Harry knocked on Hermione's door an hour later, she answered the door. "Should I start making dinner for everyone?" He asked.
Hermione shook her head with a smile, "We call Sunday, take out Sunday in this house. If you're hungry I can show you where the snacks are."
"That would be great," Harry said relieved.
Hermione led the way into the kitchen and showed him the snack locations. "On the counter are some fruits, in the fridge there is a drawer of veggies. We are allowed to have those snacks any time that we want." Hermione grabbed herself a carrot and bit down. "As for these snacks. They are only for special occasions like movie and game night. You're more than welcome to have anything in the fridge to drink and the water in the sink is potable. Sorry, we don't really have much sugary things here."
Harry widened his eyes, "You're telling me that I can have a snack whenever I'm hungry."
Hermione frowned, "Of course, you're in the Granger house now, you won't be hungry anymore. That reminds me, we should do something special for your birthday! What is something you would like to do?"
"Your family doesn't need to do anything special for me."
"Of course we do, you're one of us now." Daphne entered the room, "Here look." Hermione turned to Daphne, "I think we should do something special for Harry's birthday, what do you think?"
"Yes, we need to have cake! Do you like pizza Harry? I love pizza." Daphne gushed.
Hermione looked pointedly at Harry as if to say see. "I've always wanted to go to Godric's Hollow. You know to walk around and to see them."
Hermione nodded, "I think that is something we can definitely do." A knock was heard on the door. "Mom," Hermione yelled.
"I'll be ready in a minute." Lyra shouted back.
Hermione rolled her eyes and checked the time. Muttering to herself, "Dammit." then asked Harry, "Ready to start your chaperone duties early?"
His only reply was a nod, and grabbing an apple on their way to the front door. There was another knock. Hermione smoothed her skirt and opened the door, smiling at the man who stood on the front steps. He took her hand and placed a kiss on it. When he straightened he handed Hermione a red rose. "Hello, Viktor. Come in, we are just waiting for my mother to finish getting ready." Once sitting in the living room Hermione introduced Harry to Viktor. "Viktor, this is my godbrother Harry. He will be one of my chaperones this season."
"It is nice to meet you Mr. Potter." Viktor shook Harry's hand.
"It is nice to meet you too. I know you from somewhere, I just can't place my finger on it." Harry responded.
"I live in England part time, maybe we have passed in my time here."
"That must be it." Lyra then entered the room.
"Hello Viktor, it is so nice to see you again. I hope you and your mother are well." Lyra greeted.
"They are, thank you." Viktor nodded.
"We missed you at the ball last night. Was everything okay?"
"Yes, I just decided to work late. I did not realize Hermione would be there. Should we go for coffee?"
"Yes, let's." Hermione said with a smile.
Lyra turned to Harry and Daphne, "My husband will be home in an hour. Can you guys behave until then?" They both nodded before Daphne grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him upstairs.
Hermione, Viktor and Lyra then went down the street to the local coffee shop, ordered coffee and sat at two different tables. As Hermione and Viktor sat at a table next to the window. They discussed their families, their studies, their hopes for the future.
They found that they had similar family backgrounds but where Lyra had married a squib, Viktor's father had married a muggle-born. She found out that his family was responsible for international wizarding trades for all of Bulgaria. When she asked if that was something that he would like to do he simply responded that he wanted to continue with his current job until he decided to retire. When she asked what he did for work, he skillfully avoided the question by asking her if she was as afraid of flying on a broom as she was of flying on a plane. She giggled and said yes forgetting what she asked in the first place. It wasn't as if Viktor was hiding what he did from her, but he wanted to get to know her before she learned what he did for work.
"I was impressed to see that you had skipped two levels of your magical education in today's society pamphlet" Viktor complimented.
"I took the OWLs before I went to Istanbul this summer. I'm entering my sixth year."
"If you don't mind my asking, how old are you?"
"Chronologically 15 in September, magically 17 in December. And how old are you?"
"I just turned 17 two days ago."
"I thought you were entering your sixth year too." Hermione said perplexed.
"Durmstrangs birthday cutoff is in June. I am one of the oldest in my year."
Hermione nodded in understanding. "What are your goals for after graduation?"
"I hope to continue with my current position, but if not, I hope to become a potions master or become a healer. I have learned alot about healing salves and practices and find them fascinating. There is an up-and-coming shop that is starting communications with my family's company. They sent over some samples and there was one salve there that is marketed as an antidote for one of their prank products, but completely clears bruises within an hour. I told them that they should market them as a bruise salve as well. I ordered a case of them already for my sports team."
