Author's Note: Here's Chapter Eight, as promised! It's rather short, as is Chapter Nine but I do believe that once we hit Chapter Ten the chapters start to get a bit longer. Thank you all so much for your reviews - I thrive off of those lovely little things - and for being patient with Chris not showing up a lot; I couldn't have them meet in Venice and instantly fall in love, now could I? But here's a little secret for all my readers anxious for Chris to reappear...he'll be back in Chapter Ten! And then, I believe, we start to see a lot more of him.

Enjoy...


Chapter Eight:
"Mint Juleps"

Two weeks later, under the cover of night, the girls walked in silence to Hermione's cousin's house in New Orleans. They had Apparated together out of Hermione's apartment and now they were walking the streets. It was about 4:30 in the morning and they had quite a few more blocks to go. Finally, they reached their destination and there stood Hermione's cousin. It was immediately apparent to Ginny and Luna that had they not known she was Hermione's cousin, they would have never realized that the two were even related. She had olive-skin and deep, green eyes. Her hair was a violet-black and held back tightly in a bun, with some strands of hair falling romantically around her face. She was wearing a red tank-top with black sweat-pants. She wore flip-flop slippers and was holding a black cat.

Upon their arrival, Hermione ran up to her cousin and embraced her. The two smiled and her cousin said in a thick southern accent, "Hermione, sweetheart, would you please hold Aphrodite for me. I think I should properly introduce myself to your friends."

Hermione willingly took the cat from her cousin's arms and cradled her in her arms, rubbing her under the neck and chuckling a bit when the cat purred. Her cousin walked up to Ginny and Luna and shook each of their hands.

She smiled a perfectly white smile at them, "Ginny, Luna, it is so nice to meet you. I'm Hermione's cousin, Lorelai."

They then went into the house and sat in the living room, where Lorelai offered them some breakfast, "Anyone want some Gumbo?"

Hermione laughed, "Gumbo? For breakfast?"

Lorelai laughed, "Sure! Why not?"

Hermione smiled, "I wouldn't want to trouble you with making Gumbo this early in the morning."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all…I have some leftovers from last night."

Hermione glanced at the clock and saw that it was now 5:15. If they left at eight, as they had planned, they would have two hours and forty-five minutes for visiting, which included plenty of time to eat.

"I'd like some, if that's alright," Hermione said, "But I don't know if Ginny and Luna will like it, they've never had it before."

Ginny spoke up, "It's worth a shot, I'm up for trying something new. What about you, Luna?"

"It sounds dreamy."

And so, Lorelai went into the kitchen and gathered some Gumbo in some bowls. Hermione led them into the dining room, where a fire was burning in the fireplace. Lorelai placed the bowls and spoons on the table and then returned to the kitchen. When she came back, she was, somehow, carrying 4 glasses of tea.

"Y'all just haven't lived 'til you have some of my southern tea."

Hermione smiled, "Yes, you're tea is absolutely delicious, but don't forget to warn them how sweet it is."

"It's not that sweet…Oh, well I suppose if you're not use to it, then it is."

They all laughed and ate their breakfast and drank their tea. Then they all returned to the living room and watched the television, much to the great amusement of Ginny and Luna. As an added treat, one of the television channels was playing a show where people who hunted ghost went to Oak Alley Plantation, which they would leave for in one hour. After the show went off, Lorelai gave them the needed money and keys to a spare car and wished them a good trip, saying that she'd see them in the morning. And so they set off on the one hour trip to the plantation. Luna and Ginny seemed intrigued by the mechanics of a car and Hermione couldn't help but find it quite comical. They were very amused by everything that each button could do, every knob and and even the simplistic glove-compartment.

Finally, they arrived at Oak Alley Plantation. The gorgeous, antebellum plantation sat behind a row of twenty-eight, three hundred year old oak trees. They checked into the bed and breakfast, set all their things into their rented cottage and then agreed to take the tour of the mansion. It was quite fascinating. Every room was like a work of art, every fact a riveting novel. Hermione yearned to live in a home such as this, to relish in its beauty each morning. But, alas, all good things must come to an end and their tour was over. They then went to the plantation's restaurant and ate a magnificent lunch. At the restaurant, they were able to order a pitcher of Mint Juleps to be sent to their cottage.

When they returned to the cottage, sitting on the living room table was the ordered pitcher. Hermione smiled and poured each of them a glass, which they all gladly received. After the cups had been downed, Ginny's face lit up with an idea.

"Let's make this more interesting. We should add some Veritaserum to the pitcher, place a spell on the pitcher so that it refills itself and play a game of shots."

Hermione and Luna agreed and they began the game. Luna was the first one to loose the game of shots, chose truth, and was forced to reveal something that she had never told anyone before.

"In third year, I secretly fancied Malfoy."

Hermione was shocked and laughed. Ginny exclaimed, "It's always the quiet ones!"

Hermione was the next to loose and she chose truth as well, "In fourth year, Viktor and I were intimate once."

Ginny asked, "So Viktor Krum, internationally renowned Quidditch player, was your first?!"

Hermione nodded and Ginny laughed, "Blimey! Why is it always the quiet ones?"

All the girls laughed and played again. Ginny lost next and chose truth. Hermione asked, "Why is everyone picking truth?"

Ginny and Luna shrugged, then Ginny revealed, "I might be pregnant, and Harry doesn't know yet."

Luna swayed and sighed dreamily, "That's lovely"

Hermione laughed, "Then you probably shouldn't be drinking."

Ginny looked at the glass in her hands and said, before downing half of its contents, "Probably not."

All the girls fell back laughing and continued playing into the late hours of the night.