August 14, 2004

Harry's p.o.v

I stare expectantly at the two most important women in my life. "Guys?"

Ginny smiles sheepishly at us. "I just came from Diagon Alley, I wanted to clean up so we wouldn't end up fighting for the loo."

I smile at my girlfriend of two years. "Too late now. Ron's already on his way up there."

"Drats."

I offer her my hand and pull her to her feet pressing a kiss to her forehead. "There's always the other bathroom Gin."

"But the second-floor one is the best!" She pouted. I laugh and pull her closer. "Eww Harry no! You're all sweaty!"

That just made me laugh harder. Auror workload might have decreased since the war but there were still criminals to be caught and a figure to maintain. "I just want to love you Gin."

Ginny wriggled free from my grasp and ran away. "Not until you take a bath!"

I was going to chase after her when a wooden spoon hit me in the head. "None of that Harry. Go wait for Ron to get out of the shower. Dinner will be done soon."

Obediently I follow 's orders. I was sweaty and most definitely hungry. The rumors that I had been hearing today …let's just say people should be grateful I wasn't on the field today. The training dummies could attest to that. If Hermione was back, then we had a lot to talk about.

I take my time going up the stairs but 10 minutes into waiting outside the bathroom, I kicked Ron out. "I'm not done!"

"Too busy washing your luxurious locks, Lockhart?" I tease.

"I resent that comment!" Ron answered back in jest. "My locks are more like Goldilocks'." We share a good laugh and go our separate ways. I needed to wash all the grime away so I could focus on our phantom friend.

Fifteen minutes later I was out of the shower and in clean clothes courtesy of Molly's insistence that we all have at least a change of clothes at home. I went downstairs to find everyone waiting for me. "Too busy washing your luxurious locks, Potter?" Ron teased using my words against me.

"I have hair. You're already losing yours." I shot back. Ron's hands fly to his hair. Hair loss was one of his biggest fears.

We continue bickering like we've done so many times in the past 13 years. Like I should have been doing with Hermione as well. She should be here sitting with us instead of traveling around the world alone in hopes of Merlin knows what.

"Harry?" I lift my head to look at Ginny.

"Yes?" I ask in response.

She throws a look at her mother and father. "You've gone…quiet. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. I'm just thinking that Hermione should have been here. With us." With me. Sound around the table quiets when I mention her name. It had been so long since any of us said her name out loud it wouldn't have surprised me if we had forgotten what she looked like. Except Hermione Granger had a love affair with magazine and journal covers every now and then. Closer to the now part of that relationship.

"You've heard the rumors then?" Arthur asked putting his knife and fork down.

Ron and I shared a look. Today had not been a good day because of those damn rumors. "Yes. They're saying that Hermione is back. We had a lot of blokes stopping and asking if we could set them up with her or something. Bloody gits." Ron said stabbing his fork into his steak and kidney pie. Hermione abandoning us was still a sore subject for him.

It was Molly's turn to speak now. "You haven't seen the newspaper, yet have you?" She asked.

"Of course, not. Even with Voldemort dead, the Prophet is still just a bunch of rags and trash stories." I answer before shoveling more food into my mouth.

Ginny grabs my hand and I feel a pit forming. I put my fork down and stare at her. "Harry, they weren't lying. Hermione is back. I saw her in the new café, the one that opened up a couple of weeks ago."

No. Just no. "You're trying to tell me that my best friend is back, and she couldn't even bother to owl me!?"

Everyone was looking worriedly at me. This was a new level of emotion that I was reaching in years. Ron was my best mate but Hermione was the person that I could turn to for everything, even over Ginny. Even now there were some things that I wouldn't tell her but wouldn't hesitate to tell the old Hermione. "Harry dear, the newspaper said that she arrived Thursday. She's probably settling in before contacting anyone." Molly tried to placate.

"There's a picture of her and Luna." Ginny pipes in.

"She chooses to see Luna over us?" Ron roared.

"Where's the paper, Molly? I want to see exactly what she did." I say my hands trembling in poorly concealed anger because the other emotions weren't what I wanted to focus on.

"I'm sorry dear. I threw it out earlier, I didn't believe the headlines until Ginny came home and told me." Molly responded.

This day just couldn't get worse, could it? "I'll go down to Diagon Alley then and buy a copy."

Ginny next to me sighs. "What's the point? She'll see us when she wants to see us. That is of course if little-Miss-Famous even wants to see us."

"We're her best friends why wouldn't she want to see us?" Asked Ron.

