Hermione stood in front the floor length mirror staring glumly at herself. Her big brown

eyes stared out at her from beneath her luminous white skin. She needed a holiday. She hadn't been away for 7 years, the last time being when Harry, Ron, Ginny and herself had left Hogwarts to find and destroy Voldemort's horcruxes, and eventually defeat you-know-who once and for all. And since starting work for the ministry 6 years ago, she'd been working 5 and a half days a week, with only 3 weeks holiday per year, which she invariably spent doing more "extra" work. She picked up the brush lying on the bedside table and ran it through her messy brown hair for the fourth time in the last two minutes. She examined the dark boot-cut jeans and pale blue vest top. It definitely wasn't perfect, but it would have to do. They were only going to stay at home anyway. She was still staring in the mirror, pinching her cheeks, pulling at her clothes, frowning at herself when the intercom buzzed. She jumped. She ran over to the phone and pressed the button.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Mya, its us," Harry's voice crackled over the intercom

"Oh, hi," Hermione tried not to let her disappointment show. "Is Ron with you?"

"Uh…no. Why would he be?" Harry asked, sounding very confused.

"No, of course not. Silly me."

There was a pause as Hermione stood in the hallway almost in a dream.

"So, are you gonna let us up? I don't know about up there but it is winter here, so…"

Hermione jerked.

"Oh, sorry! I'll let you up." She pushed the button, and replaced the phone. She walked through the hallway, to the door, stopping to look at herself in a mirror on the way. She frowned. She opened the door to see Harry walking up the stairs to her apartment, leading Ginny by the hand. Hermione smiled, feeling genuinely happy. Harry looked up at Hermione, ran up the last few steps and embraced Hermione in a fierce hug.

"How're you doing?" he asked into the mess of brown hair around her neck. They pulled apart. Hermione shrugged.

"Yeah. Good, you know," she replied, somewhat unconvincingly. She looked over Harry's shoulder to see Ginny smiling at her from under her red hair and green woolly hat. They both held out their arms, and tried to hug each other, but the ever-growing bump of Ginny's tummy was a slight hindrance.

"Come in, come in. Sit down," Hermione said, making her way into the sitting room, "Oh, sorry," she said, whilst drawing out her wand. With a quick flourish of her wand, Harry and Ginny's coats, hats, scarves and gloves were flying elegantly towards the series of pegs on the wall. Harry and Ginny looked at Hermione, then at each other and laughed. Hermione felt her cheeks going pink.

"What?" she asked, embarrassed, even now, by her almost-perfect non-verbal incantations.