Chapter Two: Settling In:

Hermione brushed a lock of her bushing hair out of her face and looked around the small cottage she had here on the edge of the labs. It was bigger than her last apartment with two bedrooms, one large bath, a living room, small dining area and kitchen with a combination of muggle and magical things that she loved. Her house elf Nina stood before her waiting to see what her mistress wished her to do. Hermione had finally sat down with Dobby and found out the truth about house elves. Long ago they had bonded with humans for protection and promised to work for them and in fact they loved to work, to cook, clean and wait on their witches and wizards.

Hermione had found a few ancient texts written by Helga Hufflepuff herself on the little creatures and Hermione found that before Helga had offered them safety at Hogwarts their lives were horrible and short and very violent. They were not to be dressed in rags made of towels and pillowcases and they were not to be beaten or tortured as they had been. So Hermione had changed tactics and instead of trying to free them she did her best to show people that house elves should not be tortured and abused while they served but they should treat them as they would like to be treated. She had taken on Nina and put her in a uniform (not clothes no) of a simple black tunic, hose shoes and cap (house elves preferred gender neutral uniforms, after all only they needed to know which was which in sex) perched on her head.

"Does mistress need anything more help moving in?" Nina asked.

"No Nina, if you could prepare lunch please?" Hermione said smiling as the little elf practically skipped off to happily prepare lunch.

"Now have you settled in my dear?" Hermione said to Crookshanks who was exploring every part of the cottage. "This is will be so much better for you, you can run as you like no horrible cars."

Hermione looked around the small cottage, it was two levels with the living room and kitchen on the first floor with two bedrooms and a full bath on the second. The larger of the two bedrooms faced the forest and it was where her large four poster bed was set up. A quilt that her mother had lovingly made for her covered the bed, it had roses in pink, pale blue, lavender and yellow sewn from scraps of material and was trimmed in a light green. Flowered curtains covered the windows and a rag rug from Molly Weasley was on the dark wooden floor, a simple charm had added white and pale pink strips to the walls. The smaller bedroom had a double bed with a charming white duvet on it. The bathroom up here had a large tub/shower combo, sink and toilet.

It was the main floor Hermione liked very much, the living room was of good size, it had a fireplace and room for her couch, two wingback chairs side tables, a coffee table and of course bookshelves and a small TV in the corner on a shelve above her impressive stereo. The furniture was cream with pale pink roses on it with matching curtains at the windows. The kitchen was surprisingly modern complete with a microwave over the stove and it too had a fireplace. An oak table with four matching chairs rounded out the space. Hermione looked out the front door and smiled, she knew Nina loved to garden and she would let her pick herbs and such to plant here and tend as it would make her very happy. She was watching this and saw a stocky Siamese cat with fawn coat, deep blue eyes and dark brown points. Another identical cat was slinking in the wild untamed front garden and Hermione folded her arms glaring at the two "cats".

"All right you two, turn human now." Hermione said and with a pop to identical red-head men down to the last freckle and grin came to view.

"See brother dearest she knows us too well." Fred said.

"I know but it was worth a try, she would never have expected us to come here like this." George said.

"She is right here and what did you do to your wives?"

"Nothing, just wanted to tell you the good news." Fred said.

"Really good news."

"After you tried to prank me, what good news?" Hermione said.

"I am crushed, simply crushed we would never prank you would we George?"

"No Fred we would not."

"What is the news?" Hermione said.

"Alice,"

"and my dear Amy are pregnant!" George finished.

"Oh that is great news!" Hermione said grinning, "I do hope you both get twins, it would serve you both right!"

"Yes it would." Harry said walking up with Ginny. "You two would deserve it."

"Well that would be three sets of twins then." Ginny said. "Harry and I could not wait, we are having a boy and girl."

"Well then this calls for cake, chocolate I think." Hermione said.

"Nina will be happy to make cake Nina knows Ginny likes Nina's chocolate cake!" Nina said bouncing with joy at the news.

The twins could not stay as they had just popped by to give the good news and had to get back to their shop. Hermione invited Harry and Ginny into the house, they chatted until it was time for lunch and Hermione was amused at how Nina made sure Ginny ate well and drank plenty of milk. Ginny would not have to worry about morning sickness as she had been given ground ginger root to take three times daily that cut down on any sickness, it was something that magical and non magical humans shared in healing. Nina brought out a two layer chocolate cake with blackberry jam in the middle frosted with rich whipped cream topped with shaved dark chocolate and blackberries. While Nina cleared up the kitchen they retired to the living room to talk over cups of hot tea and Hermione was fully satisfied with how her life was turning out. She had the job she wanted, her friends were happy and married and most were expecting children and she got to work with Severus Snape. Yes live indeed could not get any better for her.

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So there is a nice little cottage for Hermione. I had to make the Weasley twins Animagmus and what better than two Siamese cats? Ginger root is well known by the Chinese to help with digestion, nausea, heart burn, morning sickness and motion sickness, I can attest to it working so well I never take anything but ginger root for any digestive or motion sickness ills and one of my friends who were pregnant who took this were less likely to get sick. In my opinion this stuff really works!

Now as for the chocolate cake, it's easy to make and yes I do take shortcuts in making it. It's a sponge cake as most cakes in America are and of course I will include the directions to making it as it is really an awesome cake:

You will need:

Vegetable oil and flour for dusting pans

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain devil's food cake mix (yes I used cake mix, it turns out way easier at a mile high where I live)

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/3 cup buttermilk

4 large eggs ( I do not use oil in my cakes, I think the eggs make it fluffier).

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F and put rack in center of oven. Grease and dust flour in pans shaking out excess. Blend ingredients in large bowl for 3 minutes and divide into the cake pans. Bake for 28-30 minutes, by this time you should be able to press a finger on the cakes and they will spring back. While the cakes are baking you will need to make the whipped cream make sure you have at least an electric mixer or you will drive yourself crazy and get really sore (I have a stand mixer as I do a lot of baking and cooking).

The whipped cream is super easy, only two ingredients for this, its whipping it up that can take time. One cup heavy whipping cream and ΒΌ cup powdered sugar, beat until it has thickened, that is it! You are done making whipped cream (I make huge batches of this for the holidays as all my family is now spoiled by real whipped cream and will not touch that store bought stuff).

Now once the cake is done and cooled remove it from the pans and put a small drop of whipped cream on the plate and carefully put the first layer of cake on the plate and take small jar of blackberry jam and spread it evenly on the top of this lay of cake (I recommend as with the cake mix it be organic as you get a higher quality of product). Put the second layer on top of this and frost with whipped cream. On top of the cake place blackberries on the edge of the cake, say sixteen, the put eight closer to the center. Take bar of dark chocolate, potato peeler and shave the chocolate on top of the cake, and you have a dessert to die for.