BREAK
Chapter 3
When Hermione woke, for a moment she was disoriented. Then, memory returned with the sound of Molly's voice drifting up the stairs and saying, "Ron! No, before you get involved with anything else, I want you to degnome the garden. It's been ages since it got done properly, one bit my ankle when I went outside to let Crookshanks back in, " and Ron complaining about it. She looked around her room...it was -her- room, she remembered Mrs. Weasley saying something about it being hers until she moved out. At the time, she'd been surprised that she'd not just been put to bed in Ginny's room, but she was rather grateful now.It was nice to have her own area in which to put on a face to present to the world. She unbraided her hair, used her usual curl management charms on it, and looked in the dresser drawers for her clothes. Jeans and a t-shirt felt good, and she slid on sneakers before she glanced at herself in the mirror.
It was a Muggle mirror, since it was from her old bedroom, and it didn't talk, which was just as well. She didn't think she looked too bad, considering. Circles under her eyes, true, shadows behind them, and a drawnness to her complexion she hadn't seen since she got the flu last. But it was amazing how good a hot bath and a full night's sleep were for the emotions. A little stunned, she decided, but....really, not bad. Doable. Able to interact with others. Yes. She decided she would feel better after a cup of coffee, and went downstairs.
"Hello, dear, " said Molly. "Are you a coffee or a tea person? We have both in this house." "Coffee, please," said Hermione, and watched as a cup soared out of the cabinet and set itself down in front of her, and the coffeepot drifted over and poured her a cup. The sugar basin and cream jug hovered nearby, and she said, "Two lumps, light on the cream." and let them do their thing. Stirring her coffee, she said, "Where's Ginny?"
"Not up yet, " said Molly. "Given her way she sleeps all day, and it IS holiday. And, no, I don't mind if you finish your coffee and go up with her and don't come back for an hour or two, either. Just so you know. You two are old enough that in the muggle world you could be on your own, working...I'm not going to have a fit about that or make you sneak about. In return, I ask you to ward the room and that you keep your public displays of affection to things that won't get you in trouble at Hogwarts. Fair enough?"
"Um, yes," said Hermione, feeling shellshocked.
"Now, anything else for breakfast? I've got cinnamon rolls."
"That sounds fine," Hermione said, dazedly, and watched as one floated over on a plate and settled in front of her. The first bite drenched her chin in sugary yeasty cinnamon goodness, and she looked about for...ah, there. Let's see... she thought, and said Accio! concentrating very hard on the napkin...and, to her delight, saw it rise up and drift over into her hand.
Applause behind her startled her, and she turned in her chair to see Molly smiling at her. "You -are- very good, if you can do wandless summonings. I see no one was exaggerating."
Hermione blushed. "Well, it's my first, and it wasn't that good...."
"Good enough," said Molly, with a shrug, twitching her wand at the teapot to get it to refill her teacup. Unsurprisingly, Hermione thought, Molly took hers strong and plain. "I never could manage, and neither can nine wizards out of ten."
"Oh....well... um...thanks. I want to see if I can't get it more solid, though."
"Well, of course. A good Accio! could save your life sometime," said Molly pragmatically. "I'd love to learn the trick of it myself."
"Well, I just concentrated and...called....it, with the word at the height of the call," said Hermione.
"Hm," said Molly. She looked across the kitchen at where the cinnamon rolls sat. Her eyes narrowed in concentration, making her look much like Ron. Accio! she said, and much to her surprise the pan of rolls on the counter rose, wavered, and settled.
"Well, how about THAT!" cried Molly, joy on her face.
"See, you CAN do it!" said Hermione, delighted beyond measure with the joy that always filled her when someone understood. "Now you know you can, do it again, and hold the concentration. You don't have a wand to do it for you, so you have to hold it until the rolls get here."
"That makes sense," Molly said. She tried again. Accio! and held the concentration, face tense with the strain, as the pan rose and drifted across to the table, then released it. The pan thunked down, and she was shining with pride. "Oh, wow. This is fabulous, Hermione! But it's awfully hard work, isn't it?"
