A short scene from three different perspectives focusing on Hermione. It's a follow up to my short story A Study in Emerald and both loosely tie into the ABCs of Moving On. Enjoy. Ta ta.

S. White

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A Study in Scarlet

Hermione Granger - Character Study

Hermione

Hermione Granger spun across the dance floor, holding the hands of one of her young cousins. She was attending the wedding of another cousin and enjoying herself immensely, even if most of the people here were ignoring her. She glanced over to where her parents sat chatting with Draco Malfoy.

There were days when even she didn't understand just how she had ended up dating Draco, but she hadn't regretted a moment of it yet. Things just hadn't worked out with Ron. Sometime into their relationship she had discovered that he just wasn't what she wanted. She would have had a good life with him, sure enough, but she didn't think that she would have been really happy. But with Draco, well, things were interesting with him. He was witty and intelligent, and in the years since their days at Hogwarts he had stopped being such a prat, and it turned out once he didn't think about blood status he was actually thoughtful.

She was happy, she was truly happy now with her life. She had a good job, she had a wonderful boyfriend, fantastic friends, and things were mending with her parents. And as she laughed and her cousin grinned up at her, it was a perfect moment. Even if most of her family here didn't even remember her name, she had a surrogate family in the wizarding community, and she was alright with that. She had come to terms with the fact that she didn't really belong in the muggle world anymore. Like many witches and wizards she had one foot in each sphere, using some muggle devices and living in a muggle building. Draco had even bought a muggle car and learned to drive. But she didn't belong there. She didn't think anyone could spend seven years at Hogwarts and go back to living a normal, muggle life.

Besides, she had taken to magic like a duck to water, even if she might not have taken to the wizarding world quite as well. She looked back at the first test of her magical reflexes with embarrassment. She had been able to stop fighting the Devil's Snare right enough, but then when Harry told her to make fire she had looked around for wood. Ugh. But all she had needed was a different frame of mind, thinking of magic as a solution to magical problems, and things had been much different. Now magic was second nature and at times like this when she thought she couldn't be happier, she felt like conjuring birds, stars, or putting music in the air.

A hand touched her shoulder and she turned to see Draco smiling at her. She had been wrong. She could be happier, she thought as her heart skipped a beat.

"May I interrupt?" He said.

"No," Said her little cousin with a scowl, but Hermione released him.

"Go find your mum. It's about time for dessert," She said with a smile and Draco took her hands. "Hello. Get bored?"

"Your father won't stop talking about football," Draco said with a mock grimace as the next song began.

"He does that," She said with a laugh. "He'll try and convert you if he can."

"It's some kind of religion?" He said in horror.

"No, just a sport. A little like Quidditch without the magic."

"That would be horrible. How can muggles stand it?"

"I think they manage just fine." Hermione laughed. "So you came to escape?"

"Well, mostly. That and, my Gryffindor Princess, you just looked so lovely over here I couldn't resist," He said, spinning her out and back into his chest.

"Do you ever stop?"

"You love it."

"You're ridiculous."

"You love that too." He grinned.

"Maybe," She said with a smile.

"Only maybe?"

"I think your ego is doing fine without my help," She said and he grinned back.

"Maybe not."

Yes, he was ridiculous but yes, she did love it. She loved him and all his ridiculousness. It was a perfect moment as she danced there with the man she loved among all these muggles who couldn't care less.

Draco

If someone had told Draco Malfoy years ago that he would be spending his birthday at a muggle wedding as Hermione Granger's date, he would have told them to get their head checked. Well, no, he would have cursed them with something terrible, but that wasn't the point. But here he was in one of his suits sitting next to Mr. and Mrs. Granger as Mr. Granger tried to explain the rules of muggle football. Draco was actually trying to listen, especially since the game seemed to very vaguely resemble Quidditch, but he found his eyes continuously returning to his girlfriend.

