Chapter Ten: Distractions

A few days after Blaise's injury found Hermione facing July. It was her last month before the hectic festivities surrounding her birthday and her father's wedding would immediately take over her life. She had planned to stay the night at her mum and step-dad's feeling a little guilty that she had been so caught up with the idea of having a magical family--even if her father didn't know. But it didn't exactly turn out as she had planned.

Hermione stepped out of her car and pulled out her keys as she walked up the path to her front door. When she opened the door, however, she frowned. Her house was set up so that after the foyer was a small hallway with a bathroom on one side and a closet on the other with a clear view into the kitchen on the opposite end of the hall. Hermione had frowned because at the kitchen table that she could see so clearly, sat her mum. Alone. Drinking a large cup of tea and looking so at a loss for what to do next with her life.

"Mum? Aren't you supposed to be at work? I wasn't expecting you to be home 'til later."

Jane looked up startled that she hadn't noticed someone come into the house. Her eyes softened once she saw her daughter. "I took the day off," she sighed and turned back to her tea.

Hermione's frown became more pronounced as she sat down at the four-person table facing her mother. Her mum hadn't taken a day off from work since she was on maternity leave with Hermione. "Are you alright?"

Her mother hesitated by taking a sip of her tea. "No, not really."

They sat in silence for a few moments before Hermione realized that her mother wasn't going to say anything. "Are you going to tell me?"

Jane Granger put her cup of tea down. "You won't be happy with me."

"Well it's not as if you killed someone," Hermione said rolling her eyes. Spending days and nights in Slytherin territory was clearly beginning to have an influence on her.

"Hermione, I'm only saying this because I care about you..."

Hermione's eyes narrowed slightly, but her mother didn't notice because she was staring into the depths of her tea. These words were never a good way to begin a conversation with a perfectly independent almost-adult.

"...I don't want you staying with your father anymore."

Hermione looked at her mother in disbelief. There was no way she could be serious. She sat back in her chair, the perfect picture of teenage defiance and asked, "Why?" She decided that if her mother had a valid point, she would listen, but Hermione always had been an independent girl.

"He's completely insane thinking that he could take you away from me like this! You hardly spend any time with me or your step-father and we're the ones who have raised you for half of your life! I don't understand why you trust him, Hermione! He left us! And I don't understand why you just go running back to him! How do you know that he just won't leave this girl too? Why would you want to get yourself involved with that when it could end up badly? And how on earth could--"

Hermione had stood up at that point. "First of all, he is my father and law decided that he could have partial custody over me was well. And you're right, you did raise me. Which is exactly why I spend so much time at his place. We're making up for eight years in two and a half months before I go to school which is a considerably less amount of time, Mum!

"And you're also very wrong. I don't trust him. At least, not yet. I trust his fiancee though, and above all, I trust my step-brother-to-be who is undoubtedly one of the most considerate people on the face of the earth. And I know for a fact that he would never, ever leave Carmina. It's like you and dad. If father hadn't left, you would have never married dad and you know it. Well Carmina is his equivalent to dad. And you can see how much they care for each other. Before dad, her husband died leaving her a widow and a son who is my age!

"This is my life, Mum. My decision whether or not to get involved. My decision whether or not to go. And even though I respect your feelings, I am nearly of age and nearly an adult! And besides, whether or not I am an adult doesn't have anything to do with my level of independence and you know that!

"I made him a promise that I would meet his new family and get to know them and then attend the wedding! I can't just back out!"

"You've already filled part of the bargain."

"Well there's another half for me to complete."

"Hermione, are you listening to yourself? You're already getting too attached--"

"And frankly, I don't care."

Hermione stormed out of the house leaving her mother alone with her tea. She drove as quick as she could back to Blaise's and slammed the door as soon as she got into the house.

"Merlin, Hermione, could you slam it a little harder next time?"

It was Blaise sitting with Malfoy in one of the many rooms off to the side of the foyer. She leaned against the door frame and looked at the two boys. Blaise was sprawled across a couch his limbs everywhere and Draco was sitting in a high-backed seat with his head on one armrest and his knees slung over the top of the other.

Since Blaise's injury, Draco Malfoy had been over at the Granger-Zabini home more and more claiming his life at home to be in his words "dull," and Hermione wasn't really surprised. The Malfoy family was still trying to keep hold of their dignity after the war so they tried to lay low for now.

