Prologue

Masquerade

-Cyrus Parker

Kayfabe:

[Noun]

The art of pretending to be someone you're not

Until you lose sight of who it was you were.

Prologue

"Hermione dear, could you help me with these cabinets?" Mrs. Weasley's cadence was much slower and her tone sweeter, if possible. She stood in the middle of the kitchen with her wand raised barely over her chin. She had managed to strip the old cabinets and new ones lined the floor behind her. "Your charm skills are so much better than mine these days, cold you align them for me while I set them in place? They always seem rather crooked each time I try."

Hermione popped her head up from the new leather couch two rooms over, eager to help. She put down [How Roads became Maps] a book she had picked up to keep her mind busy.

"Of course! Let me, don't you worry!" she said eagerly grabbing her wand and making her way over. She had been trying to keep herself busy all week, having been suspended. She avoided the topic fervently. Mrs. Weasley took a seat at the end of the Mahogany dinner table to catch her breath. As Hermione flicked her wand she anxiously peered at the watch. She was actively avoiding Harry also, but it couldn't be helped, he would be arriving soon, and she'd have to face him. The distraction was enough to make a cabinet tilt slightly. With a deep breath and some focus, she managed to have the cabinets aligned over the countertops and secured onto the walls herself. She charmed the dishes, pots, and pans to organize themselves into the new cabinets.

"Did you want to save the old ones?" she pointed toward the old cabinets with nostalgia, so much had changed in the Burrow. When she looked at Mrs. Weasley, she found she had dozed off slightly in her seat. 'Accio' she murmured as a blanket whirled toward the matriarch gently. With a flick of her wand, she also sent the old cabinets on their way to the garage just outside. They hovered in the air dancing their way to the door. A memory of a Micky Mouse movie called Fantasia played in her mind causing her to smile. Hermione took one last look at the kitchen to admire her work before she heard a thud and a clatter at the door.

"Merlin! Fuck!" a muffled voice at the door sounded. It seemed the cabinets hit someone on their way out and caused a traffic jam of sorts being stopped suddenly. Whoever got hit moved back outside, out of the way as the cabinets resumed their journey. Mrs. Weasley was startled awake as the pained groans continued outside. Hermione's hands shot up to her mouth hoping it wasn't Harry, she didn't want to make things worse. Once the cabinets cleared the threshold Hermione and Mrs. Weasley rushed to the door to find Draco Malfoy doubled over clutching his face with both hands.

"Oh, my dear boy! Are you ok?" Mrs. Weasley hovered, not sure if he was hurt anywhere else.

"Molly, what's was that?" he said standing up and groaning in pain again finally noticing Hermione at the door. She gave him a pained smile.

"I'm sorry I sent them to be stored, I didn't see anyone at the door." She said as Mrs. Weasley ushered him into the home and onto a stool on the kitchen island. He still clutched his nose, a drop of blood traveled to his lips. "Here let me." Hermione raised her wand approaching him "You'll have to let me see." His slender fingers were curled around what was now clearly a broken nose. His silver eyes were filled with unshed tears, and his dirty blond tresses hovered over his brow. He stared at her cautiously before finally lowering his hand. Hermione assessed. "We'll it's broken, this will only hurt for a moment. Ready?" Draco hissed but nodded his head.

"It's not the first time you've broken my nose." Hermione couldn't help but smile before casting the healing charm. He shouted in pain, leaning onto the island. Hermione patted his back as he took deep breathes.

"All better." She smiled. He lifted his head only slightly to glare at her.

"Here you go dear." Mrs. Weasley offered a napkin to clean off the blood which he did thankfully. "Hermione you did a lovely job!" she stood back to admire the mahogany cabinets with brass fixings. "What do you think Draco? Fleur sent them as a gift. I do love them." She clapped her hands. Draco seemed to have composed himself because he began to ask questions about where they were from and if she was going to have the countertops changed. They conversed and Hermione managed to make her way back to the family room to her book again. It wasn't long before the Weasley clan started arriving in small groups of three or four. Christmas vacation had just begun so the older children were visiting their grandparents. Hermione continued to dread the Potters arrival.

"'Mione!" Ron called over; she popped her head out of the book again noticing there were many more people present.

"Ginny needs some help with the kids, she asked if you could give her a hand." He said disappearing again up the stairs." She grumbled internally not at all enthused, but when she got to the porch Ginny stood with little Oliver and baby Ellie in her arms, her hand trying to hold on desperately to a bag of food. Albi, James, and Teddy ran inside passed her. Mrs. Weasley's cheerful greeting sounding behind her.

"Hey you!" Ginny smiled over to her. "Could you grab this bag for me?" Hermione reached over nearly missing Ellie's desperate grasp for her hair.

"You cut your hair!" Hermione said happily. Ginny's copper hair was just at her chin.

"Well yeah, with this one constantly trying to pull it all out, I had to do something different." They entered the kitchen, Oliver wiggled in her arms frantically at the site of Draco nearly crying before Draco finally came over to grab the toddler from Ginny. Hermione made a slightly incredulous face at the interaction. She leaned toward Ginny, but just out of reach of Ellie's grasp.

"I feel like I'm in a twilight zone. Isn't this bizarre?" They both looked over at Draco tossing Oliver up in the air, helpless giggles escaped the toddler.

"At first it really was," Ginny admitted, "but, he's really a different person now. After what happened with his parents you know." Hermione nodded her head.

"So, is he coming?" She changed the subject looking into Ginny's honey brown eyes. She frowned at her slightly.

"No, he's still at the office." Ginny smiled at her sympathetically. "Don't worry, he'll come around. It will be fine." She patted her back. Hermione took a deep breath. At least she didn't have to face him just yet. "Oh, Teddy wanted to ask you for some help! He'll track you down eventually." She said turning toward the pantry to find Molly giving the boys sweets. It wasn't long before Ron and George were bribing little Ellie away from her grandmother. Hermione took in the site before her, she really was happy to see everyone, but she also really needed to find her own a place to live. Molly had an empty nest and welcomed her company, but every weekend seemed like a party or family reunion. She made a mental note to start looking before she caught sight of Teddy. He seemed to notice her at the same time and ran over.

"Aunt Hermione! I was hoping you could help me out with a project for school?" he said handing her a booklet she was all to familiar with. It was a Hogwarts pamphlet of homework and assignments the students were sent home with during the holidays.

"Oh certainly! What project did you choose?" she asked enthusiastically.

"Well, I was sort of hoping to do some research on werewolves you know? Try to understand what my dad went through." He said softly. She tilted her head slightly and smiled at him.

"Of course, I'll help you. Let's have a look at some of the relevant text." She summoned her bag and they sat at the table. She began to summon some books out of it as he told her what he wanted to read up on.

***Harry Potter's patience has run out with Hermione Granger. Our story begins when Head Auror Harry Potter, Chudley Cannon's Captain Ronald Weasely and Auror Draco Malfoy track Hermione Granger into the middle of a forest the night before a full moon.