"Well, yeah, I think so. I just didn't bring my wand down this morning, and wanted a napkin for the cinnamon roll..."
"So you tried it. Fabulous. Why didn't you bring it?"
"It's in my trunk, yet. I'm not used to wearing it with Muggle stuff."
Molly nodded. "Have you tried an arm holster?"
"No... what are those like?"
"This," said Molly, and flicked her wand with another summoning spell. It fell down on the table between them, and Hermione picked it up, curiously. It looked like a hammered silver bracelet, and she couldn't see what was so special about it.
"Watch," said Molly, and she slipped it on, latching the catch. She slid her wand down slightly in her hand, so the butt end of the wand touched the bracelet, and in a quick motion it pivoted and lay flush against the inside of her forearm, butt end held by the bracelet. She raised her arm up, and let Ginny see that the silver had changed when the wand touched it, running up the shaft of the wand to hold it firmly against the wearer's arm.
"And you release the wand like this," she said, extending her arm and shaking it in the motion that Hermione was familiar with that slid your wand back down your robe sleeve. The holster released, sliding the wand down into her hand, and she showed it to Hermione triumphantly as the holster returned to being a simple bracelet.
"Now, THAT is cool," Hermione said. "Wow."
"Would you like to borrow it?" said Molly, watching the surprise break over Hermione's face. "I've not been wearing it... around here, my wand's in my hand most of the time. And as a young witch you'll need it. Here," she said. "Finish your coffee, and go wake Ginny up, and when you come down have your wand with you. I've got to go make sure Ron isn't skimping on the job." And she fastened the bracelet around Hermione's right wrist, then picked her wand up from the table, and walked out the kitchen door. For lack of anything else to do with her surprise, Hermione drained her coffee, and went to wake up Ginny.
Ginny was curled up in her bed, red hair fuzzing around her head, and facing firmly away from the window, whose thin curtains did not much block out the sunlight. Hermione looked at her, and thought that she was adorable when asleep. She pondered what to do, then kicked off her sneakers and slid in behind her. "Ginny..." she breathed in her ear, and slid her hand down over her hip and thigh in a deliberately sensuous feathering of fingers. "Wake uuuup....Ginny...."
"Mmmm," said Ginny, stretching and yawning, then rolling to face her. "Better than my alarm clock. What time is it, anyway?"
"Dunno. Daylight, and Ron was up. Your mom's got him de-gnoming the garden."
Ginny giggled, and said, "Well, I'll just let him have that delightful job all to himself. I've got more...interesting things at hand." And then she registered the sensations on her body. "You're already dressed, damn it."
"I can get naked," Hermione offered.
"Why don't you do that, then?"
Hermione laughed, and stripped off her t-shirt as her girlfriend slid out the other side of the bed and headed out for the bathroom.
* * *
When they finally came downstairs again, showered and hungry, Ron was coming in, having degnomed the garden.
"Nice to see you two can get out of bed," he grumbled.
"Oh, you're just annoyed cause you got caught to do the degnoming," returned Ginny. "I'm on holiday, I can sleep late. You could have too."
"Yeah, well, my body's not shifted off morning Potions yet," said Ron. "Hi, 'Mione. How you doing?"
"I'm okay," she said, consideringly, using her wand to summon herself another cup of coffee. "I have to sit down and do some serious thinking, though."
"Yeah, you burned your bridges pretty good, from what little you said," Ginny commented, sitting down across from her and sipping her own coffee. "Hey, Mum made cinnamon rolls, good!"
"Yeah, but it was sooooo satisfying," said Hermione, with a wicked grin.
"Hey, 'Mione, before you think too hard, there's some mail here for you. From Hogwarts," Ron said, tossing two letters to her with a grin.
"Oookay... said Hermione.
She opened the first.
