Chapter four, part one. Little surprise for ya'll in the end notes.
Hermione grabbed her purse and walked over to her closet. She slid open the door and looked for her sandals amongst all her trainers. She found the worn brown shoes in the back of her closet underneath an old pair of running shoes. She picked them out and slipped them on. Hermione grabbed her wand from the nightstand and carefully put it in her purse. She sighed and thought of the Burrow before disapparating from her room. She appeared in the garden of the towering home. She shifted her purse higher on her shoulder before entering through the kitchen. She heard tinkling laughter from the living room and walked in that direction.
She sat down next to Ginny as Charlie continued his own little magic show for them. He transigured a paper clip into a small metal sculpture of a dragon. He handed it to Ginny and began to dig through his pockets for other things to transform.
The sound of someone apparating outside was heard and a knock on the door shortly after. Ginny got up and walked to the entrance door. She pulled it open and greeted the person warmly before she asked them in. Ginny and Angelina Johnson walked back into the living space with smiles on their faces. Angelina saw Charlie and gave him a warm smile.
"Hey Charlie! It's been a while. I didn't know you were back in England?" She asked going over and shaking his hand.
"Yeah, I'm helping a small reserve get started out in West Somerset." Charlie explained and returned her smile.
"Why'd you transfer? If you don't mind me asking. Always thought you would want to work with as many dragons as possible."
Charlie laughed and his eyes crinkled at the corners. "I did for a while. But a smaller reserve means I get more time with the dragons. And there's less people. The hours are more flexible and I get to see my lovely family more." He finished the last part by messing up Ginny's hair. She squawked and hit him in the stomach. "My partner also lives here. Oliver Wood? He was a year or so ahead of you I think?"
Angelina's eyes went wide. "Wood? As in the Oliver Wood that made us practice in the rain for three hours because he didn't 'like how you and Alicia are holding the quaffle.'"
Charlie laughed and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, that's the one. He hasn't changed a bit. Just as crazy about quidditch now as he was when I was captain."
Angelina laughed and went to reply when someone else apparated outside the front entrance. Ginny was up before the person even had a chance to knock on the door. She opened it and led Hannah Abbott in to join the rest of the group. Hannah was a bit flushed and sheepish looking.
"Oh, I hope I'm not too late."
Hermione waved her hand. "No, the rest of us got here a bit early. You're actually on time." Hermione said and checked her watch. "Speaking of, we should really get going if we want to make the appointment time." Hermione explained as she got up from her spot on the couch.
Ginny let out an excited noise and grabbed Hermione's arm. "Ok! We can apparate in pairs right?" She asked looking around the group to count. She frowned when she noticed they had an odd number. "Oh, I guess not. We can all just apparate individually?" The red head suggested.
Hermione shrugged. "I don't mind apparating by myself Gin. You're mum is meeting us there right?"
"Yeah. Ok, I'll go with Luna, do you mind going together?" Ginny asked Hannah and Angelina. They both shook their heads and linked arms. "Excellent! Hermione, you go first and let mum know we're on our way?"
Hermione nodded and smiled at the younger woman. She and the rest of the group told Charlie goodbye and moved outside. Hermione twisted on the spot and felt the familiar sensation of her guts being squeezed together. She saw the familiar sights of Madam Malkin's shop appear in her vision. She moved away from the apparition point and towards the store. She opened the door and a little bell sounded from above. The boutique was surprisingly empty enough that she easily spotted Molly and Madam Malkin talking by the counter.
"Hello Madam Malkins, Molly. The rest are on their way now." Hermione said politely. Molly looked up and smiled.
"Good! This will be a busy day indeed. I can't believe Angelina hasn't bought a dress yet. There's only six days until their wedding! Got everything else planned but the dress." Molly shared conspiratorially with Madam Malkin.
Madam Malkin shook her head. "With this new law passing you wouldn't believe the absolute madness women are in. Can't believe the Ministry gave these poor girls such a short amount of time to plan their weddings. It took me a year of planning before I got married." She said and huffed in annoyance. "I had to hire more people to help me with fitting and resizing! I may be magic but I'm not a God!
