Written In The Body

Poetheather

A/N: Just so you are all aware, there will be an extra chapter this week, posted on Valentine's Day. Because of the reasons.

Also I am dealing with story creep, so the chapters are getting longer each time. This one was longer because it had to cover a lot but otherwise the trend is for longer chapters. I know… I can feel your pain.

This is a work of fiction using the characters created by J.K. Rowling. They are not used with her permission. All actions follow the events of book seven of the series, excluding the epilogue. Any similarity between any person living or dead is purely coincidental and unintentional. If you happen to find your life reflected in this piece I'll be impressed.

Eleven

Perdita was waiting patiently at the backdoor when Hermione came downstairs for breakfast the next day. She could see through the glass that the hawk owl had two letters tied to her legs and was pecking gently against the back door, but not too loudly. Hermione opened the door, scratched her very smart owl behind her head with two fingers, and then retrieved the letters once she set her down on the back of a lawn chair. With those in hand it was clearly time for a reward so she grabbed some of the owl treats and gave them to her. Once Perdita had finished eating and getting loving from Hermione the hawk owl flew over to her favorite perch that overlooked the backdoor and went to sleep, clearly a bit tired.

As she brought in the letters from the back yard, her father looked up from his meal, put down his cup of tea and asked, "Oh? Mail? Who are those from Hermione?"

"One is from the Weasleys and the other from Ginny. They're replies to letters I sent them yesterday." said Hermione, as she poured herself some tea after sitting, the letters next to her plate.

"What do they say?" Her mom asked curiously, as she spread some marmalade on her toast.

Hermione unrolled and scanned the Weasley's letter first as it probably held the most pertinent information. It was not overly long and it did not take her any length of time for her to go over it as her eyes scanned over it quickly. She looked up at her parents with a smile and answered, "Mrs. Weasley says it would be fine if you two wanted to come along with me to Harry's birthday party. She and her husband would love to meet the both of you and that way you could interact with my friends for more than a few minutes as has been usual. That would also allow you to meet more of the people that I know in the magical world. I know I should have mentioned it to you before asking but I wasn't sure if the Weasleys would be fine with it. Are you both okay with this?"

"Hermione, it's alright. We are fine with this. I think it will be great fun as we can get more involved in your world and get to know your friends. We have felt rather isolated from your life these last several years and I know part of that was the fact that you were protecting us from a very real and terrible threat, but that threat is gone now thanks in no small part to you and these same friends. So yes, we absolutely want to go to Harry's party if for no other reason to thank him for keeping you safe and ending this threat. All of your friends did this and so, yes, we want to get to know them. We want to know this world you live in better because it lets us know you better." said her mother, with a big smile.

Hermione got up from her seat, came over and gave her mother a big hug, smiling broadly with tears in her eyes. She wasn't sure she would really be able to put into words how this truly made her feel. This was really a level of acceptance for this part of her life that she had never really expected, with how they had slowly grown apart during her time at Hogwarts. This was perfect and it almost made her choke on words. She went with a very tired standby instead that she knew would come close, "I would love that."

"And what does Ginny have to say?" asked her mother, an interested smile playing over her lips.

Hermione took that letter and read it. The smile that was growing as the kept going farther and farther into it kept growing. There were a number of things that she couldn't share with her parents, but there was at least one thing she could. "Oh this and that, mostly that she had a wonderful time staying with us, that it was just what she needed, et cetera. She also said she would be happy to spend a few days over here before her birthday on the 11th. I hope you don't mind my offering her the chance to stay?"

"That's perfectly fine Hermione. I will have to ask her mother if we can come over for that party as well, as Ginny is a lovely girl and we would love to celebrate with her. I am glad you and she are close. I was worried that you might not have a good girlfriend, especially when all we usually heard about was Harry and Ron."

"Thank you, mom. Yeah, we are quite close and have been close for a number of years. It's been nice." Somehow she was able to limit the blushing to only a little bit of color to her cheeks. She wished she knew how she was able to do that as that would be a useful skill to know.

"So Harry's party is this afternoon?" asked her father.

"Yes. I already have his present wrapped and everything. We can head over there at most anytime, as I am sure the Weasley's would be happy to meet you. I am sure Mr. Weasley will talk your ear off about all sorts of things. He is muggle obsessed. Also, you don't have to give Harry anything as a gift, as he will be happy with you just being there. That will be gift enough in his mind. He's like that." said Hermione.

