'Well this is great.' Hermione Granger thought, staring at the nauseating pink invitation in her hand. A Granger family reunion invite, forwarded from her mother with a promise to thoroughly investigate any excuse she came up with. Even the wording of the dreaded thing was sickeningly sweet and utterly false:

Dear darling Hermione,

I do hope you can make this year's family reunion. It's being held at a very exclusive hotel, you must have heard of it, The Serpent's Rest? Very exclusive, you know, even I had to book months in advance, and the owners owed me a favour! Your dear cousins are very excited to see you, oh and feel free to bring a significant other if you wish. My daughters both have the most charming boyfriends...

It would be lovely to see you there...

It is beginning on the first Friday in August, with a formal dinner at 7pm, please do not be late. You will be free to leave from 11am on the Monday.

Lots of Love...

Aunt Cliona

She checked the calendar and felt her heart sink. Not only did she not have a valid excuse, but Draco would be away on business in Japan, having left on the first Tuesday of July to return on the Thursday after the reunion. She sighed.

At that moment, the door to the luxury penthouse opened and her fiancé strolled in, sporting his I-just-rolled-out-of-bed-and-I-still-look-sexy-as-hell look, his platinum blond hair perfectly tousled and his beautiful grey eyes as bright as ever. He took one look at Hermione's crestfallen face and strode over, wrapping her in his arms as she burrowed into his chest.

"What is it Princess?"

"Nothing" she replied, glancing at the mahogany coffee table. He followed her gaze, his eyes finding the scrap of card.

"It's an invite to the family reunion, you're away, so I'll have to go alone..." She explained in a dismal tone.

He had by now picked up the invitation, making a face at the colour before commenting on the location:

"The Serpent's Rest? That's ours, the one father gave us as an engagement present? I'll bet it was him who 'owed them a favour'."

"Oh, I kinda skimmed over the name"

"Parvati Patil is the receptionist there, I'll ask her to give you a way out if the cousins get too unbearable."

"Thanks Draco, and just for the record, I love you."

"Love you too sweetie."