Hermione Granger and the Two Lovers

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The next day, Ron sent an owl to his parents, telling them the fabulous news. Ron and Hermione never left each other's side. They were completely inseparable. The only time they were not seen together was when they went to bed, when they went to the bathroom, and when Ron was playing Quidditch.

The very next day, Ron received an owl from his parents. They were ecstatic. They invited Hermione to spend the summer at their house planning the wedding. Hermione had not decided whether or not to accept the invite or not. She had not yet told her parents that they were engaged, or even that they were dating.

"Hermione, you need to tell them. They're going to find out no matter what!" Ron tried to convince her. "Would it be better if I owled your father and asked him if I could marry you?"

"NO!" Hermione yelled. "I want you to be alive for the wedding!" She knew her father would beat the living daylights out of Ron if he found out that he had proposed.

"We need to owl them; they need to know."

"This isn't something I can just owl them about; I have to tell them in person," Hermione decided. Just then, Hermione got a brilliant idea. "I know how to do it!"

"Do what?" Ron asked; he was so confused when she had her sudden ideas.

"Talk to them!" Hermione squealed as she ran out of the Great Hall.

She rushed down the hallways leading to Dumbledore's office. She reached the entrance to his office, said the password, Chocolate Frog, and quickly walked up the staircase.

She knocked gently on the door. Within seconds, Dumbledore opened the door. "So nice to see you again, Miss Granger."

"Hello, Professor," Hermione greeted him. "I need to ask you a favor."

Dumbledore nodded. "And what would that be, my dear?"

"Well, as you know, Ron and I are engaged." Dumbledore again nodded. "You see, I need to talk to my parents, and I was wondering..."

"You were wondering if you could use Floo Powder and talk to them," Dumbledore finished her sentence.

"You know, it's really creepy when you finish people's sentences like that," Hermione commented.

"Yes, you may use the Floo Powder. It's over there," he said, pointing to the fireplace. "On top of the mantle is a bag of Floo Powder. Your house is connected to the Floo Network, correct?"

Hermione nodded as she walked toward the fireplace and opened the bag of Floo Powder. She stuck her head inside the fireplace, dropped the powder and said, "#7 Clear Brook Drive!"

She immediately saw the inside of her house. "Mum, Dad?" she called.

Her parents knew about the Floo Powder and her mother came running toward the fireplace.

"Oh! How are you, dear?" her mum asked.

"Fine, Mum," Hermione answered. "Where's Dad?"

"Richard!" her mother called across the house. "He should be here any minute," she said, turning back to Hermione.

"What the bloody hell is it, dear?" her father said as her entered the kitchen. "Oh, Hermione!" he said, noticing her head in the fire.

"What brings you here?" her mother asked curiously.

"Well, I have something to tell you."

"Well, what is it?" her father asked.

"Well, Ron and I are dating," Hermione started.

"Oh, well, that's wonderful, dear. He's such a nice boy!" her mother commented, a warm smile flooding across her face.

"Yes, I think he'll be very good for you," her father agreed. Even he seemed to be smiling.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad, after all.

"Well, there's a bit more," Hermione added nervously.

Her parents stared at her in anticipation.

"He asked me to marry him," Hermione said quietly.

The smiles faded from her parents' faces. They stared at her in disbelief.

"What?" her mother asked, hoping she had heard wrong.

"We're getting married," Hermione said, a bit louder this time.

"Hermione, do you remember our talk we had in the car, the day before the start of terms?" her father asked, hoping that he could bring Hermione to her senses.

"Yes, daddy, but I love him; he treats me like a lady and you said you liked him!" Hermione yelled.

"I do, but as a boyfriend for you, not a son for me!" her father shouted.

"Hermione, see reason! This boy is going to marry you, and then you'll find him cheating on you with his receptionist," her mother told her, glancing at her father angrily.

"Ron would never do that, Mum, Ron loves me, and I love him!" Hermione screamed at her mother. "And there's nothing you can do about that!"

Hermione pulled her head out of the fire. How could her mother and father be so cruel?!

Tears were now streaming down her face as she ran from Dumbledore's office.

There is only one real tragedy in a woman's life. The fact that the past is always her lover, and her future invariably of her husband.

-Oscar Wilde (An Ideal Husband, III)