"Please".
She always thought the word 'please' was exceptionally useful. She could use it in such a way to get what she wanted, especially from her parents. She owed a lot to the word, she would have been silently thanking it if it had been any other day, but today was different. She despised the word at present because it was not helping her like it usually did.
"I've told you a thousand times Hermione, we want you here – with us. Honestly, it makes us feel quite dejected."
"Oh mother", Hermione said sternly with a scowl upon her face. "No it doesn't, you know perfectly well you just want me here to protect me. Don't try and make me feel guilty."
"Is wanting to protect you such a crime?"
"No it's not, but—"
"I mean seriously, after all that's happened I don't feel it's safe anymore. After Dumbledore—"
"Mum, please – don't." Hermione had spilt too many tears over his unexpected death. She still had awful dreams about that white stone tomb. "I'm sorry" her mother tried to comfort her, "but you know it's for the best".
"What's all this?" Dr. Granger had just walked into the kitchen where his two favourite girls were standing. From the look on his daughter's face her knew what the topic of conversation was without asking. He went over to stand by his wife. He looked down upon Hermione and patted her head soothingly. "We need you here with us, sorry Pumpkin."
It was Hermione who felt dejected. She moped the best she could out of the kitchen, leaving a trail of woe behind her. She went softly up the stairs, hoping to invoke the greatest amount of sympathy in her parents as humanly possible.
Laying on her bed, she looked over to her bedside table. The clock told her it was 10:39pm. She wasn't tired, she couldn't go to sleep. All she could think about was the fact she wasn't the The Burrow. She wasn't in the company of her two best friends. Usually, her mother was right – she did secretly know what she was saying was reasonable – but not in this case. She couldn't understand why they wouldn't let her go – safety in numbers. The Burrow was protected.
She let out a sigh full of pain, annoyance and longing. She drifted off to sleep two hours later with a tingling thought left in her mind – "if only…"