Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

113 Days Later (In Time Series 2)	By : Dazzlious Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female Views: 8955 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from JK Rowling’s fantastic books or films, I’m just borrowing and playing with them for a little while and get no monetary reward for doing so.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
Arthur stood almost numb with grief, staring at the closed door and trying but failing to understand how his perfect evening with Hermione had turned to something so sour and painful. He understood her distress at the likely breakdown of his marriage, especially given her initial promise to him, but he hadn’t lied about his feelings either for her or Molly, and whether she liked it or not things had changed.
She was upset now, but once she got over the shock he would be able to talk to her rationally, would be able to convince her that things were nowhere near as bad as she feared. The truth was that until Hermione completely left school their relationship couldn’t really move on much anyway.
Now the initial shock was gone he could feel a pain in his chest that would debilitate him if he didn’t do something to stop it. He needed a drink. Arthur opened the drawer and pulled out the Firewhisky, pouring a larger than normal measure. He took a big swig of it and gasped at the pain, his eyes watering as the burning liquid slid down his throat and into his roiling stomach, then he poured more into the glass. He sat down and stared into the amber liquid as if he could use it to divine the future.
Arthur wasn’t sure what was going to be the best way to approach Hermione; he knew she had told him the truth when she said she wouldn’t return to the shed. It meant he would need to speak to her in the house and that would be somewhat tricky to accomplish with so many other people around all the time unless he could somehow convince her to come back out here. But unfortunately, in her current state of mind it was unlikely he could achieve that without a considerable amount of coaxing, which brought him back to the house being too crowded to talk properly.
He wondered whether Molly could be persuaded to go and see more relatives to give him and Hermione a chance to talk during the daytime. He knew his wife had been thinking about visiting her uncle Ignatius and aunt Lucretia for quite some time now, so it might not be too hard to convince her to go before the new year. It would be more difficult to get his children and Harry out of the way, but hopefully the weather would continue dry and he could suggest they go and play Quidditch or something — they wouldn’t expect Hermione to join them for that.
Now settled in his mind about how he was going to effect a conversation, Arthur turned his thoughts to what he was going to say to Hermione. First he would have to reassure her that his marriage wasn’t in imminent danger of collapse, which was true . . . probably. As long as Molly didn’t find out what they had done things would continue as they were currently and would do for the foreseeable future.
Once Hermione left school and was available to him full-time then they would need to consider more carefully how to manage their relationship. It was entirely possible that it would mean the end of his marriage, given that he would rather be with his beautiful young lover than his wife. But that was another seven months away at least, and hopefully by then the way ahead would be clearer for both of them.
A suggestion returned to his mind that he and Molly had discussed several times since the end of the war and now Arthur spent some time considering it in more detail. After Hermione had made her decision not to visit her parents in Australia or attempt to retrieve their memories until after she left school, they had realised that she had nowhere to call home when she wasn’t at Hogwarts.
This wasn’t generally a problem as she tended to spend her holidays at the Burrow with her friends anyway; it wasn’t as if she had nowhere to stay. But he and Molly had long considered whether to offer Hermione a permanent home with them as they had with Harry, particularly now that Harry and Ron were working for the Ministry of Magic and weren’t always going to be around during school holidays, which might leave Hermione feeling disenfranchised and less inclined to visit.
It was something they had intended to discuss with her during the New Year’s Eve celebrations; an invitation to join their family, which didn’t preclude the option of bringing her parents back but would, they hoped, give her stability at a time when she would no doubt be feeling anxious about the future.
At least if she knew she had a permanent place to call home she wouldn’t need to worry about what would happen once school was over and she had to start looking for a job — she would already have a roof over her head. But maybe with what had happened tonight he would need to bring the discussion forward and put her mind at ease straight away.
But even as Arthur thought about making the offer to Hermione, he knew that in his heart of hearts he wasn’t doing it for altruistic reasons. He had been thinking about using it to bring Hermione closer to him, and while he had never admitted it out loud, it would circumvent the need for him to face up to the breakdown of his marriage and actually do something about it.
If Hermione was living with him at the Burrow they could continue as they always had without any need for change — although if she was given her own room and was no longer sharing with Ginny maybe some of his house-based fantasies could eventually become a reality too. Hopefully it would be enough to keep Hermione happy and Molly none the wiser.
