Chapter Text
In contradiction to everything that was said about her and her love of learning, Hermione Granger adored school holidays. It wasn’t just that she was finally able to see her parents: it also gave her the opportunity to wind down from all the stress that had taken hold of her during the previous weeks and months. The last school year had been extreme, even for her. The added stress of helping Harry through the Triwizard Tournament had done its part to make her tired and weary and when they’d finally thought that it was all over with the third task, Harry had come back with a dead Cedric and the devastating news that You-Know-Who was back. No matter what the press said about Harry’s and Dumbledore’s mental states, Hermione believed every word and couldn’t help but worry about what was to come.
"What's wrong, Pumpkin?" her dad said with obvious worry in his voice. "You've been staring at the same page of that book for almost ten minutes. That's not like you at all." He smiled affectionately towards her from his sunbed next to her.
“Leave her be, Dan,” her mother muttered from behind him. “She’s probably thinking about that nice Bulgarian guy who keeps writing to her, even though he’s back in his country now. What was his name again, Honey?”
Hermione sighed tiredly. “His name’s Viktor, Mum, but I told you, we’re just friends. I’m not pining after him or anything…” And it was true. Viktor was a nice guy and he had kept her company and cheered her up during the last months. He was the first man that saw there was more to her than a bookish know-it-all with big teeth, and he had had no qualms inviting her as his date for the Yule Ball.
Her mum smiled knowingly. “Not even a little bit? He was your first kiss, if I remember correctly, and by the colour of your cheeks it must have been a fairly nice kiss."
Merlin, when had her mum gotten so nosy? Yes, there had been a kiss, or maybe two or three, in the gardens at the Yule Ball, and there had been a time of holding hands afterwards. But after a while, they had both agreed that they were better off as friends in the long term.
“It was nice,” she finally admitted with a little smile and her mum grinned happily at her.
“I remember how it was when I was your age. My heart was broken at least once a month and I kept pining after Henry Jarnson even though the boy was never interested in me.”
Hermione rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide the amused smile on her lips. “Well, luckily that’s not my case, maybe I take after dad in this respect.” She smiled and put her book aside. “I don’t have time for such nonsense.”
Her mum shrugged unconcernedly. “You’re probably just a late bloomer. Don't worry, you'll experience the pining and the heartbreak soon enough." Her mother winked at her before she got to her feet. "I'll go inside and grab us some snacks and lemonade. What about you two go swimming in the pool? You've been staring into your books long enough."
Her father looked at Hermione with an eye-roll, putting his book away as he did “Guess another bit of swimming can’t hurt, right Pumpkin?”
“Alright,” she said and got up from her sunbed. There was always more time for reading afterwards.
Yes, Hermione Granger loved the holidays, and this one was no exception.
Sssssssss
Fred and George had been busy throughout the holidays. It had always been their dream to open a joke shop on their own, and now, with Harry's generous gift, it was suddenly possible. The twins had been working night and day to do just that because they knew the day was coming soon. Their parents had been unusually busy and more than once Remus Lupin or some other grim-looking person visited the Burrow in the evenings and involved their parents in late-night-discussions about what was to come. Fred knew it wasn’t going to be pretty but as it was impossible to get anything out of their parents, he and his brother had started tossing ideas around and finally had come to the idea for Extendable Ears. This was how they learned that they would have to switch quarters soon, because the whole Weasley family was moving to Grimmauld Place for the rest of the holidays and they would not be the only ones.
“This is actually a nice neighbourhood,” George said next to him and whistled through his teeth, as they strolled along the sidewalks of Hampstead.
“Yeah,” Fred replied with a nod and looked around. They had never been to the area before, but when their parents asked them to play owl for them, they had happily agreed. It gave them the opportunity to get out of the house and away from their mother’s lectures about the importance of schoolwork for a bit. “I think we’re close now. Look, there’s already number 18." Fred pointed towards a large brick house with a huge, well-kept garden and a white picket fence. It almost looked idyllic, but also very boring in his opinion. Still, it fit the picture of Ron's bookish friend.
“Let’s see if she’s at home, shall we?” George said, and confidently strode along the tiled footpath through the garden towards the brown, wooden front door of the house. He pressed the little button that was the doorbell without hesitation, and immediately a nice melody chimed inside the house. Wasn't it supposed to make a ringing noise or something? Obviously not, because only a few moments later the door was opened by a pretty brunette woman, who was clearly Hermione Granger's mother. She had the same bushy hair and eyes as their school friend, and apart from the fact that she looked older and curvier, both women looked almost the same.
