Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling et al. Cinderella is created by the Brothers Grimm and I guess their descendants. Any characters or locations you recognise are the intellectual property of these individuals and corporations. I make no money from the writing of this story.
This story is written for round 6 of the Quidditch League Fan Fiction Competition. The prompt this week was to re-tell a fairy tale. This one was always my favourite.
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Cindermione
Once upon a time there was a witch named Hermione Granger.
Hermione had had a charmed childhood. Her parents loved her with all their hearts and showered her with affection and gifts. There was nothing Hermione ever wanted for but she remained unspoiled. She focused her efforts into her schoolwork, turning out high grades so her parents would be proud of her and learning as much as she could about life to prepare herself for her future.
When she was eleven and preparing to enter public school to begin her secondary education, she and her parents were visited by a woman claiming to be from a school in Scotland that Hermione was qualified for. Assuming the woman was talking about their daughter's high academic achievements, they invited her into their home only to be astonished when she began to explain about a secret world of witches and wizards, and how their Hermione had been born with these gifts and was thereby offered a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Always open to new experiences, the family travelled to Diagon Alley and along with Hermione's school supplies, purchased many research books into this new world and set about learning as much as they could about it. Thus it was that Hermione was placed on the Hogwarts Express on September 1st and sent off to live and learn a life she never would have thought possible—all with as much love and affection from her parents as she had ever received.
That was the last time Hermione ever remembered being truly happy. She had been taken aside almost immediately upon her arrival at the school that night and informed that her parents had perished in a car accident on their way to their office after dropping her off at the train station.
Since Hermione had no other family, and her parents' friends could not find out about her status as a witch, a kindly family came forward and offered her a place in their home. The Weasleys were poor but they had the room to accommodate the orphaned girl and the Wizarding World gushed in approval at the big-heartedness they showed in taking the poor waif in.
If only that were the real story.
Hermione's life at the Weasleys' was not the idyllic, country lifestyle everyone expected it would be. Slowly they forgot about the little Muggleborn girl who had held such promise as she was sucked into life at the Burrow and forced to stay there, home schooled by the Weasley matriarch. Expectations of her becoming close to the two youngest Weasleys, Ron and Ginny, and spending her days immersed in activities such as Quidditch, Wizards' Chess, Gobstones and Exploding Snap were not realised.
In truth, Hermione was made to complete all the household chores in return for keeping a roof over her head. She spent her days cleaning, washing, cooking and tending the garden. She endured the teasing of her foster family, accepting their taunts and insults stoically, dreaming that one day, she would be free of them. Particularly cruel were the youngest Weasley children and their mother. They took to calling Hermione 'Cindermione' in reference to the cinder stains that often adorned her face and clothes after cleaning the large fireplaces in the house.
With such a large family as the Weasleys to pick up after, Hermione had scant time for anything through the years other than her own meals, which were eaten alone in her tiny room off the kitchen, and her studies, which she immersed herself in as an escape from the dreary, monotonous life she now lead.
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"We will be holding a ball on the Summer Solstice to celebrate the end of your studies and to find you a bride," King James Potter of Wizarding England said to his son, Prince Harry, over breakfast.
"I thought we agreed I could find my own bride, Father," Prince Harry reminded him.
"You may find your own bride. At this ball—if you do not then your mother and I will make the selection for you," the King said with finality.
Prince Harry sighed. He had already had to give up his dream of attending Hogwarts for his schooling. His father and his advisors had insisted that Hogwarts would be too dangerous for him and so he was tutored privately with only his lifelong friend, Lord Neville Longbottom, by his side. His only other dream in life was to find a wife to marry for love, not duty. He wanted what his parents had, a marriage based on true love. He knew this ball would be a way for his father to get his own way. Probably the only girls invited would be the horrible daughters of his father's advisors—Millicent Bulstrode, Marietta Edgecombe, Tracey Davis and Pansy Parkinson. Then when he refused to choose one of them, his father would put forth Astoria Greengrass—a witch of impeccable beauty and breeding, one suitable to be Queen of the Realm.
With a bow to their Majesties, Prince Harry left the breakfast room and headed outside to the stables. Waiting for him was Lord Neville along with Prince Harry's new advisor, Lord Cedric Diggory. Lord Cedric was two years older than Prince Harry and had been serving in King James' office. He was being groomed to be Prince Harry's first official advisor just as his father was one of King James'. His mother was the Chief Lady-in-Waiting to Queen Lily. Lord Cedric took his duties seriously and he and Prince Harry had developed a close friendship as well as an amicable working relationship in the last few months.
