I've decided to finish this as quickly as possible, while making it as good
as I can. Hopefully, you'll still like it.
*****'
Neither Bill nor Hermione got any sleep that night; they stayed up, sitting on the couch in the living room, in front of the fireplace, alternating between kissing and talking. The fire crackled cheerfully in the background, and the light from it reflected off the engagement ring on Hermione's hand.
It was long past three in the morning when they finally fell asleep, curled up on the couch. They were to close to each other that it was impossible to tell where one of them ended and the other began.
Unfortunately, they only got a few hours of sleep. Sometime around seven o' clock, one of them was awakened by someone's laughter and a whispered conversation. Bill cracked open one eye and glared at the offending person, who turned out to be Fred. He and his twin were standing in the doorway, holding onto the doorframe for support, since they were laughing so hard.
"What?" Bill growled.
"You've spent the night on the fricking couch! Mum will behead you!" George gasped out between bouts of laughter.
"Shut up." Bill suggested, and tried in vain to untangle himself from his fiancée.
"NO way! We're telling everyone!" The twins chorused and ran out of there.
"Shit." Bill muttered, waking up Hermione in the process of trying to sit up.
"What?" Hermione asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, blinking owlishly.
Bill smiled and kissed the tip of her nose, sitting up with her in his lap. She kissed him and snuggled up against him.
"Nothing, love. Just the twins waking everyone up to tell them we spent the night on the couch." He told her.
"Mhm." She mumbled into his shirt, not really wanting to move.
They sat there, knowing that they would be interrupted at any moment, enjoying each others silent company. Bill put his chin on top of her head, and she wrapped her arms tighter around him.
"What do you think they'll say?" She ventured after a while.
"Mum will be angry with me for rushing it, while in the same breath yelling at me for not doing it sooner." Bill chuckled.
"Do what sooner, Bill?" His mother demanded from the doorway.
"Er, hi Mum." Bill tried.
"Don't you ´hi, Mum´ me, William Weasley. Do what sooner?" Mrs Weasley said, walking up to them.
Bill cringed, not knowing how to tell her, but was relieved of that duty as Hermione took charge of the situation. She held up her hand for inspection, the ring glittering on her finger, and his mother gasped. She grabbed Hermione' hand and stared at the ring, while throwing a glare at Bill.
"What were you thinking proposing to her, Bill?" She asked.
"What was I thinking, accepting it?" Hermione cut in. "Well, I love him, he loves me, he asked me to marry him, I accepted." She shrugged. "Simple really."
"But so soon?" Mrs Weasley asked, clearly worried.
"Yes, so soon." Bill said.
"Well, we shouldn't protest, Molly; I did propose to you after a mere four months." Came Arthur Weasley's voice, clearly amused, from the doorway.
"But..." Mrs Weasley protested feebly.
"No buts, love. Leave them alone; Bill is old enough to make his own decisions, and I dare say so is Hermione." Arthur Weasley wrapped an arm around his wife, leading her out of the room.
Bill and Hermione blinked, and turned to look at each other. Silence reigned in the living room for a while, before Hermione cleared her throat.
"Is it just me, or is your father very much in favour of this?" She asked cautiously.
"I'd hate to disappoint you, but it isn't just you." Bill replied, looking a little dazed.
"Good." Hermione said and leaned in to kiss him.
Bill kissed back, burying his hands in her hair, pulling her closer. Neither of them noticed Claire, Charlie and Ginny sneaking in and stopping abruptly when they spotted the couple on the couch.
"And they're at it again, at, "Charlie interrupted himself to look at his watch, "7:30 in the morning. Seriously, you two are crazy." He shook his head.
Bill and Hermione broke apart, blushing and slightly out of breath. They hadn't expected to be interrupted by two redheads and a friend of theirs while snogging. Unfortunately, it wasn't over yet; Fred and George, dragging Ron and Harry behind them, came bounding into the living room, and spotted them on the couch. Their eyes travelled from Bills hands around her waist, Hermione sitting on Bill's lap, and their blushing faces, and they broke out in identical evil grins.
"She did it, didn't she, Gred." Fred said.
