Author's Note: Hello my lovelies! I'm back! I'm so sorry that 'I Caught Myself' didn't work out, it just got to that stage where it wouldn't go anywhere and all the laptops in the household broke. I may go back to I Caught Myself in a few years, but for now, it's time to open a brand new story! This will be a story that will, hopefully, bring you to tears, make you laugh, make you smile and make you wish that you were in this story. I hope you guys enjoy it, this is the first Dramione story I've ever wrote, so be gentle, This is, 'If I Told You I love You, Would You Say It Back?'
With love, Beth x
Chapter One~ New starts
"Remember to call as soon as you land, honey," Mr Blaney said, giving me yet another hug.
"I will, Mr. Blaney. Thank you all for everything you've done over the past three years," I smiled, trying not to let them see me cry.
"It really was our pleasure, Hermione sweetheart," Mrs. Blaney sniffed, wiping the tears from her eyes and reaching out to pat my arm.
"I can't thank you enough," I told them, looking around at who had been my only family for three years.
Here's the story. I'm Hermione Granger, 23 year old War Hero. Oh yeah, and I'm a Witch. Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and I, along with others of course, defeated the Dark Lord Voldemort six years ago. After the War and after everyone had mourned the soldiers we'd lost, people started getting together. George Weasley and Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom and Minerva McGonagall's great-niece, Sabrina, Seamus Finnigan and Padma Patil, Ronald Weasley and I, and most importantly, Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley. Every one of those couples lasted, except Ron and I. We were together for two and a half years, starting up six months after the War.
Six months after Ronald and I broke up, I decided that I needed a fresh start, so I said goodbye to my friends and family and took off for New York, where I stayed with a really nice family who had a room to rent out. I loved The Blaney's. Mr Robert Blaney worked in a bank, Mrs Linda Blaney was a stay at home mum, always cooking and cleaning and making things, and the two children, Scott and Dora who were both nine, were top off all their classes in school. They were the perfect family and it hurt to finally be saying goodbye to them.
"You don't need to thank us sweetheart, you were like a daughter to us," Linda sobbed.
"That was your flight that was just called 'Mione, you'd better go before you miss it," Dora said solemnly, looking up at me with her big brown eyes.
"You're right Dora," I whispered, bending down to give her and Scott a big cuddle.
"Goodbye everyone," I smiled, pulling my suitcase along behind me and joining the boarding queue.
"Thank you for flying with SmoothFlight4U, we hope you had a nice journey and choose to fly with us again," the voice over the microphone on the plane squeaked.
"Smooth flight my arse," I huffed, pulling my little hand luggage case along behind me and off of the old plane. "That thing looks like it's been through a bigger War than ours," I grumbled to myself.
Once getting past passport control and being accepted back into the country, I collected my large suitcase and dragged it outside to the place where my bus was supposed to be parked. I looked around for it. None of them were with the company I booked with. I checked my watch. I was ten minutes late for it! Typical, nothing ever goes right for me!
"'Mione! 'Mione over here!" I heard a familiar voice call to me. I turned around in the direction the voice had come from and saw what I'd been waiting to see for three years.
"Harry! Ginny!" I screamed, running towards them and hugged them tightly.
"Wow Hermione, careful," Ginny laughed, looking towards her stomach. I followed her gaze and done a double take.
"Ginny," I breathed. "Are you...pregnant?" I asked, totally bewildered.
"Four months tomorrow," she grinned.
"Ginny, that's wonderful!" I laughed, hugging her and Harry again, this time being careful not to squish the child.
"What's wonderful is that you're finally back," Harry said, wrapping his arm around me.
"I'm so glad that I'm here. It was hard being away from you guys for so long, but I definitely needed the break."
"I know you did. You needed to be away from all the fame," Ginny sighed, looking around cautiously.
"How's Ron?" I asked, unable to help myself.
