By Reason Of Birth

The ceremony was extremely small. In fact, the only people admitted to the room it was to take place in were those in the wedding. There was no pomp and circumstance as they entered the small room, each in formal attire. Both Zarina and Jonas were positively glowing with happiness, and Hermione couldn’t help but be happy as well.

Blaise and Jonas’ son, Jacob, were both handsome in their matching dark blue and white robes, standing off to Jonas’ side. Hermione hadn’t remembered Jacob’s name, but she did recognise his face as a cute Ravenclaw she had seen in the library on a regular basis.

The ceremony itself was extremely short, and as soon as it was finished and all of the paperwork had been signed, the small group made their way to Jonas’ home, where Zarina and Blaise would be moving into as soon as the couple was back from their honeymoon.

As they stepped onto the property, Hermione’s jaw dropped. Because of Blaise’s suspicions that Jonas wanted his mother for her money, she had never considered that he may be wealthy himself, but if this was where he lived, wealthy he most certainly was.

It wasn’t so much that the house was rather large, though it was, but the fact that it was situated in the middle of the largest lawn she had ever seen, minus Hogwarts. Hermione glanced up to Blaise, and saw that his face was full of apprehension. She squeezed his hand, and he smiled down at her, bringing her hand up to his lips before wrapping his arm around her waist.

Hermione had to stop her jaw from dropping again as they entered the ballroom, which was twice the size of the one at her home. The room had been decorated in silver with a light purple to match Zarina’s dress, but even more than this, the room was packed with people. Hermione didn’t recognise many of the faces, but every woman she had ever had tea with seemed to be present, as well as the rest of her family.

They had a light meal, and both Jacob and Blaise gave a toast, after which a band started playing, and Jonas swept Zarina to the dance floor, soon followed by Blaise and Caoilinn and Jacob and Hermione, Blaise assuming that Hermione’s mother would be more comfortable dancing with him than someone she had never met.

“So, Jacob, what are you studying in Italy?” Hermione asked as they gently twirled around the parquet floor.

“The ancient wizards of Pompeii. Vesuvius buried their settlement, but the area they lived in is still completely protected from Muggles, and the university I’m with has been excavating it for the past ten years. Unlike in the Muggle ruins, most everything we have been unearthing is in pristine condition once it’s gone through a thorough series of Cleansing Charms.”

“Really? Why haven’t I heard of it?” she asked, intrigued.

“You probably just haven’t been reading the right magazines and journals. In other countries, it’s been mentioned during History of Magic, but with Binns, you have no chance to learn anything about it at Hogwarts unless it’s something that you’re interested in.”

“I suppose I can see that,” Hermione answered darkly, thinking of the inept ghostly professor.

People were filling in the dance floor around them, and soon Blaise appeared to cut in, though he was soon interrupted by Brisco. It was almost a half an hour before Blaise was able to cut back in, both he and Hermione had to dance with other partners, such as he with his mother, and she with her brother.

The cake was cut, the champagne was flowing, and Hermione’s feet were killing her. She sat down on an out of the way chair to take off her shoes and rub her feet. Almost immediately, she was once again joined by Blaise, who knelt in front of her and started rubbing her feet. She moaned and leaned her head against the wall behind her. “You are a god,” she informed her boyfriend as his fingers worked the pads of her left foot.

“I’m glad you think so,” he responded, smirking cheekily up at her.

“This place is huge. It’s hard to believe that people can actually live in a house this big,” Hermione commented with a whimper as he pressed on a particularly tender spot.

Blaise stopped working on her foot, looking up at her, his face slightly unsure, but only to those who knew what to look for. “Do you want to see my rooms? I haven’t moved any of my stuff in, but I don’t really think I will. After all, I’ll only be living here for the rest of this summer and over school holidays, since next year I’ll be back to my house.”

Hermione smiled as he rambled through his nervousness and took his hands in hers. “Of course I’d love to see your rooms. Am I allowed in, though?”

“Yes, you are,” he answered as he put her shoes back on her feet and helped her to stand. “My mum’s been so busy with the wedding I doubt she’s had time to think of it, not to mention that Jonas’ house-elves wouldn’t have listened to her until they were officially married. She’ll probably have the charms put up before they leave for their honeymoon in the morning.”

Daphne Greengrass was the only person to notice her friends disappear out of the room, and she smiled and chuckled in their direction, not saying a word to anyone.

They walked up two flights of stairs and down three halls before Blaise stopped in front of a nondescript door that looked exactly like every other door in the hallway. “This is my room, though it’s almost my own wing since no one else lives in this hall. Mum and Jonas are the next hall down, and Jacob’s room is a few doors down, but apparently he’s only here for holidays.”

“Then what are we doing just standing here?” Hermione asked with a sly smile. Blaise smiled back and leaned in to kiss her before opening the door and backing into the suite of rooms.

“This is the front room,” he said with a flourish of his hand in the direction of an antique sitting room set. “There’s an office through that door, and a bathroom off the bedroom, which is through that door.” He pointed in the direction of each door as he mentioned them, not putting in any effort to show her around.

“Oh, and what colour is the bedroom?” Hermione asked, fake innocence dripping from her voice.

“I don’t know the exact name of the shade. Why don’t you come look and tell me what you think it is,” he suggested with a grin as he took hold of her hand and pulled her toward the bedroom.

She giggled as they crossed the threshold. “White. This room is white,” Hermione told him.

“I’m glad you could clear that up,” Blaise said just before his lips met hers in a deep kiss. He reached over to her breast, cupping it gently before lightly pinching the nipple through the fabric of her dress.

“I believe we started something at the World Cup last week that needs to be finished,” he whispered into her mouth, his eyes searching her own.

“We do,” she murmured in agreement. “I’m not ready to have sex with you, Blaise. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a good many things that we can’t try,” she rushed on when she saw a flash of disappointment cross his face before he quickly hid it, not wanting her to feel pressured because of his desire for her.

“A good many things, hmm?” he asked, his lips nipping at her neck and ear. “And just what might these things entail?”

“Well, first, we may need to take off our clothes,” she responded, gently pressing her lips to his as her fingers went to the clasp of his robes.

“I like it already,” he said, pushing down the straps of her dress.

Chapter End Notes:
thanks to the readers, the reviewers, the Lupie beta, and to Aleisha Potter, who gave me the concept for Jacob's job/schooling. and, i should be done posting this story by the end of the year!!!! i am currently writing the last chapter, and the epilogue is already done!!