Sorry I took so long to update, been in hospital. Pesky gall bladder. Gone now.
As it always is, I own no canon characters or canon situations.
***
The next day Hermione was catching up with one of her muggle friends on the phone while her parents were working downstairs. It was turning five thirty and for once the british summer was behaving. It was hot for once. There was, however, a wonderfully cool breeze blowing through Hermione's open windows. All day she had been cleaning her room and throwing out some old things like clothes from when she was eleven that were hidden at the back of her wardrobe. Whilst in school Hermione didn't really care about her appearance. She was there to learn not to enter into a fashion competition. However, when at home she had more time to spend taming her hair, painting her nails and wearing a little more make up. Hermione's mother called it her "Summer make over" but it wasn't really that. Of course Hermione's style had changed, but only as she matured. She no longer wore the pretty pink t shirts with daisies on, she was sixteen for merlin's sake!
"Mum said she's going to take me shopping at the weekend. She said it's about time I got some new clothes. She's right, most of my jeans are too short. So are the sleeves on my tops and stuff."
"Wow, Hermione, wish my mum'd say that! I get all of Grace's old clothes! She's always tells me 'I'm not going to buy you new clothes when you can have your sisters clothes!' I hate it!"
"Well, Sarah, you could have my old clothes too if you like..." Hermione teased.
Sarah swore loudly down the phone and Hermione heard shouting in the background.
"Sorry Hermione, mum heard me swear. Gotta go!"
Hermione heard the beep that meant Sarah had hung up and chuckled. Putting the phone down she looked around her room. She had two black bin bags sitting by the door, waiting to be taken to a charity shop. Giving things to charity was more complicated than she thought. Being a witch Hermione had to make sure she hadn't given anything away that was from her world rather than the muggle world. She couldn't have someone buying her old Hogwarts robes for example, those were now underneath her bed in a storage box. Hermione sat on her bed, leant against the wall and looked around her room. It wasn't a girly girl's room that was for sure. Although she would probably change it given the chance she was content with her light blue walls. It was easy to compliment with a deeper blue which made up her curtains and the blankets on her double bed. Hermione moved and lay back on her bed, fiddling with her wand. Not for the first time she wished she was old enough to use magic outside Hogwarts. Whilst she was contemplating what she would transfigure in her room, or the house in general for her parents, she heard a scratching on the windowsill. Hermione turned her head to see an owl standing at the open window. Hermione stood and walked over to the owl and took the letter from its leg and gave him some owl treats that she had bought to give to Hedwig and Pigwidgeon.
Hermione sat to her desk and opened the letter, smiling when she saw it was from Cedric.
Alright Granger,
It's Cedric. Told you I'd write today!
Hope you've been relaxing and not been doing schoolwork already.
Does it take you long to get home after the train? Me and dad apparate
so it only takes us moments.
I know you can't do that cause you're not 17 and your parents are muggles.
As soon as I got in one of my friends came round to ask about us. We were seen kissing.
He was demanding details. I told him you used your womanly ways to hoodwink me.
Hope all is well,
Cedric x
Hermione laughed and shook her head, womanly ways indeed! She took out a new sheet of parchment and started to write after giving Cedric's owl some treats.
Listen Diggory,
You keep telling people I've been using my womanly ways to hoodwink you then
people will start thinking you can't rely on your charm to get a girl...
As for your question, yes it takes a while to get home. It takes about an hour and a half
to get home from London, so it's not too long. Not as quick as apparation though.
Yes, I got a letter from Ron a little while after I got home. Apparently I'm not welcome
at his house this summer. In kissing you I was "fraternising with the enemy"
Speak soon,
Hermione x
Hermione sat back after giving her letter to the owl to deliever to his owner. She heard her father call her name and stood, she walked to the door and opened it so she could hear him better.
"Hermione, come down for dinner!"
Hermione smiled and picked up the black bin bags by her door and carried them down the stairs with her, to leave in the living room until the next morning when she planned to take them to the shop down the road.
Hermione sat at the dinner table that was in their country style kitchen and waited for her mother and father to sit with her.
"What have you been up to today then, Hermione?"
"I've tidied my room and sorted out some things to take to the charity shop tomorrow. I've cleared out my wardrobe of all the clothes I don't wear anymore and the shoes that don't fit..."
"I can't wait to take you shopping tomorrow..." Hermione's mother burst out, interrupting Hermione. "Sorry love, but I've wanted to go on a girly shopping trip for so long!"
Hermione laughed and picked up the salt shaker to season her meal, home made shepherds pie and chips. The food in Hogwarts was certainly delicious, but there's nothing like home cooking. Hermione happily dug in, talking about her parents day and how she had caught up with her muggle friend, Sarah.
To Hermione's delight her mother brought out a rather large chocolate gateaux for dessert and cut a huge piece for her only daughter.
"Mum! If you keep feeding me like tonight I won't fit in the clothes we buy tomorrow!"
Hermione's mother laughed and told her she needed a little meat on her bones. Hermione laughed and, without complaining again, ate her large piece of cake. Leaving the table that evening, Hermione thought she had never felt so full of delicious food.
Back up in her room Hermione lay on her back and turned on her television for the first time in months. She flicked through the channels and was soon bored. Hermione rolled onto her stomach and looked under her bed, she pulled out a plastic storage box and opened it. She pulled out a video cassette and put it in her vhs player. She fast forwarded until the film began and lay back again, her arms folded behind her head as the sun faded. Hermione laughed as the cliché of Hocus Pocus began.
