Love is Hope: Life after fifth year

***

To say that it was a surprise to see her parents at Grimmauld Place, was just abusing the meaning of the word ‘understatement’. Not that she was disappointed or anything, certainly not. But her rational mind quickly told her that this wasn’t just a pleasant surprise for her. There had to have happened something, or at least, there was some danger lurking for her parents to be brought to the Order’s Headquarters.

But all her parents knew was that they didn’t object to spending their vacation with their daughter, even if they had to be cooped up for it during two weeks. Hermione loved her parents dearly, and she knew they loved her, but she also realised what sacrifices they had been making for her. The Grangers, both being dentists and highly standing on their independence, had also very scientific orientated minds. Even though they knew early on that there was something special about their daughter, they’d always stood to magic as being a bit of a fairy tale.

Only having the occasional trip to Diagon Alley, and their daughter’s ramblings, as contact with the magical world, their highly rational working minds must be on overload since the night before. Mr. Weasley had brought them, and they had been given the last spare bedroom in the house. Mrs. Weasley had been so kind as to decorate it as Muggle-friendly as possible. Which meant that the talking portraits had been removed, and the mirrors un-charmed... Nothing to scare a Muggle then a mirror with an own opinion.

Hermione was in heaven; she would spent her Christmas with both families, from both worlds. Her parents would finally have the opportunity to get to know Harry and the Weasleys better, and vice versa. This train of thought made her happy mood falter a bit. She knew her father and Mr. Weasley would find *something* to talk about, they were both flexible in that way. But what she was worried about was her mother and Mrs. Weasley.

Though she knew Mrs. Weasley didn’t particularly object for a woman to choose career above staying at home to take care of the family, and her mother wasn’t a real fanatic of being an independent woman, who let the nanny raise her child (which, by the way, wasn’t the case), both women didn’t exactly seem to have a lot in common, not even counting the magic-difference... But she needn’t have worried, since they seemed to get along just fine. Her mother had even helped a bit with dinner the previous night, which was actually more her dad’s job at home.

After Hermione had filled her parents in on the highlights of the last few days at Hogwarts, they were interrupted by Moody who wanted to know about their profession. Hermione never would’ve guessed him to be interested in such a thing as Muggle dentistry, but that shows how much she knew...

***

Christmas went by in a comfortable haze, faltered in times when someone would yodel a carol, or something, anything that would remind them of Sirius. The loss was still hanging between them, and it still hurt as much, it was only the dealing with the hurt that became more of a habit, as strange as that sounded.

Hermione was glad Harry didn’t keep the cave in the dungeons a strict secret anymore. He even invited her dad to come look at the Harley. She did notice though that a lot of the books on the bookshelf had disappeared, fortunately, because she didn’t want to be confronted with that one book, neither have either of her parents discover it. Her dad of course was over the moon with the sight of the motorcycle, just like she thought he would be. Harry had even relaxed enough and liked the Muggle enough to offer her dad a ride. But her mum had strongly objected to her dad mounting a flying vehicle, and if her dad had one fault, it was submitting easily to his wife.

Her parents, aside from getting accustomed to being talked to in the hallways by paintings, snubbed by portraits who called them Mudbloods, and having a very critical mirror in one of the bathrooms, not to mention seeing magic applied in every day life, like making dinner, levitating something up the stairs, and so on, were starting to realise what the threat Voldemort posed really held.

Like the fact that when they asked about Voldemort, most would stiffen and look startled out of their wits, hissing to say You-Know-Who. Hermione guessed they were starting to realise how real the danger was... She’d had a heart wrenching conversation with her mother on New Year’s Eve, about her growing up and being so brave. They started to see that all this transcended her good marks, her excellent schoolwork, her prefect position... that all seemed less important when they started to realise just what she had helped doing to save lives...

Hermione couldn’t even begin to realise what this all must mean to them. It wasn’t that she’d lied to them all these years, but she hadn’t been really blunt with the truth either, on the other hand, her parents had always regarded most of the magical world as a fairy tale, except for their daughter’s education of course... So the reality check was going to be brusque either way.

