Chapter 6

"Expository, persuasive, narrative, and descriptive. Those are the four main types of writing, how we write. Fiction, non fiction; novels, short stories, poetry, children's books, grocery lists. These are what we write. This is a stand alone 6 week workshop, this is not an English course, this is not high school. There will be no grades past the pass/fail at the end, no tests. We will have a short overview of the four writing styles on Wednesday, Friday we will each decide what we want to write, then we will write, each class we will discuss our writing. Are there any questions?" Professor Bradbury asked the 15 students sitting in front of him. "All right guys, I tend to keep these things pretty informal. Like I said this is not for course credit, this is just for us aspiring writers. Today I would like to take the hour to get to know each other, writing has the potential to be quite personal, so I like to try to make this as comfortable as possible."

The class came to an end before Hermione even realized the hour was up. She had been enjoying the ease of the class, Professor Bradbury reminded her a bit of Remus in relation to his teaching style. He really seemed to enjoy teaching. He had a way about him that made a student feel like they belonged in his class, it was fun. He wasn't afraid to offer criticism as well, though in a way that made you really think of a way to make whatever they were working on better. As she was packing her bag, ready to head out with Fred and George, Hermione heard a familiar voice that brought a smile to her face.

"Uncle Keith! What are you doing here?" She said with a huge smile.

"Hermione Granger! Look at you all grown up. Nick said he saw you the other day," said a man standing at the front of the classroom. "Well I'm here for lunch, the professor here is a good friend of mine. Are you taking the workshop?"

"I am, what a small world!" Hermione said. "I'm so sorry, this is my fiancé Fred Weasley and his brother George, we are all taking the class together. We thought it would be a fun way to spend the summer before I start university in the fall. Fred, George, this is Keith Smith, you met his son Nick at the market remember?"

"Well, Mione thought it would be fun, I can't seem to say no to her. Georgie here is the writer of the two of us," Fred said with a smile, shaking the older man's hand.

"My brother exaggerates, it's nice to meet you, we are looking forward to supper Friday night," George said as he took his turn shaking the man's hand.

"Right, Linda said something about that. We are looking forward to that as well," Keith said happily.

"You aren't trying to poach my new students so quickly are you?" Professor Bradbury said as he walked over to the small group.

"Are you coaching here now, Uncle Keith is an excellent rugby coach?" Hermione informed the twins.

"I am, this is my second year. Linda finally got me over to the dark side," he said with a wink. "No Sam, no poaching, though these boys look like they would do well. This beautiful young lady is Joe and Kathleen Granger's daughter. You remember we've told you about Linda's old roommate."

"Ah yes, I remember. Well I'm ready whenever you are, I'll just wait over here. I will see the three of you on Wednesday," Professor Bradbury said with a smile.

"Yes we really must get going, I have practice after lunch. It was so nice to run into you dear, and I'll see you Friday night," Keith said as he hugged Hermione goodbye.

"Yes, I'm excited to catch up!" Hermione said.

…

The week seemed to go by quickly. It was already Friday afternoon and Hermione and Tonks were in the kitchen preparing for the dinner that evening. Between the two of them they were determined to make something edible for dinner. Because neither woman was especially blessed in the kitchen, they chose a simple roast as the entree with steamed carrots and broccoli. Hermione even made a beautiful lemon custard for dessert.

"Fred and George still watching the telly?" Tonks asked as she chopped the vegetables.

"Yeah, they're obsessed with it. They say it's research for the mission, learning to be muggles and all that, but I think they are looking for inspiration for the shop," Hermione answered, a small smile on her face.

"I don't doubt that at all, I'd say there are plenty of muggle inventions they could improve on with magic."

"Did you take muggle studies?"

"Nah, didn't need it, my dad's muggleborn. I used to spend a lot of the holidays with his family, Mum's wasn't too keen on having us round, ya know."

"That's right, I remember Harry saying something about that. What do you keep looking out the window for? You're making me nervous," Hermione asked after the fourth time tonks had checked the window.

"Just watching for Remus, he should be back by now. I don't like it when Order meetings run late, usually means something bad," Tonks said simply.

"Maybe we should get a clock like Mrs. Weasley's, keep track of everyone."

"That's not a bad idea, I'd say Molly would make us one happily, though I don't know how well it would work in a muggle house. BIll'd probably have a solution for that though, he's excellent at all that kinda stuff."

