CHAPTER 2: THE FINLAY MANSION
"Hermione! Oh, my, how fast you've grown," Mrs. Weasley cried as Harry, Ron and Hermione arrived at The Burrow a few minutes past twelve.
"Oh, Mrs. Weasley, it's so good to see you again," Hermione said, hugging Ron's mother. She then heard the sounds of footsteps and the other Weasleys poked their heads out only to find Hermione on their front door.
"Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed as she quickly pulled Hermione into a tight embrace.
"Ginny!" Hermione said, taking a look at her friend. She had grown taller but still had the same red hair and freckles. Hermione had to admit, she looked cute.
"Hermione? Is that you?" Fred asked, squinting and looking at her closer.
"Hey," Hermione greeted, smiling at the twins.
"Whoa! Nice ass!" George told her. "Looking very hot, Hermione!"
"George!" Percy scolded, frowning at his brothers' immaturity.
"C'mon, dear, sit down and eat," Mrs. Weasley said, steering her to the dining area but Hermione refused.
"But you hadn't had lunch yet," Harry pointed out.
"Yeah, but I'm strictly on a diet," Hermione replied.
"Oh, so that explains your nice curves," Fred said, grinning cheekily.
"Fred!" Percy scolded again. "Are you forgetting you twins are already engaged?"
Hermione giggled. She was about to ask if she could go fix her things but Mrs. Weasley forced her to sit down.
"Even if you are on a diet, dear, try to at least drink a glass of juice. Pineapple or orange?" Mrs. Weasley said.
"Alright, pineapple please," Hermione said. While waiting for her juice, her eyes wandered over the house. It was still the old place she once knew. The Weasleys' family pictures were still hanging on that same spot since the last time she had been there. Mrs. Weasley's collection of magazines and books were stacked neatly on the bookshelves. They still had that old burgundy couch and the mahogany table in the living room. And the house still gave that magical touch, with the home appliances functioning by itselves.
"So, what have you guys been doing this summer?" she asked the Weasleys and Harry.
"Nothing much," Ginny replied.
"Oh, I'm going to try out for the Chuddley Cannon team next week. Oh, I hope I pass!" Ron said excitedly through his mouthful of ham.
"He's been talking about it all summer, it drives us crazy. Anyway, I'm still working at the Ministry of Magic," Percy informed.
"And oh, after that job with Charlie at Romania, Fred and I have decided to work on a joke shop," George told her.
"Sounds pretty cool," Hermione said.
"And we're convincing Ginny to sign a contract with us for her to be our image model. But she's so stubborn, you see, it's taking her too long to decide," Fred continued.
Ginny, who was sitting beside Fred, elbowed him in the ribs and he muttered "Ow!" "Oh, Hermione, if only you know what these rascals had been doing to me all summer..." she said.
"Yeah, I know. Harry and Ron told me," Hermione said, smiling.
Harry and Ron tried to ignore Ginny's death glares and started busying themselves with their food.
"How about you, Hermione? How have you been? About what happened with your parents..." Percy said.
Hermione looked away. "The past is past. And did I mention I was adopted?" she said, trying to hide her loneliness.
This set the mood for everyone. Fred dropped his fork, George choked on his pork, Ginny stopped eating and Percy shot a confused glance at Hermione. It was at that same time when Mrs. Weasley arrived with Hermione's juice.
"Sorry if it took me too long, dear. You see, I forgot where I last put the jar and...What happened to you four? It's like you have just seen a ghost," Mrs. Weasley said, staring at her children.
It took a while before George was able to talk. "Hermione said she's adopted, mum," he muttered.
"What?!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. "Is this true, dear?"
"Yes. Sorry if I didn't tell you earlier, but I was just informed last week. I still don't know who they are though, only the fact that they're purebloods," Hermione told them in between sips of her juice.
"And?" Ginny said, wanting to know more.
"That's basically it. I won't find much, not until I meet them tomorrow anyway," Hermione replied.
"And you act just so calm?" Fred said.
Hermione shrugged, when deep inside her she was also asking the same question.
"So you'll be moving in with your parents then?" Ron asked.
"I don't know. Maybe yes, maybe no," Hermione said. After that, the conversation ended and everybody went busy on their plates. After lunch, Ginny led Hermione to her room where she offered to share with her during her temporary stay with the Weasleys.
