Chapter 12:

Alcohol was the one thing that they had in abundance.

A prime example was Harry flailing around, multiple bottles in his pin wheeling arms. He was stumbling around drunk, talking loudly and thrashing about. And considering the other's reactions to him, this was a normal occurrence.

Oh sure, he was fit as a fiddle and had been trained by Moody to be a killing machine. But the boy had needed an outlet, and found it in drinking. Hermione scrunched up her nose as she saw him swig back the last drop of his third bottle of Elvish Port.

She had arrived that morning, the time difference between there and Japan throwing her off.

(Flashback)

She apparated to just outside the Burrow's wards and sat looking at the lopsided house off in the distance. She quickly glamoured herself as she hid behind a few bushes. After ensuring that her face was more towards a Hermione Granger than Lestrange and that her hair was more towards a brown and slightly bushy, she took a few deep breaths and prayed that the wards were still open to her.

She braced herself to be thrown back as she took a step up the pathway, but felt the wards simply wash off her. She grinned and rushed on. As she neared the house, she could see Molly standing at the door, watching.

Hermione could tell as soon as Molly had recognized her, because she dropped her knitting, picked up her robe hem and took off down the path towards her. Moments later, Hermione was wrapped in a hug that felt like home.

Molly was sobbing and rocking her side to side. Hermione was laughing in happiness and at the spectacle of all the other Weasley's pouring out of the house towards her. The twins were tripping over themselves in their haste, unaided by Charlie's foot which happened to catch both ankles; Bill was practically dragging Fleur; and Charlie, after ensuring the twins went down, made a mad dash towards her.

They all pummeled onto her and Molly, the group began to fall, and then balance out as the twins made up the uneven side. Everyone was talking at once and questions were fired like spells. Molly had Hermione's hand in a vise-like grip while everyone else kept hugging her or touching her as though to ensure that she was real.

She grinned and fought to keep her tears in. She had forgotten her other family.

Even with Ron gone, the Weasley's had been like her adopted family. The twins had taken her in after Ron died; Charlie had attempted to take her mind off things by having her research dragons and interact with a few he brought home; while Bill had taken over her training and taught her special defensive and offensive spells that often only curse breakers learn; but it had been Molly and Arthur though that meant the most. They had cried with her and reminisced together about their youngest son, offering support for each other during the weeks that followed Ron's death.

Speaking of Arthur … where is he? He shouldn't be at work this early in the morning. Perhaps he had something to do for the Order.

She looked around at the faces surrounding her as they made their way back to the house. The twins were gaunter and harder, their eyes a little more weary and cold than she remembered. Molly had more wrinkles and worry lines, along with having slimmed down fair amount. Charlie was about the same, a second earring above his other and a tattoo on his neck with the initials 'RBW.' Bill had the same tattoo and a few more crinkles around his eyes. Fleur was still gorgeous, but a bit more down-to-earth. Her long hair had been cut to a shorter bob, most likely easier to fight in. She was softer around the edges and Hermione could tell that love had served the couple well.

Hermione and Fleur had come to an accord after her marriage to Bill. Hermione was no longer threatened by her presence around Ron and they had begun to talk of France and found many familiar subjects upon which they could converse.

As they walked into the house, Hermione glance up at the clock and saw with sorrow Ron's picture with his clock hand just above it. She gasped and blinked back tears, because next to his picture was Arthur's along with his clock hand.

She immediately squeezed Mrs. Weasley's hand and they kept walking. She hoped that she could get the story out of Remus later on.

As they sat down at the kitchen table with tea in their hands, Hermione told them of her journeys and studies in Japan and China. She left out some things, such as the ninja training and Malfoy, inserting others like research.

They in turn told her of what had been happening on the home front. Voldemort had been lying low for the past five years, the slow destruction of the Horcruxes weakening him. Over the years a few skirmishes had broken out and a few casualties were had on both sides.

Daedalus Diggle had died in a fight with Crabbe, Sr. and a rogue Death Eater had killed Hestia Jones along with many innocent bystanders in Diagon Alley. She learned that Tonks had been severely injured in a fight with Greyback and often took on traits similar to Bill and Remus at the full moon. She had been pregnant at the time and miscarried as well. She and Remus had been married since the New Year's Eve after she left.