He knew it would be disingenuous of him to offer Hermione a permanent home when he was intending to use it to further his own ends, and he suspected that if he did Hermione might reject the offer purely because she was worried about his marriage, not even thinking about the fact that doing so would leave her homeless once she left school for good.
Although Arthur urgently wanted to speak to her and was even more desperate for her to accept the proposal, it couldn’t come from him. Molly would need to do the talking on this one, and New Year’s Eve was still the best time. He just needed to convince Hermione not to end their relationship before then. That was going to be more than enough for one conversation.
Arthur drank again. At some point he really was going to have to think seriously about what would happen if he had to make a choice between Hermione and Molly. He already knew it wouldn’t be pleasant. He didn’t think any of his children would understand if he chose Hermione over their mother and he had no idea how he would even break the news to Molly.
Then again, Hermione didn’t want him ending his marriage, even now, so maybe he would end up chickening out and staying in a relationship that no longer made him happy rather than rocking the boat. Feeling even more unhappy at that thought, he finished the drink in his glass.
He poured the last of the Firewhisky into his empty glass, then raised it as if in a morose toast. Whatever she thought, Hermione wasn’t to blame for the breakdown of his marriage. Arthur had managed that one all on his own.

‘But I don’t understand why you suddenly need to leave now,’ Ron said, sounding annoyed.
Hermione didn’t pause as she continued to collect together her belongings and pack them into her case. Now that she had ended her relationship with Arthur she just wanted to leave. She needed to put some distance between her and the lover she’d had no choice but to leave behind before the pain of what she had done really set in and crippled her and thus exposed her perfidy to the rest of Arthur’s family.
The one good thing was that here in the house Arthur was unlikely to try to question her any further because of their unspoken rules, but she wasn’t in the mood for talking to Ron right at that moment either. All she wanted to do was get packed and leave the Burrow as soon as possible.
‘I’ve been here for a week,’ Hermione pointed out, her voice low and tense, as she stuffed yet more items into the case, knowing she should be taking more care and folding her clothes to create a bit of space but unable to do it because of her growing annoyance with her friend. ‘I need to get back to school because I’ve got a lot of work to catch up on. Don’t forget I’m taking my N.E.W.T.s in June, and regardless of what you think that isn’t that far away.’
‘But why go now? You knew you were staying until the new year,’ Ron said. He grabbed Hermione’s hand to stop her moving away from the bed in her quest for more of her clothes. ‘What’s changed to make you want to leave?’ He sighed, then added, ‘Was it what we were saying about George the other day? I know we went a bit too far with that, but I thought you’d accepted our apologies.’
Hermione stared at Ron for a moment, then pulled her hand from his, shaking her head.
‘No, it’s not that. I’ve got over that since you’ve stopped going on about it . . . and the bloody party. But I’ve done almost nothing all week and I feel like I really need to get back to it. I know I was going to stay, but you and Harry will be at work all day tomorrow and Thursday anyway, and I think Ginny’s going with your mum to see some of your relatives tomorrow, so I’ll be here on my own. You know how frustrated that will make me, especially when I could be better occupied. I’d have to leave on Friday anyway. So I might as well go back now and get some work done in readiness for the new term.’
‘But I thought you were going to introduce us to your mate in the pub tomorrow night,’ Ron said, grasping for reasons why Hermione shouldn’t leave.
‘Harry’s already met Tom and I’m sure he’s perfectly capable of opening up a dialogue if he’s there. You don’t need me for that. To be honest I’ve really lost interest now I know that the sign is Jeremiah’s Patronus. It’s a lovely sign, but I’ve got a postcard of it and I don’t really need to go to the pub again, especially as I’m still not drinking. I know Harry’s keen to find out more, which I completely understand as it’s his family, but I don’t need to be there for that, either.’
‘I just don’t understand why you’re so desperate to get away.’
‘I’m not desperate, I just want to get packed and make sure I’ve got everything ready to go so I can leave after breakfast tomorrow, at the same time as everyone else.’
Ron snorted. ‘It certainly looks like you’re desperate the way you’re shoving everything into your case like that.’