He had talked her into tailoring the dress she was wearing and he felt vaguely proud of that. It fit her perfectly now; the pale blue fabric hugging her chest and waist, strapless, and falling in loose folds just past her knees. In fact, it was a similar colour to the one she had worn to the Yule Ball, all those years ago. If he was being honest with himself, he had to admit he had been surprised by how pretty she had looked that night. Now her hair was still bushy and uncontrollable, still the same bookworm, but he could see, now, how beautiful she really was.

Not just beautiful but kind and caring. She had probably never met the little boy she was dancing with, he looked young enough that she would have been at Hogwarts when he was born, but when he had tugged her skirt and demanded a dance she had agreed. She constantly thought about other people and gave without expecting anything in return, something he admired even if he would never admit it. Unless it was someone he really liked or he needed them, he couldn't care less, even if he was polite to everyone.

It wasn't that what Mr. Granger was saying wasn't interesting, it was just that he couldn't keep his eyes off the man's daughter. He loved her, undeniably and completely, and all he wanted to do was whisk her away into a corner and snog her silly, looking so happy and lovely as she did. And her mother was looking at him as if she was trying to read his thoughts. She had probably noticed him staring at Hermione, but she didn't seem to mind. She was smiling faintly and finally he gave up and stood.

"Please excuse me," He said, straightening his shirt and heading for the dance floor at an easy saunter.

Hermione still had the little boy's hands and she swung them back and forth. If it had been Teddy, Draco would have thought it was sweet. He put a hand on her shoulder and as she turned to look at him he couldn't help the smile spread across his face. The happiness in her expression when she saw him was something he would never forget or stop being grateful for.

"May I interrupt?" He said smoothly, his eyes flicking briefly down to the boy glaring up at him.

"No," The boy said angrily, but Hermione let him go anyway.

"Go find your mum. It's about time for dessert," She said with a smile and Draco took her hands. "Hello. Get bored?"

"Your father won't stop talking about football," Draco said with a mock grimace as the next song began.

"He does that," She said with a laugh. He loved that laugh. Merlin, he was getting soft. "He'll try and convert you if he can."

"It's some kind of religion?" He said in horror. He thought he understood anyway. Some people got more than a little insane about their Quidditch teams.

"No, just a sport. A little like Quidditch without the magic."

"That would be horrible. How can muggles stand it?" He said with a grin.

"I think they manage just fine." Hermione laughed. "So you came to escape?"

"Well, mostly. That and, my Gryffindor Princess, you just looked so lovely over here I couldn't resist," He said, spinning her out and back into his chest. He put a hand back on her waist. Mm, but he couldn't get enough of her soft curves and warm body.

"Do you ever stop?"

"You love it."

"You're ridiculous."

"You love that too." He grinned. And she had a head on that body and a tongue that kept him sharp. He loved that just as much as the rest of her.

"Maybe," She said with a smile.

"Only maybe?"

"I think your ego is doing fine without my help," She said and he grinned back.

"Maybe not."

Draco danced with her until it was apparently time to give her up to her father for some reason but he bowed as he handed her over. Her mother asked him about his business when he sat and they had a good conversation, although his mind and his eyes kept returning to Hermione. Merlin, he loved that woman, there was no denying it. Even with all these people who almost completely ignored the four of them, the atmosphere of family, friends, and wedding celebrations made him think strange, but hardly disagreeable things.

Distant Cousin/Wedding Guest

The girl sniffed, bored, folding and unfolding her bare legs, and turned to her cousin. She liked parties but the wedding took all the fun out of it. Firstly, she couldn't flirt at all, because most of the people here either were already or were now related to her, and that was just weird. Secondly, she was underage and none of the adults would let her have alcohol. She could dance, but what was the point when there was no one to dance with?

"God, I'm bored," She said with a yawn. "Anything interesting happening?"

"Uncle John's gone off to throw up." Her cousin said with a shrug.

"Drunk?"

