Disclaimer: I don't own it, just this plot you're reading.
A/N: Thank you Lillianagreen for adding me to your alerts, and thank you to choirsinger and sandiprudhomme who reviewed, I appreciate it. The both of you should have received my reply to the reviews. Now, here's chapter 2!
Chapter 2: Hermione's Friend
The day after the battle, our story drifts to the Granger residence. Hermione lay on the bed, her bushy brown hair scattered across the pillow as she slept. It is about 9 in the morning, and the sleeping girl was about to be immersed in the Sibling Granger Ritual,
"Let's wake Hermione up before noon on a holiday." The only people that didn't join in were her parents, and identical twin Travis. Outside her door, her 13-year-old brother Noah, 8-year-old sister Madeline, and 4-year-old sister Alina were waiting for the clock to strike 9. The clock on the opposite wall read 8:59-30. The three children looked at each other fondly, and then Madeline said,
"20 Seconds, I hope our dear sis isn't expecting this."
Noah looked at Madeline oddly.
"10 Seconds," he said, trying to suppress laughter.
"5 seconds, almost time," Madeline said.
"Now!" they all whispered together and all at once, Noah flung open the door to his elder sister's room and Alina hurdled strait toward the sleeping girl's bed. As she clambered on the bed, jumping and screaming,
"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"
To make as much noise as possible, Madeline got up on the bed as well shouting with her little sister, but the 8-year-old had two saucepan lids and she began to bang them together. As an added effect, Noah lifted the air horn to his lips and blew as hard as he could, for the span of 10 seconds.
Hermione jolted awake,
"The noise in my head must be stopped!" she thought. Then it hit her,
"Can you guys leave me to sleep?" she shouted, but the three children didn't hear her. Turning red, Hermione stuck her arm out, and tripped Madeline.
When she came crashing down on her, Hermione ripped the saucepan lids out of her hand, and hurled them across the room.
"And now to stop the second annoyance," she said to herself. In mid bounce, Hermione lifted Alina higher into the air than she was expecting, and Alina came crashing down into Hermione's arms.
"Hay! I was having fun!" Alina said trying to squirm out of Hermione's hold.
"And now, for that incessant little brother of mine," she thought again to herself.
As a shock to both sisters, Hermione lunged herself toward Noah, and succeeded in knocking the horn out of his mouth, and he fell to the floor with a thud. With a tight grip on the air horn, Hermione went and sat on his stomach, Alina and Madeline helped her tie him down. By now, she had a sickly smile plastered on her face, then asked,
"Do you know what I'm going to do to you little brother?"
Noah looked scared, then choked out,
"Get off my stomach!"
"Not until I do this," she said still in the sickly sweet menacing voice, and slowly, Hermione lifted the horn to her lips, and bent inches from his face, with a blast so loud, Hermione let Noah know why you don't mess with Hermione Jean Granger before noon on a holiday. Hermione flung the air horn across her bedroom then in one swift motion, she tossed all three siblings out of her room.
Flopping down on her comfortable bed, Hermione reached over to her book shelve and pulled off, "Comes the Blind Fury," by John Saul, and opened it to the beginning, the prologue. Her friend Holly had told her about the book, and said it may be a good one to read. So the day she and her brothers were to get picked up from Kings Cross, she reminded herself to ask to go to the book store on their way home. Halfway through the prologue Hermione heard,
"mione, time for breakfast!" her mother's voice called from the kitchen. She then grabbed a bookmark, and stuck it in between the pages, and put it on the shelve.
When she entered the kitchen a few minutes later, Hermione found her mum at the stove, dad, standing by the sink reading the morning paper, and her siblings were attempting to have a silverware war. This was another Sibling Granger Ritual. Hermione took her spot at the table between Travis and Noah. Moments later, Julie walked over to the table with a plate of food, and sat it down in front of her. As she looked around at all the happy faces of her family, she wondered how many of them knew (besides herself Travis and Noah) about Voldemort, and the war in the wizarding world. She was brought out of her thought by,
"It's my birthday tomorrow!"