"I would have thought the store would be packed because of the new law." Hermione said and looked around at the empty floor.
"Two nice lads came in this morning. From the joke shop, said they wanted to know how much it would cost to rent the floor from nine this morning to two this afternoon for a party of six. I told them not to worry about, just tell those kids around school time not to bring in their products. Can't tell you how many robes I had to clean around term time two years ago."
"From the joke shop? Red hair and tall?" Hermione asked already knowing the answer.
"Yes! They were quite nice young men. Offered to make a charm repelling any kids that tried to come in with their products."
Hermione smiled and looked to Molly. "Those would be my boys. The one with both ears is Fred, Hermione's fiance and George is one of the girls fiance that is getting fitted today as well." Molly said and chuckled.
The door opened and the rest of the group made it in. Ginny bounced on her toes excitedly and practically dragged the three girls with her. She sidled up to Molly and gave Madam Malkin a joyful smile.
"Good morning Madam Malkin. I'm Ginny Weasley, this is Luna Lovegood, Angelina Johnson, and Hannah Abbott. You've already met my mum and Hermione Granger?" She said while she pointed out each person respectively.
Madam Malkin nodded and shook each woman's hand. "I suppose we should get started?" At Ginny's exclamation of yes, Madam Malkin turned the girls in the direction of wedding dress and robes section. "Madeline, Francesca! I'll be needing your assistance with this one!" The witch yelled towards the back of the shop.
Two witches in their thirties came out with baskets full of twine, ribbon, lace, and various sewing products trailing in the air behind them. They lowered the baskets by Madam Malkin and waited for her to give instructions.
"Alright ladies, tell me the dates you're getting married so I know who to pair you with." Madam Malkin said in an authoritative tone.
"July 10th." Angelina raised her hand.
"August 1st." Hannah said quietly from a stool she found.
"July 20th." Hermione added.
"July 22nd." Ginny said happily.
Everyone looked to Luna as she stared above Madam Malkin's head. Ginny nudged her and whispered something. "July 28th." Came her dreamy reply.
Luna looked like she was going to say something, but Madam Malkin began giving instructions before she could. "Alright, Miss Johnson and Granger with me, Miss Weasley with Madeline, and Miss Lovegood and Abbott with Francesca." She instructed as various people split into their assigned groups. "Ladies, you can start looking for dresses and when you find, let's say five that you like, come back to the dressing area and find your fitter and we'll help you into the gowns and go from there."
Everyone nodded and began wandering towards the racks with beautiful dresses and robes. There was a section with traditional white wedding dresses that reminded Hermione of her mum's wedding photos, and a section with white and colourful robes and a few dresses. Hermione stuck with the muggle looking dresses to begin with.
She pulled the dresses from one another and studied each one. The first was too poofy and reminded Hermione of the muggle movie Cinderella. She shifted through a dozen more and studied each critically. She looked at the other girls and saw Ginny was already heading towards the back with her dress selection hovering behind her. She looked on as Luna pulled a light blue robe from the rack and levitated it behind her with the other dress she picked. Angelina had a mix of muggle and wizarding robes behind her as she looked for her last dress. Hannah had a yellow dress and a white robe to her side as she looked through muggle wedding dresses.
Hermione shook her head and went back to looking. None of the dresses spoke to her like she thought they would. She found a pretty satin dress that was simple. It looked like it would dip down her back but had a higher neckline. She decided she liked it enough to cast a levitation spell and start her own trailing selection.
Hermione flicked through the selection an added two more simple dresses. One was a pale lilac colour and was form fitting until the knees. It was lace and had a light dusting of sparkles in the fabric. The other was a white wizarding robe with deep red embellishments on the neckline and red silk on the inside.
Hermione checked how her friends were doing and saw that Luna was the only one remaining. She held up a dusky pink coloured wedding dress and a sea green wizarding robe to Hermione and smiled. Hermione cocked her head and pointed at the green dress. Luna put the pink dress back and bowed her appreciation before skipping towards the fitting rooms.
Hermione sighed in frustration before going back to the dresses. She found another white dress and it had a sweetheart neckline with ruching across the bust. The dress had a lace back and pockets. Hermione added it to her collection and moved towards where Luna was.
