-CHAPTER ONE-

Duty Calls
All the characters in the following chapters belong to the wonderful Ms. Rowling, and the imaginations of her innumerable fans! Thanx for reading, yours, Hermione Double xxxxx

'Mummy?' shouted a young, red headed boy, from the top of the stairs.

'Yes darling?'

'Where's my jacket?'

'In your wardrobe. Hurry up, or we'll be late!'

The little boy dashed down stairs, his jacket on upside down.

'Honestly Joshua Harry Weasley! Come here,' She fixed his jacket, and flicked his nose. He was so sweet- the spit of her husband.

'Have you got everything?'

'Eeerrrmm, fink so. no, 'Sploding Snap Pack,'

'Go and get them,' she said exasperatedly.

As Josh toddled off, she glanced at a picture in the wall, above the fireplace. It depicted the happiest day of her life. There, Hermione, stood next to the love of her life, surrounded by all their friends of so many years, not daring to believe, that, now, she was no longer Miss. Hermione Granger, but Mrs. Hermione Weasley. But, as you looked closer, there was a face missing amongst all their friends, and the vast amount of red-heads that made up Ron's, (and now her) family. It made her so sad to think that, one of her very best friends, and perhaps one of the most famous names in the wizarding world had met his sad demise before this picture could even be taken. For Harry Potter had finally met his death staring into the face of Lord Voldemort. Just the thought that little Josh could never even meet his Uncle Harry brought a tear to her eye. Then something brought her back to her senses. Ron entered the room and kissed her on the cheek. His hands rested on his wife's shoulders, as he also looked at the picture.

'God, I wish he could have been there.'

'I know love. I miss him so much.' Josh bounded down stairs at this point. 'Anyway, better get this young man to his nana's before I go to work. Come on then, darling.'

She ruffled Joshua's hair as she spoke, and kissed Ron on the cheek.

'Bye bye, little man! Have a good day, and make sure you don't get into too much trouble.'

He then kneeled onto the floor and patted Hermione's bump 'And you!'

'I'll see you later,' she said to Ron. She ushered Joshua into the fire place and, somehow, juggling her son's hand, her handbag, Josh's rucksack and a piece of toast, in that marvellous way only mothers can do, she managed to sprinkle a little floo powder over her and her son, as she shouted, 'The Burrow!' and, with that, Hermione and her four-year old son vanished in a mass of green flames.

Ron was still stood looking at the picture. There was a dull ache in his heart, just longing to speak to the very best friend he had ever had, tell him how much he loved Hermione, how much he missed his best friend. He missed him so much, he even named his son after him. He was so lost in his thoughts, that when he glanced at his watch, he realised that he was ten minutes late for work. He Dissapparated, and immediately arrived in his office.

As he appeared, he stammered his apologies to his boss, Roger Levvitt. Mr. Levvitt, Head Auror, dismissed it, and gave him some bad news.

'Ron, there's been a bit of disturbance over-night. Death Eaters.'

'God, now what?' 'Went to a Muggle's house. Killed the whole family. It was uproar. You had better get over there, now,'

Ron followed orders, and disappeared.

Meanwhile, his wife was sat in her office, going through her student's homework. She worked at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, as Transfiguration teacher. She had only been working there a year, and she had already been promoted to Deputy Headmistress. The bell rang, and she went to her classroom. She sat in her usual chair at the front of the class, preparing herself for the rowdy Sixth Year Gryffindors she was about to teach.

'Hi, everyone. Today we will be learning how to turn furniture into animals. Now, we have a difficult lesson ahead of us, so listen carefully.'

She was off, talking them through the ways you can turn can turn French Dressers into kangaroos. At this point, a barn owl swooped into Hermione's classroom.

'Excuse me,' she said turning away. She unrolled the letter and read;

"Hermione, There's been loads of trouble at the Ministry. The Death Eaters are back. They killed a whole Muggle family, and it's been said Voldemort's behind it. Darling, look after yourself, Josh and the Bump. I don't know when I'll be home. Don't worry. I love you more than anything, Ron,"

Ha! Don't worry? There was not a moment that went past when Hermione didn't worry. Ron was an Auror, (a dark-wizard catcher) so he was always in danger. Now, as Voldemort was back to full strength, it was even more so. Almost in tears, she turned back to the class of sixteen year-olds, who, in that moment, had caused absolute havoc (one boy had somehow been transfigured into a giraffe).

