Notes:
This chapter is more of a look into Hermione's life, her family dynamic, and who she is outside of Hogwarts.
This is also the last Chapter before Hermione's forced return to Hogwarts.
Chapter 11
August 22nd, 1998
Another Saturday, means brunch with her Grandparents. Hermione was thankful it was only family this week. She was exhausted, and was looking forward to having this week to relax before going back to Hogwarts.
"Good morning, mum."
"Good morning dear." Her mom said, and gave her a big hug. "I hope you don't mind, I let you sleep in today. You looked exhausted last night."
"I appreciate it, I was exhausted. This summer has been anything but relaxing. If I had known they were going to force us to go back to Hogwarts I would have handled this summer much differently."
"I understand sweetie. I know you've been. wrestling with what to do after Hogwarts for a while now."
Hermione nodded her head. "I think I finally know what I want though. We will have to see how this year goes. Where's dad?"
"Your dad was out exercising his polo horses. Apparently there's a charity match he's been invited to play in, and he's fully invested in making sure he, and his horse are ready." Her mum rolled her eyes as she said this, and Hermione couldn't help but giggle.
"He should be in soon."
"I would hope so, considering it's brunch day."
She ran into the kitchen to grab a cup of tea, to wake herself up before her grandparents arrived. There wasn't much time to wait before they arrived, but Hermione was still exhausted, and needed all the help caffeine could give her.
At some point her dad must've come in, because. he was in the entry way at promptly 10:40 to wait for his parents. Grandpa, and Grandmum arrived right on time at 10:45, and the hungry group of 5 made their way into the dining room for brunch.
Hermione was thankful for how normal, and mundane family brunch was. It was a much needed change of pace from the chaos of the magical world. Small talk was simple, and she felt that for the first time since the war, she could just relax.
"Hermione dear, how did your meeting at Balmoral go?" Her grandfather asked.
"It was good. Thank you for asking."
"Any surprises?" He asked, arching a knowing eyebrow. Hermione glared in his direction. Damn meddling old coot, if she didn't say anything, he would. He purposely backed her into a corner.
"Yes actually, I assume you're asking because you already know what happened… " She challenged him. The other adults at the table had stopped their conversation to pay attention to the verbal sparring match between Hermione, and her Grandpa.
"While I may know something, it's more your news to share than mine."
Hermione rolled her eyes at her grandpa. "Well since gramps here seems to be forcing my hand, and thinks that I haven't already told mum, and dad about what happened during the trip to Balmoral, I'll say it again. I believe he's referring to the award I was given… "
Grandpa let out a full laugh. "Damn girl. You won't let an old man get away with anything, will you?"
"Nope." She said popping the P at the end. Everyone laughed, thankful the tension was now diffused. The rest of brunch went seamlessly, and really helped Hermione relax and wind down.
August 23rd, 1998
Hermione had decided it was finally time to fully unpack her beaded bag, with the undetectable extension charm. She was moving on with her life, and feIt the first step was to let go of the baggage from the past.
She walked into her office. Yes, she had her own office. She took a deep breath, taking in the smells, and reliving memories she had made in that office. She walked up to a bookshelf in the corner of the room and tapped it with her wand. The bookshelf rotated 180 degrees, showing her collection of magical books which she normally kept hidden from view.
She started pulling books out of her beaded bag, and placing them on the normally hidden bookshelves. 25 books later, she had removed them all from her bag. With another tap on the bookshelf, it rotated back to its original position, hiding the magical books.
Reaching back into her bag, She pulled out parchment, which was covered in notes from the horcrux hunt, old quills, and ink bottles. She shoved the notes, quills, and ink, into a hidden compartment at the bottom of her desk drawer.
She then made her way back into her bedroom and continued to unpack. Most of her potions vials were empty, so she set them to the side to put them in the rubbish bin. There was a light knock on her bedroom door.
"Come in"
"Hi sweetheart. I just wanted to check on you, and see if you need any help."
"I think I just need some help getting things sorted into keep, and rubbish piles. I've already finished the books."
She reached into her bag again, and wondered where the tent was. That's when she remembered, the tent was still in the forest where they were caught by the snatchers. Hermione was lost in her memories, and didn't hear her mum calling out for her.
"Hermione. Hermione! Are you okay?"
"Sorry. I, uh, got lost in a memory. I'm okay now though."
"Are you sure? You looked terrified."
"Yes mum, just navigating through some old stuff. It's slowly been getting easier to get through."
"As long as you're alright."
Hermione nodded her head, and hugged her mum. She went back to unpacking, but with her mum's help. She had been working on unpacking for more than an hour, and was completely over it. She decided to just flip her beaded bag upside down, and see what came out. She was surprised how little came out. Apparently her efforts had been worthwhile, as the only things that came out of the bag were old clothes. Mum started going through the clothes, and looked up at Hermione sad.