‘That’s because you’re not letting me get on with doing it and you’re making me annoyed,’ Hermione retorted. ‘If you left me to it I’d be fine.’
‘Have you told Mum and Dad you’re leaving?’ Ron asked.
Hermione froze for a few seconds, then continued her packing as she debated what to say. Should she admit that she had told Arthur she was going? If she did that she would have to say where she had seen him, and there hadn’t been any time while they were both in the house for them to have spoken. She would have to admit to visiting the shed and that would open up a whole can of worms that was best left sealed.
‘Not yet, but I’m sure that unlike you they’ll understand,’ Hermione told him. ‘Honestly, Ronald, I’m not running away or anything like that. I know you never liked school much but I do, and I just want to go back to Hogwarts and get on with some work. I’ve missed it.’
Ron’s face contorted into an expression of disgust at Hermione’s comment. There was a noise outside in the corridor and then the bedroom door opened.
‘Can you two talk some sense into Hermione, please?’ Ron said as Ginny started to enter the room. Harry was just behind her.
‘Talk sense into her for what?’ Ginny asked, dumping the pile of washing she was carrying on her bed. She saw Hermione’s suitcase and stared in surprise at her friend. ‘Where are you going, Hermione?’
‘I’m going to get the train back to school tomorrow,’ Hermione said.
‘Tomorrow? But we’re not due to go back until Friday,’ Ginny replied.
‘I know. But I want to go back early. I’ve spent a week on holiday and I really want to get on with some work. I’ve got a project for Ancient Runes that I need to research, but I can only do that in the Hogwarts Library.’
‘And it can’t wait another couple of days?’ Ginny asked. She looked and sounded sceptical.
Hermione shook her head. ‘Not really. To be honest I’m over Christmas now and want to get back to work. I’ve had a week of lazing around and that’s more than enough for me. Harry and Ron are going to work tomorrow, so why shouldn’t I go back?’
‘We’re only working ‘cos we were rostered on.’ Ron sounded peeved. ‘We wouldn’t have done it if we’d had a choice.’
‘And we’re supposed to be going to the pub tomorrow night,’ Harry reminded her.
Hermione sighed. ‘You’re perfectly capable of going to the pub and talking to Tom yourself, Harry. I don’t really want to go anyway because I’m still not drinking, and I’ve been there twice already. To be honest, there’s only so many times I can wander into Ottery St Catchpole — it’s not the most exciting of villages, especially in the middle of winter. I don’t even feel the need to go back to visit the church.’
‘You could come with Mum and me,’ Ginny said, but after a moment she continued, ‘No, I suppose you’re not really interested in being stuck with a load of our old relatives for the day. I don’t really want to go, so I’m sure you won’t. But do you really need to go back to school?’
‘I want to go back,’ Hermione said honestly.
‘But what about New Year’s Eve? There’s going to be another big get together with all the family, and there will be fireworks and stuff. It’ll be a real blast,’ Ron said.
‘To be honest, Ron, I’m not really interested in another party. As I said before, I’m not drinking so it’s probably not going to be that entertaining for me, especially if everyone else is—’
‘And you’re not able to go around snogging everyone indiscriminately,’ Ron cut in, somewhat snidely.
Icily, Hermione continued, ‘As I said, I’m not that fussed. But I’m not really keen on New Year anyway. I know it’s supposed to be a time for new beginnings, but I’m not sure I’m ready for that. I just keep thinking about Mum and Dad—’ Hermione broke off, not wanting to talk about her parents. She already had enough pain in her heart without adding them to the equation.
‘Believe me, Hermione, I know all about missing your parents and I also understand this whole holiday is probably a bit bittersweet because they’re still out there and celebrating without you,’ Harry said sympathetically. ‘But surely you don’t want to be alone on New Year’s Eve, do you? That would be even more depressing, I’d have thought.’
‘I’m not going to be alone, am I?’ Hermione pointed out. ‘I’ll be at school and there will be plenty of people there. They normally hold some sort of celebration there, don’t they? Some sort of party or something.’
‘But you won’t be with your family and friends,’ Ron said.
Unable to keep the tartness from her voice, Hermione told him, ‘My family are in Australia, Ronald. While it’s true that I won’t be with my best friends there will still be plenty of people I know. But as I said, I’m not that bothered about celebrating.’
