Tuesday's Children

Disclaimer:

Not mine!

Author's Note:

Many thanks to my beta team, Sempra and Chivalric. This story is so much better because of them. Any badness is mine alone.

Also thanks to the special guest beta, Beaweasley2, who casually offered me the gemlike concept of searching the internet for revenge ideas.

(Potter Place Anything Goes Challenge, PROMPT # 2)

For whatever reason, Harry has married someone other than Ginny. Ron has told Hermione that he needs a break. Both Ginny and Hermione vow never to fall in love again. What would happen if bets were placed that (whoever was betting) could make a woman fall in love with and agree to marry him in a certain amount of time? What happens when the girls find out it was only a bet?

Chapter 7

Tuesday's Children

Blaise Zabini stepped out of his shower Tuesday morning, in a hurry to write his daily love letter to Hermione. He was surprised not to see Scooter there with a large bath towel, but occasionally the house-elf had other duties. He walked into his bedroom, expecting to see his bed perfectly made and the clothing he'd selected the evening before laid neatly out on the bed, but the bed was still a mess, and no clothes at all were laid out.

Blaise stomped over to his chest of drawers to look for some underwear. The drawer was empty! He threw open the other drawers and they were all empty, too. Blaise dashed to the wardrobe to grab a robe to put on, but the wardrobe was empty.

"Scooter!" Blaise called. No answer. "Libby!" he yelled. Again no answer. Taking his wand from the bedside table, he transfigured his bath towel into a bathrobe. It wasn't a job that would have made McGonagall proud, but it would cover him as he hunted down the two house-elves.

"Mother!" he shouted as he ran down the stairs.

"How nice to see you up early, dearest," his mother said from the breakfast room. "Come have breakfast with me. Scooter's outdone himself. Try these scones."

"Mother, my clothes are gone!" Blaise cried.

"Well, go put them on, dear, and hurry back down," Circe said placidly. "I've got your plate under a warming charm."

Meanwhile in Blaise's bedroom, Kreacher was handily re-appearing Blaise's entire wardrobe. He heard Blaise thundering up the stairs, calling for his mother to hurry.

"I don't see what the rush is, Precious," came Circe's languid reply. "If they're gone, they're gone. We can't catch them now by running." With a smirk, the house-elf disappeared.

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Tuesday, May 11, 2004

In the Daily Prophet

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Michael Corner threw down the paper in disgust. He had been the giant blue Pixie in Diagon Alley! He was home now, bright blue and unable to help out in the shop.

He walked over to his desk and began to write:

Dear Justin,

Michael Corner

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OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER 's lowliest assistant

Justin Finch-Fletchley

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"Yeah, I saw it at work, Gin," Hermione said dismissively when Ginny held up the newspaper photo of her and Neville chatting amiably at Florean Fortescue's. "Everyone was showing me that damn picture today. Those that aren't allowed into the Department sent me memos! Including your father!"

"But Dad's allowed down there. Besides, he was in the paper himself!" Ginny protested.

"Well," Hermione replied sheepishly, "I might have teased him about it on Friday when they published that picture of him with your cousin.

"He got me back today, sent me two memos and wandered down to the Department just to say hello, newspaper under his arm!"

Hermione was trying to sound stern, but she ended up laughing merrily. Ginny joined in.

"So did you pick up the mail today?" Ginny asked, still grinning.

Hermione pulled several letters from her briefcase.

"Good! To work!" Ginny cried, grabbing the first letter that came to hand and reading it.

"Dear Sir,

Mr. Willie Gaylord"

Hermione and Ginny gaped at each other for a moment.

"You realize," said Hermione, "that Mr. Gaylord had to go into Gay Britain, a homosexual meeting place, to see the flyer Justin posted there. What was he doing there if he hates gays so much? Preaching to them?"

"Very weird," agreed Ginny, placing the letter on the 'yes' pile.

"Ginny, wrong pile," laughed Hermione. "We don't want this guy to arrange a meeting with Draco."

"I do," muttered Ginny as she slipped the letter into the 'no' pile to placate her friend. "Wait, I have an idea!" Ginny picked up Mr. Gaylord's letter and grabbed a quill and parchment.

"Dear Mr. Gaylord," she dictated to the enchanted quill, "Thank you so much for your letter. It has changed my life."

"I picked up my bible and began to read, as you suggested. When I read Leviticus, I realized that I was a sinner and I dropped to my knees to beg God's forgiveness. Now I am never going back to that Den of Iniquity, (capitalize that) except to remove my advert posted there. After I get my sign down (and destroyed) I am going to church to pray for my soul.

"I know it will make you happy to know that You Have Changed my Life! (capitalize that) I am very grateful to you and God for giving me this second chance!

D. M.

"End of dictation."

"Ginny," Hermione said, "I'm not sure if that's a wise thing to do."

