Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, so please don't sue!
A/N: Hey guys! Ok so I didn't get the 25 reviews...ah well...hopefully I'll get up to 30 reviews for this chapter! The romance bits are coming up really soon...juss a few more chapters! and that's when all the fun starts to happen! *grins evily, striking fingers together like the evil guy on simpons!* okay...sorry that there's no personal thank you's again...i'm sort of rushing, because I'm heading out...so yea...enjoy and don't forget to review!!!
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Throughout the months, Hermione shoved her family problems out of her mind, and continued to focus on raising her marks, and fitting as much as she could in twenty-four hours. Aside from her regular school work (which was being piled up, seeing as it was their last year) Hermione juggled meetings with the Prefects, and private meetings with Malfoy (althought those didn't go as well) and planning up-coming events, and she was still able to find time to cheer on the Gryffindor quidditch team, and just spend some quality time with Harry and Ron. It wasn't all that easy, but she welcomed the up-coming two-week Christmas holidays with open arms. Hermione had constantly keep in touch with her parents, and was overly excited to see them again. It was her last night before heading home, and she wanted to spend it with her two best friends.
"Chewy Buttercup," Hermione spoke to the portrait of the Fat Lady. It swung open, and Hermione entered her favourite room outside the Head's tower. The common room was busy with Gryffindors running around trying to find their belongings to pack, and Hermione couldn't help but giggle at how disorganised the house had become. She was sure McGonagall was fed up with everthing. She didn't see any of the two friends.
"Ginny?" Hermione asked the youngest Weasley, "Have you seen either Ron or Harry?"
"Um, I think Harry's outside walking with Hedwig and I believe I saw Ron go into his room."
Hermione thanked the girl, and headed up the stairs to the boys dorm. She knew which room was Ron's, and quitely knocked on the wooden door.
"Come in," came the muffled answer. She opened the door, to see only half of Ron's body coming out of the closet. Hermione shook her head laughing, causing Ron to come out.
"Hermione!" Ron smiled, "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I wanted to spend my last night with you and Harry, but I can see that you're busy!" Hermione laughed, pointing to the mess beside Ron's closet.
"Oh that," Ron grinned, "I couldn't find the robe that Charlie bought me."
With magic, he instantly put everthing back, and sat on the bed, patting the seat beside him. Hermione sat and looked at the handsome face of her friend.
"So, Harry's out, meaing it's just the two of us," he said slyly.
"Ronald Weasley, if I didn't know better, I would think that this was somehow arranged," Hermione smiled back. The two headed for a late lunch/dinner down in the Great Hall, then wondered the halls of the castle. They stopped at the top of the stairs and Ron intwined his fingers with Hermione's, and pulled her closer to him. She snuggled in closer, and let her head rest under his chin. They didn't speak for the longest time, neither of them knowing what to say. The enchanted staircase suddenly moved, surprising the couple, which only made them laugh. After chatting up a storm, Ron walked Hermione back to her tower, her hand still in his.
"Thank you so much Ron," Hermione whispered, turning around to face him. His bright eyes began examining Hermione's soft face; her hazel brown eyes, and the way they sparkled in the candle-lit halls, her cute round nose, which just fit perfectly on her face, and her long wavy light chocolate brown hair. She moved her hand close to his face, and tucked a piece of red hair behind his ear. The gentle touch of her skin, gave Ron goosebumps. He pulled her hand to his mouth, and softly kissed her hand, bringing her body closer and closer. His lips were so close to her, and he could smell her lovely scent lingering above him. Her head lay in his hand, and the silkiness of her hair, made him feel like he was holding a million bucks. His eyes remained open, watching her eyes slowly close, her heart beating fast against his own chest, the adreneline pumping through his own veins. His eyes closed, feeling his lips ready to brush hers.
It was all too much, too fast. Hermione pulled away quickly before his lips could touch hers.
"Goodnight Ron," she whispered, walking into her tower, leaving the confused red-head alone in the hall.
