(A/N): I'm updating! I never knew how hard this could be! To put this fantasy into words I mean. I knw exactly what is going to happen in this story but it is hard to find the time to write, the will to write, or the words to write. Thank you for the reviews! You will never believe how they made my heart leap like mad or how they brightened my day. I dedicate this chapter to the faded star in the skymy first reviewer!
jewelwhisperer: The diary is introduced in this chap. you will learn more about it as the story progresses though. Don't worry! I have the whole story planned out and know how important the diary is...
gyrlfrend: you really scared me there! bet then i was like wait a minute...nobody thinks i'm worthless...(jk!)
Thanks to Slayergirl1362, KimJo, revelyn, profet, frolicfeather, and JewelBlossom for the awesome reviews!
Disclaimer: Alas...they're still not mine...
(EDIT): 3/30/06—I would like to thank Lyndsie for her awesome help with this chapter! If there are any mistakes they are because of my own tinkering after I got the chapter back.
Reunions:
Hermione wore her Head Girl badge everyday, like the excited schoolgirl she was, and beamed as she polished it with her shirt every now and then, so Percy Weasley-like. When her parents looked at her, they didn't see their little Hermy, their daughter who had brought home finger paintings in first grade, anymore. Now, they saw a young woman, so close to leaving school and home, but yet, still that little girl on the inside. It was when she was excited that they saw Hermione's inner child come out of her shell. Which was a good thing. They had worried for years that maybe Hermione spent too much time on her studies. In the end, they knew their daughter wanted to do well, for herself if not for her them, and she still had a good social life outside of her duties. So they only worried about her when she was on a little adventure, like the ones she had gone on with Harry and Ron over the years. The little adventures that had nearly gotten her killed.
For Hermione, time passed as fast as molasses oozing from the bark of a maple tree. She hadn't seen Harry or Ron since the end of their last term and couldn't wait to see them again. The date was August 28th as she packed her school trunk for her stay at Diagon Alley, and then eventually, her year at Hogwarts. Each item that wasn't an article of clothing sent Hermione down Memory Lane. She always kept things for sentimental reasons, even if the object was completely worthless.
When she was going out with Viktor Krum in her fourth year, he had given her a miniature, moving model of himself on a broom; much like the one that Ron had bought at the Qudditch World Cup. It was a smaller, cuter version of him with the same duck-footed-ness as the original. She hadn't even seen Viktor Krum for two years but she never liked to throw gifts away, no matter how long she had had it.
When Harry had given her a calligraphy kit for Christmas, she was thrilled to no end. Ron was fascinated by the ink pen that came in the kit, so she had given it to him, knowing that a quill would work just as well. The kit also included a stamp, much like the Hogwarts stamp on the school letters, with an H on it and purple wax (her favorite color). She had never used the kit, because it had looked so fancy, and would rather display it in her book case. Harry understood, not really ever having had beautiful things before. Hermione did get beautiful things, mind you, but the gift had looked too beautiful to just use then throw away.
In an hour Hermione was completely done packing, except for one book. Walking around her bed to her nightstand, she picked up the handsome leather book, thinking about the memories it brought up. The only memories that could fill her head about this book were painful and full of hatred that wasn't just her own. What she held in her arms, and detested as much as she would die without it, was a diary. Her diary. There was nothing peculiar about it like Tom Riddle's diary that Harry had...acquired in the second year. She just held a beautiful, scarlet book with her name embossed in gold on the cover and spine, holding all her teenage worries, angers, fears, and excitements since the summer after fifth year. Nevertheless, how she had gotten the diary was nothing she liked to remember and sometimes wished she had a Pensieve to relieve her of her horrible memories of the experience. For now though, she left her diary on her bed in case she needed it. She never knew when she would blow up lately...
The next day, Hermione got a ride from both parents to London. She had shrunk her trunk to fit in her pocket so that when they parked a distance away from the pub, she wouldn't bring attention to herself—though carrying an owl in cage did look kind of suspicious in itself. Before she had shrunk her luggage, her mom had worried that she would get in trouble for doing magic outside of school. Hermione was seventeen and would soon be eighteen in a couple of weeks. Being of age, she was allowed to do magic whenever now. Professor Dumbledore had even begun teaching her how to become an Animagus since the beginning of sixth year. Personally, she hoped to become a cat. Something that could blend in with any environment, but not a rat or a snake or anything associated with...disgusting-ness. She had very much liked being older than Harry and Ron and getting her Apparating license before either of them. Plus, she didn't think they were putting any effort into becoming Animagi so she felt a little bit...superior to them, even though she knew she wasn't. She was just proud of her many accomplishments.