"He's doing great. He's engaged to a girl he met in Germany a year after you two broke up. She's lovely. Her name is Katrina and she's training to be a Healer," Ginny babbled on.
To my surprise, I found that I wasn't bothered that Ron was engaged. I was happy that he was happy.
"You'll love her, Hermione," Harry whispered in my ear. I gave him a grateful smile and followed them to their car.
"I'll put them in the boot for you," Harry said, taking my cases from me then helping Ginny into the vehicle.
I hopped into the back and fastened my seat belt before removing my mobile phone from my pocket and dialing the number for my parents' home.
"Ginny, do you mind if I make a quick call?" I checked, before I pressed the green button.
"Your parents?"
You know it," I grinned.
"Go ahead," she laughed.
They picked up on the fourth ring.
"Hello?"
"Mum!" I exclaimed, happy to hear her voice for the first time in three years.
"Oh Hermione," I heard her sob. "My baby."
"Yes mum, it's me," I laughed. "I'm home. Harry and Ginny have come to pick me up."
"Wait. Did you just say...you're home?" she whispered.
"Yes, I'm in Harry's car."
"Hermione, that's amazing! When will you be visiting?"
"As soon as possible, mum, I promise," I smiled.
"I can't wait to see you again baby. I won't tell your father, let him be surprised."
"I can't wait either. I'll see you soon, mum, love you."
"Love you too."
I hung up the phone and gazed out of the window at the beautiful countryside we were passing. I couldn't wait to see everyone again. Mr and Mrs Weasley, Bill and his family, Charlie, Percy and his wife, George and Luna, Neville and Sabrina, Ron, everyone!
"So your mum happy?" Harry called through to me.
"Over the moon," I laughed.
"Everyone is," Ginny commented.
"Maybe not everyone," I said, thinking of the bad terms my father and I had left on.
"Yes everyone. Don't let anyone spoil this for you," Ginny warned.
"Hermione, do you know what you want to do? You know, as in jobs?" Harry asked, tapping the steering wheel as he drove.
"Not a scooby," I sighed. I knew I ought to have thought about this, but I couldn't.
"I'd suggest joining me in the Auror field but you're probably not needing the War reminders," Harry thought out loud. "Perhaps a Healer? You've always been good with your remedies. Maybe working at a daycare? You're great with kids. Or you could-,"
"Hogwarts!" Ginny exclaimed, cutting Harry off. "You should ask for a job in Hogwarts."
"Ginny, that's an amazing idea! Hermione would be great at that," Harry smiled at his pregnant wife.
I bit my lip. I knew they were trying to help me...but Hogwarts? I didn't think I was good enough to work there. Plus, it would bring back so many memories.
"Hermione? Hermione, are you listening to us?" Ginny asked.
"What? Yes. Yes of course I am," shaking my head of any Hogwarts thoughts.
"So what do you think? Hogwarts?" Harry said, looking at me in his rear view mirror.
"Umm," I stuttered. I didn't want to dishearten them after all they'd done for me, but I didn't want to go back to Hogwarts.
"I'll take that as a yes then," Ginny said decidedly.
"Ginny..." I said uncertainly.
"Hermione, this will be good for you. You need to face your fears. I know it'll be hard and possibly painful, but this will be good for you," Ginny said softly, looking at me with her big brown eyes.
"I don't think I'm ready yet," I admitted, looking down at my shoes.
"But you will be once you've settled back in," Harry pointed out, turning round to look at me.
I looked out of the window and saw that we were outside the Burrow.
"Listen, I'll think about it, but right now, I need to go and see everyone," I huffed, hopping out of the car and running to the door.
"You look so different Hermione," Luna commented, looking me up and down.
She wasn't wrong. I'd made a lot of changes in the past few years. The first was my hair. It was no longer down to my waist. I'd cut it off so it was just above my shoulders in soft brown waves. I'd put on some weight as well, so I was lying at twelve and a half stones. And I was happy with it. Who wanted to be stick? And my sense of style had changed dramatically. I wore a pair of light jeans and a checkered light blue and white crop top tied at the front with navy blue plimsoles and a red headband with a large tied bow on it.