Hermione pushed aside dress after dress before one caught her eye. It was a delicate off-white on the bust before it slowly formed a gradient into a blush pink colour. The bottom of the dress was nearly the same colour that Luna had held up minutes ago. It was a-line with a gentle braided belt on the waist. It looked like someone had carefully braided twigs together and gave the dress an earthly appearance. The top was also a sweetheart neckline but the tulle of the dress formed shoulder-width sleeves that were sheer. Hermione quickly added it to her collection and turned on her heel head towards the fitting rooms.
Hermione reached the alcove that had about twelve doors for fittings. Only three doors were closed and Molly and Luna were seated in chairs waiting for the girls to come out and show them their dresses. Hermione found a spare rack to hang her dresses and sat down next to Molly.
Just as Hermione was going to ask how everything was going, Angelina opened her door and walked out nervously. She was in a form fitting muggle dress. It was lace and had crystals at the top. Gems also lined the spaghetti strap sleeves on the dress and created sparkles anytime the woman moved.
"Well? Does it look ok or should I stick with ballroom dresses?" The tall witch asked anxiously.
"You look stunning Angelina! This is my favourite one so far! It hugs your curves just wonderfully." Molly said while holding the younger witch an arms length away.
Hermione got up and stood behind Molly. The former chaser did look beautiful. "You look gorgeous Angelina. George will drool when he sees you in that." Ginny said from the last fitting room doorway.
Hermione turned and saw the girl in a light purple wizarding robe. She looked beautiful with her hair up in a bun.
"So do you Ginny!" Angelina complimented.
Ginny wrinkled nose a bit. "It is a pretty robe, but I think I'll pass on it. Besides, I have one more to try on and I think it'll win the cup for sure." Ginny said with a wink.
Hermione and Angelina laughed as Ginny turned around and went back into the dressing room. Luna was sitting in her chair with a copy of the Quibbler in her lap. It was upside down but Hermione didn't doubt it made no difference to the small blonde. Hermione turned back to Angelina.
"Are you going to get it? Because you look absolutely breathtaking in it Angelina." Hermione said seriously. Angelina bit her lip to hide her big smile.
"I think I will! I didn't expect to like it so much! But it isn't expensive and it really is quite pretty." She said holding some of the fabric in her hands.
Molly gave an excited laugh and hugged the young woman that had more than a few inches on the matron. Angelina laughed and hugged her back. She let go and went back into the fitting room.
Hermione and Molly sat down waiting for Hannah and Ginny to show them their selections. The middle door opened and Hannah poked her head out. She walked out and the dress glided around her as she moved. The dress was pale yellow and had a cinched waist before flaring out in a ballroom manner. The dress was silky and regal looking. It complimented Hannah's pale complexion without washing her out.
"I think if you wear that dress the wackspurts wouldn't even be able to bring you down." Luna was the first to speak.
Hannah blinked and gave an unsure smile. "Thank you Luna." She looked to Molly and Hermione.
"You look like you're glowing Hannah. It looks so nice on you." Hermione supplied honestly.
Molly gave her an approving nod. "You look radiant dear. This is a very good choice I think." Molly said confidently.
Hannah blushed and nodded. "This really is my favourite. It's just so soft. I think I'm going to get it." She said with a big smile. She went back into the dressing room and closed the door behind her.
Angelina came out of the last dressing room as Madam Malkin followed close behind her. The older woman held Angelina's dress and the others trailed behind her until she waved her hand and they floated to the main area of the floor to put themselves away. Madam Malkin summoned a clear plastic bag and carefully put Angelina's dress inside. She put the young woman's name on it and hung it on the rack labeled 'alterations.'
Just as she turned towards Hermione, Ginny's door opened and the redhead stepped out in a velvet emerald green dress. The dress was floor length and had a slit up the right side that ended on Ginny mid-thigh. The waist was cinched and had a delicate silver band around it. The neckline plunged to mid-sternum and led into off-the-shoulder straps. Ginny looked like a model in the dress. Her light skin made her look aristocratic while her long red hair made her look fierce. Her hair stopped just above her hips and was straight. Her light brown eyes held happiness and joy.
