Sorry for the long wait: I've been distracted and busy but anyway onto the story
Firstly, I would like to say an amazing thank you to the amazing Wesleyangirl13 for betaing this story!
Early the next morning, Harry sat down to the breakfast bar. Sirius, Tonks, and Remus were already there watching the news as they ate breakfast. Reaching for a piece of toast he turned an ear to the t.v. without really paying attention. He just wanted to see if anyone stupid had gotten it in their head to become the "new Voldemort". However, his thoughts kept drifting towards Hermione. He wondered if she was going to call him today; he wanted to know whether or not she was coming over.
He must have been eating too slowly because Sirius spoke up saying, "Harry, if you eat that any slower, you'll be dead before you finish it!" His grin suggested that he knew Harry was thinking about 'Dear Miss Granger' – his godson's girlfriend.
Ignoring his jibe Harry asked him a question.
"So what are you doing today then Sirius?"
"Well, I was thinking about learning how to use the television before going off to the Daily Prophet for an interview for chief interviewer – the job I wanted before I was accused of being a murderer. They don't have that many readers anymore considering the fact that they pursued for the last four years, (since the TriWizard Tournament) and now that the war is over you're out of the limelight. At this Harry could only laugh and say, "Good luck then Sirius, but we all know you'll get the job. Remus went in yesterday and bribed them!" Remus and Tonks roared hysterically while Sirius fake whacks Harry on the arm.
"What about you guys?" Harry asked Remus and Tonks.
"Well," said Remus. "We need to go shopping considering the only thing we have left in the house is some cereal and week old bread." Harry laughed and motioned for him to continue. "We're also going to the doctors." At Harry's confused expression he explained. "In case we get sick with a muggle disease, Tonks wants us to all be registered." Harry nodded in understanding.
"We should get going," said Tonks standing up. After saying their goodbyes they left the house, and Sirius disappeared into the living room. Sighing, Harry picked up his dirty plate and put it in the sink. They could always do the dishes later. In fact, he should write a letter to Ron. Since moving in he had unconsciously ignored his other best friend; besides he should tell him about Hermione.
Hermione.
Just thinking about her for two seconds, even her name, distracted him so much that he set the quill down. What's more, the fear of writing a letter detailing his newly developed relationship with Hermione would not go well with Ron!
Half an hour, after spending the time lost in a daydream of Hermione's perfect hair, beautiful skin, and amazing intellect, Harry abruptly remembered that his purpose for coming to his room was to write a letter to Ron. Grabbing his quill he wrote:
Ron
How you doing mate? 'm alright – Sirius is going to an interview to be the chief interviewer aat the Daily Prophet: bout time that they had someone working there who's on our side… even though the war is finished – haha.
Wanna come over tomorrow and play Quidditch with Ginny (invite her as well) Sirius, Tonks and Remus? And me, obviously! Let me know. Just send your reply back with Hedwig.
Harry
After checking the letter over; wait! Who was he kidding? Ron didn't care about his grammar. He was not about to go back and fix his letter. Ron would accept it the way it was. He rolled the letter up into a tightly rolled scroll and called Hedwig – she had miraculously survived on her own in the wilderness for almost a year; she then returned to Harry like nothing had ever happened. After placating Hedwig with a long stroke and a treat he tied the letter to her leg and sent her off.
Just as Hedwig sailed out the window, he heard the phone ringing downstairs. As he rushed down the stairs, thanking God every step of the way for his Quidditch training, he made a mental note to speak with Sirius about putting a phone upstairs. Maybe he could even have one put in his bedroom.
"Hello."
"Hey Harry. Sorry I can't talk. I just wanted to call you and let you know that I wouldn't be coming over today… or tomorrow probably. I've got to go – bye!" Harry heard a click and looked at the phone in disbelief. She had hung up before he could say another word.
Perplexed, Harry replaced the cordless phone back into its' base and wondered why Hermione sounded so upset and the fact that she rushed to get off the phone.
~.~.~
Hermione slammed the phone back into the 'box' it stayed in and put her head on her pillow. Throwing her arms over her face to block out the light, she resumed the crying fit she had paused to call Harry and explain that she wouldn't be coming over today. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying all night, and she could barely get her brain to do anything besides thinking of her mother's betrayal. However, she continued to shout, "GO AWAY!", whenever her mother came to knock on the door. Her father was considerate enough to follow her wishes and stayed away; however, her mother refused and was knocking at her door every hour on the hour.
