Disclaimer: Everything belongs to JK Rowling, I own nothing.
AN: My apologies for taking so long in posting these chapters. It's been a hectic summer for me. I quit my job and just recently moved. I am currently unemployed and things are a bit overwhelming for me. But that's ok! I'm sure that everything will work out fine. :)
I'm not even going to bother estimating when I'll have new chapters out. If you want a more accurate idea of when I'll post again check out my live journal, I generally mention how far along I am in most of my posts. The user name there is the same as here.
Enjoy!
--
"Hermione!" Ron's shout cut through noise of the exploding cauldrons. "Look out!"
With a bob of her curly brown hair Hermione easily ducked the curse, which she had been perfectly aware of without Ron's panicked warning. Stepping quickly to the left she avoided the brilliant shot of red. Considering the color, the damage, and the fact that Goyle had always been virtually incompetent when it came to spells Hermione imagined it to be a stinging hex. A quick flick of her wrist sent her former schoolmate turned Death Eater crashing into a cauldron, which could have easily doubled as a bathtub, sending a shower of vile green liquid onto the floor in an ever-widening pool.
Ron cursed and jumped backwards as the green liquid flowed towards him, melting everything in its path. "Careful, Harry." He called as the other boy was dueling with another Death Eater and was unaware.
Hermione ducked behind a cauldron and readied her wand. Since Goyle was now unconscious, and Harry was keeping the still garbed Death Eater occupied, that only left one more still lurking in the dark, cauldron filled room.
This raid had come about thanks to Draco. He had told Hermione only a few days before about a warehouse in the middle of muggle London. A warehouse owned by none other than his father. A place he believed they were using to brew another, much larger, batch of the very same potion that nearly ended Hermione's life only nine months ago. It was only the second raid for the trio since they had become official Aurors in early June and it was proving far more dangerous than the previous one that had involved a senile old wizard with a predilection for carnivorous plants.
Hermione closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and concentrated on everything that Professor Bankotsu had taught her in the previous two years at Aylesbury. She was letting her inner eye, that vague tool of Trelawney's teaching, out to explore the darkened room in a way that she couldn't. Hermione could see the countless cauldrons bubbling away. The spilled potion, not yet at the lethal state that it had been at the Underground, was thickening as it ate at the layer of varnish atop the wood-slat floors. She could see Ron leaning over Goyle, healing the fallen Death Eater of his potion burns because they were only ever going to kill one person, and he had yet to confront them.
Pushing out even farther with her mind Hermione searched for the remaining enemy. He was there, she knew that he was; Hermione could feel him with her heightened sixth sense that her studies had given her. And then she saw him. Ducking out from behind a cauldron not far from her, his wand at the ready, he began to approach the unsuspecting Ron from behind.
Standing quickly, Hermione turned her wand onto the Death Eater. "Stupefy!" She screamed angrily, the threat to one of her best friends making her blood boil and fuel her casting.
The man slammed into another cauldron, this time tipping it completely onto its side and sending even more of the green potion streaming onto the floor.
"Damn it, Hermione!" Ron shouted at her then cast a quick levitating charm on himself and Goyle letting the torrent of poison rush underneath them unhindered.
"You're welcome!" She snapped back at him while her eyes searched for Harry.
Their black haired friend was bent over, his hands on his knees, breathing very hard. His adversary laid unconscious not far form him. Hermione rushed to his side.
"Are you all right?" She helped him straighten, her brown eyes scanning him quickly seeing cuts and abrasions all over him.
"Yes," He waved her nervous hands away from him gently, "Yes, I'm just out of breath." Harry turned his attention to Ron, "You all right there?"
Ron was scowling at Hermione, "Oh, I'll be fine as long as Hermione doesn't knock over any cauldrons!"
Rolling her eyes Hermione responded, "Fine, next time someone is going to sneak up from behind and curse you I'll just let them do it, shall I?"
Ron cast a quick glance at the prone Death Eater in question as if just now realizing what had knocked over the cauldron. "Oh, well, thanks for that."
Harry set about tying up their captives while Hermione cast a quick charm on the floor, freezing the spilled potion to a hard, glossy sheen. Ron gingerly tested the floor beneath him with a quick tap of one foot before he released his levitation charm. He made a quick once over on all the Death Eaters making sure that none of them were too badly damaged.