"In all honesty, I haven't the foggiest idea what to give him anyway. What do you get a wizard who can conjure things out of thin air?" Her father chuckled as he said that, shaking his head.

Hermione rolled her eyes. Why were her parents always like this? She knew they understood about magic and how it really worked. She had explained it to them. "If you really wanted to get him something then most anything would be appreciated. He is still not really used to presents thanks to his terrible upbringing. The Dursleys, his Aunt's family, were terrible people and never gave him anything for either his birthday or Christmas so Harry is a bit… quirky because of that."

"So I can buy him a tin of biscuits and he will be fine with that?" asked her dad a bit incredulously, clearly not believing what he was hearing.

"Yes. Or chocolate. He will be quite thankful if you give him either, pleased by the gesture. And chocolate, that is actually a useful thing to have in the magical world for various reasons but don't ask. But yes, something like that would be grand and he would be very touched you even thought of him." said Hermione, a bit sad that that was the unvarnished truth. Times like these, when she thought of what that plainly meant, she really did want to find the Dursleys and hex them until she ran out of spell combinations that would not clash. She was well aware that it would take a while.

"Alright, that sounds easy enough then. I guess I will run down to Tesco and pick him up something then. That is an interesting question… what kind of chocolate do you get for someone who stops a magical terrorist?" Her father got up, grabbed his keys and wallet and headed towards the garage. Before he left he called out, "Did either of you need anything while I'm there?"

Hermione thought about it and shook her head, "No thank you. I think I have everything I need at the moment."

Her mother called out, "We're good."

"Right. Be back soon. Bye Love." Her father left and Hermione just shook her head. Sometimes her father was just too much to deal with. What was with that question? Honestly.

She went to her room and got out her list of school supplies for the coming year. Usually by now she would have already purchased the books and be partially through the first or maybe even the second read through, depending on thickness of the texts. But this year she was actually not as interested in getting a jump on her classes as she usually was. There was simply too much other stuff going on in her life to completely focus on this. Going to get her supplies while Ginny was here might be a good plan, so she could do at least one serious read through before classes, but she saw no reason to go overboard like she usually did. She was well aware of the fact that she had higher grades than anyone in school by a very wide margin and that it would take something major to keep her from passing her NEWTS with all Os. She was looking to take the same ten classes she had when she had done her OWLs and in all honesty expected to get an O this time in Defense against the Dark Arts, because she had gotten a lot better at the subject in the last year. Fighting for your life tended to do that and the time working with Harry had really expanded her knowledge of the subject.

She shook her head to clear it of thoughts of the war and tried to think of happier things, like the fact that she was going to be seeing Harry and Luna today as well as Bill and Fleur. And she was going to be seeing Ginny. That was going to be wonderful. She did not know who else had been invited to the party but it was sure to be a lot of fun, as parties held at the Burrow usually were. At the very least it would take Harry's mind off his troubles for a while. And so long as George was not bringing fireworks to this event everything should be just fine. Even with calming draughts and the like the sounds of explosions and the bright flashes might just be pushing things a little bit too far. She wasn't even sure she could deal with those right now.

She took care as she changed for the party as she really wanted to look nice. She tried to convince herself that it was for Harry but she was well aware that the real reason that she was doing this was that she wanted to look pretty for Ginny, even though they had nothing going on with each other. This whole situation was making her crazy. However, if she wanted to wait just a little longer to tell the girl, then she had to put up with things like this, times where she was making herself crazy for no other particular reason save her own crazy logic in waiting for the time to be 'right'.

Checking her makeup in the mirror one last time and making sure her earrings looked good, Hermione finished up and grabbed the present she had gotten Harry. Despite not knowing what Harry was going to do in the future she was absolutely positive that he was going to keep flying, as she could not imagine Harry without him flying, so she had gotten him some new flying gloves, new goggles that had been charmed to deal with inclement weather and had bought him a book on Flying Tours of Europe. She really hoped he liked it all as it was all friendly and fun.

