Author's Note
Day six of Merry Almost Christmas!
Love,
Wishin' Girl x x x
...
Justin Blake
Activist Manager
Greenpeace UK
Hermione eyed the handsome man's business card again as she hovered outside a phone booth on Monday afternoon, she had found the man very attractive, he made her laugh and he had a job that could only mean that they would have similar aspirations and values.
'Do it' she told herself firmly, images of Carina turning up to the Weasley family dinner the day before in yet another revealing outfit and with her hands all over Fred flooded her mind. She had no idea that at the very same moment Fred was breaking up with Carina because the assistant healer couldn't even come close to what he and George referred to as 'the Hermione standard'.
"Hey Justin?" She spoke confidently when the phone stopped ringing "It's Hermione, from Friday night… Yes I did get home safely thank you… I'm very well, how are you?... Well yes that's actually why I'm calling, I would love to see you again… This Friday sounds ideal… How about I meet you there rather than you picking me up just yet… Okay, I'll meet you there at seven… Have a good week."
With a deep, calming breath she hung up and apparated directly to the Holyhead Harpies training ground.
"Hey Hermione" Ginny greeted when she emerged from the changing rooms with wet hair around half an hour later "everything alright?"
"I have a date." She gushed, beaming brightly "On Friday night and I need something nice to wear!"
…
"I only need to get Christmas gifts for Justin and the twins, everyone else's is already wrapped up and under the tree." Hermione said to Ginny as they walked through the Christmas market in Leicester square on the Tuesday before Christmas day. "What about you?"
"I've still got to get ones for Fleur, Mum, Percy and Ron." Ginny replied after checking her list.
"What about over there?" Hermione suggested, pointing towards a stall full of scarves of every type.
Soon the pair were leaving the market with a pale blue silk scarf for Fleur, a new embroidered apron emblazoned with World's Best Mum for Molly and a steaming cup of marshmallow topped hot chocolate each to warm their chilly fingers.
"What does Justin want for Christmas?" asked Ginny as they wandered down the nearby streets, searching for inspiration.
"Oh I don't know" Hermione sighed exasperatedly, she and Justin had been getting along wonderfully but she had no idea what to get for him "let's try the book shop over there. Maybe I'll find an idea and you can buy a muggle history book for Percy."
"Any excuse to visit a bookshop!" Ginny chortled as her bushy haired friend tugged her across the street and in through the double doors.
They searched through the history section before settling on a book about Henry VIII for Percy, on the way to the tills Ginny spotted the cookery section and found a small book of Italian recipes to go with the apron for her mum. Hermione browsed the shelves and added numerous new books to her mental to read list. She recalled several conversations she had had with Justin on their frequent dates about his love for travelling, so wandered towards the international section and collected a few phrase books in various languages. Armed with their new purchases the girls walked back out onto the cold street.
"Only the twins and Ron to buy for now!" Hermione was feeling quite done with being out in the busyness of the pre-Christmas shopping streets and eager to get finished and back to peace and quiet soon.
"That place looks silly enough for buying presents for the twins" Ginny pointed towards a nearby fancy dress shop with overly decorated windows dressed with every colour and material imaginable.
With a laugh Hermione agreed and they spent the next half an hour picking up increasingly silly options for the twins until Ginny picked up a bright purple top hat with a lime green ribbon.
"That's perfect" Hermione exclaimed in response and grabbed two of the top hats before rushing off and frantically searching through the many racks of adults costumes.
Ginny followed in confusion until Hermione pulled out two adult Willy Wonka costumes to go with the hats and explained about the books she had read to the twins over the summer and their resultant fascination with the eccentric Willy Wonka character, it wasn't sensible to go into the real life aspects of the story in the presence of so many muggles so she mad e a mental note to tell Ginny this aspect of the story later on. Hermione had actually already bought Fred an additional gift, that was slightly more personal, a teddy bear Cheshire cat that she hoped would help Fred with his nightmares.
