Claiming Hermione
Hermione is the interim owner of a trucking company after the death of her father. Discovering a plot to force her out of school and into marriage, she is being forced to step down and hand the company into new, more capable hands. She has a fleet of six drivers rallying around her, one of whom would like to be more than just a driver!
Granger Trucking was going downhill. It had been since the death of William Granger. His wife Joan had no interest whatsoever in running the business. It had fallen on the shoulders of his daughter, a college sophomore working on a business degree. Hermione Granger was trying her best but Malfoy trucking and Black Enterprises were beating her to every job. In addition to that, their sons were telling her the business wouldn't be hers much longer, thanks to her stepmother considering offers from both of them. She was seriously considering stepping down and telling Joan to 'have at it.'
"Hermione? Are you coming back soon?" Joan yelled down the hall. Hermione rolled her eyes. Joan was having a dinner party and insisted that Hermione needed to attend, for some god-awful reason.
"I don't think so. I thought I'd just go back to campus tonight. I have a big test to study for tomorrow." Hermione replied. Joan bustled in, frowning at her.
"Oh no, my dear! I need you here tonight. I've already told everyone you'll be here. Now, sweetheart, you just go do what you need to do, grab a dress or a dressy outfit and come right back here. We'll need time to do your hair and makeup, all right? Do try to be back by six." Joan commanded. Hermione sighed.
"Yes, Joan. I'll be back by six." She said with resignation. Joan frowned at her.
"Now, darling, what did I tell you? Call me mother, it's not nice to refer to me by my name." Joan told her sternly.
"Yes, mother. I'm sorry. I forgot. I'll be back in time to get ready." Hermione gave in without a struggle. It was just too time-consuming to fight with her over such a petty matter.
She headed out to her car without another word. Just as she was backing out, she was suddenly blocked. She sighed again. 'Now what?' she looked over her shoulder. 'God, wouldn't you know it, Mr. Black had come calling!' she watched warily as the man climbed out of his vehicle and strolled up to her car.
"Hermione, sweetheart, where are you going?" Sirius Black looked down at her. Hermione gritted her teeth.
"I'm attempting to get out of my driveway, if you don't mind. I have an appointment at school." She gritted.
"Oh, yes, my godson, Harry, goes to school with you, doesn't he? Are you going to be here tonight? Harry was really looking forward to seeing you." Sirius Black looked at her quizzically.
"As I just told," Hermione blew her breath out, "Mother. Yes, I will be back in time for her little dinner party! May I please leave now? I'm going to be late and it was very hard to get this appointment in the first place!" Sirius tipped his head as he went back and moved his car, allowing Hermione to exit the driveway.
Hermione headed to the college with a frown. Joan was up to something. There was no way that encounter just now had been a coincidence! What, Hermione didn't know, but she didn't like it one bit! Especially about Harry 'looking forward to seeing her'. Since when did Harry Potter look forward to seeing her? He and Draco Malfoy looked forward to making her miserable every chance they got!
She pulled into the parking lot outside the administrative offices. She checked to make sure she had all of her forms filled out and signed. Last semester, she'd almost lost a student loan simply because she'd forgotten to sign and date her paperwork. She didn't want a repeat this semester!
She was almost to the door when she heard her name called. "Hey, Granger! Fancy meeting you here! Look, Draco! Its Granger!" she rolled her eyes. Of course, to make a bad start even worse, she just HAD to run into none other than Potter and Malfoy! She turned to face them. Might as well get it over with!
"Hello, boys, if you'll excuse me, I'm in a bit of a hurry at the moment!" she said politely. They crowded her against the door. It made her uncomfortable but she wasn't worried. Yet. They were, after all, right outside the administrative offices. Surely someone inside had a bird's eye view of them.
"I heard we're expected to attend a little dinner party at YOUR place tonight. We just wanted to let you know we're really looking forward to seeing more of you." Harry pressed on her from one side as Draco leaned on her from the other side. Hermione wasn't sure that she'd heard an insinuation in his voice or not. It had almost sounded as though he thought she, personally, wanted to see just him and Draco by herself. Nothing could be further from the truth! She didn't even want to go back home tonight!
"I'm sure Joan will be pleased to hear that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I really need to get inside. Right now." Hermione told them firmly. They let her go, reluctantly, it seemed. She hurried through the doors before they crowded her again. Once inside, she was directed into her guidance counselor's office. She greatly disliked the woman and was pretty sure the woman disliked her as well! Dolores Umbridge apparently loved the color pink. It was all over her walls, furniture and even in the pictures on her wall. As she sat down, the woman gazed at her sternly.
"I expect you have all your paperwork in order THIS time, Miss Granger?" she inquired sarcastically. Hermione suppressed the urge to smart off and simply nodded.
"Yes, I double checked everything. All my paperwork should be in order and properly signed and dated." She was having to force herself to be polite to the woman.
"Frankly, I don't see why you're even here today. I spoke with your mother earlier and she was quite surprised that you are even thinking of continuing your education. Surely directing your father's company, keeping his legacy alive would be more important to you!" Umbridge criticized her.
"What are you talking about? Joan has nothing to do with my education. Besides which, she is on the verge of selling my father's company. Why wouldn't I want to continue my education?" Hermione sputtered in indignation.
