Chapter 2
Hermione spent the next week or so finishing off her unpacking and decorating various rooms in the house. The living room was originally very dark, with crimson walls and walnut trimming. She opted for a cream colour for the walls which had a nice contrast with the wood – it made the room much brighter and when her parents came for a brief visit, they praised her on the beautiful job she had done on the house.
It was now the middle of June, and Hermione had just been painting the veranda a light brown. She sat down lazily on the bench swing – a gift from her parents – and stroked Crookshanks between the ears as she bathed in the afternoon sun. She was just drifting off into a light snooze when a handsome tawny owl came swooping down and held out its leg to Hermione. Crookshanks hissed menacingly at the bird but it only ruffled its feathers haughtily in return, not fazed by the large ginger fur ball.
"I wonder who you belong to, handsome," Hermione murmured to the owl, taking the letter and opening it carefully. The content of the letter destroyed her dreamy and relaxed state, and she made Crookshanks run off into the bushes as she stood from the swing abruptly. Running into the house, Hermione cast the letter aside onto the kitchen table and hurried to the fireplace.
"Grimmauld Place!" she yelled, and her head span as it travelled to where the Potters resided.
Ginny was sitting calmly at the table writing a letter to her mother when Hermione's panicked voice broke the silence.
"Ginny, please come over right now. I have to show you something," she begged, her voice sounding strangled. "I have no idea what to do!"
"Okay, I'll be there now!" Hermione cut the connection and got to her feet, returning to the kitchen to fetch the letter in order to show Ginny. She was utterly confused.
Ginny arrived in no less than ten seconds and she took the letter from Hermione's outstretched hand. She read it aloud.
Miss H. Granger,
I am inviting you to attend my annual Summer Ball held on the 27th July at my home. It will begin at four o'clock in the afternoon, and finish at two. Formal attire is to be expected, and you may bring a partner if you wish.
I eagerly await your reply,
D. Malfoy.
"Is this it?" Ginny asked, looking slightly disappointed.
"What do you mean, is this it?" Hermione snatched the letter back and stared at Ginny affronted.
"Well, it's not that big a deal. I thought the answer would be quite obvious." Ginny shrugged and sat down on a kitchen chair. "Go."
Hermione's mouth opened and closed like a goldfish and she spluttered, shaking the letter in her hand. "Wh…Gin, no, why?"
"Why not? It'll be fun and you can get to know him better." Ginny smirked.
"What are you trying to say? Look, I know he was nice to me last week and everything, but that doesn't mean he's suddenly Mr. Nice Guy."
"How do you know? This could be him trying to start over, y'know, get back in everyone's good books." Ginny pointed out, and summoned some parchment and a quill with her wand. "Here, say you're going."
"Now that's just crazy. I only just got the letter – how eager would I look then?" Hermione pushed away the parchment and glared at it sullenly.
"So, you're going to go?" Ginny raised her eyebrows and flicked it back over again. "Chop, chop, he hasn't got all day."
"Gin, I'm serious, I can't do this." Hermione sighed and looked imploringly at her friend. "It'll be so weird and I have nothing to wear and have no one to go with."
"Hermione, you can. And we can go shopping or you could borrow one of my dresses, it's not a problem." Ginny picked up the quill. "I'll write it for you."
"No!" Hermione reached out and took the parchment before Ginny could write. "I'll do it." She added quietly after a hesitation. She began to write slowly, unsure of what she was about to commit to.
"Well done, Hermione, you'll have a great time. Why don't you ask Ron to go?" Ginny suggested, beaming.
Hermione snorted and finished the letter. "Yeah, Ron won't go in a ten mile radius of him. I don't think I'll take anyone, actually." She added as an afterthought.
Ginny fell silent and pursed her lips before asking tentatively. "What happened … between you and Ron?"
"It just wasn't working, Gin. We both drove each other up the wall and everyone expected us to be together, so we did but I just knew it wasn't going to work for long." Hermione sighed and shook her head, folding up the reply to the letter.
"I think he may still have feelings for you, though."
"I doubt that, he was the one who initiated the break-up conversation." Hermione replied with absolute certainty. "Do you have an owl I could borrow to send this?"
Ginny nodded and stood up, accepting the change of subject. "I'll send it off for you if you want." She went back into the living room to stand by the fireplace.
"Ah, thanks, that'd be great if you could." Hermione hugged Ginny tightly. "Sorry for being stressy earlier, I just didn't know what to do."
