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The fighting had not ceased, it had in fact gotten worse and thus Hermione chose to sit alone on the train ride home for the summer holidays. The morning after the rose and courtyard incident gossip was all over the school about Hermione's secret boyfriend. Ron of course squashed all the rumors by saying that she was just trying to make him jealous and that they should not encourage her. Harry didn't help Ron, but he also didn't stop Ron from saying these things.
She shook her head violently. Stupid boys! With a sound of pure anger and fury she threw her book violently against the opposite seat of the compartment. There was just no way that anyone would ever believe her if they didn't see Jin for themselves, and they couldn't because he was the horn boy extraordinaire! Thinking of Jin made her sigh, she hadn't seen hide nor hair of him in nearly three days, and that in itself was worrisome as he was usually never far from her.
Looking out the train window Hermione took this opportunity to contemplate what Jin's home might be like. Maybe he was really just trying to kill her and eat her. Maybe it was filled with corpses and bones. She blanched; maybe he was going to hand her over to Voldemort! The train jumped on the track slightly and a piece of fruit fell from the overhead compartment to startle her.
Shaking her head she leaned forward and picked up the fruit. She was being silly; Jin was crazy about her and would never do anything to hurt her. She hoped. The door to her compartment opened slowly and Harry grinned sheepishly at her.
"May I?" She nodded slightly though every fiber of her being was screaming at her to slam the door in his face. "Listen, Hermione." He sat down next to her and she shifted away from him. "No, stop moving away from me and listen. Ron and I care about you- we really do." She snorted. "I know that Ron is acting like a complete prat, but he was truly worried when you ran out into the storm and now you're saying that you have a boyfriend. He just doesn't want anything to happen to you, and he especially does not want to be the one at fault if something does happen."
Hermione looked away from him and he grabbed her hands in his.
"I know we haven't been the greatest friends in the world as of late, but don't give up on us."
"I do have a boyfriend." It was mumbled, but still there. She turned her head and glared at him, "And if you and Ron don't get your heads out of your arses you will never meet him. Ever. Now leave Harry I want to be alone."
"But Hermione-"
"No buts, until you two learn how to be better friends I'm not considering you any friends of mine."
Harry sighed and stood, "Fine you can act like this for a while but remember that you're supposed to come to headquarters at some point this summer. It's too dangerous for you to be out there in the world by yourself."
"I won't be alone Harry. I'll be with Jin." Harry chose not to comment and left.
As the door closed Hermione started to cry. She had been able to avoid crying for the past three hours of the eight hour long journey it took to get from school to King's Crossing, but was unable to help it now.
"Oh Jin."
The station was crowded with parents when the train pulled in and Hermione dejectedly got off the train. She had no way of contacting Jin, so she would just have to wait until he showed up and that meant going home to an empty house for a while. Her parents had been moved to a safe house somewhere off the continent and even Hermione had no idea where they were.
Ron and Harry along with the rest of the Weasley clan came towards her and Hermione pivot turned on her heel in order to escape them.
"Hermoine!" Too late she had been spotted. She sighed and stopped, waiting for them to catch up.
"Bonnie!" A large and very warm thing crashed into her from the side and she was immediately swept up in a gigantic hug. Invisible wind hands caressed every inch of her to make sure that she was in one piece and Hermione clung back to him just as hard. They had been together for just around five months, but already it felt like eternity and Hermione was very glad to be back in his arms. In public. In his arms, in public. She pulled back frantic and was surprised by the sight she saw.
Jin was standing in front of her, or some strange human version of her precious wind demon. His horn was gone as was his pointy ears. He was slightly shorted, as to blend in no doubt and he was actually wearing normal clothing. She loved him in normal clothing; she loved him even more in the snug charcoal blue sweater and dark wash jeans.
Leaving down Jin whispered, "I'll tell you where all my bobs and pieces have gone to."
She nodded, "I'd like a 'how' too."
"Of course."
They smiled at one another.
"And who is this young man?" Molly Weasley wasn't exactly pleased at the site of this strange young man. Hopefully it was a brother or other relative, as she was sure that Hermione belonged to her son, and her son alone.
Jin smiled and held out his hand. "Jin Flynn."
Molly shook it with a tight smile. "Relative?"
"Boyfriend."
Her smile tightened.
