Out of Hand by relativelypositive
Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter related, or make any money from borrowing the characters created by J. K. Rowling.
Chapter 2: Really?
Slytherin Dormitories
"Draco got a love letter!"
"It's not a love letter!"
"It's scented."
"It's not a love letter. It's more like… an act of war."
Draco Malfoy sat on the edge of his bed, holding the offending piece of parchment by the very edge, careful not to get a paper cut. He had heard tales of witches that charmed their parchment edges to be extra sharp in the hopes that the wizard of their dreams would bleed onto it, completing one version of the courting ceremony.
"Blaise, you smelled this first. Do you feel all right?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Just checking."
Draco had also heard that a witch could use scent to affect a bloke's judgment.
"So, who's wooing you now?"
"Ummm, Romilda Vane. Romilda Vane? Do I know her?"
"Oh, you do. She's the one that's obsessed with Potter. I've seen her sneaking into the Restricted Section. That one's dangerous," replied Crabbe.
"Why were you in the library? How did you even know where it is?"
"Screw you guys. You want to know about Romilda Vane or not?"
"Please continue, Vincent," Blaise encouraged.
"I don't think her writing to you is safe. She's a little unhinged. She's stalked Potter for the last couple of years. Why would she suddenly switch to you?"
"Why wouldn't she? I'm me. Let's talk about the real mysteries, here. I don't even know what house she's in."
"Gryffindor."
"One bludger. Blood status?"
"Pureblood."
"Parents?"
"Probably has them."
"Thanks ever so much, Blaise. Looks?"
"Pansyish."
A collective groan rose from the group.
"Bludger number two! How could you possibly encourage someone that resembles Pansy without inadvertently encouraging Pansy?" wondered Blaise.
"Okay, what year is she?"
"Fourth."
"A bit young."
"But so young as to be the third bludger?"
The boys thought about that.
"No," Draco declared, "but it does give me a kind of icky feeling. She's what, 13? 14? 15?"
Draco also had heard of witches whose fathers went over unsuspecting boy's heads and claimed to said boy's father that their darling young daughter had been seduced up to the point of relations by said dashing older boy and therefore should make a gesture of commitment.
"So she never actually dated Potter, right? It wouldn't be his ex?"
"No. More like his reject."
"BLUDGER NUMBER THREE!"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Excerpt from The Muggleborn's Marriage Manual by Marisol and Ponchitrain Kettle.
While the conclusion of the third successful date is commonly thought of as the point where Muggles consummate a new relationship, in the Wizarding World the earliest acceptable time to consummate a relationship is upon engagement. As with many rites of passage, the consummation is full of magical significance. The participants become linked magically, securing the future union of the families.
Excerpt from It's a Whiz to Get Your Wizard by Geneva Whishaw.
Once your wizard is in your sights, there are a few key points to keep in mind. First of all, it doesn't matter whether or not your wizard wants to be your wizard. There are ways in which a mind can be…changed. We'll get to those.
Excerpt from Heart to Heart and Magic to Magic by Sherrie Sherry.
When they spend time with each other, young lovers may get carried away. Once the damage is done, an engagement is forged. There is no "testing the waters" in Wizarding relationships. A good rule of thumb is to not have relations with any witch or wizard you do not see yourself with in 100 years. Most young witches don't know that after the first 100 years the Wizengamot may grant a trial separation, but that can be a trying century if you're secured to a cruel, ugly, or boring wizard. Divorce is practically unheard of. My Muggleborn readers sometimes find this shocking, but the traditions and laws of the Wizengamot protect family above all else. When in doubt, keep it out, ladies!
Excerpt from To Seduce the Secret Prince by Sierra Tanqueray.
"How could you have done this to me! Did you think it would change how I feel, Victoria?"
"No, but it did keep you from that hussy Margot! You can't keep your heart locked away from me now, Rupert. We shall be wed and you will learn to love me!"
"This isn't like accidentally gifting your house elf with clothes! You stole my family's crest ring! I would never willingly give it to you!"
"Well, it's on my finger now, for all the world to see. The magic of your family has welcomed me into its fold. I can feel your emotions, and I think you're protesting this a little too strenuously."
"No, you wench! All you'll get out of me is my name and my loins, not my heart!"
Okay. Enough of that!
Somehow Hermione, who read voraciously and eclectically, had managed to not read a single thing about courtship rituals in the Wizarding World. How could that be? As it turns out, all knowledge of sex and courtship leading up to marriage is supposed to be imparted by parents and guardians.
Hermione gazed dismally at the three and a half books (she didn't consider To Seduce the Secret Prince to really be a book) that mentioned such things. To her mind, the selection was sorely lacking, and the next Hogsmeade weekend wasn't for two weeks!
This was a travesty!
How dare they not teach Muggleborns these important social skills! How were their parents supposed to teach them things they didn't know themselves?
Or Mrs. Weasley! Or Ginny! Or her roommates! Why did no one think she needed to know?
She was now part of the Wizarding world! And when she married and had children, she assumed her husband would be a wizard.
What she needed was someone to tell her the truth, good and bad, from beginning to end.
And then she needed to make sure all the other Muggleborns knew everything as well.
How was it possible that accidental engagements weren't happening all the time? She certainly would have heard about it.
Could it really be that witches and wizards didn't have sex unless they were engaged?
The thought was so unenlightened, so old fashioned that it started to make a little sense. There were few things in the Wizarding world that made Hermione more crazy than old wizards and witches being stodgy and too set in their ways. Hermione valued tradition, she just wasn't going to let it get in the way of her life.
If you got engaged, then had sex and found you weren't compatible, could you break the engagement? From what she'd read it didn't seem like it.
This was all very troubling.
What if she just wants to have sex? What if she has sex with a Muggle? Would she be entrapping the Muggle, too? And where was the line? There were a lot of definitions of sex out there. Oral? Hand jobs? How far, exactly, could a couple go?
Not that she was planning anything.
Hermione prepared to head back to Gryffindor Tower, but suddenly stopped when something caught her eye…
The Restricted Section.
A/N:
Thank you to Anna, EriandHarimafan, and txbrntt20 for the encouragement!
And thanks to all the favorites and follows. It helps to know that someone is paying attention.