"You play sports? So does Harry. What position do you play?"
Treading carefully he replied, "I am a seeker."
"So is Harry, you guys should talk about that Wonky Faint thing. Harry's been working on his for a while now."
He laughed "It's a Wronski Feint. I would love to talk about it with Harry. It is one of the moves I am known for."
"You're known are you? Don't you hold yourself in high regard." She teased before taking a sip of her coffee.
He smiled back, "Better to have pride in my abilities and work on my faults in the background."
"And what faults may that be?"
"I'm lazy on a day off, I can't boil water, I'm a momma's boy, too ambitious, and according to you I have too much pride"
"How can I respect a man who can't boil water I wonder?" She leaned forward, "It's a good thing you're cute."
"Now we must speak of your faults"
"If I must… Anything to do with flying I'm hopeless, I cannot play chess to save my life, I read too much, and I am too analytical. Are you sure you want to be seen with me now?"
"There is no such thing as reading too much." He pushed a strand of her black hair behind her ear, "Yes I am sure, you are my rose after all."
She blushed at the intimacy of the moment and straightened up. "I think it best to let you know what I am looking for in a match to make sure that we both want the same thing."
He straightened, "Okay, where shall we begin."
"Politics. I am friends with Harry Potter, my father is a squib, so I am not looking to join a family of conservative purebloods."
"My mother is muggle-born. Continue."
She nodded, "Security. As my father is a squib, during the upcoming war he will need added protection."
"My family home in Bulgaria has a Fidelius Charm on it. It would both be out of the country and a safehouse."
"Pride. I wish to continue my studies; I do not want to be a stay-at-home subservient wife."
"I would not expect you to. If you are okay with letting me do what I want to do for work, why would I not allow you to do the same."
"Time. As you know I am magically 16. I hope to be contracted by the end of next year's season before I graduate. Would that be too soon for you?"
"Traditionally, it is the other way around. The man is the one who tries to pressure the girl. I am asking for courtship now and if we confirm our compatibility then we can discuss the contract when the time is right. We are still young. I do not want to pressure you into marriage. When a contract is written the marriage needs to happen within the year."
Hermione nodded, "A war is coming here and I'll be in the center of it. I need to be sure that my family is protected no matter what."
"Even if we are not contracted and still in courtship when that happens, then I can do what I can to protect them the same that I would protect my mother."
"Is there anything that you need to ask me."
"My brother's wife has a blood malediction and because of that she cannot have children. I am his only other sibling. That means my first born would be the heir to his company. Do you want to have children in the future?"
"Yes I do, but with the war…" she replied shocked.
"You're a survivor, I see it. Even if you don't." He lifted her hand to his lips. "You have alot to think about, how about we walk you home."
She nodded and signaled to her mother. Lyra joined them at the door and they walked back to the house. At the door Viktor kissed Hermione on the hand, handed her another magic-ed red rose, bowed to Lyra and walked to the nearest apparition point. All the while he cursed himself for asking about children so soon.
Back at the house Lyra and Hermione sat with her lists. Hermione updated the list with Viktor's information:
Absolutely not: Neville, Fred and George.
In the running:Krum, Zabini, Davies, McLaggen, Diggory, Wood, Lynch, Boot
Respectability: Diggory, McLaggen, Zabini, Wood, Davies … unknown Boot, Lynch, Krum
Chemistry: Zabini & Krum, Wood, Diggory, Davies, McLaggen … unknown Boot, Lynch
Trustworthiness: Krum, McLaggen, Wood, Diggory, Davies, Zabini … unknown Boot, Lynch
Hermione felt her gut clench. "There is one more list we need to make." She turned to a blank page and began writing.
"What's this list for?" Lyra questioned. Hermione closed the notepad and walked away wearily. This was one thing that she had not considered when she accepted the change in her appearance to occur.
Lyra picked up the pad and flipped to the new list. This list was not ranked.
In need of an heir: Krum, Zabini… unknown Wood, Diggory, Davies, McLaggen, Boot and Lynch
Lyra paled in understanding. When she was in the process of selecting her match, she was named the Jewel of her first season like her daughter. She was happy enough to know that she did not need to have an heir for her family, but it was of deep concern to her knowing that many of the men that visited looked at her as if she was the prized trophy wife. Many expected that she would be barefoot and pregnant before she turned 17. That was why she was so relieved when she fell in love with Hugh, there was no pressure. They were just happy. It saddened her that Hermione felt the need to make this list. She was a child and here she was deciding the rest of her life.
The doorbell rang interrupting her thoughts and she got up from the sofa to get the delivery food that was waiting on the other side of the door.