Chapter 7

A young couple suddenly appeared on the shady street corner of a mundane small Muggle community in rural England. The girl seemed tired and exhausted, as if she had been through a rather tiring situation, and the boy was simply furious. His blue eyes stared out from under pale eyelashes, angry and sullen.

"Look, Hermione," he said suddenly. "I don't understand why you think we should let that idiot get away with getting us in trouble, I knew he was a bad apple from the beginning-"

"Stop rubbing it in Malfoy!" Hermione snapped, sliding back into the former nickname she had for the boy who'd made her first five years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry miserable. He drew away from her, the hurt apparent on his handsome face.

He folded his arms across his chest. "So is that all I am to you?"

"Of course not," she said, picking up the end of her trunk. "Draco, if you'd just leave it alone, we could leave it all behind us. It's not the end of the world."

He rolled his eyes flippantly. "It only ruined our only chance for a decent vacation for a long time. Hermione, you and I both need a break, and I don't think we're going to find it at your parent's house."

"And what, we'd find a break at your parent's house?" she said, letting her anger get the best of her. "Stop complaining and move on."


Hermione knocked the door handle to her parent's house and sighed internally as the setting sun cast it's golden rays across her back. The door opened, and Ms. Granger peered out from behind. Her face lit up upon seeing her youngest child, and hugged her enthusiastically.

"Oh, Hermione," Ms. Granger said, folding her hands tightly, clearly excited. "Do come in, and who is your guest?"

"This is Draco, Draco Malfoy," Hermione said diplomatically, deciding that it would be unlikely that her parents would recognize his name. Thankfully, Ms. Granger did not read the Daily Prophet, and smiled genially at her daughter's boyfriend.

She clapped her hands. "Wonderful! Wonderful! Gaelen has brought his girlfriend also, and everything will be just perfect!"

"Gaelen brought his girlfriend?" Hermione asked in horror. "Who is this time? Another stripper?"

Ms. Granger cast her daughter a horrified look. "A stripper? Hermione Granger, I forbid you to use that language in this house. Of course not… What do you mean by another?"


Hermione dumped her clothing in her drawer, and emptied another drawer into that one as well for a good measure. Draco threw the door open and set his trunk down on the bed.

"Where do I sleep?" he drawled seductively. Hermione couldn't help but grin.

"Exactly where you belong," she replied with a sly smile. "On the floor."

"Oh, really?" Draco said, raising his eyebrow.

Hermione dropped the act, and grinned. "You can borrow my pink sleeping bag."

He groaned. "I had hoped you meant that like-"

"We all know what you want," Hermione said with a laugh, kicking him in the shin lightly. "And while my parents and older brother are in the house, you're not getting it."


"So, where are Gaelen and this new girlfriend of his?" Hermione asked as she helped her mother with the shepherd's pie. "I mean, why isn't he here helping out? I mean, even my boyfriend is doing something!" She motioned to Draco, who was skipping around the dining room, putting out silverware rather haphazardly.

Ms. Granger sighed. "Hermione, I'll make Gaelen help me in the kitchen tomorrow, and you can go off and do whatever you do with that young man."

"Stop implying that we behave inappropriately," Hermione scolded. "And besides, it's really none of your business."

Ms. Granger smiled knowingly. "I may be an old dentist, Hermione, but I know young love when I see it. Maybe it won't last, but it sure is sweet while you have it."

Hermione ran her hands across the lettuce, as if she could smooth out the crinkles in it, just like she wanted to erase all the wrinkles from her relationship with Draco.

"Well, Draco and I have been through quite a lot together," Hermione said quietly.

Ms. Granger looked up from the shepherd's pie, a small smile on her lips. "You really love him, don't you?"

Hermione opened her mouth to answer, but then marched in Gaelen, his shock of dark hair releasing a curl on his forehead, his electric blue eyes running over the kitchen with his usual possessive nature.

"Hey, little sis," he said carelessly, rubbing her hair. Hermione scowled and smoothed her hair down. They had both inherited her mother's Irish hair, thick and unruly. However, Gaelen's was short, and you couldn't tell that it was unmanageable when longer.

Hermione scowled in his direction the moment her mother looked away. "Hello, Gaelen."

"Who's the blond fellow in the dining room?" Gaelen asked, picking up an apple from a bowl.

"A friend of Hermione's from school," Ms. Granger said coolly. "Put that down Gaelen, I don't want you to spoil your dinner." Gaelen put the apple down guiltily.

Hermione tossed the salad quickly, and turned back to her brother, folding her arms across her chest and leaning against the counter. He put one hand on the wall, and watched her warily.

"So who's the new girl?" Hermione taunted, reminding him of his past amours with an arch of her eyebrow. "If she's like the other one's, I don't want to bother to meet her."

Gaelen flushed, thinking of the past girls he had brought home to his parents. "Look, she's not like that."

"What's she like then?" Hermione said. "Because you're usually so close mouthed about these girls of yours, sometimes they rarely get to speak for themselves, because you're too busy telling them to be quiet!"

"Hush, Hermione," Ms. Granger scolded. "Gaelen's changed. He's finally settled down, don't you go antagonizing him."

Suddenly, a pale girl with dark hair walked in, and Hermione recognized her immediately.

"Well, if it isn't Cho Chang," she said sarcastically.


A/N: You know the character Gaelen, Hermione's brother, who was just introduced in this chapter? Well... my parents were going to name me Gaelen if I'd been a boy (which I wasn't, thank god!) and I decided to name him after the older brother I don't have. He's my imaginary older brother (you know how people have imaginary friends? I have an imaginary older brother!) and just humour me here. Okay, everyone review please!