"That went rather well, don't you think?" He asked to no one in particular.
"It's a good thing that we came when we did." Hermione said as she began reading a scroll that Goyle had hastily tucked away in an unused cauldron when they had first burst into the grimy room. "They would have completed the potion tonight." She inclined her head towards a far table where a pile of perfectly julienned, dried manticore skin rested. "That's the last ingredient."
Ron was seeing to Harry now who had a large bleeding gash on the back of his left hand. "What do we do with the stuff now?"
"Contact Mrs. Bones, she'll send a clean-up team." Harry said as he tried to not wince at Ron's not entirely gentle administrations.
"You don't think she'll be angry that we came without letting anyone know what we were up to?" Ron asked.
Hermione and Harry exchanged meaningful glances and didn't reply.
"Bloody hell," Ron snapped, "would it kill us to go more than a month without breaking the rules?"
Hermione laughed, she couldn't help it, her hand shot up quickly to stifle it. It was probably because of the rush of adrenalin that was still running wild in her veins but Hermione didn't think she had ever heard anything quite as funny. Ron was complaining about breaking the rules, surely at any moment hell was going to freeze over.
--
Amelia Bones, the head of the Ministry's Department of Law Enforcement, was very angry.
"I cannot believe the three of you!" She started pacing while she yelled.
Hermione studied the dirty, old tiles that lined the floor of Mrs. Bones' office. She was trying very hard not to cry. Ron and Harry both looked equally stressed; Ron's ears were bright pink and Harry's hands clenched the arms of the chair that he sat in so tightly that Hermione feared he might break them. That would be just what they needed in the current situation.
Mrs. Bones had made them sit outside of her office on uncomfortable wooden benches when they first returned. She had said that she wanted to send some owls to her superiors at the Ministry apologizing for their behavior but Hermione thought that she wanted to give them time to agonize over their position. Their Auroring office was contained in the main Ministry building at Diagon Alley. Several smaller branches were set up around the country but Harry, Hermione, and Ron had been selected for London. The Death Eaters that they had brought in were in a processing room at the end of the hall. They would be questioned after ingesting a truth potion. After that they would be relocated to Azkaban.
Hermione tried not to think about that. They had been to Azkaban once. Professor Mulciber had the entire class there for what he believed to be an end of year treat. As if anyone in their right mind could enjoy a place so horrible. Hermione felt a little sorry for Goyle and the others.
Ever since they had returned to the office from the warehouse Aurors from all over the country had been apparating in. They all had a pretense for being there, of course, but none of their reasons were legitimate. They just wanted to see the wonder trio who had brought in three Death Eaters by themselves. They wanted to see Harry. They wanted to see the beginning of a new legend.
Amelia Bones had finally kicked her door open and motioned them inside. She said nothing as they filed in; just pointed a crooked finger, which had been broken at least once and never set properly, at three chairs sitting before her paper-strewn desk. Hermione had never been in here and despite her anxiety she didn't miss the opportunity to look around. Tall windows behind the cluttered desk looked out over Diagon Alley. Several owls perches stood to the right. Pictures of wanted wizards stared at them from a bulletin board on the left hand wall. A house elf, wearing an impeccably clean pair of coveralls Hermione was pleased to note, had been trying to organize the desk.
Mrs. Bones had noticed the house elf and scowled. "How many times do I have to tell you to leave my desk alone?" She snapped at the creature.
"It's too messy! Can't get any work done." The little elf replied in a squeaky voice.
Hermione stared at the tiny being in surprise. How long had he been free? She had never heard a house elf talk so defiantly before.
"Get out." Amelia had said coldly at the elf who huffed before vanishing in a puff of smoke. She had turned on them then, her small, brown eyes narrowing angrily. "I think it's time that we got some things straight. I don't care if you are Bloody Goddamn Harry Potter." She singled Harry out. "We have rules that must be followed. You cannot just rush off and fight Death Eaters whenever you want! Do you have any idea how many people you endangered by going through with this little escapade of yours?"
