Disclaimer - I don't own anything...etc, etc.
A/N: Hokey coke, considering Hermione's mum and dad haven't as yet got named in the book I named them myself. Next chapter should be up soon, most of it's written. Keep reading and reviewing, does wonders for motivation! ;) Step
Chapter 11
Harry, Hermione and Ginny apparated to behind the tree in Hermione's back garden. It was a tight squeeze for the three of them to stay out of sight, which wasn't helped by Hermione's elderly neighbour peering out of her upstairs window. Luckily Hermione spotted her before Harry stepped out into plain view, and managed to grab hold of his arm and pull him back behind the tree.
'Oh go downstairs you old bat!' Hermione said after thirty seconds of waiting and watching. Ginny suppressed a giggle. The old woman decided she'd had enough of peering into next door's garden and disappeared from sight.
'Merlin I thought she'd never go!' said Harry as he stepped forward from behind the tree. They walked round to the front of the house, to the front door.
'Anyone looking?' Hermione asked as she discreetly took her wand out from her inside jacket pocket. Ginny and Harry had a quick look round.
'No,' Harry answered.
'Not that I can see,' replied Ginny.
'Ok then,' Hermione said as she tapped the lock with her wand, silently casting the spell. The door clicked open and the three of them walked inside, Hermione closing the door with a flick of her wand.
'Mum? Dad?' she called.
'Hermione is that you? Her dad called from upstairs.
'Who else would be calling them mum and dad?' Hermione asked Harry and Ginny.
'What?' her dad shouted.
'Yes dad it's me, Harry and Ginny are here too.'
'What?' her dad asked for the second time.
'Oh for God's sake,' she said so only Harry and Ginny could hear. She moved to the foot of the stairs and looked up. She saw ladders leading up to the loft and her dad's feet on the top rung.
'I'll be in the lounge dad,' she shouted up the stairs.
'Ok, I'll be down in a minute,' he replied.
Hermione smiled and gestured to the other two to follow her into the lounge.
'Hi mum,' she said as she walked into the lounge, 'How-' she stopped talking as her mum held up her hand to silence her daughter. Hermione looked at the TV and saw her mum's favourite soap about to finish. She turned towards Harry and Ginny and gestured for them to come further into the room. Their entrance went unnoticed by Hermione's mum. Ten seconds later the theme music to the programme started and Hermione's mum turned towards her daughter. She looked taken aback when she saw she wasn't alone, but turned her look of shock into a welcoming smile.
'Harry! Ginny! It's nice to see you again, I didn't know you were coming too.'
'Well we offered to help Hermione with her sorting,' Harry answered, 'you don't mind us arriving unannounced do you Mrs. Granger?'
'Not at all Harry, and please call me Jan, Mrs. Granger is far too formal!'
Harry smiled one of his most charming smiles.
'Does your dad know you're here Hermione?'
'Yes he does, I think I managed to get through to him on the third attempt. He'll be down in a minute.'
'Ok, do you three want a drink? I was going to get a refill on my wine, I can get you all a glass too if you want one,' she moved to stand up.
'No mum, sit down, I'll do the drinks. I think I'll join you with a glass of wine. How about you two?'
'Well if you insist!' replied Harry.
'Ginny?'
'Yeah, go on then!'
Hermione refilled her mum's glass with a flick of her wand and then conjured four more glasses for the three of them and her dad, and filled them as well. Jan watched wide-eyed as her daughter made objects appear with her fast and ever-moving wand.
Hermione finished by levitating the glasses to her mum, Harry and Ginny. When her work was done she gestured to Harry and Ginny to sit down on the reclining chairs whilst she took a seat on the sofa next to her mum. As she took a sip of her wine her dad walked in and sat next to her.
'There's a glass of wine for you there dad, unless you want a beer instead?'
'No no, it's poured now, no point in wasting it.'
In response she waved her wand and transfigured the glass into a pint glass and the wine into beer, then moved it through the air, coming to a stop in front of her dad.
'Err, thanks Hermione.'
'That's ok dad. So what needs sorting?' she asked, trying not to react to the badly hidden smiles Ginny and Hermione were wearing at Hermione's dad's amazement.
