I can't believe I'm updating again so soon.It's all Krissy's fault, I tell you that. Anyhoo, since nobody got my puzzler quesion it will have to remain a mystery fover. How sad. Oh and eaglesnest, while this doesn't answer everything you asked, it's a little snippet of what's to come. Or what's already come. Whaetver. On with the chapter!

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Chapter 3- Engagement

It was about one in the morning when Hermione finally pushed away from Harry, her eyes red and bloodshot, sniffing loudly. She smiled wanly as Harry gently fanned the large wet patch on his shirt caused by her tears. "Sorry about that," Hermione muttered, biting her now slightly raw lip. "I must look a right mess now, hey?" Her hands went to her hair, trying to make it neat and orderly. If she left it for too long it would become a positive rats nest and would take hours to comb out. She slipped off the bed and moved to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Just as the bathroom door's lock fell off into Hermione's hand, rusted and worn, the front door of her flat burst open and through the door way Came the one and only Mrs Molly Weasley. She practically flew into the bedroom and over to Harry. Through the flat's wafer thin walls Hermione heard every word as Molly launched into one of her famous tirades.

"Harry! What on earth are you doing here? Ginny's been worried sick about you, disappearing for days! She says you simply left her after you got that owl with not a word about where you were going or how you were going to get there! NOTHING! You may well be the saviour of wizard kind but you do not treat my daughter like that! And then I find you in some grotty little flat in London! What would poor Ginny think if she found you here? You and Ron, gallivanting off and following up some false lead, raising and dashing our hopes time and time again! Where IS Ronald anyway? You didn't let him go out drinking, did you? Honestly Harry, you know how glum he gets when he can't find her! He won't be able to get out of bed for days after this-"

Hermione couldn't help noticing that Mrs Weasley, who was normally so polite and courteous to Harry, appeared to be acting as though he was one of her sons. Not that Hermione minded of course, but she wondered what had come about to cause the change. Perhaps it was merely the worry about both Ginny and Harry that Molly kept stressing, but Hermione suspected more than that.

"But Molly-"

"Harry, I believe I was speaking. Where was I? Oh yes, how could you let him go out drinking, Harry? Really you should know better by now. If you want to become a member of this family then you better start looking out for your future brothers-"

"But Molly!" Harry tried to interject again. Hermione by this time was opening the door, peering out with wide brown eyes. Future brothers? Of course, Harry and Ginny. That must have been why Mrs Weasley treated him like one of her own. She sighed as she realised just how much she'd been missing out on. As she watched, Mrs Weasley appeared to be swelling with rage as her knuckles turned white and her fingers red. Harry seemed tiny in comparison, skinny and pale, almost cowering under Mrs Weasley.

"Be QUIET Harry. You have no idea of the stress and torment you have put both Ginny and myself through. Three days without contact. We thought a renegade had caught you, that you were lying in some ditch, all mangled and bloody-"

"MOLLY!" Harry roared, eyes blazing. Mrs Weasley seemed to quieten a little, shocked by Harry's outburst.

"What is it, Harry, dear?" she asked, her demeanor returning to normal as she calmed down. The flushed red hue of her face paled back into the pleasant pink that accompanied her good moods. Her hand went to her still gloriously red hair, plumping it gently.

Hermione gave a small cough as she stepped out from the open bathroom doorway. Molly Weasley whipped round, her wand raised defensively before she recognized the skinny, pale girl before her. A dawning expression reached her face as her eyes widened, her mouth in a half open sort of smile, partially covered by the hand that covered it in shock. Hermione had known that no one had ever been able to rival Mrs Weasley's hugs, but even so she was slightly shocked as the woman's arms surrounded her. Mrs Weasley smelt of baking and wood fires and everything so homey and familiar that Hermione wished she could stay there forever. Metaphorically of course. Hermione knew logically that remaining in Mrs Weasley's hug for the rest of her life could become awkward and very smelly.

