~*~ The usual disclaimer applies. I do not own 'Babylon'; David Gray does.
~*~
Friday night I'm going nowhere
All the lights are changing green to red
Turning over TV stations
Situations running through my head
Well looking back through time
You know it's clear that I've been blind
I've been a fool
To ever open up my heart
To all that jealousy, that bitterness, that ridicule Saturday I'm running wild
And all the lights are changing red to green
Moving through the crowd I'm pushing
Chemicals all rushing through my bloodstream
Only wish that you were here
You know I'm seeing it so clear
I've been afraid
To tell you how I really feel
Admit to some of those bad mistakes I've made If you want it
Come and get it
Crying out loud
The love that I was
Giving you was
Never in doubt
Let go your heart
Let go your head
And feel it now Babylon, Babylon Sunday all the lights of London
Shining, Sky is fading red to blue
I'm kicking through the Autumn leaves
And wondering where it is you might be going to
Turning back for home
You know I'm feeling so alone
I can't believe
Climbing on the stair
I turn around to see you smiling there
In front of me
If you want it
Come and get it
Crying out loud
The love that I was
Giving you was
Never in doubt
And feel it now
Let go your heart
Let go your head
And feel it now
Let go your heart
Let go your head
And feel it now
Let go your heart
Let go your head
And feel it now
Let go your heart
Let go your head
And feel it now Babylon, Babylon, Babylon "Babylon", David Gray, 'White Ladder'
Hermione slept late into the next morning only waking due to the low whine and heavy weight on her stomach courtesy of her orange fur ball of a cat. The cat stared her down as her eyes opened. Instantly a glare was given to the feline. "Off Crooks! I'm up," she snapped groggily despite the fact that Hermione Granger was normally a morning person. The cat was persistent though, and did not fall for her ploy. The high-pitched whining began again, and the frustrated human opened one eye to signify her displeasure. A groan escaped her as she rolled off the bed making sure to squash the offending feline in the process.
It was chilly in the bedroom to her bare feet as she stumbled to the bathroom. Much later she reappeared feeling much refreshed and more awake. "Merrow?" Came from Crookshanks. He was hungry and knew that his favorite human would feed him. Hermione pretended she did not hear his request and continued her search for clean clothes suitable for a long day of lounging indoors as it was raining. The gods seemed to favor rain in England. Yoga pants, a tight tank top, and a sweatshirt would do nicely; it did not matter that not one of the items matched the others. No one would see her today. She opened the bedroom door which Crooks shot like a bullet from and headed for the kitchen. The house was quiet, 'Too quiet.' She thought to herself.
The Granger kitchen was warm and cozy just the way Anna Granger wanted it. The dentists' kitchen was painted a rich yellow to accent the terra cotta floor tiles and her father's copper pots he had brought to his marriage. Smiling at her parents she thought that they were just cute that way. It was amazing to see just how in love the pair was even when in a profession with a high suicide rate. The kettle called her, so she filled it will water from the tap and placed it on the stove top. She knew her parents had stocked the fridge before they left for their anniversary trip a couple a days before. She pulled the bacon out of the freezer and slipped it into the microwave. She knew it was not the most traditional way to prepare it, but it was so much less greasy that way. Hermione was no fan of grease of any form. Cracking an egg she stirred it vigorously with a bit of milk for her scrambled eggs and poured the concoction onto a hot frying pan. Breakfast was light and delicious by anyone's standards though it was perhaps closer to lunch than a normal breakfast.
As she ate an insistent tapping was made on glass. A large, white owl Hermione recognized as Hedwig, Harry's owl, was trying to let herself into the Granger household. The latch was lifted and the owl swooped down onto the table. "What have you for me?" Hermione asked the impatient bird. "Hold on just a sec!" The pajama clad girl rushed upstairs to fetch her letters that needed to be taken to the Burrow. She untied the parcel from the delicate claw of the snowy owl and retied her own around it. "Will you take this to Ron, Harry, and Ginny for me?" Was all she asked as the owl accepted the offered bits of bacon. The bird gave her a happy nip before taking off towards the general direction of the Burrow.
