Note: Yes, yes. Finally got around to it. I apologise to any who are actually trying to keep track of this story. Thank you all for your patience.
Kya
Hermione hadn't had any of the Weasleys inside of her apartment, if Draco was to be believed, for quite some time. Though honestly...
Hermione couldn't remember when one of them had. They had definitely been there one night shortly after herself and Robert had first rented it. It had been a House Warming Party, without Robert's attendance, but as Hermione was desperately trying to keep him away from the Weasleys, she hadn't really protested.
It had been quite a good party, even if half-way through there had been an 'incident' involving the food. But to Hermione, at that moment in time, she couldn't care and so she had simply laughed when Brian had looked shamefully at the broken table as Charlie had whacked Brian on the back of the head. It had been Lee and George who had announced that they might as well order in.
And when the delivery man had been greeted at the door, he looked at her suspiciously as if she was harbouring something nasty in the rooms behind her. The fact that Fred was chasing Brian around the apartment, Brian had once again opened his big mouth, and shouting threats in French as he did so, hadn't helped matters.
Obviously the delivery guy wasn't exactly sure about the events happening behind her, and that was probably why he had asked if all of them were going into hibernation in the next couple of weeks for the Winter? Hermione's reactions had probably not encouraged his idea of the situation, but she hadn't been certain if he was trying to be funny, or else actually thought that Hermione and the other Younger Ones were that strange.
They hadn't ordered that much after all.
There had been incidents when even more food had been delivered. And besides, hadn't the delivery guy ever heard of leftovers? None of them would throw out food, it had been such a precious commodity during the War during the first year when the Resistances had been struggling to establish supply routes.
Yet...
Ever since Hermione had moved into the apartment five months ago, the Males... The Males were acting even stranger than usual. More excitable. More playful.
As if they were returning to even more of a childish side...
From what Hermione could guess from the moments she had been around them.
But it all meant trouble.
Trouble that Hermione didn't need.
She fought against the urge to sigh.
Sometimes Hermione felt that she should be watching the Males more closely. Or, at least, more than she already did.
With the way the Males were acting...
Maybe Hermione should take advantage of the Sisterhood again, pass on this observation to the other Females. It was always there, always on offer.
And the last time Hermione had seen Alicia, she had been practically ordered to at least spend more time with the Females. 'Just because you keep having disagreements with the Males doesn't mean you can't be around us,' Alicia had said after all.
So...
Hermione needed to arrange a meeting between the Younger Ones' Females. She wasn't being paranoid, there was definitely something going on involving the Males.
And...and it would be nice to have a grouping of just the girls again. It was rare, and not only because Hermione tried to keep the time she spent around the Weasley Younger Ones to only as much as she could stand, for them to be able to. So...
It would be some relief to see them again, even if it was because...
This time Hermione couldn't stop herself from sighing.
There was always something that destroyed any possibility of light and good-hearted events. Would they ever be able to have one that wasn't marred by some crises?
Hermione could feel her body still for a moment, barely noticeable unless you were a Weasley walking beside her. Ever so gently she could feel George rest his fingers on her arm, only for a second, before he withdrew it again.
She sent a small smile his way, in an effort to try and reassure him.
But still...here they were again. The Weasleys were finally going to be granted entrance to Hermione's apartment again, but only because...
But only because there was once again, a 'problem'. How she wished that it was just like the first time when they had actually been able to...
And nothing had disturbed their 'good feeling'.
Maybe she should have let the Weasleys in when they were out in the corridor, furiously whispering at her. Maybe she should have...
Once again, too many 'maybes'. They littered her life and it was always only after Hermione had fallen flat on her face that she realised that there had been so many chances when she could avoid it all.
Was she now going to regret the fact that she had always refused to have the Weasleys pass her front door?
But the conversation they were trying to have with her had always been the deciding factor. Despite the fact that one of them might raise their voices to be overheard, Hermione had never had to worry that they would do it on purpose, Hermione had always kept them out in the corridor. It didn't matter to her whether Robert was inside the apartment or not, she wouldn't let them pass.