"Honey, I don't think any of these are worth keeping."
Hermione looked at the pile her mum was going through, and couldn't help but agree with her. "You're right. They really are not in good shape."
"Is this really all you took with you?"
"Clothes wise yes. I saved as much room for essentials and research material as I could. Even then it wasn't enough. We ran out of food after two weeks, once we were ousted out of Harry's uncle's home."
"Not to be rude dear, but we can tell. You looked sickly, and unhealthy the first time we saw you briefly at the beginning of summer. Now you look healthier, and happier."
"I feel healthier, and happier too. I just wish I wasn't being forced to go back to Hogwarts. I worked my ass off to finish my non-magical education before the end of my 6th year because I still wanted to go to University, and I'm just sick of waiting. The magical world has stolen so much from me mum, I really am not looking forward to going back." Hermione cried.
Her mom held her while she cried. "You know I'm here for you when you're ready to talk about it sweetie."
"There's just so much hate, and unconscious bias in the magical world. My friends, who I've known for seven years at this point, don't care about who I am outside the magical world. It's like once they hear I'm muggle born they stop listening to anything I say if it's not about magic."
Hermione continued after a deep breath. "They know nothing about any of this." Hermione gestured around her.
"Short of them knowing you, and dad are dentists, they know nothing of my life outside Hogwarts. Summer letters I keep vague, because I know they don't care. I just feel like I'm hiding so much of myself."
"It sounds like you have been hiding a lot of yourself. Now, I can't imagine how that feels, but I will always be here for you sweetie."
"Thanks mum. This year I'm just going to be 100% myself, I shouldn't have to hide who I am. Hopefully my friends don't take too much of an issue with it."
Hermione checked her beaded bag again to make sure it was completely empty. After two hours her bag was finally empty, and she was mentally, and emotionally exhausted. She hadn't realized how much she had been holding back. Hopefully her friends still cared about her when she finally gets to be herself.
August 24th, 1998
Hermione was woken up at her normal time of 6:00 am, to go down to the stables. She threw on her riding clothes, and ran down to the kitchen where she grabbed an apple out of the fruit basket to eat on her way to the stable.
She walked towards the stables with her mum, thankful for the nice weather. Their first stop was the tack room, where both women changed into their barn boots. When they left the tack room they saw the grooms were also arriving. She looked at her watch, 6:45am, everyone was right on time.
Hermione went into the feed room, and started prepping breakfast for the horses. As she finished dishing out the food, the grooms would come take it to the appropriate horse. She took Mercury, her new horse, his food as they were still building their relationship.
She looked around the stable, and found the lead groom Patrick talking with mum, while making the exercise schedule for the day. She walked over to the pair, curious if they were including her in the exercise schedule, and was happy to see that they were.
"So, I think we should get everyone turned out in the small field. That will give us space to muck out stalls, and let the horses digest their food before we start with exercise for the day."
"Sounds like a good plan Pat. Hermione, and I are going to run up to the house, and grab some food. We will be back before we start with exercise runs at 9."
"Sounds good. See you both in a bit."
The pair made their way back up to the house, and into the kitchen for breakfast. As they were discussing breakfast options with the chef, her dad came in.
"Good morning Dan."
"Good morning, Emma, Hermione. Have you both already been out to the stables this morning?"
"We have. All the horses have been fed. The grooms are turning them out for a bit before we start exercise for the day."
"Perfect. I take it you came in for breakfast before heading back out?"
"That we did! I was just asking the chef if she could please make us some eggs, sausage, and mixed fruit. Would you like to join?"
"Of course! Breakfast with both my girls is not an opportunity to miss." Dan said. Emma laughed, while Hermione smiled, and gave her dad a hug.
"I'm going to make some tea. Does anyone else want any?" Hermione asked. Her mum and dad both nodded their heads.
Hermione filled up the electric kettle, to start the water for the tea. She then pulled the English Breakfast Tea leaves out of their tea cabinet, and scooped them into the tea diffuser. She brought tea over for everyone to enjoy, while they waited for breakfast.
Twenty minutes later breakfast was ready for the family to enjoy. Hermione was thankful breakfast was filling but light, as she knew they would have a busy day with the horses. An hour later, everyone was sufficiently fed and hydrated.
"Shall we head back down to the stables?" Her mum asked.
"Sounds good to me. Are you coming Dad?"
"I'll meet you guys down there. I need to change."
Hermione and her mum put their plates into the sink, and made their way back. out to the stables. Today she and her mum, were assigned to work together. They pulled two horses from the field, the new Selle Francais mare, named Gloriana, and the new Fresian gelding named Nero. Both horses were groomed, tacked up, and walked into the indoor arena.
"Did you get a chance to look at the board for these two?"
"I did, they need one hour of flat work today."
"Good, let's get everything set up then we can start."
She and her mum worked with the horses for an hour before their exercise time was complete. They untacked, groomed, and put the two horses back into their staIIs, before moving onto the next, before going inside around 3pm.
