A/N: Hey you guys. You probably know this story as "Forever and Always" but I've decided to rewrite it. I thought of a slightly different plotline, and my writing style has changed once again. There was also a small issue with my beta (no harm done) and I'm in the process of finding a new one. Once I do, the chapters I publish while beta-less will be edited, but I'm probably not going to change too much. Anyway, here's "Beautiful Mistake."
Disclaimer:
Harry Potter is all Jo's creation.
The phrase "Fate works in funny ways sometimes" from the prologue is slightly altered from Jules. (Author of The Life and Times) Credit to her.
Subtitle Lyrics belong to Billy Joel, bonus points if you can name the songs they come from.
(Son Can You Play Me a Memory)
Every year before returning to Hogwarts, Hermione packed and unpacked several times. Perhaps it was the anxiousness to return to her second home, or the worry that she would forget something crucial. Whatever it was, it was the reason she was awake at eleven p.m. on August the 29th. Term started on September the 1st and she was to be staying at the Burrow until then.
The Burrow was the name of the home of one of her best friends, Ronald Weasley. The Weasleys were a large family, with not much money, but what they lacked in gold, they made up in heart. Mrs. Weasley always had an abundance of food on the table, and Mr. Weasley was ever so curious about anything "Muggle." Only two of the seven children lived at the Burrow- Ginny and Ron. Bill, the eldest, worked for Gringotts in Egypt, while Charlie was a dragon wrangler in Romania. The pompous Percy Weasley had separated himself from his family a few years back, preferring his job at the Ministry over family ties. (Mrs. Weasley was heartbroken.) Fred and George were pranksters only a few years older than Hermione. They had dropped out of their seventh year of Hogwarts to start a joke shop in Diagon Alley. From what Hermione had read in the Daily Prophet, the Wizarding newspaper, they were doing pretty good.
Back to the youngest Weasleys. Ron, along with Harry Potter (but more on him later), was Hermione's best friend, and had been ever since their First Year at Hogwarts when she was nearly killed by a troll. They bickered, but what two people didn't? However, he was always quick to defend her when her blood status was poked fun at, and she was grateful.
Ginevra Weasley, most commonly known as Ginny, was most likely Hermione's best girl friend. She was a year younger than Harry, Ron, and herself but was like the sister Hermione never had. They had grown close during the summer before Fifth Year, what with staying in Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix, and even more so when fighting Umbridge in Dumbledore's Army. Ginny was a pretty girl, everyone knew it, and her personality was everything Hermione's was not. She cared about appearances, but one insult to feminism and suddenly she was as scary as Mrs. Weasley during one of her explosions. She did well in lessons, but was not nearly as studious as Hermione, preferring to spend time with girls in her year or her current boyfriend. (This one happened to be a fellow Gryffindor, Dean Thomas.) She was a brilliant Quidditch player and was Chaser on the Gryffindor House team. They balanced each other out, and that was why they worked.
Hermione rifled through her closet, looking for the new skirt she had ordered from a catalogue a few weeks before. Finally finding it buried beneath her old textbooks, she placed it with the others in her trunk. The plain black trunk was nearly full and she hadn't even packed her books yet. Hermione sighed, for she didn't turn seventeen until the 19th of September and therefore couldn't use magic outside of Hogwarts. Deciding that shrinking some articles of clothing was out of the question, Hermione took out a few pairs of jeans and a fluffy sweater that took up more room than it was worth. She managed to fit the rest of her belongings, and sat on the top of the trunk to make sure it stayed closed as she latched it.
Once her packing was finished, Hermione dragged the heavy trunk off her bed and over to the wall beside her door. When one of the Weasleys came to pick her up in the morning, they could always levitate it out.
Behind her, a cool breeze came in through her open window and ruffled the pages on Hermione's bulletin board, among them, a newspaper clipping. The head line read "Harry Potter: The Chosen One?" and the photograph was of none other than Harry Potter, himself.
