AN:
thanks for reviewing; rock-the-casbah18, Viktor Krum's lazyllama101.unbeautifuL, Aria DeLoncray, dolphinz87I have no words for this chapter... aside maybe that i had to fast forward it to wednesday...tee...heee
so may i present
--------------Chapter 16---------------
Wednesday evening rolled in and Hermione was getting slight jitters in going to the opening ball. What if she bumps into Krum? She'd rather jump of a bridge then bump into him. Krum still liked her alright, but ever since she made it clear that she didn't want to be with him he had stayed clear from that topic and just became her friend. Once in awhile when they see each other, which was random through out the years, she would notice that he was staring at her a lot. She hasn't physically seen him for a year now, but he has owled her about medical problems, often for his girlfriends. Hermione groaned at the idea.
Not only that tomorrow she was to go to the cemetery as she had told herself long ago to go there. Percy was to accompany her, but Percy is held up at work due to the fact that the world cup finals was in less than a month and she didn't want to force him to come.
Hermione thought about things as she sat in her living room toying with cat nip whilst Crookshanks jumped around, Alia was beside her and meowing beside her. "no girl, cant jump about because of the kitties" the female cat meowed even more but soon started to bath herself. Not long after when 9pm rolled in Callista came back from work. Hermione saw her as she drove into the garage and waited for her housemate to come in the house. When she got there Callista slumped on the arm chair with a stack of papers in her hand. Hermione snickered and said that she looked like Percy years ago. Callista threw her a glare and sighed deeply. "I'm soooo tired…" Callista Exclaimed and Hermione couldn't help but say to her "If you actually slept more one of these night you wouldn't be that tired"
Callista just waved it off and asked Hermione if she ate already and Hermione said she just got home herself. "Okay then, quick food, Carbonara fettucini" said Call as she walked into the kitchen. Hermione threw the cat nip to the floor and walked after Cal into the kitchen.
-
Oliver sat on his desk going through the plays his coach just gave the team. He was studying and finding holes in the play while he nibbled on a sandwich. He wasn't convinced that the play was going to work unless this was just a ploy by the coach to see if the team actually checks the plays and not just follow orders. Oliver jotted down improvised sequences in a pad by his plate to cover up the holes in the play. His floo roared and Percy's head popped in.
"wood!" he shouted. Oliver walked towards the living room and shouted "Whaaat?"
"Hey, can you do me a huge favor?" asked Percy.
"That is what exactly?" asked Oliver as he sat down on the sofa sandwich at hand.
"I was suppose to accompany Hermione tommrow morning to Ron's grave but I have an appointment with the differently heads of magical games and sports. Can you possibly go with her?"
"Err I have practice…but that's in the afternoon. What time?"
"Uhm 8am, she wants to go earlier because she has a 9am shift."
"Oh…if its ok with her. I mean that'd be weird wouldn't it?"
"Slightly, but its better you than her being alone. I asked Cal if she could and she has a staff meeting before classes. She might be there…but she said she'd have to leave earlier"
"Ah…well okay…does Hermione know?"
"I have to call her still…"
"Oh okay then when you do that floo me back okay? But I'm more happy to accompany her"
"Thannks"
Oliver then went back to the kitchen and proceeded with what he was doing before the call.
Percy on the other side then accioed the office muggle phone and called the Granger house. Callista picked up. "Hello,"
"Hey Cal…" said Percy as a smile crept into his face.
Cal was buttering a bread when she answered the phone. She said "Well hello percy…"
"So I found a replacement for you tommrow in case you have leave earlyyou're your meeting" Percy said.
"And who would that be?" inquired Cal as she fumbled with the oven.
"Oliver"
Cal stopped talking for a bit then asked "Ah…does Mia now?"
"I think not…can I talk to her…"
"Oh okay…wait- Mia, phone-" Callista handed the phone to Hermione as she went to the stove and start stirring the sauce Hermione was stirring. Percy then talked with Hermione about Oliver coming instead of him. Hermione just said 'oh that'd be weird but that's fine…I guess'. Percy then explained how Oliver said the same thing when he had called his friend earlier. Hermione agreed and she gave back the phone to Cal who talked on it before hanging up.
"So? I take it you said it was okay for Oliver to come with you then?" asked Cal when the two finally were seated in the breakfast table eating their dinner. Hermione nodded and asked Cal to come anyways. Cal agreed to come but said that she had to leave early, or once Oliver came. Hermione said that it was okay.
