Chapter 6 – Braces and Ribbons
.HG.
"Hermione, sweety?" Her mum called of the stairs. "Can you come down for a moment."
Hermione closed her book and placed it on her nightstand before she walked down the steps. Her parents were sitting in the living room, waiting for her. She stepped slowly closer; a small frown formed.
"Is everything okay? Is everyone okay? Is it Uncle Eddie?" She asked nervously, wringing her hands as she sat down in front of them on the coffee table.
"No, everything is fine. Uncle Eddie sends his love from Madagascar though." Her father smiled. "I talked with your mum about the braces."
Hermione stopped wringing her hands as her eyes went big. "A-and?" She asked as she stuttered.
"If you want, we can do it this Friday." Her mum smiled at her, with her perfect straight, white teeth.
"R-really?" She asked shaken. When her parents nodded, she flew forwards into their arms and they hugged each other tight. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." She repeated in their ears.
"And we know that most kids in Hogwarts don't know what braces are, or even dentists." Her father started as she pulled back. "So, if you want, we can ask Professor McGonagall to come by before Sunday to put a charm on it, so no one will notice."
"Yes, please. Not really in the mood to explain it to anyone or get teased by it."
"Great, we already owled her." Her father winked. "She's coming over Friday night."
"You're the best." And she flew back in their arms.
.
Since she grew up with parents as dentist, she never was afraid of them, like many other kids or even adults. So, she relaxed as she laid down in the leather white chair, the bright light above her. Her mum had just taken the mould, that tasted gross fyi. She leaned back when her parents came back in the room and slides the table closer with all instruments on it.
"Ready?" Her father asked. She nodded her head as she opened her mouth, and they placed the suction tube in her mouth.
An hour later she was standing in front of the mirror in the dentist office sporting brand new braces on her upper teeth. Her smile never been so wide, so proud as it was now. Her parents stepped up behind her, each placing a hand on her shoulders.
All the way home, all night actually, she couldn't stop smiling. When the doorbell rang, she hopped off the couch and hurried over to the door, much to the amusement of her parents. She swung the door open, revealing Professor McGonagall, who wore her famous emerald-green robes.
"Hello, Professor McGonagall." She smiled.
"Good evening, Hermione." She walked in as Hermione stepped aside. Her eyes flickered to her mouth, and they lingered there for a moment. "May I?" She asked. She leaned down, gently placing a hand over her jaw, when she nodded. She inspected the braces with great curiosity. "I know much about muggles, but I've never seen anything like this before."
"If you want, my parents can explain."
"That would be lovely." She gave a short nod. And they walked to the couch. "Jean, Daniel. Nice to see you again."
"You too, Minerva." They smiled as they shook hands. Hermione was quite surprised as they addressed each other with their first names. Her parents explained everything, showing pictures of the results, instruments and more. Hermione in the mean while gathered her essays, potions, everything she and Cedric had made so far. Professor McGonagall smiled as she saw Hermione gather her supplies in the corner of her eye. After the extensive explanation, she turned to her.
"Hermione, the concealment charm is quite easy once you get the hang of it. I believe Mr. Diggory learned it at the end of last year. So, he can teach you when you return to school. I'll put it on now and once you know it yourself, you need to refresh it every month."
Hermione smiled eagerly as the Professor took her wand out of her robe. With a wave of her wand the braces disappeared. Hermione jumped up and walked to the mirror, examining her mouth for any sign of her braces, but she couldn't find any.
"Thank you, Professor." She walked back happy. "Oh, and now that you're here." She said as she picked up her summer work. "This is what Cedric and I already did this summer."
"You've been busy." She smiled accepting the work. "I'll hand out everything to the professors when I get back."
"Cedric and I have been meeting up three times a week. I even have been practicing flying."
"So, not scared of falling anymore?"
"I think that will always be there, but once I'm playing quidditch, or try playing it." She chuckled. "I kind of... push it back."
"Will you be trying out for the Gryffindor quidditch team this year?"
"No." She shook her head, smiling. "Even though I'm not as scared of flying as before, quidditch is a little too violent for me."
"I understand." She said as she rubbed her ribs in memory. "I heard Miss Bell is going to try out."
"Yes, for chaser. I believe she'll get in. She's been practicing and studying quidditch moves non-stop."
"Maybe I'll try to come and watch the try-outs." She smiled before she looked at her pocket watch. "I'm sorry to cut this short, but I have to get going." She stood up from her seat, holding Hermione's work. The three Grangers followed suit and led her to the door. "I'll see you in a few weeks. You can give the rest of your work then and we'll have a meeting a few days later."
