DISCLAIMER: Hermione, Severus, Draco and all their friends belong to JK
Rowling, Scholastic Books and everyone else with a copyright. I'm just
letting them out to play a bit 'til the next book or movie comes out and
they have to get back to their day jobs.
A/N: Don't worry, I promise Severus will get his major turn on stage soon. First, however, the other players must all be in place. After all, he does so love to make an entrance!
"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with
the same person."
- Mignon McLaughlin
Chapter 3
Hermione pushed the food around on her plate, trying to work out the best way to tell Ron and Harry about the events of the last few hours. She could feel Ginny watching her from across the table, but didn't dare look up. She didn't think she could stand one more person asking her questions right now.
"This is the best stew. Even better than Mum's, and that's saying something." Ron helped himself to another plate full, and poked Hermione in the arm, motioning to the basket full of bread in front of Harry who was sitting on the other side of her. "Do you mind, Hermione? Harry's being a bread hog." She absentmindedly passed him the basket and went back to rearranging her food.
"Speaking of Mum, did she owl you today? I haven't heard from her in days." Ginny motioned to her chin, and her brother took the hint, swallowed then wiped his own before answering.
"Yeah, I got a letter today. I was supposed to pass it along to you, but I didn't get a chance to finish it."
"Honestly, Ron! I'm going to tell her to stop sending them to you first if you keep this up. I want to see that letter as soon as we get back to the common room."
Ron rolled his eyes. "No need to get your knickers in a twist, Gin, I've got it here somewhere." He patted his robes until he heard the telltale crinkle of parchment and pulled out the letter triumphantly, then tossed it across to his sister. "I only made it about half way through the part about Bill's baby. Honestly, you'd think the woman had never seen a baby before. She's had seven of her own, what's the big deal?"
"Jeremy is her first grandchild; of course she's excited!" His sister gave him a long suffering look before starting the letter. For a long time, the only sound was the sound of Ron chewing and Ginny turning pages as she read. Hermione could feel Harry's eyes on her and took a bite of her dinner, trying to act normal.
"Oh, no!" Ginny dropped the letter, barely missing her plate, and Ron and Harry immediately turned to her.
"What's the matter, Gin?" Ron's asked, concerned. "Is everything alright at home?"
Hermione looked over at the younger girl, and realized she was looking at her. "This is awful! I'm so sorry, Hermione! Isn't there anything you can do?"
Hermione went cold, wondering just what Ginny knew. She opened her mouth to ask, trying to figure out a way to move the discussion to a more private place, when she was cut off.
"About what?" Ron leaned over and grabbed the letter off the table and started scanning the page quickly. "Bloody hell, Hermione! You're on that stupid list!" As usual, his voice carried to both ends of the table, and she closed her eyes, wishing she were anywhere else. "What's the matter with those stupid Ministry gits, anyway? The Law says you go on the list when you turn 18. You aren't 18 yet!"
Maybe if she kept her eyes closed, it would all go away. "Am, too. Time turner." Hermione felt Harry's arm go around her and squeeze gently.
"It's okay, Hermione. As long as you don't get any offers, you're safe, and they can't make you marry anyone yet. The law will be history before the six months is up, you'll see."
She tried to keep her expression neutral, but knew she was failing miserably.
"You've already gotten one, haven't you!?!" Ron grabbed her arm, turned her to face him, and shook her until she opened her eyes.
"I don't want to talk about this here, Ron. Let's discuss this later." She watched his face go from pale to pink to fuschia to beet red in an instant and knew there was nothing she could do to avoid the explosion.
"WHO? I want to know who, Hermione. Who'd you get an offer from?" Without meaning to she glanced over at the Slytherin table and met the amused gaze of Draco Malfoy. Dinner forgotten, all his attention was on the little scene unfolding across the hall.
She pulled her eyes away from him, but not before he smirked and winked at her. She felt herself blush and tried to stand with as much dignity as possible, difficult as Ron still hadn't let go of her arm. "Oh, no, you don't! I want to know who asked you to marry them, and I want to know now." His voice reverberated through the hall. She would have given anything at that moment if she could have just apparated.
