Chapter 15: Hermione's Letter
When they awoke it was seven o'clock the next morning. Harry woke first to find Ron's bed empty. Ron walked out of the bathroom fully dressed and holding a magazine. Harry raised his eyebrows. "Don't worry Harry. It's just the Daily Prophet!" Ron grinned sheepishly. "Let's get some breakfast."
When the two boys walked into the kitchen, everyone was already there. Hagrid had left the last night and once again the house was only filled with the Weasleys, Harry, Hermione, Lupin, and Tonks. Lupin was eating some toast and reading the Prophet as well. Tonks was staring at her plate. Mrs. Weasley was waving her wand around filling glasses with pumpkin juice. She smiled hugely when Harry and Ron walked in and she threw her arms around both of them. "Oh I'm just so relieved you both are okay!" she said. "Mum, bloody hell!" Ron pushed her away and plopped down into a chair next to Bill Weasley. Ron grinned and playfully pushed him. "Ow! Hey! Watch it!" Bill touched his left arm and smiled. Ron grabbed some food from every plate and began scarfing it down quickly. Fred looked up from his breakfast at Hermione. "Hey Hermione, could I talk to you for a minute?" Fred pushed his chair back and stood up. Ron froze with two full pieces of bacon stuffed in his mouth. He stared at Hermione who nodded and stood up as well. Ron swallowed and coughed. Hermione looked at him and shook her head. "Don't start," she said sternly. Ron looked at Harry who shrugged and drank some juice.
"Look I know you're with Ron and everything." Fred started. "Fred, this just." Hermione interrupted. "No! Let me finish!" Fred said quickly. "Look I know it isn't going to work with us. That's fine with me! I just don't want it to be weird anymore, okay?" Hermione smiled widely and hugged him. "Yes! I don't either!" she took a step back and with a loud CRACK! George stood beside them. He had a huge grin on his face. Hermione stared at him suspiciously. "What have you done?" she asked putting her hands on her hips. Fred laughed. "Did you really do it?" he asked. "Naturally. Just wait for it," he laughed and they slapped palms. With two loud CRACKS! They were gone. Hermione shook her head and smiled.
Hermione walked back into the kitchen. Mr. Weasley was admiring some new plugs Dumbledore had humorously brought him. Everyone was seated around the table except for Fred and George. She sat next to Ron and squeezed his hand. He raised his eyebrows at her and she just smiled. "We've agreed to help Tonks talk and tell stories to Professor Lupin so that his memory may return. Fortunately it isn't as bad as Lockhart's was. We think that because he remembers stories and people when told to him, we can bring back his memory by the time school starts again," Harry told Hermione. Hermione nodded and looked at Lupin. He smiled, a little confused. Ginny stared across the table at Harry. He caught her look and she smiled and looked away. Soon after she stood up and left. Harry, Ron, and Hermione also left the kitchen.
The three of them walked down the hallway when there was a loud screaming coming from Hermione and Ginny's room. Hermione already knew something was going to happen. The three of them rushed down the hallway, up the stairs, and burst into the room. Ginny stood by the bathroom door looking absolutely terrified. Harry pulled out his wand and walked cautiously toward her. There, on the floor, crawled a very large tarantula. Ron and Hermione walked up behind Harry and Ron jumped back into Hermione. She clutched his shoulders. "I knew Fred's solemn attitude wouldn't last forever," Ginny gritted her teeth and Harry shouted 'Reducio' and waved his hand. The spider shrunk to normal size and Harry squashed it with his foot. Fred and George's laughter was heard from outside the door. Ginny opened it and smacked them both upside the head.
SMACK! Hermione turned her head to the bedroom window. There, outside the window, was Errol, The Weasley's family owl. Hermione rushed over and opened the window. The old owl flew in and landed on the bed. It was carrying a note addressed to Hermione. "It's for me!" she exclaimed, surprised. Harry, Ron, Ginny, Fred, and George surrounded her next to the bed.
Dear Herm-own-ninny,
I have been thinking of you for many months.
I will be in England for the next two months with the Quidditch team.
I hope that I can see you while I am visiting.
I have understanding that Hogwarts starts school in two weeks.
I will come and visit you.
Love Always For You,
Viktor Krum
Ron stared at the letter open-mouthed. "WHAT?! You still keep in touch with that stupid Quidditch idiot?" Ron was hysterical. Hermione stared at the letter in her hand, blinking, dumbfound. What in the world am I going to tell Ron, she thought. It can't go on like this any longer.
