A/N: Hi! This is my first Harry Potter fanfic. Hope it goes well!
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter among other things.
'Books…quills…parchment…books…ink…books…' Hermione muttered under her breath as she checked her school bag as she did as usual every morning in her dormitory before heading down to breakfast. Parvati and Lavender jammed their things into their satchels last minute and threw them over their shoulder. They always did this; Hermione found it frustrating that they had the nerve not only to be so careless but to gossip loudly so she couldn't think straight.
'…and she got away with it!' Parvati was heralding to Lavender, her eyes wide with astonishment. Lavender gasped as she closed her bag shut.
'Really?'
'Yeah, she did get a telling off from McGonagall though but at the end of the day, she'll have to go to Madam Pomfrey at some point to get her eyes the right colour again. I mean, I would never walk around with aubergine irises!' She laughed cruelly.
Hermione clucked her tongue from the other side of the room. She needn't hear anymore of this waffle. It was almost half eight already. She set off for the Great Hall with her heavy satchel banging against her hips with a sense of great preparation.
She sat at the Gryffindor table next to Ginny who was already there and helped herself to toast.
Five minutes later, Ron and Harry arrived and sat either side of her (Ron shoved Ginny out of the way). 'What's up?' Hermione said automatically, seeing the discomfort in their faces.
'We were up until three AM doing that potions homework,' Harry muttered, reaching for the crumpets.
'Try working on spineless bits of fluff that have no magical properties what-so-ever and staying up late to write 1000 words about the gits!' Ron snapped.
'Ron, Harry,' Hermione sighed, looking from one to the other as she said their respective names, 'we had a whole two weeks to do that essay! That's quite reasonable!'
'Nothing's reasonable if Snape's involved!' said Harry, ripping the crust off some new found toast on his plate. 'That wasn't the only assignment he gave us, Hermione, remember? We had that loach thing to hand in a week ago and then there was the barnacle brain practical…'
'You talk as if you didn't have any time to do anything!' Hermione said curiously.
Harry and Ron just looked at each other, gave a knowing tired look and left it at that. 'Oh well, never mind,' Hermione snapped, accidentally on purpose knocking Ron's arm to get to the marmalade. 'It won't be me getting the punish-' She had to stop there because the noise of the many hundred owls entering the hall flapped so noisily it was impossible to talk.
She sighed and bit into her toast but almost spluttered it out when Hedwig arrived in front of her.
'Hey – over here!' Harry waved in a drunken like state, eyes barely open but his arm moving feebly to Hedwig to post him the letter clutched in her beak. However, the snowy white owl blinked absent-mindedly at Hermione as if waiting for her to open the letter. Hermione took the envelope from her and gave a small smile. Hedwig hooted loftily and shook her feathers as if nothing strange had happened. She then gobbled down some of Ron's bacon (Ron would have objected but currently he was snoozing on top of his potions book).
Harry watched, interested, as Hermione opened the envelope and read its contents. Her eyebrows seemed to move steadily higher into her fringe as she read further on. 'Why's Hedwig sending you stuff?' He complained. Hedwig hooted at him almost amusingly.
Hermione shushed him while she read the last lines of the letter. 'Oh, really?' She finally said, giving Harry the letter to look at. Harry took it over Ron's head (who was snoring loudly) and read it eagerly.
Dear Hermione
How are you doing at Hogwarts? (Or whatever it's called) Your mum came round last Sunday and said you were having the time of your life and that you were totally adapted to its lifestyle. I wish I could see it sometime – but I guess you have to be a witch/wizard to have that opportunity.
Anyway, I write to tell you that my family's annual trip to Florida is set for the 23rd February next year. I write not to boast about it but to ask if you would possibly like to come with us this time since you've never been to America before. Don't worry – it's during half term so you won't miss any classes. Or will you? You'll have to tell me your term dates and things. Its three months away anyway so you've got plenty of time to decide.
Your mum and dad thinks it's a good idea – it'll give us a chance to catch up and get to know each other more about our current lives. Please write back to me soon.
Love
Cassie xxx
PS: That's strange! I was about to take this to the post office when a white owl came swooping through my bedroom window. I was a bit shocked – I went to tell dad there was a bird on my desk when he suggested it could be an omen to deliver your letter. I rang your mum and she said owls are really good at posting letters to the wizarding world so here I am, scribbling away while this beautiful creature stares at me adoringly as though itching to send this letter to you. I guess you'll have to explain to me how owl post works when we next meet up – hopefully February! Bye for now cousin!
Harry finished reading the letter and looked up at Hermione, confused. 'Cousin? I'm guessing she's a muggle. Why the face Hermione?'
Hermione was staring into space but quickly came out of her trance. She pointed at the letter. 'Yeah, that's my cousin – Cassie Granger. Her dad and mine are brothers. Both dentists. But Uncle Robert has always spoilt her rotten. When we were growing up, she always had the best of everything. Nothing she wanted she didn't have.'
Harry nodded; quickly being reminded of Dudley.
'Anyway,' Hermione went on, 'we were never close at all. I was always interested in my studies at school and she was out and about going to parties and going on holidays and what have you. We never connected. So why is she contacting me all of a sudden?'
'How did she take it when she found out you were a witch?' Harry asked bluntly, nudging Ron as he tried to wake him up in time for potions.
Hermione shrugged her shoulders. 'I guess she was happy for me but didn't really understand. I recall my mum telling me that she kept asking her parents to go to 'magic school' too. It took about a year before she realised it was a serious whole new world. Since starting at Hogwarts I've only met her twice during the holidays.'
The bell rang and Harry and Hermione grabbed Ron's robes and pulled him up. The Great Hall was filled with the sound of scraping benches and hurried footsteps. 'Florida though…' Harry said to her, a grin on his face 'can't be bad can it? She goes every year? You should go if you've never been. It'll be a treat!'
'WHAT?' Hermione hissed loudly at him. 'And miss a week of crucial revision time?'
'Man, Hermione go and have a good time with your cousin,' Ron muttered sleepily.
'Ron? How long have you been awake?' Harry said, trying hard not to laugh.
'Long enough,' Ron grinned and both Harry and Hermione let go of him.
'Honestly,' Hermione sighed as they arrived outside the dungeons where their fellow Gryffindors were gathered along with the Slytherins. 'It's not a case of meeting my cousin and patching it up with her. I can't just go dallying off to the States when we have exams almost straight after!'
'Three months after,' Ron pointed out.
Hermione glared at him and folded her arms, knowing she wasn't going to win the battle. 'I'm going to write to my mum and ask her about this. It's very fishy!'
'Yeah and ask her why Hedwig was sent for the job!' Harry said. 'I'm rather surprised that a normal school owl would show up at a muggle's house let alone Hedwig!'
The trio didn't have time to ponder on owl post triviality however, since Snape swept into sight. The potions class entered the dungeon for their lesson – Harry and Ron clutching their last minute homework protectively and Hermione musing over her morning letter.
A/N: How's it going so far? I admit it didn't turn out the best I hoped it would but I did write it late at night lol. Please R&R! Thank you! X