"Hello, boys, what can I do for you?" the woman asked politely, looking at them with a friendly smile. In return, Fred plastered a wide smile on his face.
“Hello, Mrs Granger, we’re Fred and George Weasley," he said without hesitation, and saw his brother nodding. "We're friends of Hermione’s, and we wondered if she’s at home.”
It was obviously the right thing to say, because Mrs. Granger stepped aside with a wide smile on her face. "Of course, boys, do come in! Hermione rarely has friends visit. I'm sure she'll be pleased to see you."
Fred followed her into the house and couldn't help but note the differences to his own home. Apart from the fact that it was undeniably a Muggle household and his father would have had a field day with all the strange devices that they encountered, everything was absolutely neat, and there seemed to be a colour pattern for all the rooms they passed. In the Burrow, all rooms seemed randomly decorated in comparison and contained lots of stuff, much of which was probably older than he was. For some reason, he liked it better that way, even if it might have seemed totally chaotic to people like the Grangers. Luckily, that wasn't anything he had to be concerned with.
“Hermione’s in the backyard,” Mrs Granger said, stepping into a living room with several large windows looking out to a garden with a pool in the middle. At first, Fred couldn't spot Hermione, but eventually he made out two figures moving in the middle of the pool. Fred could see that one of them was Hermione, the sight taking him totally by surprise. “Go ahead, boys, she’s in the pool. I’ll be with you shortly.”
Hermione's mum waved them off with a smile, and, after a moment of hesitation, both twins shrugged and strolled through the garden. At first they went totally unnoticed, but when they reached the border of the pool, Hermione finally looked up and her eyes widened in surprise.
“Fred? George? What are you doing here?”
Fred looked at her with a broad smile, but before he could open his mouth George answered, "Mum sends us with a message— didn't want to send an owl, you know?" The little witch nodded and Fred knew that she understood what his brother wasn't saying. An owl could be intercepted on its way and so their parents hadn't wanted to risk it.
“Alright,” the girl said with a smile, swimming to the edge of the pool, where she gracefully pulled herself up. For a moment Fred had problems keeping his eyes wandering to places they definitely shouldn’t be. Hermione Granger was definitely a woman now, not the little girl they had once met by the Hogwarts Express. It had already been evident at the Yule Ball last year, but it was even more obvious through the blue-and-white-striped swimsuit she was wearing now. “Just give me a moment to dry myself off,” she mumbled, and for a moment he could have sworn he saw a faint blush on her cheeks, but it was probably just his imagination. “Then we can go inside.”
"Nonsense," her mother suddenly interrupted her from behind. "Those friends of yours look like they'd love to have a little swim in the pool, too. And why not? It’s a beautiful day, and I’ve already fetched some of your dad’s swimming trunks.”
“Mum!” the girl protested and looked at her mother with wide eyes. “You can’t just…” But the woman simply cut her daughter off and looked at the twins with a smile.
“Well, boys? What do you say? Are you up for a little swim?”
It wasn’t a hard decision. The weather was indeed beautiful, and it was either this or going back to their mum, who was in all certainty waiting with another lecture. “Sounds brilliant!” they replied with wide grins on their faces, and a wave of their wands later, they had transfigured their summer clothes into comfortable swimming trunks. Being of age definitely had its merits.
Before Hermione knew what was happening, there were two redheads splashing in the pool. Both of them immediately started swimming around before the whole thing morphed into something of a chase, which she watched with her mouth hanging slightly open.
“How come you never mentioned those handsome friends of yours?” her mother muttered, suddenly appearing behind her.
Hermione stared at her with narrowed eyes. “What is it you’re implying, Mum? Those are Ron’s brothers, I’m sure I’ve mentioned them. But they’re not... we’re not...” she stuttered, but her mum just stared at her with a growing smile.
“Not yet, but they look like they’re definitely up for it. They’re quite fit, you know? Handsome, too.”
Hermione groaned. “So? They’re still Ron’s brothers .”
But her mother only chuckled. "So? Your dad is uncle Tim's brother, and we were in the same class, just like you and Ronald. That doesn't mean anything. Now go back into the pool and have some fun. No, don't tell me you don't have time for that, because right now you do. It’s summer!" Hermione felt a little shove from behind and stumbled forward, which was when Fred and George saw her.