"Oh, definitely, Forge; just look at them." George nodded.
"Did what?" Bill asked, bewildered.
Hermione buried her face in his neck and mumbled something he couldn't hear.
"What was that, love?" He asked, trying to hear her.
"Well, did you? Shag him, I mean." Fred asked, curious.
Hermione turned scarlet, and Bill's jaw dropped to somewhere in the vicinity of his knees, while he gaped at his twin brothers, too shocked, or maybe too enraged, to say anything. He stared at them, mouth working but not sound coming out.
"Oh, I guess she didn't." Fred shrugged.
"Nope. Seems we were wrong." George replied.
"Oh well, it happens to the best of us." Fred said before skipping out of the room with his brother in a tow.
Charlie choked back the laughter that threatened to spill over at the look on his older brother's face, and dragged his sister and Claire out of the room, leaving them alone with only Ron and Harry there. Harry and Ron looked at each other and then over at the two on the couch, before making a rather hasty exit themselves.
*****'
Bill lifted her head off his shoulder and looked at her sternly, while she blushed even redder. He took a deep breath, overcoming his obvious confusion and embarrassment, and cleared his throat.
"What," He asked, "Was that all about?"
"Nothing." She mumbled, but at seeing Bill's expression, she continued reluctantly, "Alright, I'll tell you, if you promise not to laugh."
She quickly told him about her conversations with Claire, Ginny and Fred and George. He listened without a word, and when she was done, he wrapped his arms around her again, and laughed.
"That would be like them, yes. I wonder if Mum and Dad told them yet." He choked out.
Apparently, Mrs Weasley had told the others, because they came running into the living room again, everyone talking at once, demanding to know how, when where and why it had happened. Bill and Hermione just gave them a silly grin each and sat there in silence.
*****'
Once again, she was on the train back to Hogwarts, listening to Harry, Ron and Ginny chatter in the background. The week that was left of the Christmas holidays had gone by all too fast for her, and she looked down on her engagement ring, smiling like a loon.
In a few short months, she would become Mrs Hermione Weasley, wife of William Weasley, and she couldn't have been happier. They had owled her parents as soon as possible, and had received the reply of ´It's out of our hands, so go ahead. Since you love him, and you're happy, we see no wrong with it´, or at least that was the general message.
Of course, they had been teased mercilessly by the Weasley siblings and Harry and Claire, but Bill and Hermione hadn't really paid attention. They'd been too wrapped up in each other to even care about anyone further than two feet away from them. As Charlie had put it; ´they stayed glued to each others faces, barely coming up for air, for so long that he was surprised they remembered how to breathe.´
The ride back to Hogwarts always seemed to take less time during the Christmas holidays, but Hermione hardly noticed they were even there before Ginny threw an empty Chocolate Frog wrapper at her. Hermione finally surfaced from her daydreams.
"What?" She asked, bewildered.
"We're here, Hermione." Ginny said, rolling her eyes.
"Already?" She said, but stood up and followed her friends out of the compartment.
And indeed, they were already at Hogwarts. Sighing, anticipating a too long term for her preferences, Hermione stepped off the train.
*****'
The first Potions lesson of the term, and the Gryffindors and Slytherins were gathered in the dark, dank dungeons. Hermione was sitting in the front row, still grinning like a fool. Harry and Ron were on either side of her, muffling their chuckles at her expression.
Snape came sweeping in and started the lesson, launching into a lengthy lecture before he even reached the front of the classroom. He was halfway through when he suddenly broke off again, glaring at Hermione, who was still grinning.
"Ms Granger, desist grinning dementedly immediately, what is so - no, please tell me that isn't an engagement ring." He finished, staring in horror at her hand.
Hermione grinned even wider, and nodded.
"It is, sir." She said, unable to hide her pride.
"Engagement? Yeah right, as if anyone would want that Mudblood." Draco Malfoy drawled.
Hermione face froze for a second, but she didn't drop her grin. Instead, she looked to Snape.
"Permission to reply to that, sir?" She asked.