"Great." She gave her a smile. "Good night, Professor."
"Good night, Hermione. Jean, Daniel." She gave short nod and a smile before she disappeared out the door.
.
"Oi! Rusty!" Hermione called out as she saw the famous Weasley red hair in Diagon Alley. Fred turned with a grin at the sound of her voice and nickname for him.
"Little Granger." He pushed past the crowds and picked her up. "Oh, hi Mr. Granger." Fred grinned sheepishly as he saw her father behind her, and he quickly put her down. "Where is Mrs. Granger?"
"Dental emergency." He looked over the heads in the busy street. "Where is your father?"
"Oh, everyone's gaping through the window of the quidditch shop. The new Nimbus 2000." He saw the confused looks on both father and daughter. "New broom. Very fast, shiny and expensive."
He started to walk to the other side of the street, followed by the Grangers. Daniel heard Arthur's voice above the others. "Arthur, my man." Daniel smiled, clapping the other man on the shoulder. Arthur looked away from his wife and turned to look at the familiar face.
"Daniel! When did you get here?"
"Just now. Did you start your shopping already?"
"No, couldn't tear the kids away." He said pointing at the broom in the window. Hermione and her dad peered through it to see what all the fuss was about, but they redirected their attention quickly. Hermione ducked past her dad, sneaking up behind George.
"GEORGE!" She yelled grabbing his sides. George nearly toppled over in fright and turned to look at her.
"Merlin, Granger." He held his heart. "You know it was Fred who scared you, not me."
"I know, but you didn't even notice me, or my dad arrive." She snickered.
"Oh, I'm sorry Hermione." He pouted before he picked her up, just like his twin did.
"Why do you two always pick me up?"
"Because you're our innocent little Granger." Fred laughing voice came from behind her.
Hermione turned her head as far as she could because George still hasn't put her down and glared at the second twin.
"Oh, look she trying to look mad." Fred chuckled as George put her down. The moment her feet hit the ground, she stormed after Fred. Fred, who didn't see that coming, reacted too late as Hermione was hitting his arm. George bit his lip trying not to laugh at the small, young girl beating up his brother. "Alright, alright." Fred held up his hands in surrender. "Not so innocent then."
Let's go kids, plenty of shopping to do." Mr. Weasley said. They all turned and followed them through the crowded street.
.
Hermione was once again seated on the first floor of the bookstore, surrounded by books. She was almost halfway through one of the books when the twins appeared in front of her.
"Told you we would find her here." She heard the smirk in George's voice as she didn't take her eyes of her book.
"You think she can hear us?" Fred teased. "Maybe we should start undressing ourselves."
Hermione's hand shot in the air, making the twins snicker. "No, thank you." She finally looked up from her book. "How long?"
"An hour."
She closed her book, put the other books back in the shelves, only taking two with her. The twins' eyebrows raised at her. "What?"
"Just two?" George asked as they walked down the spiral staircase.
"Went to the bookstore in town and got myself some books there." She said, a blush creeping on her cheeks.
"That's our girl." The twins grinned.
.HG.
Hermione was sitting on her side of Cedric's desk as they worked on her last two essays, one for Transfiguration and one for Herbology. Cedric was reviewing her Transfiguration essay as she nearly finished the other. Cedric put her essay down and placed it in her folder.
"Looks great, Hermione. Now just the actual practice." He chuckled.
"Yeah, only five more days." She smiled, putting her quill down. "Ready to go back?"
"Yes, I love getting back home to my parents, but I miss using magic, and quidditch."
"Hmm." Hermione agreed with a nod. "I thought because I was a muggle born, it would be easy for me, not using magic. Boy, I was wrong." She laughed, putting her Herbology essay with her others in the folder. Hermione stood up and put her bag over her shoulder.
"Where are you going? You're staying for dinner, aren't you?"
"Yes, but you remember our deal?"
"About teaching me how to ride a bike?" He asked, as he lifted an eyebrow. "Do you have bike stashed in there?" He laughed, pointing at her bag as they walked down the stairs.
"No." She slapped his arm. "I might have made arrangements with your mother."
"Sneaky." He gave her a lopsided grin, which reminded her a lot of the twins. "So, mum." He said as they arrived downstairs. "Hermione says you have a bike stashed here somewhere."
"Well, yes." His mum tried to hide a smile, which made Hermione and Cedric suspicious as they followed her out the front door.
Cedric's mouth fell open as Hermione started to laugh loudly as she saw the bike leaning against the house. It was a pink girly bike with colourful ribbons on the steering wheel, a rainbow striped helmet on the handlebars.
