Chapter 4 - Opportunities
Two days after finishing at Hogwarts, Hermione Ganger found herself in the Ministry of Magic, waiting for an appointment with a pleasant wizard by the name of Keric Albemarle. She was wearing her mother’s best suit, not knowing how to dress for an interview. The suit fit well, and Hermione looked striking, particularly to the employees, as she walked with Albemarle to his office. She noticed at least a couple heads peer around office doors or cubicle walls as she went by. Never having the pleasure of this sort of attention, Hermione found it oddly stimulating and annoying at the same time. Refocusing on her reason for being there she sat in the office and listened to the wizard.
Albemarle explained the situation in his office, with the deceased co-workers, and the need to get a new team up to speed as soon as possible. No, she would not be doing actual restorations. No, she would not be transporting the runes from building to building. No… Hermione suddenly realized that she had started to interview Albemarle, and in an embarrassed fluster apologized for talking too much.
“No, no, not at all!” exclaimed the wizard, “it shows interest.”
Could she start in two weeks? Three days a week, six hours a day, regular pay scale, no benefits, yet. The entire interview lasted just fifteen minutes and Hermione found the pace stimulating. Afterwards, Albemarle took her on a tour of the current facility and then the new one. He introduced Hermione to her new supervisor, Justin Laymen, a 50-ish, serious looking fellow, whose face appeared kinder than his tone of voice. Then it was off to personnel for some paperwork. When finished, Hermione shook Albemarle’s hand, thanking him for to opportunity.
“It's my pleasure.” Albemarle startled Hermione with his quick response. “I think we owe you a great deal for what you and some friends of yours have done for of us.” With a polite half-bow, the wizard disappeared.
* * *
Hermione Apparated home and changed. Her parents were just sitting down for dinner, and were pleased to see she was back in time to join the meal. Telling them about her day, Hermione expressed some annoyance with Albemarle and his parting comment. She thought that she earned the internship on merit, not because she was Harry’s friend. But her parents, knowing her as they did, assured Hermione that it was indeed her achievements that got her the spot and that her acquaintance with Harry was incidental. After thinking about it for a while, Hermione agreed and thanked them for their support, and her mother for the dress.
Later that evening, Hermione walked through the house looking for her mother. They almost knocked each other over at the doorway to the study.
“Can I talk to you?” Hermione asked quietly.
Hermione’s mother could read an uneasiness in her daughter’s face and took her arm, leading her back into the study, closing the door. In the Granger home a closed door was a Do Not Disturb sign.
“What’s on your mind, Maya?” Jeannie Granger asked.
Hermione had never told anyone about the pet name her parents had given her many years before. It eased her anxiety a bit for the topic she needed to address.
“Mum, we talked about this a little bit in January, but I need to tell you about some complications.” She hated that word, especially in this situation but it had to do. “Harry, Ron, and I were hoping to rent a house together in Hogsmeade for a year while we decided on careers.”
Hermione paused to watch her mother’s reaction to this statement. Neither her father nor mother were thrilled about their eighteen year old daughter’s wish to move in with two other (male) teens. They had argued about it a couple times the last Christmas holiday, but nothing was decided. At the time, they honestly did not know if they would even be alive in June. But that was then; now Hermione’s mother’s face was not revealing anything to her so she continued.
“Mum, I know the reservations you and daddy have about this but we’ve been friends for seven years and we just want to try it.” This is NOT going well, Hermione thought. There is no way I can tell them about Ron and me. Merlin, I hate being deceitful. “What can I say to convince you that it is good for me? If the ministry gets Hogwarts rebuilt I’ll have Ginny nearby, and I can always Apparate back here. Ron and Harry both have owls and the town’s medical facilities are really good. I’m earning my own way now…”
“Maya, calm down.” Jeannie Granger told her daughter, gently. “Your father and I discussed this on Leaver’s Day, and we decided that it would be best for you to live with your friends. Why the look?”
