A few days had gone by, mostly of Hermione locking herself in
her room all day. Which was odd for Ron who Hermione had forgotten was
still staying in her house as a guest.
"Hermione?" he knocked at her door softly, with a tray containing a cup of tea and a slice of toast. To his surprise, she opened up brightly, smiling.
"I'm so sorry, Ron! I've already had breakfast. Made it when you were sleeping."
"Oh. I'm going to visit my family at the Burrow today, so thank you for having me this past we-"
"Let me go with you! Penelope, Percy and your father already know, but I want to personally invite them to the funeral. And I haven't visited them in ages."
"You've already planned it?" Ron asked blankly.
"Honestly, you've known me long enough to know I've taken off work at the Ministry for five days and did nothing?" Hermione asked. "Silly Ronnikins. Come on, we'll Apparate."
Hermione and Ron arrived at the Burrow at eleven thirty, and rang the bell.
Mrs. Weasley opened the door and hugged Ron. "Ron! You're back! How nice to see you Hermione," she turned to her. "I'm so sorry about Connor. He did what he had to do."
"I know. I'm fine." Hermione said walking in. "It took awhile, and I'm still upset, but not as devastated. It's just the last few things I remember about him is that huge fight we got into a few days before they sent him…" Hermione trailed off.
"What fight?" Ron asked as he walked into the parlour and saw Percy, Penelope, their daughter Phoebe, his father, and Ginny.
"Hullo," Ginny said, getting up and hugging her older brother. "Long time no see. What'd you do? Run out of paper in France?"
Ron laughed and sat down. "I've been busy. I've heard they were going to promote me to the team. But I dunno, I don't really want to play for France. I only took the job because I was hoping the Cannons would see me fly and hire me. But I'm beginning to give up."
"Don't give up, Uncle Ron." Phoebe said, sitting on the ottoman. "Uncle Fred and Uncle George didn't and they got their joke shop, and now I get all of the stuff half off." If you lined all of the Weasleys up, and had to tell whose daughter she was, you'd say one of the twins.
She had the trademark Weasley height and skinniness, and after mass debate with the Weasleys and Penelope, she was sorted into Gryffindor. Wearing a mass array of colours of her sleeveless robes (which seemed to be patches and different coloured fabric charmed to flash colours) with a mango coloured shirt and greenish blue, extremely long boy's Muggle shorts. Around her neck she wore what looked like a cat collar, on her arm a wristband and half a sleeve. But, her hair wasn't so Weasley-ish. Penelope's hair being brown and curly and Percy's being a fire red, hers was auburn like hair with natural orange streaks, and not so natural green in it.
"You've dyed your hair since I've last seen you, haven't you?" Hermione asked.
"Penelope, I told you people would notice that patch of green. You should've never let her charm it!" Percy shot at his wife.
"Perce, honey, I only made that up so you wouldn't make a big deal about it. Just say it's artistic expression." She reasoned.
"'Artistic Expression'?" Percy asked. "Yes, is it 'Artistic Expression' when she has four rings in her nose? Is it 'Artistic Expression' when she has tattoos all over her? Tell me, is it 'Artistic Expression' when she joins one of those Flying Motorcycle Gangs? Huh? Huh? Penelope, tell me that?"
"Calm down!" Penelope near yelled "That's why I'm the Minister of Magic. I'll never know why you wouldn't take the job, Mr. Weasley."
"Oh, I'm more than happy in the Department of Misuse of Muggle Artefacts. That's where I work, don't I, Molly? Can't ever remember, I'm getting old." Mr. Weasley laughed.
"Dad," Phoebe turned to Percy. "Seriously, I won't have four nose rings, I'll have five or three if it makes you happy. And I only really want a big tattoo that with a lion eating a Quaffed that says "Gryffindor Phoebe Weasley" or maybe one with an Aardvark…"
"No you won't. Penelope, tell her she won't? What's next? She'll be listening to those Punk Bands… the Tamones, the Flex Pistols, the Stash… all wizards that started out like her. Nice Wizarding families, then they learn spells to dye their hair and look at them now. Phoebe will have a tongue ring before we know it."
"Tongue ring? Honestly, dad, I'd never get one of those, a lip ring maybe…"
"Penny! Make her stop it!" Percy screamed as if she were a monster or something.
"Did we hear 'punks'?" a voice and some snickering from the front door sounded.
Fred and George Weasley ran into the room and practically helped Phoebe, attack her father.
