Faded Pictures
Chapter 2
All I Ever Needed
"And all I ever needed was her right here loving me. For a while we were cool and the grooving of love was on." Case & Joe – Faded Pictures
Hermione still remembered the day she stepped off the plane into a whole new world. The pain and heartache still fresh in her mind, she faced it boldly. She had immediately made contact with the magical community, beginning her training as a Medi-Witch. She was proud of her choice in location. Salem, MA was the perfect choice seeing as it was the center of the wizarding community in the States.
Smiling fondly, Hermione thought back to the day she had started her apprenticeship at the hospital-
*~*FLASHBACK*~*
Hermione, almost twenty years old and fresh out of training, walked quietly down the hallway of the hospital's children's ward toward the office of the doctor whose apprentice she would be. She stopped in front of a door, checking the letter clutched in her hand quickly yet carefully. She looked up at the door and nodded. Yup, this is definitely the right office. Dr. Diego, she wondered what her sensei would be like. She wondered - male or female, strict or easy-going, youthful and exuberant or old and senile? Pushing her questions to the back of her mind, she knocked timidly at the door. It seemed like forever before a strong, velvety, but definitely male, voice answered, "Come in, the door is always open." Hermione held her breath and turning the door knob with a shaky hand pushed the door open.
The man did not look up immediately, giving the trembling girl a moment to collect her wits. She quickly composed herself, chastising her nerves for going haywire on her and gave him a quick once over. He had dark brown, almost black, silky hair, a strong jaw line, tanned skin, a perfectly straight nose, and thin perfectly shaped lips. She let her gaze travel down to his broad shoulders and chest and over his tightly-muscled arms revealed by his rolled up sleeves. A doctor looked like this? Wow! He reminded her of a more muscular version of that muggle actor she loved so much: Johnny Depp. The girl let out a surreptitious sigh of admiration and, coming to her senses, cleared her throat.
"May I have a seat, sir?" Hermione was gesturing to a seat across the desk when the man glanced up. She gulped. Those eyes, they were so deep, so dark, and so mysteriously sensual (definitely Johnny Depp-esque). She felt warmth building up in the pit of her belly as the eyes traveled over her, appraising her. After a moment he spoke, nearly sending her jumping out of her skin. "Of course you may. Where are my manners?" He stood, giving her a better look at him. He seemed well built, tall, and his looks were to die for. He reached his hand out, capturing hers, and held it, not shaking it—just holding it. "I am Dr. Alexander Diego."
His rich voice washed over Hermione, filling her mind with thoughts of romantic walks on the beach, candlelit dinners, champagne, passionate words whispered in her ear, his breath tickling her ear—Oh my, let's not go there right now. She knew she was trembling again, though this time not from nervousness. "You can call me Dr. Alexander, Alex, Xan, anything but Sir." He smiled warmly at her, squeezing her hand gently. "Sir makes me feel old."
Hermione smiled shyly. Oh, he was nowhere near old. In her mind she couldn't place him over mid to late twenties. She nodded quickly and opened her mouth, trying to find her voice which came out far softer and girly than she had intended. "I am Hermione Granger. You can call me Mione." He released her hand and allowed her to take her seat, settling back into his own chair.
"Hermione is it? That is quite uncommon around here. You're from England, aren't you? You have a very distinct accent." When Hermione simply nodded, he continued. "Hermione, Hermione. What about Hermy? Has anyone ever called you that?" Something unrecognizable flashed over her face as she thought back carefully. "Once, a few years ago, there was one young man who called me that. It was simply because he couldn't pronounce my real name, mind you." She laughed pleasantly at the recovered memories of her fourth year. "Maybe you've heard of him," She mused, "Viktor Krum."
"He is a seeker, isn't he?" He looked vaguely impressed at her acquaintance with the boy. "I remember going to the Quidditch World Cup and seeing him about six years back. That was the one with all the chaos and the dark mark, right?" He didn't wait for an answer before continuing. "I was twenty back then, doing my apprenticeship. That is what you're here for, isn't it? You're my apprentice?"
