Disclaimer: Do I look like J.K. Rowling? Well…I guess you wouldn't know.

Author's Note: First I must apologize. I know it's been about two weeks since I first posted this. I was working on another fic at the same time, which I'm just about to finish up. That story was more developed so I devoted more time to that first. But I've still been thinking about this story, because I really like it. I had a sudden burst of inspiration late one night and came up with several ideas for later chapters. Anyway, I hope everyone likes this one. Thanks for being so patient.

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Hermione woke up several times during the early hours of the morning but allowed herself to go back to sleep. After all, it was summer. Besides, her subconscious was busy formulating plans for Op: B. A. and also ways of attracting Ron's attention. Finally, around ten a.m., she opened her eyes and stared around her room.

The sunlight filtering through her curtains told her it would be a nice, bright summer's day. Her eyes moved to the bookcase, where she had stacked many of her favorite reads. There were also several pictures of Ron, Harry, Ginny, and her parents. Next her eyes darted to the long mirror in the corner of her room. She pondered it for a moment, pulled back the covers, and stepped out of bed.

Hermione stood in front of the mirror, frowning at her reflection. She had never thought she was very pretty. Her hair bothered her so much, but at the same time she was somewhat fond of it…even though she didn't know why. Her eyes were that same boring brown, her nose was still ski-shaped, her lips were…well, plain.

She stared at her body now too, turning this way and that to get a good look at herself. She didn't feel very—developed—compared to some girls in her year. Hermione sighed. She didn't think she'd ever feel very secure about her physical appearance.

She walked over to her trunk, which her dad had brought upstairs the night before, and searched through it for her shampoo and soap. She found them and trudged into the bathroom, turning the shower on. She grinned at the sight of her familiar shower curtains. Sometimes it was just good to be home.

After setting the temperature just right, she hopped in and allowed the hot water to pour down on her back. Now she could have some time to think. The shower was always a great place to think.

Hermione stood stationary for a moment, thinking about how she could start loosening up a little. Then an idea came to her…a little exercise, to be exact. Oh but she couldn't. But she had done it last night…oh, what the hell. Hey, there you go!

She reached for her shampoo and then purposely dropped it. "Damn," she said out loud after it landed with a thud next to her foot. "Damn shampoo." She smiled. It was kind of fun to swear…

Once again she reached down for her shampoo and dropped it a second time, but this time accidentally. It landed on her foot painfully hard. "Bloody hell!" she gasped, bending down to rub the spot where the bottle of shampoo had fallen. Then she smiled, realizing what had just escaped from her usually clean mouth.

"I'm getting good at this," she muttered to herself.

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After Hermione had succeeded in becoming squeaky clean—except for her mouth—she went downstairs to eat some breakfast and greet her parents.

"'Morning, hun," said her mum as Hermione entered the kitchen. "What are you up to?"

"Just getting some breakfast. Do we have any Fruit Loops?"

"Hermione you know I don't buy all that sugary cereal anymore. There's other cereal in the cupboard though," came her mother's reply.

"Damn it, I was really looking forward to some Fruit Loops," Hermione said as she turned toward the cupboard.

"Did you just swear?" came her mother's rising tone.

Hermione froze with a hand halfway up to the cupboard handle. Part of the plan wasn't to swear in front of her parents! She tried to think of something else to say.

"Umm…mum…could we go shopping today?" she said as her hand grasped a box of Corn Flakes.

"I don't know, we'll see. Your dad and I might go to a party tonight."

"A party?"

"Our friend Dr. Mach just received a very prestigious award for his work in dentistry. Your father and I want to go and congratulate him," her mum answered while sipping her coffee.

"You're going to a party on my first night home?" she asked, offended.

"Oh Hermione, don't be silly. This is a great honor for Dr. Mach. We'll have the whole summer with you. And you could always come if you wanted to."

"And do what? Talk to the other dentists about new laser technology?"