THE END
When they awoke it was seven o'clock the next morning. Harry woke first to find Ron's bed empty. Ron walked out of the bathroom fully dressed and holding a magazine. Harry raised his eyebrows. "Don't worry Harry. It's just the Daily Prophet!" Ron grinned sheepishly. "Let's get some breakfast."
When the two boys walked into the kitchen, everyone was already there. Hagrid had left the last night and once again the house was only filled with the Weasleys, Harry, Hermione, Lupin, and Tonks. Lupin was eating some toast and reading the Prophet as well. Tonks was staring at her plate. Mrs. Weasley was waving her wand around filling glasses with pumpkin juice. She smiled hugely when Harry and Ron walked in and she threw her arms around both of them. "Oh I'm just so relieved you both are okay!" she said. "Mum, bloody hell!" Ron pushed her away and plopped down into a chair next to Bill Weasley. Ron grinned and playfully pushed him. "Ow! Hey! Watch it!" Bill touched his left arm and smiled. Ron grabbed some food from every plate and began scarfing it down quickly. Fred looked up from his breakfast at Hermione. "Hey Hermione, could I talk to you for a minute?" Fred pushed his chair back and stood up. Ron froze with two full pieces of bacon stuffed in his mouth. He stared at Hermione who nodded and stood up as well. Ron swallowed and coughed. Hermione looked at him and shook her head. "Don't start," she said sternly. Ron looked at Harry who shrugged and drank some juice.
"Look I know you're with Ron and everything." Fred started. "Fred, this just." Hermione interrupted. "No! Let me finish!" Fred said quickly. "Look I know it isn't going to work with us. That's fine with me! I just don't want it to be weird anymore, okay?" Hermione smiled widely and hugged him. "Yes! I don't either!" she took a step back and with a loud CRACK! George stood beside them. He had a huge grin on his face. Hermione stared at him suspiciously. "What have you done?" she asked putting her hands on her hips. Fred laughed. "Did you really do it?" he asked. "Naturally. Just wait for it," he laughed and they slapped palms. With two loud CRACKS! They were gone. Hermione shook her head and smiled.
Hermione walked back into the kitchen. Mr. Weasley was admiring some new plugs Dumbledore had humorously brought him. Everyone was seated around the table except for Fred and George. She sat next to Ron and squeezed his hand. He raised his eyebrows at her and she just smiled. "We've agreed to help Tonks talk and tell stories to Professor Lupin so that his memory may return. Fortunately it isn't as bad as Lockhart's was. We think that because he remembers stories and people when told to him, we can bring back his memory by the time school starts again," Harry told Hermione. Hermione nodded and looked at Lupin. He smiled, a little confused. Ginny stared across the table at Harry. He caught her look and she smiled and looked away. Soon after she stood up and left. Harry, Ron, and Hermione also left the kitchen.
The three of them walked down the hallway when there was a loud screaming coming from Hermione and Ginny's room. Hermione already knew something was going to happen. The three of them rushed down the hallway, up the stairs, and burst into the room. Ginny stood by the bathroom door looking absolutely terrified. Harry pulled out his wand and walked cautiously toward her. There, on the floor, crawled a very large tarantula. Ron and Hermione walked up behind Harry and Ron jumped back into Hermione. She clutched his shoulders. "I knew Fred's solemn attitude wouldn't last forever," Ginny gritted her teeth and Harry shouted 'Reducio' and waved his hand. The spider shrunk to normal size and Harry squashed it with his foot. Fred and George's laughter was heard from outside the door. Ginny opened it and smacked them both upside the head.
SMACK! Hermione turned her head to the bedroom window. There, outside the window, was Errol, The Weasley's family owl. Hermione rushed over and opened the window. The old owl flew in and landed on the bed. It was carrying a note addressed to Hermione. "It's for me!" she exclaimed, surprised. Harry, Ron, Ginny, Fred, and George surrounded her next to the bed.
Dear Herm-own-ninny,
I have been thinking of you for many months.
I will be in England for the next two months with the Quidditch team.
I hope that I can see you while I am visiting.
I have understanding that Hogwarts starts school in two weeks.
I will come and visit you.
Love Always For You,
Viktor Krum
Ron stared at the letter open-mouthed. "WHAT?! You still keep in touch with that stupid Quidditch idiot?" Ron was hysterical. Hermione stared at the letter in her hand, blinking, dumbfound. What in the world am I going to tell Ron, she thought. It can't go on like this any longer.
THE END