Chapter 4: The Rings
Hermione awakened early the next morning and decided to test herself on how much she remembered of Harry's tour by finding her way to the kitchen. She remembered her mentioning she'd never need to go in there since the house elves did all the cooking but she'd disregarded this since she was pushing for the liberation of house elves from their slave lives. They worked just as hard as people, if not harder and she believed they deserved to be treated with more respect than they were currently receiving.
She marched into the kitchen and was immediately swarmed by several house elves with cries of `Mistress need not be in here.' `Mistress' breakfast is already cooked.' `Is Mistress lost?' `Did Mistress not like the food?' She was rushed out of the kitchen before she could get a word in.
"I'll be making my own breakfast tomorrow." She called through the door, though she wasn't sure they could hear her through the thick oak. She turned and stalked into the breakfast nook where she saw a laughing Harry flipping through the morning paper.
"You don't like your breakfast? It looks untouched." He commented grinning up at her as he indicated an untouched plate across from him.
"I didn't realize they'd cooked."
"I told you yesterday they do all the cooking."
"I was hoping I was up early enough to make my own."
"They wake extremely early and know the instant you leave your bed. You'll never beat `em down here. So why, may I ask, do you want to make your own breakfast when they'll gladly do it for you."
"Because I don't support slave labor."
"Slave labor?"
"Yes, slave labor, I bet you don't pay them or give them proper credit for what they do."
"They don't want to be paid, they're bloody house elves."
"You think just because they're not people they don't want to be paid or receive proper accreditation for what they do."
"Of course not. They just don't want to be paid and they wouldn't do their work in private if they wanted everyone to know about it. I would pay them if they wanted me to but they don't. Go ask `em they'll tell you just that. There's only one in there that wants to be paid and he is. He gets vacation time and everything. I'm not some tyrannical monster that just walks all over his employees."
"You don't exactly make it difficult to believe you are though."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"It means . . ." Hermione was cut off mid shout by Ginny storming in.
"Harry James Potter have you seen the paper?" Ginny shouted.
"Well, yes actually it's quite amusing." Harry grinned.
"No, it's not amusing and as your self proclaimed publicist I'm not happy. How could I be so stupid as to not ask about her ring? Harry I can't believe you didn't buy her a ring!"
"I didn't exactly go to England with the intention of getting married."
"You could have conjured one to stand in. Now you have to release a statement as to why she doesn't have an engagement ring on her finger, so you had better get thinking because you aren't saying it's a marriage of convenience."
"I don't have to tell them a damn thing."
As Harry and Ginny continued to rage at each other Hermione slipped beside him and took the paper from under his arm. There was a horrible picture of her looking quite terrified and flinching at the flash of the cameras. Lily's face was buried in her shoulder and Harry was beside them looking ready to kill. She skimmed the article and found it to be a bit of an attack on her and Harry's character. They had a bunch of made up theories on what was going on and most weren't very kind to her virtue. She scowled at the paper tossing it down and glaring at Harry.
She sank into a chair, pushing around the food on her plate listening to them shout. If it wasn't for the lack of resemblance she really would think they were brother and sister. They argued as though they were siblings. She sighed as Ginny won and told Harry he'd have an over the phone interview waiting when he got back.
"Back from where?" Hermione asked suddenly somewhat interested.
"Back from New York City, that's where I've set up a private meeting with one of my favorite jewelry companies so you can get your rings. You can floo there since the owner is a wizard and will be waiting for you. He'll keep everything very confidential so you don't have to worry about the press. He promises to have whatever you order ready by the time your photoshoots and interviews start." Ginny explained making more notes in her notebook before using her pencil to twist her hair up into a bun. "Be ready to go in ten minutes."
Harry scowled at her as she sent him an acid look before turning to leave. She paused at the door consulting her notebook.
"Hurry back, Hermione we're going to Paris and Milan today to do some shopping with the girls. We need to restock your wardrobe and get you some dresses for the engagement parties. You'll also need something semi-formal for the photoshoots though the cover of the bridal magazines they'll be giving you a dress but you don't have to worry about going in for sizing for a while now. Ooo and we'll probably need to get you some suits for one or two of the interviews if not the luncheons and café meetings. Maybe some sun dresses too for casual afternoon outings in case the press should make an appearance." Ginny nodded to herself and flounced out the door without looking up to see Hermione's bewildered expression.