‘You’ll probably just spend it in the Library anyway,’ Ron sniggered nastily.
Hermione gave him a sharp look. ‘It’s not open at that time of night, as you well know.’
‘Well, I think if Hermione wants to go back to school she should go,’ Ginny said equably. ‘What’s the point in her staying here and being unhappy? It’s not like she can go to work with you two, is it? And as I said before, visiting the rellies is going to be a major yawn. We all know Hermione’s only truly happy when she’s working . . . and she’s been here for a week so you can’t say you haven’t spent any time with her. Anyway, it’s not like you’re never going to see her again, is it? We’ll be back at Easter.’ This last was directed towards Ron, who had just opened his mouth, presumably to disagree.
‘Are you sure it’s not because you’re still pissed off with us?’ he asked.
Hermione shook her head. ‘I promise it isn’t. I just want to go back to school.’
Ron sighed. ‘All right. In that case we’d better let you get on. You get packed, and I’ll go and warn Mum and Dad that you’re going.’ He turned to Harry and Ginny. ‘Come on, let’s leave Hermione to it. Shall we have a game of Exploding Snap?’
‘I’ll be down to join you as soon as I’ve finished packing,’ Hermione promised. She gave them a weak smile and watched as the trio filed out of the bedroom.
Once they were gone she picked up all the items of clothing she had hastily shoved in the suitcase and dumped them on the bed. She picked up a t-shirt and began to fold it properly. At least the hardest part was over and done with. She had made the break with Arthur and convinced her friends, or Ginny at least, that she should leave; all she had left to do was discuss it briefly with Molly.
Molly wouldn’t try to stop her, Hermione knew, especially as Arthur would step in if she did. Although Hermione knew Arthur wasn’t happy with what she had done he would never say anything about it, certainly not with other people around. He would let her leave and would even be pleasant about it, even if it was killing him on the inside in the way it was doing with her.
Hermione could feel a terrible numbness inside of her, while at the same time a nasty queasy roiling feeling in her stomach made her want to throw up. Her heart hurt too, a sharp stabbing pain that she knew wasn’t going to go anytime soon and that would only be eased by being away from the Burrow and the man she loved more than anyone else in the world.
Automatically she folded item after item, placing them back in the case as she fought to stop the pain that was threatening to overwhelm her and fight back the tears that she could never allow to fall. Once she was completely packed, with the exception of her pyjamas, clothes for the following day and her wash bag, Hermione took a final look around the room to make sure she had got everything.
She didn’t want to go downstairs, didn’t want to have to see Arthur again, but she had no choice. Firstly, she had agreed to join the others to play games; at least it would keep her away from Arthur and would hopefully stop them from being so annoyed with her for going. But also she knew she had to go and speak to Molly. Ron would have told her by now, but it was common courtesy to inform her hostess that she was leaving and to thank Molly for opening her home to her.
And for sharing her husband with you, a little voice in her mind whispered.
Hermione abruptly closed the voice down. She was already feeling bad enough about what had happened without her conscience trying to make her feel guilty about it too. Her time as a Muggle artefact was over, and while it didn’t seem like it at the moment she knew she had made the right decision. Not the right decision for her, maybe, but she had saved Arthur and Molly’s marriage and that was the correct thing to do, however much it hurt to do it.
At least she would be way up in the Highlands of Scotland for the foreseeable future, as far away from Arthur as she could possibly get; and in time, with a lot of help from her N.E.W.T. studies, the pain would dissipate and she would be able to think about him without wanting to throw herself into his arms and beg him to take her back as his lover, as she currently wanted to do. Once the pain was finally gone and her desire for Arthur had died, then she could return here and spend time with her friends in the way she had always done before. And next time she wouldn’t go anywhere near Arthur’s shed.
Unable to stay upstairs any longer, Hermione made her way out of the bedroom and down the stairs. She stopped in the area where the outerwear was kept and checked to make sure she had her hat, scarf and gloves. Once they were safely in her coat pockets she dug her boots out from the pile on the floor so she could find them easily in the morning, then realising she couldn’t put it off any longer she went into the kitchen, knowing Molly was likely to be there.