Glancing at her letters she could immediately tell from the near illegible scrawl that Ron had written the first of the two. The other was from her dear friend Ginny. She sighed as she carried her tea into the living room and switched on the CD player without pausing to review its contents. The soft instrumentals preferred by her father filled the silence with an unmatched beauty. Opening the first letter it she had some trouble discerning what Ron was saying.
Hermione,
Hope you are having fun alone so far this summer. Wait! What am I saying? You have your books so you are most likely having the time of your life without Harry and me to distract you into having some fun. We can't wait to see you in July. Don't let those books rot your brains. Harry has been mooning over Ginny already. It's just disgusting really. Anyhow, have fun and we'll see you soon.
Ron and Harry
PS- Ron's just sore because Ginny knocked him off his broom during the Quidditch game we had yesterday.
Hermione,
I miss you so much. I can't wait to see you again. Things have been marvelous here. Harry is amazing! I don't even know what to write, but I am sure you don't care to hear about what I think of him again, do you? Hope your books are good enough company until I can get there to drag you off to have some fun!
Love always,
Ginny
Smiling she returned to her room and selected her reads for the day: the rest of Jane Eyre, a book on the Louvre, and Most Potente Potions. Flopping down next to the window she once again lost herself in the world of fiction as the rain fell in steady beads onto her window. Hours flew by but the girl did not move. Only two things moved in this time at all, her eyes, and the pages of her book. If one did not look properly it would appear that a lifelike statue had been erected on the Granger property for the girl's stillness. The silence was broken with an unseemly loud growl emitted from the lifelike statue. It blinked its self out of a daze before looking around to the clock. She had been reading for the better part of the day, and the light was failing. It was again time to eat.
After a satisfying dinner it was movie night. The selection was diverse ranging from her favorite eighties movie of young geniuses going to a 'special' school to a classic tale of love and loss in the war torn French territory of Morocco. That was the only way to have a movie night. She only wished that she had Harry, Ron, and Ginny to keep her company. The house was just too big for just one person.
In this way the days passed quietly for the young woman. Her boredom grew with each passing day as she waited for the time when the youngest red headed Weasley would join her in the overly large house until it was the day of arrival. Hermione had cleaned the house three times over in the days leading to June thirtieth. She sat anxiously in the kitchen waiting for the Weasleys to arrive. In her excitement she had forgotten to ask them how they would be getting to her parents house from the Burrow.
So she sat on at the cherry stained table with a mug of coffee waiting while glancing at the clock on the microwave every five minutes. Suddenly there was a loud crash coming from the next room and she rushed to see whether fight or flight was going to kick in or not. As she rounded the corner her eyes came into contact with a large back poking her parents' entertainment center. A bit of rusty red stuck out from the side of his ragged pointed hat causing Hermione to simultaneously smile and sigh.
"Good morning Mr. Weasley. How are you today?" She asked at a bright green flame flared up in the fireplace followed shortly by Miss Weasley herself. The flame haired beauty currently had a smudge of soot on her nose reminding the brunette sharply of the first time she met Ginny's older brother.
Smilingly she commented, "Soot seems fairly fond of you all. Gin, you've got some on your nose." At this Ginny vigorously rubbed her tiny nose getting rid of the grey material.
Mr. Weasley had ceased his examination of the television by this time and had joined the two girls by the couch. He was grinning like a kid in a candy store. "I had your parents' house connected to the floo network for the day. I was hesitant though since the incident with Harry's relatives, but as yours are not home I felt it would be the best thing to do. Ginny, let's get you trunk upstairs and then the two of you can catch up." The older man levitated the trunk upstairs and into the Granger's guest room. "Well, that's it I do believe. Don't forget to owl your mother or it will be my head. It was nice to see you Hermione again. I'll be back on the thirtieth to take you to the Burrow." He said to the two girls. Then to Ginny, "See you soon, Princess."