Hermione couldn't breath for a second. " Ginny, you look incredible." Hermione breathed out.
Molly let out a loud cry and sprang from her chair and enveloped her youngest in a hug. "I can't believe my baby girl is getting married! You look so grown up!" She pulled back and looked at Ginny head to toe. "This dress is perfect! Maybe something can be done about the neckline? Raise it a tad?"
Ginny laughed and held her mother by the arms. "Just a tad." She said with a wetness in her voice.
Angelina laughed from behind Hermione. "You look like a goddess Gin!"
Ginny flashed the older girl a big smile. Luna got up and stood beside Molly. "I think you found your dress." She said slowly.
Hermione tilted her head to the side and looked at the dress again. She let out a short laugh when she figured out why it was so familiar. Ginny looked at her with a delicate brow arched.
"What?" She asked looking down at her dress.
"You realize that you've dressed in Slytherin colours right? Emerald green dress and silver belt? And that Blaise is a former Slytherin?" Hermione said with no judgement. She didn't know Blaise personally or remember what he was like in school.
Ginny laughed and looked at the dress again. "I guess you're right. What are the odds huh?" Ginny shook her head and went back into the fitting room. Hannah exited her own with Francesca following behind her like Madam Malkin had done with Angelina. Hermione turned around and and saw Madam Malkin give her a small smile.
"Ready Miss Granger?"
Hermione nodded and Madam levitated her chosen dresses off the rack and into the fitting room. Hermione followed and closed the door behind her. The older woman turned around and put her hands on her hips.
"Alright, I'll need you to disrobe. You can put your clothes on the stool behind you. I'll take your measurements after you've undressed." She explained.
Hermione turned around and saw a small mirror in front of her. She blushed lightly as she took her top off and folded it. She placed it on the wooden stool and started unbuttoning her light pink shorts. She slid them down and repeated the same process as the shirt. She kicked off her trainers and put them out of the way. She turned around and saw Madam Malkin rifling through her basket for a measuring tape. She made a noise when she found it and turned around. She paused briefly as she took in Hermione's body.
Hermione was still edging on too thin and had scars across her body. She had a nasty one above her hip and one on her left shoulder. Madam Malkin quickly regained her composure and stepped towards Hermione.
"Alright. I need you to raise your arms please." She instructed.
Hermione did and Madam Malkin moved her wrist and the measuring tape wrapped around her back to meet in the front.
"You can lower your arms."
Hermione did and the tape closed. Madam grabbed her notes and flipped to a clean page. She wrote something quickly and then squinted at the tape.
"Eighty-three centimeter bust." The older woman muttered to herself. She looked up when she was done. "Lift your arms again please."
Hermione did and Madam flicked her wrist and the tape lowered itself at her waist and Hermione put her arms down. The tape tightened a bit and Madam Malkin adjusted it slightly before returning to her notes.
"Waist is seventy-two centimeters." She muttered again. She looked up and flicked her wrist and the tape settled on Hermione's hips and bum. Madam Malkin squinted again and began to write down the measurement. "Hips are eighty-eight centimeters." She said quietly.
Madam Malkin waved her hand and the tape measure fixated at the tallest point of Hermione's head and stopped at her feet. The seamstress wrote down then number and then waved the tape back into the basket.
"What would you like to start with Miss Granger?"
Hermione turned towards the dresses. She picked the first one that had caught her eye. "This one." She said running her hand over the off-white silk.
Madam Malkin nodded and took the dress off the hanger. She held it by the the front and waited for Hermione to step into it. Hermione placed both legs in the dress and Madam helped her slide it up and put her arms through the holes. The older woman circled around back and buttoned the latches at the bottom of her back. Madam said something under her breath and the dress shrunk to fit Hermione's slight frame. The older woman finished and stepped aside so Hermione could see herself in the mirror.
The silk draped gracefully around Hermione's figure. It softened some of her sharp angles but Hermione could still see the cut off her hips through the thin material. She turned so she could see her back and winced lightly when she saw how knobby it looked. It was a beautiful dress, but perhaps not the one for her.
