By Ange Black
Disclaimer: I own don't Harry Potter or Phantom of the Opera.
"Fear can turn to love - you'll learn to see,
to find the man behind the monster: this ...
repulsive carcass, who seems a beast, but secretly dreams of beauty, secretly, secretly…"
-I Remember/Stranger Than You Dreamt it
Phantom of the Opera
Chapter One:
Ever since she had been three years old, Hermione Granger's dream had been to marry her true love and have a house filled with children. Unfortunately, at the ripe old age of 27, Hermione had been unable to have children or find her true love. She was cursed with the most boring job ever.
Hermione had been working at Muggle-Wizarding Relations department of the Minstry
of Magic since after the Modern-Medival War three years ago. The war had happened when the Muggle Prime Minster had spilled the beans about the Wizarding World, causing the Muggle community to go back in to Medival Mode. This, essentially meant that Muggles again had Salem Witch Trial attitudes about their fellow human beings on Earth. Many great wizards and witches died from being burned or drowned without warning. The war had ended when the Minstry broadcasted a Memory Charm on a radio network.
After the war, the Minstry of Magic formed the Muggle-Wizarding Relations office in order to prevent another massacre, Muggle or Magical. Hermione had been immediately been recommended for the job by her old Hogwarts headmistress, Minerva McGonagall. Hermione took the job because it provided more money than her old job.
Hermione stacked her papers by her computer and sighed. It had been a long Friday for her, this morning she had had to deal with a Muggle woman whose Magical neighbors always took advantage of her, and just an hour ago, Hermione had had to book a few teenage pranksters who had spray-painted "MUGGLES SUCK" on an Underground train in London. She had just finished with the paperwork about an hour after her shift was over.
Just as Hermione was about to pack up, her co-worker Veronica Sable walked in to her cubical. Veronica was a young girl who had only graduated from Hogwarts two years ago. She had long blonde hair and very blue eyes, Veronica was also very naïve.
"Hey Hermie!" Veronica exclaimed excitedly.
"Hey." Hermione replied. She hated the nick-name Hermie ever since Veronica had given it to her last year.
"Can you please do that report that the boss asked me to do by Monday? I simply haven't got the time I have to take care of …" Veronica started.
"Your sick grandmother? Isn't she in St. Mungo's?" asked Hermione.
"Yes, but…"
"Save your breath, I'll do it." Hermione grumbled. Hermione heard a shriek and then found herself in an arm-wrenching hug.
"Thanks!" Veronica squealed. "I'll make it worth your while!" Veronica ran out the cubical in an excited fashion. Hermione groaned. Ever since Veronica had joined the department last year, she had always paid Hermione to do her paperwork. This was why Hermione often got home at 2am.
Hermione headed down the street to her apartment two hours later, in a skipping form of motion. It was Friday, she was in a good mood, even if she was going to have to do Veronica's report. Hermione nearly ran up the stairs of the Muggle apartment that she shared with her boyfriend Ted.
Ted was from a well off family that had lived in Hermione's hometown. He had longer-dirty blonde hair and grey eyes. Ted, unlike Hermione, was a Muggle. Although Ted knew about the magic aspect of his girlfriend of two years, he loved her a lot, even if "it" freaked him out a little tiny bit. Ted was not used to the owls and the household spells that Hermione often used to cook or clean. Nevertheless, he had given up a magic-free live to be with the one he loved.
Ted was making chili when Hermione burst in to the apartment. She gave him a big, fat kiss on the cheek, which in turn made his face turn red.
"Hermione sweetheart, could we do this later, I'm a bit busy." He said with a voice that had an annoyed undertone. Hermione, rolled her eyed and went in to the bedroom to change out of her clothes attire.
When Hermione got in to her bedroom, she found that Harry's old owl Hedwig had brought her post. She became worried when she saw the Minstry seal on one of the letters. Had her boss found out that she had written all of Veronica's papers? She worried opened the envelope and nearly fainted when she read the letter.
