, and Winslow was a Ravenclaw.
Hermione just listened; her voice was gone, what had happened to her? Ron, after waiting for him for years, he had gone to the first good thing.
Her parents gone, and she didn't like her cousins nor her uncles and aunts. They all saw her as a traitor, just as her father had been. Although, it had taken them years tracking him, they found Hermione the first time she was in the Prophet, or they were almost sure it was she.
They had found him by mere luck, someone who worked at the morgue, had a son who was a wizard and worked for the family. He had recognized the pictures. Further checking by a hired Muggle firm, had located their suitcases at the airlines deposits.
They waited for her at the train station, and after she said goodbye to Ron and Harry, they approached and she went with them.
"Hermione, you don't have to stay with them, come to Grimmauld 12, and you can stay with me." He tried to speak softly.
Winslow pushed his arm, "You are not taking her anywhere, and she is with us." Aha, the cousin was talking aggressively; he wasn't too nice.
"I talk to my friend whenever I want to." Harry said.
"Harry, Harry," it was Ginny.
Ginny ran to them, and when she saw Hermione she halted. "Harry, we are having practice, are you coming? We have a new coach, you will be surprised."
"Ginny, these are Hermione's cousins, Desdemona and Winslow, they are in fifth class."
He was interrupted, "Sixth Class," Desdemona eyed Ginny with distrust.
"Cousins?" Ginny snorted, they appeared to be snobs.
Harry told her what he knew, while the cousins, grabbed Hermione by her arm and took her away.
"You shouldn't be with that Ginny Weasley, my parents think they are rubbish. She is the sister of Ronald, a fine friend he is." Winslow told her.
"Dad said to keep you away from them; remember that you are too good for them. You are a Lady and don't need them, you have us."
Do I, do I have anyone? Look at Harry, walking all chummy with Ginny, totally forgot about me. Ron went for the first witch who could offer him more, and I don't even have my parents. And where was Harry when I needed him, and did Ron come running, no he left me. A tear of bitterness ran down her cheek. My cousins are a pain, but they are trying, what am I going to do? More tears ran down her face. She thought, trying to reason.
Desdemona held her hand tight. "Don't cry my darling, we don't cry in front of others, here hold my hand. My grandmother, your mother's mother, always said that we make our own futures." Winslow's arm wrapped around her shoulders. They both looked at Hermione with clear affection.
"Grandmother said that good friends can be counted with your right hand's fingers, and we make our own blessing and luck. All you need is the love of a few friends and your family, and you have us." Desdemona kissed her cheek, and Winslow squeezed her shoulder. They were affectionate, in private, that much was true.
What her cousin said made sense. It was all too new, but she wasn't alone, for the first time ever she had cousins, uncles and aunts. Maybe, they were Purebloods, maybe not ideal, but she wasn't alone, and she had never been a quitter.
"Perhapsyou are right, it just hurts. " Hermione answered.
"Is that Harry's girlfriend?" Desdemona asked. "He could do much better than that."
"Could he? I see, I do." Winslow commented, and Desdemona blushed. Hermione looked at her cousin and grinned.
"Yeah, he could, I think he could." Desdemona answered, not letting him have the upper hand, looked at Winslow defiantly.
That day when she was coming back from the library, she heard a voice calling her.
"Hermione Granger, hello, stop there." Someone was calling her, and she tried to place the voice.
She turned around and saw Adrian Pucey, the tall and handsome Slytherin. What was he doing at Hogwarts?
"Hermione, Winslow told me the news. Congratulations, they are a very good family." His face was animated, and Hermione realized how handsome he was.
"Ah, yes, that is right." She answered a bit put out. When she was just Hermione Granger, the Slytherins were too good to talk to her, but wow, he was a beautiful wizard.
"Where is Weasley, I heard you two were getting engaged." He asked sounding anxious.
"Ah, err, he is not coming back." And she told him a short version of Ron's decision.
"His loss and many lucky wizards gain, I hope to be included on that bunch." He chuckled and smiled, looking happy.
"Are you flirting with me? And what are you doing here?" She asked again, smiling back.
"Yes I am, flirting that is. And I am working here, for one semester. Last year after the war ended, I felt lost. Didn't know where I was going and was confused after my cousin Vince died. I felt like a loser. Even though I didn't take the Dark Mark, I didn't disagree with their teachings. So I decided to come back and help with the reconstruction effort, and in the meantime help with the Potions lab, and with the Quidditch instruction."
"That sounds interesting." Hermione said, he sounded so different.
"Listen, I am glad that I saw you, there is a dance at the Flint's this weekend, do you want to come. You could invite Potter along if you want to. Your cousins are also welcome."
"Maybe, I will ask."
Several months passed, during that time, Hermione studied hard, made some new friends, and spent more time with her cousins.
Harry told her. "I am not rushing to marry, I am too young. Ginny wanted to marry this year, and I told her no way. By the way, I have been invited to your family's summer home. I have accepted to come for two weeks."
"Have you? Don't play with Desdemona, she is my cousin, and you are with Ginny." Hermione was unhappy with the turn of events.
"No, I am not, Ginny is seeing Dean Thomas again, on and off, and has gone out with Neville. We are young and want to meet a few people. You and Adrian are seeing each other? I heard you went out with Oliver Wood."
