Raised with Magic

Chapter Seven: The lighting

"How's the potion coming along?" Mum asked coming down to the lab. It had taken her less than a week to trust me down here alone. Now, I can try working on some of the more time consuming potions and not feel bad about taking up her time. After all she would never tell me that she had better stuff to do if I asked to brew. I do really love brewing. I think it would be awful if I stopped myself from brewing because I didn't want to waste Mum's time. I don't actually know if I could manage and I really don't like failing at things.

"I think the color is a bit more yellow then gold." I answered embarrassed by my failure. I really, really, don't like failing at things. Failing makes me feel small and like I'm not good enough. Which always brings on all kinds of scary thoughts. I really don't want to have to live in my empty house all alone.

"It looks good." Mum responded confusing me. "The lighting down here is a bit different then normal, your Dad wanted to attract wastabons. I'll explain what colors are effected when we get back tonight." This made me feel better, to know that I hadn't blotched my potion. However, I was a bit annoyed to know that I hadn't been told this before. My previous thoughts hadn't been enjoyable at all.

"Get back?" I asked instead, because it wasn't fair for me to even think about being annoyed with Mum after everything she has done for me. Especially because she hadn't been obligated to do anything for me. My first grade teacher used to use the word obligated a lot when she was annoyed with Jimmy Lucas.

"Tonight we are going to go have dinner at the Weasley's." I remembered her telling me that the Weasleys were the family who live in that odd house we can see from Luna's window. I'm nervous about meeting them. "When you are done with your potion go get ready. We're heading over at three." It was one now and I only had another two steps to my potion. Getting ready shouldn't take that long. Either way I waited until I did finish my potion before getting worried. Nothing and no one, not even myself would make me blotch my potion. I need Mum to be able to be proud of me.

I continued to concentrate as much as my mind would allow. This amount of attention was more then enough to correctly brew. Therefore, I still noticed when Mum went about feeding her familiar, Garret. He is an Eurasian Eagle owl. I find it funny how much he tends to follow her around the lab. He even had to be trained to not contaminate potions. He is a big fluffy brown owl, so seeing him follow Mum around is an amusing sight. He is a bit of a prim bird but he likes Luna and I just fine. I love his eyes, they are such deep orange amber, so sharp and piercing. They are amazingly interesting. Also, Garret is a really odd owl. He refuses to go anywhere else in the house but the lab. This works out because there is a few windows really high on the ceiling that leads to just above the ground outside. Mum has it spelled so it opens when Garrett approaches. Apparently, she also has spells ready to deal with the snow build up in the winter. Mum is really intelligent.

When my potion was done I cleaned up slowly and regretfully made my way to the third floor.

"You're nervous and worried." Luna stated, dropping onto my bed. It seemed she thought nothing wrong about my state. I really like this about Luna and sometimes, when I notice it again, I just feel this wave of affection for my new sister.

"More then a little." I confessed. "What if they don't like me?"

"So what if they don't." This was one of the moments that I realized again that Luna is really smart. Even more then the level of intelligence I normally think of her having. Luna doesn't look at things the same way I do. I wasn't worried about these particular people liking me. I am more worried about this new world accepting me. Sure the twins talking with me had helped, but I had heard comments at the hospital. Muggleborns, like me, are looked down upon by certain types of wizards. Besides, a muggleborn in the Wizarding world before that age of eleven is unheard of. I just put on a fake smile.

"Jeans then?" I asked taking in her outfit.

"Hmm?"

"Is wearing jeans tonight alright?" I didn't want to just assume incase she hadn't yet gotten around to getting dressed for tonight.

"Of course!" Luna told me with a smile before her attention shifted, "I'm going to go look for Cupacups." She mentioned airily. Without another word she skipped out of my room to start her search. I tried not to be worried when I heard weird crashing sounds coming from the bathroom. Luna knows how to take care of herself. I will continue to believe this unless she gives me reason to believe otherwise. Then she will just have to deal with me being overprotective.

I chose my comfort clothes. Consisting of a pair of blue jeans and a light purple jumper I had gotten last Christmas.

Dressed and still worrying, I turned towards the opposite side of my room to find the spiral notebook I have been writing letters to Jared in. I had no clue if I would ever be able to send them, but writing to him helped. On the chance that I would eventually send them, there was no mention of anything non muggle. I started writing the day I had gotten out of the hospital and continued since then. In a way the lined pages, past the ones covered in mathematics, had become a diary of sorts.

Jared,

I miss you. I know that I tell you in each entry, but I do. I miss you like I miss Daddy and Mother. It feels like I lost you as completely as I have lost them. Only it is worse because your out there. I am happy here. I feel guilty that I'm happy, I shouldn't be. I've cried for Daddy and Mother, should I still be crying? Everything here is so different. I love the idea of all new things to explore, but I don't know if I will be hated as I was before. The Lovegoods have been really accepting and I feel like I do belong here. I told you that I know I will be unwelcome and considered an outsider. The comments at the hospital told me so. I did meet two boys at the shopping district. They were really nice and the only ones who paid me any notice, positively or negatively. I hope I see them again, but I probably wont. Besides, a five minute conversation most likely would not mean anything to them. At least not nearly as much as it did to me. We're having dinner with the family that lives near us. I don't want to go. What if they don't like me? It's almost like a test of me belonging here and yet I can't study. Either way, I'm here to stay, I guess. I'm just glad I have Luna. She's the first person who seems to even mildly understand me. Which is weird because she is so very different then me.

With love,

Hermione.

It was surprisingly good timing when Mum came into the room when I was rereading my letter. Casually I closed the notebook and turned to give her my attention. "Writing again?" She asked sitting next to me on the bed. She surprised me because I had never written around the other people in the house. I wondered if it was a witch thing or maybe it was just a mom thing.

"How did you-" But I couldn't finish. There were to many ways to finish that question.

"It's my job to know. I'm glad your releasing your feeling somehow. But if you need to talk I'm waiting." It was odd wording and I didn't like it. Waiting, waiting for what?

"They're letters." I admitted moving forward with the conversation.

"Really? To who?" She didn't seem to realize that was what it was. Most likely I had been suspected of keeping a diary. I don't think that I am a diary person.

"My cousin, Jared. He's my best friend."

"Alright, if nothing is said that reveals the magical world are you planning on sending them?" Her voice was light, I appreciated that. Everything has been too heavy lately. Well, not heavy like too many books, but heavy like serious and all. But I think that my Mum made her voice light on purpose, for me.

"I want to, but how would it work. He lives in The United States and wizard post is different." Different of course meant owls.

"We send it by owl to the states and a wizard store there converts it to muggle mail." Mum watched me for a few moments to see my reaction to the information. "We'll send them tomorrow." She finished seeing a reaction I could not see. Maybe I should look into appreciating mirrors more then I might start understanding at least one person in this house, even if it is just me.