Dear Hermione: By virtue of your abilities and reputation, you have been chosen as Head Girl of Hogwarts for the upcoming year. I am sure you will do the position much honor. Very Sincerely Yours, Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster
"Oooh, Hermione!" Ginny squealed, "how fabulous!"
"Congratulations, Hermione," Ron said, grinning broadly. "You're the best for the job, I agree."
"Of course, considering that I moved out, took everything I owned, and said I would change my name rather than blacken their closeminded reputation by being their daughter and a gay witch, I doubt I'll be able to afford to go next year," Hermione said. "I know it's not cheap."
"Open the other letter, " urged Ron.
Hermione sighed and opened it. And stared. And started to cry. Ginny snatched the parchement from her hand.
"Dear Miss Granger: Hogwarts prides itself on the full and complete education of the best young witches and wizards in England. As such, we have been endowed by many distinguished alumni and sponsors in order to help us complete this mission. The Hieronymus Finch Scholarship, a full scholarship that includes tuition, books, and supplies, is hereby extended to you for the next school year. Please owl us your acceptance so that arrangements can be made as soon as possible. Very Sincerely Yours, Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress
Ron and Ginny exchanged glances of happiness, and then Ron jerked his chin toward Hermione, who was still in shock.
"Take her upstairs," he said, "I'll write her acceptance." They grinned, in complete unity of purpose, and then Ginny bent to the task of getting an incoherently weeping Hermione up the stairs, while Ron tried to figure out where the desk, which got a little grumpy sometimes, had hidden the quills today. For some reason, it wasn't annoying him nearly as much as normal.
* * *
Author's Note: Is there more? What's next? Yes, there's more, and it's good stuff, but some of it too graphic for here. Meet her parents, watch her deal with crisis, and Draco makes a reappearance in all his nasty glory, as does Snape and Lucius Malfoy, all at my homepage. I may be able to edit it and get it to an R rating, but at the moment it's nowhere near there, so it won't get posted here. Go there if you're impatient. (smile)
Chapter 3
When Hermione woke, for a moment she was disoriented. Then, memory returned with the sound of Molly's voice drifting up the stairs and saying, "Ron! No, before you get involved with anything else, I want you to degnome the garden. It's been ages since it got done properly, one bit my ankle when I went outside to let Crookshanks back in, " and Ron complaining about it. She looked around her room...it was -her- room, she remembered Mrs. Weasley saying something about it being hers until she moved out. At the time, she'd been surprised that she'd not just been put to bed in Ginny's room, but she was rather grateful now.It was nice to have her own area in which to put on a face to present to the world. She unbraided her hair, used her usual curl management charms on it, and looked in the dresser drawers for her clothes. Jeans and a t-shirt felt good, and she slid on sneakers before she glanced at herself in the mirror.
It was a Muggle mirror, since it was from her old bedroom, and it didn't talk, which was just as well. She didn't think she looked too bad, considering. Circles under her eyes, true, shadows behind them, and a drawnness to her complexion she hadn't seen since she got the flu last. But it was amazing how good a hot bath and a full night's sleep were for the emotions. A little stunned, she decided, but....really, not bad. Doable. Able to interact with others. Yes. She decided she would feel better after a cup of coffee, and went downstairs.
"Hello, dear, " said Molly. "Are you a coffee or a tea person? We have both in this house." "Coffee, please," said Hermione, and watched as a cup soared out of the cabinet and set itself down in front of her, and the coffeepot drifted over and poured her a cup. The sugar basin and cream jug hovered nearby, and she said, "Two lumps, light on the cream." and let them do their thing. Stirring her coffee, she said, "Where's Ginny?"
"Not up yet, " said Molly. "Given her way she sleeps all day, and it IS holiday. And, no, I don't mind if you finish your coffee and go up with her and don't come back for an hour or two, either. Just so you know. You two are old enough that in the muggle world you could be on your own, working...I'm not going to have a fit about that or make you sneak about. In return, I ask you to ward the room and that you keep your public displays of affection to things that won't get you in trouble at Hogwarts. Fair enough?"
