Outside of her year spent at Hogwarts, Hermione could not remember the last time she had this much fun with other children. To her surprise, it wasn't just Kellen that accepted her. Wyatt and the Van Slyke twins, Dane and Thane, genuinely seemed to enjoy her company, and the only other girl of the outfit, Heidi Gall, was very friendly with her.

After an hour and a half of playing Kick the Can and Ditchum, Kellen looked at his wristwatch. "It's nine forty-five, Heidi," he exclaimed. "Your mother's expecting you at ten. I'll be happy to walk you back home if you'd like."

Heidi smiled at Kellen. "I'd like that, thanks." She stifled a giggle. "On one condition."

"What's that?" asked Kellen, his curiosity piqued.

"Your friend… our friend Hermione goes with us." She flashed a lovely smiled at Hermione, who blushed before returning the smile.

"I'm flattered you think of me as a friend, Heidi," Hermione said in a soft voice. "Thank you."

Heidi asked Hermione several questions on the walk back home. She asked how Hermione liked Minnesota so far, how she liked living in Great Britain, if they really drove on the left side of the road, and what her favorite foods were. Although she gladly answered Heidi's questions, she was taken slightly aback that a Muggle girl had accepted her so quickly. She remembered how none of the girls back in Muggle Great Britain would give her the time of day.

It also struck her as odd as how different Heidi was from herself. Hermione was a very light-complected, introverted, and studious bookworm; in contrast, Heidi was a tanned, bubbly, and athletic tomboy. Heidi told Hermione about her being the ace pitcher – and only girl – on the local baseball team. Hermione could only giggle nervously in response; she admitted she never was into sports – or physical activities in general – but she cheerfully admitted that the games she played with the other kids on the farm was a lot more fun than she's ever had. At least in the Muggle world, she thought to herself. I've had some real adventures back at the castle.

She also told Heidi that she was far from Kellen's only friend in Great Britain; in fact, he was very well-liked at their school. She explained that Kellen defended her from bullies, and that he had bravely saved two other girls' lives because he felt it was the right thing to do. She took care not to go into great detail as she didn't want to confirm her mother's suspicions that Kellen was indeed magically-gifted – not to mention that she also had Kellen's gifts – but something in the back of her mind thought that even if she did mention the magical aspects of their school, Heidi really couldn't care less. She clearly found Kellen and herself to be good company, and that was all Hermione needed to know about this girl.

It was nine fifty five by the time they reached Heidi's house. Heidi gave both Kellen and Hermione quick good-bye hugs before turning around and rushing up the stairs to go inside. Before she opened the door, she paused for a few seconds, and turned to her friends with a big smile on her face.

"Thursday after dinner… I'll try and round some kids up and we can play a game on the sandlot on the edge of town," she offered. "Are you two game?"

"Darn tootin'," replied Kellen. "I'm sure Wyatt, Dane and Thane would love to play."

Hermione, however, had a puzzled look on her face. She shook her head in confusion. "I'm sorry, I'm not sure what you two are talking about. What are you inviting me to do again?"

Heidi giggled. "Don't worry about it, Hermione. I forget you're not from around here. It's just an informal baseball game… surely Kellen's told you at least a little about baseball while you were in school?"

Hermione's face lit up. "As a matter of fact, he has. He's a huge fan of your Minnesota Twins team… some of his other friends and I even got him a… what was his name… Kirby Puckett jersey for his birthday!"

Heidi's mouth dropped. "Wow, Kellen. They must really care about you to get something that's probably next to impossible to find across the Atlantic." Her face then returned to its sweet smile. "It really sounds like you've made some wonderful friends over there. I'm really happy for you; honestly I am." She then turned back to Hermione. "You and I are about the same size… If you need a softball shirt or some comfy pants or a baseball glove, I got you covered. And don't worry, it's not that hard to play. Kellen and I will help you."

"Thanks, Heidi," murmured Hermione with appreciation. "I may take you up on your offer. I'll see you later then."

"Have a good night, you two," replied Heidi.

### ###

Tuesday and Wednesday were just as delightful as Monday. After Kellen's morning chores were finished, he and Hermione whiled away their time by walking in the pasture – there was even a fluffly little lamb that Hermione couldn't help but love on. They also got into their swim gear and swung from a tire hanging off a tree branch to jump in their pond, and spent some time indoors as well as the afternoon sun was proving to be quite hot.

They played board games such as Monopoly and Sorry, played a few rounds of eight-ball pool, and even got in a couple of jam sessions on the Steinway. Kellen just sat on the bench with Hermione, completely memorized by her dexterity on the keyboard, easily putting even his more-than-respectable piano-playing skills to shame. He even gave her an impromptu guitar lesson… he couldn't help but chuckle when she struggled holding the strings down on the fretboard, but after a couple hours' worth of practice, she was able to play a couple of simple songs on the Rickenbacker.