But it hardly meant that the usual end result was any better.
Since one of their main arguments seemed to be that Hermione didn't spend enough time with them, and that she had a tendency to either hole herself in her apartment or else in the shop, they would make what they always cried was a compromise when ever Hermione tried to protest.
After all, they weren't trying to barge their way into her home, were they? No, they were simply moving her somewhere else so that they could be with her, obviously somewhere more comfortable than just outside her front door. And if the fact that they had to grab her and drag her out of the apartment building in order to do it was a problem, then... ?
They had tried her way. They had tried to express their views logically after all.
Apparently.
Hermione's objections were always met with that look on their faces.
And now she had given in to their points, and was allowing them in. After all of these months, three of the Weasleys were...
For a good reason.
And she was nervous. Nervous because...
Obviously because of the reason of why they had been gained entrance. Everything was pointing towards this being what Hermione would term as a 'Fiasco' (the capital letter was extremely important to prove the significance). One that was going to rock the Weasley Family and maybe even its Allies, starting during the Weasley Family Gathering.
Hell, if this had anything to make Sirius Black to lose his temper...
No, Remus Lupin would be present, and if anyone could keep some kind of control, it was the Wolf. The slightest sign of Sirius being unable to hold himself back any longer and Sirius would be reminded of Remus' Alpha Status.
But there was another kind of worry needling away at her, though...
It wasn't as if she wouldn't be able to throw the twins and Lee out of the apartment, though this entire thought of the 'problem' was enough to convince Hermione that it probably would not be in her best interest. Part of the specialist spells that cloaked and protected her home also made it impossible for any of her neighbours, for any Muggles, witches and wizards from noticing any magic. As long no spell was shot out of the front door, or any of her windows, no one would ever know that it was the home to a witch and wizard.
There were plenty of magic that Hermione could do inside of her apartment that would be the needed push to kick the three out. And then all she had to do was activate the shield around the entrance and close the door.
Yet, she couldn't shake the apprehension that something terrible was going to happen, and it didn't matter what she did. And that her allowing them into her apartment was just going to make everything worse.
Ever so slightly, Hermione shivered.
She could feel George once more move closer to her, but this time Hermione couldn't allow it. She couldn't accept it, and she couldn't give him that level of comfort.
She needed to let her thoughts run as they liked, and prepare herself for the entire idea of Weasleys being in her apartment again. It wasn't as if Robert would be there as he was once again working late.
Robert.
This time Hermione couldn't keep herself from reacting to that. Her body came to a halt, she barely noticed that Fred, George and Lee only took two more steps before they realised that she had stopped. The three of them stared back at her, but Hermione couldn't let herself think over what this must look to them.
Robert.
Robert had been abandoned, in the apartment... Suddenly.
Hermione hadn't been able to give him a proper explanation, not with the bedroom door between them and the time restraint Draco had given her. She had barely managed to get him to at least listen to her when Draco had rapped on the front door.
Hermione had had to leave him there, ignoring the slight hurt she felt when he even refused to say goodbye to her, she had told him that she wouldn't be back until Sunday night, and...
Robert hadn't been pleased that Hermione was allowing herself to be pulled again by the Weasleys. He had shouted so through the bedroom door, and had...
He had tried to convince her that she shouldn't allow herself to be dictated to, even if they were her family, but how... How was Hermione supposed to explain exactly how the 'structure' of the family was completely different from any Others'?
Maybe this was one of the reasons why it was so hard to date anyone who hadn't been a Resistance Member. If Hermione's boyfriend had been involved in the War, there wouldn't be a need for Hermione to have to.
They would already know, as they would have the same kind of family dynamics.
But Robert...