"Um, yes," said Hermione, feeling shellshocked.
"Now, anything else for breakfast? I've got cinnamon rolls."
"That sounds fine," Hermione said, dazedly, and watched as one floated over on a plate and settled in front of her. The first bite drenched her chin in sugary yeasty cinnamon goodness, and she looked about for...ah, there. Let's see... she thought, and said Accio! concentrating very hard on the napkin...and, to her delight, saw it rise up and drift over into her hand.
Applause behind her startled her, and she turned in her chair to see Molly smiling at her. "You -are- very good, if you can do wandless summonings. I see no one was exaggerating."
Hermione blushed. "Well, it's my first, and it wasn't that good...."
"Good enough," said Molly, with a shrug, twitching her wand at the teapot to get it to refill her teacup. Unsurprisingly, Hermione thought, Molly took hers strong and plain. "I never could manage, and neither can nine wizards out of ten."
"Oh....well... um...thanks. I want to see if I can't get it more solid, though."
"Well, of course. A good Accio! could save your life sometime," said Molly pragmatically. "I'd love to learn the trick of it myself."
"Well, I just concentrated and...called....it, with the word at the height of the call," said Hermione.
"Hm," said Molly. She looked across the kitchen at where the cinnamon rolls sat. Her eyes narrowed in concentration, making her look much like Ron. Accio! she said, and much to her surprise the pan of rolls on the counter rose, wavered, and settled.
"Well, how about THAT!" cried Molly, joy on her face.
"See, you CAN do it!" said Hermione, delighted beyond measure with the joy that always filled her when someone understood. "Now you know you can, do it again, and hold the concentration. You don't have a wand to do it for you, so you have to hold it until the rolls get here."
"That makes sense," Molly said. She tried again. Accio! and held the concentration, face tense with the strain, as the pan rose and drifted across to the table, then released it. The pan thunked down, and she was shining with pride. "Oh, wow. This is fabulous, Hermione! But it's awfully hard work, isn't it?"
"Well, yeah, I think so. I just didn't bring my wand down this morning, and wanted a napkin for the cinnamon roll..."
"So you tried it. Fabulous. Why didn't you bring it?"
"It's in my trunk, yet. I'm not used to wearing it with Muggle stuff."
Molly nodded. "Have you tried an arm holster?"
"No... what are those like?"
"This," said Molly, and flicked her wand with another summoning spell. It fell down on the table between them, and Hermione picked it up, curiously. It looked like a hammered silver bracelet, and she couldn't see what was so special about it.
"Watch," said Molly, and she slipped it on, latching the catch. She slid her wand down slightly in her hand, so the butt end of the wand touched the bracelet, and in a quick motion it pivoted and lay flush against the inside of her forearm, butt end held by the bracelet. She raised her arm up, and let Ginny see that the silver had changed when the wand touched it, running up the shaft of the wand to hold it firmly against the wearer's arm.
"And you release the wand like this," she said, extending her arm and shaking it in the motion that Hermione was familiar with that slid your wand back down your robe sleeve. The holster released, sliding the wand down into her hand, and she showed it to Hermione triumphantly as the holster returned to being a simple bracelet.
"Now, THAT is cool," Hermione said. "Wow."
"Would you like to borrow it?" said Molly, watching the surprise break over Hermione's face. "I've not been wearing it... around here, my wand's in my hand most of the time. And as a young witch you'll need it. Here," she said. "Finish your coffee, and go wake Ginny up, and when you come down have your wand with you. I've got to go make sure Ron isn't skimping on the job." And she fastened the bracelet around Hermione's right wrist, then picked her wand up from the table, and walked out the kitchen door. For lack of anything else to do with her surprise, Hermione drained her coffee, and went to wake up Ginny.