Wednesday evening at dinner, Mr. Grimseth informed the children about plans to go fishing the next morning. "We'll have to get up pretty early; we'll want to be out the door about five thirty. Some of the locals will have a head start as Otter Tail Lake is about an hour away."

"I've never been fishing before," admitted Hermione. "Do you boys like it?"

"Fishing is awesome," confirmed Kellen. "Sometimes there's nothing I'd rather do than to sit in the boat and suck down a couple of cans of Pepsi and munch on Doritos…" Mr. and Mrs. Granger both threw Kellen rather disapproving expressions, at which he declared, "It's not like I pig out very often; besides, I haven't had a single cavity to date and I plan to keep it that way!"

"When you come back from your little excursion, Tom and I will be inspecting all three of your mouths," Mrs. Granger said in a way that Kellen couldn't tell if she was actually serious or not.

Mrs. Grimseth chuckled. "Is that really necessary, Margot? Kellen's right – his dental record is spotless. Even Wyatt hasn't had a cavity yet, and I figured that little rapscallion would be the one with a dozen fillings!" She gave the adult Grangers a reassuring smile. "I'm a veterinarian and not a dentist like yourselves, but I have enough of a background in oral care to keep tabs on the boys… after all, I do have to clean and even pull the occasional sheep or dog tooth!"

Mrs. Granger smiled at Mrs. Grimseth. "I was mostly joking, Kay. Seeing as we're on holiday, I figured Hermione can indulge a little, but as you already know, you can't underestimate the importance of oral hygiene. Like your boys, she's also had a perfect dental record." She then sighed. "Even with impeccable oral habits, some things are beyond her control. After her next term in Scotland concludes, I think we're going to have to send her to an orthodontist to fix that gap of hers." She then gave Hermione a kindly look. "I know you can be very self-conscious of that gap, 'Mione love. If all goes well; by Christmas of your fourth year in Scotland, you'll have the most beautiful smile in school."

"Eighteen months is actually not bad at all, Hermione," added Mrs. Grimseth with a warm smile. "I had to get braces when I was your age… I had them for three years!" She couldn't help but giggle like a schoolgirl. "Why, I had that same gap between my front teeth, as a matter of fact! I can show you one of my photo albums if you're curious."

"I've seen pictures of Mum as a schoolgirl in the late 1960s," chimed in Kellen. "She went to a private prep school… in fact, the uniform she wore wasn't all that different than what we have to wear… minus those itchy robes, of course." He chuckled softly. "I think you'll be in for a bit of a surprise when you see those old pictures."

This got Hermione's attention. "I've got to see this," she said with an inquisitive expression on her face.

Mrs. Grimseth smiled. "I'll bring out some old photos in a little bit."

### ###

About forty five minutes later, all of the Grangers and Grimseths congregated in the living room as Mrs. Grimseth set down a cardboard box full of books and photo albums. She plucked the top-most book from the box – Burroughs Preparatory School for Girls – 1967-68. She sat between Kellen and Hermione on their brown plush couch and began turning pages.

"I was about your age in this book, I believe," she told the elder children. She cocked her head. "Now that I think about it, I'd have been the year ahead of you." She casually flipped the pages to her year, until she stopped at a very familiar entry: Moultrie, Kay P.

The picture wasn't a big deal to Kellen as he'd seen it numerous times before; however, Hermione was completely mesmerized by the grainy color photograph of the smiling girl. Kellen was right; the uniform did rather resemble what they wore at Hogwarts – Kay was wearing the same starched white dress shirt, a blue plaid sweater vest and matching necktie. But that wasn't what surprised Hermione the most… Kay's shoulder-length hair had a familiar bushiness about it, and her caramel eyes certainly hit home… and then there was the smile itself. Kay had the same quarter-inch gap between her front teeth! "Omigod," whispered Hermione. "It's sort of like going back in time… and looking at my reflection."

"I know what you mean," chuckled Kellen. "You two do look a little bit alike, yes… but your nose and lips are shaped somewhat differently than my mum's. And she had more freckles."

Mrs. Grimseth closed the book over her index finger to let Mr. and Mrs. Granger have a look. Mr. Granger did a double-take when he saw the picture of Mrs. Grimseth, and then looked at his daughter. Mrs. Granger merely smiled. "You were a lovely schoolgirl, Kay," she told Mrs. Grimseth.

"Well thank you," Mrs. Grimseth said with a chuckle. She found a couple more yearbooks – the 1968-69 edition, which showed her with her braces; and the 1971-72 edition, the year she graduated from secondary school. She wore the same type of uniform again, but she wore a navy blazer over her shirt and sweater this time. She showed all three Grangers the "after" photo – her hair was still shoulder-length, but was light and bouncy this time. There weren't any pimples to mar her flawless, practically glowing skin. Her light amber eyes sparkled in ways her previous photos didn't… and her teeth… well, they were beautiful this time. The quarter-inch gap between her front teeth had disappeared… this girl – no, young woman – radiated confidence.