Grabbing the present and slipping it into her beaded bag, Hermione headed downstairs to wait for her parents. She wanted to read one of her new books, to get a better grasp on things but since she had not come out to her parents yet it could prove to be awkward if they saw the titles, so she was going over one of her advanced Arithomancy books she had picked up two years ago instead and hadn't finished yet. She lost herself to the text and then there was a bright flash. She started in surprise and looked up, her hand moving towards her wand.

Her mother grinned down at her holding a wizard camera, overly pleased with herself.

"Where did you get that?" asked Hermione, stunned to see her mother holding a wizarding object so comfortably.

"That would be Ginny. She got it for us and told us to take pictures of you studying or thinking. She told us she wants to make a book about all your thinking faces for educational purposes apparently." Her mother was grinning broadly. "I thought it was a wonderful idea and showed her some of the pictures of you as a baby with thinky looks. She made lots of appreciative noises and asked for copies to go in her book. She already has a pretty good collection going at this point. Apparently some boy named Colin had taken several?"

"Gah! I should never leave you two alone again." grumbled Hermione, in some irritation. The showing of baby pictures and pictures of her as a little kid was not something she had wanted to subject anyone to. Even the idea of it embarrassed her, as she could just imagine what her mother had shown Ginny. Could she Oblivate the memory of those pictures out of Ginny's head?

"It's nice to have a close girlfriend. They can really make your life better and more fun. Anyway, your father is back from Tescos so we are all ready to go to this party. Your father bought Harry some Chocolate biscuits as well as a few bars of different types of Cadburry. I have it all wrapped up and presentable, so we are ready to go. Now we are just waiting for you." Her mother turned away, looking slightly smug at having disarmed her daughter.

Hermione blushed at her mother's words and the color faded as things continued, moving away from the first statement. That had been all she had needed, was her mother putting that image into her head yet again. Now all that was running through her head was pictures of Ginny as her girlfriend. And this was after she had worked so hard already to clear her thoughts of those very same images that she was generating on her own as much as possible. It was going to make it so difficult to look at Ginny and not blush. She could just strangle her mother sometimes.

Hermione used her note paper to mark her place in the book and then stood, "So you remember what I told you both about apparating, hold on to me tightly and that this is going to feel very odd?"

"Yes, you were very clear on both of those points. As well as not to distract you at all while you were focusing." said her father, handing over the present so Hermione could place it in her bag.

Once she had that securely in her bag, her parents took hold of her arms and Hermione focused for a moment before she side along apparated them to the Burrow. Her parents looked a bit shaken by the trip and she said sympathetically, "Yeah, I know, but you get used to it. Side along is actually worse than traveling by yourself actually, but you still feel like you were squeezed through a hose. And it was a long trip for the two of you. If you would rather we can Floo to the Leaky Cauldron and then take a taxi or bus back home."

"Let us consider that for a while love." said her mother, who looked a bit green and was clearly a bit wobbly on her feet. Her father did not seem to be much better himself. "That was… unpleasant."

Mrs. Weasley saw the trio and headed over, smiling happily. "Hermione, so good to see you again. You look lovely as always. And these must be your parents."

"Yes. Molly Weasley, allow me to introduce my parents, Martin and Patricia Granger." Hermione made the introductions and then stayed out of the way, unsure what Molly would do as a greeting.

Molly happily shook their hands, clearly unsure if more was warranted. "It is a pleasure to meet you both. Your daughter is simply wonderful and has been a pleasure every time she has stayed over. She has almost been like a second daughter to me. Come on in and I will introduce you to everyone."

As her parents were efficiently bustled off by the matron of the house, Hermione just stood there, with a slight contented smile on her face. This was nice. Her parents interacting with the Weasleys, both of her families, muggle and magical, together, it was like her worlds were actually coming together for a change. For so many years she had wished this could have occurred but with Voldemort running around it was actually far too dangerous for that to happen. No, it was better now, when it was safe. She just stood there and smiled after them, happiness growing in her heart.

A pair of slender but slightly rough hands covered her eyes and a warm and familiar voice said, "Guess who?"

As her smile turned into a grin and she felt playful, Hermione answered, "Hagrid, is that you?"

"Oi, I am not as big as Hagrid!" groused Ginny, shoving her shoulder playfully.

"I'm sorry Ginny, it was the calluses on your hands that threw me." She batted her eyes a few times at the girl after she turned to face the redhead.

