Draco and I bid goodnight to each other sometime around one thirty in the morning. We would have stayed longer, but I was just as tired as Draco. I was asleep before I hit the bed, I was hoping I could be tired enough not to have nightmares. It was a petty wish.
There is a cloaked figure in my living room. In my living room where my parents are sitting on the couch and I am frozen on the stairs in shock. I don't need the figure to take off his hood to know who it is, no one else made daylight seem black and a house in summer feel frozen.
The Voldemort is in my living room, pointing his long black wand at my parents. They don't seem to notice, they are still watching and discussing the things that are happening on the charmed tv. I was suppose to send them to Australia before this could happen.
"Leave them alone!" I shriek and try to move, but I am now literally stuck on the spot. All Voldemort had to do was send a nonverbal, the spell is too easy for him to waist the effort of speaking. "Please, leave them alone, they don't know anything. They can't give you any information on Harry."
"Oh, but Mrs. Granger, I know that," The cold voice says. "But you do. You know where Harry Potter is hiding, or will be hiding, you know everything about that boy that I need to know."
"I'd never give Harry away, I'd rather die."
"That can be arranged, but first let's have some fun shall we?" Voldemort steps forward, with his wand now pointed at me. "Cru-" In a flash his wand hand whips away from me and points towards my parents, "-cio,"
"NO!" I scream, and then I'm put under a silencing spell.
Both of my parents fall to the floor, and because of my elevated position on the steps I can see them over the couch. They both scream in agony, withering around on the floor so much that the tv falls on top of my father, making blood appear across his chest and on his head. This makes Voldemort laugh, a piercing laugh that would have sent chills down my back if I could move.
I am helplessly watching my parents get torture in front of me. And it is my fault. I wanted to spend the summer with them before the war really started. I knew there were Death Eaters trying to find them and they were getting closer, but I wanted to be with my parents, I wanted to spend time with them before I wipped their memory. This was going to be the day I did it, why did Voldemort have to come now. Why couldn't I have been stronger.
The spell is lifted and my parents lay on the ground sobbing and calling out to me to help them. I want to reply, I want to tell them I'm here, that I love them, that I'm sorry. I can't speak or move though, I'm helpless.
"Where is Harry Potter's safe house?" Voldemort asks, but I shake my head in defiance, tears escaping my eyes. I don't look at the snake disguised as a man, but stare at my parents. "If you won't help me then. . ." From the corner of my eye he raises his arm again. "Avada Kedavra."
no! please no! I shout in my head as I watch the green light hit my mother.
My father screams my mother's name and then goes back to pleading with me. He doesn't seem to see Voldemort in his cloak.
"Hermione, why aren't you helping me? Why are you letting your parents get hurt? Do you not love us?" Wendell asks me, screaming the words.
"Yes, Mrs. Granger why are you letting your parents die in front of your eyes?" Voldemort asks me. Tears are pouring down my face and I can feel a frozen sob in my stomach that is beginning to hurt. "You can save your father though, I will let you both go free. Just tell me. What is the Order's plan?" I finally move my eyes back to the cloaked figure. I stare into the black hole where Voldemort's head is. I glare at him with the most malice I can form with a frozen face. "Oh yes," The silencing spell is lifted, and before I can form words, the sob escapes my lips and I'm overcome with tears and uneven breathing for a minute. "There there Mrs Granger. Just tell me the Order's plan and this pain will all go away."
I take a deep breath and look at my father, who has tears in his eyes too. "I love you," I whisper towards him, before looking back to Voldemort. "FUCK YOU!" I shout out, spitting in his direction because that is the only thing I can do.
"Tsk tsk tsk," Voldemort says, "Too bad, well not really." Green light hits my father and then before I can mourn his death, the Green light takes over my vision and heads towards me.
"NO!" I scream, sitting up straight in my bed. The concrete of the dream makes me have to sit up higher to make sure the edge of the bed isn't hiding the Granger's dead bodies.
