Since when was it necessary for schools to have reunions? Everyone who wanted to stay in contact stayed in contact, everyone else slipped away. That was life. I sighed and stared at myself in the mirror. Harry didn't want to go either, Ron and Ginny did so we were all going. Harry, like myself, had had every major part of his life plastered throughout the media since we left Hogwarts so what was the point? In the ten years since the end of the Second Wizarding War and our schooling at Hogwarts lots of things had happened. The things everyone knew were going to happen, happened: Harry and Ginny got married, Harry and Ron joined the Auror programme, I went back to redo my last year, Harry and Ginny had a baby, Harry and Ginny had another baby, Harry and Ginny are having another baby, Harry became head Auror, I started my Healer training… That was what had been expected of the four of us. The unexpected had been Ron and I. our relationship fizzled out perhaps two weeks after the war ended; luckily we remained friends and I even set Ron up with his fiancé, Raegan Parrish. Spending the night with my friends would be delightful, it was however, not just them I would be spending the evening with. I cast my mind back to some faces I remembered from Hogwarts. Most were a blur, some stuck out: Justin, Hannah, Parkinson, Anthony, Lavender, Malfoy… I sighed again. Why were we going?
"Hermione Jean Granger! We are going because we never see you!" Ginny's crackly voice on the other end of the phone was as annoyed as usual when I voiced my displeasure at being forced into going. "You are coming. I know New York is far more exciting but you can spend one night with us. Have you got your portkey ready?"
"Yes Gin." I said with a sigh, staring at the hairbrush on my desk.
"What time does it leave?"
"One here, six with you."
"Where do you land?"
"In your living room." I felt like a petulant child being told off. Ever since Ginny had had James and Albus she had pretty much become her mother.
"Are you wearing the dress yet?" I looked at the dress spread out on my bed. It was a stunning dress – very not me.
"Ginny, I don't think I can wear this. It's not me at all." I could feel her anger at me. "Please don't full name me again."
"Mione, you will look absolutely spectacular in that dress. Now put it on wear the shoes," I started to interrupt her. "Don't you dare interrupt me! Put on the shoes, look gorgeous and get your arse here!"
"Yes Ginny. See you soon." I said.
"Love you! Can't wait to see you!" all the hostility had disappeared and I laughed as I hung up the phone. I was very excited to see everyone. The last time I had been home had been Christmas, plus I had my big news to tell them. I looked around the apartment that had been my home for five years all packed up in boxes. It would be nice to go home.
There was nothing worse than travelling by port key. The hideous feeling of being pulled by your navel to various destinations across the world was simply horrible. The crash landing I suffered in Harry's living room caused three different people to run in with wands out. "Mione!" Harry swept me up into a hug and I resisted the urge to vomit all down his back.
"Hello." I whispered shakily.
"Oh Merlin, please don't puke on me." he let me go quickly and I was suddenly in Ginny's arms.
"It is so good to see you! You look so amazing in that dress. I knew you would." Ron smiled at me before wrapping me in his strong arms.
"We've missed you so much Hermy." I scowled at Ron, I hated that nickname. He knew and smirked at me before letting me go. The three of them stood together watching me, all dressed up to the nines. Ginny had bobbed her hair which only served to enhance the angular features of her face. That doubled with the smoky make up she was wearing made her look like a vixen. "Damn Ginny! Look at you!" the baby bump was still small but starting to show. She rubbed her stomach and smiled at Harry. The boys looked exactly the same. "Anyway, where are my godsons? How big are they? Will they even recognise me?" we walked through Grimauld Place into the subterranean kitchen to see Mrs Weasley fighting with a small boy with messy jet black hair who refused point blank to eat his tea.
"James Sirius Potter! You will eat this, it's delicious!" Flashbacks to my earlier conversation with Ginny hit me. Uncanny I thought. "Hermione! Oh dear, it is wonderful to see you. James look, Auntie Hermione!" James whipped his head round and stared at me. James was the perfect mix of his parents, looking no more like one than the other.
"Mi! Mi! Mi! Mi! Mi! Mi!"
"Oh my goodness." I said, Ginny smiled tiredly at me, nodding her head. James was still squeaking. Albus sat next to him, noticing James wasn't watching and started scooping James' dinner into his mouth. Al looked like a mini Harry. The jet black hair, pointing in every direction, the emerald green eyes. He was Harry to a t. "hello munchkins." I kissed both boys on the cheek which stopped James' chanting. "Are you being good boys for your Nana Weasley?"
"Yes Mi!" James said. Albus only nodded, his mouth was full.
"Alby! Stop eating James' food!" Albus had his hand in the bowl in front of James again. "We'll see you later my darlings. Be good for Nana." Ginny kissed both of her sons, quickly followed by Harry doing the same.
"You guys ready?" Ron asked. Was I?
The handsome figure staring back at me in the mirror didn't look terrified, he looked confident about spending the evening with a group of people who hated his guts. The figure merely smirked at the thought. Merlin, why am I doing this? Why did people feel the need to meet up after ten years? It's been ten years, no one wants to see them anymore. I sighed. Stupid Blaise making me go. I cursed for what felt like the thousandth time that evening. "You are such a good friend Drake, no wonder I put up with you." Blaise sauntered into my room like he owned the place, his robes billowing about him making him look very reminiscent of the late Professor Snape. "What are you wearing?" I looked down at my tailored Armani suit.
"It's the muggle version of dress robes. Extremely comfortable and that wretched cloak doesn't get in the way." Blaise had got very used to my appropriation of various muggle-isms but I think it still bothered him a little, considering y upbringing. "You should try one."
"Yeah right. I like the wretched cloak." He stood next to me and looked at the mirror. "Makes me feel powerful, plus…" he pulled out a box of Bertie Botts from a hidden pocket inside the mass of fabric. "Want one?" I bravely stuck my hand in the box and pulled one out.
"Cheers." I said, popping the small bright green bean in my mouth. "Peppermint, thank Salazar for that. I think in the last box we had I got a vomit one." I shuddered at the memory. Blaise and I had shared the apartment in muggle London for almost four years now. It was in a good central location for both of our respective careers; close enough to Diagon Alley for Blaise and his law firm but also about the same distance from St Mungo's for me. It was already far more like a home to me than the Manor had ever been. "Are you ready to go?" I asked. Blaise was still checking himself out in my mirror. "Dude!"
"What? Sorry. Yes I'm ready. Are you?" Was I?
I apologise for it being so short but I just wanted to get the first chapter done. The next chapter will be up soon :)