Hermione stood in a sparkling gold dress outside of a beautiful mansion in the English countryside. Gilderoy Lockhart stood beside her in his signature white tux. "Well, Hermione," he asked, "are you ready to meet your future husband?"
Hermione took a deep breath. "As ready as I'll ever be," she said.
"Alright," said Gilderoy, "here comes the first carriage. I'll meet you inside." He winked and left.
The last month had been a blur for Hermione. The MBBC's first choice for Bachelorette, Astoria Greengrass, had fallen critically ill one month before filming was to start. Hermione had only one month to prepare: to secure herself a replacement at work, to get fitted for what felt like a hundred dresses, to sign the appropriate release papers, and to pack up the necessary things to move into her new home during filming. The boys would all live in this mansion, while Hermione was living by herself in a nearby cottage.
"So they have twenty-five men who wanted to meet Astoria Greengrass, who will now be meeting me," Hermione lamented to Cho and Luna. "This is already a mess! I bet they all go home after the first night."
"You are ridiculous!" Cho scolded. "They told the men. They had a choice. They already chose you."
"So as long as Hermione doesn't send them all home after one night, then all will be well," said Luna.
"It still worries me that these guys weren't hand picked for me," said Hermione.
"Hermione, Hermione, Hermione," Cho said, "it's going to be fine. You're going to be great. You're going to be married!" She squealed on the last word.
"Maybe," said Hermione. "We'll see. I'm not getting married at the end of this just because it's what the show wants. I want it to be what I want."
"And you will still talk to us, right?" asked Luna.
"I'm allowed to consult with you on some things, yes," said Hermione. They squealed. "But I can't use names. And you'll have to sign paperwork that you won't spoil the show for everyone."
"You can count on us," said Cho.
"We're here for you every step of the way," Luna agreed.
Hermione hugged her friends and stepped into the fireplace. None of the participants knew where they were going. The Floo network had been programmed to just take Hermione to the appropriate place, and pegasus-drawn carriages were picking up all of the men. Hermione found herself in her cottage, and the makeup crew, fashion crew, and of course, the camera crew were right there when she arrived.
A pegasus-drawn carriage landed in Godric's Hollow. A tall wizard with dark, disheveled hair and thick-rimmed glasses stepped inside.
"Hullo," he said to the few who were already assembled. "I'm Harry." He extended his hand to them.
"Harry Potter? No way!" exclaimed a skinny blonde guy.
"Ugh," sighed another, who had an Irish accent. "Now that's hardly fair."
"I'm not intimidated by Harry Potter," said another. "If anything, Potter, you should be intimidated by me."
Harry locked eyes with the last speaker. The man was undeniably handsome, and though they were all partially chosen for good looks, he was above and beyond. His blonde hair was slicked back, and he wore green Slytherin colors.
"Don't mind him, Harry," said the ginger beside him. "All's fair in love and television, right? My name's Ron. Ron Weasley."
"Weasley? As in Bill Weasley?" asked Harry.
"Yep, that's my brother," said Ron.
"Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy," the Irish man said, trying to remember names.
"Colin Creevey," said the skinny blonde.
"My name's Seamus, Seamus Finnegan," said the Irish. "Looks like the carriage is full now. Say, what are you all going to do when you meet her?"
"I was...I was just going to say hi," said Harry.
"Well, that would work for you, I suppose," said Seamus. "I'm looking to make myself stand out. I worked out a charm, see. I'm going to make doves appear when I step out of the carriage."
Draco scoffed.
"I'm going to make a scrapbook of all our time together," said Colin dreamily.
"They're letting you take pictures?" Ron asked.
"I'm a photographer for the Daily Prophet," said Colin. "They said it was alright as long as the pictures don't leave the mansion."
Draco scoffed again.
"Problem?" Harry asked.