"Selling? Oh my dear, now why would she do a thing like that? It's much more lucrative to merge with another company. Mergers are agreed to all the time, you know. I'm sure even you can find someone, um, suitable enough." Umbridge gazed at her distastefully. "Anyway, I suppose, in case you don't, I could go ahead and file your paperwork."
Hermione was shocked. Was that what this dinner party was all about? Forming a merger with another company? In that case, why was SHE even needed there?! She numbly handed over her papers and stood to leave.
"Oh, did I say we were through with our meeting, Miss Granger? Sit back down." She barked. Hermione dropped back into her seat. "You will be meeting some of the most important people in this city tonight, one of whom might be interested in helping run or taking charge of your father's legacy. I would suggest you show yourself to your best advantage. I'll see you in a week, by which time it will be clear whether you are staying at this school or not. Now, Miss Granger, you are dismissed."
Hermione stood and walked out, wondering how long it would be before the next surreal thing happened to her today! She walked back to her car, thankful that Potter and Malfoy weren't there to harass her some more. She drove on up to her dorm and ran in to try and find some kind of outfit for tonight. Her dorm RA Rachel was talking to Rochelle, the RD. They turned and saw Hermione. "Hey, girl, we thought you'd already left!"
"What?" Hermione asked, confused by their words. "I'm not leaving, well, I am tonight but only for the evening. I have this thing my stepmom wants me to show up at!"
"We heard old Pink Toad talking about you wouldn't be here much longer. She said you were leaving to get married! Girl! Tell us about this boy! Who is he? Where did you meet him? The library? It was definitely the library! It had to be!" Rochelle exclaimed, planting a hand on her hip. Rachel was also waiting to hear what she had to say.
'Married! Oh, my GOD! Is that what she meant by a merger? MARRIAGE? Listen, I'm sorry. I don't know what's going on but I can truthfully say there is no boy! I've not met anyone lately, there is nobody I'm getting married to!" Hermione fumed, angry at Joan AND Umbridge!
"Well, why not, sweetie? You're a beautiful girl! You need someone in your life. You work entirely too hard and lately you've been trying to run your daddy's business, too! Something has to give, baby girl! You need a support system!" Rochelle advised her. Rachel was nodding, backing up Rochelle's advice.
"Thank you for your concern. I know I tend to work too hard sometimes. Dad always called me an overachiever when I was in high school. He was always after me to relax and get to know more people. I guess I'm just so used to being constantly on the go, I have a hard time winding down." Hermione admitted. The older girls hugged her.
"Well, just try to stop and take a deep breath ever so often, just relax yourself even for just a moment. It'll do you a world of good. Besides, you seriously haven't met ANY good looking guys lately?" Rochelle teased her. Hermione smiled and cupped her face shyly. "Ohhh, you have! Tell us about him! Where did you meet him? Does he go to school here?"
Hermione thought about the guy she'd nursed a secret crush on for a while now. "He works for my dad, well, I guess for me now. He's one of my drivers. He isn't from around here. He just recently moved here from another country. He's the nephew of another of my drivers. I really don't know all that much about him. Dad hired him about six months before he passed away. Frankly, though, I don't think he even knows I exist."
"Well, what does he look like? Do you know how old he is? Is he married or single? Maybe he likes you, too!" Rachel finally spoke. Most of the time, she was content to stay in the background and lend support to Rochelle.
"I don't think he's married or at least he doesn't wear a ring. The rest of them do wear rings. He's always got a different girl with him every time I see him, so I'm pretty sure he's still playing the field. He's not much older than me. I know that because of Fen." Hermione smiled fondly at the thought of the man she considered a second father. "He's one of my dad's best friends, they actually started the company with two other friends. Then they all stayed on to drive and my dad became the main boss. Eventually he bought most of their shares but they still get part of the profits each year."
Realizing that she was rambling, Hermione brought herself back to the current topic. "Anyway, um, Fen was teasing him and our other two younger drivers about having birthdays all in the same month. They're like one week apart from each other. They're all the same age, too. And they're only three years older than me. He is big, I mean BIG, as in he looks like he's way over six feet! Of course, I'm only a little over five feet myself so everyone taller than five three looks like a giant to me! He's got blondish brown hair and the most beautiful blue eyes, oh my god, his eyes!"
They laughed delightedly as Hermione went into raptures describing the young man's eyes. It was the most they had ever heard her gushing over a boy. They had heard her ranting over guys plenty of times but she'd never gushed over a guy. They had been slowly making their way to her dorm room as they talked. "Is 'beautiful blue eyes' going to be at this little 'thing' your stepmom is having tonight? Maybe you can get to know him better." Rochelle said as they stopped outside her room.
The door was closed and had a pink hair ribbon banging from the knob. Her roommate was in and must have her boyfriend in there. They had devised this system after the time Hermione accidentally walked in on them. After that, she knew to knock when she saw the ribbon. It gave them time to compose themselves. She gave three knocks, waited three minutes, and knocked again. That let them know the RA and RD were here, too.
"I don't really see my stepmom inviting any of the drivers. They're all, by their own admission, extremely rough around the edges and she usually invites only snobby people who have their noses stuck in the air all the time!" Hermione explained. The door opened and Pansy's boyfriend Ron peeped out at them.