-----------------The next day-----------------
Hermione had come with Cal to drive early to the college before they apparated to the cemetery. When they got there Hermione had a small bouquet of irises for Ron's grave. After getting lost for a while the found the grave and Hermione had became quiet. Callista said she was going to walk over to the nearby bench to wait for Hermione and give her friend some privacy. Hermione at first just looked at the grave stone. The symbols of on it reminded her of Azkaban. A part of Ron was buried in Azkaban though no one really knew that. "Ron…" said Hermione as she slowly kneeled to dust off the soil and leave that were on his gravestone. "I'm living life now see…I promised you I would didn't I?" She sniffled lightly. "What do you think of Oliver, Ron?" she softly said as she placed the irises in the flower pot. Her thoughts were broken by rustling of leaves behind. She looked back to see Cal with Oliver and also Percy. "I thought you had a meeting" said Hermione as she slowly stood up. Percy shrugged and said that he moved it 8:15 am so that he can at least go here for a bit and pay his respects to his fallen brother. Hermione smiled at her friend and said "Thanks". Her eyes then laid on Oliver who looked at her and smiled. She thought, Ron please if you think he's not right give me a sign and no sign came she took it as a good sign then as Ron didn't disapprove. After Percy gave a short greeting and talk alone with the grave of his brother he left in a pop with Cal with him, who also had a meeting that she was late for. This left Hermione alone with Oliver at the cemetery. They stood there looking around the cemetery. "What do you think Ron would be doing now if he was alive" asked Hermione. She snorted and said
"He'd be working as an auror"
"And you?" asked Oliver.
"I'd prolly be a medi witch instead. Or maybe an Auror. I don't know…" Hermione thought of the possibilities. She might even be married with kids now.
"Oh…I see…..well I hope he's enjoying heaven and cheering on for his national team"
"Oh trust me he prolly is…." Chuckled Hermione.
"I'm wondering, Why isn't there a painting of him?"
"Oh…I think he has one, but he hasn't awoken. I haven't checked for years."
"I see…Herms I'm just wondering"
"hmm?" she said as they started to walk away. "Were you engaged to Ron before…"
"I…I was…but he died and I distanced myself from our world. But I guess now, I'm starting to face my past issues…."
"Oh….I see…."
"Anything else Oliver? Interrogating your date to the ball are you?"
"Hey….I'm just asking and last question. What happened to your arm?"
Hermione paused for a bit as she massaged her forearm and then started to explain. "What I tell you, you really shouldn't tell anyone else Oliver…" Oliver nodded in agreement.
"I don't want you to just go out with me and not know what I really am or rather what happened to me. A long time ago I had to make a sacrifice and gave more than what I intended to give. I lost my very self for a cause as I lost my fiancée and parents. My arm is the only reminder, aside from this necklace, of my sacrifices. You see when I was younger I discovered that one could forge his or her wand into their own bodies. I never told Harry nor Ron and when I decided to forge the wand into myself it was the worst of times. We were found out and the deatheaters ambushed us. It was then I was at my weakest, though they only thought I was just tired. But in reality I was prepping my body for the forging. We were almost caught. The next week we finally found the last horocrux, it was damn hard to destroy and it had taken a toll on both Harry and Ron. I was left to finish the job. After a little malfunction, as the horocrux had spells that protected the soul in it, somehow my wand had permanently fused in the marrow of my bone, when forging would only attach it to the bone not infuse it to its core.
Somehow the whole idea of forging the wand in was something he wanted. He tried to get it but in the end he couldn't get it. Not even Lucius Malfoy broke me. In Malfoy's anger he had slashed my arm as you can see the scar to try to get the wand out himself as Voldemort saw it as something that he could only have. Ron protected me and Lucius killed Ron, in turn I killed him and 10 other deatheaters in juts one go. The Azkaban system, well that's another topic for another day. I'll understand if you don't want to associate with a killer…"
"Well. I never really thought that that was killing for sadistic pleasures. You had to do it to protect yourself. Who ever said you were?"
"Narcissa Malfoy. I still remember when we escorted the remaining Deatheaters into Azkaban. When her cuffs were taken off, I was outside her cell. She pointed at me and said 'you're as much as a killer as me and the rest of us loyal to the dark lord. I'll see you in hell mudblood'." Hermione shuddered as she remembered Narcissa's stone cold face.