Ginny rolled her eyes and shook her head, her red mane tossing back and forth. She tried to look a bit stern but the smile that kept breaking through was ruining it, "A likely story, Miss Granger."

Hermione laughed. Ginny then ran her eyes over her, taking in whole outfit and shoes, down and up, taking her time, finally saying, "You look quite nice."

"Thank you. You look good as well. I have to admit that you always did clean up well." Ginny was dressed nicely as well, somewhat similarly to Hermione, in terms of a nice skirt and blouse that was appropriate to the level of fancy that Harry would be okay with. She was even wearing a little bit of makeup and jewelry. Hermione thought she looked absolutely beautiful, that her face glowed with health and happiness but knew she really couldn't say anything like that.

"Come on. Mum has the tent set up in back, so that's fun. She has invited so many people to this that it is almost larger than the wedding because nobody said no. The woman is absolutely barmy I tell you. I do hope Harry has a good time though." said Ginny as she pulled Hermione around the house towards the backyard. The worry was clear in her voice there at the end.

"He hasn't arrived yet?" Hermione was actually surprised to hear that. Harry was usually early for things at the Burrow, if for no other reason than he was staying here. He loved it at this crazy house and would never willingly miss anything that happened here. She hoped it was not a bad sign. Maybe it was taking him a little longer to get himself ready to face a crowd than before. He had always had problems before and things had only made that worse.

"No, he flooed to say he would be a little late but not to worry about him. He is also apparently bringing someone." There was a little bit of bitterness and regret in her tone.

Hermione looked at her wryly, not letting the girl squirm out of this one. "I thought you said you were over Harry?"

"Well that was before I thought he was bringing some tart with him to the party." grumbled Ginny, blushing a little and looking at the ground. It was clear that she was not pleased by her own reaction to this news.

Hermione laughed lightly. This really was very funny. Granted it was because she knew things that her friend did not but regardless this reaction was beautiful. "She's not a tart Ginny, not even remotely, though I may have to tell her you said that. It's Luna."

"Luna?" Ginny sounded quite confused, like the words and the meanings did not quite connect.

"Yes, Luna. She has been talking with Harry and helping him deal with things, just like she had helped me deal with some of the stuff I dealt with. They might be getting closer because of that, but remember that they were also somewhat close his sixth year after Sirius passed away. So this isn't really something new and out of the blue." explained Hermione, with a smile, quite amused with this display of jealousy from someone supposedly over that relationship.

The blush was lovely and Hermione really enjoyed it. She would love telling Harry about this. This was something he would get a nice chuckle out of, and not because it was mean but because of the continuous misunderstandings that seemed to fill his life. "Oh… well… that makes sense then. Thank you for telling me this now. I would have hated to have made a scene and possibly upset Harry over something so silly. He really does not need or deserve that. I figure this might be tough enough as is for him. If he's happy then I am happy for him."

Once in the backyard, it was clear that the tent from the wedding was back up, with a few tables under it to make one very large dining table, almost as long as one of the House tables in the Great Hall at Hogwarts. There were a lot of different kinds of chairs around them, with only some of them matching and the place settings didn't quite match either. It looked absolutely chaotic. Hermione was quite positive that Harry would love it. This was the kind of thing that would say home and family to him.

Most of the Weasley family was already back there along with a large portion of the staff of Hogwarts, and most of the survivors of the battle who had been in the DA. It had been a while since they had seen each other and there was a lot of catching up to do. Hermione lost herself in conversation with a number of people for a while but kept finding herself searching out Ginny with her eyes, or that Ginny would come and see if she needed another drink. She would even just come over and let Hermione know how her parents were doing talking with her teachers so she could be sufficiently mortified. Hermione thought it was nice and it allowed her to slip quite easily into the fantasy that her mother had brought up with her earlier. Everything felt so comfortable and so natural; she just wanted to believe that it was all real, all true. If only wanting and wishing made it so.

"Are you okay?"

"What? Oh sorry Susan, I guess I was daydreaming a bit." said Hermione with a slight blush as the young woman's voice broke her fantasy. She smiled at the girl who had gotten stronger and healthier through her training in the DA, though she also seemed weighted down by the last year like many of their other friends.