"You all don't stand a chance, is all," said Draco. "If you have to resort to gimmicks to be remembered, you might as well not be here at all. Hermione is a classy lady. A smart lady, much smarter than the girls they usually pick. She's not likely to fall for cheap tricks."
"You should just be yourself," said Ron. "That's what Bill says."
Seamus looked out the window. "I'm screwed," he said.
The first carriage arrived, and the first guys who had stepped out all bled together for Hermione. She was not at all displeased with the MBBC's choices. All of her suitors had been handsome and successful, just as she'd asked.
The last man to step out of the first carriage was dressed all in black, had chin-length black hair, and wore a black robe. Hermione thought he looked much older than the other gentlemen she had met.
"Hello, Hermione," said the man in a sort of monotone voice. "My name is Severus Snape. I'm a potions master."
"Oh, hello, Severus. Nice to meet you," Hermione said politely.
They looked nervously at each other.
"I hope my being twice your age doesn't bother you," said Severus.
"Oh, not really," said Hermione, who had frequently found herself attracted to older men. "I'm just glad you didn't give a cheesy line about chemistry between us or something."
"Crafting potions is nothing like the silly Muggle art of chemistry," Severus said.
"Well, you'll have to tell me more about it inside," said Hermione.
Severus gulped and entered the mansion. The young men already assembled assumed he was a crewman who had wandered out of place until he took a bottle of butterbeer and sat down in the middle of a discussion of Quittech.
Cho put down her glass of champagne in shock. "Ew. Ew ew ew ew EWWWWW! Who thought that was a good idea?"
"I don't know," said Luna. "He doesn't seem that bad."
"I mean, it's one thing to be old, but this guy isn't good looking in the slightest," said Cho.
"I don't know," said Luna. "He could be charming. I'm going to reserve my judgment."
A blonde man, the first to step out of the carriage, came on screen, alone. The text at the bottom of the screen read, "Cormac McLaggen, 27, Magical Model."
"Oh, that's more like it," said Cho. "I think he's the hottest so far."
CORMAC CAM: "Da **** is this old guy doing here? Move along, grandpa. Hermione is my woman."
The show cut to another man, of African descent. He had dreadlocks and large, expressive brown eyes. The text read, "Lee Jordan, 25, Sports Commentator."
"I kinda like this one," said Luna.
LEE CAM: "There's something wrong with that bloke. He's like wicked creepy. He just be staring at us like..." He shivered. "I dunno. This is weird, man. What is he doing here? What is his game?"
SNAPE CAM: "Well, yes, I do suppose I feel out of place among all these youngins, but I'm not here to make friends. I'm here for Hermione. I have yet to see anyone here who can hold up to what I presume are Hermione's very high standards. She's a woman, and she is looking for a man."
"Ew ew EWWWWWW!" Cho said again. "So much ew. And nothing ever good comes from the person who declares, 'I'm not here to make friends.' He was clearly just put here to be the villain. Come on, MBBC. Hermione deserves better."
"Shhh!" Luna scolded. "It's the next carriage!"
Harry and Ron were becoming fast friends as Draco sat quietly brooding. Colin Creevy was the first out of their carriage. He confidently took Hermione's hand and planted a kiss on it before pulling her in for a selfie.
"I don't think she liked that," said Ron.
"Like I said," said Draco, "no gimmicks. The first impression is the most important part. It's not just about being remembered, but being remembered as a potential husband. Alright, Seamus, looks like you're up."
Seamus gulped and staggered out of the carriage. Hermione smiled at him sweetly, and he got a boost of confidence. He flicked his wand and muttered a charm, and the end of his wand exploded, covering his face in ash. Hermione shrieked and rushed to his aid.
"Hullo, I'm Seamus, and I totally meant to do that," he said.
"Are you sure?" Hermione asked. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," said Seamus weakly. Ron stepped out of the carriage and handed Seamus a Gryffindor handkerchief. "Thanks, man," said Seamus, wiping his face. Ron smiled and waved at Hermione, then popped back into the carriage. The three inside roared with laughter.