This made Hermione jump, and she said,
"Yes Lina and how old will you be?"
Alina looked up at her big sister, then put of 10 fingers. Madeline and Hermione laughed, and said together,
"Put one hand down." The two sisters gave each other a look of amusement, then went back to there breakfasts.
"Lina, count to five for me," Maddy said, looking at the little girl.
"Pwen pwone pwee pwix pwoo pwine pwive pweight pwour pweven." She said trying not to giggle.
"And who taught you that?" Hermione asked. through fits of giggles, Alina responded,
"Holly."
"Well, that explains everything," Noah commented.
"And what little brother, does it explain."
"That I didn't understand a word of what she just said, because it came from one of your mutant friends."
"Shall I translate for you?" Hermione asked in that sickly sweet voice, the one she had used earlier.
"Please do, I want to see how many different languages you can speak by the end of the day. We'll start with English, and then add dorkish pathetic-ish, mutantish and to round everything to an even five, we'll add monsterish."
Hermione glared at him, then said,
"She said, ten one three six two nine five eight four seven or did you want a mutant dictionary to translate it yourself?"
"No, because one: It's a book, and two: you've touched it, and three: I don't want your disease!"
Hermione chuckled, then said,
"Please tell me you really don't think the book exists, because if you do, maybe someone has put you under the imperius curse."
"Of course I don't think that book exists, but if it did, I'm sure it would be an easy language for you to learn. Come to think of it, you could probably write the thing yourself."
"Children," Julie cut in, "No fighting over the breakfast table, and Noah, that wasn't nice."
"But mum," He complained, "all she does is read, and hang out with that Davidson girl. Don't you see what a bad influence she is?"
"No, I don't think so; Actually, her mum and I are really good friends as you know. Also, I thought you were good friends with Gabriel?"
"I am, and he's the only one I can stand to be around."
"So Hermione," Julie asked, "what's on your agenda for today?"
Hermione looked up from her breakfast and said,
"I think I may call Holly and see if we can't hang out, unless you want help with the birthday party, then maybe Holly could come over here to help. Come to think of it, I haven't seen her in ages!"
Just as she finished, Alina piped up,
"If Holly's coming over, can she bring Molly too?"
"I'm almost finished with the preparations for Lina's party, so yes, you may go to Holly's. This is if you are asking me of course." Julie finished as an afterthought.
"If you want Lina, I will take you with me when I go."
Alina bounced in her seat excitedly.
"Yes! Yes! I'd love to go see Molly!" The hyperactive almost 5-year-old said.
Breakfast ended shortly after, and Hermione went up the stairs to her bedroom. When she entered it, she heard a tapping on the window. As she crossed her room, she noticed that it was Harry's owl Hedwig with a letter in her beak. When Hermione unlatched the window Hedwig soared in, and landed on Hermione's purple flowered bedspread.
"Hey Hedwig, what did Harry send for me?" She asked the bird, not expecting a response in return. Taking the letter out of her beak, she unfolded it and read,
"Hermione,
Hope you're having a good summer. Did you hear about the battle yesterday in Hogsmeade? Mum came home last night and told us the place was destroyed. Apparently, it burnt down. Anyway, Mum keeps mumbling under her breath about a girl named Hollianne. I was just curious to know if you knew anyone by that name. Dad is still at Hogwarts, the Death Eater Travers sent a weird curse at him, and it opened his chest. Mum said there was blood everywhere. (don't worry, he'll live. O! because Mum and Dad went to help yesterday, Jack thought it would be funny to put itching powder in everything Carianna and I own. So, what did we do about the pest? We took him out in to the front yard, and hung him on the fence post by his underwear until Mum got home. (which by the way was about an hour.) She said something about Dad always knowing what she was to expect when she comes home
Harry."
Hermione put the letter on her desk chuckling to herself. It was always crazy in the Potter house hold, with his six sisters and 2 brothers.
"I'll respond to his letter later," she said quietly to herself, "I think I'm going to call Holly, and see if I'm aloud over." She picked up her cell phone, and dialed.
