So… Hi. My name is Catie. This is my second fic, my other one is under faerie tales and you should SO read it. I have a LOT of reviews. This fic is goanna be rated T for minimal swearing and maybe some short, suggestive scenes. Being a weird 14 year old, I have no "experience" if you catch my meaning. I love to write and hope people will like this. It's going to be a comedy, I think I got the idea while reading the 3rd book for the fifty-something-ith time. Seriously, what DOES Hermione do during the summers? Read and review!
----
Hermione Granger lay on the grass, staring into the pale blue sky above and letting her thoughts stray as she stretched her arms high above her head, pointing her toes down.
Being back at home calmed her after a hard school year. In the whirlwind of exams, applying for jobs and making time for Oliver and her friends she almost forgot how to relax and take a break. In a way, she was thankful that her parents had foregone their annual vacation to Italy or Rome or the States or somewhere else equally as exotic.
Hermione was just drifting off for a quick cat nap when a shadow appeared above her head. The years of learning lightening fast reflexes in order to protect herself from Voldemort brought her hand flying to her pocket. Yes, Voldemort had been killed by Ginny one year previous, but his cronies were still lurking in the bleak corners of dark wizarding circles.
Hermione leapt to her feet, wand straight out and pointing at the young man who stood before her. Her face grew pink as she realized that the person standing before her was a muggle. A certain muggle whom she knew…
"Derek?" she asked in utmost disbelief. The young man raked a hand through his thick hair and smiled charmingly.
"Well, well Hermione Granger, I haven't seen you in a while." He glanced down at her wand.
"Make that a couple of years," she replied, trying to regain her composure as she stuffed her wand into her Levis. "Just a – um… stick for my dog," she laughed, indicating the wooden rod.
"A dog? You seem more like a cat person to me," Derek cocked his head to one side. He had grown up, and dear God, he was cute. And couldn't be so close to the truth.
"Family dog," she explained, hoping he wouldn't insist on meeting the thing. Although she once learned it, conjuring up a canine wasn't exactly the first thing she did in the morning.
"Well, I'll have to meet him sometime," Derek smiled again. "I'm such a dog lover. I have one of my own. Maybe we could go on a quick walk sometime." Damn.
"Oh. Yes, of course. Clever idea." She laughed nervously, picking at a stray thread on a sweater which Ginny had recently forbid her from wearing in public. And of all the days she decided to wear it, she just had to meet Derek. Typical. "We'll have to do it sometime. Well then, I'm off." Hermione said, faking cheeriness as she turned and began walking in the other direction.
"Wait." Derek reached out and let a hand loosely onto her shoulder. "Coffee?" he asked. So simple. This wasn't anything like Oliver's nervous stuttering as he asked her to dance at the Christmas dance two years ago. But no. Oliver was enough. She didn't have to be greedy, she already had a boyfriend. She didn't aim to be one of those hopeless girls who nobody likes, the ones who have six men who worship her to the ends of the earth. Hermione stayed true. Always. Except maybe just this once. Only coffee. It wasn't really a date. Just a quick bite to eat and then a walk in the park with their dogs.
Hermione jolted herself. She didn't even own a dog! What was she thinking? But then again… why not have a bit of fun this summer. Nobody needed to know. She was in the muggle world, so why not?
"I'd love to," Hermione exclaimed. "I don't have much to do this summer and it would put and end to the awful boredom I'm attempting to endure." It was a lame joke, but Derek laughed all the same.
"I know a place down the street a ways." Derek gestured to the street in front of Hermione's yard. Come to think of it, what was Derek doing in the yard anyways? It's not as if their families were close. She knew him from elementary school, their parents hadn't even met that she knew of. "We could walk our dogs down."
"Our… dogs?" Hermione asked weekly. "We can't get to yours so maybe it's better if we just leave them at home…"
"No trouble. My house is on the way and Max needs a walk anyways."
