Author's Note: I took the idea for this from the excellent works submitted previously to Granger Enchanted's Samhain Challenge and, while I do not think I qualify for the challenge, I would present this in hopes that the challenge is opened again for 2014…
P.S.: Don't ask me why, but I despise Molly Weasley…. She just sets off my temper… This story will reflect that.
Disclaimer: I make no money from this and I live in North America…. I'm a business student… Yup, not J.K. Rowling…. Dammit!
Chapter One:
Hermione Granger was one brassed off witch. She had been almost constantly for the past two and a half years... Ever since that witch- and she wasn't referring to the ability to do magic- convinced Ron that he deserved 'better' than some no-family Muggle-born who...
She took a deep breath to try and stop the hurtful words from washing over her... It didn't work. She could still hear the conversation...
"Ron, see sense! This is your chance! To do something that none of your brothers did!" she heard Molly whisper furiously.
"Hermione's star is on the rise, Mum. She'll be Mrs. Ronald Weasley. I was hoping to ask her next week."
Hermione wrinkled her nose at how poorly Ron knew her. She would be Ms. Hermione Granger-Weasley, if anything.
"And you could be Consort Greengrass, married to an heiress! Hermione has no family magics to bring us! No vaults! No worth!"
Hermione drew back. 'No worth?' She had plenty of worth! How dare Molly-
"Do you think Hermione will let you use 'her' money to buy brooms and play Quidditch? No, she'll insist on investing it, having 'rainy day' funds... Your father and I raised you and your siblings without all of the fancy paperwork she's talking about for when she marries. Prenuptial agreements, custodial arrangements in case of divorce, and separate vaults! What nonsense is this? A witch gives her husband all of her worldly goods and that's what Astoria Greengrass is prepared to do!"
"And she would agree to me playing Quidditch?"
"Of course!" Molly soothed. "Her place is, naturally, in the home, and your's in the world."
Still, she had done the mature thing and not questioned the break-up (not five minutes later and through the door of the loo, for Merlin's sake!) or his use of the line: 'I think we should see other people.' She was cordial to Molly, who acted surprised at her sudden desire to depart. She hugged Arthur and explained that she didn't feel comfortable coming to Sunday dinners anymore because of whispers she had heard about her not having worth due to her lack of family magics. He, naturally, denied any such sentiment and she, carefully, directed him to look at those closest to him.
It was almost satisfying to see Molly stroll through Diagon Alley, magically geased to say nothing to or about Hermione. Of course, now that her favourite whipping girl was unavailable... Molly's malicious gaze had turned to Fleur, aliased Phlegm. Hermione regretted participating in the teasing of Fleur prior to her Sixth Year and aided the French witch and Bill in drawing up papers to prevent Molly from seeing their children due to her 'foreseeable negative influence and impact' on said children.
Hermione: 2, Molly: 0
Now, adding insult to injury, was today's post.
Cyrus and Honoria Greengrass
and
Arthur and Mary Weasley
request the pleasure of your presence
at the marriage of their children
Astoria Marie Greengrass
to
Ronald Bilius Weasley, Order of Merlin, First Class
It was the scrawled note on the bottom of the invite that really put salt in the wound of their clean, no-nonsense breakup... Please come, 'Mione. Attached was a Lady's Seal flower... She didn't need to look up the meaning.
Be my support, he asked... He dared? After what he had done?!
She leaned back in her chair, eyes closing, even as the portrait in her office looked at her with concern. She was rather fond of the portrait and this one was the only one that spoke French. She understood English, but said that the language lacked the subtle variances French offered...
"Hermione, qu'est-ce qui ne va pas? Est-ce une affaire?"
"Non, madame duchesse. C'est une invitation au mariage de mon ex-amant. Celui qui a rompu parce que sas mère s'est opposée à mon manque de Magics de Famille... He is marrying this Yule and, as you know, it's less than a week to Samhain."
The duchess' response was absolutely timeless.
"Quel salaud!"
Hermione laughed. She could believe that the dignified duchess was truly insulted on her behalf. The portrait (La Duchesse D'Avignon, Marie, Fille de Louis XIV) was a delight amongst the stuffiness of her Ministry office in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Prosecution Sub-Department.
"Vous devriez faire vox propres Magics de Famille... Quelque chose de lui faire pâlir d'envie !" Marie mused quietly as Hermione's attention faded.
Ceremony Details:
Location: The Ministry of Magic, Grand Atrium
Date: Yule
Time: Sundown
Please R.S.V.P. no later than 5 November regarding your attendance and if you will have a guest. Dress is winter formal.
