Chapter One
Hermione Granger waited patiently at the door. She had just returned from her vacation to the Bahamas with her parents, and had decided to spend the rest of her vacation with her two best friends. She looked at her surroundings, and saw a great big field, stretching on and on bordered with trees. On to the side was a little pen with a coop, and she saw chickens fluttering around inside it. There were bunches of shoes at the front door, varying in sizes and styles. She guessed they belonged to the various inhabitants of the house.
The door suddenly opened and Mrs. Weasely peered out. Seeing Hermione, she beamed and gave her a big hug.
"Welcome dear! Ron was saying you went to the Bahamas? Its some kind of muggle resort right? Ah yes, I have seen pictures in Arthur's books..." Mrs. Weasely said as she led Hermione inside. "Fred and George will carry your things and put them in Ginny's room."
The Burrow was the same as always, and as busy as ever. There was an iron that was magically ironing a robe without any help at all, the dishes in the sink were washing themselves and putting themselves away, and she heard thumping up and down the stairs. She smiled. It was good to be back in the wizarding world.
"Are you hungry? There are some crackers and crisps on the table, Ron and Harry are setting the table up outside, we're eating out, nice weather isn't it? Mrs. Weasely said this all in one breath. She offered Hermione a bowl of crumpets, and she took one.
"Harry and Ron are very excited, there is this new quidditch supplies shop that's opened nearby, they go there nearly everyday. They'll be waiting for you outside, I'll call Ginny downstairs." She went up the stairs leaving Hermione alone. She made her way to the open back door, and saw Harry and Ron flying on their broomsticks tossing a quaffle back and forth.
"Harry! Ron!" She cried beaming up at them. It was great to see her two best friends again. They had grown dramatically. Harry still had the rumpled look because of his hair, and he had grown a little muscular because of all those quidditch practices. He smiled at her as he caught sight of her, and swerved his broom toward her. Ron had grown taller, and his shock of red hair gleamed against the sun. He also smiled, and they both landed on either side of her.
"Hermione its so nice to have you back!" They both exclaimed and gave her a hug. Then they leaned back to take a good look at their friend. "Hey you've changed!" Ron exclaimed and Harry nodded.
Hermione knew she had. She had gotten a tan from going to the Bahamas, and since she had borrowed her muggle friend Lisa's hair straightner, her hair was not as bushy as usual. She had grown a nice figure, and was quite attractive now if she could say so herself.
She smiled and said "Need help with setting the table?" They grinned and set Mrs. Weasely's dishes out on the table, savoring the tantalizing aromas that crept up their noses. Hermione told them all about her vacation, and they explained what they had been doing for their summer. Harry had gotten permission from the Dursleys to visit the Weaselys this time, because Aunt Petunia was going to visit a friend in Majorca. They certainly didn't want Harry around to "mess things up for them."
They told her all about the new quidditch shop that had opened just a few streets away. "Me and Harry use floo powder, it's too much of a bother to walk there." Ron said. They both begged her to go to the quidditch shop with them after they ate, and she consented. "Alright, alright, but not for too long, I don't find quidditch as interesting as you both do." They both gave her the look they always gave her, the look when she had called the "Wronski Feint" the "Wonky Faint" (or something close to that)
Soon the Weasley family piled out into the backyard. Little potato- like creatures ran under hedges, which Hermione suspected to be gnomes. Everyone said hello to Hermione, and they all sat down and ate. Percy discussed the Ministry of Magic, and his father talked about a biting toilet he had to fix that day. Everyone else was immersed in the talk of quidditch. The only member of the family that was not present was Charlie; he had to stay in Romania to nurse a very sick Chinese Fireball.
After they finished eating Harry and Ron hastily wiped their mouths with a napkin, and dragged Hermione inside. They stepped in the rusty grate, and flooed their way to the quidditch shop.
They stepped out of the grate, into a place that smelled of broomstick polish. There were models of brooms propped up on displays, and various corners of the store were dedicated to taking care of broomsticks. The shopkeeper nodded at Harry and Ron, and they nodded back.
Hermione tagged along behind them as they examined each model, and discussed what polish they should get for Harry's Firebolt. Hermione saw a tall muscular boy around her own age enter the shop. He had dark hair, and hazel colored eyes. He was wearing slightly baggy pants and a tight black shirt that showed off his muscles. He stood talking to the shopkeeper. Hermione thought he was very...what was that word Lisa always used? "Hot." Yes that was it. This was the first boy she had considered to be "hot" apart from Draco Malfoy... She knew Malfoy was all looks, and that his interior was an arrogant snob. She didn't really care much for his looks, because she knew Harry and Ron would think she was nuts.
The boy caught her staring at him and smirked. Hermione blushed and looked away. "Let's go now, you guys" she told them, and they reluctantly made their way to the fire grate. She could feel the eyes of the boy on her back the whole way there.