Hermione could not believe it, it might really happen! Still, her dishonesty troubled her and she thought for a moment about the complication she had brought up with her mother.
“What was the complication you mentioned, dear? Worried about living with two messy men?” Her mother’s joke only made Hermione feel guiltier, but she continued the lie by smiling at her mother. “Well, you are going to be busy the next few weeks. I received a letter from Molly Weasley asking if you could spend a month with them. The situation there is terrible, with Bill and Charlie dead and Percy missing. I was so glad to hear they were continuing their summer tradition.”
“Well, I won’t be able to stay too long. I just got here and I have to start work on July 13th. Maybe I should pass this year.” Hermione’s guilt was growing and she tried to assuage it by giving up something she really loved.
“Why don’t you take a couple days to rest and think about it? The Weasley’s would like it very much if you could spend some time, especially after what you said to them at the ceremony.”
“Ok, thanks, Mum. I can’t believe how fast everything is happening.”
“It is called growing up, Maya.” And with a hug, and a kiss on top of Herrmione’s head, Jeannie Granger went off to bed.
What am I doing? Was all Hermione could think as she sat alone in the study.
* * *
The next day, Ron told Harry about Hermione and they both decided to go into Hogsmeade to start looking for houses. Ron wanted to Apparate in, but Harry said he was going to Floo directly to Zonko’s to get something for Ginny. Ron thought it was a brilliant idea so they set off together.
The house-hunting task was actually easy; it was the reason for the ease of the task that was painful. Most of the houses were vacant do to losses in the war.
There were four houses in their price range that were available in early July, and they visited them all. None were extraordinary but they settled on a furnished house with two rooms and a bath on the main floor and one room with a bath on the second. Hermione had given them a detailed list of do’s and don’ts, and this house seemed to have all the do’s. After meeting with the property agent, who immediately recognized Harry, they signed a few papers and were handed the keys, along with a bill for two month’s rent, in advance.
“Bloody hell, Harry, I forgot about that. Can you, ah, lend me the rent until I get my first cheque? I have enough for my share of the first month now, I wasn’t thinking about that security deposit. What a stupid git.” Harry saw that Ron was taking this way too hard and told him not to worry, this time!
“Thanks, mate. Let’s go back to the Burrow and owl Hermione.”
Telling Ron to go on ahead to the Burrow, Harry walked down the street towards the Hogwarts gate. As he approached the Shrieking Shack he stopped and looked at it with nostalgia. That was the past, Harry, move on. But it was hard to turn away, he felt like he was saying goodbye to Sirius again, but he did not want to.
Ginny called them his “demons,” these occasional depressing thoughts of Sirius and sometimes his parents. Harry knew what she meant, but still, he stood there feeling the familiar pangs of inadequacy and loneliness. What was that Hermione had said on Leaver’s Day? Look to others for comfort? But Harry was quickly being sucked into the pit again, the emptiness, she had called it. It was painful, but so easy to do...
He saw a couple walking his way out of the corner of his eye and silently cursed them for disturbing his thoughts.
“Harry?” A gentle voice said as a hand gripped his shoulder, “You ok?”
Remus? For a few seconds Harry could not turn or respond; but another voice spoke.
“Wotcher, Harry. Let’s go get some ice cream.” This time it was Tonks’ voice.
Harry turned with surprise at hearing both voices. “I didn’t know you were back already, you just left yesterday, what happened?” Something was not right, he could tell, he could feel it. Harry’s expression told Lupin what he was thinking.
“Harry, you’re right, but calm down, this time it’s good…I think!” Seeing the smile on Remus’s face and Tonks’ happy expression took a load off of Harry’s mind. He was so quick to jump the gun; seven years of learned reactions would have to be unlearned.
“What is it Remus?” Now Harry was just plain curious.
“Well, Tonks hadn’t been feeling well and...”
“Bloody bone head of a husband here got me pregnant, Harry. Whatcha think about them apples?” Tonks was beaming.
