Chapter 4
She wrapped the towel around her and walked back into her room. Harry had left, but before he had done so had made Hermione's bed for her. She smiled at the gesture but then noticed the ginger ball of fluff in the middle of the bed, and the muddy paw prints leading up to it.
'Crookshanks, you could have wiped her feet before you came in here.' As her eyes scanned the floor more paw prints came to her attention. It was one of the reasons why she wanted a wooden floor – it was easier to clean. She moved to her window and peered through the gap in the curtains. The sun was out and the trees were as still as anything.
'Crookshanks, where did you find a puddle to get muddy in?' The cat ignored her as he had been doing since she walked in the room. She moved away from the window and opened her wardrobe. She pulled out her newly washed jeans; luckily for her the Ministry didn't demand a uniform or even smart 'office wear' from its trainee Aurors, as her jeans were her favourite item of clothing. She pulled one of her many sleeveless white T-shirts from her drawer, they went with anything, hence why she had many.
Fifteen minutes later she emerged from her bedroom ready to face the day. She had dressed, put her make-up on and tamed her hair, something that used to take twenty minutes in itself, but after the discovery of a couple of tricky charms combined with another more well known one, it took her just five minutes.
Her bag and trainers were downstairs in the hallway; she checked she had everything in her bag before moving through to the kitchen to eat her breakfast.
There were three types of cereal in the kitchen cupboard: Harry's which was full of sugar and chocolate – Hermione's theory being that he wasn't allowed anything like this whilst he was growing up so was indulging now – and the other two were Hermione's, a healthy option and a not so healthy option. This morning she opted for the not so healthy option, it had more sugar in, and with the four and a half hours sleep she managed to get last night, she needed all the energy she could get.
As she was pouring the newly delivered milk into her cereal bowl, Harry walked in to the kitchen and started making them both a mug of coffee.
'Something tells me we're going to need a few of these today,' he said as he put the kettle on to boil. Unlike most wizards and witches, Harry and Hermione lived in a typically muggle house. They lived on a muggle street in a muggle part of town and had their milk delivered by a muggle milkman. Having grown up thinking they were muggles the young witch and wizard liked living this way, they had the best of both worlds. The only things they had to watch were those running off electricity. It had been a while since either of them had caused a spike in the supply, but as they were growing older their magical power was increasing and the more they got upset or angry, the greater the chance they would have of having to replace their TV.
'Yeah, you could say that,' she agreed through a mouthful of cereal. She swallowed, allowing her to talk more freely. 'I thought you'd be in bed if you don't have to be in 'til eleven.'
'I thought about it but my bed was cold and I thought I could do something more constructive with my time.'
'Anything specific?'
'Well, I thought I'd go to Diagon Alley. I might get myself some new dress robes, we've got that ball thing coming up and I'm not sure if my other ones'll fit anymore.'
'You're bottle green ones?'
'Yeah those ones.'
'The ones you last wore at the Yule Ball when you were fourteen? The one's you last wore when you were at least six inches smaller than you are now?'
'What's your point?' he asked with a smile on his face.
'Nothing, nothing,' she replied trying to suppress her giggles. She moved over to the sink and rinsed out her bowl, leaving it on the side to be cleaned later, as she turned towards Harry he held a mug of coffee in front of her and she took it, the smell filling her nose before she sipped it.
'So apart from shopping is there anything else you need to do?'
'Not really, I might pop in and see Ron.'
Hermione looked at him puzzled over the top of her coffee mug.
'Visiting hours aren't 'til three Harry, will they let you in?'
'They let you in at lunch time.'
'Ah yes, but I have permission from Healer Thompson 'cause I'm special!' she replied with a smile. Harry laughed.
'Well, if they don't let me in I'll have to flirt shamelessly with a Mediwitch until she lets me in.'
'Something tells me you won't have a problem getting in Saviour Boy!'
'You know if you keep calling me that I might have get myself a superhero costume to compliment the name.'
'Oooh Harry Potter in Lycra, I can't wait!'
'Hmmm,' Harry replied, 'maybe not.'
He finished his coffee and rinsed his mug. As Hermione finished hers he did the same again.
'So are you going to that ball thing?' Harry asked Hermione, unsure as to how she would react to the question. In response she looked at the floor.
'I don't know yet. There doesn't seem much point in going if Ron can't be there.'
'Well the whole point of it is so we can meet the other people on the course, apart from the other people in my group I think I only know you, oh and Colin. I wouldn't care but every time I walk through the Ministry I get at least ten people saying hello to me and I haven't got a clue who half of them are.'
'Yeah I get that sometimes, obviously not as bad as you, but then that is the price you pay for being shacked up with-'
'If you say saviour boy, saviour of the world, the boy who lived or the chosen one I swear I'll hex you.' Hermione smiled.
'Now would I do that Harry?'
'Yes Hermione, you would so don't act the innocent.'
'I'm offended Harry, I really am,' she replied with a grin on her face, 'but unfortunately I can't hang around to hear your apology 'cause I'll be late for work. I'll see you later,' she called as she walked through to the hallway. She pulled on her denim jacket, her trainers and her bag onto her shoulder as she listened to Harry shout his goodbye from the kitchen.
'Have fun Saviour Boy!' she replied, and with that she apparated to work.