"Endangered?" Ron snapped to Harry's defense, his voice shaking angrily, "It we hadn't acted when we did that potion would be all over London right now!"
"Oh you think so?" She leaned down so that her face was level with Ron's. "And what do you think would have happened had you gone there and were defeated? Did any of you take the time to let someone know where you were going? Was there backup? Because of you're foolhardy actions you put thousands of people at risk." She turned her back on them, went around her desk, and slouched into her chair. "I'm tempted to toss the lot of you out on your ear right this second."
Hermione's head shot up, an argument already on the tip of her tongue; she wasn't being fair at all. Getting the Ministry's Aurors organized enough for a raid took time. There was loads of paper work to go through first not to mention the unnecessary amounts of red tape that hindered any attempts to take down Voldemort.
Mrs. Bones waved her hand at Hermione, halting all the things that she was about to say, "I'm not sacking you." She rubbed the bridge of her nose with one hand, her short brown hair was looking even more at odds with itself than was usual as if she had spent a good deal of time pulling at it recently. "The fact is that the three of you came with glowing recommendations. I have a whole stack of letters from your teachers, from former Aurors, from Albus Dumbledore himself heralding your greatness in my right desk drawer. I couldn't possibly sack the three of you."
Hermione sagged with relief.
As if to prove Hermione's theory about her harassment of her hair Mrs. Bones grabbed a thick handful and tugged on it absentmindedly. "And no one has brought in a Death Eater in almost a year, that's how good they've gotten at staying a step ahead of us. Then you three join up and in less than a month you bring in three." She tugged harder, "No, no, I couldn't possibly get rid of you. But the next time, send me an owl first, won't you?" The fury drained from her voice and she rubbed his forehead.
Hermione looked at Ron and he shrugged at her. They weren't sure what they should say now. But there apparently wasn't anything more to say because Amelia Bones stood.
"All right, get out of here!" She released her hair and pointed at the door.
They certainly didn't need to be told twice.
Out in the hall Hermione laughed shakily, it sounded very close to a sob, and Ron draped an arm around her shoulders.
"Well," He said almost cheerfully, "I don't know about the two of you but I could use a drink."
They were all in agreement and soon found themselves happily ensconced in a muggle tavern that was only a block away from their flat. Hermione was rubbing her temples with thin fingers while Harry read that morning's Daily Prophet. Ron was supposed to be getting drinks but from Hermione's vantage point he seemed to be flirting with one of the pretty barmaids instead.
"All it takes with him is a tight dress." Hermione muttered.
Harry glanced up over the edge of his paper; Hermione had charmed the pictures still so as not to draw attention, "Mmm." He murmured noncommittally.
They quite liked The Drunken Pig tavern. It was close enough to the flat that they never needed to go out of their way when feeling the need for something a bit stronger than water or pumpkin juice. It was muggle, making the possibility of running into other wizards very small. Most of the denizens of the tavern were old men that wanted to do nothing more than drink, talk of their misbegotten youths or their wives, and perhaps play a rousing game of darts. None of them were very concerned with the slightly odd trio of youngsters that came often enough to be regulars but not often enough to be a nuisance. The tavern was one low, open room paved on all sides with large, roughly hewn bricks of a dull gray color. The bar itself was old-fashioned, topped with a slab of solid mahogany that had continually been polished for the last thirty years. The wall behind the counter was covered in matching mahogany shelves that contained every muggle drink imaginable. A small kitchen through the side door provided patrons with a decent supply of fish and chips or those cold meat and lard pies that Ron loved but always turned Hermione's stomach at the mere thought.
It was never really crowded, but there were always a few people hanging around, enjoying each other's company or drowning their sorrows. No one ever bothered them and the large fireplace that was always burning whether it be December or June always kept the room warm and cozy.
Ron finally returned with two large tankards of beer for himself and Harry while he handed Hermione a simple gin and tonic. A slight flush colored his cheeks and he kept looking back at the bar with a wistful expression. He sighed and Hermione rolled her eyes. Ron cleared his throat and ignored her.
"Anything of interest?" He asked Harry.
Shaking his head Harry folded up the paper and stowed it in Hermione's old canvas bag that she was rarely without. "Not really. A few disappearance's up in Derbyshire but the Ministry has chalked that up to the fire whiskey convention that they were having."
