Hello friends! Life is difficult and stressful right now. There's so much work, you have no idea. Crazy as it is, this means there's a new chapter for you today. Because whenever life is giving me a hard time, I feel like camping in my own little world. Currently, this story is my favourite hide-out and so I couldn't resist and re-read this chapter. I hope you don't mind. :-)

Chapter 4: Pride and prejudice

Percy thought that their tour around the flat was going rather well as he saw Hermione studying everything with interest, even asking whether she could bring her familiar when she moved in. It was a good sign, especially as she agreed to move into this very flat and not look for something new like she'd hinted at. Maybe Bill was right and Hermione had simply needed a bit of time to come to terms with the marriage law and how it would affect her and her future. It was understandable. Percy himself was very much not a dweller. He knew there were some things he couldn't change so he put his efforts into the things he could. Perhaps she was different in that regard and just needed a moment.

She seemed more open towards the whole idea of marriage now, or so it seemed. Yet he felt that it would still be a little too soon for him to execute his planned marriage proposal, especially as his flat didn't seem like the best-suited place for it. In the books he'd studied proposals were usually done in some kind of romantic setting: a beach, in a castle or even at a restaurant. Still, he knew he couldn't afford to wait for too long.

"I'm glad the flat meets your requirements. I wondered… Would you be averse to having dinner with me tonight?"

Hermione didn't answer right away and it was hard to read her feelings. It was like she suddenly slipped on a mask and Percy didn't like that at all.

"You mean here? I don't know Percy… I…"

He shook his head. "Not here. There's a lovely little restaurant on the coast. When the sun sets one has a beautiful view, I've been told. I've never been there myself, but I'd like to take you."

"Like on a date?"

Percy nodded, happy she voiced it. "Yes, a date."

There was no answer at first. It was like Hermione was suddenly frozen in place, the only thing moving her eyes, that seemed to look around hastily. Finally, she sighed. "Alright. We'll go on a date. Considering… everything this might be a good idea."

"Indeed." Sending Hermione an encouraging smile he led her back to the living room. There, he pointed towards the sofa. "Shall I make us some tea? I have no other obligations today and we could…" He didn't even know how to finish that sentence he realised, trailing off.

"No, I'd rather head back. I wanted to check on my parents and they'll want me to stay for coffee. But… I'll see you in a few hours." She waved at him, already walking towards his fireplace again. To him, it felt like she was running away and maybe she was.

"I'll come to The Burrow to pick you up at seven," he announced, his smile unwavering. "We'll use the floo then as well, don't worry."

The smile Hermione sent him was hesitant. "Alright. Thank you, Percy. That's very considerate of you."

Considerate. He liked being called that. Obviously, Hermione had finally started to notice the effort he was making. Maybe they were on the right track, Percy thought, as he watched Hermione disappear in the flames of his fireplace shortly after. His flat felt surprisingly empty as soon as she was gone. Maybe this marriage would be easier than he thought.

sssss

She was going on a date, with Percy Weasley of all people. Hermione couldn't get that thought out of her head, as it repeated over and over as she went through the rest of her day. She hadn't really planned on visiting her parents. Their relationship was still strained even though Hermione had repeatedly explained her decision and apologized to them. The trust between them was broken though and she knew it would probably take a long time to restore it.

Entering a Ministry-dictated relationship wouldn't make things easier Hermione knew, as her parents had been shocked at the recent developments in wizarding Britain that had led to Hermione sending them away. Now they believed this chapter was closed, which it was in a way, but Hermione couldn't see them going along with her only daughter being married off to a stranger. But not doing so would mean being excluded from the magical community and no matter how little she liked being married off to Percy, she wasn't ready to leave her life as a witch behind and live as a Muggle. Not after she'd fought so hard to be able to live in peace again…

In the end, Hermione visited her parents like she said she would and when she returned to The Burrow two hours later, she was thankful for it. Having tea with them had been nice and had given her the feeling of normality in this time of complete craziness. It gave her the energy she needed for the rest of the day, or so she hoped, as she readied herself for her date. If she was honest with herself she had no idea what to wear, not only because she was going on a date with a man she barely knew and didn't like very much, but also because she could count the times she'd been on a date on one hand. In short: She had no idea what to expect, or how to behave.