Hermione nodded, not truly focused on what he was saying anymore. She was right. He is only about twenty-six, then. She was wondering if he maybe had a wife or a girlfriend when his voice cut through her thoughts. "Good, let's get down to it, then. It is good to have you here."
*~*End FLASHBACK*~*
It was nearly ten o'clock when Hermione finally found herself dragging her feet up the steps to her apartment. She had worked a late shift to fill in for one of her nurses who couldn't make it. She wearily rummaged through her purse to pull out her key and fumbled with the lock before realizing that it was unlocked. The door is unlocked? Did she forget to lock the door? She never forgets to lock the door. Vaguely confused, she pushed the door open unsure of what to expect.
There sitting on the couch, waiting patiently, was Xan. Hermione calmed herself as soon as she saw him, but was still a little surprised. Although Xan had a spare key to her apartment, he hardly ever came over unannounced and never was waiting for her after work. He smiled sweetly, standing to wrap his arms around her.
Hermione smiled back and allowed her body to be enveloped in Xan's strong yet incredibly gentle embrace. "Sweetheart, this is a pleasant surprise!" She pulled back a tiny bit to look up into his dark brown eyes that were shining like wells of emotion. He lifted her chin and placed one tender kiss on her lips before releasing her and turning to gesture to the room. "Well, for one thing, I missed you. For another, we must begin to pack your things. It is only a week before we move into our house, and you have five years worth of mementos to pack up."
"Ah, yes. It has been five years, hasn't it? That is nothing compared to the entire childhood I packed up to come here." Hermione's eyes clouded with tears as Xan looked helplessly on. She had never let him into her inner circle, never shared her previous existence with him. She kept her childhood hidden deep within her heart, only teasing him with glimpses of it. Xan knew that in time she might let him in, maybe after the wedding. Until then, he just had to wait.
There was something missing from her life. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he knew it existed and killed her slowly when she dwelled on it too long. Whatever it was seemed to come up whenever she spoke about her best friend, Harry. In the beginning, Xan thought that something more than friendship had transpired between the two, but when he asked about it, Hermione had laughed wholeheartedly in disbelief. 'Honestly,' she had laughed, 'Harry? Are you kidding? That boy was fruitier than a bowl of oranges!' So he put that notion behind him, pondering what else it could've been.
Xan sighed heavily as Hermione blinked the tears away. Determined to get her mind off of whatever was bothering her, Xan turned her attention to something else. "Look, baby, there is an owl here for you. There were a few others here that left their burdens," he frowned unhappily at a rather intimidating looking eagle owl, "but this one, won't let me near it." Hermione's face lit up immediately upon seeing the bird. "Draco!" She cried cheerfully, running to relieve the owl of its letter. "You," she said to the bird frowning, "are going to have to stay here overnight, if not for a few days."
Hermione then returned her attention to Xan. "This is Draco's owl." Hermione absentmindedly rambled. "He is the only owl I know that can and will make the trans-Atlantic trip. He is very protective and will only deliver his mail to the person to whom it is addressed." She looked around and paused momentarily. "Ummm, sweetheart, where is the rest?" She went and collected the six or so other letters from the end-table Xan indicated, settling onto her overstuffed couch in front of her roaring fireplace.
Xan sat down beside her, pulling her close and peering over her shoulder. "Who are they from, Sweetheart?" He didn't recognize any of the names immediately although the name Neville Longbottom sounded familiar. He was pretty sure that Neville was a singing sensation in the wizarding world but couldn't associate him with Hermione. He tugged at that particular letter to get her attention. "This wouldn't be Neville Longbottom as in the dark, brooding, oh-so-sexy," he made a face at that last part, "singing sensation, would it?"
Hermione giggled, still unable to imagine the short, chubby klutz she used to know transforming into a sex icon. "Yes, that would be the one." She decided to open his first since his seemed of the most interest to Xan. Gingerly opening the letter, she settled farther back against Xan's broad chest and read it aloud.
"Dear Hermione,
You mean the world to me. You and Ginny were the only people
who ever had any faith in me. The two of you made me the man I
am today. I owe you my success. Everything that I am came from
the love and support of you and Ginny. Your sharing such a
major part of your life with me makes me feel privileged and I
wouldn't miss your wedding for anything. How could you even
consider that I would pass up the opportunity to see you?!