Hermione walked over to the bulletin board and carefully pulled the clipping from it. The ink was fading from the many times she held it and run her fingers over the words she had long ago memorized. The article spoke of the battle at the Ministry of Magic; how Voldemort was spotted and indeed, returned; how there was a prophecy involved, one which the Death Eaters in Azkaban had attempted to steal; how Harry was at this disturbance and how he might be the "Chosen One," the only one able to vanquish the Dark Lord.
Hermione touched her fingers delicately to the photo of Harry Potter, her best friend, whom she'd be seeing in only a matter of days.
Harry Potter, you see, was a special young man. When he was only a year old, a Dark wizard called Voldemort came to his home in Godric's Hollow and murdered both his parents, James and Lily Potter. He attempted to kill Harry as well, but the curse rebounded upon him and he was destroyed. Harry was dubbed "The Boy Who Lived." He was famous in the Wizarding World, especially for the lightning bolt scar on his forehead from that fateful Halloween night. Despite being born to a witch and wizard, he grew up with Muggles who despised him, and did not even know he was magical until a giant named Hagrid came to fetch him on his eleventh birthday.
Harry went to Hogwarts, where he met Ron and Hermione, and every year since then, they went on many adventures together. These adventures varied from finding the Philosopher's Stone, killing a basilisk in an underground chamber, and rescuing an escaped convict (who happened to be Harry's godfather). Things changed during Fourth Year, though. The Triwizard Tournament was brought back and despite being underage, Harry was chosen as a fourth champion. He did alright, with help from Hermione, Sirius Black, and his mentor Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody. But, the final task brought him to a graveyard where he witnessed the death of classmate, Cedric Diggory, and the rebirth of Voldemort. He survived the duel, though, and it was later discovered that the Moody that had been helping him was really a Death Eater under Polyjuice Potion.
However, the Ministry of Magic decided to keep Voldemort's return quiet, and falsely accused Harry of lying about his return. He was given a lot of abuse from classmates, adult witches and wizards, and even teachers. But, Hermione and Ron stuck with him all the way. A horrid woman, Dolores Umbridge, started taking over the school during their Fifth Year and Harry started a club, so to speak, called Dumbledore's Army. He taught the members proper defense and raised the spirits of some of the school. Although, while this was going on, Harry discovered a mental connection with himself and Voldemort which ultimately led to his godfather, Sirius Black's death.
So, here Hermione was, with the newspaper clipping describing some of the aftermath of the battle and fretting over Harry. He had lost his only family member, and was bound to be upset about it. But Hermione knew Harry, and knew he would fake being okay for everyone else's sake. He was selfless that way.
Hermione tucked the clipping into a random page of her notebook and changed into her pajamas before pulling the covers up to her chin and drifting to sleep.
(Cause It Gets Rough Along The Way)
Hermione awoke the next morning feeling refreshed and excited. She would be leaving in just over two hours and she couldn't wait. She grabbed a towel from the linen closet and locked the bathroom door before turning on the hot water.
Showers always made her feel relaxed. She could think in the shower, without anyone bothering or interrupting her. She didn't have to worry about Potions assignments or Prefect's duties; it was just Hermione. Terribly cliché, I know, but it was true. Hermione stepped out of the shower ten minutes later feeling rejuvenated and smelling slightly of vanilla.
She brushed through her curls before grabbing a bottle of smoothing serum and squirting a dot on her fingertips. Running it through her mane, she thought of how proud Ginny would be of the fact that she was using cosmetics. While she was at it, she brushed a light coat of mascara over her lashes. Hermione walked over to her nearly empty closet with her robe tied tightly around her. She stepped into a pair of jean shorts and pulled a plain red shirt over her head. She stuck her wand in her pocket and hurried down the stairs for some late breakfast.