The room is still dark and my silencing charm is still in place so no one is coming in my room. I am alone in my room at the Zabini's, ten thousand miles away from the Grangers.
I throw the covers off of me and sit on the edge of my bed, leaning my elbows on my knees so I can lean my head on my hands to get rid of my red and tear-stained face. When I've calmed down a bit more, and have taken several deep breaths to help convince me it was just another nightmare, I reach towards my nightstand and turn on the lamp while grabbing my phone.
It is a good thing I only call Monica and Wendell, or else my phone bill would be huge with all of these international calls.
One ring, Two ring,
"Briar, how are you? It's late in London isn't it?" Wendell picks up.
"It is, but I'm at the airport right now, in Sydney," I lie.
"Really! I didn't know you were coming back after just a week, that will bring terrible jet lag," Wendell says, I can hear commotion in the background. "Monica is here, she wants to speak to you,"
"Um, ok," I reply,
"Here she is…"
"Briar, dear are you alright?" I smile at my mom's voice, a tear falling down my cheek.
"Fine," I croak out.
"You don't sound fine, why don't you come over for dinner before going back to your apartment," she pauses and then continues with a lowered voice, "I'm assuming Phillip is not with you?"
"No but -" I say, knowing what she is probably thinking.
"You don't have to explain anything to us, honey. Just have a meal with us and then you can do as you please."
"Ok," I sigh, she makes everything seem simple. "I'll be there in an hour or so,"
"Ok dear, we'll see you then," Monica hangs up first. I put the phone down next to me on the bed and breathe deeply, rubbing my face again.
Seeing the Wilkins will be great for my mental health, a little bit of normal for Briar and Hermione. I know I can just floo to my apartment, and then disapparate to their house, it'd take five minutes, including me getting dressed. I just don't know how I'll get back to the Manor. What I told Blaise a few hours ago was true, I don't plan on leaving the Zabini's yet. Besides I'm sure there are side effects saying I need to be close to Draco often which is why he is staying here. Why he called this place a jail.
I stand up from my bed and throw back my curtains to look down on Circe's garden and see the moonlight hitting the flowerbeds. It is a beautiful sight that I know Circe is proud of. As I watch the water come from the fountain in the middle, I see a figure walk up to it and lean against it. The figure is not cloaked and the moonlight makes their hair look more white than blonde.
I step away from the window and walk into my closet to get dressed into warm, muggle clothes. After brushing my hair and putting shoes on, I grab my jacket and open my door quietly. In the hallway I take down all remains of my wards and walk past Blaise's door on my tip toes. Once I know he won't wake up I hurry down the stairs and into the living room. Draco is still by the fountain, so I open the doors and walk towards him.
"How did I just know someone was going to bother my peace even though it's three thirty in the morning?" Draco asks, not even turning around to figure out who it is disturbing his peace.
"Because life sucks and when you don't want it to suck, it sucks more," I tell him, walking around the fountain to face him. He seems surprised I am the one doing the disturbing. "I would ask why you are up, but then you would ask me."
"I'm asking you anyways," Draco replies, standing up and crossing his arms. "Why are you up? And dressed like you are leaving?"
"Because I am,"
"You're really bad at sneaking out if you came to tell me that you are," Draco says, joking with a serious face. "You told Blaise you were going to stay."
"And I am," I tell him. "I'm only leaving for the night, he won't even notice I left if you do as I ask." He just gives me a look, leaning back against the fountain again. "I need you to come get me later, I still can't come here unless I go to the Manor and I can't go there unless -"
"I'm with you."
"Exactly," I say, putting my hands out in front of me. "So you'll do it?"
"This will be early won't it?"
"I don't care what time, you come up with it, but if it's past the time Blaise wakes up than its you making up stories and lying, not me," I smirk, I didn't know I had planned as much as I actually have.
"Seven, it will give me a few more hours to sleep, and then a few more before Blaise wakes up." Draco tells me, looking bored now and tired.
"Perfect. I'll meet you...?"