"You're busy." Harry commented.
"Apparently, I suppose . . . I suppose I'll have to leave Lily with you." She said softly.
"Yea, so?"
"Nothing."
"You're going to have to get used to leaving her with me. Being my wife will probably be a twenty-four hour a day job."
"What?"
"You don't think the interviews, lunches, and stuff will all go away after the wedding, do you? They'll be hounding you about everything next an interview on being a housewife, living with Harry Potter, babies, everything."
Hermione cringed at as he spoke.
"Actually, I was hoping I could get a job as an art student around here somewhere, something free lance at least." She said.
"You won't have time. That's why you have an art room. You're not here to work, Hermione, you're here to be my wife."
"And when were you planning on telling me all this. This I can't work business."
"I just did." He folded the paper she'd set back on the table and strode out the room, looking arrogant as ever.
Hermione glared after him, folding her arms and muttering. `Well, that completely shoots my plans. Grr, I can't stand that man!' She got up and stomped after him and met him at the living room fireplace.
"Ready?" He asked offering her his hand. She rolled her eyes and turned away from him refusing to answer him.
"Ignoring me now are we?" He smirked, throwing floo powder into the fire. He grabbed her arm and tugged her in, giving the name of the shop Ginny had scribbled on a piece of paper for him.
The minute they arrived, she jerked her arm out of his grasp and stalked forward to dust herself all.
"Oh come on, it's not that bad. Who wants to sit around and paint all day anyway? You'd get bored with it and then your talents would be no good because you wouldn't be passionate about the things you do have time to paint." Harry reasoned as he followed her out of the fire brushing himself off.
"If you think you're helping, YOU'RE NOT! So please do not speak to me for the next hour or so." She snapped.
"You're going to have to talk to me. How else will I know which ring you like?" He smirked.
"Shut up." She growled.
"Why don't you make me?" He smirked as an old man entered the room stopping her from any form of retort. She glowered at him and gave an irritated growl as the man approached smiling at them.
"Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger, I've been expecting you." He smiled shaking their hands. "Congratulations, when Ms. Weasley called me I told her, I'd be delighted to do your rings. Come, come she told me you were both quite busy today so let's not waste any times. As soon as I size your fingers we'll be ready to begin."
They were ushered to a long black table in the center of the dark room they'd flooed into. Only a bright over head light stood over the table, probably to make the gems sparkle when shown under the bright beam. Harry had wrapped an arm around her waist as they moved towards the table and when the man wasn't looking she smacked his arm and sent him a warning glare.
He just grinned and held her chair out for her. She sat watching him suspiciously as he pushed in her chair and then proceeded to sit closer to her than she deemed necessary. She gave him a fake smile before turning away from him, rolling her eyes.
She put on an excited smile as the old man returned with some sizing strips and some black boxes. He took their hands one at a time into cool fingers and did the measurements while writing on a tablet.
"Right so now to see the rings." He grinned, flipping to a new page in his tablet and turning all the boxes to face them and opening them one by one to reveal layers upon layers of black velvet miniature shelves of sparkling rings. "The best rings we have. You just choose which design you like and we can modify it in anyway."
"Oh wow! Those certainly are, um, sparkly." Hermione blinked. "There's nothing simpler?"
"Actually I was thinking they were a bit too small." Harry said.
"What? Those look like they cost a fortune."
"What's your point? Any wife of mine's going to need something bigger than those."
The old man nodded and got up to go fetch some more boxes.
"What? No, that's . . . what are you talking about? That's not necessary. Harry you're not spending a load on this, under the circumstances that seems quite ridiculous."
"What's the point of having money if you can't spend it?" Harry tossed over his shoulder.
"Are you serious? You . . . you're unbelievable." Hermione scoffed throwing him a disgusted looked after staring at him incredulously for a moment to gage his seriousness.
"Yes, I've been told thought quite often." He responded with a cheeky grin, knowing she hadn't meant it that way. Hermione just stared at him with unmasked disapproval shaking her head and muttering unbelievable under her breath.
"Here you are? These are the biggest things I've got." The old man smiled placing a silver box on the table and opening it up. Hermione's mouth dropped open staring at them all. They were gorgeous but far too expensive. Her eyes lingered for a moment on one that really caught her attention but shaking her head she turned to glare at Harry.
