a/n I was going to write this chapter sometime tomorrow, but as my roommate has come home plastered, with a passed out friend whom I much watch for signs of alcohol poisoning, I figured, what the hell? Why not write it now eh? Ahh, college life...
Thankee to my reviewers… all three of you…. hehe, enjoy!
As previously stated, I do not, nor will I ever, own anything in relation to Harry Potter… that is JKRowling's brainchild.
Chapter 3,
Hermione had just finished shrinking her final bag for the trip back to the wizarding world, and the Weasleys. She glanced at herself in the mirror. Rubbish. She had spent the better part of the last two days crying over what happened to Fred. She loved the Weasley's almost as much as she loved her own family… in some ways, she loved them more. They had been through more in the past few years than most people go through in their entire lives.
Hearing of Fred's death tore her up inside. The Weasley's were such good people. They did not deserve to have this kind of pain in their lives. She decided to go back. Lee told her that Molly was utterly miserable, and had fallen into a deep state of depression. He said that Ron and Ginny begged him to help them look for her. Apparently they figured that having her back might give the family a better sense of unity, and rouse Molly out of her dep set depression. Lee also said the George was taking Fred's death exceptionally hard, and hearing the circumstances of Fred's death, she figured that George was feeling extremely guilty as well.
Hermione took one last look around her shabby apartment. Nope, she hadn't left anything. She sighed, knowing that she couldn't put off leaving any longer.
"Well, here goes nothing!" she said, and disapparated to the Burrow.
Hermione ended up apparating quite a few yards from the actual house, she hadn't really been using that kind of magic for months, and was a bit off. Slowly, she began walking towards the home that had once held so many wonderful memories for her.
Upon reaching the door, she gently knocked. Apparently no one heard her, and after a few moments she gingerly pushed open the door. The house was very dark, deficit of it's general warmth and light.
After taking two steps into the home, she heard a shrill squeal, and was then enveloped in a huge hug, being suffocated by a mass of bright red hair.
"Hermione! Thank goodness you've come! What on earth did you leave us for in the first place? Oh, RON! She's here! Ronald Weasley!" Ginny squealed, not releasing the tight squeeze on Hermione.
"Shit Ginny, get off of her or she'll desert us again." Said Ron's voice, coming from the hallway.
Ginny released her grip long enough to give her brother a glare that could make a giant fearful. "Ronald Weasley, I will not having you make snide remarks about Hermione. She has suffered just as much as we have, and has every right to deal with it in her own way, even if it was leaving us for a while. But she did come back, and that is what matters." She huffed, beginning to tear.
Ron shrugged, gave Hermione a brief hug, and left the room. Well, he is still mad about my leaving, she pondered. Ginny saw the unease in Hermione's eyes, and gave her friend a reassuring squeeze. "He'll come around, don't worry. You know him, two hours and he'll be back to his old self."
Hermione shrugged. She knew he was right to be mad.
"Are you up for seeing Mum? I'm warning you now, and Lee probably already told you, she isn't the same anymore. It might be hard for you to see her like this."Ginny asked quietly.
"Of course, I want to see her. She has been as much of a mother to me as my own. It doesn't matter what state she's in. Lead the way." Hermione answered, thinking that Mrs. Weasley couldn't possibly be as bad as she sounded.
The two women walked up the stairs, Hermione pausing at the door of the twins old room for a moment,
She had been downstairs reading, and heard a loud bang followed by George's voice yelling," Oh Shit! Get water! Fred, WATER! I told you not to mix that much dragon's breath!"
A burning smell then hit her nostrils. She sprinted up to their room, throwing the door open only to be blasted with a strong stream of cold water coming from Fred's wand.
"Bugger, sorry Mione, had to get the fire out, you know.". giggled Fred.
She grinned and spurt a stream of water at each twin drenching them in water, and then turned and walked to her room to clean up.
"Hermione, you ready?" asked Ginny.
Hermione shook off the memory, and realized that they were at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's room. She nodded at Ginny, and Ginny opened the door.
Hermione's mouth fell open, and she gaped at the sight before her.
