The Unsung Hero- a Hermione Granger fanfiction

Family Dinner at the Burrow

I scoop out a couple of grey ceramic plates and set them neatly onto the wooden lacquered live edge table that sits peacefully on the asymmetrically shaped wooden patio and backyard porch. The wooden floor is painted white and has a very modern yet homey feel to it. Green summer creepers grow along the ceiling, curling around the yellow lamps. A few potted plants sit against the railing. The long table can sit around 25 people and is only used when guests come (excluding me and Harry, as we're considered "family" already - I guess I should be honoured).

Mrs Weasley's dinner preparations are already in full throttle, as always when there're guests; she's making me and Ginny set the table, put fresh flowers onto the table, and she made Harry and Ron tidy up inside, then help out with dinner. If Fred and George were already here and cooking, they'd probably just use magic for everything and upturn the whole place - or better yet - explode the house. I'm just saying. 

Ginny fills the Japanese style ocha mugs rather lazily and dishes out the silverware. Looking miffed, she can't use magic to do this 'low-down' simple chore. Pigwidgeon, meanwhile. hoots happily at the sight of his newfound friend Harry's adorable unnamed owl. Ron is visible inside carrying a massive pile of laundry and heaving it upstairs, while Harry chops up carrots and plops them in the stew pot, looking bored. I don't blame him. 

After carefully arranging butter yellow daffodils and periwinkle pansies, I tiredly head up to shower.

*** Time skip till the guests arrive ***

I hurtle downstairs like a whirling hurricane and slip into my seat at the table. I find myself squashed between Fred and Harry. On Freds left is Fleur, which leaves him to pester me because of his disliking towards Fleur and her airs and graces. Although she has become considerably better since she became a mother. 

Victoire is a sweet little thing, only a year and a half old (Fleur got pregnant during our search for Voldemort). She has pale blond cornsilk hair like spun gold, dancing light green eyes, Bill's long limbs, and Fleur's olive skinned colouring. 

Teddy Lupin, on the other hand, inherited Tonk's metamorphosis and has constantly changed hair- blue spikes, green curls, purple dreadlocks, yellow afro- you name it, he has it. He sometimes grows the occasional duck beak. He has the potential to look like a rock star, according to Bill and Harry. He's 2 and a half.

"Bonjour ma chere, 'ermione," Fleur smiles and says throatily.

"What's good?" Bill says.

George just tips his colourful bowler hat and winks. Then, he sets it back on his carefully styled ginger tresses.

"What took you long 'Mione?" Fred whispers into my ear, dishing out a few raw tiny sparrows heart and gravy onto my plate with a cheery grin.

I smile back tiredly, "Got held up in the bath," I jerk my head indicatedly slightly in the direction of Ginny, who she herself looks too fancy for a family dinner- slinky silver dress that makes Mrs Weasley frown, big  silver hoops, gold dust on her eyelids, and also lipstick on. Harry doesn't seem to mind much, though. He can't keep his hands off her, always hugging her or pulling her close.

"Ah," Fred nods, grimacing, exaggeratedly comically rolling his eyes after looking at Ginny, "Understandable. By the way, Hermione. How's life going?" He asks, winking, then inclining his head towards Ron suggestively.

I bite my lip, squirm, and hold back a stream of upset torrents. I would tell him the truth, but I daren't, not right here, right now. So I just settle with a plain old, "It's.. alright. I guess,"

Obviously, he being Fred, he doesn't believe me and sees right through that, "Uh huh. Yeah. Got that," he rolls his eyes again, "Chaaaanging the subject.. don't tell anyone this," he lowers his voice excitedly, "But me and George recently opened a new branch of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes down in Hogsmeade- we took over the Zonkos that got boarded up there. And anyways, that means I'll be seeing a lot of you soon," he winks charmingly again at the end of the sentence.