"That's not unlikely." Ron took a swig from his tankard, "They'll be finding passed out wizards in haystacks for at least a week."
"It has been oddly quiet." Hermione absently twisted a curl of hair around one finger as she talked, "Not many attacks, not many disappearances. There was just tonight's plot but that was odd as well."
Ron emptied his tankard with another large drink.
"Honestly, Ron," Hermione admonished, "You are as bad as Hagrid sometimes!"
Harry, who had hardly touched his own drink, cut in before the argument could start. "Why do you think it's odd, Hermione?"
Ron held up his empty mug so that the pretty barmaid would fetch him another one.
"It was too easy." Hermione sipped her drink. "We walked right in there and defeated them with hardly any problems. Shouldn't it have been harder? Shouldn't there have been more Death Eaters guarding that potion?"
Ron frowned at her, "That's just like you, Hermione, getting upset when something goes well. Nothing is ever going to be good enough for you."
Hermione scowled at him, "That is not what I'm saying. Think about it, up until just recently everything was moving so quickly. More and more wizards were disappearing. Muggles were being slaughtered in mass attacks. The Aurors were being over run. They were so bold as to attack the Leaky Cauldron! And now, suddenly-"
"Everything has stopped." Harry finished for her.
The bartender, a large elderly man with more scraggly black hair on his arms than on his head, brought Ron his drink. He smiled at Hermione, revealing the absence of his left front tooth, and handed her a plate with several large, flaky biscuits accompanied by a lump of crumbly cheddar cheese on it.
"Yeh all righ' there Hermione?" He asked cheerfully.
The old bartender had taken quite a liking to Hermione and like all the men in her life he seemed to feel that she never ate enough. He always seemed to have something tucked away behind the bar that he would push on her whenever the three of them came in.
"Claire made 'em a few hours back. Right good cook she is." He smiled brokenly at her again. "Told me t' save some fer yeh, in case yeh came in tonight."
"Thank you, Mr. Robertson, that's very thoughtful of both of you." Hermione really did appreciate the gesture.
He clapped a brawny hand on her shoulder and gave her a well-meaning shake that he had probably intended as a gentle pat. "Ach, girl! How many times 'ave I told yeh to call me Ben?"
She smiled sheepishly and shrugged.
"Hey!" A shout echoed through the low-ceilinged room. "What's a bloke got to do to get a drink around here?"
Ben turned from their table, shouting back in response. "Shut yer mouth Justin Riggs, yeh'll get yer drink when I damn well feel like gettin' et." He looked back, obviously planning on continuing his talk with Hermione.
"Don't bother, Ben, at this rate I'll be long dead and buried before you get here!" Justin Riggs, like Hermione, Ron, and Harry, was a regular at the tavern. He wasn't quite as old as the bartender, but both men had been friends for a very long time. In fact, Hermione was fairly sure that Mr. Riggs was married to Mr. Robertson's sister.
It was a belief often backed up by the two men.
"If me sister finds out that yeh've been drinkin' in me tavern again yeh'll be certain to meet yer maker!" The bar tender's voice was loud but he was smiling. He finally left their table to see to his friend.
"Aww," Ron started immediately before Ben was entirely out of earshot. "I think he's sweet on- Oww!"
Hermione kicked him, very hard, in the knee.
"He's right though," Harry said thoughtfully through a mouthful of biscuit. "Claire is a very good cook."
Ron snorted into his tankard while Hermione scowled at both of them.
"Harry, I thought you, at least, would be serious." She told him petulantly as she finished her drink.
He yawned in response, stretching his longs arms high above his head. "I'm too tired to be serious. We've been up for almost forty-eight hours straight, you do realize that?"
"Really?" Hermione couldn't hide her honest surprise. But a quick glance at her watch confirmed what Harry had said. "Why ever are we here then when we could be at home sleeping?"
"There are far more interesting things that we could be doing." Ron replied cheerfully. His red hair was almost as messy as Harry's. His eyes were brighter than normal thanks to the ale in his tankard. He was again watching the pretty barmaid. "I'm going to go get another drink."