Trying to act as if they fit in with the crowd walking past them, all three Grangers entered the Leaky Cauldron, a pub that could only be seen if someone pointed it out to you, otherwise, your eyes wandered right past it. The nearly empty pub was dim and dank, and smelled of Firewhiskey. The landlord, Tom, greeted the three newcomers with a toothless grin.
"Miss Granger? Shall I show you to your room?" the helpful man asked. Hermione nodded as she and her parents followed the stooped figure up a small flight of stairs to a long hallway with doors on both sides. Tom led them to the room at the very end of the hall, room number 78. Hermione smiled at her parents and took this as a good sign; 78 was, coincidentally, her favorite number.
Tom unlocked the door and let the three people in before handing Hermione the key. The fire blazed to life in the fireplace as they walked in.
"Is there anything I can get you Miss Granger? Tea? Crumpets?"
Hermione nodded her head. "Actually, Tom, we haven't quite had lunch yet. Can you bring something up?"
Tom bowed his way out of the room backwards, leaving the Grangers to take in their surroundings.
It really was just a room. On the opposite wall of the door, was a window with a desk underneath. Gently, she put Pantalaimon's cage on the desk and let her owl free. A bed sat against the left wall, which also bore a grand wardrobe. Pan settled here and decided to take a well deserved nap. Opposite that was a bookshelf full of books and the fireplace. Lastly, on the floor lay a purple throw rug and a squishy armchair. Hermione nodded in approval as Tom reentered the room with a cart of food trays.
"For lunch I have prepared grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, Dragon Spleen soup, tea, lemonade, and crumpets. Enjoy."
"Tom!" Hermione called before he left. He turned to face Hermione properly. "Has Harry Potter or Ron Weasley checked in yet?"
Tom shook his head almost sadly, "I'm sorry, Miss. Shall I notify you when they arrive?"
The teenager nodded. Again, Tom bowed himself out of the room, shutting the door as he left. This left the Grangers to feast on their lunch, although no one touched the soup since Mr. Granger could have sworn he saw something look at him from inside the soup bowl. Hermione threw some owl treats onto the top of the wardrobe to satisfy Pan. They talked for awhile until Ron Weasley barged into the room, Harry Potter and Tom right behind him.
"Great, food!" He exclaimed as he noticed the cart, and started to dig in right away, not surprising Hermione at all with his pig-like appetite. "Oh, hey 'Mione. Great to see you..." He said between mouthfuls, not even looking at Hermione.
"Ron, show the girl some love. We haven't seen her in ages." Harry chastised Ron teasingly. "Besides...bloody hell, Hermione! What have you been doing this summer?" Harry gaped at her as he took in her appearance. Hermione blushed at his "subtle" compliment.
"Oh, well...you know...just dabbling around...here and there...trying something new..." She said a bit uncomfortable under Harry's, and now Ron's, stares, but inside she felt very pleased. Her face reddened and no one noticed, or they chose to ignore, her parents' evil glares at the two boys ogling their daughter. To end the awkward silence, Hermione ran to Harry and embraced him, then turned to Ron, who squeezed her until she couldn't breathe.
"Shall I take my leave, now that Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley are here?" Tom asked Hermione.
"Yes, thank you, Tom." She lightly kissed him on the cheek for all his help. Tom left, smiling his toothless grin.
"Yes dear, now that your...friends are here, we really should be going now," Mr. Granger told Hermione, though both of her parents looked reluctant to leave their daughter in the company of two boys who had finally realized that she was a girl in a girl's body.
"But we won't leave, unless you want us to?" Ms. Granger asked as a sort of question.
"No, no. Mum, I'll be fine. Harry and Ron are here!" This did not seem to cheer either of the adults at all, but they took their leave, albeit unwillingly.
"Really, Hermione, you do look fantastic. If I didn't know you would refuse, I would ask you out again." Ron blushed at this comment, aware that he was showing his vulnerable side.
Hermione laughed. "Where could the rest of the Weasleys be?" she asked in a teasing manner.
"Mum, Dad, and Ginny are settling into their room. We're a little tight on money...and Mum is making Ginny share their room. Harry and I have our own, Fred and George are living in their apartments above their shop, and Bill and Charlie rented their own rooms." Ron blushed as he answered her question. Hermione was well aware that the Weasleys did not have lot of money and noticed how his ears turned red with embarrassment.
"It seems like everyone in my family has money except for Mum, Dad, me and Gin.," he continued mumbling, his ears turning a darker shade.