"Hello?" Holly had answered sleepily.
"Holly! Guess who?"
"The evil person that never calls me during the school year?"
"Yes, the evil person who has her head in a book most of the time, or helping Ron and Harry whenever you call me."
"Ahh, so is Ron still acting like the worlds biggest brat?"
"More so this year than any other really, Harry and Ron fought a little bit earlier in the year, but things turned out."
"And what, may I ask, happened?" The only reason Hermione didn't lie to Holly about the Wizarding world is because the trust had always been there in their relationship.
"We didn't have the enter house Quidditch matches this year, instead, they held the Triwizard Tournament. They made a new rule for safety that no one under the age of 17 was aloud to submit their names to the Goblet of Fire. Anyway, it was suppose to pick three champions, and it was tricked into believing there were four schools participating. Well, as luck would have it, Harry was the extra person."
"Ug!" Holly said, "And let me guess, Ron thought Harry entered himself?"
"How did you know?" Hermione asked surprised.
"Lucky guess."
"So, are you going to be busy today?"
"Just the usual--same shit, different day." was the response.
"Would you mind if I came over, and brought Alina along?"
"Of course! I'd love to see you after eleven months."
"I'll be over about one o'clock, it's almost noon."
"I'll see you and Alina then, eh?"
"Yep! See you then."
Silence--then,
"Hey Holly?"
"Yes mione?"
"You won't see me later."
"O, shut up! You know what I mean. Or do you want me to say, (hear you later?) if that makes you feel any better."
Hermione was giggling,
"Yes, you'll hear me later."
"Ok, hear your ugly voice soon then."
"Holls! That's not nice!"
"Whoever said my middle name was supposed to be?"
Hermione hung up the phone, and looked down beside her.
"Would you like to come to Holly's with me Hedwig, I'm not sending a reply to Harry anytime soon. Maybe you can see your friend Coils." She then leaned over the bed, and grabbed Comes the Blind Fury off the shelve, and began to read until lunch.
With Hedwig on her shoulder, and Alina walking beside her an hour later, Hermione made her way down the familiar roads to Holly's. From a distance, Hermione could see Sally, Holly's eleven-year-old sister riding her bicycle up the long winding gravel path that leads to the manor. At the bottom Alina asked,
"Why did they build a house so far from the street?"
"In case of floods, I s'pose." Hermione responded. Halfway up the path an iron gate stood in the way. Seconds later, two figures came running out of the house, and down the path. The older girl's dark blond hair rippled in the air as graceful as ocean waves, and her eyes, were the deepest midnight blue. Her height of 5-0, the small frame suggested that she weigh no more than 90 pounds soak and wet. The little girl running along side her sister had her grace and figure, but her hair was chestnut brown, and she had the softest caramel eyes.
"mione? Lina?" The older girl asked.
"Yes Holly, it's us."
As they reached the gate Alina and the Brown haired girl Molly were jumping up and down with excitement.
"I wonder how many hyper pills they've had this morning." Holly asked.
"I have no idea; Maybe Noah slipped about 10 into Lina's." Hermione whispered.
"Well, you know Mitch; he'd do anything to get rid of Molly." Holly said darkly, as she unlocked the heavy gate. The two girls passed through, and Hermione looked to her right, and read Holly's shirt.
"I Don't make mistakes, I date them."
Hermione smiled, then asked,
"So, which mistake are you dating this time?" Still chuckling, Holly said,
"Jaws."
"Your computer is giving you a load of trouble then?"
"More like globs and globs of horse manure." Holly said with a disgusted look. Hermione continued giggling, and Holly smiled and said, "So anything interesting happen in the wizarding world lately?"
"I'll tell you when we get up to your room, but yeah, some weird things have happened." The four girls ascended the stone steps to the large veranda. They walked past the many oaken tables and cast iron chairs, with there extremely comfortable and bright colored cushions. Holly reached for the door handle, and with a twist of the hand it swung to admit them.