Blaise looked at her curiously, "Aren't you supposed to be at your mum's?"

"I had a row with her and I needed to get out of there," Hermione sighed. "She doesn't want me spending time over here anymore."

Draco looked at her curiously and Blaise asked surprised, "And why, in the name of Merlin, would she want that?"

"I don't know," she said exasperately, "some nonsense about not spending enough time with her."

"But you're there nearly every other day."

"I know."

"And she's had you for the past eight years to herself."

"That's what I said. Anyway I needed to get out of there. Are you guys up for something," she asked changing the conversation.

"Well we were having such a good time before you came back, but since you asked..." Blaise jumped off the couch with a flourish then smacked Draco on the stomach. "Come on, old chap! Let's go out!"

Draco grumbled in protest, "And where exactly do you plan on going?"

"Diagon Alley, of course," said Blaise enthusiastically.

Malfoy reluctantly rolled off of the chair and stood up. "Fine."

No one moved until Blaise dragged them both by the ears to the fireplace. "Come on. You can't just waltz in here, demand something, and then not do anything!" He lit a fire with his wand and offered Hermione floo powder from a pot on top of the mantle and she vaguely wondered if her father had ever found that.

The powder was thrown into the fire followed by Hermione who shouted, "Diagon Alley." And she was gone.

The comforting air of the Leaky Cauldron greeted her senses as she stepped out of the fireplace dusting off her clothes. She heard the roar of the flames behind her and she turned to see Malfoy stepping out of the fireplace who was soon followed by Blaise. The three made their way out the back door and to the alleyway where Malfoy tapped the bricks above the trashcan with his wand, opening the entrance to Diagon Alley. They stepped through the archway allowing the entrance to close behind them.

"Well, now that we're here, what do you guys want to do?"

"You asked to go out and you didn't know where you wanted to go?"

"Well Blaise, If you really want to go where I want, we could go to Flourish and Blotts."

Blaise looked at Draco who was behind Hermione making a face and shaking his head. "Let's go get ice cream," Blaise suggested quickly before Hermione could drag them to the bookstore.

"That sounds good. What about you, Malfoy?" Hermione turned around to come face-to-face with a suddenly apathetic looking Draco Malfoy.

"Fortescue's it is then," he answered.

The street that made Diagon Alley welcomed them as they wandered down to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor looking at the shops that they were passing. Olivander's, the Owl Emporium, Madam Malkin's, the Apothecary all brought back memories. Every time before she had come to Diagon Alley, it had always been with Harry and Ron by her side right before the start of term. Guilt washed over Hermione in waves. So many people had been washed out in her excitement for a new family. Harry, Ron, Ginny, the rest of the Weasleys, her step-dad, and most importantly, her mum had hardly seen or heard from her these past three weeks. Her mum had a point and Hermione hadn't listened. A small sigh came from the lion who walked between two snakes.

"What's wrong with you?" Hermione looked over. Not at her brother, though, at Malfoy who had asked the question.

Hermione hesitated, not sure whether or not to confide in the two about her guilts. "I just... I..."

"Amazing Granger! It's the old speaking skills again. It's just astounding!"

"Simply marvelous," piped in Blaise.

"Shut up," she said, pushing outward at them and continuing walking. They didn't fall or trip; instead they both went with the movement and then came back to Hermione's side like a strange symmetrical loop.

"Really Granger, what's wrong?" He looked so sincere and Hermione gave in.

"I just... I feel a little... guilty."

Blaise joined the conversation, "And what, my dear, would be the reason for your guilt?"

"Coming here, seeing all these places, I remembered coming here every year right before the start of term and shopping with Harry and Ron and the rest of the Weasleys."

Malfoy pressed her for more, "And...?"

"I haven't seen them or written to them because I've been so caught up with, well, getting to know you and Carmina. I feel like I'm starting to leave them out of my life." Hermione had suddenly found the cobblestones under their moving feet intresting.

"Granger, if you really feel like that, you should just owl them or spend a day or two with them."

"I think they're planning a birthday party for me..."

"Then you'll be there," Blaise promised.

"I suppose, but that's only one day. Maybe two if I stay over. But that'll be all I can get! After that I'll be too busy with the wedding to take care of myself let alone try to communicate with other people."

"Well then you'll just have to make the most of that one day, now won't you?"

