Hi Everyone

Here is Chapter 2, poor Hermione is very nervous, lucky Harry is a lot calmer !!

Sirius

xoxo

CHAPTER 2

"Hermione darling let me explain!"

After the four of them sat down and Ellen told her the whole drawn out story, Hermione was sitting still on the lounge staring at the invitation but inside she was freaking out. What would she do now? She couldn't possibly ask Harry to do this, even if it was to show up her stuffy aunts and cousins, it was too much to expect him to even want to do it.

That family had caused her so much grief all of her life, she would love to show them up just once, but that wasn't fair to Harry.

"Hermione please speak to me, I am so sorry I shouldn't have let them get to me, but it's so hard because we are so proud of you and everything you do in your world but we can't say anything to anyone, and it gives them more fuel. But still, I am sorry, we will just say you had to work. Sweetheart are you angry with me?" Hermione looked at her mother and then at her Dad, she could never be angry with them.

"No mum of course not, I know what they are like, they are relentless in their quest to put me down, but we will have to decline, I can't possibly show up alone."

"No, that's right so we both go!" Everyone turned to look at Harry who had up until now been silent,

"Come on Mione, think about it, we will have a week in France of all places, where we get to show up your snooty aunt and cousins and we have some fun together, that's not so bad is it?"

"Harry I don't know, this is a lot to ask, we will have to act like a couple." Harry raised his eyebrows and she knew he was referring to the morning kiss in the garage. They could always read each others thoughts,

"Ok, point taken but that was different."

"How Mione?"

"I don't know Harry, I really feel bad asking you to do this,"

"Mione you know you have been with me through thick and thin and even came back to the Dursley's house with me when I couldn't face them alone, I am sure I can do this for you, plus we get a holiday, come on Mione, please?" Harry was pouting and using his best puppy dog eyes, Hermione laughed and agreed.

Ellen and Robert looked at each other and wondered what on earth had just happened.

3 Months later

The trip happened to be in the summer break for school which worked out well for Harry as it was harder for him to get time off than it was for her. They told Ron and Luna what had happened and the two of them cracked up laughing so hard that Hermione was going to curse them if they didn't stop soon.

"Come on Mione its hilarious, what a funny twist of fate," Ron was still trying to keep his laughter contained.

It was Luna and Ron's turn to host the Friday night Dinner and Harry and Hermione had arrived early to have a play with their god daughter Rose before her bedtime.

"Well, laugh all you want but all I can see is that this will be a disaster, and my cousins will have more to laugh about." Harry had just walked in from the kitchen filling up everyone's drinks.

"What is the problem Mione, all we have to do is fool these relatives of yours for one week, it will be perfect, we will be the perfect couple." Harry was acting out in a dramatic way and almost didn't hear Hermione say that was what she was worried about.

Hermione had everything organised for the trip, luckily it would be warm in France, so they didn't need a lot of heavy luggage. Hermione was going over the last details with Ginny about how to look after crookshanks when Harry apparated in. All their close friends were in on the story, since they would all wonder where the two of them had gotten off too.

"I just wanted to wish the happy couple a lovely trip."

"You are not funny Ginerva Longbottom!" Hermione was trying to be stern but she was too nervous to feel anything at the moment.

"Ok Harry, well I better go before she kills me, now remember you two, separate beds until your married," as Ginny apparated away she saw Hermione's curse whiz at her, she was still laughing when she landed in her lounge room.

Harry looked at Hermione and even though all their friends were giving her a hard time, he knew she wasn't worrying about them, she was worrying about the whole pretending they are engaged.

"Ok Hermione, you need to calm down or people will see straight through our charade. Just pretend you love me and I am irresistible."

"Harry that is not the problem, I do love you as a friend and you are irresistible as my friend you know."

Harry's heart deflated with that last comment, but he decided he would show her what it would be like to go out with him, show her what she really meant to him and he couldn't get in trouble because he was acting. Brilliant plan he thought, just brilliant.

"Mione, you can't be stressed, you need to relax like we have been together for years, ok?"

"I know Harry, but I am scared that this will blow up in my face." Harry walked up behind her and put his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder. The smell of her hair was sending tingles through his body but he had to try to concentrate.

"I would never let that happen to you, you know that, I would rather die than let anything happen to you." Harry was standing so close to her that his proximity was sending her crazy, how was she going to survive this week. She turned around out of his embrace,

"I know Harry and I thank you, I guess I still feel bad about asking you to do this."

"You didn't ask remember, I suggested it so don't worry about it anymore." Hermione looked at him and could feel all those familiar feelings coming back in full force, she leant up to him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you Harry, what would I do without you?"

Harry collected his luggage and shrunk it down to fit in his pocket, he just had one more thing to do before going to the Granger's.

"Hermione. Ummm I have something for you," Hermione looked up from tucking her shrunken luggage into her hand bag to see Harry holding a small box.

"Harry, what's going on?" Hermione felt extremely nervous all of a sudden.

"We can't be engaged with out a ring!" Harry wouldn't make eye contact which made her feel worse, he probably hated the thought that he agreed to do this. He slipped the ring onto her finger and she looked at him, but he still wouldn't look at her. He was afraid his eyes would give away his greatest guarded secret.

