Hermione sat curled up
outside The Burrow, watching Crookshanks chase a gnome. Normally, the
sight would have her howling with laughter, but that cheery side of
Hermione was gone.
Now, a miserable, lonely Hermione was outside
the door. After Dumbledore's funeral, all the students of Hogwarts
were told to go back to their homes.
Hermione wanted to stay
with Harry and the Weasleys at the Burrow, before Bill and Fleur's
wedding.
She had been miserable ever since Dumbledore's death,
and hoped a wedding and some friendly faces might cheer her up.
Instead, it had made
her feel worse.
Harry and Ginny were wrapped up in their
relationship and nothing else. Ron got back together with Lavender
and they were always out.
Fred, George and Charlie were helping with the wedding preparations. Percy had apologized to his family and come to live with them. Although he spent most of his time shut up in his room, he sometimes came out to help with the preparations or talk with the rest of the family.
And Hermione? She was left all alone, walking around the house like a ghost. Nobody noticed her.
So she would come outside the house and sit there watching Crookshanks, loneliness, grief and a huge sense of betrayal overcoming her.
"Hi."
Hermione looked up and saw George Weasley standing near her.
"Hi." She said.
"Feeling lonely?" he asked.
"Yes." Replied Hermione.
"Join the club."
"Aren't you supposed to be planning tricks and stuff with Fred for your shop?"
"He and Charlie are too busy getting ready for the wedding. I'm bored with hanging up the lights. Thought I'd come here, and who do I meet?"
"I guess we're the three outcasts."
"Three?"
"You, me and Crookshanks."
Crookshanks looked at his mistress and Hermione scratched him behind the ears.
"How did you know it was me?"
"Your eyes are a little bigger than Fred's, and for some reason, you've been really quiet these holidays."
"Do you want to go somewhere? Since our family seems too busy to talk to us."
"If this is a prank, I'll hex you."
"I swear on Fred's hair that it isn't."
Hermione rolled her eyes and stood up. "Where do we go?"
"The Leaky Cauldron for a drink?"
"Oh, how very interesting." Said Hermione, sarcastically.
"Where, then?" asked George.
"We'll both go to Diagon Alley, and I'll go to Flourish and Blott's. You can go wherever you want to go."
"What if one of us decides to come back here before the other?"
"Oh, fishes. I'll wait outside the Leaky Cauldron for you or vice versa."
"You can Apparate, right?" asked George. "Because I don't fancy…"
Hermione rolled her eyes and within seconds, she had disappeared with a loud CRACK.