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Emeraudedeux

You Again

Chapter One

April 15, 2004

Hermione stood in her flat, washing dishes the muggle way and contemplating how her life had become so uneventful. She let her thoughts drift off, memory of her and Ron's breakup clouding her mind.

xxx

She was running late to dinner with Ron. "Damn it!" she thought to herself as she left her office and ran to the nearest Floo.

"Ron?" she called out as she stepped out of the fireplace. He responded with a grunt, and she followed the sound to its source. She walked into the kitchen, instantly noticing a luggage bag by the table. "Are you going somewhere?" she inquired, walking towards him for a hug and kiss. He stood, briefly enveloping her in an embrace but turned his head away when she leaned in.

"Hermione," he said, taking a deep breath. "I'm going to cut right to it here. We've been growing apart lately. You stay at work far too late and —" Hermione quickly cut him off. "I have been staying to help Remus with the centaurs pack… you know that!"

Ron shook his head sadly, "It doesn't matter; it has been going on for a while." He glanced at her, his face crumbling, "'Mione, please don't cry."

She couldn't stop the tears that were falling down her cheeks. "If you just want to be able to snog whores freely, well fine. Leave then!" She screamed as she turned on her heel and ran into their - no, her bedroom. She collapsed on the bed, crying all the harder as she hugged Ron's pillow, his scent the last thing she noted as she drifted off to sleep.

A knock on her the door startled her out of her cry-induced slumber. She mumbled a barely audible "come in" as she wiped the sleep from her eyes. When she looked up, she saw Ginny and Harry.

"That little git! He told us you were fine," Ginny screeched while running to Hermione's side, grabbing her into a bear hug. Harry slowly walked over to Hermione and took her hand, "It will be okay sis. He will come back soon." Hermione shook her head, a slight frown playing on her lips. "No, he was right. We just grew apart." Harry shot back, "No! You just need some time apart, that's all!"

Hermione pulled herself out of Ginny's embrace with a sad smile, "Harry it's okay, I promise. I was staying later at work because all we ever did was fight. He wanted to go out to the pub so he could get fawned over, and I just wanted to stay home. I didn't want to see all the girls trying to give their goodies away for free."

Ginny laughed and added, "You were too good for him anyway!"

xxx

The Floo activated, jerking her out of the past. "Hermione?" She heard Harry call from the living room. When she rounded the corner, she noted how grown up Harry really looked, yet still the same boy she met on the train all those years ago. "Yes, Harry?" She greeted him with a smile, pulling him in for a hug. Harry's response came quickly - too quickly -, and she eyed him with mild suspicion. "I have tickets to the World Cup, and I would like if you came with me and Ginny."

Hermione sighed, asking the inevitable. "Will Ron be there with his flavor of the month?" Harry grinned and laughed, "Yes, but he said that he would be on his best behavior."

She rolled her eyes, opening her mouth to retort but was cut off by Harry rambling on. "It's Bulgaria vs. Brazil, and we'd get to meet the teams as well." He pleaded at her with puppy dog eyes, and she could stifle her laughter.

"That only works for your son!" she quipped. "Bulgaria and Brazil, did you say?" She echoed.

"I guess I could attend with you both," she sighed, caving in. Harry reaches in to wrap her in a hug, his words muffled by her mountain of curls. "You're the best! Can I have some tea?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at his abrupt change of subject and turned around to put the kettle on the stove. A loud 'pop' sounded as Ginny appeared in front of her with a screaming James.

"I can't understand what he is trying to tell me," Ginny all but yelled over James cries. "Me! Me! Me! Me!" James wailed, reaching out for Hermione. When she grabbed him, he instantly quieted.

Ginny sat down on a stool, shaking her in disbelief. "Thank you! I guess he just needed his aunt." James started to rub his eyes as Ginny complained, "It's past his bedtime but he just won't sleep." Hermione began to rock and hum quietly, brandishing her wand to summon a blanket the child had previously left. While she was taking care of James, Ginny visibly relaxed and gently clapped her hands together.

"So… are you coming with us to the match? Mom will be watching James for us; as you know, it's my first time out since he's been born…" Ginny grinned widely, making eye contact with her husband and wiggling with excitement. Hermione took a break from her tune to reply a quiet "yes", rolling her eyes at the younger girl's behavior. She lifted James's hand then let it drop. It fell with soft a thump - a sure sign that he was fast asleep.

Hermione motioned at the couple before making her way up the stairs where she could put James down in his full sized crib. She hadn't bothered to shrink it the last time he took a nap at her flat. When she heard the laughter from Harry and Ginny drift up into her room, she cast a light silencing spell around his bed.

She swiftly made her way back down to the kitchen, turning the stove down and grabbing three mugs from a nearby cupboard. "What is so funny?" Hermione asked, eyeing them both like they'd gone insane. Ginny wiped tears from her eyes, hardly able to get a word out between giggles. "Oh, we were talking about Ron's newest girlfriend. She came to the burrow for dinner last night."

Hermione stared at Ginny and waited for her to stop laughing. "Her name is Julie, and she is so stupid. She sat down at the table and was very confused as to why George was holding James and we had no baby. It took Ron explaining it a few times for her to understand."

Harry was shaking with uncontrollable laughter but snapped his head up when Ginny added, "The sex must be good for him to stay with her though." Hermione could not stop the laughter that was coming out of her mouth even if she tried. There chuckles soon died down, and conversation flowed on as they finished their mugs of tea.

Eventually, Harry stood, motioning at his wife. "Do you want to get James or should I?"

"Well, you can leave James here or you can all stay the night. I'd hate to disturb him, and you know I have a guest room you're more than welcome to." Hermione replied quickly before anyone could say something else.

"Are you sure you won't mind?" Ginny inquired. "No," Hermione laughed "If I did, I would not have asked! Besides, tomorrow is Saturday and it would be nice to have some company in the morning." Harry and Ginny shared a look before he replied with a grin, "That sounds wonderful. Thank you."

Ginny started to run up the stairs, calling out "I get to sleep in the guest room with Hermione and you can stay with James since he sleeps through the night now. Hurry, Hermione!"

Hermione chuckled, giving Harry a quick hug and peck on the cheek. "Good night, Harry. If you're up bright and early, I'll even make us breakfast tomorrow." She smiled, throwing him a small wave before making her way to the guest quarters after her best friend.

At least some things hadn't changed.

A/N: I know the World Cup is held every four years, but since the war was in 1998 they did not have the cup. They would have to wait two years for the wizarding world to get back to normal and every player to practice with teams to qualify.

While Remus and Tonks survived, Fred did not. The characters will not be like their normal selves as portrayed in the books.*

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