Apart From Me
Summary: Hermione, Blaise, Harry and Ron have finished Hogwarts, and are making it in the big bad world. Hermione's at college, as is Blaise, whilst Harry seeks his fortune in quidditch and Ron……well Ron is still trying to decide on his future.
With Hermione and Blaise planning their wedding, Harry and Amy moving in together, Brett and Ginny struggling to make ends meet with a child in the equation and Ron losing Jenna due to so many problems, there is doubt as to who will survive the year. And as always, there's danger lurking just around the corner, as Ginny's daughter is thrown into jeopardy, along with the rest of the gang.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything you may recognize
Apart From Me
Chapter One: Muggle Relations
"Mione, its okay for you, you've spent years interacting with muggles. What if I mess up?"
Hermione finished curling her hair, and turned to face her fiancée, who was sprawled out across the white and blue cover of her bed. Blaise was sporting a particularly sulky pout, which succeeded in making him appear about five years old.
The nineteen year old girl sighed, and made her way across the bedroom of the house she'd lived in until she'd gone to Hogwarts, and seated herself next to the dark haired boy.
He smiled up at her as she placed a comforting hand on his arm.
"Blaise, it's going to be fine. I'll be there as well to make sure you don't say anything regarding wands or quidditch"
Blaise shot her a look.
"I know it'll be hard not to talk about quidditch for a whole eight months, but im sure you'll manage" she laughed.
Blaise grinned and shrugged.
"Im sure your right. I mean, I knew I would have to do this if I applied to college, so I might as well make the most of it right?" he commented.
Hermione smiled and leant down to kiss him tenderly on the lips.
"I love you, you know that?"
"I think ive got a pretty good idea" he smiled back.
Dear Miss Granger,
I hope you are well, and that everything is proceeding agreeably for your transfer year to Hampton College, London.
Your departure date is the tenth of September, and your floo network time is ten am sharp. You will be met by a ministry official at the ministry of magic headquarters, and will be escorted to the college in good time.
I hope you enjoy your year at Hampton, and I look forward to your graduation from The Di Prestigio College of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Regards,
Cornelius Fudge (M.O.M)
Hermione devoured the information greedily. She couldn't believe it was finally time to go. In the magical world, if a witch or wizard attended a college specialising in magic, then during their third year they were encouraged to attend a non – magical college or university, in order to broaden their experiences with muggles. During the year they were not permitted to use magic during the school week and were forbidden from drawing any attention to their magical abilities at weekends.
Hermione and Blaise had both been in attendance of The Di Prestigio College of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the midlands, and had both applied and been accepted for a transfer year at Hampton college in London for the following eight months.
However, whilst Hermione couldn't wait to immerse herself back into muggle life, Blaise was having severe doubts.
Hermione hastily finished packing her clothes, books and supplies into her suitcase, fastened it and then hurried downstairs.
"Hey mum, is dinner long?" she chirped, as she bounded into the living room.
Anne Granger poked her head round the kitchen door and smiled at her daughter. Hermione had flourished into such a beautiful and intelligent girl, she mused. And with such a fine taste in boyfriends. Sorry fiancée's. She still couldn't believe that her little girl was engaged. Well it couldn't be to a nicer guy, she thought, smiling at the scene she was greeted with as she called to her daughter that dinner would only be a few more minutes.
Hermione was also brimming with happiness at the sight that greeted her.
Her father and Blaise sat on opposite sides of the roaring fire, both with their feet up on the coffee table, reading their respective newspapers. John Granger was frowning deeply at an article in the Guardian, whilst Blaise avidly scanned the Daily Prophet.
Hermione approached Blaise, kissing him lovingly, before curling up beside him on the couch. He smiled down at her and wrapped an arm round her shoulders, whilst he read.
John Granger peered slyly over the top of the Guardian, and grunted happily at the sight before him. His beautiful daughter looked so happy, that he almost burst with pride when he saw how well she had done in choosing her future husband.
He hadn't been fond of Blaise at first. Writing him off to have a frivolous name, high and mighty mannerisms and too much money to have any real moral values. However, this had changed over time, as he watched how Blaise treated his daughter, with such love and respect. He had slowly recognized the snooty attitude to be merely a defence aid and the relics of an aristocratic upbringing, and that Blaise actually had far more stable and open minded morals then himself. As for his name…..well, it was still daft.
