Robert Granger closed the door to the study and saw Ron sitting down in the cushions of the leather couch. "You're hiding from them like I am, I reckon."

Ron nodded and slouched further down into the couch. "I turned on the telly and that's what they are showing," He pointed at the moving box that was blaring. "I have no clue what sport that is."

Robert laughed. "That, Ron, is called golf. Men hit a ball and then walk to it and hit it again, trying to get it into a cup in the least amount of strokes."

"Blimey, that's all that's happening?" Ron watched. "It looks slow, like watching a gobstones match."

Robert looked at the young man sitting on his couch. "Bet it's quite slow compared to Quidditch, as you've told me."

"Yeah. It's not exciting if there's not a Bludger trying to knock you off your broom."

"But you love chess."

"Well, yeah. I reckon that it's different since you command the pieces like a King or a field marshal would do."

"Well, I've swung a club a few times and it's harder than it looks."

"Really? How hard would it be to hit a stationary ball? Looks like a piece of cake. It's not like being a Keeper for Quidditch."

"But you said that – "

Ron pulled his wand and pointed it at the door. The room fell quiet once more. "Sorry, Robert. My ears are still hurting from earlier."

Robert laughed. "Just as long as you're not pointing that wand at me we're sorted."

The men watched the participants on the TV walking while ignoring the commentators. The distraction was well appreciated.

"Hermione's just like her Mum. Sure, she takes after me, about reading and learning and pushing herself to be the best. I'm glad she takes after me like that. But then she's also the worst of us, in some ways. She'll follow the rules even when she shouldn't. She'll stand for causes even when she should let go. And sometimes she just doesn't understand when people get a case of the stupids." Robert looked sideways at Ron who was trying to hide in the couch. "But then she's also like her Mum in some ways, like holding people to their word and gets bent when she thinks that she's been taken advantage of, or been betrayed."

Ron looked at the older man sitting on the other end of the couch.

"I taught Hermione to forgive, when it's warranted. Jean never learned that, not when it's important." He sighed. "I can't fix this, not what Hermione did."

"But we saw the house was in shambles. They'd have killed you trying to find her."

Robert stood up from the couch and looked at Ron. "I get it. I really do. But Hermione used Magic on us. You might not think much of it but Jean sees it as betrayal." He walked to the door. "I hope Hermione realizes the cost of her unilateral choice."