A/N: Okay, it's about…oh, a week and a half after Christmas, and for a present, I've decided to give you all…candy cane twinkies! Review to get one! They're very good. Oh, and I'm also giving you a new chapter. Right. I, however, got a new MP3 player, and YOU didn't. Ha! Actually, I don't know that. But I'm just assuming you didn't. So I'm listening to it and giving ya'll a little fan fiction fix for the holidays. Please don't be scared that I'm an uncultured hick because I use the word ya'll. It's just natural to me since I live in KY, and it does not make me any less smart.
Extreme Hermione/Ron Shippers: I'm sorry if you have any problems with what is about to happen, as it may cause some of you distress. But it'll get better if you keep reading the fanfic…it will be fixed, I promise!
Oh, and one more thing:
Avanell: Titania is actually nine, but, like her sister, she's a bit smart for her age, and acts about twelve.
Disclaimer: Okay, I'm tired of coming up with witty disclaimers, so just insert witticisms in the blanks:
. I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters. I own the plot, Hermione's sister, and the whole city of Banesville, Kentucky. .
The wind whistled in the trees as a slumped figure slowly walked towards an old, run down shack. As typical a British morning, it was cold and foggy, with a slight drizzle barely wetting the figure. With a quick glance over her shoulder, Narcissa Malfoy pushed open the door, shutting it firmly behind her.
"So, you have come, Mrs. Malfoy." A snakelike, slithering voice said smoothly. "Have you done as I have asked?"
"Yes, my Lord. I would not fail you." She bowed low to her knees.
"Very good. Please report your results."
Her thin, purple-red lips curved into a wicked grin. "She has left them. They are bumbling all over themselves to find her, but they have had no luck so far. While unsuspected, this has furthered our plans quite considerably, Lord."
The man nodded slowly, stroking his pointed chin thoughtfully. "None of them can find her?"
"No, none."
His lips curved up evilly. "It is only me, then. You have done well, Narcissa. Your service will not be forgotten."
"Thank you, my Lord. Do you have any further instructions?"
He waved his hand, signaling her to leave. "Just watch for any further developments and warn me of their progress." As the woman left, he whispered, "The tables have turned, Nagini. Things are changing. I can feel it in the wind. Our triumph is near." A large snake curled itself around her master's arm, hissing. The man seemed to understand her.
"Yes, my pet. The time is nearing."
Dear Harry and Ginny,
My new address is 145 Clark Lane, Banesville, Kentucky, but I'm sure if you just address it to me, the owl will find it. I've settled back into the life of a muggle quite easily. I didn't remember how wonderful life is with no worries except what to wear the next day. I already have many new friends-not that any of them compare to you three, of course.
Speaking of my third friend: please, PLEASE, do not tell him where I am. He'll come looking for me and get angry at me for leaving and I really don't want that. But please assure him that I'll be fine.
I hope you are studying for your Transfiguration exam next week, Ginny. Remember, I can still remind you of things from Kentucky!
The weather here is a lot different. It doesn't rain nearly as much, and the sun is out nearly every day. We go to the park often, and the neighborhood children love to ride horses, so we go to the stables as well.
I'm learning to cook! The neighborhood women run a catering business, and they have endeavored to teach me all they know so that I can join them. Already I've improved the recipe for the strawberry cream tarts.
I miss you all, but I'm finally free to do what I want, and I truly hope that you are happy for me.
Love,
Hermione
P.S. My name is Ally Bellson now, by the way.
Harry glared at the letter. "Why did she have to do this to us?" He asked Ginny, throwing the letter onto the ground.
"Harry, she has no idea what she's doing! She thinks she can handle it, but she can't. She's going to get herself into a lot of trouble if we don't watch out for her."
He sighed. "I know that, but she doesn't seem too. And why would she keep us from telling Ron?"
"I don't honestly know. Unless she's found someone else…"
Harry shook his head. "No, she wouldn't do that to him. It'd break his heart."
"You're right. Well, I can see some of her point: Ron has a nasty temper, and if he got worked up enough, who knows what he might say…"
Harry nodded, his jaw set squarely. "So we agree to keep the secret?"
