The woman was perfect. Her waist was the smallest she had ever seen in a
woman, considering the round firm posterior she seemed to posses. Her legs
were long and shapely; they seemed to go for miles, with no signs of
varicose veins, bruises or cellulite. She was wearing a short black skirt
and a black top, which seemed to go perfectly with the long mane of dark
hair that fell a few inches above her bum. She couldn't see her front, as
the woman was facing the front door of The Burrow, four red-haired boys
holding onto her hands and smiling at her, but could easily see she was a
new addition to the ever growing Weasley family. The oldest child looked to
be no older than six. She wondered who she was married to, a twinge of pain
as it could easily be his wife ran through her, but she shook that feeling
aside, not knowing where it had come from in the first place.
It was in that instant that Molly Weasley opened the door, greeting all the children with a tight hug and kiss and ushering them inside before she turned to the women and gave her a delicate kiss on the cheek, making the woman move sideways to accommodate Molly from her large belly.
'And I guess it just keeps growing' Hermione thought, as she made her way towards the front door.
Even after Arthur had become the Minister of Magic, The Burrow hadn't changed much. Still the chicken ran loose, the house looked like it could topple any second, and the only noticeable difference was the coat of fresh paint and the new security measures. She had been forced to Apparate half a kilometer from the front door, as the house was protected by many charms which were there to uphold the security of the Minister. Not that he needed to worry, as Hermione had heard nothing but good things from everyone, and it looked as if he would be keeping the job for a very long time.
It seemed Ginny had finally caught Harry, or the other way around, as it was he who had proposed to her. She had been ecstatic that day, sending off an owl (it took the poor dear 4 whole days to recover) in the middle of a snow storm with the words "I'M GETTING MARRIED TO HARRY AND YOU WILL BE THERE!" scrawled across the parchments, her handwriting loopy and a happy face in the signature. That had been three months ago, and Ginny had planned her wedding so that Hermione could attend it (or so she had told her)
She had been in England for three days. She was living with her parents, but was looking for a flat near St. Mungo's, as she had been offered a job in the Emergency Unit. She wanted to move as soon as possible, as she had not lived with her parents since she was eleven, and didn't intend to start at her twenty-four years of life. Harry and Ginny's wedding was to be tomorrow, a special family dinner that night, to which Hermione had been invited to.
She didn't think of herself as family, having left them behind for years, but Ginny had tried to keep in touch regardless. The few letters written to each other were short and noncommittal. As Hermione had tried to focus on her studies, and owls willing to fly from Greenland to England were sparse, communication had lacked.
She often wondered what had happened to Harry and Ron. Before she had set off, Harry had told her he would be going into Auror training. It seemed only yesterday that they were having that conversation in the Gryffindor common room.
*
"You know, one would find it hard to believe that the Head Girl is out of bed at this time of night" Harry said, as he walked to the couch across from Hermione and plopped himself on it. "What are you doing then?" He offered her a smile.
"I just couldn't sleep. It's hard, knowing that tomorrow it's all going to be gone. That I'm going to be gone." Hermione had replied, her eyes never leaving the fire, watching Harry from her peripheral vision.
"There's nothing to worry about. We've defeated Voldermort. We've taken our NEWT's. You're on your way to becoming the best Medi-Witch the world has seen. All is well Hermione, relax, honestly."
She had turned and looked at him then, reaching her hand out and grabbing a hold of Harry's. "I'm going to miss you so much, Harry. I may go mad without you. Seven years together, and now I'll be gone for almost as long. I don't know if I'll bear it." She tried her to show her brave front, but could feel the tears tickling at her eyes.
"Hermione, I love you. I think I'll be the one going mad without you, not the other way around. Who's going to get me to do my work and organize my time in the Auror Academy then? They'll kick me out in no time at all without you!" His smile grew as the words left his mouth.
She was so pleased for him. It seemed as if he had finally made a decision! "So, you're going then? You've decided!? When Harry?! Oh, I'm so happy for you!!" she said, as she got up from her chair and pounced on him, giving him a breathtaking hug. Harry had not been sure as to whether he would have a future, but seeing as he'd survived the encounter with Voldermort, he had had many choices, and it seemed becoming an Auror had been the most appealing.
Harry was making some exaggerated gestures as to his lack of oxygen, causing Hermione to giggle and get off of him. She could leave him knowing that Harry had chosen what was to become of him, and Hermione knew he would go about doing it splendidly. Sitting back down, the common room was once again silent. It was then that Hermione spoke.
"Harry, will you please take care of him for me?"
"You didn't even need to ask. You know I'll always be there for him, as long as he lets me. You know how he can get sometimes, but he's been my best mate for some seven years, I've got the bloke figured out better than even he does, I'll keep him straight."
Tears fell from Hermione's eyes and down her cheeks. After getting off the Hogwarts Express tomorrow, she would take a portkey to Greenland, to her studies. She felt Harry move and come towards her, reaching out to her for a hug, which she readily complied to. She would be leaving Ronald Weasley tomorrow and all that came with him. As Harry patted her back and tried to soothe her, Hermione cried desperately that night because she would be leaving her heart the very next day. *
She was awakened out of her thoughts as she saw that she was in front of the door. Instinct told her to turn back quickly; to run and hide forever, but her logic told her to stay, as it had been six years and surely they would not hold a grudge. Besides, she hadn't even greeted anyone since her arrival, having been busy searching for a new home and unpacking the essentials, all the while spending time with her Muggle relatives. She was about to ring the door when Molly's kind face appeared in front of her. Molly had opened the door a bit wider, not quite believing her eyes, held back a sigh (unsuccessfully) and practically squeezed Hermione to death in a hug, all the while saying how happy she was to finally see her.