"Hermione...Hermione!" Mrs Weasley seemed at a loss for words as she gazed at the girl she had last seen five years ago, the girl she had hoped she could one day call her daughter. "I can't believe it's really you. I never thought I d see you again, not if I lived a hundred years. I thought you were-" Molly stopped, ashamed and looked at her feet. "But never mind that. My dear, why have you been hiding form us? If you thought I was worried about Harry going missing for three days... Well. Five years is such a long time to have no contact." Hermione was horrified to see tears in Mrs Weasley's eyes. "I knitted you a jumper every Christmas and birthday, hoping I'd be able to send it to you. Oh, my dear, it's just so good to see you again. Why did you ever leave us?"

Hermione looked down. She didn't want to answer Molly, didn't want to tell her that it was her youngest son that had driven her to flee the wizarding world. She knew that Molly must know in part or even whole the reason for her departure but to say it out loud to his own mother, to disgrace him so in his family's eyes was too much for Hermione. She shook her head dumbly, shrugging.

Molly nodded and led the girl into the living room, seating her on the sofa. "I expect I know the reason, don't I? And believe me, we all support you in this matter, not him. However, in the end, he is family, we had to take him back in the end. Cup of tea?" she offered, bustling in the kitchen end of the room, flicking her wand to clean it. Soon the air was full of the sounds of pots and pans scrubbing themselves as Molly busied herself with the kettle. "You'd think after all these years living with Arthur I would at least know how to boil a muggle kettle," she joked, beckoning Harry to help her. He obliged quickly, filling the kettle and setting it to boil.

A loud crack sounded throughout the whole block of flats as another of the Weasley women apparated into the flat. "MUM! I told you not to chase after Harry, didn't I? I trust him. I can't believe you'd do this. Do you have any idea how embarrassing this is for me? Harry must think I don't trust him- hey Harry- I mean, really Mum, can't you think before you fly off in a rage?" Ginny threw herself down onto the sofa, only to find it was already occupied. Hermione extricated herself form the piece of furniture with a slight squeak.

"Sorry," Ginny muttered, glancing up briefly, assuming she'd sat on one of her brothers. Hermione frowned for a few seconds as Ginny looked at her knees. Hadn't Ginny seen her? Was she blind? Was she- Mid thought, Hermione found herself having the life squeezed out of her as it suddenly all clicked in Ginny's mind. "OH MERLIN! HERMIONE!"

'Well,' Hermione thought, smiling slightly, 'at least some wizards in New Zealand don't know I'm alive'. She chuckled slightly before it became too hard to breathe and Ginny was force to release her. Hermione fell back onto the brown, grimy sofa that groaned as she landed on it, ancient springs protesting at this sudden use.

"I can't believe it's really you. Wait, it is really her, right?" Hermione sighed as Ginny glanced towards Harry anxiously, who smiled reassuringly at both of them. "Ok, so you are Hermione. Great! Where have you been all these years?" she asked. Hermione vaguely gestured to the flat, shrugging. "Oh. How come it's taken this long to find you? You're barely a street away from the Ministry." Hermione shrugged again and Harry looked sheepish.

"We, sort of, kind of, maybe, didn't look here before," Harry admitted, scratching the back of his head and shrugging. "It seemed sort of stupid. We never dreamed she'd turn up in London. We assumed she'd be out in the countryside, or a different country, never right under our noses." Harry grinned. "Guess we should have known you'd be so audacious. It's the Gryffindor courage that does it."

Hermione fidgeted, her fingers knotting together painfully as she tried to avoid the subject. "So, um, Harry, I take it you and Ginny are, um, engaged then?" she asked tentatively, not wanting to say the wrong thing and undermine their relationship. A few seconds later she was reassured as Ginny beamed at her, her smile practically becoming a source of light.

"We've been engaged since last Christmas. Harry, go into the other room, I'm about to become gushy," Ginny ordered, waving her hand imperiously. "It won't work if you're standing there like some gormless idiot." Hermione giggled, Ginny's euphoria rubbing off a little onto herself. She could hardly believe that Harry had finally plucked up the courage to ask her. Heck, he'd been planning to do it when she'd left, and that was five years ago.