Hermione forced herself to move again, to walk further down the street and once again accompanied by Fred, George and Lee. The rest of the journey passed in a blur, Hermione guessed that she had said something to Patty Jervil who was trying desperately to pull a rather large envelope out of her small letterbox on the ground floor of the apartment complex, with the help of Patty's 'friendly' neighbour, Alec Gibbons. The two still protested that Patty would always remain a widow, and that Alec would always be a bachelor, but there was a running pool by everyone who lived in the apartment building of when the two would officially come out as a couple.
Hermione refused to participate when she had the unfair advantage of knowing, though of course she couldn't tell her neighbours that. She had another reason to placate them with.
But, yes... She must have said something. She'd never pass them before without some kind of greeting.
'And the twins and Lee had added their own, there had definitely been some remark about the 'nice young men' accompanying Hermione.
'Mione?' said Fred softly as they moved onto the stairway.
And there it was again. Those hints of 'something' that Hermione couldn't understand. Couldn't explain away.
Every Weasley she had spoken to so far had all of had that 'trace' in their voices, and Hermione still didn't know what it was. And now Fred was acting as though he was expecting...
But Fred had never turned to her before for comfort. George and Lee had always been able to provide Fred with what he needed. Why was Fred now looking at her...?
But what was she supposed to say?
How was she supposed to ease it when...?
Hermione couldn't remember the last time when he had seeked her out for comfort. She knew that there had been numerous times when she had. When she was needing it, it didn't matter what latest fight she might be embroiled in with them. None of that mattered because in her mind and in her heart, she was desperate to have someone she loved sheltering her from what was hurting her.
And that Weasley had always been more than happy to give it.
Even when the War had officially ended, it hadn't changed. Hermione still went to a Weasley sibling when she needed them. And she knew that this was echoed with every single other Weasley.
But when had Fred ever come to her?
Hermione gave the slightest shake of her head.
No, it had always been George and Lee who had been there for Fred.
So, why...
'Fred,' said Lee quietly, reaching out a hand and slightly pulling Fred back. And with not a squeak of protest, Fred allowed himself to be held back, and it was George who moved up the steps by Hermione's side.
And not another word was spoken until Hermione unlocked the front door to her apartment. She had barely given it the needed shove, sometimes it just liked to stick despite the fact that Hermione and Robert had put as many different anti-sticking spells as they could on it, and kept replenishing it in the hope that it would finally get it to open with one slight push, when George placed a hand on her arm again.
'You don't need to worry about looking after us,' he said. 'Weve got our own -little extras-.'
Hermione could feel her eyes squeeze close.
There was no hope now. The mention of -little extras- just proved it.
It wasn't a jab about the food she had in her apartment, but the admition that the news they were going to talk about, the information shared, was so bad that they would need the added boost of high calorie, rich in sugar food.
But all Hermione did was nod as she felt her right foot hit something lying in the hallway. She didn't open her eyes, she didn't let her eyes verify the mess she already knew littered the hallway and undoubtedly the rest of the home.
No, Robert wasn't happy.
All she could hope was that the twins and Lee didn't think she usually left the apartment like this. That they didn't notice.
So Hermione moved further in, stepping over the various belongings, the bags and suitcases belonged to Robert, before noticing a pile of her books hidden underneath one of Robert's Muggle coats. How had that gotten there? Hermione could have sworn that she had left them in the library/study/living room the night before so that she could shelve them at a later date.
How had it ended up out here?
With the slightest shake of her head, Hermione picked up the books and let them be the deciding factor for where this conversation would take place. It was only as Hermione stacked the books on a shelf did she remember something extremely important. And so as she heard Fred, George and Lee shuffling up the corridor behind her, Hermione hissed a Concealing spell over her Family Clock.
It was gone by the time Hermione had made her choice of where she would sit. Of where she would prepare herself for one very long Talk. As she settled down on the chair by the doorway, and her bag on the small table on the other side of her, Fred, George and Lee entered, gave the room a sweeping gaze around before the three sat down on the two-seater couch, with Fred on the couch's arm.
And yet immdiately, Hermione could feel their gaze on her again. Their eyes staring at her as if they were afraid she was just going to...