"Leaky Cauldron I guess," Draco stands up again and begins walking away. "See you when I wake up," He waves behind his head as his goodbye.
"Thank you!" I shout, rolling on my tiptoes to shout it to him because his long strides made him more than halfway to the door already.
I watch him through the glass run a hand through his hair as he walks up the stairs and then disappear behind the corner. Counting to ten, I walk back to the Manor and to Felix's study. I am no longer sure if Felix even uses his study now, or if it brought back so many bad memories there is another one he uses now. The fireplace in the study is alight still, the flames glowing green. I take a handful of powder from the miniature cauldron hanging from a snake statue's mouth, and step into the flames.
"Briar's Apartment!"
The living room looks abandoned with the curtains drawn to cover the light from the windows and dust covering everything. It's only been a week though, even if it feels like a life time more.
I look at the clock in the kitchen and see I still have time before it'd be an acceptable time to arrive at the Wilkins house. I take off my jacket and fold it before placing it on a chair in the kitchen. Taking out my wand from my back pocket, I cast a cleaning spell through the house and watch as the house cleans itself. Phillip taught me the best cleaning spells.
The broom begins sweeping the kitchen, with the mop following behind to clean the tiles. All the dishes in the dishwasher make their way to their right places in the cupboards. There aren't any dirty dishes so the dishwasher closes itself. In the living room I see that all the dust has vanished and the cushions are fluffed. I lean against my front door and watch my home clean itself.
"I love magic," I whisper as all the cleaning supplies clean themselves and then put themselves away. The clock now read four fifteen, still enough time to turn into Briar and brush my hair.
Walking to the bathroom, I point my wand at myself and change into Briar as I walk. Blonde hair takes over my brown and the massive curls calm down and appear fake they look so nice. I'm beautiful in all three forms, and Hermione will forever be my favorite, but Briar really is gorgeous to the extent that people notice right away. Maybe Aurora is too, Circe is at least, but I've never really looked when I am her.
I brush my blonde hair for a second to make me feel better and waste a little more time before walking to the doormat. I can disapparate anywhere in my apartment, but it makes me feel better to disapparate by the door, it feels more muggle.
*pop*
Phillip and I found an abandoned house a block away from Monica and Wendell apartment complex a few months ago. On the outside it still looks run down and about to break, but we stabilized the floor boards and walls one night. Now there is one room that you can't see through the holes in the walls that we fixed up. It is our room to disapparate and apparate to without anyone seeing us. The only thing we have to be careful with is teenagers that might be sneaking around, or nosy neighbors that will watch us go in and not come out.
As I make my way down the stairs I look out a covered window to see that no one is out walking around. I jog to the apartments and by the time I reach the Wilkins' I'm a little sweaty but just enough that I can blame it on a cab. Before I can knock on the door it swings open.
"Briar!" Monica says, stepping out and hugging me, "It's great to see you, dear. How is Phillip's mother doing?"
"She doesn't like being in the hospital," I reply, glad I could tell the truth about something.
"Oh no one does, it's not as homey as your home and not nearly as nice as a hotel," Wendell says, coming into view in the doorway as Monica releases me. "Come on in, we threw together some pasta. I suggested going out, but Monica insisted you wouldn't want to."
"It's fine," I say politely. "I'm sure it will be just as good as restaurant pasta."
"Come in, we don't want it to get cold!" Monica pushes me inside the tiny house and towards the kitchen. "I'm surprise it didn't take you longer to get here with rush hour."
"You and Phillip always manage to beat the traffic, don't you?" Wendell says, and I smile.
"It's all in the timing and route." I take a seat at the round, wooden table. Monica sits next to me, and Wendell across from us.
He begins to serve the both of us the amount we ask for like he had when I was little. He begins to boast about the pasta, (like it is really hard to make pasta) and Monica and I tell him it is amazing offhandedly to make him feel better. After Wendell puts pasta on my plate I notice we don't have drinks so, without asking, I go to make some for the three of us.