Mrs. Grimseth smiled at Hermione. "You're far prettier now than I ever was," she said in a way that wasn't in a patronizing tone; rather she said it in a way that she felt it to be the Gospel truth. "I went to an all-girls school, so I didn't do a lot of dating before university. I didn't think myself as being very attractive when I was a teenager, that's for sure." She turned her attention toward the adult Grangers. "Margot? Tom? I'm off tomorrow; would you care to accompany me on horseback? It's going to be exceptionally nice tomorrow; I'm sure you could use the fresh air. There's a trail out back…"

"That would be lovely, Kay," purred Mrs. Granger. "I haven't ridden in years!"

### ###

At five fifteen the next morning, Mr. Grimseth knocked on the door of the guest cottage. Mrs. Granger opened the door, her eyelids barely able to stay open. "Oh, hi Mark," she said in a tired voice. "I remember you asking Hermione to go with you and your boys out on the lake today. I'll go wake her up…"

"Thanks," replied Mr. Grimseth. "I have some breakfast burritos, some fruit and milk for the kids in the Suburban, so she just needs to get changed." The nippy air was evident, as little plumes of vapor escaped from his lips. "She might want to bring a light jacket or a blanket or something… it's not even fifty degrees… but it won't stay this cool for long."

"I'll go fetch her now," offered Mrs. Granger. "Is fifteen minutes enough time, do you think?"

"That should be fine," grumbled Mr. Grimseth. "The boys and I will be waiting out front."

Precisely fifteen minutes later, Hermione emerged from the front door, huddled in a blanket. "Oh Merlin," she said through chattering teeth. "It's practically freezing outside!" She climbed in the rear of the sport utility vehicle and took her spot between Kellen and Wyatt.

"Good morning, Hermione," chuckled Kellen. "You're not far off… it's 48 degrees outside… or 9 degrees Centigrade, if you prefer."

"Swot," replied Hermione.

Kellen grinned. "Takes one to know one." He then handed Hermione a small carton of lowfat milk, a Granny Smith apple, and a small bag of strawberries. "The milk comes from the store, but the fruit's from our farm. Doesn't get any fresher than this…"

Hermione took a bite of the apple and smiled. "This is delicious," she said. "I don't think words can accurately describe what a lucky boy you are, Kellen."

Kellen smirked. "If we get back early enough, would you like to pick strawberries? The patch is just a stone's throw from the horse barn."

"That would be wonderful," sighed Hermione as she bit into the strawberries. "And the strawberries are divine!"

Kellen's face lit up. "Aren't they? Maybe you could take some home with you; we should have some containers that should survive a nine-hour flight across the Atlantic."

It was about six thirty when they rolled into a small bait shop outside of Otter Tail Lake. Mr. Grimseth bought a couple dozen nightcrawlers and a few munchies for good measure. It was about seven by the time they got on the lake. Mr. Grimseth cranked the engine and steered the boat to one of the deeper parts of the lake, based on his electronic fish sensor. He shut the engine off, and dropped anchor. "All right, let's rig up," he said.

Kellen grabbed his pole and tied a bright green weighted hook, then opened up one of the dirt-filled Styrofoam cups, and plucked out one of the wriggling worms near the top, and hooked it twice.

"Do you need some help with your pole, miss?" Mr. Grimseth asked Hermione. "I'm guessing you haven't been fishing before."

"I'd like that, thanks," replied Hermione. Mr. Grimseth chuckled as he grabbed a medium-sized pole and tied a purple weighted hook to it; he then skewered one of the nightcrawlers with the hook then threw the hook in the water. He handed the rod and reel to Hermione. "Press the button on your reel to give it a little slack," he suggested. "When you've hit bottom, the fishing line will stop spinning. Just crank the reel two or three times; the fish you really want to catch usually lurk a foot or two from the bottom."

After all four lines had been cast, they waited. And waited. And waited. By seven forty five, nothing had happened. Hermione sighed. "Is this how fishing is supposed to go?"

Kellen burst into laughter. "More or less, yeah."

Hermione shook her head, exasperated. "But… it's so… boring!"

"Fishing is an art more than a sport," Mr. Grimseth offered. "It's a great way to hone your skills in patience."

"If you're really that bored, I brought my Game Boy," Wyatt said. He snickered as he turned to Hermione. "I still can't believe you womped my brother in Street Fighter 2." Kellen did an immediate face-palm.

"Strategy and puzzle games are more my forte," Kellen said. "Y'know… games where you have to actually think instead of mash buttons blindly."