I miss you tremendously and I can't wait for our chance to catch
up on everything that has been happening in each other's lives.
I finally have someone who I would like to share my life with as
well. You will find out all about her when I arrive. She is
the focus of that song you like so much. And while we're on
that matter, I am extremely honored that you have chosen one of
my works to be your wedding song. But, as far as allowing that
friend of yours to sing it at the wedding, I'm afraid the answer
is no. Nobody will sing my song at your ceremony unless it's
me.
Well, see you soon!
Love,
Neville"
Hermione smiled as she finished reading the letter. She missed Neville. Sweet, shy at first, clumsy Neville. Drifting off into pleasant memories, she barely heard Xan's shocked response. "Wow. I never knew you had such connections, Baby. You sure do seem to have had an impact in his life. I can't wait to meet him and hear all about how you two met and all." Xan shook her slightly, hating to break her out of her reverie, but suddenly curious about the remaining letters. "Hun... there are still more letters to go."
"Huh? Oh... alright... let's see." Hermione glanced through the small pile, finally deciding on one addressed in magnificent script from one M. McGonagall. She opened it quickly and scanned its content briefly. The letter said simply that both Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore would both be attending and were quite honored to have been invited. "That is just like her, short and to the point." Hermione mumbled, moving on to the next letter.
Hermione recognized the writing on the letter immediately and smiled. The untidy scrawl was smudged with what looked like teardrops that had been wiped away. "Hagrid," She whispered softly, "oh, how I miss Hagrid." Xan pulled her a little more tightly to his chest and silently encouraged her to open the letter and read its content.
"Dear Mione-
I can' believe it. Yer all growin' up so fas' an all. It seems
like yesterday that yeh were here with those two knuckleheads,
makin' trouble fer everyone. I miss yeh all like yeh wouldn'
even believe, way mor'n I miss Norbert. Olympe an I'll be at
yer weddin'. Don' worry yer head abou' anything. We wouldn'
miss it fer all the dragons in the world. Can' wait ter see
yeh.
-Hagrid"
Hermione chuckled softly, wiping silent tears from amber eyes. "More than dragons... that is saying something." She turned halfway to face Xan, smiling and looking into his eyes. "We had a lot of experiences with dangerous animals involving that man, but we always came out alright. I'm glad I wasn't there to see Aragog! Ron gets the creeps just thinking about it."
Xan smiled at Hermione, but frowned as she turned away. That was definitely a name he hadn't heard before... "Ron? Who is that?" He kicked himself as she tensed in his arms. That must be a sore spot for her. "Sweetheart, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
Hermione shook her head and bit her lip momentarily. She knew she would have to tell Xan someday, but it was still too painful. She wondered if she should tell him the whole story but dismissed that idea. "He was one of my best friends. He, Harry and I did everything together. I know I've never gone into depth about all our adventures, but he was always there too. I just never mentioned him before now. You might meet him at the wedding. Harry is going to invite him for me."
Xan's frown had disappeared during her explanation but suddenly reappeared. His brow furrowed as a question popped into his head. "Honey, why didn't you invite him yourself?" His frown deepened when she didn't answer right away. He rubbed his hand down her arms, attempting to ease whatever she was feeling.
"I guess you could say that we had a falling out five years ago. I don't want to talk about that though." Hermione pressed her back into Xan, willing him to get the point. "Let's see what other letters we have here..." She turned back to the letters, effectively changing Xan's train of thought. She knew he was interested in all those letters and who they were from.
She read aloud both Dean Thomas' and Seamus Finnigan's letters. The letters simply said that they accepted the invitation and couldn't wait to catch up on things. Dean went so far as to chastise her for not coming to visit him when she visited her parents at Christmastime. She placed Fred and George's letter gingerly to the side. "I don't think either of us is ready for whatever is in that letter." She laughed as Xan looked suspiciously at the envelope that had been quietly chanting 'read me' since Hermione had singled it out. She finally settled on the letter from Ginny and began to read.
"Hermione,
You twit! I can't believe you actually had to ask that
question! Of course I will be your maid of honor. I wouldn't
dream of saying no after all we've been through together.
