AN: I hope everyone had a restful and relaxing week last week! If not, I hope you can take some time out for yourself sometime soon.
Thank you for all the support! It is very deeply appreciated!
If there was one think Molly Weasley knew how to do well, it was make an amazing chicken.
Hermione set her fork onto her napkin as she savored her bite. Her piece of chicken was halfway eaten, but she was already contemplating a second piece. Then again, if she had more chicken, she would not have enough room left for the potato salad, or the corn, or the cupcakes, or the cake, all of which were too delicious to resist.
Speaking of cake, shouldn't she and Ron cut the cake soon? Molly insisted they practice cutting the cake for their wedding. Might as well start now.
From across the yard, she heard Ron laugh at Bill's joke. He was far too distracted to pay her any mind. She wouldn't be surprised if he'd forgotten she existed. Considering she was sitting on any empty bench, she would be surprised if anyone remembered she existed.
She took another bite. Molly had many faults, but being a terrible cook wasn't one of them.
"Is this seat taken?"
"Harry," Her eyes lit up. "I was wondering where you were."
"I'm sorry it took so long to get over here." Harry sat beside her. "There was a big break in a case. I thought I could finish looking over the evidence in an hour, but it took much longer."
"What was it a lead for?"
"Let's just say we finally solved the Susan Webber murder case."
"Oh? Who was it?"
"Her husband." He put his hands behind his neck and leaned back. "He caught her in bed with another man, so he decided to make sure she'd never cheat on him again."
"Of course." Hermione cut another bite of chicken.
"Once I got here, Ron wouldn't stop talking until Luna and I heard every detail of your engagement."
"Yes," she looked over at Ron, who was laughing with Arthur and Bill. "He certainly likes telling that story."
"I must admit he outdid himself. Taking you to your favorite restaurant and making that romantic speech." Harry leaned forward. "It must have swept you off your feet."
Hermione refrained from telling him the engagement was about as romantic as an ulcer.
"And that ring," Harry glanced at her finger. "It's gorgeous, and in Gryffindor colors. He chose very well."
"Yes, but it's going to cost me months of overtime to pay off," Hermione took another look at the ring.
"You'll pay it off in time."
She kept her eyes on the ring.
"Hey," Harry put a hand on her shoulder. "You'll pay it off."
"Thanks to Professor Snape, I suppose I will." She returned her attention to Harry.
"How is he helping?"
"He's agreed to allow me to work overtime."
"Is that the best idea?"
"Why wouldn't it be?" She asked.
"You're newly engaged. Don't you want to revel in that before doing more work?"
"Sadly, the bill collectors don't care if I'm engaged."
"I suppose they don't."
A heavy silence fell between them.
"How does it feel to almost be Mrs. Weasley?" He asked.
"Honestly," she shrugged. "It feels normal. Ron and I are the same as we ever were."
"You say it like it's a bad thing."
"I don't know, if it's bad, I just thought my engagement would be magical, like everything would change between Ron and me. I imagined we would have a deeper connection after he proposed, one which was more powerful than anything I could imagine."
"Don't you already have that?"
"We do, but." She glanced at Ron, who was laughing at his own joke. "I just thought it would feel different once I had proof our love would be permanent."
"I see." Harry frowned. "You do want to marry Ron, correct?"
"Of course I do," Hermione smiled. "I want nothing more. It's all I've wanted since my sixth year at Hogwarts."
"It may be nerves then." Harry chuckled. "I was so nervous Luna would change her mind after I got engaged to her I could barely string two words together for a week. She thought I had a tongue biting fury infestation."
"But there was never any reason to be nervous. You two are so happy together."
"Yes," Harry said. "Just like you're happy with Ron."
"Yes," She snuck another look at her fiancee. "I am very happy."
"I know you are."
"Where is Luna anyway?" She returned her attention to her friend.
Harry pointed to a table to their right. Luna sat with George, listening to his joke shop anecdotes as she rubbed her swollen stomach.
"She thought you may want to speak with me first, just so you didn't feel overcrowded," Harry began. "Plus, she thought George could use help with his winged rat infestation. She claims he may not be able to see them, but if he doesn't take care of them, they'll chew his walls up."
"I'm glad she's speaking with him then," Hermione smiled.
"She's amazing," Harry's voice took on a dreamlike quality, as if he was making a mental note of all the ways he loved Luna.
"Indeed." Hermione cleared her throat. "Harry."
He hummed.
"I have a question about your Occlumency lessons."
"Oh?" His mind returned to the present.