The man walked back down the stairs with the two girls leading the way. He kissed Ginny on the top of her head and told her not to get into as much trouble as the twins and was gone in a blaze of green fire. Ginny looked at Hermione. Hermione looked at Ginny. The two burst into a fit of uncontrollable giggles. "I'm so glad you're finally here!" Exclaimed the darker haired girl while fiercely hugging the red head.
"I know, I know. I have so much to tell you. Harry is amazing! I don't know how you couldn't see it, but he is. I mean, I'm glad you don't see him that way, but he's just." She trailed off.
"Well, at least someone is happy. I'm sure Ron is on his twentieth heart attack by now." She laughed. Ginny raised a delicate eyebrow, "whose saying that Ron isn't clueless?" She grinned evilly and Hermione saw it fit to bow before the mistress of subterfuge.
"Alright, let's get you unpacked and then we can get some food and catch up." Ginny led the way upstairs to the guest room. Her clothes were hung in the closet amidst fits of giggles and tales of the Weasley family antics that had occurred over the past month. Fred and George's new shop was expanding to Hogsmeade, Percy was caught with a goat in a very compromising position and quietly let go from the Ministry, and Ron and Harry had managed to degnome the garden more times than any other Weasley since Bill had been caught trying to smuggle a still into the tool house before his seventh year at Hogwarts. And Ginny herself had not gotten caught doing one thing wrong. The key word there was caught.
Downstairs in the kitchen the two began to make dinner. "This house is amazing. I wish I lived here," said the fiery haired girl as she cleaned the vegetables the muggle way. Squash, zucchini, and onions went into the frying pan along with a dash of olive oil until the vegetables were tender. Then combined with the chicken Hermione had cooked it was delightful.
The girls sat at the table for their feast in the warm, welcoming room of yellow and reds. "So how are things between you and wonder-boy?" Hermione asked before taking a large bight out of her chicken.
Ginny glared momentarily before breaking down into a mischievous grin. "Well, I'm not one to kiss and tell," the red head responded as she too started taking a chunk out of her dinner. "Speaking of which. do you have anyone in mind?"
Hermione sighed and set her fork down. "No. And honestly, who would anyone ever think of me like that?"
"Aw, Hermione," sighed Ginny, also setting down her fork. "You know that isn't true! You're nice, and smart, and beautiful-"
The brunette snorted.
"What? You are! And there's always Neville." the youngest Weasley said, trailing off.
Hermione shuddered and glanced out the window, "yes. well. Hey, it looks like one of us has mail."
"What? Oye. is mum getting worried already?"
"I don't think so." Hermione said cautiously, pulling the unfamiliar brown owl in through the window. "And the letter has a Hogwarts seal." The emerald wax was broken and Hermione read aloud.
Ms. Granger:
Something most urgent has come up, and the Headmaster needs to speak to you about the consequences of what has happened. I will be at your residence at eight o'clock sharp. Please be ready by then.
Sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Hermione gave Ginny a questioning glance, and then looked at the clock. It was seven fifty-nine. "What's going on?" She asked. Ginny started to answer, but an audible pop was heard to the right of the stove. There stood the tall, slender witch in midnight blue robes Hermione had never known he woman to wear. 'It's the summer girl. They aren't teachers the whole year round,' she mentally admonished herself.
"Ms. Granger. Ms. Weasley. I hope you have both have had a wonderful summer thus far. The Headmaster is expecting us." The stern witch said with an unusual hint of sympathy. Then to Ginny she added, "Ms. Weasley, Arthur will be along in a minute go collect you and take you back to the Burrow."
"Am I coming back tonight, Professor?" Both girls asked, but the elder woman just shook her head.
"Then I'll go change."
"No need Ms. Granger, it is summer you know. The staff do not were their teaching uniforms year round you know, so I think you are fine going as you are." The she gave a nod of acknowledgement to Ginny. "Goodbye, my dear. We'll have to take the floo."
Hermione was nervous. This was not good. She walked slowly towards the fireplace and took the floo powder from Professor McGonagall and firmly stated: "Headmaster's Office." Nervously the young woman entered the acid green flames.