Wyatt couldn't help but gloat. "That's loser talk, Kel. Not my problem that you suck at real video games."

"I can beat you in Tetris in my sleep," Kellen retorted. "And let me know when you beat Wolfenstein 3-D with max kills, points, and treasure."

"Pfft," scoffed Wyatt. "You're not impressing anyone, lame-brain. Do yourself a favor, and stay in your…" He was cut off by a sudden yelp from Hermione.

"MY POLE IS TWITCHING! WHAT DO I DO?" she asked frantically.

"Jerk up on it, but not too hard," Mr. Grimseth said. "You want to set the hook, but you also don't want to tear it out of its mouth."

As Hermione tugged up on her pole in an effort to set the hook, Mr. Grimseth reached in a nook underneath him to retrieve a short net. "Slowly crank your reel, Hermione. When it gets close enough, I'll nab it with this here net."

"Okay," she breathed. She deliberately cranked her reel as her pole continually bent at a nearly ninety degree angle. Eventually, she saw something shiny and scaly just under the water surface… she had a big fish on her hook!

Mr. Grimseth leaned over to scoop the fish up with the net. He grabbed the fish tightly to hold its fins down as he took the hook out of its mouth. "Walleye," he said casually. "Good size one too. A solid three pounds. About a half dozen more of these and we can have a fish fry tonight." He turned toward Kellen. "Hey kiddo, how about you turn on that live well?"

Kellen flipped a small black switch on the side of the boat, and a tank began filling with water. When the tank reached the three-quarter full mark, he turned the switch off, and Mr. Grimseth threw the fish in the live well.

It wasn't long before the fish started biting in earnest. By ten thirty, everyone had caught their limit, so they picked up anchor and headed dockside. Despite the slow start, Hermione had to admit she had some fun on the boat. It was about lunchtime by the time they got back to the farm, and Pernille already had sandwiches and lemonade ready for the kids.

As they were finishing lunch, there was a sharp knocking on the front door. Kellen got up from the kitchen table to answer it, and to his surprise, it was Heidi Gall that was waiting.

"Hiya Kellen," she said cheerily. "I tried coming over earlier, but your grandmother said that you were at the lake and to come back around this time. How'd you do?"

"Oh, we all caught our limit," Kellen replied with a coy grin. "What's up, Heidi?"

"Not much," she said. "I just wanted to let you know that there's going to be quite a few kids interested in playing this evening… it should be fun. Though, I gotta warn you, Dieter Freitag's going to be there… so, erm, try your best to ignore him, mmkay?"

Kellen let out an exasperated sigh. "How serendipitous."

Heidi poked her head in the house. "Say, is that English friend of yours around by any chance? I was rather hoping we could go to Buckley's for ice cream…"

"Yeah," Kellen said. "She's at the kitchen table. So, just the three of us?"

Heidi shook her head and smiled sweetly. "I meant, just us girls. Sorry, Kel."

"Oh," Kellen replied. He shrugged. "That's okay I s'pose… I probably should help my dad clean the fish we caught anyway." He returned to the kitchen to tell Hermione that Heidi invited her to get some ice cream. She did seem a little disappointed that Kellen wasn't invited, but he assured her that it's okay, and it'd be good for her to spend some one-on-one time with a girl around her own age anyway.

Heidi greeted Hermione with a cheerful smile. "Hiya, Hermione! How does ice cream sound? On me?"

Hermione returned the smile. "That would be wonderful, thank you."

As the two girls walked down the gravel road that led back to town, the two engaged in small-talk.

"You really like Kellen, don't you?" Heidi asked. "He's a sweetheart, donchaknow."

"I really do," replied Hermione softly. "And he really is… I can't rightly describe him, other than that he's just so… unique." She looked into Heidi's bright blue eyes, then cleared her throat. "You're fond of him yourself, aren't you?"

Heidi sighed. "I am," she admitted. "And you hit the nail on the head… he really is unique." She tilted her head downward. "Do you fancy him… like, would you be interested in dating him someday? Maybe even marrying him?"

Hermione blinked. She didn't respond right away, but this girl had been nothing but kind to her ever since they met the other night, so she felt obligated to respond. "Well… that thought had occurred to me…"

Heidi flashed a knowing smile. "I kind of figured it would. Look, Hermione… I want you to promise me something. I want you to take care of Kellen when you're at school, because I won't be there for him. And I have this feeling that you can do things for him that I can't… I'm not going to lie, I'm a little jealous, but he deserves the best… he deserves you."

