A/N: I am a little confused as to whether anyone will like this chapter or not. In this story, I am personally shipping one way, but I think that a lot of u liker the other pairing better! So I am sorry to all the people leaning the other way, and thinking that I am leaning the other way, but hey! It's only a story! (And I hope the way that I do it is cute enough…lol)
Luv u all, Ella xXx
Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to my good friend Kaidee, who taught me what the word 'chipper' means. Be Chipper Kaids! xXx
Zeke,
I know that you might be having second thoughts. Don't be scared. You wont be found out. If I discover that you wont go through with it then I might have to come down there and do the job myself. Please understand. I will be honoured for this. You will be honoured for this. All of His followers will consider us legends. Maybe even their new leader. Don't fail me Zeke. I am counting on you. You wont have to do it, remember, just get it all set up, and we will be there for the girl in the morning. Keep working.
Sincerely, your father.
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Across the Great Hall, Daniel, Jade and Jessie sat at the Gryffindor table, eating breakfast. The sky that peered in at them from the ceiling was pearly with the dreary autumn weather, and they devoured the warm bacon and eggs that they were eating, savouring the warmth before they had to venture out onto the grounds for Herbology, the harsh winds were getting colder each day.
A school owl fluttered down, and landed right in front of Daniel, his wide eyes peering up at the boy expectantly, holding out his leg to allow Daniel to untie the scroll, sealed with a tiny velvet ribbon. Two more owls descended after it, and landed in front of the girls. They stared at each other, curious, as the owls flapped their wings, and spared back out through the high windows. Daniel groaned, and began to open his scroll, slowly.
"Slughorn. They're invitations to one of his parties. I don't want to go…" he groaned. Jade opened hers before the other two, and smiled slightly, as she read it out.
"You are invited to attend a party hosted by Horace Slughorn. You may bring one guest. Wear your dress robes. Hope to see you there." She read, laughing. Jessie smiled.
She looked down at her invitation, and the date that was set for next week. Then she looked hopefully up at the others, who were laughing at the prospect of attending.
"Oh come on! It would be all three of us! And we get to dress all fancy, and bring dates! It would be fun! Come on…" she whined, and gave them a pleading look. Jade looked scandalised.
"Come on. I know that you like the idea of dressing up." Jessie said, raising her eyebrows at Jade. Jade deflated.
"Yes, I know, but it seems so stupid. And you don't want to go, do you Daniel?" she said, turning to Lupin. Daniel went slightly pink.
"Er, actually, I do have someone that I want to ask…I wouldn't mind…I don't know. I need to go. Got to get to class." He muttered, and walked out of the Great Hall, bag slung over his back lazily. Jessie eyed him suspiciously, but Jade looked as though she had been slapped in the face.
"Oh come on, you weren't that against the idea!" said Jessie, spying the less than happy expression on Jade's face. Jade didn't seem to hear her. She was still staring at the place where Daniel had disappeared out the door. Jessie sighed, and stood up.
"I guess we had better be going too then." She said, and Jade stood, in a sort of daze, staring in the same place, not making a sound. Then she shook her head, like a dog getting rod of water, and smiled a little too enthusiastically at Jessie.
"Yes! Charms!" she said to Jess, trying to cover up. Jessie stared, her eyebrows raised.
"Er, no Jade, herbology." She said, slowly. Jessie shook her head.
"Yes, yes that was what I meant." She said, and then practically marched out of the hall.
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Jade was in a bad mood all morning. She pounded her roots to a pulp in Herbology, when they were preparing the species for use in potions, and she passed the watering can across to Jessie a little too enthusiastically. Suzie Thomas raised her eyebrow at Jess, who shrugged, and tried to catch Jade's eye, with no result. Jade was utterly irritated, and she wasn't about to provide any answers.
When they reached Transfiguration, Jade didn't notice that the pencil she was meant to be transforming into a spoon was on fire, and Jessie had to extinguish it with a little spout of water she produced from her wand.