Dear HERMIONE J. GRANGER,
The Minstry of Magic had recently passed a law decreeing that unmarried Witches and Wizards under 30 must marry another witch/wizard and have at least one child with magical abilities, due to the recent Modern-Medieval War. Since you are currently not in a relationship with a witch/wizard, you are going to be given a month (1/1 to 1/31) to find a suitable witch/wizard or else have a child with the person assigned by the Minstry.
HERMIONE J. GRANGER is paired with DRACO A. MALFOY
We thank you for your understanding, as the Wizarding community is becoming less and less each day. If you would like to appeal your partner, your court date is January 28 in The Harry J. Potter Courtroom at 11 am.
Yours truly,
Rufus Scrimgeour
Minster of Magic
From the next room, Ted heard a loud thump. He came running to find his beloved girlfriend on the floor, with a large burse on her forehead. Ted thanked God that she hadn't been knocked out.
"Honey," Ted said. "What's wrong?"
Hermione quickly shoved the letter in her pocket and stood up with the help of her boyfriend.
"Um, I just tripped is all. On the bedside table." She explained. Ted didn't look like he believed her, after all, the bedside table was about five feet away. He gave her a disbelieving look.
"Well, when you're ready to tell me what the hell is going on, please tell me. I love you more than anything and I want to know about anything that is less than perfect in your life. The chili will ready in ten minutes." Ted said in a puzzled voice. He left the room to go and finish up his chili.
Hermione pulled the papers out of her pocket to read it again when she remembered that she had another letter. This time, to her relief, it was a letter from her friend Harry Potter and his wife Ginny.
Dear Hermione,
Ginny and I just wanted to know if you and Ted are still up for Saturday night. Ron and Demelza cancelled because they're going to a family function at Percy's (Ginny refuses to go because of the "Fudge Fiasco".). We're pretty sure that Remus and Tonks are still coming. Please send us a letter back letting us know because we want to know how much stuff to buy (It's our turn to host!). Thanks!
Your friends,
Harry and Ginny
Hermione looked at Harry's old, majestic owl and sighed.
"I'll be back in a minute." Hermione said to the old beast. The owl hooted in reply.
Hermione went back out in to the combination kitchen-dinning room-living room and sat down at her desk to write a reply.
"Teddy?" she said.
"Ummhmm." Said Ted while stirring the chili. Hermione could tell that he was still a bit sore.
"Are we still going to Harry and Ginny's tomorrow night?" she asked. Ted looked up from his precious chili and thought for a second.
"Shit!" he exclaimed. "I can't go, the boss wants me to make up the day he gave me off for your birthday. Sorry honey."
Hermione pulled a quill and some parchment out of the computer desk and wrote out her reply.
Dear Harry and Ginny,
Unfortunately, Ted will be unable to come due to the fact that his Muggle boss wants him to make up work the day he took of for my birthday (which is really dumb, considering that my birthday was four months ago). I will be coming alone and will bring some of Ted's chili for us to eat.
Love from,
Hermione
Hermione enclosed the letter in an envelope and tied in onto Hedwig's leg, Hermione gave an owl treat before she sent Hedwig on her way.
Hermione collapsed on the futon couch, picked up Witch Weekly and read an article about Gilderoy Lockhart's trial. Hermione's former professor had recently regained his memory about two months ago. After Lockhart's publisher had read his planned new book, "Breaking the Basilisk (Riddle)", Lockhart had been arrested and charged with plagiarism and lying to the Wizarding public about his past adventures. The article said that Harry Potter (Order of Merlin, First Class) had testified against him that Lockhart had admitted lying and had tried to perform a Memory Charm on Harry and his "unnamed friend", who Hermione knew was Ron.
When Ted came in to the living room to announce that dinner was ready, he found Hermione on the couch asleep, clutching a magazine. Ted smiled and covered her with a blanket and went back to the dinning room to eat his meal in solitude.
