AN: I haven't forgotten! I did however become quite misguided. Originally (and I realize how wrong it would have been) the sequel to It Can't Be Over was going to be a troubling and quick marriage law fic. I decided after letting it sit that I didn't like what I'd written, and I was terribly glad I didn't post it. So instead, I have decided to not use some plot device such as that and carry on with my original favourite pairing in a traditional way!
Meaning, I also have not pre-written any chapters I'm posting, so I'm terribly sorry if it takes a while for them to show up. Thank you for all of you who have stuck with me and are reading this now. Enjoy and review!
Chapter 1
It had been a happy little while since Bill had been to the Burrow in the midday. A family dinner every other week after work, sure, but at barely half nine? Not in what felt like ages did that happen. Possibly a year, or near enough.
He simply didn't move back in after the war. For a while Bill lived at Shell Cottage, until his work got more necessary and the commute was just unnecessary since it wasn't as time consuming. Maybe he was just looking for an excuse to leave that place. With all that had been going on the last year, as well, there just wasn't time for morning visits with Molly.
Aurors had gathered all but fifteen death eaters, according to the latest trusted Daily Prophet announcement. Aurors were working hard to piece together the Wizarding World after the fall of Voldemort, under the guide of Kingsley Shacklebolt. Bill's part, along with plenty of curse breakers that Gringotts loaned out to the Ministry, was to enter the homes of these death eater families to remove all curses/objects that could harm people magically to ensure safety among any of the people who lived there or moved in afterwards.
Everything was good. All was happy. It had been just more than a year since the Battle of Hogwarts, and despite the loss of Fred, even the Weasley family was getting on. There was the occasional good cry or need to talk George out of his flat, but walking into the Burrow in the mid-morning, Bill felt that it was all different for the better.
Ron still lived at home with Ginny and Harry, who was staying until he fixed up Grimmauld Place properly. Percy was around pretty often, but not at that time. George came by about every other day. Charlie wrote frequent letters and got a pass for a monthly port key from Romania. So save for Charlie, due to where he worked, only Bill was really absent from that place.
So when he walked in it caused a lot of noise as Ginny and his mother cheered and came at him. He caught them both in a quick family hug, laughing at them.
"Bill! What are you doing here? No work?" Molly asked, gripping his arms as she looked him over. "You've changed since last I saw you. What is it? Ah! You're smiling so brightly I just may be blinded!"
"Don't mock me. It's a good day." He patted her arm and got her to free him. "And I've got the week off. We just finished up with the Yaxley house, last on the list, so all us curse breakers get a bit of vacation!"
Ginny pulled him into the kitchen. "We're having a late breakfast because Harry and Ron just got up like three minutes ago. You're hungry, right?" It was more a statement than a question, and she looked at him expecting him to sit.
He was a Weasley, of course he could eat despite getting his own breakfast. "Yeah, I'm hungry." He chuckled.
As Molly set an extra plate, the other two came down. They gave bright, surprised hellos and Ron gave his shoulder a pat before going to sit on the other side of the table.
Halfway through breakfast, Molly asked, "So what is everyone doing today?"
"I'm thinking I might head over to the shop to help George, and then go to the quidditch shop." Ginny answered.
"We have the day off from Auror training and were going to go to Hogsmeade. Check on Aberforth, Hagrid, Buckbeak… You know, all of them." Ron offered with a shrug.
Was Bill the only one in his head? "Aren't you guys forgetting something?" He asked incredulously.
"Uh… Do you want to come along?" Harry asked, clearly having no clue what Bill was referring to.
"Seriously? Mum doesn't even remember?" He gave her an amused look. Molly seemed equally lost. Bill sat back with a deep laugh. "Oh, come on, think. It's been six weeks to the day since Ginny got back from Hogwarts…"
Then it all clicked. "Hermione!" Ginny, Harry, Ron, and even Molly called out.
"How could I forget? Hermione's coming to stay!" Molly cheered.
After finishing her seventh year with Ginny, Hermione Granger had gone off for six weeks to reconnect with her family. She found them in two weeks, and was taking the month after to catch up with them and reconcile, but after that she was coming to the Burrow to stay until she had a job and her own place. The date was drilled into Bill's mind, who purposely took this vacation time despite having the opportunity to be off four days earlier. He hadn't talked to her properly, really, since before the war it felt.
"Nothing's ready! I have to set up a room for her." Molly bustled to her feet.
"I have to clean mine and hide all the letters I didn't read." Ron burst from the table, running off up the stairs. It was the only time he'd skip a breakfast.
Ginny, however, gave Bill a knowing look. The girl had left him completely alone about Hermione until this moment. He ignored the twisted brow, looking away only to catch that Harry was giving him a similar joking look.
Pretty sure that each of them didn't know the other knew, he said nothing. He didn't have to, either. He just ate his second breakfast quickly before leaving them to help his mother sort out the sleeping arrangement. A little transfiguration and levitating to move things about, and it was a proper bedroom and not just a boring bed and dresser like Percy had it. There was a desk and book shelves that were his clever thought, and he felt good being able to contribute even that tiny detail.
It was chance that made him groan when Ginny caught him alone in the living room.
"If you hurt her again, I'll do more than punch you in the lip." She threatened him with a voice too kind for the words.
Bill lifted his hands. "I'm not going to do anything." He claimed before setting right pillows on the couch to make room. "We haven't spoken in ages."
He sat in the space he cleared and Ginny stayed standing where she was, arms crossed. "But you miss her?" She asked.
Endlessly, every day, but that could just be an echo of what had been. He was here for her, but also to sort himself out. "I don't know, Ginny, maybe." He said with attitude.
"What do you mean maybe?"
"I mean I don't know." Bill gave her a tired look. "It's been a long time. I'm here as a friend first, okay?"