Snape nodded cautiously, knowing full well what she was capable of when angered. Hermione nodded and turned to face Malfoy, who was wearing a superior sneer, and cleared her throat.
"Someone does want me, Malfoy, and unlike you, I don't have to attempt brewing love potions to catch someone's attention. In a few months, I am going to be Hermione Weasley, and unless you want an invitation to the wedding, I suggest you stop bothering me about it." She informed him.
"Weasley? Don't tell me Weasel proposed to you!" Malfoy was looking decidedly green.
"No. I'm marrying a Weasley, just not the one you think. I'm marrying Bill Weasley." She raised an eyebrow at Malfoy's expression.
"Bill? The tall one with the long hair and the fang?" Snape broke in, looking a little shocked. "Ms Granger, must you throw surprises on me at every turn?" He asked weakly.
"No, but I fail to see why my love life is any subject of discussion for either you or Malfoy." She said, suppressing a smile at his obvious shock.
Snape started, and shook himself out of his daze, continuing the lesson as if nothing had happened. Harry and Ron had a very hard time keeping a straight face, and lost twenty points from Gryffindor for ´disrupting class´ that lesson.
*****'
Malfoy threw her a nasty look after disappearing down to the Slytherin Common Room after the lesson, but she didn't care. She merely linked arms with Ron and Harry and walked up the stairs towards the Great Hall.
"You know it's going to be all over Hogwarts by dinner, don't you?" Harry asked, "Lavender and Parvati was in there, and they gossip worse than Aunt Petunia on a bad day."
"I don't care; it's nothing to be ashamed of." Hermione shrugged, dreamlike expression on her face.
"Good Gods, Hermione, how're you going to pass the N.E.W.T's when you go all dreamy like that?" Ron teased.
"I will pass my N.E.W.T's just fine; I've been studying since this summer, which is more than I can say for you, Ronald Weasley." Hermione shot back playfully.
Ron didn't give a verbal reply, but stuck out his tongue at her, making her laugh. She dragged them towards the hall, as lunch was approaching, and let herself space out, thinking about Bill again.
*****'
True enough; people started throwing curious glances at her, even before lunch was over. News always travelled fast at Hogwarts, and news of this size was sure to be told to everyone before nightfall. And by tomorrow morning, there would be ten, perhaps hundred, versions of the story circling around, each one more outrageous than the last. Hopefully, they wouldn't go too much overboard.
That prayer wasn't answered, as when Transfiguration began, Hermione, Harry and Ron were sitting next to each other as McGonagall came sweeping in. The dark haired woman looked around the classroom, and when her eyes lit on Hermione, her mouth turned into a thin line.
"Ms Granger, explain yourself." The professor commanded.
"Explain what, professor?" Hermione asked innocently, although she knew all too well what it was about.
"Explain why rumours about your engagement to Severus Snape are flying around the corridors." McGonagall demanded, clearly angered.
"My engagement to whom?" Hermione asked, before she was overcome with laughter.
"You heard me perfectly well, Ms Granger, stop laughing this instant!"
"Professor, I'm not in any way, shape or form engaged to Professor Snape. I knew the rumours would spiral out of control, but that was going too far! I'm engaged to Bill Weasley, not Professor Snape, I promise." Hermione said, choking back laughter.
McGonagall nearly dropped her jaw, but then recovered and went on with the lesson. It might have been Hermione's imagination, but the usually stern professor seemed a little friendlier than usual, and didn't assign as much homework.
Hermione and Harry and Ron left the lesson, and headed to the Gryffindor Tower, as they had a free hour before dinner, and Hermione had homework to do and letters to write. The boys were going to play a round of chess, conveniently forgetting their homework until the day it was due and then sit up all night to finish it, and not get to bed before three in the morning.
*****'
Dinner came rather quickly, and as Hermione sat down by the Gryffindor table, everyone turned to look at her, while at the same time trying not to be too obvious about it. The result was a lot of quick glances and awkward expressions, but Hermione ignored them.
Over the last hour, both in the Common Room, and on the way down to the Great Hall, she'd overheard several versions of who she was engaged to, when people thought she couldn't hear them. However, she could, and they were getting rather annoying, and the rumour about her and Snape was tame in comparison to some of the others.
