"That was interesting," Aaron said.
"That's all you can say," Hermione asked in surprise. "All you can say is that was interesting?"
What do you expect me to say Hermione?" Aaron asked his mate.
"I expected you to be shocked at Ron's behavior considering that it was your first time visiting. I expected a lot of other reactions, but not this calm that was interesting."
"I probably won't react in most situations like you expect me to," Aaron told Hermione gently. "You have to remember how old I am Believe me, I've seen every type of behavior that humans can have over the centuries. I was half expecting that kind of behavior actually, after all you've told me about your friend."
"I guess I understand," Hermione said finally. "I still don't believe Ron caused a scene in the middle of dinner with guest right there to see how he was acting. You would think you'd be on his best behavior, since it wasn't just his family that was at the dinner table. He insulted me not only right in front of me, but in front of you, who is my fiancé. If you were magical you could have called him out and taught him a very painful lesson for his insults to me."
"Well, since I'm not magical would a proxy have been allowed?" Aaron asked calmly. "I'm assuming that just beating each other up is not allowed."
"No fisticuffs aren't allowed," Hermione said having no doubt who would win if that was a possibility. "And yes, a proxy is allowed under the rules, as sometimes centuries ago someone underage was insulted and they could choose a proxy to fight for them."
"Then I would just have chosen one of the Weasleys to fight in my stead," Aaron said calmly, "if it ever comes to the point that it's necessary."
"If I that ever comes to pass choose Bill," Hermione told him.
"Why Bill?" Aaron curiously.
"Not only is he the oldest, he was also a Curse-Breaker for a lot of years and so knows a lot of unique spells. A Curse-Breaker breaks curses on ancient tombs looking for treasure," Hermione added seeing Aaron was about to ask. "It can be a very dangerous job and can get you killed if you're not careful. You can also get large bonuses if your really good. The treasure is then turned into Gold-Galleons, Silver-Sickles and Bronze-Knuts, which is the money of the Wizarding World."
"So you even have different coinage from pounds," Aaron said shaking his head and amazement.
"I'm afraid so," Hermione said. "There's only one bank in the Wizarding World and it's called Gringotts and it's in Diagon Alley at least in England. I'll have to take you some time, but just a small warning it's run by goblins not by wizards."
"I remember you mentioned goblins when you mentioned the magical creatures that existed," Aaron said certain his memory. "So they run the bank then."
"They do, but I should probably warn you that wizards and goblins don't really get along, particularly the pure-bloods and the goblins. They have been numerous goblin rebellions but not in hundreds of years. Still, that doesn't mean that couldn't be another one if the tension is high enough. The pure-bloods, the ones that believed in Voldemort's ideals, don't treat other creatures very well be it goblins or centaurs or house-elves. There is a ton of bigotry in wizarding Britain."
"So I'm assuming that includes everyone who isn't another pure-blood," Aaron said and Hermione nodded.
"Right in one," Hermione said smiling. "You catch on quickly."
"Why do you stay? You could do much better in another country I'm sure," Aaron said
"Harry," Hermione said simply. "He needs me. Harry lost so many people he cared for during the war that he wants me close by and not in some other country. If Dumbledore had his way Harry would've died defeating Voldemort, but luckily, that didn't happen. Dumbledore told Harry almost nothing about his family and the headmaster knew multiple generations of Potters, as he was headmaster for a very long time. Before he was headmaster he was a Professor of Transfiguration. Besides, the pure-bloods would see it as me running away if I left and I'm not gonna give them the satisfaction," Hermione added looking determined.
"At least you have your reasons," Aaron chuckled at Hermione's determination.
"I do," Hermione agreed. "I know I could do much better in another country, someone like Australia for example. There are several good schools down there as well. They don't care about your blood, just about your capabilities there are no pure-bloods, half-bloods or Muggle-born.
"I'm sure we'll live in Australia at some point," Aaron said. "We have infinite time."
"I'm sure we will," Hermione agreed kissing Aaron passionately.
"I have so many questions," Aaron said was he had recovered from the kiss.
