Ginny rushed home, eager to spread the news. She talked to her mother first. Molly was, as Ginny had predicted, completely thrilled. “Oh, it would be so nice to see Hermione with a young man. And really, you know, there’s a possibility for a future. Muggles and witches get married all the time, it’s nothing unheard of!”
“Mum,” Ginny said, alarmed, “She’s only just met him. They’re not engaged!”
“Well, no, I suppose not,” bustled her mother, “but it has to start somewhere! Quick, go warn the others. Muggle clothes, no wands, nothing! Oh, your father will be thrilled.”
Ginny rolled her eyes. There were definitely perks to being the only girl”if her brothers had tried to bring home someone from the village, Molly would have exploded in rage. But with Ginny”and with her, Hermione”she was indulgent.
Ginny dashed through the house, giving her family a brief synopsis. She smiled as robes were exchanged for t-shirts and Exploding Snap cards were hidden under rugs. An evilly bubbling potion was slid under a bed in Fred and George’s room, and Charlie stuffed a dragon scale in his pillow.
Bill and Fleur were snogging in Bill’s room, and Ginny had to clear her throat several times before they noticed her.
Ron and Elodie, she found, in the room that she and Hermione shared.
“What are you doing here?” she snarled.
Elodie pulled away from Ron and looked coolly at Ginny. “Isn’t that obvious?” she asked, a hand still curled possessively around Ron’s neck.
“Yeah, well, why do you have to snog in here?”
Elodie sashayed forward until she was face-to-face with Ginny. “We’re trying to get through every room in the house,” she said, raising an eyebrow. “And we’re not just ‘snogging’”.
“She’s joking,” Ron said hastily, speaking for the first time.
Elodie slinked back towards him. “I don’t have to be,” she murmured.
Ginny felt a sharp stab of anger. “Get. Out.” She snarled, sounding very much like her mother. “I don’t like coming in to find two strangers in my room, thank you very much.” She spat the words at Ron who, she was gratified to see, looked ashamed. Elodie, however, was scornful.
“Come on, Ron,” she purred, “We have better things to do.”
Ginny watched them go. Then, remembering, she called out after them, “Oh! And keep the magic to a minimum”we have a Muggle coming for dinner.” She hesitated, then added, “He’s taken a fancy to Hermione. And he is rather dashing, if I do-” She was cut off as Ron tripped. Whirling to look at her, he opened his mouth to talk, but Elodie grabbed his arm and pulled him downstairs. She looked strangely triumphant, and Ginny was unnerved.
She glanced out the window in her room, keeping an eye out for Benji and Hermione. Then she sighed. Despite what she had said to Hermione, Ginny was hoping Ron would get jealous. This was going way too slow.
She sighed again. She was no stranger to slow.
But thinking of Harry hurt. He would be here in a few days, and she would deal with it then. Right now, however, she had Hermione’s romance to save.
At that moment, Hermione was nearing the Burrow with her face set. Her fists were clenched and her arms were crossed”as Ginny had predicted, Benji had been trying to hold her hand.
Right now, he was talking about football. Incessantly. Apparently, he was a goalie, and took great pride informing Hermione of every single save he had ever made. And he left out no details.
“So I saw him coming, you know? And it was the last few seconds of the game, and he was their top scorer. But see, I was watching his eyes, and I knew where…”
Hermione bit her lip. First Cormac McLaggen, now this. She should write a book. Or maybe just stay away from athletes.
"I remember this one game, because the sky was this intense blue”but not as blue as your eyes.”
Wait”what? Hermione looked up at him, startled, thinking My eyes are brown.
“And if your hair was green, it would be perfect grass, Hermione. You are perfect football field conditions!” He beamed at her, apparently under the delusion that he had complimented her.
Warily, Hermione started to speak, but she was interrupted as Benji darted forward and kissed her cheek.
Angrily, she stepped back and opened her mouth, but Benji was already talking. “You taste like earth. I love that, so fresh. Once, one player hit the ball so hard that…”
Hermione caught sight of the Burrow, and nearly cried in relief.
Benji blinked up at it. “Wow, it looks like it’s held up by magic!”
Hermione forced a laugh. “Ha, magic, funny, you’re a riot!”
He gazed up at her adoringly, and she sighed.
The table, creaking under pounds of food, was surrounded by Weasleys as they approached. “Wow,” said Benji, gazing around, “Do they all have red hair?”
