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Chapter 14
As Hermione took her favourite seat at the table in the library, she decided that she needed to make a list. A pro's and con's list for each of the four guys she found herself trying to consider. But who do I start with, she asked herself, as she pulled out a notebook of parchment and her favourite quill and ink. I guess let's start at the beginning she decided, writing Draco Malfoy at the top of the first piece of parchment. Underneath she made two columns, one labelled pro and the other labelled con.
"Is that really how you are going to try to make the most important decision of your life?" a voice she recognized well asked.
Hermione looked up at the red head girl and the black haired boy that stood in front of her. "What are you doing in here?"
"We came to help you," Harry replied, taking one of the seats across from her, as Ginny did the same.
"And what exactly do you think you are going to be helping me with?"Hermione asked, pulling her quill down, leaning back in her seat and folding her arms across her chest.
"We are going to help you decide who's the best chose for you, Hermione," Ginny announced, grinning widely.
"What?" the brown haired witch exclaimed completely confused as to what Ginny had just said.
"She said that we are going to help you decide who is right for you,"Harry repeated slowly as if she were a small child.
"I heard her, I just don't know how you could help,"she replied,putting her head down on the table. All of a sudden she had a massive headache.
"Hermione, you are putting too much pressure on yourself," Ginny replied, reaching across the table and patting the girls arm.
"You are trying to figure all of this out on your own, when you don't have to. You were there for me several times when no one else was," Harry added.
Hermione looked up, smiling slightly at two of her favourite people. "I appreciate what you are trying to do, but you can't make this decision for me. I'm having a hard enough time trying to make it myself," she admitted.
"That's why you need us. You need someone who will listen to everything you are thinking and feeling; to help you sort everything out," Ginny replied.
"Help you weed the great from the exceptional," Harry added, earning a glare from his fiance' for stealing the line she had previously used.
"Did you steal that line from Ginny?" Hermione asked amused, taking in Ginny's annoyed expression.
"I could have come up with it," Harry replied defensively, causing both girls to laugh.
"Of course you could, love," Ginny assured her fiance' patting his back to her best friend, she sighed. "Hermione, please. Let us help you. We can't make the decision, you're right about that, but we can help you by being your sounding board; by being the people you bounce your thoughts off of." Hermione looked over at her friends, knowing that they really did want to help her. She knew they would listen to everything she said and give their opinions when she asked for it. There was just one thing she was worried about.
"Ginny, three of the four guys happen to be your brother," she started, but was cut off.
"Hermione, I don't care who you chose. Yes, they are my brothers, but they all knew what they were doing when they decided to pursue you," the red head assured her friend.
"Are you sure?" Hermione asked.
"One hundred percent positive."
"You're going to let us help you, right?" Harry asked, grinning as he watched his best girl friend struggle to find a reason not to let them help.
"Yes, you may," she sighed, causing Ginny to squeal in excitement.
"Shh! Madam Pince is going to throw us out if you can't control your volume," Hermione whispered, smiling at her.
"Sorry. So, how can we help you?" Ginny asked, eager to get started.
"I was about to make a pros and cons list. I suppose you could help me with that," Hermione said, showing them the piece of parchment that held Draco's name at the top.
"Do you really think that making a pros and cons list is the best way to try and figure out who you want to be with? I mean, don't you think it would be smarter to spend time with each of these guys in normal everyday situations and see how they handle themselves? To see if you could live with them for the rest of your life?" Harry asked.
Hermione and Ginny looked at Harry in shock, astonished at what he had just suggested.
"What?" he asked defensively, wondering why both of the ladies were still staring at him.
"Since when did you become so smart?" Hermione asked.
"I think that is the best idea I've ever heard you have. Besides choosing to ask me to marry you, of course," Ginny said, kissing Harry on the cheek.
"I just think its crazy to make such an important decision on a piece of paper," Harry replied.
"I agree," Hermione decided, taking that piece of parchment out of her notebook and balling it up.
"So, who are you going to see first?" Ginny asked.
"I need to tell Charlie about Fred. I suppose I'll walk down and have a talk with him before curfew," the brown haired girl stood from her seat.
"We'll see you back in the common room," Ginny replied, waving as Hermione walked out of the library.
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"'Ermione! It's good to see you," Hagrid exclaimed as he gathered her up in a tight bear hug.
"Hi Hagrid," she laughed as the big man put her back on the ground. "How was your first day of class?"
"Good, good. This ye'rs first ye'rs are a rowdy bunch, eager to learn," he replied, grinning down at her. "Would you like some tea and cookies?"
"Oh no thank you. I was actually looking for Charlie. I thought he was staying here in your hut with you," she answered looking around the room, not seeing Charlie or any of his belongings.
"Charlie, huh," Hagrid said, grinning knowingly at the young witch that stood before him."He is staying 'ere, but I figure a young man like that deserved an area of his own. I helped him enlarge the back of me hut, so he could have some privacy."
"That was awfully sweet of you,Hagrid," Hermione replied.
"Only doin' what I would want someone else to do fer me," he replied, slightly embarrassed from the praise Hermione gave him."You can go around to the back of the hut and there is a door that leads to his place."
"Thank you," she hugged him tightly."I'll see you tomorrow in class."
"Have a good night," he called after her, smiling.
She walked quickly around that hut, pulling her cloak tightly around herself, blocking the cool evening air. The stars were beginning to come out, lighting up the early evening sky. Hermione knocked lightly on the door, in a hurry to get into the hut where there would surely be a warm fire.