"How's are favourite brother?" George asked.
"And Percy?" Fred added.
"Hullo, Hermione, spiffing to see you, so sorry." George nudged Fred to turn around and greet her.
"Err.. Thanks. Hello. Okay, since you're all here, I'd like to personally invite you all to the funeral. Since my parents died you've all been my second family. So than-"
"WEASLEYS!" the door burst open and Harry Potter himself panted in. "I'm back! Hermione! Ron! Hey, all of the Weasleys are here."
"Yes," Fred replied putting his arms around his twin and niece. "We're a family-family."
"Uh.. Okay, anyways. First off, Hermione, I'm terribly sorry about Connor, and why I'm here." He took a deep breath and finished. "Voldemort's dead." The whole family flinched at the mention of his name. "Didn't you hear? He's gone! It's all over!"
"So you're back? Forever?" Ginny asked, who had been sitting quietly in a chair in the corner throughout the whole conversation.
"Yes! I am." He replied. He looked as famished as excited and fainted in the centre of the room.
"Oh dear," Mrs. Weasley cried. "Ginny, go get Lockhart's Amazing Healing Potion for me. It should be in the kitchen, top shelve."
"Okay, mum."
As soon as Harry was revived, Hermione bid them Farwell and Ron walked her to the door.
"Thanks for having me over there for the last week." He hugged her good bye.
"Well, remember what I told you when you left for France. You can come by my house anytime you like. You have the spell don't you? Because if you forget it, Aholomara won't work, I programmed it that way, okay? Come anytime of day, remember that. I'm always there. Or at work, of course." She told him.
[A/N- you were wondering why he just came into her house and stayed over, now you know. If you were also wondering, here's the answer to the divorce thing, sometime soon…]
"One question before you leave. What were you talking about? You said you got in a really big fight."
"Oh, that." Hermione said shortly. "Well, Connor didn't tell me he was leaving for Germany. We got in a big fight about it, because he was working late one night and an owl came telling him some important things he needed on his trip. When he came back I exploded and we got in such a fight…."
"Oh. Well, I'm sorry and I'll see you at the funeral, I suppose."
The day of the funeral started out scorching. There was a large turn out of Ministry workers, Aurors, Weasleys, Daily's and old friends. Mid-way through the funeral, it began to sprinkle, and then full out stormed. Ron offered Hermione an umbrella but she refused.
She was wearing lovely black satin robes, which were presently being soaked in the water. Holding back tears, Hermione didn't want to flood the Cemetery like the rain was.
Turning around, she saw Ginny and Harry under a large red umbrella and Ron walking beside them under a smaller black one. Ginny's purple robes were sagging on the ground, and getting them very wet, but she didn't seem to care, being next to Harry and his usual messy hair.
Hermione sighed and went on walking.
Three Years Later
"Ron seriously," Hermione read out loud what she was writing. "Do you really think that French guys is Napoleon? He must be a nutter, in the words of you. At least he's a good Chaser. Well, I've got to go to work at the Ministry, see you." She took her quill and signed it, "Hermione".
She put the letter in an envelope and put it in her owl, Jesse's mouth. "Send that to Ron, okay? I'm sorry, but he is moving back to England. Unless you've been opening my mail, the Cannons sent him an owl saying they want him on their team. So he's finally playing professional. It's not reserve, either. I'm so happy for him."
'Dear Hermione,
I'm coming back on Thursday. You should've seen Pierre, he's the Captain for the French team, and he was fuming. I can't believe it; I'm playing for the Cannons. Take that Viktor Krum! Ha! I'm just kidding I got over that ages ago. Or did I? No, really. The glory days are coming back for the Cannons. You're so getting Season Passes; I can't let you miss a game. You've been a workaholic since I lost saw you. I'm finally leaving the Quafflepunchers! I was so sick of those pink robes, too girly if you ask me. Yeah, Jacque is mad. He likes the robes, too. Must tell you something.
Ta!
Ron'
"I love getting letters from him." Hermione told her dog, Ignatius. He was a lovely reddish orange colour that reminded her vividly of Ron. "He's so funny. How he says stuff."
Ignatius barked and Crookshanks jumped on the couch next to Hermione.
"Well, I've got to go to the Ministry." She got up and walked to her room. Jabberwocky, her pet parrot hummed happily "I Want to Hold Your Hand".
"Squawk! Workaholic! Squawk!"
"Am not." Hermione snapped. She grabbed her bag and ran down the hall.
