A.N.: I would be honest to you guys and say that I am going to attend my dream school starting in 2015. It would be my first semester there, and I want to focus on my transition. For that reason, I am going to try to finish this series by early January. If not, then this fic would be on semi-hiatus until summer 2015.

Special Thanks to Cat130, dutch potterfan, guest, Blue Luber5000, Kyutiepie, Princess of Mirkwood2 and to my beta/cheerleader Blackcat8539

Chapter 8

We are Delighted to Announce the Engagement of

Harry James Potter &

Ginerva Molly Weasley

Please Join Us in Celebrating

Thursday, December 25, 2003

6:00 PM

At The Leaky Cauldron

London, England

Hermione arrived at Leaky Cauldron at four o'clock sharp. Even though the Weasleys didn't ask her to help out, she wanted to. It would give her more time to spend time with them and chat with her old friends before all the other guests arrive.

"Hermione! You came!" Ginny exclaimed when she spotted Hermione enter the old pub.

"Of course, I came," Hermione said. "I wouldn't miss your engagement party for anything in the world."

"Good. I was afraid that we would have to kidnap you," Ginny said, "George, Harry, and Ron even had a plan if you didn't come by eight."

Hermione stepped inside the old pub where the last patrons of the day are finishing their drinks with Tom's encouragement.

"Come, the family is upstairs. We rented out a few rooms as a home base." Ginny said.

They climbed the ancient stairs where she saw most of the Weasley family running around. Molly directed everybody, Bill and George were on decorating crew and Andromeda was there taking care of Victoire and Teddy. Hermione could not see Harry or Ron, but she bet that they were inside one of these rooms.

"Hermione!" Molly exclaimed upon seeing her. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too, Molly." Hermione said, "I came a bit early to help out."

"Oh, that's wonderful," Molly said. "Come help bring down the groceries. You'll find them down there, the door to the left."

Hermione walked to the room Molly pointed at and saw her best friends Harry and Ron trying to levitate all the bags of groceries, and failing. There were simply too many for two wizards to handle.

"Hermione!" Harry exclaimed when he spotted her.

"Harry!" Hermione excitedly said.

"Ron!" Ron exclaimed afterward, which made the three of them laugh.

They chatted and updated one another in each other's lives. Hermione told them how she started interning for a genetic researcher at King's College. Harry told them how he was quickly climbing through the ranks. Still, Ron, on the other hand, was hospitalized for a month because of a botched experiment in George's shop.

"We were trying to make safer fireworks for the kids at Hogwarts," Ron smirked, anticipating Hermione's reaction.

"Ron Weasley!" Hermione scolded, "You and George have left Hogwarts for years now, yet you guys are still coming up with ways to disrupt the place."

"Hey, the students buy our explosives anyhow. We just want to make it safer for everybody." Ron explained.

"Why not stop selling explosive to school-age children altogether?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione, you talk like you didn't brew Polyjuice Potion during the second year," Ron said. "If these kids want explosions, they will get it somehow, so we might as well make it safer for them."

Hermione had no reply to that.

"Harry, Ron,

the groceries are supposed to be in the kitchen," Molly instructed. "George, Bill place the decorations on that table over there. Hermione and Fleur, can you both please help me out with cooking?"

Everybody did as they were told. The Weasley men started decorating the place by hanging banners and streamers under Ginny's instructions, adding more lamps to brighten up the area.

Hermione and Fleur helped Molly with food preparation for over a hundred guests. The pub's owner Tom already agreed to let them use the pots and pans. Though the Leaky Cauldron previously served a variety of soups and pies, it would not be an engagement party without a few appetizers and a cake.

Molly immediately got started with baking a cake. At the same time, Fleur and Hermione worked on making as many scotched eggs and mini sausage rolls as possible.

Thirty minutes before the party started, Hermione made herself look presentable with a flick of her wand. She rushed upstairs towards one of the Weasley's rented room and changed her smelly top with an elegant blouse.

