A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! I know you are getting antsy for them to realize their feelings, but...c'mon, I can't make it too easy on them! You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates and answer questions. Huge thank you to SynnDagger for beta reading this chapter!
Please let me know what you thought of chapter eight and be on the lookout for chapter nine tomorrow!
Hermione hadn't really expected her relationship with Marcus to make much of a splash in the press aside from the initial interest when they were first reported to be together. She never understood what was so fascinating about her that made people buy enough tabloid papers to warrant continued stories.
To say that she'd underestimated the level of interest she and Marcus would generate was only too obvious when Hermione woke up to find a small unflattering picture of herself on the corner of Witch Weekly while doing her weekly shop.
Sighing to herself, she knew she shouldn't, but she picked up the magazine and added it to her cart. Even though she was certain that it was going to be nothing but nonsense, Hermione couldn't help but find out what sort of awful rumors the journalist du jour was spreading. Embarrassed to even pay for it, she avoided the clerk's eyes when she totaled up Hermione's purchases, then hurried home to read about it in the privacy of her own home.
She was barely able to put her shopping away before slipping into her kitchen table and paging through the glossy magazine until she found the story about her. Hermione gasped when she saw what was inside - a photo of one of the rooms at the hotel and promises for details about the romantic weekend they'd had.
Flushed and annoyed that this was now public information, Hermione poured over the text. She was mortified to read that they had spent the evening half-naked, eating chips and drinking champagne. Immediately, her heart sank when she realized that someone had clearly overheard them on their way to the Hag's Head.
Hermione couldn't remember seeing anyone familiar hanging about, but she was no longer naive enough to believe that there weren't any unregistered Animagi skulking around, like Rita Skeeter.
A corner of the page was dedicated to the details of Marcus's new Quidditch contract and the positively eye-watering sign-on bonus he'd gotten.
"Well, he didn't say it was that good," Hermione mused to Crookshanks. "Maybe I should get him to buy me something."
Marcus looked serious in the picture as he shook hands with his new manager, Theo Mason. There was another picture of Marcus with his friends - Warrington, Montague, and Pucey - purportedly from the night before, celebrating his new team.
But what made Hermione gasp in outrage was the suggestion that she was only after Marcus for the contract that he'd just signed!
"Merlin's beard!" she said, furiously putting the paper down. "It's not like we haven't been dating for over a year. Not to mention, I was obviously with him before the contract was signed."
Crookshanks was not impressed and answered with a simple meow.
"I know we aren't really dating," she argued back to her far too intelligent cat. "I just mean...well, Flint wouldn't have even gotten the bloody contract if it wasn't for me being attaching myself to him!"
Realizing how silly it sounded to argue with a half-Kneazle with no real opinion on the matter, Hermione shut the paper and stood up from the table. Knowing that Marcus probably wouldn't be available for a Floo call, if the picture from the night before was anything to go by, Hermione penned him a quick heads up about the story and decided to post it on her way out.
Hermione couldn't focus on petty gossip when she needed to get ready for Ginny's bridal shower; she had promised to arrive a bit early to help Mrs. Weasley and Lavender set up. Retreating to her bedroom, Hermione slipped into her floral dress and cardigan combination that she hoped wasn't too summery. She knew that it was September now, but she wasn't exactly sure what else to wear to the party.
Once she was pleased with her appearance, she grabbed her present and her note to Marcus and made the short walk to the post office, where they would be able to owl it for her. From there, she walked to the Apparition point and in a quiet crack was on her way to the Burrow.
As she had grown to expect, the Burrow was in complete chaos when she arrived. Utensils in the kitchen were furiously cooking, even though the woman controlling them was in the living room, shouting directions at her sons on how to arrange the furniture.
Hermione found Ginny right away, looking radiant in a smart white dress, watching the scene with a smirk on her face.
"It's been like this all morning," she said, clearly amused. "Mum keeps going back and forth on which way she wants the divan. You'd think she was the one getting married."
The brunette did her best to hide her smile, knowing that it was said with affection. "You're her only daughter," Hermione reminded her friend. "She is just excited for you."
Once the furniture seemed to be in an appropriate formation, Hermione stepped forward to try to take control of the situation. "This looks perfect Molly," she said warmly. "Now, don't you think we should send the boys away so we can get to decorating?"
Percy and George looked grateful, but Molly was less enthused about Hermione's gentle suggestion. She sniffed once, her mouth in a tight line. "I suppose," she conceded eventually. "If you'll excuse me, I'll just be in the kitchen."
Hermione's stomach twisted uncomfortably, wondering what she'd done to warrant such a cold welcome. But she couldn't think about it too much when the guests were set to arrive soon. "Where's Lavender?" Hermione asked Ginny, thinking that it would be easiest for the three of them to work together.
"Still getting ready upstairs," Ginny answered with a roll of her eyes. "She invited herself over to get ready together, but she wasn't much help to me."