Inside, Hermione swiftly headed to her bedroom, locking the door upon entering. She leaned against the door, her heart still beating fast. She was breathing hard, she didn't know what just happened. She had hungered for that kiss for so long, and yet when it had come, she only ran. She closed her eyes, and tried to slow her breathing down. She was shaking, and she couldn't stop. All night, she kept on asking herself questions about what happened, and why she acted the way she did. It was hard for her to sleep, but finally, her heavy lids fell, as she selt peacefully.
The next morning, after over-sleeping she rushed out of bed, got ready, and heaved her trunk down to the Great Hall, where Harry and Ron already sat.
"There you are!" Harry greeted, not knowing what had happened the night before. Hermione apologized and ate fast, hoping not to be late for the carriage ride to the station. Dumbledore greeted the students, and annonced for the students that were going home, to meet in the main entrance in ten minutes. Hermione swallowed her meal whole, and jumped up from her seat. Harry and Ron, too stood up, and Harry offered to take her trunk, leaving Hermione alone with Ron. Hermione sheepishly looked down at her feet.
"Listen Hermione," Ron started off, "I'm really sorry about last night. I probably went to fast. I'm really sorry."
Hermione looked up at the genuine look upon Ron's face.
"Don't worry about it Ron," she said quietly. The two walked out of the Great Hall, where they met up with Harry.
"So Hermione, we'll see you in two weeks?" Harry asked, opening his arms for a hug. Hermione hugged him tight, then let go to face the two boys. She put on a stern face, her hands on her waist, waving a finger at them.
"Stay out of trouble you two," she warned, giving them "the look". Both wizards shot her an innocent look.
"You mean us?!" Ron wore an angelic smile. Hermione rolled her eyes playfully and giggled, throwing her arms around Ron, kissing him softly on his cheek.
"See you in two weeks!" She said waving to them as she headed out the doors.
The train ride home was lonely, as Hermione sat alone in an empty compartment near the back of the train. She already began to miss Harry and Ron, hoping that these two weeks would zoom by, and yet she wanted to stay home with her parents, and wished that the two weeks would drag by.
The long trip finally ended, and Hermione eagerly got off the train, holding Crookshanks' cage in one hand, and Desiree's cage in the other. Her trunk was already loaded into a cart, and she pushed the cart outside, in search of her parents car. She waited alone outside patiently, along with the other witches and wizards, until she was the only witch standing. It was snowing slightly, but very cold. Almost an hour and a half had already passed, and her parents car was nowhere in sight. She sighed, deciding what to do. She was old enough to Apperate, but she was in a muggle place, and it would be too risky. Yet, she could easily find a place, where no one was looking. Hermione decided on that, and steered her cart into an empty stall in the bathroom. Pulling out her wand, she apperated herself into the kitchen of her home.
"Oh honey!" Her mother let out a tiny cry, "You scared me!"
Her mother was in the middle of cooking dinner, when Hermione appeared in the kitchen. It took a few seconds before she realized what happened.
"Hermione?!" Catherine turned around surprised, "When did you get here? I didn't hear the door open!"
"Mum," Hermione started, a bit annoyed, "I just got here. I apperated from the train station."
"The train station?" Her mother was confused.
"Yes. Today was the day I'm to come home for the Christmas holidays, and you were supposed to meet me at the station to pick me up, at promptly 3pm this afternoon. I stood outside alone for nearly two hours, waiting," Hermione explained. Her mother stopped what she was doing, and spun around, looking Hermione straight in the eyes.
"No one came?" She asked. Hermione was tempted to say something, but refrained from it, knowing her mother was now in a bad mood.
"No," was all Hermione said.
"JOSEPH ALAN GRANGER!!!!!" Hermione's mother screamed at the top of her lungs. A startled Joseph entered the room, holding a client's paper in hand.
"YOU were supposed to pick up Hermione from the station!" Catherine yelled.
"ME?!?!?" Joseph's eyes were wide with surprise, "You said YOU were going to pick her up!"
"So now you expect me to order the materials for the dental office, do our taxes, pick up the girl AND have dinner on the table by 6?! What am I? Your SLAVE?! You can't even remember you pick up your own daughter!!"