"Hermione! What are you doing here?" Charlie grinned, pleasantly surprised to see her.
"I came to see you," she laughed as he picked her up into a hug similar to the way Hagrid had a few moments before.
"I'm glad that you did. Come in here out of the night air," he said, ushering her into the small room. Hermione looked around the cosy area that was Charlie's place. There was a small fire place in the corner, next to a tiny stove, where Charlie was putting a kettle of water on for tea. There was also a small couch and a book shelf in another corner opposite the small table and two chairs. In the last corner was a door that Hermione assumed lead to where his bed and bathroom were.
"This is very cosy," she replied, taking a seat at the table.
"Thanks. It's not a lot, but it will do until I get the house built," he said joining her at the table."How was your first day of classes?"
"It was all right. It's really weird to be back after being gone for a year," she admitted to him.
"I can relate. It's been a few years since I had classes here," he said. "How was everything else?"
"It was pretty busy. Professor McGonagall asked us to head up everything for the balls this year."
"You and Ginny? I don't know of two better people to do so. You are so organized and on task, while Ginny is all about parties and such,"Charlie replied as he got up to fix the tea.
"Actually, it's not Ginny. She asked Draco to help me out," Hermione responded.
"Draco Malfoy? Why?" he asked, bringing over the tea.
"Thank you," she said, taking a sip. "She said it was because he would have been Head Boy this year, if she hadn't done away with it for this year."
"Does she know he petitioned you?" Charlie wondered.
"She does now. It shocked her when she found out that he did and that I'm actually considering it," Hermione replied.
"I was actually a little surprised at the same thing when you did it,"Charlie admitted.
"Most people were. I just thought that everyone deserved a second chance. He was the only one at the time who had petitioned me and I didn't want the Ministry to have the total say so of who I ended up with," Hermione explained.
Charlie nodded as he took a sip of his tea."I can understand that."
Hermione smiled, happy that she wouldn't have to explain herself over and over again to him on the subject of Draco Malfoy."While you are in such an understanding mood, there's something that you need to know."
Charlie put down his cup and sighed."There's always something with you, isn't there, Ms. Granger?" he teased, grinning.
"Lately, it seems so. I thought when the war ended life would get it just seems more complicated," she replied.
"What is it that you need to tell me?" He asked.
"Well, I don't have another petition. But I am writing letters back and forth with Fred, to see if there might be anything there between us,"she informed him, carefully watching his reaction. To her utmost surprise, he started laughing.
"I knew he would figure it out,"was Charlie's reply.
"Fred would figure what out?" Hermione wondered.
"I knew how he felt about you weeks ago, but he wouldn't act on it because of George. I told him that all was fair in love and war, and that if there was even a small chance that you felt the same way about him, that he should go for it."
"Where did you hear that phrase before?" the young witch asked, surprised that Charlie used a muggle saying.
"My mum told me after the law was passed," he answered, smiling at the shocked look that was on Hermione's face.
"Your Mum? I was sure that she was livid with me that you three are all petitioning me," Hermione admitted.
"My mum, mad at you?" he asked, surprised. "She could never be upset with you. You're her favourite alongside Ginny."
"You know your mum doesn't have favourites," she replied, smiling.
"I wouldn't bet on that," he teased, standing to put their cups in the sink. "I had better walk you back to the castle before you miss curfew."Charlie offered her his hand, which she gladly excepted and walked with him back towards that castle.
"So when do you meet Malfoy to begin planning that balls?" he wondered, after a few minutes of comfortable silence.
"We are going to be meeting tomorrow after classes," she answered as they walked up the stairs to Gryffindor tower.
"Well, I hope you have fun planning," Charlie offered, stopping in front of the fat lady.
"Thank you for the tea," she said, smiling.
"Thank you for coming to see me."
"Good night, Charlie," Hermione stood on her tip toes and kissed him gently on the cheek before disappearing behind that portrait.
"Good night, Hermione," Charlie said, before turning and making his way to the Headmistress' office to have a quick conversation with her.
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As Hermione started getting her night clothes on later that night, a pecking noise startled her out of her thoughts. She quickly walked over to the window and opened it, letting the familiar bird in. Before untying the piece of parchment, she gave the owl a treat. "Thank you," she told the bird before it flew away. Grinning, she ran over to her bed and snuggled in, eager to read the letter she had been waiting for all day.
Dear Hermione,
Things were better then expected with George. He's not happy by any means but I think he understands. Now that that drama is over we can start getting to know each other better through these letters. We know a lot about each other already, but I'm sure there are small things we can learn. I suggest that we ask questions at random and we have to answer,no matter what. What do you think? Let me know.
Sweet dreams to you, my dearest Hermione.
Love,
Fred
Hermione grinned at the thought of exchanging questions with Fred Weasley. That could be interesting, she thought as she reached into the drawer in her night stand and pulled out parchment, ink and quill.
Dear Fred,
I'm glad that things went well with George. I'm worried that he'll be upset with me. I guess I'll have to wait and see. I told Charlie this evening and he actually laughed. He said something about how he knew you would figure it out. Were you talking about me behind my back, Mr. Weasley?
About the whole 'questions' things, it sounds very much like a muggle game called '20 questions'. I like the idea. Who gets to ask the first question?
Always,
Hermione
So what did you think? I hope you liked it. Sorry about being a little late on the update. Last week was...well it was horrible, but its a new week, so lets not focus on the past. :) Tell me what you think of this chapter. I want to thank my Beta, Tannya who got this back to me in less then a few hours. :) You rock. Please review...it helps on those horrible days. :) Happy Reading