She opened the door and let out a scream.
"I'm sorry, did I say Thursday?" Ron asked.
"Hermione?" he knocked at her door softly, with a tray containing a cup of tea and a slice of toast. To his surprise, she opened up brightly, smiling.
"I'm so sorry, Ron! I've already had breakfast. Made it when you were sleeping."
"Oh. I'm going to visit my family at the Burrow today, so thank you for having me this past we-"
"Let me go with you! Penelope, Percy and your father already know, but I want to personally invite them to the funeral. And I haven't visited them in ages."
"You've already planned it?" Ron asked blankly.
"Honestly, you've known me long enough to know I've taken off work at the Ministry for five days and did nothing?" Hermione asked. "Silly Ronnikins. Come on, we'll Apparate."
Hermione and Ron arrived at the Burrow at eleven thirty, and rang the bell.
Mrs. Weasley opened the door and hugged Ron. "Ron! You're back! How nice to see you Hermione," she turned to her. "I'm so sorry about Connor. He did what he had to do."
"I know. I'm fine." Hermione said walking in. "It took awhile, and I'm still upset, but not as devastated. It's just the last few things I remember about him is that huge fight we got into a few days before they sent him…" Hermione trailed off.
"What fight?" Ron asked as he walked into the parlour and saw Percy, Penelope, their daughter Phoebe, his father, and Ginny.
"Hullo," Ginny said, getting up and hugging her older brother. "Long time no see. What'd you do? Run out of paper in France?"
Ron laughed and sat down. "I've been busy. I've heard they were going to promote me to the team. But I dunno, I don't really want to play for France. I only took the job because I was hoping the Cannons would see me fly and hire me. But I'm beginning to give up."
"Don't give up, Uncle Ron." Phoebe said, sitting on the ottoman. "Uncle Fred and Uncle George didn't and they got their joke shop, and now I get all of the stuff half off." If you lined all of the Weasleys up, and had to tell whose daughter she was, you'd say one of the twins.
She had the trademark Weasley height and skinniness, and after mass debate with the Weasleys and Penelope, she was sorted into Gryffindor. Wearing a mass array of colours of her sleeveless robes (which seemed to be patches and different coloured fabric charmed to flash colours) with a mango coloured shirt and greenish blue, extremely long boy's Muggle shorts. Around her neck she wore what looked like a cat collar, on her arm a wristband and half a sleeve. But, her hair wasn't so Weasley-ish. Penelope's hair being brown and curly and Percy's being a fire red, hers was auburn like hair with natural orange streaks, and not so natural green in it.
"You've dyed your hair since I've last seen you, haven't you?" Hermione asked.
"Penelope, I told you people would notice that patch of green. You should've never let her charm it!" Percy shot at his wife.
"Perce, honey, I only made that up so you wouldn't make a big deal about it. Just say it's artistic expression." She reasoned.
"'Artistic Expression'?" Percy asked. "Yes, is it 'Artistic Expression' when she has four rings in her nose? Is it 'Artistic Expression' when she has tattoos all over her? Tell me, is it 'Artistic Expression' when she joins one of those Flying Motorcycle Gangs? Huh? Huh? Penelope, tell me that?"
"Calm down!" Penelope near yelled "That's why I'm the Minister of Magic. I'll never know why you wouldn't take the job, Mr. Weasley."
"Oh, I'm more than happy in the Department of Misuse of Muggle Artefacts. That's where I work, don't I, Molly? Can't ever remember, I'm getting old." Mr. Weasley laughed.
"Dad," Phoebe turned to Percy. "Seriously, I won't have four nose rings, I'll have five or three if it makes you happy. And I only really want a big tattoo that with a lion eating a Quaffed that says "Gryffindor Phoebe Weasley" or maybe one with an Aardvark…"
"No you won't. Penelope, tell her she won't? What's next? She'll be listening to those Punk Bands… the Tamones, the Flex Pistols, the Stash… all wizards that started out like her. Nice Wizarding families, then they learn spells to dye their hair and look at them now. Phoebe will have a tongue ring before we know it."
"Tongue ring? Honestly, dad, I'd never get one of those, a lip ring maybe…"
"Penny! Make her stop it!" Percy screamed as if she were a monster or something.
"Did we hear 'punks'?" a voice and some snickering from the front door sounded.
Fred and George Weasley ran into the room and practically helped Phoebe, attack her father.
"How's are favourite brother?" George asked.
"And Percy?" Fred added.