She also had the feeling they felt a bit helpless. Both being successful dentists, they had a certain pride at their self-efficiency. Being surrounded by wizards and knowing the situation, Hermione could only imagine how powerless they must feel... But even if that was the case, they hid it well. There had even been an incident, which Hermione was sure that she would laugh about later in life, given time... after she got over her mortification... It was the first time they’d *felt* how powerful magic was, and how easy it was to corrupt it.

Snape had come by once for a meeting of the Order. Her parents had been exploring the new library, devoid of Dark Arts book, and filled with more appropriate once, and all who still attended Hogwarts had been shooed out of the dining room, where they now held the meetings. Afterwards, Harry and Hermione had had the misfortune of running into Snape in a deserted hallway.

They’d left Ron and Ginny to play wizard’s chess, to get some drinks from the kitchen.

*

“Well, well, well... I see old habits die hard. I am so very sorry to inform you the meeting is over, your attempt of overhearing anything that was not meant for your ears is quite too late” Hermione was getting sick of this, Snape knew Harry was less guarded with his anger here then at Hogwarts, and out of frustration of not getting enough of a rise out of him in his class to put him in detention he was pestering Harry in his own house!

Hermione snapped back: “We were just getting to the kitchen for a drink! We’re not at Hogwarts! Harry can bloody well go and stand in his own house wherever and whenever he wants!”

Still reeling herself from having said that to one of her professors, she heard a gasp behind her: “Hermione Granger! I did *not* just hear you swear a minute ago in front of a senior”

Whipping her head around her mother was looking at her in horror, while her father merely looked surprised and a bit shocked. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Harry’s ridiculous expression, torn between laughter and anger.

Snape, seething, ignored her parents’ entrance in the hallway. He was towering over her in all his blackness, and Hermione suddenly felt a lot smaller then she felt before when she was telling him off; what was she thinking anyway, who in their right mind told off Professor Snape?

“Miss Granger, you should do well as to remember who you are talking to. We may not be at Hogwarts but you will treat me with due respect!/”

Harry had to visibly suppress his anger, Hermione felt the magic roll off of him in waves, and apparently so did Snape. Looking at Harry with twisted satisfaction, Snape sneered: “Going to do some magic out of school, Potter?”

Hermione panicked when she saw Harry looking at Snape with as much contempt as he could muster. A silly voice in her head whispered: “At least it isn’t pure hatred...” but she felt as if Snape prickled him any more, Harry was going to set off like a time-bomb.

At that moment her father cleared his throat; holding out his hand at Snape in his innocence of not knowing the wizard: “I beg your pardon, I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure of being properly introduced, yet. These youths nowadays... Dr. Granger, and this is my wife, also Dr. Granger, pleased to meet you, I am sure. Am I to understand that you are a Professor at our daughter’s school?”

Snape realising that these were in fact Hermione’s parents, looked very shocked, and Hermione had a sneaking suspicion it wasn’t the realisation that her parents had witnessed the scene just now. If the way he eyed her father’s hand was any indication, Snape was shocked that a Muggle was expecting *him* to touch it, let alone shake it in a friendly manner. Hermione knew Snape had been a Death Eater, she knew he was Head of House of the Slytherins, but she had thought that with his reforming against his Dark Lord, he had found some decency within him to leave behind his learned hate and taught revulsion for Muggles. Apparently not.

Through her own indignation and horrified disappointment, she didn’t feel Harry’s anger increasing at first. After only a fraction of a moment she felt he was trying to direct his anger. Not fully realising what she was doing, she gave her own anger free range. Snape was without a doubt a powerful wizard, but a focused attack of raw magic was too undefined to resist with a counter spell. Harry’s emotions were strong enough for Snape to be quite unable to resist much through his own surprise, but Harry seemed to be channelling *her* magic as well.

Just before her father faltered and retreated his hand, Snape’s hand shot out and shook it awkwardly.

Snape’s expression was one of horror: “Potter, stop this at once!”

Harry was looking deep into his Professor’s eyes, and if Hermione didn’t know any better, he was trying to penetrate Snape’s mind. Suddenly Harry started, Hermione fell forward from the abrupt stop in building of raw magic.

