Chapter 22

"So..." Mr Granger prodded as they headed down the street toward the Leaky Cauldron with Hermione after they'd parked the car.

"So?" Hermione asked, keeping slightly ahead of them so they couldn't see her roll her eyes.

"Are we going to meet this young man while we're here?" Mrs Granger asked.

"Um," Hermione answered quickly. "I'm not sure. He said he'd try. We should hurry," she continued and nodded to the people in the Leaky Cauldron as they headed through to the back and the entrance to Diagon Alley. "Mrs Weasley said that they would be there soon. I don't know what all they have to do, but we need to stop at Gringotts and have some money exchanged."

"Hermione!" Ron shouted and waved, hurrying up the steps to meet her. "Have you seen Harry?"

Hermione blinked. "No," she said. "I thought he stayed at your house."

"He did," Ron said. "But we got separated when we used the Floo Network. Mum's frantic."

"Go on," Hermione's dad said when she looked at her parents. "You go on and see if you can find him, we'll wait for you inside at the counter."

"Thanks," she said and turned to Ron, but he had already gone, heading up the Alley again.

Exhaling heavily, she stamped her foot a moment, wondering what to do. She headed down to Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment, wondering if he had ended up there by mistake. When she exited the shop again, having no luck, and looked up the Alley, her eyes lit up when she saw Hagrid come out of Knockturn Alley along with Harry, who was covered in soot. "Harry! Hagrid!" she exclaimed, running up to them.

"Hello, Hermione," Hagrid greeted her with a smile.

"Oh, it's so good to see you!" Hermione exclaimed.

"It's good to see you, too," Harry returned.

She stopped short looking at him with an air of exasperation. "What happened to your glasses?" she asked, seeing a large crack down the centre of the lens. Without waiting for a reply, she drew out her wand and pointed it at him. "Oculus Reparo," she said and Harry blinked as he watched the crack mend itself.

"Wow," he said, taking his glasses off and inspecting them before putting them back on again. "I really need to remember that one."

"You'll be alright now then, Harry?" Hagrid asked, arching a brow. "Right. I'll leave you to it then," he said and headed off.

"Okay, bye," Hermione said with a wave.

"Thank you," Harry said. "Bye."

"Come on," Hermione said, dragging Harry after her. "Everyone's so worried."

"Harry!" Mrs Weasley said spotting them and came up, and began dusting him off. "We hoped you'd only gone one grate too far..."

"Where'd you come out?" Ron asked as the twins came up behind him.

"Knockturn Alley," Harry said.

"Excellent," the twins said together.

"We're not allowed in," Ron said enviously.

"Guess who I saw at Borgin and Burkes?" Harry asked as they headed back toward Gringotts so that he and the Weasleys could get the money for their supplies. "Malfoy and his father," Harry said when they looked at him curiously.

"Did Lucius Malfoy buy anything?" Arthur Weasley asked sharply, making Harry jump. Hermione glanced over her shoulder, not realising that the man had been that close behind them. Harry must not have realised it either.

"No," Harry answered, shaking his head. "He was selling...whatever it was."

"So...he's worried," Mr Weasley said with grim satisfaction as they climbed the steps to Gringotts. "Oh, I'd love to get Lucius Malfoy for something..."

"You be careful, Arthur," Mrs Weasley said sharply as they were bowed into the bank by the goblins at the door. "That family's trouble. Don't go biting off more than you can chew -"

"So you don't think I'm a match for Lucius Malfoy?" Mr Weasley asked indignantly, but he was distracted almost at once when Hermione left the group.

Mr and Mrs Granger stood at the counter nearby, and waited for her to introduce them as the family of redheads came closer.

"Mum, Dad," Hermione said with a smile. "This is Mr and Mrs Weasley, their sons, Percy, Fred and George, and Ron, and their daughter, Ginny, and this is Harry," she paused for a moment, and then continued, "Everyone, these are my parents."

"But, you're Muggles!" Arthur exclaimed. "We must have a drink! I've so many questions! What's that you've got there? Oh, you're changing Muggle money! Molly, look!"

