Chapter Fourteen

Now that Hermione had supplies to study, she decided to move into on of the empty rooms. Molly helped her clean up Bill's old room since he had already cleared out most of his stuff when he got married and it had a large desk and a small work area for potions. There was a bookcase full of old textbooks and worn but useful reference books. Hermione added her new and old books alike to a cleared shelf, including her copy of Hogwarts, A History and the copy of Tales of Beedle the Bard she had gotten from Dumbledore. She put her desk supplies in the desk drawers and her cauldron and potions supplies on the other work table. She then put her new robes and the rest of her clothes in the small armoire.

Hermione took a breath and sat down on the currently bare bed. She looked around the room and enjoyed the homeliness all of the Burrow seemed to radiate. After a few moments, Molly knocked and entered with freshly laundered sheets and blankets. Hermione smiled and got up from the bed.

'Thanks, Molly. I'll put those on.'

Molly nodded once and stood at the door.

'Okay, need anything else?'

Hermione shook her head.

'Nope, I think I've got all I need for now. I still have a little bit to unpack and then I can come down and help you with lunch.'

'Okay, no hurry.'

Molly left and Hermione made her bed. She then sat back down and pulled her beaded bag out of her back pocket. She had already emptied most of the contents out but still carried it with her from habit. It was dirty, torn, and quite a few of the beads were beginning to come off. Hermione couldn't believe it had only been a year ago that she had asked Mad-Eye Moody to help her expand it. He had been impressed with the basic spell she had already done and had gladly helped her make it undetectable. A tear escaped her eye as she thought about how such a great man had died unjustly. She quickly wiped her eyes as she heard someone coming up the stairs. Ginny walked in and the smile that was on her face faltered.

'Are you okay, Hermione? What's wrong?'

Hermione smiled and tried to wave it off.

'Oh, it's nothing.'

Ginny went and sat beside her on the bed.

'Are you sure? It looks like you were crying.'

Hermione sighed and looked down at the beaded bag.

'It's nothing important, just thinking about Moody. He helped me make this bag magically expanded and untraceable. It was very helpful when we were looking for horcruxes. It probably saved our lives, really, because we didn't have to worry about lugging around a whole bunch of supplies.'

Ginny took the offered bag and turned it over in her hands. It looked like it had been through a war, which really it had.

'Hermione?'

Ginny handed back the bag but continued to look at the top of the bed spread instead of at Hermione.

'Yes Ginny?'

Ginny continued to avoid Hermione's inquisitive glance.

'You know that favor I-I won yesterday? Well, I...I was wondering if I could...could ask you for it.'

Hermione considered Ginny's shy behavior and was somewhat concerned. What could she want that she would be this hesitant about? She grasped Ginny's hand which was drawing circles on the blanket and gave it an encouraging squeeze.

'Of course. You won. Maybe not fair and square but still you won.'

Ginny looked up at Hermione and smiled at her teasing, but soon grew serious as she continued to look at Hermione.

'For my favor, I wanted to....wanted to know about your....your search last year. Your search for the horcruxes.'

Hermione blanched. Out of all the things she thought Ginny would ask for, that was not one of them. Now she broke Ginny's gaze as Ginny kept hold of her hand.

'Please Hermione. Harry only told me about what the horcruxes were and where you found them but he didn't say how or what happened in between. And after yesterday at Gringott's, I don't know if I should trust everything in the newspapers or not. I thought the dragon was made up and lo and behold it was true! I just don't know what to believe. But if I heard the whole story from you, then I would know because I know you wouldn't lie to me.'

Ginny took a needed breath and waited for Hermione to answer. Hermione, however, just stared at the bed whether in thought or distress, Ginny couldn't tell. She released Hermione's hand and looked down as well.

'Please Hermione. I need to know...I need to know why he left.'

Hermione's head snapped up to look at Ginny. She had thought Ginny was over or at least getting over Harry leaving, but now she saw that dejected look on her face that she had seen the first week he had left. She knew she still missed him and Ron. They had gone through so much and not having them there now still hurt. But now that she thought about it and seeing that Ginny was still hurting too, maybe by sharing what she had gone through, she would have that connection with someone again.

'Okay. I'll do it.'

It was Ginny's turn to snap her head up.

