AN- Thank you for the reviews, Smithback, and emyschoice. Great feedback which I have taken into consideration. Glad you're all a fan of the smutty chapter. Emyschoice, the secret will not be kept for long.
Please enjoy this next chapter which is far less smuttier and remember to review as always.
~~OvO~~
Hermione stepped into Weasley's Wizards Wheezes after standing outside for what felt like hours. She was going to Hogwarts the following day and was desperate to find out where she stood with George before she left. She hoped that he would visit her so they could start getting to know each other better and if the ministry wanted her pregnant within a year, she would have to get started with that.
She looked around the store and smiled at the reminders of Fred that were everywhere. She wondered how George could possibly stand it, but then she figured he might be happier here among their creations, where he felt closer to Fred.
As she perused the shelves, she seriously considered buying a pink Pygmy Puff. She had a basket filled with items that she deemed to be too brilliant for a joke shop. Pimple potion, everlasting eyelashes, daydream charms and a selection of lollies and treats filled her basket. She recalled being hard on the twins when they were at school, however, that was when they were mostly selling things like skiving snackboxes and love potions. The more she saw of the newest inventions, the more she was in awe of the brilliance of Fred and George. She was now seeing, more than the loss of Fred as a brother or a son, the world had lost an incredibly brilliant mind.
"Find something you like?" George asked, approaching her from behind, making Hermione jump.
"Well, yes I think so. These things George, they're incredible. The WonderWitch line itself is marvellous" she said.
"Except for the love potions" he asked with a wink.
"Well, yes, of course" she said.
"Who needs one of those though, hey?" he asked.
"Those eyelashes are great, but you may need to trim them every now and then. They have a sort of growth charm on them" he said, picking things up out of her basket.
"Thanks for the tip" she said, standing awkwardly in the isle.
"I thought we got rid of the awkwardness" George said.
"We did, we really did, but still… I don't know how to behave around you. We're engaged, we'll be married in a few weeks, but… I don't know. Are we dating? What's the protocol here?" she asked,
"I don't think there is one" he said, straightening up a shelf.
"This isn't something I can learn from a book… trust me, I tried" she said truthfully.
"How about you come over later this afternoon. You can watch me cook dinner and we'll figure out our own protocol" he said with a smile.
"George… we can't just shag our way out of our problems" she said quietly.
"Of course we cant. But it's certainly a great way to pass the time, isn't it?" he asked.
Hermione just rolled her eyes and made her way to the register where Angelina Johnson was tending to the customers.
"Oh, Angelina… How are you?" Hermione asked her, knowing that the with had been dating George in the recent past.
"I'm alright. Can't say I'm too impressed with the marriage law. I just made it on the Holyhead Harpies reserve team. Now I've got to go and get pregnant to… Uhhh… I can't even say his name. How could I ever…?" she said.
"You got in with the Harpies? Congratulations. I'm sure, as Kingsley said, they will make allowances for those with children" Hermione said.
"Yes, well… I can't even look at my match, let alone procreate with him" she said.
"Come on Ang, Theo isn't that bad" George said, coming up behind Hermione.
"Well, you pair got lucky anyway. That's all I have to say" she said.
"Wait, didn't you two date at one stage?" Hermione asked.
"Many moons ago. Before the war" Angelina said, looking at George questioningly.
"Katie got Lee" George said, changing the subject.
"Well, that's lovely. They always seemed to be friends, weren't they?" Hermione asked.
"They were already a pretty hot and heavy item" Angelina said.
"What about Alicia?" Hermione asked.
"Goyle. From your year" Angelina said.
"Oh, my… that's going to be… rough" Hermione said.
"At least you'll be able to band together. Hang out while you're at events and whatnot" George said.
"I'm not attending Slytherin events, thank you very much" Angelina said.
"Create the Slytherin Wives Club or something and host your own events" Hermione shrugged.
"That's actually a fantastic idea. We can take hallucinogens that allow us to actually get near enough to our husbands so we can become impregnated" she said, laughing.
"Quite the scandal" Hermione said, laughing at the joke.
After the joke passed, Hermione sighed.
"How much do I owe you for all of this?" she asked.
"Honey, you are part owner of this place now, you have it for free" Angelina said.
"Oh, no, absolutely not, I can't" she said.
"Yes… You can" George said.
Hermione stood stunned, staring at George while he bagged her things for her.
"Here you go darling fiancé" he said, handing the bag to her and kissed her on the cheek. The public display of affection was as much of a shock to Hermione as not having to pay for anything in George's shop.
"I'll see you later then?" she asked.
"Floo in at 6" he said.
"See you then" she said awkwardly, leaving the shop. She walked around Diagon Alley for a while and stopped in and purchased potions supplies as well as parchment and various shades of ink. She was quite well stocked for her return to Hogwarts.
She enjoyed watching people go about their business as they usually would on day before they returned to Hogwarts. It was a sign that things had changed for the better.
She saw loads of young people coming and going from Olivanders, and she hesitated at the thought if going and checking in on him. He was very unwell last time she saw him, and she had hoped that in the time since, he had been able to get better.