"But Ron-" Hermione called after him as he hoisted himself out of the booth and walked away. "He didn't finish this one." Hermione nodded at the nearly full tankard that Ron had abandoned.
Harry was rubbing his eyes sleepily; his glasses were sitting on his faded blue jean lap. He didn't seem the least bit concerned about Ron's beer. Then something clicked in Hermione's mind.
"Oh!" She looked over her shoulder at Ron who was leaning against the bar and beaming widely at the pert young woman who seemed very interested in his attentions. "He's not coming home with us, is he?"
Harry laughed, "No, I don't think so."
Hermione smiled to as she watched Ron and the girl. It was cute, watching one of her best friends flirt, watching him lean closer to the pretty blonde while whispering something in her ear. And the way she looked up at him, blue eyes warm and inviting. The last person to look at Hermione like that was-
"Hermione?" Harry gasped as she suddenly reached forward and took up Ron's tankard.
She smiled ruefully, mirthlessly, and then downed it in one long gulp that would have made beer gardens all over Germany cheer in admiration. Hermione set it down with a gasp, immediately feeling woozy.
"Hermione," Harry was scolding, "You know that you can't handle ale."
"Oh shut up, Harry." She said bitterly while trying to drive images of lost loves out of her mind, it was stupid really, that after so many months her relationship with Daniel would suddenly rise like a specter out of the tomb of her mind to haunt her.
Harry stood, attempting to straighten his red and gold sweater as he did so, and pulled Hermione up gently after him. She frowned at him but allowed herself to be carefully manhandled.
Hermione was already feeling light-headed.
"What are we doing, Harry?"
"Going home before you lose the ability to walk." Harry pulled her backpack onto his shoulder and began to guide her through the pub.
Hermione stopped short indignation pinking on her cheeks. "I have never, ever-"
Harry mused aloud, "That's right, that was Ron, wasn't it?"
Hermione huffed angrily and pushed past him. Ignoring him as he followed after her laughing the entire time at her righteous anger.
That didn't last very long.
Not half a block to the flat Hermione started to get dizzy. Her face was far too warm and she probably would have pulled off her fuzzy blue sweater had Harry not gently reminded her that she was not currently wearing a shirt underneath it.
Harry was right, of course; she had known it the moment that he mentioned it in the bar. Beer and Hermione didn't mix well. Oh, a small glass of good liquor from time to time could help calm her nerves and ease her inhibitions but once plain old beer was thrown into the mix Hermione was immediately out of her element, and her sobriety. Overcome with a sudden wave of vertigo, Hermione sat down on the curb.
"C'mon, Hermione," Harry pulled her easily to her feet; he was always so much stronger than she expected, and helped her start walking. "We're almost home."
"It's so pretty out, Harry." She told him, her eyes focused upwards on the sky where the dull clouds of a late evening shower had finally dispersed letting the stars shine down in abundance, as abundant as they ever could be in London, at least.
"Yes, yes," He said dismissively, "very nice."
"We never appreciate it." Hermione murmured wistfully, choosing not to hear his disinterest. "This could be the last time that we see a sky like this."
"Hermione," He said suddenly very serious, "If you've changed your mind, if you don't want to-"
Hermione rolled her eyes, but wished that she hadn't as her stomach rolled with them. "H...Harry," it took her a moment to fight down the nausea. "Don't go sounding like Sirius on me. You know I hate that."
They reached the front steps of their building.
"He makes me so angry, you know?" Hermione knew that she was on the verge of babbling but she really just couldn't help it. The world spun out of control every time she closed her eyes and the only thing that seemed to stop the tide of sickness that wanted to well up in her was to keep a constant stream of speech going. ''I just can't figure him, you know? Back in our sixth year he was so sweet to me. I think I had a bit of a crush on him then, did you know that?"
Harry nodded solemnly although he looked like he would rather be talking with Snape about the good old days than having this conversation with Hermione.
"But now, now he is such a bloody wanker!" Hermione squeezed both her hands together in front of her as if imagining them around Sirius' neck.
"Hermione!" Harry struggled with the door handle. "Hermione, maybe you should have a talk with Sirius. His reason," Harry paused for a moment as if coming to a decision, "may not be what you think."
