To my reviewers: Whoa, guys. You all rock. You are making my muse jump up and down on my lazy brain and tell it to get moving or it will be sporked. You are my inspiration. Love to you all. Enjoy!

AN: Here it is. It's not as long as promised. I know. I am such a horrible person. But I will be updating more often. Sorry for the delay.

Pride and Prejudice, Of a Different Sort

Chapter 3: A Tête-à-tête and An Invitation

As we return to our story, we find ourselves once again in the room of Hermione Jane Bennet and Harold James Bennet. The duo lazing in the bed they had shared since Lavender had been born. They were talking about the party that they had returned from only an hour earlier.

"Oh, Harry!" Hermione whispered blissfully. "Mr. Bingley is everything a young man should be. Lively, kind, sensible..."

Harry grinned as his sister's shy streak fell away in his presence. "Not to mention exceedingly rich and handsome," he teased. "With that his character is thereby complete."

Hermione chuckled and gazed up at the ceiling, then turning her head towards to her brother.

"I was quite flattered by his asking me for another dance. I never expected it," she said with a dazed smile.

"You didn't?" Harry asked in disbelief. "I did. It is not as if he's blind. He could see that you were five times prettier than any other woman in the room. No need to compliment his manners, he was just doing what any man would. Well, I approve of him. After all, you have liked many a stupider person." The last few statements were laced with an air of superiority.

He continued with that voice, telling Hermione: "You are far too apt to like people in general. To you, the entire world is good and agreeable. I don't believe I have ever heard you say anything unkind of anyone in your whole life."

"Hmmm," Hermione looked at him mockingly. "I am sure you are correct, darling Harold."

Harry scowled at her. No one ever called him Harold. He wasn't even sure their younger sisters knew that was his name.

"Really, though," Hermione continued, gnashing her teeth. "I just cannot believe what Mr. Darcy said about you!"

Harry looked slightly bemused. "He is tolerable, I suppose," he repeated Darcy's words in a deep arrogant voice. "But not handsome enough to tempt me, of course!"

He then pulled out of the enactment of the haughty Mr. Darcy and sent a fleeting look in Hermione's direction.

"I did like Mr. Bingley's sister, despite the fact that her mind-set was not as cheerful and kindly as that of your Mr. Bingley." He then sighed distantly. "If only most men were like your Mr. Bingley."

He then turned an intent look on the form of his small sister. Then he smiled brightly and repeated, "Yes, your Mr. Bingley. It does sound exactly right, for some mysterious reason."

Hermione looked at him, squealed, and shook her head. Harry shook his too, laughing as his sister started shivering in glee.

The siblings' laughter and talk carried on late into the night, as the moon looked on.

XXX

Breakfast at the Longbourn was always an outlandish situation.

"Hagrid," Mrs. Bennet called to the maid. "Will you please bring the coffee? Harry, I do wish you and your father would stop drinking that muck."

The large kindly maid bustled in, humming a tune that sounded suspiciously like the Babbling Brook jingle. The children all smiled at the maid, and the younger girls started to hum with Hagrid, as the elders of the brood looked on in amusement.

"What are you all doing?" Mrs. Bennet's nerves were even more frazzled in the early morning.

Hagrid beamed at the girl's from behind her bushy mane of hair that would not fit in the bonnet she wore. The bonnet only served to push the frizzy locks around her face, giving the appearance that the soaring woman had a beard. She then placed the carafe of coffee on the table before exiting through the door to the kitchen.

"Oh, never mind," Mrs. Bennet huffed exasperatedly; clearly annoyed by the lack of an answer she had received from her offspring. After a few moments of brooding silence, she brightened, having decided on another interesting topic.

"Mr. Bennet!" she exclaimed. "Mr. Bingley, what a wonderful man he is! I have never met a kinder lad, or one with a more jovial disposition. And did you see? He danced the first with his cousin, Ms. Lucas, the second dance with Hermione, the third with his sister and then the rest with Hermione!"

Harry and his father looked at each other and shook their heads as Mrs. Bennet dance delightedly about the room.

Mr. Bennet looked at his wife, and said miserably, "If he had any compassion for me, he would have sprained his ankle in the first set of dances!"

His wife, of course, ignored him.

"Oh! I am in high spirits about the entirety of the ball! His sister was a wonderful example of a woman! Harry even admits that she was charming." At this point everyone turned and looked at the boy being discussed in shock as he nodded.

Mrs. Bennet continued, sounding a bit troubled, "Nevertheless, his choice in friends is still being considered in my mind."

As she relayed the story of Mr. Darcy's offensive behavior, which her husband received with raised eyebrows and various sounds of displeasure.

"How could he say such a thing about dear Harry? He is the cleverest and most talented of our bunch, though that is not saying much. His sisters are such silly girls, excluding Hermione; she, of course, is such a wonderful and beautiful girl."

As the younger girls huffed at their father, and Mrs. Bennet admonished her husband on being so harsh on his own children, Hagrid rushed into the room with a letter in her hands; seeing this all commotion stopped suddenly.

"Well, Hagrid?" Mrs. Bennet asked impatiently. "Who is it for?"

The towering woman looked at her employer with a pleased smile on her face.

"It is for Ms. Hermione Bennet from a Ms. Pansy Bingley," she responded, holding the envelope out to Hermione.

It seemed that as soon as the petite girl touched the paper it lay open in her hands. She read it quickly and aloud.

"It says that I am being invited to dine with Ms. Bingley this evening." At this everyone gained joyful expressions, Hermione included.

"However," she continued a strange look on her face. "Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy will be dinning out."

Hearing this everyone was unsure of which to be: excited or dismayed.

Hermione seemed to be looking on the bright side as she smiled and turned to her mother. "Mama, may I have the carriage?"

Her mother seemed lost in her own world, so Hermione turned to her brother, her face bemused.

"It also says to give her regards to you, Harry," she said questioningly.

Harry snorted and looked down at his coffee for a few moments, smiling.

"Mama," he called, ignoring his sister's unspoken question. "The carriage, for Hermione?"

Mrs. Bennet finally looked up at them, and as thunder rumbled distantly, replied, "No. She will go on horse back."

The rest of her family gawked at her.

"Horse back?!" The brood shouted.

Mrs. Bennet bristled, but stood by her decision.

Harry quietly whispered to Hermione, "Do you think her nerves finally got to her?"

Hagrid, sensing that the meal was over, came out of the kitchen and began bustling about the room, collecting dishes and brushing away crumbs.

Harry watching his family in what to him seemed like a normal tizzy, he could not help but laugh.

And so he did.