Author's Note: Sorry this chapter took so long! I have been trying to decide what to do next and how long the should be in Rome, the rest of the story or only a couple of chapters…Anyways, thanks for reading and the reviews!
Hermione woke to the soft warmth of late summer sun, she took a double take of her surroundings before the memories of Giselle and her and Draco's trip to Rome returned to her. Hermione forced her way out of bed knowing that many great experiences were to be had as soon as she got her lazy bum out of bed. She sauntered to her bathroom much happier than she had been days before waking up in her own mansion. I have family! This is so great, but I wish Mom and Dad were the ones introducing me too them not Giselle…
"Oh well, beggars can't be choosers." She said out loud as she started the shower and blinking a single tear out of her eye.
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Draco watched all the people around him. Hermione, Giselle, and him had been out enjoying the sites and shopping, a lot more of the latter, and now they were sitting at an outside table at a quiet little restaurant for a late lunch. Hermione and Giselle were comparing knockoff designer purses they had bought from some street vendors by the Colosseum. His attention turned from the tourists and residents of Rome to Hermione. She was laughing at something Giselle said. She is so beautiful; her smile is enough to make me melt…no girl has been able to do that to me before. I wonder if she likes me any more than a frie…no I won't think about it, the last thing she is thinking about is a boyfriend right now, and I don't want to spoil our friendship. She is the best friend I've ever had.
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It was the night of the "big party" which Giselle had greatly understated the first time they had discussed it. It was going to be a huge ball with over 600 people. Only about 1 hundred of them Hermione's direct family however. Hermione was wearing a gorgeous gown of Sapphire, which seemed very appropriate for the circumstances. It was a strapless dress that was fitted down to the bottom of her hips and then went out in a gradual flare. It was simple but elegant and accessorized with only her mom's necklace and a pair of simple diamond studs. Her hair was done in soft curls. Hermione wanted to look perfect for when she met her family for the first time and she did indeed look perfect. She was especially excited because Giselle had told her grandmother was going to be there. Hermione had never had a grandmother in her life before and envisioned a kind, elegant, and caring women whom would comfort her and listen to her.
When she was done she looked at herself once more in the mirror before deeming herself OK and left the room to find Draco and head to the ballroom.
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Draco had just finished when he heard a light knocking on his door. He quickly went to answer it knowing it was Hermione coming to get him. He opened the door and stared at the girl in front of him fully aware his jaw must be touching the floor. She was beautiful normally but this was just incredible. He fought his urges to lean down and kiss her right then and there, wondering why he hadn't fallen for her sooner; smart, funny, easy to talk to, and definitely gorgeous, she was perfect.
"Draco?" He jerked up out of his trance and Hermione blushed, "are you ready to head down now?"
"Oh yeah, sure, I just finished getting ready," He offered an arm to her and they headed down to the ballroom.
It was like a red carpet event, the guests were entering in the most gorgeous gowns and there were photographers for wizard gossip newspapers and magazines. Draco was used to this but he was sure Hermione wasn't and looked over to her to see her shaking and looking very nervous.
"Don't worry, you look beautiful, just smile, you'll do fine." He whispered into her ear.
"Is it always like this at these things?"
"Yep, and get used to it, they are going to be following you around for awhile Miss Saphira."
She gave him a quick scared look before she turned to the photographers and smiled, thinking that if they were going to take pictures of her they might as well be good ones. Soon, they found themselves entering the ballroom and greeted by Giselle.
"You two look great!" She said as she smiled, "It is a little overwhelming the first couple of times, but you'll get use to it." Now talking just to Hermione.
"Thanks and I'm beginning to realize that," replied Hermione.
"Come over here and I'll introduce you too grandmother, be warned however, she is a little scary."
On the side of the dance floor sat an older women dressed very elegantly talking and laughing with everyone who wandered over to meet her. Giselle brought her right up to her and introduced her.
"Grandmother! How are you? This is our long lost Hermione."
"Hermione? Jared's daughter?"
"Yes"
"Hello, it is very nice to meet you, I have always wondered what you were like." Said Hermione timidly.
"Well, you would know if your father hadn't run off with your tramp of a mother and gone into hiding at the first sign of trouble."
Hermione was taken back, how could she say such things about her parents? "My mother was not a tramp and my father loved her right up until the day he died."
"Do not disrespect me, I am being nice enough letting you into the family."
"I am part of this family, linked by blood, whether you like it or not." With that Hermione walked off with Draco in tow. She was not at all what Hermione had expected. Giselle looked quickly at their grandmother before hurrying after them.
"Hermione! She doesn't mean it, she is just very strict when it comes to family." Giselle said when she caught up to them, "She is actually really proud of you."
"To me it sounded like she didn't couldn't care less about me."
"She does, believe me. Your father and her just have some bad history."
"What happened?"
"Well I don't know details except that she wanted him to marry this one girl he had been dating for years, but when he met your mother he decided to marry her. Your mother's family is one that the Saphiras have had a feud with for centuries and she wouldn't approve the marriage. So they eloped to Quebec, your father had a lot of money form stocks and businesses he had owned and your mother had all of her inheritance."
"I never knew any of that…but it's not an excuse for her to hate me or say those things about my mother!"
Giselle nodded her head knowingly and left to talk to some more of her guests. Hermione blinked back her tears and she felt the reassuring squeeze of Draco's hand. They spent the rest of the night meeting the rest of her relatives, who all opposed to her grandmother readily welcomed her into the family, and dancing with Draco.'
Author's Note: ENJOY! and Review ;-)