They made their way slowly up the stairs; Hermione stumbled on the top step and almost sent them both crashing down the stairs. Harry never once complained, only steadied her as he casually undid the wards that protected their flat. He helped Hermione into her room where she flopped cheerfully onto her bed. Hermione kicked off her shoes as an afterthought and curled up onto her side. Her mouth was dry but Harry had already gone to fetch a glass of water. The world spun dizzily around her every time that she closed her eyes but her bed was so soft and she was so very tired.
Harry returned and helped her sit up. He forced a cool glass into her hands. It reminded her of the time in the hospital. Everyone had been so concerned, so worried. They had all taken such good care of her. Even Sirius, who had no reason to, but then the older man seemed to like being a contradiction unto himself.
Hermione lay back down. Harry pulled up her blanket, tucking her in like her father use to.
"I think he broke my heart." Hermione whispered drunkenly, her voice rising on an unexpected giggle at the end.
Harry stopped, his hand on the doorframe. "Who did?"
Hermione laughed again, her mind tired, drunk, and beyond rational thought. She turned her face into her pillow, an irrational urge to cry overcoming her. "I don't know."
--
"You look awful, Granger."Hermione tightened her hands on the railing that she was leaning against and scowled. "Thank you, Malfoy, I appreciate that."
He chuckled easily. He leaned back against the fence; his elbows propped along its strong wrought-iron support behind, and turned his head up towards the overcast sky. "If I didn't know you better, I would think that you were hung-over."
"You think that you know me so well?" Hermione asked sourly for her head had been pounding all morning.
Over two hundred books in her little personal library and not a single one that had a cure for morning afters. It certainly didn't seem fair.
"My father is furious about the warehouse." Draco changed the subject. He smoothed back his blonde hair with one hand while smirking charmingly at a passing muggle. "Apparated to my flat at two in the morning, wanted to know if I had spoken to anyone."
Hermione fought the urge to turn towards him; they weren't supposed to look at each other. "Is he suspecting you already?"
"I convinced him that it was Goyle's fault, he is a very good scape-goat."
"I always wandered why you hung around with those two."
"My attractiveness was also magnified ten-fold by being with them. Who wouldn't rather look at me?"
Hermione swallowed a laugh. She watched the dark water of the Thames move swiftly past them as she struggled to find the right words for what she wanted to say. "You will," Hermione bit her lip, "You will get out before they figure out your true loyalties. Won't you?"
He straightened slowly, every move that he made was purposely casual, and turned so that he could watch the water as well. "I have no intention of dying, Hermione."
"No one ever does."
"Avery and Nott are in Wales."
Hermione turned her head ever so slightly towards him, enough to see his profile, "Do you know why?"
"Not a clue. The whole society has gotten very hush-hush. There a couple of random attacks planned. I don't know who's involved but the plan is to hit several house in one neighborhood out in Edinburgh. Here are the addresses." Draco discretely dropped a crumpled piece of paper onto the ground, which Hermione immediately covered with her foot.
"Is that all?" Hermione muttered, "It seems like thing are dying down."
"I know. I don't like it." Draco ran a hand through his hair again, disrupting it.
The sun broke through the clouds for a moment, dousing them with warm summer heat. Hermione bowed her head, the ends of the violet ribbon that she had used to tie up her hair flutter against her bare neck.
"Is he scared of us; of Harry?"
Draco stood very still, watching the boats below, "I think so. The Dark Lord isn't a fool. He's been trying to kill Potter for years with no success. It's really his only failure. Voldemort has beaten time and death, it must drive him mad that he's had such a hard time with Dumbledore's golden boy." He was smirking. "Don't tell him that I said that, his head is swelled enough already."
Hermione laughed even though she knew that she shouldn't. "You are one to talk!"
He turned towards her, widely grinning, their pretense of being sneaky forgotten. But a sudden shout made him turned abruptly from her. A girl was quickly making her away across a busy street, bright red hair that had recently been cropped bobbed about her shoulders as she dodged automobiles, all the while calling Hermione's name.
"Ginny." Hermione murmured.
Draco was already walking away, "The Cheering Charm is actually an amazing curative when one has had to many drinks." He called lightly over his shoulder. He kept his head down as he disappeared into the Underground and was gone before Ginny had even realized that he was there.