"Here we go again Catherine! So now she's MY daughter, when YOU said you were going to pick her up!!"
"I was going to, until you told me to do the orders!!! Then I specifically asked you to pick up Hermione! And you said, "Sure dear, no problem," before throwing your nose back into that-that-" Hermione's mother was now red in the face, no words coming out of her mouth. Hermione heaved a sigh.
"Great," she muttered, "I'm home, and the first thing they do is fight."
She stomped out of the kitchen, making sure to drag her trunk across the tiled floor, hoping that maybe her parents would stop and yell at her instead of each other. It didn't work. She was able to make it up three flights of stairs, dragging her trunk and two animal cages, and still her parents quarreled, only this time, the subject was about Hermione's father being a workaholic, and obsessed with his own work.
Hermione slowly began to unpack her things, putting each and every item back in its respective spot in her room, trying to pass the time. She was so caught up in looking at new photos for the new school robes, she didn't even realize that the yelling and screaming had stopped. It was her and Malfoy's duty to over the new school robes for each of the houses, and pick the two best for each house, then present them to the Prefects after the break. She and Malfoy had agreed (the first time since the beginning of the school year!) to each pick a design for each house, so they would later combine their picks for the Prefects to decide. Hermione drowned herself in pages and pages of the magazine for school robes, which were given to her by Professor McGonagall, and debated with herself on which ones would be appropriate for Hogwarts, and yet comfortable for the students to wear.
Dinner that night was a bit ackward, seeing as both her parents refused to talk period. It was an eery silence. So eery that Hermione had to get up and turn on the radio to something more upbeat than the ambience of their kitchen. Hermione ate quickly, as did her mother and father, and after dinner, her father walked straight into his home office, and locked the door.
"Typical," Hermione heard her mother mutter under her breath. Hermione felt slightly bad for her mother, and stuck around to help her clean up the kitchen and wash the dishes. They didn't have a dishwasher, because Hermione's mum thought its use is only for the lazy, and she didn't want any of her family to be lazy. So Hermione washed the few dishes by hand, dried them, and put them in their rightful places in the cupboards. When the clean-up was over, Hermione's mother signalled for Hermione to follow her to the family den, downstairs in the basement. There, sprawled over the coffee table, where many tourist flyers and packages.
"What are these for?" Hermione asked curiously, picking up a tourist package about England's theatrical plays. Catherine just smiled, sitting down on the mocha coloured couch.
"It's your Christmas gift Hermione," she explained, "I was able to get a week off from work, and seeing as you're here for the holidays, I've decided that maybe you and I could spend the week travelling all over England, to see the sights. I know you love watching dramtical plays, so I've also found some plays that we could go watch. The kind of plays that you must dress up for."
Hermione's face lit up, as she absorbed in what her mother was telling her.
"Really?" She asked. Catherine nodded, "Really."
"Wait," Hermione's smile turned upside down, "What about Dad?"
Catherine wore a monotone expression, "Your father won't be joining us, seeing as one of us has to be at the office."
"Can't Dad just close down the office for a week?" Hermione asked.
"You know your father Hermione. I've already asked him to, but he refuses."
"When will we go?" Hermione changed the subject.
"We leave in a few days, on December the 23rd, and we come back January 2nd," Catherine smiled.
"So Daddy's not spending Christmas or New Year's with us again," Hermione sighed, remembering all those Christmas' and New Year's that her father missed out on, because of his work. Her mother just nodded.
"I'm sorry honey, but you understand, don't you?" Catherine pleaded.
"I guess. I mean, someone has to pay for this trip right?" Hermione tried to smile. The rest of the night, the two females picked out where they would stay for the first couple of nights, and what they would do and see. Hermione was able to forget about the fact that her father wasn't going with them, and was soon very excited about the trip.
' It'll be like an all girls trip,' Hermione convinced herself, just before she fell asleep.
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ok...so hmmmm....a vacation without her father...wonder what that'll be like...ok...review please! the more reviews i get, the more inspired i get to put up the next chapters!!!! ciao!