Hermione shivered ever so slightly, knowing that too much of their attention was on her for her to hide it. They were going to catch it no matter what she did.
She knew it only made the entire situation worse. That they would now fear more for her, but...
That unease that hung over the three was slowly creeping over her. It was surrounding her and...
Hermione sighed.
'Mione,' said Lee softly. 'We need your help.'
Her eyes met his. Or they would have, if his brown eyes hadn't been covered, intentionally or intentionally, by his black, dreadlocked hair.
It wasn't until the War that Hermione realised how much of a defence Lee had in the hair that he had always refused to cut, or even make more manageble. Not that this was ever admitted, even when he had been given his seventieth milionth, according the twins and Lee at least though Hermione always thought they were exagerating sightly, lecture by Mad-Eye Moody that turned ino yet another full-scale argument, Lee refused to list it as a good reason.
But it was due to the wall of tangled hair that gave Lee the ability to lie directly to McGonegall and various other Elders before the Younger Weasleys had slipped off the Hogwarts Grounds in order to take care of something before the visit of the Idiot and his Lapdogs to 'talk of terms' to regain 'responsibility' of their own citizens. No one had noticed...excluding two certain individuals. But as Oliver had declared after Remus and Sirius, with their own twists of grins as they handed a 'special bag of goodies' to Bill and Charlie, there were no others they would have preferred to be caught by.
And much thanks had been whispered into Remus and Sirius' ears after they had returned, with not a 'stare' from any of the Elders. Or at least, not until the Elders had learnt of a 'little incident' involving Umbridge, her office and an 'acquaintance' of hers.
And despite what had been hissed at them from across the room by the Personal Assistant to the Idiot, they had never hinted once that Umbridge might be involved with this acquaintance. Everyone knew Umbridge was married to her work, and her personal wars of how Society should be.
All Detentions thrown at them had been more than worth it, though of course the Younger Weasley Group had, of course, tried to not look so pleased with it all. But exactly how could even the punishment of being given List Duty for a month and a half cause them to regret the sheer revenge of that 'little incident'?
It was probably because Lee had managed to lie so sucessfully to the Elders that had made their Detention be that long and time-consuming. The Elders understood, just as everyone else who was involved in the Second War, that sometimes lies were essential, but they hated it when they were the ones fooled.
But the Younger Weasleys hadn't been bothered by it all.
And Lee had continued to consistantly use the fact that his dreadlocks could hide the true expression in his eyes.
But Hermione hated it when he used it against her.
Not only because it meant that she didn't know what Lee was thinking or how to 'react' to him. It wasn't as though any of the Younger Weasleys were always completely open with each other but there was still quite a bit of their soul bared only for each other.
But because it meant that Lee was closed from her. To have the sheer personality that nicely balanced George's, who was known for being not as exhuberant as his Partner, but certainly managed the same kind of 'energy' and ability to fill the room with his presence through simpler movements and words, to cut her from being able to have the comfort and knowledge that he was being 'plain' with her...
It left her unable to know how to be around him. His eyes gave nothing away, his very posture on her couch was...completly 'off'. He could be anyone, any of her passing friends, with too many 'unknowns' between them.
She felt as though he was no longer Lee, the one who willingly kept himself up to all hours, even when he knew that he had to be up early before dawn for a Mission, just so that he could give her the comfort she needed to slowly untangle her fears. The one who hunted her down when she disappeared into the dungeons, never revealing to anyone else where she went and would simply sit close to her for as long as she needed.
The first non-Weasley, excluding Ron and Harry, who she had opened up to.
'Mione?' whispered Lee's voice.
Hermione could feel her body relax slightly.
There. That was her Lee again.
With his head titled slightly, his dreadlocks had gathered to collect against his neck and revealed the lightest brown eyes Hermione had ever seen, had widened. And he had scooted closer to her.
He was-
'Mione?' Lee said again, moving the hand against his leg, sliding up to his knee as he reached it out to her.
An old gesture. An offer for a full body hug complete with kisses on the cheek, palm of the hands, crown and words and only used when needed.
