Chapter 8: Home for Christmas
Jean Granger waited patiently with her fiancé, Arnold Parkinson, at Kings Cross station, near the barrier to platform 9 ¾. The Hogwarts Express would be arriving at any moment and she was looking forward to seeing her daughter again after almost four months of no contact.
It would be an emotional reunion to say the least. Not just because she hadn't seen or heard from her daughter in almost four months. But because the last time she'd seen her there had been some conflict.
Any teenager would have difficulty adjusting to the fact their parents were now divorced; and that their parents were now dating other people. But when a teenager learns that their mother has dated the father of their worst enemy, they are going to feel betrayed.
Jean hadn't known that her daughter and Arnold's daughter were enemies at the time. Yet she felt so guilty because of it. Her new-found romance had almost cost her her daughter and it was truly unbearable.
During those four months, Jean had sent countless letters to her daughter in an effort to patch things up between them. Yet every single letter went un-replied. Jean figured that her daughter just needed time, so she gave it to her. That was until an article in Witch Weekly Magazine was brought to her attention.
The article was about her daughter, it said that she had been having an affair with both an international world-famous Quidditch Player call Victor Krum (who Jean knew nothing about) and a boy at her school (who Jean recognized as her daughter's best friend).
Jean found the article unpleasant to read, yet she managed skim through it. When she finished reading it, she was in shock. She had always thought she knew her daughter and she never would have imagined her carrying on with two boys at once.
She knew after reading this article that her daughter would be getting some hate mail. So she tried again to get back in contact. But there was still no reply.
So after realizing her daughter wasn't going to write her back. She knew she had to speak to her daughter directly. But since none magical people (or muggle's as the wizard's liked to call them) could not enter Hogwarts she sent Arnold.
Arnold had been able to talk her daughter into coming home for Christmas. Yet he hadn't been able to do the same for his own daughter.
His daughter had refused to spend Christmas with him and was going to her mothersr for Christmas. Jean had hoped they would all spend Christmas together and work things out.
The Hogwarts express was almost at platform 9 ¾.
Hermione had spent the journey with Harry and Ron in a compartment discussing her current situation and what to do about it.
Spending Christmas with her mother and Mr Parkinson was not her idea of the perfect holiday.
Although she had accepted, that her mother and Mr Parkinson were getting married. She still didn't like it. The idea of officially becoming stepsisters with Pansy Parkinson made her skin crawl.
"How's your face feeling by the way Hermione?" asked Harry as the train began to slow down.
"Much better now it's back to normal" said Hermione.
Her face had been restored back to normal, thanks to the help of Harry's bowl of solution of strained and pickled Murtlap, and some magic spells to cover up the remaining cuts and bruises on her face. She didn't want her mother asking what had happened.
As the Hogwarts express continued to pull in to the station, Hermione checked her appearance in a mirror to see if she still looked normal.
"You know it's not too late to change your mind, Hermione" said Ron "you can still spend Christmas with me and Harry. If you'd like"
He had suggested this before, through-out the journey and Hermione was tempted to take that offer. But she knew she had to go home and make peace with her mum.
"No that's alright" she said "Besides, I really do! Have to go home. And I really do! Have to go make peace with my mum"
"Ok" said Ron "but if you change, your mind. Don't hesitate to come by"
"I will. Thanks" said Hermione.
When the train came to a complete stop, Hermione grabbed her trunk and hugged Ron and Harry goodbye.
When she passed through the barrier to Kings Cross Station, her mother was so happy to see her that she embraced her the moment she saw her.
Hermione had half expected her mother to be angry, because of her disappearing act over the summer, and the fact she hadn't written.
And maybe she was.
But right now. She was happy; happy and crying with joy.
As her mother hugged her; she looked over her shoulder to see Pansy Parkinson walk right passed her father, without so much as acknowledging that he was there.
Hermione felt bad for Mr Parkinson in that moment.