-Baby T
A/N: Hey guys! Ok so I didn't get the 25 reviews...ah well...hopefully I'll get up to 30 reviews for this chapter! The romance bits are coming up really soon...juss a few more chapters! and that's when all the fun starts to happen! *grins evily, striking fingers together like the evil guy on simpons!* okay...sorry that there's no personal thank you's again...i'm sort of rushing, because I'm heading out...so yea...enjoy and don't forget to review!!!
*********
Throughout the months, Hermione shoved her family problems out of her mind, and continued to focus on raising her marks, and fitting as much as she could in twenty-four hours. Aside from her regular school work (which was being piled up, seeing as it was their last year) Hermione juggled meetings with the Prefects, and private meetings with Malfoy (althought those didn't go as well) and planning up-coming events, and she was still able to find time to cheer on the Gryffindor quidditch team, and just spend some quality time with Harry and Ron. It wasn't all that easy, but she welcomed the up-coming two-week Christmas holidays with open arms. Hermione had constantly keep in touch with her parents, and was overly excited to see them again. It was her last night before heading home, and she wanted to spend it with her two best friends.
"Chewy Buttercup," Hermione spoke to the portrait of the Fat Lady. It swung open, and Hermione entered her favourite room outside the Head's tower. The common room was busy with Gryffindors running around trying to find their belongings to pack, and Hermione couldn't help but giggle at how disorganised the house had become. She was sure McGonagall was fed up with everthing. She didn't see any of the two friends.
"Ginny?" Hermione asked the youngest Weasley, "Have you seen either Ron or Harry?"
"Um, I think Harry's outside walking with Hedwig and I believe I saw Ron go into his room."
Hermione thanked the girl, and headed up the stairs to the boys dorm. She knew which room was Ron's, and quitely knocked on the wooden door.
"Come in," came the muffled answer. She opened the door, to see only half of Ron's body coming out of the closet. Hermione shook her head laughing, causing Ron to come out.
"Hermione!" Ron smiled, "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I wanted to spend my last night with you and Harry, but I can see that you're busy!" Hermione laughed, pointing to the mess beside Ron's closet.
"Oh that," Ron grinned, "I couldn't find the robe that Charlie bought me."
With magic, he instantly put everthing back, and sat on the bed, patting the seat beside him. Hermione sat and looked at the handsome face of her friend.
"So, Harry's out, meaing it's just the two of us," he said slyly.
"Ronald Weasley, if I didn't know better, I would think that this was somehow arranged," Hermione smiled back. The two headed for a late lunch/dinner down in the Great Hall, then wondered the halls of the castle. They stopped at the top of the stairs and Ron intwined his fingers with Hermione's, and pulled her closer to him. She snuggled in closer, and let her head rest under his chin. They didn't speak for the longest time, neither of them knowing what to say. The enchanted staircase suddenly moved, surprising the couple, which only made them laugh. After chatting up a storm, Ron walked Hermione back to her tower, her hand still in his.
"Thank you so much Ron," Hermione whispered, turning around to face him. His bright eyes began examining Hermione's soft face; her hazel brown eyes, and the way they sparkled in the candle-lit halls, her cute round nose, which just fit perfectly on her face, and her long wavy light chocolate brown hair. She moved her hand close to his face, and tucked a piece of red hair behind his ear. The gentle touch of her skin, gave Ron goosebumps. He pulled her hand to his mouth, and softly kissed her hand, bringing her body closer and closer. His lips were so close to her, and he could smell her lovely scent lingering above him. Her head lay in his hand, and the silkiness of her hair, made him feel like he was holding a million bucks. His eyes remained open, watching her eyes slowly close, her heart beating fast against his own chest, the adreneline pumping through his own veins. His eyes closed, feeling his lips ready to brush hers.
It was all too much, too fast. Hermione pulled away quickly before his lips could touch hers.
"Goodnight Ron," she whispered, walking into her tower, leaving the confused red-head alone in the hall.
