------------------------------------------------------------
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter, J.K. does, and she has every right to do whatever she thinks is best for Harry Potter. I just love writing. So sue me. Wait, seriously… don't.
------------------------------------------------------------
Three months later…
"I don't care if he is busy. I intend to speak to him."
From where he was comfortably seated, Harry looked up. He could hear his godfather's stern voice beyond the door of the mansion's massive study room. The young duke took an exasperated breath as he started to arrange the papers he had been working on, for in but a few moments, he was certain, his godfather would be striding in despite the protests of his butler.
He had yet to shove his files inside the drawers when the doors opened and in came Sirius, who seemed to have taken it upon himself to make a living out of bothering the hell out of him.
And it was working.
Harry couldn't be more annoyed.
He stood up. "To what do I expect the…"
"I DID NOT BRING YOU TO YOUR FATHER'S ESTATE AND LET YOU HANDLE HIS PROPERTIES SO THAT YOU CAN SQUANDER YOUR MONEY JUST TO SATISFY YOUR DAMN LUST WITH SOME CHEAP THRILLS!" The man exploded, cutting off the snide remark that Harry had been prepared to throw at him.
Sirius knew that he had surprised his godson with his outburst, but the only expression that betrayed Harry's emotion was the sudden rigidity of his jaw. Sirius knew it would take more than what he had said to really get to Harry. So, he plundered on.
"YOU ARE NO MORE THAN THE LOUTS WHO CLAIM THEY ARE NOBLES BUT ARE IN FACT SCOUNDRELS, WHO FIND IT AMUSING TO PLAY WITH WOMEN'S HEARTS. YOU ENGAGE YOURSELF IN AFFAIRS AND LET LADIES HANG ON TO YOUR EVERY WORD BUT AFTER YOU ARE DONE, YOU THROW THEM ASIDE!"
Harry shoved his hands into his pockets and walked over to his liquor cabinet with this nonchalant look on his face as if his godfather didn't just deliver a blow to his ego. While he was busy putting drinks into two wide-rimmed glasses, Sirius walked over to the settee and sat down, silently berating himself for the sudden outburst.
He came here to talk to his godson about the impending celebration of his daughter's birthday, but forgot his intention the moment he heard about the escapades Harry had been engaging himself in lately.
According to Remus, a colleague from the Gentlemen's Club, Harry had been taking mistresses here and there; lavishing them with gifts, taking them to operas or balls, but were not seen with him in public more than once. It was actually causing quite a scandal despite its commonness amongst the ton. Perhaps it was because nobody expected him to be that way since the former duke, Harry's father, had not been this promiscuous.
Sirius would have dismissed this thought had his godson been doing it ever since he became a duke. But what bothered him was the fact that it just started three months ago. He was not that type of person and Sirius wanted to know what happened and who caused this sudden change in him.
He stole a glance at Harry who was now walking over to him with two glasses of scotch in each hand. Sirius took one when he offered it to him and watched as Harry sat down on the opposite settee.
"Why?" Sirius asked the moment he had settled comfortably.
"Why what?" Harry shot back, feigning light puzzlement.
"You know what I am talking about." Sirius snapped impatiently.
"Do you know that this is like the pot calling the kettle black?" Harry tried to keep his amusement from showing in his voice.
If Harry had expected him to deny it, he didn't show any emotion when Sirius didn't. "I had them when I was your age but I didn't toss them aside after…" Sirius trailed off, assured that he did not have to finish for Harry to understand.
"I get tired easily." He said simply, as if unaware, if not, then indifferent, to the callousness of his words.
"Why are you doing it?"
"I enjoy their company. But I don't like to linger. You, of all people, should know what they expect if you stay with them too long." He took a sip from his glass, studying Sirius' reaction through the rim.
"Don't you dare provoke me, Harry James Potter."
"Don't you think it's a little beneath me to provoke somebody who is almost twice my age and is a very vital person in my God-forsaken life?"
"And now you're being condescending."
He shook his head thoughtfully. "I am entitled to my own business, Sirius."
"And so you are." He nodded, but smirked. "But that will not stop me from telling you that what you are doing is beneath everyone else! I have not heard of a nobleman, a duke, to be exact, who already has a record of having five mistresses in just three months!"
"Five?" Harry scoffed. "Wherever did you get that number?"
"You mean it is not true?" Sirius visibly relaxed.
But his peace was disturbed almost immediately by his godson's amused drawl.
