Crossed in Love
Author's Note: After ready several wonderfully well written regency era and Jane Austen inspired fan fics on Portkey I decided to try my hand at one myself. While I love all Jane Austen, I thought it would be fun to place around with Persuasion in a H/Hr story, rather than P&P which some have done. Initially this story will quite closely follow Austen's story, but will diverge quite a bit in some ways after a while. I have already played around with it a little bit. Hope you like it! This is my first try at an AU fic.
Disclaimer! Harry Potter is not mine, I'm not JK Rowling, so nothing belongs to me, if only. Any Jane Austen related characters or references also are not mine. I do not claim to even have a tenth of Austen's writing skill.
"All the privilege I claim for my own sex, and it is not a very enviable one - you need not covet it, is that of loving longest, when existence or when hope is gone!" - Jane Austen, Persuasion
Chapter 1 - Shattered Pieces
The Grangers, a quite respectable family had come upon some financial hardships upon the death of the prudent and good Lady Granger. Mr. Granger had been a bit to careless with the family funds and as a result the family was forced to quit the family estate with his eldest daughter Hermione Granger and move to a smaller home in the town of Bath much to the dismay of her father.
Hermione, by far the most sensible member or the family was already twenty and six and her father and younger sister despaired of her even finding a husband. Neither thought her to be a remarkably pretty, accomplished, or fascinating girl. Lavender, her less willowy younger sister was considered to be the beauty in the family despite her somewhat conventional good looks. She had married rather well, to Mr. Ronald Weasley, the eldest son and heir of the Mr. and Mrs. Weasley who lived at the Burrow a rather modest estate and was quite pleased with her situation. Hermione certainly did not begrudge her that, and did not mind so much having the house almost all to herself, as she rarely found the need for her father's company and her rarely desired hers. She was no longer disturbed during quiet afternoons spent in the library.
Hermione had a lovely fair complexion, quite pretty, expressive dark eyes, and delicate features, but her rather unruly brown, curly hair marred her otherwise pleasant looks, and she was quite past the bloom of youth. A sort of sadness was indelibly etched into her face. With her mother gone, she had depended on the kindness and friendship of her godmother and longtime family friend Nympadora Lupin. Lady Lupin, the widow of well-know professor and admired gentleman, had been Hermione's late mother's greatest friend. She was of quite noble birth, coming from the noble and wealthy Black family. Lady Lupin had quite distaste for her family though and rarely talked about her relations.
Miss Granger, who was currently occupied with taking an inventory of her family's items, deciding what would and would not come with them to Bath, was interrupted by the entrance of one her family's neatly attired servants. She quickly flicked her wand and a sheet sailed nearly over to cover a chair in the corner that they would not be bringing along.
"Lady Lupin, here to see you miss," he announced.
"Thank you, I'll just be one moment," she replied, smiling kindly at him. He bowed slightly and left the room. Hermione smoothed out the skirt of her dress and headed down the stairs to go receive her guest.
"Hermione my dear, so good to see you," Lady Lupin enthused as Hermione entered the front room.
"Hello, Lady Lupin. It was so kind of you to come. I trust you have heard that my father's lawyer has at last found someone to lease our home. He should be here shortly. Father had hoped you would be here in time to hear who he has found. I sincerely hope the family pleases father," Hermione informed her.
Her older friend smiled in sympathy. "I am very sorry that you must quit your home due to such sorry circumstances, but I'm sure that you will find Bath to be quite to your liking my dear."
"Yes, I'm certain that I will, though I will greatly miss this home and the countryside. I much prefer country life to city life as a rule. But I cannot reverse time, now can I? Let us find my father."
Hermione and Lady Lupin made for her father's office, rarely used for anything of substance. Mr. Granger was seated at his desk, frowning over some papers. His lawyer Mr. Barton was shifting his weight between his two feet rather anxiously. It had not been easy to procure a tenant for the home with such short notice. He was desperately hoping that the family met with Mr. Granger's exacting standards. Mr. Granger was many things but above all he was a very proud, judgmental man.
As his daughter and her godmother entered the room Mr. Granger smiled and rose from his seat.
"Lady Lupin, so good of you to come," he said, taking her gloved hand and regally kissing it. She curtsied and smiled.
