Catching Her Heart Pt. 2

Chapter 57

"Hey, Hermione," Harry said as he and Ron caught up with her. "Can I ask you something?"

"Okay," Hermione answered with a nod, though she kind of had a feeling where this was going.

"What was with that glare at Ron?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," Ron said. "What was that for?"

"Did you see that wizard who walked us to the gate?" she asked.

"The one that obliviated the Muggle back there?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," Hermione said. "That one."

"Yeah, so?" Ron asked.

"Well, he was talking to your dad," Hermione said.

Ron shrugged. "So what," he said. "Lot's of people talk to my dad. He's part of the Ministry."

"He said that the Muggle back there has to be oblivated ten times a day!" Hermione said. "Look around! Is it any wonder he suspects something's weird when these tents have chimneys or bird baths and gardens, or even multiple stories. You remember what that obliviate spell did to Lockhart. Look, I don't doubt that there's an enchantment over the camps so that he may only see Muggle tents when he looks up the hill, but we have to watch what we say and how loud we say it."

"What are you looking at me for?" Ron asked when she finished her comment looking at him.

"You know very well why, Ronald," she said.

"Oh," Ron said, deflating. "Yeah."

"That wizard said that even Mr. Bagman was part of the problem with having to obliviate that man so much," Hermione revealed.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Apparently," she said, "Mr. Bagman was talking really loud around him about Bludgers and Quaffles."

"Cool," Ron said in awe, with a slight laugh.

Hermione turned and smacked him with a scowl. "It's not funny, Ron! We have the International Statue of Secrecy for a reason! The point is, he should have known better, and so should you!"

"Come on," Harry said. "Let's not fight."

They trudged up the hill to a spot along the edge of the wood where they found a sign hammered into the ground which read WEEZLY.

"Couldn't have asked for a better spot," said Mr. Weasley happily. "The field is just on the other side of the wood there, we're as close as we could be." He sighed as he took off his pack. "Now, no magic, strictly speaking, since we're on Muggle land. We'll be putting these tents up by hand! Shouldn't be too hard... Muggles do it all the time...Here, Harry, where do you recon we should start?"

Hermione glanced at him when Harry didn't respond and saw he looked rather pale. "Ron," she said, turning to the red head. "Why don't you and the twins go and get some wood?"

"Where are we supposed to get that?" Ron asked, looking confused as to why she was ordering him around.

"In there," she said pointing to the wood nearby. "Just gather it from the ground."

"All right, fine," Ron groused and headed off to get the twins.

"Ginny?" she said, turning to the girl.

"Yeah?" Ginny asked, coming over from where she was helping her father empty the packs they had brought.

"Do you think you can follow Ron and your brothers and bring back some good sized stones?" Hermione asked. "It would really help."