Here's another chapter.
Chapter 20 – Shell Cottage
Shell Cottage was a cute little cottage perched high on the hillside beside a beautiful stretch of beach on the outside of Tinworth. It looked like it wouldn't look out of place on a posh holiday brochure. Hermione, Fred, George, Ginny and Bill all landed on the sandy beach, having apparated from The Burrow. The cottage was still protected by the fidelius charm as most of the wizarding world were too scared to remove any protective charms for fear of being attacked by death eaters. Voldemort may have gone but no one was taking any chances as far as his death eaters were concerned.
Bill led the others towards the cottage then met Fleur at the front door. She quickly ushered them inside then began fussing over Hermione. As much as Hermione was liking the idyllic and calming setting of Shell Cottage, it brought back the horrible memories of the last time she had visited it. The last time being after she had been tortured by Bellatrix at Malfoy Manor. It had been Ron that had saved her that evening from that horrible woman. Now she was back again after being tortured yet again by the same man that had once saved her life, saved her from being killed. A lump formed in Hermione's throat as Fleur led them into the kitchen, talking quickly in her native French.
"Honestly Fleur we are all perfectly fine." Ginny said.
"Are you alright Hermione?" Fred asked.
"I...yes..I think so." She stuttered, sitting down at the table.
"You look like you've seen a ghost." Ginny stated.
"Being back here, just reminded me of the last time I was here, that's all." Hermione admitted.
"I show you all to your rooms. If you need anything just ask." Bill stated.
Bill led the way up the stairs to the first floor of the cottage which was where Bill and Fleur's bedroom was, two guest rooms and the main bathroom.
"Ginny and Hermione, you can have that room there." Bill said.
"What about us?" Fred asked.
"Well you can have the other spare bedroom on this floor but it's quite tiny or you can have a bigger one upstairs." Bill answered.
George peered into the other spare room to see the small room which was only big enough with one single bed, a chair and a dresser.
"Maybe we should take the one upstairs." George answered.
"I'll give you all some time to settle in." Bill spoke.
Bill left the four of them to settle in and unpack their things. Ginny and Hermione went into their room and began to unpack their trunks.
"What happened the last time you were here Hermione?" Ginny wondered.
"We came here after being at Malfoy Manor, along with Luna, Dean Thomas, Ollivander and Griphook. Dobby saved us but he sadly died. We built him a little grave up in the sand dunes." Hermione explained.
"What else happened?" Ginny asked.
"We were captured by snatchers and taken straight to Malfoy Manor. Ron and Harry were thrown in the basement while Bellatrix tortured me. Somehow Harry got Dobby to come and save us so Harry and Ron rushed to my aid then Dobby was able to apparate us out of the place and to here." Hermione explained.
"How was Dobby able to apparate and you weren't?" Ginny wondered.
"Elf magic is different to human magic. Dobby used to be the Malfoy's house elf too so maybe that was why he was able to apparate in and out of there." Hermione replied.
"Apparently they can apparate within Hogwarts too." Ginny said. "Well Fred once told me that."
"I think they can. It's probably so they can disappear before students spot them." Hermione answered.
"Does being back here bring back bad memories?" Ginny asked.
"Sort of. Only from that night at Malfoy Manor and Dobby's death but Bill and Fleur were more than amazing towards us, very accommodating." Hermione answered. "Part of me didn't want to leave to go to Gringotts but I knew we had too."
"I can't believe Luna, Ollivander and Dean were all here too." Ginny said.
"I couldn't believe that they were being held hostage at Malfoy Manor. Luna and Dean stayed after we left but obviously returned for the battle." Hermione replied.
"What happened to Ollivander?" Ginny wondered.
"I have no idea actually. He was staying here until he was well enough to leave. I'm assuming he went into hiding." Hermione answered. "I believe he has a son and a daughter so maybe he went to live with them. He was in a really bad way when he was brought here."
"Poor Ollivander. Of all the people to be tortured." Ginny said, sadly.
"I think you-know-who tortured him for information on the Elder wand or why there was a connection between his wand and Harry's." Hermione said.
Hermione then began to explain all about the Elder wand to Ginny. Ginny, like many pure-blood witches and wizards were brought up with The Tale of the Three Brothers and thought they were only stories.
"Harry's invisibility cloak is one of them. It could have been in his father's family for hundreds of years." Hermione said. "The resurrection stone was in the horcrux ring that belonged to you-know-who's father and the Elder wand belonged to Dumbledore but by right it belongs to Harry now but he put it back with Dumbledore's body."
"No wonder Dumbledore was such a powerful wizard, being the owner of that wand and no wonder you-know-who wanted it." Ginny answered, her eyes wide. "So how did Harry become the owner of it then?"