Someone spoke behind him. “I don’t.” A flick of her head sent black hair rippling down Elodie’s back. Hermione scowled. Elodie noticed. “Relax, dear,” she said, patronizingly. “I just thought I’d bring you two lovebirds something to drink.” She pouted prettily, fluttering her eyelashes alluringly towards Benji. Hermione was marginally gratified to see that Benji didn’t seem to care.
“Thank you,” he said graciously, taking the glasses from Elodie. Then he turned his back. Elodie sniffed and flounced off, but Hermione noticed a small smile curving on her lips. Angrily, she tipped her drink into the grass. Pity, she thought. It smelled nice. Like baking bread. And freshly mown grass… she inhaled deeply.
Benji, who had just drained his own glass, smiled at her. Before she could protest, he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the table. In spite of herself, Hermione grinned. Arthur Weasley had saved them seats, and his eyes were shining as he looked at Benji.
Hermione introduced Benji, and everyone at the table said hello. They were trying very hard to look Muggle, and Hermione admitted that they were doing very well. Fred’s wand was sticking out of his pocket, and a garden gnome was sneaking behind Bill’s chair, but otherwise, everything seemed normal.
Benji, who seemed uninterested in gardening, wasn’t noticing the uniquely-shaped plants. Instead, he was being thoroughly interrogated by Arthur Weasley. “What do you think the most invention of”uh”our time is? The television, or the toaster oven?”
Hermione grinned as she saw him surreptitiously pull out a quill under the table. She hadn’t the heart to tell him that he was scribbling his notes on the tablecloth.
Free from Benji’s attention, Hermione turned towards the rest of the table. But as soon as she opened her mouth to talk to Ginny, she felt a hand slide around her shoulder. Unbalanced, she toppled sideways, placing her in the uncomfortable position of leaning on Benji with his arm around her. It felt rather like being smashed.
Relax, she told herself, Any girl would be thrilled to have an attractive guy fawning over her.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Elodie feeding Ron pieces of fudge. Across from them, Bill and Fleur were doing the exact same thing.
Not me. Something must be wrong with me.
Hermione stood up, dislodging Benji’s arm. Glancing around the table, she announced “I think I’m abnormal!”
The stared at her. She backtracked. “Um…I meant to say sick. I don’t feel particularly well”I think I’ll go to bed early.”
Mrs. Weasley stood up and started fussing, but Benji wasn’t far behind. “I’ll take you up to your room. Which one is it?”
Hermione pointed at the window. “It’s that one right there”close enough that I can walk myself.” She turned and disappeared into the house. Ginny could take Benji home”it was her fault he was here.
“Once upstairs, Hermione was surprised to realize that she actually was exhausted. She changed quickly, eager to slide into bed, and a dreamless sleep.
***
Hours later, she awoke in the dark.
Ginny was stirring in the next bed, and a horrible warbling noise was coming from outside. Cautiously, Hermione slid to the ground and tiptoed to the window. Ginny was sitting up in bed now. “What is it?” she hissed at Hermione. Hermione turned towards her, sighing. “It’s Benji,” she said, “and he’s singing.” Ginny giggled. “It’s not funny,” grumbled Hermione.
“Lo-o-o-o-o-ove was maaaaaade…”
Ginny was laughing now. Hermione sighed. “Well…maybe it’s a little funny.”
“for me and youuuuu…”
Hermione groaned. “I guess I have to take him home,” she sighed.
The night was warm, and she slipped out of the house with only a light sweater over her pajamas. Stealthily, she crept towards Benji, but then drew back in surprise. Someone else was already there.
“Come on, it’s late. She’s probably asleep anyway. Like the rest of us want to be.”
Ron’s voice drifted over to Hermione, and she started. Ron and Benji?
She shook her head in irritation as Benji started to speak. “Oh no! Do you think she’s upset? What can I do now?”
Ron yawned. “Go home?” he suggested wryly. “You can come back in the morning.” He stopped. “Late morning.”
Benji bounced up and down. “Okay! Okay! Will she be awake then? I can’t wait!”
Hermione groaned softly. He looked her age, but he acted like he was five. He had seemed so normal at first…her mind began to race.
“Come on,” Ron said, “I’m taking you home.”
Hermione waited several moments before following them, slipping softly into the shadows.