"I still can't believe you're a pureblood and you're adopted," Ginny said as she stood in front of the mirror and started combing her hair.
"Me too," Hermione said. "I'm really, really nervous. What if they don't like me? What if they decided not to keep me? What if they were like Malfoy's parents or something?"
Ginny patted her on the back. "Sure they'll like you. No parent can resist their child, I tell you," she said.
Hermione smiled. "You sound like Mrs. Weasley," she told her.
Ginny giggled. "And you act so paranoid," she retorted.
Hermione laughed as she cuddled Ginny's cat Stardust. She thought the name sounded too silly, but Ginny has her own ways. "So, have he asked you out yet?" she asked, twirling a few strands of hair.
Ginny frowned. "Who?"
Hermione whacked Ginny's head with a pillow. "Harry, of course! Who else could I be talking about? Unless you have other admirers..." she said, smiling slyly.
Ginny didn't answer.
"Come on, Ginny! Harry's an adult now. Maybe he's already proposed to you..." Hermione said.
Ginny blushed furiously. "He hadn't because he doesn't like me! Besides, I already have a boyfriend and we've been going steady for a few months now," she responded quickly.
Hermione's eyes widened. "What?! Why didn't you told me before?" she said.
"Well...now you already know..." Ginny said.
"You and Ron have a partner for life, Fred, George and Percy's all engaged...and what's left for me and Harry?" Hermione said, sighing. She imagined herself a few years from now, an old, single woman with no one but her cat to keep her company while her friends had happy lovelives, married with kids...
"Oh, puh-leez, Hermione! If you aren't one of those beauties who had given up on love," Ginny said.
Hermione just groaned.
Ginny decided to change the subject. "Hey! You know what, why don't we go to a beauty shop? You have to get ready for your big day tomorrow."
"But-"
"You're doing this for your parents, ok?" Ginny said.
"Fine! Let's go," Hermione said defeatedly.
*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@
Hermione couldn't breathe and her palms were sweating with nervousness. For the first time in her entire life, she is about to meet her real parents. She had visions of what they would be like and she pictured herself with them as a family. But then she would think of her Muggle parents again and she'd start crying. She looked around the newly built restaurant in Hogsmeade were she is supposed to meet with her parents. Still no sign of them, she glanced at her watch and realized she had been waiting there for half an hour, sipping hot tea and casting glances at the crowd. She even rushed to the bathroom several times to make sure she looked good. She remembered looking at herself in the mirror a while ago, staring at her own reflection. She wore a pastel pink skirt that Ginny had picked for her and a tube top with a white blazer covering it. Her wavy, chestnut hair hung loosely down to her waist as always, although she put jeweled pins on it to make her hair look a little nicer than before. She had on her pink pumps and a silver choker. And of course, on her finger is her precious crystal ring.
She almost jumped up in her seat when a voice said, "Hermione? Hermione Granger?"
She turned around to see a man dressed elegantly in a black suit and he looked like a walking goldmine, with lots of fine gold jewelry on his fingers and neck. Beside him was a woman wearing a long red dress, with as much jewelry on her body and she wore make up. They both looked very rich and eccentric but what surprised Hermione the most is the fact that they resembled her in every way.
"Margaret Florence Finlay and Audrey Vinch Finlay," the man introduced.
"Are-are you...my parents?" she asked, knowing the answer.
The couple raised their crystal rings that were identical to Hermione's. She also showed hers and the woman burst into tears. "Oh, Razelle!" she cried.
"Razelle?" Hermione said in puzzlement.
"Yes, your name is Francesca Razelle," the man said.
"Oh," Hermione said, thinking how eccentric the name sounds. "Mom? Dad?"
"My daughter," Mr. Finlay said as he and his wife embraced Hermione. When they finally let go of each other, they sat down again, her parents smiling at Hermione.
"My, you look so grown up already," her mom told her, staring at her now seventeen year old daughter. "We weren't sure if you would show up. We couldn't blame you, being the bad parents we are." With this she burst into more tears.
Hermione couldn't stand to see them like this. "Please don't say that. You're not bad at all. I understand why you gave me to my foster parents. Let's just forget about the past...and start again," she said softly.
Her mother looked at her with teary eyes. "You actually want us...to start again? You're ...giving us...another chance to make up for everything?" she said hopefully.