Finally, she had had enough. Setting down her fork and her milk glass with a thump, she looked at Ron and Harry, who looked back apprehensively. She gave them her best no-nonsense look, and set her jaw firmly.
"I have had enough; this ends now." She said, and stood up, striding to the High Table.
The students once again turned to look at her, as did the teachers. She walked straight up to Dumbledore and leaned down to whisper in his ear. He nodded, and she walked in front of the table, planting her feet firmly on the floor, and glared out over the students. She cleared her throat.
"May I have your attention please?" She began, even though every pair of eyes in the hall was trained on her already, "There have been rumours about me flying around the school since this morning. Silly rumours, outrageous rumours, insane rumours, even. I do not appreciate people lying about me, even if it is in good faith. So I am going to tell you the truth, with no room for misconception." She took a deep breath.
The silence in the hall would have been comical, had it not been for the seriousness of the subject. She fixed them with a glare.
"I am not, and I repeat NOT, engaged to Severus Snape, no matter what your friends have told you," At this, Snape dropped his fork and stared at her and then at the students in shock, "nor am I engaged to Harry, Ron, Malfoy, and for the love of all things holy, I am not engaged to Ginny. I can inform you that I feel no attraction towards my own sex. I am, however, engaged to a Weasley. Bill Weasley, to be exact. Now that we've got that cleared up, maybe you could go back to worrying about your own lives instead of mine. Thank you, that is all." She finished pleasantly, before walking back and taking her seat.
Ron and Harry stared at her, open mouthed, and Ginny, who was snickering at everyone else's expressions, clapped her on the shoulder, as if to say ´good work´. Hermione smiled serenely and went back to her food. Mission accomplished; there would be no more outrageous rumours about her. There might be rumours, but they would be correct for once.
*****'
Ending Notes; I have been away for a few days, and therefore had no time to update, but here it is. It's a teensy weensy bit longer than the last few chapters, and I hope you enjoy it. I don't know how many more there will be, but there won't be many, I'm afraid. There will, however be an epilogue to this one.
*****'
Neither Bill nor Hermione got any sleep that night; they stayed up, sitting on the couch in the living room, in front of the fireplace, alternating between kissing and talking. The fire crackled cheerfully in the background, and the light from it reflected off the engagement ring on Hermione's hand.
It was long past three in the morning when they finally fell asleep, curled up on the couch. They were to close to each other that it was impossible to tell where one of them ended and the other began.
Unfortunately, they only got a few hours of sleep. Sometime around seven o' clock, one of them was awakened by someone's laughter and a whispered conversation. Bill cracked open one eye and glared at the offending person, who turned out to be Fred. He and his twin were standing in the doorway, holding onto the doorframe for support, since they were laughing so hard.
"What?" Bill growled.
"You've spent the night on the fricking couch! Mum will behead you!" George gasped out between bouts of laughter.
"Shut up." Bill suggested, and tried in vain to untangle himself from his fiancée.
"NO way! We're telling everyone!" The twins chorused and ran out of there.
"Shit." Bill muttered, waking up Hermione in the process of trying to sit up.
"What?" Hermione asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, blinking owlishly.
Bill smiled and kissed the tip of her nose, sitting up with her in his lap. She kissed him and snuggled up against him.
"Nothing, love. Just the twins waking everyone up to tell them we spent the night on the couch." He told her.
"Mhm." She mumbled into his shirt, not really wanting to move.
They sat there, knowing that they would be interrupted at any moment, enjoying each others silent company. Bill put his chin on top of her head, and she wrapped her arms tighter around him.
"What do you think they'll say?" She ventured after a while.
"Mum will be angry with me for rushing it, while in the same breath yelling at me for not doing it sooner." Bill chuckled.
"Do what sooner, Bill?" His mother demanded from the doorway.
"Er, hi Mum." Bill tried.
"Don't you ´hi, Mum´ me, William Weasley. Do what sooner?" Mrs Weasley said, walking up to them.