"Its fine," Ginny laughed. "We have to organise a shopping trip too – got to get you a dress for the ball!"
Hermione groaned and shoved Ginny away. "You choose where to go, I have no idea."
"Ooh, thanks, Hermione!" Ginny beamed and took some floo powder. "I'll contact you soon! Bye!"
Hermione watched her friend disappear before collapsing onto the sofa tiredly. What on earth had she just agreed to? She checked her watch and noticed it was almost time for dinner. Forcing herself to her feet, she went into the kitchen and began to prepare some food.
A few minutes later, there was a tap on the window and Malfoy's owl had returned. That was quick, she thought, slightly impressed. She opened it and the owl fluttered onto the sill, once again holding out its foot. Hermione's fingers were fumbling as she tried to untie and open the letter, and she wondered why she was so nervous all of a sudden. She read the letter twice before exhaling and feeding the owl a treat before sending it back to its owner.
Hermione,
Absolutely delighted that you can come. See you then!
She stared warily at the letter for a moment, before turning back and making her food. A part of her admitted that she did secretly want to go, but another part was reluctant to go near that man again. She wondered what he had been up to for the past three years. Had he really changed like Ginny suggested he had? What had become of his parents? Hermione remembered hearing, not long after the war had ended, that Lucius Malfoy was to serve only a short sentence of about six months in Azkaban for his involvement with the Dark Lord. Harry had protected Narcissa from suffering the same end, by explaining that she had – in a way – saved his life by lying for him. She expected that Draco Malfoy probably had some unearthed respect and gratitude for Harry, and maybe, just maybe, that was shining through when he helped her the other day. Perhaps he felt that this was repaying the favour.
If so, why hasn't he invited Harry to the Ball? Hermione frowned as she finished cooking her scrambled eggs and shook them from the pan and onto her toast. As she sat down, the cogs in her head were still whirring. Something Ginny had said made her think too. Did Ron still actually like her? Her best friend seemed genuinely serious when she had muttered the confession, and Hermione didn't know what to do. Of course, she didn't know for certain that it was true, so confronting Ron was out of the question. She would see how things panned out. Besides, she was off to Hogwarts in September – he had the whole summer to gather his Gryffindor courage and admit whether he liked her or not. But if he did, what would she do? Getting back together, Hermione knew, would be wrong, oh so wrong since it completely failed the first time. However, she would feel awful if she turned him down. But was it better to just be honest than to lead him on.
Hermione groaned and let her head fall into her hands. Her brain was about to explode with all her thoughts buzzing around.
Too lazy to get up, Hermione waved her wand and cleaned the dishes before going into her bathroom to get ready for bed. She was feeling tired and felt like snuggling under the covers to read a book. She stared at her reflection in the mirror before brushing her teeth and undressing – tired, brown eyes gazed back at her framed by thick lashes. Her hair was still fairly bushy like her school days, but slightly more controlled; the honey coloured waves falling just past her shoulders. She noticed a bit of paint from earlier hiding under her chin, and rubbed furiously at it with the flannel before washing and jumping into bed.
The next couple of weeks or so seemed to fly by as her friends came and went to visit the new cottage. When Ron finally came over, Ginny's statement popped back into her head and she found herself analysing Ron's body language and speech. She tried to dismiss the thought of his attraction towards her, but every time he grinned or laughed at whatever she said, she wondered if it was because he liked her. For goodness sake, Hermione, stop acting like a little girl. He's allowed to smile at you – he's your best friend! She had thought angrily to herself as she had said goodbye to him.
Now, as Hermione showered and got dressed, her stomach lurched with a mix of excitement and anxiety – today was the day she was to go dress shopping. Her red-headed friend had owled her the previous week saying she had found a little shop in Diagon Alley, perfect for occasions like the Summer Ball.
She threw on some casual clothes and checked her watch before apparating to the Leaky Cauldron where she was to meet Ginny. She arrived in the stuffy Inn, despite it being ten o'clock in the morning, and greeted Tom cheerfully. She spotted Ginny hovering by the back door, avoiding eye contact with an already drunk man in the corner.
"Gin!" Hermione, hurried over with a smile and they both went through the back door. Hermione tapped the brick and Diagon Alley revealed itself to them once more. "So, where's this place then?"
"It's near the entrance to Knockturn Alley, which is a little alarming, but it's a cute little shop!" Ginny amended quickly, seeing the look of horror across Hermione's face.
