Good or bad, you will always reap what you sow. What goes around comes around. No matter how far you run, you can never truly escape it. In the effort to ruin someone else, you usually end up ruining yourself. That's because the truth always wins and will set you free. But not without a price. And in this case, the price was the cost of a magazine.

When the article in Cosmo Chronicle came out, the publication sold more copies than ever before. That impressive edition promoted the one thing that sells faster than lies, gossip, or rumors. It's the one thing that spreads quicker than wildfire, and that thing is what the world needs more of-love. People love a good love story, and as the interviewer said, "The way your love withstood the pressures of being secretive and the war is the stuff people hang their hopes on. It's what some spend all their lives searching for but never find. What the two of you have is beautiful."

And apparently, the wizarding world agreed with her. The public cared more for Marcus and Hermione's love than Lavender Brown's lies. What it came down to were the quotables from inside the article. First, there was Marcus saying, not to Leslie Sprockett (the interviewer with Cosmo) but to Hermione herself, "You have always been my dream girl, ever since I lifted my head from pulling up my socks. You're the dream come to life. You are the essence of every hope I've ever had, and no matter what happens to us in the future, the time we spend together is the most amazing of my life. I am ever yours, Hermione."

When he said that statement, Hermione and Ms. Sprockett teared up. A box of tissue magically appeared. Bless the elves.

The photographer captured every angle from Marcus's doting eyes, the way the two held hands, and the war heroine's tears at her boyfriend's sweet words. But then, at one point, Hermione said of her fiance', "It's incredible how you can fall in love with someone you didn't even notice the first time you meet them. See, the first time I met Marcus, my attention wasn't on him but on a different Slytherin. However, it wasn't for love reasons but because I was incensed with anger at excessive broom buying."

She and Marcus chuckled in remembrance of that broom debacle, and Hermione continued. "But when my focus finally turned to my guy, it never left him. Unfortunately, that only happened in my fourth year. We fell in love despite our differences and all the reasons that would make some people give up before the relationship could really get good. That's our relationship in a nutshell. It's rare and beautiful. I'm proof that fairy tales do come true because I'm living it with Marcus Flint. I realize it may sound corny, but every day is magical when I'm with him."

Ms. Sprockett asked Hermione to elaborate on that. She asked, "The readers would like to know how Mr. Flint is like a fairy tale."

Well, that was all the younger witch needed. It was her green light to gush over the love of her life. "As a little girl, I grew up reading fairy tales. There's a sweetness, a pureness, in them with a longing for love conquering all, and the prince who would fight his way through hell to rescue the one he loves. Sure, I fought dark wizards and witches, but I dreamed of a love that would fight for me in my secret heart even at a young age."

At that moment, a look that Luna sometimes gets when she's deep in thought came over Hermione's face too. It's dreamy and full of emotion. She sighed before saying, "Someone who would see me and realize I'm it. I'm the princess. It's that longing for connection and for a love that does conquer all that resonates in people's hearts. I think my favorite part of those stories was always the endings. The ones that say, and they lived happily ever after. I never knew that kind of ending could happen to me. But in hindsight, I should have seen it coming."

Then Hermione launched into being teased and made fun of for her looks. "And then, one day in the Spring of my third year, I wanted to try taming my hair. So, I did, and once it was smooth, it was like it was the thing needed to jump-start new opportunities. My teeth soon followed." She shared about Marcus and those first few weeks of tutoring and how he asked her to Hogsmeade. But more than that, she explained, "Marcus stood up for me. He fought for me and helped me understand the pureblood culture better. No one has done that before, not even Harry or Ron, mainly the pureblood part of things. Marcus understood me better than anyone ever has, which is why he's my best friend. In those first few weeks of dating, I saw him everywhere. Love songs played in my mind. Awake or asleep, he was the star of my dreams, and he and I were the king and queen. It was sweet, and I think that's how it's supposed to be. Love is supposed to be a sweet song shared together."

The two held hands and shared sweet smiles. And Hermione told Ms. Sprockett, "But Marcus still does that for me. He colors my world with the most beautiful shades of blue. And when the mirror says I'm ugly, at some point in the day, my Slytherin will remind me it's a lie by saying lovely things or going out of his way to do something encouraging. Those times are the most interesting because it's like he can read my moods and knows when I need an extra dose of love. My heart feels like it's flying when I'm with him, which is ironic since he actually flies for a living. My head spins, and it's pure joy. He's my ever after, my own storybook ending. I'm enchanted by his love and spoiled by his loyalty. My real-life fairy tale."

So, that was the title of their article: Real-Life Fairy Tale. It came complete with a beautiful glossy picture of the two gracing the cover. For the cover shoot, they're dressed in beige, she in an off-white lace dress and him in a beige suit. And they look so comfortable with each other because Hermione happens to be sitting on his lap, which is her favorite spot. Her right arm is around his neck, while her other hand rests tenderly on the side of Marcus's face. All of that sounds normal. But what's behind and around them pulls it all together and brings the cover to life.

