Chapter Nine
Hermione and Jack came to an unspoken agreement to drive out to Sussex the next day to visit with their parents. Hermione became more and more anxious as the journey went on, as Jack was being so uncharacteristically quiet and withdrawn. She didn't press him into talking though; hoping that maybe he'd lighten up once he'd spoken to her parents. She was silently relieved when the car finally pulled up outside her childhood home, as Jack hadn't said a word for the last twenty minutes and it was driving her nuts.
She rushed up to greet her parents, and felt instantly better as she hugged her Mother. Elizabeth Granger looked at her daughter questioningly, knowing that something was wrong. Hermione mouthed, `I told him', and her Mother understood the tension between the young couple, and greeted Jack while Hermione hugged her Dad and followed him into the house for lunch.
Thankfully Jack seemed to relax as Mr. Granger asked him about his job, and they chatted while Hermione and her Mum had a quick whispered conversation in the kitchen.
"He didn't take it well?"
"No, he took it really well, but we went to the Quidditch game yesterday, and then to the Burrow for dinner and he got progressively quieter, and then George played a joke on him, and he said about five words total on the drive here this morning." Hermione told her Mum urgently.
"Ok, we'll sort this out Honey. Now we'd better get in there before your Dad starts talking about golf." Mrs. Granger said with a wink.
Mrs. Granger subtly introduced the subject of magic into the conversation during lunch by asking how Ron and Harry had got on in the game. Mr. Granger looked up startled, but a quick look at his daughter and he realised that Jack now knew her secret.
"It was a fantastic game. Looks like they'll win this year." Hermione said with a proud smile.
"How did you like the game Jack? I've only been to one, and I have to say I didn't understand a bit of it." Mrs. Granger said with a smile. "But then again, I don't understand football either, so…" Hermione was relieved when Jack smiled. Her Mum had managed to make Jack feel more involved and knowledgeable about the Wizarding world by displaying her own ignorance about the sport.
"I enjoyed the game. It was certainly an experience. It looked highly dangerous though. I can't believe no one was hurt!" He exclaimed.
"No injuries yesterday then?" Mr. Granger asked.
"No, it was amazing. Ron even managed to resist arguing with Cho." Hermione said, helping herself to more salad.
"I never did like that girl." Mrs. Granger said.
"What's wrong with Cho?" Mr. Granger said indignantly, causing giggles from his wife and daughter.
"I told you she was beautiful didn't I?" Hermione said to Jack. "She can make the strongest of men follow her around like puppies. She's just that charming. Shame she's so mean to other women." Hermione said with a wry smile.
Hermione began to relax and the conversation turned away from magic, and Jack slowly began to talk more and more to her parents. Things were going well after lunch as well as they played a Muggle board game, until the telephone rang.
"Hermione, it's Harry on the phone for you." Mr. Granger shouted through from the kitchen.
"I'll be right back." She said, walking quickly to the kitchen, why would Harry be phoning? What was wrong?"
She took the phone from her Dad with a halfhearted smile.
"Harry? What's wrong?" She asked panicked.
"Ron fell off his broom mucking around in the garden. He's ok, but we've just brought him to St. Mungo's to heal his leg. I just didn't want you to be worried that we weren't here when you got home, and I knew you'd want to know." He said reassuringly.
"He's really ok? Are they having to use skelegrow?" She asked concerned.
"Yeah, they're regrowing his ankle, he messed his left leg up pretty well, but thankfully we don't have another game for two weeks so he'll be fine for that." Harry said.
"Ok, Thanks for calling Harry. I'll come to the hospital when I get home." She said.
"Love you."
"Love you too." Hermione said softly with a grin. She didn't see Jack turn away from the doorway as she hung up the phone and stared out of the window for a moment. She was still worried about Ron no matter what Harry said, and even though she knew Laurie was there. She needed to see him for herself to be reassured.
"I'm really sorry." She said heading back to the living room.
"I guess we jinxed them by talking about the lack of accidents yesterday, Ron just fell off his broom and is in the hospital. I'm going to have to go and check on him or I'll just worry all day." She said apologetically.
"Send him our love honey." Mrs. Granger said, standing and hugging her daughter.
Hermione took Jack aside.
"I'm really sorry, but I'll just work myself up unless I know he's ok. Are you ok with me leaving? Do you want to drive back? Or go on to your parents?" She asked him.
"No, you just go there now. I'll go on to my parents." He said quickly.
"Are you ok?" She asked him concerned.
"Yeah, you just go." He said. She looked at him in confusion for a minute, but then kissed him on the cheek, grabbed her bag and apparated to St. Mungo's.