She passed the idea off when she saw how busy he was and made her way to Eeylops Owl Emporium to finally buy herself an owl. She had thought about holding off, however, she figured she would be writing to George a lot over the next few months and would need a reliable owl. The door chimed from a bell that hung above it when she entered. There were over a dozen cages lined up against each wall and in each cage, a unique owl stood, staring out at her. She glanced at the birds one at a time and became a little disheartened when none stood out to her. On the last isle, there was a sign stating that they were 'premium owls'. She figured she had more than enough money from the compensation and reward from the ministry after the war and she already owned a house. She really had very little need to hoard it so figured she'd spend it.
Her eyes were immediately drawn to a snowy owl who hooted happily from its cage.
"Oh, hello there" she said, looking at the owl in wonder. It looked quite like Harry's owl Hedwig.
"She's a beauty. Rescued from some death eaters she was" a shop attendant told her.
"Do you know its origins?" she asked.
"Her leg tag told us all we needed to know. She was born from one of the snowy's that was sold here in 91 and sat on the shelf for a few weeks until she was picked up by a death eater. We were given a fake name when she was purchased so can't tell you who had her up until recently" he said with an apologetic look in his eyes.
"Are you able to tell me the name of the owl who was her mother?" she asked.
"Why so many questions?" he asked.
"I'm so sorry, my friend had an owl who looked just like her. She died, unfortunately. Hit by the killing curse" she said.
"Oh Merlin, I'm so sorry. Give me a moment" he said, rushing off to the back of the store.
Hermione looked over the other owls in the section before her eyes rested on what was labelled as a screech owl. It was many shades of brown and ginger and the feathers on top of its head stood up like cat's ears. Its eyes were a glorious yellow colour.
"Oh my. Hello" she said to the owl. It hooted several times in response and appeared to do a sort of bounce on its perch. "Would you like to come home with me? I may buy your friend over there as well" she said. The owl seemed to be ok with this, as it hooted once more.
"The wizard who purchased this owl's mother was Rubeus Hagrid. Does that mean anything to you?" he asked.
"Oh my. This is… This is Hedwig's daughter" Hermione said, tears in her eyes. "I'll take her and this screech owl as well" she said, wondering how Harry would feel at being gifted an owl that came from his beloved Hedwig.
"Excellent. Marvellous" he said.
"How much?" she asked.
"Twenty galleons each, given that they're already trained. Thirty and I'll throw in some food and treats. You just need to let them fly around a little to get used to where you live, and they'll know their way anywhere. Especially her. She's incredibly gifted, that one" he said, indicating to the screech owl. "Got a name?" he asked.
"Hermione" she answered.
"I mean, for the owl" he said, writing Hermione's name down in a book anyway.
"Oh… well, not really" she said.
"Well, her name at the moment is Morgan. If you like it, keep it. If not, feel free to change it but you'll have to teach her" he said.
"Morgan… Sounds nice. I think I'll keep it. What is the Snowy owls name?" she asked.
He flicked through another book. "Aruna" he answered.
"That's lovely. I'll let Harry know. Thank you so much" she said, navigating her way to the exit of the shop with two owl cages and all of her other shopping.
Once outside of the store, she shrunk her shopping and placed them into her bag and set about to the Leaky Cauldron to travel home.
"Miss Granger, to what do I owe the pleasure?" asked Tom the barkeeper as she entered.
"Just on my way home. Picked up these fantastic creatures" she said.
"Oh my, they're beauties" he said.
"Can I floo with them? I've never flood with an animal before" she said.
"Sure thing. Some don't like it but it don't hurt them any" he said.
"Wonderful, thanks Tom" she said, stepping into the floo and heading home.
She placed Morgan's cage on the bench in the kitchen and filled her bowl with food and water. She opened the door and patted her on the head.
"Welcome home sweet girl" she said, and the owl responded with a hoot. "I'll be right back, I'm going to take Aruna to Harry" she said, wondering if she had lost the plot for real now that she was conversing with an owl.
She floo'd to the Burrow and presented Harry with the snowy owl. As soon as he set eyes on her he'd known she was special. He decided to keep her name to make it easier on her to adjust. He thanked Hermione with a hug before she announced she had to leave. It was only supposed to be quick, but it was now 5pm and she was running late for her dinner with George.
She rushed around getting ready. She charmed all the unwanted body hair off, using charms she learn from a book she picked up at Flourish and Blotts called Self-care, Beauty and Hygiene Practice for Young Witches. It went into detail about basic make up charms and hair removal charms. She wondered where this information had been her whole life. She was now feeling fresh and clean and ready to go. She paced around the living room at 5:55pm, anxious to get to Georges place. She wasn't sure what they would do. Sex, probably, which she wasn't opposed to. She recalled the feeling of George's tongue on her and she almost fainted at the memory. She wondered if she would be able to return the favour. Not yet. She wasn't ready to do that just yet.
As soon as the clock on the wall hit 6, she stepped into the floo and disappeared in a cloud of dust. She thought she'd need to clean that when she returned home.