Bill cringed, not knowing how to tell her, but was relieved of that duty as Hermione took charge of the situation. She held up her hand for inspection, the ring glittering on her finger, and his mother gasped. She grabbed Hermione' hand and stared at the ring, while throwing a glare at Bill.
"What were you thinking proposing to her, Bill?" She asked.
"What was I thinking, accepting it?" Hermione cut in. "Well, I love him, he loves me, he asked me to marry him, I accepted." She shrugged. "Simple really."
"But so soon?" Mrs Weasley asked, clearly worried.
"Yes, so soon." Bill said.
"Well, we shouldn't protest, Molly; I did propose to you after a mere four months." Came Arthur Weasley's voice, clearly amused, from the doorway.
"But..." Mrs Weasley protested feebly.
"No buts, love. Leave them alone; Bill is old enough to make his own decisions, and I dare say so is Hermione." Arthur Weasley wrapped an arm around his wife, leading her out of the room.
Bill and Hermione blinked, and turned to look at each other. Silence reigned in the living room for a while, before Hermione cleared her throat.
"Is it just me, or is your father very much in favour of this?" She asked cautiously.
"I'd hate to disappoint you, but it isn't just you." Bill replied, looking a little dazed.
"Good." Hermione said and leaned in to kiss him.
Bill kissed back, burying his hands in her hair, pulling her closer. Neither of them noticed Claire, Charlie and Ginny sneaking in and stopping abruptly when they spotted the couple on the couch.
"And they're at it again, at, "Charlie interrupted himself to look at his watch, "7:30 in the morning. Seriously, you two are crazy." He shook his head.
Bill and Hermione broke apart, blushing and slightly out of breath. They hadn't expected to be interrupted by two redheads and a friend of theirs while snogging. Unfortunately, it wasn't over yet; Fred and George, dragging Ron and Harry behind them, came bounding into the living room, and spotted them on the couch. Their eyes travelled from Bills hands around her waist, Hermione sitting on Bill's lap, and their blushing faces, and they broke out in identical evil grins.
"She did it, didn't she, Gred." Fred said.
"Oh, definitely, Forge; just look at them." George nodded.
"Did what?" Bill asked, bewildered.
Hermione buried her face in his neck and mumbled something he couldn't hear.
"What was that, love?" He asked, trying to hear her.
"Well, did you? Shag him, I mean." Fred asked, curious.
Hermione turned scarlet, and Bill's jaw dropped to somewhere in the vicinity of his knees, while he gaped at his twin brothers, too shocked, or maybe too enraged, to say anything. He stared at them, mouth working but not sound coming out.
"Oh, I guess she didn't." Fred shrugged.
"Nope. Seems we were wrong." George replied.
"Oh well, it happens to the best of us." Fred said before skipping out of the room with his brother in a tow.
Charlie choked back the laughter that threatened to spill over at the look on his older brother's face, and dragged his sister and Claire out of the room, leaving them alone with only Ron and Harry there. Harry and Ron looked at each other and then over at the two on the couch, before making a rather hasty exit themselves.
*****'
Bill lifted her head off his shoulder and looked at her sternly, while she blushed even redder. He took a deep breath, overcoming his obvious confusion and embarrassment, and cleared his throat.
"What," He asked, "Was that all about?"
"Nothing." She mumbled, but at seeing Bill's expression, she continued reluctantly, "Alright, I'll tell you, if you promise not to laugh."
She quickly told him about her conversations with Claire, Ginny and Fred and George. He listened without a word, and when she was done, he wrapped his arms around her again, and laughed.
"That would be like them, yes. I wonder if Mum and Dad told them yet." He choked out.
Apparently, Mrs Weasley had told the others, because they came running into the living room again, everyone talking at once, demanding to know how, when where and why it had happened. Bill and Hermione just gave them a silly grin each and sat there in silence.
*****'
Once again, she was on the train back to Hogwarts, listening to Harry, Ron and Ginny chatter in the background. The week that was left of the Christmas holidays had gone by all too fast for her, and she looked down on her engagement ring, smiling like a loon.