Embarrassment and anger warred within her, and finally anger won. Hermione pried Ron's fingers from her arm and turned to look up into his red face, her eyes flashing gold. When she spoke, she did so slowly and carefully, but it didn't mask her fury, and her voice rang through the Great Hall. "I don't know what business it is of yours, Ronald Weasley, but since you just have to know, and you have to know NOW, Draco Malfoy has asked me to marry him."
Not waiting for a reaction, she turned on her heel and swept away, her robes billowing behind her in a manner that would have made Snape proud.
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Everyone's eyes were riveted on the sight of the young woman storming out of the hall, head held high, so no one noticed when the potions master, normally the most graceful of men, dropped his goblet of water, drenching his robes. Taking a deep breath, he cast a quick drying spell and calmly refilled his glass, calculating just how long it would be before he could corner the headmaster for a little chat.
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It really couldn't have gone any better. Draco would have laughed out loud with glee, but he had an image to maintain, so he contented himself with simply smirking and helping himself to a large serving of pudding. He could feel the eyes of the other Slytherins upon him, and wondered who would be brave enough to ask him about Weasley's little tantrum. He hoped it would be Pansy.
If he was going to get Granger, he needed to start working quickly. There was no time for subterfuge - no matter how much his Slytherin instincts reveled in it - or for unnecessary impediments. Having Pansy ask would kill two birds with one stone.
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Harry sighed, took off his glasses, and rubbed his eyes before putting them back on and going to stand by his friend. "Ron." The redhead just continued to stare at the doors to the Great Hall. "Ron?"
Ron turned Harry, a look of shock and horror on his face. "Do you think she was telling the truth, Harry?"
Harry's response was cut off by a shrill scream from the direction of the Slytherin table, which he easily recognized as belonging to Pansy Parkinson, and he sighed again. "Yes, Ron, I'm afraid she was."
Slinging an arm over his shoulders, he led his stunned friend away from the table towards the doors, wondering just how they were going to deal with this one.
A/N: Don't worry, I promise Severus will get his major turn on stage soon. First, however, the other players must all be in place. After all, he does so love to make an entrance!
"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with
the same person."
- Mignon McLaughlin
Chapter 3
Hermione pushed the food around on her plate, trying to work out the best way to tell Ron and Harry about the events of the last few hours. She could feel Ginny watching her from across the table, but didn't dare look up. She didn't think she could stand one more person asking her questions right now.
"This is the best stew. Even better than Mum's, and that's saying something." Ron helped himself to another plate full, and poked Hermione in the arm, motioning to the basket full of bread in front of Harry who was sitting on the other side of her. "Do you mind, Hermione? Harry's being a bread hog." She absentmindedly passed him the basket and went back to rearranging her food.
"Speaking of Mum, did she owl you today? I haven't heard from her in days." Ginny motioned to her chin, and her brother took the hint, swallowed then wiped his own before answering.
"Yeah, I got a letter today. I was supposed to pass it along to you, but I didn't get a chance to finish it."
"Honestly, Ron! I'm going to tell her to stop sending them to you first if you keep this up. I want to see that letter as soon as we get back to the common room."
Ron rolled his eyes. "No need to get your knickers in a twist, Gin, I've got it here somewhere." He patted his robes until he heard the telltale crinkle of parchment and pulled out the letter triumphantly, then tossed it across to his sister. "I only made it about half way through the part about Bill's baby. Honestly, you'd think the woman had never seen a baby before. She's had seven of her own, what's the big deal?"
"Jeremy is her first grandchild; of course she's excited!" His sister gave him a long suffering look before starting the letter. For a long time, the only sound was the sound of Ron chewing and Ginny turning pages as she read. Hermione could feel Harry's eyes on her and took a bite of her dinner, trying to act normal.
"Oh, no!" Ginny dropped the letter, barely missing her plate, and Ron and Harry immediately turned to her.