Hermione laughed, "I am young as well, who knows what the future will bring. I am relying on myself this time and making my choices. I like Adrian, he is fun, and who knows, but I am not making any commitments, not now and not for a while."
"Yes, I agree. See you," he saw Desdemona and ran after her, and before they turned a corner, she saw Harry leaning to kiss her cheek and wrapping his arm around her waist. So much for just a friend, well they knew what they were doing, Desdemona had turned seventeen a few days before.
She needed to go to the library and before she went far, who did she see? "Ron, what are you doing here?" He had gotten taller and broader.
"Hermione, we need to talk." Were the first words out his mouth.
"I don't think so, I am late for a date." She lied.
He grabbed her arm, "It won't take long. I made a mistake."
Hermione felt sick, from the corner of her eye she saw Winslow, reading a book while he walked, nothing unusual. The book thing was a family trait.
Ron pulled harder, "Come with me, I am in trouble." He pleaded.
"Not my problem." She answered.
"I don't like Australia, I want to come back. I saw your pictures, and I miss you. If we tell them that you got pregnant, and I must marry you, I could get out the contract."
"You haven't seen me five minutes, and you are proposing that I should lie?"
"You know that I am the best for you. Do it for me," his voice was full of himself.
"No, I won't. And you are not the best, not even a good friend. I have changed and only do things that are good for me." Her voice was quivering, and she was trying hard not to cry. She still loved him, or thought she did, it hurt. She was bleeding again.
An arm went around her waist and before she could react, Adrian's lips had closed over hers. His kiss was sweet and warmed her.
"Hello darling," he kissed her brow, "Sorry, I am late. Ah Ron, hello there, good to see you." Adrian stretched his hand to greet him.
Ron huffed and turned around, "You didn't waste anytime, did you. A Slytherin, what a slag you—"
Before he could say anymore a fist closed his mouth, Winslow stood there shaking his wrist. "Ouch that hurt." He said and the others around smiled.
Ron growled and nearly ran the other way.
Hermione turned to Adrian and whispered. "Not an ideal place for a first kiss, but thanks for the help."
"It wasn't help, I meant it. I hope we can become more than friends, " he moved a stray curl away from her face and tucked it behind an ear. He leaned and kissed her near the mouth.
"Less kissing, " Winslow chuckled, "I am young and impressionable. Though I hope that it showed the fool what he lost." And Winslow punched Adrian playfully on the upper arm.
She saw Harry and Desdemona running towards them, "Hermione, we just saw Ron," Harry was laughing, "he wasn't happy." He added.
"I was and am happy." Hermione answered, "I am blessed, and lucky to have good friends and family. Thank you Winslow I owe you one." And she kissed his cheek. At that moment Hermione understood that life goes on; we need to learn to live our lives knowing that we can always count on ourselves, and all other things will fall in place. She had been gifted with strong magic, brains, a few friends, and even a loving family.
Epilogue
When they were alone, Adrian gave her a scroll, "I wrote three objectives after the war, I have met two. I wanted to share them with you. " He smiled and looked at her carefully.
She read them and blushed. "When did you start liking me?"
"I fell for you at the Battle, you looked magnificent, a fierce lioness, full of fire and conviction. I prayed to survive. Did you know? I only came to make sure none of the small children were hurt, and I had to pick up the charred remains of Vince. However, when I saw you, I knew that whoever had somebody like you in their lives, would be blessed by all the deities. Could you read my goals aloud?"
Hermione read, "1. Find a job in Hogwarts to be close to Hermione Granger. 2. Take her away from Ronald Wesley. 3. Convince her to marry me." Her voice quivered, "Number two wasn't your doing, Ron did that on his own." She blushed, and her tongue felt heavy.
"True, true, but he came back, and you turned him away. Did I influence your decision? I hope so because I don't like you. Liking is not what I feel, I love you. I know is soon, and you want to study more. You may, I don't mind."
He held her hand to his mouth, and a chill ran down her back, he leaned over and kissed her lips, gently. "I do love you." He sighed.
She leaned her head on his chest, and he held her close to him. She felt wellbeing, felt right.
"Do I have any chances?" Adrian whispered.
"I think you do. I am pretty sure you do. There is time, I want to learn to stand on my own first, but your goals and mine are not mutually exclusive." She looked at him; her eyes had opened.
"Are you saying that you will marry me?"
"Adrian, you have not even proposed, and your scroll was just a list of what you hoped to achieve." Her face was redder by the minute. She wanted to be properly courted, proposed, and loved. This time she wanted it all.
"Point duly taken, I guess we will have to make it official, I see it, a big engagement party, I will ask your uncle—"
Hermione paled, maybe it was time to be flexible. Ugh, oh, well, life was long, and she was learning to control her own life, or was it to learn how to control the outcome? Hmm, yeah, it was something like that.
She realized that her heart might have already chosen, took a deep breath smiled back, and listened.
The end- It stands alone. The actual story will be added in the near future.
A/N This story is an actual prequel to a story deleted during a purge. I changed a couple of facts in this story, but will continue the story with the altered facts when I complete a couple of stories.