"Come on, Hermione," George shouted and waved a water ball her dad had given him. "We need you to join us so we can start a game."
She groaned inwardly, plastering a smile on her face. "I'm coming," she shouted, shrugging off her towel, stepping closer to the pool. These boys were almost like brothers to her, so she guessed a game of water ball or two couldn’t hurt. Maybe this would finally satisfy her overexcited and nosy mother, which would be a nice bonus.
ssssssss
George was tired, but happy, when they finally made it out of the Granger's swimming pool an hour later. Playing in the pool with Hermione, her father, and Fred had been unexpectedly fun, and the two Grangers made good team partners. In the end, it had been Fred and Mr Granger who won the game, but it was a close call, and George didn’t mind at all. For him, it had been a much better afternoon than expected (and worlds more exciting than the time he would have had in the Burrow).
"So, what kind of message did you want to deliver before my mum more or less forced you to spend the afternoon with us?" Hermione asked, drying herself with her fluffy towel. George and his brother had made little progress the Muggle way, and had simply opted to use magic to get themselves dry and clad in their regular clothes. As their friend was still underage, she didn't have that option.
George looked around. Her parents were nowhere in sight and so he stepped closer and said in a hushed tone: “We’ll move quarters in a few days. Seems like Dumbledore and a few others want to resurrect their old resistance group. They want to move the headquarters to Sirius's old home and we’re here to tell you that you’re invited too."
Hermione nodded contemplatively. “I see. Well, I'm not sure if I could come right away. I rarely see my parents now that I'm at school, and they want to spend as much time with me as possible. For Muggles, it’s really hard to accept that their only child is away most of the year, you know? Still, I need to know what’s happening, so I can prepare for the fight ahead..."
George and his brother nodded in understanding. It was kind of a shitty situation for her. The girl was Muggleborn, after all, and already had a target on her back. It was only natural that she wanted to prepare herself, if that was even possible. As scarily smart as Hermione Granger was, it probably was the only way she would be allowed to use magic without the fear of being discovered, and therefore prepare herself. "Understandable. Well, maybe we could help to convince your parents. Your mum seemed to like us."
The little witch groaned in embarrassment. “Don’t remind me. She’s kind of obsessed with the thought that I need some more romantic excitement in my life, and then you both came along. I won’t hear the end of it.”
Fred snorted next to him but George ignored his brother and smiled. “Well, that kind of plays into our cards, right? Shall I talk to her and ask her for a little more time with you?” He winked at her and Hermione stared at him with wide eyes and rosy cheeks.
“You’d do that? But she… she would think…”
She couldn’t finish the sentence; instead, she just gaped at him, and so George supplied the end of her sentence. “Think what? That I fancy you?" He shrugged totally unconcernedly. "Would it bother you, if she thought that of me?"
Hermione stared at him for a long moment and he really couldn’t tell what she was thinking. So he let an encouraging smile take over his face. He wasn’t sure himself why he was suggesting this kind of thing, but it seemed like the easiest way to help Hermione. It was for a good cause, right?
“Well, she’ll probably pester me for details in her letters, but I think I’ll be able to deal with that,” the bushy-haired girl said gnawing on her bottom lip. “It’s not like it’s true anyway, right? Alright, tell her and then let’s see if they let me go.”
He grinned at her. “Don’t worry, Hermione. I can be very convincing,” he said and winked at her. And he kind of liked the blush that spread on her cheeks at his words.
sssssssss
George's plan worked perfectly, but the days until she could finally leave for the Burrow were the longest of her life. Whatever George had said to her mother had put the unmistakable idea in her head that Hermione had a secret admirer. As a result, the meddlesome woman seemed to spend almost every spare minute reminding Hermione of what a good-looking and nice boy George Weasley was. Hermione would have almost found it funny if her head hadn't started replaying scenes from their shared time in the pool. Sometimes, when she closed her eyes in the evening, Hermione could see the drops of water gleaming on his bare chest, a thought that upon reflection was completely unsettling. Somehow her mum's talk of teenage romance had gotten into her head and kicked off the final stage of her puberty. But feeling heartbreak over a boy was the last thing Hermione Granger needed. She didn’t have time for that kind of nonsense, after all.
ssssssssss
The days until Hermione’s arrival at the Burrow were packed with planning and product design. Fred had come up with the brilliant idea of a mail-order business that they would be able to run during their last year at Hogwarts, though this meant that they'd need to have the forms ready and a stock of original products to tempt potential customers. Therefore, the twins spent most of the time locked in their room and did what they did best: they planned mischief.