"Are gossips that erroneous these days? If my memory is true, you should have been informed that it was 8 by now."
Sirius knew he would die of heart attack if he let this conversation progress further, not because he believed what Harry was saying but because he knew that the fool was trying to irritate him. He decided to change the topic.
"Are you going?"
Neither relieved nor surprised with the sudden alteration of issue, Harry looked over his shoulder to the invitation on his table and then shrugged.
"It's my daughter's birthday, and you do not know whether you're coming or not?" Sirius asked, incredulous.
"I have some important matters to attend to."
"And Luna is not important, is that it?"
"Of course, she is...but this is something I can't ignore."
Sirius was enraged. He slammed the glass on the table to give full meaning to his next words. It was a wonder that it didn't break. "I don't give a damn about your business! You are going whether you like it or not. I don't care if I have to tie you inside your carriage and take you there myself. You will attend."
Harry placed his foot atop his knee. "May I inquire the reason for your sudden need to rupture every time you come upon something that does not favor you?"
"You!" Sirius shot back. "You are close to becoming the carpet on this floor, Harry James Potter."
"Will it help if I told you that I have decided to go?"
"Not as much as I want it to." Sirius said.
"What else must I do to get you off my back?" Harry realized the graveness of his question almost after he said it, but it was too late to divert Sirius.
"I command you to stop doing whatever you are doing. You are close to becoming a rake!"
"You command me?" Harry asked, more amused than angry.
"I am your godfather and, duke or no duke, I am entitled to tell you what to do!"
"I don't believe everybody has to follow commands." Harry said. "And you can only advise me, not tell me. I am not a child."
"You may not be a child. But what you are doing does not show maturity in any level. You don't believe you have to follow commands? Well, better start believing now, son, because I will make you." Sirius threatened. "And since we are talking about my authority over yours, when are you planning to settle down---after you've finished playing your games?"
"Are we going there again?"
"We are, and we will continue to do it until you haul yourself out of here and find a wife." Sirius tried to speak calmly. "You are not getting any younger and I am getting impatient."
"I don't think it matters if I am getting old and I do not care if you are getting impatient. I don't have to deal with that."
"You have the responsibility…"
"Of begetting heirs…I have heard that before and I am not hearing it today. I will if you want me to, but do not meddle, Sirius. If you make even a simple interference, I will not, I repeat, I will not get married."
"If you would just allow me to introduce you to somebody at the ball…"
"Save it, Sirius. I will not have you as a matchmaker. I'll attend, but it wouldn't be for meeting people." Harry stood up, clearly dismissing the topic. Sirius relentlessly gave up and let Harry discuss with him his recent merger with a trading company from America.
An hour later, Harry was escorting him to the main entrance of Godric's Hollow. As he Sirius stepped out of the mansion and into the carriage waiting for him, Harry took it upon himself to remind him of his opposition to his godfather's impatience.
"If you are thinking of inviting somebody for me to meet and consider, I am warning you now, if you ignore this, what I will do in return will not be a pleasant sight." With that, he closed the carriage door and stalked back towards his house.
Had the young boy watched him leave, he would have seen a look of triumph on Sirius' face, not the disappointed one that he was naturally expecting.
"What I will do in return will not be a pleasant sight…."
He settled himself on the cushioned seat and smiled in contrast to the murderous message.
`Too late.'
------------------------------------------
A fortnight later…at the Black Mansion.
------------------------------------------
"Hermione?" Luna laid a gloved hand on her friend's arm, noticing the sudden pallor in her color.
Hermione, whose head was restlessly turning everywhere, gave her a fleeting glance before returning her gaze back to the crowded ballroom. "Hmm?"
Inclining her head to the side, the baroness asked, "Are you all right?"
Hermione nodded, but didn't look at her. "I'm fine."
Luna shook her head, disbelief written all over her face.
"You seem a bit…distracted." She offered blandly.
"Do not worry, Luna." She said, smiling for her benefit. "I'm quite well."
And she was truly, but the puzzled look on her face told Luna otherwise.
She didn't say anything else, though. For a minute, Luna just watched Hermione, as her gaze shifted from one corner to the other of the ballroom where her birthday celebration was being held. Then, it struck her.
"Are you looking for someone?" She asked in a teasing tone.
For some reason, this caused Hermione to abruptly fix her restless gaze on her childhood friend. "No." She negated a little too forcefully. "Who would I be looking for anyway?