Outside Kings Cross Station, Hermione's mother hailed for a taxi to take them home. It was a quiet journey where no one said anything to anyone. It's was clear that the emotional reunion between mother and daughter was now over, and a awkward silence maintained the journey. It was clear to Hermione that her mother wanted to say something, but the words didn't come out. She would probably wait until they were home to say what was on her mind.
When they reach the front door of what was once Hermione's family home, Mr Parkinson pulled out a key from his pocket and unlocked the door. In that moment, Hermione realized that he had moved in with her mother. She was not surprised by this. She had had a feeling that is what would have happen while she was at Hogwarts. But still, it didn't feel right too her for some reason.
She went up to her bedroom. She wondered what condition it would be in. Pansy Parkinson must have ransack the place in order to find those letters from Victor Krum, because there was no other way she could have found them. But when she opened the door to her bedroom, it was exactly how she had left it. Beside a lay of dust nothing was different; this room had not been entered. So how did Pansy find those letters?
Hermione checked where she stored them, she rolled up the carpet at the far end of her room to reveal a loose floor board. Inside was a shoe box. Hermione pulled it out and opened it. The letters were still there. Pansy never had them. But how did she get a hold of that one letter she had read out loud back in September? And how did she know that letter was tame compared to the other ones?
Was it possible that Hermione had simply left that letter out of the box, and Pansy had found it? And had Pansy simple guessed that the other letters were more sensual?
She tried to remember if she had simply left that letter out to be found. Yet if she had left that letter out to be found, wouldn't Pansy try to find the others? This was a mystery; one Hermione intended to get to the bottom of.
Over the Christmas holiday, Hermione spent most of the time in her bedroom, while her mother and Mr Parkinson planned the wedding. They were careful never to talk about it in front of Hermione because they knew that even though she had come home, she was still have trouble adapting.
When it came to Christmas Eve, Hermione visited her father. After all she had not seen him in more than four months.
David Granger was living in a flat in Croydon, a broken shell of a man, the only happiness he had this season was his daughter's visit.
When Hermione saw her father, when he opened the door to his flat, she saw that he had changed. He hadn't shaved in sometime and had an ill look about him. The last time she had seen him was two weeks before the school year, he had been doing well. He was still upset about the divorce, but he seemed happy and ready to start a new. Hermione figured it must be because he had heard about her mother getting remarried.
Hermione felt guilty. In the four months she hadn't written to her mother she also hadn't written to her father. Her mother had Mr Parkinson for comfort, were as her father didn't have anyone. If she had only just written to him, he might not be the way he was, right now. So she took it upon herself to help him.
As she entered the flat, she saw that it was a mess like her father. There were empty bottles of vodka all around and the carpet was filthy. Ironically he had been a neat freak.
"Dad, how can you live like this?"
Her father shrugged his shoulders."why not" he said. "It's not like I get many visitors"
This was serous, her father was even more messed up than he appeared. It's was hard to believe that this was the same man who had once taught her to be strong in tough times.
"Dad, that's no way to talk" snapped Hermione, heared her father so defeatist was irritating.
"Don't you talk to me like that young missy!" her father yelled back."I am your father"
Hermione was a little taken aback by her father's suddenly raised voice, but glad to see life spring back to his eyes.
"There's my father." beamed Hermione. "I was wondering where he'd gone."
After that, Mr Granger got a shower and shaved, while Hermione fixed them something to eat. There wasn't much in the kitchen and Hermione wasn't exactly Mrs Weasley ether, but she was able to make some pasta for dinner.
After they had eaten, Hermione and her father sat down and talked about things.
"You know your mother told me about that article in that magazine, something about with you and two other boys, one of them a famous sports star or something".
Hermione felt embarrassed. She was a little girl again and her father was asking about her love life.
"Don't believe everything you read in magazines Dad" said Hermione.
"I didn't read it, your mother did, I was just curious to hear your side of the story is all"
Hermione was reluctant to tell her father anything about her love life. After all, wasn't talking about boys a mothers job? But after a while she told her father about her romance with Ron and the incident at the Halloween ball.