"Sounds like you're having fun in there," said Hermione.
"Yeah, there's good blokes," said Seamus. "Say, you want to pop in?"
"In the carriage? Is that allowed?" Hermione asked. She looked at the cameraman behind her, who shrugged.
"Yeah, why not? Hey, guys, Hermione is coming in!" Seamus called to the guys. He offered her his arm and escorted her inside.
"Smooth move, Finnegan," said Draco. He popped his head out the window. "Take her around the block, alright?" The driver nodded and pulled the pegasus reins.
"Oh my gosh, this is so much fun," said Hermione. "Thank you, guys!"
"Didn't you come in one of these?" asked Ron.
"No, I came by Floo!" she said with a pout.
"What?!" the guys exclaimed.
"I know! I got gypped! Okay, so, who is here? I've met Seamus, of course," she said, then turned to Draco on her other side. "Well, hello there."
"Hello there," said Draco slyly. "I'm Draco Malfoy."
"Draco Malfoy," said Hermione. "I like that name."
"You're gonna like it a lot more by the end of this," he said.
"Ohhhh, stop it," Harry interjected. "Hello, Hermione. I'm Harry Potter."
"Harry Potter?" she repeated. "The Harry Potter?"
"Yeah," said Harry. "That's me."
"Oh, wicked!" said Hermione with a flush. "And now you're an Auror with Scotland Yard's supernatural division, right?"
"That's right," said Harry.
"I work in Magical Law Enforcement for the Ministry," said Hermione.
"No way!" Harry exclaimed. "Have we met before?"
"I think I would remember if I met Harry Potter," said Hermione. "Although I might have worked behind the scenes on one of your cases."
"Wicked," said Harry.
"Oh, well, that's nice, you guys have so much in common," said Ron. "Hullo, Ron Weasley."
"Weasley," Hermione repeated. "Are you...?"
"Bill's brother, yeah, that's me."
They looked at each other and nodded awkwardly.
Meanwhile, back at the house, Colin was staring out the window. "What the hell?" he said. "What the bloody hell? Those blokes just took Hermione for a spin in our carriage without me!"
The guys assembled all laughed, but they were also jealous, as their monologues indicated:
JUSTIN FINCH-FLETCHLEY, 26, LIBRARIAN: "All's fair in love and reality television, I guess."
BLAISE ZAMBINI, 27, CRITIC: "HA! What an idiot. Those blokes traded up, haha."
DEAN THOMAS, 28, QUIDDITCH REFEREE: "Awww man, that's allowed? Well, damn. Where's a time truner when you need one?" A crewman muttered from offscreen. "Time turners aren't allowed? Well, damn."
Draco, Harry, Ron, and Seamus escorted Hermione into the mansion, and the men applauded. They took seats in the couch pit, and though most of them didn't know each other, they instinctively divided up by alma mater: Draco found his fellow Slytherin grads; Harry, Ron, and Seamus to the Gryffindors. A small group of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw grads sat between them.
Hermione prepared to welcome her suitors when Gilderoy tapped her on the shoulder. "Umm, Hermione? You aren't done yet."
"I'm not done yet?" Hermione asked incredulously. "But aren't there 25 men here?"
"There are 24," said Gilderoy. "Come, meet your last suitor."
"Oh," Hermione said. "Okay. Excuse me, gentlemen." She followed Gilderoy back outside.
Some particularly lovesick men said, "Byyyeeee," but the others were already getting up to crowd around the window.
"Was he late?" asked Blaise.
"If that's the case, she shouldn't even let the wanker in," said Draco. "It's bloody disrespectful."
"Look!" Lee exclaimed, pointing up into the sky. "It's a bird, it's a plane!"
"It's a show-off," Seamus groaned. The man was on broomstick doing all sorts of tricks before landing in front of Hermione. When the group recognized him, they gave an exasperated groan.