Hermione was not a person who took pleasure at the suffering or unhappiness of others, however she was not pious either. Grabbing Jin's hand she practically dragged him over to Harry and Ron the latter of whom was looking rather green and sickly.
Beaming she presented Jin, "Guys this is Jin, the boyfriend I told you about." Jin's usually cheerful face was rather tight as he looked at these two boys.
"Which one of you be Ron." Ron held up his hand meekly and Jin smiled too sweetly at him, "Now lad, we're going to go have a little chasty. If you'd please come with me." With an iron hand on Ron's shoulder and an iron expression on his face Jin led Ron away from the family around a nearby shoulder.
Later Hermione asked about what he said to Ron to make him scamper around that corner so fast, but Jin just smiled and said something along the lines of a "man to man chat about the treatment of women."
Jin came back around the corner cheerfully following the even greener Ron. Going to Harry he grabbed the boy's hand a little harder than usual and pulled him a little closer than necessary.
"I know that you aren't as bad as that one there. But you didn't help my lass either and for that I can't forgive you. She's a good girl and she deserves better friends than the likes of you. Treat her better or I'll take her away to where people will treat her right." He squeezed a little harder and Harry could have sworn his bones creaked. "Have we an understanding?"
"Of course." Harry wasn't stupid, there was something about this guy that made his hair stand on end like nothing he had ever encountered before, and frankly whatever that something was it scared him.
Jin took a step back and went back to having a great huge smile on his face.
"Now, if that be all the lassie and I have vacationing to do, don't we lass?" He grinned and held out his hand for the very pink Hermione. Later she would scold him about the threatening of Ron and Harry. She couldn't hear what was said but both of the boys had basically shat themselves, so it must have been pretty intimidating. She let him grab her hand in his and smiled.
"Of course Jin." He reached down and grabbed her trunk from where it was beside her and waved a salutation with the big trunk causing Ron's eyes to budge from his head.
"You think that has a feather light charm on it?"
"I sure hope so mate, for both our sakes."
Jin slung Hermione's trunk into the boot of the car and grinned down at his pouting miss.
"Now don't be like that there missy. Those two weren't hurt too much, most just being hurt was their pride and that could do t be harmed a bit more." He took a step closer and cupped her cheek with an outstretched hand. "I love you lass and I hate the way that those boys think they can treat you. I'm here to show them that you can't be treated in anything less than gold."
What could she say to that? All her life she'd been wanting and hoping for a guy to treat her like he treats her and she was going to do her best not to lose her temper foolishly.
"Jin, how are we supposed to drive the car? I can't go for my license until I'm eighteen and you're a demon."
"Ye of little faith lass." He thumped the hood of the old car twice with his fist and a blue face peaked over the edge of the driver's side window. Hermione had been too wrapped up in Jin to notice someone across from the passenger's side and when she finally did it was surprising to say the least.
"Jin, there's a little blue man with a horn in your driver's seat."
"I know there Bonnie. His name's George and he'll be driving us to home soon enough. He's an ogre." Hermione smiled weakly.
"And ogre."
"Yes, an ogre and he is right here and can hear you! Oh how horrible to be judged by the color of my skin-"
Jin thumped the roof again and George flinched timidly.
"Enough of that now George, no whining. I want this vacation to be perfect, starting with the drive." George continued to mutter forlornly in the front seat and Hermione stared questionably at Jin.
"Don't worry about it. If whining made you rich George would have all the money ever in creation." He opened up the door to the backseat. "Slide in now, I'll sit with ole' blue boy so that way he doesn't scare you none."
That was a bit of male chauvinism, however she let it go because she really didn't want to sit next to the ogre. No offence to George or Jin, but it was hard enough just to get used to Jin's horn and ears, a blue man driving in the seat next to her would be a little too much to handle at the moment.
George dropped them off at the ocean's edge and Hermione saw a drop. Walking over she was surprised to see a small harbor nestled into the rock wall and surrounding areas.
"Smell the sea lass. Soon enough we'll be home and happy relaxing in the Irish sun and shore." She leaned back into him when he had come up behind her. Now she tiled her head up and in an uncharacteristic show of affection kissed him lightly on the underside of his jaw: the only area she could really reach.
"Sounds perfect Jin. Sounds absolutely perfectly. Let's go home."
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