Ellen saw the ring straight away and couldn't believe Harry had gone to so much trouble.

"It's not a problem Mrs Granger, we wouldn't look the part without a ring, would we?"

"Harry the ring is beautiful, where did you get it?" Ellen was admiring the ring when Harry finally made eye contact with Hermione and said,

"It was mum's!"

***************

They had the tickets to fly over to France with her parents and were at this time packing their suitcases into the back of Robert's car. They climbed into the back and Hermione couldn't stop looking at the ring and felt she was seriously getting in too deep. This was supposed to be the 'scam of a lifetime' not a brutal slaying of her heart.

She wondered how much she could really take, maybe she shouldn't worry until she got home, she could bury herself in her work and try to forget all these feelings Harry had stirred up in her. She had managed for so many years to keep them under control but the last few months had been more difficult than ever. She felt herself falling more and more everyday.

"A penny for your thoughts?"

"Oh, their not worth that much Harry, trust me."

"Still I want to know," Harry was sitting next to her with his arm around her shoulder since they had gotten into the car and he could feel the myriad of emotions running through his best friend.

He hoped he hadn't crossed the line, but this was it, he had to make these people believe Hermione was engaged to him, even if it meant this might be the only chance he ever got with her. He was nearly 25 years old and had wanted to settle down, and he had his heart set on Miss Granger since fourth year He never dreamed of doing anything since she was with Ron and it wasn't until she broke up and Ron married Luna that he felt comfortable showing her the small gestures.

"Harry, I will take such good care of your mums ring, I promise I won't lose it, I feel so nervous having it. Someone special should have this ring, not me."

"Someone special does have it," Harry mumbled then Robert announced they had arrived at the airport.

They parked and headed out to check in. The flight went by quickly, Ellen and Hermione made up some random details about the wedding so they wouldn't be saying different things.

"Wouldn't it be lovely if this was your real wedding sweetheart?"

"Mother, shoosh, don't even say that, I don't want Harry to try and jump out of this plane, he is doing me a huge favour as it is."

"I know Hermione, but you two have been together for so long, and it was always Harry we loved, not Ron really, he just wasn't for you, he never did those little extras for you like Harry does."

"Mum you need to stop this now, it will only cause you heart ache..." Hermione then thought "I know, trust me"

They arrived in France and were greeted by a personal driver to take them to the Conference Centre. This wasn't unusual for the Granger's as they had travelled all over the world for these functions before and when Hermione was younger she would accompany them, but this was Harry's first time so they wanted to make it special considering he was doing them a huge favour.

The drive took about half an hour and at first Harry thought they were at the wrong place. It was supposed to be a conference centre not a castle. The imposing building sat in the centre of some beautifully manicured gardens with stunning roses lining the long driveway. The grounds had stunning statues and water features scattered along the front. If the front was like this, he couldn't wait to see the back grounds. The driver dropped them off at the front doors and Robert spoke to him in French and the driver unloaded the luggage and left.

"Apparently we have access to a car while we are staying here and it is parked around in the garage" Robert was helping Ellen with her luggage and Harry very discretely restored their luggage to its right size and placed a levitating charm on them. They entered the grand castle and were immediately escorted to their rooms. As Harry and Hermione entered she froze when she saw the large King size bed. The butler was worried something wasn't to her liking,

"I am sorry Miss, does something displease you?"

"No, I am sorry, please forgive my fiancé, it's her first time in France," Harry gave the butler a tip and saw him to the door. He turned around to see Hermione who had the grace to be embarrassed, "I am sorry Harry, I just didn't think..."

"Hermione, you can't freak out like that when your relatives are around, they will see straight through us!"

"I know Harry, I know, I'm sorry I'll be fine," Harry wasn't completely convinced, so he figured now was as good a time as ever to hit her with his next bombshell.

"Hermione you know we will have to do more than hold hands."

"Yes I know Harry but I never thought I would be doing this with you... 'ever!'" Harry decided he had better do this quickly before he lost his nerve.

"Hermione, I am going to kiss you!" Harry walked over to her slowly as he didn't want to freak her out,

"Why Harry?" Hermione whispered her response.
"Because we need to look convincing and fumbling all over each other won't work."

Harry was in front of her now and reached down to take her hands in his. He leant forward and then stopped so all she had to do was come a little bit closer and they would meet. He thought of the kiss in the garage but that felt like it was so long ago. It didn't look like she was going to move closer and he tossed up whether to back away or go for it then he saw her eyes flutter close and she met his lips. It was a chaste kiss just to give her a taste.

He wanted so desperately to grab her and pull her closer to him but he had to take it slow. He pulled back and looked at her face, she still had her eyes closed and her cheeks were red and flustered.

She opened her eyes and stared at Harry, his eyes were so green it was intense. She stepped back but kept his hands in hers.

"Harry I want to tell you something," Hermione was looking over his face for a sign, any sign that would show her he felt the same, but she couldn't see it.

He just looked at her the same way he always did, with the same expression.

"I just want to thank you that's all, you're a great friend."

Her hands fell and she composed herself quickly.

So what did you think ???

thank you for reading guys, hope you like it, we meet the family next da da daaaaa !!!!

Sirius xoxo