Friday night I'm going nowhere
All the lights are changing green to red
Turning over TV stations
Situations running through my head
Well looking back through time
You know it's clear that I've been blind
I've been a fool
To ever open up my heart
To all that jealousy, that bitterness, that ridicule Saturday I'm running wild
And all the lights are changing red to green
Moving through the crowd I'm pushing
Chemicals all rushing through my bloodstream
Only wish that you were here
You know I'm seeing it so clear
I've been afraid
To tell you how I really feel
Admit to some of those bad mistakes I've made If you want it
Come and get it
Crying out loud
The love that I was
Giving you was
Never in doubt
Let go your heart
Let go your head
And feel it now Babylon, Babylon Sunday all the lights of London
Shining, Sky is fading red to blue
I'm kicking through the Autumn leaves
And wondering where it is you might be going to
Turning back for home
You know I'm feeling so alone
I can't believe
Climbing on the stair
I turn around to see you smiling there
In front of me
If you want it
Come and get it
Crying out loud
The love that I was
Giving you was
Never in doubt
And feel it now
Let go your heart
Let go your head
And feel it now
Let go your heart
Let go your head
And feel it now
Let go your heart
Let go your head
And feel it now
Let go your heart
Let go your head
And feel it now Babylon, Babylon, Babylon "Babylon", David Gray, 'White Ladder'
Hermione slept late into the next morning only waking due to the low whine and heavy weight on her stomach courtesy of her orange fur ball of a cat. The cat stared her down as her eyes opened. Instantly a glare was given to the feline. "Off Crooks! I'm up," she snapped groggily despite the fact that Hermione Granger was normally a morning person. The cat was persistent though, and did not fall for her ploy. The high-pitched whining began again, and the frustrated human opened one eye to signify her displeasure. A groan escaped her as she rolled off the bed making sure to squash the offending feline in the process.
It was chilly in the bedroom to her bare feet as she stumbled to the bathroom. Much later she reappeared feeling much refreshed and more awake. "Merrow?" Came from Crookshanks. He was hungry and knew that his favorite human would feed him. Hermione pretended she did not hear his request and continued her search for clean clothes suitable for a long day of lounging indoors as it was raining. The gods seemed to favor rain in England. Yoga pants, a tight tank top, and a sweatshirt would do nicely; it did not matter that not one of the items matched the others. No one would see her today. She opened the bedroom door which Crooks shot like a bullet from and headed for the kitchen. The house was quiet, 'Too quiet.' She thought to herself.
The Granger kitchen was warm and cozy just the way Anna Granger wanted it. The dentists' kitchen was painted a rich yellow to accent the terra cotta floor tiles and her father's copper pots he had brought to his marriage. Smiling at her parents she thought that they were just cute that way. It was amazing to see just how in love the pair was even when in a profession with a high suicide rate. The kettle called her, so she filled it will water from the tap and placed it on the stove top. She knew her parents had stocked the fridge before they left for their anniversary trip a couple a days before. She pulled the bacon out of the freezer and slipped it into the microwave. She knew it was not the most traditional way to prepare it, but it was so much less greasy that way. Hermione was no fan of grease of any form. Cracking an egg she stirred it vigorously with a bit of milk for her scrambled eggs and poured the concoction onto a hot frying pan. Breakfast was light and delicious by anyone's standards though it was perhaps closer to lunch than a normal breakfast.
As she ate an insistent tapping was made on glass. A large, white owl Hermione recognized as Hedwig, Harry's owl, was trying to let herself into the Granger household. The latch was lifted and the owl swooped down onto the table. "What have you for me?" Hermione asked the impatient bird. "Hold on just a sec!" The pajama clad girl rushed upstairs to fetch her letters that needed to be taken to the Burrow. She untied the parcel from the delicate claw of the snowy owl and retied her own around it. "Will you take this to Ron, Harry, and Ginny for me?" Was all she asked as the owl accepted the offered bits of bacon. The bird gave her a happy nip before taking off towards the general direction of the Burrow.
