Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
AN: I'm srry it took so long to update but uni a summer break and stuff kept me from writing a whole lot but I'm almost done with chapter ten and it should only take me a few days to update again.. or at least I hope.
Chapter Nine: Good Sisters!!
"Now Sparky. Locking yourself up in your room away from the world isn't going to help matters any." Diana said softly as she and Valerie, entered Hermione's bedroom.
"Go Away!" Hermione muttered harshly as sparks went off around the room and she curled up into a ball.
"What kind of sisters would we be if we left you here right now?" Valerie said with a soft smile "are you trying to make this day harder?"
Hermione shook her head and pulled her covers over herself.
"Hermione. Talk to us sweetie." Diana said as she sat by her cousin on the bed.
The bundle that was Hermione shook again.
"You know, we already have Harry's version of what happened. He was very worried about how sad he'd made you. He was moping about in the hallway a little while ago." Valerie said softly, sitting on the other side of the bed.
"It wasn't his fault." Hermione said as she removed the covers from her face. "I couldn't take it! I mean, Remus's gone. You had to get dad mixed up, Ginny's scowl, the looks, the whispers because of where we were standing… It was too much. As soon as I got here I snapped and told him I believed it was Mrs. Weasley the one that had dosed him and Ron with love potions." She finished as tears ran down her face.
"You know you are right, don't you?" Valerie asked wrapping one arm around Hermione's shaking shoulders. Hermione shook her head.
"I can't prove it" Hermione whispered brokenly.
"You don't have to. At least, not to us. We know that we have to trust our instincts, just like Grandpa and Grandma and Aunt Michelle and Aunt Katherine do." Diana said softly. "Why do you think your Mom is looking for the proof?"
"Because I made a very convincing argument and she hates Mrs. Weasley enough as it is?" Hermione asked with a small smile.
"Besides that! Mom knows just how perceptive we all are sweetie. That's why she believed you even though you haven't been as rational as you usually are. Now, there's nothing we can do, so instead of moping here, we can go get rid of some of this tension in a mock fight." Valerie said tickling Hermione's sides. Hermione laughed and hugged her sister.
"A mock fight? Seriously?" Diana asked as she stared at her sister like cousins like they were crazy.
"It's actually a great idea!" Hermione said as she threw her arms around her sister and her cousin. "What better way for us to get rid of all the stress and tension that today has caused, besides a mock fight?" Hermione asked.
"I have a few ideas." Valerie said while giving Hermione and Diana a wicked grin. "But as tempting as dragging our boyfriends into a broom closet sounds, that wouldn't really help you, or help our bonding time."
"So nice of the two of you to think of lil' ol' me." Hermione said sarcastically as she stood up from the bed and went into her bathroom to wash her face.
"What should we wear for the fight?" Hermione asked as she stood in front of her closet.
"Tanks and shorts, barefoot, wood sticks, we don't want to hurt too bad… and it's all against all." Diana answered. "Meet you up in the training area."
"Meet you there. Fetch the boys and Mum?" Hermione asked as she grabbed her clothes and disappeared into her closet.
The training room was a really big Gym conditioned specifically for the kids' rigorous and strenuous physical training. Harry and Ron looked around in awe standing with Damien and Topher next to a 25 mt square area with protecting padding on the floor and a series of spells that would prevent weapons or attacks from hitting people standing around.
"Amazing isn't it?" Diana said walking into the training area.
"Some of it has been here, since before our grandfather. At least the magic training part. He renovated this after the first time Diana and I returned from ballet classes, and modified it again when at 13 I decided for both of us that we should take martial arts." Valerie explained as she followed her cousin inside. Both girls sat down and Topher and Damien helped their respective girlfriends to swap from their flip flops into their rubber soled soft gymnast slippers. Both guys wrapped their arms around their girlfriend while giving them pointers and reassurances while they waited for Hermione to make her entrance.
Hermione has been walking right behind her sister and cousin but she stopped before entering to swap shoes and take some deep calming breaths as her nerves were standing on edge.
"Hermione of course followed us everywhere before she went off to Hogwarts, so she learned the basics before leaving and we taught her the rest every summer after she left." Diana said as both she and her cousin started doing some warm up exercises. Hermione joined them quietly after dropping her hoodie in the bench where the other two had left theirs.
"Does that means you kick butt like these two?" Ron asked gawking at his best friend.
"There was a time, when she was slightly better than us, but right now we aren't sure. We don't want any unnecessary risk so we won't be using our real swords." Valerie said handing a wooden pole to Diana and one to Hermione.
"Ok ladies. Are you ready to see if Hermione can get her katana back?" Katherine asked as she, Michelle and McGonagall entered the training area.
The three girls demonstrated their readiness by getting into position inside the mats and nodding their heads towards their aunt. "Ok. All against all, you lose when you fall on your back after you lost your weapon. And no, you can't pick it up after you lost it." Katherine set down the ground rules. "Ready…Set…Go!"