Hermione rested her hands on her mother's. "Yes. I cannot live to see you suffer. And I really like to form our family again," she said. Hermione's parents hugged her again, not wanting to let go.
"Oh, dear, you don't know how much we longed to do this...to touch and hug you," her dad said, tears of joy stinging his eyes.
"Oh, mom, dad..." Hermione said, savoring the moment she was sharing with them.
"Please come with us back at home," Mrs. Finlay said.
Hermione smiled. "Of course I will," she said.
*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*
Hermione, or Razelle, as her parents would call her, was more anxious than before. Now she was on the way to the next big step of her life, moving in with her parents. From the first time she saw them and not to mention the fact that they were now riding in a horse driven carriage that her parents own, she could tell that they were rich. But she had no idea how rich they were, until they reached the Finlay land.
"Razelle, honey, look at all that vast land. Isn't it lovely?" Mrs. Finlay whispered. Hermione followed her mother's gaze and found her right. She looked in awe at the green meadows and the chocolate brown hills and the crystal clear lake. It all seemed so perfect.
"It's wonderful," Hermione muttered under her breath.
"I thought so too. I also fell in love with it the moment your father brought the property," Mrs. Finlay said, looking at her husband.
"You own that land?" Hermione said, surprised.
Mr. Finlay grinned. "Yup," he replied.
Before Hermione could even reply, the carriage stopped to a halt and she was in for a bigger surprise, because standing right before her very own eyes is a very huge mansion, one that is even bigger than Hogwarts or any other place she had ever been to. It was white, with over a hundred floors and lots of green bushes and plants all trimmed in such an elegant way. She noticed the big golden gate with the big letter F on it. Her jaw dropped. She couldn't imagine herself living in that house of grandeur and luxury.
"Don't you like it, honey?" Mrs. Finlay said worriedly.
"Mom, are you kidding? This is beyond gorgeous!" Hermione replied as she followed her parents outside the carriage and into the front steps of the house were several men were guarding.
"Oh, I was afraid you didn't like it," Mrs. Finlay said, sighing a sigh of relief.
Hermione gasped when she stepped inside the house. It was even more beautiful than the outside. The walls were white and there were imported and expensive furniture occupying the space of the room. Paintings and portraits of the Finlay family and ancestors were seen hanging on the walls. There were also statues, sculptures, jars and figurines of all kinds, all looking very rare and expensive. The curtains were made of silk and the carpet was new from Italy.
Hermione's eyes were as big as saucers. "This is where I will live?" she said, dumbstruck. She followed her parents towards a bigger part of the house where they were greeted by house elves and maids.
"Is there anything I can do for you, Lord, Mistress and Madame?" a maid asked courteously.
"I want tea served for us at the fifth floor lobby," Mrs. Finlay said before looking at her daughter. "Care to join us?"
"I'm sorry but I'm a bit tired from the journey. Can I just go to my room?" she said.
"Of course dear," Mrs. Finlay said and motioned for one of the maids to come here.
"Yes, my mistress?" said the young girl with golden curls.
"Bring my daughter to her room," Mrs. Finlay ordered.
"As you wish, Mistress," the girl said and bowed to the Finlays before leaving with Hermione.
"What's your name?" Hermione asked kindly as they made their way to the east wing of the house.
"Belle, Madame," the maid said shyly.
"You don't need to call me Madame you know," Hermione told her.
Belle blushed as she looked shyly at her masters' daughter. How kind she is. "It-it is a rule in the mansion, Madame...and Lord Finlay will be extremely mad if we disobey him..." she answered politely.
"Is that so? Well...alright. I might as well get used to it," Hermione said.
Belle led her to a flight of stairs that was moving like the one in Dumbledore's office. The girl whispered aloud, "27th floor" and she and Hermione stepped on the moving stairs. After a matter of seconds, they reached the 27th floor, Hermione didn't know how. Must be some kind of advanced magic, she thought. Hermione marveled at the many great things she saw. She also noticed that there were a lot of house elves and maids in every corner of the house, probably cleaning. She was so engulfed in her own thoughts that she was startled when Belle told her she already passed by her room.