Then there was lunch. Daniel was ominously absent from their usual spot at the end of the Gryffindor table, and Jess was quick to notice this. Jade, however, apart from becoming even more vague and tetchy, showed no sign that she noticed that the other third of their trio was missing. She dug into her salad sandwich without even blinking.
After lunch, they walked the halls to charms class, where an eager band of Ravenclaw girls were already waiting outside the class, giggling loudly, and squealing occasionally. Jess noticed, as they drew closer, that Suzie was near the centre of them, looking especially chipper, and the squealing girls seemed to be focused on her blushing form.
"Jessie! Jade!" she squealed, and ran up to them when they arrived. Jessie' looked taken aback, as Suzie Thomas came bounding up to them, bouncing on the balls of her heels excitedly, and beaming at them.
"You two are going to Slughorn's party, aren't you?" she asked, and giggled. Jessie nodded, slowly, not understanding where this conversation was going.
"Now so am I!" Suzie informed them, looking nervously ecstatic. Jade seemed interested now. She seemed to have sensed what was coming. To Jessie, however, the announcement came as a complete shock. It might not have been helped by the fact that it was squealed out by one of the surrounding first years…
"Daniel Lupin asked her!"
"The metamorphmagi!
"He's so adorable!"
"He asked her himself!"
"And he's a second year!"
Jessie grinned, and Suzie looked sheepish, nodding, embarrassedly, at the information.
"Good on you!" she said, hitting Suzie playfully in the arm. Jade's eyes were narrowed slightly, and she looked like she wanted to punch Suzie a little harder, and for different reasons, however, Professor McGonagal turned up moment's later, and ushered them all into the classroom.
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Hermione stared down at the slip of paper Lavender had left in her hands. She didn't know what to do. This decision could change her life. To be fair, she reasoned that she had made fairly bad life changing decisions up to this point, so she was at a loss as to what to do now.
The party was in one week's time. She didn't have to reply yet. Lavender was very clear about that.
"I know that you might not want to do it then, but it's an opportunity. Come like that if you like. Then, if you want to reveal yourself, you can. If not, then you stay unknown, no one is any wiser…" Lavender had pressed the invitation into her hand, and given her a quick squeeze. Hermione nodded, her eyes wet, Lavenders pretty, gracefully aging face swimming in front of her. She tried to give her a small smile, and reassure Lavender that she would think about it, but when she opened her mouth nothing but a squeak came out. A strangled noise, which seemed to be artificial, and detached from her body.
Lavender didn't care though. She seemed to understand. Raising a daughter had changed her, and the stability that came from having Dean at her side had made her grow into a very dependable witch. She was far from the giggling young lady Hermione had hated all those years ago. Apart from anything else, she had grown into a friend.
Lavender gave Hermione a small pat on the back, and left her the invite.
"That's fine. Just think about it. Hope to see you there." She said, and she turned slowly, and left the kitchen, walking right out of Hermione's house and appearating once she reached the front doorstep.
And now Hermione had to decide weather or not to attend Lavender Brown's birthday party. It sounded like a childish dilemma, and if she were to voice that thought to anyone out loud, then it would seem a ludicrous glitch to ponder on, but when she added in the fact that all her old friends, including the father of her child, who hadn't yet been informed of this minor detail were all going to be attending, and she looked virtually unrecognisable, then the decision was no longer an easy one. Finding the perfect dress robes seemed to be but a miniature hitch.
The luminous pink paper glowed in Hermione's clenched fist. The paper was speckled in creases and tears. This time next week she could be spilling the whole situation to Ron. Then again, she could just be sitting here, on her couch, regretting it for another eleven years…
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Jade was still in an irritable mood when they reached the Gryffindor table for dinner that night. Daniel set himself down in their normal seat, across from the girls, and Jade didn't even look up. She kept on eating away at her roast beef.