"Oh thank you, sweetie, I guess I forgot those in the rush to set the table," Monica says, standing up and putting water in the cups I had already filled with ice.
"No worries," I croak out, one tear escapes, but I brush it away before either of them can see it. "So how have the two of you been?"
Monica picks up two cups and I pick up the last one. She begins telling me about a few customers at their dentist that are worth mentioning. Another boy bit Wendell's finger and another had to come back twice because the first time he was crying so much no one could look at his teeth. There was only one mention of an adult patient and it was Monica telling me about an old man, maybe seventy, who was flirting with her.
"Oh he was so sweet, and only had a few teeth left," Monica laughs closing her eyes and tilting her head back a little. "All were clean though."
"Did you get his number?" I ask jokingly.
"She did," Wendell laughs too. "I saw him write it on the back of a card."
"Competition appearing for you, huh Wendell?"
"Yup, but she threw it away." Wendell leans over and kisses Monica on the cheek.
"Don't know why, he looks better than Wendell will when he's that age." Monica winks at me.
"Just without the teeth. I don't think Wendell will ever be able to live without his precious teeth." I joke. Only as Briar could I ever joke with my parents about their occupation. As their daughter I couldn't.
We finish eating and sit in the living room to talk some more. The first few times I had come to spend time with the Wilkins as Briar, it was hard to be in the living room without thinking about how I failed to bring back their memories. Slowly I got use to it and made happier memories in the living room that took the place of that one. Now, however, I'm thinking about the day and how I can't talk to the Grangers about my problem, only spend time with the Wilkins and act like everything is ok.
"So where is Phillip, Briar?" Monica asks gently.
"Oh he wanted to stay with his mother. I'm only here for today honestly, I have a flight tomorrow. I just wanted to check on the store and our house. And of course see you two." I lie.
"You can just ask us, we won't mind checking on everything. It will be terrible coming here and then going back."
"It's fine, Monica." We talk for a while longer until I look at the time and see it is almost seven. "Well I better go. I don't want to impose longer than I already have, and I'm tired."
"We love having you here, Briar," Wendell says. "You can never impose."
I stand up from the couch and hug them both. "I love being here," I whisper to them. "I'll see you. . .soon, hopefully."
"You just call me and I'll go check on your place ok?" Monica says as she releases me and walks me to the door.
"Ok," I smile at the two of them one last time before turning away and Monica closes the door. A tear runs down my face as I walk away but I'm still smiling.
Maybe the Granger's are gone, and Hermione no longer has parents because she wasn't suppose to ever exist. But Briar has parents, Briar has the Wilkins.
No one is in the bar when I arrive, which I am thankful for because the lone tear has now become a steady stream down my face that I can not stop. I want it to stop though, I feel like I have cried too much this week. I've mourned the Grangers twice now, and I'm still mourning over my loss of the right to choose. I have to stop this, I can't mourn the Grangers anymore, I lost them more than a year ago. I can't mourn my right either because I am going to get it back.
"Hermione?" Someone whispers and I turn towards one of the back tables, where Draco and I had sat, and see Draco stand from a chair.
He looks worried about me. His eyebrows are knit close together. The corners of his lips are turned down more than his usual expressionless mask. When he stands up he keeps one hand on the table, leaning his weight on it.
I take a quick breath through my nose, like a gulp through the nose. I hold it in my lungs two seconds as I gather my thoughts enough to keep my dignity. "Come on, I want to get back before they realize we are gone."
"Are you alright?" Draco asks, stepping forward.
"Fine." I walk up to him and grab his forearm. "Let's go." Without a reply I feel the familiar pull of side-apparation. I open my eyes and another tear manages to fall without my consent because of my small moment of uncertainty as we appear in Malfoy Manor. We aren't as close to the fireplace as we were the last time we apparated here. Draco probably hadn't been concentrating. I don't speak to Draco, only fast walk to the fireplace and grab a handful of floo. I help myself into the fireplace, and yell out "Zabini Manor."
"I would ask where the two of you have been, but I know Draco only left to go get you."