Hermione groaned, and put her face in her palm for a moment. It wasn't that Mr Weasley was being mean exactly; she knew from his tone. From what Ron had told her and Harry, he was simply curious, but it was hard enough on her parents feeling out of place, now the wizard drew attention to them.

"Meet you back here?" Ron asked, when he saw Hermione's reaction, and she nodded as he and his brothers ushered his parents away along with Harry to go down to the vaults.

Left alone at last, Hermione and her parents exchanged some money for her school supplies. She had calculated out what she needed, and they got 55 Galleons 5 Sickles 10 Knuts exchanged for the £166.69 she had given the goblin. Once she had gotten her money, her parents followed her out into Diagon Alley.

"I thought we were waiting, dear," Hermione's mother said.

"I know," Hermione replied. "And we will... I just... I'm sorry if Mr Weasley made you feel uncomfortable there. I suppose we can go to Flourish and Blotts with them, but I'm not sure it will be such a good idea sticking with them the whole day... besides, I tend to get things that they don't."

Flourish and Blotts was quite crowded. It seemed that every witch, young or old was there to see Gilderoy Lockhart, the author of the majority of their books on the school list Hermione had in her hand as they stood in line with the Weasleys to enter. She had to admit, by the pictures on the posters around the shop, that he was quite attractive.

Once inside, Hermione and her parents edged out of line that seemed to be all the way out the door just to get the man's autograph. In truth, she really didn't care, regardless of how attractive he was, she didn't know enough about him to warrant the need for his autograph. So, instead, she grabbed her school books and one addition that seemed to fit with them, calledMarauding with Monsters,along with his autobiography,Magical Methat everyone was in line to get.

She was just paying for them when she heard a commotion in the shop and groaned, recognizing the voice.

"FamousHarry Potter," Draco drawled. "Can't even go into abookshopwithout making the front page!"

Hermione rolled her eyes as she turned to the questioning gaze of her parents.

"Later," she said to them quietly as they headed toward the door.

"Leave him alone!" Ginny's voice sounded behind them as they shoved their way as politely as possible past the throng of witches still waiting to get in the shop.

"Hey," George said as they exited Flourish and Blotts a short time later.

"Hermione," Fred said.

"Hi," Hermione greeted them with a smile.

"We're heading off," George said.

"To Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop," Fred said.

"To meet up with Lee," they said together.

"Oh," Hermione said. "Alright, is Oliver coming too?"

"Naw," George said.

"He's going to meet with us later at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour," Fred said.

"You're welcome to meet us later after you get your stuff," George finished.

"Alright," Hermione said. "That sounds good. See you!"

She waved as the boys headed off.

Deciding not to wait on the others and feel like she was being pulled into another conflict with Malfoy, she led her parents off to Scribbulus Writing Implements for a quill, ink and parchments. She was looking forward to trying a new spell that would help keep her spending on her writing implements to a minimum, if it worked.

After getting the last of her supplies, she led the way to Florean Fortescue's. Entering before her parents, she spotted Oliver sitting in a chair with his back to her where he was sitting with Lee Jordan, and the twins. The rest of the Weasley's and Harry sat not far away.

Heading over to them, she slid her arms over Oliver's shoulders and leaned closer to whisper, "Sorry about this," making him jump in surprise. She turned and took a seat next to him as he grinned at her, pulling her into a hug as her parents entered.

"Ah," Mr Granger said, holding out his hand as Oliver stood up, turning to the pair. "You must be Oliver."

"Yes, sir," Oliver said, grasping Mr Granger's offered hand. "That would be me. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"And you," Mrs Granger said with a smile, reaching to shake his hand as well, but giggled and blushed when Oliver tilted her hand and placed a gentle kiss upon the back of it.

Hermione noticed Lee and the twins grin and rolled her eyes.

"Really laying it on thick," George said.

"Isn't he?" Fred asked.

"As if their meeting wasn't uncomfortable enough for me..." Hermione murmured. "He has to make it weirder."

Lee patted her on the shoulder giving her a sympathetic smile.