They discussed other Order members for a long while and what they knew of Voldemort's location. There was a suspected spy in the Order, considering the Death Eater's knowledge of where people would be and when. They thought that this was how Arthur had died.

He had gone to the Ministry to get a few papers he had forgotten and had never come home. The Death Eaters had stormed his office and he had been tortured for around four hours before his body had finally given up. A note had been placed up behind his mutilated body, "And so shall go the rest of the Blood Traitors."

Many Order members had begun to question Voldemort's ranks however, when the three men who had tortured him had been captured easily on various raids. There was supposition that certain Death Eater's were opposed to such mindless killing and blatant disregard for secrecy, but there was no proof.

Hermione listened to everything with open ears, filing it all away for later analysation. She had a good feeling about what was going on though. She noticed the lack of the youngest Weasley and asked after her.

"Where is Ginny?"

All the Weasleys' looked around at each other, grimacing. Molly finally spoke up, "She is living at Grimmauld Place .. with Harry."

Hermione perked up, "Oh! So they got married?!"

"No." Replied Charlie and Bill grouchily.

"Con .. wait, what?!" She was in shock that one, Molly would allow that and two, that Harry hadn't done the right thing by Ginny. "What about the baby?"

"There wasn't one," was the snarky answer given by the twins.

"OK .. I know I'm not an expert on pregnancy, but I know I saw a baby bump on her. She told me so when I found her and Harry out! Can someone please explain?" She looked around. None of the Weasley's really wanted to be the one to discuss it apparently. She eyed Charlie. "You, tell me."

"Fine. Well, after you left Harry and Ginny up in their room, we," he motioned to the four brothers, "decided that she should be taught a bit of a lesson." He smirked, "It was really quite a genius little spell. We made them both lose sexual desire for each other for a month so that they could 'think over' what they had just done. Well after a month, we all noticed that Ginny had become, not more, but less pregnant.

Once Mum cast the pregnancy spell on her to make sure the baby was all right, she found that not only was there no growing babe, there had never been one." Hermione gasped and everyone at the table looked grim, Fleur was even scowling.

Charlie continued on, "She had apparently found a spell that simulated a pregnancy as long as one was sleeping with the person. So when she and Harry couldn't get it on, the spell disappeared. Well after that all came out. Harry wasn't exactly ecstatic with Ginny, but she stayed there anyways, hoping to win him back. It didn't take too long."

Fleur snorted and Bill squeezed her hand. "Once they were back together, we kept waiting for a marriage proposal or an engagement announcement, but it never came. Finally, Dad went to talk to her one night, to see what was going on and to perhaps persuade the two to act sensibly. We still don't know what happened, because that same night was when he went back to the office and was murdered. We thought that perhaps then Harry might do something for Ginny, if just to cheer her up, but it never happened." Hermione felt Molly clutch her hand tighter.

"Wait, Charlie, how long ago was this?"

"Hmm, about 3 years ago or so. They were on break for about 3 months, then together for about a year before Dad went to them to talk. Mum had of course been dropping hints the whole time, but well we all know how Ginny is around Mum."

"Indeed. So skipping ahead, they aren't married still, but I take it they are living in the same room?" At Bill's nod, she continued, "Ok so what else happened that has everyone up in arms here?"

George picked up the story, "Well, it turns out that Harry had and has been asking Ginny to marry him, but she keeps putting him off. She wants to wait until the war is over or until they can have a house of their own, her excuses change,"

"But her answer remains the same," finished Fred.

Fleur waved her hand lightly to show that she would continue, "And zen, I went to veesite 'Arry to speak weeth 'im about a projecte that I was geeven. 'E was very drunk zat night and I was 'elping 'im up to 'is room when Ginnie, she came out of anozer room and began to scream at moi for stealing 'er 'Arry." She snorted and Hermione watched her attempt to control her fury.

"I zen let 'im fall to ze floor and went back to ze librarie where I saw a bank draft on ze floor for 'Arry. I did not mean to snoop, I promise, but I went to place it on ze desk and I saw zat he had lost a lot of monie in stocks. Zey were pureblood stocks, so we think that zere was a reason for ze fall. 'Owever, Ginnie was not happy when you took juste a leetle bit aftere the divorce, so we thought perhaps zat it was because of ze monie. When I asked 'er if she knew, she called me a" Fleur's Veela roots began to show as she talked, and Bill rubbed her arm to calm her down, "well a 'orrible name and zen ran off verie quicklie."