"Only your gift for Ron to go" said Hermione, grateful that they could nearly go home.
"I want to get him some new polish for his broom. You know he'll want to go flying with his new friends as soon as he starts auror training in January and how self conscious he can get." Ginny pondered aloud. "That does mean going to Diagon Alley though, do you think that's going to be okay or do you want to meet me back at the Burrow instead?"
"No, I haven't been back there yet and it would be good for me to go" replied Hermione "but can we walk through the Leaky instead of apparating directly in? It's only about five minutes from here on foot and would give me time to prepare."
"Of course, it'll give us a chance to catch up too!" Ginny's face lit up as she posed her next question "So how are you and hunky Justin?"
"We're great" a wistful smile played across Hermione's lips "he's completely gorgeous as he's so gentlemanly with me."
"I hope he's not too gentlemanly in the bedroom!" the red head replied with a suggestive wink.
"We've not actually made it to the bedroom" Hermione blushed "we've been enjoying snogging and a bit of a fumble on the sofa but I'm just not there yet. Besides, my glamour charms aren't perfect and I'm definitely not ready for him to see my scar and start asking questions."
Ginny knew when to change the subject so moved on to discuss what they thought everyone else had bought for each other for Christmas, a common topic of betting for the Weasley family.
They managed to pass through the leaky cauldron quickly by keeping their winter scarves and hats on as they raced through from the doors from muggle London to the wizarding entrance to Diagon Alley. The quidditch shop was two doors further along than Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and they could immediately see the enormous purple and orange twinkling Christmas tree towering outside Fred and George's shop over the heads of the crowds that filled the bustling street.
Hermione grabbed tightly onto Ginny's hand and the pair walked briskly along the alley towards WWW and the quidditch shop with their heads down. They made it to almost outside WWW's colourful front before they were recognised through their winter apparel and suddenly surrounded by well wishers.
"Hermione Granger!"
"Ginny Weasley!"
"Thank you so much."
"Thank you for everything you did Miss Granger"
"You're our hero."
"Can I get your autograph Miss Weasley, you're my favourite chaser?"
"Merry Christmas Miss Granger!"
"Miss Weasley, are you ready for your next match?"
"What are your career plans Miss Granger?
"I heard that the other two thirds of the golden trio are becoming aurors, will you be doing the same?"
"I can't believe it's really you"
"Can I get a photo with you both?"
The lights of the paparazzi's cameras and the voices of the well wishers swarmed around them, hands reached out and began to tug at their coats to gain attention. Hermione's vision blurred and her hearing faded into a loud buzzing.
A hand gripped her elbow and she was back in Malfoy Manor being held down underneath Bellatrix Lestrange. Pain coursed through her every vein like white hot needles burning her from the inside out. She begged for it to stop.
The scene changed as another camera flash went off in front of them and her mind transported her to the battle. An explosion blew up a castle wall in front of her and coloured lights flashed in every direction as she ducked and weaved around death eaters, her feet stepping over the bodies of her fallen comrades as she fought back with everything she had, instinct taking over as she simply attempted to live.
Ginny noticed Hermione's increase in breathing rate and the whimpered begs escaping her lips. She recognised the way she began to twitch and the glassy look in her friend's eyes. Trying to push her way through the crowd Ginny knew they weren't going to get far alone so she looked around frantically searching for a way out.
A silver horse galloped through the shop window and within seconds the twins and Lee were forcing their way hurriedly through the crowd surrounding the two girls. Hermione's legs gave out half a second before Fred reached them and he caught her as she began to fall. Gathering her tight to his chest Fred carried her back through the shop and up the stairs to his flat trusting that his twin and friend would take care of his little sister.
He removed her outer layer and ankle boots and laid her down on his bed before removing his own shoes and joining her. With her wrapped up tightly in his arms he sang softly in her ear and stroked her hair until she stopped thrashing about and fell into a fitful sleep against his chest.