Hermione Granger waited patiently at the door. She had just returned from her vacation to the Bahamas with her parents, and had decided to spend the rest of her vacation with her two best friends. She looked at her surroundings, and saw a great big field, stretching on and on bordered with trees. On to the side was a little pen with a coop, and she saw chickens fluttering around inside it. There were bunches of shoes at the front door, varying in sizes and styles. She guessed they belonged to the various inhabitants of the house.
The door suddenly opened and Mrs. Weasely peered out. Seeing Hermione, she beamed and gave her a big hug.
"Welcome dear! Ron was saying you went to the Bahamas? Its some kind of muggle resort right? Ah yes, I have seen pictures in Arthur's books..." Mrs. Weasely said as she led Hermione inside. "Fred and George will carry your things and put them in Ginny's room."
The Burrow was the same as always, and as busy as ever. There was an iron that was magically ironing a robe without any help at all, the dishes in the sink were washing themselves and putting themselves away, and she heard thumping up and down the stairs. She smiled. It was good to be back in the wizarding world.
"Are you hungry? There are some crackers and crisps on the table, Ron and Harry are setting the table up outside, we're eating out, nice weather isn't it? Mrs. Weasely said this all in one breath. She offered Hermione a bowl of crumpets, and she took one.
"Harry and Ron are very excited, there is this new quidditch supplies shop that's opened nearby, they go there nearly everyday. They'll be waiting for you outside, I'll call Ginny downstairs." She went up the stairs leaving Hermione alone. She made her way to the open back door, and saw Harry and Ron flying on their broomsticks tossing a quaffle back and forth.
"Harry! Ron!" She cried beaming up at them. It was great to see her two best friends again. They had grown dramatically. Harry still had the rumpled look because of his hair, and he had grown a little muscular because of all those quidditch practices. He smiled at her as he caught sight of her, and swerved his broom toward her. Ron had grown taller, and his shock of red hair gleamed against the sun. He also smiled, and they both landed on either side of her.
"Hermione its so nice to have you back!" They both exclaimed and gave her a hug. Then they leaned back to take a good look at their friend. "Hey you've changed!" Ron exclaimed and Harry nodded.
Hermione knew she had. She had gotten a tan from going to the Bahamas, and since she had borrowed her muggle friend Lisa's hair straightner, her hair was not as bushy as usual. She had grown a nice figure, and was quite attractive now if she could say so herself.
She smiled and said "Need help with setting the table?" They grinned and set Mrs. Weasely's dishes out on the table, savoring the tantalizing aromas that crept up their noses. Hermione told them all about her vacation, and they explained what they had been doing for their summer. Harry had gotten permission from the Dursleys to visit the Weaselys this time, because Aunt Petunia was going to visit a friend in Majorca. They certainly didn't want Harry around to "mess things up for them."
They told her all about the new quidditch shop that had opened just a few streets away. "Me and Harry use floo powder, it's too much of a bother to walk there." Ron said. They both begged her to go to the quidditch shop with them after they ate, and she consented. "Alright, alright, but not for too long, I don't find quidditch as interesting as you both do." They both gave her the look they always gave her, the look when she had called the "Wronski Feint" the "Wonky Faint" (or something close to that)
Soon the Weasley family piled out into the backyard. Little potato- like creatures ran under hedges, which Hermione suspected to be gnomes. Everyone said hello to Hermione, and they all sat down and ate. Percy discussed the Ministry of Magic, and his father talked about a biting toilet he had to fix that day. Everyone else was immersed in the talk of quidditch. The only member of the family that was not present was Charlie; he had to stay in Romania to nurse a very sick Chinese Fireball.
After they finished eating Harry and Ron hastily wiped their mouths with a napkin, and dragged Hermione inside. They stepped in the rusty grate, and flooed their way to the quidditch shop.
They stepped out of the grate, into a place that smelled of broomstick polish. There were models of brooms propped up on displays, and various corners of the store were dedicated to taking care of broomsticks. The shopkeeper nodded at Harry and Ron, and they nodded back.
Hermione tagged along behind them as they examined each model, and discussed what polish they should get for Harry's Firebolt. Hermione saw a tall muscular boy around her own age enter the shop. He had dark hair, and hazel colored eyes. He was wearing slightly baggy pants and a tight black shirt that showed off his muscles. He stood talking to the shopkeeper. Hermione thought he was very...what was that word Lisa always used? "Hot." Yes that was it. This was the first boy she had considered to be "hot" apart from Draco Malfoy... She knew Malfoy was all looks, and that his interior was an arrogant snob. She didn't really care much for his looks, because she knew Harry and Ron would think she was nuts.
The boy caught her staring at him and smirked. Hermione blushed and looked away. "Let's go now, you guys" she told them, and they reluctantly made their way to the fire grate. She could feel the eyes of the boy on her back the whole way there.