"Oh," Hermione replied, that odd feeling twisting in her stomach once again. She felt a little hurt to know that she had been left out of a bonding moment with Ginny. Then she reminded herself that Ginny and Lavender were going to be sisters-in-law; Hermione was never going to be a Weasley and she would have to get used to being left out of some of these family moments. While she was a close friend, she was glaringly not family.
The truth stung a bit and made her eyes water, but she blinked the tears back before she could cry. It wouldn't do to ruin Ginny's day.
"Hey, I certainly didn't invite her," Ginny promised, stepping in close and dropping her voice so as not to be overheard. "If I'd known..."
Hermione cut her off before anything else could be said on the matter. "Don't worry about it, Gin," she said. "Now, shall we get to work separating the flowers?"
She walked over to the massive mound of perfectly white hydrangeas from the Weasleys' garden to distract herself. Filling the mismatched assortment of vases with water, Hermione began to put the bunches of flowers into the vases before arranging them around the room.
"I saw that Flint is going to be playing for the Arrows," Ginny said conversationally.
"Yes, we celebrated when he got the offer," Hermione explained, wondering if her friend had seen the picture of Marcus out with his friends. Did she think it was odd that Hermione wasn't there? "Just the two of us."
"That sounds nice. I bet he's pleased," Ginny continued. "Are you excited? Harry told me that you wanted to learn more about Quidditch."
Hermione's cheeks went pink. "Of course I'm pleased for him," she said firmly. "I don't think I've met someone as competitive as Marcus. And...I'm looking forward to going to a couple of matches this season, but don't think that I'm going to become some sort of fanatic."
Ginny laughed at the thought. "I'm just a little disappointed that you'd ask Harry instead of me. I am a Chaser, after all," she said.
She bit her lower lip. "Harry and I have a standing lunch, as I'm sure you know. I have to come up with something to talk about to fill the time," she teased back, hoping that Ginny wasn't too hurt that she'd asked her fiance instead of her.
"Well, I hope that I can still count on you to cheer for me, when Flint and I face off against one another," the redhead said.
"I would never dream of cheering against you," Hermione promised. But it would be odd for her to not cheer for Marcus, seeing as he was her boyfriend.
"Cheer against Ginny in what?" came the voice of Lavender Brown, who'd finally decided to grace them with her presence. She looked very glamorous, almost too glamorous for an afternoon bridal shower.
"We were just talking about Flint's new job," Ginny answered with a smirk. "And how I will always be Hermione's favorite Chaser."
"Oh, that," Lavender said, with a sniff reminiscent of Molly Weasley's. Instead of moving to help Hermione with arranging the remaining decorations, she sat down in the center of the divan. "Yes, I heard about it. Ron couldn't believe that a team would pick up a player like Flint. Everyone knows that he plays dirty."
Hermione felt irrationally angry at the suggestion that Marcus didn't deserve a spot. "Marcus is an excellent player. Any team would be silly not to want him. Hasn't Ron seen his stats?" Hermione huffed. "And in any case, he just wants to win. Fouling is a part of the game."
When she was done with her little diatribe, Ginny was grinning from ear to ear. "Oh, to hear Hermione Granger spout off about Quidditch!" she cackled. "I love it!"
"I can't believe that you of all people would defend rule breaking, Hermione," Lavender admonished disapprovingly. "It ruins the game."
Hermione pursed her lips, annoyed. "It's a good thing that Ronald is an Auror and not a Quidditch player. He wouldn't be able to cope with all the rule breaking," she said smartly.
"Yeah, come off it, Lavender," Ginny agreed. "Ron is just a little sour about Flint. But even Ron fouls when he plays Quidditch."
Before they could argue more about whether or not Ron did foul when he played, Molly was bustling into the living room once again, trays of finger foods trailing behind her while she carried a beautifully decorated cake.
"I never could understand why you were so taken with the fame of Quidditch players, dear," Molly said to Hermione a bit snidely. "But I think Witch Weekly has put it into terms I can understand: Flint's salary cannot be ignored. It would explain the oddity of your...relationship."
The haughty way Molly responded made Hermione bristle and some lingering feelings came bubbling up to the surface. "I don't know why you always choose to believe the worst about me, Molly," Hermione said, disappointment clear in her voice. "I'm not with Marcus for his money. I would be with him even if he never got on a broom again!"
It was a bold statement to make, especially since she knew that she and Marcus were supposed to be breaking up shortly after Harry and Ginny's wedding. But she didn't like being thought of as a gold digger.
"Really? It's just some of the wizards you go after...first our Harry and then that Krum boy," Molly said. "And now this...terrible Flint. I can scarcely tell what you see in him."
"Mum, stop it please," Ginny begged. "You are going to ruin my party."