She stepped out into George's flat to find it completely different from when she was there only days ago.
"Wow, you've really cleaned the place up" she said, noticing him standing in the kitchen.
"Well, can't have it looking like a frat house forever, can i?" he asked.
"No, certainly not" she said, as George made his way over to where she stood by the fireplace, brushing the dust off herself.
She took two small steps towards him before they came face to face. She wondered if she should kiss him, hug him, snog him… She was awkward.
"Don't" he whispered in her ear as he kissed her cheek.
"I'm not" she said, rolling her eyes. She was. She so was.
"We're having a simple spaghetti for dinner; I hope that's ok" he said as he walked away from her.
"That sounds great" she said, sitting on a stool at the kitchen bench, across from where he stood stirring the sauce.
"How was the rest of your day? Did you get what you need?" he asked.
"It was fine. I got all my supplies and an owl" she said.
"An owl?" he asked.
"A screech owl named Morgan" she said.
"Grey?"
"Red"
"Nice choice of colour"
"I thought so. I found another owl while I was there. She was a rescue. Some death eater had her locked up somewhere. Turns out, she is the daughter of Harry's owl, Hedwig" Hermione said, taking the glass of wine that George handed to her.
"That's incredible. What did Harry think of it?"
"He loved her. Absolutely adores her" she said.
"That's nice then" he said, turning back to the stove.
"So, cooking the muggle way?" she asked.
"I find that the sauce sticks to the bottom if I leave it to magic" he said.
"Well, as long as you can cook. Harry, Ron and I almost died from starvation from my lack of cooking ability" she said.
"So… not the brightest witch of your age then?" he asked with a smile.
"Hm, perhaps not" she said, returning his smile.
The banter was great so far, she thought.
"So, how was your day? How was work?" she asked.
"Work was great. I finished gathering all the new stock and am ready to open the new store tomorrow" he said.
"New store? Since when?" she asked, confused.
"Since it was always our dream to have a store in Hogsmead and Zonko's didn't recover from the war. I nabbed it for a bargain" he said.
"Hogsmead? Wow, that means you'll be close then?" she asked.
"To Hogwarts? Yeah" he said.
"And to me" she said.
"Well, of course" he said, laughing.
"There you go again…" she said.
"What?"
"Laughing. It's nice" she said.
"Well…" he said with a shrug.
"I bet you miss Fred a lot" she asked, mentally kicking herself for asking a dumb question.
"More than I ever thought I would or could miss anyone" he said, all signs of a smile gone.
"He'd be proud of you" she said.
"For what? Stealing Ronnikens girlfriend and shagging her senseless?" he asked.
"Well, there's that… But also, for the shop. You've help it together over the last few months. I really commend that" she said.
"Well, he wouldn't have wanted me to fall into a pit and now get out. I know I haven't been my usual self, but I haven't exactly been holed up in bed either" he said.
"Did you ever talk about what you or he would do if one of you died?" she asked, taking a glass he handed to her.
"I suppose we did. We always said we'd continue the shop, no matter what. The world needs jokes and games" he said.
"And your wonder witch line" she added.
"And that" he said.
"I wonder if there's more you can create in that particular line. I know, when I was younger, I would have snapped up some kind of hair potion or, dare I say, a teeth shrinking potion" she said.
"You might be onto something there" he said.
"Maybe keep the wonder witch line all about love potions and cheap gimmicks, but you could really profit from some basic care products for young witches. And if you're in the area, you'll sell quickly" she said.
"Hermione's hair care line?" he asked.
"Godric no" she said.
"Why not?" he asked, straining the sauce.
"We're going to be married. You will own half the business. This is your idea… Any more reasons?" he asked.
"Well, I'm certainly no inventor George" she said.
"Yet" he said with a wink as he plated up their dinner.
George levitated the plates and cutlery to the small dining table, and they took their seats. George picked up his glass and held it in Hermione's direction.
"To us" he said.
"To going back to school"
"To business ideas"
"To NEWTS"
"To not needing NEWTS"
"To overdoing it in the toasts?" she asked.
They clinked glasses and sipped their drinks.
"You're trying to get me drunk, aren't you?" she asked, tasting the delicious wine he had served and sensing it was quite strong in the alcohol content.
"No, jut relaxed" he said.
She nodded at this and began eating her spaghetti.
"This is incredible" she said.
"Have you met my mother? When her children move out, she gifts them all with a recipe book. All of her classics and some favourites for the individual" he said.
"Your mother is incredible"
"She's all excited about having grandchildren" he said.
"Well, she will soon be flooded with them. She sort of has no choice" she said.
"How do you feel about that? Being forced to have children" he asked, she sensed his serious tone hidden behind his words.
"I mean, I see why it needs to happen, I just wish I had more time. I wish we had more time. We could have gone on a honeymoon or we could have travelled a bit. I wanted a career" she said.
"It is a bit rushed" he said.
"I will more than likely be pregnant before I finish school" she said.