Lavender and Luna have agreed to be bridesmaids as well as Pansy
(although I still can't figure out why you chose her over,
say... Parvati or someone). I insist on coming early to help
with preparations. I should be there in about two days. I just
have to finish up some work here and I'll be on my way.
I can't wait!!!!! I've never been to America before and I can't
wait for you to show me around. The pictures you send me are
never good enough. I can't wait to see that dreamboat of yours.
He looks kind of like Johnny Depp, and you KNOW how much I love
him. Well, see you in a few days.
Love, Ginny
PS Don't open the letter from Fred and George. I heard them say
something about jinxing you for not visiting them. They already told
me that they were coming so don't worry about the response... burn it.
PPS I won't be bringing a date... You'll see why, but be a dear and
make sure the best man is handsome."
Hermione burst into a fit of giggles and got up from the couch. Xan watched her closely as she picked up the letter that was still chanting 'read me.' She walked into the kitchen, lit the burner on the stove, took out a deep pot, lit the letter on fire and dropped it quickly into the pot. He frowned as he watched the smoke unfurled in different colors spelling words out as it crept across the room. 'Damn it, I'll get you for this.'
Hermione was cracking up at this point, but Xan didn't find it funny at all. "That was dangerous, why would anyone send that to you?" He watched as she doubled over in laughter, clutching a stitch in her side. "I'm serious. I don't know who that was from, but I don't like the sound of them."
Hermione's laughter finally subsiding, she placed her arms gently around Xan's waist and laid her cheek against his shoulder. "Oh, sweetheart, trust me. Those two may be a pain in the ass, but they aren't dangerous. I'm sure those were harmless jinxes, probably along the lines of the canary crèmes they used to pass out. They really are loads of fun, and I'm sure you will love them once they arrive. It is nice to know that some things never change, like Fred and George's crazy sense of humor."
Hermione smiled as Xan's arms crept up around her. "I'll have to take your word for it." He kissed the top of her head and walked back into the living room. Sitting on the couch, he looked up to see her still standing in the kitchen, frowning at him. "What?! What did I do?"
"The letters are over and done with. Don't you think that we should get started on the packing?" Hermione walked slowly over to the couch, picked up a pillow and hit Xan across the head with it. "Get a move on, lazy!" She laughed as he stuck his tongue out at her. He was such a child sometimes, but she wasn't complaining. At least he got to work...
As Xan moved to start placing books into the boxes he had brought with him, Hermione slinked over to the table. She picked up one forgotten letter and slipped it into her pocket. She didn't want to read that one aloud and she definitely wanted to be alone when she read it. It probably had something about what happened with Ron and Harry in it and some things were just too personal to share.
*~*
After hours spent simply packing books, Xan's back ached. He wanted to move on to something else. The bookshelves must have been charmed or something, because the books seemed endless. He rubbed at the small of his back as he walked into the bedroom. "Honey, I'll start packing up the stuff you keep in the extra closet now."
Hermione didn't look up, but rather nodded her head in acknowledgment. She was busy looking through her regular closet. She had so many shoes she didn't know what to do with them. She was wondering if the new house had enough room for all her and Xan's stuff when she heard him call her name softly.
"Hermione," He called as he pulled on something heavy, "come help me with this trunk. I think it's stuck or something." He looked up just in time to see the first teardrop fall from her eyes.
"No, it's not stuck. It is probably impossibly heavy though. It contains all my mementos from school. That trunk holds the majority of my childhood in it." With those words, Hermione fled the room, tears streaming down her face.
~**~**~**~
A/N: Alright, for those of you who ARE actually reading this story, I'm sorry it took so long to update. To those few people who reviewed, thanks, to the rest of you... YOU SUCK... no I'm kidding. Thanks to my beta reader, this story is more for her than anyone else since she is the ultimate Ron/Hermione lover. Read and Review please... otherwise I'll convince monkeys that your behinds taste like bananas and sic them on you like in my beta reader's story. Go read that too, it rocks. Name... N.C. PsyChick... story... My Version of Love Potion 976 J... alright... that's all I guess. Nope, two more things... Jimmy's mom has got it going on & REVIEW... peace.