I step out of the fireplace and look at the desk to see Blaise sitting behind it, looking tired. His hair is messed up more than his usual bed hair, suggesting he had done that because of nerves. Behind me the flames ignite green again and Draco stumbles out. "Blaise," Draco gasps.
"So Hermione, where did you go? Or was Draco bringing you back because you made a promise that you broke?" Blaise's voice doesn't crack, but the amount of emotion in it hurts.
"He didn't bring me back, I asked him to pick me up. I made a promise, and I thought you trusted me when it came to promises." I can only manage to be mad at Blaise because of this in the state of mind and feeling I am in.
I walk out of the office, leaving both men speechless. Unlike what I want to do, I walk to the library. Inside I begin the research I need. Last night, or a few hours ago I guess, Draco and I only spent the time gathering the books we need and me organizing them. Now all that is left is reading and taking notes on all of them. I am starting with the A's and he with the Z's, both of us going to go through the whole alphabet of research books to double-check one another. It feels like how muggles do activities in Libraries.
Arranged Marriage is the first one and I have several rolls of parchment on each desk that we are to take notes with.
Working always makes my mind go numb, and it does now. So much that I don't notice time passing. It's not until a plate clatters in front of me that I realize I am hungry at all.
I grab a piece of toast from the plate and look up to Draco looking down at me. He still looks slightly worried, but most is now masked with indifference. "It's ten o'clock, everyone waited for you to come to the dinning room up until thirty minutes ago." I look down, feeling ashamed I kept everyone waiting.
"I wasn't paying attention to the time," I say, knowing it is an excuse.
"Doesn't matter. You wouldn't have come anyways," Draco says, making me raise my eyebrows at his tone. Maybe the worry is gone. "You'll have to forgive him for whatever you have against Blaise or the rest of the family. None of this is their fault." Draco walks away and heads towards the Zabini books.
"I know."
We work and eat in silence. I'm continually scratching notes on my parchment, and Draco is always turning a page. When it comes lunch time, Draco has his house elf bring both of us a plate of food.
"You can go, Draco," I tell him as he hands me a plate and we walk towards the fireplace. "I don't mind eating alone."
"I'll go when you do. I don't like seeing any of the Zabini's upset, and you not being there makes them upset," Draco says, sounding accusing.
"I know," I whisper again.
Draco sits down on the couch across from me and puts his plate on the table in front of him. "It doesn't seem like you do. They have been looking for you, worried about you for over a year. And then you agree to stay here with them, a blessing to them, but you ignore them and hate them."
"I don't hate -" I start.
"Then show it! Merlin, I can't even imagine what Blaise is going through. If Lyra ever came back to -"
"Lyra?" I put down my plate too. I sit up straighter and look right at Draco. "I didn't know you had a sister."
"Because you weren't suppose to," He snaps. "She was kept a secret to protect her, no one knew who she was aside from my parents and I. Of course that didn't last as long as I hoped because Death Eaters started to live in our house."
"Where is she?" I whisper, already having an idea.
"She was born two years before I went to Hogwarts," Draco ignores the question completely, flinching at it. It is not a topic he wants to discuss, but is anyways. He looks away from me towards the fire. His back is slouched forward as he leans on his knees in obvious exhaustion. "She had my mothers curls and father's eyes. Blonde and blue eyes, completely gorgeous. Smart too, father taught her to read by the time she was five, of course that was before the Dark Lord came back. She was an accident in Lucius's eyes and began to treat her as such as his old habits began to come back, but he still treated her better than those with different blood."
"An accident?" I ask, trying to tread cautiously on this subject.
"My Grandfather wrote my parent's marriage contract, and it made for a lot more contact than I'm hoping ours has. All around I'm hoping ours is as little like theirs as it can be. After they had me, Mother was hoping the contract's side effects would ease up, but after a few years it started up again. In my grandfather's and my father's eyes, Lyra was a backup plan. Not in my mother's and I's eyes though. She was perfect to us," He pauses and looks back to me. "We kept her a secret as long as Lucius would allow, but eventually Bellatrix revealed her to the Dark Lord and she became our weakness."