“I think she’s amazing,” Benji was saying, “I mean, she’s so pretty and smart and…I think I love her. Have you seen the way her hair shines? And how she always has an answer for everything…and I love her eyes, they’re so blue!”
“Brown,” Ron corrected, looking guilty for some reason. Then he laughed.
“There is nothing funny about the trueness of my love for her!” said Benji, indignantly.
Ron shook his head. “No, it’s just…you sound like me.”
Hermione raised an eyebrow to herself. Ron had never talked about Lavender like that, at least not in her hearing.
“Was it about a girl like Hermione?” Benji asked, sounding dazed.
“No, no,” said Ro, reminiscently, still chuckling. “It was this other girl…her name was Romilda Vane…”
“That’s an interesting name. I like the name ‘Hermione’ better though.”
Ron rolled his eyes. “Uh-huh. Well, I didn’t really know Romilda. And you know, you don’t really know Hermione.”
“Yes, I do! I have seen into her very soul! I love her!”
Hermione tried not to laugh. But as she replayed the last five minutes in her mind, something clicked.
Romilda Vane…you don’t really know her…love…I love her…
She gasped. Benji had swallowed a love potion! It would explain his behavior. The only question was…how had he gotten a love potion?
Something tickled the back of her brain, and she remembered the luscious scent of the drinks that Elodie had given them. Hermione gasped, “That conniving little witch!”
Elodie must have slipped the love potions in before she had given them the drinks. Hermione ducked behind a tree, letting Ron and Benji trudge back to the village alone. She sank to the ground, head in hands. “But why?” she muttered to herself out loud. “Why would she give us both a love potion?”
“If you think really hard, I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”
Hermione jumped, looking up to see Elodie standing in front of her, hands on hips.
“You know,” Elodie continued, “I’m disappointed. I heard you were smart. But honestly, I don’t know how smart you are if it took you this long to figure out I slipped Loverboy a love potion.” She sneered, her beautiful face disfigured by the grimace. “Like any sane boy would be so crazy about you.”
Hermione got to her feet warily, her back against the tree. “How did you get it to work so well?” she asked with genuine curiosity.
Elodie laughed lightly. “Oh, I have experience with making love potions.”
Hermione gaped at her. “Why? You’re gorgeous already, and you could get any guy you wanted.”
Elodie shook her head. “Oh, I know,” she said confidently, “but it’s good practice, for situations like this.”
“Situations like what?” Hermione snarled.
Elodie waved a hand vaguely in the air. “Oh, like this whole thing with Ron.”
Hermione felt her mouth drop. “You got him to like you with a love potion?!”
“Oh, you make it sound so vulgar,” sighed Elodie. “Of course that’s not how it happened. He was already interested in me, but he had some…attachment issues. The potion just helped him forget about anyone else he could have been interested…temporarily, of course. I stopped using it a while back, once he was comfortable.”
Hermione felt tears spring to her eyes, and she fought to hold them back. “Then why’d you use it on Benji?” she asked.
“Oh, darling, that was for you,” purred Elodie, mocking laughter in her voice. “I felt so guilty for stealing your man, that I thought I’d just give you someone else to keep you occupied. But don’t worry, he won’t come back. The potion’s set to wear off at dawn. He probably won’t even remember you”you don’t have an exceptionally memorable face.” She laughed, and Hermione’s blood boiled.
“So why did you ‘steal my man?’” she asked, her heart pounding. She steadied herself against a tree. “There are plenty of other guys around. Why did you want him?”
Elodie twined a strand of black hair around her pale finger. “Well,” she said, ponderously. “He was the only one who wasn’t crazy with love for me from the beginning. I thought it would be a challenge. But now that I’ve seen my competition,” she looked skeptically at Hermione, “I suppose it wasn’t that much of a challenge to begin with.”
Hermione felt the blood rush to her cheeks. “Have you always been this conceited?” she growled.
Elodie gave another tinkling laugh. “Of course not,” she sang, “I just like to gloat a little when I’ve won.” And with that, she turned and glided back towards the house.
Hermione stood in shock for a few more moments, before slowly heading back to the Burrow. As she slid back into bed, one thought stood out in her mind. You haven’t won. Not yet.
Enchanted by Willow Rosenberg
Chapter Notes: Sorry it's taken me so long to update...I just finished the SAT :P
To make up for it, I gave you an extra long chapter :D