The Secrets Within
By Lady Lupin
A/N: Ok this is my first fic and if all goes well I'll be starting a L/MWPP story that will tie in to this one. I think all of the HP ones will actually. Well read and enjoy! This has a prequel called Coming Together, go read that one as well, even though it isn't quite done.
Disclaimer: All that is from the Harry Potter world is JK's and I wouldn't dream of saying it was mine, Lenora, and Nyah, however are mine, and if you would like to use them please ask permission first.
Chapter One: Hermione's Gone Home
Told by Hermione after their 4th year at Hogwarts, summer:
Hermione arrived at her home in Cambridge about two hours after she got of the train. Well this next year shall be very interesting, she thought looking out her bedroom window, it had started to rain again but it was still very steamy out. Her mother, Charlotte Granger walked in her room with Crookshanks, in his basket, and her father, Geoffrey, had her trunk.
"So dear how was your year?" her mother asked, as she let Crookshanks out. Hermione hesitated, half of her wanted to spill out all of the things that had happened this past year, but the other half new she couldn't tell her muggle mother anything. She sighed, she hated that she didn't have a wizard family to consult like Ron, Mrs. Weasley is wonderful but it just wasn't the same.
Her father was looking at her think and said to her mother in a stage whisper, "It must be about boys Char, I'll go out so she can speak with you." He winked at Hermione as he walked out. She smiled back at him.
"So dear, is it about a boy?" her mum asked with a curious glance. Hermione decided to tell her about Ron and Viktor. When she had finished her mum whistled and told her that she was going to have a hard time fixing the mess she made. Then she left Hermione to unpacking her trunk. Hermione sat on the edge of her bed (scarlet and gold for when she became a Gryffindor) and thought about the past year. She was sad because of Cedric but very happy that Harry was okay. She knew that Ron would have been devastated if he died. I would be too she thought as an afterthought. Oh Ron why do you have to be so thick, why can't you realize that I love you not Krum and that I only said yes to him because I never thought you would ask me. Well, the sight of Ron red faced to clash with his flaming hair was pretty funny, she thought smiling. Although I was very mad at him for thinking that I would ever help anyone else but Harry win, as she thought about the tournament her smiled faded and she went back to thinking about how they were going to keep Harry safe this next year. Voldemort was back and they wouldn't be able to keep Harry at one place for long. Unless Dumbledore had a plan, which could be but she wanted to know that he was safe. Hermione shook her head to clear her thoughts, which were becoming very confusing.
As she lay back on her canopy bed Crookshanks came up and lay with her. Her thoughts drifted back to Ron as she absentmindedly scratched Crookshanks in the same spot until he became agitated and jumped of the bed, and began prowling for food. She thought of his cute freckles, bright hair and how cute he looked when he blushed (which he often did) and the fact he was totally oblivious to everything she did. She sighed, there was one good point, she was pretty sure had Harry knew how she felt about Ron and for this she was glad because she thought he might have thought she liked him during the time they were together before the 1st Task. But he didn't, she had a feeling he like Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw seeker. The ways he looked at her at the dance…but it is not my business, she thought. With that she went to her bookshelf and pulled down an ordinary muggle book. It was a favorite, One of Anne McAffrey's books about Pern. She had it all wrong about dragons, but it was written well. So she spent the rest of the reading and deciding what to do for the three essays she had to do. But that night she fell asleep forgetting to start them.
Over the next week or so all she did was schoolwork until the only thing she had left was a bit of charms and an essay for Potions, which she really didn't want to do. Snape hated her so much, although not as much as he hated Harry, so she always had to do the very best so he wasn't able to find anything wrong with it. She still had a while to do it so she left it and let her thoughts drift off. She remembered the talk she had at the end of the year with Professor McGonnagall, the professor told her that they had written to the Ministry and she was given permission to use her magic over the Holidays. They decided that if something happened it would be good for her to use it with out getting an official warning at a bad time… She hadn't told Harry or Ron mainly because it would worry Harry, and…make Ron jealous. She didn't want that so she kept her mouth shut.
Then two weeks later, she was decidedly bored, so she started to write a letter to her friend from elementary school it would be a muggle letter though so she would have to be careful.
