Hermione groans as she leans back to stretch, she raises her arms above her hand as her back arches into the stretch. She's been leaning over her economics work for the past two hours without pause. She really wanted to hurry up and get this work done so she could reply to Daphne's letter.

Hermione can't help the happy giggle that leaves her lips. Absentmindedly kicking her feet underneath her desk. It still boggled her mind that she found a genuine friend in Daphne.

Pursing her lips she looks at her homework and then towards her Hogwarts trunk. Her gaze going back to her homework. Then she nods to herself. She gathers her homework into a neat pile and places them into her economics binder. With the spot of her in front of her all clear, she stands up.

Walking towards her trunk, she kneels in front of it. Quickly clicking the lock on it she flings open the heavy lid. She grabs a rolled piece of parchment, her black ink well and a quill. Having her supplies, she closes the heavy lid and replaces the lock with a click. Gathering her supplies in her arms she goes back to her desk. Putting everything down gently, she heads to her large walk in closet.

Throwing open the white French style doors she walks into her closet. She muses that the best way to describe her closet is really to call it a room - closet, it's half the size of her room, and it was still huge. She's actually been trying to convince her mother to allow her to transform half of her closet into a study. It's surprisingly been a concept she's not ok with, especially considering that they have a library in their house. Her mother tells her to set up an area in that room but Hermione refuses. Half the reason is because she wants another area away from the library so when her parents have to use the library Hermione can work undisturbed, the other half is because she hadn't thought of that in the first place and she refuses to let her mum win this one.

The last one is a rather petty reason but she doesn't really care. Sometimes she just wants what she wants. She frowns at herself when she sees herself in the full body mirror in the middle of the room - closet. That's a bit selfish, to think that way. Her frown then turns to a half smile, well. She is a Slytherin after all.

She looks to the mirror again, and instead of seeing herself she can see Daphne standing in front of her.

"You're a Slytherin, Hermione." Mirror- Daphne says as she flicks her blonde hair over her shoulder. "We get what we want. Through whatever means necessary." Mirror-Daphne continues, she places her hand on her cocked hip.

"It's not a crime to want what you want. Remember that Hermione."

Mirror- Daphne disappears from her mirror, and Hermione's back to looking at herself. Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she continues on her mission. She walks to where her cocktail, evening and formal dresses hang, all in protective garment bags. Pushing the garment bags away in order to access one of the safes hidden in the wall. There are three in her room - closet itself, she also has a safe room hidden right next to the safe she was at, as well as one in her room right behind the nightstand next to her bed.

Spinning the lock expertly, she opens the safe. Inside this safe where all of the things that she held an emotional attachment too. There was an intricately designed Japanese Puzzle box that her parents brought back for her a few years ago when they went to a medical conference in Osaka, Japan. Inside of it where various smaller trinkets from her parents travel. Behind the Japanese Puzzle box were two stacks of books, they were all the first editions of her favorite classic fairy tales. Beauty and the Beast, a collection of Sonnets from William Shakespeare, and his collection of plays to name a few. (The reason why these first editions weren't in the library was because they were hers. She doesn't want her editions mixing in with her father's.) Besides the puzzle box was a shoe box sized memories box. Reaching for the light gold colored box, she flings the lid and looks to see the letters from Daphne. Which happens to be the only thing in the memories box, except for her Hogwarts letter. Grabbing the one on top, she closes the lid to her memories box, as well as the safe and moves her garment bags back to cover the safe.

She makes her way out of her room - closet and back to her desk. She settles herself back in her chair and takes the letter out of the once wax sealed envelope. She already has the letter memorized. But when Daphne and her began their correspondences through letters, Hermione had tried in the beginning to write without Daphne's letter as a reference but the anxiety of writing something and Daphne not being interested in what she says and thus Daphne would end their letters. So she remedied it quickly, deciding she would have Daphne's letter in front of her and to only write about what Daphne asked about, and what she learned in the books that Daphne had leant her.

The three books were actually very interesting, the first one she read was The Ways of the Pureblood Women by Elizabeth Swane. The book was separated in three parts, the first part was about being a well behaved adolescent, the second part was about how to behave when it came to courting age - which she was shocked to find out it was when the girl turned 13 in pureblood society. Then finally about being a proper wife. She really only skimmed the last part if she was being honest, not only was it because of how young she was but she had a feeling it wouldn't really pertain to her.

The second book she read was only based on courting and was called The Ways of Courting by Elizabeth Swane. In one of the letters Hermione sent, she made a quick remark that the author needs help with naming her books. Daphne agreed but then brought up that since it was such a simplistic title it was probably easier to sell. Hermione agreed with her point but still thought it was an unfortunate title. She liked the book though, it went into greater detail then the first one about courting and answered the questions she had running through her head from the first book from Elizabeth Swane.

The whole courting aspect was new to her. She didn't have anything like this in her family. Hermione had made sure to ask her mother about it, just in case it was something her father was refusing to teach her because he was so protective of her. She didn't fault him for it of course, she was his little girl after all. And he really was only interested in protecting her from boys. Anyway - her mother said that they used to follow courting rules in her family years ago but that stopped also years ago, because of the stubbornness of the women in her family tree. Hermione grinned at that and her mother gave a cheeky wink.

She was fascinated by the whole aspect of it though, because it was a partnership. The man was to show her that he would be able to provide for her. He has to show his intended that we was able to support her, and he had to do it in the form of three gifts. It didn't matter what the gifts were just as long as he was able to show that he was indeed going to be a successful husband and father.

The woman was to show him that she would be able to make his house a home. She also had to provide three gifts to her intended, they too had to show that she would be a successful wife and mother. The difference though was that the woman was required to make her three gifts from scratch, while the man had to provide three very expensive gifts.

