A/N: OH MY WORD! I couldn't get this stupid freakin useless chapter up! OY! I feel better now! whew! and you know the usual, not mine, all hers, she knows, i know, u know...cmon..lol
"Hermione, I would like to introduce my mother, Kyla Wood," Oliver stated, bringing his mum forward. "Mother, this is Hermione Granger."
Hermione was reminded of the day Oliver came to her office almost two weeks ago, as he introduced her to his mother. Oh my word has it only been that long, Hermione thought to herself, as she stood up and wiped her hands on the back of her jeans.
"I am very pleased to meet you, Ms. Granger," Oliver's mother smiled, shaking Hermione's hand.
"Hello, Mrs. Wood," Hermione said.
"Please, call me Kyla," she asked.
Hermione nodded, as she snuck a glance up at Oliver. He was looking at her with warmth that was, honestly, making her a bit uncomfortable.
Molly observed Oliver and smiled to herself. Taking a breath, she said, "Well, let's not all just stand here, come, come. We were just about to sit down."
Everyone kind of laughed nervously, as Molly went into the kitchen to retrieve more things to take outside, and Kyla followed.
Oliver stood there, looking down at Hermione, while she was trying to look anywhere but at him. He opened his mouth to say something, as Hermione walked to the sink and retrieved a cloth to clean up the mess on the floor. He looked down at the mess and shrugged. Taking out his wand, he said a quick "Reparo" under his breath and all was returned to its former state.
Hermione came back and looked at the now intact dish in his hands and blinked. "Uh, yeah, right," she uttered, as she shook her head. 'I have got to get out of here,' she thought.
Molly and Kyla were walking out the door to the back yard and Hermione made to follow them. Oliver reached out and caught her wrist. She turned back to him with one eyebrow raised.
"Uh, what should I do with this?" he asked, releasing her.
"Oh, well, just give it here," Hermione said. She took the ruined salad and tossing it into the trashbin, placed the dish in the sink to be washed.
Oliver was standing at the door waiting for her. She wiped her hands on a dishtowel, and running her hands down her hair, she walked towards him slowly.
"Hermione," Oliver began, blocking the door.
"Oliver, really. I would just like to forget it happened, ok?" she asked calmly, looking up at his chin.
It was a good thing she hadn't looked into his eyes at that point, as they were flashing dangerously at her statement. Hermione's hands were twisting in front of her, the only thing that betrayed her. His racing blood slowed a bit as he realized she was a bundle of nerves.
Oliver sighed. "Yes, that would probably be a good idea," he said quietly. Hermione nodded and he moved to allow her pass, opening the door for her.
The meal passed without any more mishaps, unless you count the youngest Weasley twins engaging in a 'did not, did so' argument. Fred and George just smiled at the glares that Bill gave them, as Fleur quieted them down. Talk flowed naturally around the table, except in two instances, which occurred at different ends of the table.
Hermione was quiet, her mind on other matters, as she pushed her food around. She only spoke to Chelsea, who was seated next to her and talked only in between bites of food. She was a Weasley after all.
Oliver was similarly inclined to not speak except in monosyllabic answers. It was frustrating to those seated around him, and finally, the meal was finished.
Molly and Kyla directed the men to clear the dishes, while the ladies were occupied with the children. Chelsea latched onto Hermione and they walked over to the area where Ginny and she had spoken earlier. Angelina, Katie, and Ginny joined them. Luna helped Fleur corral the twins and Brittany; soon they were engaged in a game of tag.
The guys were not happy, but did their jobs quickly so they could get done and out of the house before their mum found something else for them to do. Oliver lingered over carrying his load in, casting quick glimpses at Hermione as she walked away.
"Aunt Mione?" Chelsea asked.
"Yes?"
"Did you see him?" Chelsea said in a whisper.
Hermione was still thinking about the incident in the kitchen and responded offhand, "Who, dear?"
Chelsea looked around at the other three ladies sitting in the chairs, conversing about wedding preparations.
"Oliver," Chelsea said in the tiniest voice she had ever used.
Hermione's eyes widened. It had completely slipped her mind what Chelsea had told her earlier that day. "Um, yes, dear. I saw him. Why?"
"So?" Chelsea said in a small voice again. "Isn't he handsome?"
Hermione looked at the little bundle of sweetness and innocence sitting on her lap and smiled. "Yes, he is very handsome."
Chelsea sighed. She laid her head back on Hermione's chest and looked towards the house, waiting for the men to return. Hermione's hand brushed her curls down her back as she looked over at Ginny. Ginny asked a silent 'what?' and Hermione just shook her head slightly. She laid her cheek on Chelsea's head and listened to the chatter next to her, sighing lightly herself.