"Hello, Hermione," the buff man said in an Eastern European accent. "My name is Viktor Krum."
"Well, hello, Viktor," said Hermione, who for the first time that night was visibly blushing. "You are very good with your broomstick!"
Viktor smirked and chuckled. "Do you like Quidditch, Hermione?"
"I...ummm...," Hermione stammered. She really didn't pay very close attention to sports, Muggle or Wizard. "I don't mind watching occasionally."
He tossed her a golden snitch. "I play professionally for the Bulgarian National."
"Ohhh, wow!" Hermione said. "Seeker, I presume?"
"Ahhh!" Viktor cried in delight. "So you do know the sport! I look very forward to getting to know you, beautiful Hermione."
Hermione's face was on fire. "Ohhh, thank you, I will see you inside!"
The cocktail party portion of the night began. Hermione barely had time to breathe. Every corner she turned, a new handsome young wizard was pulling her aside for small talk. Most of their names she hadn't remembered from their first meeting at the carriages. But she did know her heart was constantly beating out of her chest, because they were all, in their own way, charming.
She finished talking to about five blondes in a row when she made her way to the champagne table, and she encountered a man she hadn't talked to yet. "Hullo," he said. He had short brown hair and big, brown eyes.
"Hello," she said, sipping her champagne. "It's Oliver, yes?"
He nodded. "Would you like to sit down for a minute?"
She'd been doing nothing but "sitting down for a minute" all night, but she smiled and accepted the invitation. They found a couch by the fireplace. Through the window, they heard the ruckus of drunkards splashing into the pool. They looked at each other and laughed.
"So how's this night all going for you, then?" asked Oliver.
"It's been good! Better than I expected, really," said Hermione.
"Oh?" asked Oliver. "What'd you expect, then?"
"Well, I mean, I wasn't anyone's first choice of bachelorette, so I was worried..." She stopped before saying, "I was worried nobody would like me."
He seemed to pick up on it. "All anyone's doing is talking about you out there," he said.
"Really?" she said, feeling like a little girl. There was another obnoxious splash outside. "Even them?"
"HERMIONE! I CAN MAKE THE BIGGEST SPLASH! WOOOOOOOOOOOO!" shouted a drunkard.
"There's your answer," said Oliver, and they laughed. Hermione felt the warmth of little fluttering butterflies in her stomach that came with that first bonding moment you share with a partner. "But hey," said Oliver, "I wanted to talk to you about something kinda serious now."
"Oh," said Hermione. "Alright." She'd literally just met this guy, and already they were getting serious?
"I just wanted to lay it all out there on the table so you knew exactly where I stood. You see, I have kids," said Oliver.
"Oh!" she said, relieved. "Is that all?"
"So you don't mind?"
"I mean, I've never really had a strong feeling either way about children. I guess I'd like them. I'm not really sure," said Hermione. "How old?"
"They're all between the ages of five and ten."
"Oh my!" she exclaimed, starting to feel overwhelmed. "They're all? How many...?"
"Twenty," he said seriously.
She had to set down her drink, and she eyed Oliver suspiciously. "This is a joke."
"Not at all," said Oliver. "I love them very much. Look, I brought you a picture." He reached into his interior suit pocket and handed her a photograph. Hermione looked, and then she threw her head back in joyful laughter. Oliver was standing beside a group of wizard children all in robes and holding broomsticks. The caption read, "Hogwarts Elementary Quittech League."
"You're a TEACHER!" she burst.
He touched her shoulder playfully. "So let me ask you again," he said. "Is this going to be a problem?"
"Not at all!" she exclaimed, chuckling. "Oh my gosh. Thank you. I needed a laugh."
They were interrupted by a tall, somewhat husky man with light brown hair and brown eyes. "Uh, hullo. Can I...?"
"Sure thing, mate," said Oliver. "You can hold onto that picture if you want, Hermione."
"Oh, thank you," said Hermione. "I love it."
