Chapter eleven

During these months, Harry had not seen Ron or Hermione. He had been busy with the Merlin orb, but also with the governors which meant he was also helping with the racing league and the other new sports that will now be available at Hogwarts. He spent almost all his free time with Sally, but he would also work on his hobby of making brooms. Sally would be there but she would be standing at her easel painting someone or some scenery. Sally had a good memory, as long as she saw a place once, she could capture that perfectly on a canvas. Even though he knew his friends were probably busy as well, he was a little hurt that they didn't even write. He wrote a couple of letters, but never received one from either of his friends so he didn't write after that. It was also during this time that Harry had asked Sally to move in with him, she did.

Harry had wondered if the reason he hadn't heard from Hermione was to do with the new laws in regards to muggle relatives. He spoke with Sally and mentioned to her how he spoke with Hermione once about the chance that someone like the Dursley's could blow up Diagon alley or tell the military. It had been back in their second year when he had met the Granger's and saw how nice they seemed. But he had seen them in Diagon alley, he spoke with his friends and wondered if they were protected from the muggle military. Sally thought it was a good idea and it would protect places like Diagon alley and the Hogwarts express.

Winky sat the mail on the table before she went back to making breakfast for her master and his lady friend, who Winky knew would soon be her mistress.

'Good morning Winky.'

'Good morning Miss Sally. Would you like a cup of tea while you are waiting for breakfast?'

'Yes, please.'

Harry walked in just as Winky handed Sally a cup, the little elf instantly got Harry a cup of tea. He kissed Sally then he began looking through his mail as he drank his tea.

'I knew sooner or later Hermione would write. She took longer than I thought.'

'You did write to explain you were busy, but would try to work on some time together.'

'Yeah, I just wasn't sure why she took so long and if it had anything to do with those new spells,' Harry stared at the letter, 'She wants to see me. I might invite her and Ron to dinner. What do you think?'

'They are your friends love, I'm sure it will be a nice evening.'

'Okay, I'll see if they are free on Friday night.'

After breakfast, Harry had to go to the ministry to use the Merlin orb on some new employee's. These employee's had the right newt scores, but they weren't pure-blood so they had been turned down before. Now they were given the jobs they applied for, the Merlin orb was just to make sure they had the power for the job.

Since Sally had moved in with Harry, she basically worked from home, doing her art. She sold quite a lot in the muggle world, but she was also working on magical portraits and scenery's, ones that move. She had studied the charms and now knew how to charm the canvas. She did want to eventually do portraits that could talk, like in the headmaster's office at Hogwarts. She thought if her and Harry end up with kids, maybe having their parent's portraits with them when they died just might help. The minister already thought Harry should have one, since he did end two wars, or delayed one for thirteen years then completely ended it when he killed Voldemort. Harry said he would think about it, but if he did have one, he didn't want it hanging in places like the atrium at the ministry. He thought maybe a room that was filled with stuff from history. He did like Sally's idea, he wished he had portraits of his parent's and Sirius. He could talk to them even if it was not the same as talking to them for real. It would have been the next best thing.

Sally thought she might speak with someone from the ministry to see if there might be a way to create a talking portrait of someone that died that didn't have the portrait done when they were alive.

Harry was running late on Friday. The governors had a meeting with the staff of Hogwarts as it was due to open in another month. By the time he hurried into the house, Sally was sitting with Ron and Hermione, but Harry could tell the atmosphere was strained, but only from Hermione.

'Sorry I'm late, work, I'll just freshen up. Sally love, can you get me a drink and whatever Hermione and Ron want.'

'Of course love, go change.'

Hermione stood, 'Why is she here?' She asked stiffly.

'Sally lives her Hermione, we moved in together.'

'But your not married,' Ron said.

'It's very common in the muggle world for couples to live together before they marry,' Sally said, 'It allows us to get used to sharing with someone else, but also allows us to see if we're suited. Some couples just like the idea of being together without making it official.'

'Which Sally and I are, really suited and lots in common. Anyway, be right back.'

'So what would you like to drink?' Sally asked with a forced smile.

'Um butterbeer, if you have it,' Ron said.

'Yes, we do, but we also have wine, soft drinks, juice, muggle beer and scotch. Hermione?'

'Juice,' Hermione said without a smile, a please or a thank you.

Sally went to the bar and worked on the drinks. She levitated Hermione and Ron their drinks while she poured herself a drink and got a beer for Harry. She just sat when Harry hurried to her, kissed her fiercely before taking a big drink.

'Blimey, so much to do now Hogwarts is close to opening again,' Harry took another drink, finishing off his beer then got himself another, before he sat beside Sally, 'That's why I haven't been able to see you two, busy, busy.'

'You have time to see her,' Hermione said with a sneer.