"That's okay. I think you're allowed." replied Susan with a knowing grin.

There was something in Susan's tone and look that caught Hermione's attention and once caught refused to be let loose until it was tracked down. That looked seemed to imply something and as she knew that nothing was going on she needed to find out what it was, because that was not a look of conjecture. Hermione cocked her head to the side and asked, "What do you mean?"

"You know, things with you and Ron. He has been saying how things between you two have been getting better and better and that you might even be off the market soon if it keeps progressing. That's really exciting." Susan seemed quite pleased for her.

Hermione had made the mistake of drinking something at the moment and it sprayed out everywhere, but thankfully it did not hit Susan or anyone else. She looked at Susan wide eyed, disbelief quite obvious, "WHAT!"

"Did… did I misunderstand?" Susan backed up some, looking around nervously for backup, as she was well aware of how dangerous a riled up Hermione Granger could be. This was not a safe position to be in.

"No. No, I don't think you misunderstood what you heard at all. I think it was clearly someone else who has misunderstood things. If you will excuse me, Susan." Her voice was cold and measured, in very precise clipped tones that sheared off the ends of words. Susan quickly nodded and stepped back and out of the way all but fleeing the scene.

The very angry young woman turned in place, her brown eyes narrowed as she was scanning the tent, scanning it for one particular set of red hair that she knew very well. Once she spotted it she locked on and began heading that way by the most direct route possible. Other people noticed her movement and quickly scrambled from her path, quite unwilling to get involved in this imminent disaster. Ron was currently involved in a conversation with Seamus and Dean, blissfully ignorant of his doom and the two boys went wide eyed and began backing up as Hermione stormed over, clearly knowing better than to stay.

Ron turned, somewhat confused by their actions, and his eyes widened, seeing Hermione heading right towards him just like she had moved towards Malfoy before she had punched him in the face. He swallowed hard wondering just how much this was going to hurt. He just knew this was not going to be pretty.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley, what in the hell are you telling other people about us!" All other conversation under the tent stopped at this point and every eye was focused on those two. There was no mistaking that tone for anything but what it was.

"I… uh… well… you see…" stammered Ron, his eyes cutting back and forth, searching for an avenue of escape. It was clear that he did not want to be involved in this particular conversation at the moment. There did not seem to be an available escape route that could get him far enough fast enough to avoid any spell from the girl.

"I told you explicitly that I did not want you pushing things between us and that I was not going to start up anything relationship wise at that time, but oh no, you just had to start telling people that I would be off the market soon!" Hermione's anger was building even more rapidly than normal and all of her frustration with Ron over the years was starting to feed into it. Her hands were clenched and they were trembling as she gesticulated wildly.

"I… uh, well Hermione, you see… I kind of thought that…" Ron tried to say something, anything that might have a chance of heading this off. She cut him off at the knees.

"Thought? Thought? Why do I really doubt that? No, I know what you were doing Ron Weasley. You were doing what you always do. What everyone always does to me. You were trying to use other people's opinions and thoughts to get me to agree to go out with you when I wasn't sure I wanted to, you insufferable prat! You were trying to dictate my bloody life, to make it into what you wanted! Didn't you think I have had enough of people doing exactly to me that when Bellatrix fucking Lestrange carved mudblood into my arm!" She screamed that last bit so loud that it hurt her throat. Everything in her wanted to punch him, kick him, hex him, make him feel the pain and humiliation that she was feeling because of this stupid action of his. Why couldn't he get this? Was it really that difficult to get?

Ron winced and turned his face away from her, unable to meet the blaze of anger in her eyes, hotter and stronger than he had ever seen directed towards him before. Hermione was unable to say anything else when she felt a familiar hand rest gently on her arm and she turned her face to meet warm brown eyes, full of compassion that froze the words that would never have been able to have been taken back in her throat. "Come on. It's not worth it. You don't need to be here right now."

Unable to fight against those eyes or that voice, Hermione relented and Ginny was able to turn her away from Ron. She led Hermione back through the silence and to the house, going up the short bit of stairs and then into her room. Ginny was still at the door when Hermione took a few steps into the room and fell onto the bed, sobbing. Once Ginny had the door closed and a few privacy spells cast, she sat down on the bed and began to stroke the older girl's hair comfortingly. "I am sorry that my brother was clearly dropped on his head as a baby multiple times."