In the end, Hermione decided on a dark blue summer dress and a pair of flat sandals, something that wasn't too chic but showed that she'd made an effort. The same principle was followed when applying make-up, she only used a minimum of it and nothing too obvious. She didn't want to give Percy the wrong impression and make him believe that she was trying to flirt with him.

Percy, of course, was right on time, stepping out of the floo with practised ease, cleaning the soot of his clothes with a casual flick of his wand. Percy had gone all out, Hermione realised, as he wasn't only wearing a suit but formal wizarding robes that looked very close to a tux. They did look good on him, but they made Hermione feel completely underdressed.

"Hermione. You look… beautiful," Percy croaked, handing her a bouquet of flowers she only noticed now. They were red roses and Hermione couldn't help but stare at them, her mouth gaping open. No one had ever given her flowers and she certainly had not expected them from him.

"Percy that… that wasn't necessary," Hermione stuttered, unsure of what to do. Red roses were often used as a declaration of love, but Percy clearly didn't love her. That was an absurd thought.

The young man smiled at her and there was no doubt that there was kindness in his eyes. Kindness and something else… hope? Nervousness? She couldn't tell.

"Uhm… thank you." Hesitantly she accepted the flowers and after staring at them for a long moment, she excused herself and made her way to the kitchen to find a vase. Only to find that the kitchen wasn't empty.

"Hermione, what…" Mrs Weasley's eyes focussed on her before she noticed the flowers in her hands. "Oh…" The woman's lips widened into a happy smile. "Are they from Percy? Oh, he's such a considerate man, isn't he?"

Hermione could do nothing else but nod, letting the older woman take the flowers from her to put them into a vase. As she stood quietly in the room, watching, Hermione felt someone step behind her. She didn't even need to turn around, noticing Percy by the spicy scent of his cologne alone.

Molly, too, noticed her son, turning towards them with a happy smile.

"Now look at you two, all ready to go on your first date. I'm so happy the Ministry decided to pair you. It's perfect, really. Now go on, dears. Enjoy your evening together and have fun!" She winked at them and Hermione couldn't help but blush at the implication of her words. She doubted that this evening would be anything but awkward, and she doubted even more that Percy was the right man for her. She really didn't know what Molly and the others had seen, claiming they were perfect for each other. Couldn't they see how different they were? How ill-suited?

"Thank you, Mum."

Suddenly, Hermione felt a hand on the small of her back and numbly she let herself be guided out of the kitchen, towards to floo. Moments later she found herself in a restaurant where she was immediately welcomed by a smiling, bald man.

"Ah, this must be Mr Weasley and Miss Granger. What an honour to have you here with us. Welcome to our little restaurant, Miss. I hope you'll find everything to your liking." The man bowed to her and Hermione couldn't help but feel embarrassed by the sudden attention she got. It wasn't the first time of course, as she was almost as famous as Harry these days, but most of the time she had been protected by Hogwarts' wards that kept the press and all the people wanting to talk to her away.

Therefore she wasn't used to people bowing to her or knowing her name while she had no idea who they were, especially as she'd left Britain to take care of her parents, or spent her time at The Burrow, where no one bothered her either. Hermione rarely went out and suddenly she remembered why that was.

"Thank you, Mr…"

"Sparks," the man supplied, motioning his head towards the sign at the wall. "Sparks' Magical Restaurant" it read. "I'm the owner of this modest establishment."

"I see," Hermione replied, plastering a friendly smile onto her face. "This truly is a magical place, sir. I'm very glad we came here."

It was a lie. Hermione already regretted coming, not because the place wasn't lovely. The view from the terrace was indeed marvellous like Percy had promised it would be, but she realised how uncomfortable she suddenly was being in public. She could already feel people staring at her, could hear them whispering her name and with every minute her urge to flee grew. This had proven a terrible idea.

Suddenly, Percy's hand was back on the small of her back, grounding and reassuring her. "Indeed. Now, Mr Sparks. Would you mind leading us to the private corner of the restaurant I booked for us? We're eager to enjoy the view and some refreshments without being the entertainment for the night." He smiled charmingly at the man.

Their host's demeanour changed immediately and Hermione couldn't help but marvel at the effect Percy had on him. Gone was the quiet, socially awkward man, his shyness substituted by an aura of charismatic authority. Was this how he was at work, how he'd managed to climb the social ladder as quickly as he had? Suddenly it seemed a possibility.