His sister softened her stance and shrugged. "Okay. As long as neither of you end up upset, okay? I can't deal with that again."
He leaned on his forearms, hands twisting together. "Trust me, neither can I."
Hermione was a bundle of nerves and wonder. It had been a year since the war. A year of finishing her schooling, finding her parents, doing everything independently without Harry and Ron. An entire year of a lot of thought about the magical world and how much trouble it caused her.
But only a month since she last used magic and she could not wait to dive back in.
Her parents had been furious, of course, to miss two years of her life. She let them be after restoring their memories. Living in a new house, she helped them unpack and let her mother yell at her, her father ignore her, and just accepted that she deserved it. They came around easily within a week and a half, of course, because they knew there was something off when their memories were wiped – they felt like they were missing something, and that something had been her. It helped that there were no lasting effects.
They were just so glad, in the end, to have her back that they didn't mind her leaving home for the wizarding world again. She could apparate to visit constantly, at the house's floo was hooked up so despite being muggle her parents could always make a floo call or toss a letter through to the Burrow. Hermione was more excited than anything that they supported her decision to move in with the Weasleys.
Though her nerves kicked in about yesterday. Throughout the war she always wondered if Bill was safe, or lonely, or alive. After it they had a few gatherings in summer, mostly mournful with the entire family, so they never talked, but he was safe. That seemed so important to her. Bill was safe.
During the school year, however, it turned into a small thought. Nearly forgotten if not for the occasional flicker of memory. She had classes to distract her, and NEWTs. Then taking care of her parents once summer hit. But just yesterday as she packed, she realized that moving to the Burrow, living with the Weasleys, meant seeing Bill.
Her heart throbbed recklessly. Since then all she's wondered was if he dated, how he was, if Fleur ever apologized for the things she said (because she certainly didn't respond to the quickly penned apology Hermione sent to France, not that she meant much of it). Knowing better, of course, Hermione wouldn't get ahead of herself. They'd become friends, she decided. Talk for a while, and then she'd learn if all these feeling she had were burn off from three years ago when she first fell in love, or if she still loved him.
She'd always love him if that were the case, just in other ways.
So slow was the plan. Slow and excited. After packing she gathered everything up, shrunk it down, and nearly puked. With a smile and already fluttering stomach, she apparated to outside the Burrow.
It looked the same, smelled the same. The field were drying and the orchard just visible, going back so far. The car park was open and the Ford Anglia had returned home after the battle, but was still beaten and fairly feral. It growled with a roar of its engine as she passed, but as Hermione gave it a wave despite that, it flashed its windshield wipers as if waving back.
Standing in front of the door for a moment, Hermione could no longer be nervous. Bill may not be there. It was only ten thirty, or maybe nearer to eleven. She lifted her hand to knock, but then remembered that Molly had thrice scorned her, saying to just come in because she was family.
That in mind, she opened the door brightly and called out, "Guess who's home!"
Everyone was in the living room, seated and stopping their chatting. Just Molly, Ginny, Ron, Harry, and then there he was – Bill. His hair had gotten a bit longer again, just long enough to put in a ponytail without strands falling out. He was the first to rise, then Ginny, grinning massively and coming towards her. He got to her first.
She pounced into his arms like she would any of them, but distinctly noticed a sparrow skull hanging from one ear. He picked her up, dropped her, and pulled back. She got Ginny next, just as quick and giggling. Hermione then instantly turned to pounce the next person, arms up to hug, and landed in the grasp of Mrs Weasley.
"We've missed you, Mione." Harry beamed as he got to her next.
Ron gave a more docile hello and the quickest hug anyone had received in all of creation. Still, he was grinning, which was all she need expect of him.
"I'm so glad you decided to move in, dear." Molly got her attention again.
"I know of no better place to start my new life. But it won't be long." Hermione swore with her fingers marking an x over her heart. When she did it she heard a soft hum of a chuckle from Bill.
"Well we've prepared Percy's old room for you. There's no need for you to be sharing with Ginny now, is there? Even Harry now stays in the twins' old room!" Molly claimed. For a moment those around her thought it a wonder she could mention the twins in plural form without a tear. "Why don't you put your things in there and come back down for tea."
She smiled. "Sounds great. I'll just run up, then."
"I'll go with!" Ginny cheered.
The two girls and old friends took hands and jogged up the stairs. Not even a flight up Ginny couldn't hold her tongue any longer. "So, Bill." Was all she started with.
"Don't you go doing this to me five minutes in the door." Hermione denied with humour in her voice. She wanted to tell Ginny every feeling, but she rather sort them out properly before getting anyone's, even her own, hopes up. "It's been a long time since I've seen any of you guys and I'm going to slowly catch up with friends. That's it."
"Darn, that's what he said." The ginger frowned.
"Then maybe you should listen!" Hermione laughed and entered her new room. "Oh, good, there's shelves!"
For the moment, she only unloaded and unshrunk her trunk. Ginny stayed in the door way, grinning. "I'm glad you're back."
Hermione smiled back. "We just saw each other six weeks ago. You can't have missed me so much."
"No, I didn't mean that." She shook her head. "Here. We haven't come back to the Burrow for any good reason since, well, summer before your sixth year."
This was clearly not counting the Christmas Everyone Cried or those tense days before the war truly began and the trio went on the run. After that there'd only been sad reasons to gather, and before her true seventh year, Hermione didn't stay at the Burrow but rather stayed at the Leaky Cauldron.
But being there now and not having a weight on her shoulders, Hermione couldn't stop her grinning. "You're right." She said. "It's good to be back."
Ginny gave a small laugh and went in for a second, short hug. "Come on, let's get downstairs before Mum complains the tea's gone cold."
Hermione giggled. "Oh, heavens forbid the tea goes cold!"