She paused, and Hermione could sense that tears were forming in Heidi's eyes. Heidi began to sniffle. She turned to Hermione. "I think you're a witch," she declared, point-blank. Hermione's shocked expression didn't go un-noticed by Heidi, who simply smiled. "It's okay," Heidi continued. "I actually think that's really cool." She shook her head. "While my mom wasn't very diplomatic in how she described Kellen, I do think she's right about him having… y'know… special powers. I think this school the both of you go to has something to do with that…" Tears began streaming down her cheeks. "Please know that I'll always be his friend… I may not understand his gifts… your gifts, but please believe me - I will never say an unkind word about him. I'll never say an unkind word about you either…"

Hermione stopped to take all of this in. Without another word, she gently embraced Heidi. "You're right… I am a witch, Heidi," she murmured. "And Kellen's unique even in the wizarding world… he's more than a mere wizard… he's a shaman. His grandmother told me as much." She pondered her next words carefully, thinking of a way to describe her new world in a way that Heidi could understand. "Not every… no-maj is like you, Heidi. You've been nothing but kind and open-minded even after you've figured out that I have Kellen's gift."

She looked downward, and sighed. She softened her tone, sounding almost sad. "There are some, however, that loathe or fear magic and those who can use it. Kellen and I have a very good friend from school named Harry that was treated horribly by his non-magical aunt and uncle… my heart truly breaks for him. My parents, and Kellen's parents for that matter, would gladly take him as a foster son… but there's so much bureaucratic bullshit in both the magical and non-magical worlds that getting him out of his current household is virtually impossible. It's utter rubbish because he's every bit the sweetheart Kellen is. He deserves so much better."

Heidi nodded, her eyes still moist. A couple more tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. "Poor Harry," she murmured. "I'm sure he is a very kind boy… but we should take heart. I don't know him like you or Kellen do, but nothing makes him feel like he's worth something more than having you and Kellen as friends. I'm sure he adores the both of you." She managed a cockeyed smile. "I take it that most of your friends are boys."

Hermione smiled knowingly. "Now that I think about it… yes, most of my friends are boys. For a little while, all my friends were boys, in fact."

"I know the feeling," Heidi giggled. "Most of my friends are boys too… but while it's nice to be 'one of the guys', there are just some things we can't experience together… y'know, biology and all…"

Her giggling intensified. "I've never been much of a 'girly girl', but had I known you a year or two earlier, I might have been down for a tea party – including the frilly pink dress and white gloves." She then cocked her head. "Were you the resident smarty pants in school, by any chance?"

Hermione's eyes widened. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

Heidi giggled again. "You dress preppy, you have an advanced vocabulary… and you clearly give Kellen the intellectual stimulation he needs. He needs a smart girl to keep him in line, and you come across as very bright."

"You seem to be fairly sharp yourself," offered Hermione. "After all, you've made some accurate assessments about me so far."

Heidi shook her head. "I'm not as gifted as either of you… don't get me wrong, I'm smart and I'm a good student, but I can't talk to Kellen about trigonometry or the origins of the universe or anything…"

Hermione threw her head back, laughing. "I know a little bit about trigonometry, but I know about as much as you do about astrophysics. Kellen's just on another level, I think. He has an IQ that's within spitting distance of 200… a good 50 or 60 points higher than my own!"

"I wish mine was 140," Heidi said. "Last I recall, mine's about 120. Not quite genius-level, but I think they call it 'gifted' if memory serves." She smiled. "Kellen's just… unreal. He's the smartest person I've ever met, but he doesn't look down on anyone else."

"It's one of the biggest reasons I'm…" Hermione sighed. "Falling in love with him," she finished in a rather embarrassed-sounding whisper; her cheeks reddening.

Heidi started giggling, but the giggles increased to full-on belly laughs. "It's okay, Hermione. I suspected as much… besides, who am I going to tell? I know you two are not an item yet, but you're well on your way. I think there's a power beyond my understanding that brought you two together." Her bright baby blues locked on Hermione's amber eyes. "I see the two of you having some ridiculously smart babies someday," she added with a wink. "Ridiculously cute, too."

### ###

Being on the edge of town, Buckley's Ice Cream was nearly two miles from the farm, so it took about a half hour to get there on foot. To Hermione's shock, it resembled a backyard storage shed in shape and size – it had a sliding window and single attendant, and five circular tables surrounding it with umbrellas to provide shade. The girls approached the window to glance over the menu, which listed a surprising number of options. Hermione never had much of a sweet tooth – save for fruit – so she thought a smallish bar of chocolate-dipped vanilla ice cream would both hit the spot, and leave her ample room for dinner. Heidi, on the other hand, enjoyed indulging on sweets, though she was usually just as happy to have fresh-picked berries as ice cream.

"One dilly bar and one double-scoop cherry ice cream cone, please," Heidi told the attendant after the girls had a chance to look over the menu. She pulled out a five-dollar bill from her front pocket. Hermione freaked out – she couldn't help but whisper "Omigod!" and clap a hand to her mouth as she noticed that the top third of Heidi's right middle finger was missing.