As they entered the manor, Hermione could not help but notice all the pictures lining the walls of the large foyer. Many pictures were set in ornate wooden frames, and the pictures inside them were just as beautiful. Ever sense Hermione was a little girl; she had always admired the picture of herself and Holly. In this particular picture, the two girls were at the beach, Hermione was about 5 and Holly 9. The girls were sitting on a towel, the color of a beautiful sunset, and they were smiling as their hair fluttered behind them in the wind. Behind them, the sea was murmuring happily, and she could remember that day perfectly. There were two large staircases, the one across from them to the right lead up to parlors and bedrooms, the left one lead down to a magnificent dining room and kitchen.
The little girls flew up the marble staircase to the right, and the older girls descended the marble staircase on the left.
"Mum? mione and Lina are here." Holly called.
"In the kitchen Holls." Her mum's voice came muffled through the oak double doors at the opposite end of the large dining room. When Holly pulled open one side of the oak doors, they were met with the crazy preparation of Mrs. Davidson making dinner.
"Need any help?" Holly asked. Ever sense Holly and Hermione were little, they always enjoyed to help Mrs. Davidson cook.
"No girls, you go back upstairs and catch up." When they left the kitchen, Hedwig jumped off Hermione's shoulder and perched herself on top of Holly's head.
"Harry sent you a letter I'm guessing?"
"Yeah, I thought Hedwig and Coils could have some quality time together."
"I'm not sure if quality time means releasing my snake to chase Hedwig around my room for a half an hour. They torment each other; I'm surprised Coils hasn't eaten Hedwig."
"Yes, but you have to admit it's pretty amusing."
"Very," Holly said, "but how do you think Harry would take it if he knew that is beautiful snowy owl gets chased by my 10-foot-long snake."
Hermione chuckled, and said,
"I'm sure he wouldn't like it very much."
The girls ascended the second flight of stairs by now, and they saw in the front parlor 3 out of the 5 youngest children sitting around the television set. Off this room were individual parlors and bedrooms. The two made their way around the couches and tables, and entered the fifth room off to the left.
When they entered the small parlor, Coils was lying across the back of the couch, and she lifted her head when the girls came in. Holly walked over and patted her on the head, and the snake pulled itself up over her shoulders and pretended to take a bite out of the owl. Hermione smiled as Hedwig fluttered over and perched on her head, and Coils lunged after her, wrapping the girls in a loose squeeze. Coils then slithered to the ground, and took her position on the couch. Holly and Hermione left Coils to lounge, while they went into the bedroom.
As Hermione sat on the bed, Holly shut the door and asked,
"Ok, what happened this time?"
Hermione took a deep breath then said,
"I'll tell you the highlights, just the important stuff."
As Hermione finished the story, Holly said,
"So let me get this straight. Harry didn't put his name into the Goblet of Fire; Ron assumed Harry did and stopped talking to him for a while; Harry battled a dragon, (Hungarian horntail,) and after, Ron finally came to his senses; Then Harry had to find a way to breathe under water for about an hour, (and used gillyweed;) now we come to the Yule Ball, and Ron is to thick headed to realize that you are a girl in time, and in the third task, the cup that was placed in the maze ended up to be a portkey, and he comes back with a dead student saying Voldemort's alive; and to top it off! There was an impostor of Alastor Mad-eye Moody roaming the castle, and you say he transfigured him into Malfoy the bouncing ferret?" Holly finished at last looking sideways at her friend.
"Yes, and if I were you, I'd be so bewildered over what I just told you." Hermione said, looking at Holly funny.
"You want to know my secret?" Holly asked.
"Yes, please tell me."
Holly paused, then her face lit up, took a deep breath, then said,
"Books!"
Hermione waited for a moment, hoping Holly would continue, and seeing that she wasn't going to she asked,
"Books?"
Holly chuckled and said,
"Yes mione, books. You know, your best friend?"
Hermione gave her a light shove in the shoulder, then said,
"You know, you've always been my best friend."
"What about Ginny?"
"She's my magical best friend."