Thus it was that Lord Cedric was able to tell as easily as Lord Neville that their Prince was not in the best of moods this morning as they took their horses out for a run. Prince Harry pushed his stallion hard, as though the hounds of hell were on his heels, as they pounded the turf of the fields surrounding the lavish castle. When his horse finally began to slow, Lord Cedric realised that Prince Harry was now ready to talk and asked what was troubling him.
Succinctly, Prince Harry recounted the conversation with his father from breakfast. Lord Neville commiserated with his friend, agreeing that the only prospective brides in attendance would be the troll-faced witches Harry feared. Lord Cedric had an idea.
"Tell your parents that in order for you to make an informed decision then every eligible witch in the realm should be invited to the ball. You barely leave the estate; you will never have an opportunity to meet anyone if you are kept so sheltered. If every witch is invited, then they are keeping up their end of the bargain as well by offering you the best chance to find a wife of your choosing.
Prince Harry grew more excited as Lord Cedric laid out his plan. He immediately returned to the castle and informed his parents that he would agree to the ball as long as every eligible witch in England was invited. His parents readily agreed, happy that he would put a true effort in if they acquiesced. Invitations were immediately sent out to every household in Wizarding England and preparations began for the Ball.
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"Mum, an owl from the Palace!" Ginny Weasley squealed excitedly as she removed the parchment from the leg of the bird. The owl immediately flew off, having another letter to retrieve back at the palace and deliver.
Ginny tore open the envelope and quickly read the contents, squealing again when she realised the enormity of what she held in her hands. "King James and Queen Lily are holding a ball for Prince Harry. Every eligible witch in England is invited! I bet that is when Prince Harry will choose his bride! We have to get prepared—I will be the next Queen of Wizarding England!"
"Oh, Ginny! How exciting! We will begin preparations at once! You will make a fine queen and we can all live in the Palace and have servants to wait on us and wear silks and jewels every day!" Molly Weasley gushed. Hermione thought how ironic her words were as she placed a plate of bacon and eggs in front of her wicked foster mother. 'You do have a servant to wait on you,' she thought bitterly as she turned back to the stove to continue cooking.
George Weasley, one of the twins of the Weasley family, snorted into his bowl of cornflakes.
"Prince Harry is gay! You know he spends all his time with Lord Neville Longbottom and now Lord Cedric Diggory as well. Ron would have better luck than Ginny," he said with a surreptitious wink at Hermione. He and his twin, Fred, disapproved of the way their family treated the orphaned witch and tried to be kind to her as much as possible. She was never the target of their pranks and they vowed that when they were successful they would sponsor an apprenticeship for her so she could make her true mark in the world.
Molly looked thoughtful at George's words. "You know, it's not a bad idea to have a back-up in case. Ron, we'll buy you new dress robes and prepare you for the ball as well," she decided.
Ron looked at his mother in horror. "Mum! I'm not gay, I don't want to have to marry Prince Harry!" he whined.
"You will not be marrying Prince Harry," Ginny said viciously. "He is mine! You stay away from him!"
"Both of you be quiet!" Molly shouted. "Both of you will be prepared, that way if he is gay he will marry Ron and if he is straight he will marry Ginny. Either way we will end up in the Palace drinking elf made wine and eating truffles every day."
Hermione shook with silent laughter at their ridiculous posturing. 'As if the King and Queen would allow their son to marry one of these two idiots,' she thought.
"Look at this, it says all eligible witches are invited," Fred said, reading the invitation. "Hermione, what will you be wearing to the ball?"
"Don't be silly, Fred. Little Cindermione is not invited to a gala such as this. It is only for finely bred young witches. Cindermione is Muggleborn, she is not eligible."
"Queen Lily is Muggleborn," Fred said mischievously.
"That is an exception to the rule," Molly shrilled. "Queen Lily may be Muggleborn but she is a highly intelligent and beautiful lady, she is suited to the role of Queen, not like our little cinder-girl here."
Molly flounced out of the room, Ron and Ginny following her and laughing nastily at Hermione. Fred and George both approached her and flung their arms around the girl they were so fond of.
"Don't worry 'Mione," Fred began.