"What's the matter, Gin?" Ron's asked, concerned. "Is everything alright at home?"
Hermione looked over at the younger girl, and realized she was looking at her. "This is awful! I'm so sorry, Hermione! Isn't there anything you can do?"
Hermione went cold, wondering just what Ginny knew. She opened her mouth to ask, trying to figure out a way to move the discussion to a more private place, when she was cut off.
"About what?" Ron leaned over and grabbed the letter off the table and started scanning the page quickly. "Bloody hell, Hermione! You're on that stupid list!" As usual, his voice carried to both ends of the table, and she closed her eyes, wishing she were anywhere else. "What's the matter with those stupid Ministry gits, anyway? The Law says you go on the list when you turn 18. You aren't 18 yet!"
Maybe if she kept her eyes closed, it would all go away. "Am, too. Time turner." Hermione felt Harry's arm go around her and squeeze gently.
"It's okay, Hermione. As long as you don't get any offers, you're safe, and they can't make you marry anyone yet. The law will be history before the six months is up, you'll see."
She tried to keep her expression neutral, but knew she was failing miserably.
"You've already gotten one, haven't you!?!" Ron grabbed her arm, turned her to face him, and shook her until she opened her eyes.
"I don't want to talk about this here, Ron. Let's discuss this later." She watched his face go from pale to pink to fuschia to beet red in an instant and knew there was nothing she could do to avoid the explosion.
"WHO? I want to know who, Hermione. Who'd you get an offer from?" Without meaning to she glanced over at the Slytherin table and met the amused gaze of Draco Malfoy. Dinner forgotten, all his attention was on the little scene unfolding across the hall.
She pulled her eyes away from him, but not before he smirked and winked at her. She felt herself blush and tried to stand with as much dignity as possible, difficult as Ron still hadn't let go of her arm. "Oh, no, you don't! I want to know who asked you to marry them, and I want to know now." His voice reverberated through the hall. She would have given anything at that moment if she could have just apparated.
Embarrassment and anger warred within her, and finally anger won. Hermione pried Ron's fingers from her arm and turned to look up into his red face, her eyes flashing gold. When she spoke, she did so slowly and carefully, but it didn't mask her fury, and her voice rang through the Great Hall. "I don't know what business it is of yours, Ronald Weasley, but since you just have to know, and you have to know NOW, Draco Malfoy has asked me to marry him."
Not waiting for a reaction, she turned on her heel and swept away, her robes billowing behind her in a manner that would have made Snape proud.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------
Everyone's eyes were riveted on the sight of the young woman storming out of the hall, head held high, so no one noticed when the potions master, normally the most graceful of men, dropped his goblet of water, drenching his robes. Taking a deep breath, he cast a quick drying spell and calmly refilled his glass, calculating just how long it would be before he could corner the headmaster for a little chat.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------
It really couldn't have gone any better. Draco would have laughed out loud with glee, but he had an image to maintain, so he contented himself with simply smirking and helping himself to a large serving of pudding. He could feel the eyes of the other Slytherins upon him, and wondered who would be brave enough to ask him about Weasley's little tantrum. He hoped it would be Pansy.
If he was going to get Granger, he needed to start working quickly. There was no time for subterfuge - no matter how much his Slytherin instincts reveled in it - or for unnecessary impediments. Having Pansy ask would kill two birds with one stone.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------
Harry sighed, took off his glasses, and rubbed his eyes before putting them back on and going to stand by his friend. "Ron." The redhead just continued to stare at the doors to the Great Hall. "Ron?"
Ron turned Harry, a look of shock and horror on his face. "Do you think she was telling the truth, Harry?"
Harry's response was cut off by a shrill scream from the direction of the Slytherin table, which he easily recognized as belonging to Pansy Parkinson, and he sighed again. "Yes, Ron, I'm afraid she was."
Slinging an arm over his shoulders, he led his stunned friend away from the table towards the doors, wondering just how they were going to deal with this one.