One Last Try [HP Jamione fanfic]

43. The Very First Night

A/N: Here's something some of you may have expected.. some may not..

24th December 1977

"Are you okay, Hermione?" Dorea found Hermione in the library, devouring an obscure text on battle magics she'd found there. The four boys turning men had disappeared after lunch with vague hand gestures and mumbles she'd taken to mean they were going to prepare the cabin at the end of the Potter's garden for the full moon tomorrow night.

Hermione glanced up at Dorea. She wasn't surprised the Potter matriarch had sought her out, she was like Hermione's own mother in that way. She absentmindedly tried to tuck her red-brown curls behind her ear, but they stubbornly sprung back out immediately. "I'm good, thanks, Mrs Potter."

"Dorea, please, Hermione." She took a seat opposite Hermione on the empty sofa, "James has been fretting about the meal this evening between your parents and me and Charlus. So I wanted to see how you were."

"Oh. I'm fine, Mrs- Dorea."

The older woman raised an eyebrow in disbelief, never looking more like Hermione's mother than at that moment. Hermione was unsurprised by that considering the two had been friends since they'd met as Iphemia Shafiq and Dorea Black at the Slytherin table in 1931. "You can lie better than that, Hermione."

Hermione sighed and finally put the book aside. "I'm worried." She admitted, looking away from Dorea's intense eyes, knowing the older woman could practically read her mind.

"It's a nerve-wracking thing. To have your parents meet the parents of your betrothed."

"Yea." Hermione said quietly.

"I've known both Iphemia and Geraint for a long time, Hermione as you know. You have nothing to worry about. It's just a formal meeting to satisfy the Pureblood customs we are all unfortunately bound by." Dorea relaxed back into her seat with a sigh, "We'll have a lovely dinner together, whilst the rest of those delinquent friends of James' get up to Merlin knows what." The fond smile on her face belied her words, "You've no need to worry, love. You should just treat it like any other meal."

"You really think so?" Hermione hated sounding and feeling so uncertain, but she'd been worrying about the 'official meeting' for a while now. She was immensely glad Dorea had come to reassure her.

"I know so. It'll all go well."

"Thank you." Hermione practically gushed, feeling truly calmer than she had all day.

"Of course. You're to be my daughter in law. I want you to be comfortable. Charlus and I can't wait to fully welcome you into the family." Hermione smiled widely, and blinked back sudden tears as Dorea stood and headed for the door. "Your parents should be here in a few hours. I'll send them up to you before the meal."

"Thanks." Hermione said quietly, left to her thoughts as the Potter matriarch exited the library.

30th December 1977

The dinner went as well as Dorea had said it would, and the full moon romp on Christmas night had been one of the best full moons since Hermione and the Marauders had become Animagi, and Remus had been surprisingly spry and energetic the morning after. Whatever had been making his wolf so angry since his birthday last March seemed to not have affected him this month.

It had been nice to see her parents, and reassuring that the formal meeting had gone so well. James had presented her with a beautiful set of earrings that matched her necklace and bracelets for one of her Christmas presents in the exchange they'd done after the early evening meal on Christmas eve.

Hermione headed home via Floo a few days after Christmas to see a very pregnant Molly and the three Weasley children, creating fun little games to play to allow her older sister the time to relax and catch up on sleep the twins in her womb weren't allowing her.