"Ask away," Hermione said.
"Alright, the scars on Bill's face. What are they?"
"They were made by the claws of Fenrir Greyback a notorious werewolf during the war," Hermione answered. "Greyback loved to infect children while in his werewolf form including Remus Lupin. Because he was in human form when he clawed Bill's face, Bill himself is not a werewolf."
"They can't be healed?" Aaron asked with a raised eyebrow.
"While most things can be healed and in much quicker time then Muggle medicine unfortunately, injuries due to Dark Magic is not one of them. Werewolves are considered dark creatures, even if like Remus, they try to live as best they can without breaking the law. Madam Pomfrey, Hogwarts School Healer, did the best she could with the scars on Bill's face, but unfortunately, couldn't get rid of them entirely. They are a testament to a darker time then we live in presently. She healed them enough that they aren't so raw and red like when he first got them but that's as much as she could do."
"And the ear?" Aaron asked, as he couldn't tell the twins apart.
"George lost his ear, when he and a lot of others, rescued Harry, from Privet Drive, the night before his 17th birthday, also due to Dark Magic, so it couldn't be healed."
"Well, at least you can tell the twins apart now," Aaron said.
"True you can," Hermione agreed. "At least he survived and he nearly didn't as if that cutting curse had been an inch closer it would've hit him in the head instead of the ear and he would have been dead when the curse continued down to his neck and severed his jugular."
"Now that's a nasty curse," Aaron grimaced. "That could kill even an immortal. We can't come back if our heads are severed from our bodies."
"Which is why I said George is lucky to be alive as he ducked just in time so it only got his ear," Hermione said. "The thing about George is it didn't change his sense of humor in the slightest he was cracking every bad ear joke you can imagine when they got back to the safe house, which happened to be the Burrow."
"Cracking jokes that's just the way the twins handles stress," Aaron told Hermione. "Everybody handles stress differently. I suspect if the twins didn't crack jokes that they would probably have a mental breakdown when things are tough."
"I never thought about it that way," Hermione admitted. "All I could see was they are wasting their talents on pranks."
"Not everybody is the same," Aaron told Hermione. "To them they're not wasting their talents or their lives on jokes. They bring a smile to faces when times are serious or tough. They can make people laugh when they want to cry or scream and that is a very rare talent, Hermione. You were always a serious child, but they weren't and you shouldn't expect them to be like you were as a child. It is our parents influences that make us who we are along with close family friends or even neighbors. All of us experience different things that forms our personalities. Of course, I won't say genetics don't have something to do with how we turn out, just that there are other influences. Everybody needs to stay true to themselves and that means the twins creating and selling pranks."
"Oh I accepted that they prefer their pranks to ever being serious," Hermione said. "I know they are not me, it's just that they could've done so much with their lives."
"They are happy doing what they're doing though and you can't force your ideas on them or anyone else. They have a right to do what they want with their lives so long as they're harming no one and whether you approve or disapprove doesn't really matter."
"Oh, I gave up on them ever going into more serious careers a long time ago," Hermione admitted. "You're right, they're happy and that should be all that matters. I've come to love the fun-loving pranksters as brothers. That they can maintain that lightheartedness considering they survived a war is really saying something. Bill is also the brother I never had and Fleur is like a sister."
"And Ron?" Aaron asked.
"He's really the only one of the Weasleys, well, other the Percy that I don't consider like a brother. I might have at one time, but since Ron refuses to mature, he is just my annoying friend that doesn't know better than to insult me, especially in front of my fiancé."
"Why not Percy?" Aaron asked.
"Not only is he to rule following he has a stick up his backside. I still remember how he urged Harry to support the Ministry. This was years ago. He went on and on and on until Harry about punched him. Percy might think the Ministry is a great place but then he's a pure-blood and that makes a difference. Harry and I can both see how corrupt the Ministry really is, even if Percy can't or won't. Even after the war and we cleaned out at least most of the Death Eaters that doesn't mean there aren't a lot of pure-blood that believe in Voldemort's ideals, even if he's gone. Many pure-bloods believe in the ideals that Voldemort spouted even if they never took the Dark Mark.