"I still can't believe they're letting us pick her up," George murmured to his brother when they found themselves back at Hermione's house five days after their last visit. It hadn't been hard to convince their parents to let them pick up the girl, as everyone was busy and they both had their Apparition licenses. It would be a quick in-and-out (with the added bonus that George could show his handsome face to Hermione’s mother, making their story more believable).
“Well, we’re lucky everyone is busy planning the move into the new place. Wonder how it will be in Sirius’s old childhood home? The Blacks aren’t known for their cheerful nature…” Fred mused, but his twin just shrugged and rang the Granger’s melodic doorbell.
"Ah, Fred, George! It's so nice to see you again. Do come in!" Opening the door, Mrs Granger invited them into the house almost immediately. "Hermione couldn't wait to finally see you again." She winked at them and smiled knowingly. Fred had to prevent himself from rolling his eyes, because he was pretty sure that Hermione Granger had no interest in him or his brother whatsoever, but her mother seemed convinced otherwise.
“Hermione, honey, your boys are here to pick you up,” Mrs Granger shouted up the stairs, and a moment later, a door opened and a sour-looking Hermione trudged down the stairs.
“Mum, please, for the hundredth time, they aren’t my boys. They're just here to pick me up," the girl mumbled to her mother, her cheeks tinged pink with embarrassment, before casting them a hesitant smile. “Hey Fred, hey George. It’s so nice of you to pick me up.”
“Hello, Hermione,” George greeted her and Fred saw an almost sappy smile draw itself across his face. It was hilarious— and absolutely believable. Hermione’s mum seemed to think so too.
“I’m sure those boys don’t mind at all, isn’t that right?” she said, winking at them conspiratorially. Fred saw Hermione roll her eyes.
“Sure we don’t,” Fred said quickly and smiled. “Do you have everything packed up, Hermione?”
“Everything’s upstairs,” she said quickly and smiled at them. “You’re sure we can take everything along? What about Crooks?”
“Don’t worry about him,” Fred said with a confident smile. “I’ll take him along with me, he’ll be right as rain. George and I were best in class when it came to Apparition lessons, so don’t worry.”
For a moment the girl looked at them in total disbelief, then something shifted behind her eyes and she smiled. “Alright, I trust you,” she said, and for a moment Fred’s heart jumped in his chest. Nobody had ever said that to him, which was sad, but true nonetheless. It was probably due to their reputation as pranksters and troublemakers, but that certainly wasn’t all that they were. Nobody seemed to see that though, not until this moment. Fred could see in Hermione’s eyes that her words were genuine, and he puffed his chest with pride.
“We won’t let you down, Hermione,” he promised with an honest smile before moving towards the stairs. “Shall we then?” Hermione looked at George for a moment, before she blinked and turned to her mother.
"Alright, Mum, I guess I'll be off then. I'll write to you soon, I promise," she said before being pulled into a tight hug and kissed on the cheek.
"I'm counting on it, honey. Who knows? Maybe you'll have something to tell me sooner than you expect." The words were whispered into Hermione's ear, but Fred heard them anyway. He schooled his features, waiting patiently for the two women to finish their goodbyes. It didn't take long before Hermione pulled away with a tight smile, briefly revealing the sadness of leaving her parents despite trying to make them believe otherwise, and led them up the stairs. Her mother stayed behind and waved at them with a happy smile and twinkling eyes.
Hermione's room was everything Fred had expected yet totally different at the same time. On the wall next to the bed, there was a huge shelf that was stuffed with various books. There was also a large variety of Muggle equipment, and Fred didn't have the tiniest idea what any of it was. With palpable interest, he looked at the stuff assembled on her large desk and table next to it.
"What's all that stuff?" his brother asked before he had the chance, and he saw Hermione turn towards George with a pleased smile.
"It's my science equipment. I still try to get stuff done on the holidays, you know?" She pointed at a large metal and glass instrument and said, "That's a microscope. Non-magical people use it to see tiny structures. If we had more time, I would show you."
“Sounds fascinating. Maybe next time?” George smiled kindly and the girl looked quite pleased at that.
“Yeah, sure. Why not?” she said before turning towards her bed. “Here’s my suitcase and that’s Crooks’s travel basket. So how shall we do this?” She looked at them with an expectant expression.