In a few short months, she would become Mrs Hermione Weasley, wife of William Weasley, and she couldn't have been happier. They had owled her parents as soon as possible, and had received the reply of ´It's out of our hands, so go ahead. Since you love him, and you're happy, we see no wrong with it´, or at least that was the general message.
Of course, they had been teased mercilessly by the Weasley siblings and Harry and Claire, but Bill and Hermione hadn't really paid attention. They'd been too wrapped up in each other to even care about anyone further than two feet away from them. As Charlie had put it; ´they stayed glued to each others faces, barely coming up for air, for so long that he was surprised they remembered how to breathe.´
The ride back to Hogwarts always seemed to take less time during the Christmas holidays, but Hermione hardly noticed they were even there before Ginny threw an empty Chocolate Frog wrapper at her. Hermione finally surfaced from her daydreams.
"What?" She asked, bewildered.
"We're here, Hermione." Ginny said, rolling her eyes.
"Already?" She said, but stood up and followed her friends out of the compartment.
And indeed, they were already at Hogwarts. Sighing, anticipating a too long term for her preferences, Hermione stepped off the train.
*****'
The first Potions lesson of the term, and the Gryffindors and Slytherins were gathered in the dark, dank dungeons. Hermione was sitting in the front row, still grinning like a fool. Harry and Ron were on either side of her, muffling their chuckles at her expression.
Snape came sweeping in and started the lesson, launching into a lengthy lecture before he even reached the front of the classroom. He was halfway through when he suddenly broke off again, glaring at Hermione, who was still grinning.
"Ms Granger, desist grinning dementedly immediately, what is so - no, please tell me that isn't an engagement ring." He finished, staring in horror at her hand.
Hermione grinned even wider, and nodded.
"It is, sir." She said, unable to hide her pride.
"Engagement? Yeah right, as if anyone would want that Mudblood." Draco Malfoy drawled.
Hermione face froze for a second, but she didn't drop her grin. Instead, she looked to Snape.
"Permission to reply to that, sir?" She asked.
Snape nodded cautiously, knowing full well what she was capable of when angered. Hermione nodded and turned to face Malfoy, who was wearing a superior sneer, and cleared her throat.
"Someone does want me, Malfoy, and unlike you, I don't have to attempt brewing love potions to catch someone's attention. In a few months, I am going to be Hermione Weasley, and unless you want an invitation to the wedding, I suggest you stop bothering me about it." She informed him.
"Weasley? Don't tell me Weasel proposed to you!" Malfoy was looking decidedly green.
"No. I'm marrying a Weasley, just not the one you think. I'm marrying Bill Weasley." She raised an eyebrow at Malfoy's expression.
"Bill? The tall one with the long hair and the fang?" Snape broke in, looking a little shocked. "Ms Granger, must you throw surprises on me at every turn?" He asked weakly.
"No, but I fail to see why my love life is any subject of discussion for either you or Malfoy." She said, suppressing a smile at his obvious shock.
Snape started, and shook himself out of his daze, continuing the lesson as if nothing had happened. Harry and Ron had a very hard time keeping a straight face, and lost twenty points from Gryffindor for ´disrupting class´ that lesson.
*****'
Malfoy threw her a nasty look after disappearing down to the Slytherin Common Room after the lesson, but she didn't care. She merely linked arms with Ron and Harry and walked up the stairs towards the Great Hall.
"You know it's going to be all over Hogwarts by dinner, don't you?" Harry asked, "Lavender and Parvati was in there, and they gossip worse than Aunt Petunia on a bad day."
"I don't care; it's nothing to be ashamed of." Hermione shrugged, dreamlike expression on her face.
"Good Gods, Hermione, how're you going to pass the N.E.W.T's when you go all dreamy like that?" Ron teased.
"I will pass my N.E.W.T's just fine; I've been studying since this summer, which is more than I can say for you, Ronald Weasley." Hermione shot back playfully.
Ron didn't give a verbal reply, but stuck out his tongue at her, making her laugh. She dragged them towards the hall, as lunch was approaching, and let herself space out, thinking about Bill again.