"Mione, hey!" he threw the door open and pulled her into a deep hug. Pansy smiled as she joined him. "I'm sorry to hear about your dad. Mom told me to let you know she's just a phone call away anytime you need to talk or just a shoulder to cry on. She's been digging out heaps of dessert recipes to teach you and Pansy next time you're both over."
How this boy was friends with Potter and Malfoy and yet still so sweet and naïve was beyond Hermione but he, along with Pansy, had quickly become one of her best friends here at school. Every time they harassed her, he was quick to jump into the fray and back them down. It helped that he was over six feet tall and quite lean from playing baseball and wrestling. Of course, neither of them knew he wouldn't say boo to a goose or they would probably have beaten him up several times in the past few years! He had invited her and Pansy home for the holidays after learning that both their parents would be on a cruise and the girls would be home alone, that first year. They had come back as best friends with Ron and Pansy dating.
"Thank you, Ron, I'll have to call her soon. Tell her I'm looking forward to it. I just came by to pick up an outfit." Hermione rolled her eyes at them. "Joan has this dinner party tonight that she insists I ABSOLUTELY must be at!"
Pansy opened her mouth, glanced at Ron and raised her brows, nodding at Hermione. He hesitated, then sighed and nodded. "Hermione, there's something you need to know. About this dinner party. My family has been invited to it, too. Ron will be there with us. But," she stopped here, reluctant to go on. Ron nodded encouragingly. "It's an engagement party, Hermione. For YOU. She's going to announce a merger tonight. With YOU engaged to the son of whoever she's merging the company with. Your fleet of drivers have also been invited so they can 'meet their new boss'. I overheard my parents talking. I asked some of the other girls who have been invited. Rumor among them is the frontrunners are Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy."
Hermione was so shocked, she had to sit down before she fell. 'That hussy! How dare she do this!' Hermione grabbed her hair. "God, she can't do this, can she? Make me marry someone!"
"She's probably going to fix it to where you have no choice, Mione. It'll either be marriage or be cut off from your dad's company." Ron guessed. He wasn't really sure how that worked. Hermione and Pansy were the business majors.
"That's exactly what she'll do. I knew she was planning something. First Sirius Black showed up at our house, then both of those GOONS were here when I went to turn in my paperwork. God, she's even trying to force me out of school! Umbridge wasn't going to accept my paperwork!" Hermione was on the verge of a panic attack. Now she knew why they'd been lurking around, waiting for her!
"Hermione, calm down! Calm down, deep breaths now, deep breaths!" Ron dropped to his knees, grabbing her shoulders. Pansy sat down beside her, hand rubbing her back. Between the two of them, they quickly got her calmed down. "Listen, you don't have to go through with anything. Don't let her make you think you don't have a choice. Don't let her force you into a marriage, you hear me? If she gives you no choice and cuts you off, you know our doors are always open! I'm always in need of another little sister, you know that, right?"
Hermione let out a burst of surprised laughter. Ron grinned happily at her, pleased that he'd headed off a panic attack. "I hate the thought of going to this stupid thing tonight! But I can do this, now that I know you and Pansy will be there. My fleet will be there. I won't be alone. I can do this!" she vowed. "You'll be there early, right? To be with me when all the snobs start arriving?"
"Of course, Ron was just about to go start getting ready. I was about to ask if you wanted me to come home with you. Get ready right there at your house." Pansy told her.
"Oh, bless you both! I'd love that!" Hermione was relieved that she wouldn't have to face Joan on her own. Ron dropped a kiss on Pansy's cheek and left, promising to be at Hermione's by no later than six thirty. The party would start at seven. As soon as he left, Rochelle and Rachel rushed in. Pansy shut the door quickly. "Now, about this hot guy you were telling them about? Do you have a picture of him? IS he going to be there tonight?" they all crowded around Hermione's closet to help her pick out her clothes.
"As it happens, I do have a picture of him on my phone. I took pictures of all of them. He was the last picture I took. I told him I was going to make a company collage to help bump up our advertising." They burst out laughing at her. "Hey, don't laugh! It was the only excuse I could come up with for wanting a picture of him, ok!" as she joined in the laughter. They oohed and aahed over the gorgeous male in the picture. They could see now why she would think he didn't know she existed.
"Well, if HE'S going to be there, then we need you in an outfit guaranteed to knock his socks off!" declared Pansy. The RA and RD left after making Pansy swear to take pictures of Hermione and to get at least one shot of her and the hot guy together. Pansy picked her own outfit out, then reached deep into Hermione's closet. "No! Not that one, Pansy! Anything but that one. It's uh, it's too revealing!" Hermione turned blood red at the thought of wearing THAT dress in front of HIM!
"Revealing is what we're going for, Hermione! You have a hot guy to flirt with tonight. You know there's going to be dancing, too! He'll take one look at you in this dress and might not leave your side the rest of the evening! That's our end goal! He looks even bigger than Ron and he can easily keep Harry and Draco away from you!" Pansy told her firmly, knowing they were the top two Hermione was worried about.
The two set out back to Hermione's house. Hermione told her she was going to swing by and give the fleet a heads up on tonight's shindig. "Maybe he'll be there and I can point him out to you." She teased Pansy with a possible glance at 'her' hot guy. Pansy grinned in anticipation.