Fred smiled. “I’ll take your stuff and George will apparate you along. It will only be a moment. Just hold on tight and you’ll be alright.”
Hermione nodded and stepped towards his brother with a nervous smile. “Alright. I guess I can do this.”
George offered his arm and Hermione took it without hesitation, clasping it tightly with both hands. For a split second, something in Fred twitched at the sight, but it was gone a moment later.
“Alright, Hermione, I’ll count to three and then we’ll be off. Just take a deep breath and don’t let go. Can you do that?” George asked with an encouraging smile. The little witch nodded. His brother started to count and when he reached two, Hermione stared with wide eyes while he smiled comfortingly. Then he saw her take a deep breath and a moment later they were off. Suddenly alone, Fred felt like an intruder in her room.
“Alright, you little bugger,” he addressed her ugly cat, picking up his basket. “Your mistress is already gone, so let’s make this quick, shall we? At the Burrow there are lots of Garden Gnomes for you to hunt, so that’s a thing to look forward to, huh?” He smiled before grabbing the huge trunk with his other hand. “Here we go. Just please don’t puke on me, mate, alright?” And with a crack, Fred Weasley Apparated away.
sssssssss
Hermione stumbled forward, and would have surely landed on her knees if George hadn't been holding her upright. She hadn't known what to expect from Apparation, but it was like riding a rollercoaster blindfolded through the eye of a needle. Her stomach churned violently, and she was pretty sure she was going to lose its contents in front of George.
“Hermione? You alright?" she heard his concerned voice from next to her, but she could only shake her head mutely before her knees buckled and she swayed. The redhead immediately put an arm around her waist and steadied her against him. "Don't worry, I've got you," he assured her and Hermione used the chance to lean against him and close her eyes for a few seconds. The world was still swaying around her, but at least she could feel her stomach slowly settling down.
“Merlin, I’m not eager to repeat that experience anytime soon,” she mumbled, taking a deep breath. “That is ten times worse than flying on a broom, and I’m not a big fan of that either.”
George didn't say anything, waiting patiently until she felt better. It took her a few more minutes, but she was finally able to open her eyes and step back. "Better now?" he asked, his brown eyes staring in concern. Hermione put on a brave smile, which probably looked more like a grimace.
“Yeah, thanks. I’m still a bit wobbly and I think I might skip dinner, but at least I don’t feel like I’m about to lose my lunch in front of you.”
The redhead smiled at her with twinkling eyes. "Understandable. Percy puked the first time Dad took him along, and I'm sure he's not the only one. It gets better with time. Don't worry, side-along Apparition is much worse than doing it yourself."
Hermione nodded weakly and started to walk towards the Burrow. The house was still about 200 metres away, but she was happy to get some more fresh air. George fell into step next to her, but they hadn't even made it half way when an agitated Crookshanks dashed though the grass and leapt into Hermione's arms. There he cuddled close and looked at Fred, who was standing a few metres away, with small distrustful eyes.
“He bolted as soon as I opened his basket,” the redhead explained with an apologetic smile towards Hermione. She scratched the nervous furball behind an ear before looking at Fred with a faint smile. "I'm sure he didn't like Apparating any more than I did. You should probably avoid him for a few days. He can be a bit vengeful, you know?”
Fred snorted. “Alright. Shall we go in? Ginny can’t wait for a bit of female backup. Ron’s been driving her nuts.”
Hermione giggled and started moving towards the house. “Can’t imagine why.”
The Burrow was exactly like Hermione remembered it. The house was the total opposite from her parents’ home, and when she visited it for the first time, she was totally overwhelmed by the chaos. Only that it wasn’t chaos in the least, as she found out later, and by now she felt almost at home in the crooked, strange wizarding home. It was probably due to the fact that the Weasleys had always treated her like family— not only Ron's parents, but the whole family had simply accepted her as one of their own. It was a strange feeling, Hermione never having any siblings for herself, though she definitely saw Ginny as a younger sister now. In fact, until recently, she had also viewed Fred and George as something like older brothers, but since they had come to her home some days ago, not so much…
It was most likely due to her mother's talk of teenage romance and never-ending comments about how handsome the two men were. Hermione was catching herself, almost daily, thinking about what it would be like to be Fred's or George's girlfriend. It was totally hilarious, because she was sure that they weren't remotely interested in her. Now that her mother would only be able to nag her through her letters, she would hopefully leave this embarrassing phase behind her, soon. After all, pining after somebody who was far out of her reach was anything but fun.