It was in that instant that Molly Weasley opened the door, greeting all the children with a tight hug and kiss and ushering them inside before she turned to the women and gave her a delicate kiss on the cheek, making the woman move sideways to accommodate Molly from her large belly.
'And I guess it just keeps growing' Hermione thought, as she made her way towards the front door.
Even after Arthur had become the Minister of Magic, The Burrow hadn't changed much. Still the chicken ran loose, the house looked like it could topple any second, and the only noticeable difference was the coat of fresh paint and the new security measures. She had been forced to Apparate half a kilometer from the front door, as the house was protected by many charms which were there to uphold the security of the Minister. Not that he needed to worry, as Hermione had heard nothing but good things from everyone, and it looked as if he would be keeping the job for a very long time.
It seemed Ginny had finally caught Harry, or the other way around, as it was he who had proposed to her. She had been ecstatic that day, sending off an owl (it took the poor dear 4 whole days to recover) in the middle of a snow storm with the words "I'M GETTING MARRIED TO HARRY AND YOU WILL BE THERE!" scrawled across the parchments, her handwriting loopy and a happy face in the signature. That had been three months ago, and Ginny had planned her wedding so that Hermione could attend it (or so she had told her)
She had been in England for three days. She was living with her parents, but was looking for a flat near St. Mungo's, as she had been offered a job in the Emergency Unit. She wanted to move as soon as possible, as she had not lived with her parents since she was eleven, and didn't intend to start at her twenty-four years of life. Harry and Ginny's wedding was to be tomorrow, a special family dinner that night, to which Hermione had been invited to.
She didn't think of herself as family, having left them behind for years, but Ginny had tried to keep in touch regardless. The few letters written to each other were short and noncommittal. As Hermione had tried to focus on her studies, and owls willing to fly from Greenland to England were sparse, communication had lacked.
She often wondered what had happened to Harry and Ron. Before she had set off, Harry had told her he would be going into Auror training. It seemed only yesterday that they were having that conversation in the Gryffindor common room.
*
"You know, one would find it hard to believe that the Head Girl is out of bed at this time of night" Harry said, as he walked to the couch across from Hermione and plopped himself on it. "What are you doing then?" He offered her a smile.
"I just couldn't sleep. It's hard, knowing that tomorrow it's all going to be gone. That I'm going to be gone." Hermione had replied, her eyes never leaving the fire, watching Harry from her peripheral vision.
"There's nothing to worry about. We've defeated Voldermort. We've taken our NEWT's. You're on your way to becoming the best Medi-Witch the world has seen. All is well Hermione, relax, honestly."
She had turned and looked at him then, reaching her hand out and grabbing a hold of Harry's. "I'm going to miss you so much, Harry. I may go mad without you. Seven years together, and now I'll be gone for almost as long. I don't know if I'll bear it." She tried her to show her brave front, but could feel the tears tickling at her eyes.
"Hermione, I love you. I think I'll be the one going mad without you, not the other way around. Who's going to get me to do my work and organize my time in the Auror Academy then? They'll kick me out in no time at all without you!" His smile grew as the words left his mouth.
She was so pleased for him. It seemed as if he had finally made a decision! "So, you're going then? You've decided!? When Harry?! Oh, I'm so happy for you!!" she said, as she got up from her chair and pounced on him, giving him a breathtaking hug. Harry had not been sure as to whether he would have a future, but seeing as he'd survived the encounter with Voldermort, he had had many choices, and it seemed becoming an Auror had been the most appealing.
Harry was making some exaggerated gestures as to his lack of oxygen, causing Hermione to giggle and get off of him. She could leave him knowing that Harry had chosen what was to become of him, and Hermione knew he would go about doing it splendidly. Sitting back down, the common room was once again silent. It was then that Hermione spoke.
"Harry, will you please take care of him for me?"
"You didn't even need to ask. You know I'll always be there for him, as long as he lets me. You know how he can get sometimes, but he's been my best mate for some seven years, I've got the bloke figured out better than even he does, I'll keep him straight."
Tears fell from Hermione's eyes and down her cheeks. After getting off the Hogwarts Express tomorrow, she would take a portkey to Greenland, to her studies. She felt Harry move and come towards her, reaching out to her for a hug, which she readily complied to. She would be leaving Ronald Weasley tomorrow and all that came with him. As Harry patted her back and tried to soothe her, Hermione cried desperately that night because she would be leaving her heart the very next day. *
She was awakened out of her thoughts as she saw that she was in front of the door. Instinct told her to turn back quickly; to run and hide forever, but her logic told her to stay, as it had been six years and surely they would not hold a grudge. Besides, she hadn't even greeted anyone since her arrival, having been busy searching for a new home and unpacking the essentials, all the while spending time with her Muggle relatives. She was about to ring the door when Molly's kind face appeared in front of her. Molly had opened the door a bit wider, not quite believing her eyes, held back a sigh (unsuccessfully) and practically squeezed Hermione to death in a hug, all the while saying how happy she was to finally see her.