The car ride back to the Burrow was the most silence Hermione had heard in years, it about made her go crazy.
"Well, Mione, here we are." Ginny exclaimed excitedly at her old friend.
"Yeah… we're here…" Hermione replied, dazed. "What happened to all those damn lawn gnomes?" She asked.
"Oh, those bloody bastards? The fled the area after… well, after all went wrong."
"What do you mean 'all went wrong'?" Hermione asked as she slowly walked towards the door that once meant that she was safe for the summer in her adolescent years.
"Mione?" she heard Ron ask. "Hermione?"
"What?" Hermione snapped out of her daze.
"Um… well, er…"
"Just spit it out, Ronald."
"Would you like me to carry your bags… or would you rather have Ginny or you do it?"
"Now, was that so hard?" she mocked.
"Well, if you're going to be a pain about it…"
"No! Ron, it's fine. If you want to carry my bags then, go ahead."
Ron's ears brightened a bit as he obediently grabbed her bags and carried them through the front door of Hermione's past.
"Well, Herms, are you coming or are you going to stand there in that daze of yours all day?" Ginny laughed.
"Huh? Oh! Yes, I'm coming." Hermione answered not being able to notice that the once welcoming and homey house that she had spent so many summers at seemed a bit darker and a little bit unfriendly as it once had.
"Hermione!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, rushing towards the younger woman and embracing her in one of her bone crushing, loving hugs that Hermione endured and enjoyed so many years ago.
"Oh, my have you changed since the last time I saw you. Oh, and you're so thin. Just about as thin as Ginny. Arthur… Arthur would you come and greet our guest?"
"Hello, Hermione. Welcome home." Mr. Weasley said a bit uneasy. "Oh, come here, Hermione!" He said as he gave her a bone-crushing hug of his own.
"Hello, hello. It's so nice to be back. But, I can't help but notice how much the burrow has changed since I was last here." Hermione wondered.
"Oh, Hermione, dear. After you… and after the final battle… Ron and Harry put a charm of sorts around the house, to make it seem like we're not around anymore, if there are still any Death Eaters around."
"Oh… I see."
"Oh, Hermione…" Mrs. Weasley started, tears begging to fall.
"Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione questioned.
"No, no. Honey. Don't worry about it. It's just… I'm so happy that our little Hermione is back. Now, I know I could never replace your mom, nor could Arthur replace your dad. But, if you ever need us, in any way or at any time, just know that we are here for you. We love you as if you were our own."
"I know that, Mrs. Weasley. And I'll keep that in mind."
"Oh, you must be starving for some real food!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, back to her usual positive self. "What did they feed you there? Oh… I am going to make something special for supper tonight! What would you like, deary? Oh, never you mind, I'm just going to make everything!" Mrs. Weasley ranted as she walked into the kitchen, leaving Hermione as alone as she already felt.
"Mione?" a voice from behind asked her.
"Yeah?" Hermione turned around smiling.
"Uh. Well, you see… Ginny and Harry, they um… Well…"
"Just spit it out."
"I'm getting to it, Mione… It's just, they're kind of a couple again and they share a room."
"Ok, I'll just take Fred and George's old room." Hermione answered.
" Well, you see, Mione… We all live in a small flat a little ways away from here. We're staying for the night since, well, Mum wanted to visit with you… and with us for the night. She said and I quote 'Ronald Bilius Weasley! You, your sister, Harry and Hermione will all stay tomorrow night and do as I say. I am still your mother and I wish to visit with Hermione and make her a good home-cooked meal. It's been seven years, you know, and she might be needing a bit of real food in her system.'"
"It's fine Ron. I'll just stay in Fred and George's old room and tomorrow we'll be off."
"That's the other problem."
"What?" Hermione asked, wide-eyed.
"You see, there are only two bedrooms, since that's all we could really afford and well, since Harry and Ginny are back together, we'll have to share a room."
"What!?" Hermione screamed.
"Yeah, I know… But, don't worry, Mione. My room is the biggest in the house since, well, Harry and I shared it for a while. And there are two beds in there so, really, you don't have to sleep in the same bed as me. It'll be strictly room-mates."
"Well… ok. I guess it could work." Hermione said as she eased down a bit. "So, what's for dinner?" She asked cheekily.
"I dunno. We'll just have to wait and see what Mum made." Ron smiled. "I missed you, Mione…"
"Oh, Ron… I…"
"Hermione!" "Is it..." "Really…" "You!?" Fred and George asked.
"Fred, George!" Hermione screamed running towards the joking twins. "It's been so long!"
"Yes it has, indeed." Fred said.
"Really, Hermione it has." George answered after him, smiling.
"Mum told us that we were celebrating something." "We asked her what." "But, she wouldn't budge."
"Do you two always do that now days?" Hermione asked.
"Only when we're together." The boys answered.
Hermione laughed at their twin telepathy.
"Hey, what are you laughing at?" George asked.
"Yeah?" Fred trailed behind. "You know, George, I think we should really give Hermione here something to laugh about."
"Really, Fred? I don't think she'll laugh about this."
"No, no. From the looks of it, she looks like she'll laugh at anything." The boys finished up their small conversation and took a look at Hermione.
"What?" she asked as the two wore one of their infamous, evil grins at her. "Oh, no you don't!" Hermione laughed out loud as she began to run away.
"Haha, George the prisoner is trying to get away!" Fred yelled.
