A/N: Hello there and thanks for the faves/follows/reviews! I am so glad you guys liked the first chapter. To my guest reviewer "the editor", thanks for the funny and extremely useful review! Dialogue is the thing I am struggling with most (and this new chapter is full of it) but I've made some adjustments here and will go back to fix a few things in the previous chapter. Now, let's get to it.
The following Saturday Hermione and her father were invited to dine at Weasley House. Sir Arthur Weasley, their closest neighbour after Minerva, was a baronet of scarce means with a large heart and an even larger family. He and his wife, Lady Molly Weasley, had seven children, all of them still unmarried. Hermione had known them since she was little, and was particularly close to the youngest two, Ronald and Ginevra, the latter being the only girl. Mr. Granger and Sir Weasley often went hunting together and enjoyed discussing politics. Mrs. Weasley, a perfect countryside mother hen, had taken Hermione under her wing since her mother's passing. Mrs. Weasley not so secret ambition was to make Hermione officially a Weasley through marriage, and now that Hermione was the right age, she had been moving along with her plans. She was aware that Ronald had taken a fancy to the young lady, but he was younger than her and not at all suitable. A fine lad like Percy – her third oldest – was a better fit for Hermione. Hermione eyes and desires, however, laid somewhere else.
Hermione smoothed her dress while watching the countryside run outside the carriage window. It was a short ride to Weasley House, and she spent this time wondering if he would be there. Hermione had fancied the eldest Weasley boy, William, since she was ten. The infatuation had been quite strong at the beginning – she still blushed at the thought of the pages and pages she wrote about him in her diary – and although it had somewhat lessened during the years, Hermione still unconsciously waited for the day he will finally notice her.
William was not a boy anymore: at twenty-five, he assisted his father in running their properties and tried to balance the family's delicate economic status. While studious and responsible, he had a rebellious streak in his personality, which he manifested by sporting long, mostly unkempt hair and a pierced lobe. Hermione still remembered the endless reprimand that the latter had gotten him from his mother. He had been twenty at the time and had just returned from his travels on the continent. Now, five years later, Lady Weasley' worries for her eldest son had somewhat lessened, for he continually proved himself to be a good, sensible man. However, he still wasn't married and there was no engagement in sight. Hermione knew how much the young ladies admired him, although not many liked him enough to look past his boisterous family and their dismal financial status. In those embarrassing diary entries Hermione had passionately argued that one's economic misfortunes should never stand in the way of love, and while she now understood the world better, she still believed that if William would ever ask her, she'd be his without a second thought. Her father would understand.
While she was lost in these thoughts, the carriage had passed through the gates of Weasley House and was now pulling up to the entrance. Hermione saw Ginny waiting for her and smiled.
"Hermione!" cried the younger girl, waving. Hermione got out of the carriage, followed by her father, and ran towards her. The girls hugged as though as they hadn't seen each other in years, although it had been less than a week.
"I have so much to tell you" whispered Hermione linking her arm with the girl's and moving toward the house.
As soon as they were inside, Lady Weasley descended upon Hermione with a motherly hug and a string of coos and questions about her health.
"Leave the poor girl be, mother, you're suffocating her", said a voice from the staircase, and Hermione's eyes went immediately after it, finding William looking at the scene with a half-smile. She smiled nervously over Lady Weasley' shoulder and looked away. The matron finally let her go and they all moved to the parlour. There Sir Weasley sat reading the paper and immediately stood to greet Hermione and Mr. Granger. The other Weasley children where otherwise occupied: Ronald was playing a game of chess with Percy – and utterly defeating him, Hermione was sure – while Fred and George, twins, were whispering between themselves, probably plotting to leave dinner and run to town. At seventeen, the twins were still every ounce the rascals Hermione had met years before. They smiled and waved in her direction. Ronald instead rose from his place and greeted her with a warm smile and a nod, while Percy stood and addressed her formally.
"Good evening, Miss Granger", he said. Ronald and Hermione glanced at each other barely containing a chuckle at the young man's pompous manners.
"Good evening to you, Percy", answered Hermione smiling. "Is there really need for these formalities? We have known each other since we were children."