"Well this is according to Harry and it does make sense. The night Dumbledore was murdered, it was Draco who disarmed him, not Snape, meaning Draco was the owner of it at that time. Then when we were at Malfoy Manor, our wands had been taken off us so Harry took Draco's wand off him, transferring the Elder wand ownership from Draco to Harry. Then Harry used Draco's wand to fight you-know-who. That was why he was able to disarm you-know-who easily and properly defeat him." Hermione explained.
"WOW!" A voice from the doorway gasped.
Fred was stood leaning on the door frame, listening to every word Hermione had said. Just liked Ginny, he was just as shocked by what Hermione had told them.
"Hello there Fred." Hermione said.
"I'm sorry to break up your little girly chat but George and I were wondering if you lovely ladies would like to come outside for a bit?" Fred wondered. "We're going to visit Dobby's grave."
"Yeah sure." Hermione replied.
Ginny, Fred, George and Hermione left the cottage and headed out into the warm, spring evening. The smell of the sea hit them and there was a cool sea breeze.
"I forgot how beautiful it is here." George commented.
"Yeah. We never did fully appreciate it when we were little." Fred answered.
"We were brought here during the first wizarding war to stay with Aunt Muriel while Mum and Dad did stuff for the Order." Fred said.
"I was only a couple of months old." Ginny added
"We were constantly worried that we'd never see Mum and Dad again." George said, sadly. "But we were too young to properly understand what was going on."
This was the first time that Ginny and Hermione had heard Fred and George speak about the first world war.
"We were about 3 I think." Fred said. "Ron was only about one at the time."
"I don't think anyone of us really knew what was going on, even Bill and Charlie." George said.
"Bill was 10 at the time so I think he had some idea." Fred answered. "Charlie was 8 and Percy was 5 if I can remember correctly."
"Bill hadn't even started Hogwarts." George added.
Fred and George continued to talk to the two girls until they arrived at Dobby's grave.
"It's beautiful." Ginny gasped.
"Harry did it all himself, without magic." Hermione said.
"Harry being as noble as always." George grinned.
The four of them sat down, around the grave, Fred sitting down beside Hermione.
"For some silly, immature reason, I always imagined Ron and I living in a cottage like this, beside the sea and sharing romantic walks along the beach." Hermione said, sadly.
"It's not at all silly or immature, Hermione. Every girl dreams about being happy with the love of their life." Ginny answered.
"Do you dream about that with Harry?" Fred laughed.
"I'd like for us to be healthy and happy, heck Harry's deserves some happiness in his life after what he's been through." Ginny answered.
"I think I've forgotten how much this Ron drama will affect Harry." Hermione said. "This isn't some silly little argument Ron and I have fallen out over like we have in the past."
"He doesn't agree with what Ron has done but I think he's only staying with him because he feels like he's the only one who can get through to Ron." Ginny said.
Harry had decided against joining the others at Shell Cottage. It wasn't an easy decision for Harry to make but Hermione and the others understood and didn't hold it against Harry. If anyone could get through to Ron, it was going to be Harry.
"That's if Ron's jealous side doesn't come out. He's always been jealous of Harry." Fred answered.
"Ron's had the one thing that Harry has always longed for though, a loving family." Hermione said. "Harry doesn't ask for any of the attention he gets."
"Yeah so you'd think that Harry would be jealous of Ron. I don't know why Ron would want all that unnecessary attention." Ginny answered.
"Jealously is an awful trait and brings out the worst in people." Fred stated.
"Ron's always been jealous of you two. He hated seeing you getting attention from girls and being popular with other students. Then you became successful business men." Ginny said.
"I guess being the youngest boy he felt like he had a lot of footsteps to follow in and even if he did do well, it wouldn't matter because we'd all have done it before him." Fred answered.
"It wouldn't affect you Gin, cos you're the only girl and the first girl in our family for generations. You're like the apple of Mum and Dad's eye." George said.
Hermione had always longed for a younger sister or brother and she remembers fondly begging her parents to give her a baby brother or sister. She never had to worry about following in anyone's footsteps or not being as good as an older sibling which in a way she was very thankful for.
"What about you, Mione? Ever wanted a sibling?" Fred asked.
"Yeah. I always wanted a younger brother or sister when I was growing up but it never happened." Hermione answered.
"Do you think they would have attended Hogwarts?" Ginny asked.
"Maybe that was what my parents were worried about, my sister or brother not being a witch or a wizard." Hermione answered. "I'd be at Hogwarts and they'd be attending a muggle school."
"Surely if you were a witch and you had a brother or sister, they would have been too?" George asked. "Like Colin and Dennis Creevey."
"Maybe but maybe not. There's a girl in Dennis' year who's sister didn't get her Hogwarts letter. She should have been in her second year now." Ginny answered.
"Maybe her records were destroyed. We over-heard Kingsley telling Dad and Mum that all muggle-born records were destroyed by you-know-who." George said.