18-August-1998

Diagon ally was full of life and laughter. People going about their business; just another day. Hermione Granger, however, was in the middle of her first week as an orphan. She wanted to scream and yell at every smiling face she saw. It just didn't seem right for there to be joy in the world.

"I know this is probably the last thing you wanted to do today, but you know how the goblins are, you needed to be here." Bill said leading her through Diagon ally. Hermione had no idea how much paper work came with death. There were muggle titles, deeds and bank accounts that needed to be transferred to her name. Plans and arrangements that needed to be made. Wills that had to be read. She thought, when she learned of all this that it would take weeks, but Bill had taken time off work and managed to get it all done in a few days. She was sure a Confundus charm was used more then once but she honesty didn't care.

"Thank you for… everything." She whispered. She had been meaning to say it since he came through the fire placed dress and ready to take Hermione to see the lawyers. It was unexpected to say the least, she and Mr. Weasley had made plans, but in the end Bill was right. He was smart and knew the most about the muggle world and how it worked.

"It's no problem."

"You have a wife and a new born. You should be with them instead of escorting me around London."

"Fleur doesn't mind, in fact it was her idea."

"But you didn't have to."

"Yes, I did. Could you imagine dad handling all that Muggle paper work? He would have spent an hour clicking the pen alone."

"I appreciate it, I know it's an inconvenience."

Bill put an arm around her shoulder as they walked down the while marble stairs of the bank. It was the last thing that had to be done. Exchange a bulk of her parent's money in to wizard gold and deposit in to her Gringotts account. It was a bit surreal; just a month ago she was fretting about her parents freezing her account and now it was all in her name. It didn't seem right.

"It's not an inconvenience, Hermione. I'm the oldest; taking care of you lot comes with the job description."

"I appreciate that too," she always knew the Weasley's saw Harry as another sibling, but it never dawned on her that, besides Ginny, the others saw her in the same way too.

"Do you mind if we stop at the twins' shop for a minute? We can floo home from there."

"That's fine." She said feeling a bit awkward about running in to Ron. She hadn't seen him since yesterday morning. She had been out all day and he had run into Seamus and had made plans to got out that night. There had been a bit of an augment between him and his mother about it.

"Your girlfriend's parents were just murdered and you want to go and have a drink with your mates? That's unacceptable."

"Being cooped up in this house is going to drive me mad."

"Take her with you."

"I don't want to."

Hermione didn't know how the rest of it went. She slowly backed away from the kitchen door and went straight up to Ginny's room to sleep.

"Hey," Fred and George greeted them as they entered the busy shop. "How's it going?"

Hermione just shrugged one shoulder.

"About the same then huh?"

"Listen Hermione," George came from around the counter and took her aside, "My girlfriend lost her brother at Hogwarts. She and her mother are a mess but they started seeing someone and it seems to be helping. Her mother started leaving the house again. I could get the floo address for you if you want."

"That's OK, George."

"Well, if you think you might someday want..."

"Thanks."

"Ron'll be in the back if he didn't cut out early." Fred said then turned to Bill nodding towards the door that lead to their flat. "The soother blanket's upstairs."

Hermione slowly walked to the back. 'This was stupid.' Her parent's death reminded everyone that while the war was over there were dangerous people still lurking about. They were thrust back into high alert mode and she couldn't fault Ron for wanting to get away from that for one night. She didn't know why he didn't want to take her, but she guessed, with the state she was in, she wouldn't have been much fun and that would defeat the whole purpose of the night.

She pulled back the curtains to the stock room but the Weasley there wasn't the one she was looking for.

"Hey, Hermione." Ginny said. Immediately putting down her clip board "How'd everything go?"

"As well as can be expected I guess. The goblins gave us a hard time because it was me,but Bill was a real help with that."

"He can come in handy; it's why I keep him around."

"Yeah, is Ron here, or did I miss him?"

