If He Stays | ғʀᴇᴍɪᴏɴᴇ ✓

𝙸𝚅

-- GRIMMAULD PLACE

Sirius hadn't lied- living in Grimmauld Place with the boys was anything but boring. If she was being honest with herself, Hermione would admit it was kind of amusing watching them sometimes flounder over each other and themselves to dote on her.

Despite the hooligans they were, Remus and Sirius taught them more transparent and practical uses for magic than they'd ever been exposed to. Sirius honestly would've been a quite brilliant Transfiguration professor. Hermione would never forget the look on Harry's face when he realized Sirius actually did do school work back in Hogwarts. It was like being told Peeves was secretly policing the halls under the show of causing mayhem.

Hermione's healing process was slow. The first week made her want to scream and rip her hair out as she was on strict bed rest the entire time with potions being shoved down her throat every few hours. The next few weeks were more tolerable, even though one of the boys would always have to carry her to wherever she wanted to go. It was then that they quickly learned the library seemed to be a good base for her as it was central to the entire house.

In the back of her mind, Hermione couldn't get past the nagging thoughts about her last encounter with Fred. Fred Weasley- someone she'd thought she had a good idea of just became a bit of an enigma to her.

In the first week she debated writing him, but for one reason or another would just talk herself out of it. The first time Pigwidgeon, the Weasley's owl, paid them a visit, Hermione remembered waiting with baited breath only to be disappointed when it was just Ron and Ginny checking in on them. Sometime during the third week a beautiful eagle owl swooped into their kitchen and landed at the center of the breakfast table. They'd all been surprised by the new owl. Sirius carefully detached the letter from the well-mannered creature and skimmed through it only to inform them with a bark of laughter that Fred and George had finally moved out and started setting up shop and they said to be careful of their new owl because 'the bugger will nick your bacon while he thinks you're not looking.'

By the time Hermione started walking around the house again, she'd also started trying to convince herself that she must've been reading into the situation too much. Sure, she could still feel Fred's lips lingering on her skin if she closed her eyes, but he probably meant that as a brotherly gesture. It's not like she had much romantic experience with boys, and if the stories were anything to go by, Fred was the exact opposite. With every additional visit of the eagle owl and no word from Fred, it was getting easier to believe.

By the time Hermione went back to her parents recovered enough for her injuries not to be visible, she'd managed to force the matter from the forefront of her mind to the point where it would only come in an undesired dream every now and then.

By the end of the break, Hermione had almost entirely overlooked the importance of that last encounter, having coated over it with layers of logic and forced indifference.

 ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ・☽ ༓ ☾・  ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶  ̶̶̶̶

-- WEASLEY'S WIZARDING WHEEZES 

"Wow, this looks absolutely incredible," Hermione whispered when she gazed upon the business the twins had built from the ground up.

"I know," Ron said proudly. "Mum had an absolute fit when they told her they wouldn't be using their NEWTs to get ministry jobs. But seeing them and the shop in action shut her right up."

"Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder?" Harry asked, gazing at a nearby shelf. "Some of these things aren't even pranks, they're just plain brilliant."