Chapter 2
All I Ever Needed
"And all I ever needed was her right here loving me. For a while we were cool and the grooving of love was on." Case & Joe – Faded Pictures
Hermione still remembered the day she stepped off the plane into a whole new world. The pain and heartache still fresh in her mind, she faced it boldly. She had immediately made contact with the magical community, beginning her training as a Medi-Witch. She was proud of her choice in location. Salem, MA was the perfect choice seeing as it was the center of the wizarding community in the States.
Smiling fondly, Hermione thought back to the day she had started her apprenticeship at the hospital-
*~*FLASHBACK*~*
Hermione, almost twenty years old and fresh out of training, walked quietly down the hallway of the hospital's children's ward toward the office of the doctor whose apprentice she would be. She stopped in front of a door, checking the letter clutched in her hand quickly yet carefully. She looked up at the door and nodded. Yup, this is definitely the right office. Dr. Diego, she wondered what her sensei would be like. She wondered - male or female, strict or easy-going, youthful and exuberant or old and senile? Pushing her questions to the back of her mind, she knocked timidly at the door. It seemed like forever before a strong, velvety, but definitely male, voice answered, "Come in, the door is always open." Hermione held her breath and turning the door knob with a shaky hand pushed the door open.
The man did not look up immediately, giving the trembling girl a moment to collect her wits. She quickly composed herself, chastising her nerves for going haywire on her and gave him a quick once over. He had dark brown, almost black, silky hair, a strong jaw line, tanned skin, a perfectly straight nose, and thin perfectly shaped lips. She let her gaze travel down to his broad shoulders and chest and over his tightly-muscled arms revealed by his rolled up sleeves. A doctor looked like this? Wow! He reminded her of a more muscular version of that muggle actor she loved so much: Johnny Depp. The girl let out a surreptitious sigh of admiration and, coming to her senses, cleared her throat.
"May I have a seat, sir?" Hermione was gesturing to a seat across the desk when the man glanced up. She gulped. Those eyes, they were so deep, so dark, and so mysteriously sensual (definitely Johnny Depp-esque). She felt warmth building up in the pit of her belly as the eyes traveled over her, appraising her. After a moment he spoke, nearly sending her jumping out of her skin. "Of course you may. Where are my manners?" He stood, giving her a better look at him. He seemed well built, tall, and his looks were to die for. He reached his hand out, capturing hers, and held it, not shaking it—just holding it. "I am Dr. Alexander Diego."
His rich voice washed over Hermione, filling her mind with thoughts of romantic walks on the beach, candlelit dinners, champagne, passionate words whispered in her ear, his breath tickling her ear—Oh my, let's not go there right now. She knew she was trembling again, though this time not from nervousness. "You can call me Dr. Alexander, Alex, Xan, anything but Sir." He smiled warmly at her, squeezing her hand gently. "Sir makes me feel old."
Hermione smiled shyly. Oh, he was nowhere near old. In her mind she couldn't place him over mid to late twenties. She nodded quickly and opened her mouth, trying to find her voice which came out far softer and girly than she had intended. "I am Hermione Granger. You can call me Mione." He released her hand and allowed her to take her seat, settling back into his own chair.
"Hermione is it? That is quite uncommon around here. You're from England, aren't you? You have a very distinct accent." When Hermione simply nodded, he continued. "Hermione, Hermione. What about Hermy? Has anyone ever called you that?" Something unrecognizable flashed over her face as she thought back carefully. "Once, a few years ago, there was one young man who called me that. It was simply because he couldn't pronounce my real name, mind you." She laughed pleasantly at the recovered memories of her fourth year. "Maybe you've heard of him," She mused, "Viktor Krum."
"He is a seeker, isn't he?" He looked vaguely impressed at her acquaintance with the boy. "I remember going to the Quidditch World Cup and seeing him about six years back. That was the one with all the chaos and the dark mark, right?" He didn't wait for an answer before continuing. "I was twenty back then, doing my apprenticeship. That is what you're here for, isn't it? You're my apprentice?"
Hermione nodded, not truly focused on what he was saying anymore. She was right. He is only about twenty-six, then. She was wondering if he maybe had a wife or a girlfriend when his voice cut through her thoughts. "Good, let's get down to it, then. It is good to have you here."