"I needed a change," I smiled at her. She sat cuddled up to George who looked a lot happier than he had the last time I'd saw him.
"You look really good," George winked at me, blowing me a playful kiss.
"Touche," I laughed, blowing him one back.
"How was Miami anyway?" he asked, twirling a lock of Luna's hair around his finger.
"How am I supposed to know? I was in New York," I laughed again. "Anyway, how are you holding up?" I asked softly.
"A lot better, Hermione," he said seriously. "Everything got better when Luna came into my life," he smiled at her.
"I'm glad," I replied genuinely.
"So Hermione, where will you be staying," Mrs Weasley called over to me in a loving tone while cutting me a slice of her chocolate cake.
I froze on the spot. I realized I'd forgot to book a place before I'd left America. "Umm, with my parents," I stuttered.
"You forgot to book a place, didn't you?" Bill said, raising his eyebrows at me.
I blushed and looked at the ground.
"Well, I must say, it's not like you dear, but you can stay here as long as you need," Mr Weasley smiled at me.
"Oh no, Mr. Weasley, I wouldn't want to intrude," I shook my head.
"Not at all dear, you'll stay here until you find a suitable place to stay," Molly said firmly.
"Thank you," I smiled at them.
"You know you're always welcome here," Molly smiled.
"I know," I managed through a yawn.
"You look tired pet, we'd best get you to bed. Ginny could you show Hermione to her room please?" Mrs Weasley instructed.
Ginny showed me to my room, I changed into my pyjamas and collapsed happily into my bed, enjoying a dreamless sleep for the first time since the War begun.
I awoke the next morning to the smell of pancakes sizzling away in the frying pan and the sound of Mrs Weasley's voice shouting at George and Bill to lay the table and for Ginny to sit-down-for-Merlin's-sake-she-was-four-months-pregnant. I smiled to myself. It had been years since I'd awoken here in the Burrow to the sound of utter Weasley chaos. And I loved it.
"Rise and shine, buttercup, you've got a busy day ahead of you," I heard Ginny call through my door.
"I'm on the case, boss, just let me get showered and dressed," I laughed, jumping out of bed and collecting my clothes for the day.
I wandered out of the bedroom and along the little corridor to where the bathroom had always been and hung my towel up on the rack in there. Taking off my pyjamas and stepping into the perfectly temperatured water, I began to was my short hair and body and was done within fifteen minutes. I dried myself and hair with a simple drying spell, hopped into my denim shorts and orange floral camisole, pinning my hair in a messy bun and heading downstairs to the kitchen.
"Morning Hermione," Mr Weasley called from the table.
"Good morning Mr. Weasley," I smiled, pouring myself some juice and sitting down opposite him.
"What have you got planned for today?" he asked politely, looking up from where his Daily Prophet lay spread across the table.
"Oh, Hermione has a busy day ahead of her," Ginny cut in. "First of all, we're going to visit Mr and Mrs Granger, then we're going to buy Hermione a new suit, then we're taking her for her Hogwarts interview, then we'll be back here for the family lunch and to see Ron again, then apartment hunting, then home," Ginny ticked each thing off on her fingers then finished with a satisfied nod of her head.
"All that in one day? Have you ever heard of jet lag?" I moaned, dreading the day ahead of me.
"Yes I have and I've also heard that the best way to deal with such a thing is to work it off and put yourself in a daily routine as soon as possible," she smirked.
I sighed. I wouldn't mind going to visit my parents, or the family lunch...it was the big things that were the problem. I've never been great at picking out clothes and always seemed to embarrass myself in the process, I didn't want to find an apartment that soon and I hadn't actually agreed to going back to Hogwarts.
"Ginny, I'm not sure about doing all of this today," I admitted.