"Well, I mean… We can live here if you like, or I can spend mt days off looking for a place for us to live… and you can work once you finish school if that's what you want. I'll out some galleons away so we can travel for a couple of weeks when you graduate... and mum will more than likely look after our child so you can work. Or I'll take time off" he said.
"Wow, you've really figured it out, haven't you?" she asked.
"I've thought about a lot of things" he said.
"We can stay at my place if you want. My parents signed it over to me when they decided to stay in Australia" she said.
"Wow, that's… you own you own house. That's great" he said, twirling his spaghetti with his fork.
"I mean, I redecorated a little, but you can make it your home too if you like" she said.
"It's probably better we live there then" he said.
"Well, once we're married, its half yours anyway" she said. "And don't go saving your galleons. I have more than enough in my vault to travel" she added. Thinking about the things he said.
"I just… I know we were forced together, but I want to at least try and make you happy" he said.
"I think we'll be happy. Even if we never make it beyond just friends" she said.
"Oh, I think we've moved beyond that, don't you?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows.
She rolled her eyes and continued eating her dinner. Their conversation flowed easily around the idea of what Hermione wanted to do when she graduated, if she hadn't been forced to procreate. George still wanted to expand the business and offered Hermione a position in management, which she politely declined. She had her sights set on the ministry, hoping to create some change in some area of the magical world.
When they were finished, George, despite Hermione's insistence, took their plates to the kitchen and returned with apple pie and custard for dessert, which was delicious.
They were soon finished and Hermione sensed some unease come over her. Now what? She thought.
"Well, do you want to take our wine out on the balcony?" George asked.
"You have a balcony?" she asked.
"Of course. You can see up and down Diagon Alley and a little into Knockturn alley from here" he said, heading to the far end of the flat where there was a curtain. He pulled back the curtain, revealing a sliding glass door which opened out onto a concrete balcony with a table and chairs. There were some fairy lights providing some light on the small space.
"This is nice" she said.
"It's not much. But its home" he said, leading the way outside.
Hermione stood at the railing looking out to the alley below. There were a few people walking around, going about their business, but overall the place was quiet. A significant contrast to earlier in the day.
George stood beside her, looking down on the street below, having moved on from the glass of wine, now just drinking straight from the bottle.
"Fred and I used to do this every afternoon. We'd watch people and make up stories about who they were and what they were doing" he said, creating a silence that hung in the air between them for several moments.
"Like that man down there. He's cheating on his wife so he's pretending to be working late" Hermione said.
"He's going to the Leaky Cauldron to meet his mistress"
"Everyone except his wife knows about the affair"
"Even their teenage kids know".
"And they like the mistress more than their own mother" they both laughed.
"Because their mother is part troll".
"Or just really strict" Hermione said.
They both stood watching the man as he continued down the alley and entered the Leaky Cauldron. They both laughed and sat at the table.
"That was fun" she said.
"Yeahhhh" he said.
"I think we need to make some plans for the next few months" Hermione said in her most serious tone.
"I agree" George said, sitting straight upright in his seat.
"Well, I expect you'll be quite busy for a few weeks setting up the new shop, so I won't bother you until… probably Halloween? The ministry should have been in touch about the group wedding by now, but I assume we'll be hearing in the next few days. I expect Molly will want to arrange something for afterwards, but I was thinking that people will all want to celebrate with their families so perhaps it might be best to organise something bigger, for everyone to attend. I might talk to McGonagall about it. I think we should plan some weekends to spend time together. You can come to the castle for meals and things if you like. I expect that will be allowed by the headmistress" she finished.
"Wow, yeah, that's a lot of planning. Well… I was thinking of just winging it. This… relationship… isn't something that we need to plan, Hermione. I'll come to the castle for meals and we can plan our time as we go" he said, shrugging.
"What about the marriage ceremony?" she asked, knowing that they couldn't just wing their whole relationship.
"Well, I think you're right. Hogwarts would be the best place to celebrate with everyone we know. I'll talk to mum. She might be grateful not to have to throw 4 parties" he said.
"And I'll talk to McGonagall" Hermione said.
"What about… Well, I'll need to be pregnant within a year" she said, thinking logically.
"Weekends? Holidays, afternoons, free periods, before breakfast, after breakfast, between classes…" he said.
"ok, ok I get it" she said, blushing. Merlin, why was the subject of sex so difficult to discuss? She was an adult, a war heroine, a logical academic thinker and this shouldn't be difficult for her.
"No doubt McGonagall will have had some instruction from Kingsley anyway, so I wouldn't worry about missing out on your time with Georgie" he said with a grin. If he didn't look so young and carefree, she'd have slapped him.
"Oh Merlin" she sighed.
"Yeah, that's what you will be saying… Although, with sightly different tone" he said with a wink.
"Ok sexpert" she said.
"Ok, ok I will stop. Plan. You want a plan. Here we go, You go to Hogwarts tomorrow. I'll be setting up the new shop for the next few days, but I will owl you. As soon as the weekend comes, come visit me. Check out the new shop. I'm getting staff, so I will have the day off. We'll have lunch and see what happens from there. No doubt you'll have some information by then anyway. We'll attend the group wedding ceremony and you'll talk to McGonagall about the reception at the castle. We'll see each other during times that you have off so we can do what we need to do" he said.