But even as she said this, Hermione's eyes guiltily looked for any sign of him.
Yes.
She was looking for someone.
And she disgusted even herself for doing so.
The butler had announced his arrival minutes before, during which she was having a pleasant conversation with her friend regarding her trip to Scotland.
She thought she heard wrong, but when she saw him descending the steps to join his peers, she immediately grew wary.
Despite the agitation she was feeling at the thought that she was to be in the same room as he, Hermione told herself to act as if nothing was troubling her.
But all hopes of continuing as gracefully and as noncommittally as possible vanished the instant he felt her scrutiny and met her gaze.
Up until that moment, she had never expected to feel any more worse about him.
She was even surprised by the sudden gush of loathing that swept through her entire being as she forced herself to look the other way.
Never had she felt such powerful feelings for anyone before, she thought to herself, breathing hard.
She didn't like hating someone with such intensity, but she couldn't stop herself from doing so.
It was as if despising his existence had become a necessity for her.
Unable to stop herself, she turned her head to watch him finally make it to the bottom of the steps. As soon as he did, he was immediately surrounded by his friends and some women who were brave enough to approach him without so much as an introduction.
Hermione inwardly simpered as she mentally assaulted these women.
How could they be attracted to him? She thought.
Her conscience stirred to life within her.
Weren't you as well?
She blinked once to clear her thoughts, and lost sight of him in an instant.
She didn't even know why she bothered seeking him out.
Was she afraid he would recognize her and remember?
It wasn't as if he would.
And even if he did, it wouldn't matter.
"Are you sure you are well?" Luna broke into her thoughts. "You seem to have lost some coloring."
"Yes, Luna. I'm sorry if I have you worried over nothing." Hermione flashed a grateful smile in her friend's direction, finally convincing herself Harry Potter was not worth her time.
"Nonsense." Luna gave a sigh of relief as she scanned the ballroom with an appreciative glance. "I'm just happy you came tonight."
"I would have never thought to miss it." Hermione said sincerely.
Although her attention was already with Luna, she couldn't say that all of it was focused on her. Part of her was still cautious.
"You seem to have invited more than I thought you would, Luna." Hermione mused some time later, finally taking in that the guests in the ballroom might have been over 500. "Do you really know all these people?"
Luna regarded her with an amused gaze. "I don't. Ron does, however. He was the one I asked to come up with the guest list."
"That would explain the greater number of gentlemen." Hermione thought aloud.
"A greater number of them are single." Luna pointed out.
Hermione stared at her with a baffled look.
Somehow, this earned her a look of mild exasperation from Luna. "I asked Ron to invite them for you, Hermione."
By some means, Hermione wasn't surprised by this revelation.
There hadn't been a day in her married life that Luna didn't force her to follow in her footsteps and wed as well.
Wherever they went, Luna pried to get information about eligible bachelors, whether they were in search of a wife and whether there were certain qualities they wanted her to have.
And when satisfied with the answers, she would begin to subtly coax these gentlemen to Hermione for her to dance or converse with.
She did this wherever they went and most of the time, she was successful in finding Hermione a suitor or two…or four.
Hermione knew there were limits to Luna's matchmaking.
However, her ball was apparently no exception.
But just like always, Hermione treated this feat of hers as just a passing event. "Try as hard as you want, Luna. I won't concede."
Luna looked at her for a long time before sighing heavily. "I really do not understand your aversion to marriage. If I was as well sought out as you, I would have been married a long time ago."
Somewhere from behind them, Ron's laughing voice suddenly emerged.
"If you were, then you wouldn't be happily married to your charming husband who has been waiting for you to dance with him all night."
Luna met her husband's loving gaze with one of her own and what Hermione saw there caused a twist in her heart.
"All you had to do was ask, Ronald." Luna said, smiling.
"Well then," Ron shrugged and bowed, holding his hand out to his wife. "Would the lovely birthday celebrator end my misery by gracing me with a waltz, one which I am likely to mess up?"
"How could I refuse such a gallant request?" Luna replied with mild sarcasm as she placed her hand in his. Turning to Hermione, she asked. "Would you be all right?"
Hermione nodded, feeling happy for her. "I'll be fine."
"I'll be back soon." Luna promised.
Hermione followed them with her gaze as Ron led his baroness to the dance floor where several other couples were intently dancing in tune with the music.
Feeling quite elated, she just stood where she was, momentarily forgetting her earlier thoughts and simply focusing on
admiring the way her two friends were gazing at each other as if they hadn't a care in the world.