He winked and departed, and the interrupter took his place. "Hullo, Hermione. I'm Dudley," he said, extending his hand.
She hadn't remembered his name, but she smiled and said, "Of course. How are you, Dudley?"
"It's good, good," he said, looking around nervously. "I'm just, a little overwhelmed."
"You're overwhelmed?" she asked. "Why's that now?"
"Well, I, uhh," he said, not sure how to say what he knew he needed to. "I'm the diversity choice this year."
"The diversity choice?" asked Hermione, confused. "What do you mean?" She had an older gentlemen and multiple gentlemen of color. What could make Dudley the "diversity choice"?
"They've never done this before," said Dudley. "You see, I'm a muggle."
"OH!" she gasped. "That is...how is that possible?"
"It was all very strange," said Dudley. "I auditioned for the muggle version of The Bachelorette. I didn't get on that, probably on account of my size-"
She looked him up and down. "Your size was an issue for muggles?"
"Oh, well, I was one hundred pounds heavier then," he said.
"Oh wow," she said. "Okay. Go on."
"So I guess that Lockhart fellow got into the muggle files, and they selected me," said Dudley. "Came right out of my fireplace and asked me if I'd like to marry a witch. I said, of course not, because in muggle culture, you see, a witch is always a mean woman. But he showed me your picture, and I thought you were beautiful, so..." He blushed. "Here I am."
"Ohhh, thank you, Dudley," said Hermione. "I was raised by muggles, you know."
"So it doesn't bother you?" he asked.
"No," said Hermione. "I'm happy you're here, Dudley."
"Yeah?" asked Dudley. "Yeah, this is all amazing, and thank you for being so cool about it. I feel much better. It's going to be awful if..." He stopped.
"Awful if what?" asked Hermione.
"Well, if you don't pick me, then I have to get my memory erased," said Dudley.
"Ohhhh," said Hermione. She was torn. On one hand, she thought it was an awful thing to do, but on the other hand, she'd probably have ordered the same thing if they'd asked her. Muggles got their memories erased all the time. "Well, I'll keep that in mind."
"I try not to," he said.
The men could feel the night winding down. Hermione had spoken to most of her suitors, and the less conscientious of the group were becoming inebriated. A single rose lay on the center of the living room table. Draco Malfoy picked it up.
"This will sure look good on my suit," he mused aloud. "What do you think, Potter?"
"I think you're getting ahead of yourself," Harry answered.
"What is that for?" asked a tall, quiet, dark haired man beside Harry and Ron. They had hardly noticed him.
"That's the first impression rose," said Ron. "Hermione gives it to someone before she hands out all of the other roses, and that person is the front-runner. That's the person she's most excited to continue getting to know."
"Oh," said the dark-haired man. "So that's the best rose to get."
"Yeah, but," said Ron, "honestly, the person who gets the first impression rose usually doesn't end up in the top two. They tend to develop this weird sense of superiority which turns into a crippling insecurity as they watch the Bachelor or Bachelorette form relationships with other hopefuls. My brother Bill calls it 'First Rose Syndrome.'"
"My brother Bill calls it 'First Rose Syndrome,'" Draco repeated mockingly. "Well, bring it on. I bet I've already got the best relationship with Hermione."
"How could you possibly know that?" asked Harry. "It's the first day."
Draco put down the rose and smirked. "Yeah, but, you can tell where there's chemistry and where there isn't. Tell me, Potter, did you kiss her?"
"Kiss her? On the first day? Of course not," said Harry. "Wait...did you?"
Draco raised his eyebrows. "Chemistry, boys. Chemistry."
"You bloody...," Harry started, and Ron held him back.
"It's okay," Ron said. "The person who kisses first is the one who has nothing more than a physical connection. The relationship becomes all about the physical and never matures."
Draco glared at him. "Let me guess, another bit of wisdom from your brother Bill?"
Ron blushed. "I'm just saying."