Dear Susan,
Hello how was your year? Mine turned out to be eventful, we had a dance and foreign students came and I went with one of them. This really miffed one of my best friends (Ron, I think I have mentioned him, haven't I?) though I have no clue why, his excuse was that I was "fraternizing with the enemy" because there was a football tournament and my other best friend Harry was on our team and my date was on the other team. You see my problem? Oh well, we survived it, well at least I did. Anyway have I told you about Ron? I really don't remember if I did so I will now. Ron is tall and kind of gangly with bright flaming hair and very cute freckles, he also seems to blush a lot which makes him cute. Umm I think I'll describe Harry for you, he's about medium height with black messy hair that I don't think will ever be tamed, he has round glasses and a thin scar on his forehead shaped as a lightning bolt (we always pick on him for this saying things like, oh you would be cute if it wasn't for your scar Harry, it's very amusing) There really isn't much more to say although I am at the top of my class again this year and I hope to become a prefect, a sort of advisor. Well I really must go, I have work to do, and that I hope you have a very good summer.
Love From,
Hermione
PS If you would like to send me any letters during the year just remember to send them here and my parents will get them to me.
After Hermione had sent her letter by the postman, she sat down and started to write Harry and Ron. She paused and thought, it was third week into vacation why was she already writing them? She shook her head and began on her potions essay, which was about transforming potions. So the two letters she had begun for no reason sat on her desk, forgotten for the moment. Later that night she was sitting reading the Daily Prophet (a little late as the Evening Prophet was out now). She looked on the front page and the first thing she saw was an article, by Rita Skeeter. Hermione had only just let her out. It stated that there was cover up and Ministry had begun to hide the fact that Voldemort had returned and was again beginning to attack people, less quiet than before but it was still there. Hermione sighed, if there was one good thing she has really done was stopping that Skeeter cow. And now it seems she knows how to write a clean story.
A week later she decided to finish those letters to Ron and Harry, but as she began, Pig crashed in through her window with a very big letter. She dropped him off in the cage by her bed. It held her bran new owl, Swoop, who was a male snowy, bigger than Hedwig, she had got him at the wizard's pet shop in town. Cambridge was big enough to have some of its own wizarding places; although she hardly ever went, shopping without Harry and Ron it wasn't much fun. Pig was sitting there drinking and trying to choke himself with owl-pellets, when Hedwig soared in, also with a large letter. She fluttered over to the cage and hooted with surprise when she saw Swoop. She took a big gulp of water and flew out again, Hermione never getting a chance to thank her. Pig stayed, being a smaller owl he needed rest.
Hermione opened her letter from Ron first.
Dear Hermione,
How are you? I am fine although I think Harry is worried about Sirius, he hasn't heard from him in a while and you know how he is, like the parent instead of the kid. So what have you been up to lately? Having fun, and getting schoolwork done? There should be a lot more of the 1st, this IS vacation, remember? I have been having a great time, with Fred and George around with all their new pranks its hard not to have fun. It is driving Mum mad, she can't figure out how they got money to make so many, as a matter of fact, neither can I, got any ideas? Anyway heard from Harry? He hasn't written me yet and I thought maybe those Muggles he lives with may have locked Hedwig up, what do ya think? After Pig gets back I plan to send Harry a letter (well after Pig gets back and rests). You mentioned something about a wizard shop or two in Cambridge right? Well Mum was wondering if I could come down for a visit and at the same time pick up some of the things she thinks might be there. So what do ya say? Ask your parents; I've never been to a Muggle house! (OK, OK half Muggle!). Please?? It's fun here but I think I will go crazy if I don't get out of here; I'm tired of being a tester for Fred and George! (I've been, a multi-colored rat, a tree, and a clock and they have turned me all colors of the rainbow!) I would ask Harry but I don't think that could ever happen. And guess what, you will never get it so I'll tell you; Ginny is going to Beauxbatons as an exchange student for this year! No more little sister bugging me all year. Oh yea how is Crookshanks doing? Just as lovely as ever I expect. Well as lovely as that thing can be anyway. Well I need to go, I think Mum just ate a Canary Cream, I hear a bit of squawking downstairs, at least its not me this time!