*****'
True enough; people started throwing curious glances at her, even before lunch was over. News always travelled fast at Hogwarts, and news of this size was sure to be told to everyone before nightfall. And by tomorrow morning, there would be ten, perhaps hundred, versions of the story circling around, each one more outrageous than the last. Hopefully, they wouldn't go too much overboard.
That prayer wasn't answered, as when Transfiguration began, Hermione, Harry and Ron were sitting next to each other as McGonagall came sweeping in. The dark haired woman looked around the classroom, and when her eyes lit on Hermione, her mouth turned into a thin line.
"Ms Granger, explain yourself." The professor commanded.
"Explain what, professor?" Hermione asked innocently, although she knew all too well what it was about.
"Explain why rumours about your engagement to Severus Snape are flying around the corridors." McGonagall demanded, clearly angered.
"My engagement to whom?" Hermione asked, before she was overcome with laughter.
"You heard me perfectly well, Ms Granger, stop laughing this instant!"
"Professor, I'm not in any way, shape or form engaged to Professor Snape. I knew the rumours would spiral out of control, but that was going too far! I'm engaged to Bill Weasley, not Professor Snape, I promise." Hermione said, choking back laughter.
McGonagall nearly dropped her jaw, but then recovered and went on with the lesson. It might have been Hermione's imagination, but the usually stern professor seemed a little friendlier than usual, and didn't assign as much homework.
Hermione and Harry and Ron left the lesson, and headed to the Gryffindor Tower, as they had a free hour before dinner, and Hermione had homework to do and letters to write. The boys were going to play a round of chess, conveniently forgetting their homework until the day it was due and then sit up all night to finish it, and not get to bed before three in the morning.
*****'
Dinner came rather quickly, and as Hermione sat down by the Gryffindor table, everyone turned to look at her, while at the same time trying not to be too obvious about it. The result was a lot of quick glances and awkward expressions, but Hermione ignored them.
Over the last hour, both in the Common Room, and on the way down to the Great Hall, she'd overheard several versions of who she was engaged to, when people thought she couldn't hear them. However, she could, and they were getting rather annoying, and the rumour about her and Snape was tame in comparison to some of the others.
Finally, she had had enough. Setting down her fork and her milk glass with a thump, she looked at Ron and Harry, who looked back apprehensively. She gave them her best no-nonsense look, and set her jaw firmly.
"I have had enough; this ends now." She said, and stood up, striding to the High Table.
The students once again turned to look at her, as did the teachers. She walked straight up to Dumbledore and leaned down to whisper in his ear. He nodded, and she walked in front of the table, planting her feet firmly on the floor, and glared out over the students. She cleared her throat.
"May I have your attention please?" She began, even though every pair of eyes in the hall was trained on her already, "There have been rumours about me flying around the school since this morning. Silly rumours, outrageous rumours, insane rumours, even. I do not appreciate people lying about me, even if it is in good faith. So I am going to tell you the truth, with no room for misconception." She took a deep breath.
The silence in the hall would have been comical, had it not been for the seriousness of the subject. She fixed them with a glare.
"I am not, and I repeat NOT, engaged to Severus Snape, no matter what your friends have told you," At this, Snape dropped his fork and stared at her and then at the students in shock, "nor am I engaged to Harry, Ron, Malfoy, and for the love of all things holy, I am not engaged to Ginny. I can inform you that I feel no attraction towards my own sex. I am, however, engaged to a Weasley. Bill Weasley, to be exact. Now that we've got that cleared up, maybe you could go back to worrying about your own lives instead of mine. Thank you, that is all." She finished pleasantly, before walking back and taking her seat.
Ron and Harry stared at her, open mouthed, and Ginny, who was snickering at everyone else's expressions, clapped her on the shoulder, as if to say ´good work´. Hermione smiled serenely and went back to her food. Mission accomplished; there would be no more outrageous rumours about her. There might be rumours, but they would be correct for once.
*****'
Ending Notes; I have been away for a few days, and therefore had no time to update, but here it is. It's a teensy weensy bit longer than the last few chapters, and I hope you enjoy it. I don't know how many more there will be, but there won't be many, I'm afraid. There will, however be an epilogue to this one.