About half way through the film, which her parents had bought her as a joke when it came out two years earlier, Cedric's owl landed on the windowsill again. Hermione paused the film and took the reply from the owl's leg.
Granger,
You live quite far from London then. So do I but like I said, we apparate.
I'm sorry to hear about Ron, I understand if you want to stop talking. Friends are important.
I'll be rather upset if you do decide not to talk to me though, and you'll have
that on your conscience. Do you think you could deal with that?
What have you been up to since you got home?
Cedric x
Hermione laughed again and shook her head, Cedric's humour was different to Harry and Ron's and she liked that. Hermione examined the letter and admired Cedric's handwriting, it was clear and a lot of the letters looped but it was still masculine. There was no way it could be mistaken for a females handwriting. She took out another piece of parchment and started writing her reply. It took her a while to think of what to write, which was unusual as she was usually good at writing letters. Eventually she was satisfied and attached the letter to the owls leg and off it flew. Hermione settled back down to watch the rest of Hocus Pocus as the sky finally went dark.
***********************************************************************************************************
Cedric was in a chair in his room with his feet up on his battered antique desk, once it was deep mahogany with a green leather top, now it was still deep mahogany but it was covered in scuff marks from shoes and dints where Cedric had chucked his empty trunk down to pack. He was playing with the small replica of the Swedish Short-Snout that he had pulled out of Barty Crouch's bag during the first task. Cedric had asked Professor Dumbledore if he could keep it as a momento. Dumbledore acquiesced but warned that the charm that animated the dragon would wear off at some point. That was happening now, where it used to spout flames and try to fly away now it could only manage to blow smoke and move its wings feebly. Cedric was about to attempt the charm that would animate the dragon again when he heard Max scrabbling at the windowsill. Cedric stood quickly, put the dragon in a drawer of his desk and opened the window so that Max could get in. He smiled as he took the letter from Max's leg and sat back at his desk. Max flew over to his cage and hooted before Cedric chucked a treat into the cage.
Cedric read the letter with a smile on his face, at least he knew Granger could handle some teasing. Unlike Cho. He had asked if Hermione could put up with Cedrics disappointment on her conscience and he was pleased to see that apparently she couldn't.
Diggory,
Whilst it is true that friends are important, these friends of mine are being gits.
And even if they weren't being gits I don't think I could bear to be the
reason that Cedric Diggory -Hogwart's Heart-throb- is depressed.
So, even if I didn't want to write to you, I would for that reason alone.
As for your other questions, you live further from London than I do.
You live not far from Ron, correct? Well, I live closer to London just in
the opposite direction.
Do you have any plans for summer?
Hermione x
Cedric almost laughed out loud when Hermione called him the "Hogwart's Heart-throb" some of his friends had teased him over his "popularity" but he didn't realise he was that well known. He grinned as his ego got a little bigger. At least now he knew Hermione was going to write to him, no matter what Potter and Weasley thought. He had forgotten he lived close to Weasley though. That could be awkward if they saw each other. Or if Hermione came to visit.
Cedric thought, trying to remember if he had any plans for the summer. He had Quidditch practise with some of his team, ones who were old enough to apparate or had someone to transport them to where they were practising. Other than that he wasn't doing anything. Cedric felt himself getting excited as he assumed Hermione was asking if he had plans so that they themselves could make plans.
Granger,
I appreciate you not breaking this heartthrobs heart by refusing to speak to me,
your empathy towards my depression is most endearing.
I had forgotten that the Weasleys live quite close to me, even though we met midway between
our houses to go to the quidditch world cup. I seem to remember a rather disastrous
portkey landing from a certain Miss Granger.
I don't have any plans for this summer, except some quidditch practise with a few of my team.
How about you? Any plans to go on a muggle holiday?
Cedric x
Cedric looked over to Max and saw him sharpening his beak on the bars of his cage. "Max!" Cedric called and held his arm out for him to land on. Cedric attached his letter to Max's leg and felt a tiny amount of pressure as Max took off and flew out of the window.
"Cedric, come down to dinner!"
Cedric stood and ambled downstairs, he entered the dining room and found his mother and father already at the table, seasoning their food and pouring gravy. Cedric sat down at his place and picked up the gravy boat and covered his food in it.
"Ced, really! How are you meant to taste anything but gravy?"
Cedric shrugged and smiled at his mother before shovelling a large forkfull of mashed potato and gravy into his mouth. Cedric had a great time with his family that evening, laughing and joking and catching up. Cedric's father told him about some trouble he'd been having at work trying to obtain liscences to accomodate certain animals for the triwizard tournament, as he worked for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.
"We're so proud, Ced. So proud! You got so far! Don't feel bad that you didn't win!"
"I don't, dad, if I'd have got to the cup before Potter I would have been killed."
The conversation at the table died down as each of the family members thought about what would have happened.
"I was talking to Hermione Granger, you know, Potter's friend. She helped me after the third task and was trying to make me feel better. She told me that technically I won anyway. Krum was out, as was Delacour and I was the third champion. Potter wasn't old enough to be chosen and there wasn't a fourth school. It was a mere technicality as she put it..."
Cedric's father beamed at his son as he had yet another thing to boast about to his work colleagues.
***