"Yeah, I guess. But we do need to tell him she'll be all right."
Harry grinned wickedly. "But first, I have something I need to do."
"Oh?"
"Yes. And it involves snogging you senseless and hoping that your brother doesn't walk in on us."
Ginny giggled and wrapped her arms around Harry. "That sounds like a fine idea."
Ron paced slowly, trying to ignore the sounds of Harry and Ginny snogging each other silly in the next room. He had found, in the last tree weeks, that it was better not to listen, or he would feel the need to burst in and rip them apart, which was probably not the best idea.
His brain was working in overdrive. He had hit the three week mark. It was her birthday today, and still no sign of her. Sure, he had made progress- he knew the general area she was in, where she could be…but still, no real clues.
"Still upset, are we?"
He whirled around to see the last person that he expected to be there.
"Titania? What are you doing here?"
"I came to see how you were. Good thing I did, too."
"Erm…mind if I ask why?"
She snorted. "Still no idea where she is, eh?"
"Well…erm…no, not really."
"That's what I thought. She hasn't written to you yet?"
"Why would she?"
"She wrote that boy and girl, your sister and Harry."
"She…she did?"
"Yes. I can get it for you, if you'd like."
He smiled. "I'd like that, Titania."
Titania grinned. Her plan was working perfectly! If there was one thing she knew how to do, it was interfere with her sister's life. She was going to get her sister and that boy together if it took two years to do it!
Avoiding the two kissing teenagers, she crept by and picked up the stiff parchment. She climbed stealthily over Harry's old socks, textbooks, and discarded candy wrappers back towards the entrance, narrowly avoiding being hit by the arm of the boy with the black hair.
"Got it!" She cried as she ran back to the room.
"How?"
"I have my ways. Here it is…she's at 145 Clark Lane, Banesville, Kentucky. Is that enough information for you to find her?"
He smiled. "Yeah. Thanks, Titania."
She shrugged, and sighed. "My sister has no common sense at all. I know better, though. Just go get her."
"Believe me. I've got that covered."
Mrs. Cultran swept Hermione out of the house. "Now dear, here's a blank check, fill in the number when you need to. I need you to pick up the things on this list for me, and throw in a little something extra for your birthday present."
"All right, Mrs. Cultran. Wow, what a list! This could take me a while."
"That's exactly the point, Ally," She muttered under her breath and the teenager drove off in her new red convertible.
"All right, everyone, she's gone! Let's get this party ready!" A group of neighbors followed Mrs. Cultran into Hermione's house and surveyed the small space.
"We'd better take this into the backyard."
"Exactly what I was about to say."
"Harry, it's Hermione's birthday. We should go and see her, don't you think?"
Ginny and Harry had finally been walked in on by Neville, and were now lounging around by the lake again, talking about anything that came to mind.
Harry shifted under Ginny, wrapping her in his arms. "Actually, I was kind of thinking the same thing. I mean, she did give us her address…"
"But we can't just pop out of her fireplace-she might have some Muggle friends in there with her. We'll just have to pop over to the States and pretend to be Muggles from England. It should be easy enough; we can just act like ignorant teens with a passion for broomsticks."
Harry laughed. "All right, change into something…something that an American would wear. Jeans and a very tight shirt will work just fine."
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"
"Ginny, you're wearing Hogwarts robes."
"So they'll think I'm an eccentric English girl. Who cares?"
Harry sighed, resigned. "All right, whatever. Let's go."
Ginny grabbed on to Harry's arm as he envisioned himself on a spot on a map of America. He knew it was Kentucky, but he had no clue where he would end up. Slowly, he felt the familiar sensation of being stuffed inside a tube, and he was flying towards the USA, Ginny hanging on for dear life.
Ron was back to pacing back and forth again, Titania tapping her shoes against the hard wooden floors. Finally, she couldn't hold it anymore.
"Just go already! You want to go, she's over there, what's the harm?"
Ron stopped short. "I'm not so sure I want to see her. That's the problem."
"Well, why ever not?"
He stood silent for a moment. "Look, she left me without so much as a goodbye card, and now you want me to go over there and get her?"