When the girls got their respective treats and sat down at one of the tables, Heidi gave Hermione a strange look. "What was that all about?" she asked.

Hermione looked downwards, clearly embarrassed. "Your… your hand… I'm so sorry," she whispered.

Heidi could only giggle. "My hand? Oh… you must mean my little birdie! Don't worry about it, Hermione, seriously. It's just a minor birth defect – nothing actually happened to me. In fact, it comes in wicked handy when I pitch… my little birdie gives my curveball a nasty drop! You'll see it in action tonight!"

"If it's possible for me to learn an enchantment that can regrow missing digits… would you ever want me to… you know… make it complete?" Hermione asked coyly.

Heidi smiled and shook her head 'no'. "That's very kind of you to offer, but… I rather like my little birdie just the way it is. It makes me, well, me."

Hermione returned the smile. "I don't know if you get told this very often, since you're a tomboy with what you call a 'little birdie'… but you really are a very pretty girl, Heidi. Has Kellen ever told you that?"

"Thanks," replied Heidi, between licks of her cone. The corners of her lips pulled upward. "He has, actually. Has he told you that you're pretty? You're a beautiful girl yourself."

"Numerous times," replied Hermione, her cheeks pinkening. "And he has this knack for telling me that I'm beautiful at times when I feel positively hideous… he really knows how to cheer a girl up when she's feeling blue." Heidi gave Hermione a slow nod with a knowing smile, which she returned. Hermione took a dainty bite of her dilly bar. "This is some good ice cream, by the way."

"That he does," admitted Heidi. "And isn't it? They get their ingredients from a local dairy farm about fifteen miles from town, so it's about as fresh as it gets!"

"For sure," agreed Hermione. "Now Heidi… I'm returning to the United Kingdom on Sunday, and I'll be leaving with Kellen and his family for the Twin Cities Saturday morning to do a little shopping and sightseeing with my family… I know this is a roundabout way of asking, but would you like to exchange addresses before I head home? You're the only non-magical girl that I've ever considered a friend… that's a huge deal for me."

"I'd be delighted," squeaked Heidi. "I've got a pen pal from New Zealand actually… her name's Amelia. It'd be cool to have another from the British Isles!" She arched an eyebrow. "You don't have a pen and paper handy, do you?"

"Hello, resident bookworm here," Hermione said with a giggle. "I'm almost literally never without scratch paper and a writing utensil." She dug into her pocket and produced a click-top pen and a notepad. She neatly wrote down her address and tore off the top page and handed it to Heidi. She then gave the pen and pad to Heidi. "Your turn."

Heidi wrote her address in a surprisingly neat, loopy cursive that was even lovelier than Hermione's handwriting, and handed the pen and pad back to her friend. "I'll start writing tomorrow, so you can have something to look forward to when you head back home," offered Heidi. "Now, I'm pretty busy most of the time as I'm in multiple sports throughout the year, plus I'm in the school orchestra…"

"No way!" exclaimed Hermione. "What do you play?"

"Cello," replied Heidi. "I took private violin lessons for a couple of years, but I switched to cello a couple of months after I joined the intermediate school orchestra." She smiled at her friend. "The violin was fine, but I definitely prefer the cello… don't get me wrong, the violin makes beautiful music, but the cello has a broader range and a richer sound than the violin."

"I tried my hand at the violin myself a couple of years ago," replied Hermione, "but needless to say… it really wasn't for me. I stuck with the piano and that's good enough for me."

Heidi smiled. "Kellen plays the piano… he plays it beautifully. Have you heard him yet?"

"Yes, last year at Christmas at my parents' house, actually. He played that Peanuts theme song for me… he is very good, yes," replied Hermione with a giggle. "I still can't get over the fact that his parents own a Steinway baby grand, and it's a beautiful specimen at that." She cleared her throat. "Yes, Kellen is a talented pianist, but I don't think he had the passion for it that I did." She threw Heidi a sneaky grin. "His passion is the guitar, and Oh. My. Goodness. He blows my mind whenever he plays. And he's got a lovely singing voice as well… a pitch-perfect tenor."

Heidi just smiled. "He's played the guitar for me as well, both his acoustic and his father's Rigamaroll or whatever it's called. I think his old man was in an Eric Clapton tribute band in his high school and college years; he was a fair player himself. But I don't think Mark is anywhere as good as Kellen… the kid's sensational. He could be a session musician if he really wanted to; there's some good money in that as they record and sometimes even tour with some big-time acts. Session musicians are in demand because they're the best-of-the-best; they're often better than the main band themselves!"