"Daughter," he added as an afterthought giving Hermione a slight smile of acknowledgement. As usual her presence was barely worth noting to him. She was quite used to it though.
Mr. Barton cleared his throat rather noisily, eager to be done with his business with Mr. Granger and get home.
"Ah, yes, sorry I had almost forgotten why we are all in here, please share with us the information you have about the family who would like to lease our home and grounds, Mr. Barton," Hermione's father said, sitting back at his desk.
"Of course sir, I think I have found a very respectable family. They are the Lovegood family; Captain Lovegood is a former naval captain and has his unmarried daughter with him as well. His wife died a while ago, and he wants to settle down at last and find a new wife and make a fine home for himself and his daughter."
Mr. Granger frowned. "You think I would so degrade my house with those kinds of people. Doesn't this Mr. Lovegood put out some strange sort of publication now? Why doesn't he just remain in the city?"
Mr. Barton looked quite flustered and annoyed. Hermione meanwhile had gone quite pale, her knuckles equally white from clenching too tightly the back of the chair she was standing near.
"Mr. Granger, I'm sure the Lovegoods are a fine family, and quite worthy of staying in this home. Mr. Barton has surely turned aside many offers for this wonderful home and chose this family with great care," Lady Lupin said soothingly as she quickly intervened.
"Yes, just so sure," Mr. Barton supplied.
"Hermione?" Lady Lupin queried, looking to her for further support. She frowned in surprise when she saw Hermione's strange expression and pallor.
"Yes, father, Mr. Barton has chosen a fine family. I knew his family, specifically his daughter and her friends for quite a time in school," Hermione managed.
Mr. Granger sighed and took a sip of port from the glass on his desk. "I suppose they will have to do. We must leave for Bath very soon, wrap things up Barton," he said to the lawyer, who nodded and all too eagerly quit the room.
"I'll get back to sorting out the upstairs. Father, Lady Lupin." Hermione made a quick curtsey and headed back for the upstairs. Instead of going back to work she headed for the library, settling down into her favorite window seat to looking out at the gray skies. It was threatening to rain any moment. She pressed her check up to the cold glass of the window, holding back tears that had been threatening to spill.
"Hermione?"
Lady Lupin's voice startled her.
"Whatever is the matter? You looked very upset about something in your father's office. Is there something wrong with the family your father's lawyer found?" she asked, taking a seat in a chair by Hermione.
"No, I'm fine, I just was feeling a little warm," Hermione replied evasively.
"Come Hermione; please share with me what upset you so. You mentioned you know the daughter, did you have a falling out with her?" Lady Lupin pressed.
"No, no. It's a friend of their family, Mr. Harry Potter. He's a distant cousin of the daughter, Luna's. I met him when we went to school together and I visited her home on several occasions while her father was still away. Luna never knew of the friendship between Harry and I. You'll remember Mr. Potter though as my finance. The one you and father disapproved of my engagement to." Hermione looked down at her hands as she finished, playing restlessly with the lace at the bottom of her dress's sleeves.
"Hermione, dear, you know it wouldn't have worked out. He was quite an unknown at the time and you yourself seemed to have questions about his affection for you," Lady Lupin said, comfortingly placing her hand over Hermione's and giving it a gentle squeeze.
Hermione fought to keep her emotions in check as long buried feelings bubbled back to the surface. It was like opening and old scar up again and rubbing salt into the unhealed wound. It had taken years to suppress the feelings, to pretend that breaking her engagement to Harry had been the right thing.
"Yes, I know you and father did not think it to a prudent match, but I bitterly regret following your counsel all those years ago. It is my own fault; do not suppose that I trying to make you feel sorry for what you did or for me; I ignored my own heart and this how things turned out. Now he is not unknown know and is quite wealthy after the War, so I have heard. He is worthy of any woman now," Hermione said bitterly.
"My dear please try to forget him. You will find a husband, you will see and then you will be very happy once again. Perhaps Bath is the place to get a beau for you," Lady Lupin said encouragingly, trying to hearten her sad friend.
"No, Lady Lupin, I am twenty-six any chances of happiness are long past," Hermione said softly more to herself than her friend.