"Dinner's ready, gang!" Anne called from the dining room, and Hermione jumped up, dragging Blaise after her, and were followed slightly more slowly by her father.
Blaise adored Sunday's with the grangers. Now that his parents had disowned him after his involvement with Voldemort's downfall, he had been taken in by Anne and John, and had begun to experience real family traditions.
For instance, instead of there being a Sunday symposium, in which he would surely be punished for whatever naiveties he had executed during the week, his Sunday's were now filled with lie – ins with Hermione, full English breakfasts, maybe a walk or swimming in the Grangers' pool, followed by a Sunday roast and a comfortable relaxed evening in front of the fire. It was a nice picture to paint.
After they had eaten, Hermione cleared the plates, with a little help from Blaise, and were just about to return to the living room, when her parents called them back.
"Mione, Blaise? As this is your last night before you set off for London and another year at college, we've got a couple of gifts for you both."
Hermione grinned.
"Really? Oh you shouldn't have!" she giggled, as her parents pulled out two delicately wrapped boxes.
"Mione, this is for you. We saw it in town the other day and thought it was too stunning not to buy it for you"
Hermione pulled off the wrapping paper to reveal an exquisite opal necklace.
"Oh my" she gasped at its beauty, and fingered it lightly as her mother placed it round her neck.
"Thank you so much" she hugged both her parents, who were grinning broadly.
"And now for you Blaise"
Blaise's eyes widened as Hermione's father turned to him.
"When I married Hermione's mother, her father gave me this as a welcome gift into his family. Therefore I am giving it to you, for much the same reason"
Blaise carefully prised the silver paper off the gift box that john handed him and gently eased the box lid open. Inside laid the most magnificent wrist watch Blaise had ever seen. Silver and a deep red colour, ornately engraved with crystal hands and numbers, it was incredible. Blaise had seen some of the most expensive pieces of wrist wear that money could buy, but this was truly priceless. Stunned, he twisted it over in his hands, and surprised, read the engraving; To stop time is the greatest sacrifice.
"Wow, thank you Mr. Granger. This is incredible" Blaise murmured as he slipped the watch onto his wrist, feeling the weight of the metal and its words on his wrist.
John nodded in satisfaction. His watch and daughter would be safe with Blaise.
"That was incredible mate!"
Harry grinned broadly at Ron, as he dashed off the quidditch pitch of the Montague Hawks stadium, in which he had just led the hawks to victory over the Brightside badgers.
"Glad you could finally come and watch" Harry laughed back, and then frowned as Ron's smile evaporated leaving a distinctly worried expression on his freckled face.
"C'mon mate, let's go talk about this. Come to dinner at mine tonight"
Ron shrugged, then nodded, but was interrupted by shriek, as a blonde blur ran past him and jumped into Harry's arms.
"Incredible! Amazing! I knew there was a reason I love you!"
Ron couldn't suppress a grin as the animated American girl dived upon Harry, kissing him all over.
Harry smiled and kissed his girlfriend back.
"Ron's coming to diner tonight, okay sweetie?" he explained in between kisses.
"Really? Finally!" Amy cried, throwing her arms round the startled red head.
"I've been telling Harry to drag your cute English arse over to ours for months!"
Ron raised an eyebrow, as he allowed himself, along with Harry to be dragged towards the exit of the stadium.
Ron watched his best friend and his girlfriend as they set about cooking dinner that evening. He had this strange mixture of feelings in his stomach, as if he were half jealous, half fascinated by their complete adoration for one another. He smiled as Amy threw a piece of carrot at Harry, it hitting him straight in the middle of his forehead.
Harry's apartment wasn't the large spacious expensive one everyone believed him to own. He did actually own a large house in the country, but his cosy London apartment was smallish but homely. Harry hated too much space. He'd grown up in a small cupboard, followed by a tiny bedroom, and then a shared dormitory, so he was uneasy in spacious areas.
They ate dinner at the scrubbed wooden table in the warm kitchen, and then Harry and Amy disappeared into the lounge, after Ron had said his thank yous and goodbyes.
Amy smiled up at her boyfriend happily as she lay wrapped in his arms.
