hello lovelies! it's time for another spooky story, and I decided to celebrate my birthday on halloween with a little story, that'll be updated until halloween. I hope you enjoy what I have in mind for this story; see you next chapter!
Hermione hummed under her breath, excitement cursing through her veins. It was the first day of autumn, her favourite season. The trees were just turning a lovely shade of orange and gold, and it felt as if something good was about to happen.
And it didn't hurt that the new season made her forget how melancholic she became during summer.
"Good morning, Mia dear!" a voice startled her from her thoughts, and Hermione smiled.
Sophie Jones, her next-door-neighbour, was a cheeky menace, but Hermione loved the old lady to bits. Of course, she wasn't that old—she was fifty two years old and had a more active social life than Hermione.
"Good morning, Sophie!" Hermione waved at the smiling woman before she started walking towards the centre of the town.
Castle Combe was a small town, which Hermione was thankful for. After the war, she was practically invisible in Castle Combe—and that's what Hermione wished for more than anything. (Or so she claimed).
Leaving the Wizarding World behind was hard, but if she had stayed, Hermione knew she would have suffered from the stigma of being a Muggleborn. Although she had fought the war alongside Harry—who decided to travel for a while, in a much needed break—people still didn't want someone like her in the Ministry or teaching at Hogwarts or doing anything of importance.
Huffing, Hermione continued her walk. The Grangers had loved to visit Castle Combe when she was a little girl, and the best part of the town, for her, was the bookshop right in the middle of the town.
Page Potpourri was probably one of her favourite places in the whole world. The owner, Amelia Payne, had been her grandmother's friend and watched both Hermione's mother and her grow up.
Hermione had been startled when Amelia had left the bookshop to Hermione after passing away, but Hermione had grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
Finding out that she was a witch should have meant that Hermione would find a place to belong.
How wrong she had been.
Sighing, Hermione didn't dwell in these thoughts. Smiling at the sight of her bookshop, she couldn't stop the little run she did, wanting to open the shop as soon as possible.
"It looks like little Mia is in a good mood this morning," A voice stopped her in her tracks. Hermione turned to see two redheads leaning against the wall beside the door.
"I would even go as far as to say she's pleased to see us here," the other redhead spoke and Hermione's face broke into a wide smile.
"Fred! George! I wasn't expecting to see either of you here today," Hermione said, rushing up to them and giving them a hug each.
Although she had tried to leave the Wizarding World behind, she could never fully cut the ties. Fred and George had pestered her with Howlers, Muggle mail, letters by owls, and even carrier pigeons until she had finally told them where she lived. The Weasleys' shop was the only shop Hermione ever visited whenever she missed the Wizarding World.
Luna was another person who insisted on maintaining contact. Although Hermione hadn't seen eye to eye with the younger witch at first, nowadays, she cherished their friendship.
"We missed you, and you know we love to see your little shop," Fred said, messing with her curls. "It's always inspiring to come visit you."
"You say that just because you love the sweets Sophie bakes," Hermione teased and was rewarded with the twins blushing. "You two are so easy to read."
"We love you too, Mia," George said before nudging the closed door with his foot. "Now are we going in or not? We've got some gossip to share."
George had started calling her Mia around the time they attended the Quidditch World Cup, and the name had stuck. Hermione had chosen the alias to use in the Muggle world. After all, her parents were in Australia, their memories still lost, so Hermione Granger had ceased to exist.
Hermione Granger may be a witch, but Mia Harris—a little nod to Harry—was the proud owner of a bookshop. And that's all she was…for the time being.