*~*End FLASHBACK*~*
It was nearly ten o'clock when Hermione finally found herself dragging her feet up the steps to her apartment. She had worked a late shift to fill in for one of her nurses who couldn't make it. She wearily rummaged through her purse to pull out her key and fumbled with the lock before realizing that it was unlocked. The door is unlocked? Did she forget to lock the door? She never forgets to lock the door. Vaguely confused, she pushed the door open unsure of what to expect.
There sitting on the couch, waiting patiently, was Xan. Hermione calmed herself as soon as she saw him, but was still a little surprised. Although Xan had a spare key to her apartment, he hardly ever came over unannounced and never was waiting for her after work. He smiled sweetly, standing to wrap his arms around her.
Hermione smiled back and allowed her body to be enveloped in Xan's strong yet incredibly gentle embrace. "Sweetheart, this is a pleasant surprise!" She pulled back a tiny bit to look up into his dark brown eyes that were shining like wells of emotion. He lifted her chin and placed one tender kiss on her lips before releasing her and turning to gesture to the room. "Well, for one thing, I missed you. For another, we must begin to pack your things. It is only a week before we move into our house, and you have five years worth of mementos to pack up."
"Ah, yes. It has been five years, hasn't it? That is nothing compared to the entire childhood I packed up to come here." Hermione's eyes clouded with tears as Xan looked helplessly on. She had never let him into her inner circle, never shared her previous existence with him. She kept her childhood hidden deep within her heart, only teasing him with glimpses of it. Xan knew that in time she might let him in, maybe after the wedding. Until then, he just had to wait.
There was something missing from her life. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he knew it existed and killed her slowly when she dwelled on it too long. Whatever it was seemed to come up whenever she spoke about her best friend, Harry. In the beginning, Xan thought that something more than friendship had transpired between the two, but when he asked about it, Hermione had laughed wholeheartedly in disbelief. 'Honestly,' she had laughed, 'Harry? Are you kidding? That boy was fruitier than a bowl of oranges!' So he put that notion behind him, pondering what else it could've been.
Xan sighed heavily as Hermione blinked the tears away. Determined to get her mind off of whatever was bothering her, Xan turned her attention to something else. "Look, baby, there is an owl here for you. There were a few others here that left their burdens," he frowned unhappily at a rather intimidating looking eagle owl, "but this one, won't let me near it." Hermione's face lit up immediately upon seeing the bird. "Draco!" She cried cheerfully, running to relieve the owl of its letter. "You," she said to the bird frowning, "are going to have to stay here overnight, if not for a few days."
Hermione then returned her attention to Xan. "This is Draco's owl." Hermione absentmindedly rambled. "He is the only owl I know that can and will make the trans-Atlantic trip. He is very protective and will only deliver his mail to the person to whom it is addressed." She looked around and paused momentarily. "Ummm, sweetheart, where is the rest?" She went and collected the six or so other letters from the end-table Xan indicated, settling onto her overstuffed couch in front of her roaring fireplace.
Xan sat down beside her, pulling her close and peering over her shoulder. "Who are they from, Sweetheart?" He didn't recognize any of the names immediately although the name Neville Longbottom sounded familiar. He was pretty sure that Neville was a singing sensation in the wizarding world but couldn't associate him with Hermione. He tugged at that particular letter to get her attention. "This wouldn't be Neville Longbottom as in the dark, brooding, oh-so-sexy," he made a face at that last part, "singing sensation, would it?"
Hermione giggled, still unable to imagine the short, chubby klutz she used to know transforming into a sex icon. "Yes, that would be the one." She decided to open his first since his seemed of the most interest to Xan. Gingerly opening the letter, she settled farther back against Xan's broad chest and read it aloud.
"Dear Hermione,
You mean the world to me. You and Ginny were the only people
who ever had any faith in me. The two of you made me the man I
am today. I owe you my success. Everything that I am came from
the love and support of you and Ginny. Your sharing such a
major part of your life with me makes me feel privileged and I
wouldn't miss your wedding for anything. How could you even
consider that I would pass up the opportunity to see you?!