"Yes, um," she sat up straighter. "How did it feel when Professor Snape entered your mind?"
"What do you mean?"
"What emotions went through your head when he gave you lessons?"
"To be quite blunt, I was pissed off the entire time."
"Was it just because of the situation?"
"No," he said. "I was angry with him. I hated him, and his invading my mind didn't help."
"Did it ever hurt?"
"More often than I care to admit."
"Then there was nothing pleasant about it?"
"Hermione." He looked at her. "Why are you asking me these questions?"
"I'm taking Occlumency lessons from Professor Snape."
"Why?"
"Because I want to do my final potions project on the intersection of potions and occlumency. I want to see if a potion could ever work like legillimency, search someone's memories for the true ones, and bring them to the forefront."
"In other words, you haven't given up on your parents."
She slouched.
"I hope Professor Snape makes occlumency lessons pleasant, but I wouldn't be too optimistic about it," Harry said.
"I'll try not to be." Hermione bit her bottom lip.
"Has he hurt you during your lessons already?"
"No," she answered. "They've all been very respectful, very professional. There's been nothing painful about them at all."
"That's good."
"They're fine, my job is fine." Hermione said. "What about your job? How is it going?"
"It's going great."
"That's good." She cut another piece of chicken.
"In fact, the auror department is ready to make a big announcement."
"Oh?"
Harry cast a muffliato and leaned in closer to her. "We've just discovered a spell which can transport someone to the last known location of where they've used magic, assuming we have their magical signature on file."
"How does the spell work?"
"You'd understand the specifics better than I can, but if someone uses a spell, and we have their magical signature on file, we can track them to where they last performed it. The aurors can transport them right there to the spot. There, we'll be able to apprehend the suspect, or at least collect evidence for an eventual arrest."
"That's interesting."
"I know." Harry's face lit up. "Investigations will last so much shorter if we can easily apprehend a suspect instead of chasing them around the world. Granted, in the case of apparation we can only be where they apparated from, not where they ended up. Still, we're perfecting the spell so it can track them wherever they go."
"That sounds invasive," Hermione said. "Especially when you realize all the people who have their magical signature on file."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, as an auror you had to put your magical signature on file, and I had to do the same when I became Professor Snape's apprentice per my contract."
"So?"
"So it's weird to think I could be tracked one day."
"Why?" Harry asked. "As long as you don't break the law there's no reason to track you."
"What if someone such as Voldemort comes to power? Couldn't he misuse this technology?"
"That's the amazing thing about this technology: we can prevent someone like Voldemort from rising."
"How?"
"By apprehending him before getting any followers. If anyone is using illegal dark magic, or is spreading hateful literature, we can find them and prevent them from taking power."
Hermione blinked.
"This technology is going to make us safer, I promise," Harry answered.
"If you say so," Hermione's expression betrayed her skepticism.
"Harry, Hermione?"
Harry undid the muffliato. "Hello, Luna."
"Hello." She sat across from them. "I thought you may have had enough time to speak alone together. If you haven't, I can get another bowl of pudding."
"No, please stay," Hermione gestured to Luna's stomach. "I was about to ask Harry how little James was doing."
"Active." Luna rubbed her stomach. "I think he senses grass pixies around. The lawn is long enough for them. I've been looking for them, but I fear I can't find them."
"If you find one, let me know," Hermione said.
"I will," Luna said. "You may be more able to find one than I can."
"How?"
"They like to gather around people who are unsure of themselves."
"Excuse me?" Hermione frowned.
"Yes, they like people who are at a crossroads in life but are unsure of what to do. They feed off that uncertainty."
"I'd be terrible at finding them then," Hermione grinned. "I'm very sure of what I'm doing."
"Oh? What are you doing?"
"I'm going to become Mrs. Weasley and become a potions mistress."
"Are you sure?"
"Why wouldn't I be sure?" Hermione tensed.
"Only you can answer that," Luna said.
"You know," Harry cut in. "I was just about to show Hermione some of our antenatal photos."
"I would love to see them." Hermione scooted closer to Harry, doing her best to expel Luna's words from her mind.
Hermione tried to focus on Harry's stories on the Mediwitch who did the exam, but her mind drifted. What could Luna possibly know about her feelings on becoming Mrs. Weasley? Hermione was very pleased to become Mrs. Weasley. Ron was the kind of man she'd dreamed of her entire life. There was no reason to be unsure of anything.
If that was the case, why was she afraid of a grass pixie feasting on her lingering doubts?