Chapter 4:

Hermione set Bill's letter off to the side till after her parents and she returned from the resturant. When she got back to her room there were another two letters sitting on her desk. The first one was from Ginny and the boys. The second was from Victor Krum. She read Ginny and the boys letter first, she knew that the one from Victor Krum would be very long.

Hermione,

The boys are here bugging me. They want to know if you have finished your homework? Also they want to know if you could help them with theirs when you come over next week. I already told them to leave me and you alone. You know how well that works though.

Anyways. Mum says that we are having a surprise party for Harry the day before his birthday. We know he is suspecting one on the day of his birthday but not the day before.

So if you could be here a day earlier.

Ginny

P.S. Harry was not around when I wrote the part.

Hermione smiled at the last part. She decided to write back to both Ginny and Bill. She pulled out Bill's letter and reread it before starting to write.

Bill,

I didn't mind at all that you wrote. Ron is right. I am a good listener. So what ever you want to talk about I am here. I would never burn your letter. Having a large family can drive your bonkers. I have no doubt. I know having all of the girls in my dorm drives me bonkers. All they want to talk about is boys and makeup. While I am home all my parents want to talk about is some new peice of technology that they have for work.

What are some of your fears of the upcoming year? Are you ready to teach all of these students? I know you are right about having your mother there. I love her as a second mother, but I wouldn't want her or my biological mother there.

So write back soon. Your friend,

Hermione

BWHGBWHGBWHGBWHGBWHG

Ginny, Harry, & Ron,

G-I will be there. Can't wait!

R & H- Yes I already did my homeowrk. Do your own.

Hermione

After sending those two off Hermione turned to her letter from Victor. As usual it was over three pages long. He seemed to think he needed to write about everything and everything around him.

Hermione,

How have you been? A lot of things have been happening here in Bulgaria. There have been a few attacks by rogue Death Eaters. From what we have been able to gather over here they are trying to reorganize and bring Voldemort back. They think that where he returned once before he can do it again. We have been able to see a few wondering about. When we try and catch them they disappear. There are a few that I recognize but not to many. Lustrange brothers, L. Malfoy, and Roger Davies.

Tomorrow a few of us will be arriving in London to talk with your Ministry of Magic. We are hoping they will be able to help us. Our MOM has not had to really dealt with this before. Prehaps the Order of the Phoenix will help us too.

Hermione continued to read on about the situation over in Bulgaria. After a while he changed the subject to something more personal.

I have recently started dating a young woman here by the name of Oliva Rymano. She is from France and has moved here to study the language and history. She is wonderful, and I wish for you to meet her. She will be coming to London with us.

Your Friend,

Victor

Hermione smiled, glade that her friend had finally found someone to be with. (Who didn't want him for his fame.) Hermione wrote back telling him she would be glade to meet her when they came. After sending off the letter to Victor she laid in her bed thinking about everything she had learned. 'I just hope there isn't another war about to break out.' she thought.

BWHGBWHGBWHGBWHGBWHG

Hermione woke bright and early the next day. There waiting for her was a new letter from Bill.

Hermione,

I didn't think you would write back so quickly. Thank you though. I know what you mean about mum. She can be a little overbearing when it comes to her children, by birth or not. Last night after she got the notion she might apply for any open spots in the next year I told her that she should wait till all of her children were out of school. Though she did not like it she agreed that it might look like she was favoring you all over everyone else. I didn't have the heart to tell her that Ron and Gin wouldn't want to be smothered at school.

As of right now the only fear I have for the coming school year is making sure no one gets hurt. Though I think that may be every teachers fear. It can happen very easily around that school war time or not. Yes I am ready to teach all of the things I know. I want to pass on all of my knowledge that I can. What about your fears? Are you taking a lot of classes? Have you even figured out Never mind knowing you, I know you have already figured out what you want to do after school. Or are very close to it. Well I will talk to you later!

Bill

BWHGBWHGBWHGBWHGBWHGBWHG

Bill,

My only fear is that this war is not all the way over. Other than that school never scares me. It never has. I lstaove to learn. I may have said it before but I think you will make an excellent teacher. As I think your mother would too. Just not yet. I have yet to decide what I want to do. Though I have narrowed it down a bit. I either want to own my own bookstore, go to work in the ministry to fix a lot of these laws. Or be a transfiguring master. It might be a mix of a couple though. Cause I know we can do that. This year I am not taking as many classes as I could. Want to enjoy my last year there. I will see you at the burrow in a little while.

Hermione

Hermione sent off the letter and started to pack her bag for Hogwarts. She had decided to stay at the Weasley's house for the month till Hogwarts started. She wanted to be around her friends for what ever was about to happen.