In the ballroom of the chateau, the setting comes alive. The room is decked out in over-the-top wall-to-ceiling flowers and vines like some ramshackle castle in the middle of nowhere. It's very Beauty and the Beast, which is one of Hermione's favorite tales. They're sitting on an uncomfortable fancy chair that looks like it could be a throne. Fairy lights are hanging all around, giving the space an ethereal glow.

And that fairy tale element connects to the shoe Hermione's wearing. She has one shoe on and one of them off. The other shoe is on a tree stump beside the couple, underneath the encasement of a glass cloche jar. It's reminiscent of the Beast's flower in her favorite tale. The high-heel shoe is a work of art draped in champagne satin with an asymmetrical crystal leaf embellishment affixed to a crystal butterfly. If you look closely enough at the picture, you can see the butterfly is magical. It flutters its wings every so often, and the butterfly flies away when the jar is opened.

Once the photo shoot ended, Hermione glanced around the ballroom and declared, "I want this."

Marcus told her, "You already have it, Sweetie. My home is yours and everything that's inside it."

Taking his hand and linking their fingers, she explained, "Yes, but that's not what I meant. I want this design for our wedding reception. When I see our wedding, I see something like this." With her free hand, the witch motioned around the room.

He took their linked hands to his mouth and placed a kiss. Then remarked, "You'll have it. Do you want to marry here or somewhere else?"

Hermione knows exactly where she wants to get married. With a smile, she mentioned, "Your grandmother's. The gardens in the back are incomparable. If we could take this decor and move it into her ballroom, that would be nearly perfect."

"Why nearly perfect?" he asked, looking around the room.

She moved to stand in front of him and looked into his dark eyes. Without any doubt, his witch stated, "Because it will only be perfect once we're married."

The pair smiled into a kiss. Of course, the photographer captured it. That picture was too cute to pass up, and the magazine posted it with the article. Now every witch in the wizarding world wants their very own fairy tale, or quidditch player, whichever is more accessible. With that and the article's success came even more eyes on the couple, especially Hermione. That makes her a little nauseous because she's such a private person.

However, all the central women in her life received copies of Cosmo Chronicle. They all raved over everything, especially the pictures. Hermione's mother made it a point to tell her, "You looked like a princess. The two of you make such a striking couple. I can't wait until you start having grandkids. They'll be the smartest, most athletic, gorgeous children, I've known."

While that was high praise, Ms. Cecilia invited the female star of the article to lunch. Having not seen or spent time in the older lady's presence lately, Hermione fretted over what to wear. On the day of the lunch, just before Marcus left for practice, he reminded her, "You look gorgeous in anything. My Gram doesn't care. You can wear jeans or sweatpants."

With a disgusted face at the mention of wearing sweatpants to lunch, she noted, "I can't show up looking like a hobo, Marcus. We're having lunch at the Velvet Garden House. If I wore sweatpants, it wouldn't matter if I were meeting the Minister himself; the staff wouldn't let me inside. Now tell me, does this dress make my bum look huge?"

While Hermione twirled slowly, Marcus admired her fanny. It's one of his favorite features, and it stars in some of his naughty dreams- especially bending her over behind his desk in the study. Honestly, he's not the one to ask such a question too. So, the athlete called for Topsy and Dot. When they popped into the room, he told them, "I have to go but give Miss Hermione some advice. She wants to know if she looks fat in that dress. I think she looks fine and beautiful as always."

With a kiss and faint "Goodbye," Marcus flooed to practice leaving Hermione alone with the elves. She was fiddling with the hem of the floral summer dress while the two creatures were inspecting her. Then Topsy shook his head in disdain, and Dot exclaimed loudly, "No! No! No! Missy Mione nots be wearing that to fancy lunch with the Grand CC!"

Then the witch relaxed because she knew that between the two elves, they'd fix everything. They did because she ended up wearing something stunning. Inspired by English gardens, the elves put her in an embroidered tulle dress. It had lace and ruffles, too, quite gorgeous and dainty. The elf duo also styled her hair in loose waves. Hermione felt pretty, feminine, and ready to take on the witches at the posh restaurant.

With not a minute to spare, hustling to the apparation point, she appeared at the entrance of Diagon Alley. From there, the witch scurried to the restaurant like a mouse searching for cheese. Upon arrival, the hostess inquired about her name and party, and when the sharply dressed lady saw it was the star of Cosmo Chronicle, she made all sorts of pleasantries. That was rather odd for Hermione, considering it was the article, not the war heroine status, that scored big points.

As a waiter took her to the table, hushed whispers fell over the room. Ignoring the murmurs, the dazzled young woman inspected the ambiance and interior. The Velvet Garden House has been heralded as one of Wizarding London's top eateries. It's been voted the best lunch restaurant six years in a row. The place is trendy among the ritzy witches. Anyone who's anyone goes there to see and be seen.

Hermione has never been here. Mainly it's due to budgetary reasons because water is only affordable. Plus, being a Hogwarts student, what need would she have had to eat at a place like this? None. However, as the witch maneuvered around following the waiter, she could see why this has been a top eatery. Truly the Garden House can be defined as nothing but stunning.

