The Parent Trap
Chapter Three
-dutchtulips-
Amy and Holly didn't waste anytime getting down to business. The next afternoon after classes were over, they shut themselves up in the dormitory and got right on their plan to teach each other to be her. Sitting crosslegged from each other on Amy's bed, Holly pulled out a handful of photographs and was trading them with Amy.
"Okay, this is Grandad. He's a Muggle, but he's really nice. He's a dentist, too," she said, handing a picture of an older, smiling man to Amy. "And this is Harry. . ." Holly passed a photo of a raven-haired man with a scar on his forehead. "He's Mum's friend and he sits with me sometimes."
"Harry. . .Potter?" Amy exclaimed. "Wow, I think he was a friend of Dad's, too!" She took both pictures and studied them. After a moment, she put them down and pulled out a photo of her own and passed it to her sister. It showed a young woman long red hair.
"This is Aunt Ginny. She lives with us and she keeps and eye on me and helps Dad around the house. Stuff like that," Amy explained. While Holly was looking at the picture, Amy pulled out a roll of parchment, which she'd drawn on it a diagram of her house.
Holly looked up at it. "What's that?"
"Map of our house," she replied, pulling out her quill and poking at different sections of the house. "Okay, right here's the living room, and the dining room's next to that but we don't eat in there too often. My bedroom's here, upstairs. . ."
Amy had gotten to the orchard before Holly spoke again. "Now remember, I like to play Quidditch with Dad, so you're going to have to brush up on your game. . ."
Holly was shaking her head. "I don't know the first thing about Quidditch, Amy!"
She sighed and rolled her eyes, and then laughed. "Well, come on, then!" She exclaimed, dragging Holly out of the room by her hand.
* * *
The weeks started to quickly pass and Amy and Holly were beginning to get a hang of pretending to be each other. They'd even pretending to be the other around some Gryffindors in the common room, and they had actually had them believing that Amy was Holly and Holly was Amy.
Eventually it came to another afternoon in the dormitory were Amy and Holly were yet again, Holly teaching Amy the duel with their wands that she and Harry always did when they were saying hello or goodbye. Just as Holly was showing her how the bouquet of flowers came from Harry's wand tip, Amy stopped and stared at her for a moment, as if she'd just noticed something.
"What's the matter, Amy?" Holly inquired, wondering what was up.
"Your hair," she answered slowly. "It's bushy and all."
"Yeah, so?"
"Well, you can't go home to Manchester with bushy hair! I never liked it like that and I had Dad magic the curl out when I was ten! You're going to have to let me do it for you." Amy started fishing in the pocket of her robes.
Holly shook her head vehemently. "No way, I'm not using that Sleakeazy Hair Potion stuff on my head! There's no way I'd be able to put all of it in my hair everyday!"
"No, no!" Amy exclaimed. "You don't have to! I know how to use the spell that Dad used on me!" She pulled out her wand. "Just sit down and hold still."
"Are you sure?" Holly asked tentatively, dropping down on her four poster.
"Trust me!" Her sister replied brightly. Pointing her wand at Holly's head, she concentrated for a moment and then uttered, "Perfectus!"
Immediately Holly's hair jerked out in all directions as if she'd been electrcuted, and then it went lofty again and dropped, straight and sleek, against her shoulders.
"There, I did it!" Amy exclaimed. "Get up and look!"
Holly rushed towards the mirror on the other side of the room, gazing into it for many moments as if she didn't know whom she was seeing in it. Ironically enough, the mirror murmured to her, "Lovely hair, dear."
Suddenly Amy appeared in the mirror next to her, and Holly's eyes went wider as she realized they now looked pretty much exactly alike. "This is so wild!"
"Hey, you never looked better!" She said facetiously.
Then they both laughed.
* * *
It was hard to believe, but at last the Hogwarts term had come to an end. Amy and Holly, who had dressed back in usual Muggle clothing as they were both accustomed to when they weren't in school, were each dressed like each other to a T. Amy had put on a red taffeta dress that of Holly's that Holly really liked, and she had donned Amy's spunky style of a flannel purple shirt and jeans.
The Hogwarts Express was just about to pull into the station and Amy and Holly, who were sharing a compartment, were each reeling off instructions to each other.
"Okay, when you get off the train and get your trunk, Harry's going to meet you at the end of the platform," Holly explained to her sister. "We'll most likely take a Muggle taxi, that way we can get through Bristol. Since we live in a wizard neighborhood there, it's enchanted, and none of the Muggles know where it is."
"Got it," Amy said. "And you. Take your trunk and go straight through the barrier and out of King's Cross. Dad's going to pick you up right out front in his Ford."
Holly raised an eyebrow. "Dad drives?"
"Not really. Only to keep up appearances when he's around the Muggles. Once we get outside the city he'll probably convert it to the air," Amy smirked.
Holly nodded. "Okay. So you're going to find out how Mum and Dad met."
She also nodded. "And you're going to find out why they broke up."
At that moment, students began to file out into the hallway, all anxious to get off the train and out to meet their parents.
"All right," Holly said. "Go on ahead. I don't want Harry to see me."
