Not Yet (A Hermione Granger fanfic)

Chapter 23

Coming back to the Burrow isn't quite how Hermione imagined. She had thought she'd have to endure a lot of awkwardness, confusion, and hurt. But there's little of that, if any. The first person to see her is Molly, walking out the kitchen door with a broom in her hand. She gasps, then stumbles forward to grab Hermione and pull her into a hug.

"Oh my dear," Molly says. Then she breaks down into sobbing onto Hermione's shoulder. Charlie goes to find anyone else who might be around.

Hermione squeezes her back. "I'm sorry, Molly," she says when Molly gains a little control.

"Now, now, there's nothing to be sorry for. I'm just so glad." Her eyes, always kind, are now tinged with the kind of sadness that never quite leaves, but they sparkle, too, as she looks Hermione up and down. Then she frowns. "Have you been starving yourself? And what about your hair? Oh Hermione . . ." And she breaks down crying again as she leads Hermione by the hand into the kitchen.

No one is home, but Charlie soon summons everyone he can think of. Well, everyone Hermione might want to see just then. Harry arrives first, dropping his cloak on the floor as he strides into the house. He holds Hermione a long time without speaking. Relief washes out from him in waves, and Hermione is sorry she's worried him, to the point that she can't look Harry in the eye.

"I'm sorry, Harry," she whispers into his shoulder.

"Shhh," he says. "It's okay—you're back now." He pulls away to look at her. Then he frowns, not happy with what he sees. But he doesn't chastise her. "Missed you," he says, smiling through tears.

"I missed you." She smiles.

More people arrive as the day goes on—George, Arthur, Ginny. Even Percy and Kingsley Shacklebolt show up later in the evening. Hermione knows they all have questions, but for the time being they are holding them back, respecting her space.

Bill and Fleur show up the next day. Then later in the week, Harry even brings over little Teddy Lupin to see "Aunt Hermione."

"Have you contacted your parents, Hermione?" Arthur asks as they watch the five-year-old zoom around the living room on an old toy broom.

"Yes," she answers. "I'm going to see them soon. Mum wanted me home right away, of course."

"What did you tell them about your absence?"

"That I was traveling, needed a breather. They think I've been in America."

"And were you?" Arthur's the first person to ask Hermione directly about where she's been. Charlie has been kind enough not to say anything yet.

"No, Arthur. I've been in Europe, mostly. And for the last few months—Romania."

He nods, as if he expected as much. He doesn't press her with more questions, but Hermione feels the need to explain. At dinner, the family sits down to eat, and she tells them almost everything—the libraries, the disguises, then her decision to go to Romania. She leaves out Severus. But Charlie's still there, having decided to make a holiday out of the trip, and he doesn't let her gloss over it.

"Hermione," he says, "please tell us more about Orev."

"Orev?" Molly asks, a look of concern crossing her face.

Harry puts down his fork and turns to her. Clearly he's been waiting on the subject to come up.

Hermione flushes. "I wasn't going to mention him, Charlie."

"I figured. But considering I think he's the reason you've come back to us, maybe we need to know a little about him."

Hermione holds Charlie's gaze. He's always been intelligent, but she's never thought before that he might be shrewd as well. He's right, Severus is the reason she's back in England. If it weren't for their argument and the awful thing she said, they'd still be in Romania. Although what their relationship would look like now, she can only guess.