"You really have got all this figured out, don't you?" she asked.
"Yes, I do, now please… I've been desperate to kiss those lips since you flood through my fireplace and stood awkwardly in my living room" he said, leaning towards her.
"Well, if you're desperate, who am I to deny?" she said, leaning the rest of the way to meet his lips.
She kissed him gently, allowing him to lead. She wasn't surprised when his kiss quickly built into something more. His hands grabbed the back of her chair and pulled it closer to his, so that her knees were touching his chair. He kissed her again, now with a hand in her hair and one on her hip.
She never knew that George could be so passionate or so eager. He was coming across as somewhat desperate, but then again, so was she. She had found a connection with George in the physical, and it was something that she knew she could build upon, if she just accessed that connection regularly. She didn't love him in the way that a wife loves her husband, but she cared for George in the way that she had always cared for each one of the Weasleys. George could make Hermione feel things that she hadn't ever felt before. If she compared her experiences with George to those she had had with Ron, George was so much more giving, he thought about Hermione before he thought about himself. Ron was quite a selfish lover. He never really touched her, there was no build up, no going slow. It had always been so fast, and he had only brought her to orgasm once. The thought of Ron triggered something in Hermione, and she pulled away.
"Is everything ok?" he asked.
"Yes, well, sort of" she said.
"Do you want to stop?" he asked.
"Godric no. But I think there's something I need to tell you" she said.
"Uh-oh" he said, sitting back in his chair.
"I know. Its… something happened and before we go any further, I think you need to know" she said.
"Ok. Well, can I kiss your neck while you tell me?" he asked.
"No, I don't think that's a good idea" she said.
"Oh, Merlin, this is serious isn't it?" he asked.
"Please don't think less of me, ok?" she asked.
"You're Hermione Granger. I couldn't think less of you if I tried" he said.
"Well… After our night together, I sort of realised that Ron and I hadn't officially broken up. I went to see him to talk, to come up with a plan for us to be friends…" she began. As she spoke, George pulled away slightly. It was not a good sign, but she couldn't back out now. "Well, I went to the Burrow and he was in his room. I went up there, to break it off and to say goodbye to our relationship. Whatever it was that we had. He was being really nice about it, told me he's loved me since first year. He hadn't ever really spoken to me like that and I was caught completely off guard. He kissed me and well… we… it was over before I really realised what had happened. It was nothing, it was like saying goodbye. I realised that as soon as it was over. But I do regret it. I wasn't going to tell you, but I can't have this hanging over my head forever" she said.
George leant back in his chair with his hands behind his head. He appeared to be thinking. It wasn't good and the silence seemed to stretch on forever.
Hermione stood, "I'm sorry George. I'll just go now and give you some time to think about this. I know we haven't spoken about being exclusive, but I should have respected the engagement and I'm sorry" she said, turning and heading back through the door, walking to the fireplace and flooing home before George said a word.
She was standing in her living room before she really realised what had happened. The logical part of her brain was seeming to be lost to the automatic response part of her brain these days and she needed it to stop. She should have stayed with George and spoken some more about what happened. If she told him that it only lasted a few minutes, would it make a difference? If she told him that he was better, would it make him be ok with it? Probably not.
She made herself a tea before sitting on the couch and flicking through the channels on the tv.
~~OvO~~
Hermione ate breakfast the following morning quite slowly. She hadn't heard from George, not that she expected to. She had broken an unspoken agreement of exclusivity that accompanied the ring she wore on her finger and she was almost sick thinking about it.
Her toast was cold, and her tea was forming that white layer on top that happens when it goes cold. She stared out the kitchen window and continued mentally chastising herself when she saw an owl heading her way.
"Righto" she said, getting up and opening the window so it could enter her kitchen.
She took the letter from the tie on its leg and gave it the remainder of her toast and let it drink from her cup. It seemed to like it.
She opened the letter containing the ministry seal and read it thoroughly.
Dear Miss Granger,
As per the information given to the newly engaged couples at the engagement ball, please see below the details as they relate to the group marriage ceremony.
There will be a minister presiding over group ceremonies which will take place over the course of the coming months. There will be several dates that can be chosen from, which will be arranged via a booking system. You will be required to owl a response with your first, second and third preference and you will receive a response within two days. All couples who do not advise of a time or provide information relating to private ceremonies, will be arrested by aurors on the first day of the new year. These individuals will have a choice to be married or to be sentenced to 5 years imprisonment.
Available dates:
5pm Friday 30th October
1pm Saturday 31st October
5pm Friday 20th November
1pm Saturday 21st November
5pm Friday 11th December
1pm Saturday 12th December
5pm Friday 18th December
1pm Saturday 19th December
1pm Thursday 31st December
All dates are final and can not be altered. Those who fail to marry before the end of the year will be married in a group ceremony on the 2nd of January following their capture.
As per previous information provided, you will be responsible for any reception that you wish to hold.