Hermione laughed so hard she snorted. "I think it's called Rickenbacker. I had trouble remembering the name of it too, so I'm glad I'm not the only one. And speaking of tribute bands, my daddy was in a Beatles cover band during his high school and university days as well! He has a Fender, erm, Stratocaster – I'm pretty sure that's what Kellen said – and Kellen played that for me at Christmas too! He definitely enjoys popular music, but he's a natural when it comes to playing classical music… have you heard him play Debussy's Arabesque #1? He's just… unreal."

"Ask him to play Hungarian Rhapsody sometime," suggested Heidi. "You won't regret it. I've only heard him play it on his acoustic guitar, but I suspect he can nail it on the piano too."

Hermione nodded. "That's a notoriously difficult song, regardless of instrument." She tilted her head upwards and bit her lip. "Erm, Heidi? You said something about tea parties a few minutes ago… and while it's not a party, per se, would you maybe want to come over to the farmhouse tomorrow afternoon, say three-ish, for some Norwegian spruce tea and a light snack? I haven't actually tried Pernille's tea yet, but I had it in Scotland, and it's very pleasing to the palate. I know I can think of a way to get Kellen to scat for a little bit if you want it to be just the girls…"

Heidi looked upward in thought. "That sounds delightful," she replied after mulling it over. "I mean, I have no problem with Kellen being there – it's his house after all – but if you want it to be just us two and his grandmother, I'm game." She paused to think again. "Just like back home, huh? Three o'clock should work, but I'll need to double-check first. I'll let you know at game time tonight for sure."

Hermione snickered. "You better get to ironing that pink frilly dress soon…"

Heidi rolled her eyes. "And I suppose I'll need to spit-shine my Mary Jane shoes too… yeah, not happening."

Both girls burst into laughter.

### ###

Hermione and Heidi returned to the Grimseths' farm about an hour later. They hugged each other goodbye as Heidi continued on to her house. Heidi promised that she'd return to the farmhouse at seven so she could get a ride to the municipal park for the game.

Pernille was the first one to greet Hermione as she entered the farmhouse. "Hello, Hermione. I hope you enjoyed your time with Heidi." She had a knowing twinkle in her eye… a twinkle that was a little reminiscent of Professor Dumbledore.

"I did, Pernille," replied Hermione. She looked down toward the floor. "Erm, as tomorrow is our last full day on the farm… would you make some spruce tea after lunch? Say, about three o'clock? I rather miss having afternoon tea."

"Of course, my child," trilled Pernille. She again had that knowing twinkle in her eye. "I'll be sure to have plenty of tea and some fudge-dipped shortbread cookies ready for tomorrow afternoon. I recall Heidi being partial to those, the few times she's been over…"

Hermione cocked her head. "How did you know I invited her?"

Pernille's shoulders shrugged only a bit. "Just an old woman's hunch, I suppose. Oh, and we'll be having a fish fry this evening… Kellen helped his father clean what you all caught; they got thirty two fillets! I think that should be enough to feed everyone tonight."

Hermione nodded. "So… where's Kellen and Wyatt?"

"I believe they're downstairs playing some sort of electronic gaming system that I'm not very familiar with. I'm sure they'll be happy to have you join them," Pernille answered softly.

Hermione breathed a quick 'thank you' to Pernille, then made her way downstairs to join the boys. Sure enough, they were sitting in plush recliners in front of the television, thumbs going rat-a-tat on their controllers. Hermione took a quick glance at the screen – it looked like they were playing a particularly intense round of Street Fighter 2.

"In yo' face, Wyatt," crowed Kellen. "I guess I don't suck as much as you think…"

Wyatt blew a raspberry at his elder brother. "You just got lucky, jerkface."

"Luck? I've owned you all afternoon, and you know it," Kellen replied with defiance.

A familiar British accented-voice pierced the din. "I'll settle this if you don't mind… you both suck."

Kellen and Wyatt turned around, surprised to see Hermione. "Hermione! I didn't expect you to be back already," creaked Kellen. "So… did you and Heidi have a good time?"

"We did," confirmed Hermione in a saccharine tone. "She's coming over for tea tomorrow at three…" She threw Kellen a sneaky grin. "And you're not invited. You and Wyatt can… resolve your differences then, but for now…"

She yanked the controller from Wyatt's hands, prompting a confused "Hey!" from the younger boy. She turned to Kellen. "Prepare to get your arse kicked again, Grimseth," she gloated.

"Forget it, Hermione," countered Kellen. "I was a gentleman last time, but you're going to have to earn it today."

"You're such a Gryffindor," Hermione said in a low voice. "Full of bluster but you can't back it up… I'm going to call your bluff."

Kellen rolled his eyes. "That… that's just the pot calling the kettle black… you're a Gryffindor too, don't forget."