Elizabeth Granger had outdone herself this time. The table was full of pancakes, waffles, and toast; eggs, bacon, jam, syrup; and a full pitcher of orange juice. It was tradition to have a large going away meal before Hermione left for Hogwarts and this year was different, if only a few days early. Hermione reached the dining room and her eyes widened at the amount of food on the table.
"Mum, are we having the entire street over to wish me goodbye? This is as much as Mrs. Weasley makes and she has seven kids."
Elizabeth let out a chuckle, soft and on the high-pitched side.
"You know your father is incapable of making breakfast. This should last him the rest of the week, hm?" She joked.
Hermione laughed and nodded, thinking of the last time her father had attempted toast. The house smelled vile for days and the toaster needed replacing. Sliding into the chair that faced the sliding glass door, she placed two pancakes, three pieces of bacon, and a few scoops of jam onto her plate before pouring a glass of orange juice. Her mother sat down next to her, a coffee mug in hand, and took nearly the same as her daughter. (Waffles instead of pancakes, though.)
Mark Granger stumbled into the dining room a few minutes later, sleep evident in his eyes. He rubbed a hand over his unshaven face and plopped into a chair opposite his wife with a grunt. Breakfast was a quiet affair, each person focused on their food, with several small conversations along the way. The grandfather clock struck ten and Hermione helped her mother clear the dishes and put away leftovers.
With ten or so minutes until her "ride" would arrive, Hermione went upstairs to double check that she had everything. Her shoulder bag held her book and other items that belonged in a purse, along with the few small things that didn't fit in her trunk. A loud crack signaled the arrival of a wizard or witch and Hermione bounded down the stairs to find out who it was.
Two identical gingers stood on the coffee table in the parlor and Hermione had to stifle a laugh. Her parents' eyes were wide, along with the twins' and neither party seemed willing to move.
"Fred! George!" She called out happily, actually excited to see the carefree jokesters.
They turned to see the teenage girl hurrying towards them, and hopped off the table just before she enveloped them in a hug. All three smiling when she pulled away, she faced her parents in order to introduce them.
"Mum, Dad, this is Fred and George. They're Ron and Ginny's older twin brothers."
Elizabeth and Mark shared a knowing glance, both thinking of the many letters that contained details of bothersome pranks and disrespect for Prefect authority. They politely shook the boys' hands and said their hellos, unsure what exactly to make of them. Before any long term opinions could be made, however, George looked at a watch on his left wrist that had planets and stars on the face, rather than numbers. He seemed to be able to read it and nudged his twin, mumbling something about timing and wards.
Hermione hugged her parents - twice – and kissed them both on the cheek, promising to write as soon as she was settled at Hogwarts. While doing so, Fred had brought her trunk and bag down stairs (levitated, I might add). She slung the bag across her chest and Fred held onto the trunk handle without any difficulty. The moment she grabbed either twin's arms, her stomach was pulled and her body stretched as she experienced her first Apparition.
(You've Been Eating Up Inside Me For Some Time)
Hermione, Fred, and George landed and Hermione stumbled slightly, grasping tighter on their sleeves for support. She was incredibly nauseous and struggled to keep up with the twins fast pace. They were a good 600 metres away from the Burrow, which was a longer walk than it seemed. Fred and George both took out their wands as they neared, muttering an incantation under their breaths. Hermione then felt a strange sensation, as one would imagine walking through a ghost.
Fred turned, and at her questioning glance, explained: "We've been given extra protection. You just walked through some of the more tangible wards."
"It's why we have to apparate so far away," added George.
Hermione nodded, thinking of Harry. He, of course, was one of the main reasons for the extra protection and would be arriving in just a few days.
There was a high pitched scream and Hermione was suddenly pulled into a hug. She pulled back and took a good look at her "attacker:" one Ginny Weasley. Hermione broke out into a grin and hugged her friend again. Ginny wore a white sundress and the sunlight caused her auburn hair to glow. She hooked her arm through Hermione's and they began walking the rest of the way to the Burrow.
