A/N: So how did you find this story, pianomouse? I'm trying to give my characters something to do but I might go a bit off tangent with the canon. Ff is acting up, I can't see your reviews except for when I check it via my e-mail. Why is it doing this? Thank you so much for your kind reviews and I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Solving that case and meeting Hermione seemed to be exactly what Yau Kin-bong needed in his life as he came home with a seeming new lease on life. They began with a couple of owls but since Hermione is still staying with her parents over the remainder of summer, they have decided to exchange e-mails instead given that it is more convenient and faster than the conventional wizarding method of communication. Bong gave Hermione a nickname for his personal use, calling her Mine despite her objections. He found her name's pronunciation to be difficult without his translation charm and too long to write down on paper. The two had gotten close during the time they have spent together, but these letters gave them a better understanding of one another and finally, Hermione broke through his walls and had him talking about the things he went through.
Dear Mine,
How are you? I am doing well here. Being an Auror in a country smaller than your London in size, with an even smaller wizarding population actually leaves said Auror with almost nothing to do except to chase after pranking wizards who likes selling magical items to unsuspecting Muggles. Even so, I've just turned down my old partner about that detective agency he wants to open with me. It's not that I don't like him. I like spending time with him and as far as I know, being an old grouch, he doesn't have a lot of friends so he practically tolerates me if only for the most basic socialization needs. But chasing criminals with him by my side drags up too many bad memories.
I've always found it easier to express one's self through pen rather than in person. Do you remember when I told you that my girlfriend died just a year before I came there? It isn't as simple as that. I've been having doubts about where our relationship was heading and on the night she died, I was finally able to voice out my doubts by telling my partner that I felt troubled by our relationship. It wasn't that we fought. It was the absence of anything, passion, romance or even anger, in our relationship.
As my partner and I chased and succeeded in capturing the serial rapist we were after, my girlfriend laid dying on the bed we shared. I even gave her an absent minded kiss the moment I came home, thinking she had just been asleep. But I noticed that she wasn't breathing and when I drew back the comforter, I found her soaked with her own blood and her wrists slashed...
Hermione was horrified as she read how Bong had to call an ambulance and how he didn't even have enough energy to change his clothes up until the next day even though these had been soaked with his girlfriend's blood. He found out from the autopsy reports that she had been pregnant. Later when he dug around, he found out that she had been about to leave him for another man, whom he presumed to be the baby's father. They were supposed to meet up on the night she died and with her packed bags, he surmised that they were planning to move in together that same night. At least that was how the night would have gone, except the man met up with an accident and his girlfriend thought that the man changed his mind about her. This had been the reason why she committed suicide.
She became furious when she read that he blames himself for all of this and that she'd probably only felt distant with him because he hid the fact that he is a wizard and he spent such long hours at work. Her temper flaring, she wrote him back. She then took an angry picture of herself and had it developed, enclosing it with the mail.
Dear Bong,
My parents were actually quite happy that I've found a new friend other than Harry and Ron. I think they have always been worried about my social life seeing that I have never been a social butterfly. How are you and what have you been doing? I was doing good up until I read your last letter. You're an idiot if you think that long hours and keeping a secret would lead to someone to cheat on a person he or she loves…
Bong had to laugh at the picture and letter she sent, he didn't know what possessed him to do it. But he removed the picture he had of him and his girlfriend and replaced it with the polaroid he had of Hermione and him. He also placed the picture of her "angry face" tucked somewhere in his wallet, where he'd take it out whenever he starts feeling particularly stupid or depressed. He would prop it up and imagined her scolding him, as she had done a number of times when he'd been in London with her.
She didn't really scold him for feeling the way he did but instead she encouraged him to relish his emotions so he could express it, enabling him to move on. She also sent him a clichéd quote from one of those sappy romance novels she read. "In times of grief and sorrow I will hold you and rock you and take your grief and make it my own. When you cry I cry and when you hurt I hurt. And together we will try to hold back the flood of tears and despair and make it through the potholed street of life. –Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook." Bong knew she sent him this quote both to annoy and tease him, so he replied in his next letter that she should probably stop hanging around the Quidditch field, it's as if she's been hit by one bludger too many.
