Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Hermione's eyes struggled to stay open. She had been reading Faerie Tales now for at least three hours. She was only half-way through the book, and she had skipped all the stories about common fairies. The tales about fairy-witches were interesting. All claimed to be first-hand accounts of people who had interacted with their personal fairies. Hermione wasn't sure she believed any of it. All of the encounters could be explained away by wishful thinking or hallucinations. She just wished she could find some real proof. She was beginning to fear for Severus' sanity. Perhaps the students had finally sent him over the edge.

She focused on the story before her. She'd not begun it, as the minute she turned the page, her eyes had drooped shut. Now, she snapped them open and willed herself to read.

From the time I was a child, I always knew I had a guardian angel. I had seen her once or twice. She never said a word, but had always smiled at me before disappearing. The first time I saw her, I was but a child. My family had gone on a picnic in a nearby forest, and I had wandered off. Before I knew it, I was lost. I tried to find my way home, but only managed to get myself farther away from my family. I found myself alone and crying in the woods.

Suddenly, my room was filled with light, and the long-forgotten angel appeared before me. She explained that she was a fairy godmother and that she was there to grant me my wish. I was skeptical at first, but was surprised to meet a nice man the very next day. We grew close and before I knew it, we had married. I thank my fairy godmother for a wonderful life.

Hermione scoffed at the end of that tale. It was probably just coincidence that this particular person found a new love so quickly. The story mirrored Severus' somewhat, and that was interesting. Of course, the woman in the story had been distraught with her life as it was, just like Severus. Surely, her wishful thinking had influenced her ideas about the fairy.

She mulled over the story a bit more, but her mind became foggy, and she soon fell asleep.

Hermione was a little girl again. She was in school, barely nine years old. The school bell rang, and she got up and left the classroom. Three boys followed her out. Once they were away from the school grounds, they began to taunt her.

Hermione blinked and looked around. She'd thought she'd heard something, but her room was empty. Her eyebrows knit together, but she could not solve the question that floated in her mind. She shrugged it off. Whatever had happened, it had brought her out of her melancholy. She felt much better now. She would not let those boys bother her with their teasing again.

Hermione's eyes opened slowly, and she stared into the blackness of her room. The dream was still fresh in her mind. She sat up and lit the room with a flick of her wand. An odd feeling enveloped her. She actually had lived that dream except for the entrance of the fairy godmother. She remembered being confused by a sound she'd heard, but had found nothing.

Chuckling to herself, she rolled her eyes. Her mind was playing tricks on her, inserting a mythical creature into a memory!

Hermione sat at the table in the Burrow surrounded by chattering. There was a flurry of excitement as a group of women sat around Molly's kitchen table. Plans for Harry and Ginny's wedding had been made, and tonight, the women were all amassed to have a pre-wedding party. Each one was sharing stories about Ginny and Harry. Molly started.

"I remember when we first met Harry at the train station. You didn't stop talking about him for days, dear! You were merely a child, but even then you knew what you wanted!" Molly squeezed Ginny's shoulder as she gave her a loving look. Ginny grinned back at her.

"Yes, you always knew, Ginny," Fleur cried. "I remember you hideeng at doors and leestening een on Harry, Ron, and Hermione when they were plotting against You-Know-Who. You were so cute wiz your ear up against the door. You thought Harry and Hermione were up to no good, n'est-ce pas?"

Ginny giggled. "No, not really. I just wanted to be included, but they wouldn't let me in. I knew Hermione had a crush on Ron."

Luna looked at Ginny dreamily. "It's just so romantic, Ginny. You've been in love with him since you were a little girl, and now you're getting married!"

Molly yawned loudly. "Oh, my! It's late, and we've been celebrating for hours. You'd best get to bed, dear. You have a big day tomorrow, and we don't want you looking sallow."

"Yes, Mum," Ginny said as she watched Molly head for her bedroom. Fleur excused herself also and disappeared, leaving Luna, Ginny, and Hermione still seated at the table.

Hermione shook her head in admiration. "Really, Ginny, I don't know how you hung on for so long."

"Well, Hermione, you always urged me to be patient."

Hermione laughed. "I also told you to date other men!"

Ginny smiled. "Yes, but that was only a means to an end." Ginny leaned into her two friends. "Actually, I had outside assurances that everything would work out as I wanted."

Hermione arched an eyebrow at her, but Luna nodded in understanding.

"Your fairy-witch paid you a visit, didn't she?" Luna asked seriously.

Ginny turned to Luna with an incredulous look. "How on earth would you know that, Luna?"

Luna smiled at her slowly. "It just makes sense. It's the kind of thing a fairy-witch would do."

Hermione shook her head, dumbfounded that the subject of fairy-witches had been brought up. "What do you know about fairy-witches?" she asked Luna.

Luna laughed. "Why, they're marvelous, Hermione. They watch over us and console us when we're sad."

"But... nobody's ever seen one."

"I have," Ginny said matter-of-factly.

Hermione's head snapped over to Ginny. "What are you talking about?"

"Do you remember when I wrote that Valentine to Harry? Merlin, it was so cheesy!" She quoted it aloud with a flourish of her hand as she recited it.

His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad,

The hero who conquered the Dark Lord.

Laughing and shaking her head, she continued her story. "When I wrote it, I read it aloud. All of a sudden, there she was... my fairy godmother."

"Mine has beautiful blue eyes!" Luna interjected.

"You've seen one too?" Hermione asked.

Luna nodded. "She reminds me of my mother. Do you suppose she could be my mother watching over me?"

Hermione blanched. "They're rumored to be a cross between humans and fairies. I doubt she would be your mother. In fact, I doubt that she even exists. You were probably dreaming."

"Oh, no, Hermione. I wasn't." Luna shook her head solemnly. Her eyes were wide with sincerity.

"Neither was I," Ginny said.

Hermione huffed and blew a strip of hair away from her face. "How can you believe such things? They're obviously manifestations of a clouded mind."

Ginny frowned. "All I know is that I said that wish out loud, and she appeared."

"Was your fairy blonde too?" Luna asked. "They're always blonde."

"Luna, how do you know so much about these mythical creatures?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, my father did a study on them. His fairy let him travel with her. It was his wish, and she didn't deny him."

"You're father followed a fairy-witch around?" Hermione sincerely doubted that the man who thought the horn in his home was a Snorkack horn instead of an Erumpet horn would have recognized a fairy-witch if it came up and hit him over the head with a wand.

"He spent an entire day with his fairy, watching the actions of others as she helped them. He even saw her home, although she wouldn't let him see any other fairy-witches. It was very interesting."

"Right..."

"Hermione, I don't know about Luna's father, but I know I've seen my fairy. She assured me that things would work out with Harry. She told me I'd just need to be patient. Sometimes I wasn't as patient as I should have been, but things did work out in the end."

Hermione shook her head. "I just can't believe this. Why, all of a sudden, is everyone talking about fairy godmothers?"

"Who else is talking about them?" Ginny asked curiously.

Hermione waved her hand in dismissal. "Never mind. I need to go. Your mum is right, it's getting late. I'll see you in the morning."

Hermione stormed out of the Burrow, leaving a confused Luna and Ginny staring after her.

"She needs a bit more convincing," Luna mused as she watched her friend depart. Ginny only nodded.