"Yeah," Hermione said obviously glum.

"Look," Blaise said unusually serious, they were already outside Fortescue's, "You need a distraction. Why don't you buy some ice cream and forget about it for now. Isn't that why you wanted to go out in the first place, to keep your mind off things?"

Hermione sighed and led Draco and Blaise into the small shop. The paling colors on the wall matched Hermione's mood--dull and numb, although the latter wasn't reflected on the walls of the parlor. After getting their sugar doses for the day in cups and (in Draco's case) a cone, they went out into the sunlight to sit at a table. The first few minutes went by in silence.

"You know what, Blaise?"

"Yeah, Draco?"

"I think that Granger didn't take your kind words of wisdom to heart. She's still thinking."

Blaise looked over at his sister-to-be to see her frowning at a spot on the table while the barely eaten ice cream in her hand was beginning to melt in the July sun.

"Granger?" Malfoy received no reply and tried again, "Granger?"

Blaise swiped his finger in his pumpkin chocolate chip ice cream, and before Draco could say anything, Blaise smeared the finger full of ice cream on her face, streaking across her cheekbones and nose. That certainly made Hermione come to her senses.

"W-w-what on earth was that for?"

"You weren't listening. You were thinking, which I explicitly told you not to do," Blaise said with an air of superiority while shoving a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth with the spoon upside down.

Hermione looked at Malfoy incredulously and he shrugged back trying to explain he absolutely had no control over Blaise's actions. She stood up from the table and Blaise had the sense to apologize.

"I'm sorry, Hermione, it was a joke. You weren't listening! You're not leaving, are you?"

"Of course I'm not leaving. I just need a napkin to wipe this off, and a cup too."

"Let me get them for you, it's the least I could do." Blaise hurried off into the store.

"I really wonder what goes on inside that head of his sometimes," Hemione mused as she sat back down in her chair staring at the door of the parlor where Blaise had just disappeared into.

"Now isn't that the million galleon question," said Draco in the same tone.

"You know, Malfoy," Hermione said tapping her spoon on her nose, "I have a confession."

He leaned closer to the table. "Do tell."

She whispered, "Will you promise not to tell?"

He smirked, "I promise."

"Pinkie swear?"

"What, in Merlin's name, does that mean?"

"Nevermind." She leaned closer to the table and whispered, "I don't really mind spending time with Slytherins."

He pulled a face of mock-surprise. "Miss Granger, advocate for House-Elf rights, Gryffindor Princess, and Golden Girl, doesn't mind spending time with Slytherins? Alert the Daily Prophet! Call Rita Skee--"

Hermione cut him off. "Speak of the Devil," she said in a low voice, "and the Devil shall come."

"That's right, you hate her don't you?"

"She's tolerable if you know how to handle her properly."

"And keeping her in a jar for considerable amounts of time is 'properly handling her?'"

"I said 'properly,' I never said manners had to be involved."

"No," he said, "I suppose you didn't."

The two lapsed into silence once more consumed by their own thoughts. But what Hermione never said, was that she actually meant it. She really didn't mind spending time with Slytherins. Hell, Blaise was almost her step-brother and as she put it in her thoughts her "best friend at the other end of the spectrum," and Malfoy, the Slytherin Prince, was strangely polite to her. She wondered if Blaise had threatened him. Since their talk in St. Mungo's tearoom, they had been tolerable to eachother, even nice at times. But then again, drawing from past experiences, very few Slytherins could reach the level of acceptance that only Blaise and Malfoy had.

"You're thinking again."

Hermione returned from her thoughts to find another finger full of ice cream (this time Draco's butterbeer ice cream) an inch from her nose. She looked from the long pale finger holding the ice cream to Malfoy's face. "You wouldn't dare." And with that, he wiped the dessert on her nose to form a little mountain of butterbeer ice cream on the tip of her nose.

"Try me," he challenged leaning back in his chair.

Hermione loaded her spoon with her chocolate ice cream and catapulted it at his face and burst out laughing as the ball of sugar smacked him on the far right of his forehead.

"You guys look like you're having fun."

Blaise had finally come out of the shop armed with an empty ice cream cup and a wad of napkins. His gaze lingered on Draco who had a chunk of ice cream slowly dripping down the side of his face.

