August | Hermione Granger x OFC

Chapter One: Chamber of Secrets

18th July 1992

Robyn stood tall with pride in the entrance hall of her family manor. It was her job to greet guests as they showed up to attend the annual Sacred Twenty-Eight Gala. A formal gathering which the adults used to schmooze and mingle while the kids sat around bored. It was her family's turn to host, and so she would give it her all to impress the guests and make her father proud. He had been particularly short with her recently, especially since the start of June when she had had a vision of a boy with glasses (who she presumed to be the famous Harry Potter) confronting a strange man with a face on the back of his head. Yes, that had given her nightmares and her father had been angry. Thus, she made it her mission to put herself back into his good graces.

A clearing of a throat interrupted her thoughts.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Forgive me, Mrs Longbottom. Welcome to our home," she said with a curtsy as the Longbottom matriarch and her grandson stood before her.

"Hello, Neville. How do you do?" she asked with faux pretentiousness, to which he giggled happily.

"Hi Robyn!" he replied lightly. His grandmother then thwacked him on the shoulder and raised her brow at him. "I-I mean- ah," he cleared his throat, "greetings, Miss Rosier," he glanced at his gran before bowing and taking Robyn's hand to kiss the top of it with a red face. Mrs Longbottom harrumphed and gestured for him to follow her.

"Better not keep your grandmother waiting, Neville. I'll see you inside?"

"See you inside."

Robyn watched him hurry clumsily after his grandmother and breathed a laugh. The two of them had made friends as a result of all the Galas they had been forced to attend over the years, along with a few other children around their age. Neville would often stick with his gran, however, and Robyn preferred to avoid the pompous boys her brother associated with, some more so than others.

"Rosie." She turned back to the entrance to see—

"Malfoy," she kept eye contact with the boy for less than a second before smiling prettily at his parents who were just approaching. "Mr and Mrs Malfoy, welcome. I wish you a pleasant evening," she curtseyed for what felt like the thousandth time that night.

"Why, thank you, Robyn," Narcissa replied politely. "You look beautiful in your dress," she turned to her son, "doesn't she, Draco?"

"Yes, mother," he replied, dutiful as ever. Just as Neville had, Draco stepped forward to place a kiss on her hand, keeping eye contact the entire time. Robyn felt her cheeks heat up and looked away quickly. She didn't fancy him, but he was a handsome older boy who came from an esteemed family. And he was very confident. She couldn't help her blush as she noticed Lucius watching the interaction closely. 'Oh no,' she thought to herself. 'Don't say it, don't say it—'

"You will save my son a dance, won't you, Miss Rosier?" he spoke just like her own father; not in questions or requests, only commands. And just like her father, she could not deny him.

"Of course, Mr Malfoy," she looked to each of them individually with a smile.

"Good."

And that was the end of the conversation.

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Robyn was walking towards the drinks table with Neville when she heard her name being called. She turned to see the Greengrass sisters standing with Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode, waving her over. Robyn began to make her way towards them before realising that Neville had stopped abruptly.