HGBWHGBWHGBWHGBWHGBWHGBWHGBW

The morning of Harry's birthday party Hermione woke bright and early. Before the party there was to be a meeting with the order of the Phoenix. Victor Krum and the rest of the group from Bulgaria had been there for a few days. Hermione had seen Victor once and had yet to meet his new girlfriend. She suspected that she would meet the girl later in the day at the meeting. Hermione had gotten a letter the night before from Bill, saying he would be picking her up.

Hermione,

With everything that has been going on. The order thinks no one should go around by themselves. I will be coming tomorrow morning at 11 am to pick you up at your house and to check the wards. Proffesor McGonagall fears that they may get attacked for their connection to you.

We will protect them as best we can. I know you probably already have your own safe guards in place for them. I hope you are safe and sound right now. Don't do anything that will put you or your family in danger.

Your friend,

Bill

Hermione smiled that he would help her. She checked all of her wards one last time before Bill was due to arrive. She checked all of the rooms and walked in to the livingroom where her parents were waiting for her.

"Do you have everything that you need?" Her mother asked. Hermione nodded and sat down next to her.

"Everything is ready. I am just waiting on Bill Weasley. He is Ron's older brother." Hermione explained once more.

"Are you going to be coming back here between today and when you go to Hogwarts?" Mr. Granger asked his daughter over his paper.

"I don't think so. If anything happens or if you are in any danger then I will. Though you shouldn't be in any danger. I have wards on the house and Bill is going to put some more on. He is a curse breaker, he knows how to put them up and take them down. They won't affect anyone who isn't magical. The only magical people who are aloud to come in and out of this house are the Weasley family, Harry, Mr. Lupin and me." Hermione explained to them both. As they sat there was a knock on the door. Hermione stood up and walked up to the door. Looking out of the peek hole she saw Bill.

"What is my birth mark and where is it?" Hermione asked as a security quetion.

"Small heart on your lower back." Bill replied. Hermione smiled and let him in.

"Good to see you Hermione." Bill said walking in. He followed her in to the livingroom and greeted her family.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. & Mrs. Granger." Bill said shaking hands with Mr. Granger and nodding to Mrs. Granger.

"And you William. Hermione has told us a lot about you." Mr. Granger replied to the young red head. Hermione smiled glad that no one felt out of place.

"I hope it was all good." Bill said smiling slightly.

"Of course it was. Would there be a reason for it not to be?" Mrs. Granger said jokingly. Mr. Granger laughed slightly at the look on the younger mans face. Hermione smiled shook her head. She knew her parents were just picking on Bill.

"No ma'am not at all. My younger brothers George and Fred are the trouble makers in our family. Pranksters through and through." Bill answered with a smile, "If it's alright with you I will check the wards now while Hermione collects her things." The Grangers nodded and the two younger people went off to do their things.

"Your parents seem like they are nice people." Bill said as he walked in to Hermiones room.

"They are. I hope you know they were just being silly. They normally don't do that." Hermione told him.

"I sorta figured that. They don't seem the type of people to be mean or any thing." Bill continued looking over all of the wards and adding a few here and there where he thought they were needed. Hermione brought both of her bags down to the livingroom and waited for him to finish. Once he was done he joined her and her parents in the room.

"Everything looks to be in order. Some other people from the order have gone to your practice and added wards there to. The only time you would be vunerable is when you are traveling. I've made a few of these necklesses for you. They are portkeys and have a few added protections for you. I request that you wear them all the time just to be safe. If anything happens all you have to do is squeeze it and say safety. It will bring you to one of the safe houses that we have set up. From there we will bring you to where Hermione is if it is safe." Bill explained. Both necklesses were plain chains. Something simple enough as not to attrack to much attention.

"Thank you. Not only for these but helping me protect my family. They are the most important thing in the world." Mr. Granger said as he took one of the necklesses. After fastening his own neckless he help his wife with his own.

"It's not a problem. Hermione has her own neckless. From the last war. Almost all of the order members do." Bill told them.

"Well I think it is time to get going. We don't want to be late for the meeting or Harry's birthday party." Hermione said as she stood and hugged both of her parents. Bill tapped on both of her bags and sent them on their way to the burrow.

"So how are we getting to the burrow?" Hermione asked as they left the house.

"We are going to apperate. There is a safe place right down the road." he told her. She nodded in reply and they walked quietly down the road to the right place. It was a little ally between two large office buildings.

"Here we go. Your gonna have to hold on to me. I am going to apperate us just out side the burrow's wards." Bill told her. Without saying a word Hermione hugged Bill and waited for the sensation that came with apperating.