Chapter 2: Without Being Rude

The ceremony had been beautiful, just as it was every year. She had walked nervously across the stage when the Sorting Hat had called her name as it had done on her very first night at Hogwarts to receive her witch's licence. She was now an official witch.

After being hugged and congratulated for the millionth time that day she escaped to the refreshments table, hoping to give her smile a rest. Someone had walked up and bumped into her, as if on accident.

"Well! Hermione Granger! Fancy meeting you here, how have you been after all these years," The handsome man who had bumped into her spoke.

"Hello Oliver! You're certainly taller than the last time I saw you," she laughed as she hugged him.

"Well you know, all that Quidditch practice," he joked.

"Right! Congratulations with all of that. I saw your picture in the Daily Prophet last week."

"Thanks! That's actually why I'm here."

"Oh?"

"Yeah I was hoping to get a word with Harry. I know every team in the country has tried to draft him and he says he isn't interested, but I was hoping I could fall back on our Gryffindor history."

"I don't think he wants to play professionally, but you can give it a shot. Here he comes now," Hermione said and pointed behind Wood.

Hermione woke with a start and immediately buried her head back into the pillow of her childhood bed, before realizing what had awakened her. The dream she had was not the first of its kind, but she wasn't left to dwell on it because she heard a persistent tapping at the window across the room. She looked up to see an aggravated gray owl.

She sprang from her bed and opened the window. The owl flapped into the room, landed on the desk next to it and dropped a small letter and a puddle of water. As Hermione bent to pick up the letter, the owl began scolding her for leaving it out in the rain so long. She did not recognize the young owl.

Hermione,

Hello! It's been such a long time since I saw you last. I hope you are doing well in spite of everything. I wanted to write to you sooner, but everyone told me to wait until you had had some time to yourself. My brothers and I are planning to have a small get together of our old mates from Hogwarts on the 21st. I would love it if you would come and visit me, even if you don't want to see everyone yet. Send Ermine a response and I'll get you the details. I've missed you.

Love,

Ginny

Hermione quickly scrawled a response and laughed to herself; Ginny hadn't changed a bit, always so straightforward, but kind too. She said she would love to come and gave the letter to Ermine. Perhaps this would be the help she needed to get out of her funk. It had been nearly three years since she had seen any of her friends from Hogwarts.

She got dressed and went down to help her mother with breakfast. They were getting along just fine until Hermione began to prepare breakfast in her usual fashion while her mother set the table.

"Do you have to do things like that here?" Her mother snapped.

"Like what?" Hermione asked, feeling attacked as she looked behind her at the eggs beating themselves and the spatula simultaneously flipping pancakes on the griddle, "Sorry," she spat as the tools lay themselves back onto the counter and she picked up the egg beater.

Hermione stood still for a moment before turning on her mother, "Actually, you know what mom, I'm not. I'm not sorry at all. In fact I think you should be sorry. You used to be proud of me!"

Her mother stood shocked at her daughter's outburst.

"But what's changed exactly? Ever since... Ever since..." but she couldn't bring herself to say the words and her mother rushed to her and pulled her daughter into her arms.

"I am sorry honey. For everything. I guess that the reason I liked you being a witch was that it made you happy. And ever since Oliver's accident you haven't been happy..."

"My husband died! Of course I'm not happy,"

"I know that, but for your father and our family it's too hard to hear. And so we make up excuses for why you aren't happy,"

"Being a witch is the only thing that saved me! Without it, I wouldn't have a reason to live."

"Don't say that! You have every reason to live; you've had the world at your fingertips since you were in nursery school Hermione."

"Fine, but don't blame magic for Oliver's death."

Hermione ate breakfast in silence and left as soon as she could without being rude.