"Now that you are officially out into society it would be advisable for all of us to maintain our distance, in order not to compromise you", Percy answered with a pointed look at Ronald, who was now red in the face, trying not to laugh.
"How sensible of you, Percy", replied Hermione with mirth, «although I am sure that I am in no danger of being compromised here. We are family, after all". With that, she bowed slightly and left the boys to find Ginny. She saw her in front of the fireplace talking to William. The siblings stopped conversing when she approached them, and William smiled when he saw her.
"Oh Hermione, save me! Ginny was pestering me about my trip to London. I have arrived all but this morning and she has already asked hundreds of questions!" he said, bringing a hand to his heart and feigning pain.
"What about?" asked Hermione glancing timidly at him.
"Fashion, mostly. London season has just opened and I am eager to know every detail about this year's debutantes!" exclaimed Ginny. "But mostly I am interested in what has our dear William so restless and distracted", she continued, narrowing her eyes at her brother.
William grimaced at his sister, visibly flushed. "You have always been too observant, dear Ginny. There is in fact some…thing. However, you will have to wait for me to speak to our father."
Hermione blanched. Could he possibly mean…? "Oh, do tell us more!" exclaimed Ginny gripping her brother's arm. "You will see", he murmured shaking his head and the turning to Hermione.
"Apologies Hermione, my sister's insistence has made me forget my manners, but now I am able to focus on you. How are you?" His charming manners did little to cure the feeling of dread taking space in her chest, and she barely managed to answer in a level tone.
"I am very well, William. I dare not ask you about your health for it is evident that you exceptionally well, and though I am as curious as your sister about the reason behind that, I will refrain from asking" she replied, silently thanking Minerva's insistence on excellent conversational abilities in any circumstance, otherwise she wouldn't had been able to form such a long, witty answer.
"You always had the sharpest tongue" commented William smirking at her answer. Then Lady Weasley announced that dinner was being served, and the company moved to the dining room.
Hermione's mind was still trying to decipher the reason behind William's secrecy that she failed to notice Lady Weasley' manoeuvres to sit her beside Percy, together with Ronald's rueful glance at the seating arrangement. Instead, her eyes went not so subtly to William, sat at his father's left. Dinner began and Lady Weasley launched herself in a detailed retelling of some thing or another that had happened in town, involving her husband and Mr. Granger in the conversation. Hermione felt Percy shift slightly next to her.
"The Malfoys are hosting a ball Friday next. Are you going, Miss Granger?", he asked, looking at her from above his glasses.
Knowing that correcting the fastidious miss Granger would only be a waste of time, Hermione ignored it in favour of answering. "We received the invitation three days ago, although my father and I aren't in their most intimate circle. It would be disgraceful not to go."
"And it's the season's opening ball! We cannot miss it!" enthusiastically explained Ginny from her place in front Hermione.
Percy snorted. "I still don't agree with mother. Bringing you out into society before any of us is married is entirely inappropriate" he said, frowning at his sister.
Ginny made a face at her brother. "You can't blame mother, Percy. She said that because I am her only daughter, she wouldn't wait for the six of you bachelors to get married before she gets to enjoy seeing me out» she said. «And who knows, maybe I'll find a husband before any of you gets engaged" she added, giggling. Percy went red at his sister's teasing and mumbled something about impertinence.
"I am sure there will be plenty of young girls to court at the ball" said Hermione trying to appease Percy.
"Plenty of gentlemen, too", added Ginny, "although I am sure that every girl will be looking at the young master of the house. Rumours say that he's become quite handsome, and he will inherit his father title and the Manor" she added, looking pointedly at Hermione.
"While I admit that he is quite a catch for any lady, Draco Malfoy is not yet of age. Surely his father will send him to the continent for a year or two before finding him a bride", replied Hermione, "and I'm sure that when that will happen, she would be nothing less than a peer's daughter."
"You're always so rational, Hermione! Let a young girl dream, would you?" complained Ginny ruefully.
The subject of Draco Malfoy brought the dark figure of his preceptor to Hermione's mind.
"Speaking of the Malfoys… did you know Draco has a preceptor?" she asked Ginny, her voice now lower.
The girl blinked. "Almost every young man our age has one, but how is that relevant?" she asked.