‘Ah, Hermione. There you are. I’m making hot chocolate for everyone. I assume you want one too?’ Molly was as friendly and happy as ever, beaming at her.
Hermione nodded, having suddenly lost the ability to speak.
‘Ron tells me that you’ve decided to go back to school tomorrow,’ Molly continued as she bustled around the kitchen, sorting out the drinks.
Hermione nodded again. She swallowed hard, knowing she had to say something.
‘Yes. I’ve had a nice week, it’s actually been very relaxing. But I really need to get back to my studies. As I said to Ron, there’s only six months until the exams.’
‘I assume, knowing my son, that he wasn’t particularly sympathetic about your reasons for going?’ Molly asked knowingly.
Hermione shook her head this time. ‘No. But then he was never that interested in deadlines and exams when he was at school.’
‘And his grades showed that,’ Molly replied sardonically. She took the large saucepan of hot chocolate from the stove and began pouring it into the mugs clustered on the table. ‘I wouldn’t worry about Ronald. He’ll get over it, and he’s got to work anyway.’
‘That’s what I told him,’ Hermione answered. ‘I’ve enjoyed the week, but I purposely didn’t bring much work with me so I had to relax. Now I really just want to go back and start research for this project I’ve got to do for Ancient Runes.’
‘Well, I think it’s admirable that you have such a good work ethic, Hermione. We will miss you, though, especially on New Year’s Eve.’
Molly handed Hermione one of the mugs then put all the others but one on a tray.
‘Hmmm. To be honest, Mrs Weasley, I’m not really keen on going to another party. I’m not sure I’ve recovered from the last one yet.’
‘It’s only going to be family, and George will not be allowed anywhere near the drinks this time, but I can understand your reluctance,’ Molly said with a smile. She paused for a moment, then added, ‘Just as long as you’re not going to be on your own, getting upset about your parents. I wouldn’t be very happy to think of you being alone and unhappy.’
‘I’m going to be fine, thank you, Mrs Weasley. Ron said I’d be spending the evening in the Library and he was probably almost right. I won’t be, but I suspect I’ll be deep into my research by then so I won’t even notice it . . . which would be good for me right now. It’s been a bit hard thinking about my parents and knowing I can’t be with them.’
‘Of course it’s going to be difficult. It was a brave choice to decide to wait until you left school before doing anything about retrieving them.’
‘I’m sure they’re happy in their new life so it’s not a problem for them to be left like that. The problem comes when I want them back.’
‘They’ll be pleased to see you,’ Molly reassured her.
Hermione took a sip of her drink, not wanting to say anything further as the reminder of her parents had started that pain in her heart to twinge more fiercely.
‘Can you take the tray through for me, please?’ Molly asked. ‘I just want to clear up in here and then I’ll be in.’
‘Of course I can.’
Hermione put her own mug on the tray and picked it up. She left the kitchen and went to the lounge, looking around her briefly to see where everyone was. Harry and Ginny were sitting on the sofa. Ron was sitting on the floor opposite them with the coffee table between them. They were playing Exploding Snap.
Arthur was sitting in his armchair staring at the Christmas tree which still twinkled away. He looked every bit as unhappy as Hermione felt. Deciding to get the first post-relationship meeting over and done with as soon as possible, she headed in Arthur’s direction. She held out the tray, trying not to catch his eye as he took one of the mugs.
‘Thank you, Hermione.’ Arthur’s voice was soft. He sounded pretty unhappy too.
Hermione turned away and joined her friends. She put the tray down on the coffee table and sat on the floor next to Ron, then picked up her mug. Harry seemed to be winning the current game, but there was still a way to go so she sat back and sipped her chocolate as she watched them play. She knew Arthur was watching her, she could almost feel his eyes boring into her back, but she didn’t dare turn round and look back at him. She just hoped that he would stop when Molly joined them.
By the time the Weasley matriarch took her seat the game was over and a new one had begun. Hermione tried to concentrate on the game but between the misery she felt over her split with Arthur, the worry she felt at his watching her so intently, and the desire to flee as far away as she could, she wasn’t really playing a good game. When Ginny won, Hermione congratulated her and asked to be excused, feeling the need for an earlyish night — anything to get away from Arthur.