The restaurant contains different sections, and each section is distinct, with greenery in some way. There are four sections altogether, with three located indoors. Upon entry, you're taken to The Park. It features the bar area and a more laidback atmosphere. It's for those in a hurry who want a quick bite to eat. This space is more playful, with park benches nestled against walls and partitions as part of the table. Blooming flowers of all kinds are housed here.

From there, the room flows into the Courtyard Nursery. The room is set up to bring the outside indoors. The ceiling is charmed to mimic the season and weather outdoors, making it quite captivating. But climbing plants, trellises, and potted plants of every type contribute to the allure of the space. Different gardener stations are set up like it is inside an actual greenhouse nursery.

On the other side of the nursery is the part called The Garden. This section is the only part of the restaurant actually outside. It's covered with a canopy tent that remains charmed to be cozy during rain, the heat of summer, and the harshest winter. Despite being outdoors, the garden has a replica Trevi Fountain, which is the area's main attraction. Many a lonely witch has cast two coins into it, hoping to find romance as you do at the real fountain in Rome. Ironically, that is the restaurant area where most single witches eat.

The final, most exclusive section of the eatery is called The Greenhouse. It's this area where Hermione's meeting Marcus's Gram. Large windows face The Garden, giving a grand view of the replica fountain. An artwork gallery is hung along the back wall for all the patrons to view. Interestingly, the artwork is from famous wizarding and muggle artists who painted elements of nature. There are many Monet's hanging. Luxurious plants enrich the refined space decorated with customized wrought iron furniture making it more intimate. It's a sleekly designed space, and everyone vies for seating, which is hard to attain. Well, it's only difficult to come by unless you have connections or money to throw around.

As Hermione stood admiring the space, the waiter finally stopped at a table close to the big window. Naturally, Ms. Cecilia had been seated at one of the premier tables. These tables are where anyone who enters can see who's sitting there. They also come with a price- big bucks. With a swish of the hand, the lady stopped the teaspoon from stirring and greeted Hermione. She held her cheek out, and the young witch kissed it as one would kiss royalty which the Grand CC could be considered such. Then the younger lady sat in the empty chair across from her favorite older witch.

Ms. CC stared at the girl for a moment, then spoke. "Well, soon-to-be Granddaughter, you have survived," the influential lady began. She picked up her teacup and sipped a small, dainty sip before putting it back down and speaking again. "First of all, people who believe gossip deserve to be lied to. That Prune Brown girl is one of those silly, shallow things that one wonders how many times her mother dropped her as a baby. People like that are one chromosome away from a potato. She's a prime example of why birth control was invented."

Hermione almost choked on her water when she heard Ms. CC say those words. But then the older witch continued. "You also endured the Ice Queen- I mean my daughter. One day she will be older and out of your power, but not yet. So, you must continue to tolerate her but without being a doormat. Don't be afraid to stand up to your mother-in-law. You will be Lady Flint, and she will just be the Dowager. Do not let her dictate but spectate. In the coming weeks and months, I will teach you all you need to know about running a large household, pureblood society, etiquette, and so forth."

The younger witch said, "Thank Merlin."

Ms. Cecilia smiled and told her, "No. Don't thank Merlin. Thank my sisters, who will also be helping, and me. Although a word of caution, Natalia tends to get giddy about society's manners. Just tell her to kick rocks, and if that doesn't work, then boil it down to these two points. One, get a life. Two, there's mixed cocktails at the minibar- they make life more fun."

As Hermione chucked, the sophisticated woman ended by declaring, "Finally, you tolerated teasing and meanness with grace. I don't know how you've put up with it. Why, look around the room. It's crawling with blood-sucking social climbers. Unfortunately, you will never be rid of them. They're like that nasty rash on Octavia Burke's upper lip; they spread rapidly. But don't worry, we'll work on dealing with them too. And the thing you need to remember is that Marcus loves you and chose you. All these tarts in this room had a chance but called him names. So don't let them ruin your happiness with my grandson."

After the Grand CC spoke, Hermione thanked her for the encouragement. Then the two ordered lunch and talked about wedding details. The petite witch explained how she would like the ceremony to be held in the Fawley Manor gardens, with the reception inside the ballroom. "For decor, I thought of having it look like something out of a fairy tale. What do you think?" she asked.

Cecilia thought, "That sounds fantastic. We'll cover specific details later, but these ideas are a wonderful start. We need to include your mother, so let's set up a time next week when the three of us will meet."

Hermione beamed with joy. Her dreams are coming true. Now, all that needs to happen is to pass the NEWTS and begin phase two of her life plan. While the overjoyed witch was in the middle of deep delight, a few snooty girls saw her. They're the ones who enjoy making others, especially those like Marcus's fiance', feel like trash. The table of Slytherin princesses started talking and planning, being comfortable with their meanness.

Just as dreams feel like they're finally coming true, like you're enchanted with happy ever afters, the nightmares begin. Reality intrudes, and you wake up no matter what the dream is. And sometimes nightmares and reality are aided by others.