June 21st, Sunday

10pm

Was supposed to Apparate over to Neville's tonight, but as was walking out door Mum called out from sitting room.

"Hermione! Youre not going out tonight, are you? You just got in!"

Glanced at hand on door knob and decided it would be best to owl an apology to Neville later than suffer the wrath of a guilt trip (in fact, had optimistically hoped could nod yes to one or two things and sneak out the back but found that this was not the case).

Mum was sitting in the living room wearing one of her renowned pastel two piece sets with her legs crossed and her thin lips in an odd smile.

"Come sit." She had said, patting the cushion next to her on the couch. Dad must have been out. Sat down awkwardly trying to cross legs and manage perfect posture in manner of her, but failed miserably so settled for an ungraceful spread legged sprawl immediately causing Mother to look the other direction as if it was the most hideous thing she had ever seen.

Awkward silence. "So how have you been?"

Immediately realized Dad must be at the pub or preoccupying himself somewhere else outside the immediate vicinity of the house as she was succumbing to meddling in my life. Mum is not a rare social creature who finds busying herself with others' lives far more important than food, water, or oxygen. Without the social interaction and the ability to do such, she would most certainly shrivel up and die. In fact, this is why I am so prone to books. Found very early on in life that was much easier to feign interest in reading (before being actually literate) in order to avoid such interactions with mother and before long, found distraction method quite enjoyable. Thus, 'bookworm' was tattooed on my forehead for all to see.

Mum looked at me expectantly. "So, how have you been? Well?" She repeated.

Nodded yes. Obviously was not enough to sustain her until next opportunity to meddle so she proceeded to ask, "How was your football thing?"

"Quidditch?"

"What?"

"It was Quidditch, not football. There were men on brooms, no running involved."

Mum flinched slightly. She had never quite gotten used to the fact that there was this entire world hidden from her. Being an expert in gossip, she felt it was highly unfair that she hadn't heard of the wizarding world before her daughter, the bookish daughter of two dentists none the less, received a letter of acceptance from a wizarding boarding school.

"So, there were lots of boys there?"

"I suppose."

"You are interested in boys, aren't you?"

"Mother."

"What? You can't expect me not to wonder. You associate with two very eligible young men and yet haven't been on a proper date. When I was your age…"

"Mother!"

She huffed. "So you are interested in boys?"

She had no intention of giving up anytime soon, so decided to give her a run. "No." Had said with all sincerity as grabbed her hands and held them in mine. "I was going to wait to tell you this, but" took this moment to give a dramatic sigh, "I've met someone- another witch actually. She's gorgeous and her pudding is only second to yours. We're going to move in together, get monogrammed towels and adopt a child from Nigeria."

Mum's eyes were as wide as plates before it dawned on her that I had been reeking of sarcasm. She slapped me playfully on the arm.

"Hermione! You shouldn't say such things!" She squeeled before realizing that she had voted for the Labour Party and this was very politically incorrect. "Not that there's anything wrong with that of course, I simply think-"

"I know." Had stopped her.

"You know, the girls at the salon have been asking about you."

Shivered at thought of Mum's friends sitting underneath blow driers in matching pastel two pieces subtly attempting to up each other's stories on how much better each of their lives are.

"Perhaps you could come down there sometime," she continued as she began picking at my hair, "and we could do something about this mess."

Stood up. "Stop it!" Hate people touching hair. Hate it. Noted stairs leading towards solitary confinement of room and began moving towards it slowly- so slowly in fact, that hoped she wouldn't notice until had completely disappeared.

Was half way to the stairs when she called out "Well at least promise me you'll come to the dinner party at the Prattle's on Saturday!"

Nodded eagerly. Hate Amanda Prattle and her Mum's dinner parties but considered it a small penance to pay to get out of impromptu Mother-Daughter bonding session and began running up the stairs. Will meet Neville tomorrow for a much needed drink.

June 23nd Tuesday

Noon.

Bugger. Head hurts something horrid.

After one bottle of cheap merlot and over the initial glee of explaining date with Remus, Neville and I were discussing the important things while sitting on the floor in the middle of his flat.

"No, no, no. Divination is absolute rubbish!" had declared, waving wine glass in air.

"Well, personally, I think Arithmancy and Divination are along the same lines."

"Blasphemy!"

"Honestly, what's the difference?"

"Arithmancy is based on mathematical fact, while divination requires you to interpret your future through used tea leaves." Did best impression of looking at shoe in Trelawney like voice before declaring that had seen the Grim. "Honestly!"

Neville laughed, obviously unconvinced. Thus, felt the need to prove Arithmancy's reliability. Stood up and returned with quill and spare parchment.

"Let's see, we'll start out simple… Hermione's Hair plus Blush." Scribbled frantically, taking sips and explaining process as doing so. "Right, see, my hair is a 7, just like me. No coincidence there. In fact, it means my hair is quite the scholar." Neville giggled and poured more wine, "and Brush has a social number of a 5. This is right on because a 5 indicates conflict. Thus, a 7 social number and 5 social number and very incompatible. You see?"

Neville looked at the parchment and my scribbles then up to massive creature atop head as if this had actually convinced him.

"Do another." He had said.

Had mischievous grin on face as began to scribble. "Remus is a 7. You know, 7's are very compatable."

Neville almost doubled over. "Okay Lavender, can you bring Hermione back?"

"Shut up!" Had giggled, "But that's very hopeful. Hmm." Scribbled some more. "Since our date is falling on June 24, 1998 it's a 5 just like my stupid brush. Means instability and conflict. That doesn't sound very good, does it?"

Neville shrugged, and for a lack of anything better to do to cheer me up, filled my glass. Very good friend.