"Right, okay, good." Hermione breathed a silent sigh of relief as they wandered through the busy, cobbled street. "I've got some shopping to do, actually. Would you mind if we did that after we get the dress?"
"Yeah, sure, I do too. We could go for a coffee somewhere too – maybe Florean Fortescue's?" suggested Ginny as an afterthought.
"Yep, sounds great. Oh, is this it?" Hermione had stopped outside a pale blue fronted shop, with Rose Evening Wear stamped across the top in gold letters. The shop window had two long evening gowns and white roses adorned the window sill.
"Yep, Fleur actually recommended this place to me. I think it's her best friend's sister who owns the place or something." Ginny pushed open the door and they entered into a bright, airy shop floor with racks upon racks of expensive clothing.
"Gin, I don't know how I'm going to afford this," Hermione muttered, checking the price of a jet black ball gown and blanching.
"Don't worry, we'll try and get mate's rates." She assured her with a chuckle. "If not, I'll lend you some money. We want you to look gorgeous on the 27th."
Hermione frowned. "That's not fair. Oh my goodness!" She suddenly squeaked out, clamping a hand to her mouth. "That's in two weeks! How's the time passed so quickly?"
Ginny shrugged and turned to the assistant who had approached them with a smile.
"Hello, what can I do for you?"
"Hi," Ginny said confidently. "Hermione here is going to a Summer Ball in two weeks and we're looking for a dress."
"Ah, of course, we've just had some stock in. Is there anything specific you were looking for?" The young, blond assistant turned her permanent smile to Hermione.
"Er, I'd like something fitted and flowing, y'know, like silk." Hermione replied with much less confidence than Ginny. She barely did this sort of thing and had no idea what she was looking for.
"Okay, we have some dresses over here…"
The next couple of hours were a drag to Hermione; Ginny picked up dress after dress for her to try on, and none of them were perfect in Ginny's opinion.
"How about this one?" Hermione stepped out of the changing cubicle for the sixth time and gave Ginny a quick twirl.
"Nope." Ginny pushed her back in straight away, with not so much as a glance at the dress. She turned around to face the assistant who was looking tired. "Do you have anything teal coloured? I think that colour would look gorgeous on Hermione."
"Let me see," the assistant hurried off and returned a couple of minutes later with a shimmering dress. "This literally came in earlier this morning – we haven't had time to put it on display yet."
"Sounds perfect," Ginny took the dress from the assistant excitedly and passed it to Hermione through the gap in the curtain.
"Ooh, I like the feel of this one," Hermione cooed from inside. She wriggled out of the crimson dress she had on, and felt the silk material as it slipped through her hands like water. It glided over her head easily and she let it fall to the ground, a little train stretching out behind her. "I like this a lot, Gin."
Ginny's head poked through the gap and gasped happily at her best friend's reflection. "You look hot."
The teal coloured dress was simple. It was, as Hermione wanted, fitted but flowing with a plunging back which came down to her waist. The halter-neck created a pretty neckline and the dress fit her beautifully.
"How much is it?" Hermione dared to ask, preparing to cringe as Ginny fumbled with the price tag.
"It's not on there…" she disappeared for a moment and then the shop assistant's head materialised.
"It's 95 galleons. Sorry, we hadn't priced it yet." She eyed Hermione up and down. "It looks great on you by the way."
Hermione tried to work it out in her head. She had quite a lot in her bank, but 95 galleons worked out to be about…£410. That was a lot for a dress. Hermione sighed. Was it worth it?
"You never splash out on yourself – this is the time to do it." Ginny tried to persuade her from outside the cubicle.
"Gin, I don't know …" Hermione wailed.
"Hermione Granger, buy that dress right now. If you have the money, obviously." She added, laughing quietly to herself.
"Wait, you're Hermione Granger?" the assistant asked, her eyes widening. "Goodness gracious, if I had known … oh do forgive me for being so ignorant! You can have the dress for half the price!"
Hermione opened the curtain to face the assistant, bemused. "Look, it really doesn't matter-"
"No, no, I insist. You'll have it for half the price. In fact, I'll sell it to you for forty. Forty galleons!" The assistant babbled, scurrying around waving her wand to clear up the mess of dresses. "Forty galleons it shall be! Oh, dear me, Hermione Granger in my dressing room and I didn't even notice!"