"He is still supposed to be round for dinner isn't he, I was hoping to ask him about something I read about the other day, but he's been hard to pin down since we've been here."

"Who are you trying to pin down? I could give you a few suggestions," George said walking into the room.

"Shut it, I was talking about Bill, just an Arithmancy equation I was curious about," Hermione answered while shooing him away from the food on the counter.

"I was actually pretty decent at Arithmancy, love. If you need some help," Fred said popping up behind George.

"Alright," Hermione sighed as Fred took the cheese George had snuck off the tray. "We'll take a look after dinner, yeah?"

"How's your story coming?" Tonks asked looking at George.

"It's alright, Sam offered to meet me for coffee tomorrow to talk it over. He says I have a real talent, you know," George said, a very smug look on his face at Hermione's obvious displeasure.

"Yes George, we've all been made well aware of your obvious brilliance at writing," Hermione said, trying hard not to roll her eyes. "Though we have only really just begun the writing part. I'd say it had more to do with the hour and a half conversation you two had about muggle authors. Still not sure where that came from."

"Don't pout, love, you can't be the best at everything, just mostly everything, and you can thank Charlie for that," Fred said "He brought home some book of muggle poetry one Christmas his flatmate had given him as a gag gift. Georgie boy just couldn't put it down."

"Lucky for that too, as i now have a private meeting with the Professor," George cut in importantly.

"Yes, yes you are a true asset to the team," Tonks said chuckling. "Oh! Look here comes Remus and Bill now."

"Well something smells wonderful in here," Bill said as he and Remus entered the kitchen.

"If you Weasleys' don't stop swiping all the hor d'oeuvres there won't be any for our guests," Hermione said as Bill grabbed some of the cheese from George's hand.

"Oh, that reminds me," Tonks said and screwed up her features as if she were trying to remember something important. The short pixie cut she usually wore began to grow out at an unnaturally quick rate and stopped just past her shoulders. The color quickly morphed from her signature bubblegum pink into a coppery red and freckles began popping up all over her face and arms. She then took the half eaten cheese from BIll's hand and popped it into her mouth. "Alright, now I'm a Weasley too."

Remus shook his head at her antics but got straight into going over the plan one final time.

At precisely 6:30 the doorbell rang. Hermione popped up with a huge smile on her face to open the door. The Smiths were very much family to her, from the time she was born they had always been around. It was only in the past few years when her parents had moved did they slowly lose touch with each other. Hermione of course was away at school and spent the large portion of holidays at the Weasley's.

"Aunt Linda, Uncle Keith! Hello Nick," Hermione greeted them warmly as they walked into the house. "Please come into the sitting room and meet everyone."

Once they all sat down to dinner the conversation flowed easily, the Smiths told funny stories about Hermione as a child, about all the trouble Nick would get the two of them into and how Hermione was always getting them out of. Remus told about the 'car accident' Bill and Remus were in that caused the scarring on their faces. Keith and Tonks discussed rugby and university.

Hermione told about how Fred and Hermione met at school and their relationship leading up to the engagement and her living with them. They talked about Hermione's parents and how they were on holiday in Australia for the summer. Then the conversation turned, as planned, to Bill and how he was working as a translator in France, about how he had studied languages in school and really enjoyed studying dead languages. This in turn had Keith offering to introduce him to Professor Bradbury. Fred George and Hermione quickly saying what an excellent professor her was, and Remus talking about how he would be teaching come fall in Bradbury's department, even though he hadn't met him yet. As expected Linda made plans for another dinner at her house with Professor Bradbury in attendance.

Once dessert was finished the adults retired to the sitting room to talk some more. Bill made his apologies, but had to leave for France that night to meet with Fleur. This left Hermione, Fred, George and Nick to clean up, after which they went out to the back patio. There was a small fire pit and a patio set with two chairs and a loveseat.

"So Nick, what are your plans for the summer?" Hermione asked as she sat on the wicker loveseat, tucking her feet under her. George was building a fire in the pit, the muggle way, a skill he was proud to have developed when he was underage and couldn't do it magically.