Bye-
Ron
PS: Please HURRY your response; during dinner I just became an electric blue hummingbird after biting food off one of their forks!
Hermione set the letter back down on the table and began to smile. Unless she was way off, and she hardly ever was, Ron was nervous about writing to her and had babbled throughout the whole thing. Nervous. About writing to her, she was bursting with energy as she thought. She almost ran to ask her parents before remembering they were asleep and were not likely to say yes if she woke them up to ask. She then took Harry's letter, which had been knocked to the floor. It was very short with tons of scribble around everywhere. As she read it she became very puzzled. It said to call Harry at twelve.
Hermione stared at the paper for a few seconds then at her watch. 2 to 12. She dashed downstairs and looked in the address book. She located Harry's number and dialed as the big old clock chimed 12. He answered on the first ring. He must have been waiting.
"Harry what is going on, why am I calling you in the middle of the night?"
"Because any other time the Dursley's would hear the phone." He answered calmly.
"But why do you want to talk?" He then explained that Dumbledore had written and said that he had to stay at the Dursley's for most of the summer, to keep him safe. He wouldn't be able to visit until the last week and a half of vacation. He then proceeded to tell her what Ron had been up to.
"Hermione he has been writing everyday asking my advice about what to do about you. Poor Hedwig can't take back all the responses and letters; Pig only delivers a few because he is so small. I can't stand it much longer. You two have to talk and get this thing out in the open. I made one comment to him about you in the first letter and now he wont get off the subject; I don't think he even knows I'm worried about Sirius."
"Oh, Harry he knows, he told me so in his letter. And he asked if he could come to my house to stay for a while. He gave an excuse his Mum needed something. But he was really babbling because he then tried to tell me he hasn't talked to you all summer. I am going to try to get my parents to let him come. Is he really annoyed by Fred and George or is it just an act?"
"No, they really are driving him nuts, almost as much as you are," he paused to let her think about that statement before he went on, "I think it will be good for him to get away, did he tell you about Ginny? Lucky isn't she? But anyway I did it this way we could get it all out at once, no matter what wizards say, telephones are easier for us underage ones." Hermione agreed and he continued, " you can't let him keep owling me if he goes there, I want Hedwig to find Sirius and give him a letter, but she can't if Ron has a different one everyday. And if it is ok with your parents, can I come down to visit you the last week? I have a feeling Ron might still be there."
"As long as my parents agree I'd love to have you both at my house. And Harry, why the scribbles around the message?" She ask, still puzzled.
"I'm glad that's settled." He paused and sounded faintly embarrassed. "Well I was really bored and it seemed like a good idea at the time." Hermione laughed. "So is that everything?" Harry asked, sounding nervous.
"Not unless you are going to tell me about those letters from Ron?" She actually heard him shake his head, "Well that's it then, keep in touch Harry, I'll send you something first so Hedwig wont be bothered. Take care and do be careful, and good luck with Sirius!"
"Thanks, See you at the end of the summer for sure, tell Ron no more letters. And Good Luck for you, you might need it with Ron." Then they both hung up laughing. Harry ran up to his room and fell asleep at once, hopping the Dursleys still slept.
But back in Cambridge, Hermione walked upstairs slowly and digested the new information she had. When she went to bed she didn't get to sleep till very late, thinking about a certain redhead.
The next morning she began to come up with a plan to have her parents agree to let a wizard come to their house. More than that, to let him stay from a while.
She walked downstairs with a case all put together in her head. First she approached her father, he would be the easier of the two to convince, and he was easier going.
"Daddy," she said in a coaxing voice, "I have a question to ask you."
He looked up from the paper, "What is it honey?" Hermione took a deep breath and explained the situation to him about Ron. This took sometime and when she was finished her father looked at her over his reading glasses, his eyes were questioning.
"Hermione, dear, I think it is a great idea to have your friends to come and visit. Your mother and I have wondered why you never asked before. Now if it's all right with your mother they can stay for the rest of your vacation if that is the way you want it. I would like to meet these two, Harry and Ron seem like interesting fellows." Hermione, so happy with her father gave him a huge hug and ran to find her mother who was out in the garden pruning her beloved flowers. She calmed down immediately, she new that if she was too wild her mother might say no, especially after what she had told her about Ron.
