Chapter 3

Ginny Weasley apparated in front of 12 Grimmauld Place and rushed to open the front door. She had to see Harry and Ron immediately. Her news couldn't wait.

"Harry! Ron!"

"In here, Ginny" Harry called from the sitting room. "What's up?" He said when she appeared at the sitting room entrance.

"You've got to see this, Harry" she reached into her bag and took out a book. She handed it to Harry.

Harry shot Ginny a confused glance and took the book. It was titled "Spell and Charms You've Yet to Try: A Guidebook".

Ron, who had looked at the book from over Harry's shoulder, looked at Ginny "What's this about? Looks like a text book to me. Seventh year level."

Ginny rolled her eyes "Look inside and see the authors' names." She took the book from Harry and opened it "Look here, it's written by Granger and Malfoy."

"What?!?" Harry and Ron reached for the book at the same time but it was Harry who was able to snatch it from Ginny's hands. Once they've confirmed that what Ginny said was true, Harry and Ron looked at each other without saying anything for a few seconds.

"Hello, guys? Do you need a moment alone?" Ginny smirked and sat on a chair opposite the couch. She prepared herself for the outburst from the two men after the initial shock wore off.

It had been seven years since anyone had heard from Hermione Granger. She had disappeared from the Wizarding World soon after the first year anniversary of Voldemort's Defeat, and no one knew why and where she had gone. For a few months after her disappearance, Harry and Ron were convinced that she was taken by the remaining Death Eaters as revenge for their defeat. But Dumbledore and McGonogall put a stop to those rumours and theories by announcing that Hermione's disappearance was voluntary and that she had kept in touch with the two of them. They further said that Hermione had specifically requested not to be contacted by anyone in the Wizarding World because she wanted to lead a quiet life as a Muggle. The Wizarding World mourned the loss of the young witch, knowing full well that she was the smartest witch who had ever graduated from Hogwarts since Minerva McGonogall.

For Harry, Ron and their friends, the loss was more personal. They never understood why Hermione would disappear just like that, why should would leave them all behind. While they understood that the public life they all had lived in the aftermath of the war took its toll on her more than anyone else because she was, by nature, a very private and introspective person, they couldn't grasp why she would sever all ties with the Wizarding World and her friends.

Ginny looked at the two men in front of her with a small smile. They had grown so much in the past seven years. At twenty-five years old, Harry and Ron were among the top Aurors in Britain, their reputations reaching beyond the country to Wizarding communities in France, Bulgaria, the United States of America, Australia, Latin America and Asia. They had managed to continue working as partners, playing to each other's strengths. They worked in all their assignments in tandem, sometimes with other Aurors, but still constantly together. They were allowed that privilege because the entire Wizarding world knew that it was this tandem that led to the end of Voldemort's Reign of Terror. Of course, what the Wizarding World had always failed to remember was that their beloved tandem was incomplete. The tandem was missing a very important piece: Hermione Granger, The Brains of the Operation.

Ginny had tried to fill in the gap and in most cases, she succeeded. She had trained to be an Auror herself, joining Harry and Ron in their operations and adventures. She had been able to take over some of Hermione's roles in the trio, but never completely. There were moments when she would be working with them and one of the two, more often than not, Harry, would say something like "What would Hermione say? What would she do? How would she deal with this?". Everytime that would happen, Harry would get a sad, faraway look and all the brightness of his brilliant green eyes would dim. Everytime that would happen, a corner of Ginny Weasley's heart would crack a little bit more.

When she saw the book at Flourish and Blotts, she hesitated for a moment and entertained the thought of not telling Harry and Ron about it. They had never been avid readers and the chances of them running across that book were close to nil. The implications on her place in their "trio" flashed before her mind and she almost put the book back on the shelf. Proof and reminder of Hermione's existence, the chance that she was back in the Wizarding World, could potentially undermine everything that Ginny Weasley had worked for for the past seven years: an important place in the trio and in Harry's life.

A part of her had always envied Hermione Granger for who she was to Harry Potter: best friend, confidante, most trusted ally, the girl constantly by his side. But it had always been difficult to sustain that ill-feeling towards Hermione because she had become Ginny's own friend and confidante in a way that Harry and her own brother, Ron had never been. It was Hermione who sought Ginny out after her abduction to the Chamber of Secrets, Hermione who had talked to Ginny about that traumatic experience, and who had eventually convinced Ginny to forgive herself for it. Remembering that made Ginny buy the book, apparate to 12 Grimmauld place, and rush to Harry and Ron before she changed her mind.

Harry finally found his voice, "Is this really her?" It was hard to miss the hopeful gleam in his eye. He looked like a child who was just told that Tooth Fairy really did exist, wanting to hope but knowing better than to expect.

Ron stood up from the couch and started pacing. "What I would like to know is why Malfoy's name is attached to hers."