She stood up and turned to say goodnight to him and Molly.
‘Did you hear, Arthur? Hermione’s leaving us tomorrow,’ Molly said.
Arthur looked surprised for a moment, his gaze fixed on Hermione, but then he frowned. ‘I thought you and Ginny were getting the Hogwarts Express on Friday morning.’
Hermione fidgeted under his intense stare, feeling uncomfortable. The truth was that while she had told Arthur she was ending their relationship and leaving, she hadn’t made it clear to him that she was going straight away. Looking at him now she suspected he had intended to try to change her mind about her decision between now and the new year. It was good that she was leaving. This only proved that they had let things go too far.
‘Harry and Ron go back to work tomorrow so I thought I might as well go back to Hogwarts. I’ve got some research for a project I need to do and I’m feeling a bit twitchy after a whole week of not doing anything. I’ll be glad to get back there and get buried in my work again.’
Hermione saw the pain in Arthur’s eyes and knew she had hurt him by admitting she wanted to leave. But she was hurting too, and staying so close to each other wasn’t going to do either of them any good.
‘How are you intending to get there?’ Arthur asked, seeming to have recovered himself. ‘The Hogwarts Express only runs on the first day of term. Are you going to Apparate?’
‘No, I’m going to get a Muggle train to Edinburgh and then I’ll probably Apparate from there,’ Hermione replied.
She had considered Apparating straight back to the school but had decided the long train journey north would give her the time she needed to get herself into the right frame of mind. Once she arrived back at Hogwarts there would be little time for introspection, and after everything that had happened Hermione felt she needed it to get her life back into some sort of order.
‘Well, I can take you to Kings Cross in the morning,’ Arthur offered.
‘No,’ Hermione said. She realised how rude it sounded and saw Molly’s eyebrows rise in surprise, so she hurriedly added, ‘I’ll be fine thanks, Mr Weasley. I’m going to use the Floo to go to the Leaky Cauldron and then I’ll get the Tube from Leicester Square to Kings Cross.’
‘I don’t like the idea of you going on your own,’ Arthur said.
‘I’ll be fine. Honestly.’
‘I’m sure Hermione will be okay, Arthur. She’s Muggle-born so she knows her way around the Tube and suchlike.’ Molly chuckled and waved her finger at him chidingly. ‘You just want an excuse to go and do Muggle things again, I know you.’
Arthur held his hands up, looking guiltily at his wife. ‘Caught out again. Sorry, Molly.’ He looked back at Hermione. ‘The offer’s there if you want it.’
Hermione shook her head. ‘Honestly, I’ll be fine, Mr Weasley. I’m going to bed now. Goodnight.’
‘Goodnight, Hermione,’ Molly said.
‘Sleep well,’ Arthur added.
Hermione stared at him for a couple of seconds and then turned away and left the room, heading for the bedroom she shared with Ginny. She wasn’t sure whether Arthur had meant his comment of farewell or if he was accusing her of ruining his sleep. Knowing him, it was probably both.
The truth was that she already knew she was unlikely to sleep well after everything that had happened today. In fact, she’d be lucky if she got any sleep at all. But at least tomorrow it would all be over and she would be away from the Burrow. She just hoped she would start feeling better soon.

‘As we’re all busy doing things today, I’ve cooked a proper breakfast,’ Molly said as Hermione and Ginny entered the kitchen the following morning. ‘Sit down and help yourself to tea.’
She indicated the kitchen table with a hand holding a spatula. Arthur was already sitting at the head of the table reading a copy of the Daily Prophet. Hermione and Ginny sat down on either side of him. Ginny yawned loudly and picked up the teapot.
‘Tea, Hermione?’
‘Yes please,’ Hermione responded. She was trying not to yawn herself, having had as bad a night’s sleep as she had expected. She didn’t want Arthur to know that, though.
Ginny started pouring the tea into two mugs. She pushed one towards Hermione, who added some milk from the jug on the table. After a moment’s thought she added a teaspoon of sugar as well in hopes that it would give her some energy.
‘Are Ron and Harry up yet?’ Molly asked. ‘Ginny, be a dear and go and give them a shout or they’re going to be late for work.’