"So, Hermione, you won't believe what's happened. Mum completely lost it the other day, said Ron and I wouldn't be going back to Hogwarts this year." She paused for dramatic effect, and it worked. Hermione was shocked.
"You see, Dean was over and was talking with Bill about some wizards who had been attacked out in the middle of Diagon Alley, where everyone could see. The men were in black cloaks- Death Eaters- and he said one of them looked really young. Our age even. They took Mr. Ollivander and a few other people who were in his shop and just vanished."
"And no one's been able to track them down? There's not any clue where they could have been taken?"
"Nope, the Ministry's completely boggled. Especially since Mr. Ollivander's wand shop has those Anti-Apparition wards around it. Somehow the Death Eaters got around that, so Mum started freaking out saying that perhaps they could get into Hogwarts as well. You know Mum, so of course no one could reason with her. Dad spoke with her a while later once she had calmed down saying that it wouldn't be safe to have us stay here, and that if she was worried about broken wards, it'd be even worse if we were here."
"Wow. But you'll be going back though, right?"
"Yes. She listened to Dad and the next morning said she was mistaken or whatever."
The girls had entered into the Burrow and Mrs. Weasley was coming over while pots scrubbed themselves behind her.
"Hermione! Good to see you. Hungry? You're looking a bit peaky. Going to need to get some meat on those bones." She patted Hermione's cheek softly and awaited an answer.
"Oh, no thank you, Mrs. Weasley. Mum made a going away breakfast and I've had more than my fill already."
Mrs. Weasley gave her a pointed look and Hermione knew that she would be fed platters upon platters of food tonight, and the rest of the week. But, it was all in love and hospitality, so she couldn't complain.
Ginny helped Hermione carry her trunk up to her room and set it next to the cot that had been set up along the wall. Hermione caught sight of a photo of the Weasleys in Egypt and turned to Ginny, who was resticking a poster to her wall.
"Where's Ron?"
With a thumbtack in her mouth: "Sleeping still, last I checked."
Hermione thanked Ginny and climbed the uneven stairs to the top floor where she knew Ron's room was. Throwing open the door, she was blinded by the amount of orange in the room. Ron was fast asleep on his bed, his Chudley Cannons blanket tangled around his feet. One arm was under his head in what looked to be an uncomfortable position and the other hung off the side. His mouth was open, a quiet snore emitting, and a bit of drool was running down his cheek.
There was a lurch in her stomach and feelings she had pushed away came back. She didn't want to admit it out loud, but she had been fancying him for some time now. Ginny was the first person she went to, unsure of why being around him made her nervous. The younger girl explained that she liked him more than a friend, and suggested that the Yule Ball debacle of '94 meant he liked her too. Hermione spent a good portion of the first month of summer break analyzing all of this, thinking of her and Ron's relationship over the years. It was true that he went ballistic during Fourth Year, with her going to the ball with Viktor, even though she had hoped he would ask her himself. Maybe she did fancy her best friend. Didn't that happen in half of the romance novels she read? It couldn't be that uncommon, then.
Hermione was brought out of her (confusing) thought when Ron let out a rather loud snort. She rolled her eyes and crossed the room in three steps before shaking his shoulder and hissing "Ron, Ron wake up. Ron!"
His eyes flashed open and he jumped at the sight of Hermione, grabbing at his blankets to cover his chest. "Bloody Hell, Hermione!"
He reached for a shirt on the floor – dirty, no doubt – and while still holding the blanket to his chest, pulled it over his head. Standing up and straightening it, he walked over to Hermione and gave her a quick hug. Rubbing the back of his neck as he pulled back, "When'd you get here?"
"Only a little bit ago. You hungry? Your mum made a bunch of food again."