"Mind if I stay over?" she asked, sleepily.
Harry began to shake his head, when he paused and looked down at the blonde girl in his arms markedly. Amy caught his gaze and levered herself into a sitting position, a worried glint in her eyes.
"What's wrong Harry?"
"I was just thinking about how all your stuff seems to be at mine and how you're always sleeping over……"
"Harry, if im moving too fast or becoming clingy, tell me and ill stop" Amy protested.
"No, it's not that", Harry grinned lopsidedly, "how would you like to move in with me?"
All the celebrations were complete unknown to Ron, as he threw his keys down upon the kitchen worktop in his quiet and empty flat.
It seemed so dull and lifeless without Jenna in it nowadays. He was used to coming home to trip over her shoes in the hallway, find her coffee mug on the table and a pile of clothes all over the bed. These things had driven him crazy when they'd lived together, but now he just missed them.
He sighed and went into the bedroom, where a single box of her stuff sat. Inside was everything he had ever bought for her; photos of them together, the dress she'd worn the night they'd spent in each others arms for the first time, and piles of expensive colourful undergarments, he bought out of his passion for her practising her model poses in undressed states.
And now, shed disappeared off to the states, on a modelling contract. Or that's what she claimed. Ron really knew how hard it was for her to live in this tiny flat, in the rougher part of the city, with her unemployed boyfriend, when there was a glittering array of lights, camera flashes and autographs in need of signing across the Atlantic.
Abruptly, Ron kicked out at the leftover box, sending its contents flying. Well at least it looked more like their old bedroom, as he surveyed the items of clothing scattered across the floor.
Suddenly a slip of paper fastened to the dress caught his eye.
Call me when you've got your head sorted. I love you. Jenna X
And all of a sudden, Ron didn't know what to do with himself. And so he slid to the floor, curled up in a little ball and sobbed.
Ginny lay awake that night, staring at her ceiling. She'd only been married a year, and already this was happening. They said the first year of marriage was the hardest but she didn't believe that about hers. She just believed that she had married the wrong person. Sure Brett was amazing with Mia, and handsome, kind and loving. But there was that deep sense of passion and attraction, which she felt was lacking, and missed dreadfully.
Sighing, she clambered out of bed, leaving her sleeping husband behind and tiptoed into her daughters' bedroom. At nearly two years old, Mia was possibly the most beautiful thing Ginny had ever laid eyes on. Looking startlingly like her father, with a mass of blonde curls, huge stormy grey eyes and Ginny's freckles she was perfect.
Ginny had left Hogwarts four months after Mia's birth, during which molly and Arthur had cared for their granddaughter, and had managed to acquire a job, working for the daily prophet as a pat time proof reader. Although not the journalist post she dreamed of, it would do until Mia was at preschool. Ginny didn't know what they would do without Brett's large salary from his ministry job, which had enabled them to purchase their house, in little Daunton, near Diagon alley.
After checking her daughter was alright, Ginny pottered downstairs and into the kitchen, and set about making a cup of tea.
"Gin?"
Ginny froze as she heard Brett's voice from the doorway.
"Sorry did I wake you?" she asked, plastering a look of concern on her pretty features.
Brett shook his head.
"No, I was only dozing anyway. Is Mia alright?" he replied.
"Yes fine. I just couldn't sleep, that's all. Tea?"
Brett nodded and seated himself at the kitchen table, whilst Ginny bruised herself making a second cup of the hot liquid.
She handed it too him and then sat down opposite him, in silence.
"I found this"
Brett launched straight into what had obviously been on his mind for a while, pulling out a white envelope as he spoke. Ginny's eyes lowered to the table top.
"oh"
"I think you should go" Brett continued, re-reading the invite to a conference being held for budding and established journalists. It was offering a long weekend of meet and greets with helpful contacts and writers, and giny had been recommended by the daily phrophet's editor.
"what about mia?"
Brett smiled.
"I think im sensible enough to take care of our daughter by now, don't you think, gin? And I know its for longer then ive done it on my own before, but I think ill manage?" He blurted ut, and Ginny smiled.
"okay, ill go" she repied, and received a hug from Brett.
"itll be great. Youll meet loads of amazing people!" he gushed, then retreated back to bed, his mission complete.