Dress code is a choice of formal wizard robes or formal muggle attire. If you cannot afford to purchase items for the ceremony, there will be a ministry funded store opening on the Thursday before each ceremony weekend which will provide you with items that are being donated from formalwear stores.
A department has been set up within the ministry to answer questions and provide information. You can access this in the lobby of the ministry of magic during business hours.
Please discuss the available dates with your match and reply via owl at your earliest convenience, addressed to "Minister for Marriages at the Ministry of Magic, London"
Yours sincerely,
Percy Weasley,
Assistant to the Minster of Magic
Hermione looked over the letter and was pleased to see there was a selection of dates as well as assistance for those who could not afford to dress appropriately for the occasion. She had no problems in that area so would not be needing to seek assistance but she wasn't sure how much money George had, given that he was in the process of opening up a new store. It was something she would have to discuss with him in the near future. That is, if he ever spoke to her again.
She took a pen and paper from the shelf in the living room and wrote a message to George.
Dear George,
I am so sorry for how last night ended. If I could take back what I did, I would, however, I do not regret telling you about it.
I am assuming you received your ministry letter this morning. I think its best we choose a date as soon as possible. Any of those dates would suffice for me. Please feel free to choose some dates and submit them to the ministry on our behalf. We will need to meet in order to coordinate our wedding attire. We can discuss this at a later date.
Once again, I am sorry and I would understand if you want to rethink the plans we made last night. If you prefer, we can set dates and times based on my cycle, and we can make arrangements to meet up on those days each month.
Hermione.
"Are you ready for your first job, Morgan?" Hermione asked her new owl, who simply hooted in response. "They told me you were trained, so if I give you instructions, will you easily follow them and find your way to me at Hogwarts?" she asked.
The owl blinked at her and ruffled its feathers. Hermione stared at her for a moment, wondering if there was a way to actually communicate properly with owls, however, when she opened the cage, the owl hopped out and stuck out her leg for the letter.
"Well, I guess you are quite well trained after all" Hermione said as she tied George's letter to Morgan's leg. "This needs to go to George. He might be at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes at Diagon Alley, but he also may have gone to the new store in Hogsmeade. I'm sorry to make you do this, but please try Diagon alley first then Hogsmeade second. I should be at Hogwarts by then, so you are welcome to go there and find me" she said, scratching the bird on the side of its cheek.
Morgan hooted once before hopping to the open window, looking back at Hermione, then spreading her wings and flying off.
"I really hope she understood what I just said" Hermione said out loud to herself.
Hermione was glad for the fact that she was allowed to apparate to the castle, as she was yet to organise and pack her trunk. She headed upstairs to begin and found herself feeling nostalgic for the days when she was packing for the years that came before. She wondered how different this year would be and realised that she would most likely be pregnant by the time she graduates. The thought shook her and she pushed it aside and continued packing. It was almost lunch time when she finished, but her trunk was completely packed, organised and shrunk to fit in her beaded handbag.
She stood in the living room that she had redecorated to her style and felt at home. She had lived there her entire life, but over the last few years, the house hadn't really felt like home. Now that she had taken over ownership and redecorated, it felt like hers.
She emptied the rubbish bins and threw out all the food from the fridge and cupboards that could go back and went to the garage to disapparate to the gates of the castle.
She found herself standing a few feet from the Hogwarts gates, near a registration table.
"Ah, 'Ermione, its good to see ya" came the unmistakable voice of Hagrid.
"Hi Hagrid, how was your summer?" she asked.
"Well, I spent most me time gettin' the place ready for you lot to come back. Lots o' changes hap'ning around 'ere, you'll see" he said, marking her name off from a clipboard he was carrying.
"How many others have arrived so far?" she asked.
"Just a few" he said.
"Are Ron and Ginny here?" she asked
"Ginny came early to get on with her head girl duties and Ron got here jut a little while ago with Lavender" he said.
"Ron arrived with Lavender?" she asked.
"Interestin' couple they are. I can see why they were matched" Hagrid said.
"Yes, it's quite clear, isn't it?" she said, not able to think of a single thing worse to talk about than her ex-boyfriend and his new fiancé. "Well, Hagrid, I'll make sure I come and visit often. I hope you're not suck here for too long" she said, before making her way through the gates and heading to the castle.
The familiar path both warmed her and drew out of her a slight panic. She spent time here immediately after the war, helping with repairs and things, but the memories of the battle were strong in her mind.
The closer she got the more she realised how unprepared she was for this. Memories of bodies lying, strewn on the grass bombarded her mind and the smell of singed hair and blood returned to her senses full force.
She hadn't been affected by it at the time because she was running on pure adrenalin, but now, she found herself almost reliving every second of the battle with each step she took.
As she came closer to the castle, it appeared slightly different. Not significant in any way, but enough that she could tell. She recalled in the early days of repairs, the castle seemed to refuse to be out back together how it was originally and kept changing itself. She knew from Hogwarts, A History, that the castle had thoughts and emotions. It was more than a building. It had the ability to rebuild itself, recreate pieces of things that were broken and make changes as it saw fit.