"Hey Draco," Blaise said getting the other's attention. "You have a little something right there," he said circling a area of his own face with his finger. His actions earned him a scowl and Blaise said back, "What? I was only trying to help."

He set the things down on the table in front of Hermione and she asked for water in the cup. Blaise muttered the spell with a flick of his wand and water flowed from the tip into the cup. The boys watched as she began to wipe the ice cream off her face and then clean off the stickiness with a wet napkin.

Malfoy watched as Hermione cleaned herself off the Muggle way, "You know you're a witch, right?"

Hermione sighed looking at Malfoy and replied, "I'm a witch who's not of age and therefore can't get rid of this with my wand."

Draco pulled out his wand and with a flick muttered, "Scourgify," causing the ice cream on both of their faces to vanish.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

Blaise looked from one to the other as silence fell over the trio. "I have an idea," he said leaping up out of his seat. He vanished their trash with a flick of his wand and pulled them by the wrists down the street.

"Here we are." Blaise had pulled them all the way down to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Hermione just stood there. "Well what are you waiting for? Go on in." He gave her a little push and she stumbled into the store.

The store spelled home for Hermione and she wandered up to the register. "Fred," she called. "George?"

"Why, Fred, look who it is! Miss Hermione Granger has finally come 'round for a visit." Hermione spun around to face a very happy George.

Fred appeared from the back room, "We thought you'd forgotten us."

"But Mum--"

"--and Ron--"

"--and Ginny and Harry--"

"--were talking about sending you an--"

"--owl to see if you wanted to come to the Burrow--"

"--for your birthday."

"But if you want--"

"--we could just tell them when we go tonight for dinner."

"Or, are you up for coming?"

"Boys, I just wanted to stop by to say hello. But I am most definitely coming around for my birthday. And I'm not sure whether or not I'd be able to come tonight. If I do are you sure Molly would be alright with it?"

It was Fred that answered, "She's been asking Harry and Ron when you're gonna come and stay until the school year."

"Well, about that... after my birthday I have a wedding of a very, very close relative to attend and prepare for that's at the end of August, right before school."

"So you're getting out of staying with us?"

Hermione smiled, "Well I don't really have a choice, but I'm definitely going for my birthday and I'll see what I could do about tonight."

"Alright Hermione," said George giving Hermione a hug.

"We'll tell the others tonight," Fred said repeating his brother's action.

"Now get."

"We have people who are paying money to waltz in here, unlike you."

Hermione laughed and walked over to the door, "Bye guys."

"Feeling better," Blaise asked when he saw Hermione exit the store.

"Yeah."

"I bet her daily dose of Weasel did her good."

"Shut up. Be nice, Malfoy."

"Uh huh."

Hermione noticed that Malfoy had a long package tucked underneath his arm.

"Did you buy something," she asked pointing at the object.

Malfoy rolled his eyes, "No Granger, I'm holding it for Blaise because that's what the nice boyfriend does."

"About time," Hermione said.

"Wait, Granger, I was just kidding!"

"Really, what's in the package?"

"A new broom. It's the fastest thing since the Firebolt. Are you up for a ride?"

"No. Thank you, but no."

Blaise cut in the conversation, "Really, Hermione, when are you gonna get over it? It's just a broom."

"The day I ride a broom is the day that both of you plant a kiss on the Boy-Who-Lived. Oh, will you look at that! I already did. Pucker up boys."

Blaise made a face as the three of them walked back to the Leaky Cauldron to floo home.

A/N ;; First chapter written after I made my outlines and diagrams and I'm already not following them. The Weasley dinner was a spur-of-the-moment idea.

I don't know if pumpkin chocolate chip would taste good, I just thought it up. Do they even make pumpkin ice cream?

I like this a lot more than the original Chapter Ten. Speaking of the original Chapter Ten, is is sad that I got 10 reviews on the "Author's Note Chapter Ten" and only 1 review on the former Chapter Ten, or is it just me? I'm a lot happier with this Chapter Ten anyways. Thanks to Ghostwriter626 who reviewed the first time around and I promise to send everyone who reviews Chapter Ten before I post Chapter 11 a cookie and a hug. No really. I'll do it. Therefore, review, my pretties, review!

Thanks to slyphides for helping me with making my story more realistic.

Oh and I need ideas for ridiculously cliche things to do or say for one of the later chapters. So if you have any ideas send them to me!