"Hey Daniel! Heard about Suzie! Good on you, she's really nice!" she said, grinning at Dan. Daniel went red, the colour rising in his cheeks, and his eyes turning a splendid blue, the way that they did when he was happy.
"Thanks. I was really nervous to tell you the truth…"
Jessie raised her eyebrows. She wouldn't have thought Daniel to be one to become flustered over a girl. Nor, it seemed, did Jade. She snorted into her Yorkshire pudding, causing both of her friends to look at her.
"What?" she asked, when she looked up, finally. "I just don't think that Suzie's that excited about going with you Dan. I think she's just glad that she'll get to go to the party. She wouldn't otherwise, she wasn't invited."
Daniel looked crestfallen, and Jessie scandalised.
"Jade! She was really looking forward to it! I heard her telling that other Ravenclaw, Julie, that she's liked Dan for ages!"
"Yeah, well, what should that matter?" snapped Jade, standing up. "I'm not hungry anyway, I think I'll go to bed." She stormed out of the Great Hall.
Jessie stared after her friend, opened mouthed. Daniel was just staring down at his plate, looking distraught.
"Do you think it's true, what she said?" he asked, looking up at Jess to reveal now deep navy blue eyes, and dark hair. "Do you think that she only wants to get into the party?"
Jessie shook her head. "No, I'm sure not Dan. Don't worry; I did hear her saying that she's liked you. Jades just in a testy mood, that's all. She's been like it all day. I wouldn't take it to heart. She must be tired, that's all." She reassured him, biting her lip nervously. Daniel didn't look all that convinced, but Jess noticed that his eyes faded back to an aqua blue colour, and he gave a small, uneasy smile.
"Trust me Daniel. She's being stupid." Jessie said, firmly. Daniel stole a glance over at the Ravenclaw table, and found two eyes already on him. Suzie gave a small wave. He waved back. When he turned back around, he beamed at Jess.
"Ok, thanks Jess." He said, and his eyes sparkled.
Jessie smiled back, but couldn't help dwelling on Jade. She was acting very weird.
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A week later, and Hermione still didn't know what to do. First she had told her that she couldn't do it. Then, when Lavender had come again the previous day, all a dither over the catering and the firewhisky orders, Hermione had told her that she would come, no matter what. Lavender had looked at her, a little too knowingly, and said that even if she changes her mind a hundred times, she wouldn't stress whether she turned up or not.
Hermione half wished that she hadn't been given such an option. Now she didn't have to go, because of Lavender, she had to choose, because of Lavender. She had even half gotten dressed, into a floaty gown, which clenched around the waist and flared out at the bottom, in a dazzling pink colour, falling down just past her knees. To try and comfort herself she twirled around in circles for a moment, watching as the hem of her skirt flared out around her gracefully, creating ripples. It reminded her of when she was a little girl, dressed up in her best party dress.
To try and accentuate the fact that she was a witch, Hermione attached a small sparkly brooch of a black cat, and secured it to her neckline, smiling. So long as she wasn't required to do magic, she was fine.
But her hair hung limp around her shoulders, and though it was still blonde and unrecognisable, Hermione stared in the mirror and suddenly longed to rip it all out, of hack it off with scissors, so that she didn't look so boring and dowdy. So much like a muggle. She wanted to be the witch that she was. She wanted her old locks back, but that wasn't going to happen, especially if she was going to attend the party tonight. If she was going to attend the party tonight…
Hermione stared down at the week old, worn away words that adorned the invitation, and squinted through the tear stained splotches that covered every inch of it, feeling her heart fall. She had been hoping that the party might have been the next night, and she had read it wrong. Then she would have time to think. She even half wished that it would be for the previous night, so that the decision would have been made for her.
But no. The party was tonight, and it started in an hour. She had to make a decision now.
Tonging her hair into golden ringlets, Hermione grimaced at her reflection, and sat the invitation down on her dresser, for the last time. She was going to the party.
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Jessie stared at her reflection in the mirror, screwing up her nose in distaste.