"Tough. We want all of the necessities sorted as soon as we can. Don't we?" she eyed me sharply.
"Well yes, but I don't want to go back to Hogwarts or find an apartment or go shopping for a suit," I nagged.
"Well that's not up to you, sweet-cheeks," she shrugged.
"You're meaner when you're pregnant."
"Hermione, love!" my mother exclaimed, running down the drive to meet us.
"Mum!" I squealed in delight.
We wrapped our arms around each other and hugged fiercely for what felt like forever but what could only have been a few minutes and didn't stop until we heard someone clear their throat. I looked up towards the person and my eyes instantly filled with tears.
"Dad," I whispered.
"Hermione," he said stiffly, nodding curtly.
I squirmed on the spot, wondering if he was still angry about our argument before I'd left.
"America? What do you mean you're going to America?!" Dad screamed at me as I stood with my hands fisted at my sides, my cheeks bright pink and my eyes flashing with a mixture of sadness and anger.
"I mean, father, that I'm packing my belongings, saying goodbye to my friends, getting on a plane and leaving the United Kiingdom!" I yelled back.
"You're not going," he shook his head and began pacing the room.
"Excuse me?" I said, my voice dangerously low. "What did you just say?"
"I said you're not going, Hermione. You're too young."
"I'm twenty years old and I recently defeated the most powerful wizard there has ever been...apart from Harry and Dumbledore."
"You can't expect to just wipe the minds of your parents, ship them off to Australia, come back for them a year and a half later then decide two years later that you're leaving."
"I wiped your memories to keep you safe," I cried. "I done it so he wouldn't kill you, like he was killing everyone else, Wizard or not."
"We're not having this conversation again. Go to America. Now. Get out!" he yelled.
"My flight isn't for another six weeks," I said slowly.
"Find somewhere else to stay for the next six weeks then," he said, turning round, stalking out of the living room and slamming the door on his way out.
He looked different now. A lot different actually. His hair was no longer brown but gray, he had more wrinkles than I remember, his eyes looked tired, he was thinner and he was walking with a stick now.
"I missed you," I told him awkwardly.
"Missed you too," he said shortly.
I looked towards Harry and Ginny for help, but both of them looked uncomfortable and were avoiding eye contact.
"Well come in! Come in, dears," mum said enthusiastically, trying to lighten the mood.
"Actually, Mrs Granger, we're really sorry but we've got to dash now, Hermione's got a big job interview soon," Ginny said politely.
"Oh! An interview? Where?" she asked.
"Hogwarts," I sighed.
"Hermione, that's marvelous," she breathed.
"Sure it is," I rolled my eyes.
"You'll be amazing darling, don't ever doubt yourself and this will help the healing process, I promise," she whispered in my ear, hugging me again.
"Thank you," I whispered back at her.
"Now on you go, and phone me immidantly to tell me how it went," she said, patting my back and leading us down the drive.
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Ginny! Sweetheart, I didn't even notice! Congratulations," she said, looking down towards Ginny's bump.
"Thank you, Mrs Granger," Ginny smiled, rubbing the bump.
"You two will make excellent parents. Now no more chit-chat, you have an interview to get to."
I took a deep breath as I stood at the bottom of the pathway, looking up at my old school. Every time my eyes fell to another point of the castle I saw it burning, crumbling, falling. I saw people staggering out, screaming crying, looking for loved ones. There was a sick and panicky feeling at the bottom of my stomach. I was really about to do this.
"Come on, 'Mione, you'll be okay," Harry said, nodding at me.
"I...I'm not sure I will be," I stuttered, backing away slowly.
"Hermione, buck up and walk up that path. We believe in you," Ginny said earnestly.
"Ginny, I can't. Why can't you get this through your mind?" I sighed.
"Why hillo Hermione," a booming voice came from somewhere in the distance.
I took off at a run. "Hagrid!" I squealed.
I saw him a moment later, turning the corner with a little child in his arms.
