AN: This is an AU fic, but a disclaimer is in order for the characters I'm 'borrowing' from JK Rowling, and some plot elements from the amazing movie 'Firelight'… Enjoy!
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Prologue
The room she was seated in was lit mostly by firelight. A few candles danced from the draft. It was a room like any other room, she supposed. Though the events playing out in it right now, were not as common.
For Hermione this was one of the most humiliating times of her life. Here she was, one of the most brilliant witches ever having graduated from Blueboard, English school for Muggleborn witches, and yet she was pretty much penniless and powerless to do anything about her position in life.
It was the year 1838. Muggleborns were tolerated and educated in the ways of magic, but they didn't stand that much chance in finding dignified employment within the wizarding world. And being an independent woman didn't help put bread on the table in the Muggle world either.
Hermione Granger had actually been of the lucky sort. Because of her excellent grades at the magical school, and the goodwill of her old Headmistress, she had found work as a governess for a magical family. But after two years, her first family had ended her position at their house. It hadn't anything to do with her competences, no, the family had been very kind and given her many letters of high praise and recommendation for future employers… They had just been unable to pay her services anymore. Debts…
Speaking of, her Muggle widower of a father had been incarcerated because of gambling debts…
So she had just turned twenty, was jobless, and had to pay her father's debt as soon as possible, if she wanted him to survive prison… And that was the reason of her being here, getting examined as cattle, having been asked personal questions…
Forcing herself to concentrate on the happenings around her, she was almost amused by the fact that the man sounded so timid. He was careful to stay in the shadows and whispered to the mid-wife.
From what Hermione could understand, Madam Pomfrey had just finished explaining Hermione's excellent magical records, and the man had obviously asked how she had landed in a situation as this, because she could hear the mid-wife describing her father's predicament.
"Why does Sir not ask me myself?" Hermione asked aloud. "Why the need to hide?"
Madam Pomfrey looked quite taken aback from Hermione's daring.
"The gentleman is a highly respected member of the community! He cannot endanger his position! He has a reputation to uphold, and you would do well to remember that…"
Hermione asked herself how they were supposed to do this when he didn't want to be exposed… at least to her… But she refrained from speaking her mind. She was surprised, however, when she heard the faceless voice ask her:
"Why?"
Hermione was confused, what did he want to know? Frowning she refrained from answering. Madam Pomfrey, though, had recovered from her little fit, and was back to her gentle, placating self:
"What the gentleman means, my dear, is why not marry and have your husband pay the debts for your father? You're pretty enough?"
Hermione swallowed to mask the turmoil of feelings inside her:
"And sell myself for life? The gentleman's proposal is of much shorter duration, if I understand correctly…"
After a moment of silence, the man asked, not unkindly:
"Have you ever done anything like this before?"
The question made Hermione uncomfortable, she wanted to yell at him that she was a respectable girl, and that of course she hadn't, but she remembered her position, and contended herself with whispering:
"No, sir…"
"And do you understand the full consequences to this bargain? Will you honour all your promises?"
Hermione swallowed, fully knowing the hardship she was setting herself up for, but didn't show her pain when she said with full conviction:
"Yes, sir…"
There was a slight scuffle inside the shadows, and for a moment she expected to see the man. But than Madam Pomfrey asked him:
"Shall I continue the search?"
All that came from the shadows, was this statement:
"No… She will be the one…"
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