Always and Forever

Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Hermione POV

Harry informed the other two about what happened on the train to him with Draco. Hermione bit her lip as she realized that Malfoy had assaulted Harry. She wished she could've been there to protect him. "We better get going to the Great Hall. Let's go. We can talk about it more when there are less people in the common room." Harry said as his green eyes danced the room suddenly self-conscious of the other Gryffindor's that were beginning to fill the cozy common room.

Before they made it to the portrait hole, Hermione spotted a lime-green disk that she knew was one of Fred's inventions from this Summer. "Hey! You!" She grabbed the back of a fourth-years robe. "You know that Fanged Frisbees are banned, hand it over before a professor catches you."

As the blonde boy walked away, Ron's freckled face lit up. "I wanted to get one of these when we visited the shop but George wouldn't give me a discount that git! I've always wanted one."

Hermione wanted to hit Ron but was distracting by Lavender Brown who began to giggle obnoxiously from across the warm common room. The red-head boy gave the girl a flirty wink before darting out of the common room entrance. Hermione had to hold back a gagging sound at the look that the Brown girl gave him in response.

When the three got to the lively Great Hall, there was a buzz from the first day of term. Ron and Harry were talking about how excited this year would be with less classes to worry about. Hermione tuned them out knowing that she would be spending almost all of her time in the calming library, studying for her N.E.W.T classes. The owls came in and interrupted her thoughts of creating a study schedule. A copy of the Daily Prophet and a note that smelled like firework smoke and vanilla dropped in front of her.

She set the copy of the Daily Prophet aside and held up the letter, smelling it slightly and smiling thinking of George. "Mental you are." Ron joked and shook his head with a laugh on his face.

Hermione rolled her eyes as she tucked her finger into the thick envelope, tearing it open. When the parchment came out, she caught a stronger whiff of vanilla and smoke, she smiled thinking of him working over some new product they were inventing at the joke shop. She was thankful that he had found time during his busy schedule to write to her.

The note read:

To the brightest and most beautiful witch at Hogwarts,

I hope you have a great first day of term! I can't believe that I won't be there to see you panic over your full schedule and how you will possibly fit in all of those classes into your studying schedule at the library. Knowing you, you already have a rough outline of what that schedule will look like.

Everything is okay here. Fred and I are keeping busy with the shop being so popular! We were thinking of buying out the lot that Zonko's is on if the Diagon Alley location keeps succeeding. Of course, that won't be for a while... we are still trying to make sure that this location won't flop! By the looks of our sales, I don't think we will have to worry about that, but you can never be sure. The protective wards seem to be holding the shop in good shape. We have moved back home so that we do not have to worry about any raids at night. Again, you can never be too safe...

Anyways, enough of the heavy. How is Hogwarts going? Tell Ginny, Ron, and Harry that both Fred and I said Hello! I hope you are having a fantastic time. Soak in every moment of it. Who is the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher? Do I know them? It has to be better than Umbridge...

Well anyways, I have to go visit with my Mum and Bill. We have a plan to get lunch.

Please stay safe.