"Okay." Amy suddenly seemed nervous. She started out into the corridor to retrieve her trunk and then looked back at her sister, coming back to give her a hug. "See you soon, Sis."
"You as well." Holly smiled, returning the hug.
Hurriedly Amy walked out and up the corridor again, saying, "Bye!"
Holly leaned out of the compartment door and watched her sister disappear, whispering, with her fingers crossed, "Good luck."
* * *
Amy was shaking like a leaf as she retrieved her - Holly's - trunk from the train, heaved it onto a trolley and started pushing it through the crowd, looking for Harry. With her nervousness at full throttle, Amy kept fiddling with the hem of her dress and bumping her trolley into the other students'.
At last she heard a voice that filled her with relief. "Holly! Over here!"
Amy turned around in the direction of the voice, to see Harry standing near the barrier leading out of Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters. He was wearing a bottle green cloak and smiling.
Gratefully, she pushed her trolley over to him, and he swooped her up into a hug. "Hey there, little girl! I missed you!"
Amy awkwardly hugged back. "Missed you, too."
He looked oddly at her for a moment. "You've done something to your hair, haven't you?"
She shook her head vigorously. "Yeah! I straightened it. Do you like it?"
"It's stunning." Harry smiled, hugging her again. "It's the new you!"
When they let go, Amy saw Harry wink at her, and she promptly yanked out her wand just as Harry did, and they started fencing with them, despite the funny stares from students walking past. Finally Harry called out, "Touché!" And Amy leaned way back to catch the flowers that had burst from the tip of his wand, grinning at Harry.
* * *
The Muggle taxi had dropped Harry and Amy off just outside of Bristol, where they would walk the rest of the way into the small wizard neighborhood that bordered the British city. They'd gotten a strange look from the taxi driver when Harry instructed where to drop them off, but he gave the Muggle man a few pound notes for the ride and he drove off, leaving Harry and Amy there on the side of the road. Harry offered to push her trolley, and then off they went.
Amy was surprised to find out that it wasn't a very long walk, and before she knew it, she and Harry were descending down the street of the quiant little neighborhood. He stopped in front of a beautiful white house with Monticello balustrades, windows and doors, and even Ionic columns flanking the front porch.
"Home again," he said softly as she and Harry looked up at the house.
Amy started for the front gate, pushing it open and stepping up onto the walk. "Well, this is it," she murmured. "Fourteen Guinevere Drive." Slowly she mounted the porch steps, and then turned the knob and creaked open the door.
The inside was even more lovelier than the outside; there was a white winding staircase, lush carpets and beautiful wallpaper adorning every corner as far as she could see. "Hello?" Amy called out timidly.
A cough emitted from the next room and hurriedly Amy rushed there, finding herself in the den, which was lined with deep armchairs, two large bookcases, and someone sitting at the desk in the corner, reading a Muggle newspaper.
Amy paused for a moment, and then said, "Grandpa?"
Lowering his newspaper, Grandpa Granger's face slowly turned into a wide smile. "Is that my little Holly? That beautiful little girl?"
"Yes." She smiled back. "It's me."
He got up from the desk and walked over to her, hugging her close. "Oh, it's so good to have you home, dear heart. Did you have a good term?"
"Yeah, it was great," Amy replied. "Did you have many patients?"
Grandpa Granger smiled down at her. "Twenty-two fillings, nine crowns, and three more kids who bit me."
"Well, tomorrow's a new day."
He laughed, hugging her again. "Good to have you home again."
Suddenly a voice from the staircase echoed into the den. "Holly?"
Immediately Amy knew it was her mum. Looking from her grandfather to the next room, she slipped from his grasp and started for the stairs, with Grandpa Granger watching her and smiling.
As she stepped back into the entrance hall, Amy's bright blue eyes fell on none other than Hermione Granger, her mum. "Mother?" She squeaked.
"You're home!" Hermione exclaimed, rushing down the steps to meet her.
Amy practically ran up the stairs, where she met her mother half way, throwing her arms around her in a tight embrace. Hermione returned it lovingly, holding her young daughter close.
"I can't believe it's you!" Amy said, stumbling over the words.
"And I can't believe it's you," Hermione replied, smiling. "I've just noticed. Have you got your hair straightened?"
Flustered, Amy ran a hand through her chestnut hair, and could only nod. "A girl I met at school did the spell for me. Do you hate it?" Amy could feel a happy tear welling up in her eye as she looked at her mother.
"No, it looks lovely, darling," Hermione replied reassuringly. Noticing her wet eyes, she asked, "What's the matter?"
"Nothing. . .it's just. . .I've missed you so much!" Amy hugged her mother tight again, and Hermione did the same.
"I know. It seems like it's been forever, doesn't it?"
Amy almost could have laughed. "If you only knew."
* * *
It was later on in the den and Hermione and Amy were sitting together on the sofa, having afternoon tea and talking. "So tell me," Hermione said, "How did you like Hogwarts? Wasn't it great, just like I told you it would be?"
"It was really wonderful, Mum. I made all sorts of friends," Amy replied, merely relishing in being able to say 'Mum.'