"What's that look for?" asked Jade, with the hint of a laugh in her voice.
"I don't know, I just don't like the fact that I look the same. It's so boring."
"You look gorgeous Jess!" Jade said, brushing on a light coat of blush in the mirror, her hair falling in soft curls around her shoulders, the soft freckles scattered on her nose making her look cute, and her green eyes shining against the dress that she had chosen, a jade green, with a layer of white tulle under the skirt.
"Easy for you to say! You don't even have to try and your hair stays perfect! I just have uncontrollable curls!" Jessie moaned, and tugged at her locks.
Jade looked up, placing one eye on her friend.
"Ok, will you promise you wont tell that I know this? My cousin taught it to me. She goes to Beauxbatons, and can be a right pain, but she can be useful sometimes. This is one of those times. Alright, what hair do you want?" she asked. Jessie raised her eyebrow at her friend, and let out a snort.
"Pardon me?"
"What hair do you want? Curls, waves, straight, what?" she said impatiently, her hand resting on her hip, supporting her wand. Jessie saw the wand, and jumped.
"Oh no no no no Jade. I am not letting you point that thing at me! Don't you remember the charms class when you set your cushion on fire? No Jade, I don't fancy being a cushion; I'll take the hair over being burnt to a crisp any day."
Jade rolled her eyes, "Carbonironia!" she shouted, pointing her wand at Jessie's head, and before Jess could duck out of the way, a mist of steam had clouded around her head and disappeared with a crack, leaving a head of straight hair in it's place, smoothing over either side of Jessie's head gracefully.
"Oh my goodness! My head is still there! Thanks Jade!" she gushed sympathetically, and Jade laughed, and smirked.
"Thanks for having faith in me!" she laughed sarcastically.
Jessie stroked her pin straight hair, which was flowing over her shoulders and almost down to her waist, like a red waterfall. She was wearing a white dress, with a black sash and black rims around the sleeves. She tied a black headband around her head, pulling the loose strands away from her eyes, and smiled now, at her reflection.
"You certainly seem chirpier than you have been the last few days Jade!" commented Jessie, giving over her shoulder at her friend. Jade shrugged.
"Yeah, I was in a crabby mood, just tired, that's all." She stood up, and joined Jessie, standing in the mirror.
"You excited?" she asked, grinned toothily at her friend's reflection.
Jessie was going to the party with a second year, Greg Collins, and Jade with a fellow first year, who she knew before they had come to Hogwarts, through her parents, and parties they had attended when they were younger. A sweet boy, with exotic eyes and sandy hair, Brian Finnegan was the son of two of Harry and Ginny from years ago, and Jade was looking forward to the date. She had always thought him cute.
"Very." Replied Jade, and she squeezed Jessie's hand quickly, excited, before they gave a flighty squeal, and headed down the stairs, to the party.
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Hermione shivered, on the doorstep of the Thomas's large house. It looked regular, however, there was purple smoke wisping out of the chimney, and Hermione could hear noise drifting outside to her. She hugged her arms around herself, trying to shield herself from the cooling air. The night was darkening, and the light still clinging to the sky after sunset was almost gone.
There were footsteps behind the door. Hermione thought for just a moment about turning and running down the street before anyone could answer, but the impulse was forced to disappear in an instant, because the door flew open, and a familiar face, answered it.
Dean stared for a moment. Hermione couldn't help but stare a little as well. She guessed that she would be doing a lot of that tonight. Dean Thomas' hairline had crept slightly backwards, and his eyes crinkled around the edges, however, he still had the same excited face, and the same features scattered on his familiar round face.
"Hi." Hermione said quietly after a moment.
Dean squinted. Then the realisation stole over him, and his face broke into a smile.
