The War Over Hermione

Chapter 13: The Girl Who Seen The Truth

Hermione took a deep breath as she took in the smells of fresh baked bread, outdoors, honey, and her best friend.

The Burrow. She was in her second home.

The Burrow had been her sanctuary since the summer before 4th year when she first came to it. She remembered when she first seen Ron's house. He felt a bit embarrassed to show her, but she instantly fell in love at the first sight of it. The fact that it was so high and looked as if all it needed was a small gust of wind to blow it over, yet it was more than likely more structurally sound than a lot of building in Muggle London delighted her. The air was clean and crisp, the summer breeze was glorious to feel, and at night you could see every single star.

Seeing as it was now winter, Hermione was introduced to a totally different looking Burrow. She had never been here in the wintertime. The snow looked like an untouched blanket of pure white. The lake was frozen solid. The white of the snow seemed to make everything glow around them. And of course there were the stars that seemed to shine brighter.

Hermione had fallen in love once again. She wished she could just move here.

Christmas was amazing with all the Weasleys (minus Percy) under one roof. Mrs. Weasley had made Hermione her very own Weasley sweater, in a beautiful red with a gold H on the front. Ron had gotten her a necklace with a mini Hogwarts, A History book charm, and Ginny had sent her a box of special edition sugar quills with a note that said she had so much to tell her when they got back to school.

After presents were opened and carols were sung, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and Angelina (who Fred had just recently proposed to) all took to the ice and went ice skating. Hermione tried to teach them the muggle game of ice hockey, which ended in sore butts and George almost cracking Ron's skull open with the stick they played with, but they all still had fun. Ron and Hermione even skated around, just the two of them. Hermione couldn't help but feel a rightness to the fact that they were holding hands and skating around.

Mrs. Weasley made them a delicious dinner of roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, all kinds of veggies, homemade biscuits, and freshly made pumpkin juice. Ron and Hermione sat on Ron's small balcony with homemade ice cream for dessert and looked at the stars.

"Can your mum homeschool us and we just stay here for the rest of seventh year?" said Hermione, smiling while eating her delicious ice cream.

Ron laughed. "You can stay here. I need a break every once in awhile."

"I wish I could stay here. It's so peaceful and carefree and quiet. No one pressures you to do anything or asks you to be someone that you're not." said Hermione absentmindedly.

Ron caught onto it. 'So that's the problem'.

"What do you mean pressure you? Did Harry pressure you, Mione?" asked Ron, extremely concerned.

Hermione flinched. She didn't mean for that to come out.

"I mean, that is to say...it's not like he tried to. He just wanted me to go with him to Sirius's house by ourselves. And before then he would bring up sex more when we would talk so I gathered that's why he invited me. Especially when I asked could you come too and he said no."

Ron dropped his spoon onto his ice cream. "You wanted me there and he said no? What the hell."

Hermione looked down at her bowl. "I wanted you to be with us. And I guess my reason for that was pretty selfish. I wanted you there so I could have an excuse to not do anything with him. He might have sensed that because he got really mad and started ranting about how apparently I act like I date the both of you and I said something that made him even more upset and he left."