Before her friend could reach her, Hermione bent down and retrieved the wadded up piece of parchment that Draco had dropped before turning to the younger girl that had finally made it safely across the street.
"Hermione!' Ginny said with a bright smile, "What are you doing here? All by yourself to?"
Hermione returned the smile, "Yes, all by myself." She reaffirmed.
"But I thought that Harry and Ron-" Ginny went quiet, unsure of whether alluding to the fact that Harry and Ron made a point of babysitting their friend was a good idea or not.
"Oh," Hermione said reassuringly, she had given up being bothered by her friends' over-protectiveness, "I am sure they'll be along directly."
It was true that Harry and Ron rarely left her alone. They weren't quite as overbearing about it as they use to be though. They had developed a bit of discretion over the past few months, especially when she had been involved with Daniel. And ever since the attack, they had become a bit more trusting of Draco, even going so far as letting her leave the flat by herself to go meet him. Although Hermione was perfectly aware that they trailed her almost the entire way, stopping only a block before Draco's designated meeting place where they seemed to psychologically pass off the duty of protecting her to Draco who they now appeared to believe capable of the job.
Not for the last time, Hermione wondered just what had occurred between the three boys.
"I'm so glad to see you!" Ginny grasped Hermione's hands in her own and squeezed them excitedly. "I wanted to ask you a favor." Ginny was bouncing excitedly from foot to foot, her black, pleated skirt shifting revealingly against her pale legs.
"W-what is it?" Hermione asked nervously, Ginny's giddiness making her uncomfortable.
"Hermione, will you be in my wedding?" Her large blue eyes, so much like Ron's, were pleading even though she knew that Hermione would never say no.
"You are getting married?" Hermione gasped.
Ginny had been seeing Seamus Finnegan for almost a year now, really ever since her fling with Harry the summer before. Hermione had no idea that things were that serious between them. Ginny was two years younger than her and Hermione wouldn't have even thought that Ginny might be ready for marriage, she certainly wasn't. Ginny had always been a bit flighty when it came to relationships and not easily tied to one person. But Seamus had changed that about her.
Seamus was a very stable partner. He had moved back to Ireland after Hogwarts where he had gone into the family business. As it turned out, though they had never known during school, Seamus' mother's family was famous for their cauldrons and he had happily taken up the reins of the business when his grandfather retired. In the few instances that Hermione had seen Seamus since school, usually accompanying Ginny somewhere wearing a blissfully happy smile as if the young redhead on his arm was best thing that had ever happened to him, he had been doing very well. The cauldron business was booming and his family, while never reaching the financial status of the Malfoy's (Draco liked to keep tabs), was making a very tidy profit.
Mrs. Weasley adored Seamus. He was handsome, successful, and keeping her only daughter in the country. After things ended badly with Harry, there had been rumors that Ginny was considering furthering her studies in India. She had taken a liking to Astronomy and there was a very good program being run in New Dehli that Professor Sinistra had recommended she look into.
Hermione had thought it a marvelous idea, going to India for further learning, but the rest of the Weasley clan had not been nearly so enthusiastic. Hermione often found herself getting annoyed when Harry and Ron were acting like two overprotective siblings, so she could hardly imagine what it must be like for Ginny who had six of them. Even Bill and Charlie, who had gone off themselves seeking adventure on foreign soil, wanted Ginny to stay at home. But Ginny just ignored her brothers and mother. Arthur Weasley was oddly quiet about the whole affair, leading Hermione to believe that he secretly supported Ginny's ambitions, but was too frightened of Molly Weasley to speak out. Ginny had been all set to leave, her bags were packed, registration forms had been filled out for the foreign school, and then Seamus happened.
Hermione liked to think of it as an event. So many things about Ginny changed after meeting Seamus that Hermione could never think of it as a simple encounter. It was something revolutionary and earth shattering. Because after one simple tea together, Hermione's mother would have approved, everything that Ginny wanted changed. Hermione had never known anyone to have an epiphany, but Ginny certainly had. All it took was one gentle touch of fingers to the back of her hand and the sparkle in his eyes. Then everything in Ginny seemed to realign so that her plans for the future now included Seamus.
