Hermione was getting impatient. She could 100% say she hated when school was out of session. Not only did it mean she had to take how to be a lady courses, she also has to attend the numerous galas her mother likes to put on. Her mum absolutely adores having people over. It can be something super simple like just a plain dinner and her mum will go all out with the planning. Her dad has told her - she honestly hopes he's joking when he says this- that ever since her mum had found out she was a girl she's been planning Hermione's coming of age party.
That's a party Hermione can say she is not looking forward too.
Hermione can't help but wince as the hairstylist her mum hired pulls once again too hard on her hair. Breaking her of her thought. She refocuses her eyes and stares at herself in the mirror. She still looks the same, the same boring eyes and the same wild untamed hair, and the same buck teeth. But this is her, and nothing will change that.
The hairstylist finally stops the pulling on her hair and all of her curls are piled on top of her head in a messy but cute fashion. Thanking the stylist Hermione gets up out of the chair and walks back to her bathroom where her dress is hanging up waiting for her. It's a pretty thing, with red long sleeves it flares out with the help of a black petticoat underneath it. Slipping the dress on quickly, Hermione fluffs it up and once she is satisfied with it she twirls and giggles.
She hates the hair appointment her mum forces her in for these functions but she loves dressing up. She loves the ballgowns, the lace, and petticoats. She always feels amazing when she puts a brand new dress on. She stops twirling and sighs as she heads out of the bathroom. Now to stand quietly next to her parents as they walk around and greet everyone that has come.
Hermione goes over to the large table filled with sweets. Since her parents are dentists she barely ever gets a chance to eat a whole bunch of sweets in one night and with her parents attention elsewhere she has full access to the table.
Picking up some petit fours she places them on a napkin when she hears an excited voice call her name.
"Hermione!" Hermione blinks and turns her head to who is calling her. Her eyes widen in surprise to see Daphne walking quickly over to her. She was wearing a long sleeve blue dress that was floor length, and it tucked into her waist to make her appear older than she was.
"Daphne!" Hermione puts the small cakes down and hugs the other girl.
"What are you doing here!?" Hermione asks, her excitement clear.
"My parents are looking to expand their investments and when they got this owl in the mail from a business associate of theirs they thought it might be time to broaden their horizons or something like that. I lost interest. It's usually so boring at these sort of events."
Hermione nodded in agreement. "Agreed." The two girls pause and nibble on the small cakes when Hermione's eyes widen and she groans. Daphne looks at her friend quizzically. "Come, I should introduce you to my parents properly. My mum will kill me if I don't show her I'm actually making friends at my boarding school."
Daphne nods and puts down her small dessert plate. Hermione turns towards her ever silent butler. "Jackson do you know where mum and dad are?"
"Follow me little lady."
Hermione nods with a smile and turns towards Daphne. "Come on let's follow Jackson." Hermione pauses and the trio begins walking through the large party. "Oh, and Daphne this is Jackson. Jackson this is Daphne. Daphne and I know each other, Jackson from the boarding school I now attend. Daphne, Jackson's family has been serving my family for generations now actually. Jackson has been with my mom since she was a little girl. He's the best."
Daphne blinks at Hermione, confused as to why she would introduce her to her help. But ultimately she decided to go along with it. Her friend is weird after all.
"A pleasure Jackson." Daphne said with a curtsy.
"Good to met you as well Ms. Daphne." Jackson said with a bow to the blonde. Hermione smiled at the two of them with a wide grin.
"See Jackson! It would have been rude had I not introduced you two. No matter what mum says!"
Jackson smiles down at his young charge. "As you say little lady."
Hermione turns towards Daphne, who was merely watching with an exasperated look. Hermione sees the look Daphne is giving her and she blinks.
"What? My mum doesn't like it when I introduce my guests to Jackson. But I feel as though it's rude because he is a person and he is standing right by me most of the time. So why should I purposely ignore his existence?"
Daphne sighs. "It's nothing Hermione. I'm just wondering when I'm going to stop being surprised by you."
Hermione grins."I'm always full of surprises Daphne. Get used to it."
Daphne rolls her eyes but giggles and Hermione joins in. Her eyes bright.
"Come little lady, it's time to find your parents now."
Hermione smiles and nods.
"Mum, dad I would like for you to formally met my friend from boarding school. Daphne Greengrass. Daphne these are my parents. Dr and Dr Granger."
"It's wonderful to meet you both. Hermione's told me a great deal about you both. I hear you both are very successful…" Daphne pauses and looks towards Hermione. Hermione seeing the look mouths the word 'DENTISTS' to her struggling friend. "Dentists." Daphne finishes with a grateful look towards Hermione. Hermione winks with a smile.
Hermione's parents look at each other fondly. Then look towards Hermione and her new friend.
"Well Ms. Greengrass it's wonderful to make your acquaintance. Hermione has also told us about you and we are very thankful that she has you helping her along the way at her new school." Hermione's mum said as she gives the young girl a smile and a small head nod to the girl's curtsy. Hermione's dad smiles as well and lifts Daphne's hand, he then plants a chaste kiss on her knuckles.
"It's wonderful to meet you Ms. Greengrass. I'm relieved to know that our daughter has made a friend and isn't stuck in her books like she usually is. And just so you know you are always welcomed here."
"Dad!" Hermione says with an embarrassed blush. Daphne giggles.
