CHAPTER FORTY—Grimmauld Place

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Hermione was in Sirius's house for less than fifteen minutes before someone asked. After being passed from Molly to Arthur to the twins for hugs, the four students went upstairs to drop off their things. Molly refused to let them help with dinner, so Ginny led the way to the drawing room.

Bill, Fleur, and Charlie were still setting up a ragged, tiny pine tree with decorations.

The twins came in behind them.

Fred shuffled everyone further into the room to shut the door. "So, Mad-Eye spilled the owl turds, if you will."

"About, you know, the marriage," George added.

Hermione crossed her arms. "And?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa—who's married?" Charlie asked. With the distance, he was generally out of the loop.

"'Ermione," Fleur said to Charlie. She and Bill continued to loop tinsel over the tree.

Hermione envied the way her hair glowed in the firelight.

"Oh yeah, I heard Mum and Dad found out," Bill said. "But they wouldn't tell me who."

Fred said, "It went something like this—George does the best Mum impressions."

George cleared his throat. "What?" he demanded, whole body outraged. His fists landed on his hips and he seethed, the picture of Molly Weasley.

"Now, Molly," Fred said. He put a hand on George's shoulder, mimicking their father. "I'm sure there's—what?" he demanded of an imagined Mad-Eye Moody.

"Are you bloody mad?" both of them asked at the same time.

"She's a student!" George said.

"Who thought of this asinine idea?" Fred asked.

"And then Mad-Eye stumped away," George said, back to being George instead of his mother.

"I do a shite Dad impression, but I'm even worse at Mum," Fred said.

"It's true," Ginny confirmed.

"But really, 'Mione, what gives?" Fred asked. He sat down in the chair at her side. "Why didn't you ask me or George? I know I would've married you."

"Seconded," George said.

"As heartfelt as your proposals are," Hermione replied, "I'm fine with Professor Snape."

"Professor Snape!" Bill exclaimed, the tree shaking.

"Zat is ze mean one, no?"

Charlie slapped his knee and laughed. "Yeah, he's a bit of a mean one."

"By fine you mean scared to cry for help? Is this a cry for help?" The twins simultaneously leaned closer to inspect her face. "Blink twice for yes," George added.

"This is most definitely not a cry for help," Hermione said, bored of the same tired implications. "Practically nothing has changed except he now ignores me in class instead of calls me insufferable."

"And, you know, the bed-sharing," Ron added off-hand.

"Did not need to hear that bit," Fred said.

"Subtle as a Horntail, Ron," Ginny said.

"Mione says it's not a big deal, so it's not a big deal," Ron defended. "They're kind of married, not married-married."

"That's probably enough about that," Harry said, masking his discomfort with a laugh.

Hermione scowled at Ron, face red. Them being 'married-married' was absolutely no one's business!

Bill let loose a quiet whistle. "That's, er. I got nothing."

"You don't like 'im?" Fleur asked. Her face shifted from concern to confusion, then back to concern.

"More like he doesn't like anybody," Harry said.

"I'm sure it will all work out," Fleur said. She grabbed Bill's hand from the other side of the tree.

Hermione was possibly more jealous that Fleur got to pick her husband than she was of her hair.

But the Weasleys went on with business, with no change in how they treated Hermione now that she was married to someone none of them liked all that much. Which was fortunate, because by day three without Severus, Hermione had a constant headache on the right side of her skull and a short temper when she had to limit how much magic she did a day.

Ginny sensed this bad mood and gave Hermione her present early: Far too many sugar-free chocolate frogs.

The two sat cross-legged on Ginny's bed.

Ginny read the back of the first card: "This ancient Greek wizard is said to be the first and only to conjure a Patronus the size of a giant."

"Andros," Hermione replied.

"Andros what?" Ginny nettled.

"The Invincible." As if Ginny could trip her up.

"Falco Aesalon is famous for?"

"Being the first Animagus," Hermione answered before Ginny even finished.

Ginny rolled her eyes and tossed the cards behind her. "Why do I even bother?" She bit the back leg off her last frog. "Here's a question—you two kissed yet?"

"That is actually none of your business." Hermione Banished all her empty frog boxes.

"Oh, come on. Wives gossip with their friends."

Hermione stubbornly shook her head.

"Oh no—he didn't grade you on it, did he?"

Hermione turned red and bit a frog in half so she wouldn't have to answer but with a glare.

"So he did, huh?"

Hermione turned up her nose. "There may or may not be a part of the contract that states we must kiss for the marriage to be legal. That is all."

"So you been snoggin', then?"

"How did I know this is where we would end up?" Hermione asked, dissolving into giggles with Ginny. "You're terrible."

"Listen. You know I'm one of the few girls in the school that does not think he's hideous. And he hasn't pissed me off as much as he does other people." She shuffled her frog cards. "Lay it on me: Good or a bad snog?"

Hermione dropped her face into her hands. "I had to jump at him—get him by surprise."

"No!"

She nodded, face still covered. "We had a few minutes before midnight and I was afraid if I didn't do it, the Ministry would send out a mass newsletter on our marriage being invalid!"

"There was a timer?"

She nodded.

"This law is bollocks, Mione."

She nodded again.

"Are you alright with him being out with that bint?"

Hermione broke off the last twitching leg of the frog. She shrugged. "Why shouldn't I be? We won't be married once the law is repealed."

"Okay but he's your husband now."

"We didn't make an agreement to—not see other people." At least Ginny was thorough in making sure Hermione was alright, but repeating herself in new and creative ways was draining.

"I mean, you kinda did when you got married."

Hermione ate the leg. "We didn't get married out of love. We didn't even really make that decision. Moody and Dumbledore did," she muttered.

"I think you like him."

Hermione's face heated up a tick. "Familiarity breeds liking." She had read that in a Muggle book somewhere.

Ginny tossed the cards on her bedside table. "Yeah, snoggin'll do that too."

"We did not snog! It was—horribly awkward!"

"Like he's never kissed a girl before?"

"Like I probably was choking him when I pulled him down and slammed my face onto his face!" Her cheeks burned.

Ginny fell back into her pillows to roll around as she guffawed. "That is the best story you've ever told! Well, I like the Rita one, too, but dear me!"

Hermione shoved her. "Shut up!"

"I could see it, you know?" Ginny righted herself and pretzeled her legs.

Hermione rubbed her forehead. Perhaps it was her imagination, but the chocolate helped. "I don't know, Gin. He doesn't seem interested."

"Yeah, but he's probably also feelin' a bit strange about it all." Ginny pointed at her. "If he was a little too eager to have a student for a wife, I'd have to think he was a creep, you know?"

Hermione shrugged. "Doesn't make me feel much better about it."

Ginny sighed. "Well, it's Christmas. Maybe we'll have a miracle, yet."

Hermione shoved her again. "Thanks for your support!"

Ginny laughed and it made Hermione laugh too.