Chapter Ten: The Invitation
Anna was expectant after class. She was expecting to see Trent. She hadn't given him a phone number, because she didn't have a phone. She was a witch, after all. She had found that people who you wanted to bump into tended to bump into you if you kept your eyes peeled. So, she was hoping he would show up on campus, mysteriously appearing like he had a tendency to do. After spending a quarter of an hour scanning the pathways from her perch on the bench under the large oak tree, she decided to stretch her legs and cross her fingers. She began making her way to Howie's café when Trent appeared on her left, drawing even with her.
"You weren't waiting for me, were you?" Trent asked, a grin on his face.
"Not at all," Anna said, the perfect mask of sarcasm hidden under a serene tone "just going to grab a bite to eat."
"Oh, well that's a shame. See, if you'd managed to wait a bit for me, I was thinking of taking you to this restaurant tonight, you know, if you'd like to go out with me, but if you're in a hurry…" he now had something akin to an evil grin on his face as a bit of panic showed on Anna's.
Anna rolled her eyes when she saw his expression, but smiled, "I'd love to."
Dinner that night was at a relaxed, but very pretty restaurant. It was a café surrounding the town square, a few doors down from Howie's. The place was friendly and welcoming and had little glass-top tables and an array of vegetarian dishes. Everyone there was in jeans rather than formalwear, and the occupants were mostly university students.
"So, Miss Anna, I know that you're an art student, you live with your sister, and you toured Europe last year. But, despite our cup of coffee the other day I know little more."
"Well, that may have to remain as such for the time being, for I have yet to ask you many questions."
"Hmm. A fair assessment. Go on then, I'm an open book."
Anna looked through the windows to the starlit sky for a moment before asking, "Favorite book. Go."
Trent feigned hurt on his face and put a hand to his heart, "Such a painfully difficult question. How could you be so cruel as to start with it?"
"To make out your character. And no avoiding the question." Anna had an entirely serious face on, showing none of the sarcasm that laced her words. "And don't say the The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants. I would know that you're lying."
"I don't know what you're talking about, dear. I obviously am to manly to have read such books as those. There is no explanation as to why a pair of jeans could fit four girls of such different stature."
Anna grinned, "So you do know of them."
"Caught in my own trap," Trent was grinning now, too. "But in all seriousness, probably Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. It's incredibly deep."
"And here I thought you were going to give me another silly answer, or turn out to be a closeted science fiction junkie," she sighed an exaggerated, dramatic sigh and asked, "I suppose books are a wash for us, then. I read books that make me laugh out loud rather than deep, meaningful ones." She made a face, "I leave those to my sister."
Trent laughed. Anna glowed in response, glad she could make him laugh. "I am curious, you said the other day that you're staying with your aunt and uncle now, while you attend university, but I never did hear where you're from?"
"Well, father lives in the south of France, which is where I went to school up until now, but we're British, he and I. He transferred out there for a job when I was young, right after mum died. I've spent most of my time since then here, with Aunt Amie and Uncle Jon."
"Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to pry," Anna reached for his hand and held it on the table briefly. Trent blushed a bit, but didn't pull away.
"It's okay, it happened years ago. Where did you grow up?"
"Oh, mother and father live in London with soci—their relations. Our family's been there for generations. I went to school here, in Britain, to a small boarding school. It's a relief being at a larger university where not everyone knows everyone else and all their personal gossip."
"I know exactly what you mean."
Hermione got home late after finishing details for Healer Sincok's arrival and getting a quick drink with Anthony and the other healers in her division. All of them needed it to prepare for the new Healer-In-Charge, who was due to arrive tomorrow. As she came in, she noted the house was quiet and saw a note on the counter.
Hermione – Headed out to dinner with a friend, be back late. There's mail for you that you missed this morning. Hope work wasn't too bad. Much love, Anna.
Hermione rifled through the stack, and two things caught her eye: an embossed envelope in very fine parchment and a letter addressed in pink ink and slightly perfumed. Making a snap decision, she opened the embossed envelope first and carefully, straining to not tear the expensive parchment. The parchment she pulled out was very fine, white and written on in detailed cursive set with flourishes.
Misses Hermione Granger and Anna Lane,
You are Cordially Invited to Celebrate with us
The Engagement of
Draco Lucius Malfoy & Asteria Lystelle Greengrass
October seventh, Two-Thousand-Two
7 o'clock p.m., Malfoy Manor
Please Attend in Formal Dress-Ware.
Repondez Si-Vous Plait par 12 o'clock midnight of October first
Sincère, Narcissa Malfoy
Hermione's hand shook for reasons she could not explain as she set the letter down. She would, of course, have to attend. It was incredibly rude in wizarding society to turn down such an invitation. She suspected that the only reason she was invited was because Anna was invited, and to invite only one member of a household was an insult. How inconvenient, since I have sworn to loathe him for all eternity. However, Asteria had seemed nice enough. Perhaps she could brave the night, especially if Anna was there with her.
Putting all thoughts of it out of her mind, she turned to the letter addressed in pink ink. The writing was neat, written in long, curling script. Breaking the seal of pink wax, she saw it was from one of the people she was attempt to not think about.
