Summer 1995

Dear Hermione,

How are things? Have you explained stuff to your parents yet? Sorry that it was all a bit weird at Kings Cross, I hadn't realised you hadn't told them anything about the end of the tournament.

Everything's really odd here and I can't explain in properly in a letter (well I'm not allowed to) but we're leaving the house at the end of the week to go stay somewhere else all of summer. I've been told I can't put anything in writing - sorry.

Anyway let me know if you're alright,

From Ron

Dear Ron,

Yes I sat down with my parents the night we got back and tried to talk through everything. They're not very happy at all. I tried skim over most things. I told them that the last task was rigged and that You-Know-Who returned to power a boy died in the final task. They don't fully understand, the don't know anything about You-Know-Who from last time so I just said he's evil and wants to rule over all the wizards and hates muggles. It sounds stupid when I write it down like that but I didn't want to over complicate things for them. They're not happy with the school even though I said Dumbledore did everything he could to stop what happened and I think this is the first time they're really upset that I'm a witch rather than a muggle. Sorry I'm waffling, it's just been quite stressful.

You're leaving the Burrow? I know you can't explain anything but I'm guessing it has to do with everything that's going on?

Hope everything's okay

Love from,

Hermione

3 days later

Dear Hermione,

I'm sorry about stuff with your parents. Sound like you explained it as best you could. Are you still getting along with them okay?

Yeah it does have to do with everything. Dumbledore's involved. That's about all I can say but we're all packing up now ready to leave in a couple of days. Mum says we'll be helping out a lot once we get where we're going. Something really bad's just happened with Percy and Dad and Percy's stormed off, Mum won't stop crying.

From Ron

Dear Ron,

Yeah we're getting along okay, they've had some time off work so we've been doing what we normally do, museums and walks and things like that. I feel constantly worried though. Have you been getting the prophet – it's so obvious Fudge is leaning on it and I find it disgusting. He's completely discrediting Dumbledore and Harry!

I know it's a long shot if you're family are involved in important things but is there any chance at some point of me coming to stay wherever you all are? I can help out with whatever you're helping out with and I'm guessing Harry will come to stay at some point? Let me know, my parents will go back to work soon so I'll be on my own all day so I could probably be a lot more use helping you all?

What's happened with Percy? That doesn't sound like him to walk out on your parents.

Love from,

Hermione

3 days later

Dear Hermione,

Yeah I know about the prophet, Mum's so angry about it, no one's going to believe anything if they're reading that muck every morning.

I've spoken to mum about you coming and she says she's going to speak to Dumbledore and see what he says. I'll write back to you soon to let you know.I'll explain about Percy when I see you, it's complicated.

Ron

2 days later

Dear Hermione,

Mum says Dumbledore says you're more than welcome to join us and that he trusts you can be of use to everything that's going on (don't ask me to explain because I don't understand either)

I can't let you know where we are in a letter but if you come to Claremont Square in London then we can meet you there. You can come whenever you want, just let us know the day and time.

See you soon,

From Ron

Hermione put down the letter and glanced up at her parents, biting her lip. It was Friday and both of them were due to return to work on Monday having taken two weeks off to spend time with Hermione. At the moment all three of the Grangers were eating breakfast, their heads buried in various newspapers.

"Mum, Dad?" she asked tentatively. She knew they would not be happy when she expressed a wish to go and stay with Ron after only being home for two weeks.

"Yes dear?" her mother asked, glancing up from the morning paper.

Hermione cleared her throat "I've been asked to go stay with Ron and his family, whenever I want this summer."

Her parents glanced at each other.

"Well that's nice of them," Mrs Granger said, glancing back down at the paper "You can go in the last week or two like you did last year then."

Hermione cleared her throat again. "I want to go sooner than that," She said quietly "I want to go this weekend."

Her mother put down the paper and was gazing at Hermione astounded. Her father's brow was furrowed and he put down his bit of toast. Hermione felt awful, she rarely did anything that annoyed her parents but she couldn't stand being here all summer cut off from whatever it was that the Weasley's were doing with Dumbledore. She could help them, and after getting used to the constant noise and bustle of Hogwarts, she found her house stiflingly quiet when her parents were at work.

"Hermione," Mr Granger began "You've only been home for two weeks. It's too soon to go gallivanting off with your friends. You need to spend time with us,"

'But I have spent time with you!" Hermione said, trying to keep her voice level. She mustn't loose her temper "I've had such a lovely two weeks whilst you two have had time off but now you're going back to work. I hate being on my own all day every day here. You work nine hour days and all I have to do around here is my homework, which I've done a lot of already!"

Her parents exchanged another look. Hermione wished they would say whatever they were thinking out loud.

"I barely feel like I've seen you darling," Mrs Granger said imploringly.

"But all you'll really see of me for the rest of the holidays is in the evenings mum!" Hermione said, hoping she was winning them over "and the Weasley's are doing something important in London at the moment and they've said I can help. Dumbledore my headmaster has said I can be useful there as well!"

This last sentence had had more of an effect on her parents. If her headmaster thought Hermione was useful then to them that must mean she had done well at school which was they cared about most.

"What's your headmaster got to do with the Weasley's though … has this got something to do with … what you told us when you came back?" Her father asked slowly.

"Sort of," Hermione said thinking quickly "They're helping him on a project and I can help too. Please?"

She looked at them and knew she had won. Hermione's father looked uncertain and Hermione's mother looked slightly upset but she could see by the way they looked at each other they were going to let her go.

"All right then," Her father said slowly "I suppose we can drive you on Sunday if you really want to go that soon."

Hermione beamed and got up, kissing her mother and father on the cheeks.

"Thank you!" she said, happily.

Mrs Granger got up, still not looking at Hermione. Part of her looked like she wanted to cry and part of her looked like she wanted to shout at Hermione. She opened her mouth to say something but then seemed to think better of it and closed it, heading out of the room. Her father followed. Hermione quickly grabbed her quill and parchment.

Dear Ron,

Tell your mum thank you for speaking to Dumbledore. My parents have said I can come. I can meet you at two o'clock this Sunday? Let me know if this suits you.

Love from,

Hermione

I spent SO LONG trying to work out how long Hermione was at Grimmauld Place for and when/how she arrived/decided to go but the books really skim over the whole thing. I worked out that Harry arrives around 4.5 weeks into the 8 week holiday and at one point Fred mentions information being hidden from him for a month so i figured the Weasley's had been there 4 weeks when Harry arrives therfore they were at the Burrow for just under 1 week. Hermione is there long enough to write multiple letters to Harry where she mentions being with Ron and to clean the kitchen and all the bedrooms in the house. I basically worked it so Hermione is home for 2 weeks then at Grimmauld place for 2-2.5 weeks before Harry arrives.

The angst with her parents come from some quite subtle hints Hermione gives in the 5th book. She says she wants to write to tell her parents she's a prefect because it's 'something they can ACTUALLY understand' (the actually was originally in italics) Now I've always interpreted that as them feeling very in the dark about what's going on with the daughter and Hermione holding quite a lot of information back from them. In my head it also makes sense for them to be quite annoyed with her because they've seen their daughter for a grand total of 2 weeks in the year before she's off again - she hasn't come home for xmas in 3 years bare in mind!

This is of course just my interpretation and you are allowed to disagree with me. I've read the books more times than I can count and these are the conclusions I've drawn but please LET ME KNOW what you think!

Love and kisses

A-a-V xxx