They pulled into the parking lot outside the warehouse where three eighteen wheelers sat. Though they had a fleet of six drivers, they had only three trucks. Each older male was paired with a younger driver to share the hauling duties. Hermione led Pansy inside, hoping against hope that he would be here and not out running around with another girl.
To her relief, all six drivers were sitting around the meeting table, idly playing poker. Fen glanced up and smiled at her. He, Yaxley and Dolohov were mainstays of the company and the closest she had to having uncles. They were the ones who had drawn the younger men into applying to drive for the fleet. Fen's son and the nephews of the other two made up her full crew.
Pansy zeroed in on the young blonde facing the door, the one who had frozen as soon as Hermione walked in. He wasn't the only blonde but his was a dark blonde heading into brown. His ice blue eyes were glued on Hermione and he wasn't paying the slightest attention to the game, as evinced when he tossed a card without even looking at his hand.
"Hello, darlin.' Fen greeted her. "I didn't think we'd see you until tonight." Hermione walked over and hugged the big man. She introduced Pansy to them, then spoke to Fen.
"What has Joan told you about tonight?" Hermione just wanted to see if Joan had actually told them about the merger.
"Not much really. Just that it's important that we be there. Mary was here when she called. Good thing she was because when I answered the phone, the first thing Joan said was 'You're being invited to a black tie affair tonight, Fen.' And I told her to go fuck herself, I was already married." Hermione almost fell over laughing at the sheepish expression on his face. "Well, hell! I've never been to a black tie affair in my life. I didn't know what the fuck she was even talking about! Mary took the phone and talked to her, though. Why, is there something we need to know?" Pansy was concealing her own giggles as Hermione composed herself.
"She's merging the company, Fen. You and I both know who the main competitors are going to be." Fen looked at her soberly, knowing there was more to the story. "Apparently I'm the prize. She's offering me up in marriage to whoever wins the merger." Fen slowly curled his hands into fists and gritted his teeth. "I'm pretty sure she's going to fix this merger in such a way that I'll have to comply and marry or I'll be cut out of the company altogether. I just wanted to come by and let you know I might not be your boss much longer."
Fen looked her in the eye. "I hope whoever merges with her has their own fleet of drivers and trucks. Is JOAN aware that we own those trucks out there? That this company HAS no official trucks to its name? Because if she doesn't, she's in for a nasty shock. I'll not drive for anyone but you and the others all agree." The other drivers were all nodding in agreement.
"I don't think she realizes that. Every time I try to talk to her about the business, she just waves her hand and says 'You know best, Hermione, you take care of it.'" Hermione shrugged, realizing that she really didn't care what happened to the business, now that she knew the fleet was firmly on her side. Hermione hugged him and waved to the others. She and Pansy went on to her house.
"Well, boys, looks like we've got some deciding to do. Mary has been onto me about retiring anyway. This will just cement that decision. What about the rest of you?" Fen turned his gaze to the other men.
Corbin shrugged. "Same. Laura has been wanting me to stay around the house more."
"Natasha hates Joan. She wants to rip her hair out every time she sees her. She'll have no problem with me leaving the company." Antonin put in. This left the three younger drivers.
"There's plenty of other trucking companies around here." Michael said to Fen. "Ciara will be fine with me finding another job."
"Same thing here, Uncle Tony. Andrea will kill me if I stay and you go. Family solidarity and all that." Alex told Antonin who smiled.
They all looked at Thorfinn. He looked back at them. "Oi, damned if you lot are leaving ME here by myself. I'll kill you all out!" they laughed and teased him over Hermione. Every last one of them knew he liked her.
"I have an even better idea. The highest bidder wins the girl, right? My parents have been wanting to get into the high society scene, you all know that. If I'm not mistaken, this is the party they were going on about this morning. They were grilling me pretty hard about her. How about I convince them to throw their names into the pot? They get the company, I get the girl. You all KNOW all those other girls were just distractions or you should know, anyway!" Thorfinn picked his cards up and looked at them.
Fen looked at Corbin who looked at Antonin. They all seemed to come to an unspoken agreement. "Are you sure your parents will do that?"
Thorfinn smiled. "For a chance to get onto the society page, they'll break their necks to do it. They're planning on Freya catching the eye of an upper class boy and mother's already planning on winning 'the wedding of the year' award." He rolled his eyes at the thought.
"So when we show up for this party, are you going to be alone or with a date, Thor?" Michael asked casually. Thorfinn thought about it.
"There's going to be a lot of guys there, right?" Fen nodded.
"According to Mary, Joan told her all the important families and their sons are going to be there. So yeah, there will be at least a few young men there." He told him.
"I'll take Freya. She's always nagging me to introduce her around, anyway." Thorfinn rolled his eyes. "At least I won't have to worry about a jealous date after I dump her on a couch somewhere. That'll leave me free to go after Hermione!" they all laughed about his sister. Corbin knew the Rowle's had been trying to gain admission to the upper crust families since they'd arrived here. Only the parents and sister, though. This boy couldn't care less, which was why he'd been delighted when Uncle Cory got him a job driving a big rig. It kept him out of his parents' reach.
"Just remember one thing, Thorfinn. Hermione is NOT one of your love 'em and leave 'em girls. If you get involved with her and hurt her or break her heart, not even Corbin will ever find all the pieces of your body." Fen cocked a threatening eyebrow at the boy. Thorfinn leaned back in his chair, staring calmly at him. He tipped his head to show he understood the threat behind Fen's words.