"Oh," was all she could say. She went inside the room after Belle and gasped. It was, once again, one of the loveliest things she had ever seen. The motif was pink with purple touching. On the center is a velvet couch and several comfy sofas and a center table and a few figurines on top of it. The windows were covered by silk curtains and the walls were enchanted so that it changes colors according to the weather and the seasons. As it was summer now, it was a mixture of bright, hot colors that reminded Hermione greatly of Hawaii. To top it all, there was also a big, cozy fireplace on the other side. Wondering where exactly her bedroom is, Hermione's eyes moved to the staircase leading to another floor but still part of her room. She went up and found several doors. She opened the largest one made of fine wood and nearly fainted. It was her bedroom and there enough was a queen size bed with fur trimmed comforters and big, soft pillows. There was a huge dresser and on the other side is a medium sized plush couch with a small, round table. To her surprise, she found Crookshanks curled into a ball, sleeping on what seemed like her own bed. She closed the door and moved on to the next room. There was a big Jacuzzi there, a bathtub and a shower room made of glass. She saw a wide, full length mirror and a sink made of marble. The bathroom smelled like roses and lilies, just the way she liked it. Unable to believe her eyes, she went to her other room and gaped at what seemed like a dressing room. It also looked like a shop, with hundreds of shoes, clothes, bags etc. stored neatly and orderly according to category. Moving on, she found out that the next room was a library. She squealed in delight at the many shelves of books. Then, she opened the last door. It wasn't really a room, but a balcony where she could see the whole mansion from above.
"Madame, are you ok?" Belle asked softly.
Hermione blinked. "Oh, sorry. This is just too much to handle. I'm...shocked," she said. "Anyway, I'm going to sleep." She walked towards her door, but stopped. "And oh, Belle?" she said.
"Yes, Madame?" Belle answered.
"You'll be my personal maid from now on," Hermione told her and went to her room to sleep.
*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*
Hey people! Thanks for the reviews! Mwah! And I'm hoping you could continue to support me throughout this entire story. Oh, please forgive me, I know the showing-of-room part and the chapter itself was sooooo long and boring and I was over exaggerating about the hundred floors and Lord, Mistress etc. part, but I can't help myself! I'm really sorry! But at least I updated very early. Don't forget to review!!!
PiNk NeoN
"Hermione! Oh, my, how fast you've grown," Mrs. Weasley cried as Harry, Ron and Hermione arrived at The Burrow a few minutes past twelve.
"Oh, Mrs. Weasley, it's so good to see you again," Hermione said, hugging Ron's mother. She then heard the sounds of footsteps and the other Weasleys poked their heads out only to find Hermione on their front door.
"Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed as she quickly pulled Hermione into a tight embrace.
"Ginny!" Hermione said, taking a look at her friend. She had grown taller but still had the same red hair and freckles. Hermione had to admit, she looked cute.
"Hermione? Is that you?" Fred asked, squinting and looking at her closer.
"Hey," Hermione greeted, smiling at the twins.
"Whoa! Nice ass!" George told her. "Looking very hot, Hermione!"
"George!" Percy scolded, frowning at his brothers' immaturity.
"C'mon, dear, sit down and eat," Mrs. Weasley said, steering her to the dining area but Hermione refused.
"But you hadn't had lunch yet," Harry pointed out.
"Yeah, but I'm strictly on a diet," Hermione replied.
"Oh, so that explains your nice curves," Fred said, grinning cheekily.
"Fred!" Percy scolded again. "Are you forgetting you twins are already engaged?"
Hermione giggled. She was about to ask if she could go fix her things but Mrs. Weasley forced her to sit down.
"Even if you are on a diet, dear, try to at least drink a glass of juice. Pineapple or orange?" Mrs. Weasley said.
"Alright, pineapple please," Hermione said. While waiting for her juice, her eyes wandered over the house. It was still the old place she once knew. The Weasleys' family pictures were still hanging on that same spot since the last time she had been there. Mrs. Weasley's collection of magazines and books were stacked neatly on the bookshelves. They still had that old burgundy couch and the mahogany table in the living room. And the house still gave that magical touch, with the home appliances functioning by itselves.
"So, what have you guys been doing this summer?" she asked the Weasleys and Harry.
"Nothing much," Ginny replied.
"Oh, I'm going to try out for the Chuddley Cannon team next week. Oh, I hope I pass!" Ron said excitedly through his mouthful of ham.