"I am gonna package all this extra food for you to take home, Oliver," Molly said, as she magically swept all the leftovers into neat little dishes for two. Kyla directed the others to get busy with the rest of the clean up.
"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley, but that isn't really necessary," Oliver said as he carried the last of the dishes in from the yard. He had taken longer than the others, as he was watching Hermione.
"Nonsense, I want to," she insisted.
"Well, thank you again, Mrs. Weasley," Oliver said graciously. His mother looked over at him and beamed. She loved watching him display the manners she had instilled in him, none to easily either.
"Hey, Mum, are we done?" Fred said desperation on his face. He hated cleaning up.
"Yes, dear. Now you all can go take down the extra seating and tables from outside," Molly replied. She knew how much the twins hated cleaning up. She had seen their flat at the shop.
All the men rushed outside before she could add anything else to the list.
"Well, Mum, do you think we should be heading out?" Oliver asked, anxious to get away from the temptation of a certain brunette sitting in the shade outside.
"Not yet, dear," Kyla said with a smile. "I would like to visit with Molly over a cup of tea. Why don't you go outside and visit with your friends?"
"Yes, ma'am," he replied.
Oliver walked out the door and seen the Weasley twins levitating the tables and chairs around the yard, much to the amusement of the younger twins standing beside them. Harry, Ron, and Bill were doubled over with laughter. He looked over to the group under the tree. Fleur, Brittany, and Luna had joined the others and they were discussing the latest hot topics from the Daily Prophet. Hermione was sitting off to the side a bit, with the little red haired angel, Chelsea, on her lap. They both had their eyes closed. Oliver felt as if a hand had fisted over his heart. 'This is not gonna be easy,' he thought.
Angelina had seen Oliver walk out from the house, and nudged Katie. They both observed Oliver as his eyes fixed on Hermione. They looked at each other and winked, then excused themselves from the group of ladies and walked over to Oliver.
Oliver watched as two of his three Gryffindor chasers approached him. He smiled slightly and asked, "How are you two doing?"
Angelina smiled back at him and reached up to coax a stray piece of hair back into her ponytail. "We are doing fine, Captain," she joked. "We are a bit worried about you though."
"Me? Why?" Oliver asked, looking at them both, surprise on his features.
"Well, we are all aware of what happened last week," Katie said, the question in her eyes. "Just wondering how you are coping?"
"Oh, that," Oliver said, with a slight edge to his voice. "I am fine really. The healers just want me to take it easy so that my back can heal properly."
"Um hmm," Angelina said. "So, your reluctance to engage with any sort of conversation today is just part of your 'healing'?"
Oliver flushed. "Well, it is a bit of shock to not be in the air, or racing off to whatever practice or match is next."
"Well, that is perfectly understandable," Katie replied with some sympathy. Oliver looked at her warmly.
"I," Angelina interjected firmly, shooting Katie a glare, "just wanted to make sure you weren't going to waste away with all this free time you have now."
"Uh, right," Katie said quickly. "You need to do something to occupy yourself, Oliver, so you don't get all mopey and forlorn."
"Forlorn?" Oliver asked, his eyebrows raising. He laughed out loud at that. The smile that was on his face was quite a sight, and both girls remembered the slight crushes they held for their esteemed leader while in school.
"Well, I am sure I can find something to keep my struggling soul occupied, ladies," he chuckled.
"So, what would you ladies like to do now?" Fred asked as he and George walked over, wondering how their fiancés had gotten Oliver to laugh like that.
"Why don't you take the children down to the pond?" Ginny said, as she walked over. Hermione was behind her with a sleeping Chelsea in her arms. Oliver's face became a blank slate again as he opened the door for her to go inside. She smiled her thanks as she went in. His eyes followed her, much to the interest of the rest of the group standing there.
Oliver turned back around to see four heads whip around to look at the ground or the amazing color of the sky. He focused on Ginny, who was watching him with a fierce look on her face.
"Yes, why don't we take them down to the pond?" George said, as he bent down to allow Kristoff to jump on his back, Fred doing the same with Gabe. Brittany was being led over by Fleur to Angelina and Katie. Luna, Ron, Harry, and Bill were already headed that way.
"Come on you little imps," Fred said as he started to gallop down the path to the pond, the rest of the crew following; Fleur and Ginny watching them go, all with a smile on their faces. Oliver ducked away and went over to the chairs, choosing the one that Hermione had been sitting in. He rested his chin on his fist in an all too familiar pose, looking out at the makeshift Quidditch pitch next to the house.
Kyla and Molly were sitting at the table, enjoying their tea and chatting about the grandchildren. Kyla heard the little children running about outside, laughing and gave a sigh.