"I think I rank second to her books. She usually shushes me when she's just starting and then she will completely ignore me when she is in deep with her books."
Hermione pouts as she crosses her arms. Everyone around her just laughs. Daphne after finally being able to stop laughing turns towards Hermione.
"Come, you should meet my parents." She says and grabs a hold of Hermione's arm. Hermione nods enthusiastically.
"It was wonderful to meet you two. I shall see you again soon."
The two elders nod. "Of course Ms Greengrass. It was our pleasure." Jane said.
"Take care of our troublemaker Ms Greengrass." Alexander said with a friendly smile and wink. Hermione rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue at her dad quickly.
"Come on Daphne let's go find your parents."
Daphne nods and the two turn around.
The two are slowly getting through the crowded room when Hermione stops and grabs ahold of Daphne.
"Wait! Daphne, is there anything I should know about meeting your parents? Like any customs I should know about?"
Daphne pauses and then bites her lip. "No actually. So far they seem to be the same."
Hermione breathes a sigh of relief. "Ok. That's good news." The two continue weaving through the crowd when Hermione stops again. "Daphne! Is there a book on pureblood customs that I'd be able to read?"
Daphne blinks and looks at her friend. "I think so, that's a question for my mom I would think."
Hermione nods a determine gleam in her eyes. Daphne continues to look at her friend and she can't help but assume that she just opened up a whole deal of trouble with that line. She doesn't know what exactly but she just has this feeling.
"Oh! Hermione, I found my parents! Come on."
"Mum, father this is Hermione Granger. Hermione this is my mum and father, Lo- Mr and Mrs Greengrass."
Hermione curtsies to the two, keeping her eyes low towards the ground but high enough to where she can see just enough of their faces to know that Daphne is the spitting image of her mother and her father is a stern looking man with jet black hair. The two where both in muggle formal wear and looked as though they belong on the cover of a vogue magazine.
"It is a pleasure to met the both of you. Daphne has helped me tremendously with getting acclimated to my new school."
Daphne interrupts. "Don't start acting all modest Hermione." Daphne directs her attention back to her parents. "I've heard from several of the teachers that Hermione is already at the top of our year. If anything Hermione is helping me with my studies!"
Hermione gives a small smile, not used to someone being so enthusiastic about her studying.
"Well it seems like we owe you our thanks Ms Granger. Daphne's never been the studious type, it was always difficult to get her to sit still and read a book."
Daphne merely ignored her parents and looked towards Hermione who was giggling into her hand. Daphne turned fully towards Hermione and rolled her eyes. Hermione and Daphne both do a quick little curtsy before the two went back to the dessert table.
"Hermione, I know this is terribly rude to ask but do you think there is anyway we could find somewhere that's a little farther from the party?"
Hermione tilted her head at her friend, curiosity clear in her eyes.
"Well of course. I can show you some muggle books I think you might find interesting. They're in my parents office."
"Oh! Wonderful. We have some things to talk about!"
Hermione looked towards Daphne a smile on her face and her eyebrow raised. But instead of saying anything about her strange friend's behavior she just motioned for Daphne to follow her.
Hermione took Daphne out the back way, she really didn't want to explain anything to her dad and especially her mum.
She leads Daphne through the kitchen, into the formal dining room, up the grand staircase in the middle of the entryway. Once up the stairs Hermione takes a left and enters the first door on the left. The doors were a heavy dark wood that made the entrance to the office and library look imposing.
(In fact when Hermione was a little girl she used to be so scared to approach the doors because there was this old brass knocker, which wasn't actually brass when she thinks back on it it was this dark grey almost black color, and it had a bright red gemstone in the middle with two dragons fighting over it, the tails of the dragons was what made the handle of the knocker. The knocker was also split in half so that way even if the doors are open the two dragons still look as one. But about a year ago now the knocker disappeared Hermione's dad tells her he's the one that took it down but Hermione believes that she would have remembered that day, but her mum agrees with her dad so Hermione stopped fighting it.)
Hermione opens the door with the rather boring knocker now.
"Wow Hermione, this is gorgeous!" The office while it wasn't as grand as her father's study it still was breathtaking. Where in the wizarding world dark large ornate desks chairs and bookcases where picked because it made everything look imposing and a child small, this study had two desks that were separated by a perceived walkway both slim and sleek in design , as was the chairs. The bookcases were also inside of the walls. Nothing making the room appear smaller than it actually is. And the room itself just felt all around warm. Daphne remembers the warmth she felt when she met Hermione's parents and realizes that the whole family just gives off this aura of warmth.
Hermione smiles as she stares at the room she's been in countless times. Everytime she comes into this room she can't help but just take a deep breath to breath in the smell of the books. "My dad is pretty proud of the book collection himself. He's still expanding it too. He's looking for the first edition of all his favorite titles."
Daphne can't help but to laugh. "Is that who you got your passion for reading from?"
Hermione grins and steps further into the room. "Kind of. Both my parents love to read. But since their practice is so large now they barely have time to read. By now I think it's merely just a hobby for him to collect books. My mum just likes to be surrounded by books when she's going over paperwork and such." Hermione shrugs, bites her lip hesitant to continue but then Daphne puts a hand on her shoulder. Hermione turns towards the blonde.
"I'm guessing there is a seating area? How about we go to it and sit down and get to know each other."
Hermione blinks in surprise. But smiles with a nod. "Of course it's just this way."