"Stop with the sarcasm Hermione. You're being very unreasonable." Her mum raised an eyebrow at her. It was a trait which Hermione had inherited.

"Fine. I'll stay home and have a tea party with Crookshanks," she said sarcastically, "and you can go offer your congratulations to Dr. Block-Head. Tell him I commend him for his efforts." With a defiant look at her mother, she stormed out of the kitchen with the cereal box in her hand.

She was furious. Did her parents always have to go to their stupid dentistry parties and conventions? It was her first night home, she was their only daughter, and they were going to a party for teeth. Well, she thought bitterly, I hope the Tooth Fairy drops in and dumps the punch bowl over their heads. She laughed at the thought of her parents covered in red punch while some old man with glasses said, "Now, about this new laser technology…"

She shut the door to her room and leaned against it, plunging her hand into the cereal box. She loved her parents but in the past few years she felt she had been growing apart from them. She knew it was because of her long-distance schooling and started to feel guilty. It was just hard to relate to them sometimes. She was part of a whole other world and had built relationships with so many other people whom her parents didn't know very well.

Her mum and dad had probably delved more into their dentistry because they missed her so much when she was at school. She knew it had become a much bigger part of their lives, what with all their colleagues and their new practice and their growing number of awards. And her world had started to revolve around Hogwarts, her friends, and magic. She was just going in a different direction from her parents.

Still, it hurt to know that they wanted to go to a party rather than be in her company on her first day home from school. She sighed and crushed a corn flake in her hand. She desperately needed to talk to one of her friends and wished they would owl her so she could have some form of communication. But it was still too early to expect an owl from any of them; after all, it had been less than 24 hours since she'd seen them.

Hermione looked around her room for something to do. She could read a book, but she always read books. She could always organize her drawers…but she didn't feel like it just now. Instead, her eyes were drawn to a box on top of her bookshelf.

"Good plan," she told herself. She stood on the lowest shelf of the bookcase and brought the box down. It was dusty and dirty but she smiled at it anyway. This was her memory box. She always liked to look through it during the summer and see if there was anything she could add to it.

She sat upon the floor and took the lid off the memory box. The first thing she noticed was an old withered red rose. She smiled fondly at it. This was the rose Viktor had given her right before the Yule Ball last year. It was the first flower she had ever received from a boy.

She put it on the floor next to her and picked up the next item she saw. It was a green ticket from the Quidditch World Cup. She bit her lip as she remembered all the horror that had happened at the Cup—the Dark Mark, the Muggle-baiting, Winky's disownment. But there had been good things about the Cup as well. That's when she and Ginny had started to become good friends, and when she had accidentally grabbed Ron's hand in the woods. She blushed and put the ticket down.

The next item caused a slight intake of breath from Hermione. It was a broken bracelet she had bought the summer before third year. She had worn it that whole year, but it broke when she helped Harry rescue Sirius. She had put that bracelet in here two summers ago so she would be able to remember that confusing, yet triumphant, night. Now this bracelet made her feel miserable.

She stood up and opened her trunk. She wanted to find it before she forgot to put it in the box. Her hand closed over a metal badge with the legend: Hermione Granger, Rescue Mission. It was from that fateful night a week ago when Harry had led them to the Department of Mysteries. She had kept the badge as her tribute to Sirius.

Staring dolefully at it, she placed it tenderly in her memory box and knelt for a few seconds biting her lip. Sirius' death had upset her a lot, though not as much as Harry, but it had taught her one thing: life was too short to be worried all the time. Sirius had been a very humorous and carefree person and Hermione wanted to have that same outlook he had.

Just as she was thinking this over, she heard a tapping on her window and her heart lifted. There was only one thing that could mean. She grinned when she opened the window and saw Pig holding a letter for her in his beak. It was from Ginny.