This thought process took her out of her panic and engaged her logical brain. She wondered what else would be different.
As she entered, she was faced with a large open area that previously didn't exist. There were some students milling around some tables and a few teachers were sitting behind them talking in quiet conversations.
"Oh, Miss Granger, or is it Weasley?" came the soothing voice of Headmaster McGonagall.
"I am not yet married headmistress" she said.
"Oh, right you are then miss Granger… Its lovely to see you back with us to finish your NEWTS. There are quite a few changes that you will quickly become accustomed to. I ask that you begin here to your left and sit at each table in turn to make arrangements for the year" McGonagall instructed.
"Arrangements?" she asked.
"Things are going to be quite different this year. We need to tailor your final year of education to your future plans and discover what subjects you need and which ones you don't" she said.
"I was planning on taking all of the available subjects professor" Hermione said.
"That simply isn't possible. You will take a minimum of three classes and a maximum of five. There are some added subjects this year and opportunities for teaching apprenticeships" she said.
"Oh, um, wow, that's quite a lot to take in" Hermione said.
"Indeed, it is miss Granger. You will probably find that you will have a significant amount of free time with which to prepare for your future. I advise you use it well. You have a lot to considered over the next eight months" McGonagall said.
"Right. Well, I suppose I ought to get started then" she said, indicating to the desk to her left where Professor Flitwick sat.
She approached the desk and stood beside the chair.
"Ah, miss Granger, please, take a seat and we shall begin" the professor said, flicking through a pile of papers and pulling out one with her name on it.
"Charms has so far been one of your best subjects. Were you intending on taking it this year?" he asked.
"I had intended on taking all of the classes professor" she said.
"Hmm, yes, well I'm sure the Headmaster has spoken to you about this?" he asked.
"Yes, I can take a maximum of five classes" she said, disheartened.
"Any idea which ones you would like to take?" he asked.
"Well, charms, of course. potions, transfiguration, arithmancy, ancient runes…" she said.
"That is five, miss Granger" he said. "What are your career goals?" he asked.
"I want to do something within the ministry. Not minister, of course, but perhaps in law. I was interested in working to aid in the treatment of magical creatures" she said.
"So how about care of magical creatures?" He asked.
"I… I want to do all of the classes, as I said, however, I want to focus on the ones that are beneficial for life skills as well as career prospects. I think that care of magical creatures is an excellent class, however, there are others that would provide more benefit in the long term" she said.
Flitwick was busy scribbling down the things she had said.
"Right you are, right you are. So I will schedule you in for charms, transfiguration, potions and a life skills class" he said.
"What about the rest of them?" she asked. "I was aiming for more than just a few NEWTS" she said, feeling disappointed.
"There will be an opportunity for you to undertake some self-directed study with the syllabus from other courses if your find that you have spare time on your hands. You will be allowed to sit a modified exam for a modified NEWTS in those subjects, however, it is understood that there is very little reason for you to complete any exams Miss Granger, given your role in the war, this is all just a formality" he said.
"So you're basically saying that I could read some books, take and exam and get all my NEWTS just because of who I am?" she asked.
"You're very intelligent, Hermione. You need to evaluate what is best for you right now. You have a lot on your plate, and I think it would be best for you to take these classes…" he handed her a timetable… "and get the scores you deserve" he said.
"Thank you, professor," she said.
"You're welcome. Now onto professor Slughorn who will discuss living arrangements with you" he said.
Hermione stood and walked to the next table where a very large round bellied professor Slughorn was seated.
"Hermione Granger, I hoped to see you today. Please sit. Did you get the classes you hoped for?" he said all at once.
"Thank you, professor. I got some classes, yes", she said.
"Right you are. Well I hope you decided to undertake potions. I have a few very interesting things to show you lot this semester... Well I am here to discuss your living arrangements. As you know, the castle put up a good fight when we tried to repair it. The Gryffindor tower is as it was, as are the rest of the dorms, however, when it was decided that students who were at the age of 20 were to be attending, a new wing was added to the castle to allow for a semblance of independence" he said.
"A new wing?"
"Yes, it comes off the first-floor corridor and has an exit and entry to the outside of the castle as well as its own floo network" he said.
"That is a lot of trust, professor" she said.
"Well, my dear girl, the ministry is putting a lot of responsibility on you this year and its important that the school makes allowances for that as well" he said.
"So, this is for our spouses as well?" she asked.
"There are some students who have spouses at the school and their rooms will be adjoining, and there are some, like yourself, who's spouse is not of schooling age and must reside outside of the school. It is only fitting that they be allowed to visit to ensure the development of the marital relationship" he said.
'Sex, he means sex' Hermione thought to herself.
"That sounds like a great idea" she said.
"Right you are. Well there is another option of course" he said.
"Oh?" she said.
"You can live off the grounds of the castle… Floo in and out everyday for your classes. Its quite unorthodox, however, a few students have signed up for off grounds living" he said.
"I think it would be best if I live at the castle professor" she said.
"Excellent, excellent choice" he said.