She checked herself in the mirror and found that her hair was messy, and her eyes looked tired. She fixed her appearance with a few quick spells, and she topped everything off with her favorite perfume.

When Hermione went back downstairs, the guests were already arriving. The sound of cheers and clanking pitchers filled the room. The pub was half-full with Harry and Ginny's friends and family from their school years as well as wizards and witches from the Ministry.

Hagrid was sitting in a booth drinking some Fire whiskey with Professor McGonagall. At the same time, Neville was nearby the fireplace chatting with Hannah Abbott. Andromeda arrived with Teddy, who greeted everyone as they passed through a door.

"Mione! Mione!" Teddy said.

Teddy stopped right in front of Hermione, his smile reaching from ear to ear. The five-year-old's bright blue hair turned to the same curly chocolate locks that Hermione had.

"Where have you been? Why haven't I seen you for a really, really long time?" Teddy asked.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't play with you for a long time," Hermione said. "I was busy studying at a muggle university."

"Can't you play with me during the weekends? Why don't you join us every Sunday anymore? Don't you love us?"

"Of course, I love you guys very much." Hermione said, emphasizing, "very." "But I have other things I have to do, and I can't come over and play with you all the time."

"Well, can you play with me now?" Teddy asked.

"I'm sorry, Teddy," Hermione said. "But, I have to help out in the kitchen."

"I could help out with you," Teddy said. "That way, you get finished faster, and you could play with me sooner."

Without asking for permission, Teddy zoomed to the kitchen, and Hermione followed.

The kitchen looked like a wreck, but Molly was almost finished cooking. The cake was frosted, the soup was boiling over a stove, and all Hermione had to do was bring the appetizers to the buffet table.

"Hermione, can I have one?" Teddy asked, pointing at the sausage rolls Hermione made earlier.

"Sure, sweetheart," Hermione said.

She handed him a sausage roll, which made Teddy do an amusing little dance.

Hermione grabbed a tray to place on the buffet table on her way out, the cute munchkin following as he munched on his sausage roll.

"Now, can we play?" Teddy asked once Hermione put the plate down.

"Sure, let's find a nice spot to-"

"Hermione!" Dean Thomas called out.

"Dean! It's been so long." Hermione hugged her old housemate.

"Where have you been? The newspaper told us that you basically disappeared." Dean asked.

"No, I was just going to school in the muggle world," Hermione explained.

"Now you're just coming up with ways to stay in school. Seamus, can you believe her?" Dean said towards the Irish man chatting with Harry's friends from the Auror Department.

"She got a degree in St. Mungo's, and now she's going back to the muggle world to study." Dean finished.

"Bloody hell Hermione," Seamus said. "I'm surprised that big brain of yours doesn't already know everything."

"You'd be amazed about how much muggles research," Hermione said.

"I heard muggles made great lengths studying genies," Luna said dreamily.

"Hey, Luna, it's so good to see you," Hermione said.

Right next to her, Teddy squirmed. Hermione held his hand to calm him down, but it only made him pout in response.

"It's good to see you, too," Luna said. "I was a bit worried that Fudge's Helipaths got to you."

"Luna, there is no such thing as a Heliopath."

"Yes, there is. Cornelius Fudge used them to protect him and his family during the war."

Before Hermione could reply, Teddy let go of her hand rather forcefully.

"Teddy-"

"Charlie!" Teddy exclaimed.

He zoomed towards the door where Charlie Weasley was chatting with his mother.

"Hello there, little guy," Charlie said. "What's up?"

"Aunty Hermione won't play with me," Teddy whined.

Hermione's face reddened in embarrassment as people around her stared.

Charlie lifted Teddy to his shoulders and walked towards Hermione. A playful grin plastered on his face.

"Was Aunty-Hermione mean to you?" Charlie asked.

Teddy nodded vigorously.

"I barely see Aunty Hermione anymore, and she's too busy talking to all her other friends to pay attention to me," Teddy whined. "She could meet her friends other times. But I could only see her some times."