Hermione and Pansy walked into her house and immediately ran into Joan. "Where have you been, Hermione? I was afraid you weren't going to make it back in time. Come now, come along, child! We have to get you ready!" she hustled her up the steps, Pansy right behind them.
"Now let's see the outfit." Hermione sighed and showed her the dress Pansy had chosen for her. "Oh, this is perfect! Let's get you dressed and I'll do your hair. Pansy, if you'll please do her make up." Hermione and Pansy looked at each other, rolling their eyes.
After Hermione was dressed and her hair done, Joan left to get herself ready. Finally Pansy and Hermione were alone. "Do you think he'll really be here, Pansy? It's not required for them all to be here but I hope he does show up. Oh, god, what if he shows up with a date, though?" Hermione was worried she'd make a fool of herself in front of Thorfinn, IF he even bothered to show up!
"Calm down, Hermione! I'll be right there with you. Ron will be, too. I think we need to worry more about how to keep Harry and Draco AWAY from you." She watched as Hermione's face fell.
"Damn! I forgot about them! Seeing him knocked them right out of my head!" Hermione exclaimed. "Whatever else happens tonight, please either you or Ron stay beside me all evening. I don't trust those two." She told Pansy what had happened earlier. Pansy was frowning darkly by the time Hermione finished talking. That definitely didn't sound good! She'd be sure and tell Ron so he'd keep an eye on them!
Joan bustled back in and hurried both girls downstairs. At exactly six thirty, the doorbell rang. Pansy crossed her fingers that it was Ron. Sure enough, a moment later Ron joined the procession right beside Pansy. While they were waiting, Pansy quickly whispered the earlier incident to him. At seven the guests began arriving. The Malfoy family led the Blacks in, Draco and Harry both leering at Hermione. Ron frowned at them and they quickly walked away. A couple came through the line that Hermione was positive HAD to be HIS parents. The older man was the very picture of him! He and his wife were thoroughly looking Hermione over. Pretty soon, everyone but the drivers had arrived.
Just as she thought they had decided to forego the party, she saw a large group coming up the walkway. Fen and Mary were leading the way. The last ones in the line were Thorfinn and a young blond girl. Hermione's eyes filled with tears and she quickly excused herself. Joan let out an exasperated sigh at her rudeness but allowed her to go, especially after she saw both the Malfoy boy and the Potter boy lurking in the direction of the washroom.
"Fenrir. How nice of you to be here. Hermione will be right back. She had to go powder her nose." Fen cocked a brow at the woman but Mary smiled and pushed him on through. Pansy giggled, remembering his earlier words. Thorfinn came through the line, frowning when he didn't see Hermione.
"Where is she?" he bluntly asked the little brunette who had been with her earlier. The girl looked at him, then pointedly at his date. "Oh, my apologies. This is Freya, my sister." Pansy smiled brightly then. Freya was already inching away, looking around with interest. Thorfinn leaned towards Pansy.
"I'll go deposit her on a couch somewhere. I want to formally meet Hermione. Will you introduce me to her? I have a feeling that," he cut his eyes sideways to Joan, chatting with Sirius Black, "old bat would sooner wish that none of us had bothered to show up." Ron, who had just taken a drink of punch, almost did a spit take at his words. Pansy was having to bite her lip to keep from laughing out loud. The hot guy definitely had a sense of humor!
As they waited for him to come back, Pansy and Ron started to worry about Hermione. It shouldn't have taken her this long to come back! That's when Ron noticed, with alarm, that he could see neither Harry nor Draco. "You stay here, wait for him. I'm going to go see if I can find Harry and Draco. I got a bad feeling about this!"
Pansy nodded, biting her lip as she anxiously stared after him. Thorfinn came back and she grabbed his arm, pulling him after her. Sensing the urgency, he didn't ask any questions, simply following where she led him. Ron came out of the powder room. "Not here! Damn it, I took my eyes off of them two minutes and they grabbed her!"
"Grabbed who?" Thorfinn asked, dread pooling in his stomach. 'Please, don't say Hermione, don't say Hermione!' His unspoken plea wasn't heard.
"They grabbed Hermione! The damn little buzzards! I've told them time and again to keep their mitts off of her! Pansy, damn it, sweetheart, you know I'm a pacifist but I might have to beat the snot out of these two knuckleheads to really get my point across!" Ron said apologetically to Pansy.
"Oh, don't worry, Ron! After you beat the snot out of them, I'm going to slap them both into next week! How dare they do this!" Pansy fumed. She just hoped they found them in time!
Just ahead, a curtain was billowing in front of an open patio door. Before they could stop him, Thorfinn had jumped ahead of them and was out the door in a split second. They ran out in time to see Hermione pushing and fighting Harry and Draco as they crowded her against the stone rail. Ron stood back and motioned at Thorfinn, walking up behind them. Pansy burst out laughing as he grabbed both boys by the hair, pulled them away from Hermione and popped their foreheads together. Hermione, not noticing who her rescuer was, simply jumped forward into his arms and burst out crying.