"Oh no," I gasp.
"I had to do as I was told to keep her and my mother alive and safe. After sixth year both were tortured while I was forced to watch. It wasn't as bad as it could have been if Snape hadn't made a deal with Professor Dumbledore without anyone knowing. It was during the war, when the Dark Lord was frantic to find something, when everyone was on edge and trying to impress him when things got much worse.
"You'd think I would blame you, or your friends, or even myself for what happened, but I don't. It is one of the moments that I knew right away only lay on the Dark Lord's shoulders. And if not him, than my father's" He takes a deep breath and his eyes glaze over as he remembers. His eyebrows are knit together again, but no longer in worry, now in thought. If he wasn't as put together as he always is, I am sure he would be crying. I want to be crying too because of his story and the feelings in his words. "It was the night that the three of you got away. I was freaking out about your time with Bellatrix so much that it didn't even register in my mind that I had done something wrong in the Dark Lord's eyes too. So later in the night everyone in my family was called down to the drawing-room, your blood was still fresh because of Bellatrix's spell. He made little Lyra stand there. With his wand he froze the three of us and began sending curses to Lyra." He stops here and one tear drops that disappears quickly as he looks away from me again. I stand up slowly and move to him, sitting next to him and taking his hand. "He killed her after looking at me and telling me it was my fault. If he hadn't had done that, I might actually think it is."
I want to say something, to comfort him farther than just holding his hand, but a simple sorry doesn't work in this situation. It never works when we are talking about Death, honestly. I say the only thing I think he wants to hear. "I'll try harder to get to know the Zabini's. I promise to stop wanting to make them feel bad because I feel bad. And I promise to try to accept Aurora more than I have." He looks back and there is no trace of tears now, but he still looks distraught. "For Lyra."
"For Lyra," he repeats, in a whisper. I nod, and slowly move my arms around Draco's torso. He tenses up like I had last night, but relaxes after a second as I hug him for comfort. He places an arm around me to hug me back. My head fits in the area between head and chest so perfectly that Draco places his head on top of mine. "Thank you," I pull away and smile at him.
"No need to thank me," I reply and stand up. "Fauna." The little elf, that I had begun to take a fondness to, appears. "Will you clear these plates for Draco and I, please?"
"Of course, Mrs. Hermione." She snaps her fingers and the plates along with herself disappear.
"Back to research?" Draco asks, standing up too.
"You don't have to if you don't want to." I reply, giving a small smile.
"Of course I do. We have to stop this marriage somehow." He grins and walks back towards the end of the alphabet. As I walk to the beginning of the ABC's, I think about how odd it would be for a muggle to listen to our conversations with no background knowledge. These kind of things almost never happen to muggles nowadays.
~~~
Hermione,
Some of the Weasley's have an idea what is going on with the Zabini's. Those of them who don't know you are here. They all want the whole story and you to come to dinner. I don't know about Ron but he mentioned a letter?
You can't avoid this one, I can't even avoid it. One of them are always with me, aside from Ginny I mean. They're getting restless.
Dinner, and it's either going to be at the Burrow with Ron, or at the Manor with the Zabini's. Im not having them at my house again after what George did at Christmas.
Reply to this quickly, for my sanity's sake
Harry.
I read what Harry wrote on our parchment. He is up to date with everything going on, except for the contract, but that isn't something I am going to tell Harry over our parchment or in front of the Weasleys.
Ron or the Zabini's. If it wasn't for Draco that choice would probably be harder, but for now it isn't.
"Hermione?" Someone calls from the doorway that was left open when I came back from the library a few minutes ago. I recognize the voice to be Blaise's. "Dinner's ready."
"I'm n-" I catch myself and turn away from my half written reply to Harry. "I'm coming, just let me finish this letter to Harry." I smile at Blaise and can visibly see him relax. He smiles gratefully and turns away.
