It was about a month after their first playdate, for lack of a better term, when Helena and John Granger received a note from the Malfoys asking if Hermione would like to come to a gathering of children around her and Draco's age. They looked at the note, each other, and the owl it had arrived with.
"It would be good for her," Helena said.
John shook his head. "She already spends one day a week with that boy. She doesn't need to spend more time with him."
Helena sighed. She loved her husband, but he didn't understand. Of course, he hadn't taken off time from the practice to meet the Malfoys. And she was nervous about how everyone would react. All of them, including Draco and Hermione, were stubborn.
"She's going to wind up married to him," Helena said. "I know you don't think it's a good idea, but them being friends is better in the long run."
She knew it was right. They couldn't control the future. But each choice had a consequence. And when Hermione and Draco had signed that paper they had unknowingly created a contract that they couldn't get out of. And Lucius Malfoy looked like he would have tried if it was possible.
"I still don't like it," John Granger said.
"I'm not asking you to like it. Just to let her go. Besides, she'll ask you with those big puppy dog eyes of hers."
John pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn't say no to Hermione most of the time, and when she pouted it was even worse. She wasn't spoilt. But she did have her dad wrapped around her finger.
"Fine," he conceded. "She can go. But I want to meet the Malfoys."
"I would expect nothing less."
"Hermione!" Draco cried when they showed up. "You're here!"
"Of course I am. You invited me," she said.
"Mother said that your father didn't like the idea of you coming," he whispered to her. "I was worried he might stop you from visiting."
Hermione giggled. "Mummy wouldn't let him say no. As if he could."
They giggled together, and made it over to where the other children were playing. Daphne Greengrass was trying to convince Pansy Parkinson that they didn't have to be princesses.
"We can be just as good knights as the boys," she insisted.
"But we should be princesses," Pansy whined. "We're just as great as them."
"Why can't you be both?" Hermione asked. "Boys get to be princes and knights. Why can't you do the same?"
"Why, because I'm not about to get messy." Pansy flounced off.
"Thank Merlin she's gone," Daphne sighed. "I can't stand it when she gets like that."
"She's always like that," Draco said. "It's Pansy. She can't help it."
"I think she's got some ideas that she didn't come up with," Hermione mused. "She wants to be a princess, and she thinks that she isn't one now."
Draco and Daphne looked at Hermione. Both of them were confused.
"One of my friends from my neighbourhood does that," she attempted to explain.
"Do you want to be a lady knight?" Daphne asked. "It sounds pretty fun."
"Sure, Draco can be the dragon."
"Why do I have to be the dragon?" Draco fake moaned.
"Because your name means dragon," Hermione sang as she and Daphne pulled him away to play.
"They seem to be getting along quite well," Narcissa said. "I was hoping she would like Daphne. There aren't usually a lot of girls at these things, but Daphne is much nicer than Pansy."
John scoffed. "I thought you weren't supposed to speak ill of other people's children."
Narcissa smiled slyly. "Perhaps not, but I doubt that Pricilla would argue with me."
"You talking about Pansy again?" a woman who must have been Pricilla Parkinson said. She was tall, somewhat angular, and had a sharp black bob. She looked like she would have been comfortable as a flapper.
"Just remarking that Daphne will be more patient teaching Hermione the traditions that she won't learn at home," Narcissa said. "It's not the fault of anyone, but Pansy isn't a patient child."
"Of course not," Pricilla said. "She takes too much after her mother."
The lady downed her cup of tea and strode of into one of the other rooms where Mrs. Greengrass was sitting.
"That was unexpected," Helena said.
"I'll say," John added. "I wasn't under the impression that you were allowed to speak negatively about children."
"Not where they can hear us," Narcissa said. "They gossip as bad as any group of adults. Possibly even worse. But we all need to vent at times. And since Draco is now 'off the market' they've stopped building up their daughters to me. Quite refreshing actually."
John paused. "You mean to tell me that you betroth your children off normally. That what happened with my daughter wasn't an anomaly."
Narcissa shook her head. "No. That was unusual. We usually wait until they're at least twelve or thirteen. They are expected to have a say in the matter. If they can't stand each other, they shouldn't be married."
"At least we can agree on that," John muttered.
"Go talk to Lucius," Helena prodded. "He's much better at explaining things than either me or Cissa. And he'll explain why they're betrothed, and how much he would love to break the arrangement if he could."
John headed off to the study, and Helena sat down on one of the ancient sofas. She took a cup of tea from a serving tray, and stirred it absentmindedly. While she had been to the manor a few times, it never ceased to amaze her.
"What are you thinking about?" Narcissa asked.
Helena sat the cup down on the saucer in her hands. "I guess it's just overwhelming seeing my daughter seem to grow up before my eyes. It's only been a month, but there's so much that's happened."
"I guess it's easier for us. After all, we knew this would happen sooner or later. We just thought it would be much later, and that we would be more involved in the process," Narcissa explained. "It's been the way things have worked for centuries."
Helena pursed her lips. "Do all wizarding families betroth their children off?"
Narcissa shook her head. "No. Most of what we would call 'respectable' families do. But most wizarding families are at least part muggle, and have taken muggle dating to be the standard. And it might be better. But Lucius would never have agreed to it."
Helena gave a slight nod of her head. She knew that Lucius was a traditionalist. If it hadn't been for ancient magic binding Draco and Hermione together, they would never have even been given a chance. And as much as she hated to admit it, she liked that something had been taken away from him.
Hermione found that she loved playing with other wizarding children. Theodore Nott was fun, even if he did seem to think she was strange. And he said that her hair wasn't pretty. Draco said that her hair was the prettiest he had ever seen.
Hermione found she like Daphne, even if she thought her younger sister Astoria was strange. But since she went by Story most of the time, she couldn't hate her. It was a beautiful name.
She didn't like Pansy, and Pansy didn't like her. She didn't know why. It wasn't as though they had met before. But she couldn't like someone who seemed to be so rude to people. And it wasn't just Hermione. It was everyone.
But for the most part, Hermione liked Draco's friends. But she was glad when it was time to go home. She wanted to draw, see if she could get Pansy's scowl just right. And she wanted some quiet. Sometimes she just needed to be left alone.
"Did you have fun?" Helena asked her daughter.
"Yes. I really liked it when Daphne and I saved Pansy from the boys. They were dragons."
Helena found that she couldn't help but laugh. Of course her daughter would do something so unusual in a group of children of traditionalists. Of course she would.
A/N: Sorry for making you guys wait. I've been busy. And next week I'm going to Florida. Disney world and Universal studios. I'm super excited. But I won't be updating much.