"He's been talking about it all summer, it drives us crazy. Anyway, I'm still working at the Ministry of Magic," Percy informed.
"And oh, after that job with Charlie at Romania, Fred and I have decided to work on a joke shop," George told her.
"Sounds pretty cool," Hermione said.
"And we're convincing Ginny to sign a contract with us for her to be our image model. But she's so stubborn, you see, it's taking her too long to decide," Fred continued.
Ginny, who was sitting beside Fred, elbowed him in the ribs and he muttered "Ow!" "Oh, Hermione, if only you know what these rascals had been doing to me all summer..." she said.
"Yeah, I know. Harry and Ron told me," Hermione said, smiling.
Harry and Ron tried to ignore Ginny's death glares and started busying themselves with their food.
"How about you, Hermione? How have you been? About what happened with your parents..." Percy said.
Hermione looked away. "The past is past. And did I mention I was adopted?" she said, trying to hide her loneliness.
This set the mood for everyone. Fred dropped his fork, George choked on his pork, Ginny stopped eating and Percy shot a confused glance at Hermione. It was at that same time when Mrs. Weasley arrived with Hermione's juice.
"Sorry if it took me too long, dear. You see, I forgot where I last put the jar and...What happened to you four? It's like you have just seen a ghost," Mrs. Weasley said, staring at her children.
It took a while before George was able to talk. "Hermione said she's adopted, mum," he muttered.
"What?!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. "Is this true, dear?"
"Yes. Sorry if I didn't tell you earlier, but I was just informed last week. I still don't know who they are though, only the fact that they're purebloods," Hermione told them in between sips of her juice.
"And?" Ginny said, wanting to know more.
"That's basically it. I won't find much, not until I meet them tomorrow anyway," Hermione replied.
"And you act just so calm?" Fred said.
Hermione shrugged, when deep inside her she was also asking the same question.
"So you'll be moving in with your parents then?" Ron asked.
"I don't know. Maybe yes, maybe no," Hermione said. After that, the conversation ended and everybody went busy on their plates. After lunch, Ginny led Hermione to her room where she offered to share with her during her temporary stay with the Weasleys.
"I still can't believe you're a pureblood and you're adopted," Ginny said as she stood in front of the mirror and started combing her hair.
"Me too," Hermione said. "I'm really, really nervous. What if they don't like me? What if they decided not to keep me? What if they were like Malfoy's parents or something?"
Ginny patted her on the back. "Sure they'll like you. No parent can resist their child, I tell you," she said.
Hermione smiled. "You sound like Mrs. Weasley," she told her.
Ginny giggled. "And you act so paranoid," she retorted.
Hermione laughed as she cuddled Ginny's cat Stardust. She thought the name sounded too silly, but Ginny has her own ways. "So, have he asked you out yet?" she asked, twirling a few strands of hair.
Ginny frowned. "Who?"
Hermione whacked Ginny's head with a pillow. "Harry, of course! Who else could I be talking about? Unless you have other admirers..." she said, smiling slyly.
Ginny didn't answer.
"Come on, Ginny! Harry's an adult now. Maybe he's already proposed to you..." Hermione said.
Ginny blushed furiously. "He hadn't because he doesn't like me! Besides, I already have a boyfriend and we've been going steady for a few months now," she responded quickly.
Hermione's eyes widened. "What?! Why didn't you told me before?" she said.
"Well...now you already know..." Ginny said.
"You and Ron have a partner for life, Fred, George and Percy's all engaged...and what's left for me and Harry?" Hermione said, sighing. She imagined herself a few years from now, an old, single woman with no one but her cat to keep her company while her friends had happy lovelives, married with kids...
"Oh, puh-leez, Hermione! If you aren't one of those beauties who had given up on love," Ginny said.
Hermione just groaned.
Ginny decided to change the subject. "Hey! You know what, why don't we go to a beauty shop? You have to get ready for your big day tomorrow."
"But-"
"You're doing this for your parents, ok?" Ginny said.
"Fine! Let's go," Hermione said defeatedly.
