What kind of question...
Harry Potter fan-fiction - Humor/Romance
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters herein. This is a not-for-profit fan-fiction.
"Honestly! What kind of question is that?" Hermione rolled her eyes.
"I mean it's not like a girl HAS to get married now is it? Women today have all kinds of options..."
"There's no reason why I have to put all my energy into a marriage and family! I could have a world class career as a Healer... Or maybe politics! Youngest Minister of Magic ever... I could even start a Foundation devoted to freeing the House Elves and other oppressed magical species."
Hermione frowned at Harry. "Why is it every guy assumes that OF COURSE every girl wants to get married? That may be Pavarti's highest goal in life, but it certainly is not mine!"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Or Lavender... God! I swear all those brainless twits can do is talk about clothes and speculate about their future husbands!"
"You should know me better than that Harry!"
"Hermione, I didn't ask you if a girl had to get married! Talk about misunderstandings - Sheesh! I was asking you! All I want is a simple answer, not a long diatribe on girls and equal rights." Harry rolled his eyes.
"Don't you roll your eyes at me Harry James!" snapped Hermione. "I would need to find the right person to even consider it..."
Hermione's eyes focused in the distance. "I want someone who will love me and respect me, even my more non-traditional ideas like S.P.E.W. He has to be willing to listen when I need him to and share his thoughts, hopes, and feelings. He has to have a good character, be intelligent, and be at least reasonably handsome. He would have to be able to respect my non-magical background. He would have to like and get along with my parents. Someone whose character and personality are such I would love as a best friend if we weren't married."
Harry grinned at Hermione, his emerald eyes sparkling. "So basically best friends plus kissing, eh?"
Hermione frowned at Harry. "That's a little simplistic!" Hermione smiled wistfully, "Anyway, it's not as if the boys are lining up to even date me, let alone marry me - now are they?"
Harry snorted and cupped his hand gently against her cheek. "Hermione, you overanalyze things, you know that?'" Harry leaned over and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "And you still haven't answered my question, by the way." Harry grinned at her and walked towards the door.
Hermione stamped her foot. "Harry Potter you are the most frustrating, irritating..."
Harry interrupted, "don't forget contemptible..."
"OH! Get out of here!"
Harry poked his head back in the door, just an instant after he left. "By the way Hermione, since you seem to be having trouble understanding and answering a simple question, here is a little clue for you - What starts with one word, ends with two words, but the three words in the middle get repeated many times?..."
Harry ducked and laughed as Hermione shrieked and flung a pillow at his head. "Ta ta for now!"
Scene Break - 2 weeks later at the Granger home
Her mother looked at her and shook her head. "Hermione love, for someone so smart..." She sighed.
"What! Don't you start too! Harry is already being difficult enough about this." Hermione crossed her arms and scowled at her mother. "And why the heck does he want to know all of sudden anyway? Why does he need that information anyway? It's not like it's going to happen any time soon."
Hermione's mother rolled her eyes at her daughter. "Hermione love, think about the question for a minute. What if it wasn't a request for information? What if he meant something else entirely by it?"
"Mother what are you blathering about? What else could it have been?" Hermione shook her head. "This just makes no sense. And don't even get me started about his clue! HA! Starts with one, ends with two, and three in the middle - what a bunch of malarkey!"
"Honestly!" Her mother frowned at her. "Alright Hermione, I give up. You obviously are not going to figure this out by yourself. What two words did I speak at my wedding?"
Hermione shook her head, confused at the apparent non sequitur. "Traditionally, it would be I do."
"And what do you think I told your father when he asked me to marry him? It's a little three letter word that starts with y and ends in s."
"I'm not stupid you know! The word is yes, obviously"
"And what three little words do you think your father and I said to each other probably hundreds of times between getting engaged and getting married?"
"Ok, ok, I get it - I love you."
Her mother folded her arms and glared at her daughter. "Do you get it really, Hermione? An engagement starts with yes, ends with I do, and has I love you in the middle. So, if the right answer to his question starts with one word, ends in two, and has three words in the middle - what does that make his question? Was it really a request for information or was it a proposal?"
"Proposal" Hermione replied promptly and then blanched. "A PROPOSAL!"
"Honestly!" Her mother rolled her eyes at Hermione. "The question he asked you was Do you want to get married? It's not like it was hard. Wait till we go shopping for a wedding dress, now THAT'S hard!"