"Aww… poor baby." Charlie said. He wiped away Teddy's small tears. "Do you want to spend time with me instead? I barely see you too."

"But, you're barely in England." Teddy pointed out. "You live far away. Other people want to talk to you too."

"Well, I want to play with you," Charlie said. "In fact, I brought a bunch of dragon figurines just for you."

Teddy's pouty face turned to bright and smiling.

Charlie carried Teddy to a little corner where Andromeda could watch the two of them play.

"Ohh… you just made a little boy cry." Seamus said.

She rolled her eyes and grabbed one pitcher of butterbeer. On the corner of her eye, she saw a line of people congratulating Harry and Ginny, which made her realize she had not done so. She made her way towards them, but she was stopped by a comfortingly deep voice.

"Hermione! It's good to see that you are doing well."

"Hello there, King-I mean Minister," Hermione said, greeting the old friend.

"Now, now. We're with friends. You could just call me Kingsley." He said, "Now tell me how you've been."

"I've been doing well," Hermione said. "Just a little busy with schoolwork and all."

"Ah, a little birdie told me that the reason you went back to school in a muggle university was that you thought that our facilities at St. Mungo's are lacking."

Hermione did not have to guess who the little birdie was. Though she preferred it if Harry kept his mouth shut, she confirmed Kingsley's suspicions.

"Well, I would love to hear about it sometime," Kingsley said.

"Really?" Hermione said, gobsmacked.

"Yes. I would love to hear what muggles know that we do not. Why don't you schedule a meeting with my assistant? Sometime before you have to go back to school?"

"Yes, of course, Min-err… Kingsley." Hermione said.

Hermione took out a planner from her tiny purse and wrote a little note to schedule an appointment with the Minister. She quickly put away her planner and walked toward the happy couple, but she stopped when she realized who was greeting them.

Draco Malfoy arrived dressed in sleek wizard robes, and his nose slightly turned upright. Right beside him was a tall, pretty brunette. She had a bored look on her eyes and a stick-thin figure. She reminded Hermione of a supermodel in a catwalk.

Many guests whispered amongst each other when they saw Malfoy, and his date passed them by, but they paid them no mind.

"Potter." Malfoy greeted. "Congratulations on your engagement."

"Thank you, Malfoy," Harry said

"This is my date for tonight. Astoria." Malfoy said.

"From the Greengrass family," Astoria added. "One of the Sacred Twenty-Eight."

Astoria was referring to the list of Twenty-Eight families who were "Truly Pureblood," according to the author of the book Pure-Blood Directory Cantankerus Nott. Hermione read the book before and found it deplorable.

The fact that Astoria made sure to point out her heritage told Hermione that she had no accomplishments to call her own. In a room full of politicians, Aurors, and war heroes, Hermione suspected that a pureblood princess like her must have felt inadequate by comparison.

At least, Hermione hoped that was the case. The other, more probable reason was that she wanted to show off her heritage. Only the most sheltered and idiotic person in the world who would show off their blood superiority at Harry Potter's engagement party.

Malfoy handed his gift to Harry and escorted his date to a quiet corner, ignoring the side-glances they received.

The only one who was oblivious to this was little Teddy Lupin, who immediately ran up to the couple. He was no longer interested in playing with Hermione. Instead, he was excited to meet the newcomers.

"Hi, I never met you two before, but my name is Teddy." He said, introducing himself.

"Hello there, Teddy." Astoria friendly said. "My name is Astoria, and this is Draco."

"Hi," Teddy said. "Do you want some sausage rolls? Auntie, Hermione, just took out a new batch."

Hermione felt her cheeks redden when she felt Malfoy's gaze turned toward her. It was only for a brief second but felt her body turn red all over.

"Teddy." Andromeda scolded. "Don't disturb random strangers. Why don't you play with Victoire?"

"But, Victoire is a baby." Teddy pouted. "She could barely count to ten."

Despite his protest, Andromeda dragged Teddy away from Draco and Astoria. She sat him down with Victoire, who was playing with dolls.