'Really? You'll...You'll tell me?'

Hermione nodded slowly.

'I...I will. But please understand that it's not easy. I may not be able to answer all of your questions but I will tell you all I know.'

Ginny gave Hermione a small smile before giving her a heartfelt hug.

'Thank you Hermione. I know it'll be hard, but I want to know...I need to know. I'll be here for you, though, and you can take as long as you need.'

'Thanks Ginny.'

She pulled back and wiped her teary eyes.

'I don't want to start now, but how about before bed? I'll tell you as much as I can. I don't know how much that will be, but I'll start, okay?'

Ginny nodded once.

'Okay.'

At this point, they heard Molly call for lunch, so they both wiped their eyes once more and headed down. They enjoyed their lunch and went out to the garden to help Molly de-gnome. With everything that had been going on and not having the boys at home, the gnomes were numerous and becoming quite the nuisance. Hermione had never de-gnomed a garden. As a muggle-born there was no need and whenever she had visited the Burrow, the boys did it while she usually helped in the house. Now she stood in the garden and watched Ginny help her mum clear out the gnomes.

Ginny did most of the hard work of crawling under bushes and reaching down holes in search of the potato-headed creatures. Once she had one, she barely looked up but just threw it high over her shoulder, giving Molly enough time to confuse it and blast it away over the fence. The first time Molly did this, she was a little concerned for the gnome, but after seeing them get up unharmed from their landing and glare back in Molly's direction before heading the opposite way, she knew they were fine and would probably be back later. Seeing as Molly was able to cast the needed spells and do some light weeding, Hermione decided to help Ginny catch the gnomes. She could at least make it a little easier by stunning or freezing them while Ginny tossed them up. She drew her wand and quickly stunned a rather fast gnome that was currently running away from an already filthy Ginny. Ginny looked up and smiled as she caught her breath.

'Thanks for that. I can usually grab them before they get too far away but that little blighter got the jump on me.'

'No problem, Gin.'

Hermione glanced over at Molly who was currently doing some weeding. She leaned into Ginny who was picking up the stunned gnome.

'Hey, let's see just how quick your mum really is. Ready to make her work?'

Ginny grinned wickedly and the two girls set to work on seeing just how many gnomes they could extract in the shortest possible time.

'Accio garden gnomes!'

Nearly twenty gnomes zoomed over to the two girls and they let out a shriek before Hermione put up a shield to stop their routes before furiously stunning as many as she could before they could dive under a bush. Molly, who had been startled by Hermione's spell, watched as the young witch stunned nearly half of them before they got away. She was watching so intently that it took Ginny a few calls to get her attention. Called out of her thoughts, Molly turned to her daughter who was gesturing with three or four gnomes in her hand. Molly let out a small laugh and nodded as her daughter threw the lot into the air.

Molly couldn't remember the last time she had had to work when de-gnoming the garden. With the amount of gnomes being thrown into the air by her daughter, banishing them was a full-time task and even a couple of times, Ginny had to re-throw them because Molly had missed them on the first try. After about twenty minutes of constant banishing, Molly finally watched the last one arch over the fence. Ginny and Hermione were standing there watching her as they caught their breath, but as soon as Molly made eye contact, all three witches broke out in laughter.

'My gods! I don't remember the last time I broke a sweat de-gnoming!'

Ginny collapsed, laying on her back with her arms sprawled out.

'I feel like I just played three hours of Quidditch. My arms are jelly!'

As they broke out into another wave of laughter, they didn't notice George who had just apparated at the end of the garden. He stood there, amused with his sister and friend sitting on the ground, clutching their sides, desperately trying to catch their breaths and his mother leaning on a post, wiping tears of laughter from her face. Finally, Ginny looked up and saw him, and waved him over before jumping up to give him a hug.

'Tell me, dear sis, what has the three of you loosing your minds?'

Ginny released her brother as her mum gave him a hug. She took a breath and tried to be as casual as possible.

'Oh, we were just de-gnoming the garden.'

George raised his eyebrows in surprise after releasing his mum and Ginny cracked up laughing again.

'Really? You must have spent too much time in the sun or something, because I've never seen anyone laugh so much after de-gnoming. Complain, moan, and maybe even cry a little but never laugh.'

