Albus Potter, Friends and Foes

Ch 24 Another Closing Ball

Hermione looked at herself in the mirror. She didn't usually wear earrings quite so large and feminine, nor necklaces quite so prominent. She had even asked Winky to get the jewelry from their home in Britain instead of wearing what she brought with her. She was still wearing one of her trouser suits, but the blouse was perhaps the most feminine one she owned. She turned and went into Ron's arms, snuggling into his tall frame.

There was nothing wrong with him being taller, and physically stronger.

"What is going on in that mighty brain?" Ron wondered, kissing the top of her head.

"Thank you for the necklace, Ron," Hermione cooed, shyly smiling.

"Rose picked it out," Ron explained with a shrug. "I just paid for it. I thought it was a little much, fussier and bigger than you usually wear, but she said you needed some more feminine jewelry.

"It was expensive, too. After growing up poor, it is hard to explain how good I feel being able to buy something like that for you. You do look nice in it. I still say you are a bloody beautiful witch."

"I think sometimes I just need to relax and be your bloody beautiful witch," Hermione muttered.

"Something is on your mind, Hermione," Ron pressed.

"Rose," Hermione explained. "Rose thinks she is a big disappointment because she is not a leader. Remember when they took the train for the first time, and you told Rose she needed to beat Scorpius? Well, he is very much the leader, the better Magi, the published writer, and Rose has found herself by being his helper. She looks up things for him and helps him and maybe has really found herself, but she thinks because she is not ... "

Hermione looked up at Ron. "Have we really wanted her to be something she is not?"

"I never thought I would like Draco Malfoy's child, but Scorpius is as good a wizard as I could hope for as a boyfriend for our Rose," Ron reflected. "If she wants to be the queen of Malfoy Manor, or if he wants to be a writer and live a modest life and she is fine with that, whatever makes her happy is fine with me."

"She is a very different person than I am," Hermione declared.

Ron nodded yes.

Hand in hand they left their room for breakfast.

Families were eating together this morning, so Hermione and Ron met Hugo, who was sitting at the table already. Rose and Scorpius joined them as Hermione and Ron were just sitting down.

"Good morning, Scorpius and Scorpius's girlfriend," Hugo kidded.

"Good morning, immature baby brother," Rose snapped.

"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Granger-Weasley," Scorpius jumped in with. "This is so much better than the painfully quiet and proper meals at Malfoy Manor.

"Who are you going to be learning to dance with, Hugo? Dancing lessons start for you next year. Roseanne Creevey? Jane Clark? You know them both, and they are both in Gryffindor. Or haven't you found anyone who will put up with you yet?"

Hugo frowned, didn't answer, and the discussion moved on to other topics.

*

Harry and Ginny were eating with Albus and Cleo. Ginny looked at Cleo and confirmed, "So you met with centaurs yesterday."

"How do you know?" Albus asked.

"An Auror who watches over you saw it on a map of the valley," Harry explained.

"Who did you meet?" Ginny wondered

"We met with some new centaurs, a herd that lives here in Switzerland," Cleo replied.