The war, despite its brutality and the seeming incompatible nature of Old Magic/Pureblood ways and New Magic, had brought the wizarding world together in an unforeseeable fashion. It was not uncommon to see the Lords of the Wizengamot playing with their mobiles or a Muggle-born speaking in front of that august body. (Of course, there were now elected politicians and term limits for those individuals in order for them to represent the interests of First Generation Mages, individuals and groups previously classified as 'creatures,' and other formerly downtrodden, discriminated-against groups.)
In return, the ways of Old Magic were taught in Hogwarts and all First Generation Mages were required to attend classes on Classical Wizarding Etiquette, which, naturally, included lessons on the languages of flowers. Hermione had, alongside Daphne Greengrass, Susannah Bones, and Fleur Weasley, designed the course with input from various matrons of Pureblood Society like Augusta Longbottom, Narcissa Malfoy, and Cecilia Diggory. In many ways, it was not dissimilar to the kind of formal behaviour seen in the Regency-era ton or if one were to be presented to the Queen.
That had been one of the requirements of the New Magic party. The wizarding world had to be brought into governmental compliance with the Ministries of the Queen and submit to being a part of the Home Office. That meant no more Imperiusing, Confunding or otherwise befuddling Mundane politicians and the discarding of terms like Muggle, Muggle-born, Mudblood, blood-traitor, Muggle-lover... The Prime Minister was, nominally, the head of the Magical population, serving at the pleasure of the Queen and Her Government, under advisement by the Minister of Magic.
It wasn't a perfect world, but it was a damned sight better than what she had come into. She was proud to say that she had helped equality gain a foothold in the wizarding world.
"Miss Granger, ma'am?"
"Yes, Daisy?"
"Lord Potter is on the Floo, wondering if you've time for him to come through?"
Hermione smiled. "Tell Harry to come on through, Daisy."
"I don't know how you stand it, ma'am. He's ever so handsome!"
"Go on and let him through, Daisy. Thank you."
The rather simple woman tittered as she walked away and Hermione foresaw the sacking of another seemingly-capable secretary because she couldn't cope with being in regular contact with Harry. "Just when I got her almost trained, too..." she bemoaned quietly.
There was a timid knocking on her office door and Harry peeked his head in. "Need a cuppa while I'm out here?"
"Just come on in, Harry," she sighed, shaking her head. "I take it you've heard about the Greengrass wedding?"
"Er... well, yes and no..."
Shrewdly, Hermione looked at her oldest friend. "When did you hear about it?"
Harry looked at the floor... "Five months ago."
"And I'm receiving an invitation to a wedding taking place in a little over two months today why?"
Harry's discomfort was obvious and obviously growing. "Astoria and Molly wanted to make sure that you couldn't find a date. Ron's been acting rather off about the whole wedding thing and Molly thinks that if you show up 'stag' as it were, it'll make him realize that Astoria's the better option. Something about him being the only one to ever want you and... Oh, shit... Is that a Lady's Seal?"
Hermione's eyes welled at the apparent truth of that statement. Ron had always been there and now he was marrying some Proper Pureblood Princess that had Family Magics and was willing to be the perfect little high-society house witch... She sniffled and turned to look out the magical window currently portraying the Tuscan countryside. Then, her legal mind took over, easing her from the emotions and into calm.
"It's too late for him to pull out... At least not without severe financial consequences, given the legal genius of Dewey, Fhucem, and Howe. I've been trying to get an interview with their HR department for six months! And I'll be sending him a yellow carnation just as soon as I can get to a florist."
"Trying to get out of prosecution, Hermione?"
"Hardly. I'd like to get the silk."
Harry sat up straight. "You want to go for silk? I wonder what... er... Luna, yeah, Luna would think of that."
Hermione gave Harry credit for trying. She knew that he had been about to wonder what Ron would think of it, but swiftly changed it to his paramour, Luna. The ebony-haired boy (he'd never be a man in her eyes. It was like having a baby brother in the fact that she didn't see him as grown.) tried ever so hard. She smiled at him.
"The Ministry won't support my desire for silk, so I have to go to chambers that would permit the application. The Ministry says that its legal offices operate outside Her Majesty's realm of influence and my seeking silk would be further subjecting them to 'persecution' from the Mundane government.
"Muggle-hunting was persecution. The Queen forcing the government back into compliance with the treaty is not 'persecution.'"
"Any way you can put things off until the New Year?"
Hermione considered it. "Why?"
"Luna's having a bunch of the old DA over for a Samhain celebration and the women are doing something-another and I thought you might like to join in?"
Hermione activated her Occlumency to recall her last conversation with Luna and remembered that the spacey blonde had mentioned some sort of Samhain Divination that was alleged to reveal one's true heart's mate. Not that Hermione believed in that sort of nonsense, but she desperately needed to meet someone to take to the dratted wedding...
There was no way she couldn't go, especially if that's what Molly and Astoria were hoping for... And Ron had asked for her...
And if anyone needed their 'true heart's mate,' it was Hermione Jean Granger...