"Yes, well, that was sort of the idea"
He sighed. "I just don't know if I can do it."
Titania sighed, smoothing a pleat in her light pink skirt. "Look, I have this theory. This is how it goes: You love my sister, right?"
Ron turned bright pink and said nothing, so Titania took over. "Right. And my sister is in love with you, right? Right. So, you go get my sister, you two kiss and make up, you get your girlfriend back, and I get my sister back, all's well that ends well."
Ron turned to hide his face from Titania's view. "It's more complicated then that. She's in real danger out there." His fists clenched. "She was really stupid to leave. You know, I think I will go see her. But not to get her."
"What for, then?" Titania asked, sensing his flare-up of anger. But Ron, having pinpointed Hermione's exact location on a map, was already at her doorstep.
"No, no, no, put the meat in the fridge, Austin! We'll barbeque it later. I swear, I don't know how you managed to pass school this far." Mrs. Cultran ruled the party planners with an iron grip. As far as she was concerned, Ally had been though a lot, and deserved a proper American birthday party, or, in this case, barbeque. Nobody was going to mess it up.
The doorbell rang with a cheery jingle, and Mrs. Cultran walked towards it, swiftly opening it. Outside was a tall, gangly teenager, with deep red hair, freckles, and a muscular build. Freckles dotted his nose and cheeks, and the tips of his ears were pink.
"Can I help you?"
Ron stared at the woman for a moment, then flashed back to reality. "Yes, you can. Is there a girl living here? She's kind of short, with bushy hair…it's brown, and brown eyes? She would have moved here about three weeks ago?"
"Oh, you're looking for Ally." Mrs. Cultran smiled at him. "Are you one of her English friends?"
"Yes, I suppose I am." Suddenly, a streak of red and brown fur came flying at Ron, nearly knocking him off the steps.
"Ow! Crookshanks!" Ron yelped, pulling the massive cat off of his chest. "Gerroff me!"
Mrs. Cultran laughed. "I see Crookshanks knows you, so you must be Ally's friend. She's off running errands right now, but she'll be back in about an hour. I could tell her that you came by…"
"Oh, that's all right. I'll swing by later. It's kind of a…surprise."
"Oh, all right then, your secret is safe with me."
"Thanks." Ron turned and walked down the street, towards the park.
Mrs. Cultran shook her head. "That must be the boyfriend."
"Whose boyfriend?" A demanding voice asked. Austin appeared at her elbow.
"Ally, dear. At least, ex-boyfriend, if what she says is true, or at least soon to be ex."
"Oh, right." Austin peered at Ron's tall form. "He's not that good looking…is he?"
Mrs. Cultran laughed. "Are you telling me that you like Ally, Austin?"
Austin blushed. "Is he as good-looking as me?" he demanded to know.
"I thought he was very handsome."
Austin threw his hands up and walked towards the back of the house, muttering things about mothers who didn't answer questions properly. Mrs. Cultran just smiled and shut the door.
Meanwhile, Harry and Ginny were hopelessly lost. They had appeared near a large shopping mall in a huge city, bustling with people and cars. Ginny did look quite out of place, and was the object of many stares.
"Ginny, I'm changing your outfit for you," Harry said, whipping out his wand.
"Harry!" Ginny was soon clothed in jeans and a pale blue hooded sweatshirt. "Not in broad daylight, you idiot!"
A man stared at Hermione, blinked for a moment, and then shook his head. It wasn't possible…he walked into the mall, shaking his head.
"Where in the world are we?" Ginny asked, looking around.
"I have absolutely no idea. Excuse me, sir?" Harry asked a man walking by. "Where are we?"
"Foreigners, eh? You're in Lexington."
"Yes, well…how close would that be to Banesville?"
"Well, it depends, how are you traveling?"
"Erm…the bus?"
"Right. Well, about an hour, then."
"Right. Thank you." Harry walked back towards Ginny, who was waiting a few feet away.
"An hour to Banesville by bus."
"How are we going to find a bus in this place?"
Harry shook his head.
"Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."
