"Where to now?" Thorfinn asked as they walked out of the bookstore and back into Diagon Alley, tucking her arm into the crook of his. He glanced at Hermione half expecting her to hex him. When she didn't, he smiled.

"I suppose I need to get some new clothes."

Thorfinn laughed at the way her nose wrinkled. "Don't worry, beautiful, I will help you find clothing that is befitting your pure-blood status." As they walked down the street, glances were thrown their way.

"He is such a hunk!" One woman said in a not so hushed tone. That was kind of flattering.

"She is just a Death Eater whore," another commented. And not so much.

Thorfinn felt Hermione stiffen at his side and leaned his head towards her to whisper in her ear, "Don't act like you heard them, just keep walking until we get to the store."

When they got to the clothing store, he held the door open for her. They were greeted by a short middle-aged witch a few steps in. "Hello, madam and sir. How can I help you?"

"Um, yes. This is my fiancée Hermione Dolohov, formerly known as Hermione Granger. She requires a new wardrobe more suitable to her station."

"Oh, yes, I have heard all about it, you poor dear, come right this way." She spoke in soft tones as she motioned Hermione toward the dressing room area. "My name is Elizabeth. Don't worry, I'll make sure you have everything you need."

In a way, she reminded Hermione of .

"Go on, love, I can't wait to see it all." His words were punctuated by an overly done wink.

Hermione stuck her tongue out in response and followed Elizabeth.

"Come on, sweetie, I know the exact robe to get you started," Elizabeth said as she took Hermione's arm.

The store was kind of over the top, with little butterflies or flowers on almost everything, and, as Hermione followed Elizabeth, she noticed a large chandelier hanging from the ceiling made from what looked like diamonds, and crystal butterflies and flowers. It had a vintage feel to it that Hermione found adorable.

Elizabeth had Hermione stand on a stool while she measured her. The older woman kept murmuring comments here and there."Oh, yes, I have just the thing for you."

"What was that?" Hermione asked.

"I am just talking to myself, nothing to worry about, my dear. You can go to the dressing room now."

Hermione had been trying clothes on for what felt like forever.

"This is the last one, sweetheart, I promise."

"It's not that I am trying to complain, but..." Hermione groaned.

Elizabeth laughed "Not a shopper, I know. I can tell you are getting tired, and your young man is starting to look bored."

Hermione managed to get into the new robe. She swore she was done with shopping for life.

"I just need help zipping up the back," Hermione said as she stepped out of the dressing room in a baby blue robe that showed off her curves and a cream colored ballet shoe that made her smaller than her dragonhide boots.

She heard someone suck in their breath. For a moment, she thought it was Elizabeth. Turned out it wasn't.

"You are stunningly beautiful," a masculine voice spoke in the curve of her ear.

Startled, she stepped away from him. "If you ever do that again, I will hex you."

Elizabeth turned the corner into the dressing room entrance just in time, zipping her up with her wand as though unaware of tension.

"Elizabeth, I am going to wear this one."

"See? I knew you would like it," she told Hermione.

As all three of them walked toward the counter, Thorfinn told Elizabeth to bill him for everything and send everything besides the robe and shoes to Malfoy Manor. The evil eye Hermione was giving him didn't diminish in the slightest.

The whole restaurant screamed money.

"How can you help you, sir and madam?" The Maître d' asked them in a French accent, acting as though they smelled bad.

"We have a reservation under Rowle," Thorfinn exclaimed.

"Oh, yes. Right this way."

Hermione was impressed by the restaurant, as much as she could be by a building that was neither a library or a bookstore. She could see the place was fairly full even though it was the middle of the day.

The dining room area was dim, but she noticed each table had its own candle. It felt warm and inviting.

There was soft music playing and she could just smell a hint of garlic bread in the air.

She felt out of place.

Hermione had not said anything while they were being seated. She was partially annoyed that Thorfinn kept treating her like a princess.

Once they were seated, Thorfinn looked at her with one eyebrow arched.

"I can't believe that's all I had to do to render you speechless," he said playfully.

She glared at the blond. "Why did we come here? I might be a pure-blood now but I am not a princess, never have been."

"You are a pureblood, you should be treated like a queen."

"I just want to be treated like normal. I am still Hermione..."

Just then the waiter showed up and lit the candle at their table. "Good afternoon. What can I get you to drink?"

"I would like a firewhisky," Thorfinn said.

The waiter looked at Hermione. "I will have white wine, thank you."

When the waiter had left, Thorfinn asked, "Would you trust me to order food?" He held up his hands. "I swear I am not trying to poison you, I think it's romantic."

She took a deep breath. "I am not thrilled about it, but you can order food, I guess. If you answer questions in exchange. I don't know anything about you except that you are huge and an ex- Death Eater."

He looked at her. "Done, but you have to answer some of my questions as well."

"That seems fair," she stated as she smiled.

The waiter returned with their drinks "Have we decided what we'd like?"

"Yes, we'll have the cheese fondue for two, please."

"Excellent choice, sir."

Hermione took a sip of wine and looked at the wizard before her. He really was handsome. He had shoulder length dark blonde hair and striking blue eyes.

He raised an eyebrow at the inspection. "I thought you wanted to ask me questions."

"Oh right, let's see... What's your favorite color?" she asked him.

"Blue, what's yours?"

"Purple."

"I got another one, are you a virgin?"

Hermione choked on her wine. "What kind of question is that? I am not answering it."

"I am merely curious."

He looked at her, she took a deep breath and mumbled.

"I am sorry, sweetheart, what was that?" Thorfinn put his hand to his ear in an exaggerated attempt to hear her.

She blushed and said, "Yes. Happy now?"