She didn't attend the World Cup, despite the Weasleys' offer as she had been busy solving Bong's case. Besides she's not really a big fan of it. Thus, she could barely understand Ron's excited prattling and is busy with her studies and writing letters to Bong to even bother with him. He on the other hand had been very interested whom she exchanged owls with. She ignored him, and asked him point blank if has any business knowing what she does seeing that he is neither her parent nor boyfriend. She did not bother to correct the twins who teased her that she had a summer romance.
Writing owls is tedious and too much of an effort compared to exchanging e-mails, which was why Bong got her a "travel journal"* as they called these notebooks. These are only found in the Asian Enclaves and while it is not illegal to ship it out of the continent, Asian wizards and witches are discouraged from sharing this to "outsiders". You just have to write what you want in and the other person would be able to read it as soon as they open their notebook. Best of all, it never really runs out of pages, seeing that you only have to turn the knob at the side to "drain the ink" from the pages of the "travel journal" and you can put your ink back to your pot. You can even set the password of the notebook with your voice and a phrase. Needless, to say this piece of magical equipment is quite pricey.
Hermione commented on this but Bong insisted seeing that now, he didn't have to give her anything for her birthday for the next few years or even decades if it comes to it. Hermione promised to take care of it, never allowing it to leave her person. They've even set up a time during the day when it is convenient for them to "chat". They've decided to chat at 5:00 am in Hong Kong for Bong which is 10:00 pm for Hermione in Scotland.
Most of the time they chatted about weird obscure things, stories about their experiences in both the wizardry and muggle world or just what happened to them during the day. Despite this, they somehow don't run out of things to say to each other. But there were things they haven't mentioned despite their almost daily ritual (only postponing it if Bong has a case to handle that stretches out into mornings or Hermione needs to study for some major exam, she managed to find a way to keep "chatting" with him if she's not finding any difficulty with the subject).
Hermione did not tell him of how she taped a moving picture they have together on her trunk, similar to the other girls in Hogwarts, except the other girls only do this for their boyfriends. Doing this stopped her roommates, especially Lavender Brown from trying to set her up with someone.
She had asked the Patil twins not to tell people of how she was involved in the investigation last summer, which the twins readily agreed to. But that did not stop them from adding the fuel of the fire of rumors about Hermione's boyfriend. Parvati Patil volunteered that the guy is an Auror from Hong Kong who's in his early twenties and he's definitely handsome. This had the girls in Hermione's room shrieking in delight and pestering her for some more details about her older boyfriend which she gave to stop them from bothering her. They had also been very tickled with the idea that he's the one she's been exchanging notes with.
Bong on his side had not told her of the women he'd dated (or slept with, the lines have become blurry after a while). He didn't tell her of how some of these women would even see her pictures in his wallet and ask who she is. They just don't believe him when he says that Hermione is just a friend. Some had even point blank asked that he removed Hermione's picture. When he refused, they dumped him. The longest and perhaps the most stable of these string of "romances" if he can call it that is Sai Fung. She did not pester him about the contents of his wallet, nor did she check seeing that she considers it private.
But what got her in the end, a month and a half into their relationship is how Bong didn't want to spend overnight at her place as he has to "chat" with Hermione, his chat mate from England. Sai Fung volunteered that she has a computer which he could use but he refused. She ended up breaking up with him, still volunteered to be his friend but asked him not to use her like that again, seeing that not only does he have baggage because of his deceased girlfriend but now he even has an attachment to a distant chat mate.
Hey Bong! How are you? I don't know if you've heard but my friend Harry had somehow managed to get his name inside the goblet and became a contender for the Triwizard Tournament, except now it's a Quadwizard Tournament. Is that even a thing? Ron had been making his life miserable over it. He's convinced that Harry somehow found a way to put his name in and left his behind. I think Ron had always been insecure of Harry's fame and jealousy had just found a venue to rear its ugly head in. Should I patch them up?
Hermione wrote and from across the sea she could just imagine Bong shaking his head. He wrote back.
If they are real friends, as you claim they are. They would patch up. Don't over stress yourself out and be careful of how the newspapers would paint you given Harry's fame. It's not a problem that he's your friend but people might misconstrue things. It is human nature to crave scandals and find a target for their anger and hate. The people who knows you will not believe a word of it of course, but trust me, the hurtful things people says against you could be a problem later on.