My Dear Miss Granger,
It was such a pleasure to meet you the other night. I cannot tell you for how long I have wanted to make your acquaintance, after hearing of your not only from the media and the wizarding world general gossip, but from my close friends and relatives, including my fiancée, what a wonderful witch you are.
I know this is very untowards, but I would like to invite you to have tea with my in the upcoming week. You see, I am working on my writing portfolio and am hoping to do a piece on witches in the workplace. When going through the witches who I wish to interview for it, I thought 'what better than one of the youngest and most accomplished healers in the wizarding world, and Harry Potter's best friend to boot?' I would be honored if you would join me, as the piece is meant to be my center article for the samples I am sending to the Prophet.
Also, I hope by now that the invitation to my engagement party has arrived at your cottage. I hope very much to see you and Miss Anna there, as I do dote on her!
Sincerely,
Asteria Greengrass.
Not wanting to deal with anything contained in either letter, Hermione went upstairs and to bed.
The barrage on unwanted mail, however, did not cease with the night. Hermione woke up the next morning to a very chipper Anna and a stack of letters on the table. As Hermione rifled through them, half-listening to an incessant Anna detailing all of last night, she noticed there was a copy of Witch Weekly on the bottom. Hemione help up the horridly pink magazine to show Anna.
"This yours?"
Anna responded without looking up, matter-of-factly, "Hey, every girl has her guilty pleasures. Yours are books. Mine is my once-weekly tabloid." Anna looked up at Hermione grinning, but then made the mistake of glancing at the cover of Witch Weekly and he smile dropped faster than the Chudley Cannons dropped quaffles.
"What's the matter?" Hermione was smiling and turned the magazine around to see its cover. She was looking at her own picture, but her picture was looking across the table at none other than Draco Malfoy. She dropped it back on the counter and saw the flash of that horrid name: Rita Skeeter. Too curious to spare herself, she opened the magazine to read the article.
A Taste for Famous Wizards
By Rita Skeeter
Miss Hermione Granger, long known for her taste in famous wizards, has struck again. She has dated many famous wizards, such as 'the chosen one,' Harry Potter, the internationally famous quidditch player Viktor Krum, successful quidditch coach Oliver Wood and war hero Ronald Weasley, over the years and seems to be moving on to, or back to, her next famous wizard.
Multiple sources confirm that devious Miss Granger was seen yesterday at the renown romantic restaurant Le Petit Chat with none other than the charming Mr. Draco Malfoy. Mr. Malfoy was linked with Miss Granger over six years ago, when an announcement of an engagement between the two was highly anticipated, but never occurred. Mr. Malfoy is currently engaged to the lovely Miss Asteria Greengrass, and the official announcement is expected within the month, but it seems grasping Miss Granger will have none of it.
Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger have been seen accompanying each other frequently in the last weeks, ever since Mr. Malfoy accepted a position on the Board of Trustees at St. Mungo's Hospital, where Miss Granger is a healer. An inside source, however, tells that this is not the reason the two have been together so often.
"It is true they haven't seen much of each other since the war, and Miss Granger had no reason to reconnect with him, since he hasn't seriously dated anyone up until now. If you ask me, the 'working together' ploy is just a cover-up so Miss Granger can spend time with Draco and snatch him away from our dear Asteria before it's too late. You see, she's finally discovered all the other famous wizards of our generation are taken, and sees this as her last chance, no matter how many hearts she breaks along the way."
Our interviewer, who wished to remain anonymous, also stated that Asteria would be heartbroken if Mr. Malfoy was lured into such a trap, and that they will do their best to prevent the advances of Miss Granger. Only time will tell if they can succeed.
Anna, who had been reading over Hermione's shoulder, gave a low whistle, "Been on a date with Draco and you didn't tell your sister?"
Hermione's face flushed as her voice raised, yelling, "I was NOT on a date with Malfoy! We were discussing business, not matter what stinking Rita Skeeter wrote up, you know for a fact that during my fourth year she wrote a horrid piece claiming I broke Harry's heart at the same time as leading Viktor on. Besides that, what happened between me and Draco was years ago, why in the hell would I re-initiate that? It's not like I'm desperate! As a matter of fact, I could date anyone I wanted in the wizarding world, seeing as I'm bloody sidekick of the Chosen One and a full healer to boot; I don't need to choose dates from among the engaged wizarding population…" her rant continued, and contained phrases such as Slytherin, hard work, pureblood mania, evil ferret, scheme of Healer Aaderon, among it, not to mention a brief stint about her not being promoter to Healer-In-Chief when she'd worked for it, and all ending with the particular evil tendencies of Draco Malfoy.
It was a full two minutes of yelling before Hermione realized Anna was in fits of giggles. Her little sister had been joking. When Hermione had calmed down enough, Anna said in a matter-of-fact tone, "Bet you a galleon that the interviewer was Pansy Parkinson. She always was a little twit."
Hermione ruefully smiled, "Yes she was. Do you remember the Battle of Hogwarts? She suggested we hand Harry over to Voldemort. I will never forget the look on Ginny's face."
"Meh," Anna said, "Pansy's got what's coming to her. Her parents announced her engagement last month."
"Really? To who?"
"Gregory Goyle."
And, despite the propaganda, the invitation, the letter from Asteria, the lack of promotion and everything else dramatic in her life right now, Hermione Granger subsided into fits of giggles.