After the War

Chapter 18

"Is there cameras in here?" I ask as soon as I sit down.

"No, there are cameras in the waiting room for security, but in here it's a patient confidentiality thing. Why?" Mia asked.

I shifted nervously before answering, "I think I want to show you something." I say.

"And what's that?" Mia asked

"Magic." I respond as I open my purse and pull out my wand.

"Not that I am objecting, it actually shows great progress. But what brought this on?" I spent the next fifteen minutes explaining just what had happened in the last...wow forty-eight hours.

"... we had just left the alley when I came here. But I think that if I didn't have this appointment, I would have stayed for hours longer. I think that maybe I am ready for a bit more than I thought. I don't think I am fully ready to go back to London and face it all. But I do think that I am ready for a bit more here. And one of them is showing you what I really look like, but only if you're okay with me doing magic here." I say looking at her, feeling both excited and scared.

"I haven't seen magic since I was 2 years old and my family placed me in the muggle orphanage. I would love to see some." Mia said with a smile.

I waved my wand and sent the glasses spinning and dancing around the room, I then chased them with her photos, and when she was distracted, I removed the glamour. When I felt the last of it drain away, I waved my wand and set everything back in its place, smiling at the wonder on Mia's face, only for it to turn shocked when she saw that I had changed. "Sarah?"

I shook my head at her, "No, this... this is me. Hermione. The real me." I say. Suddenly she smiles at me and leans over, holding out her hand, I reach over and take it in my own.

"Hello Hermione. I am Mia, it is lovely to meet you." She says.

"Hey Mia, you as well." I say grinning at her. "I'm not exactly ready to go completely as me yet, but I think it's time that I at least start."

"Everything has to start somewhere. What do you think will be next?"

"I think that I have to talk to Mrs. Weasley. Thinking of her reaction this morning has brought up the scared feeling again. I have no idea what she is going to do. I have never seen her like that before. It was... weird. I have never seen her so quiet. Ever. I am scared she is either going to hate me forever or put me on house arrest until she is sure I won't disappear again."

"And how do you plan on seeing her? Are you going to go to her house or...?"

"I think I might invite her and Mr. Weasley over for dinner. But I think I'll have Ginny, Dean and Emma there with me. And maybe Harry and Ron? I don't know. I think I may ask Ginny when I get home."

"So, Ginny and Dean are still at your house?" Mia asked.

"Yeah, I asked her to stay. At least, until I get home. I, we, will go from there, I guess." Before we knew it, the hour was up. She smiled as I reapplied the glamour and showed me out. I walked up to my front door and reached in my bags for my keys, only to realize that Ginny dragged me out the door before I grabbed them. I reach my hand up to knock on the door only to stop myself and look down again. I take a breath and pull my wand from my purse checking to make sure that no one was looking, I point it at the handle and whisper 'Alohomora'. Smiling as I heard the lock click open and the door move slightly. I look at my wand before threading it through my ponytail for easy access and walk inside, closing the door behind me. "Hello?" I walk towards the kitchen, hearing voices there and wanting a Canadian club, as always after therapy. "Ginny? I swear if you have drunk all my Canadian club and haven't even left me one, I'm making you go and get me more." The voices stopped at that. I quirked an eye brow and walked through the kitchen door, only to stop mid step. "Harry? What are doing here?" I ask, more rudely than I intended. I blame being surprised.

"Sorry, I came to see you and Ginny answered the door. Don't blame her for letting me in, if she hadn't, I would have just sat on your front step till you got home. I would have come last night but I thought you might want time. I'm glad that Ginny was here for you though." He finished with a smile.

"It's fine. Just surprised is all. But same rule applies. You finish my Canadian club and your getting me more." I say only to jump again when I hear Dean from behind me.

"Harry figured you would say that, and those two have no idea where they are going around here, so I went and got it. I got extra so we won't run out. Well... tonight at least." I jumped and turned around, only to see him levitating 2 boxes of 24 cans in front of him as well as a box of Jack Daniels.

"I am definitely keeping you around." I say with a grin as I step aside and let him into the kitchen. Dean just laughs and opens a box, handing me the first can before giving one to Ginny and Harry as well. We sit down at the table and an awkward silence fills the room, broken only by the sound of us sipping our drinks. Nope, this was not working for me. "So... Harry... Did Ginny tell you about the visit from Mrs. Weasley this morning?" I ask, only for Harry to raise an eye brow at me. "Is that a yes or no?" I ask, raising my own eye brow.

"Yeah, Ginny mentioned that Molly had come past. Why?"

"Well, I was thinking maybe of inviting both Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to dinner, and I was wondering if you three, as well as Emma, would be willing to come as well?" I asked them hopefully.

"I don't know. Mrs. Weasley kind of scared the shit out of me this morning. That was some weird shit from her." Dean said looking between me and Ginny.

Ginny just rolled her eyes, "We'll be there. Just tell us when it is."

"I'll come. But I am so not getting on Molly's bad side." Harry said.

"Why thank you all for your votes of confidence." I say sarcastically. "Should I... should I invite Ron or do you think that it would be too much? For him, I mean. He was extremely angry with me the other night and I don't know whether or not to ask him along." I say, "I want to be able to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley rationally, well, until Mrs. Weasley comes back and yells. But that's different. I don't know if I can deal with Ron as well." I say looking down at the can in my lap.

"I think it's okay if you don't want to deal with him. One thing at a time." Ginny said.

"Well... I guess I have a letter to write then." I say with a raise of my can.

To start with, I am still around, just taking longer to update than I wanted. I am sorry for that. 

If there is someone who would like to be beta or anything for this story and others I have written, please let me know. 

Hope you enjoy and, as always, reviews and comments are welcome.