Extended Family

Chapter 28: Pressure

Takes place before the last chapter of Family

Hermione opened the door to her flat and walked in.  She took a moment to stand there, looking into the darkened place.  With a sigh she closed the door behind her and locked it.  She kicked her shoes off, not caring where they landed and slumped down on the couch, feeling exhausted.

"Hi Crookshanks," she murmured.  Her cat jumped onto the couch beside her, looking up at her with an uncharacteristically concerned look on his squashed face.  He meowed at her.

"Oh right, dinner.  Let me go get it for you."  She raised her eyebrows when Crookshanks flopped over her lap.  "Don't you want dinner?"  She sighed at his purr, running her hand over his head.  "Maybe not."  She petted him absentmindedly.  Eventually she realized he had risen into a sitting position, butting his head against her chin.  "You're affectionate tonight," she said softly, nuzzling him back.  "Thank you, I need it."

She enjoyed his purrs and attention for a while longer.  Then she rose, carrying him with her to the kitchen.  Instead of putting his food on the floor she left it on the table, watching him eat with a faint smile.  Eventually she made it back to her bedroom and she stared up at the ceiling long into the night.  She sighed again as she fell asleep and somehow the sound made everything seem that much quieter.

-0-

"How was your date?"

Hermione shrugged.  "It was...okay."

Padma looked over at Hermione.  "Is that a regular okay or a Hermione okay?"

Hermione snorted.  "I wasn't aware I had my own definition."

Padma smiled gently.  "You do.  You tend to be a bit more polite and objective when you categorize things."

Hermione smiled unwillingly.  "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Sometimes it isn't.  But sometimes it doesn't...fully convey the sentiment."

Hermione shrugged weakly.  "It was okay.  The temperature was nice.  The restaurant was nice, service good, food good.  The conversation was fine."

"So he was the problem."

Hermione finally let out a deep held sigh.  "He just kept talking about himself the whole damn time.  About what he was doing and what he liked and all this and that.  Any time he asked about me was just a way for him to turn it around and make it about himself once more."

"That sounds awful."

"That's not even the worst part."

"There's a worst part?!"

"He's dreadfully boring!  And I know it's rich coming from me to call someone boring but he was!  He was bragging about doing the most mundane of things.  I would've been fine if he was bragging about doing anything remotely interesting but he was anything but."

Padma covered her mouth.  "I'm sorry, that shouldn't be funny..."

"But it is, if I didn't have to endure hours of it."  Hermione smiled ruefully.  "I don't know.  Then he had the gall to ask when I was taking him out next."