*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@
Hermione couldn't breathe and her palms were sweating with nervousness. For the first time in her entire life, she is about to meet her real parents. She had visions of what they would be like and she pictured herself with them as a family. But then she would think of her Muggle parents again and she'd start crying. She looked around the newly built restaurant in Hogsmeade were she is supposed to meet with her parents. Still no sign of them, she glanced at her watch and realized she had been waiting there for half an hour, sipping hot tea and casting glances at the crowd. She even rushed to the bathroom several times to make sure she looked good. She remembered looking at herself in the mirror a while ago, staring at her own reflection. She wore a pastel pink skirt that Ginny had picked for her and a tube top with a white blazer covering it. Her wavy, chestnut hair hung loosely down to her waist as always, although she put jeweled pins on it to make her hair look a little nicer than before. She had on her pink pumps and a silver choker. And of course, on her finger is her precious crystal ring.
She almost jumped up in her seat when a voice said, "Hermione? Hermione Granger?"
She turned around to see a man dressed elegantly in a black suit and he looked like a walking goldmine, with lots of fine gold jewelry on his fingers and neck. Beside him was a woman wearing a long red dress, with as much jewelry on her body and she wore make up. They both looked very rich and eccentric but what surprised Hermione the most is the fact that they resembled her in every way.
"Margaret Florence Finlay and Audrey Vinch Finlay," the man introduced.
"Are-are you...my parents?" she asked, knowing the answer.
The couple raised their crystal rings that were identical to Hermione's. She also showed hers and the woman burst into tears. "Oh, Razelle!" she cried.
"Razelle?" Hermione said in puzzlement.
"Yes, your name is Francesca Razelle," the man said.
"Oh," Hermione said, thinking how eccentric the name sounds. "Mom? Dad?"
"My daughter," Mr. Finlay said as he and his wife embraced Hermione. When they finally let go of each other, they sat down again, her parents smiling at Hermione.
"My, you look so grown up already," her mom told her, staring at her now seventeen year old daughter. "We weren't sure if you would show up. We couldn't blame you, being the bad parents we are." With this she burst into more tears.
Hermione couldn't stand to see them like this. "Please don't say that. You're not bad at all. I understand why you gave me to my foster parents. Let's just forget about the past...and start again," she said softly.
Her mother looked at her with teary eyes. "You actually want us...to start again? You're ...giving us...another chance to make up for everything?" she said hopefully.
Hermione rested her hands on her mother's. "Yes. I cannot live to see you suffer. And I really like to form our family again," she said. Hermione's parents hugged her again, not wanting to let go.
"Oh, dear, you don't know how much we longed to do this...to touch and hug you," her dad said, tears of joy stinging his eyes.
"Oh, mom, dad..." Hermione said, savoring the moment she was sharing with them.
"Please come with us back at home," Mrs. Finlay said.
Hermione smiled. "Of course I will," she said.
*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*
Hermione, or Razelle, as her parents would call her, was more anxious than before. Now she was on the way to the next big step of her life, moving in with her parents. From the first time she saw them and not to mention the fact that they were now riding in a horse driven carriage that her parents own, she could tell that they were rich. But she had no idea how rich they were, until they reached the Finlay land.
"Razelle, honey, look at all that vast land. Isn't it lovely?" Mrs. Finlay whispered. Hermione followed her mother's gaze and found her right. She looked in awe at the green meadows and the chocolate brown hills and the crystal clear lake. It all seemed so perfect.
"It's wonderful," Hermione muttered under her breath.
"I thought so too. I also fell in love with it the moment your father brought the property," Mrs. Finlay said, looking at her husband.
"You own that land?" Hermione said, surprised.
Mr. Finlay grinned. "Yup," he replied.
Before Hermione could even reply, the carriage stopped to a halt and she was in for a bigger surprise, because standing right before her very own eyes is a very huge mansion, one that is even bigger than Hogwarts or any other place she had ever been to. It was white, with over a hundred floors and lots of green bushes and plants all trimmed in such an elegant way. She noticed the big golden gate with the big letter F on it. Her jaw dropped. She couldn't imagine herself living in that house of grandeur and luxury.
"Don't you like it, honey?" Mrs. Finlay said worriedly.
"Mom, are you kidding? This is beyond gorgeous!" Hermione replied as she followed her parents outside the carriage and into the front steps of the house were several men were guarding.
"Oh, I was afraid you didn't like it," Mrs. Finlay said, sighing a sigh of relief.