She figured she may as well show the party and opened the white door. Ginny, Hannah, Angelina, and Molly were seated in the chairs and talked quietly. They stopped when they heard Hermione's door open and looked up as the young witch stepped out.
Ginny smiled and took the dress in. Molly's eyes critically looked her over while Hannah and Angelina gave her smiles.
"It looks… it looks pretty Mione." Ginny settled on.
"Yeah, the dress looks very comfortable." Angelina added.
Hermione winced. "It's not my favourite either." She admitted.
"Oh, don't be silly! You look beautiful. Maybe something less simple would help?" Molly added kindly.
Hermione nodded and turned to go back in the dressing room. She shook her head at Madam Malkin and turned around for the older witch to help her undress. She slipped the soft dress off and pointed to the white wizarding robes.
The robes were more complicated than the dress. There were buttons in the back and sides and it had multiple layers to put on. Hermione was reminded of her Hogwarts uniform. Hermione glanced at her reflection and felt like a little girl wearing her mum's dress.
She opened the door and saw Luna in the pale green wizarding rone she had picked out earlier. The blonde witch looked stunning. Judging from the small dreamy smile she was sporting, she liked it as well.
Molly looked at Hermione and shook her head. "It's a beautiful robe Hermione, but it looks a tad dated for you. Like something I might pick?"
Ginny and Angelina nodded in agreement and Hermione sighed before turning back around. "I really like that one Luna! It looks amazing on you!" She threw over her shoulder before she closed the door.
She slipped the robe off and handed it to Madam Malkin. She looked at the other dresses and felt dread. What if they all didn't look good on her? What if she couldn't find a dress by her wedding? She looked at the selection before her and spied the blush coloured dress again.
"I'll try this one on next." She said and then nodded at the dress she was talking about.
The older woman helped her put it on and buttoned it in the back. She quietly said the sizing charm and the dress shrank to fit Hermione's frame perfectly. She turned around and smiled at her reflection. She felt beautiful. Like when she went to Yuleball and Ron was speechless. The dress came in at her waist and then gently flowed out to touch the floor. The twig belt added to the effect of an earthly goddess.
Madam Malkin snapped her fingers and smiled. "You look stunning! But I have something that may help." She turned towards the basket and rummaged through it looking for something specific. She turned around after a moment and held a flower crown that had brown vines woven in. Hermione took it and placed it high on her head. She was really happy with this.
She turned and opened the door to the party outside. They looked up as Hermione stepped out and stopped in front of them. Hermione saw Molly discretely dab her eyes before the motherly woman stood up.
"This is the one! You look so peaceful and beautiful in it! Oh, look at me! I'm a mess again." She said and laughed at herself. Molly gave her a quick hug like she did to the other girls.
Ginny came up next to Molly and wolf whistled. "You look heart stopping Mione! Fred won't know what hit him when you walk down the aisle." Ginny said while she hugged her friend. Angelina, Luna, and Hannah all gathered around her and said similar things.
Hermione laughed and forced tears back. She may be in a situation that was forced upon her, but she was doing it with four other women that supported and loved her. And that's what truly mattered to Hermione.
Hermione thanked them and turned back to the dressing room. She smiled at Madam Malkin and began to undo the buttons.
"This is the one. I want this one." Hermione told the other woman confidently.
Madam nodded knowingly and helped Hermione unbutton the rest. She hung up the dress and Hermione quickly put on her clothes. She slipped her sandals on and followed the other woman out the door.
Hermione grabbed her purse from Molly and followed the rest of the girls towards the registers. Hermione stepped up to Madeline's register and shuffled through her bag to find her wallet. Instead, she found a pouch at the bottom with a note tied around the opening. Hermione pulled it out and read the note quickly.
'The Future Mrs. Weasley deserves to feel like a queen so she knows what it's like when the wedding day comes.'
Fred.
Inside were a considerable amount of galleons. Hermione felt her mouth open and she shook her head. Fred was something else. She felt affection swell inside her gut and she looked up as the other witch said her total.
"That'll be twelve galleons and forty sickle."
Hermione pulled out the amount from the pouch and handed it over to Madeline. The older woman counted and put it in the register. She wrote on parchment and handed it to Hermione.
