Chapter 08:

The press conference the golden trio and their ministry matches had to attend before the ball was crazy at its best. To say the reporters were shocked to see Hermione Granger paired with Oliver Wood was putting a colossal earth shattering inter-galactic combustion as a small kitchen accident. There was a riot when Oliver escorted Hermione to the podium, questions thrown at them from each and every one. "Oh I'm never gonna survive this," Hermione muttered under her breath. Oliver reached out and held her hand. "We'll get through this lass, together," he smiled and he worked his magic on them all.

Hermione had always been blunt to the point of rudeness making her the least favorite of the paparazzi in the trio. The trio were the people's heroes but they were still too young, still too plain for the wolves to eat up. Harry only had one long term girlfriend and he was matched with her, Ron had already made his single status and his love for the law implicitly known, so there was no great news there.

That left Hermione, who was placed with Oliver! And Oliver was their pet. He knew exactly how to play them and play them he did; he ruled over them all and at the end of the conference Ron actually joked about Hermione beating Harry to make front page news this time. Hermione rolled her eyes and Harry laughed, wishing her all the good luck in the world along with all of his spot light. Hermione could already feel her head pounding when they stepped into the ball room. The three couples completed their circuit of greetings first and finally sat down at the last table they could get, away from all the public glare. Alicia finally was getting a taste of what being Mrs. Ron Weasley would entail and couldn't decide how she felt about the whole ordeal.

"We'll soon need to start speaking about the wedding," Oliver said aloud to everyone but looked straight at Hermione. "And my parents want to meet you. Plus, I'd like to meet your family too."

"We are all here Oliver, and you've met us all. In fact you played with us all last Sunday, remember? Well, all except Charlie but you know him well enough anyway," Ron replied bitingly.

Oliver just creased his brows at that and fixed Hermione with a pointed look. She looked flushed, on the verge of tears but she batted her eyes and cleared them. "I," she started and halted to take a long breath and Ron placed his hand on hers, squeezing it, the gesture not going unnoticed by anyone at the table. "I had to obliviate them before the war so the death eaters wouldn't find them. In my zeal to protect them, I cast a powerful obliviating spell and wiped myself from their memory. The spell was too strong to be broken…by anyone…even me" she whispered the last bit but he heard it nonetheless. "If I try too much, I might do permanent spell damage ending them up at Mungo's. They are now in Australia, happily living their new lives. I …. I also have a baby sister now…" she smiled a little at that. "If she turns out to be like me, I'll get in touch with her and explain everything but right now, I can't do anything" she shrugged, pain, guilt, remorse all changing her eyes to a thick murky brown. Oliver realized he never wanted to see that shade of brown in her eyes, ever again.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…." He trailed off when she cut in. "I would've told you anyways. You had to know why my parents weren't attending the wedding so…"

"Still… I did not mean to upset you" he whispered, inserting his forefinger tenderly in her hand and rubbing the back of her fingers with his thumb.

"Yeah…. But now you did. How do you reckon to correct that mistake mister?" Ron asked, a bit haughtily. "Here we go" sighed Harry. "That's his big brother talk for you by the way" Harry pointed out helpfully to Oliver. "He's already had one with me. And I'll spare you from mine for now."

Oliver raised his brows at that but sat through it all. Twenty minutes down, Ginny had threatened to bat boogey hex Ron and Hermione had almost sent a canary hex his way. Finally Alicia pulled him away from them and led him towards the dance floor. "Oh she's gonna regret that in the next 5 minutes," Ginny cringed. And they all sat back to enjoy the show.

Once Ron had made a thorough fool of himself on the dance floor, Ginny pulled Harry along for dancing and then dinner. Oliver and Hermione just sat back for a little longer.

"You okay lass?"

She nodded, "Yes, thank you."

"Dance?" he held out his arm and she accepted it, both walking towards the dance floor.

!

The evening after that was pleasant. They danced and Oliver marveled at the way she fit flush against him, as if she was molded for just that and then chided himself for his sappy thoughts, laughing inside. They talked and enjoyed each other's company. They had dinner with a few others, mingling well. He dropped her to the Burrow late at night and kissed her a little longer this time.

He held on to her hand before she could walk away. "I want to get you a ring lass. Come with me tomorrow, we'll buy whichever one you like and from there we'll leave for the dinner at the Wood Manor with my parents."

Hermione cringed a little at that. "Oliver I don't need a ring, please."

"What? Of course you do! Every engaged woman needs a ring!" he snapped.

"Oliver, we are forced into this by the ministry. You aren't marrying me by choice. What will the ring say?"

"Every ring is a promise to hold and cherish the woman forever. My ring will say the same. Be ready by 4 and we'll go get the ring first and then go to Wood Manor for dinner."

Before she could retaliate he shook his head, "I won't hear of it. I'll pick you up at 4 tomorrow," he promised and left with a crack.

Oh joy! thought Hermione, we'll be going shopping for rings and then I'll be meeting his parents tomorrow. She knew he was a single child so it would only be the four of them. Perfect! Shopping followed by an intimate family dinner! she scowled darkly while changing into her nightwear and then crashed on the bed, too tired to do anything else.