Hermione gasped when she stepped inside the house. It was even more beautiful than the outside. The walls were white and there were imported and expensive furniture occupying the space of the room. Paintings and portraits of the Finlay family and ancestors were seen hanging on the walls. There were also statues, sculptures, jars and figurines of all kinds, all looking very rare and expensive. The curtains were made of silk and the carpet was new from Italy.
Hermione's eyes were as big as saucers. "This is where I will live?" she said, dumbstruck. She followed her parents towards a bigger part of the house where they were greeted by house elves and maids.
"Is there anything I can do for you, Lord, Mistress and Madame?" a maid asked courteously.
"I want tea served for us at the fifth floor lobby," Mrs. Finlay said before looking at her daughter. "Care to join us?"
"I'm sorry but I'm a bit tired from the journey. Can I just go to my room?" she said.
"Of course dear," Mrs. Finlay said and motioned for one of the maids to come here.
"Yes, my mistress?" said the young girl with golden curls.
"Bring my daughter to her room," Mrs. Finlay ordered.
"As you wish, Mistress," the girl said and bowed to the Finlays before leaving with Hermione.
"What's your name?" Hermione asked kindly as they made their way to the east wing of the house.
"Belle, Madame," the maid said shyly.
"You don't need to call me Madame you know," Hermione told her.
Belle blushed as she looked shyly at her masters' daughter. How kind she is. "It-it is a rule in the mansion, Madame...and Lord Finlay will be extremely mad if we disobey him..." she answered politely.
"Is that so? Well...alright. I might as well get used to it," Hermione said.
Belle led her to a flight of stairs that was moving like the one in Dumbledore's office. The girl whispered aloud, "27th floor" and she and Hermione stepped on the moving stairs. After a matter of seconds, they reached the 27th floor, Hermione didn't know how. Must be some kind of advanced magic, she thought. Hermione marveled at the many great things she saw. She also noticed that there were a lot of house elves and maids in every corner of the house, probably cleaning. She was so engulfed in her own thoughts that she was startled when Belle told her she already passed by her room.
"Oh," was all she could say. She went inside the room after Belle and gasped. It was, once again, one of the loveliest things she had ever seen. The motif was pink with purple touching. On the center is a velvet couch and several comfy sofas and a center table and a few figurines on top of it. The windows were covered by silk curtains and the walls were enchanted so that it changes colors according to the weather and the seasons. As it was summer now, it was a mixture of bright, hot colors that reminded Hermione greatly of Hawaii. To top it all, there was also a big, cozy fireplace on the other side. Wondering where exactly her bedroom is, Hermione's eyes moved to the staircase leading to another floor but still part of her room. She went up and found several doors. She opened the largest one made of fine wood and nearly fainted. It was her bedroom and there enough was a queen size bed with fur trimmed comforters and big, soft pillows. There was a huge dresser and on the other side is a medium sized plush couch with a small, round table. To her surprise, she found Crookshanks curled into a ball, sleeping on what seemed like her own bed. She closed the door and moved on to the next room. There was a big Jacuzzi there, a bathtub and a shower room made of glass. She saw a wide, full length mirror and a sink made of marble. The bathroom smelled like roses and lilies, just the way she liked it. Unable to believe her eyes, she went to her other room and gaped at what seemed like a dressing room. It also looked like a shop, with hundreds of shoes, clothes, bags etc. stored neatly and orderly according to category. Moving on, she found out that the next room was a library. She squealed in delight at the many shelves of books. Then, she opened the last door. It wasn't really a room, but a balcony where she could see the whole mansion from above.
"Madame, are you ok?" Belle asked softly.
Hermione blinked. "Oh, sorry. This is just too much to handle. I'm...shocked," she said. "Anyway, I'm going to sleep." She walked towards her door, but stopped. "And oh, Belle?" she said.
"Yes, Madame?" Belle answered.
"You'll be my personal maid from now on," Hermione told her and went to her room to sleep.
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Hey people! Thanks for the reviews! Mwah! And I'm hoping you could continue to support me throughout this entire story. Oh, please forgive me, I know the showing-of-room part and the chapter itself was sooooo long and boring and I was over exaggerating about the hundred floors and Lord, Mistress etc. part, but I can't help myself! I'm really sorry! But at least I updated very early. Don't forget to review!!!
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