Tears formed in Fleur's eyes and she clutched Bill's hand. "She had come 'ome for ze first time in almost 3 years and was talking to Bill, so I left zem alone to chit chat. When, zey were done, she came out and smirked at me, said 'Au revoir,' and flooed away. I did not understand at ze moment what she meant, but zen Bill asked me eef I had been sleeping with 'Arry and I knew. She had purposefully tried to put ze attention back on me! Luckily Bill and I 'ad fidelity charms in our wedding zat she forgot, so my Bill knew that she was lying." Fleur sighed deeply and the twins shifted.

George recommenced the story, "well then Bill went after her and yelled at her for being so insensitive and jealous. He brought you up and talked about how she had been a lying, slut long before anyone else."

"And as you can surmise, that did not go over well." Fred said. "She said some rather unappealing things about you and then went on a long diatribe about how Harry was hers first and they would have been just fine if you hadn't even entered the picture in that first year."

Hermione was gaping. It's ironic that I've trained myself to a point of having to act to let my emotions show. But I'm not surprised she stooped this low.

Turning to Molly, "and what did you have to say about all of this?"

"I told her that she was no longer welcome in her home, until she had gotten married. I didn't say anything after she cheated with your husband and I should have. We all knew that you two were grieving after Ron died and it was a way of consoling each other; Ginny took advantage of Harry's loss and her own brother's death to gain something. I was and am still ashamed of her."

Molly sighed wearily. "After Arthur died, I lost my will to deal with her. She is an adult now and can do what she wants."

Hermione leaned over and hugged Mrs. Weasley tightly. "You know when I went away, I felt like I wasn't leaving much behind. I had lost my husband and my parents weren't who they said they were. But I forgot my other family. I know I'm not your biological daughter and that no one can ever take her place, but I do consider you all family." She looked around at all of them and smiled.

Fred and George piped up, "So that means,"

"as family, you are obliged"

"to come live with us"

"until you get on your feet." George finished with a flourish of his arm.

Hermione marveled at how they had always managed to cut their sentences so perfectly and grinned. "Of course dear brothers!"

Hermione stood up from the table to stretch after their long talk and sighed. I suppose I should go talk to Harry.

"Mrs. Weasley?"

"Molly, dear. Goodness knows you're old enough." She chided.

Hermione retried, "Molly? Does Harry have a job? Or does he just sit at home in his love nest?" She really tried to keep the sarcasm out of her voice … but it didn't quite work.

"He works for Fred and George, dear. I'd say he was over there right now, considering who I have in front of me." She raised an eyebrow at the twins who winked back.

"We can't help it that we woke up late! Plus maybe it'll keep him from drinking himself into oblivion if he has to run the shop." George said snidely. Then his eyes lit up.

"Oi Gred?"

"Yes, Forge?"

"I think …"

"… that we should have a party for our guest?"

Hermione mock-glared at them. "Oh hush up you two, we get it, you've both only got half a brain," she said not pausing for their sounds of mock-outrage. "Plus you only want to see me drunk my first night back."

"Sure do!" They both grinned.

"Boys!" said Molly exasperatedly.

"Always Mum!" And they grabbed Hermione's arms, waved to Bill, Fleur and Charlie, and apparated away.

Upon arriving at their flat above the store, they turned on Hermione. "You aren't Granger anymore, are you?" Fred asked.

"Nope!" She said cheerily.

"So it's Veri then?" George asked.

"Nope!" She grinned cheekily. "Its Mi or V if you please! Easier to remember and even easier to explain. Only you two, Harry, my parents, grandparents, and Draco .."

"Oh ho! Its Draco now, is it? So was he the mystery man at the ball?"

"I knew I shouldn't let my parents invite all the Death Eaters to that." She glared at them.

"Do you know how many times I had to think of McGonagall nude to stop myself from laughing at you two during dinner?! Gods, my mind was scarred."

"You didn't answer our question, V."

"I like that George. V. Like vixen!" Fred smirked at her.

"No, I didn't and I'm not going to either, you gits." She smacked both of them on the arms. She then sobered and said, "So before I go talk to Harry, what really happened with your dad?"