Hermione choked on a laugh briefly between the sobs. She clutched Ginny and pulled herself closer to the girl, needing to feel the strength the youngest Weasley radiated. Dream or no dream, truth or not, she needed the girl right now like she needed air or water or food or she would never be able to breathe. "It's okay, Hermione. He's just an idiot. You've known that forever. So you know for sure then that you are not getting back together?"

Still choked with tears and unable to form words, Hermione just nodded in response, holding tightly to Ginny.

"Okay. That's fine. But if you don't mind my asking, how do you know?" asked Ginny, more curious than accusatory.

Hermione slowly rose up, her face red and blotchy from the tears, some of her make up runny and she looked Ginny right in the eyes. She hadn't planned on telling her this today, hadn't planned on telling her this for a while truth be told but there really was no better opening that she could think of to let her know. "Ginny, there is no way that I am going to get back together with your brother because… well… because I am attracted to girls."

Tears kept streaming down her face, the salt burning some, and she was still shaking from muffled sobs, as her emotions were in turmoil. She had just shared part of her biggest secret with her best friend and the woman she loved, what was she going to do? How was Ginny going to react? Was this it for their friendship? Too many thoughts and worries were tumbling around in her brain and all she could do was cry for the pain and worry she already felt.

Ginny blinked a few times, as she was clearly trying to process this. She looked Hermione in the eyes and asked calmly, "Like you want to chat up girls and date them?"

Hermione sighed, this was not exactly going like she had wished and she wiped her face, "Yes Gin, just like that."

"And do everything a couple does?"

"Yes Gin."

"Even marry them?"

"Honestly Ginny is the idea really that difficult to understand?" Hermione was even more frustrated now than before and her emotions felt like they were going fifteen different places at once. She felt like she was going to burst. Her heart was beating like a trip hammer and she was both desperate to know and terrified of what Ginny might say.

"Well, no, not too much. I mean I kind of understood it in the abstract but I guess you are the first witch who likes witches that I have ever… you know… met." said Ginny slowly, looking off into one of the corners of the room, towards one of the posters of the Holyhead Harpies, lost to her own thoughts.

"You might have met others, but they probably never let you know. But that is why I know I am never getting back together with Ron." replied Hermione, a little calmer, seeing how seriously that Ginny was taking this. She was not mocking her nor denouncing her. Maybe things would work out.

"Have you told him any of this?" asked Ginny, looking at her with eyes wide, as if she just realized something.

"No, and I am not planning to either until he gets better with the whole we are not together thing. Otherwise who knows what he will think?" Hermione rolled her eyes in frustration. That was yet another complication in her already crazy life. She really did not need this.

Ginny leaned forward and took Hermione into her arms, hugging her close. "Thank you for sharing this with me. This doesn't change anything. You are still my best friend and that will never change. I hope you know that?"

There was a soft sigh of relief and Hermione said, "I do."

"So… are you interested in someone?" probed Ginny, her tone a bit more curious than before. Again she was looking out the window.

Hermione blushed a little at the question. Why was everyone so interested in her currently non-existent dating life? "There are some dreams of someone, but nothing solid yet. I will let you know how it turns out though."

"Okay. I just want you to be happy." She could hear the sincerity in Ginny's voice and it made her smile.

"Same here."

"Well, it's a good thing since I'm coming over tonight. I bet you with all of this that stupidity you are going to have a nightmare and you will need someone to hold you afterwards."

Hermione chuckled softly, unable to argue with the younger girl's assessment. "What would I do without you Ginny?"

"Probably suffer alone… a very sad fate. Now come on. Let's get you cleaned up and head back outside. We can't let that git ruin this party, okay?" said Ginny with a broad smile and a wink.

Hermione smiled back in return, her mood lifting. Maybe things weren't as bad as she had thought. "Okay."

After some cold water, a few spells and a bit of makeup repair the two of them headed back downstairs towards the rest of the party. The fireplace fwooshed and out of the green flames stepped Harry and Luna. Harry only stumbled a few times before he caught himself. As those two stood there brushing soot off of their clothes, he grinned at the two girls standing there watching and said, "So, have I missed anything?"