Pansy ran over and told Thorfinn to follow her as she kicked both groaning boys in the ribs. They hurried upstairs to Hermione's room. Thorfinn, who had Hermione cradled bridal fashion, simply sat down on the bed and held her tightly. Pansy pulled Hermione's makeup chair over and sat down in front of them. Ron leaned against the wall, watching him silently.
Hermione cried for at least twenty minutes. She'd been so scared when she realized Harry and Draco had followed her outside. They'd had her trapped against the stone railing. She would have marks from where it had dug into her back. She only half heard what they were saying as she fought to get away from them!
"Hey, Harry, you want the first run at her? I'll go second. After tonight, she'll be out of reach. Best grab it while we can, eh?" Draco sneered.
"Thanks, bud! Don't mind if I do!" Harry leered at her, shoving her back, almost toppling her over the railing! The next thing she knew, they were gone and a large shadow was in front of her. She felt the person swung her into their arms and carry her back inside.
Finally she stopped crying to realize she was in her bedroom, still in the person's lap. Pansy was in front of her and Ron was leaning on the wall. She was almost afraid to turn and see who she'd cried all over. She straightened up slowly, then turned her head. 'Oh, god, no! They did not let her cry all over HIM!'
Thorfinn smiled hesitantly at her horrified look. "Hello. I'm glad to see you."
Having heard his name in the procession downstairs, Pansy smoothly jumped in. "Hermione, he wasn't sure if he's ever been properly introduced to you so I'd like to introduce you to Thorfinn Rowle. I would introduce his sister as well but she's still downstairs."
"Oh, trust me! You don't want to know my sister! She's a gold digger! All she came for tonight was introductions to all the little rich boys downstairs!" Thorfinn told them.
"Wouldn't that serve Potter and Malfoy right? Introducing them to a gold digger?" Pansy snarked.
Thorfinn smirked at her. "Hell, do that! She'd probably take them both on!"
Ron laughed. "From the way they talk in the locker room, it wouldn't be their first time sharing a girl!"
"Ok, enough talk about those two goons! Remember the goal tonight is to keep Hermione out of danger!" Andy reminded them. "Why don't the two of you stand outside while Hermione and I repair her make up? We still have a dinner party to get through."
Hermione groaned at that. "Oh, god! I still get to find out which dog I'm going to turn into a bone for! The families of those two goons are the frontrunners!"
"You know this how?" demanded Joan as she slammed into the bedroom. "And why, pray tell, do you have not one but two males in here?"
"I know because Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy just attacked me out on the veranda, getting their chance with me before I was 'out of their reach'! If you're lucky, they might just be waking up!" Hermione snapped. "They were bragging about getting the 'first run' at me! Ron and Thorfinn are here because I want them here!"
Joan looked scandalized. "What happened to them? If those boys are seriously injured, their families could sue us for every last dime!"
"Tell them to direct all complaints to Radnor Rowle, my father. Rowle Industries. Tell him his son bashed their heads together for trying to take advantage of an innocent girl." Thorfinn frowned at the woman who seemed more concerned about the assailants than her daughter. Hermione was still visibly trembling over her close call but Joan didn't seem to realize that.
"Who did you say? Rowle Industries? Radnor Rowle is here tonight?" Joan suddenly looked at the young trucker differently. She turned and quickly exited the room without further complaint.
"You? Are the heir to Rowle Industries and you drive a truck?" Pansy looked at him incredulously. Everyone at school knew his father's company. The college had scored a bid with them to keep the computer labs up to date on the newest products.
"They couldn't care less about me. It's all about Freya. Suits me just fine. They have no expectations of me, I have no high standard of behavior that I 'have' to adhere to." Thorfinn shrugged again. He seemed completely unconcerned about being the son of a multimillionaire.
"Wait! Wait, if they put in a bid, oh my god! If they put in a bid for your father's company, Hermione-!" Pansy and Hermione looked at each other wide eyed, then at him. Hermione looked as though she were about to faint at the thought! "Both of you! Out! Now! Girl talk time!" Pansy ordered. Ron and Thorfinn obediently left the room.
Once they were alone, the girls stared at each other. "Oh, my god!" Hermione softly exclaimed. "What if his parents win the bid?"
"What if they DO? You already like him, he clearly likes you! Would it be so bad, marrying him? Besides, these mergers take time. Even if she's already decided on her terms, she still has to let the other party set their own terms. Then both parties have to decide how their terms are going to mesh, decide on compromises and everything, you know that. The marriage would ONLY take after the merger is complete. You know how long it takes to get a merger just right. We've studied this over and over in class."
Hermione wrapped her arms around herself. Her heart was pounding at the thought of marrying Thorfinn! "Well, he has already seen me at my worst. But what if he isn't ready to settle down, even after they get the merger settled? What if he still wants to play the field?"
"Hermione, he LIKES you! He bashed Harry and Draco's heads together, just for touching you! He's willing to be sued by their families over it. Just give him a chance, ok? My mother reads all of these romance books and she's always quoting this one line at me. 'A reformed rake makes the best husband.' He may have been a player but now he seems ready to settle down." Pansy had quietly been reapplying Hermione's makeup as they talked. "Ok, there you go. Makeup is perfect once more. Ready?" Hermione joined hands with her and nodded.