Before Hermione could respond, Harry suddenly appeared in the doorway. "Hate to interrupt, Herm, but Zeus swooped in just as I was walking through the door," he said, a tawny owl perched on his arm with an envelope clutched in its beak.
She got up, brushing the crumpet crumbs off of her lilac robes, and then reached out for Zeus and took the letter he was holding, and opened it up.
As Hermione was reading the letter, Amy got up slowly, walking slowly about the room, admiring all of the beautiful portraits lining the walls, with their immaculate wallpaper making the room look even lovelier.
"Holly," a voice broke into her thought, and Amy turned towards her mother, who had been the one to speak.
"Yes, Mum?"
"There's a problem at my department I've got to work out. Would you hate very much running down to my office with me?" Hermione asked.
Amy's eyes brightened. "No, I'd love it!"
* * *
She usually just Apparated there, but with Amy with her, Hermione had resorted to the flower pot filled with Floo powder in the kitchen, and in no time, they'd arrived at the Ministry in London. The two of them reached the Department of Wizard Architecture easily, strolling briskly inside.
Setting on a table in the office was a large, ornate model of a medieval castle which had large brass griffins flanking the wide front doors, and colorful banners waving from the uppermost towers.
"Wow!" Amy exclaimed. "You designed that?"
Hermione smiled at the castle model, wrapping her arm around her daughter's shoulders. "Oh, I had to do something while you were at school."
"It's so fab, Mum! Wouldn't you love to live in a place like that?" Amy said.
"I would. . .if I were a duchess," she replied, still smiling. Retrieving a scroll from her desk, Hermione said, "Come on, let's go next door and see what all the fuss is about."
Amy and Hermione quickly left the office, entering the next door down, where there were many witches and wizards all hard at work at their desks. She looked around for a moment, and then saw someone approaching her, a mustached man with blond hair.
"Ah, Miss Granger, lovely day, don't you think?" He said, bowing.
Hermione waved her hand impatiently. "Save it, Max, we haven't got time. Now, what's going on?"
Max McConnell, head of the Department of Wizard Construction, lead her over to a desk where another model was sitting. "We've got a problem with your plans for Madame Malkin's new shop in Diagon Alley."
Hermione sighed. "How could anything be wrong with them? I was up until all hours consulting my number charts making sure they were correct!"
Max also sighed. "Well, there is a problem, Miss Granger. There's too much stress on the left side, not enough columnar supporting."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well, just tell me, Max. What's so hard about waving your wand, and. . .adding another column?"
His shoulders dropped. "We've tried that, Miss Granger. It's too many galleons past our budget."
"Oh, now I see the problem," she murmured, walking around the model for a few moments. "Wait, I've got an idea." Hermione looked up and saw Amy standing near by, and smiled. "Holly, come here."
Amy smiled back, walking over to her mother's asking, "Have you got your wand on you?"
Enthusiastically, she pulled it out. "Right here!"
"All right, wave it right there." Hermione pointed a column at the back of the model. "Go ahead," she smiled.
She hesitated for a moment, but then Amy briskly waved her wand at the model, and the column in the back immediately appeared on the left side of the tiny replica, and the foundation abruptly evened out.
Hermione looked over at Max. "Will that do for you?"
He sighed, and then Max actually smiled. "Have you got your blueprint on you for me to take a look at?"
She walked over to him again and handed over the scroll she'd been carrying, and unrolled it for him to study.
Amy felt like giggling. "My mum couldn't be more fab."
* * *
After a lunch at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor in Diagon Alley, Amy and Hermione strolled up the street to enjoy the nice weather, while Amy chatted vigorously with her mother.
"So doesn't designing all these new houses for wizard families make you think about wanting to extend our family? Or at least make you think about the 'F' word?" Amy inquired.
"The 'F' word?" Hermione was puzzled.
"You know! Father! My dad!" She replied brightly.
Hermione laughed softly. "Oh, that 'F' word!"
"Well, doesn't it?" Amy pressed.
Suddenly she stopped, in front of the Daily Prophet, and reached over to the rack to take a paper. "Why the sudden curiosity about your dad?"
"Well, maybe because you rarely mention him, and you can't blame a kid for wondering," She said as they quickened their pace again, "Mum, you can't avoid the subject forever, at least can you tell me what he was like?"
Hermione smiled amusedly, tucking the Daily Prophet under her arm. "Oh, all right. It's actually nice to be telling you these things now." She thought for a moment. "Actually, when we met, it was. . .unforgettable, all right?"
"All right," Amy replied, grinning. "So did you meet here in Diagon Alley, or at the Ministry in London?"
"We met in school, right at Hogwarts," Hermione told her. "We were both in Gryffindor. We didn't get along at first, but soon enough we became friends. And then we became really close."
"Yeah?" Amy mused, interested in that. "So, was it very long before you fell in love?"
Hermione laughed again. "I knew you would be asking me all of these things someday!" She and Amy started into the nearest shop to take some Floo powder home.
Dear old Dad, Amy thought as they started for the fireplace and the Floo powder. I wonder what he's doing at this very moment.
* * *
To Be Continued