"It doesn't matter, Ron. It doesn't matter to me if her name's attached to a Blast-Ended Skrewt. What matters is if it's really her." Harry answered back.

"I doubt it, Harry. Maybe it's another Granger. Maybe it's a sick joke. Why would anyone print a book with her name and Malfoy's name together? Besides, it doesn't say their first names. So maybe it's not them. Are you sure you didn't get this from Fred and George, Ginny?"

"I'm not as dumb as you look, Ron," Ginny scoffed. "I got it at Flourish and Blotts. The storekeeper told me that this a new Hogwarts required and certified book for seventh years."

"Hogwarts! That's it." Harry rushed to the fireplace and grabbed some Floo powder. "Professor Dumbledore, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Head Master's Room!" he shouted into the flame as he threw the Floo powder.

In a few seconds, Albus Dumbledore's wise and kind face was visible from the fireplace. "Hello, Harry. Is there something I can do for you?"

"Professor Dumbledore, I'm sorry to disturb you but Ginny just showed us a book to be used by seventh year Hogwarts students." Harry showed him the book.

"Ah yes, brilliant book. Brilliant. If we had known half the spells and charms in that book a few years ago, things would have been so much easier for everyone. Simply brilliant." Dumbledore smiled.

"Did she write it?" Harry didn't need to tell him who she was. Dumbledore was quite aware that for the longest time, she to Harry Potter always referred to Hermione Granger.

"Yes, Hermione Granger co-wrote that book."

"So she's back?"

"Well, Harry, she never completely left. She's been working on that book for a few years now, conducting research, testing, patenting and eventually drafting the text." Dumbledore explained.

Ron finally spoke up "And Malfoy? Which Malfoy is this?"

"Why the only Malfoy left, Ron. Draco." Dumbledore nodded to Ron.

"How could she have co-written this with him?" Ron exclaimed.

"Oh from what they have told me, they managed to work on the book quite amiably, Ron. You will recall that they were two of the best Head Boys and Girls in Hogwarts history, they had managed to overcome their differences then to do a brilliant job in your seventh year. Draco has worked with Hermione from beginning to end of this book, putting in equal work."

Harry had gone quiet, staring at the flame but not really seeing anything. Malfoy? She disappears from my life, from all her friends and yet Malfoy has been in touch with her enough to co-write a book with her? She refused to see any of her friends but was willing to work amiably with Malfoy?

Dumbledore spoke again. This time in a gentler and kinder voice "I know this must come as shocking news to you, Harry, Ron and Ginny. And the perhaps you are disappointed with Hermione for doing this, but I urge you to widen your understanding. Hermione's reasons for leaving the Wizarding World are personal and valid as are Draco's reasons. She is not in danger with him as he has proven time and again that no matter how his father tried to raise him to be as spiteful and cruel as he is, Draco has grown up to be a disappointment to Lucius Malfoy -- much to Draco's joy."

Ginny voiced what the two young men had no courage to express "Professor, are Hermione and Draco...? Well, are they together? Married? Ummm... romantically involved?"

"The true nature of their relationship is no one's business other than Hermione's and Draco's, Ginny, but let me assure you that they are not married. As far as I can tell from my meetings with them, Hermione and Draco are good friends. If they become more than that remains to be seen."

"Is there a way to reach her, Professor?" Harry finally spoke up again, snapping out of his thoughts.

"I'm afraid not, Harry. Ms. Granger still wishes to keep her privacy from the Wizarding World. I am sorry, Harry. I know you miss her more than anyone else can ever say but you will have to respect her wishes. I am hopeful that Ms. Granger would eventually come out of hiding and face her friends once more. But until then, I cannot tell you where she is and how to reach her."

Harry had nothing else left to say. He thanked Dumbledore for his time and slouched back into the couch when Dumbledore's face disappeared from the fireplace. He remained quiet for a long time with Ron pacing to and fro in front of the fireplace and Ginny watching him with worried eyes.

"Harry?" Ginny sat beside him and touched his arm.

"I'm fine, Ginny. Thank you. Don't worry about me. Just a little shocked, that's all."

"I'm sorry, Harry. Maybe I shouldn't have showed you the book after all."

"No, Ginny, you did the right thing. It's good to know that she's doing fine, that she's the same witch we all know and love. Thank you for that" Harry said. It just hurts that she doesn't seem to know and love anything about us anymore. That she doesn't want to know and love ME.

Ginny wanted to say more, to confront Harry because she knew that he was giving her pat answers, not really revealing or expressing any of his real feelings and thoughts. If she were Hermione Granger, she would have forced Harry to voice out his feelings even at the risk of him shouting at her and not talking to her for a long time. If she were Hermione Granger, she would have been secure enough as his friend to risk his bursts of temper and his harsh words. But she wasn't Hermione Granger. She was Ginny Weasley. Just Ginny Weasley. So she did the best she could and stood up to make tea.