Though there were people around her, Hermione's attention was on the couple who just arrived despite her attempts to look away.

Hermione hated to admit it, but Astoria and Malfoy looked good together.

They both looked high-class. Regal even. The picture of upper-class pureblood society.

Hermione forced herself to look away, and she spotted Charlie walking toward her.

"Hey, Hermione," Charlie said. "Do you want to grab a drink with me?"

He handed her a pitcher of Fire whiskey, and she thanked him gratefully.

"I heard from the grapevine that you practically disappeared almost a year ago," Charlie said.

"Not really," Hermione replied. "I was just studying in a muggle university for a while."

"Busy, busy," Charlie said.

Hermione glanced at Malfoy and Astoria again. For a moment, Hermione wondered if Astoria was one of Malfoy's conquests that he was so proud of the last time they talked. However, she doubted it. He kept a respectable distance from her. He pretty much kept his hands to himself.

Does he have-?

Hermione shook her head. Even though there was a part of her that knew that this would happen, her veela side refused to admit it.

"Do you have a past with him?" Charlie asked.

"Hmm?"

"Do you have a past with the Malfoy kid over there?" Charlie asked again.

"No, why do you think that?"

"You were just looking at him intently," Charlie said. "I was wondering if you had a past with him. Perhaps recent?"

"No. I never had a relationship with Malfoy." Hermione repeated. "Not now, not ever."

"But you want to," Charlie said.

Hermione looked at the man in question, then back at Charlie. She could not deny that she wanted to march over to Malfoy and claim him as hers. That seemed to be the case every time she saw him, heard about him, or even saw his picture on the paper.

But she knew better than to give in to her Veela urges. She knew that claiming a former Death Eater turned playboy would be a bad idea for so many reasons.

She did not feel like explaining all of those reasons to Charlie right then. However, she would very much enjoy doing something else with him.

"Maybe I just have an itch," Hermione told Charlie coyly.

Hermione had gone through over two years of avoiding Malfoy, she would not let close proximity cloud her judgment.

Hermione looked around and made sure that nobody was watching.

The party quickly formed little cliques. The only oddball was Harry, who was chatting with Malfoy, probably to make sure that he and his date were comfortable.

The pub was full of old friends greeting one another and updating each other about their own lives. They would be too busy talking to each other to notice two people missing.

She leaned into Charlie's ear.

"Maybe you could help me scratch it," Hermione whispered.

Hermione made her way upstairs towards one of the Weasley's rented rooms. It was not ideal to borrow one of the Weasley's rented rooms for a quick shag, but she needed this right now.

She carefully took her clothes and unbuttoned her blouse. She was not even halfway through her shirt before Charlie entered the room.

"Lay down on the bed," Hermione told him.

Charlie obliged. Hermione carefully folded her blouse and placed it on the chair nearby. She walked toward Charlie, who was unbuttoning his shirt showing off his well-toned chest.

Hermione straddled his hips. Her fingers unbuttoned his trousers.

Charlie reached up to kiss her, which she returned in kind. Once she finished unbuttoning his trousers, she did quick work to undo hers as well.

Hermione usually enjoyed foreplay, but she was not in the mood for it tonight. She rode Charlie as soon as her jeans were on the floor. She made sure that he hit that sweet spot that made her moan and whimper over and over again. Underneath her, Charlie hoarsely gave her words of encouragement.

On the corner of her eye, she noticed that the door was slightly ajar. She could tell from the shadows on the floor that someone was watching them. The only defining characteristic was the familiar silver-blonde hair. Malfoy.

How long was he watching? Did he follow her upstairs, or did he stumble upon them?

Hermione expected that he would go back downstairs, but he did not. He was just standing there, watching them.

Knowing that Malfoy was watching made Hermione ride Charlie harder, eager to give her mate a good show. Did he enjoy watching her? Did he felt aroused seeing her like this? Was he pleasuring himself at the sight of her riding another man?