"Well it won't work for me because… Fifi is at the vet's. She has an ear infection." Hermione lied. Fifi? Fifi?! Who would name a dog Fifi?! Derek bit his lip.
"Then why are you getting a stick…?" he asked her, cocking his head to one side once more.
"Because she's coming back soon and well – er – all dogs like a good stick." Hermione tossed her head knowingly. Derek's brow furrowed but he didn't delve any deeper into the story. "I'm just going to go inside and change," she indicated her sweater. "Into something… something else." Derek shrugged.
"I don't have much money with me right now, and I refuse to let you pay. Why don't we meet in about forty-five minutes?" Derek suggested. Hermione agreed, all too ready to bolt.
She managed to calmly walk him to the gate, waving goodbye as he left, promising to be on time. The minute he was out of her line of vision, Hermione dashed to the house.
Her parents, who worked at dentists, left about an hour ago (nine o' clock), promising to be home in time for family dinner. Yeah right. This still meant that she had until at least six, and she could always call home and say that she met some old friends and was going for a night out.
"Stop!" Hermione told herself as she mounted the stairs leading to her bedroom. "It doesn't matter if they're here or not because it's a quick coffee!" She said it aloud to drill the thought into her head, but did not succeed. "If it's a flipping quick coffee, why do I even care what I looked like?" she asked herself.
Hermione stopped at the second floor landing a plucked at her orange sweater. "Well, this is an embarrassing to have in my closet, so I 'spose I should change. Maybe into the cute cropped tank I just bought." Hermione made for her hall closet. Opening the door, she stopped herself.
"No! I was saving that for Oliver!" she yelled to herself. After a few moments of staring at her closet, Hermione sighed. "I don't know what to wear." She grumbled to herself.
"How about this?" A pale hand reached around Hermione and pointed to a short jean skirt.
"No, no…" Suddenly Hermione whirled. "Ginny?" she asked in utmost disbelief.
"No, it's George," Ginny joked. "I just got my apparating license and decided to come visit you. Did you know that if you picture a space next to where a person is standing, you can appear next to them?"
"Uh-uh. That's cool." Hermione enveloped Ginny into a tight bear hug.
"But if you just picture the person, things can be catastrophic," Ginny hugged her friend back, but continued her jabbering. "Apparently, you go inside of them, or at least your personality does… but you can't get to your body and the only way to be extricated is to go to the ministry but then you get your license taken away," Ginny explained.
"You're still the same old Gin!" Hermione laughed as she let go of her friend.
"Now, what are you doing?" Ginny asked Hermione. "And why are you wearing that sweater? I though I told you how ugly it was and therefore made it clear that you weren't to wear it!" Ginny scolded, lightly smacking Hermione on the arm.
"Well I was expecting to have a day at home. You know, alone."
"Is that a hint for me to leave?"
"Oh, no!" Hermione exclaimed. "I need your help. See, there's this guy that I met –" Ginny held up her hands.
"Hold it." She instructed Hermione. "Whatever happened to Wood?" Ginny asked, crossing her arms.
"Damn, I was hoping you wouldn't ask," Hermione chuckled, attempting to blow off the question. Ginny crossed her arms, arching an eyebrow as she looked accusingly at Hermione. Silence ensued for only a brief moment. "Summer is when you're supposed to have fun!" Hermione exclaimed defensively. "He's really nice, and Oliver doesn't need to know. I mean, it's not like we've proclaimed being exclusive."
"Yeah, but… don't you feel even a little bit bad?"
"Maybe a smidge," Hermione confessed. "But I already agreed. Will you help me?" Hermione pleaded to her friend, lower lip sticking out in a overplayed pout. Ginny considered, mouth pulled to one side.
"I suppose," Hermione flew at Ginny, folding her into a tight squeeze. "Get off me until that sweater is gone. The bad style might be contagious."
------
Half an hour later, Hermione stood in front of her full length mirror, a smug-faced Ginny positioned behind her.