Ron had arrived in the little Muggle village, his head still in the clouds. This had been his dream job, since he, Hermione and Harry had been Fourth Year Gryffindors. Harry had also wanted to be an Auror- that was how he had met his death. Ron still hated to think about it. Dumbledore, the ex- headmaster of Hogwarts, had double-crossed them. He said that he would meet them in a nearby house. Instead, Lord Voldemort had been there. As soon as he got there, Harry, expecting "The Greatest Sorcerer in the World", fell to the ground, lifeless. Killed by the murderous, evil being, who, it was hard to believe, had once been human. Dumbledore had since been killed by Aurors, and, as Dumbledore had been the most powerful ally Voldemort, had, he was slowly losing grip. But he was still powerful. Very powerful.

It was still mayhem as he arrived. There were people in black, hooded robes everywhere. Death Eaters. As he and his friend Katy Bell, (who was also an Auror) approached as small group of these scum, wands at the ready, a small scream escaped Katy's mouth, and he felt a hand in his own. He and Katy were dragged away from the scene of chaos.

*

Hermione felt a small twinge in her stomach.

'When's it due Miss?' asked Georgia Abbott.

'Three weeks,' she smiled.

'What are you gonna call it Miss?"

'We aren't sure yet. We are thinking about Liam for a boy, Anya for a girl. What do you think?' She asked the class.

There was a flurry of discussion,

'What about Patrick, Miss?' asked Patrick Finnigan, her old friends Seamus's younger brother.

'Oh, I don't think so, somehow Paddy.' She smiled, cheekily.

As the bell rang to signal the end of the school day, she walked down the sweeping lawns of the castle to the village of Hogsmeade, and approached the door of her friend Lavender Brown. She had shared a dormitory with her when she was at Hogwarts.

She had married Dean Thomas, a friend of Ron's, a month after his and Hermione's wedding. She had been using their fireplace as a portal for the last year, as you can't Apparate or Disapparate on the Hogwarts grounds. Most teachers at Hogwarts lived in the school, but, as Hermione had Ron and Joshua, she found it easier to commute every day. She went back to the Burrow to pick up Josh. As she appeared in the kitchen in a spurt of flames, Mrs. Molly Weasley welcomed her in.

'Hello, dear. How are you? And how's my other little grandchild?' she asked, patting the bump that was Hermione's stomach.

'I'm fine thank you. I hope Josh has been no trouble?'

'He's been as good as gold!'

'Thank you so much for having him here. I can't tell even begin to tell you how much Ron and I appreciate this. It's so hard with Ron and me working.'

'Oh for goodness sake, don't mention it! It's a grandmother's duty to look after her own grandson! We love having him here!' She exclaimed. At that moment Joshua bounded downstairs.

'Mummy!' He shouted, and jumped into her outstretched arms.

'Did you miss me?'

'Yes!' he said hugging her very tightly.

'What have you done today?'

'Played with the gnomys, and when Uncle Fred and George came home, we played 'Sploding Snap!'

'I see they won!' she tutted, taking a closer look at his singed eyebrows.

'Come and have a cup of tea, dear,' said Mrs. Weasley.

She sat down at the old, round wooden table, while Mrs. Weasley busied herself making Hermione tea. Then Fred and George entered the kitchen.

'Alright 'Mione?' said Fred,

'Fine, thanks. How's Weasley's Wizard Wheezes going? Oh, thanks, Molly,' as Mrs. Weasley handed her a chipped china teacup.

'Great, ta. Fancy a Custard Cream to go with it?' replied George.

Hermione looked at him and giggled.

'I think the little one here might not take to being a canary, somehow!' she said, patting her stomach. She knew only too well that these were merchandise of their joke shop, and, when eaten, you would be turned temporarily into a huge pet bird. The twins howled with laughter, but Molly scowled.

'Ignore them Hermione.' It was clear she still didn't approve of their careers.

'How is little Weasley Junior anyway?' asked Fred.

'I think it may be fit to play football for England when it's older!'

'What's football?' chorused the Weasleys.

'Oh, never mind.'