Hermione imagined Malfoy entering the room. His breathing labored as he stroked himself. She imagined him forcefully, pulling her away from Charlie and inserting himself into her. He would palm her breast with one hand and stroke her clit with another.

The last thought was enough to put her over the edge. Hermione felt a wave of pure pleasure took over her body, and she fell to his sweaty well-toned chest.

Gently, Charlie flipped her over so that he was on top.

"I'm not done with you yet, Mione," Charlie said hoarsely.

In one quick swoop, he placed her ankles over his shoulders and entered her again. The angle was new to her, and it felt delicious. Each stroke grazed her clit, and it was not long until Hermione reached her second orgasm. This time, Charlie reached his peak with her.

Hermione felt tired and deliciously sore, but that did not stop her partner from massaging her right breast while suckling on her left one. All Hermione wanted to do was to lay there with a warm body to cuddle with.

The noise downstairs cruelly reminded her that she had social obligations to take care of.

Hermione sat up, which forced Charlie's mouth to detach from her taut nipple.

"Hmm… I was enjoying that." Charlie moaned.

"There is time for that later," Hermione said. "We need to get back to the party, your sister's engagement party, I might add."

Charlie groaned in response.

Hermione got up and looked for her clothes. With great care, she dressed. She made sure that she looked well put together. She neither had a wrinkle on her clothes nor had she a hair out of place. The last thing she wanted was for her friends downstairs to get suspicious.

No, the very last thing she wanted was to give Rita Skeeter something to write about.

She knew that she should have waited until after the party, but she really needed to releases some sexual energy. Maybe her veela hormones had a stronger effect than usual because her mate was nearby, or perhaps she was losing self-control. Either way, she had to check on that later.

Once fully dressed, Hermione looked at the still-naked Charlie.

"Are you coming?" Hermione asked.

"Only if you stay with me for the rest of the party," Charlie said cheekily.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Come on, I barely know half of the guests here. And you're more beautiful than the other half."

Hermione was tempted to just leave him there, but she knew that the Weasleys would be wondering where he was. She needed to give him motivation.

"I'll go down first," Hermione said. "You have five minutes to get dressed and come back downstairs. Otherwise, forget about talking to me for the rest of the party."

Hermione left Charlie without a second look. It might be cruel, but she needed to show him that she was serious.

Malfoy was not in the hall when she left the room. For a moment, she wondered if she imagined him watching her. After all, it was not the first time she imagined him as she pleasured herself either alone or with Anthony.

The party was at its last leg when she went back downstairs. Hermione could tell that there were guests who already left the party. Some guests looked tired and ready to head home but stayed behind out of politeness. Some people had passed out drunk.

She waited quietly in the only unoccupied booth in the pub. She had a long day today, and she didn't really want to talk to anybody. She should go home, but she did say to Charlie that she would spend time with him until the party ended. Malfoy was sitting rather close to his date across the pub.

There goes Hermione's fantasy that he was watching her. Or that he was even remotely interested in what she was doing.

"You look tired," Charlie commented when he finally arrived downstairs.

"Two rounds of sex do that to some people," Hermione replied.

"See? We should have stayed upstairs."

"And waited until one of your family members bump into us butt naked?" Hermione asked. "You know your family rented that as a storage room for tonight. Anyone of them could enter at any time."

"Touché." Charlie said, "So how have you been?"

"I've been good," Hermione replied.

However, that was a bit of a lie. Her eyes could not stop drifting towards Malfoy and his date. He was leaning in close towards her, his hand covered hers as he whispered in her ear.

Hermione felt something growing out of her back. It broke through her skin, but the pain was nothing compared to her nose elongating into a beak. She could hear the cartilage on her nose crack. The skin toughened to a hard beak.

"Mione, are you okay?" Charlie asked.

But she couldn't hear him. All she thought was the voice on her brain chanting Mione, Mione, mine. MINE.

The last thing Hermione remembered was lounging towards the couple as Malfoy kissed his date.