I miss you tremendously and I can't wait for our chance to catch
up on everything that has been happening in each other's lives.
I finally have someone who I would like to share my life with as
well. You will find out all about her when I arrive. She is
the focus of that song you like so much. And while we're on
that matter, I am extremely honored that you have chosen one of
my works to be your wedding song. But, as far as allowing that
friend of yours to sing it at the wedding, I'm afraid the answer
is no. Nobody will sing my song at your ceremony unless it's
me.
Well, see you soon!
Love,
Neville"
Hermione smiled as she finished reading the letter. She missed Neville. Sweet, shy at first, clumsy Neville. Drifting off into pleasant memories, she barely heard Xan's shocked response. "Wow. I never knew you had such connections, Baby. You sure do seem to have had an impact in his life. I can't wait to meet him and hear all about how you two met and all." Xan shook her slightly, hating to break her out of her reverie, but suddenly curious about the remaining letters. "Hun... there are still more letters to go."
"Huh? Oh... alright... let's see." Hermione glanced through the small pile, finally deciding on one addressed in magnificent script from one M. McGonagall. She opened it quickly and scanned its content briefly. The letter said simply that both Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore would both be attending and were quite honored to have been invited. "That is just like her, short and to the point." Hermione mumbled, moving on to the next letter.
Hermione recognized the writing on the letter immediately and smiled. The untidy scrawl was smudged with what looked like teardrops that had been wiped away. "Hagrid," She whispered softly, "oh, how I miss Hagrid." Xan pulled her a little more tightly to his chest and silently encouraged her to open the letter and read its content.
"Dear Mione-
I can' believe it. Yer all growin' up so fas' an all. It seems
like yesterday that yeh were here with those two knuckleheads,
makin' trouble fer everyone. I miss yeh all like yeh wouldn'
even believe, way mor'n I miss Norbert. Olympe an I'll be at
yer weddin'. Don' worry yer head abou' anything. We wouldn'
miss it fer all the dragons in the world. Can' wait ter see
yeh.
-Hagrid"
Hermione chuckled softly, wiping silent tears from amber eyes. "More than dragons... that is saying something." She turned halfway to face Xan, smiling and looking into his eyes. "We had a lot of experiences with dangerous animals involving that man, but we always came out alright. I'm glad I wasn't there to see Aragog! Ron gets the creeps just thinking about it."
Xan smiled at Hermione, but frowned as she turned away. That was definitely a name he hadn't heard before... "Ron? Who is that?" He kicked himself as she tensed in his arms. That must be a sore spot for her. "Sweetheart, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
Hermione shook her head and bit her lip momentarily. She knew she would have to tell Xan someday, but it was still too painful. She wondered if she should tell him the whole story but dismissed that idea. "He was one of my best friends. He, Harry and I did everything together. I know I've never gone into depth about all our adventures, but he was always there too. I just never mentioned him before now. You might meet him at the wedding. Harry is going to invite him for me."
Xan's frown had disappeared during her explanation but suddenly reappeared. His brow furrowed as a question popped into his head. "Honey, why didn't you invite him yourself?" His frown deepened when she didn't answer right away. He rubbed his hand down her arms, attempting to ease whatever she was feeling.
"I guess you could say that we had a falling out five years ago. I don't want to talk about that though." Hermione pressed her back into Xan, willing him to get the point. "Let's see what other letters we have here..." She turned back to the letters, effectively changing Xan's train of thought. She knew he was interested in all those letters and who they were from.
She read aloud both Dean Thomas' and Seamus Finnigan's letters. The letters simply said that they accepted the invitation and couldn't wait to catch up on things. Dean went so far as to chastise her for not coming to visit him when she visited her parents at Christmastime. She placed Fred and George's letter gingerly to the side. "I don't think either of us is ready for whatever is in that letter." She laughed as Xan looked suspiciously at the envelope that had been quietly chanting 'read me' since Hermione had singled it out. She finally settled on the letter from Ginny and began to read.
"Hermione,
You twit! I can't believe you actually had to ask that
question! Of course I will be your maid of honor. I wouldn't
dream of saying no after all we've been through together.