But Hermione wouldn't let it rest. "I never went after Harry. He's like a brother to me! And Viktor...I was practically the only one who wasn't enamored by his fame," Hermione insisted. "And just because you can't find anything about Marcus to like doesn't mean I don't. He makes me laugh and he understands me. And I, for one, am very attracted to him."
"Oh, I think Witch Weekly cleared that up, too," Molly added, pointedly alluding to Harry and Ginny's engagement party. "You were hanging all over him in public. Completely unladylike."
Hermione let out a small noise of irritation, before deciding to let this argument go. Molly Weasley was never going to be a fan of hers, but Hermione was okay with that. "Well, if that's how you want to see me, I'm not going to try and change your mind," she told the older witch firmly. "Marcus and I are happy together and what you think of us isn't going to change that."
Molly was ready to respond, but the Floo went green and the first official guest arrived. Luna Lovegood was wearing an eccentric daffodil yellow dress and carrying a present that was suspiciously tree shaped under her arm.
"Oh are you talking about Marcus Flint?" Luna asked in her usual dreamy voice. "I think he's rather lovely. He was very interested in talking to me about Nargles."
Grateful that the conversation had deviated, Hermione busied herself with adding the remaining touches to the decorations - anything to keep her out of Molly's path.
It didn't take long for a steady stream of guests to begin to invade the Burrow. Hermione directed them to put their presents on the table.
Once more people had arrived, Hermione was happy to chat with Fleur and Luna until it was time to play a couple of party games. She contented herself, knowing that Ginny was having a great time talking about her and Harry's plans and opening the veritable mountain of presents she received to help set up their home at Grimmauld Place.
She stayed an appropriate amount of time after the cake was served, but Hermione found herself eager to flee the Burrow, faced with the hard truth that, as time went on, she would only become further removed from the Weasleys. Maybe eschewing dating like she did had effects that she hadn't expected? It hurt too much to think about.
At the first opportunity, she made use of the Floo and returned to her little cottage. Stumbling out into her living room, Hermione couldn't stop the shriek of surprise when she saw someone sprawled out on her settee, long legs hanging over the end.
"Merlin, Flint!" she shouted, pressing her hand to her rapidly beating heart. "What the hell are you doing here? How did you get in?"
Marcus sat up, dropping the Quidditch magazine in his lap, chuckling at her reaction. "You left your Floo open for me, remember?" he asked. "Anyway, I came over because of your note."
A bit shaky, Hermione walked over to the couch and slumped into the open spot beside him. "And you just decided to make yourself at home?" she questioned. Looking over, she saw Crookshanks curled happily in a ball in his chair, completely unbothered by the intruder. "Traitor."
He shrugged his massive shoulders. "Didn't think that you'd be gone for too long," he answered.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him making a quick perusal of her body, his eyes lingering on the slightly short hem of her dress. Her heart skipped for a second and she wondered if he was actually checking her out, instead of his usual, exaggerated, put-on ogle.
"Where were you? You look nice," he complimented her, twins spots of pink appearing on his cheeks.
Immediately, some of the stress of the day lifted from Hermione's shoulders, just by being in Marcus's presence. "Ginny's bridal shower," she said with a heavy sigh, wishing that she could just forget what Molly Weasley thought of her.
"Not good, huh?" he asked, leaning back to get a better look at her.
"Well, the article in Witch Weekly has not...won me many fans," Hermione explained gently. She didn't want Marcus to feel badly for something he had absolutely no control over. "Molly thinks that I'm with you for the money."
Marcus wore a wry smile. "Well, technically, you are with me to get under her son's skin," he teased. "But that's just silly. How were you to know the Arrows were going to pick me up?"
Hermione smirked, thinking that it was true. Would Molly think better or worse of her if she knew the truth? "I don't know that she'd be impressed to hear that either," Hermione said with a sigh. "I tried to explain that we were together before the contract, but...at some point she decided I was uppity and that's what stuck."
"That's low, even for her," Marcus commiserated.
"I'm sorry that they got all the details of our night out," Hermione told him, her cheeks going red. "I was a little too free with my words while we were walking to the Hag's Head. I never thought someone around here would really care."
"It doesn't bother me one bit. What wizard wouldn't want to spend a night feeding his witch champagne while she's half naked in bed," he said with a smirk. "I got a bit of ribbing from my friends, but I promise that I'm not embarrassed. You shouldn't let it embarrass you either."
"It's hard not to collapse under the weight of all this judgement," Hermione said, wondering why it felt so easy to open up to Marcus about this. It wasn't something that she'd ever discussed with Ron or Harry. "But you're right. There is nothing to be embarrassed about."
Marcus rewarded her with a half-smile, glad to hear that she was taking it on the chin. "Well, what should we do for dinner, then?"
"Oh, you're staying for dinner, are you?" Hermione asked with a laugh.
"Of course I am. I miss your company when I have to eat by myself at home," he said, in an unexpected moment of honesty. "Hag's? Or is that getting too boring at this point?"
"With you? Never."