"Hagrid, it's so great to see you again! And who's this little cutie pie," I said, referring to the little boy in his arms.
"Why, you don't recognise him? Well of course you don't, he's three years older than he was the last time you saw him. And he changes all the time."
"Is that...Teddy?" I breathed, looking at the little boy who must be about six.
The boy had a chubby little appearance. He had a rosy complexion, with a big smile and dimples. He had big green eyes, the colour of seaweed. And to top it all off, he had bright blue hair.
"It is," Hagrid beamed proudly.
"Oh Teddy! Look how big you've gotten!" I smiled, taking him from Hagrid and propping him on my hip.
"Aunt 'Mynee?" he looked up at me with a small smile.
"You remember me?" I asked, my eyes filling with happy tears.
"Yes," he laughed, wrapping his arms around my neck.
"Teddy!" Harry exclaimed, coming up the path.
I let Teddy down as he ran to Harry, screaming his name and waving his arms around in the air.
"Hey little buddy!" Harry smiled.
I walked over and stood beside Ginny and Hagrid.
"So how come you've got him?" I asked Hagrid, looking over at Harry who was now swinging Teddy around by the ankles.
"Harry and I had him, but when we found out I was pregnant..." Ginny tailed off, her eyes shining with guilt and a heavy heart.
"Now now, Ginny, you can't feel guilty 'bout that. You're preparing for your own child, and you still show so much love for little Ted," Hagrid consoled.
"Gin, Teddy has went to a very loving figure," I told her, looking at Hagrid. "There's nobody that could love him like Hagrid."
"I know, I just feel like I abandoned him," she sniffled.
"Of course ye didn'," Hagrid smiled, putting an arm around her shoulders.
She wiped her eyes then fixed them on me. "Now let's get inside and get the interview over with."
"And you would like to teach...?" McGonagall tailed off.
"Charms, please," I said, smiling.
"Oh lovely. Proffesor Flitwick has just retired!" she beamed.
"Lovely," I said through my teeth. I'd been silently hoping there was no available jobs, but McGonagall said she'd find a spot for me no matter what.
"So Miss Granger," she said with a wink. "When will you be available to start?"
"Any time next week should be fine, Professor McGonagall," I told her.
"Hermione, when the students are not around you may call me Minerva," she said with a small smile.
"Thank you...Minerva," I said awkwardly.
"You're welcome, Miss Granger."
I shook my former head of house's hand, lifted my purse and left the room to find Harry and Ginny playing marbles on the floor with Teddy just outside the door.
"How did it go?" Harry asked, looking up at me.
"I start a week tomorrow," I smiled.
"'Mione, that's amazing," Ginny laughed, grabbing Harry's hand to get support before grabbing my shoulders and hugging me fiercely.
"I know. Maybe you were right, Gin. Maybe I am supposed to be here."
"Of course I'm right, I'm Ginny Weasley," she smiled, flipping her hair over her shoulder.
"Aunt Mynee?" a little voice said.
"Yes Teddy?" I answered, crouching down to his level.
"Does wis mean dat I'll see woo more?" he asked cautiously, running his nose with his pinkie.
"It does indeed, sweetie! In fact, why don't we ask Hagrid if Uncle Harry, Aunt Ginny and I can take you back to the Burrow for lunch?"
"Really?" he squealed, his tiny green eyes lighting up.
"Really," I laughed as he ran as fast as his tiny legs could carry him to Hagrid's hut.
Author's Note
Hi everyone! I know a lot happened at the one time in this one chapter but I am confident that I'll be slowing it right down soon enough, this was only a small taster! I hope you enjoyed it and I know it wasn't that great but hopefully we can make this work. I hope to set and achieve some goals with this fanfic! So, let's see what we can do here.
Follows- 50
Favourites- 30
Reviews- 40
What do you think? Am I aiming too high? Is it not achievable? Think we can do this before Valentines Day? Okay then! Let us begin!
With love, Beth x
