I'll Fight For You - Fred/Hermione

Chapter Six

It was a bright Sunday morning and Hermione didn’t want to get out of bed. What was the point? She was not working for Lee Jordan, although she had to tell him that somehow, Ron had not even sent her an owl and Fred... Hermione sighed and faced the window to look outside. It was really sunny but even the sun spilling into her window didn’t make her get up. It only made her want to stay under her covers even more. Under her covers where she could block out the world and everything that didn’t matter… she wished.  

‘Urghhh!’ moaned Hermione as she willed herself to stand up and be productive.

She got to her feet and sat on the bed, clutching her head as if she had a headache. She felt dizzy but her head didn’t hurt which was probably a good thing. Hermione walked over to her window and opened it full so that she heard the... nothing really. She lived in a small street, full of retired pensioners with no children. She was glad that there was no noise. She loved the peacefulness.

She wondered where Harry was since he didn’t come home last night. He must’ve stayed at the Quidditch pitch or went to see Ginny.

Hermione stood by the window and stared at the parchment which lay on her desk. She had no owl so she couldn’t even send Lee Jordan an owl message. Hermione sighed, shoving everything from her mind; she had a long hot shower which helped her relax. She got changed into casual clothes and put her hair up. Somewhere in the back of her mind she heard a voice saying something about hair being so silky and it looked best when it was kept down... Fred’s voice of course. He had been describing the girl he liked. Hermione pushed Fred out of her mind and grabbed her purse and her wand. She had to leave her house or else she’d just climb into bed and sleep. The idea was very appealing. But she had to find Lee Jordan and tell him that she couldn’t work with him... He would ask why and Hermione would have no idea what to say.

‘Improvise,’ muttered Hermione to herself as she apparated.

Hermione landed in Diagon Alley. The shops were beginning to open up again and Hermione managed a smile for the first time that morning. Slowly everything would be coming back to normal like there had been no war. Her mind flipped to George for a fraction of a second and her smile slipped off of her face as easy as soap slips from  hands. She walked down the cobbled street and clutched her coat tightly. She saw Lee Jordan’s shop from where she was and walked over to it. Taking a deep breath, she walked into the shop and was amazed at how lively the place looked. There were a few customers browsing around. Products upon products were stacked to the ceiling and the floor had a bunch of messages on it... or maybe jokes. Hermione didn’t stop to read them. She continued to the cash register where a man was selling objects to two giggling girls who probably attended Hogwarts.

‘Next please,’ said the man and Hermione walked forward to the smiling man.

‘Hi, I'm looking for Lee Jordan. Is he here?’ asked Hermione looking hopefully to the door behind him which was a whole length mirror.

‘You’re Hermione Granger!’ the man who was as old as Hermione exclaimed and immediately shook her hand as if he had met a celebrity, ‘Where is your friend, Harry and your boyfriend, Ron?’

Hermione coughed and took her hand back. She guessed she would have to be used to this although she hated publicity. She was not a celebrity. She didn’t want to be treated like one. She didn’t want people to know her name. She wanted a private life not a public one where people ask for autographs. Autographs for what? She would ask and they would answer, for defeating the dark lord of course. Yes, people were still afraid to say Voldemort’s name. Hermione sighed and tried to calm herself. It wouldn’t help anyone if she started shouting at people just for shaking her hand.