"Oh yeah."

"That's nothing new. Anything else?"

"Hermione Granger's back."

"What? No!"

"Oh yeah. And she's dancing. Jacob dragged her out."

"That little brat?" She said, craning her neck to see through the crowd.

A couple moved out of the way and there was Hermione Granger, smiling, and swinging Jacob's arms around. She was surprised; she had last seen her distant cousins the Grangers years ago, but she had a vague memory of Hermione as a bookish, bossy, and awkward girl. The cloud of hair was the same, but just about everything else was different. There was confidence in Hermione's face and in the way she moved.

"That's actually a nice dress," She finally commented, unable to think of anything else in her surprise.

"I know, right? I think it's been tailored. It fits her too well."

"Oh come on, Hermione Granger was never that stylish. Or even cared about how she looked. She still hasn't done anything with her hair."

"Hey! She just turned and her teeth are different! She totally used to have those horrible buck-beaver teeth, remember?"

"Are you serious? Maybe she had some kind of surgery?"

"Maybe," Her cousin said. "I didn't know you could get something like that done."

"Maybe they learned it in Australia?" She suggested and frowned at her cousin's disbelief. "What?"

"Why are you going on about Australia?"

"They were there for a year or two like four years ago. Didn't you hear?"

"What? The Grangers?"

"No. Santa Claus. Yes, the Grangers," She said, rolling her eyes.

"Why were they in Australia?"

"How should I know?"

"Oh my God, oh my God, look!" Her cousin said, grabbing her hand and shaking it, trying to point urgently and discretely at the same time.

"What?!"

"Look at him! With the Grangers! I've never seen him before. I'd remember him."

Her eyes scanned the crowd and finally found the man her cousin was talking about. Her cousin was right, he was definitely not related to them or they would remember. Besides, no one in their family had that shade of blonde hair. He was handsome and he wore a very expensive looking suit.

"I remember him!" She hissed, the memory clicking into place. "He's with the Grangers. I saw them talking outside the church and then they drove off. I think he drove Hermione here but you remember that gorgeous car in the parking lot?"

"Oh yeah."

"I think it's his."

"What? No way. Only old, rich people drive cars like that. Oh, hey, hey, he's getting up! Think he'll come this way?" Her cousin said hopefully, adjusting her dress.

"Is he going to Hermione? Oh my God, you don't think he could be her boyfriend, do you?" She said, her hope sinking. She had been about to adjust her dress too.

"He's talking to her. Oh! Now he's dancing with her! No way! I can't believe someone like him would be dating her," Her cousin said, sinking back into her chair in disappointment.

She wasn't as sure as her cousin. She looked at the pair dancing and caught Hermione's smiles and the man's grins. The man was hard to read but Hermione was as easy to read as a book and she thought it was clear that Hermione was in love with the man. Besides, the man was with the Grangers, he had driven Hermione, and she wondered if he was rubbing off on his girlfriend. Hermione looked different than she remembered and maybe he would account for the confidence and the easier way she moved. Young Hermione had been awkward and unsure of anything not in one of her books and not the type of person to wear a tailored dress, but the man had a tailored suit.

"Don't get your hopes up-" She began, when, as they watched, the man raised Hermione's hand to his lips and kissed it with a smile.

"Man!" Her cousin said angrily. "Why'd he pick Hermione? I mean, I'm way prettier than her."

"Yeah, but you are underage. Maybe they went to school together?" She suggested, privately thinking that a man like that would probably rather jump off a cliff than date a girl like her cousin.

"That fancy private school?"

"Yeah. I heard they only accept a few students every year. Well, forget him. He's obviously with Hermione. Who else is around?"

"I still think he should totally ditch her for me."

"Whatever. Who else is here? Oh, hey, Uncle John's back."

As they watched their Uncle Jack stumble back into the room, the girls completely forgot about Hermione Granger and the man as their distant cousin danced out of sight.