They walked into the hall. Ron was leaning on one wall, Thorfinn was on the other one. They straightened up and offered their arms. Pansy joined hands with Ron and Hermione smiled as she slid her arm around Thorfinn's. He started down the steps and went to the large living room. Every head turned as they walked in. Hermione noted that the Malfoys, Sirius Black and Radnor Rowle were all gathered around Joan. Draco and Harry were draped over a couch with ice packs on their heads. Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Black were arguing with Radnor Rowle and pointing at Thorfinn, then their sons. Radnor seemed completely unconcerned about the assailants. On seeing his son, he lazily waved him over.
"Thorfinn, I'm told you assaulted those two boys, without provocation. What do you say for yourself?" Radnor tilted his head toward his son.
"You always told me to protect a girl if I saw one under attack. That's exactly what I did. They were attacking Miss Granger, had her shoved against a rail, almost going over it. I stepped in and took care of them." Thorfinn tipped his head in return. "Should I have let them finish what they started, Mrs. Granger?" he stared challengingly at Joan.
Joan laughed nervously. "No, no, you did the right thing, um, Thorfinn. You raised a fine young man, Mr. Rowle."
"I like to think so. He has his moments but for the most part he's a good hard worker. Worked for your husband, I believe." Radnor Rowle didn't seem too interested in talking business. He looked past his son to where his wife and daughter were seated on a couch with several society wives crowded around them.
"Yes, but I believe he still works for my daughter, isn't that correct, Hermione?" Joan drew his attention to the petite brunette by his son's side. He stared at her intently.
"Ah, yes. Hermione? Beautiful name. Shakespearean, correct?" he asked.
Hermione nodded. "Yes, my father loved the works of Shakespeare."
"As you can tell by their names, my wife has a fondness for Norse mythology. It doesn't hurt that we both have roots dating back to Norway. We actually hail from England though. We've only been here in the past what, Thor, three, four years?" Radnor asked his son.
"Four. We've been here four years, father." Thorfinn answered easily. He moved his arm around to lay his hand on Hermione's back and froze. Ron and Pansy, who had slowly worked their way over to stay close, had to stifle their sniggers. Evidently he had only just discovered that her dress was backless for the most part. Hermione looked up at him questioningly. He glanced hastily as if looking over his shoulder. In reality, he was looking at her back, which the dress did not cover at all! He smiled down at her as he pulled her close to him. Keeping her tucked close enough to lay his hand on her hip seemed, to him, the best way to make sure only he got to enjoy the sight of her bare flesh.
"I knew it! I knew, once he realized that dress is backless, he'd want to keep her close!" Pansy whispered to Ron.
"He doesn't seem too inclined to let her go, does he?" Ron replied. "Reckon his dad really will go for the company, though? He doesn't seem too interested."
"He will, now that he's seen Hermione and how his son is acting with her, wait and see. He'll make a bid." Pansy predicted.
The man in question was in fact observing his son and the young woman. Unknown to Thorfinn, his father had been tracking his movements ever since they arrived in this country. He knew about the near constant stream of women seen with his son. He also knew none of them were serious. Had they been, Thorfinn would have brought one of the women home. More tellingly, he had voluntarily asked his sister if she wanted to attend this party tonight. Normally the boy avoided these things like the plague!
After hearing about the young woman's dilemma, he had thought long and carefully. Finally he had decided 'what the hell!' After all, the boy would need to marry eventually. He'd only let him go his own way this long because he didn't want to rush him and risk creating a rift with him. That had happened with his own father. The wife he dearly loved was not the woman his father had intended for him to marry! He'd known, given enough time and freedom, the boy would find his own bride and he had certainly found a little stunner!
Thorfinn looked up and Radnor caught his eye. Nodding at Hermione, he cocked a brow and glanced at Joan. Thorfinn smiled and nodded back. Radnor moved closer to put in his own bid for the company the woman was trying to merge out. After hearing the offers and terms of the other two men, he was almost disappointed at how easy this transaction was going to be. After him, they were the two richest men in the room. They could certainly have offered her a better price and set of terms!
"Would you like some punch?" Thorfinn asked Hermione. She smiled happily at him and nodded. He walked her over to Pansy and Ron. He and Ron walked away to grab the drinks. Pansy was watching Thorfinn's father. It was fascinating to see the man operate. He still seemed almost bored with the proceedings but it was obvious, from the growing excitement on Joan's face, that he was giving Black and Malfoy a run for their money!
Dinner was announced and Thorfinn kept Hermione right beside him. Before the evening was over, he fully intended to introduce her to his mother as well. Harry and Draco, seeing the huge blonde glower threateningly at them, wisely kept their distance from Hermione. Ron and Pansy were happily laughing at them and betting on how soon the knuckleheads once again pissed him off!
After dinner, they were once again convened in the living room. All furniture had been moved to line the walls. As the older members reformed into their own groups, soft music was started for the younger members who wanted to dance. Several couples immediately hit the dance floor, including much to the surprise of many there, Radnor Rowle and his wife. Giving the way the couple acted, it was obvious they were still very much in love and didn't mind showing it.
Freya, who had met nearly all the young men by this time, clamped her hand onto her brother's arm. "Excuse me but I need to speak to my brother for a moment." She said to Hermione. Thorfinn rolled his eyes and turned around but didn't move away from Hermione.
"What is it?" he asked. She huffed at him but pointed across the room. There, against the far wall, glowering sulkily at everyone, were Harry and Draco.