"Well that's how we know there's a snitch in the Order. The only people that knew were at Grimmauld Place or us Weasley's. And we certainly didn't sell our own father out." George sniffed sneeringly, "We needed him for a piece of legislation at the very least."

Fred added, "Along with him being our Da. The thing is, Our Lord says that He didn't order the attack either. He wanted an attempt to turn Mum and Dad, not kill them."

George nodded in affirmation and commented, "He was right mad after it too, I think He was worried that we would renege because His part had been violated." The two twins sighed wearily and sat down next to Hermione on the couch. "We also know that it wasn't any of the higher Death Eaters, because your parents would have heard and stopped it, since we needed Mum and Dad for the plan. We think that it was a new recruit, because they were all recruits that got caught and were guilty. We got to lead two of the raids to drop them off. It was quite pleasurable."

Fred laid his head on Hermione's lap while George rested against her shoulder and pulled her legs over his own. "On pleasanter terms, Mum is almost completely out of the influence of the Order now. She is fed up with Harry, as are most. I think also that a lot of our Death Eaters are beginning to see the full insanity of Our Lord."

Fred looked up at the pair, "You know, Potter is becoming a lot like him."

George tapped his chin for a moment, "Crazy plans, constantly drunk. Yep!" He smacked Hermione's knee in agreement.

She mock-glared at the two and stood, making George fall ontop of Fred. "Alright boys, that's enough. I need to meet with you and my parents tonight. This party is a good cover. We three get drunk and go back to your room. From there we can go to my parents." She walked around searching for a shoe that George had tossed off. "I have a good idea of who the snitch is. And remember, this plan won't work if Harry doesn't win." Her voice was slightly muffled as she knelt beneath the futon and grasped her shoe. She brandished it in triumph and stood to leave.

"Yes ma'am!" They snapped their hands in mock-attention.

"Ugh. I'm going to go talk to Harry now." She turned. A hand suddenly grabbed her waist. She reacted instantly. Her foot went back into the groin, her elbow to the stomach and jaw and she cast a full body-bind and binding spell before the twins could even blink.

Fred was on the floor staring up at her through wide eyes, while George was gaping at her and trying to find his voice. "Remind me V, to never try and hug you from behind …"

She grinned and shrugged, releasing Fred from her spells.

"Yea. You know Ron was only half right about you. You're just plain scary!" Fred said in a bit of a higher pitch than normal.

She 'hmph'ed and skipped down the steps.

(End Flashback)

Her meeting with Harry could have gone worse. It could have been a hell of a lot better too, but it could have been worse. He had only dropped one bottle and run into two shelves in shock. Then he had practically fallen on her, sobbing about how sorry he was and how he couldn't go on without her.

Then Ginny had walked in. Bloody drama addict. She had made a scene worthy once again of an actress. She screamed at Harry, called Hermione names, and generally made a public scene.

Hermione had to work to keep her laughter in because the whole thing reminded her of a two-year old's tantrum. Ginny had ended with a commotion, knocking down shelves as she attempted to remove Harry bodily from the store, seemingly forgetting that he in fact, worked there.

As Ginny left in a huff, she let out a curse towards Hermione that was no innocent Light curse, but one Hermione knew for a fact, was in some of the darker libraries of Death Eater's alone. Her shields automatically blocked it, but Hermione once again filed the information away to analyze.

Harry had then commenced to drink himself into oblivion, landing himself in the predicament that she was now forced to witness.

Is that really the man I once called 'Husband?' Oh Harry. What happened? If it's the last thing I do, I promise to help you find happiness. The twins were acting spectacularly drunk and Hermione could tell that the meeting time was near. She looked down at her drink sorrowfully; I didn't even get to finish my Slow Screw.

She gave a drunken hug to Harry and a few other key people, wrapped her limbs around the twins, and they all set off for the apartment above. After a series of complicated wards, locking charms, and curses they threw off their party clothes and replaced them with more modest, dress robes.

Hermione released her glamour and let her mind settle for a little, allowing the personality of 'V' to float to the front a bit more. She went through some of her mental exercises that she had learned with Master Lao'ting and ran through fighting techniques in her head. Once done, she nodded towards the twins. They each took a deep breath and then apparated away.

"Mon Dieu!"