"Oh, you're no fun!" Ginny complained as she dropped Mr. Gaylord's letter, and her response, on to the 'no' pile.

"Hermioneeeee! Ginnieeeee!" sang an unmistakable voice from the Floo. "It's Circeeee! May I come through?"

Ginny gathered the letters up and dropped them willy-nilly into a basket that held a few onions near the sink. Kreacher took Hermione's robes and briefcase and disappeared with them as Hermione called, "Certainly, Circe, come right through!"

Circe stepped gracefully out of the Floo, a vision in shades of spring green and emerald green. She was immediately followed by a neat house-elf who dusted her robes off and waved a hand around the kitchen, removing any soot they had brought with them.

Circe looked around the room. "I haven't been in this house since Regulus's funeral," she said solemnly. She shook her head as if to dispel any unhappy thoughts.

"Let me tell you what happened!" she said excitedly.

Kreacher reappeared in the kitchen and bowed low to the guest.

"Noble friend of Master Regulus should be stepping through to the parlour, and Kreacher will serve tea," he announced in a voice that would brook no opposition.

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Once settled in the parlour, the three ladies had leisure to chat.

"As soon as Blaise began to shower, I called Libby and Scooter and sent them on an errand I had arranged yesterday. Then I called Kreacher through the Floo system – you were both already gone to work – and he came over and made all of Blaise's clothing disappear.

"So my son came downstairs in a dreadful-looking bathrobe I suppose he transfigured – he ought to work on his transfiguration! – and he made me follow him back upstairs to show me that his clothes were all gone. By the time we got upstairs, Kreacher had returned the clothing to its rightful places and made Blaise's bed to boot.

"Blaise was shocked, and I told him it must have been a dream that his clothes were all missing."

Hermione and Ginny both laughed delightedly.

"Clever lad," Circe added fondly. "He said, 'Mother, if the house-elves are both gone, who made my bed?'"

"Well, he had me there! I told him we'd ask Libby and Scooter when they returned.

"Of course, when they returned, all they could say was that I had asked them to go pick up some items I'd ordered at a number of shops. Neither of them had made the bed."

Circe gave the girls a mischievous smile. "I haven't had this much fun in years!" she said.

"We really appreciate your help, Circe!" said Hermione, still grinning widely.

"Yes, thank you, Circe!" Ginny added, "and we ought to do something for Kreacher, for all his help!"

Hermione beamed happily at Ginny for caring about the house-elf. "I found a picture of Regulus in the attic and had it framed. I was going to give it to Kreacher for helping us!" she said. "It'll be from both of us, of course!"

Circe watched Hermione, noticing how the girl's face lit up when she smiled. And such a thoughtful girl, wishing to do a kindness even for the house-elf who was bound to serve. It cost her a twinge of regret to know that Hermione would never marry Blaise. Whatever girl Blaise might marry, how could he find the equal of Hermione Granger?

"So Hermione, are you really dating Neville Longbottom?" she asked. "I saw the paper!"

Hermione entertained her two friends with tales of the teasing messages that had swooped in on her at inopportune moments during the day.

Circe was happy to hear that Neville and Hermione were merely friends. She still wanted Hermione to marry her old friend, Severus. Hermione could match Severus in sheer brainpower and would understand (as many women would not) when he needed to be alone. Hermione really was the ideal wife for Severus; she understood what the poor man had been through better than most.

"I'm so glad I met you girls," Circe said. "I hope that we can remain friends after this revenge thing is over. I really think you're nicer than most of my friends. I don't have a lot of close women friends." The reasons was obvious: Circe was acclaimed as the most beautiful witch in the world, and a lot of women hated her for it.

"But you two are not shallow; you won't dislike me for being pretty. And I certainly don't dislike you two for being brave and good and famous! And you're ever so much fun!"

Professor Slughorn claimed that not everyone in Slytherin was evil or unpleasant, Hermione thought, and look at Circe Abernathy; she's proof! Along with Professor Snape, of course.

"Well, certainly we want to be friends with you; you're loads of fun!" Ginny said.

Hermione looked at Circe and gave her a warm smile.

"As long as it won't upset Blaise, I'll be proud to call you friend," she said.

"Blaise does not allow me to choose his friends!" Circe said with a proud toss of her head. "So why should he pick mine?"

to be continued

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AN:

In case anyone was wondering...

As a leading member of the Wizengamot, Arthur Weasley is allowed down in the Dept. of Mysteries. He is not a senior member in number of years served, but having fought at the Battle of Hogwarts & having been in the Order of the Phoenix, he was promoted, not only to mere member but to senior member. (There were quite a few vacancies when the Death Eaters and Voldemort sympathizers were kicked out.)

Hermione is a 'mere' member since she is so young. But everyone expects her to rise in the Ministry and certainly in the Wizengamot.