Inside, Hermione swiftly headed to her bedroom, locking the door upon entering. She leaned against the door, her heart still beating fast. She was breathing hard, she didn't know what just happened. She had hungered for that kiss for so long, and yet when it had come, she only ran. She closed her eyes, and tried to slow her breathing down. She was shaking, and she couldn't stop. All night, she kept on asking herself questions about what happened, and why she acted the way she did. It was hard for her to sleep, but finally, her heavy lids fell, as she selt peacefully.
The next morning, after over-sleeping she rushed out of bed, got ready, and heaved her trunk down to the Great Hall, where Harry and Ron already sat.
"There you are!" Harry greeted, not knowing what had happened the night before. Hermione apologized and ate fast, hoping not to be late for the carriage ride to the station. Dumbledore greeted the students, and annonced for the students that were going home, to meet in the main entrance in ten minutes. Hermione swallowed her meal whole, and jumped up from her seat. Harry and Ron, too stood up, and Harry offered to take her trunk, leaving Hermione alone with Ron. Hermione sheepishly looked down at her feet.
"Listen Hermione," Ron started off, "I'm really sorry about last night. I probably went to fast. I'm really sorry."
Hermione looked up at the genuine look upon Ron's face.
"Don't worry about it Ron," she said quietly. The two walked out of the Great Hall, where they met up with Harry.
"So Hermione, we'll see you in two weeks?" Harry asked, opening his arms for a hug. Hermione hugged him tight, then let go to face the two boys. She put on a stern face, her hands on her waist, waving a finger at them.
"Stay out of trouble you two," she warned, giving them "the look". Both wizards shot her an innocent look.
"You mean us?!" Ron wore an angelic smile. Hermione rolled her eyes playfully and giggled, throwing her arms around Ron, kissing him softly on his cheek.
"See you in two weeks!" She said waving to them as she headed out the doors.
The train ride home was lonely, as Hermione sat alone in an empty compartment near the back of the train. She already began to miss Harry and Ron, hoping that these two weeks would zoom by, and yet she wanted to stay home with her parents, and wished that the two weeks would drag by.
The long trip finally ended, and Hermione eagerly got off the train, holding Crookshanks' cage in one hand, and Desiree's cage in the other. Her trunk was already loaded into a cart, and she pushed the cart outside, in search of her parents car. She waited alone outside patiently, along with the other witches and wizards, until she was the only witch standing. It was snowing slightly, but very cold. Almost an hour and a half had already passed, and her parents car was nowhere in sight. She sighed, deciding what to do. She was old enough to Apperate, but she was in a muggle place, and it would be too risky. Yet, she could easily find a place, where no one was looking. Hermione decided on that, and steered her cart into an empty stall in the bathroom. Pulling out her wand, she apperated herself into the kitchen of her home.
"Oh honey!" Her mother let out a tiny cry, "You scared me!"
Her mother was in the middle of cooking dinner, when Hermione appeared in the kitchen. It took a few seconds before she realized what happened.
"Hermione?!" Catherine turned around surprised, "When did you get here? I didn't hear the door open!"
"Mum," Hermione started, a bit annoyed, "I just got here. I apperated from the train station."
"The train station?" Her mother was confused.
"Yes. Today was the day I'm to come home for the Christmas holidays, and you were supposed to meet me at the station to pick me up, at promptly 3pm this afternoon. I stood outside alone for nearly two hours, waiting," Hermione explained. Her mother stopped what she was doing, and spun around, looking Hermione straight in the eyes.
"No one came?" She asked. Hermione was tempted to say something, but refrained from it, knowing her mother was now in a bad mood.
"No," was all Hermione said.
"JOSEPH ALAN GRANGER!!!!!" Hermione's mother screamed at the top of her lungs. A startled Joseph entered the room, holding a client's paper in hand.
"YOU were supposed to pick up Hermione from the station!" Catherine yelled.
"ME?!?!?" Joseph's eyes were wide with surprise, "You said YOU were going to pick her up!"
"So now you expect me to order the materials for the dental office, do our taxes, pick up the girl AND have dinner on the table by 6?! What am I? Your SLAVE?! You can't even remember you pick up your own daughter!!"
