Chapter 31 – Waiting for a letter


HG


Hey Charlie

I miss you! I hope we can see each other soon; it feels like years since the last time I saw you!
How are you? Did you need to use the healing charms your mum taught you, I sure hope not.
How's it going with the Swedish Short-Snout, Helga? Is she still having trouble flying?

The twins haven't driven me mad, yet, ha-ha. No, they actually helped me a lot with potions and to everyone's surprise safely experimenting. Last time I wrote you, I informed you that I would attend the potions class with the twins. And it's going great! They are even paying attention in class and getting good grades. Your mum is going to lose it! I still don't know what elective classes I'm going to take next year, there are still three that I'm interested in. I hope I find out which one will suit me best at the end of the year.

Besides wanting to know how you are, I write to you with a question for myself. The twins' birthday is coming sooner rather than later, and I don't know what to get them... Do I just get some more pranks, muggle or magical? I don't know, I'm at a total loss, especially after what they did for my birthday. Oh, I so wished you where here. But HELP! You're their older brother, you should know what they would like.

Send a reply as soon as possible.

Be safe!

Hermione.


HG


Hermione had sent the letter to Charlie about two weeks ago and she was still waiting on a reply. Her eyes were searched the owls overhead, hoping to spot one that had his focus on her. But no, another day without a letter from a certain Weasley. She sighed disappointment as she looked down at her plate. She frowned as she saw her oatmeal glitter for a moment before it turned back to normal. Hermione held her book in front of her eyes as she subtly searched the crowd for the culprit. It didn't take long before she found her, the Ravenclaw who kept shooting glares at her, trying to defend her friend for some reason. Hermione leaned into Fred, who turned away from his conversation with Lee with a raised eyebrow.

"Can you cause a distraction?"

"What kind of question is that." He chuckled, before he looked at her serious. "Why?"

"I told you about Oaklee's friend. No, don't look." She placed her hand on his cheek, so he couldn't look at the Ravenclaw table. Fred's eyes were wide as he looked at her. "She tried to spike my oatmeal when I wasn't looking. I need a distraction, so I can switch it."

A grin crept on Fred's face as she lowered her hand. "Oh, a distraction you'll get. Oi, George!" He called over his shoulder to his twin. "Plan Sprinkles!"

"Now?" He asked surprised while the rest asked confused. "Sprinkles?"

The twins jumped up and ran to the doors of the great hall, they hid behind the large doors so the teachers couldn't spot them, before they took out little triangular boxes out of their boxes. With a tap of their wands, the top burst open.

Hermione looked at the doors the twins disappeared behind, and when she heard Fred say sprinkles, she thought about rainbow sprinkles to decorate cakes or something. Not a giant gush of water that soaked everyone that sat in the near vicinity of the front doors. But the plan had worked, Hermione saw the Ravenclaw, stand on her tip toes as she glanced at the doors. With a small wave of her wand, she switched the dishes without anyone noticing it as all eyes were on the large water sprinklers. Hermione looked down at her oatmeal and casted a diagnostic spell on it to be sure before she started eating, just as the water stopped and the twins disappear from the doors. Once the great hall settled down again and the Prefects cleaned up the water, the twins walked back in, pretending not to know what happened. Hermione smiled as Fred sat back down next to her.

"Did it work?" He whispered.

She nodded her head as she swallowed her oatmeal. "Sprinklers?" She chuckled.

"Still something we're working on." He shrugged, he risked a glance at the Ravenclaw table and nudged Hermione when he saw what was happening. The girl who had tried to get one over on Hermione, was turning grey. Her long black hair became greyer by the second. Hermione and Fred looked at each other before they started to laugh. "Is that the best she can do?"

"I could've changed it back myself." Hermione shook her head smiling. "I just hope they don't try it again. I'm tired of it." She ended grim. "Just because I'm friends with Cedric."

"I'm sorry, little Granger." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "They are just jealous. And they think-"

"That Cedric and I are together, I know. But we all know that's not true." She huffed.

"Maybe you should date a guy or girl, no judgement, or pretend to date one." He added quickly. "Maybe they'll back off."

"I'm not just dating a guy or girl, just to set their minds at ease." She frowned at Fred as she shook of his arm. "They just need to get a life and don't be so pathetic. I'm twelve for Merlin's sake." Her voice angry as she stood up.

"Little Granger." Fred started. "It was just an id-"

But Hermione ignored him and walked out the great hall. The others looked surprised from her sudden departure, and all turned their eyes on Fred, waiting for an explanation.


HG


Hermione had found herself again in the remote corner of the library, her knees pulled up to her chest as a book rested on them. It didn't take long when Cedric appeared from behind the bookshelves. He sat down across from her as he placed his bag on the floor next to his chair. Hermione had buried herself in her transfiguration book and tried to ignore everyone, everything around her.

"Hermione?" Cedric's voice soft. When Hermione didn't look up, he placed a hand on her knee. "Mi?" Hermione looked up from her book and looked at Cedric's worried face. "What happened?"

