Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters in this piece, J.K. Rowling does. I just own my wild imagination.
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She was angry, and there were no other words to say it: she was angry. Why didn't anyone wake her up?! After all, she was their friend too!
She had not been surprised on the morning following their last DA meeting of the term when she walked into the common room and did not find Harry or Ron –they probably were just getting out of bed-, so she ignored the fact and simply walked out of the Gryffindor tower.
She was surprised later though, as neither of them showed up for breakfast. She ate slowly, hoping that they would appear anytime, but they didn't.
"Miss Granger, Professor Dumbledore wishes to speak to you." Professor McGonagall said as she walked by her."He's at his office."
Hermione stood up and left the Great Hall, hoping to get some answers.
She sat on the Hogwarts express, accompanied by Neville, who was reading a Herbology book. She sighed and tried to read some as well, but she could not concentrate.
She was worried. She had received a letter from Ginny telling her that their dad was okay, getting better. This made Hermione feel better, but she wished she could be there with the Weasley's and Harry in this hard moment.
But she had to spend the next three weeks with her parents, skiing God knows where. She had never quite liked skiing, but she hadn't spend much time with her parents lately... she hadn't stayed with them all summer since before starting her fourth year. She had spent last Christmas at school because of the Yule Ball and last summer at number 12, Grimmauld Place. She knew she had to spend this Christmas with them...
But she still wanted to be with her friends. She loved her parents but... they didn't understand. It was rather frustrating for her to go back to the muggle world. It was boring, just like her childhood had been. She loved her parents, of course she did. It was just that as any sixteen-year-old girl, witch or not, she wanted to be with her friends. For her, of course, it was worse.
The muggle world wasn't fascinating. She sort of understood Harry: she hated to be stuck in the muggle world, away from her friends and news about the happenings in her world.
Because Hermione had long stopped belonging to the muggle world. She loved her parents, but it just wasn't the same anymore. They loved her, but didn't understand her, how could they? They knew and accepted that their daughter was a witch, but they could not do anything more than that.
They knew she was the best of her class, and they were proud, how could they not be?.They knew she was a House Prefect, and of course they were happy for her, but...
Did they really understand the significance of Lord Voldemort being back? Unlike Dean, Hermione had told her parents about it: she couldn't hide such information from them.
Hermione sighed. No matter what she wanted to do, she thought that the right thing was to be with her parents...
Because now she feared secretly. Now that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was back...
She awoke hours later when the Hogwarts Express stopped at Platform 9 ¾. She was helped by a wizard at the platform to put her trunk and Crookshanks' safely on a luggage trolley.
And she walked out; into the muggle world she once belonged. She looked around at the people: it was easy to recognize who were wizards and witches, who belonged to her world. She waved good-bye at Dean as he left with his mother.
Her parents smiled at her when she came into sight. She walked a little faster to meet them. She hugged her dad and mum, and heard how happy they were to have her come home for the holidays.
She sat on the backseat of their car, with Crookshanks by her side.
"How was the term, 'Mione?" her dad asked, smiling through the rearview mirror.
"It was fine. I'm doing very good on every subject." She smiled back, but felt bad for hiding information... was it worth to tell them was really was going on back at school? Was it worth worrying them about old toad face and her medieval detention methods?
She heard her parents talking on their way through London's busy streets but didn't really listen to what they were saying. Every second that passed was a second that she longed to be with her friends.
"Mum, dad." Hermione said, biting her bottom lip. "I need to go back to King's Cross."
...
"Hermione, please don't stress over your exams. It will do you no good." Her mother said, hugging her.
"I know mum, it's just that everyone is staying at Hogwarts... even Ron." She lied so her parents would understand. "And I feel guilty for going on vacations and not studying, it's just not right."
Her dad smiled.
"I won't say I'm not disappointed but I know you take your responsibilities seriously." He hugged. "We're so proud of you, Hermione. Don't forget that."
She smiled at her dad.
"Thanks dad and mum. Sent me a letter to say how was skiing, okay?"
"Of course we will."
She walked back into Platform 9 ¾. The place was almost empty, and the train still stood there. She knew it would go back to Hogmeade's station, but she wasn't going back.
Hermione waited for a while until she thought her parents would've left the station. She walked carefully back into the muggle world. She smiled. She felt bad for lying... but... she also felt it was the right thing to do.
She did not belong to the muggle world anymore, after all.
Her eyes shifted around nervously. Slowly, she stuck out her wand hand, and watched as a violent-purple bus appeared in sight.
She felt better. She was going back to her world, and to the friends that needed her.
"How much is it to number 11, Grimmauld Place, London?"
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This is the first time I publish some of my Harry Potter fanfiction. This is a short one-shot about Hermione's relationship with her parents. I always wondered about them because Hermione spends almost no time with them. This piece is regarding the skiing trip the Granger's were having for Christmas vacation on December 1995, the one Hermione didn't go saying that she had to stay at Hogwarts because of their OWLs coming up. I just let my imagination get the best of me and wrote this piece. Hope you like it. :)
-Phankam.