I finish my letter to Harry, giving him my answer. I then stand up and walk out. "Huh, so you really are coming then?" I look back to the space next to my doorway and see Draco leaning there.
"I made a promise didn't I?" I reply, he rolls forward to stand up and joins me in walking to the dinning room. We don't speak as we walk, but I don't mind, I am trying to get my thoughts together. Inside the dinning room everyone is silent when we enter, but Circe smiles at the two of us as we sit down. "Hi Circe," I smile back at her, in the corner of my eye Draco smiles too.
Her eyes grow wide when she realizes I spoke to her, and then she smiles wider. "Hi Hermione."
The food is served and everyone is smiling. I don't look up much, but when I do I try to smile at Felix and Blaise because the both of them are the only ones who still look like they are worrying. "Felix?" I call as I take a bite of my pasta.
"Yes Hermione?" Felix says, still looking worried. The self-hatred was in his eyes even though I am trying.
"Do you know the Weasleys?" I ask, Blaise looks at me oddly and Draco snickers under his breath.
"Yes, of course I do. Why?" Circe glances at him but Felix continues to keep eye contact with me.
"I'm very close with most of the family, and close enough to all of the family that they have an idea what continent I have been living in," I explain, although he probably already knows this. "I have only seen Ron since I got back, and that wasn't intentional. I am wondering if I could have dinner with them tomorrow or Wednesday."
"You don't have to ask us, Hermione." Circe says, although Blaise sighs next to me.
"Oh yes, I know," I smile at her and then at Blaise.
"Then why ask," Blaise mutters angrily. I had promised him not to leave this week as much as last.
"Well, I was wondering if I having dinner with the Weasleys could mean the rest of you having dinner with them too," I say slowly, letting that sit in. The Weasleys aren't exactly close to the rest of the pureblood society.
It takes one minute for someone to react. Besides Draco who is trying to cover his laugh.
"We'd love to!" Circe exclaims. "They will come here of course! I'll put together a wonderful menu for the elves to follow. How many Weasleys are there now exactly?"
"Twelve at the moment," I reply, trying to hold back a laugh at their reactions.
Circe's eyes widen.
Felix chokes on his drink.
"Weasel's do tend to have lots of babies," Draco laughs at his joke.
"TWELVE? We're having twelve Weasley's in our house?" Blaise exclaims, looking like he is going to start hyperventilating.
"No, of course not," I laugh. "Ron won't come. Percy and I are not very close so he, his wife, and child won't come. Charlie is in Romania at the moment. Also, if Bill comes, which I doubt, his wife will stay home with the new baby."
"That leaves four," Felix says, trying to cover his sigh.
"Yes and I count Harry as a Weasley," I say.
"Of course, it doesn't matter the number, we have room for anyone you want us to meet, Hermione." Circe says.
"It means a lot to me."
Circe reaches across the table and takes my hand. "It means just as much to us. I'm very excited to meet them." I smile gratefully at her, and release her hand to continue eating.
"So how are the weasels?" Draco asks, smirking.
"Draco," Blaise says.
"Old habits die hard."
"Then lets see how they react to you," I comment, giving him a look.
The rest of the dinner I tell the Zabini's and Draco about the Weasleys laughing at some of the memories while also being serious about certain topic to not bring up. Circe is practically glowing with how happy she is, and I feel the same. At the end of the dinner Circe talks to me about the food, clothes, and other preparations needed. I tell her I'll help her all day tomorrow just to get away and go to the library. Draco beat me there.
"Good job, you're good at acting," Draco says, not looking up from his table as I pass.
"It wasn't acting. It was either they come here or we go there and Ron meets everyone. And I have to spend time with Ron. I'd rather stay here." I continue walking and hear Draco say:
"Poor Weaselbee has made his way to the bottom of you list, huh?"
"Hopefully not rock bottom." I mutter and sit down at my table.
So near the ending I was writing while watching basketball, and you can probably tell. If you can't great. If so maybe this will lead you to critic it :)