"Not much of anything really, just home for a bit, I've been spending time with dad on the field of course, no classes this summer, I'll go back in the fall," Nick said as he went to sit down next to Hermione on the love seat. Fred, who had been eyeing Nick all night beat him to the seat however, making sure to tuck Hermione under his arm a bit possessively, while Nick was forced to take the chair on her other side instead.

"What is it you're studying Nick?" Fred asked with a bit of a triumphant smile as Hermione snuggled in next to him.

"Medicine, I'm going into surgery," Nick said, a bit pompously. "And you? Going to be a writer?"

"Actually Fred and George own their own joke shop, they are doing so well they have decided to take some time away so Fred and I can spend some time together before I start school in the fall," Hermione said. She wasn't sure why she felt the need to defend the twins to Nick, she didn't like the way he was talking down to Fred though and she was going to put a stop to it right away.

"That's right, I'm going to miss this beauty while she's away, so I figured hey, I can afford it, I'll just spend all summer with the love of my life," Fred said snuggling Hermione closer and kissing her on the temple.

"So rugby looks to be a fun sport, we've never played you see, maybe you could teach us," George said, knowing that Fred would love the opportunity to hurt this pretty boy, he also took offense to the crack about being a writer and wouldn't mind knocking into him as well. Hermione had gone over the finer points of the sport and it sounded brutal, so obviously the twins were all for learning to play.

"You've never played? Of course, any time you'd like. My-oh will you be cheerleading again?" Nick said with a bit of a dark smile.

"Don't count on it," Hermione said rolling her eyes.

"Cheerleading?" Fred and George said at the same time, with matching mischievous grins.

"Don't get any ideas, you," She said poking Fred in the chest. "I was 9 years old and I thought the cheerleaders were just the prettiest girls I'd ever seen. I watched them until I knew all of their routines... it's hard work you know."

"Well I thought you were bloody adorable," Nick said with a wink, causing her to blush ever so slightly.

"Okay then, show us a cheer!" George said as he grabbed Hermione up and threw her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing. He knew Fred well enough to know when he was about to snap and George decided now would be a good time to diffuse the tension.

"Put me down this instant George Weasley!" She shouted.

"Nope, don't think I will!" George started running around the backyard with Hermione screaming at him. Fred finally came to her rescue and carried her back to her seat, she missed the significant look the twins gave each other.

"Nick dear, it's time we were headed out," Linda called from the back door.

…..

"Hey guys, I was wondering if you could help me out with something," Hermione said a few hours later. She was standing outside the twins' bedroom with several books and a cardboard box balanced in her arms.

"Sorry love, you'll have to settle for the less handsome of us this evening, I'm about to leave for Ang's. I'll be back Sunday morning though, so don't miss me too much," George said, as he threw a couple shirts into an overnight bag.

"Okay then, I suppose he'll have to do. Tell Angelina I said hello, and could you do me a favor and owl these letters for me, I don't want to send them from here," Hermione said setting her books on the small table between the two beds and handing him a couple letters from the box.

"Will do, you two have a lovely night, and please try to keep it PG in here." George laughed much too loudly at his own joke. Hermione decided it was time to limit his tv time.

"He's barmy," Hermione said as she sat down on Fred's bed next to him.

Fred was suddenly feeling very warm. She had a pretty light blue sundress on with a thin cardigan over it. Her hair was twisted and held up with her wand. It looked very pretty with stray curls falling over her shoulder. Fred was so lost in thought looking at her that he completely missed what she had said. He looked into her eyes and saw that she was looking at her expectantly.

"I'm sorry love, I didn't quite catch that. One more time?" Fred said.

"Honestly, what has you so distracted tonight?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing, I'm sorry for being rude. You have my undivided attention. How can I help you."

"I was saying that I wanted to make a way to talk to Harry and Ron if I'm not finished with this mission before they need to leave. I remembered the two way mirrors that Sirius had given Harry a couple years ago and was hoping to duplicate it. I'm having difficulty keeping the connection at greater distances. I would ask Remus but I know how much it hurts him to be reminded of Sirius. I thought you and I could give it a go first."

"Alright, like one of those mobile things the muggles all have, let's see what you've got so far." Fred said looking over her notes. "It looks simple enough, how about adding áliquam here in the incantation instead of there. It's really all in how you word the charms." Fred said writing something down.

"I… that will actually work. You're brilliant," Hermione said. "Would you like to go try them out?"

"Absolutely." Fred said with a goofy grin.