Hermione sighed as she closed her book and wrapped her arms around her legs and retold him what happened in the great hall. Cedric's face went from worried to angry to amusement and ended in something Hermione couldn't quite place.

"You know Fred just suggested it, so you would be safe, right?"

"I know." Her shoulders deflated as she lowered her legs to the ground. "But I shouldn't be doing anything to keep their mind at ease, they should just get over it."

Cedric frowned as he looked to the ground. "Mi... maybe we should spend less time together."

"What?" Hermione nearly shouted and her book fell to the ground.

"This is the second time you were targeted, attacked because of me."

"It's not because of you, Digs." She leaned forward and grabbed his hand. "This will blow over, but if you really want to step back..."

"No, Mi. That's not - In this short time, you've become one of my closest friends." He placed his other hand over hers.

"Then it's settled." She smiled as she took her hand back and leaned against her seat. "So, are you nervous about the game?"

"Well, yeah." He laughed. "Since it's against your friends."

"They're your friends too." Hermione pointed out.

"Yeah, but you know what I mean." He rolled his eyes playfully.

"You've both won one game each, it could go either way." She said as she picked up her book from the ground, at that moment a shadow fell on her. She looked up to see Blaise in front of her.

"Too bad you guys lost against Slytherin." He said as he transfigured an old book into a chair. "I mean it." He added when he saw their faces. "The Slytherin team is too full of themselves."

Hermione and Cedric looked at each other surprised before they fell in a fit of laughter. Blaise looked at their outburst in surprise before a little smile tugged on his lips.


HG


It was the day of the match and Hermione had just received an owl back from Charlie, that appeared in her room. By the time she came down to the great hall, the Gryffindor team, her friends where already gone. She glanced at the Hufflepuff table and saw the players missing there too. It was a week before the twins' birthday, so Hermione grabbed a scone from the table and headed back out as she opened Charlie's letter.

Hi, Hermione

First of all, I miss you too.

Helga is doing great; we're releasing her in a week or two. I'm brilliant, as you know! I found my place here and my cabin is all decorated like I want it. I just got another scar on my arm from the tail of an angry Hungarian, but it's all healed up nicely, don't worry.

About the twins, you can always get them more joke stuff, but there are things they want, but actually never tell anyone about it. You know, because they think it's too expensive and they don't like to talk about that. But... they'll go crazy if you get something involving quidditch, like new gloves or a Quaffle, so they can play at home.
I know you're not allowed to go to Hogsmeade this year, but you can send them an owl-order from them. Just ask one of your classmates, one of them should have a catalogue laying around. There is also a second-hand shop in Diagon Alley.

And the twins are smarter than they let on, like you know already of course. But it probably helps when it's you are nudging them in the right direction.

And I'm not sure yet, but there is a possibility that I'll come home for a few days over the summer. But don't tell the others, it's not set in stone.

I'll leave you to it. I hope to see you soon.

Charlie

Hermione was reading the letter for the second time when she nearly tripped on a root in the grass. She looked around and saw that she was almost at the pitch. She pocketed the letter and made her way to the Gryffindor changing rooms. When she was waiting for Oliver to end his speech, her eyes glanced over the stand. Lee was already up at the commentary box and waved as he saw her. She waved back just when the players came out of the changing rooms.

"Good luck." She hugged her girlfriends before they followed Oliver to the pitch. She said the same to Harry as she gave him a quick and awkward hug. He smiled wide at her before he walked after the girls. The last to come out where the twins.

"I thought we were going to miss our good luck kiss." George winked at her.

"Hermione..." Fred started, but she knew from him using her giving name, he was still afraid she was mad at him.

"It's okay, Rusty. We talked about it, remember." She smiled. "You and Cedric have the same bad ideas." She rolled her eyes playfully and Fred started to grin again. She stepped between them, placing her hands on their shoulder before giving them each a kiss on the cheek. "Good luck, boys."

"Are you going to give Diggory a good luck kiss too?" George frowned. "He's our nemesis... today." The corner of his mouth lifted. Hermione just shook her head before she pushed the two boys to an impatient Wood. When the Gryffindor team disappeared from view, she turned and quickly headed to the Hufflepuff changing room. She saw the team already making their way to the pitch and waved in the hopes Cedric would spot her. But he didn't, not until a teammate nudge him and pointed at Hermione. When Cedric's eyes found her, he walked over with a smile.

"And here I thought you forgot about me."

"I could never." She gasped. She pulled her scarf aside to show him her Hufflepuff badge pinned on her coat. "See?"

"I better get going. And -" He leaned closer. "We need to talk about Gavin."

"Oh, okay." She said surprised. Both Cedric and Matt have been trying to figure out what was happening with him, and it looked like they finally did. She shook her head internally and beamed up at Cedric. "Good luck, Digs." She stood on her toes and kissed his cheek.

"Thanks, Mi." He winked before he ran to the waiting team.