Hermione arched an eyebrow. "I'm a Ravenclaw that just so happens to sport the red and gold. You are a Gryffindor, through-and-through… you're unbelievably intelligent, but you also have no common sense whatsoever – blindly diving into a mess, and to hell with the consequences! Try using that amazing supercomputer of yours a time or two… it'll quite literally keep you alive!" Wyatt high-fived Hermione.

Kellen groaned. "Whose side are you on, Wyatt?" Wyatt threw Kellen a devilish grin and pointed at Hermione. "Hers. I hope she cleans your clock, bro."

Kellen narrowed his eyes at Wyatt, before turning back to the screen. "Let's rock." Just like last time, he chose Guile, and Hermione chose Chun-Li. Kellen held his own fairly well this time, but just found Chun-Li's speed too much to overcome.

"That was awesome," yelped Wyatt as he openly cheered Hermione on. "You totally kicked Kellen's butt."

"I guess I did, didn't I?" replied Hermione with no false modesty.

Kellen was at a loss for words. The look on his face was one of frustration; he probably felt like eating the controller.

"Again?" chirped Hermione, eager to pour on the punishment.

"Let's do it," Kellen said, though with little enthusiasm. He chose Ryu this time as he was a slightly faster character, and Hermione chose Zangief, mainly to drive the point home that she was simply better than Kellen at the game – Chun-Li's speed clearly frustrated him but she wanted to prove that she could win regardless of style.

Even with the new characters, the match went just as it did before – Kellen got pummeled in both rounds. With a heavy sigh, he conceded to both Hermione and Wyatt. "You're right… I guess I do suck at this game." He hung his head in shame, slowly got up from the recliner and without uttering a word, began trudging his way upstairs.

"Where are you going, Kellen?" asked Hermione in a much kinder tone than she used a few minutes earlier.

"Upstairs, I guess," Kellen said in a soft, sullen tone. "I… just need a little me time. Have fun beating Wyatt. I s'pose I'll see you two in a bit."

Once the door clicked shut, Hermione looked at Wyatt and shrugged. "I think your brother might have taken that a bit too personally, don't you agree?"

"I'unno, maybe," replied Wyatt. "Don't get me wrong, I think it's awesome you totally owned him – and he needs the occasional ass-kicking – but maybe it's the stuff you said about him having no common sense that's making him all mopey rather than losing some stupid game. I mean, you're right, he doesn't have a lick of it… and until he met you, the only words that would come out of his mouth when talking to other kids - especially girls - was gibberish! He couldn't even hold a conversation with Heidi! I don't know what either of you see in him… the light's on, but no one's home sometimes."

"He's rather awkward, yes, but I cannot deny his utter brilliance," said Hermione. "And you know full well what Heidi and I see in your brother. Lots of other kids do too. Kellen's been blessed with countless gifts, but his biggest gift by far is that he has a heart of gold… you're beyond lucky to have him as a brother and role model."

"Of course I know that," Wyatt retorted with a note of indignance. "I love my brother… I always have and I always will. Sure, we trash-talk each other from sun-up to sun-down but it's always light-hearted… I'd never insult him for real, and vice-versa. If Dieter Fahrvergnugen insulted Kellen to my face, darn tootin' I'd bust his lip open. And I know Kellen would do the same for me."

Hermione started giggling. "Fahrvergnugen? You're too funny. "

Wyatt smirked. "His real name is Freitag, but I like to call him Fahrvergnugen because it sounds like it's the German word for fartknocker. He's big and tough, but he's dumber than a box of rocks. Kellen picks his battles with Dieter – Kellen's a tough kid, but knows he can't beat Dieter in a straight fight, but he can think circles around that dunderhead." He shook his head in frustration. "And Dieter really pisses me off… he's called Kellen a 'freak' for several years because a few weird things have happened at school whenever kids ganged up on Kellen."

"Yeah, Heidi's mum doesn't seem to be his biggest fan either," replied Hermione. "I'm just glad she's nothing like her mum... she clearly cares for Kellen. Speaking of, where do you think the git went?"

"Upstairs to his room, probably to strum on his acoustic guitar. He tends to do that when he gets stressed out," Wyatt said. Hermione started to get up, but Wyatt waved her down. "Just give him a bit… when he needs some time, it usually means he doesn't want to be bothered by anyone for about an hour or so."

"All right," sighed Hermione. "I just don't want things to get awkward between us; we had a pretty nasty argument a few months ago in school and we didn't talk to each other for a full day. I'm not entirely sure what it was that I said that made him get up and leave, but I do want to talk things out."

"Probably the part about grizzly dorks and rainbow cords, or whatever it was that you called him. And about him acting first and then thinking instead of the other way around… I think it's the way you said it that hit close to home," replied Wyatt with a grin. "Like I said, just give him a little bit. He'll be thrilled to see you soon enough. In the meantime, perhaps you can give me some pointers on how to beat the absent-minded professor in Street Fighter 2?"