"Yeah, well, your brother was the worst Bachelor they've ever had," Draco sneered.
The dark-haired man moaned.
"You alright there, mate?" Ron asked.
"Ohhh, I'm fine, I guess," he said. "It's just, he's kissed her already, and I haven't even talked to her."
"You haven't talked to her?" Ron asked. "Bloody hell, mate. The cocktail party's almost over. You've gotta get in there!"
"I know, I know, it's just," he stammered, "there are so many guys here. It's so hard to get a word in edgewise. And I don't want to interrupt anyone."
"You've gotta, though!" Ron prodded.
"But isn't that rude?" the man replied.
"Nah," said Harry. "If she's been talking to someone for a bit. I mean, there are what, twenty-five blokes here? She can't have that much time to talk to anyone. So no, I don't think it's rude."
"That's the only way you can do it, mate. Or else you'll miss your chance," said Ron. Hermione walked into the living room. The men all stopped what they were doing and turned to stare. She was making her way to the center table. "There's your chance!" Ron whispered, nudging his new friend.
Hermione picked up the first impression rose. Draco stood up. "Hermione?" he asked expectantly.
"Draco," she returned with a nod, then walked away. The rest of the room giggled softly as they watched Draco's face drop.
"What were you saying earlier, Malfoy?" Harry teased.
"What the...who could she possibly...?" he said, following her out the door.
"Malfoy!" Harry said, following Draco. The whole group that had been in the living room went with him. They all poured onto the patio, where Lee Jordan met them.
"Well, there you have it, boys," said Lee. "The first impression rose is gone."
"Congratulations, Lee," said Harry.
"Oh, no, I didn't get it," he said. "It went to some bloke named Tom."
"Tom?" they muttered. "Who's Tom?"
Nobody knew.
"Tom is hot," said Cho. "Good choice, Hermione!"
"I agree," said Luna. "He has a sort of old-timey swagger about him, doesn't he? Like he stepped out of the past."
"Yeah, like an old movie star," said Cho. "Oooh, this is getting so good!"
The screen cut away to "Tom Riddle, 23, Political activist."
TOM CAM: "I am honored to receive this first impression rose from a witch as beautiful and accomplished as Hermione Granger. I have many worthy opponents here, and I am humbled to have been chosen as the standout of the group. Everything is going according to plan."
"Okay, did that monologue strike you as a little weird?" asked Cho.
"So he's got a funny way of talking. He's still super hot," said Luna.
"Yeah, alright. I'm reading too much into it," Cho said. "Oh, here comes crybaby."
DRACO CAM: "This Tom bloke hasn't talked to anyone the entire night. Like he thinks he's better than all of us. Well, I'll sure show him. He may have won the battle, but he will not win the war."
HARRY CAM: "Tom's been rubbing people a little wrong all night, but I don't want to judge him too quickly. If Hermione likes him, can he really be that bad of a guy? Ow..." Harry rubbed his forehead, and someone muttered off camera. "No, it's fine. My scar's aching is all." More mutters off camera. "No, it's not normal, actually. Excuse me, I've gotta go take some pain potion."
Gilderoy Lockhart entered the living room clinking a fork against a champagne glass. "Alright, gentlemen. The cocktail party is over. If you'll all follow me, we'll prepare for the rose ceremony."
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" cried someone from the back of the room.
"No?" Gilderoy asked. "What do you mean, no?"
"I haven't talked to her yet," he said meekly. The men laughed.
"Oh, well, that's unfortunate," said Gilderoy. "I'm sorry, young man, but your time is up. I guess you'll just have to hope you made a strong enough impression when you got out of the carriage."
"Where's Hermione?" the man asked, almost as if he hadn't heard anything Gilderoy had said. "I need to talk to her."
"I...uh," Gilderoy stammered. In all his years of hosting, this has never happened before.
"Just give me five minutes. Please," said the man.