"Of course, of course." Mr Sparks chuckled, before hurrying to show them their seats. He led them to a corner of the terrace that only had a table for two, all other tables far away and their privacy protected by an intricate screen.

Frowning, Hermione sat down, Percy holding the chair for her before he sat down himself, the restaurant owner lighting the candle between them on the table. Soon, they were alone, two menus waiting for them to be read, but neither of them picked them up. Instead, they sat in awkward silence, Percy studying her once more with that intense look that made Hermione nervous. It made her feel like a book, or a bug ready to be examined under a microscope, not like a woman being on her first date with a man. But what had she expected?

Hermione fidgeted, avoiding Percy's gaze by pretending to enjoy the view. That was until she noticed the charmed violins softly playing in the background.

"Hermione, I…" Percy cleared his throat, his right hand reaching out to touch hers. The sudden contact made her flinch and her instinct told her to pull away, but she willed herself to stay calm and not move. "Thank you for agreeing to have dinner with me tonight. I was very much looking forward to it because not only do I find your company very stimulating, I've come to admire you as a person for a while now. You're a remarkable woman, Hermione, and I find myself most grateful to have been matched with you."

Hermione found herself staring at their hands, marvelling at how long and slim the man's fingers were. Unlike Ron's, Percy's hands were soft and well-groomed, his palms without any calluses and his nails manicured. She had no idea what to reply to Percy's words, especially as his little speech sounded like he'd taken it out of some book and studied it, to deliver it now. He probably had. And so she simply kept silent, letting him continue.

"I can't say I love you, Hermione, not yet, but I could very well see myself learn to love you, given time. I am certain, though, that we could be very happy together, not only because the Ministry's decision to match us suggests so, but also because I feel we do understand each other on a very fundamental level. Don't you think so?"

This time Percy was obviously waiting for an answer from her, as his blue eyes kept studying her after the man fell silent.

Hermione took a deep breath, trying to gather her courage before she said: "I'll be honest with you, Percy. I don't know you very well and even though we match each other intellectually, I have difficulties understanding some of your past decisions."

"Past decisions?" Percy asked stiffly.

"You know," Hermione responded.

"Are you referring to my choice to believe Minister Fudge instead of turning against the Ministry during You-Know-Who's return?" Percy asked, his hand letting go of hers. Hermione saw a spark of disappointment in his eyes that she decided not to think about right now. "Can you blame me?"

"You openly branded Harry and Dumbledor liars," Hermione said defensively.

"Back then Harry's story seemed very unlikely, and there was no other proof than his word. A teenage boy who had just witnessed the death of a classmate." Percy responded tightly. "Forgive me for being slightly concerned about the reliablity of the source."

"It was Harry," Hermione snapped. "You knew him! And he was right! But you just blindly followed-"

"At the Ministry," Percy interrupted. It was clear from his tone that his patience was wearing thin but Hermione couldn't be bothered to care. "My talents and my dedication were appreciated. They were why I was promoted so speedily, no matter what my family thought. Minister Fudge saw my potential and rewarded it and the least I could do was to stay loyal and to support him."

"And after Harry was proven right? Voldemort was spotted at the Ministry, Percy, and still you stayed away, for almost two more years. Why?"

"Did you turn your back on Harry or Ron after you found they'd made a mistake?" Percy asked in return, though it was a rhetorical question.

"No, of course not!" Hermione protested. "But that's different. They're my friends! Not someone who only considered me a loyal toadie!"

Percy sighed at her words. "Friends were a luxury I never had, Hermione. All I had were my studies and later my work. So forgive me for sticking to the one thing that made me feel like I was valued and appreciated."

"Your family-" Hermione started before a flash of anger from Percy cut her off.

"Has never thought I fit in. Percy the prefect. Percy the Ponce. The only one who was ever proud of anything I did was my mother and she would be proud of a dust bunny. I was, am, good at my work. I take pride in it and I am rewarded. Does that make me a criminal?"

His eyes challenged her to say something but Hermione found that she could not. She'd never seen this side of Percy before, never realised how lonely he had been at school, or even at home with his family. But he was right. He'd never fit in, some of his siblings even ridiculing him for his ambition and intelligence.

"That wasn't the only reason though. Rufus Scrimgeour was a good man. He was determined to make up for Fudge's mistakes and fight You-Know-Who with the help of the Ministry. So how could I not support him?"