She was happy for Luna.
There were no words to express how grateful Hermione was whenever she saw her friend completely satisfied with her life now.
She may not have gone through the most difficult times, but she well deserved this happiness.
No one knew better than she because she and Luna had been friends ever since they were still children, when they were not aware how harsh life could be.
For Luna, that realization came a little too early.
The untimely demise of her father left her as an orphan when she was just 8 years old. Her mother had died years earlier, leaving her with no legal guardian.
One might say that this was a terrible ordeal for her, but the truth was, it had been an indirect way towards something better.
Luna had been adopted by Sirius Black, a longtime friend of her father's, when he and his wife, Alicia, could not conceive a child. And it was through an old family connection that she met her husband, Ron.
The Weasleys were a family ally. They, along with the Potters and the Blacks, were one of the oldest families in the Gryffindor estate and had wealth of their own with several titles to go along with it.
However, Ron did not inherit any title because he was the 5th son. But because Luna's father was a baron, his death had made Luna a baroness, and when she married Ron, he became the baron.
All was well that ended well, it would seem.
But for Hermione, she was still waiting for her happily ever after to come.
Her story was actually similar to Luna's.
She had lost her father at a young age, leaving her with Ravenclaw Keep to manage when she was barely 18 years old.
She would have been all right with handling what a female shouldn't, but as it was, it simply couldn't be done.
According to her father's will, only a male could handle the rights to the estate. In Hermione's case, she had to have a husband to have the lands or gain total control of it when she turned 27.
It had posed as a problem because she never had her official debut, but with Sirius and Luna at her side, she was able to launch herself into society, albeit as a late debutante.
But not once had the thought of getting married entered her mind.
Her desire to be known as a lady in search of a husband was merely for people to believe she would soon wed, and in the process, present an earl for the Ravenclaw Keep.
Had she not formally made her debut, she would have lost Ravenclaw Keep to the first man who would forcefully seize it by stealing her virtue.
At least, by giving the notion that she was willing to marry, everything would remain peaceful and reasonable.
Unfortunately, so much time had passed since her come-out, and people were getting impatient to either find that lord or be that lord that Hermione often wondered how much longer they were willing to wait before finally taking matters into their own hands.
She was aware that she should be worried about that. She also knew that to keep up with the farce and buy her some more time, she should be entertaining pursuits of gentlemen even in this ball.
But that travesty was far from her concerns right now.
What concerned her at that moment was the fact that Harry Potter was now openly staring at her from the other side of the room with a small smile playing across his lips.
------------------------------------------
Harry's eyes never left the young woman he had been watching for the last hour even as she retreated to the terrace.
He was not sorry for being caught staring. After all, she had watched him when he arrived earlier.
For an unknown reason, he had felt her perusal as he made his way down the staircase and had responded to it quite strongly.
And he was not at all sorry that his godfather had convinced him to attend Luna's ball.
Fate had been busy lately, and it would seem that Harry was one of his clients because the moment he saw her, he couldn't tear his gaze away.
She was, by far, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
Even from afar, he could see how she outshone the rest of the female in the group.
Her auburn colored-hair was a mixture of lush waves and curls that fell artlessly on her shoulders and down her back.
The gown she was wearing was of simple style when solely looked at. But when combined with the image of her, it was simply what he would call, fitting.
But then, any other robe on her would have been overly cast aside by her beauty that never seemed to fade even as his unwavering gaze was fixed on her.
She didn't look old, but Harry knew she was not young.
The way she looked at him when she caught him staring had been enough to melt an iceberg. No one young enough could have managed to do that without scouring away in fear of what he would think.
That and the apparent bravery of this young woman had him following her without so much thought on who she was or whether she might care that they knew nothing about each other.
---------------------------------------
Harry found her standing near the edge of the veranda and momentarily felt a pang of regret when he remembered a night three months ago, when he discovered someone in a similar state.
Tried as he might, the evening had never quite stopped haunting his thoughts.
He refused to think of the might have been's in the situation, because he had convinced himself long before that the affair might have continued, but it would have scarcely lasted.
The chit would have probably desired for marriage, and he would have left her for thinking so.
Yes.
It was for the best that no female would carry that hope.
So why was seeking this one out?
"I don't believe we have been introduced." He said.
He startled her. That was for sure because he saw the way she gave a start at the sound of his voice. "I'm sorry."