"I'm not choosing one of those." She declared.
"Doesn't matter, I'll choose one." Harry skimmed over the box for a moment then plucked one out. "What do you think?"
Hermione didn't respond, just gave him a bland expression and looked away.
"If you don't like it I'll choose another."
"I don't like it and I don't want another!"
"Woman, you're being ridiculous."
"ME! I'm being ridiculous? You're, you're horrible! You're just so argh!"
Harry rolled his eyes and gave the man an apologetic look.
"She just likes being difficult." He whispered, as he put the ring back and began hunting for the one he'd seen her eye linger on. When he found it, he picked it up and held it in front of her. She gave him a stony look but her eyes flickering to the ring for a split second, wasn't missed by him.
"This one." He said. "White gold, full diamond band, and put two emeralds in by the larger one in the center. Inscribe something sentimental in it and find a necklace or something to go with it so she had an entire jewlry set to match it at the wedding. Ginny'll send details on the dress later so you know how low it should hang and whether or not to make the earrings dangling or whether a bracelet is necessary."
The man wrote furiously as he tried to take down all of Harry's instructions. Hermione was looking at him as though he'd lost his mind and he just shrugged at her kissed her frozen cheek. For once she didn't react to him invading her personal space; she just sat there in shock.
"Now, you're also here for wedding bands, am I correct?" The old man asked finally done writing and flipping to a new page.
"We might as well." Harry nodded as he leaned back in his chair and watching the man collect the boxes before bumbling off the get down the wedding bands. Harry turned to Hermione who was still giving him and stony look. "Stop looking at me like that, you know you wanted it."
"That's too much Harry." She whispered.
"Nothing's too much." He told her settling back in his chair once again.
"How do you live with yourself? Just throwing around money like that. You know there are people who could actually use the money."
"I don't just throw around money. I spend as I see fit and at the moment I see you have no diamonds. So I'm starting you out since you're going to need something for the wedding and engagement parties. I'm sure Ginny will be ordering you all sorts of jewlry to match whatever clothing you buy today. And yes I'm aware people could use the money when you've gained access to my private funds, you'll see how much of it goes to charity and whatnot."
"So someone takes it out of your account every year but do you actually care what happens with it. Do you even check to make sure it gets where it's supposed to go? What have you done lately to help anyone but yourself?"
"I'm an auror and I go around saving lives all the time, but let's get something straight right now. I owe the world nothing. I've already given them my entire life from day one. I was their child prodigy. I was used to make everything right for the majority of my life and there was no what Harry wants. It was what the Ministry wants what they felt like letting me know about myself, my family. So now it is about what Harry wants. I'm in control now and can do what ever the hell pleases me and I could careless what the world wants or thinks about what I do."
"If you think I'm supposed to feel sorry for you and be okay with that, you're insane. Yes, I'm sorry you were treated like a puppet for the Ministry for such a long time but that doesn't mean you go around bitter and act like the world is beneath you and you own it. And it will never be about what you want. Hasn't anyone ever told you with great power, comes great responsibility? I'd of thought by now you'd have accepted that."
Harry gave her a cold look. Yea, he'd definitely heard that before. He'd heard that from the person he'd trusted above all. And even with all his wisdom and greatness he'd been killed, weakened by someone else's folly.
"You know nothing." He hissed. She met his eye with a defiant look.
"Then explain it to me because all I see is a selfish boy who has yet to grow up. It's nothing compared to yours but my childhood wasn't all flowers and sunshine either, Harry."
Their intense glares were only interrupted by the clearing of a throat as a glass case was set in front of them and opened.
"Pick one." Harry whispered.
Giving him a hard look she decided not to argue with him right now and turned the case to face her. The old man was looking back and forth between them trying to figure out what he'd missed in the time he'd been away.
"We'll take the diamond bands set in silver." Hermione decided.
"White gold, I don't want silver to touch her. She's worth more than that." Harry interjected. She stared at him confused for a moment. She'd thought he was angry with her but his words confused her.
"White gold, then and I suppose you'll need to inscribe something in them." She finished.
"Alright, we'll start on those today and have the whole lot sent to you as soon as possible." The man said closing his tablet and shaking both their hands before closing the case and disappearing through the doorway.
"Let's go." Harry said grabbing her hand and leading her back to the fireplace. They were silent when they returned and just parted ways without any form of good bye.
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