"We know you're highly intelligent…"
"And a beautiful lady is there somewhere under all that hair and soot…"
"You would make a fine bride for Prince Harry…"
"And be a fine Queen…"
"Just leave it to us," they finished together.
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The night of the ball, Ginny danced out of the house and into the fancy carriage her parents had rented for the evening with the last of the money they had received for taking Hermione in. Ron had sullenly followed, dressed to the nines in flamboyant dress robes. Their parents climbed into the carriage after them and they set off.
As soon as the carriage had left sight of the house, Fred and George rushed to Hermione's room and dragged her out into the kitchen.
"First we need to do something about your hair," George said. Hermione's hair was, as usual, a frizzy mess on top of her head. Fred handed her a potion bottle and told her to drink it. She looked at him dubiously, but knowing the twins really did like her and wanted to help her, she trusted him. She drank the potion down in one and waited for something to happen.
"That's much better," Fred exclaimed. When Hermione looked at him confusedly, he conjured a mirror. Hermione gasped when she saw her hair cascading down her back in soft, tamed curls. The usual, dull brown colour now seemed to be vibrant—shining in the light of the kitchen with highlights of bronze and copper to give it life.
While Hermione admired her new hair style, Fred and George set about Scourgifying the dirt and soot from her skin and nails. They waved their wands and chanted spells their girlfriends had taught them as they transformed Hermione from the plain, mousy girl she usually was into a beauty befitting the title of Princess.
Finally they produced a dress and jewellery that Hermione immediately recognised as the outfit her late mother had worn for her wedding to Hermione's father.
"Where did you get this?" she asked.
"We liberated it a few years ago when Mum was going through all your stuff to see what she could sell. We thought you would need these one day so Fred distracted her while I grabbed the box they were in. We've been hiding it in our room," George told her as she slipped a pair of earrings into her earlobes.
They stood back to admire their work.
"Stunning," Fred complimented.
"Brilliant," George agreed.
"We are amazing!" they said together. Hermione laughed and swatted them for their arrogance.
"Go to the Palace through the Floo network, they've set it up for the night," Fred instructed, remembering what the invitation had said. "Just make sure you're home before Mum and Dad and the blunder-duo. It wouldn't do for them to find out you were there."
Hermione agreed, and with a final hug for luck, stepped through the Floo and to the Palace.
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Prince Harry stood in a long receiving line with his parents, greeting witch after witch as they entered. So far they had all been vapid, simpering, cloying fools. The only two with an ounce of sense had been introduced as Luna Lovegood and Cho Chang but he had seen the reactions of the two witches to his close friends and advisors, Lord Neville and Lord Cedric. Not wanting to stand in the way of what could be true love, he gracefully let the girls go off with his friends. He looked after them longingly as he was introduced to a pair of redheads.
"Ginny Weasley, Your Highness," the witch batted her eyelids flirtatiously at him.
"Charmed, I'm sure," he drawled, the sarcasm lost on the girl as she giggled coquettishly. He gestured for his father's advisor to move her down the line. Next in line was… a wizard! Prince Harry simply stared at the horrible orange robes with the silver and purple stars. He did not even bother with an introduction, just pushed the clearly gay wizard down the line to the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Albus Dumbledore. At least his honorary-grandfather would have a good time tonight.
Prince Harry suffered through meeting several more witches, growing more and more resigned to a marriage with Astoria Greengrass when he suddenly found himself looking into the prettiest chocolate-brown eyes he had ever seen. In a break from the normal protocol, he stuck his hand out in greeting and said, "Harry Potter of England at your service, Miss?"
"Hermione Granger, sir," was the reply. Prince Harry grasped her hand and brought it to his lips. He stepped out of the receiving line without relinquishing the young lady's hand, drawing her to the dance floor and missing the happy smiles on the faces of his parents. Prince James had introduced himself exactly the same way to Lily Evans nearly twenty years before.
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The next morning Prince Harry was storming through the palace halls, Lord Neville and Lord Cedric hurrying behind him.
"The most beautiful girl I've ever seen, with molten eyes I could lose myself in forever, and all I have is a name no one has ever heard and an earring!" he ranted holding up a delicate, diamond, ruby and sapphire bauble. It was clearly of the highest quality. Surely, someone with the funds to spend on jewellery and clothes such as she had been wearing would be known throughout the high echelons of society. Even Countess Malfoy—who had made it her life's mission to know every young lady in Wizarding England as a potential match for her son—had never known of a young witch by the name of Hermione Granger.