"Nothing too important, of course", said Hermione hastily. "I happened to meet him some days ago at the librarian's, and the owner told me about him. He was quite rude and barely acknowledged me." Hermione wanted to confide to Ginny about the man's mysterious walks and about the flowers, but that wasn't conversation to make at dinner, where everyone could her them.
"He does seem quiet rude" said Ginny frowning. "Perhaps he thought you just a little child," she reasoned, "don't let it bother you. I am sure that when he will see you at the ball he will realise his mistake!" she added, looking knowingly at her friend. Hermione hadn't realised that if the ball was hosted at Malfoy Manor, then of course the young master's preceptor would be present. She suddenly felt tense at the thought. She was about to tell Ginny that perhaps he wouldn't show himself when the sound of someone loudly clearing their throat interrupted the conversations going on around the table. William had stood up, red in the face, waiting to get everyone's attention.
"What is it, dear?" asked Lady Weasley.
"Father, mother. I have an announcement to make. During my recent trip to London, I got acquainted with an enchanting young girl. I intend to marry her: I have already asked her father's permission to formally court her, and I would like to have both your blessings" said William, not even stopping for air and staring straight into the opposite wall. Lady Weasley' face lit with understanding and she beamed at her son.
"Oh my dear, dear William! How long I have waited for this day!" she said, immediately producing a handkerchief from her breast and dabbing at her eyes. "Tell us about her, dear. What is her name? How old is she? Is she respectable? Oh but of course she is, you wouldn't have chosen her otherwise."
Sir Arthur had remained silent, but nodded encouragingly to his son. William went from red to pale in a moment.
"She is respectable indeed, mother", he began, "while not titled, her father owns a large estate with numerous tenants. Her mother is of respectable origin to." He avoided his mother's eyes while he spoke.
"And who are they? Do we know them? Where are they from?" pressed Lady Weasley.
William took a deep breath. "They're French. The young girl name is Fleur Delacourt."
Chaos ensued.
"A French girl?" shrieked Minerva, spilling some tea from her cup. Hermione had gone to visit her the day following the disastrous dinner at Weasley House and told her about William's exploit.
"Indeed", replied Hermione briefly.
"Has he gone mad? Have all the girls in valley, all the girls in London suddenly disappeared that he had to turn to a French girl?"
While Hermione's secret hopes – and admittedly some of her pride – had been crushed by the man's declaration, she still couldn't be spiteful toward him. "Don't be so harsh, Minerva" she said. "It's a love match, the girl is respectable and her family has lived in London for years now. There is no real impediment but her nationality!" she said a little too vehemently.
«I am sure that it is a love match" replied Minerva, "however, France is still the enemy, and the Blockade has been compromising our country stability for years. The Weasley family credibility is already compromised by their financial status: a French daughter in law and future Lady Weasley is not going to help", she added, shaking her head.
"Her family is well-off. The Weasley' finances will only benefit from their union."
Minerva sighed. "I guess so. But I apologise darling, for the shock made me momentarily forget about you. How are you feeling? I know you have a… predilection for the man" she said, looking at her protégée who was avoiding her gaze. Hermione stood up, walked to the window and sat at the sill, sighing.
"I had no real prospects of catching his attentions, let alone of marrying him. It was a child's fantasy, nothing more than that" she replied, stoically fighting the tears welling up in her eyes. Minerva eyed her silently from her armchair. "It'll pass, my dear girl", she murmured. "One day you'll wake up and the weight you now feel on your stomach will feel lighter, and you will be able to breathe freely again. Trust an old woman." Hermione finally looked at her and smiled. With a final deep sigh, she removed herself from the window and resumed her place in front of Minerva.
"Let us talk about something else", she said. "I have it in good faith that our mysterious gentlemen will be at Malfoy's ball…"
A/N 2.0: A few notes. This story is set in the early 1810's, and at that time Britain was struggling because of Napoleon's continental blockade (an embargo of sort). That's why everyone is so upset at Bill's choice. Also, this is a Snamione story so don't worry, Hermione won't be pining for William for long. I just wanted her to be interested in someone else before Snape and I needed a little world building. Next up, the ball at Malfoy Manor and plenty of Snape (and others!) for you. Thanks for reading!