"Introduce me! They're the only one's l haven't met yet. They won't get near because I'm standing near you! I want to meet them!" she commanded. Thorfinn snorted and grinned. He glanced at Pansy and Ron, also sniggering. He led her across the room. The two boys, noticing he was coming toward them, became very antsy.
"Harry Potter? Draco Malfoy?" he waited until they nodded. "My name is Thorfinn Rowle. This is my sister, Freya Rowle." Leaving her to flirt madly with the two boys, he walked back and rejoined Hermione, Pansy and Ron. The two boys had immediately perked up on meeting Freya. He pulled her out onto the dance floor and pulled her close. Ron pulled Pansy into the dancing crowd. Thorfinn and his father looked at each other and Radnor gave him a thumbs up.
As the evening wound down, Joan tapped on a wineglass to gain everyone's attention. She was standing with Radnor and his wife. He motioned at Thor discreetly. "Attention! May I have your attention, please? I'm sure you are all anxious to hear why you are here tonight. I wish to announce the engagement of my daughter, Hermione."
Hermione, standing in the middle of a crowd consisting of her drivers, Ron and Pansy, and Thorfinn, grabbed Fen's hand. He looked down at her. "Everything is going to be okay. Don't quit your jobs just yet. All right?" Fen nodded and hugged her.
"Hermione, dear, come forward. Tonight Granger Trucking will be merging with Rowle Industries. Hermione is now officially engaged to the heir of Rowle Industries, Thorfinn." Hermione and Thorfinn walked forward to join them. The crowd clapped enthusiastically, congratulating the young couple.
Once they were face to face with his parents, Thorfinn positioned her in front of him. "Mother, Father, I'd like to introduce you both to Hermione Granger. She's the current boss of Granger Trucking and a sophomore at the college. She's a business major."
"I'm so pleased to meet you, Hermione. My name is Astrid. Let me take the opportunity to welcome you to the family." Astrid Rowle was excited to meet the girl her husband had been telling her about. "By the way, I also love Shakespeare and your name!"
"Thank you, Mrs. Rowle. I'm so pleased to meet both of you as well. I look forward to getting to know you." Hermione was relieved that they seemed to like her.
The announcement was the end of the evening and everyone began saying their farewells. Pansy, who was spending the night, pulled out her camera. "Ok, Hermione, Thorfinn, come over here. I promised Rachel and Rochelle that I'd get at least one picture of you and the hot guy." Laughing as Hermione turned bright red, she directed them to sit down. She took several pictures of them together and separately. Then she and Ron disappeared to make their own farewells. Radnor and Astrid waved at him as they left.
Thorfinn walked her up to her room. There, she looked at him seriously. "Are we really going through with this? Do you even LIKE me well enough to marry me? Tell me the truth."
"Do you remember when I first joined your father's company? A year and a half ago? Since my family moved here, I've already cut quite a path through the women in this city, I'll not lie about that. I AM quite experienced and yes, I've been a player. But every girl, every woman, I've been with in the last year and a half? Distractions, all of them. Someone to keep my mind off of you. You were too young for me to date when I first saw you but now you're old enough." He told her.
"You've liked me ever since you joined my father's company? Prove it. Tell me something you remember about me from back then." She challenged him, not really believing his story.
He motioned to her room. "You might want to sit down for this one." She led the way into her room, not seeing his eyes widen at the realization that only the strip of material buttoned around her neck was all that was holding her dress up. Pansy, just exiting the stairs, grinned and leaned back against the wall, allowing them some privacy. The door was open and she dared not close it for fear they would shut down from each other again.
He sat on the chair occupied by Pansy a few hours earlier. "The day I joined your father's company, you came to see him. You were sixteen going on seventeen. I was nineteen going on twenty. You had on the cutest little flirty outfit. Your hair was tied up in a red hair ribbon. You had on a red blazer over a white shirt and a black skirt that swished around with every step. You also had on red knee socks and black shoes. You were carrying a bright pink book bag with a cat face on it. The cat had a bow and the words above it said 'Hello Kitty'. How's that?" he tilted his head at her. Pansy was in the hall with her eyes wide and hands over her mouth. He had just perfectly described the debate club outfits they hadn't worn in over a year! He even remembered Hermione's Hello Kitty book bag!
Hermione was sitting on her bed, staring at him wide eyed. "You, you remembered me from that first day? I can't believe it! I haven't, that outfit, we haven't worn those in over a year!"
"Told you, didn't I? All those other girls were just distractions, once I saw you. Ask Mike and Alex if you don't believe me. They were sitting there laughing their arses off, telling me to pick my jaw up off the floor and roll my tongue back up before I started catching flies!" Thorfinn laughed. He reached out and cupped her cheek.
"Listen. There's no hurry in this, all right? I'm not going to rush you into anything. We can start out small, go have a cup of coffee or whatnot. I know you'll want to finish your schooling. I want you to finish your schooling. Whatever terms my father works out with your mother, he'll make sure you're able to finish your schooling. All I want is just to know that our endgame is going to end with us getting married, at some point in our future." He leaned forward and kissed her. "Would you care to visit a coffee shop with me sometime?"
"I'd love to. As long as we also get some bagels." Hermione teased him as she agreed to the date. "As for the rest, we'll take it one day at a time. But I would love nothing better than to marry you."