Hero of the Story || James Potter x Hermione Granger Fanfiction

12 | the sunlight shines a little brighter

xii.

the sunlight shines a little brighter

(Daughter by Sleeping at Last)

__________

August 8, 1976

"Hermione, come on!" Peter's annoyed voice called outside her bedroom.

"I'm coming, blimey!" she exclaimed in return. Hermione finally gave her wand a mighty swish and all her things – books, clothes, parchments, and quills – flew into her small satchel and arranged themselves neatly. Satisfied with her handiwork, Hermione grabbed onto her bag and slung the strap across her shoulders.

When she walked out of her bedroom, Peter was already impatiently bouncing on his heels.

"Girls take a bloody long time to get ready," he whined, then turned on his heel and eagerly went to their fireplace.

Hermione rolled her eyes at his back and slowly pattered behind her brother. Peter was already half-way in getting a pinch of Floo powder from the small pouch beside their fireplace, when she arrived in their living room. Anya surprised her children when she announced she had decided to connect their fireplace to the Floo Network. "It makes travelling terribly easy," their mother had explained. Ever since they had started going to Hogwarts, their mother ventured frequently into the Wizarding World. Peter and Hermione were happy that Anya was starting to enjoy all wizarding things once more.

"I don't even know why I have to come," she glumly pointed out.

"No one's stopping you from ditching, 'Mione. We can always tell Mum you felt sick or something."

She glanced at him like he was barmy. "And face our mother's ire?" she asked. Peter snorted and threw the magical powder into the unlit fireplace. Emerald fire blazed upward and Peter quickly stood inside. "Potter Manor!" he exclaimed. He was gone in an instant and Hermione sighed, wondering why he was so bloody excited to see his friends when they see each other every day back in Hogwarts.

Hermione hesitated, wondering if tagging along was a good idea. She was already perfectly contented to stay at home with her mother for the whole summer, but when Anya had found out that Peter would be spending a week at the Potter Manor, she suggested for Hermione to go along as well. Anya knew Hermione had grown considerably close to the Marauders after tutoring them during their OWLs year, and reckoned her daughter should spend a few days out of their house. Besides, she was an acquaintance of Euphemia Potter and knew Hermione would be properly taken care of.

Staying behind was tempting, but Hermione was admittedly curious how Potter Manor looked. She'd always wondered why James Potter lived in a humble house in Godric's Hollow with his family, when he was a rich Pureblood heir. A Manor made sense, and she wanted to see if Peter's shoddy description of the Manor was as he'd portrayed. Her stay at the Manor would also coincide with the last day of keeping the Mandrake leaf inside her mouth. At least with the Marauders gathered in one house, they'd be able to help her complete her Animagus transformation.

Hermione expelled a deep sigh, knowing full well her curiosity had already won. She grabbed a pinch of Floo powder, threw it into the fireplace, and stepped inside. "Potter Manor!" she exclaimed. The familiar disorienting travel via the Floo Network flashed before her eyes. Hermione tightly clamped her mouth and barely breathed to stop herself from inhaling a lungful of soot.

The journey had ended in an instant. Hermione's eyes adjusted at the sudden onslaught of bright lights and she wobbly stumbled out of the fireplace to behold a brightly lit foyer. Her eyes widened as she spied two stylish maroon couches near the brick wall fireplace. The floor was covered with thick carpets with intricate designs, of which Hermione vowed to observe later, because she swore they were twinkling. The whole room was spacious, almost rivalling the Ravenclaw Common Room, only this time, the foyer was decorated with maroon and gold. The occupants were definitely Gryffindors.