Just A Short Trip
Fred frowned at his brother's friend. "He went out." George helped her up off the floor. "Yeah. With Gin." Hermione groaned in frustration. She had gone through a lot to get her parents to approve of this trip to the Burrow. They didn't like her using the Floo Network alone. "When are they going to be back?" "Any minute now. They've been gone for an hour." Fred smiled at his twin before adding, "Whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait a minute." She growled in frustration. "It's very important." Fred nodded solemnly. "I'm sure." He dug in his pocket for a moment. He grinned as he pulled a candy out. "Want one?" George grabbed it out of Fred's hand. "Ron will kill us. Besides we promised we'd never test on Hermione." Hermione frowned in confusion. "Promised who?" "Our mysterious benefactor." The twins replied in unison. "Our secret partner." "Secret partner?" Fred left the room with George behind him. "Secret partner." Hermione smiled and sat down on the ratty couch and crossed her legs. She had come here in a hurry hoping that her swing would carry her through explaining everything to Ron. She didn't like that she had to tell him, but at least this way, he wouldn't say something horrible to Harry and regret it later. "Where do you want the bags?" Ginny came rushing into the small living room. "She'll find." the redhead stopped dead at seeing Hermione. "Hermione!" Ron followed her shout and smiled at his friend. "Not that I'm sorry to see you, but what are you doing here? You weren't supposed to come until next week." Ginny snorted in disgust at her brother's attempt at being suave. "Nice try, Ron." Hermione motioned to the couch seats next to her. "As the Americans say. cop a squat. We need to talk." Ron frowned. "Is Harry okay? Did he get hurt?" Ginny sat down next to Hermione and waited for her to answer. "Harry's fine. He's better than he's ever been. Haven't you been reading the Daily Prophet?" "Ron? Read?" Ginny giggled. He glared down at his sister and put his hands on his hips. "What's going on?" Hermione took a deep breath. "Sirius has been cleared." The two Weasleys were struck dumb for a moment. Then Ginny began pestering Hermione with questions. "What happened? Did they catch Peter? Who." Ron held up his hand and silenced his sister. He kneeled in front of Hermione and looked into her eyes. "How?" She blinked quickly. "There was a witness that knew he wasn't the Secret Keeper. The Ministry allowed the testimony, and Sirius was cleared." Ginny was in awe. "When? And where in the bloody hell was this witness before?" "Harry wrote me last night. It sounded like the Ministry had kept this quiet for a few days before they told the Prophet." Hermione saw the tears forming in Ron's eyes. "Ron? What's wrong?" "He's really free?" Hermione simply nodded. Ron bit his lip lightly and then dropped his head into Hermione's lap. He started shaking. "Ron!" Hermione looked at Ginny in shock. "Ron?" His sister whispered as she began rubbing his back. Ron finally looked up and looked at Hermione. "This is for real?" "Absolutely." She let her hand cup Ron's cheek. "Ron? Why are you crying? This is a good thing." "I know." Ron answered. He closed his eyes and sniffed quickly. "This would have happened a long time ago if I had been able to catch P. Pe." Hermione pulled Ron's face up so that he had to look into her eyes. "Peter is NOT your fault, Ron. Sirius would be angry that you thought it was. You know that." Ron nodded slowly. "That's not all of it, is it?" Hermione smiled. "No. There's more. A lot more."
Fred frowned at his brother's friend. "He went out." George helped her up off the floor. "Yeah. With Gin." Hermione groaned in frustration. She had gone through a lot to get her parents to approve of this trip to the Burrow. They didn't like her using the Floo Network alone. "When are they going to be back?" "Any minute now. They've been gone for an hour." Fred smiled at his twin before adding, "Whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait a minute." She growled in frustration. "It's very important." Fred nodded solemnly. "I'm sure." He dug in his pocket for a moment. He grinned as he pulled a candy out. "Want one?" George grabbed it out of Fred's hand. "Ron will kill us. Besides we promised we'd never test on Hermione." Hermione frowned in confusion. "Promised who?" "Our mysterious benefactor." The twins replied in unison. "Our secret partner." "Secret partner?" Fred left the room with George behind him. "Secret partner." Hermione smiled and sat down on the ratty couch and crossed her legs. She had come here in a hurry hoping that her swing would carry her through explaining everything to Ron. She didn't like that she had to tell him, but at least this way, he wouldn't say something horrible to Harry and regret it later. "Where do you want the bags?" Ginny came rushing into the small living room. "She'll find." the redhead stopped dead at seeing Hermione. "Hermione!" Ron followed her shout and smiled at his friend. "Not that I'm sorry to see you, but what are you doing here? You weren't supposed to come until next week." Ginny snorted in disgust at her brother's attempt at being suave. "Nice try, Ron." Hermione motioned to the couch seats next to her. "As the Americans say. cop a squat. We need to talk." Ron frowned. "Is Harry okay? Did he get hurt?" Ginny sat down next to Hermione and waited for her to answer. "Harry's fine. He's better than he's ever been. Haven't you been reading the Daily Prophet?" "Ron? Read?" Ginny giggled. He glared down at his sister and put his hands on his hips. "What's going on?" Hermione took a deep breath. "Sirius has been cleared." The two Weasleys were struck dumb for a moment. Then Ginny began pestering Hermione with questions. "What happened? Did they catch Peter? Who." Ron held up his hand and silenced his sister. He kneeled in front of Hermione and looked into her eyes. "How?" She blinked quickly. "There was a witness that knew he wasn't the Secret Keeper. The Ministry allowed the testimony, and Sirius was cleared." Ginny was in awe. "When? And where in the bloody hell was this witness before?" "Harry wrote me last night. It sounded like the Ministry had kept this quiet for a few days before they told the Prophet." Hermione saw the tears forming in Ron's eyes. "Ron? What's wrong?" "He's really free?" Hermione simply nodded. Ron bit his lip lightly and then dropped his head into Hermione's lap. He started shaking. "Ron!" Hermione looked at Ginny in shock. "Ron?" His sister whispered as she began rubbing his back. Ron finally looked up and looked at Hermione. "This is for real?" "Absolutely." She let her hand cup Ron's cheek. "Ron? Why are you crying? This is a good thing." "I know." Ron answered. He closed his eyes and sniffed quickly. "This would have happened a long time ago if I had been able to catch P. Pe." Hermione pulled Ron's face up so that he had to look into her eyes. "Peter is NOT your fault, Ron. Sirius would be angry that you thought it was. You know that." Ron nodded slowly. "That's not all of it, is it?" Hermione smiled. "No. There's more. A lot more."