"You want me to drive on that?" He said as he touched the ribbons.
"It was the only one I could find." His mum said, but neither really believed her with the look she had. She handed over the bike to her son and as Cedric was heading to the sidewalk, Mrs. Diggory gave her a camera. She grinned up to Cedric's mum and hid it in her jacket before walking over to Cedric.
"So, what now?" He asked, holding the pink bike in his hand.
"Why don't I show you first."
"Brilliant." He nearly pushed the bike in her hands.
Hermione chuckled as she climbed up the bike and handed the helmet over to Cedric. "Your hands go on the handlebar; you steer with it like this." She turned the handlebars from left to right as the front wheel followed. "The next thing are the pedals. Without it you don't go forward." Cedric nodded in conformation. "I'll start, watch my movement, alright?"
"'Kay."
And Hermione started to pedal. She rode the pink frilly bike to the end of the street before turning back and stopped right in front of him. "These are the brakes." She said, pushing the breaks with her hands. She stepped off the bike and she pushed the bike stand down. "Alright Digs, your turn."
Cedric looked nervously from the bike to her, fiddling with the strap of the helmet in his hands.
"If I can fly a broom, you can ride a bike."
"Don't tell anyone about this okay, Mi? Particularly the part about it being pink and frilly."
"I won't tell." She smiled, but she might show them a picture, she thought to herself. After they spend so much time together over the summer, they had given each other a nickname no one else used. She first called him Ced, but almost every Hufflepuff called him that already, so she decided on Digs. "Up you go."
Cedric climbed the bike and when he was seated, his hand firmly on the handlebar and feet on the ground, Hermione stepped closer and put the helmet on. "Oh, come on, Mi! You're not serious?"
"Safety first." She clicked her tongue as she clicked the straps together. "So, try steering first... great, now the brakes. Alright, now time to paddle. If you think you'll fall just plant your feet on the ground okay. I'll try to follow next to you."
Cedric took in a deep breath as he put one foot on the highest paddle. He looked at Hermione for a moment, but she shook her head. "Eyes forward, Digs." He turned his head back forward, his hands hard on the handlebars, making his knuckles turn white. "Push!" And Cedric pushed his foot forward, he looked down to place his other foot on the other pedal. But because he looked down, he started to sway. "Look up!" He heard Hermoine say next to him. He looked back up and started paddle faster, he kept his hands still as he rode the bike. He was grinning, happy he didn't fall down, but then it was the end of the road and he had to turn. "Use your breaks! You're going too-" Hermione couldn't finish her sentence as Cedric crashed against a wall. Hermione, who wasn't far behind, ran up to him and crouched down.
"Are you okay?" She asked looking for any signs of blood.
"Yeah." He pushed himself up, but that hurt a bit, and he winced. Hermione helped him up and leaned him against the wall. She pulled the bike from under him before she knelt down in front of him. Her hand went to his left arm. When she touched his shirt, it was wet.
"You're bleeding." She bit her lip. "Fuck, this is all my fault."
"Wow, wow, Mi, calm down." He took her trembling hand. "First of all, you just cursed, and I have no witnesses." He chuckled. "And second, it just a scrape. If I remember correctly, you're first flying lesson, ended with you in the hospital wing." He pointed out.
Hermione couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips before she reached out again and rolled up his shirt, to reveal her the wound. It wasn't as bad as she thought, just a small cut on his upper arm. But then again for the third time that summer, she noticed the physical change of the older kids. She didn't notice it in the beginning of the summer, but now... Cedric's shoulders were broader, like the twins. His arms weren't as big as theirs because the twins use them a lot for beater practice. But just like the twins his face has changed, more mature. And she wondered if he would stand next to the twins, she could see that he had grown too.
"I think you'll live." She chuckled.
"Thank you, healer Granger." He grinned as he stood back up. He pushed his rainbow-coloured helmet straight on his head and picked the bike back up. When he saw Hermione's look, he added. "I'm not giving up after the first try."
And with that Cedric climbed the bike again and to Hermione's relief he didn't fall or crash again. And after his second tour around the street, Hermione pulled out Mrs. Diggory's camera and took a few photos. Cedric stopped in front of her as she took the last picture, he sends her a glare when he saw the flash.
"Oh, no you don't." He dropped the bike in the rose bushes and ran up to her. Hermione shrieked, holding the camera up high as she ran inside the house, calling out for Mrs. Diggory.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, something for the Twins' fans and for the Cedric fans 😉
Next chapter they'll be back in Hogwarts!😄