Ginny was stifling her laughter as Hermione turned back around to undress. Well, being famous did have its perks.
"Do you want to come round for dinner tonight, Hermione?" Ginny offered as they wandered back to the Leaky Cauldron. After purchasing the dress for a wonderful forty galleons, Hermione and Ginny spent the rest of the day traipsing around Diagon Alley for things they wanted. They recognised some familiar faces from their Hogwarts days, and when they sat down at Florean Fortescue's for lunch, Lavender and best friend Parvati sat right down beside them on the next table. They had a good catch up and had arranged to meet up before Hermione went off to Hogwarts in the September.
"Oh, yes, Gin, that'd be lovely – thank you." Hermione smiled tiredly and yawned. "I'm shattered!"
"Me too, it's been a long day." She checked her watch. "Oh my word, it's almost five o'clock! Better get back quickly to start cooking."
They quickened their pace and took the floo from the Leaky Cauldron, straight back to the Potter's house.
"Ah, I was wondering where you'd got to! I was going to suggest having a cheeky – Oh, hi Hermione!" Harry said quickly, his cheeks glowing gloriously as Hermione smirked at him knowingly.
"Yeah, tell me later, hon." Ginny rolled her eyes at her husband. "Hey, why don't you invite Ron over for dinner too?"
"Yep, I'll do that right away, be back in a minute!" Harry squeaked and rushed out of the room, still embarrassed.
"Ah, that'll be nice to have Ron here as well," Hermione beamed and set down her bags before helping Ginny prepare the meal.
Ginny nodded, washing her hands. "And it'll also be a good time to tell them where you're going on the 27th of July."
Hermione sighed and inwardly cringed. Ginny was right; she had to tell the boys soon. She couldn't hide this from them, and it wasn't such a big deal anyway. She could just mention it casually, slip it into the conversation. The thought suddenly made her stomach lurch, and she pulled a face.
"What? You know you have to. Harry will be fine about it, don't worry." She added breezily.
"Yeah, but what about Ron?" Hermione questioned weakly. "He's not going to be pleased."
Ginny turned to face her, a long, sharp knife in her hand. "Hermione Granger, you are a grown woman. You are twenty one years of age – you can make your own decisions without running them by Ron first. If he doesn't like it, well, he'll have to grin and bear it." She pointed the implement at Hermione's face before beginning to chop up some salad.
"Right, whatever, I'll tell them at dinner."
"Tell us what?" Harry came back into the kitchen followed by the gangly, red-headed Ron.
"Never you mind!" Hermione replied too sharply and her male friends recoiled at her tone. "How do you know it's even about you?" She asked, wriggling her eyebrows playfully, trying to make up for the previous harshness.
"Because we're the only ones having dinner with you, silly!" Ron strolled over to Hermione and enveloped her into a great hug, and she inhaled the familiar smell of her best friend.
"Oh fine. But I'm still only telling you when we eat." Hermione smiled sweetly up at him. "Wow, I swear I haven't seen you for ages!"
Ron chuckled and released her from his grasp. "I saw you last week, Hermione, it wasn't that long ago. Aww, are you developing a soft spot for me?" He added teasingly, pouting his lips.
"Oh shut up," Hermione reddened, "You know I'll always have a soft spot for you."
Ron grinned at her. "Good."
They made dinner quickly and all sat down to eat with a glass of wine. Everything was going smoothly, and Hermione hoped that Ron and Harry had forgotten her earlier promise. But, alas, they had not.
"So, Hermione, what did you want to tell us?" Harry asked, leaning forward and staring at her expectantly.
Three pairs of eyes swivelled round to face her and Hermione glanced at Ginny, begging for help. She just shrugged in return and went back to her food.
"Fine." Hermione took a breath. "Basically, Draco Malfoy has invited me to his Summer Ball … and, I'm going."
There was silence.
"Is that it?" Ron asked, frowning. "I thought you were going to announce that you were pregnant or something."
"Oh, well, I …" Hermione faltered. "I didn't realise you'd both take it so well. I was expecting an onslaught of questions as to why I was going."
Harry shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Have fun, Hermione. When is it?"
"27th of July – two weeks today." Hermione replied, still in a state of shock.
"Do you want one of us to come with you?" Ron asked, puffing his chest forward. Hermione almost laughed.
"No thanks, Ron, I'll be fine." She smiled, pleased at the way they had responded. Maybe it wasn't going to be so bad after all.