Chapter 2 – A Fire Call
HG
A few days later Hermione and her parents stepped out of the car in front of the Diggory house, an older manor at the end of the road, detached from the other houses. They stepped up the front doorsteps and rang the doorbell. Only a couple of seconds later the door opened and Cedric was standing there with a smile.
"Hey, Hermione, Mr and Mrs. Granger. Come in, my parents are just setting up in the garden." He stepped aside so the three of them could walk in. The house was beautiful decorated, it was light with wicker furniture scattered around the room. It all looked like it was decorated by muggles except from the moving pictures and paintings on the walls. And that is exactly what Cedric told them when he saw the looking around.
"Mum hired a muggle designer after we moved here." Cedric said as they walked to the door that led to the garden.
"It's really lovely." My mum answered, looking around the room.
Cedric opened the door to the garden and gestured them to go first. They stepped onto a large terrace with a dining table and seating area on the other side. The garden was larger than you would expect to see if you stood in front of the house. It was mostly grass, with rose bushes on the side. What surprised them the most, especially her parents, was the single goal post for quidditch that rose from the ground.
"That's a quidditch post." Cedric explained as her parents looked at it in confusion. "I've been practicing for years, going to try out for the team this year."
"He's surely getting on the team, he's pretty good."
"So are you." Cedric grinned, bumping her arm with his elbow. Her parents looked surprised, but before they could say something Cedric's parents walked up from behind the house, carrying some logs for the firepit.
"Oh, you arrived. Sorry we didn't hear the bell ring." Cedric's mum smiled as she dropped the logs down on the ground. She wiped her hands on her skirt before she offered a hand to her parents. "Welcome, I'm Mary."
"Jean." Her mother smiled, shaking her hand. "My husband Daniel and our daughter Hermione."
"My husband, Amos." She said as Amos stepped up next to her.
"Nice to meet you all, welcome to our home." The older man smiled at them.
"It's a really beautiful home." Her mum said again. "We brought a bottle of wine for you guys."
"You shouldn't have but thank you." Mary accepted the bottle and gestured them to the table, which was already set. Cedric pulled out a chair for Hermione before planting himself next to her.
"We heard a lot about you Hermione. Cedric said you're quite the clever witch." Mary started.
"Cedric said you even started a year early." Amos said as he filled everyone's plates with a wave of his wand. Hermione turned to Cedric, who gave her a sheepish grin. She rolled her eyes lightly before turning back to his parents. "Oh, I'm sorry, didn't mean to put you on the spot."
"No, it's okay. I turned 11, September 19th and I was way ahead in my muggle school." She started explaining everything that happened the year before she started school, only leaving the bullying part behind.
Her mum and dad got on well with Cedric's parents as they wine flowed all night. After dinner Cedric led her away from the talking parents, who had taken place at the seating area and walked around the garden together. Hermione pulled out the timetable and showed it to Cedric.
"I went over our timetables and found the dates we could meet up."
"Let me see then." Cedric smiled as he took the timetable and looked it over. "How long did you plan the sessions."
"At least two hours, depends on the day." She said pointing at different dates.
"Alright then, our first session is this Monday then."
"Yeah, Katie's coming over this weekend." She said excitingly. "Where do you want to meet up? My place or yours."
"Doesn't matter to me." He shrugged. "My mum's home though, she could make us something to eat."
"Sounds good, mum and dad start working again on Monday anyway."
"Alright, my house then at two." He handed the timetable back before he looked at her with a wide grin. "And don't think I forgot about our bet, Granger. You still owe me a muggle day, remember?"
"Oh, I remember." She grinned showing the timetable again. "I already marked a day."
"And what did you plan?" He asked as he indeed saw a full day marked in August.
"You got to wait until then to find out." She teased.
Cedric huffed a laugh. "Oh, I remember the time that you didn't tease." He looked dreamily in the distance. "Oh, what I miss those days."
Hermione laughed as she slapped his arm, turning as they reached the end of the garden. "I can't believe you have a goal post in your yard." She said tapping the pole as they walked past it.
"I begged my parents for years and when we moved, they finally got me one. Probably to soften the blow from the sudden move."
"Did you mind moving here?"
"It was an adjustment for sure, but no. That's one of the perks being a wizard, we can floo and apparated to the other side of the country in minutes."
"I'm glad Mr. Weasley put up a floo connection at our house because I don't think they'll be able to drive home." She chuckled as she pointed to the parents as the wine flowed.