"This is the time and date you can pick up the dress. Everything should be done by July 17th at noon. We'll owl you if any problems come up." She said with a polite smile.
Hermione nodded and stepped out of line so Hannah could pay for her dress. She waited for everyone to finish up before grouping them all together.
"Alright ladies, I'm glad everyone found their dresses. I'd love to stay for lunch but I need to go talk with Fred. Is Angelina's hen party still this Friday?" Hermione asked the group.
Ginny nodded before answering. "Yes. It's at 6:30. All the men of the house should be out by then. Mum is making some snacks before the party starts and I have some games in mind that we can play." Ginny laughed wickedly at that and everyone smiled nervously.
"Ok. I'll see all of you Friday. Thanks for coming out today." Hermione said and broke away from the group. She had a Weasley to talk to.
Hermione walked out of Madam Malkin's and turned right to walk the short distance to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. She would wait until after Fred got off his shift to thank him for practically buying the wedding dress for her. Until then, Hermione needed to study for her N.E.W.T.S. She only had twelve days until the test! She couldn't understand how Ron and Harry were so calm about it. Honestly! Those boys would be the death of her.
Hermione entered the joke shop and waved at Verity quickly before heading towards the back of the store. She walked down the hallway and heard a suspicious popping noise from the twins workshop. Hermione shook her head and picked up her pace. Just in case.
She made her way up the narrow stairs and unlocked the front door. It was fairly early in the afternoon and she wasn't expecting Fred to appear until closer to six o'clock. Hermione went to her room and grabbed her textbooks off the desk and carried them to the living room coffee table. She set them down and made herself comfortable. She was going to be here a while.
Hermione looked up when she heard the floo roar to life. She frowned and checked her watch. It was only five and she hadn't invited anyone over. She watched curiously as Bill stepped out of the fireplace and brushed himself off. She hadn't expected anyone over, least of all Bill. Hermione stared at him with raised brows until he looked up and smiled at her.
"Alright Hermione?" Bill asked in greeting.
"Yes. You? I didn't know we were expecting anyone." Hermione trailed off in evident confusion.
Bill made a tsking noise and rolled his shoulders. "Fred didn't tell you? I owled him earlier to let him know one of the houses close to Fleur and mine is going to be sold. The owner was an older man who died before Fleur and I even bought the cottage, willed it to his kids. They had it for years and never lived in it. Finally decided to sell it I 'spose." Bill explained and his eyes crinkled at Hermione's blank face. "Fred told me you and him would be eventually looking for houses. The current owners agreed to let me show you if I wanted. Fred said he'd ask you about it."
Hermione shook her head. "I haven't seen him since this morning. We went dress shopping and I didn't get back until quarter after one. He's been holed up with George in their workshop as far as I know." Hermione shrugged.
Bill rolled his eyes and laughed. "Never could get them away from their experiments. I'll go grab Fred and we can check out the house if you want?" Bill asked as he realized Hermione had never agreed.
Hermione looked down at her notes and bit her lip. She had put in four hours of studying, she could take an hour break to go see a house with Bill and Fred right? Hermione made a quick decision and shut her transfiguration book and set her quill down.
She looked back up at Bill. "Yes. I don't imagine it will take too much time?"
"No, no. Shouldn't take more than forty-five minutes to see the whole house."
Hermione nodded and stood up. "You go collect one half of the wonder twins and I'll go grab a jacket." She commanded looking out the window at the slight rain that had started an hour ago.
Bill gave her a mock solute and headed for the entrance door. Hermione walked around the table and down the hallway towards her room. She walked in and went to the old wooden dresser. She pulled the hoodie over her head and grabbed her purse. Hermione headed back towards the living room in order to grab her wand. She picked it up from the coffee table and pointed it at her clothes.
"Impervius." Hermione muttered.
She put her wand in her bag as the front door opened. Bill walked in with a smirk and Fred closed the door behind him. He shot Hermione a sheepish smile and walked towards her.
"Sorry. I meant to come up after the appointment but we couldn't figure out a specific spell." He explained.
"It's alright. I figured you just got wrapped up in work." Hermione said and gave him a comforting grin.