This was how each day went for Hermione. Wake up, go to the stable, feed horses, grooms turn them out, we go for breakfast, and then come back to help with exercising. Some days were different as she, or her mum would have a lesson, but everything remained predictable. Hermione was thankful for the routine, but at the same time sad as she was going back to school next week, and leaving most of this behind.
August 27th, 1998
Thursday when Hermione came in from the stables, there was an owl waiting for her in her room. She gave the owl treats, and took the letter from its leg. It had the Ministry seal, what did they want now, she thought.
Ms. Granger,
By now, you're aware of the changes at Hogwarts for the upcoming year. We are reaching out to you as a muggle born witch, for your assistance with a very specific piece of the new curriculum. We are hoping that muggle borns, like yourself, would be willing to share their homes, and pieces of their lives with their classmates.
Our goal is to show how muggle, and magical beings are not all that different in the way we live our lives. The project is called "How the Other Half Lives." We are hoping your family would be willing to host 6th, and 7th year students enrolled in the Study of the Non-Magical World, in March, orApril of 1999. Students would be accompanied by multiple Professors from school, and ministry escorts.
All muggle born students in 6th and 7th year have been contacted with the same request. All have been amenable, and have worked with the Ministry to create an appropriate plan for the day. Plans range from sharing their homes, and favorite non-magical activities, to touring local museums.
Due to your celebrity status we waited to reach out to you until we were sure we could provide the proper channels to keep your family safe. Please take time to discuss this with your family before responding.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Griselda Marchbanks (W.E.A) and
Elizabeth Campbell (Hogwarts Class of 1978)
What the hell. She had to re-read the letter two more times before she could form a coherent thought. Still holding the letter in her hands she realized there was a second page. A separate letter from Kingsley. Of course he was involved in this…
Hermione,
I'm assuming that I know you well enough to understand that you are pissed off by what you just read. You have every right to be. I tried to make sure they had all their ducks in a row before they reached out to your family.
If you agree to showing your classmates what your non magical life looks like, your family will be the last field trip your classmates will go on. We set up the schedule like this so we can pull the trip to your family's home if there are security concerns.
I hope you know, I would never allow anyone from the Ministry to play with people's lives. I truly believe that immersion into the non-magical world is the only way for magicals to fully understand how there isn't much of a difference between those with, and without magic.
I, and my ministry peers, truly believe the "How the Other Half Lives" project could truly change the next generation of magical thinking. Again, I'm sure you're pissed off. Feel free to release your rage on me. I'll be in my office until 6pm tonight.
Please don't kill me.
Kingsley
Hermione showered to wash the barn smell away. She then grabbed the letters from the ministry, and went to find her parents.
"Mum, Dad. Where are you guys?" She yelled. She heard chatter coming from the family room, so she headed in that direction.
"Mum, dad. you in here?"
"Yes sweetie. What do you need?" Her dad answered.
"You both need to read this." She handed the first letter to her parents.
"Well that's certainly something."
"Truly, does this ministry know no boundaries?" Her mum said irate. "Do they truly think they can just waltz into people's homes as a field trip?"
"Seems like it to me." Hermione commented.
"And who are these other students from non magical backgrounds that are amenable to this?" Her father asked.
Hermione listed the names of the other muggle born students she knew at school. That's when she realized, for the first time, she was the only member of muggle high society at Hogwarts right now.
"Oh my gosh. I'm the only muggle born of noble birth at Hogwarts right now." She said.
"Ah, that explains it." Her dad agreed.
"They must not understand the proper etiquette." Her mum added.
"I also don't think anyone other than Kingsley understands my background."
"That would explain it." Her mum added. "Why don't we agree to it?"
Hermione, and her dad looked at Emma like she was nuts. "Why would we want to do that?"
"Think about it. So many of your classmates have ignored anything you've shared about your non-magical life. This would be the ultimate prank. Show them everything they've missed out on by treating you as less than."
Hermione's jaw dropped. That would be brilliant. "That's fantastic. Dad what do you think?"
"If you're up for it, then I'll make sure we do what we can to show them what they've missed."
"Okay, so we are doing this?"
Her mum, and dad both nodded their heads in agreement. "This feels like a mistake, but okay let's do it." Hermione agreed.
She penned a letter back to Kingsley, and the two witches who initially wrote to her. Letting them all know she was amenable to their request. She kept things curt in her letter to Kingsley, knowing that would get her point across better than yelling.
Notes:
Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter.
Next chapter preview:
"Are we going to talk about the last hour?" Theo asked.
"We should, because what the hell just happened?" Blaise whispered.
"One, we confirmed the person we saw earlier was definitely Hermione Granger. Two, I think she just extended a metaphorical olive branch by bringing Winnie to us. Three, when did she get so hot, confident, and well spoken?" Pansy asked.