"I don't know if my two will ever settle down," she said plainly.
Molly reached over and patted her hand. "I wouldn't worry overly, Kyla. It will happen and soon you will be overrun with your own little angels."
"I certainly hope so. Ainsley is so fixated on her career; she won't even consent to take a break to visit anymore. And Oliver," here, Kyla sighed, "Oliver is always on the road or dashing off to practice or working promotions for the team. He doesn't have the time to devote to a relationship."
"Well, I have noticed that whether you have time for it or not, if it is meant to be, a way will be made," Molly observed.
Kyla gave an 'hmm' and lifted her cup to take a sip. Oliver's deep laughter rang through the back door and she smiled warmly. "I haven't heard him laugh like that in ages," she said softly.
"He will have a tough road, with his injury and all the recovery time he will need. But," Molly gave a secret smile as she set her tea down again, "this may have been a good thing."
Kyla's eyes widened until she realized what Molly meant. "Yes, you may be right. An opportunity to stop and smell the roses, so to speak."
Molly nodded and both ladies settled back in their chairs to think.
Just then the back door opened and Hermione walked through with Chelsea. "Where?" she whispered.
Molly gestured towards the living room smiling. She looked back at Kyla, who was watching Hermione with great interest. She had not missed Oliver's quick response to the broken dish and Hermione's cut finger. "Molly," Kyla began, turning back to the smiling woman across from her, "is she the same Miss Granger that helped Harry Potter defeat-"she began.
Molly nodded and winked at Kyla. Kyla looked towards the back door again. "Very interesting," she muttered into her cup.
Hermione laid Chelsea down on the couch and covered her with a light throw blanket. She looked down at the little girl and felt a lurch in her chest. She brushed a lock of hair from Chelsea's face with shaking fingers and stood up. 'Some day,' she thought.
Hermione walked into her dark flat wearily. The picnic had been a great idea, in concept. With all the different emotions she had experienced today, she felt as if she had climbed Mt. Everest. Her keys jangled on the side table near the entrance and she walked into the living room, stretching her neck from side to side. She set down on her couch and put her feet up. Lying there, she thought back on the day and realized that she hadn't really spoken to Oliver that much at all. The interlude in the kitchen when he had first arrived. The short goodbye right before his mother and he left.
That was it.
"This will never do," she said lightly to the darkness. They would have to figure out some sort of compromise in order to get anywhere in regards to his book.
A soft scratching noise was heard and Hermione looked over to the bay window looking out on the street. A large brown owl was there, with something on his leg. She rose from the couch and walked over to open the window. The owl hopped in and held its leg out while Hermione removed the parchment. She turned to grab an owl treat, but the owl was gone when she turned back to offer it. She shrugged, tossed the treat back into the box, and went back to the couch, opening the letter as she walked.
Hermione's eyes squinted to try to read the letter, but it was too dark. She muttered a word and she was bathed in soft firelight as the grate lit up. She settled in and looked at the long letter again. It was from Dean Sporodov.
Miss Granger-
After receiving your request, I conducted some research on the subject matter and came up with several resources located in private collections. I have received permission from the owners located here in Bulgaria to study and examine the actual documents and texts in our conservatory. As you know, the Bulgarian Conservatory is renowned for our security measures and safety precautions in order to preserve precious artifacts, so this comes as no surprise. I can assure you that said artifacts will be here for your perusal when you wish.
Unfortunately, I was not able to procure access to three texts located in Scotland. All requests have been returned, unopened. The owners of these texts are known for their discretion and wish to stay out of the spotlight, so to speak, and I am afraid that they may not consent to our transport of these texts to our facility. If you could make inquiries as to perhaps examining these texts in their presence, it will most certainly make it more feasible to actually come to an informed conclusion pertaining to your research.
The family in question is located north of Blairgowrie, Scotland. They have lived in the area for centuries and most residents in the area will know who you speak of. The Wood estate will hopefully consent to your examination of their collection and I would advise you to send out owls as soon as possible.
Please keep me informed of your progress and your imminent arrival.
Sincerely,
Ivan
Hermione was in a state of total shock. The Wood Estate Collection? She had never made the connection to Oliver or his family and was quite perturbed with herself. Of course, the Wood Collection was infamous for its size and quality of ancient texts and antiquities. How thick could she be?
'Pretty thick," she thought to herself, closing her eyes with a groan.
A/N: Ok, I thought I should steer the story back to safer territory. Too much lovey dovey can wear a person out. Look for interesting developments in the next few chapters, as Hermione and Oliver come to an agreement of sorts. Please read, and if you feel the urge, review. And check out the new homepage link I put up. ;) Thanx TA TA
