Keeping Up Appearances
The clatter of plates being set down, the hum of chatter around the table—it all felt so wonderfully familiar. Hermione tried her best to let herself be swept up in the warmth of the Burrow, to pretend for a moment that everything was normal. But she couldn’t quite shake the sensation that the entire family—at least, those sitting around the table—was watching them, dissecting every interaction.
It wasn’t long before the first question came.
“So,” came George’s voice, low and amused, cutting through the noise. His eyes were sharp as they fixed on Hermione and Percy, a grin playing at the edges of his mouth. “The big news, huh? Engaged, was it?”
Hermione blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Her heart skipped a beat as the full weight of the question hit her. She and Percy had barely discussed this part—barely planned for it—but she knew what she had to do. They had no choice but to act the part.
“Right,” Percy said, smoothly, before she could respond. He took a subtle step closer to her, his hand lightly brushing against hers. It was a small gesture, but it was enough to send the message. His grip was firm but gentle, just like he’d rehearsed the night before. "We didn't think it was necessary to make an official announcement just yet, but yes, we are engaged. The Daily Prophet made sure to get that out first," he added, with a small smile that could almost pass as a shrug.
Hermione’s gaze flickered briefly to Molly, who was watching them intently, her face lit up with an expression that could almost be described as maternal pride. Molly had seen the paper, too. She must have. The article had been everywhere, after all. Hermione quickly forced her own smile, nodding slightly, as if she too had no hesitation in the matter.
“We wanted to keep it a bit private,” Hermione added smoothly, keeping her voice calm. “But it seems the Prophet didn’t think that was a good idea,” she finished with a small, wry laugh, a bit of nervousness creeping into her tone.
“Oh, we had a feeling,” George voice cut in—though his words were more playful than Ron’s sharp questions would be. “I mean, you two always had that... air about you,” he said with a raised eyebrow, mimicking the same sort of playfulness that had been typical in their younger years. It almost felt normal, even if the weight of the situation kept pressing in.
Hermione and Percy exchanged a brief, shared glance. It wasn’t the most convincing, but they had no choice but to go along with it. Percy’s hand remained on hers, just enough for the others to notice, but not so much that it felt overly intimate. But it felt like an anchor, a solid, grounding presence as the others started to soak in the news.
“So, engaged, huh?” Ron’s voice was gruff, his arms crossed. “Didn’t know you two were so... close.” His tone was casual, but Hermione could hear the undertone of disbelief in his words. He wasn’t buying it. Not yet. Ron’s scepticism was palpable.
Harry, sitting beside him, didn’t seem much better. He leaned forward slightly, glancing from Percy to Hermione, his brow furrowed in that familiar way when he was trying to puzzle something out. “So this all... happened recently?” Harry asked, though it was more of a statement than a question. “You were just, what, keeping it quiet from us?” His voice was low but firm, the edge of doubt clearly present in his tone.
“Yes,” Percy answered, without missing a beat. He didn’t flinch under Harry’s scrutiny. “It’s recent, and we didn’t think we needed to make it public straight away. Some things are better kept private, don’t you think?” Percy’s gaze met Harry’s, cool and unwavering. There was a subtle challenge in his words, but it was cleverly veiled under the guise of casualness.
“Right,” Harry said, a touch of suspicion creeping into his voice. He leaned back in his seat, studying them both for a moment longer, his eyes flickering between Percy and Hermione, trying to see beyond the surface. He wasn’t convinced, and neither, Hermione suspected, was Ron.
But before the conversation could delve deeper, Molly chimed in, her voice warm but with a clear intention to steer the conversation away from the tension. “Oh, Harry, Ron,” she said brightly, “don’t be so suspicious! You know how it is. Sometimes it takes people by surprise, but that doesn’t make it any less real!”
She turned toward Hermione, her smile wide, “Now, dear, you must tell me—when’s the wedding?” Her words were bright, enthusiastic, but the way she tilted her head and studied Hermione closely told Hermione that Molly was certainly not as oblivious as she pretended to be.
The subtle weight of Molly’s gaze was almost as intense as the questions coming from Ron and Harry. Hermione had no doubt that Molly could sense the tension, could feel the layers of unspoken truth beneath the words they were speaking. But she smiled back, the practiced calmness settling back into her shoulders.
“Well, it’s a bit soon to set a date,” Hermione said smoothly. Her voice was calm, even, but inside her mind, she was scrambling. The last thing she wanted was for Molly to dig deeper into this.
Percy, ever the stoic, added, “We’ve both been quite busy with work, so we haven’t had the time to plan anything yet. But we’re both looking forward to it.”
He gave Hermione’s hand another quick, reassuring squeeze, and though it was subtle, it was enough to convey something unspoken between them. It was the type of gesture that told anyone watching, I’m here with you. We’re in this together.
But still, the questions weren’t over.
“So, when did you two actually...?” Ron began, his voice trailing off. He didn’t need to finish the sentence; everyone at the table could feel the weight of the question. They were all trying to understand why now.
“Ronald,” Hermione began, her voice a little sharper than she intended, but she quickly softened it. She knew that he wasn’t asking out of malice—he was just trying to reconcile what he knew with what was happening now. “We’ve been through a lot recently. Things just... came together. It’s hard to explain.”
Percy nodded in agreement, looking at Ron with a cool, composed expression. “Sometimes, things don’t need explaining right away. Especially when there’s so much going on.”
Harry leaned forward, his expression becoming even more intense. “And that’s all it is? No strange coincidence? No weird timing?” He raised an eyebrow, clearly trying to keep the conversation moving without pushing too hard.
Percy, unfazed, gave a slight nod. “Yes, Harry. That’s all it is. Sometimes, things are just... simpler than they seem.”
Hermione glanced at Percy, grateful for the way he was handling the conversation. His calmness was infectious, and she found herself leaning into it more, letting it steady her as the scrutiny of the table remained. She knew, though, that their cover was far from secure. The questions were still there, lingering in the air, and no amount of rehearsed calmness could make them disappear completely.
But for now, all they could do was continue the act. Act like everything was fine. Like everything was perfectly normal.