"You should be, Your Grace." She turned around, meeting his cool gaze, leveling one of her own on him.
He realized with a jolt that her eyes were the color of chocolate, with gracefully winged russet-colored brows. And it was now shooting darts at him as if trying to destroy him with her gaze.
Feeling as if he had been put firmly into his place, Harry gave her a mock bow. "Now you obviously think I am unscrupulous." He chuckled. "Why don't you allow me to prove to you that I am not the scoundrel you think I am by letting me escort you onto the dance floor?"
She firmly shook her head, those curls of hers swaying back and forth. "No."
Harry frowned. "If this is because you and I have never been introduced to one another, then I'll gladly ask Ron to do so. It wouldn't be so difficult. If you could just wait for one moment…"
"Why are you so adamant to dance with me, Your Grace?" She asked.
This had Harry pausing for a while before giving out an awkward breath. "To answer your question would probably take all night, because I don't know myself. But, if you want a most basic answer, I would simply say because I want to."
"Then, if you wouldn't mind a basic answer as well, I say no." She replied firmly.
Harry couldn't be more surprised…or intrigued.
"Why not?" He kept his tone light and teasing so as not to alarm her by his rising irritation.
For some unknown cause, this question had her at loss for words.
"I have my own reasons." She finally said.
"Can't those reasons be cast aside?" Harry asked.
"It will be repulsive for me to do so."
Irritated that she found dancing with him repulsive, Harry pressed further. "What have I done to you? I don't even know you."
Hermione bit her lip, trying to come up with something to tell him. Then she gave him the reason that he inadvertently gave her. "That is just the point, Your Grace. We don't know each other, yet you are pressing me for a dance which I cannot give to you. It isn't proper to do so."
"As I said, I could ask Ron to introduce us."
"No."
Harry's brows furrowed. "Why not?"
"Because unlike you, Your Grace, I don't want to."
"So then it doesn't have anything to do with propriety. What is it that you see in me that has you this vindictive?" Harry asked, unable to stop himself from being angry.
Why not?
It wasn't everyday that he met someone he was most enthralled in and then be cut directly by that very same person.
It just was not how he liked things to turn out.
"What is it that you see in me that has you this insistent?" Hermione asked back. "You can't mean to tell me that I have your attention because I am the most beautiful woman in this ball."
"You are." Harry said simply, with nothing to hide his admiration.
Heat flushed her cheeks as Hermione took her gaze away from his. She wasn't prepared for that revelation, nor was she willing to accept that it sounded sincere. Besides, he was there only because he saw her as another conquest.
His amorous affairs over the last three months hadn't gone unnoticed. She remembered.
Practically the entire ton knew all about it and basked in the very presence of a juicy rumor that didn't turn out to be just a rumor at all.
"I have no idea what it is you want from me, Your Grace. It may be as simple as a dance, but I cannot grant you even that small request. If I do so, I would find myself a sinner and a traitor. Good night."
With that unforgettable mockery of his manhood, Hermione left him standing there, unable to fathom what just happened.
-------------------------------------
A/N:
Hi…it's been a long time since I updated. You might notice that the beginning of the chapter is just the same as the one in chapter 4 of Persona. It was inevitable to do so. The last two scenes are new, by the way so this story's now more up to date than Persona.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy. And I would also like to inform you that if in the next chapters, you see something confusing, just ask. I changed some characters to make the story more in touch with Harry Potter. Thanks for the reviews! And please do express what you think…Ciao!
For the FAQ:
The time frame of the story:
It's set in the regency era. I have no specific year, just that very interesting period in England. As for some of the language that should not be included, please excuse my mistake. I am a Filipino and I don't really know much about the regency era except the fact that I am interested in it and that I want to write something about it. I'm still a neophyte regarding this so if I put a couple of words there that are just off, just inform me and I'll change it.
Have I posted this story before:
This would be the first time that I posted this as Caught in the Past, but I have another one which is called "Persona." Like I said before, I wanted to change some things in the story, but it changed the perception too much that I decided to make a new one, with a similar plot. If you're going to ask if I would continue Persona, I'm still thinking about it.
Who is Ian:
The explanation for this one is quite funny. You see, I also created this as an original fiction, without Harry Potter characters. Ian Blackwell would be the original character version of Sirius Black. When I was making the chapter for this fanfiction, I was just changing the names and I overlooked some of the Ian ones. I didn't really mean for them to be two persons. Sorry!
That's it for the FAQ. Thanks!
-->