Hermione immediately unfolded it, settled herself on her bed, and began to read the note from her best girl friend:

Hey Herm,

I know it's been less than 24 hours since I've seen you but I thought I'd write anyway. Ron and I have already started badgering Mum about when you and Harry can come. She's very concerned about Harry so I'm hoping you two will get to come to the Burrow soon. Ron and I are also worried about him, of course, but I think Ron was more anxious to see a certain someone else instead (wink, wink)

"Ginny!" Hermione laughed and her cheeks turned a light shade of pink.

Anyway, Fred and George won't stop wearing their new dragon-skin jackets. They think they are such hot stuff. The horrible thing is, I think most of the girls who got off the platform yesterday thought so too. Ron tried to try George's on yesterday when he took it off but the twins caught him and force-fed him a Canary Cream. Some of his hair is still a little bit yellow…But how are you? Hope you're enjoying your first day of summer and not reading a book or anything. Play Beauty Shop on Crookshanks if you get really bored. That's what I used to do to entertain myself...except I usually played on Ron when he was sleeping. Speaking of which...I have to go, I think I just heard Ron yell my name. He just woke up and is probably wondering why he's wearing lipstick. Write back soon and if you don't hear from me within a few days it's probably because Ron has pummeled me.

Your-darling-friend-who-is-hoping-not-to-get-pummeled-by-your-love-interest,

Ginny

Hermione laughed and tried to picture Ron wearing lipstick. He'd still be cute, she thought to herself. She walked over to her desk and started scribbling a note to Ginny, pausing now and then to munch on a corn flake or laugh about Ginny's letter to her. After about ten minutes, she had finished.

Gin-n-Tonics,

I really hope Ron isn't running around wearing lipstick right now. It kind of takes away some of the appeal. Haha anyway my morning hasn't been very good so far. The first thing Mum told me when I saw her was that she and Dad are going to another dentist party tonight. I sort of threw a fit and stormed out of the kitchen. And I didn't even get to have any Fruit Loops, which I've been craving for like nine months now. I'm just so mad at them. My first night home and they want to go chat with their smart teeth-friendly pals. I wish I was still with you and the boys. It's okay though, I have plenty to keep me occupied. I'm sort of starting a new—project—and it should be pretty interesting. I'll have to tell you about it when I see you. Let's just say I probably won't be reading too many books this summer.

Your-darling-friend-who-is-hoping-you-are-still-alive,

Hermione

Hermione folded up the letter, sealed the envelope, addressed it to Ginny, and gave it to that mad, fluttering owl (a.k.a. Pig) to take back to Ginny. She flopped down on her bed and sighed. Maybe she would go to that stupid party with her parents. After all, there was nothing better to do.

A loud rapping was heard on her door. Hermione groaned.

"I don't want to talk, Mum."

"Well I do." Her mother opened the door and entered the room. "Now, Hermione, what was that all about downstairs?"

"I told you what it was about. This is my first night home from school, and you're ditching me to go rub shoulders with other dentists. Again."

"Well I'm sorry but this is very important to your father and me! The party has been planned for several weeks now, you know," her mother said, putting her hands on her hips.

Hermione sat up and folded her arms. "Well I'm sorry but you've always known when my last day of school was."

"Don't you be a smart ass with me, young lady."

"I'm only a smart ass when the situation calls for it," Hermione said icily.

For a moment she thought her mum was going to explode. However, she only took a deep breath and took her hands off her hips.

"Hermione Jane, I don't know when you started to have this attitude problem, but you need to stop it. Your father and I are going to that party tonight. And I want you to come too."

"I don't want to come!" Hermione protested.

"Dr. Mach has a son about your age and I want you to meet him. Surely it's better than staying here with Crookshanks and the fish?"

"Fine," she said huffily. The prospect of a boy at the party made it seem somewhat more worthwhile, but unless the boy had red hair, freckles, and was her best friend it didn't make that much of a difference.

"I want you ready at seven o'clock. I have to go run some errands right now but I intend to talk about your behavior later." Her mother frowned at her and closed the door. Hermione rolled her eyes.

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I hope you liked chapter 2 everybody. Please review. This took me a while to come up with and I would really appreciate any feedback. Peace.