With this advice, Hermione managed to dodge a bullet that was Rita Skeeter, avoiding being alone in a room or any space with Harry. When Ron asked who she's coming with in the upcoming ball, they were surprised when she said she promised to spend Christmas with her parents. Ron commented that if she has a problem finding a date he could come with her only to have Hermione smirk and said, "I have no problem finding a date, there had been a couple of offers. But I really want to spend this time with the people I care about." She said as she mysteriously left him to ponder her words. Lavender would then beguile them with the story of her handsome older boyfriend who's an Auror overseas. Ron wouldn't understand why he feels angry at this tidbit, while Harry understood the root of Ron's jealousy.
Bong closed an eye and pursed his lips as he looked at the portkey he'll be sending Hermione. He didn't know what possessed him to send an underage 15 year old girl a portkey to his home, where she'll spend 2 weeks with him. 'She's 16 according to her ministry.' His traitorous mind volunteered. "It will be fine. You miss her and you know she misses you as a friend or an older brother figure. You just have to keep your hands off of her and you'll both be fine." He gave himself a pep talk as he wrapped the portkey.
Her parents would be spending Christmas with her mother's cousin who lives in Italy. They thought that Hermione would be spending Christmas in Hogwarts. Her friends in Hogwarts thought she'd be spending Christmas with her parents. She felt guilty and a bit sneaky for the lies of omission but she really did want to spend time with Bong, even though he really is not her boyfriend. She didn't even see him as a romantic figure or anything. It's just that he seems to understand her more than anyone else. To evade suspicions she rode the Hogwarts Express back to London before she activated the portkey he sent her via owl.
Hermione grew a bit taller ('and curvier,' his traitorous mind butted in once more) than the last time he saw her. She smiled and gave him a hug. She looked around. "Is this where your girlfriend?" Bong cut her off. "No, I moved apartments after she died." He commented wryly. He placed her things in the guest bedroom he just fixed for her before showing her around the modest apartment.
Hermione would spend most of the weekdays of those two weeks wandering around Hong Kong with her translation charm in place. She and Bong would somehow bump into Bong's ex-girlfriend, Sai Fung who despite Bong's worries had been pleasant enough. When Hermione was out of earshot she asked Bong something that surprised him. "How long have you known you're in love with your chat mate?" She asked. He looked surprised at this. "I…" Sai Fung raised a brow. "You mean you didn't know?" She asked smiling and shaking her head before she went ahead and led Hermione to a nice trinket stall. Bong ignored her, thinking that the woman is probably just teasing him.
They spent Christmas together. Hermione gave Bong a book titled, "Quidditch Through the Ages" while he gave her colored pens. "So we'll have some color in our correspondence." He says laughingly, reminding her that the notebook he gave her is pretty pricey so he won't be giving her anything nice for some time to come. They ate some pasta Bong cooked with some of the fried chicken Hermione prepared.
They spent Boxing Day watching through old movies marathon. Hermioned leaned against him the and all he knows is that he felt comfortable and warm inside, a feeling he had not felt in a long while. He placed an arm around her shoulders and she drew closer, resting her head against his chest as they watched more movies.
When it was finally time for Hermione to go home after the end of the Christmas Break, Bong helped her fix her things. He gave her instructions on how to deal with two adolescent boys butting heads and to tell him if she has any problems. Two minutes before the portkey activated, Hermione reached up and kissed his lips, nipping his lips lightly which caused him to open his mouth so he could explore hers. The heated kiss had to stop when the portkey is about to be activated. She smiled at him, which he returned with a small one of his own. This time, he had been the one left standing in shock. Despite the nauseating pull of portkeying, Hermione was smiling widely as she landed on the platform of 9 3/4th.
While the British magical community didn't want to see the possibility of Voldemort's return, the Asian Enclaves feared the global repercussion it might have for the rest of the international communities across the globe. But they have their proverbial hands tied behind their backs. Sending a huge number of Aurors would state that they believed the lunatic ramblings of Dumbledore and is undermining the authority of the British Minister of Magic but if they sent only a selected few, they can easily wash their hands of any fault if anything goes wrong.
Even if the Ministry would recant their official statement and do acknowledge the return of the Dark Lord someone still needed to assess the situation and possible outcomes it might generate for the rest of the magical community. He didn't tell Hermione that he volunteered to do this just so he could see her again. He scheduled his arrival in England to coincide with her summer break. As he volunteered himself, he realized that maybe Sai Fung is right, there must be something more to this than just friendship.
* Found the idea from Legend of the Seeker series.
