Harry Potter-Hermione Granger and Gabrielle Delacour/Harry Potter

It was New Year’s Eve at the Delacours. A family as proud and noble as theirs was naturally throwing a party on this auspicious holiday. Not just other clans of the upper crust but also other French wizards come out to have a good time. And naturally all of their allies in the Order of the Phoenix.

At the Dursley’s and at Hogwarts, Harry Potter always stood out. For wildly different reasons, but no matter what it always attracted trouble in the end. Here staying with the Delacour family in their great mansion, he was getting more than his fair share of glances too. The name of Harry Potter had made waves in the wizarding world for surviving Voldemort, but here in the heart of France’s magic society, they were looking at him for other reasons too. The boy who had saved Gabrielle Delacour, a girl with just as promising a future as he had, was here in the flesh.

In the wake of Voldemort’s revival, it all made him feel rather awkward. That mix of embarrassment of so many people staring at him coupled with a strange vanity at being recognized like he had during his first days at Hogwarts. There was a hope in him that things here wouldn’t turn out to be as messy as at Britain’s wizard academy.

His friends didn’t make that any easier. Ron was looking around at everything with a wide eyed grin on his face and the light twinkling in his eyes while even Hermione being in Phlegm’s star studded crib was looking to hobnob around with the royals. All three of them were dressed for the occasion, Harry and Ron in suits and ties looking fine enough to feel like kings. Hermione was also dressed to impress, her hair pulled back in lovely curled tresses and going around in a sleeveless long golden dress with flowing straps over her shoulders the whole thing shimmering wherever she walked making her feel very vain in the presence of the family she swore she’d never once associate with. They were ready to have a good time.

Indeed, Hermione’s mention is very notable for one reason. There were more than a fair share of cute guys and hunks hanging around, some of them giving her looks that were none too innocent and she was all too happy to smile right back at him, bowing curtsies like a proper noble lady. Ron being Ron naturally he was very jealous, he was bad about it back at Hogwarts and in this cradle of wealth and splendor, he was starting to feel like he next to a bunch of French Malfoy bastards. But he needn’t have worried, not when Hermione was sticking around simply to make sure the boys didn’t get too comfy in the presence of Phlegm and her sister.

Away from the main crowd, Harry stopped. He was just looking to stretch out from all the hubbub with his three besties, but he didn’t realize that he was standing under the mistletoe high under the arch of the ceiling. Not quite Christmas anymore but this family still had their decorations out. He elbowed Ron and pointed up. Weasley just looked up and laughed.

“Harry lad, are you proposing to me?”

“Well, I would like to show everyone here the bonds of our friendship!”

The two boys laughed together. Meanwhile seeing the two boys were safe from Phlegm’s clutches, Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. In this place of class and fine standing, she was ready to mingle with the rest of the crowd. But all of a sudden she snapped her head back like she felt a sixth sense. She didn’t know what it was, but something was making her alert. Something in the distance, a faint glow that seemed off in this sparkling manse, one that had seemed close to them wherever they went.