Glancing at her letters she could immediately tell from the near illegible scrawl that Ron had written the first of the two. The other was from her dear friend Ginny. She sighed as she carried her tea into the living room and switched on the CD player without pausing to review its contents. The soft instrumentals preferred by her father filled the silence with an unmatched beauty. Opening the first letter it she had some trouble discerning what Ron was saying.
Hermione,
Hope you are having fun alone so far this summer. Wait! What am I saying? You have your books so you are most likely having the time of your life without Harry and me to distract you into having some fun. We can't wait to see you in July. Don't let those books rot your brains. Harry has been mooning over Ginny already. It's just disgusting really. Anyhow, have fun and we'll see you soon.
Ron and Harry
PS- Ron's just sore because Ginny knocked him off his broom during the Quidditch game we had yesterday.
Hermione,
I miss you so much. I can't wait to see you again. Things have been marvelous here. Harry is amazing! I don't even know what to write, but I am sure you don't care to hear about what I think of him again, do you? Hope your books are good enough company until I can get there to drag you off to have some fun!
Love always,
Ginny
Smiling she returned to her room and selected her reads for the day: the rest of Jane Eyre, a book on the Louvre, and Most Potente Potions. Flopping down next to the window she once again lost herself in the world of fiction as the rain fell in steady beads onto her window. Hours flew by but the girl did not move. Only two things moved in this time at all, her eyes, and the pages of her book. If one did not look properly it would appear that a lifelike statue had been erected on the Granger property for the girl's stillness. The silence was broken with an unseemly loud growl emitted from the lifelike statue. It blinked its self out of a daze before looking around to the clock. She had been reading for the better part of the day, and the light was failing. It was again time to eat.
After a satisfying dinner it was movie night. The selection was diverse ranging from her favorite eighties movie of young geniuses going to a 'special' school to a classic tale of love and loss in the war torn French territory of Morocco. That was the only way to have a movie night. She only wished that she had Harry, Ron, and Ginny to keep her company. The house was just too big for just one person.
In this way the days passed quietly for the young woman. Her boredom grew with each passing day as she waited for the time when the youngest red headed Weasley would join her in the overly large house until it was the day of arrival. Hermione had cleaned the house three times over in the days leading to June thirtieth. She sat anxiously in the kitchen waiting for the Weasleys to arrive. In her excitement she had forgotten to ask them how they would be getting to her parents house from the Burrow.
So she sat on at the cherry stained table with a mug of coffee waiting while glancing at the clock on the microwave every five minutes. Suddenly there was a loud crash coming from the next room and she rushed to see whether fight or flight was going to kick in or not. As she rounded the corner her eyes came into contact with a large back poking her parents' entertainment center. A bit of rusty red stuck out from the side of his ragged pointed hat causing Hermione to simultaneously smile and sigh.
"Good morning Mr. Weasley. How are you today?" She asked at a bright green flame flared up in the fireplace followed shortly by Miss Weasley herself. The flame haired beauty currently had a smudge of soot on her nose reminding the brunette sharply of the first time she met Ginny's older brother.
Smilingly she commented, "Soot seems fairly fond of you all. Gin, you've got some on your nose." At this Ginny vigorously rubbed her tiny nose getting rid of the grey material.
Mr. Weasley had ceased his examination of the television by this time and had joined the two girls by the couch. He was grinning like a kid in a candy store. "I had your parents' house connected to the floo network for the day. I was hesitant though since the incident with Harry's relatives, but as yours are not home I felt it would be the best thing to do. Ginny, let's get you trunk upstairs and then the two of you can catch up." The older man levitated the trunk upstairs and into the Granger's guest room. "Well, that's it I do believe. Don't forget to owl your mother or it will be my head. It was nice to see you Hermione again. I'll be back on the thirtieth to take you to the Burrow." He said to the two girls. Then to Ginny, "See you soon, Princess."
