Katy Granger hummed quietly to herself while stirring the pot of soup on the stove in front of her. Upon hearing a noise, she looked up and saw a fluffy, exhausted looking owl swooping towards the open kitchen window. Clumsily, it missed the ledge which it tried to land on and wound up skidding to a stop on the floor. With a doleful hoot, it hopped up on the back of one of the chairs around the large wooden dining table. Katy took in the bird with a pitying glance; it looked like it was swaying back and forth from the laborious journey it had taken.
"Hermione, something is here for you!" she called upstairs to her daughter. Katy hastened to fill a small saucer with water and placed it in front of the aging owl, who gratefully nipped at the water as footsteps were heard rushing down the stairs.
"Thanks, Mum," Hermione said as she entered the kitchen. Her eyes fell instantly to poor Errol. He looked positively exhausted. "Errol, you poor thing!" she exclaimed. As the bird raised his leg to allow Hermione to detach the letter he was given to deliver, he lost balance and tumbled onto the table. Hermione reached out her hands and gathered him up, stroking his head as he hooted appreciatively. She turned to her Mother, who was watching in amusement – she still got a kick out of seeing owls used as postmen.
"This is Ron's family owl, he's positively ancient, the poor thing," Hermione explained looking down at Errol once again. "He'll take awhile to recover."
"What does the letter say, honey?" Katy asked her daughter.
"Oh yeah," Hermione replied absentmindedly as she put down Errol and reached for the letter, forgotten for a moment. Smoothly breaking the seal with her finger, she tugged out a piece of parchment.
Hermione,
How are you? I hope you've kept your nose out of books long enough to have some fun so far these holidays. With what happened at the end of last term with You-Know-Who, there is a lot going on. I can't really say more in case Errol delivers the letter to the wrong person again, ruddy useless bird... But it's getting pretty interesting here. Do you want to come and spend the rest of the summer with me? Send word back with Errol either way, once he regains consciousness that is. If you do, Mum, Dad and I will come and get you on the 8th at 2pm through the Floo network.
From Ron.
Hermione felt her cheeks burn pink as she read Ron's invitation to spend the rest of the holidays with his family. She felt her face grow warmer still when she looked up and saw her Mother watching her with a knowing sort of look. "Ron wants me to spend the rest of the holidays with him," she said after clearing her throat.
"Does he now? That's nice," Katy replied with a small smile hovering on her face.
Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Mum, it's not like that," Hermione argued half heartedly, sure she couldn't have sounded any less convincing.
"I didn't say anything, sweetheart," Katy teased her daughter.
Katy watched Hermione duck her head, trying to conceal a smile. She could barely believe how fast her little girl was growing up – she was 15, almost a woman now. And, if she wasn't mistaken, was experiencing the sweetness of a first crush. All Hermione spoke about were Harry and Ron, and her women's intuition that her daughter had developed feelings for Ron seemed accurate. She was dragged from her musings as Hermione continued to speak.
"I know I've only been home a couple of weeks, so I'd understand if you and Dad would rather me not go..." Hermione's voice trailed off.
"Is Harry there, too?" Katy inquired.
It struck Hermione that Ron didn't mention Harry at all – scanning the letter again, she noticed that Ron had asked her to 'spend the summer with me' – his choice of words making her heart flutter.
"I don't know, Ron didn't say," Hermione replied, a small trace of pink appearing on her cheeks again.
Both Katy and Hermione's father, Jason, missed their daughter terribly while she was away at school, but she worked so hard to be the top of her year that Katy wanted Hermione to enjoy her holidays however she wanted – she'd earned that much.
"Do you want to go?" Katy asked her, taking the soup off the stove carefully.
"If it's okay with you and Dad," Hermione said hopefully.
Katy walked towards her daughter, stopping in front of her. She smiled at Hermione and tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "You're growing up so fast, baby," she murmured as she caught Hermione's hands in her own.
"It feels like it's taking forever," Hermione replied bluntly.
"No, believe me honey, time is flying," Katy said with a sigh. "I'll deal with Dad for you," she promised.
Hermione grinned at her Mother. "Thanks, Mum," Hermione said gratefully, hugging her.
"Anytime, honey," she replied, stroking Hermione's hair before releasing her. "Go wash up for dinner, it'll be ready soon."
"Okay," Hermione said with a smile before turning back to Errol; inviting him to climb on her outstretched arm and go upstairs with her.