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Chapter 10

She stood in front of the house awkwardly, a bag in each hand. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, to come here. Now she wasn't so sure. Her parents were in that house. The parents whose memories she had erased and sent to Australia before the war. Sure, they eventually forgave her when she found them after Voldemort fell. At least they said they did. Hermione hadn't been so sure. That was why she had spent the holidays with the Weasleys and not with her biological family. It wasn't easy being around loved ones you had secretly obliviated and sent off to live a new life. There were a few trust issues there.

Nonsense! They were her parents and they loved her. Besides, she had nowhere else to go really. She knew she couldn't face Fred or any of the other Weasleys after her sudden departure. She needed time to clear her head and her childhood home seemed the obvious choice. That is, until she had actually arrived.

Oh, stop it, she thought. Have some Gryffindor courage! They are your parents, of course they will be glad to see you. She took a deep breath and marched up the steps and knocked quickly before she could lose her nerve.

"Hermione!" her mother said with surprise as she opened the door. She had changed very little over the years and her green eyes seemed genuinely shocked at the presence of her daughter before her.

"Hi Mum," she offered not really sure how to proceed. Thankfully, that problem was solved immediately as her mother pulled her into a deep embrace.

"Oh, it is so good to see you! Come, we must find your Dad. He will be so pleased!"

Hermione allowed herself to be dragged through the door, taking only the briefest moment to drop her bags by the door before rushing after her mother.

"So, Hermione," her Dad began after things had settled down and they were gathered together for dinner, "what have you been up to for the past several months? We haven't heard anything from you in quite some time."

"Mostly just recovering from the war," she said weakly, not really wanting to rehash that part of her life, but knowing she owed it to her parents to answer any questions they might have.

"Have you been at the Weasleys, then?" her mother asked.

She nodded. "Yes, and Harry, too. It has been good for us. To have each other." Her parents liked the Weasleys. To be fair, it was hard not to, they could be quite infectious, but finding out their only child was a witch had been a shocking experience and they were extremely grateful to the magical family for taking care of their little girl when they could not.

They were quiet for awhile, none of them sure what to say. "How is Harry?" her mother asked finally. "And Ron?"

She smiled thinking of her friends. "They're great. Harry and Ginny are engaged and Ron is dating Lavender. I think they are all very happy."

Her parents looked slightly startled at this. "Ron is dating who?" her father asked.

"Lavender Brown," she said. "You remember her? She was in my dormitory at Hogwarts?"

"Why, yes, dear," Mrs. Granger said, "but we were under the impression that you and Ron were something of an item when we saw you last."

"Oh, um, yes," she said, "I mean, no! That is, we tried that very briefly, but we are meant to be just friends." Please don't ask me what I know is coming next. Please, please, please.

"So are you seeing anyone new?" her mother asked curiously.

She groaned inside knowing she would never be able to avoid this subject. Her mother had some kind of weird sense about this sort of thing.

"No, I'm single," she murmured. It was true, she was single. No matter what had happened with Fred over the past several days, they were not a couple. They were certainly not official and, unfortunately, it looked like they never would be.

"I see," her Mum replied. "And what about a job? Are you working?" Her mother was eyeing her carefully and Hermione felt an intense scrutiny in her gaze.

"Just some occasional work for Professor McGonagall right now. They are working to rebuild Hogwarts," she explained.

"An admirable goal, I'm sure," her father said. "Do they expect it to open soon?" Her father always was fascinated with Hogwarts and the wizarding world. Education, whether it be magical or not, was extremely important to him so it was only natural that he would be interested in what would become of Hogwarts.

"Yes, we are optimistic to have things ready for the new term," she said. It felt so strange having this odd small talk with her parents when just the night before she had been dancing the night away with Fred.

"What about those twins?" her father asked suddenly. "How is their joke shop doing? Fascinating place. I would love to go back."

She stiffened at the mention of Fred and his brother, but quickly recovered. "They are doing great," she said simply. "Their shop was one of the few places that thrived throughout the war. Everyone wants a little happiness even in the darkest of times." She smiled remembering when Dumbledore had first shared a similar sentiment. It was so very true.

"How wonderful!" her mother agreed. "Everyone needs to laugh!"

"Quite so!" her father grinned.

She had excused herself after dinner, telling her parents she was tired. While that was true, she knew sleep was the furthest thing from her mind at the moment.

She was sprawled across her childhood bed, looking up at the posters and photographs she had hanging around her room. They seemed so juvenile now. The war had forced her to grow up in ways that most people could never begin to understand. It also pushed her even farther away from her former muggle life. She was relieved that the evening with her parents had gone so well, all things considering, but she knew she couldn't stay here forever. She belonged in the wizarding world, now more than ever. And if she was completely honest with herself, she belonged with the Weasleys. They had become every bit as much her family as her own mother and father.

That was why she knew she had to figure out this mess with Fred. There was too much at stake. She couldn't let some silly crush ruin all of that. She sighed. But that was just it, wasn't it? It was not just some silly crush. What she had felt last night when he kissed her, when he held her hand in his and looked into her eyes, was so much more than that and it terrified her. A crush she could handle. She could move on, get past the initial embarrassment, and go back to normal. But how could she go back to the Burrow, see him on a regular basis, and just pretend that those feelings didn't exist?

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. "Yes?" she called, attempting to hide the irritation she felt at being bothered. She really just needed time alone to think.

"Hermione, dear?" her mother said, sticking her head in. "You have a visitor."

"What?" she said shooting up to a sitting position. "Who? I didn't even tell anyone I was here."

"It appears to be one of the Weasley twins," her mother replied. "Your father answered the door. It seems to be quite urgent."

"Oh, I bet it is," she grumbled, startling her mother before she saw the older woman break into a knowing smile. "Tell him I'm asleep."

"Yes, well, that wouldn't be true, would it? C'mon, let's go, it is rude to keep company waiting!" she urged, hurrying her daughter down the stairs towards what Hermione was certain was her worst nightmare come to life.

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