He nodded, obviously excited for breakfast, and they walked downstairs together. Ron immediately started shoving pancakes into his mouth, only pausing to swallow and breathe before having another forkful. Hermione sipped some tea and nibbled on a piece of bacon, still full from her breakfast earlier that morning. Ginny came down ten minutes later and slid into the chair next to Ron, shooting Hermione a raised eyebrow and a smirk. Hermione glared back, and after Ron was finished, the two Weasleys started a game of chess with Hermione looking on.
(Everything Revolves on What You Do)
The next few days at the Burrow passed uneventfully. They mainly consisted of chores given by Mrs. Weasley, games of Exploding Snap, and reading on Hermione's part. Fred and George came by for supper most nights, taking place of Mr. Weasley, who was at the Ministry longer than usual. Apparently, with all that happened with You-Know-Who, the employees had many things to do, no matter what department.
It was now the day of Harry's arrival. Mr. Weasley had told them that Dumbledore was picking Harry up from the Dursley's, taking him on an errand, and bringing him to the Burrow afterwards.
After a late supper, Hermione went up to Ginny's room and changed into her pajamas: a pair of plaid pants and a light blue, long sleeved shirt. As she was tying her hair back in a ponytail, Ginny ran into the room and began rifling through drawers. After searching under the bed and in her closet, she turned to Hermione and ran a hand through her hair. "Have you seen my new issue of Teen Witch?"
She shook her head. "No. Maybe your mum has it. She took the mail Errol left on the table earlier."
"I already asked her. I don't know where it could be. I had it just this morning." She knocked the pillows off of her bed and roughly pulled open another drawer on her dresser.
Ginny stormed out of the room, slamming the door with so much force that it bounced back and into the wall. Hermione sighed and grabbed her toothbrush from her trunk. She crossed the hall and slipped into the bathroom to brush her teeth.
Hermione had just spit in the sink when she heard the rattling of a cage and the distinct noise of an owl hooting. She rushed over to the railing and called down to Ginny "Is that an owl I heard?"
"You haven't seen him, have you? Apparently he's wandering about the house." Ginny replied.
"Really?"
"Really." A third voice interrupted. Recognizing it as her best friend, Hermione hurried down the many stairs, toothbrush still in hand.
Ginny had just finished hugging Harry when Hermione pushed past and wrapped her arms around him. "Harry!"
Ron came up behind her, hugging Harry next, while Mrs. Weasley began to laugh. "What a lovely surprise! Why didn't you let us know you were coming?"
"I didn't know… Dumbledore."
"Oh that man! But, then, what would we do without him?"
Harry laughed and Hermione was suddenly conscious of how close Ron was to her. He leaned over and lifted a hand to her face, running a finger along her cheek.
"Got a bit of toothpaste…" He whispered awkwardly. Hermione laughed nervously, avoiding looking at Ginny, knowing she would have a smirk on her lips.
(Just a Little Smile Is All It Takes)
The three of them sat around a low, wooden table in Ron's room a short while later.
"So when did you get here?" Harry asked Hermione, while he tapped his wand against his knees.
"A few days ago. Although, for a while, I wasn't sure I was coming." She looked over at Ron and he gave a slight nod before explaining.
"Mum sort of lost it last week. Said Ginny and I had no business going back to Hogwarts. It's too dangerous."
Harry scoffed. "Oh, come on."
"She's not alone" Hermione countered. "Even my parents, they're Muggles, and know something bad's happening."
"Anyway, Dad stepped in, told her she was being barmy and… took a few days, but she came 'round."
"This is Hogwarts we're talking about. It's Dumbledore, what could be safer?" Harry asked.
Hermione paused, knowing how much Harry looked up to Dumbledore. "There's been a bit of talk lately… That Dumbledore's got a bit old."
"Rubbish! What? He's only... What is he?" Harry looked from Ron to Hermione.
"One hundred and fifty? Give or take a few years?" Ron suggested.
Hermione started laughing, followed by Ron and Harry, but Hermione could see his smile didn't reach his eyes.
He missed Sirius.