No one ever mentioned India after that.
It intrigued Hermione, the change that Seamus brought in Ginny; it was something that she had never experienced. Hermione had never wanted to transform herself for someone; she had never wanted to give up her dreams. No matter how happy she had been with Daniel, Hermione hadn't loved him, not like that. Never once, for a single moment that she spent with him, had Hermione wanted to change her life for him. At times, it made her just a little bit jealous, that Ginny had something that she didn't seem capable of having.
"Hermione? Are you even listening to me?"
She hadn't been so she smiled sheepishly. "Sorry Ginny, my mind was wandering."
Ginny walked the tree lined-path with Hermione, her arm linked with the other girl's. "I know that it seems a little sudden, but we have been together for almost a year." She looked out towards the water a little wistfully. "You know, I hadn't even thought about marriage, isn't that funny?"
"Do you want to get married?"
Stopping short, Ginny turned fully towards Hermione. "Do I want to? Of course I want to! That's a silly question, Hermione." A slight flush, the trademark of the fabled Weasley temper, colored her cheeks.
Hermione balked. ''I hadn't meant anything by it, Ginny. I'm very happy for you, Seamus is wonderful."
Properly appeased, Ginny pulled Hermione over to a low stone bench. "He is, isn't he? We're going to have the wedding in September. Apparently there is an old church near his home that every Finnegan has gotten married in."
"So soon?" That was only a month away. Hermione was happy for Ginny, of course she was, but a part of her was a little melancholy towards the whole affair.
"You still haven't answered my question," Ginny nudged Hermione with her knee.
Hermione blinked brown eyes at her friend. "Question?"
Ginny sighed, sounding very much like Molly Weasley, and reminded Hermione patiently, "Will you be in my wedding? One of my bridesmaids?"
"You even have to ask? Of course I will, Ginny."
Ginny sighed in relief and sagged against the bench as if she had actually thought for a moment that Hermione might say no. She fiddled with a button on her light blue blouse absently while she talked. "I know that you still get tired really easily so I won't ask you to do a whole lot-"
Hermione broke in feeling slightly exasperated, "Really, Ginny, I feel fine."
Ginny just shook her head and ignored her. "All I'll need you to do is get into contact with a few people, spread the word about the wedding."
"Aren't you going to send out invitations? That isn't just a muggle tradition, is it?"
"Oh no, there will be invitations too. There are just a few people that need to know before they get an invitation."
Hermione really had no idea what Ginny was talking about. But a sudden familiar pull distracted her. She turned to look over her shoulder and there waiting to cross the street were Harry and Ron. The latter waved cheerfully at her when she caught his eye.
"There's Harry and Ron." Hermione commented.
Ginny stood up quickly. "Exactly, I'm so glad that you understand."
Hermione looked at Ginny, "Wait, you want me to tell Harry and Ron that you're getting married?"
Ginny smiled widely, pretty white teeth, which would have made Hermione's parents proud, catching the muted sunlight. "It's your only bridesmaid duty. You should see the things I'm going to have Orla and Lisa do."
"B...but Ginny, why can't you tell them?"
Ginny waved one hand dismissively, "Oh you know how Ron gets and things with Harry are still-" She thought for a moment, "let's just say that they're still strained, all right?"
Hermione nodded mutely.
"Oh, so you agree?" Before Hermione could argue Ginny kissed her cheek. "Thank you so much, Hermione!" And then she made a quick retreat to the wizard vendor near them who had a small muggle-concealment charm up on his pumpkin juice cart and disapparated with a pop that no muggle would hear.
"But Ginny-" Hermione grumbled as her friend disappeared.
"Hey Hermione," Ron collapsed onto the bench next to her, his hand tousling her hair affectionately.
"Stop that, Ron!' Hermione pushed his hand away.
"Wasn't that Ginny?" Harry stood in front of them, hands in his pockets, eyes on the cart.
"Yeah," Ron agreed, "Not very sisterly of her to take off like that. She still avoiding you then, Harry?"
Harry made a face but didn't reply.
Ron threaded his fingers back behind his head, extended his long legs in front of him, and slid farther back onto the bench. "So what did she have to say?"