"Hullo, Hermione, spiffing to see you, so sorry." George nudged Fred to turn around and greet her.
"Err.. Thanks. Hello. Okay, since you're all here, I'd like to personally invite you all to the funeral. Since my parents died you've all been my second family. So than-"
"WEASLEYS!" the door burst open and Harry Potter himself panted in. "I'm back! Hermione! Ron! Hey, all of the Weasleys are here."
"Yes," Fred replied putting his arms around his twin and niece. "We're a family-family."
"Uh.. Okay, anyways. First off, Hermione, I'm terribly sorry about Connor, and why I'm here." He took a deep breath and finished. "Voldemort's dead." The whole family flinched at the mention of his name. "Didn't you hear? He's gone! It's all over!"
"So you're back? Forever?" Ginny asked, who had been sitting quietly in a chair in the corner throughout the whole conversation.
"Yes! I am." He replied. He looked as famished as excited and fainted in the centre of the room.
"Oh dear," Mrs. Weasley cried. "Ginny, go get Lockhart's Amazing Healing Potion for me. It should be in the kitchen, top shelve."
"Okay, mum."
As soon as Harry was revived, Hermione bid them Farwell and Ron walked her to the door.
"Thanks for having me over there for the last week." He hugged her good bye.
"Well, remember what I told you when you left for France. You can come by my house anytime you like. You have the spell don't you? Because if you forget it, Aholomara won't work, I programmed it that way, okay? Come anytime of day, remember that. I'm always there. Or at work, of course." She told him.
[A/N- you were wondering why he just came into her house and stayed over, now you know. If you were also wondering, here's the answer to the divorce thing, sometime soon…]
"One question before you leave. What were you talking about? You said you got in a really big fight."
"Oh, that." Hermione said shortly. "Well, Connor didn't tell me he was leaving for Germany. We got in a big fight about it, because he was working late one night and an owl came telling him some important things he needed on his trip. When he came back I exploded and we got in such a fight…."
"Oh. Well, I'm sorry and I'll see you at the funeral, I suppose."
The day of the funeral started out scorching. There was a large turn out of Ministry workers, Aurors, Weasleys, Daily's and old friends. Mid-way through the funeral, it began to sprinkle, and then full out stormed. Ron offered Hermione an umbrella but she refused.
She was wearing lovely black satin robes, which were presently being soaked in the water. Holding back tears, Hermione didn't want to flood the Cemetery like the rain was.
Turning around, she saw Ginny and Harry under a large red umbrella and Ron walking beside them under a smaller black one. Ginny's purple robes were sagging on the ground, and getting them very wet, but she didn't seem to care, being next to Harry and his usual messy hair.
Hermione sighed and went on walking.
Three Years Later
"Ron seriously," Hermione read out loud what she was writing. "Do you really think that French guys is Napoleon? He must be a nutter, in the words of you. At least he's a good Chaser. Well, I've got to go to work at the Ministry, see you." She took her quill and signed it, "Hermione".
She put the letter in an envelope and put it in her owl, Jesse's mouth. "Send that to Ron, okay? I'm sorry, but he is moving back to England. Unless you've been opening my mail, the Cannons sent him an owl saying they want him on their team. So he's finally playing professional. It's not reserve, either. I'm so happy for him."
'Dear Hermione,
I'm coming back on Thursday. You should've seen Pierre, he's the Captain for the French team, and he was fuming. I can't believe it; I'm playing for the Cannons. Take that Viktor Krum! Ha! I'm just kidding I got over that ages ago. Or did I? No, really. The glory days are coming back for the Cannons. You're so getting Season Passes; I can't let you miss a game. You've been a workaholic since I lost saw you. I'm finally leaving the Quafflepunchers! I was so sick of those pink robes, too girly if you ask me. Yeah, Jacque is mad. He likes the robes, too. Must tell you something.
Ta!
Ron'
"I love getting letters from him." Hermione told her dog, Ignatius. He was a lovely reddish orange colour that reminded her vividly of Ron. "He's so funny. How he says stuff."
Ignatius barked and Crookshanks jumped on the couch next to Hermione.
"Well, I've got to go to the Ministry." She got up and walked to her room. Jabberwocky, her pet parrot hummed happily "I Want to Hold Your Hand".
"Squawk! Workaholic! Squawk!"
"Am not." Hermione snapped. She grabbed her bag and ran down the hall.
She opened the door and let out a scream.
"I'm sorry, did I say Thursday?" Ron asked.