"You came! Lavender told me that you might be coming! Actually, she told me that you would be coming, but I didn't know what made her so sure. To tell you the truth, I wasn't expecting it! Now, your name, if you would like, is going to be Carrie Brown. We decided you could be a cousin of hers, none of our families are here, only friends, so it'll be safe. What do you think?" He asked, and looked at her eagerly. He seemed to be searching her face, for signs of her former self, and at the same time he looked triumphant at the fact he was telling Hermione Granger what was the intelligent way to do something. He never thought that he would see the day. She was relying on him!
"Thanks heaps Dean." Hermione said, giving him a smile, and he caught sight of her eyes.
"Oh! There she is!" he said, smiling, and he led her into the house, and down the small hallway, before they turned off into the ballroom, which was already scattered with people. Hermione's stomach did a back flip, and it landed somewhere up around her throat. Ron was standing in the corner, talking to Harry, Neville Longbottom, and a woman who had her hand linked in with Neville's. The woman, who was fairly short, turned slightly, so that Hermione caught her profile. The dazed eyes and pale skin couldn't be mistaken. Luna Lovegood was standing in the small group, laughing loudly at something Ron had said. And there was one other person. A woman that Hermione had never seen before. She didn't have time to study her further, however, because Dean took her by the hand, and led her over to Lavender saying loudly, "Hey honey! Watch out, your cousins a looker, better keep an eye on me later on eh?" he said at quite a large volume, winking at Hermione, who marvelled at the ingenious casualness Dean used when introducing her. Perhaps he and Lavender had rehearsed this part of the evening already, because Lavender excused herself from the people she was chatting with, and bounded up to Hermione, wrapping her arms around her cousins neck, and squealing.
"Carrie!" she let out, shrilly, "So glad you made it!"
Harry turned to look at the person who was causing all the commotion by the door. Harry took a mouthful of butterbeer, but when Lavender pulled away, and the blonde head of the woman she was hugging was revealed, he spraying it all out.
"Harry! That is gross! What did you- what?" Ginny said, whipping herself dry. She followed Harry's gaze, as did the others, and saw Hermione, standing at the door.
Ginny's eyes grew wider than they had ever been, and she let out a yelp.
"But she would have to know that-"
"Exactly." Muttered Harry.
"What, who is it?" asked Ron, his brow creasing in confusion, as he slipped his arm around the waist of the woman next to him. She smiled, and slipped her hand over his. Her name was Katie, and she had silky brown hair that fell to below her waist, and turquoise eyes, which seemed to dance in the sparkling light of the room.
"I don't know, but there seems to be a big fuss over her!" covered Ginny, quickly, though her face was not reassured, and her eyes never left Hermione, darting across to the edge of her vision, observing as she shook hands with people and was introduced to Semus Finnegan and Pavarti Patil, who were standing with Lavender at the time.
"Yes, Ginny, do you fancy introducing ourselves?" Harry aid quickly, and before anyone else in the group could make a move to follow, Harry and Ginny had left the little group, and headed across the room, in the direction of Hermione.
"Ginny, did you have any idea that she might be coming?"
"She hates Lavender! I didn't even know that they were in touch!" Ginny muttered back. They were trying not to move their mouths too much as they skirted across the floor.
"I know. But she had to know that Ron would be here…"
"Harry! What about Katie? What are we going to do? Hermione will be shattered, no matter what she says."
"Alright, lets find out what's going on-Her-i!" he said, quickly, as they reached them, quickly transforming his slip of the tongue into a greeting. Hermione smiled gingerly at them, and Lavender beamed behind her back. Dean snorted humorously at the near miss.
"Hello. I'm Harry, and this is my wife Ginny. Nice to meet you." He said, sticking out a hand to shake hers. Ginny followed suit.
"Carrie Brown. I'm Lavender's cousin. I'm just here to be acquainted with all her friends! Maybe tell them something's they never knew about Lavie!" she said, forced, smiling at Harry and Ginny. Harry's eyes grew wide. Did she mean what he thought she meant? He saw her eyes dart over to Ron in the corner.
"Well then! Allow us to introduce you to our friends!" Ginny said, a tough edge in her voice, taking hold of Hermione's arm and steering her forcibly across to where they was standing before.