The man walked back down the stairs with the two girls leading the way. He kissed Ginny on the top of her head and told her not to get into as much trouble as the twins and was gone in a blaze of green fire. Ginny looked at Hermione. Hermione looked at Ginny. The two burst into a fit of uncontrollable giggles. "I'm so glad you're finally here!" Exclaimed the darker haired girl while fiercely hugging the red head.
"I know, I know. I have so much to tell you. Harry is amazing! I don't know how you couldn't see it, but he is. I mean, I'm glad you don't see him that way, but he's just." She trailed off.
"Well, at least someone is happy. I'm sure Ron is on his twentieth heart attack by now." She laughed. Ginny raised a delicate eyebrow, "whose saying that Ron isn't clueless?" She grinned evilly and Hermione saw it fit to bow before the mistress of subterfuge.
"Alright, let's get you unpacked and then we can get some food and catch up." Ginny led the way upstairs to the guest room. Her clothes were hung in the closet amidst fits of giggles and tales of the Weasley family antics that had occurred over the past month. Fred and George's new shop was expanding to Hogsmeade, Percy was caught with a goat in a very compromising position and quietly let go from the Ministry, and Ron and Harry had managed to degnome the garden more times than any other Weasley since Bill had been caught trying to smuggle a still into the tool house before his seventh year at Hogwarts. And Ginny herself had not gotten caught doing one thing wrong. The key word there was caught.
Downstairs in the kitchen the two began to make dinner. "This house is amazing. I wish I lived here," said the fiery haired girl as she cleaned the vegetables the muggle way. Squash, zucchini, and onions went into the frying pan along with a dash of olive oil until the vegetables were tender. Then combined with the chicken Hermione had cooked it was delightful.
The girls sat at the table for their feast in the warm, welcoming room of yellow and reds. "So how are things between you and wonder-boy?" Hermione asked before taking a large bight out of her chicken.
Ginny glared momentarily before breaking down into a mischievous grin. "Well, I'm not one to kiss and tell," the red head responded as she too started taking a chunk out of her dinner. "Speaking of which. do you have anyone in mind?"
Hermione sighed and set her fork down. "No. And honestly, who would anyone ever think of me like that?"
"Aw, Hermione," sighed Ginny, also setting down her fork. "You know that isn't true! You're nice, and smart, and beautiful-"
The brunette snorted.
"What? You are! And there's always Neville." the youngest Weasley said, trailing off.
Hermione shuddered and glanced out the window, "yes. well. Hey, it looks like one of us has mail."
"What? Oye. is mum getting worried already?"
"I don't think so." Hermione said cautiously, pulling the unfamiliar brown owl in through the window. "And the letter has a Hogwarts seal." The emerald wax was broken and Hermione read aloud.
Ms. Granger:
Something most urgent has come up, and the Headmaster needs to speak to you about the consequences of what has happened. I will be at your residence at eight o'clock sharp. Please be ready by then.
Sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Hermione gave Ginny a questioning glance, and then looked at the clock. It was seven fifty-nine. "What's going on?" She asked. Ginny started to answer, but an audible pop was heard to the right of the stove. There stood the tall, slender witch in midnight blue robes Hermione had never known he woman to wear. 'It's the summer girl. They aren't teachers the whole year round,' she mentally admonished herself.
"Ms. Granger. Ms. Weasley. I hope you have both have had a wonderful summer thus far. The Headmaster is expecting us." The stern witch said with an unusual hint of sympathy. Then to Ginny she added, "Ms. Weasley, Arthur will be along in a minute go collect you and take you back to the Burrow."
"Am I coming back tonight, Professor?" Both girls asked, but the elder woman just shook her head.
"Then I'll go change."
"No need Ms. Granger, it is summer you know. The staff do not were their teaching uniforms year round you know, so I think you are fine going as you are." The she gave a nod of acknowledgement to Ginny. "Goodbye, my dear. We'll have to take the floo."
Hermione was nervous. This was not good. She walked slowly towards the fireplace and took the floo powder from Professor McGonagall and firmly stated: "Headmaster's Office." Nervously the young woman entered the acid green flames.