"Nah I don't think you are and neither does anybody else in the wizarding world"
"I guess so…why did you ask about the scar?"
"That book Ginny wrote"
"Oh that…Fear is the Mind Killer; she did a good job masking the truth behind her words. But I guess a few people see through it."
Oliver and Hermione reached the exit of the cemetery. Hermione looked at her watch and found that it was 15 minutes before her shift. She looked up to Oliver and thanked him.
"Thank me for what?"
"For listening and making me finally say what I haven't said in years"
"Ah your sketchy past…I still would like for you to go to the ball with me." Oliver said as he took her hand into his.
"Course I will…" reassured Hermione.
"Do you have a dress already?" asked Oliver, noting that he had to send his robes to the dry cleaners in Diagon alley.
Hermione nodded and said, "Yea, Cal bought me the dress. It's somewhat of a copper toned dress" as she imagined the whole outfit.
"Ah okay then. Well lets apparate you home then I'll walk you to work hows bout that?"
Hermione nodded and they apparated home then started their 10 minutes walk to the hospital. Oliver then made arrangements for Sunday evening. He was to go to her house and meet her, then apparate to the Quiddtich Hall of fame, in London, as that was where the ball was going to be held. When they got to the hospital Hermione gave Oliver a hug and a long kiss before she headed in. Oliver waved at her and waited for her to get in the building before he looked for a spot to disapparate.
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Percy walked Cal to her office and they entered it he asked her if she wanted to go to the Quiddtich finals and she said she always wanted to but never had the time. "Well maybe now you do" said Percy as he watched her drop off her stuff on her desk. She looked at her clock and it said 8:05, she had 25 minutes before the meeting and he had 10 minutes. She thought bout it, she did always go to it as a child, but when she grew up she just stopped. Then again she did want to go there with Percy. She looked at Percy. "Its from Friday to Sunday, the finals start on the afternoon of Saturday" he said.
She then thought that could work, "Oh that I think I could go what day is it?"
"August 19" said Percy. Cal went back to her desk and looked through her calendar and timetable. "Hmm…oh ok no lectures that day. I'll come the problem is... accommodations..."
"Err…let me check I'm suppose to rent the tents anyways" Percy took out a list from his back pocket."Ah…my parents aren't sleeping at the camp site. George, his fiancée, me and my guests are sharing a tent, Fred will come on the day with my parents and go back after. The Potters and Charlie's family are sharing one while Bill and his family have one of their own. Fleur usually gets the bad side out of Ginny so we try to not stick them together."
Cal had then agreed to come and jotted it down on her calendar.
"does Hermione have a ticket?" asked percy as he watched her write.
"In any case, she'll get one I think. Unless Oliver doesn't bring her. But they are so near to being an official couple…you know. But if you have a spare hold on to it for a while" said Cal as she looked at Percy.
"Are we an official couple?" asked Percy as he mocking put on a suspicious face. Cal laughed and came up to him. "Unless you don't want us to be at all in any future, near or far…that is.." she said.
"Well maybe I don't" said Percy and Cal gaped at him. "I'm kidding…course I want. Like…maybe now….while we're at it you know.." He added before Cal hexed him. Then again she didn't have her wand with her. "Well are you sure?" she asked again and Percy nodded and gave her a quick peck that turned into a longer kiss. When Percy ended the kiss he looked at his watch and inwardly cursed at himself,. "Its 8:15 I have to go …" said Percy. Cal nodded and they headed out.
Percy,who had a goofy face on as he thought about what he just asked hia girlfriend (btw he still feels odd saying it), got to the conference room to find it almost filled with the heads of games from the countries but one was missing the only woman head of magical Games and Sport of Spain.
"Hello Gentlemen and where is the lady?" asked Percy. Right then the door opened and a slim figured woman, who looked like she was only 30's but in fact older as Percy heard she had 2 daughters one of which was already 25 years old, walked in the room and sat on the empty chair. She had this aura around her, the way she dressed was very Malfoy like but she didn't seem to have that sneering prejudice face like Narcissa
"Senior Weasley, apologies that I was late" she said. Percy looked at her and said "It is ok Madam Catalan we were just starting." Percy then sat on his seat. He glanced at Madam Catalan, he noticed that she looked like someone he knew but he couldn't put his finger on it.
AN:
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