After The War (Romione & Hinny fan fiction)

Together

Summers had been made to rush by like wind, there was no other explanation, the girl thought as she looked out of the window at the wheat field.
The deep yellow ears swayed softly right and left, announcing a storm would be coming soon. She sighed softly and fixed a lock of her curly hair behind her ear, so they wouldn't fall on her face as she read.

"No, no. I refuse to do it at dinner."
The wooden stairs crackled as the footsteps she knew so well approached her room. She could have recognized that sound even if covered by thousands thunders. His footsteps. She'd never needed to learn their sound, it was just as if the little thump of his feet when they touched the ground had printed itself on her brain years and years ago, and she'd never forget it since.
"Okay then. We'll see what she says. The deal is the deal." Harry's wishpering voice said as he stopped somewhere outside the door of Ginny's bedroom.
"The deal is the deal." she heard Ron wishper back. The girl with the curly hair hastened to throw the letter she'd been reading into a drawer of her nightstand. When the door opened, she was on her feet, pretending to be looking through her clothes in the big wardrobe she and Ginny shared.
"Hermione!" said Ron abruptly as the two boys stepped inside, "Here you are. Harry and I were wondering... We wanted to ask you something."
The girl nodded, unimpressed. "Go on."
Ron hesitated, "We... we were thinking if you - if you have recieved any job requests."
"I have." said Hermione raising an eyebrow as if daring them to ask more. But Harry and Ron knew better and left the do-you-have-a-job subject alone.
"You've told McGonagall about you being an Animagus, haven't you?" Hermione asked Harry with raised eyebrow.
"Of course I have, she'd cut both my arms off if I lived more than an hour of my life as an unregistered Animagus."
"Good." said Hermione.
"Good?" Ron made a face. "Is McGonagall cutting off limbs something you approve now?"
"Don't be stupid, Ronald." Hermione rolled her eyes. "I meant 'good' that Harry is a registered Animagus now." She turned to look at Harry, "How did she react, by the way?"
"She said nothing in particular, really." Harry turned his head away to hide the flush heating his cheeks. McGonagall had actually written him a good ten inches of sentimental letter going on about how proud she was and how she couldn't wait to see him in his stag form.
"Speaking of Animagi, Mione, we've still got to tell my parents." Ron reminded them.
Hermione sighed, and looked outside in the meadow again. "And when are we going to do that?"
"Actually we were going to ask you."
"This evening?" she suggested casually.
"This evening?" Ron asked incredulously.
"Just for how much time do you plan to wait?"
"But we haven't planned anything!" protested Ron.
"So?" Hermione threw him a knowing look, "We improvise."

***

"My cousin Dudley will get married in a few days, did you know?" Harry said casually as he added some salt to his mushed potatoes with a flick of his wand. George turned away from the conversation he was having with Ginny and Angelina on the other side of the table, "Dudley? Not the big guy that ate our Ton-Tounge Tofee ages ago?"
"The very same." Harry laughed quietly, the image of his wide cousin wriggling with a foot-long slimy tongue now clear in his mind.
"It feels like centuries..." George shook his head at something Harry couldn't see. "Those Toffees have always flown off. People loved them so much we couldn't satisfy the demand of the clients."
Harry tried to look interested in the Ton-Toungue Toffees, but it wasn't simple to stay focused when in a matter of minutes their non-plan would officially begin.
"Did your cousin write to you, Harry?" asked Hermione suspiciously, "I thought you hadn't heard of him since you left your aunt and uncle's house?"
"He's never done before. The Ministry employees that had been appointed to keep them hidden wrote me once after Voldemort's... fall. They said the Dursleys had moved back into the Muggle world. I dunno where though."
"So he did write to you, then?" pressed Hermione.
"Yeah. Not exactly a heartful letter... but he invited us to his wedding."
"Really?" asked Ron, looking quite interested.
"Want to take a leaf from Harry's cousin book, Ronnie?" George smirked, his eyes falling on Hermione for the barest second.
"Shut up." Ron snapped "We'll see what you do when you'll find yourself dipped in a crowd of Muggles. I'd opt for Harry's invisibility cloak."
"When are we supposed to go to this wedding, by the way?"
"In about a month."
On the other side of the table, Mrs Weasley drank the last drops of wine in her glass and got up. "Ginny, Ron, could you please help me to clear the table?"
"No!" exclaimed Ron suddenly, a little panic audible in his voice. Everyone in the room turned to look at him. "I mean... Couldn't we wait a minute to do that, Mum? Harry, Hermione and I have got to tell you something."
There. It hadn't been that difficult, had it? He was still on his feet and very much a breathing person, that could be construed as a good sign.
Mrs Weasley studied her son's face and sat back in her seat. Ron searched for Harry and Hermione's gaze for some support.
"It's true." Hermione said "We think you'd like to know where we were going in reality when we said we were going at Hagrid's."
"You weren't going at school." ventured George.
Ron shook his head slowly, "We went at Hogwarts, yes, but not because we wanted to visit Hagrid. We had lessons with McGonagall."
"Lessons?" asked Mrs Weasley.
"Lessons." repeated Ron calmly, "Since our last term at school we were interested in learning to become Animagi, and McGonagall offered to tutor us."
Mrs Weasley looked as if she'd been struck with a stunning spell. "Animagi?! What were you thinking? It's dangerous stuff, that kind of work, isn't it Arthur?" Mr Weasley didn't respond. "Aunt Margaret tried to become one when she was thirteen, and ended up with a pair of squirrel teeth!"
"Animagi?" asked Angelina, her eyes wide, "The ability to turn into an animal?"
"Yes," Ron went on "We had these extra lessons once a week until the end of the term, but we hadn't finished with training yet, so McGonagall went on giving us lessons till..."
"We managed to do the transformation." completed Harry.
George was staring at them on awe. "So... You can turn into animals now?" he looked at them excitedly, "Can you show us?"
Hermione smirked a little and elbowed Harry. "Here you go with your demonstration then, Mr Potter."