"Yeah, guessing the floo will be the safest option." He snickered with her. "Come on." He took her hand and pulled her past their parents into the house. "Let's go make sundaes."
HG
Like she thought they used the floo to get back home, but that didn't do well for their stomachs and her parents both went to separates bathrooms in a hurry the night before.
Now she was tidying up her room. She couldn't wait until Katie arrived and she cleaned her room three times in a day, just to make sure everything was perfect. When the time finally came, Hermione was pacing the living room as she glanced at the fireplace every other minute. They were to arrive at one and it was already ten past that. Her mother put down her agenda and looked over at her.
"Hermione, sweetheart, calm down. They'll be here any minute." At the last word the fireplace roared, and Katie and her parents stepped out. Katie was holding a bag, but the moment she saw Hermione, she squealed and dropped it to the floor, and she ran over to hug her tight. Due to the sound of the squealing her father stepped out of the office and took the place next to his wife, who had stood up from the couch.
"I missed you!" Katie said while hugging. Hermione squeezed her back, smiling wide.
"I missed you too! Can't believe you're finally here. Let's get your stuff upstairs." She was already pulling her to the staircase when she saw Katie's parents still at the fireplace. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm Hermione Granger, these are my parents Jean and Daniel. I'm sorry, I got excited."
"That's alright, dear. Katie's been bouncing around for hours. I'm happy to finally meet you, Katie couldn't stop talking about you." Katie's mum smiled. "I'm Caro, this is my husband, Steven."
"You two go upstairs." Katie's dad, Steven said. "We'll discuss everything with your parents to pick Katie up tomorrow."
"I'll see you tomorrow." She kissed her parents on the cheek before she picked up her bag and walked up the stairs with Hermione.
Hermione pushed the door from her room open and walked in, Katie right behind her. "You can sleep in here or in the guestroom down the hall."
"Can I sleep here?" She asked setting her bag on the bed. "Then we can catch up all night."
"Okay, but maybe not all night." Hermione smiled. "Do you want a tour of the house first?"
"Yeah, I never been in a muggle house before."
Hermione chuckled as she started in her own room before heading out to the hallway.
HG
After the tour, she showed her the town before heading back to the house. They were sitting in the garden as they talked about the first two weeks of the summer break. About Katie's time in Ireland and Hermione's time camping. Her parents brought out some muggle boardgames as they played some games together in the kitchen. Hermione's dad wanted to get take-out pizza and Katie was so excited to see how it all worked, the two girls decided to go with him as their mother set the table.
That evening they were sitting on her bed as Katie flipped through a quidditch magazine and Hermione was reading her book. It was a quiet moment after the pizza dinner with her parents, after dinner they made and decorated sugar-free cupcakes, that where now laying on her nightstand.
"Are you meeting up with the Weasleys this summer?" Katie asked as she lowered her magazine.
"I don't know." She answered putting her book down. "My parents have to work most of the summer from now on, then I have my study sessions with Cedric. Maybe at Diagon Alley. You? Are you planning on meeting up with anyone?"
"You, obviously." Katie grinned. "Not sure about the girls though, going to practice all summer for quidditch try outs."
"You're already great, Katie." She smiled.
"I can always be better." Katie said determined.
Hermione couldn't disagree, she always tried to do, tried to be better. Even last year, with finding real friends, a school that challenges her, she still tried to up her game and be the best she could. Even though she was still studious and read a lot, her friends helped her take a step back, relax, have fun. It wasn't always easy for her to let her work or her books go, but once they pulled her into whatever they were doing, she had fun and could even concentrate better on her work after.
"Maybe we can meet up with the girls this summer." Katie suggested.
"Oh, maybe we can invite them here tomorrow." Hermione jumped up from the bed. "It isn't that late, maybe we can fire call them."
"Let's go." Katie climbed of the bed and followed her out the room, both bouncing down the stairs.
HG
"Hey, girls. Want some hot chocolate?" Her mum asked, lifting her own cup.
"No, mum. Is it okay if we fire call Alicia and Angelina? We want to ask if they want to come over tomorrow, if it's okay with you?"
Her mother's smile grew big as she saw how happy and excited her daughter was for inviting her friends over. She glanced over at the clock, and it was only a little past 8. "Alright dear."
"Thanks mum." Hermione smiled.
"Thanks Mrs. Granger." Katie followed and they both knelt down in front of the fireplace. Hermione taking the cup with the floo powder with her.
"How does it work exactly?" Hermione asked Katie, a little nervously.