At least Mr. and Mrs. Weasley only have two children to worry about now, Hermione thought slightly guiltily. She didn't have as much money as Draco Malfoy, but she knew that she had more than the Weasleys and would have loved to split it with them, with her parents' approval of course. But the whole lot of red heads were proud and would take no one's money or pity. They had the dignity to make do with what they had. This is why she respected and admired the Weasleys, though she would never tell anyone this; just her diary held this secret.
"Well, Ginny can share a room with me!" Hermione thought up quickly. "Really, I don't mind and it would be nice to have some company."
"Let's go ask her," Harry said, leaving the room. Ron and Hermione followed and all of their spirits soared.
Ginny was in the hallway, muttering to herself, when Harry tapped her on the shoulder. Caught off guard, she turned around to see Harry and Ron. Hermione was somewhere behind them but she couldn't see her.
"Hey, Beautiful," Harry cooed in her ear. Ginny blushed at the scowl on Ron's face.
Hermione saw all of this from her position and exclaimed, "Ginny! I didn't know you and Harry were together!" stepping out from behind her two best friends' tall forms.
Ginny was nodding when she saw Hermione's change. Her mouth fell open in shock. "Hermione! You look gorgeous!" Hermione blushed a deep shade of crimson. That was already three people who had gaped at her like an idiot. She was only wearing jeans, a purple tank top, and purple Converse! Although she did have to say that her outfit showed off the curve of her hips and breasts and a little bit of cleavage. She had gotten her best friends to drool, what would they do if they saw her in one of the skirts Jessica had bought her?
They might get a little uncomfortable with the tightening of their pants, she thought evilly. Her eyes widened in horror as she tried not to look at Harry or Ron's crotch. Shaking her head to clear her mind, she had another thought. How will Malfoy react? Where were these thoughts coming from? How could she possibly have such a...well, a dirty mind? Sure, she thought Malfoy was hot but he didn't see a single thing in her at all. She was the gum on his shoe, the fly in his ear, the, well, the list could go on. The point was, she was considered worse than dirt, and didn't receive so much as a second glance from any Slytherin.
"Hermione...HERMIONE! Earth to Hermione!" Ginny was waving one of her slender hands in front of Hermione's face. Coming out of her daze, she looked at her friends' expectant faces.
"I'm sorry. I'm a little tired. What did you say?"
"Ron told me you offered to let me share your room. I just wanted to make sure it was all right." Hermione nodded, a grin playing on her face. "Then I accept!" her friend hugged her and went to transfer her luggage to Hermione's room.
"Thanks, 'Mione," Ron muttered, not quite catching her eye.
"Oh, Ron, you silly boy!" Hermione swept him into a tight hug she knew he needed. She held on until the boy, no the man, in front of her wrapped his arms tight around her and hugged her back.
She was just thinking about how she would write this day, this moment, in her diary when she remembered...
"OH MY GOD!"
"Hermione! What's wrong?" Harry and Ron asked simultaneously.
Hermione was whimpering as she answered, "Oh no, no, no, no, no, no. I left my diary at home!"
"Oh is that all?" Ron asked, thinking Hermione was overreacting. Harry studied his best friend, trying to figure out why she was so upset.
"What do you mean 'is that all'?" She had grabbed the collar of Ron's shirt and was shaking him. He was afraid that she had gone hysterical. "You have no idea what this means! You have no idea what trouble I could get in!" She shook him a final time and let go, slumping her body against the nearest stone wall and closing her eyes. She was breathing deeply like she was counting to ten, then opened her eyes.
"I'm going to owl, Mum to send it as soon as she can. At least she knows how important it is. " Hermione wasn't hysterical anymore but she still sounded like she wanted to cry. She sprinted down the hall back to her room, still breathing deeply.
Harry gave Ron a worried look.
"Don't worry, mate. She'll be all right. And when she thinks we need to know what's going on, she'll tell us. You know how she is." Harry wasn't as sure about that as Ron. He sent a worried glance down the hall in the direction Hermione had just gone, hoping that in time, she would tell them what was going on.
A/N): Hmmmmm...What was wrong with Hermione? Only I know... I had wanted to write more, but this is the right place to stop, I think. Plus, it was Sunday when I wrote this, meaning I had all my homework I had "saved for later", and had to clean my room. I have to say, eighth grade really sucks. Anyways, so go review! I will try to update again before the beginning of next week. And I'm even thinking of starting a Snape/Hermione romance...it's still forming in my head, though. Oh, this is so much fun!