Snape and Harry looked at each other, glaring, but, again, without any trace of real hate. Something had happened, Harry’d seen something, something he needed to know in order to tolerate Snape better. How she knew this she didn’t know, it was jus a feeling in the pit of her stomach, and she was beginning to trust that feeling more and more.

*

Her parents had been quite shaken, especially by the way they had literally felt the magic, it had to have been quite exhilarating for them... They didn’t comment much about Snape’s behaviour, or how they had been able to force him to shake her dad’s hand, but she’d seen that, again, this incident changed the way they looked at her, and Harry.

The holiday did bring more fun times too. Like when they were discussing the ball.

*

“I think I’m going stag this year, seems safer” Harry had breeched the only part of the subject all of them had been avoiding.

Ron was nodding, looking sagely: “Me too”

Ginny frowned: “What about Cho? She isn’t going with Michael any more, maybe she’d go with you?”

Harry snorted: “I’m not going down that road again. I finally settled everything with her, I’m not messing that up by asking her to the ball, even if it were just as friends”

So that’s what he was doing near the Shrieking Shack, and that’s why Cho had stopped pestering her afterwards... Hermione decided to call them back to reality.

“You do realise that you *have* to bring a date, don’t you? All of you? The ball will be opened by the Head Girl and Boy, followed by the prefects and their dates. You’ll all have to dance half of the first song, and the second...”

Ron’s jaw hit the floor: “You’re kidding, right! Tell me you’re kidding! Is it too late to resign as a prefect? I am under no circumstances making a fool out of myself in front of all of Hogwarts and the ministerial guests!”

“Oh, Ron, do stop! You won’t make a fool of yourself!”

“Oh, yeah? Have you ever seen me dance, Hermione? No! And why is that?”

Ginny filled in for him: “Because he can’t dance to save his life”

“Hey, I prefer calling it choosing to keep my feet from doing silly steps, thank you very much!”

“Ron, stop being such a baby. Harry thought he couldn’t dance, and look how he did at the Yule Ball!”

Harry turned bright pink: “Actually, that was Parvati steering me around...”

Ginny giggled, and Hermione suppressed her annoyance: “Oh very well! So, you two can’t dance, then we’ll just have to teach you, won’t we?”

*

It had taken a while, but they were improving. Ginny and her had gotten some handy tips from Hermione’s mum, on how to avoid serious injury when the boys stepped on their toes, and once it had gotten out they were practising dancing, every male in the house was putting in his special word of advise, which was quite hilarious...

It had been Ron’s idea of composing the dates amongst the four of them. That way they could all go stag after the opening songs, like they all planned. Hermione had made sure he wasn’t having any ulterior motives any more of having Harry and Ginny, and him and her partnered up. But he had reassured her that he just didn’t want to risk the trouble of asking a girl and be rejected, and besides, he did have a point that if they went that way, they would all have a guaranteed great time, since they were among friends.

Harry didn’t particularly want to ask Ginny, but Ginny didn’t seem to mind either way. Hermione supposed Harry rather took his chances with maybe giving Ginny false hope, then having to ask Parvati again. So he agreed in the end.

Since Harry and Hermione had outgrown their dress robes, and they weren’t to leave the house, they didn’t really had the luxury of being picky. Harry’s robes were pretty much similar to his old ones, dark green, simple, but very smart. Hermione’s dress was beautiful, even if she wouldn’t have picked it herself. Her mother had been accompanied by Tonks and Mrs. Weasley and they had paid a little more to have a charm that would make the dress fit Hermione, either way.

It was made of a sparkling dark silver tissue that stretched easily, and though there were sleeves, her shoulders would be bare. The back was open, but not indecently so (which meant that it didn’t go too low), with a thin strap just over her shoulder blades. The bare shoulders and open back unabled her to wear a classic Muggle bra, but she wouldn’t need that since magic was a wonderful problem solver... It was kind of clingy over her torso and her thighs, but the fabric stretched easily. From her knees till just above her ankles it was made of a fluffy, silvery veil tissue, giving her all the space she needed to move on the dance floor.

Well, she wouldn’t have chosen it herself, but if her mother and Mrs. Weasley found the dress suitable, who was she to argue on its sexiness...

***

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