But she wasn't the one who... No, for Lee to shut himself from her like that from the very beginning of the upcoming conversation meant he had to have Fred and George surrounding him. The two needed to surround him completely and Hermione...
Hermione couldn't break that.
So she wouldn't.
She gave the slightest shake of her head in response, careful to keep Lee's gaze so that he didn't think that there was any need to argue. She was all right, it was just a lapse into her own thoughts.
And to prove that, Hermione straightened her shoulders and said:
'You need my help?'
The smallest movement of heads, George's gentle taps of his fingers against Lee's back and then-
'It's concerning Bill's girlfriend,' sid George.
Hermione could feel the corners of her lips twitch slightly, but she kept the rest of her body from showing any sign. This was already enough of a dangerous situation, Lee's hiding of his eyes proved that. Tension was high and Hermione...
The subject matter wasn't lending any ease to any of this. Hermione was protective over what she viewed was anyone's right to go out with who they chose. If they wanted to be the boyfriend or girlfriend to someone who Hermione believed was a complete 'dud', then it was up to them to make that mistake.
No one had the right to interfere in what was a part of Life.
Unfortunately for Hermione, most of the Younger Weasley Group were already in a relationship or were progressing to one that involved someone else who was already approved of. And the ones who weren't... There were only five of them.
And that was no match against the rest.
And that was why majority ruled when any of them became 'entangled'. Whoever found someone outside of the group of Weasleys was in for their 'disaproval' due to their growing paranoia over anyone who wasn't a Weasley, an Honorary One or an Ally.
They didn't have a chance.
Hermione had no possibility of finding a boyfriend that would survive the Weasleys' view of a suitable potential Partner. And she never had.
After all these years later, she was still...
It wouldn't matter what she did, or what she said. Or what Robert did.
The Weasleys, including the Older Ones, would never approve of anyone she dated.
'Mione?' said George.
Merlin.
She had to pay better attention or else this was only going to get worse.
'So we are at the point where I can learn more about this girlfriend of Bill's?' she said.
No Tone. She had managed to carry it off with no Tone, but had betrayed herself by her choice of words. She was so used to fighting, to arguing that her ability to be 'calm' during such situations as this was always much to be desired.
It was a pity that Charlie wasn't here. He would have been able to...
If the twins and Lee knew that they were going to be breaching such information that would cause all four of them to be upset, they should have brought Charlie. They knew that he had the calming power to...
He'd be available by now. His business at Hogwarts, reacquainting himself with all the news he had missed while he had been back in Romania with Brian may have taken him until late last night, but he wouldn't still be there. He'd be at the point where Brian and he would be catching up in their other 'spots' around the United Kingdom, and would be more than willing to aid Fred, George and Lee in...whatever this business concerning Bill's current girlfriend was.
Bill's new girlfriend. A new girl who was hated more than his last one.
The last one had always been called by her full name. None of the Younger Weasley Siblings had ever refused to use her name, and there certainly hadn't been any real mystery to her.
So, it meant that Bill must have broken up with Rosalie, not to be confused with the owner of The Three Broomsticks. Rosalie Jenkins, a thirty-three year old witch, though she had always claimed to only be twenty-six, had got her claws on Bill after 'bumping' into him in a Muggle pub that was frequented by Bill and a few other 'rebel' witches and wizards. It hadn't seemed to take her long to 'convince' Bill to ask her out.
But that had been before the Summer of last year. That was more than enough time for Bill and Rosalie Jenkins to break up, and for Bill to go out with...whoever this witch was.
The relationships between Bill and his girlfriends were always...uncertain. No one could ever tell if Bill was ever serious about any of those witches. If he actually wished to make any of them his Partner.
Though there had been times when he had brought his 'girlfriend of the time', to a Weasley Family Gathering for at least one of the days. But it had never been an indicator if Bill was truly...
Truthfully, Hermione hadn't liked any of the girlfriends she had met. They were just...wrong.
