"What?" Hermione whispered, her eyes getting wide.
"Your father's coming home from the office soon. When he comes, we'll have to leave for the airport. We're going to try to catch an open flight there, dear," her mother told her.
"I just have to stay here alone?"
"The Weasleys would be picking you up sometime. It's not like you'd be staying here the whole time."
"Oh. Right, Mum. What happens if the Weasleys can't take me though?"
"They'll be able to. Such a nice family they are! Mrs. Weasley even said in her last postcard that she'd love for you to come over next holiday."
"I suppose you're right. They're always ready for company."
Hermione retreated back to her bedroom to check if she left anything behind that she wanted to take. To her surprise, Hedwig was sitting on top of her desk again, clutching a yellowed envelope. She hooted, a bit irritated obviously, and flew over to give it to Hermione.
She took the envelope from the bird and absentmindedly pulled a biscuit from the tin to give to her. She opened the letter while Hedwig was busy picking at the food.
"Hermione,
Mum says that's fine. Unless Hedwig goes off track, by the time you get this letter we'll be about ten minutes away. See you then!
Ron"
Ten minutes until Ron came, approximately. Hermione urged Hedwig out the window, telling her to go back to Ron's. She then rushed back down the stairs. After much tearing about, she found Mrs. Granger in the kitchen, on the phone and talking with one of the neighbors.
"Nancy, could you check on our house while we're gone? The key's right under the gray rock in the garden.No, no. You'll be able to tell.Thank you, Nancy!" Hermione's mother said into the phone.
"Mum! Ron's coming in about ten minutes and-" Hermione started to say.
Beep!
"And the Weasleys are here," she finished lamely.
With that, Hermione and her mother raced around trying to gather up things that weren't already packed. Mr. Weasley had come in to drag the trunk into their car. After a while everything was set. Hermione ran over to her mother, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and ran to the car, shouting farewells.
Hermione got into the backseat of the car, where Ron and Ginny were sitting. She squeezed in beside Ginny.
"How'd you get this car? I didn't think you'd ever be able to after that incident in our second year," she asked Mr. Weasley, half smiling, half glaring at Ron.
"Ron owled me at work about you coming over. Seeing you had no other ride, I pulled some strings and got it," Mr. Weasley explained, patting the threadbare fabric covering the seat.
"It's.nice," she commented, staring at the shabby car's interior.
Ron rolled his eyes. "It's not nearly as good as the Ford Anglia. It had much better seats, Dad."
Ginny sneered and said, "Well, then, it's a shame you had to go and wreak it in the Whomping Willow. Dad got in a lot of trouble for that, you know!"
"He wasn't the only one that got in trouble," Ron mumbled.
Hermione thought it was time to intervene. She though it was horrible that Harry and Ron had crashed the Anglia, of course, but now was not the time to talk about something like that. She was coming back to their house. Nothing was as bad as staying at a friend's house when all their family was mad.
"So what's been happening at your house?" she asked the family.
"Nothing much. Ginny got a nice broom since Dad got a raise. Fred and George still have the jokeshop. They're making quite a bit off it too. Bought me a new set of robes because I gave them a good idea for a candy," Ron told her.
"Yeah," Ginny piped up. "It's called 'Pepperup Explosion'. It goes down quite easy, but once it hits your intestines." She made erratic hand motions and a loud noise similar to a sink erupting.
Hermione didn't ask what would happen once it hit the intestines. She didn't want to know, though she thought she had a good idea of what it would be. She tried to change the subject.
"So, Ginny, you've got a broom? Are you thinking of going out for the Gryffindor team?"
Ginny shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe once another member graduates and leaves Hogwarts. But I'm not sure if I'll try out even then. Wouldn't it be strange for both Ron and me to play on the same team?"
"Maybe," Hermione agreed. Ron, on the other side of Ginny, cringed and nodded slightly.
There was a lull in the conversation for a while. It was not an uncomfortable silence for Hermione. She rather liked sitting quietly in her own thoughts for a moment, thinking of what she might do at the Burrow.
Mr. Weasley finally broke the calm. "We'll be at our house in a few minutes, everyone. Get your coats on, and when we're there we can all pitch in to get Hermione's trunk inside and help her get relaxed."
"Oh, I won't be needing help to get relaxed. Your house is so welcoming. I don't see how anyone could not be comfortable there."
Mr. Weasley beamed. "Why, thank you, Hermione. We've made do with what we have. I'm glad you like it."
The children fumbled with their coats as the car rumbled down the dirt roads. It finally pulled into the yard and came to a stop in front of the Burrow. Everyone got out. Ginny led Hermione inside while Ron and Mr. Weasley carried the trunk.
Hermione collapsed into a chair as soon as she got inside. It wasn't really that she was tired. Everything just looked so comfortable. Oh, it was good to be back.