His emptiness and depression instantly gone, Harry whooped and grabbed his friends in a hug. Suddenly everything was ok, and he did not want to let go. “Let’s go get some ice cream for the lady, eh?” Remus suggested. Walking off together, his fears forgotten, Harry had once again dodged his demons.
* * *
Back at the Burrow a bit later, Remus and Tonks told Molly about their encounter with Harry. “You guessed it, Molly, he was standing right in front of the shack. How did you know?”
“Mother’s intuition, Remus…and Ginny told me he had mentioned it yesterday. Where’s Harry now?”
“He was heading to buy some more Floo powder, said he had used almost all of yours. I think he’s ok now.”
Ron came into the kitchen, followed shortly by Ginny, and sat heavily on a chair, grabbing three cookies out of the jar on the table. As his sister walked behind him she whispered ”Pig” in his ear and joined the conversation.
“Mum, has Dad heard anything else about Hogwarts?” Strain from not knowing her future was apparent on Ginny’s face.
“Not really, dear, it will be a few days before…”
“I can’t stand this! What’s so hard about rebuilding the school?” Remus and Molly both started to answer Ginny’s question.
“Ginny, it’s more a question of space and safety. The school has enough room, that entire East Wing was just used for storage, but there’s also the foundations. No one’s had a chance to examine it, at least that is what your father says.”
“Your mother is right, Ginny, these things just take time and the resources are not avail…”
“Resource? Time? I’m supposed to finish in a year and I don’t even have a school to attend! Ron and Harry and Hermione will be living in Hogsmeade and I’ll be stuck h-here!” Running out of the kitchen, Ginny ran to her room and slammed the door shut.
“Want me to talk to her?” Tonks asked Molly.
Ron, oblivious to his sister’s distress, grabbed another cookie. “Mum, have you heard back from the Grangers about Hermione coming?” Molly Weasley, her mind still on her daughter, said absently: “Oh yes, Ron, she will be here in a few days but can only stay a couple weeks, her new job starts in…” And her voice trailed off as she disappeared up the stairs.
“Blimey! I guess she got the job. Wow, I can’t believe this is happening.” Ron mumbled to no one in particular.
“Ron, how much does your mother know about you and Hermione?” Lupin asked this more as a joke than as an accusation, but the subtlety of the inference was lost on Ron who gave him a dirty look.
“Ron, does your mother know you and Hermione are dating?” This time it was Tonks asking, and she made no pretence of hiding her accusation. “You can’t be dishonest with them, Ron, I think they will ultimately give you their blessing, but this…”
“Look you two,” Ron road over Tonks, his neck was rapidly turning red with the ears close behind, a sure sign of an attack of obstinacy in Ron. “I’m eighteen years old and the rest of the Wizarding World recognizes me as an adult, why shouldn’t she, or you?” Ron glared at them and left the room, leaving Remus and Tonks to their thoughts, mostly about having a teenage child some day.
* * *
Molly Weasley tapped gently on her daughter’s bedroom door and pushed it open. Ginny was lying on her bed, looking through a book when she saw her mother come in. She slammed it shut and folded her hands over the cover.
“What are you reading, dear?” Molly knew the signs of a forbidden book, especially after having raised Fred and George.
Realizing there was no hope of deflecting her mother, Ginny went on the offensive. “Don’t worry, mother, here, look.” She turned on her side and tossed the thick book over. For the next few seconds she watched her mother’s face go from curiosity to frustration.
“Ginny, do we need to talk about something?” Molly said as she handed the copy of “Human Sexual Response” back to her daughter. Sitting on the end of her bed, Molly tried to hide her awkwardness by commenting. “Well, you’re definitely your mother’s daughter, no question there.”
Ginny tried to hold back a smile, then buried her face in the bedcovers to hide her embarrassment. “Dear, is this about you or Harry?” Then realizing she had one other option: “Or both of you?”
“No, Mum, not both of us, just me.” Ginny’s face was still buried in the covers. “I needed to understand some of my feelings and I thought this could help. When I’m with Harry it is like I’m in a different world, it’s magical…I mean…unreal. I feel like I’m half Harry and half myself. Is that the description of love?”
