No More Mistakes

Chapter 36

Hermione woke to sounds of birds chirping and sunlight directly hitting her face.

Here she was, a whole year older and she couldn't have felt more neutral. It wasn't that she hated her birthday she just never saw the deal in celebrating it. In her mind, she was just a year closer to dying.

She removed her silk eye mask from her face and rose up, admiring that the sun was shining on this glorious morning.

She got up and strolled into the kitchen where her mother was waiting for her with a great big smile.

"Happy Birthday mija!" Regina cheered as her daughter stepped into the room. The teen smiled softly as she sat down at the breakfast table.

"Thanks Mom."

Regina walked around to where daughter was sat and kissed her on the cheek, still not over the fact that her daughter was now a semi adult.

Cupping her face and her hands and tilting her head up towards her, she gazed into her young daughters eyes, wondering where all the years went.

"I just can't believe you're 18 already, my little girl."

Hermione rests her hand on top of her mother's, lightly stroking it as her Mother gets teary eyed.

"If your father could see you now." She smiles sadly. "He'd be so proud."

"I miss him, but it's days like this that I really miss him Mom."

"I know mija." She lightly ran her hands through Hermione's hair before turning around and collecting a small purple gift box wrapped in a white bow from the kitchen counter.

She handed it to her daughter proudly.

The teen fiddled with the box a little aggressively, trying to desperately get it open.

"What is it?" She gushed as she worked her fingers.

Finally getting the bow loose, she unraveled the packaging and lifted the box lid to reveal a set of keys, but not just any keys, a set of keys for a particular vehicle.

Her mouth fell open in shock as she gripped onto them and pulled them out of the box before wrapping her arms around her mothers neck and squealing in excitement and gratitude.

"I- I can't believe you-" The young woman stuttered out. "Thank you so much!" She cried.

Regina gripped onto her daughter tightly and ran her hands through her soft raven locks. "You're welcome honey. Happy birthday."

•••

"Holy shit! This whole hallway is bigger than my house and your trailer put together!" Tanya gasped, glaring around the empty grand corridor as she and Alice walked down, bags in hand, towards Hermione's apartment.

"This is nothing. You should see her whole apartment." Alice mentioned as she approached the door.

She rose her pointed finger to the doorbell and pressed the button, with Hermione opening up and appearing on the other side seconds later.

"Finally!" Hermione squealed happily as she ushered them in, all reaching in for an exciting hug at the same time.

"Oh God we sound like middle schoolers." Alice laughs as she let's go of them.

"But can middle schoolers get their hands on this?" Tanya mentions before reaching into her bag and pulling out a rather large bottle of vodka and showing it off proudly to the girls. Tonight was going to be a night they never forget.

•••

Filled up on poorly homemade and pretty much improvised cocktails and junk food snacks, not caring about the possible affects on their figures, they were sat on Hermione's king sized rounded bed engaging in nail painting, exciting conversation and gossip on topics they rarely spoke about out loud.

"You really haven't gotten any in a year?" Alice questions Tanya in surprise. Throwing a handful of popcorn in her mouth she narrows her eyebrows at her.

"Don't even go there. We're not all on the penis prowl like you." Tanya jokes as she runs a brush through her hair, earning a smack against her chest from Alice.

"And what about you, raven haired princess. When's the last time you gave Fred a ride?" Alice said suggestively with a smirk on her face before mimicking a riding movement.

Hermione pauses from painting Tanya's toe nails before pulling a tight smile and looking in Alice's direction. She slowly brought the nail brush back the bottle and looked back away. "Uhm, well..."

The raven haired girl clammed up before moving her falling hair out of her face. "We- we haven't done it, yet."

Alice and Tanya's mouths fell open at the revelation. Considering they'd known way too many girls to have lost their virginities before hitting 18, it came as quite a shock to them.

"Seriously?" Tanya questions. Hermione just nods in response.

"I wonder what Fred's like in bed though." Alice blurts out curiously.

"Excuse me?!" Hermione bellowed

"Not for me! God, get your mind out of the gutter! I meant in general, I'm just curious." Alice snaps.

Tanya fixed her eyes upon the blonde as she twitched her lip up in mild disgust.

"Don't look at me like that! I wonder the same thing with a lot of people. You can't help the curiosity." She shrugs.

"Didn't you get your stitches taken out?"

"Yeah, like 5 months ago." Alice says confused with furrowed brows, as if it was the most ridiculous question in the world.

"Then you really shouldn't be the horny." Tanya answered.

Upon hearing Tanya's statement, Hermione began to giggle, Tanya did always crack her up, especially when she and Alice were going back and forth.

The giggling stopped when a cushion came into contact with Tanya's face, being thrown by Alice.

"Anyways Hermione, it's good that you're waiting, and you shouldn't feel pressured."

"And trust me, if there's anyone that knows how important this advice is, it's her." Alice smiled, pointing in Tanya's direction.

"She's right. The only reason I swiped my V card is because everybody else was doing it and I felt I was on the clock."

"With who?" Hermione questioned

"Tall boy, of all people. It wasn't even memorable." Tanya reluctantly revealed with a shudder as she leaned into the bed.

"Plus it's even better when it's with someone you know and trust and you're both equally ready." Alice informs her.

"Yeah, performance isn't everything either." Tanya adds

Alice pulls a sour face before turning her head around. "Speak for yourself!" She interrupted. "That's what's great about FP." She gushes as she thinks about him. "He ticks all the boxes. There was this one night after a party at the Wyrm that still gets me going every time I think about it. In fact I'm pretty sure that was the night Charlie was conceived."

"And what was Hal like?" Hermione wonders.

She twists her lips in disgust before scoffing and rolling her eyes.

"Thank fuck I never got to experience the trials and tribulations of Hal's bedroom stamina."

"I'm getting queasy just thinking this." Tanya admits before frowning.

"The one time I almost went down that road, his shortcomings, put an end to it." She confessed, followed by laughter from the other girls.

"Totally not surprised. He seems like the type." Hermione adds. "But honestly guys, I'm not gonna rush into it, I never will. I want Fred and I to go there when we're both ready and I want it to be special."

"And that's all that matters at the end of the day." Alice adds with a soft smile. "When the time is right, you'll both know."