"Oh, no she isn't." George replied as he apparated in front of her.
"No, boys!" she laughed as the two grabbed her and created a Hermione sandwich as the two hugged her.
"Lack of oxygen!" Hermione panted and giggled as the boys finally let her go.
Ron smiled at the sight. It had been seven years since he last saw her laugh like that.
"Why, George, I think Ickle-Ronniekins is too busy admiring Mione, over there, to even greet his two older brothers or even acknowledge them."
"What?" Ron asked.
"Nothing, nothing at all, Ron." George answered, knowingly.
"Well, um, you know where everything is and so, make yourself at home, Mione. I'll be upstairs cleaning up. I'll see you at dinner."
"Sure…" Hermione answered, watching Ron as he ran up the stairs to the bathroom.
So, here Hermione was, sitting at the old breakfast table at the home she once sought out as an escape from school on those hot summer days, she sipped on the tea and thought back to a time when all was easy.
"Ronald, what is your problem?" A younger version of Hermione asked.
"Nothing, Mione, just forget it."
"Forget what? You can't just begin to say something and then tell me to forget about it, Ron."
"Why do you want to know so bad?!" Ron yelled, letting his temper go.
"Well, I didn't want to know so bad until you brought it up Ronald Weasley!"
"I don't want to talk about it anymore, can't you see that, Hermione!"
"Why don't you just tell me!? I won't laugh at you or get angry or anything like that!" Hermione screamed.
"It's not that easy!"
"Yes it is, Ron! We've been friends since we were 11 years old! We've been through hell and back. And now we're preparing for the final battle to take place and you're just gonna pretend you never said anything! What! Can you not trust me anymore, Ronald!? What do I have to do to get you to tell me? Am I just going to have to put a truth spell on you or something? Why won't you just…" Ron crashing his lips against hers in a fervent and loving way soon cut off Hermione.
"There, you happy?" Ron asked as Hermione stared at him in awe.
"Was that all, Ron?"
"Well, no… I wanted to say something but I forgot."
"No, you said it all." Hermione smiled and kissed Ron back.
"So, what does this mean?" Ron asked.
"Are you really that thick? It means that we're a couple now." Hermione giggled.
"My, my. I never thought I'd live to see the day when Ms. Hermione Granger giggled at something I said or did." Ron said surprised.
"Hey, Mione?"
"Yes, Ron?"
"Um… well, I'm going to ask you now, will you be my girlfriend?"
"Why ask when you just kissed me?"
"Because I'm being very skeptical about this, kissing can be mean something or not."
"Yes, Ronald. I will. And I am your girlfriend."
"Supper's ready, everyone!" Hermione was shook out of her memory of a daydream by Mrs. Weasley announcing the Weasley dinner call. Hermione uneasily lifted herself from her seat and walked into the kitchen where dinner was being served.
"Hey, Mione." Harry said as she slid in a seat in front of him.
"Hey, Harry. Long time no see, huh?" Hermione joked.
"Yeah, it's been a while." Harry answered.
The table was stacked with dinner rolls, a pot roast, green beans, and mashed potatoes. A lot of Hermione's favorites.
"Oh, Mrs. Weasley this just looks lovely." Hermione announced to Mrs. Weasley.
"Why thank you, dear. Now, let us begin our supper." Mrs. Weasley announced to her family.
After dinner was over, Hermione was happily stuffed with foods she hadn't had in years.
"How was it, Hermione?" Mr. Weasley asked as she, Hermione and Ginny began on the dishes.
"Oh, Mum. No need to question her, I'm sure it was the best thing she's eaten in seven years." Ginny answered for her.
"Indeed, it was, Mrs. Weasley. I hadn't realized how much I missed your home cooking until I took one bite of it." Hermione answered.
"Oh, girls, no need for you two to help me out with the dishes. I'll finish this up in a jiffy. Go on and do what you want. I'm sure the boys are getting ready to put in a movie anyways. So, you might want to go in there and pick one out before they get to." Mrs. Weasley joked.
"Ginny, you didn't tell me you had a tv and dvd player or anything of the sort." Hermione said surprised.
"Well, it wasn't that important." Ginny sighed. "The only thing that's important is that you're home and you're safe."
"Oh, Gin!" Hermione exclaimed bringing her in for a hug.
"Hermione, what was that for?"
"I don't know, really. Seven years is just too long."
"I know."
Hermione and Ginny attacked the boys and started going through the dvd's for an idea of what to watch.
"What about this?" Hermione asked as she pulled out a dvd called "The Notebook."
"Oh, that movie is a love story…I don't think I've seen it yet, let's watch it!" Ginny and Hermione giggled like when they were girls.
"Oh, come on, Ginny! We don't want to watch that!" Ron yelled.
"Why not, mate?" Harry asked as Ginny curled up next to him.
"Because it's a love story… and I hate mushy love stories."
"You do not." Hermione exclaimed. "I do recall that you took me out to see a "mushy love story" a long time ago."
"Fine, you got me." Ron said grudgingly as Hermione sat in-between him and Harry.
The movies soon ended and Ron sat awake with Hermione asleep on his shoulder. Harry and Ginny went to bed an hour ago and here he sat with Hermione.
"Mione?" Ron whispered. After realizing that she was indeed asleep, he moved off the couch and laid Hermione down and covered her with a blanket.
"Sleep tight, my Mione." Ron whispered, kissing her cheek lightly before he wandered up the stairs to his old bedroom.