"Now, your spouse will need to meet with the headmaster before spending time on the grounds of the castle. I'm sure that it won't be a problem, however, there will need to be a meeting to approve him" he said.
"I can arrange that, thank you" she said.
"Excellent" he said.
"Well, here's the map to your new living quarters. Your room overlooks the lake. The map also includes the midifications to the castle since the battle" he said.
"Thank you professor" she said.
"On you go now, to the next station" he said.
Hermione stood and made her way to the next desk where Madame Pomfrey was eyeing her happily.
"Hermione, how lovely to see you back again" she said.
"It is great to be back, madame" she said.
"Its my job to look out for your health and well being while you finish your studies. It is no secret that things are going to change quite a bit this year and there are certain expectations places on you women to bear children. I have been asked to invite you for monthly health checks" she said.
"By the ministry?" Hermione asked,
"Not at all. Professor McGonagall insisted that I ensure, not only the physical health of our women, but the mental health and well being as well. I want to make sure you are all engaging in healthy consenting relationships and any pregnancies will need to be monitored and safeguarded" she said.
"So, your focus is our wellbeing?" she asked.
"Of course. And I would like to build relationships with you all to ensure you can trust me" she said.
"Will you be delivering babies here?" Hermione asked.
"Well, I don't think it will come to that. In fact, unless there are witches here already pregnant, I don't expect to have anyone get to full term till after the school year finishes" she said.
"You mentioned consensual relationships. What do you mean by that?" Hermione asked.
"It is no secret that the ministry has paired some witches and wizards with individuals that they do not know or have no pre-existing relationship with. There is still an expectation from the ministry that the resulting offspring will be from consensual marital acts and not forced acts" she said.
"That's a stretch, don't you think?" Hermione asked, suddenly aware that there will be witches who could potentially be raped or forced to have sex against their will.
"I didn't say that I like the marriage law, Hermione. I just want to make sure nothing untoward happens under my nose" she said.
"Right" was all Hermione could say.
"Now, please take this gift bag. It contains pregnancy test potions and a few other things that I thought would be necessary for you young ones getting married off. There are some books which have been added to the library that contain information about caring for children. I suggest you have a read when you have some free time" she said.
"Thank you, madame" Hermione said, getting up and making her way to what looked to be the last table.
"Percy, how lovely to see you" she said.
"Hermione how are you?" he asked.
"Fantastic. I see you're the assistant to the minister" she said.
"No longer the junior assistant. I do all of his hard work I'm afraid" he said.
"Well, I guess it doesn't hurt that you're being forced into a marriage too, does it?" she asked.
"I think that's the basic principal" he said. "Now, I won't keep you, I just have some questions for you" he said. "So you are to be married this year to Mr Weasley?" he asked.
"George Weasley, your brother, yes" she answered, wondering why the official nature of the questioning. He appeared to be reading off a script, so she allowed it.
"Right you are. And you have made arrangements for this?" he asked.
"We are going to be attending one of the group ceremonies" she answered.
"And are there plans for a reception?"
"I was going to discuss having one here actually" she said as he furiously wrote down her answers.
"What living arrangements have you elected to adhere to?" he asked.
"I intend to live on Hogwarts Grounds" she said.
"And have you arranged a time for your spouse to attend to be assessed for visitation?" he asked.
"I only just found out a few minutes ago that this was a requirement, so no I have not" she said.
"Will you allow your spouse to spend nights at the castle in your living space?" he asked.
"I guess, if he wants to" she said.
"Have you had discussions with your spouse about how you will ensure a pregnancy occurs within the space of 12 months?" he asked.
"Well…" she began, feeling awkward talking to Percy about this, "I did suggest that I owl him information relating to my cycle so we could arrange to spend time together" she said, feeling her face redden.
Percy's face reddened as he hesitated to ask the next question.
"Miss Granger… have you found yourself interested in seeking a physical relationship with your spouse?" he asked.
"I… I don't think that's really a necessary question to answer. Given we've only been aware of this for 10 days, its inappropriate to think that we've even come to terms with the arrangement, let alone thought about having sex with people we've been forced to marry" she said in a huff.
"I do apologise Hermione, but I have been instructed to ask" he said.
"Well its ridiculous. If the minister wants to know whether or not I want to shag another one of your brothers, then the minister can bloody well come and ask me himself" she said, louder than she thought she had, causing almost everyone in the room to turn and look in her direction.
"I am sorry, Hermione" he said.
"Well, I don't appreciate being questioned like this" she said.
"One more question, if you don't mind…" he said, eyeing her cautiously. She raised an eyebrow in her direction urging him to continue. "Miss… Hermione… Are you fearful of your spouse?" he asked.
"Of course not" she said, getting up and leaving the table.
~~OvO~~
Poor Percy. He really didn't want to have to ask his sister-in-law-to-be those questions. Poor guy. I used a map of Hogwarts which I found online to place the new wing of the castle. I think its the best place for it and allows the 8th years the opportunity to have some freedom. They're not children, afterall. We shall see in the next chapter, who Hermione will be sharing her space with. It might get awkward.