Fred squeezed her shoulder before turning to Bill. The older Weasley watched the exchange with amusement.
"Floo to your place and then apparate to the house?"
"Sounds good to me." Bill said and then grabbed a handful of floo powder. He stepped into the fireplace and threw the powder down. "Shell Cottage!" He said clearly and whirled away.
Hermione grabbed a handful of the dark powder and stepped into the floo. "Shell Cottage!" She felt the floo pull her towards her destination and the familiar feel of her organs being squashed.
She stepped out of Bill and Fleur's fireplace quickly and looked around. Not much had changed since the last time she had been here. She tried not to look at the beach where they had apparated to from Malfoy Manor. Hermione shuddered and tried to block the memories from resurfacing.
Bill shot her a knowing look and turned towards the kitchen. "Fleur! Do we have any water in the kettle?" His voice grew quieter as he moved towards his wife.
Fred appeared beside her and gave her a small smile. Something must have shown on her face because his demeanor changed quickly.
"Alright Bill, we should get going. Hermione has studying to do and we still have to make dinner!" Fred called to his brother with only a half true jovial sound.
Bill appeared with a thermos in hand and Fleur trailing behind him. She gave Hermione a warm smile and walked over to the younger woman and radiated warmth. She gave Hermione a hug and her long blonde hair obscured Hermione's vision.
"Eet is so good to see you! I 'ave been sick for ze past week! I 'ope zat we can catch up soon." The French woman said with pure honesty.
She squeezed Hermione's bicep with a knowing look and then turned to Bill.
"I 'ave feenished dinner. It eez in ze fridge for when you get 'ome." She said and pecked him on the lips quickly.
She gave Fred a quick hug and gracefully made her way back to the kitchen. Bill had a sappy smile on his face and Fred clapped his back.
"Let's see this house mate."
Bill nodded and handed the thermos to Hermione. He ushered them out the back door and into the sandy garden. He squinted at Hermione and Fred in the harsh sunlight.
"Ok, the address is 83 Poly Joke Beach. The name of the house is the Cliffside Cottage." At Hermione and Fred's raised brows he continued. "You'll see when we get there."
He grabbed Hermione and Fred's shoulders and disapparated on the spot. Hermione felt the typical dizziness overtake her and landed on the solid ground.
Hermione looked around and quietly gasped at the beauty. In front of her was a picturesque view of the sea. The waves crashed below them and she could smell the salt. While Shell Cottage was surrounded by sandy hills and led directly to the water, the Cliffside Cottage was about a ninety-five kilometer drop until you could meet the waves. Hermione looked down and saw long grass that she associated with the Highlands of Scotland and the shores of Ireland.
Hermione looked to her right and saw an adobe style house, white from the bleaching rays of the sun. It was similar to Shell Cottage but lacked the novelty sea shells on the roof and in the material of the home. The front had a big bay window with custom looking panes and dark blue shutters. Above the dark wooden entrance door was a stain glass window with a single lavender sprig in the centre. It had chimneys on either side and a sloping grass roof. It was cute and Hermione fell in love at once.
"Oh, it's gorgeous Bill. How many rooms has it got?" Hermione asked breaking her analysis of the home.
"It's got three bedrooms and two loo's. Living area with a kitchen that leads to the garden. There's also a study and dining room. It's a little dusty, but it has potential. I'm sure you could ask mum and dad what to do if you wanted to expand or add any rooms."
Hermione felt when Fred grabbed her hand and squeezed. Her gave her a knowing wink and then turned to his brother.
"I'm assuming we can do more than just marvel at the outside?" Fred asked sarcastically. He ducked out of Bill's reach and laughed.
"Git. Yes we can see more than the outside." Bill said while he walked forward. "Follow me."
Hermione and Fred dutifully followed behind the oldest Weasley and didn't drop their conjoined hands. Bill walked up the stone path and gripped the doorknob. He turned it and the door didn't open so he jammed his shoulder against the solid wood with a grunt. The door budged open and Hermione saw old stone floors in the entrance. They looked in need of cleaning and Hermione spotted dried leaves in the corner of the entrance way.