"Yeah, let him talk to her," said Harry bravely.
"Yeah, we can wait five minutes," Ron said. "What do you guys think?"
"Sure thing," said Oliver.
"Everyone deserves a change. We can wait," said Lee.
"Umm, wow, okay, let me see what Hermione says," said Gilderoy. "And what's your name, sir?"
"Neville Longbottom," he said.
Everyone except the Slytherins cheered. The sympathetic crowded around Neville and gave him a pep talk.
MARCUS FLINT, 26, AZKABAN GUARD: "Seems to me if you didn't have the balls to talk to her earlier, then you don't even deserve to be here."
BLAISE CAM: "Ugh...Send him home, Hermione! You need a real man. And what's with all these snowflakes talking him up? Like, don't they realize we're all competing for the same girl?"
COLIN CAM: "Good for Neville! Now there's a man who sees what he wants and goes for it! Little late, but...good for him!"
Before the rose ceremony, Gilderoy met with Hermione with the cameras. "Alright, Hermione. You've survived your first cocktail party. What do you think?"
"I must say," said Hermione, "I was more than a little skeptical going into it, but...wow! I actually think..." She stopped.
"What's that, Hermione?" Gilderoy pressed.
"I think I might have met my future husband tonight," she said with a blush.
Gilderoy hugged her. "That's good!" he said. "Let's talk about some of the guys who stood out today. There's of course Tom, whom you gave the first impression rose to."
"Yeah," sighed Hermione. "Tom just seems to have everything I'm looking for. He's handsome, successful, passionate, well-spoken...!"
"You seem a little hesitant," said Gilderoy.
"Yeah, well, he seems a little too good to be true," Hermione confessed.
"Well, only time can tell. I always tell people in your position to follow their gut, but it seems like you're already doing that. You kissed Draco," Gilderoy said.
"Yes," she said with a blush. "I don't know what I was even thinking when I did that. He's just...he's very handsome," said Hermione.
"Am I detecting a hint of regret?" asked Gilderoy.
"Oh, no! Not at all!" Hermione exclaimed with a laugh. "It was a good kiss. He's a very confident man. Perhaps a little too confident."
"And what about the man you just finished speaking with, Neville?" asked Gilderoy.
"You know, Neville surprised me! I think he honestly might be one of the best-looking guys here, and when he wasn't talking to me all night, I thought maybe he wasn't into me!" she said.
"Really?" asked Gilderoy. "How could anyone not be into you?"
"I mean...that was one of my biggest fears coming here, that the guys wouldn't be into me because they were supposed to meet Astoria," she said. "But when Neville confessed how nervous he had been, it made me remember that they are human too. We're all human, and this is all very, very real."
"Well, Hermione, do you know what you want to do?" asked Gilderoy.
"I think so, yeah," said Hermione.
"Alright," he said. "Let's begin the rose ceremony."
Hermione stood before her men. "I want to start by thanking you all for coming here today, and making this such a great night. I truly believe that my future husband is in this room, and I can't wait to go on this journey together with all of you." She swallowed nervously. "And if you don't get a rose tonight, I'm sorry. It's nothing against you. I just have to follow my gut at this point." She picked up the first rose. "Okay. Here goes nothing." The men laughed appreciatively. "Ron."
Ron was taken so off guard at getting named first that Harry had to nudge him forward. "Wow, thanks!" he said with an ear-to-ear grin.
"Ron, will you accept this rose?" she asked.
"Of course I will," he said, hugging her. She placed the rose on his suit, and he returned to his place.
In addition to Tom and Ron, seventeen men received roses that night. They are Harry, Neville, Draco, Cormac, Viktor, Severus, Oliver, Marcus, Dudley, Colin, Seamus, Lee, Dean, Blaise, Justin, Ernie MacMillian, and Zacharias Smith.
Who will win Hermione's heart? Who will go home broken-hearted? Find out on the next installment of The Bachelorette!