She thought it was a little silly to have such a rule but she understood the reasoning behind it, even if it was archaic.

The third book, which was actually a journal belonged to a woman named Elliana Black née Westford. The journal was another fascinating read, albeit an emotional one too.

A few days ago she was reading the journal in the family den, while her parents played a game of chess. She was at a particularly difficult part where Elliana was fighting with her soon to be husband, and it was an awful fight from what Elliana wrote. Hermione hadn't realized how invested she was in Elliana's happiness until her mother got her attention.

"Hermione dear, are you ok? You're crying my sweet."

Hermione turned her wavy gaze to her mother. "Of course mother." She then gave a sheepish smile at the worried gazes she was receiving from her parents. She cleared her throat of the large lump in it. "I'm sorry, I hadn't realized how invested I was in my book." She raised her hand to wipe off the tears she hadn't even felt falling.

Her mother giggled behind her hand and her father merely shook his head fondly. Hermione gave another smile to her parents and went back to reading.

Hermione bites her lip and finally opens her new piece of parchment to begin writing her reply to Daphne.

Hermione ends the letter with a flourish, and then lays her quill down. Deciding she's been cooped up in her room for too long, Hermione stands with a stretch of her arms over her head, a quick left then right twist of her back had her lower back snapping. Immediately the tension throughout her back and neck relaxed some. She then made her way out of her room.

When she closes the French doors that lead to her room, she pauses. Biting her bottom lip she looks around the silent hallway, her gaze falling to the window at the end of the hall. Seeing the sun shining brightly and the bright blue sky, she knew where she was going. With that, she began her trek through her house to the outside.

After walking down a staircase, two left turns, and a long hallway, Hermione threw open another pair of French doors. - Her mother was obsessed with them, clearly. Once the doors were open she took a deep breath in. And then slowly released it.

She grins as she continues walking, she walks out of the shade of the deck and straight into the simmering sunlight just in front. She stands there for just a few moments, her eyes closed and her head tilted back. Enjoying the warmth that spreads through her, no wonder cats sunbathe. She idly thinks to herself.

Hermione opens her eyes as she puts her head back to its natural position. She shrugs off her cardigan, and just tosses it to the side of her. She slips off her sandals. Leaving her in a plain white collared polo shirt and her denim shorts. She looks down at her bare feet in the grass and wiggles her toes. Giggling at the tickling feeling. Looking up Hermione gazes out to the backyard of the house. Biting her lip she looks towards the house. Her parents aren't home, their work calling for them to come in even though they were supposed to have a day off.

Her parents were apologetic about it, but Hermione waved away the apologies. She understood how important her parents work was to them, but she also knew that she was more important to them then anything else. That's why she was always ok with it when work called them away, they couldn't help it.

Taking her gaze away from the house, she continues biting her lip. A breeze makes the grass dance and her hair, pushing it away from her face she makes a decision.

She runs.

A grin breaks across her face as she pushes herself to run as fast as she can. She runs until she's in the middle of the yard, when she stops she turns towards back towards the house. Putting her hand above her eyes to block the glare of the sun. Squinting her eyes slightly when she sees a tall figure standing on the porch. Her grin doesn't leave as she waves frantically to the figure. She figures it's Jackson, but she's not going back to the house yet.

Her smile softens as she turns away from the house. The breeze still playing slightly with the grass and her hair. She raises her arms so they are a little ways away from her, her palms were open and her fingers were splayed out. She closes her eyes again and enjoys the sun as well as the breeze, she stands still.

She doesn't realize it but moments later she starts to sway with the breeze. And then she's dancing. She doesn't do it often, dancing. Especially outside in the open, where people can see her, but she's happy. And she feels free. And it's just something she needs to do.

Hermione used to dance all the time, it was one of the classes her mother made her take while she was still in her elementary school. And she loved it, they had tried all of the extracurriculars the school offered. But dance was the only non-academic class she was even relatively good at, or had the patience for it. She just can't stand it when she can't get something right the first time around, some subjects would just irate her while others she would be seething at the end of the lesson. Especially if her try didn't exactly model the teacher's. Like Art. She shivers, that was something she doesn't want to relive.

Dance though, seemed to be the only thing she was willing to actually practice at. When her mother saw that, she had immediately contacted a private instructor to teach her whatever style she fancied. Knowing how easy her daughter got bored with something, if it didn't challenge her, she easily lost interest in it.

She started with ballet, then tried tap, jazz, contemporary, and ultimately ended back at ballet. She adores the rules, and how the movements where so organic but you have to be disciplined. It just screamed her. She's also of course very well versed in the classic partner dances as well, the Waltz has been her favorite so far. The Tango was a close second, but she prefers watching the Tango be performed. She just can't get the same emotional impact as professionals do, probably because she's so young.

Hermione ends her impromptu dance practice in a dancer's lunge, with her arms above her head, her back arched and her head to the side. She smiles through her heavy intake of breathing. Really it's been far too long since she dedicated any time to dancing.

I have to change that.

Gathering her shoes and socks she makes her way towards her house and the tall figure still waiting on the porch.

"Jackson! Where did you disappear to?"

"Just off doing errands Little Lady." Jackson said as he titled his head forward and his right arm went up to his chest.

"Any ideas when dinner will be? I'm starving!"

"Most likely in three hours Little Lady. Would you like for me to bring you up a snack?"

Hermione grins up at her friend. "That would be wonderful Jackson! I need to wash off the grass. And finish my economics works" Her grin has a twinge of guilt through it. Jackson raised his brow, surprised at the young Miss. "Ohhh, Jackson don't look at me like that! I already feel guilty enough as is!"