In front of the entrance way was a dark wooden staircase that lead to the second floor. There was a set of old French doors just before the lip of the first stair. Hermione peered through the dusty window panes and saw a desk shoved against the far wall and furniture draped in white fabric.
There was a small hallway to the left of the stairs and an archway parallel to the French doors. Hermione and Fred moved into the living room and saw it was spacious and well lit from the large windows on the left. A stone fireplace big enough to match Molly's, sat in the centre of the wall when you first walked in. The walls had cobwebs and small cracks that could easily be repaired. There was also furniture pushed against the walls and covered in white sheets that had clearly not been washed in a while.
Hermione and Fred met Bill in the large formal dining room where a big wooden table sat in the middle uncovered. The surface had a thick layer or dust a dirt along with the wooden chairs that lay abandoned in the corners. Hermione looked at Bill with a twinkle in her eyes.
"Bill, it's amazing. It has so much character and room to grow." She said with a bright smile.
Bill gestured for them to follow. "Like I said, it's got potential and enough space for you and the kids you'll have. The kitchen is probably the part that needs the most work, but it's a nice space to work with." Bill said as he led them into the hallway with the stairs and through a stone doorway.
The kitchen had a cold and unused feel to it. The appliances were old and lonely. The cabinets were a dirty navy colour with stains along the sides and chipped tile for countertops. There was a large island in the centre with a cooktop in the middle. Part of the cabinets on the island had holes in them. Hermione looked around at the barren walls and frowned. It looked like it had been a once loved space, full of room for family gatherings and cooking. It was desolate and in need of time and care.
"It doesn't seem like too hard of a fix. Nothin' a little magic can't repair." Fred postured brightly.
"Yeah, the people putting it on the market told me they'd be willing to sell it pretty cheap for all the work it needs." Bill said and shoved his hands in his pockets.
Bill led them to the end of the hall and showed them a small loo with only a toilet and sink. He briefly showed them the study and then ushered them upstairs. There was another loo at the top of the landing but had a shower as well. Bill quickly walked them through the two guest rooms that had a heavy layer of dust on every surface and a broken window. Bill came to a stop before the last door.
"This is the biggest bedroom. Has a small ensuite as well." He said before dramatically opening the double doors. There was a king size bed in the centre of the room and a wall of doors on the left. The closest ones looked like they would lead to closest and the one furthest was the ensuite. There was a large window and an old glass door that led to a balcony. A writing desk was pushed half in front of the door and had partially blank pieces of parchment littered on the surface.
Hermione was in love with the cottage. It was isolated enough to not cause Hermione any anxiety from neighbours being close. It had character and charm that captured Hermione's heart.
The young witch turned to Fred and bit her lip before speaking. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"That the study would make an excellent workshop for products?" Fred said with a wink.
Hermione huffed in fake annoyance while trying to hide her smile. "No, that this house is perfect for us?"
Fred gave her a genuine smile and had the trademark twinkle in his eyes. "I think it's perfect for us as well. Care to make an offer?"
Hermione smiled and looked at Bill. "Can we? How much are they asking? And when would they be willing to let us work on it?" She fired off.
Bill raised his hands in surrender. "I can owl Matilda and William. I think they said were asking £107,000 for it."
Hermione gave a sharp nod and looked around the beachy room. Hermione could imagine reading in front of the large window or out on the balcony. She could imagine small get togethers on the secluded private beach that came with the house. But the most fascinating part was she could imagine quietly pointing out the sea and birds to a small baby held close to her chest with a shock of red hair. She could imagine building sandcastles with little hands hindering more than helping. She could see Fred holding a laughing toddler above his head as a breeze rippled through the grass. It was scary that she could see herself like that, but also sent a thrill through her body.
She turned to Fred and gave him an excited smile. He returned it and winked before looking out at the crashing waves from the window. Hermione watched as his face relaxed and he seemed to lose some of the weight he carried on his shoulders. Hermione was happy. She may not have seen her life moving in this direction so soon, but she found she didn't care. She wasn't doing it alone, and for that she was grateful.
End of chapter four, part one eh? Come back TOMORROW for the next part. Chapter five will be posted SUNDAY instead of Friday/Saturday. Don't forget to leave a comment :)