Sighing loudly to make clear her displeasure at what she had been asked to do, Ginny got up and left the room, heading for the stairs. A moment later they could hear her as she yelled out her brother and boyfriend’s names.
Arthur dropped the paper and looked at Hermione over the top of it. ‘Have you changed your mind?’ he asked quietly.
Hermione wondered what he was talking about as the question could have so many different meanings where they were concerned. But whatever he was asking, it didn’t matter. Their relationship was still over, she was leaving the Burrow this morning, and she didn’t want or need Arthur’s help getting to the station.
‘No,’ she said and took a mouthful of her tea to indicate that she didn’t want to talk to him.
‘I meant go and get them,’ Molly said, shaking her head in exasperation as Ginny came back into the kitchen and flopped back into the seat she had vacated a couple of minutes earlier.
‘Harry answered,’ Ginny said. ‘He said they’ll be down in a minute. If you dish up they’ll be here by the time it’s ready.’
A few minutes later everyone was around the table and they each had a plate overflowing with food and a cup of tea.
‘This will certainly keep us going, Mrs Weasley,’ Harry said with a smile.
‘I’ve made you and Ronald sandwiches for lunch,’ Molly replied. She indicated one of the worktops which had a number of brown paper bags on it. ‘You too, Hermione. I know you’ve got a long journey so you’ll need something for later.’
Hermione smiled at her. ‘Thank you, Mrs Weasley.’
‘I don’t know what time we’ll be home tonight,’ Ron said. ‘I don’t know how busy it is.’
‘Well, if you’re going to be late then send me an owl,’ Molly told him. She looked at her husband. ‘Are you likely to be late tonight, Arthur?’
Arthur finished the mouthful of food he was eating. ‘No. It’s relatively quiet at the moment with Christmas holidays and stuff. Hopefully I should be home by normal time. I haven’t got any meetings scheduled for today.’
‘I thought I’d make a steak and kidney pie for tea,’ Molly said. ‘I’ll do it once Ginny and I get back from seeing Ignatius and Lucretia.’
‘That sounds lovely,’ Arthur said.
Hermione thought he didn’t sound as if he thought it was lovely. She dropped her napkin onto her now empty plate and took the last mouthful of her tea.
‘Right. I need to get going or I’m going to miss my train. I’m going to go and get my case.’
A few minutes later she was back, her case on the floor beside her as she pulled on her coat.
‘Have a good day at work,’ she told Harry and Ron as she gave each of them a huge hug. ‘I’ll write to you soon.’
‘Don’t work too hard,’ Ron said, his rueful smile showing that he knew she would.
‘I’ll see you on Friday,’ Ginny added.
‘Thank you for your hospitality,’ Hermione said to Molly and Arthur. ‘It’s been really nice to be here. I’ve had a lovely Christmas.’
Molly wrapped her arms around Hermione and hugged her. ‘It was lovely to see you, Hermione. You know you’re always welcome. We’ll see you soon — Easter, I expect?’
‘Yes, probably,’ Hermione replied with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
‘Molly’s right. It’s been lovely to see you, Hermione. It’s a shame you’re going so soon,’ Arthur said. He had stood up and stepped forward and gave her a hug too.
Hermione felt the pain pierce her heart and she closed her eyes for a moment, willing herself not to cry. She couldn’t hold him as tightly as she wanted to or she might never let go. She pulled back and stared at him.
‘Thank you, Mr Weasley. I’ve really enjoyed it.’
For a moment Hermione thought Arthur wasn’t going to let go of her so she moved backwards, out of his arms, still watching him as his expression dulled. A moment later he sat back down and picked up the newspaper.
‘Are you sure you’re okay to go on your own?’ Ron asked.
‘Of course I am. I’ll send you an owl when I get to Hogwarts. Have a good day, everyone. I’ll see you soon.’
‘Don’t forget your sandwiches,’ Molly said, and she held out a bag.
Hermione took the lunch and put it into her handbag, then waved, took some Floo powder from the flower pot Ginny had picked up, and threw it into the fireplace. She watched as the flames flared and turned green. She picked up the case and climbed into the fire.
‘Leaky Cauldron,’ she announced loudly and clearly.
The fire flared again and Hermione was gone.
- 7
- 8
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113 Days Later (In Time Series 2)