"It's a bit skimpy," Hermione commented, looking at the black velvet micromini she didn't remember buying (Ginny had, in fact, conjured it after Hermione's stern request to stick with the clothes in her closet) and a maroon, low cut v-neck sweater.
"It has long sleeves to compensate for the skirt."
"About the skirt, I swear I didn't buy this. I never would." Hermione turned to glance at Ginny, whose eyes traveled to her feet.
"Maybe it was a gift." Ginny suggested, not meeting Hermione's eyes. Hermione chose not to press the subject, time was running short.
"I've got to meet Derek in fifteen minutes and I have no idea where the café is." Hermione told Ginny.
"Okay, I guess I can let you go." Ginny consented. "Don't you dare put your hair up! The potion I used on it expensive."
"Wish me luck!" Hermione said, adding a bit more lip gloss and wiping away a bit of the excessive blush which had been applied by Ginny.
"Good luck!" Ginny clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Promise you'll floo me when you get back?" Her friend asked.
"I promise I'll floo you." A heavy sigh left Hermione. "Don't tell a soul." Ginny nodded. "I'll kill you." Ginny pouted.
"Don't you trust me?" she asked. Hermione grinned.
"You're the most notorious gossip in school, Gin!" Hermione's friend smiled.
"You can trust me with anything, girl." Ginny assured her. "Now go knock this Derek guy off his heels!" With a crack, Ginny disappeared.
----
"And then I told her to knock the Derek guy off his heels!" Ginny finished with a flourish. Ron's jaw hung open.
"Wow," he replied. "Hermione doesn't seem like she would do that."
"Ron, you've known her for seven years. I'd think you know her well enough by now that she can sometimes be very erratic. She's only a goody-girl at school. It works well enough. All the professors love her."
"Except Snape."
"Yes, except Snape. But that's not the point. She deserves some excitement." Ginny retorted wryly. The siblings sat in content silence for a moment. Molly and Arthur were currently in Nice for their anniversary, a gift from Fred and George after the twins' success with the joke shop.
Fred and George now lived in penthouse in the middle of London, Percy had moved out long ago, and their other brothers were long gone, only coming back for the occasional visit. The house seemed oddly quite with so few people in it. Molly and Arthur were set to return in two weeks and for the time being, Ginny and Ron were alone. Fred and George came to dinner every few nights to keep them company.
Luckily, Harry was coming to spend the rest of the summer at the burrow after an auror seminar at the ministry's training facilities. Wood, who had become close to Ron after he started dating Hermione, was arriving in a couple of weeks, a couple of days before Hermione. While mulling this over, Ron's eyes suddenly lit up.
"Harry's going to be shocked when he hears this bit of news! And Fred and George'll find it hilarious. I'm goanna go floo them right now!" Ron exclaimed, jumping to his feet.
"No!" Ginny followed her brother, roughly grabbing Ron's shirt as he attempted to bolt "Nobody know! I swore I wouldn't tell a soul, and here I go telling you!"
"But – but Harry needs to know! And Fred and George will think it's so funny!" Ron protested.
"No," Ginny said, planting one hand on her hip and grasping Ron's shirt tighter. "You'd better not." Ron pouted.
"I really want to tell somebody!" Ron exclaimed.
"Go tell Pig or something," Ginny instructed sternly. "I'm going to go prepare dinner." A frown on appeared on Ron's freckled face, but he slowly relaxed.
"Fine," Ron grumbled. "But they'll find out sooner or later anyways." Ginny rolled her eyes and set off for the kitchen.
----
Gin is a bad little girl, eh? I, personally, find it very funny. That could be because I know what's going to happen next. I'm trying to keep my chapters long, around six or seven pages. I wrote this quickly, so please tell me if you see any mistakes. I might not update constantly due to long chapters and the need to write my other fic which, if you like this, you should read. Please review! I like any kind – flames, lovin' it, criticisms… I just like reviews!