"No, He's –RON! HERMIONE'S HERE- somewhere back there." She said nodding down the aisles of shelves stocked with Weasley products.

"So… Harry was going to take me to one of those Muggle films tonight. Do you think you and Ron would like to come?"

"I... no." she said. "I just don't want to be around people right now."

"It's understandable-RON! HERMIONE!"

"What movie are you two going to see?"

"Oh, I don't know. I've never been to one so I don't really know what type I like-RON!"

"I heard you the first time." Ron said irritably emerging from one of the stacks.

"Then what took you so long?"

"I was in the middle of something."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Yes, because you take this job seriously."

"Shut up. Hi Hermione. I just got to get the front." Ron said pointing to his clip board then walked passed to the front of the store.

Hermione stood there stunned. That was the welcome she gets? A generic hi?

"I'll be right back." She told Ginny and followed Ron out to the front of the store.

"Did I do something?"

"Of course not." He said never taking his eyes away on the daydream potions he was counting. He made a note of the number then walked to the next aisle without saying another word.

"Then is something wrong?" she asked trailing him.

"No."

She tilted her head to try and catch his eye but he walked away from her.

"Are you sure?" She was starting to feel like a puppy following around their master.

"Mmmhmm." Ron made another mark on his clipboard as he walked away again.

"RON!" She yelled stomping her foot not caring that she was making a scene.

"What do you want!?"

"I want you to look at me when I'm talking to you!"

"I'm working!"

Her eyes began to rapidly fill with tears and her bottom lip began to quiver. She didn't want to fight with him. She just wanted him to hold her and tell her everything was going to be OK; to keep telling her until she believed it. He didn't have to say anything really she just wanted him to be present , her rock. And he was barely acknowledging her presence.

"Don't do that." He said in a soft voice finally putting down the clip board; pulling her in to his arms and she held on as if her life depended on it.

"When I get home we can talk, not talk, listen to the wireless. I'll even read to you if you want. I just need to get this done first. The sooner I do the sooner I can go home."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

It was half eight and Ron still wasn't home. Ginny had said he had left the shop at five saying he had a few things to pick up, then he had sent an owl saying he might be late for dinner but that was over an hours ago.

"They have funny ones, and scary ones, romantic ones. Really horrible ones that people end up snogging in the back rather than watch."

"Can we see one of each?"

"We can… but each one is a few hours long and I don't think you want to be sitting in one spot for that long."

"I say we go to one of those horrible ones"

"I like the way you think."

Hermione's hand hovered over the door knob. Ginny was really excited about going to a Muggle cinema for the first time and the last thing she wanted to do was to continue bothering them about Ron's whereabouts. They had already offered to stay in with her, or take her with them, but in either one she was the third wheel. If anyone deserved the normalcy of picking a film to watch it was Harry and she didn't want to take that away from him.

She went back up to Ron's room and stared out the window hoping to see him making his was home. He had promised.

"Not here yet, huh?" Ginny's voice came from right besides her and she jumped.

"Sorry, Sorry."

"It's OK, I just didn't hear you."

"I'm sure he'll be here any moment."

"He said he was going to read to me, he's probably out trying to find a book we both find interesting."

"That would explain the delay." Ginny chuckled and she tried for force a smile.

"Do… um.. do you want us to stay until Mum or dad get home?"

Hermione shook her head, "Knowing your mum won't leave her granddaughter's side even if it is just a cold and your dad won't leave Bill and Fleur to handle her by themselves. I doubt they'll be home until much later."

"I don't like leaving you alone."

"Ron'll be home any minute. I sent him a Patronus not too long ago."

"If you're sure."

"I'm fine."

"We're going to be in Muggle London so if you need anything…" Ginny pulled out an old DA coin from her pocket and handed it to her. "Use that. Harry has his too just in case."

Hermione nodded looking at he coin, "Have fun."

Hermione was snugly tucked into his bed when Ron finally came in a quarter past twelve in the morning.