I glare at my plate. Beside me, Ginny answers him. "She hasn't made that much of an effort to see us, Ronald."

"She's sent letters, hasn't she? When was the last time any of you lot responded to her?" We freeze at 's words.

drops her cutlery on the table. "Arthur you can't be taking her side!"

"I'm not Molly. I'm just saying she might be mad at us since we haven't owled recently. Not to mention that we've refused to visit her when she asked us. You know how Hermione is. That girl can hold a grudge." Arthur says.

I think back to the last letter Hermione sent me. It was about two years or so when she was in China? No, that was after I think. She was in the Amazons. She asked me to spend a few days with her before she went to her next country. I don't even remember how I responded I just know that she didn't reply and didn't try to contact me again. Fuck.

"Hermione knows that we're all too busy with our lives Arthur. You can't just leave the ministry and neither can the boys. Ginny's barely home as it is! How can she expect us to just uproot ourselves?" Molly argued

"Well yes dear, you do have a point there Molly." Arthur conceded.

I nodded with Arthur. For possibly five or eight of us to visit her, it just made more sense for her to visit us. I would owl Hermione after dinner. I need to know why she left when I needed her the most and why she couldn't even try and visit us. Hermione owed us too many explanations and I was determined to get them.

August 15, 2004

Hermione's p.o.v

Dear Keelan, I began my letter. I could have Flooed him but writing letters was a better means of communication between us. There were still time differences to account for and he might be at work when I called him and I'd rather not disturb him if he was.

I have been in England for three days now and it's not getting easier. When I'm with Evangeline or with Luna or Neville I can pretend that everything is okay. But every time I turn around I can still see the destroyed shops and the bodies on the floor. I want to see only the good things but I can't help remembering the past.

Evangeline is taking very well in England. There's still a few weeks of summer and she's enjoying them to the fullest. You should see her running around the gardens. It's like she's a forest sprite. You wouldn't think she was my daughter if it wasn't for Neville dragging her out of the library to get fresh air. Of course, I still wouldn't change her for the world. She might be an energetic ray of sunshine but she's my ball of sunshine.

Now I know what you're probably thinking but I just want her to enjoy herself first okay? I have the invitations written out and I just need to mail them. But, Keelan, I'm so scared. And angry. They still think that the world still revolves around them and don't care about anyone else's problems. Not once did they ask me why I couldn't come to Great Britain – mind you a secret like Evangeline isn't something you say by owl – but just assumed that I was too into my life to be involved in theirs. They didn't give no matter how much I asked even when I gave as much as I could. How is that fair? I begged and begged them to come but they just wouldn't and painted me as the bad guy -err person. I don't want them to hurt Evangeline.

I had to stop writing or I would rip the room apart in my anger. Neville wouldn't exactly mind as long as I put it back together but I needed to gain control of my emotions. Evangeline could walk in at any moment and I needed to be a good example for her.

'Deep breaths Hermione, deep breaths.' I continue writing the letter.

But that doesn't matter Keelan. Evangeline deserves to know her father's side without my bias thoughts or opinions. I will send out the dinner invitations in one week and use this time to deal with my emotions.

Harry owled last night but I going to put off our meeting until he's had the opportunity to meet Evangeline. I would not allow him to meet her and already have resentment towards what's kept me away. Speaking of which, no problems on my side of the pond. Evangeline's fine and healthy and so am I. Thank you for worrying so much about us. It's been hard dealing with Evangeline's-

"Mama!"

I put my quill down and smile at the love of my life lifting her to my lap. "What is it Sunshine?"

Evangeline returns the gesture and hugs me as tight as she can and I do the same. There was no shortage of hugs in the Granger family. I made sure of that. "Mama Uncle Nev is acting silly again and Auntie Luna says tea is ready but Mama I'm hungry and want food, not tea!"

I laugh and press a kiss to Evangeline's hair. "Tea is another way of saying dinner in England, sweetie. Your aunt Luna says that because she knows you wouldn't know. Now come, let's go before your uncle eats everything and leaves us the scraps." We were at the doorway now and I knew Neville could hear everything from the foyer.

"I heard that!"

"You were supposed to!" I yell back. At my side, Evangeline giggles, and I took her down to dinner.

-episodes but it's gotten better having such a great support group around me. Her seizures have all but disappeared thanks to all the treatments. Sorry for dumping all this on you but Keelan, there are not enough words in the world to truly demonstrate how grateful I am to have a friend like you.

Love,

Hermione Granger.

World's bushiest hair owner

P.S: Evangeline sends her love.