"Back at Hogwarts Percy was in fourth year when I started my first and he was made perfect the next year. The thing is he didn't really fulfill the role, as he just lectured the students about rules. The role of prefect is to look after the younger students, to comfort them when they're feeling homesick for example to listen to their troubles.
"To alert their Head of House if there's a problem like major bullying. Percy did none of it. Percy just didn't care enough to truly fulfill the role. It was sink or swim in Gryffindor House as McGonagall was too busy to listen too the students troubles, as she was not only our Head of House, she also taught Transfiguration and was Deputy Headmistress. The Heads of House depend on the prefects to tell them of any problems and a lot of times the prefects don't fulfill the role properly. You get assigned prefect duties in your fifth year and you fulfill the role until you graduate."
"Most 15 year olds aren't exactly very mature," Aaron observed.
"No, they aren't bar ones like me who was always very mature for my age, but then, I had no friends my own age and hung around with adults so that's not surprising," Hermione agreed. "I admit Percy changed a lot since the war, but that doesn't mean he's my favorite Weasley. I avoid him as much as possible. Penelope changed him a great deal to where he's less stiff and proper. Luckily, I don't see him very often."
"Do you know that Apparating was a very nauseating experience," Aaron told Hermione changing the subject. "I felt like I was going to throw up and that I managed not too is a miracle in my opinion."
"That's not an unusual reaction, especially for the first timer," Hermione told him with a little laugh. "I remember the first time I Apparated and how I nearly tossed my biscuits all over the Great Hall. All of seventh years took Apparition lessons and someone from the Apparitions department from the Ministry came to teach us how to Apparate. I remember that Harry did throw up after he Apparated for the first time."
"You were right when you said it feels like being forced through a small rubber tube," Aaron shuddered.
"If you do with any sort of regularity you'll get used to it and won't even notice the effects anymore," Hermione told him.
"If you say so," Aaron said not being able to imagine that.
"I never imagined I could get used to it either, but now, it's the way I travel most," Hermione said. "It's the fastest, even if you do miss a lot of scenery."
"You mentioned brooms as a mode of travel," Aaron said.
"Brooms are the slowest mode of wizarding travel and you'll never catch me on a broom, unless the situation is truly desperate," Hermione shuddered. "My flying skills are so mediocre they're not worth mentioning. I barely passed flying class, which is taught first year at Hogwarts."
"You're actually telling me you nearly failed a class?" Aaron teased her and Hermione playfully glared at him.
"If we're talking about academics it's one thing but flying is a totally different matter. You either pass or you you fail. There's no in between," Hermione said. "I've never understood how Ron or Harry can fly on a broom like they've been doing it all their lives. Harry especially is very talented and I think that talent time comes down from his father James Potter. James was also on the Quidditch team when he attended school, though not from his first year."
"Are you afraid of heights Miss Hermione?" Aaron asked her.
"I am actually, which is the reason I don't like brooms," Hermione told him. "It's more I fear falling from a great height if you want to get technical."
"Everybody has their hangups and things they fear. It could be something minor like not liking horror movies because they fear mummies or Frankenstein or something more serious," Aaron said.
"That's true," Hermione agreed.
"It's not like the fear of heights is uncommon, as a lot of people fear them," Aaron said.
"You're absolutely right. Hundreds of thousands of people fear heights," Hermione agreed.
"I'm looking forward to visit in the Weasleys again, though I hope we can use another form of transportation," Aaron said.
"That could probably be arranged," Hermione said. "We'd have to drive all the way to the Leaky Cauldron to use the Floo but it's doable."
"There are just too many restrictions on what a Muggle-born can have in their home," Aaron said.
"I won't disagree, but I also understand the Ministry's caution," Hermione said. "I won't say a lot of the laws aren't ridiculous when it concerns Muggle-born just not the Statute of Secrecy. The pure-bloods will keep those they consider of lesser blood down as long as they can."
~~~Aaron and Hermione~~~