He smiled and she could see his pupils get darker. "Absolutely. I get to be your first and only."

She glared at him. "You are such a pig. If I had my way I wouldn't be marrying you."

The waiter brought their food and set it on the table

"Please be careful, it's very hot." He refilled their drinks and walked away.

She blew on it a little bit and put it in her mouth. Once she swallowed her bite, she looked up at him. "My turn for a question." She thought about his last question, a nagging thought taking hold of her. "When did you lose your virginity?"

He smirked. "My fourth year during Christmas break."

"What did you want to do before you joined the Death Eaters?" She asked

He raised his eyes to look at her. "I was going to play Quidditch professionally."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course you wanted to play Quidditch." He laughed and shook his head.

"Don't tell me you don't like Quidditch."

The meal passed with less loaded questions. As they were getting ready to leave, a shadow fell at her side.

Ron Weasley was standing at their table.

"I should have known you were a Death Eater whore. Why did you lie? Did you like the attention?"

By this time Thorfinn was out of the booth and had grabbed Ron. "You will not insult my fiancé just because she doesn't want to be with you. And she actually didn't know she was a pure-blood."

Thorfinn held his hand out to Hermione after putting money for their meal on the table. "Let's go."

Hermione took his offered hand, turning briefly to her former friend as they left."I am disappointed with you, Ronald."

"Hermione, you will regret this!"she heard Ron yelling.

The next thing she knew, Thorfinn had Ron by the throat. "I gave you the chance to walk away. How stupid are you to insult and scream at her when her father, godfather and fiancé were Death Eaters?" Before they walked away Thorfinn punched Ronald in the nose. As Ron bled on the floor, he watched them walk away.

"Where to now?" he asked.

"Let's go home, please." They walked out of the restaurant without a second look as Ron was lying on the carpet, gasping for air and bleeding from his nose.

By the time they got back to Malfoy manor, Hermione was sure her hair was sparking. She was so mad at Thorfinn and Ronald, she stomped away from the fireplace down the hall.

"Where are you going, beautiful?" Thorfinn asked.

She turned around. "I am mad at you, leave me alone." She started to walk away.

"Why are you mad at me?" he asked her, laughing

She turned again and glared at him, "You threatened my friend and you tried to strangle him and you punched him. What the hell is wrong with you?" She shouted as stomped down the hall

He shook his head. "I am not a good guy, you know that." He decided he wanted to get a drink so he walked off toward Lucius' study.

He smiled as he was walking and he could hear Hermione's heels clicking on the floor and her murmuring.

He walked into the study where he saw Lucius, Draco and Antonin. They looked up as he walked through the door.

"I would ask how it went but I am guessing not very well?" asked Lucius. Thorfinn walked over to alcohol and poured himself a drink.

"She's mad at me."

"What did you do, Thor?" Antonin growled.

"I threatened her friend and grabbed him by the throat. He is lucky that she was with me or I wouldn't have stopped."

"Which friend was it?" Draco asked curiously

"I think she called him Ron. He's a complete idiot if you ask me. He insulted Hermione and now he is mad at me because I told him it wasn't smart considering her fiance, her father and godfather are ex-Death Eaters."

Antonin looked like he was ready to kill someone. "How dare that boy insult my daughter, that son of bitch," he fumed as he took a swig of his whiskey. "Where is she?"

"She was walking, well, stomping, down the hall and mumbling," Thorfinn said.

Lucius looked amused. "She has her father's temper."

Draco snorted. "She definitely has a temper—she broke my nose third year."

Thorfinn started laughing. Antonin looked amused. "You need to make this right, Thor. You don't want your fiance hating you."

Thorfinn rolled his eyes. "I will make it up to her. I just need to let her cool down a little bit."

Hermione walked down the hall. She was mad at Thorfinn and Ronald but she was also somewhat mad at herself. She decided to go out on the patio because she knew Narcissa loved it out there. She took off her heels and walked out on the patio barefoot. Narcissa was alone.

She had her back turned toward she was watering some flowers. "Do you mind if I join you?" Hermione asked her quietly.

Narcissa turned when she heard Hermione's question. "Oh, my dear, of course you can." She put the watering down and went over to the table. "Would you like some tea?"

"Tea would be great."

Narcissa called a house elf. "Please bring some tea and finger sandwiches please." A short time later the house elf brought tea, honey, cream and finger sandwiches. It reminded Hermione when she used to play tea parties with her Mum.

"Now dear, what happened? And please don't insult me by saying nothing happened."

Hermione poured herself some tea. "It was going well. We went to the bookstore first. My friend Luna is going to interview us."

"Smart. Let people know your side of the story," Narcissa said

"We bought clothes. I am sure you will like some of them." Hermione took a bite of one of the sandwiches. "I don't like shopping like most girls but I tolerated it. That wasn't the problem, were eating lunch and Ronald came over and insulted me and Thorfinn grabbed him by the throat and punched him."

"That Mr. Weasley sure has a temper. It sounds like you are more mad at Mr. Weasley, not Thorfinn."

"I am going to let him think that I am still mad at him for a little while longer," Hermione said.

Narcissa laughed. "You are definitely like your parents with your temper. Your mother once refused to talk to your father for a week until he apologized."

Hermione laughed. "What was my mother like?"

"She was my best friend. We shared a dorm all through school. She's like you; I don't know how I didn't see it. She loved school and was head girl. She was about your height, and her hair was a touch lighter than yours, and not so curly," Narcissa told Hermione.

"How did she meet my father?" Narcissa laughed. "We held a ball here and she met your father then. He asked her out several times before she finally agreed to go. She didn't want to because your father was known to be a ladies man."