"Who's Toto, and when were we in Kansas?"
Harry sighed. "It's….never mind, let's start walking."
Hermione lugged the grocery bags across the parking lot. "What does the woman need eight pounds of flour for? And six twenty-four packs of soda? Eight packages of hot dog buns?" Hermione loaded her car, then slid into the front seat. She loved the new car smell tat the leather interior gave off. She hit the radio button, letting the radio scan it's choice of stations. She didn't much care what she listened too, as long as it wasn't one of those crazy raps that Americans liked so much.
"And now, Rod Stewart's version of "It Had To Be You. Enjoy," a radio announcer's floating voice announced. Hermione rolled down the windows; it was swelteringly hot and stuffy.
Why do I do, just as you say
Why must I just, give you your way
Why do I sigh, why don't I try to forget
It must have been something lovers call fate
Kept me saying: "I have to wait"
I saw them all, just couldn't fall 'til we met
It had to be you, it had to be you
I wandered around, and finally found the somebody who
Could make me be true, could make me be blue
And even be glad, just to be sad thinking of you
Some others I've seen, might never be mean
Might never be cross, or try to be boss
But they wouldn't do
For nobody else, gave me a thrill with all your faults, I love
you still
It had to be you, wonderful you
It had to be you
Who did this song remind her of? Somebody bossy, always right, controlling, cross, sometimes mean…
Some others I've seen, might never be mean
Might never be cross, or try to be boss
But they wouldn't do
For nobody else, gave me a thrill with all your faults, I love
you still
It had to be you
It had to be you
It had to be you, woah wonderful you
It had to be you
Oh, right, herself! Hermione laughed as the song ended. It was just like her! Well, the old her, anyways. She quickly sobered up. That wasn't her anymore. Now she was sweet, shy, normal-minded Ally Bellson. Hermione Granger was there, sure, but she was tucked away in a different corner.
Ally Bellson turned off the radio and drove towards her house.
Harry looked down at the map, looked up, frowned, and looked down again. Where in Merlin's name were they? These streets and towns were a lot different than London…
"Harry, we turn left here. Look, you're holding it upside down again!" Ginny snatched the map. "How about I hold the map from now on?"
Harry sighed. "It's not my fault I never learned to read Muggle maps!"
"If you'd lived with a father like mine, you would have. I probably know how to wok Muggle things better than you do, for all the practicing I've had. Now, we turn down this street…"
Ginny led the way towards Hermione's house, Harry muttering curses behind her as he tripped over dogs, toys, and, in one case, a four year old on a bike.
Ron sat in the park, resting the back of his head against a tree. He had finally found her, and now he had no clue what to do. He had it all planned out, and now all his plans seemed stupid. She would see right through him and realize that he was just desperate to have her back. She was still Hermione, no matter what she called herself, and she was still smarter than him.
He closed his eyes, letting the sounds of nature drift into his ears, calming him down. Maybe she would actually come. Maybe things would be okay.
He could hope, at least.
"Okay, that's Ally's car! Everyone get in position, she'll be here in a minute…" Mrs. Cultran ordered everyone, turning off the lights. Ally was in for the surprise of a lifetime.
Ally,
I went over to your place to borrow a book. Bring the groceries over there.
Mrs. Cultran
Hermione sighed, getting back into her car. It was her birthday, and she was being sent on errand duty! She rolled her eyes and drove to her house.
She opened the door. "Mrs. Cultran, what in the world possessed you to send me for eight pounds of flour?" Hermione asked into the air. "Mrs. Cultran? Why is it so dark in here?" She flipped the light switch.
"SURPRISE!" People burst out of every nook and cranny that her living room had to offer, laughing and smiling. "Happy 18th Birthday!" A large banner proclaimed from the ceiling. Balloons were tapped to strings, which were taped to walls; there was confetti everywhere. Hermione laughed, hugging mrs. Cultran. "You didn't have to do this for me, you know."
"We wanted to, Ally," Austin said, smiling at her. She felt her stomach lurch, but she managed to smile back. Why was she reacting like this to Austin? Could she possibly have a crush on him?"