"Just drop some floo powder in there, just a pinch and call out their place, then stick your head into the flames."
"Stick your head in the flames?" Her mother squeaked behind them.
"It won't hurt, Mrs. Granger, I promise." Katie crossed her heart and her mother leaned back in the couch and sipped her cup, still with a worried look as she watched the girls.
"Here goes nothing." Hermione took a pinch of floo powder and tossed it in the fireplace. The flames turned green before they climbed higher until it reached their eyelevel. Hermione looked to Katie for a moment, and when she gave her an encouraging nod, she called out Angelina's house and put her head in.
She has used the floo a couple of times, which still felt a bit uncomfortable. But this was an entirely different feeling. Her head swirled around, and it felt like it was detached from her body. She couldn't see Katie anymore or anything from her house. It took only a few seconds when an entirely different room came into view. She glanced around the room and saw what she presumed Angelina's father sitting at his desk, reading some papers. Hermione bit her lip, contemplating what to do before she cleared her throat. Mr. Johnsson didn't even flinch when she made a sound, he simply looked up from his papers and looked at the fireplace. When he saw her head, he raised an eyebrow.
"Good evening, Mr. Johnsson. I'm sorry to come in unannounced, I'm Hermione Granger."
"You're one of my little Angie's friends." He smiled and pushed his chair away from the desk, standing up and crouched down in front of the fireplace. "What can I do for you, miss Granger?"
"I know this is last minute, but I was wondering if Angelina can come over tomorrow. Katie's here already and we're going to ask Alicia right after."
"I think that's a great idea. Angie told me all about you and Katie." Angelina's father smiled kindly. "But I think we can kill two birds with one stone. Hold on." He put out his index finger, before he stood up and walked to the door of his study. He poked his head out and called out for his daughter. A couple of seconds later, Angelina came in wearing blue flannel pyjamas pants with quidditch goal posts on it, with a white shirt. She looked confused at her father, it was when his father nudged his head to the fireplace, the confusing turned into a wide smile.
"HERMIONE?" She yelled, running to her, and almost slides to the fireplace. "What is your head doing here?" She grinned.
"Hey, Angelina. I was wondering – actually we were wondering, Katie's here with me. If you wanted to come over to my house tomorrow? We're going to fire call Alicia after."
"Really?" She said excitingly. "That sounds brilliant, but you don't have to call Alicia." She stopped when she heard another pair of footsteps come closer. Hermione looked over her shoulder to see Alicia walk in. "She's already here."
"Hey Alicia."
"Hey Hermione." She smiled and gave her a small wave. Alicia too, was already in comfortable pyjamas.
"Hermione just asked if we wanted to go to her place tomorrow. For a girls' day." Angelina grinned at Alicia, before turning back to her with a small frown. "It is just the girls, right?"
"Yeah, just the girls."
"Great, you're sure your parents don't mind?" Alicia asked concerned.
"Completely." Hermione reassured with a smile.
"Can we go, dad?" Angelina asked, looking over her shoulder to her father, who took his seat back behind his desk.
"Of course, sweetheart."
Angelina and Alicia squealed a bit before they turned back to the fireplace, where Hermione's head was still swirling around.
"What time should we be there?"
"What about just before noon? Then we can get some lunch together, maybe my mum can take us to the village."
"Brilliant! Then we'll see you tomorrow, better close the call off, the first few times can cause a massive headache."
"Thanks for the warning." Hermione chuckled. "See you tomorrow." And when the girls replied, she pulled her head back and she was once again sitting in her own living room.
"So?" Katie asked excitedly. Her mother had moved from the couch during the fire call and was sitting next to Katie on her knees, her eyes scanning for any injury, when she didn't find anything, she relaxed and sat back down on her heels.
"They are coming over tomorrow before noon." She smiled happily before turning to her mum. "Maybe we can go to lunch in the town."
"That sounds lovely, dear. I'll make a reservation first thing in the morning for that little diner on South St."
Hermione leaned forward and hugged her mum tight as she whispered. "Thanks mum." When she pulled back, they both sported big smiles on their faces. "Can we have some hot chocolate now?"
"With marshmallows?" Her mother winked as they rose from the ground and followed her to the kitchen.
But in all fairness, her mother would have done anything for her daughter. Even if she asked if she and the girls would want to go the other side of the country or even abroad. Her heart was full when she saw how happy her little girl was, how many friends she made over the past year. Even though it was still a big adjustment for her that Hermione was gone most of the year, she was just happy that she found a place where she truly fits in.
.