"Here we go again Catherine! So now she's MY daughter, when YOU said you were going to pick her up!!"
"I was going to, until you told me to do the orders!!! Then I specifically asked you to pick up Hermione! And you said, "Sure dear, no problem," before throwing your nose back into that-that-" Hermione's mother was now red in the face, no words coming out of her mouth. Hermione heaved a sigh.
"Great," she muttered, "I'm home, and the first thing they do is fight."
She stomped out of the kitchen, making sure to drag her trunk across the tiled floor, hoping that maybe her parents would stop and yell at her instead of each other. It didn't work. She was able to make it up three flights of stairs, dragging her trunk and two animal cages, and still her parents quarreled, only this time, the subject was about Hermione's father being a workaholic, and obsessed with his own work.
Hermione slowly began to unpack her things, putting each and every item back in its respective spot in her room, trying to pass the time. She was so caught up in looking at new photos for the new school robes, she didn't even realize that the yelling and screaming had stopped. It was her and Malfoy's duty to over the new school robes for each of the houses, and pick the two best for each house, then present them to the Prefects after the break. She and Malfoy had agreed (the first time since the beginning of the school year!) to each pick a design for each house, so they would later combine their picks for the Prefects to decide. Hermione drowned herself in pages and pages of the magazine for school robes, which were given to her by Professor McGonagall, and debated with herself on which ones would be appropriate for Hogwarts, and yet comfortable for the students to wear.
Dinner that night was a bit ackward, seeing as both her parents refused to talk period. It was an eery silence. So eery that Hermione had to get up and turn on the radio to something more upbeat than the ambience of their kitchen. Hermione ate quickly, as did her mother and father, and after dinner, her father walked straight into his home office, and locked the door.
"Typical," Hermione heard her mother mutter under her breath. Hermione felt slightly bad for her mother, and stuck around to help her clean up the kitchen and wash the dishes. They didn't have a dishwasher, because Hermione's mum thought its use is only for the lazy, and she didn't want any of her family to be lazy. So Hermione washed the few dishes by hand, dried them, and put them in their rightful places in the cupboards. When the clean-up was over, Hermione's mother signalled for Hermione to follow her to the family den, downstairs in the basement. There, sprawled over the coffee table, where many tourist flyers and packages.
"What are these for?" Hermione asked curiously, picking up a tourist package about England's theatrical plays. Catherine just smiled, sitting down on the mocha coloured couch.
"It's your Christmas gift Hermione," she explained, "I was able to get a week off from work, and seeing as you're here for the holidays, I've decided that maybe you and I could spend the week travelling all over England, to see the sights. I know you love watching dramtical plays, so I've also found some plays that we could go watch. The kind of plays that you must dress up for."
Hermione's face lit up, as she absorbed in what her mother was telling her.
"Really?" She asked. Catherine nodded, "Really."
"Wait," Hermione's smile turned upside down, "What about Dad?"
Catherine wore a monotone expression, "Your father won't be joining us, seeing as one of us has to be at the office."
"Can't Dad just close down the office for a week?" Hermione asked.
"You know your father Hermione. I've already asked him to, but he refuses."
"When will we go?" Hermione changed the subject.
"We leave in a few days, on December the 23rd, and we come back January 2nd," Catherine smiled.
"So Daddy's not spending Christmas or New Year's with us again," Hermione sighed, remembering all those Christmas' and New Year's that her father missed out on, because of his work. Her mother just nodded.
"I'm sorry honey, but you understand, don't you?" Catherine pleaded.
"I guess. I mean, someone has to pay for this trip right?" Hermione tried to smile. The rest of the night, the two females picked out where they would stay for the first couple of nights, and what they would do and see. Hermione was able to forget about the fact that her father wasn't going with them, and was soon very excited about the trip.
' It'll be like an all girls trip,' Hermione convinced herself, just before she fell asleep.
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ok...so hmmmm....a vacation without her father...wonder what that'll be like...ok...review please! the more reviews i get, the more inspired i get to put up the next chapters!!!! ciao!
-Baby T