Hermione came forward and stood with her hands on her hips, trying to be as proper as possible.

'Well, you just never did it right.'

She tried to maintain her composure but failed and ended up laughing alongside Ginny. Molly chuckled and shook her head at the two while leading George into the kitchen.

'Come George, we'll leave these two out here while we make some tea. I'll tell you all about our afternoon adventures.'

They spent tea time telling George about their new system for de-gnoming the garden. He was thoroughly amused and impressed at Hermione's ability to make even the most mundane activities interesting. He even volunteered to come help the next time. Molly gave her son a pointed look.

'I'll remember you said that George. I'll expect you to be here.'

George smiled brightly.

'Of course, Mum! I never say no to a good time, even if it is de-gnoming!'

For the rest of the afternoon, George, Ginny and Hermione headed out to the field to play Quidditch. Hermione had originally planned to study but Ginny really wanted to show George the puppets.

'Please Hermione, I promise I won't bug you the rest of the week. You can study from the time you wake up until the time you fall asleep. I just really want to show George how great they are.'

'But I should really start reading, Gin. I have so much to learn!'

Ginny waved Hermione's worries off.

'Bollocks! You probably already know half of it. Please Hermione? Pretty please?'

Hermione took in Ginny's pout and begging hands and her resolve crumbled; how could she say no when Ginny was all but begging. She sighed but smiled.

'All right. But I'm studying all day tomorrow.'

'Yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you!'

Ginny grabbed Hermione in a quick hug and ran off to the field and a waiting George. Hermione made a quick side trip to the shed to get the puppets then met the two Weasley siblings on the field.

They spent the rest of the afternoon playing Quidditch with Ginny and George in the air and Hermione on the ground. Instead of having a puppet as keeper, the two Weasleys took turns defending while the other tried to score.

Hermione was able to do a little bit more with one less puppet and she found herself enjoying making up new situations. George was completely impressed and couldn't believe they hadn't come up with something like this before. They were so engrossed and having fun that it wasn't until Molly called them in for dinner that they realized the sun had nearly gone down.

'Merlin! That was incredible! That was almost as good as actually playing real people! No wonder you're getting so good, Gin, you've basically got your own training squad.'

Ginny was nearly jumping up and down in excitement.

'I know! Isn't great? I guess there are some perks to being friends with the smartest witch of her age.'

Ginny smiled at Hermione who blushed at the compliment. George cocked a grin at Hermione.

'Are you sure your not a closet Quidditch fan? Because that was bloody brilliant! Have you thought about selling it? Can I sell it? People would love it! Heck, I bet the entire Quiddich League would want their own sets, probably more than one! Gods, I don't know why no one had thought about this before, it seems so simple!'

Hermione frowned, not believing him.

'You really think people would pay for that?'

They had reached the house and George opened the door for the two girls and followed Hermione in.

'Hell yes! I bet they'd pay big money for it too!'

Hermione still couldn't believe it. She had made the puppets to help out Ginny, who seemed to enjoy them well enough, but to think that other people would find just as much enjoyment was hard for her to wrap her brain around. George and Ginny spent most of the dinner trying to convince Hermione to at least think about marketing them. Finally, over slices of apple pie, Hermione quieted them down.

'All right! All right! I see your point. But I don't have time to do that now. I need to study for my pre-term exam and then my NEWTs.'

George and Ginny both seemed let out by this, and they frowned. Hermione saw this and thought about it for a second.

'But, if you really think it's such a great idea, I'll work with you on developing them...'

The Weasley siblings beamed but Hermione held up a finger to stop them.

'After I graduate.'

George and Ginny frowned again and looked at each other. Hermione waited for the tirade of complaints, but was surprised when George sighed and smiled. He held out his hand for Hermione to shake.

'It's a deal. But would you mind if I work on it beforehand?'

Hermione took his hand and smiled.

'Not at all! Honestly, I don't care if you copy everything I've done. I just did it to help Ginny. I just don't have time to help you, that's all.'

George nodded and got that Weasley glint in his eye.

'Great! This'll be great! I've always wanted some kind of Quidditch line and this would be a great start!'

Ginny beamed at her brother. She hadn't seen him this excited since Fred's death. She'd have to remember to thank Hermione later.