"Mum, I was wondering if Ron and later Harry could come and stay with us a while, you know how Ron has so many sibling and lately it has taken its toll. I thought he could come and visit so he can recover and come and see our house, I mean he has taken me in sometimes in the past few years, I thought might be fair if he came here. Harry wouldn't be able to come till later because his family needs him at home." Hermione seemed winded because she got that out in about two breaths and was tired from saying it so fast. This thing with Ron was making her act strangely.
Her mother had taken in the explanation quietly and then broke into a smile, "Hermione, I would love it if you had your friends come visit, I was starting to think you didn't want them here, they can stay and come as long as you want them to as long as you still do all you chores and do whatever your father or I ask of you with no problems. Oh yes and you must make sure they don't act too suspicious; we can't have the neighbors noticing anything fishy. Is that clear?"
"Mom you know we can't do magic over the holidays and my friends know that, and yes I agree to everything." Hermione then kissed her mum on the cheek and skipped up the stairs to write a reply to Ron, humming all the way.
Dear Ron,
You can come! My parents say its fine as long as you aren't too suspicious. You are welcome to stay for the rest of the summer, and Harry is coming the last week and a half, he can't leave till then, but I guess you know that. After my talk with Harry I think he's doing all right. Well owl me back as soon as you know when you can come, I can't wait because I am becoming dreadfully bored here. And of course I have most of my homework done, as yours should be too. Can't wait to have you here, there are some magical places we can explore.
Love From,
Hermione
Hermione then sent off the letter with Swoop, it was his first job and he seemed very proud as he flew of into the afternoon sky.
The next day Hermione received a short message from Ron.
Dear Hermione,
Thank you so much, it means a lot, I will be arriving very soon, my dad will be connecting your house to the Floo Network, and he says that if your parents agree, we can keep it hooked up during the summer. I think your right about Harry and I look forward to visiting places in town.
Ron
PS Who is the owl that delivered your letter?
Hermione looked up from the letter and said to Swoop, "He must be calming down if he noticed your not Hedwig, Swoop."
Hermione began to fix up her room when she suddenly stood straight up, smacked her forehead and yelled, "HE'S COMING BY FLOO POWDER!" Hermione ran to her trunk and grabbed her wand, and practically flew downstairs. Her parents thankfully were out in the garden. Hermione went over to their recently sealed up fireplace and magically took down the barrier.
Just at that moment Ron appeared in the center along with a roaring green fire. He toppled out with his trunk and fell right onto Hermione. They both fell to the floor and the trunk slammed down so close to them it lightly scraped Hermione's head. Ron looked into Hermione's eyes with amusement and said, "Hi, err, happy to see me?"
She looked back at him, blushed and squeaked, "Get off me Ron!" Inside Hermione was very happy, but she knew he was only there because he fell. At least he hadn't looked too embarrassed.
Her parents, after hearing the falling trunk and Hermione's yell, ran into the room and took a look at the green fire in the recently sealed up fireplace and then turned to Hermione, who was just getting up. "Hermione, what did we tell you about not acting suspicious?" Hermione look swiftly at Ron and then said to her parents.
"Well, you see Mum the best way for Ron to get here was for him to go by fireplace and to do that I had to take it down and to do that in time before Ron got here I had to use magic, because it would have been more suspicious to have a 15 year old boy inside our fireplace, don't you think?" Her mother sighed and told her it was ok but she mustn't do it again. Hermione agreed.
"Mum, Dad, I'd like you to meet Ron, Ron, my Mum and Dad." Hermione introduced.
Ron walked over and shook their hands and said in what was obviously his best Percy imitation, "Hello, how simply splendid to meet you."
Her dad stifled a laugh and her mum just shook his hand and said "Ron, how nice to meet you."
"Come on Ron, let me show you to your room, I'll help with your trunk." They walked upstairs heaving the trunk along with them, and as they went they heard her father say, "Well he doesn't seem like I imagined him."