"Your Highness," a voice called from behind him. Prince Harry saw Lord Draco Malfoy running toward him. The blond skidded to a stop on the marble floors and took a moment to catch his breath. "My mother remembered seeing a young witch with brown eyes at the Weasley home several years ago when she went there to collect for charity. Since she doesn't know this girl and she didn't know that one, she thought maybe they were one and the same."
"Lord Draco, if I wasn't so enamoured of this girl, I would kiss you! As it is there was a young man at the party last night who might be willing," Prince Harry offered with a smile.
"I think Chief Warlock Dumbledore had him sewn up pretty well by the end of the night," Draco quipped. The four wizards laughed. "As it is, I want to marry Astoria Greengrass so it is in my vested interest to help you locate your witch."
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"He's here! He's here!" Ginny's squeals rang through the house as Prince Harry, Lord Neville, Lord Cedric and Lord Draco made their way through the yard of the Burrow. She yanked open the door before Prince Harry could even knock, ushering him and his party inside.
"I apologise for the intrusion but I was reliably informed that a young witch with brown eyes lives in this house. May I see her, please?" Prince Harry asked politely.
"I'm a young witch and I have brown eyes," Ginny said, fluttering her eyelids to draw attention to her light brown eyes. Prince Harry looked at her for a moment but shook his head.
"No, the eyes I'm looking for are darker. Plus, you would need the pair to this to prove who you are," he said, holding up the earring that had snagged on his cloak the previous night.
Molly Weasley gasped quietly as she recognised the earring the Prince held. "Why, Prince Harry, my daughter does have the matching pair to that earring. Let me go and fetch it for you and it will prove she is the young witch you are searching for." She hurried to the room 'Cindermione' stayed in so she could steal the other earring. All her dreams of lying on damask upholstered couches while being fed chocolates and grapes were about to come true. She frantically searched the room but came up empty. An anguished scream from the sitting room had her hurrying back there to find out what was wrong.
The sight that greeted her was not one she wanted to see. 'Cindermione' was clasped in the Prince's embrace as they shared a passionate kiss, both earrings dangling from the orphan's ears. Fred and George looked on ecstatically as Molly's dreams crumpled around her. Her daughter was inconsolable as she watched the Prince she had always admired and dreamed about kiss the girl she had spent half a lifetime belittling and tormenting.
"Hermione Granger, you Scarlett Woman! How dare you lead the Prince on like this? You are not good enough for him—you are just a Muggleborn! My Ginny is a pureblood much more suited to be Queen than you!" Molly shrilled.
Prince Harry drew his wand, his friends and the twins following suit. "My mother is Muggleborn, madam, and she is more than worthy of holding the title of Queen. Just as Hermione is more than worthy of the title of Princess and one day Queen herself, if she will have me."
Hermione smiled and nodded her head. She had fallen in love with this wizard and wanted nothing more than to marry him and spend her life beside him as his wife. Fred and George came up to her to give her a hug.
"We knew you were destined for great things…"
"You'll make a fine bride for Prince Harry…"
"Just like we said you would!"
"WHAT!" their mother screeched. "YOU HELPED HER WHEN YOU KNEW YOUR SISTER WANTED THE PRINCE? THAT'S IT, YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE AGAIN!"
"Don't worry," Hermione said. "I will need advisors if I am going to be Princess, you may come with me to the Palace to live," she offered.
"You hear that, Fred?"
"Silks…"
"Chocolates…"
"Truffles…"
"And elf-made wine all day," they finished, smirking at their mother. The three of them packed their belongings in record time and departed the Burrow with Prince Harry and his companions.
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Before they entered the Palace, Prince Harry pulled Hermione aside. "Are you sure about this?" he asked. "It's not just silks, chocolates, wine and servants in there. There is constant scrutiny and etiquette and palace politics to deal with, not to mention my parents. I just want to be sure you know what you're getting into."
"I know I am in love with you, Harry Potter. And that is all I need," Hermione replied. Harry bent his head and kissed her. Only his parents had ever seen him as 'Just Harry'—it was what he wanted more than anything and it seemed he had found it in this witch. With smiles on their faces they took the first steps of the rest of their lives, and they lived happily ever after.
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I know this was a bit more than 3,000 words but I could not trim it any more. I hope it is still okay.
Please leave a review if you would like to.