"And I'm your muggle one?" At the word muggle, Hermione looked at Holly funny.
(screen saver,) said the computer.
Holly got up off the bed, and walked around to her computer. She pressed the control key then waited a few seconds.
(Desktop, folder view list view. Not selected, recycle bin.) At this prompt, Holly pressed the spacebar, and then JAWS said,
(Recycle bin, selected.) She then pressed the letter M, and Jaws said,
(My Documents.) She pressed enter on the option, and Jaws said (Enter.) Holly paused for a moment, then said,
"I'll show you one of our choir songs, it's called (when I hear music) but I don't remember who composed it."
She then pressed M a few times until she heard,
(My music.) She pressed enter on this option, and Jaws spoke this action. She then pressed W, and the Media player opened and the song went like this,
"I hear music in the wind,
It waken's me to sing, a song of hope and beauty.
A melody,
A symphony.
I hear music in my heart,
Every song I sing, it caries me to yesterday.
A lullaby,
A memory.
There are many songs unsung,
So much hope to bring.
You've set my life to music,
I'll sing on, I'll sing on, I'll sing on, I'll sing on,
Ah
You've left an imprint,
You've left an imprint on my heart.
You have taught me how to love,
You have taught me how to live, a life that's filled with music, a passion yet to give.
When I hear laughter.
when I hear singing.
When I hear music.
I think, I think, of you.
Of you."
As the choir's soft Harmony faded away, Holly said,
"It was the song for the seniors, and as you know, I was one of them."
Hermione looked at her friend for a moment, and pulled her into a hug saying,
"I wish I could have gone to the concert, I really enjoy watching you do things with the other students in your school, not like the outcast you are."
"And you missed Track conference too."
"How'd you do?"
"I got second in the Standing Long Jump. Second in the 600 Meter Run, and second in the Triple Jump. And did I forget that Brennan dragged me around the track when we ran the 1200 meter Co-ed Tandem?"
"I thought you ran that one by yourself?"
"Well, I would have if Mr. Curtis hadn't changed my events. And besides, Charlotte was failing, and she was supposed to run with him. I just happened to be the only other option." Holly moved away from the computer and picked up a odd looking machine.
"Holls, What time is it?" Hermione asked. Holly put her hands on the front underside of the machine and pulled on the leather flap. The machine was small, with 9 keys, and many buttons below the 9 keys. The keys were a ugly dark green, and the rest of it was a shiny silver. She then pulled down on the left flap to flip the switch to turn it on. Holly put her hands on the black strip under the many buttons then pressed a key combination, and said,
"3:24."
This machine was called a (BrailleNote.)
"Want to go for a walk around the neighborhood?" Hermione asked.
"Sure! Let me get my cane, unless you want to do sighted guide." She paused for a moment, and then added, "On second thought, I may wish to take it; you might attempt to run me into pillars or polls."
Hermione mock glared at her and asked,
"Now why would I ever want to do a thing like that?"
With a smile, Holly picked up her folding cane, and pulled the string that held it together. The cane twisted its way unfolded, and Holly took the grip, and gently tapped Hermione with it. The cane had a black golf grip, two sections were white, and the bottom was red, and at the very end, she had a marshmallow tip, or the proper word was (roller tip,) attached to the end.
"Hay!" Not fare."
"Whoever said I had to be?" When the two girls left the bedroom, Coils was still on the couch, and Hedwig was perched on the snake's coils. Hedwig saw the girls come out, and with a swoosh of her wings; Hedwig was now perched on Hermione's shoulder. Hermione and Holly ascended the stairs to the foyer, and went on their walk.
A/N: Hmm, comments? questions? thoughts? Suggestions? Let's see, life, college finals? tell you much? They are next week. I'll tell you, caffeine and I really don't mix, the disabilities services woman bought me a caramel cappuccino on Tuesday, and I was still bouncing off the walls on Wednesday. Here's a question for you: Have any idea what the mysterious person's condition/impairment is? Remember, I appreciate reviews! Tell me what you think!