A little calmer now, Molly smiled at Ginny, and trying not to lecture, continued. “Ginny, I think that is more a description of being in love, than just love.”
“Mum, I want to be with him all the time. Even having to stay home today made me feel empty. What will I do when he’s off training?” Ginny had sat up on her bed; Molly could tell her daughter was already anticipating the separation.
“Dear, I’m afraid I don’t have an answer for you, except that I have no question about your love for Harry or his love for you. When your father and I saw you two together in the hospital we both commented about how we felt we were looking at a single soul. It was quite a sight and a shock, Ginny, to see our sixteen-year-old daughter holding a seventeen-year-old boy as if both their lives depended on it. But it was not because of anything… inappropriate, it was magic deeper than anything we’d seen. The Healers could not explain it, but everyone there saw you two as one. It was frightening and extraordinary at the same time.”
Ginny sat staring, dumbfounded, as her mother told her of the events on the last day before Harry woke up. No one had ever really talked about it with her, not even Harry. She had been in an otherworldly state for two or three days at that point and her only memory, now vague and blurred, was that of pulling Harry out of a pit; just constant, endless pulling. Then she was awake. Everyone’s joy at their recovery had made the reasons for the recovery obsolete.
“Mum, is it ok for me to want to marry Harry?”
Where did THAT come from? Molly asked herself, trying to hide her surprise. But she quickly realized Ginny’s question was not driven by anything but hope and longing and love. Reaching over to Ginny and pulling her close and looking into her eyes, the only possible answer Molly could give, partly to herself, but mostly to her daughter was “Oh yes, Ginny. It’s very ‘ok.’”
* * *
Percy Weasley woke the next morning after a night filled with dreams of him becoming a Squib. Even though there had been only a few cases of such a thing happening, Percy dismissed the silly dream and started to get up. After rolling up his blanket he reached for his wand to clean up and froze when he found his wand pocket empty. I know that is where I left it, it must have dropped out in my sleep.
Searching the pine needles and loose dirt underneath the spot he had slept, he began to panic when he did not find it. He unwrapped his blanket, emptied the backpack item by item, searched his clothing three more times each then sat on the ground and thought. Rising to search the area a little better he saw a young boy, thirteen or fourteen, sitting on top of the rocks he had slept beside that night. Annoyed that someone was witnessing him look so intensely for a missing item, he noticed, after a moment, the smile on the boy’s face. Percy stopped his search, placed his hands on his hips, and asked the boy what he was smiling about.
“Nuthin’. Looking for something?”
“Maybe. Did you find something?”
“Maybe. Did you lose something?”
“Look, I really have to find my…my baton.” Percy was trying to imagine something a Muggle would think of if they saw a wand.
Sniggering the boy pointed behind himself. “If you’re looking for a baton, Stinky, you better go look over there.”
“Why, what is over…did you call me ‘Stinky?’” Even though Percy knew full well he deserved the name it bothered him that a boy much younger was poking fun at him.
“Yeah, Stinky, and if you’re looking for a ‘baton’, you need to see the dance lessons at school. But…” the boy leaned forward to a point where he was just out of Percy’s reach, and directly above him. “if you were looking for a magic wand I might be able to help you.”
Then reaching behind his back the boy produced Percy’s wand. “My git of a little brother brought it home late last night, said he found it by the rocks next to some dead guy. I asked him how he knew you was dead and he said ‘because it stank so much.’ So there you have it, Stinky!”
Percy was relieved to see the boy had some common sense. Now to talk the boy out of it. “Well, if it is all the same to you, I would like my…wand back. Can’t do any tricks without it. What‘s your name?”
“I’ll give it to you if you promise to show me some tricks, Stinky.”
“And I’ll show you some tricks if you stop calling me ‘Stinky,’ how’s that?”
“Ok, here it is. And my name is Peter, what is yours?"
“Percy, Percy Weasley.”