Lavender and Luna have agreed to be bridesmaids as well as Pansy
(although I still can't figure out why you chose her over,
say... Parvati or someone). I insist on coming early to help
with preparations. I should be there in about two days. I just
have to finish up some work here and I'll be on my way.
I can't wait!!!!! I've never been to America before and I can't
wait for you to show me around. The pictures you send me are
never good enough. I can't wait to see that dreamboat of yours.
He looks kind of like Johnny Depp, and you KNOW how much I love
him. Well, see you in a few days.
Love, Ginny
PS Don't open the letter from Fred and George. I heard them say
something about jinxing you for not visiting them. They already told
me that they were coming so don't worry about the response... burn it.
PPS I won't be bringing a date... You'll see why, but be a dear and
make sure the best man is handsome."
Hermione burst into a fit of giggles and got up from the couch. Xan watched her closely as she picked up the letter that was still chanting 'read me.' She walked into the kitchen, lit the burner on the stove, took out a deep pot, lit the letter on fire and dropped it quickly into the pot. He frowned as he watched the smoke unfurled in different colors spelling words out as it crept across the room. 'Damn it, I'll get you for this.'
Hermione was cracking up at this point, but Xan didn't find it funny at all. "That was dangerous, why would anyone send that to you?" He watched as she doubled over in laughter, clutching a stitch in her side. "I'm serious. I don't know who that was from, but I don't like the sound of them."
Hermione's laughter finally subsiding, she placed her arms gently around Xan's waist and laid her cheek against his shoulder. "Oh, sweetheart, trust me. Those two may be a pain in the ass, but they aren't dangerous. I'm sure those were harmless jinxes, probably along the lines of the canary crèmes they used to pass out. They really are loads of fun, and I'm sure you will love them once they arrive. It is nice to know that some things never change, like Fred and George's crazy sense of humor."
Hermione smiled as Xan's arms crept up around her. "I'll have to take your word for it." He kissed the top of her head and walked back into the living room. Sitting on the couch, he looked up to see her still standing in the kitchen, frowning at him. "What?! What did I do?"
"The letters are over and done with. Don't you think that we should get started on the packing?" Hermione walked slowly over to the couch, picked up a pillow and hit Xan across the head with it. "Get a move on, lazy!" She laughed as he stuck his tongue out at her. He was such a child sometimes, but she wasn't complaining. At least he got to work...
As Xan moved to start placing books into the boxes he had brought with him, Hermione slinked over to the table. She picked up one forgotten letter and slipped it into her pocket. She didn't want to read that one aloud and she definitely wanted to be alone when she read it. It probably had something about what happened with Ron and Harry in it and some things were just too personal to share.
*~*
After hours spent simply packing books, Xan's back ached. He wanted to move on to something else. The bookshelves must have been charmed or something, because the books seemed endless. He rubbed at the small of his back as he walked into the bedroom. "Honey, I'll start packing up the stuff you keep in the extra closet now."
Hermione didn't look up, but rather nodded her head in acknowledgment. She was busy looking through her regular closet. She had so many shoes she didn't know what to do with them. She was wondering if the new house had enough room for all her and Xan's stuff when she heard him call her name softly.
"Hermione," He called as he pulled on something heavy, "come help me with this trunk. I think it's stuck or something." He looked up just in time to see the first teardrop fall from her eyes.
"No, it's not stuck. It is probably impossibly heavy though. It contains all my mementos from school. That trunk holds the majority of my childhood in it." With those words, Hermione fled the room, tears streaming down her face.
~**~**~**~
A/N: Alright, for those of you who ARE actually reading this story, I'm sorry it took so long to update. To those few people who reviewed, thanks, to the rest of you... YOU SUCK... no I'm kidding. Thanks to my beta reader, this story is more for her than anyone else since she is the ultimate Ron/Hermione lover. Read and Review please... otherwise I'll convince monkeys that your behinds taste like bananas and sic them on you like in my beta reader's story. Go read that too, it rocks. Name... N.C. PsyChick... story... My Version of Love Potion 976 J... alright... that's all I guess. Nope, two more things... Jimmy's mom has got it going on & REVIEW... peace.