'Hermione,' Harry glared, 'she is my girlfriend and probably soon wife. You are also in her home, so treat her with respect or you can leave.'

'I'll leave,' Hermione threw the glass down and walked out before anyone could move. Winky rushed in and cleaned up the mess Hermione had made.

'What is wrong with her?' Harry asked.

'No idea, but she hasn't been happy with anyone since she heard about the group Kingsley put together for the ICW meeting.' Ron said.

'So she's pissed that she wasn't picked as the muggleborn representative?'

'That's what me and dad believes. Dad wouldn't tell me, I'm not sure if he knew or not, but do you know why Kingsley would pass on Hermione as he did know her?'

'Yeah, one was her attitude on how she always believed she was right. Two, how she always said we should trust Dumbledore, when we all know he made big mistakes. Three, she refuses to listen to other people's idea's and opinion, even when proven wrong, she refuses to admit it and she never once apologised. Kingsley spoke to me when he began to put the group together. He saw how Hermione was during those times at Grimmauld place, but he also knew how she refuse to listen to me when I said I knew where one of those things were.' Harry knew Hermione would not have been happy that she wasn't chosen when he was along with Neville. Now he was seeing just how angry Hermione was. He believed she was acting like a spoilt child and he thought she was being ridiculous. He knew one thing, until Hermione apologised to Sally, he would not have anything to do with her. He wasn't sure what Ron was going to do when Harry explained, but he had remained even when his girlfriend had left.

Harry just wrapped his arm around his girlfriend's shoulder and pulled her close. Ron watched Harry and Sally interact. He could see how much they cared about each other. They showed it easily and showed it was a loving relationship. He had been with Hermione for a year now, she never acted like that with him, even from when they first started dating and it made Ron curious as to why. Apart from thinking about his relationship with Hermione, he knew straight away that Ginny had no hope of having Harry as her boyfriend again. Ron did wonder if maybe that was also part of Hermione's problem. She spends a lot of time with Ginny and he had often heard them talking about Harry. If Harry was dating Ginny who was now Hermione's best friend then they would remain close. Now that Harry was dating Sally, Harry would not be able to spend as much time with his old friends. Ron understood that. They were now adults who were beginning their adult lives. But Ron was also curious about his sister. Ginny had explained to the family that her and Harry had a big talk and decided they would not resume their relationship as they believed they had both changed. But he had heard Ginny talking to Hermione about Harry. Ron never heard exactly what was said, he just heard both girls mention Harry quite a lot and noticed how Ginny always seemed interested when Harry's name was brought up in conversations.

Ron ended up apologising but thought it best to leave so he could find Hermione and he wanted to speak with his father. Ron knew Hermione was angry, not just because she wasn't the muggleborn representative, or how Harry was no longer with Ginny, but it was something else. He wanted to know what.

'I never paid much attention to Hermione during that year at Hogwarts, but was she always such a…?' Sally hesitated.

'A bitch,' Harry sighed, 'Sometimes she was, but that began when we were in our third year. If she doesn't change her attitude, she's not going to get a position at the ministry. Kingsley said they wanted a friendly working environment and thought if people didn't get on then they would not work closely together. He doesn't expect everyone to be friends, he just wants a friendly environment. But Hermione has been bitchy with a lot of people and I know that most of the DA didn't like her, because of her attitude. A few spoke to me and said they will listen to me but not her. Apart from you being picked to represent muggleborns over her, I have a feeling it's to do with those spells. She was lucky that the obliviators could reverse the charm she did on her parent's. Now they had been spelled so they can't speak about us or our world. I hope she doesn't do anything foolish and she will calm down. But I already know that after third year, the holidays before fifth year and her attitude in sixth year, I won't be forgiving her again. She's had her last chance. Sooner or later you have to say enough. People have to realise that if they keep doing wrong then sooner or later they will have to deal with the consequences of their actions.'

'Seeing her now, I sort of get why she never had any other friends. You told me about those disgusting things that you had to find and you mentioned how she refused to listen to you. It does make more sense. I don't know anything about him, not until you explained. Hogwarts was a better idea than the orphanage he grew up in. She was intelligent but she didn't use it then.'

'No, she didn't and that happened a lot. But it was her own fault that she never made other female friends. I heard the way she spoke to Lavender and Parvati. Just because they happened to like fashion and make up, Hermione really put them down and made them out to be idiots. That caused a lot of tense times in Gryffindor tower. It got worse when Ron dated Lavender for a while. Everyone else got on well with those two girls, even if they didn't have the same interests, they were just nice girls. Let's forget about Hermione and what her problems are.'

'Then let's have dinner and you can tell me about your day and I can fill you on what I've been doing.'

Harry smiled then kissed his girlfriend. He loved coming home to Sally and they just talk about their day. To Harry, it was right, it was natural, it was normal, something he had been after for many years. From their very first date, they just seemed to work.