Harry swept a low bow to Ginny, kissing her hand. "As you command, my lady love," he murmured, retiring to the bedroom. Hermione's stomach did an entirely unpleasant belly flop inside her and she curled up slightly as she recalled similar words said to her by a certain gangly red headed Weasley. Ginny's face fell as she noticed Hermione's discomfort and Mrs Weasley poured the tea into a cup silently before joining Harry to have a good long chat on how not to worry Ginny or he'd regret it.

"I'm sorry, Hermione, I forgot. If you don't want me to talk abo-"

Hermione cut her off as she reached for the tea. "Nonsense. Tell me all about it. Don't leave a single detail out. It was last Christmas then?" Hermione couldn't help recollecting her own Christmas. Working a double shift at the cafe, having Mr Bletchly half drunk and leering at her obscenely and at the end of the day having her Christmas Bonus stolen by some two by four thug on the estate. Not so very merry as the old wizarding Christmases she had enjoyed before.

"It was at Rowena's Creek, you know, Lupin and Tonks' place. They were having a Christmas dinner and it started snowing. Harry took me outside to look at it and I distinctly remember my nose had turned red from the cold. Then I, being the clumsy fool I am, slipped over and when he gave me a hand to help me up, he just pressed the box into my hand, just like that, I swear. He looked all sweet and nervous when I opened it. It was a little unorthodox, but so perfect." Ginny sighed and Hermione smiled happily at the younger woman.

"You two were always meant for each other. Harry was just too stupid too see it for himself." A muffled 'Hey!' sounded from the bedroom but Hermione ignored it. "So, um, are you getting married soon, or is it a long engagement?" Hermione asked lightly, leaning forward. She couldn't believe she'd missed out on all of this just to get back at a stupid boy with stupid hair and a stupid- Hermione stopped herself. That was just petty and made herself seem stupid.

Ginny smiled. "In the summer. Oh!" She stood up, feet skipping along the filthy carpet stained with coffee, wine and God only knows what else. "You have to be my maid of honour, really. I mean really. Please? Please?" Ginny fell to her knees, puppy dog eyeing for all she was worth. Hermione laughed and nodded, her smile finally reaching her eyes. And to think, just a few days ago she had been denying that all this existed. She had slipped so easily back into the wizarding world.

Ginny squealed and pulled Hermione up off the couch and into another bone-crushing hug. "You have no idea how much this means. Harry! Hermione's going to be my Maid of Honour!" Molly and Harry rushed out of the bedroom eagerly, grins plastered over their faces. However, their celebrations were cut short by a loud rapping on the door.

Hermione opened it tentatively. Through the door way staggered Remus and Nymphadora Lupin, supporting between them bedraggled heap of clothes and wet, red hair. They carefully laid him on the sofa, not noticing Hermione, who remained behind the door, watching aghast.

"Ron! What happened Remus? Where did you find him?" Mrs Weasley shrieked, bending toward her son, her face pale as she pushed hi hair out of his eyes, revealing a nasty crack on his forehead. "Who did this to him? I swear when I find them they'll wish they'd never seen the likes of me! Curses won't be in it! When I find the little mangy sod who did this to my son I'll-"

"Easy, Molly," Remus interjected tiredly. "Ron will be fine. That cut is already healing nicely, thanks to Tonks' charm work. He just needs some rest. What are you four all doing in this area any way? This doesn't really seem your kind of place at all. Very grungy." Hermione examined him. Despite the five years since she'd last seen him, Remus looked far younger. Probably thanks to Tonks she reasoned, watching as his wife took his hand comfortingly. She shut the door, causing the pair to swivel round.

"Hello."

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Ooooooh, small cliffie- Actually, it's so small I could jump off it and not even hurt a toe. Oh well. Press the purple button.

Thankies!