Hermione nodded, the logic behind Percy's decision easy for her to understand. And yet…

"You still could have apologised to your family though," she added mulishly.

Percy sighed, pushing his glasses up his nose. "You could have told your parents about the dangers of the magical world, about You-Know-Who and his followers being after Harry and targeting muggle-borns and muggles. Why didn't you? Why did you decide to obliviate them instead and send them away to another continent when the Order could have brought them to a safe house?"

She was taken aback by his blunt question or the sudden coldness of his voice. The truth was that she was afraid her parents would forbid her to return to the magical world if they knew of its dangers, which would make her lose the two people who she'd found could understand her. The muggle world, even her parents, made her feel like an outsider and deep in her heart, she knew that's not where she belonged. It's not like she could rely on the Order to keep them safe. They had failed to keep Sirius or the Potters safe and after Dumbledore's death, she found that she couldn't trust them with her parents' life. Her mum and dad were all the family she had and she couldn't lose them.

"I had my reasons," Hermione therefore said, looking at Percy defensively.

She expected him to disagree or question her once more, but instead, he nodded, saying, "I'm sure you did. Why do you think me abandoning my family is different?"

"But it was different though! You… Your family missed you, I was there during Christmas and you weren't. I was there when The Burrow was attacked during Bill and Fleur's wedding while you…"

He looked at her challengingly. "Yes? While I what? Say it, Hermione," he finally snapped. "What do you think I did? Lick You-Know-Who's boots? Hide in the Ministry library, ignoring the things that happened all around me?"

"I- no!"

Percy's sudden emotional outbreak bewildered her because even though his voice was still nothing but collected, she could see the fire and hurt in his eyes. Seeing him like this made her feel a sudden knot in her throat, while her mind tried to connect the dots and find something she could say to him. But she came up with nothing; her mind had gone completely blank.

"Of course I saw what was happening around me! I would have been an idiot not to, so please do not insult my intelligence by insinuating otherwise."

It was then they were interrupted by the none-the-wiser waiter who wanted to take their orders. Only neither of them had looked at the menu so far. Hermione's cheeks blushed with embarrassment, while Percy took a deep breath, schooling his features back into a friendly smile.

"I'll take a glass of your house red and the Tortellini Scallop Alfredo."

Hermione blinked in surprise. "I'll take the same," she hastily added, smiling at the waiter. The man nodded, before retreating with a friendly smile.

The waiter exited and the two sat in an awkward silence, the sound of the waves and violins seeming to echo in the heavy air. It occured to her that this really was a nice place, with an amazing view. Percy had done a great job setting everything up for a lovely meal… and she just interrogated him like a crazy person.

She sighed. Yes this law was awful and impossible. But it wasn't Percy's fault. He shouldn't be shouldering her frustrations, merely because he was her unfortunate match.

"I thought you said you hadn't been here before?" she sighed, extending the peace offering.

Percy's shoulders relaxed slightly before he cleared his throat, "I have not."

"Then how did you know what to order?"

Percy smiled. "There was a chalkboard with the specials being served tonight. I took a quick look at it right after we arrived. As for the wine… Most restaurants do have a 'house wine''."

That made sense and a part of her was miffed that she had not done the same. But who could have guessed that they'd lose themselves in a heated discussion before they'd even placed an order?

"Why didn't you tell the waiter to come back though? We could have admitted that we weren't ready or…"

Percy sighed, shaking his head. "It would have been embarrassing. We've had plenty of time to look at the menu. I wasn't going to make his job harder because I failed to prepare."

"I'm sure it happens all the time," Hermione murmured.

"Not to me," Percy responded tightly. "I don't like being embarrassed. I have had enough of that growing up."

Hermione nodded, remembering the many times she'd found Fred and George making jokes about their older brother. She, too, had been frequently ridiculed in school, and even though she'd always put on a brave face, it had always hurt.

Hermione sighed. The last time they'd met at the café, she'd embarrassed Percy as well. Yes, she had been angry. But she'd been about to make a scene not caring if they were seen fighting in public. It must have been embarrassing for him and yet he'd come back to take her out for another outing. Not that things were going better this time…

"You're not an embarrassment, Percy," she promised, finding that she could understand him, or at least this aspect of him.

Maybe he was right and they could understand each other better than she'd first thought. But would that be enough to have a tolerable year of marriage? She didn't know but the question kept popping up in her head while they finished their dinner in awkward silence.