"Your father's coming home from the office soon. When he comes, we'll have to leave for the airport. We're going to try to catch an open flight there, dear," her mother told her.
"I just have to stay here alone?"
"The Weasleys would be picking you up sometime. It's not like you'd be staying here the whole time."
"Oh. Right, Mum. What happens if the Weasleys can't take me though?"
"They'll be able to. Such a nice family they are! Mrs. Weasley even said in her last postcard that she'd love for you to come over next holiday."
"I suppose you're right. They're always ready for company."
Hermione retreated back to her bedroom to check if she left anything behind that she wanted to take. To her surprise, Hedwig was sitting on top of her desk again, clutching a yellowed envelope. She hooted, a bit irritated obviously, and flew over to give it to Hermione.
She took the envelope from the bird and absentmindedly pulled a biscuit from the tin to give to her. She opened the letter while Hedwig was busy picking at the food.
"Hermione,
Mum says that's fine. Unless Hedwig goes off track, by the time you get this letter we'll be about ten minutes away. See you then!
Ron"
Ten minutes until Ron came, approximately. Hermione urged Hedwig out the window, telling her to go back to Ron's. She then rushed back down the stairs. After much tearing about, she found Mrs. Granger in the kitchen, on the phone and talking with one of the neighbors.
"Nancy, could you check on our house while we're gone? The key's right under the gray rock in the garden.No, no. You'll be able to tell.Thank you, Nancy!" Hermione's mother said into the phone.
"Mum! Ron's coming in about ten minutes and-" Hermione started to say.
Beep!
"And the Weasleys are here," she finished lamely.
With that, Hermione and her mother raced around trying to gather up things that weren't already packed. Mr. Weasley had come in to drag the trunk into their car. After a while everything was set. Hermione ran over to her mother, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and ran to the car, shouting farewells.
Hermione got into the backseat of the car, where Ron and Ginny were sitting. She squeezed in beside Ginny.
"How'd you get this car? I didn't think you'd ever be able to after that incident in our second year," she asked Mr. Weasley, half smiling, half glaring at Ron.
"Ron owled me at work about you coming over. Seeing you had no other ride, I pulled some strings and got it," Mr. Weasley explained, patting the threadbare fabric covering the seat.
"It's.nice," she commented, staring at the shabby car's interior.
Ron rolled his eyes. "It's not nearly as good as the Ford Anglia. It had much better seats, Dad."
Ginny sneered and said, "Well, then, it's a shame you had to go and wreak it in the Whomping Willow. Dad got in a lot of trouble for that, you know!"
"He wasn't the only one that got in trouble," Ron mumbled.
Hermione thought it was time to intervene. She though it was horrible that Harry and Ron had crashed the Anglia, of course, but now was not the time to talk about something like that. She was coming back to their house. Nothing was as bad as staying at a friend's house when all their family was mad.
"So what's been happening at your house?" she asked the family.
"Nothing much. Ginny got a nice broom since Dad got a raise. Fred and George still have the jokeshop. They're making quite a bit off it too. Bought me a new set of robes because I gave them a good idea for a candy," Ron told her.
"Yeah," Ginny piped up. "It's called 'Pepperup Explosion'. It goes down quite easy, but once it hits your intestines." She made erratic hand motions and a loud noise similar to a sink erupting.
Hermione didn't ask what would happen once it hit the intestines. She didn't want to know, though she thought she had a good idea of what it would be. She tried to change the subject.
"So, Ginny, you've got a broom? Are you thinking of going out for the Gryffindor team?"
Ginny shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe once another member graduates and leaves Hogwarts. But I'm not sure if I'll try out even then. Wouldn't it be strange for both Ron and me to play on the same team?"
"Maybe," Hermione agreed. Ron, on the other side of Ginny, cringed and nodded slightly.
There was a lull in the conversation for a while. It was not an uncomfortable silence for Hermione. She rather liked sitting quietly in her own thoughts for a moment, thinking of what she might do at the Burrow.
Mr. Weasley finally broke the calm. "We'll be at our house in a few minutes, everyone. Get your coats on, and when we're there we can all pitch in to get Hermione's trunk inside and help her get relaxed."
"Oh, I won't be needing help to get relaxed. Your house is so welcoming. I don't see how anyone could not be comfortable there."
Mr. Weasley beamed. "Why, thank you, Hermione. We've made do with what we have. I'm glad you like it."
The children fumbled with their coats as the car rumbled down the dirt roads. It finally pulled into the yard and came to a stop in front of the Burrow. Everyone got out. Ginny led Hermione inside while Ron and Mr. Weasley carried the trunk.
Hermione collapsed into a chair as soon as she got inside. It wasn't really that she was tired. Everything just looked so comfortable. Oh, it was good to be back.