To say that she was upset would be an understatement. It felt like her heart had been torn into two, the two pieces belonging to separate parents. However, the piece that used to hold love and affection for her mother felt like it had been shredded into pieces.
Why did she have an affair? Am I not good enough, or just enough for her – me and dad? Why does she feel she has to look elsewhere for the love we give her?
That's when it hits her. She should be asking her mother these questions, rather than just sit up in her room and mull over the fact that she betrayed them; also, the fact that she was divorcing the best thing that had ever happened to her. With this realization, Hermione decided to confront her mother. She brushed her hair from her face, put on some concealer to hide the dark rings around her eyes, (along with the redness) and then pulled on some jeans and a t-shirt that Harry had bought for her as a present.
Upon entering the kitchen, her parents (who are sitting on opposite ends of the table in complete stony silence) looked up in shock.
"Hey honey, do you want something to eat?" her dad asks. After realizing just how hungry she was, she nodded and said:
"Could I have some toast please?" Her father just nods and puts some whole meal bread into the toaster. Her mother looked at her pleadingly, but Hermione just ignored her and took the seat next to her father, who reappeared holding some toast – he gave it to her after a quick hug.
Hermione devours the first piece rapidly, with her mother and father looking at her all the while. She was starving! When she finishes both pieces, she looks at her mother straight in the face and says in a very angry and hard tone:
"Why?"
"What do you mean by why sweetheart?" her mother asked.
This made Hermione extremely angry – her mother didn't seem to recognize what she did wrong. And calling her sweetheart? Normally, everything is Hermione's fault, so what on earth is she doing calling her sweetheart?
"Don't call me 'sweetheart' and why? Why did you go and have an affair and get pregnant when you know that dad and I both loved you?" Her mother flinched at the past tense form of the word 'love'.
"I don't know sweet- (She stopped at the glare that Hermione delivered and remembered what her daughter had just said.). Things just happened that I can't explain; I just fell for him and here we are. But Hermione, I love you! That's why I want you to come to Wales with me. Stop going to Hogwarts! Come live with me and forget about that other world."
She wanted her daughter, witch extraordinaire, to stop going to the school that brought her up, the school that gave her great friends, and the school that had just recently been the home to the fiercest battle of all time and where she had triumphed over evil? There was no way that was ever going to happen, and she told her mother just that.
"I am staying with Dad, and there is nothing you can do to stop me – or from me going back to Hogwarts! I'm a witch mother," she said in a cold tone. Hogwarts and everything that surrounds it is my life now!" Hermione shouted and flounced off into the living room, the most livid she had ever been. What a great holiday!
~.~.~
After replacing the phone back in the base, Harry entered the living room to find Sirius flicking through the channels.
"Hey Harry! I finally figured out how to work the remote," he said.
"That's great Sirius," he said sitting down on the couch beside him. Sirius must have sensed something was wrong because he turned to him and set down the remote. His next words confirmed it.
"What's wrong?" Harry sighed.
"Hermione just called. She said she wouldn't be able to come over today and possibly tomorrow. However, that's not what I'm worried about. She rushed through telling me she wouldn't be able to come and hung up before I could even say goodbye." Harry turned to his godfather.
"Sirius I think something is wrong." Sirius looked at his godson. Harry looked really worried.
Sighing, Sirius pulled Harry in his arms to give him a hug. "It's probably nothing. Maybe she just wanted to spend some time with her family, and was nervous about how you would react."
"But Sirius, Hermione knows that I would never begrudge her for wanting to spend some time with her family. Family means the world to me."
"Just let her come back to you in her own time," said Sirius. "If something is wrong you'll eventually find out what it is." Harry nodded.
"I'm going back to my room. Is there anything you want me to do before I do so?" he asked.
Sirius shook his head and released Harry.
"No. You go have fun," he said. "I'm just going to see if there is anything good on; to kill some time before my interview."
"K," said Harry going from the room.
~.~.~
When Harry returned to his room, he found Hedwig there waiting on him. Ron's letter was tied to her leg. Opening it, Harry read the following words:
Harry,
Of course we'd love to come over and play Quidditch. I can't believe you have your own Quidditch pitch! Anyways, we'll be over a couple of hours before dinner. My mum wants to know if we can just eat there, with you guys? If we can't I'll just call her from your house and tell her. (Ron was fascinated with the telephone; it didn't take much convincing for Mr. Weasley to add a line to their house.) See you at 4.
Ron
Harry smiled and went to ask Sirius if they could stay for dinner, leaving the note on his desk.
What do you think? Review please
Vicky xx