"What do you think the conflict could be?" Had asked

"Maybe you're over analyzing it. Maybe by conflict it means he wants to be on top while in fact, you want to." He laughed. Love Neville. "Do another" He insisted.

"Like what?"

"Do mine."

"What's your middle name?"

"Frank."

Huffed. "That's not very original."

"Sorry it wasn't plucked from Shakespere." He said sarcastically.

Began to scribble once more.

"You're a 1. Basically a solitary unit, likes to be one his own, that sort."

He nodded. "HowcompatibleamIwithGinny" he mumbled into his glass.

Looked at him strangely, "What did you say?"

He blushed deep red, "How compatible am I with Ginny?"

Giggled hysterically before realizing how embarrassed he was. "Right- I'll get right on that."

Scribbled once more. "Ginerva Molly Weasley… "

"Ginerva? I always thought it stood for Virginia."

Looked up from parchment.

"Mhmm. That's a common misconception. But with a name like Ginerva, no wonder she goes by Ginny."

Neville nodded in agreement as handed him glass to fill up while scribbled out her social number.

"Ohh, she's a nine. Very interesting."

"Why is that?" He asked, handing back a full glass.

Took a sip, "Nine is the complete number, you know, three expressed three times. It means she's an achiever to the fullest degree and oh, gets a bit tempermental when things don't go her way." Huffed as recalled her sitting on stairs and stomping her feet, "As if that doesn't familiar. I'm telling you, Arithmancy is never wrong."

Neville didn't seem interested in such things. "So, are we compatible?"

Scribbled out the heart number and looked up at an expectant Neville.

"So?" he asked.

"Well" Had said, "I probably didn't wrong." Of course I didn't.

"So that's a big no, then?"

Nodded.

Felt badly. "Nine's are very hard to be compatible with in the romantic sense. In fact, they only get along with horrid 5's."

Neville grabbed my sheet of parchment and began scribbling before looking up somberly. "Potter's a 5."

Granted, this dampened the mood quite a bit but we compensated by finishing off yet another bottle of wine and Neville was too drunk to remember the horrid Arithmancy. For some reason, we had taken sudden interest in the lack of furnishings and decorations in his apartment.

"I should really go to Diagon Alley and buy some things, I just never find the time." He had commented.

"Nonsense!" Had declared as stood up (falling down as did so which was counterproductive) "I didn't get top marks in Charms for nothing!" Whipped out wand and began transforming his standard mini blinds. Had intended to transform them into charming, swooping velvet curtains but result was more along the lines of ravenous bunnies causing Neville and I to stand on couch as we hunched over in fits of giggles and fought off rabid creatures with our shoes and attempted to charm them away. After an hour, all of them were transformed into buttons (as was easiest transfiguration charm that we could think of) and we settled down. Realized the time was close to three in the morning and Mum would have fit if wasn't home when she woke up so was forced to take the Knight's Bus home in fear of splenching caused by drunk Apparation.

Just noticed note written on forearm "Come see me again- Stan". That little shit.

5pm

Have been so busy nursing hangover all day that almost forgot tomorrow is date with Remus. Hoorah! We're going to have a wedding and little werewolf babies as they aren't nearly as horrid as regular children. What am I going to wear? Gah!

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Horrid A/N Time:

I know at one point I updated quite regularly, but the story was put on hiatus for a bit was preoccupied procrastinating for two weeks and then making presents on Christmas Eve in horrible Martha Stewart wanna-be fashion (minus allegations and such) as well as drowning myself at every Lady's Night in the past week (which happens to be four at the four bars I can go to without being carded) and suffering the consequences of the morning after. I'm not fully satisfied with this chapter, but I wanted to include some Arithmancy and the fact that we all know its just a filler between the World Cup and the Date makes it more acceptable (I hope) but I promise I'll try to do better.

Anyway, onto the thank yous, because I know some of you horrid people come just to see if your name has been mentioned. Tsk, tsk!

Le Grimoire – sigh, I wouldn't mind starring at him either (as long as he shaved off that horrid stache)

cookiedoughicecream – you think its hard to put I's in their proper place after simply reading this junk? Try doing it after writing it? Keep finding myself writing memos and work related emails in Bridget Jones fashion.

wackoramaco87 – happy ramahanaquanzmas to you too!

SexyGod – it loves you too.

Wyntermajik – yes, the lost shoe thing was based on a personal experience. I have that $200 boot (or rather $100 dollar boot since I only have one) still in the back of my closet in hopes of finding its friend one day. I'm an optimist.

Lalie – peace and chocolate? Oh, youre too kind. Too bad I don't like chocolate too much. How about peace and starbucks?

Hermione-Granger-777 – this update is dedicated for you as I hope it is a life saving device. No, I haven't read the Georgia Nicholson series, but I'll put it on my very long list of things to-do.

cdkobasiuk – I don't have a particularly witty reply for you. I just need to declare my love. You've been a great reviewer from the beginning.

Lala182 – was there a question that she was a mary sue? You're giving me a complex.

jacksparrowspearl – you're fabulous

Lucidshard – must declare my love to you as well.

Chibi06 – you reviewed four times in the matter of an hour, so I cant very well add you under the one liners, but I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Chaos-chick3 – I thought the hag was great.

ginny3000 - then here's a reminder!

Monai – as long as youre not in high school or lower, I find that totally acceptable. In fact, I hear pulling a basic instinct in the front row during a lecture is a great way to get to know each other better.

And to the one liners or the ones I couldn't think of a decent response…

BrennaMMessed-upMadnessSugary Peach Tea, Lunnetta,