Ginny was curled up in her bed, red hair fuzzing around her head, and facing firmly away from the window, whose thin curtains did not much block out the sunlight. Hermione looked at her, and thought that she was adorable when asleep. She pondered what to do, then kicked off her sneakers and slid in behind her. "Ginny..." she breathed in her ear, and slid her hand down over her hip and thigh in a deliberately sensuous feathering of fingers. "Wake uuuup....Ginny...."
"Mmmm," said Ginny, stretching and yawning, then rolling to face her. "Better than my alarm clock. What time is it, anyway?"
"Dunno. Daylight, and Ron was up. Your mom's got him de-gnoming the garden."
Ginny giggled, and said, "Well, I'll just let him have that delightful job all to himself. I've got more...interesting things at hand." And then she registered the sensations on her body. "You're already dressed, damn it."
"I can get naked," Hermione offered.
"Why don't you do that, then?"
Hermione laughed, and stripped off her t-shirt as her girlfriend slid out the other side of the bed and headed out for the bathroom.
* * *
When they finally came downstairs again, showered and hungry, Ron was coming in, having degnomed the garden.
"Nice to see you two can get out of bed," he grumbled.
"Oh, you're just annoyed cause you got caught to do the degnoming," returned Ginny. "I'm on holiday, I can sleep late. You could have too."
"Yeah, well, my body's not shifted off morning Potions yet," said Ron. "Hi, 'Mione. How you doing?"
"I'm okay," she said, consideringly, using her wand to summon herself another cup of coffee. "I have to sit down and do some serious thinking, though."
"Yeah, you burned your bridges pretty good, from what little you said," Ginny commented, sitting down across from her and sipping her own coffee. "Hey, Mum made cinnamon rolls, good!"
"Yeah, but it was sooooo satisfying," said Hermione, with a wicked grin.
"Hey, 'Mione, before you think too hard, there's some mail here for you. From Hogwarts," Ron said, tossing two letters to her with a grin.
"Oookay... said Hermione.
She opened the first.
Dear Hermione: By virtue of your abilities and reputation, you have been chosen as Head Girl of Hogwarts for the upcoming year. I am sure you will do the position much honor. Very Sincerely Yours, Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster
"Oooh, Hermione!" Ginny squealed, "how fabulous!"
"Congratulations, Hermione," Ron said, grinning broadly. "You're the best for the job, I agree."
"Of course, considering that I moved out, took everything I owned, and said I would change my name rather than blacken their closeminded reputation by being their daughter and a gay witch, I doubt I'll be able to afford to go next year," Hermione said. "I know it's not cheap."
"Open the other letter, " urged Ron.
Hermione sighed and opened it. And stared. And started to cry. Ginny snatched the parchement from her hand.
"Dear Miss Granger: Hogwarts prides itself on the full and complete education of the best young witches and wizards in England. As such, we have been endowed by many distinguished alumni and sponsors in order to help us complete this mission. The Hieronymus Finch Scholarship, a full scholarship that includes tuition, books, and supplies, is hereby extended to you for the next school year. Please owl us your acceptance so that arrangements can be made as soon as possible. Very Sincerely Yours, Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress
Ron and Ginny exchanged glances of happiness, and then Ron jerked his chin toward Hermione, who was still in shock.
"Take her upstairs," he said, "I'll write her acceptance." They grinned, in complete unity of purpose, and then Ginny bent to the task of getting an incoherently weeping Hermione up the stairs, while Ron tried to figure out where the desk, which got a little grumpy sometimes, had hidden the quills today. For some reason, it wasn't annoying him nearly as much as normal.
* * *
Author's Note: Is there more? What's next? Yes, there's more, and it's good stuff, but some of it too graphic for here. Meet her parents, watch her deal with crisis, and Draco makes a reappearance in all his nasty glory, as does Snape and Lucius Malfoy, all at my homepage. I may be able to edit it and get it to an R rating, but at the moment it's nowhere near there, so it won't get posted here. Go there if you're impatient. (smile)