But she wouldn't stop Bill if he decided to marry one of them. She'd keep it inside...
Or at least try to.
'We'll... We'll try to,' said Fred. 'The entire matter is complicated.'
The problem was that any situation involving a Weasley and an outsider boyfriend/girlfriend was complicated. And it was on the tip of Hermione's tongue to say so.
But she bit it back.
Now was not the time.
'That doesn't mean you can't try to explain,' Hermione replied.
Hell.
She wasn't holding anything back. The last time the four of them had gotten into such an argument they had nearly been Banished to their rooms within The Burrow for the rest of the stay, where they would await until the last day of The Weasley Gathering, that Sunday, and a Talk from Aunt Molly. Not a nice prospect.
Luckily Uncle Arthur had managed to convince Aunt Molly otherwise, and after an hour of a cumulative 'discussion', the twins, Lee and Hermione had been allowed to rejoin the rest of the Weasley family and their Allies.
'We'll try to, Mione,' said George, his body shifting closer to Lee.
Fred moved.
He was turning towards her.
'We never meant to keep all of this from you,' Fred said.
And every part of his body was screaming the exact same message. He was...
He had been desperate to tell her. To inform her of what ever was troubling the three of them. So then why had they held back? Why had they waited until now to tell her when the past had always proven that the sooner you told all who needed to know, the quicker a solution could be found?
And why had they chosen her to be the first one outside of the three?
'Then why did you?' Hermione said, before she shook her head.
No, that was too confrontational. Too quickly grabbing at the heart of the matter when the twins and Lee were still having trouble even mentioning the basic outline of the problem.
'So, what has changed?' said Hermione, before she felt herself gave her head a flick. It hadn't been any less argumentative, but she was bloody trying. Until she managed to return to the rare banter that she used to share with them, this...this was the best she could do.
'That would be because of The Weasley Gathering,' spoke up George.
He caught her eyes, mostly due to what she saw within his. Merlin only knew how Hermione somehow had managed to shift from simply being the best friend of their younger brother to...well, considered to be another sister. There wasn't any one event when Hermione could pinpoint where the entire situation between all of them had changed, it just had suddenly...
And that was why when Hermione saw that understanding in his dark blue eyes, she knew... She knew that once again she was being given leeway again. That the three of them would...
Merlin, she shouldn't keep getting these chances. It felt as though...as if she was always the one needing them because she couldn't...
She couldn't just back down or recognise a 'peace treaty or truce' for what it was.
Hermione sighed, before gently letting her head fall forward. It was a sign of weakness. It proved to the three that they needed to treat her as such.
Yet she would only ever show such vulnerability in front of the Weasleys and their Allies.
'Because of the numbers?' she said softly.
The slightest of pauses before:
'Partly,' said Lee, 'but also for the fact that She will be there.'
Hermione sharply raised her head.
'Bill's bringing her to The Gathering?' she said.
'She's being allowed to grace one of our Gatherings,' said George.
Hermione fought against the urge to jerk her head so that she could stare straight into his eyes in an attempt to divine the answer from them. George was prone to not 'refusing to explain', but he did...hide certain details when he felt it was 'for the best'. Hermione only ever caught glimpses of these little 'titbits' when she watched him closely. But to do so meant...
It meant that she would be admitting that she was so out of touch of the lives of the rest of the Weasleys and their Allies, that she didn't know that Bill...that Bill was serious enough about this girlfriend referred to as Her that he was bringing Her to the Weasley Family Gathering. Such a decision to be accompanied by someone outside of the Weasley Circle...
Bad enough that she had to allow that thought to bang around her own head, to wiggle its way to the forefront of her mind and the refuse to leave, but for her to actually speak it out loud...
'One of the few,' spoke up Lee.
His head ever so slightly moved, a calculated decision to catch her attention so that...
Lee knew. That meant Fred and George did too. They were once again making allowances for her, not mentioning it because they didn't want to force Hermione to...
Another 'kindness' on their part in order to...