"Everyone! This is Lavender's cousin Carrie! Carrie, this is Neville, and his wife Luna…" Hermione let a small gasp escape, and everyone stared. She was smiling beaming, in fact, at Luna, who was wearing floaty robes of a deep orange colour. "Um, I love your earrings!" she covered up quickly, gesturing to the small tropical birds that were dangling from her earlobes. Luna grinned, and Hermione tried to stop the insane smile from remaining on her face, though it didn't work very well.
"…Right. And this is my brother, Ron…" Hermione's eyes appeared to be swimming with tears, but she held them in, and nodded, shortly, biting her bottom lip softly.
She didn't know what she wanted anymore. She wanted to hate him, to hold him, to tell him, and to scream at him all at the same time. She wanted to throw her hands around his neck, and have him recognise her. She wanted to kiss him, and never stop again. She wanted to tell him the truth, or go back in time, or announce it to the whole room. She wished that Jessie were here now, so that she could sit down and explain it to the both of them, and she wanted to let him hug his daughter without the complications. But she didn't do any of these things. Hermione, instead, stood opposite the love of her life, and said nothing, but 'nice to meet you.'
Ron stared at her for a moment. He cocked his head to the side, and then his eyes grew wide.
"I recognise you!" he let out suddenly. Ginny gasped, and Harry gulped, Hermione looked as though she was going to burst out in tears.
"Did you come into the shop once?" he asked, hitting her playfully on the arm, "The joke shop? I swear I've seen you there."
Hermione nodded.
"Yes, I was in there at the start of this year, your right!" she said happily, laughing, "You have a good memory!"
Harry and Ginny chuckled nervously, and didn't look at each other; for fear that they would break down screaming at the craziness of the situation. Part of the craziness came from the next person Ginny knew she must introduce. The only one she really needed to introduce for Hermione's benefit.
"And Carrie, this is Katie, she's Ron's partner! Actually, they're moving in together this weekend!" she said, forcing out the words, her heart breaking at the sight of Hermione's crestfallen features, as different as they may be.
Hermione said nothing. She just stared at Ron's smiling face. It was not the smile that she knew. It wasn't the broad grin that he wore when he had done something to be proud of, nor was it the small smirk that he donned when he was right, and she was found wrong. It wasn't the wide beam that had been slapped across his face at the celebrations and weddings they had attended after the fighting was over, the care free attitude of it all peering through the gap of his mouth to shine on the world. It was as far from the indulged smile he had presented when he looked at the old Hermione as any facial expression could ever be.
To a stranger, it may look perfectly casual, normal, and natural, but Hermione knew that face too well. The curve Ron had forged across his face seemed to her to be a twisted form of grimace. A fake, plaster mould of a smile. Maybe she was right. But maybe she just wanted to make herself feel better.
Ginny nudged Hermione's leg with her knee, reminding her to speak. Katie looked slightly hurt by the pause, and Ron appeared plain confused.
"Hi! Congratulations! Nice to meet you!" she said, maybe a little too enthusiastically.
"You too." Said Carrie, smiling, and shaking Hermione's manicured hand.
"So, Carrie, what do you do for a living?" she asked, and turned away from the rest of the group, so that she was just focusing on the woman in front of her, wearing the flattering black dress robes. Ginny eyed her, as though she knew that this show of interest was definitely a dangerous sign, but Hermione waved her off with a gesture of her hand.
Carrie appeared taken aback with the enthusiastic attention, and Ron delighted to gush over his girlfriend, but Hermione didn't notice. She wanted to find out as much as she could about the woman.
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A/N: thanks for reading this far in the story! That was so much longer than the last chapter! I hope that it didn't reduce the quality! Please let me know what you thought of it! It was going to include the whole of both parties, but then I thought too much, so I split it in two! Review or Pm, I'd love to have a chat with u all!
Luv Ella xXx