"C'mon, Ally, we've got over a hundred hot dogs in your fridge, and they aren't going to barbeque themselves!" Hermione's closest American friend, Emily, said. Hermione broke out of her trance, and, smiling, followed Emily to the backyard.
"How'd you manage to get all the hot dogs in there?"
"This is it!" Ginny said, folding the map neatly. Harry, limping after being chased by a four-year-old's paranoid mother, stopped short.
"It's so….clean."
"Neat and tidy, just like Mione."
"You ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
"Right, then." Ginny knocked firmly on the door.
Mrs. Cultran heard the knock on the door. "Ally, why don't you go answer that while I flip the hot dogs?"
Hermione, laughing at a joke that Austin had just told, nodded and walked to the front door, opening it and gasping.
"OH MY GOD!"
Everyone stopped, looked at each other, and crammed inside.
"Harry! Ginny!" Hermione jumped on the two of them, squeezing them tightly.
"Her…Ally!" Ginny said, catching herself. "We need to breathe!"
Hermione laughed, letting them go. "How did you all get here? No, don't answer that. How are you all?"
"We're fine, Mother." Harry grinned at her. "And you?"
"Oh, all right." Hermione was suddenly aware that everyone in the neighborhood was staring at them. "Oh, everyone, this is Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley. They're two of my very best friends from England."
The crowd immediately went back to talking, while Austin, Emily, and Sara and Kasie, two of Hermione's other new friends, came up to Hermione.
"Ally, do you have a bathroom?" Harry asked.
"Sure Harry. Down the hall to the left."
Harry ran off to the bathroom, and Emily raised her eyebrows suggestively. "He taken?"
"I'm afraid so."
"By who?"
Ginny smiled. "That'd be me."
"Lucky. D'you have any other cute English boys following you around, Ally?"
Ginny gave Hermione a glare. "As a matter of fact, she does."
"Ginny, not now!" Hermione hissed. Ginny pursed her lips.
Harry came back after a moment, wrapping an arm around Ginny's shoulders. "We thought we'd come and say Happy Birthday."
"I'm glad you did. Let's get going to the backyard. We're barbequing."
"Oh, that's all right, we should probably be going anyways."
"Why?"
Ginny glared again. "We've got to take care of my brother."
"Take care of him? Is he sick?" Hermione's forehead creased with worry.
If looks could kill, Ginny would be guilty of murder. "He is, but not the way you mean. Come on, Harry, you're right. We need to get going."
Hermione sighed, hugging Harry and Ginny again. "Well, thank you for coming, anyways."
Harry shrugged apologetically as Ginny turned frostily away. "We'll see you soon, Ally."
"Bye." Harry and Ginny walked out the front door, closing it behind them.
"What was that about?" Emily finally asked.
Hermione groaned. "Don't ask. It's complicated."
A call came up from the backyard.
"Hot dogs are ready!"
Ron paced back and forth in the gardens of the park. Should he go see her at all? Was it a good idea?
He debated with himself for a few more moments, then finally stood and walked up the street, hands in his pockets. He would have to face her sometime, and this was as good a time as any.
Austin pulled Hermione aside from the barbeque, into the cover of a wooded area near the house.
"Listen, Ally, I need to ask you a question."
Hermione's heart beat rapidly. "Yes?"
"D'you…do you have a boyfriend?"
Hermione's eyes widened. "I have no idea," she said truthfully. "I may, I may not…I have no idea."
Austin, who now had Hermione cornered up against a tree, whispered in her ear, "Well, would you ever consider dating me?"
Hermione's eyes widened even further, and she nodded. Suddenly, Austin's lips were on hers. He tasted like vanilla and cinnamon, and she moaned into his mouth, closing her eyes.
Austin pulled away. "Now do you have a boyfriend?"
"No, she doesn't."
Hermione whirled around, and there, glaring at her, was…
"Ron?"
A/N: Ah, I love a good cliffhanger. Want to know what happens? Then be good little boys and girls and review for me! And yes,I know, a bit rushed, but the next chapter is going to be pretty long and drawn out, so this is just a quick fix.
Love Ya'll!
Ash