'Oh, just a few boxes of your old stuff. I wasn't, of course, going to throw anything out until you'd looked through it, but the loft really needed a sort out.'
He glanced over at Harry and Ginny. Hermione realised he had never been properly introduced to Ginny formally, having missed each other on the very few times her parents had ventured into the wizarding world.
'Sorry dad, this is Ginny, my best friend from school and Ron's sister. I'd forgotten you've never been properly introduced.'
Her dad moved towards Ginny, luckily her chair was at right angles to hid end of the sofa so neither had to get up for Ginny to shake his extended hand.
'Lovely to meet you Ginny.'
'You too Mr. Granger.
'Charles please.'
'Ok, Charles.'
'So are you training to be an, err…' he searched for the correct word for his daughter's chosen profession, 'an…Auror too?'
'No I'm not, I'm training to be a Healer for St. Mungo's,' she paused, wondering whether to carry on or whether too much detail about the wizarding world would overwhelm. She needn't have worried though.
'St. Mungo's is the wizarding hospital, am I right?'
'Yes, that's right,' answered Ginny with a smile.
'So am I right in thinking a Healer is the equivalent of a doctor in our oh so boring, non-magical world?'
Ginny laughed.
'Yes you are Mr. Gra-, Charles, a Healer is the same as a muggle doctor.'
'How long do you have to train for before you're qualified Ginny?' Jan asked.
'Well, it's three years pure learning and then two more at St. Mungo's, firstly shadowing a qualified Healer and then actually being able to start healing patients at the hospital.'
'Hermione always wanted to be a doctor when she was little; she showed absolutely no interest in becoming a dentist and taking over the family practice. I always fancied seeing 'Granger and daughter' over the practice door, but it wasn't to be was it Hermione? Even before we found out she was a witch,' Charles said.
'No dad, I'm sorry but I just couldn't get excited about looking at, and learning about teeth!'
Her dad chuckled, and Ginny and Hermione exchanged smiles.
'Yes darling I know, you told us many times. So how is your training going Hermione? And you too Harry?'
'It's good,' Harry answered, 'some days are more interesting then others. I had a session about potions today which was very boring for me, but Hermione had my favourite lesson which was duelling?'
'Duelling?' Charles asked. He had worked out that wizards and witches must fight using their wands, but he had never imagined his daughter taking lessons in it.
'Yes dad, duelling,' Hermione replied.
'As in draw at ten paces type of duelling?'
'Well, if you are doing it in a more noble or organised way then I suppose it is very similar, but normally there's nothing noble about duelling. It's really the one with the fastest reactions who wins, which is what we were practicing today.'
'That sounds quite exciting!' her dad said with a twinkle in his eye.
Harry noticed Charles' expression.
'We could show you if you want Mr. Granger,' said Harry. Hermione turned to look at him.
'Charles please Harry,'
'What?' asked Hermione, slightly shocked at Harry's suggestion, she had visions of them duelling in the slightly narrow hallway.
'Well not here obviously,' replied Harry, knowing what Hermione was thinking, 'we could show you on Friday, Hermione said you were coming to the Burrow for dinner.'
'Mum's really happy you're coming,' added Ginny.
'You could really show us then?' Charles asked hopefully.
'Yeah sure, and not just us, the others'll probably want to join in too, won't they Gin?'
'Oh yes! You know it'll end up in a competition of some sort.'
'Well I don't want to be the reason for an inter-family situation.' Charles added, slight concern filling his response.
Ginny laughed.
'Don't worry, it's a part of family life when there's six brothers, most of who are highly competitive, so there's nothing to worry about, it'll all be done in good humour.'
'Well, in which case I look forward to it immensely.'
He took a long pull from his beer.
'Mum, dad, we'd better get started on those boxes, something tells me it could take me a while.'
'Ok then. Don't get lost in them!'
Hermione, Harry and Ginny smiled at Charles's comment and stood to leave the room, taking their drinks with them.
'Err, Hermione?' her dad said.
'Yes?' she replied.
'You couldn't just err…' he nodded at his half drunk pint. Hermione giggled.
'Of course dad,' she flicked her wand and the glass refilled.
'Marvellous,' he said smiling broadly, 'thank you sweetheart,'
'You're welcome,' she said as she left the room and closed the door.
