Catching Her Heart Pt. 2

Chapter 72

It wasn't long after breakfast that a deal was struck with Oliver's parents that they would clean the horse's stalls and do their daily morning grooming, even if they had to ask Cherry to help while Oliver and Hermione went to Diagon Alley to get the medicine for Ash.

"Are you ready?" Oliver asked, preparing to leave.

"Um," Hermione said, getting an idea. "Give me just a minute, I'll be right back."

Oliver was about to protest, but he turned around and she was gone.

Hermione hurried down to her room and threw open her trunk. She dug through it for a few moments before she found the small box that held what she was looking for; the earrings that Oliver had given her, and tucked them into her pocket. She also made sure to grab the pouch with her money that she had brought from her piggy bank at home. She quickly put everything back and closed her trunk again before running back upstairs.

"Ready!" she called.

"Oh, good," Oliver said. "Mum, dad, we'll be back as soon as we can." Smiling, and at their nod of acknowledgement, Oliver held out his hand to Hermione.

Puzzled, Hermione reached out and took his hand. The next thing she knew, Oliver had his arms around her waist as she stagger in the alley outside the back door of the Leaky Cauldron, gasping and trying her best not to vomit.

"What - was - that?" Hermione asked as she fought to regain control of her stomach. "Did I just...apparate?"

"Yeah," Oliver said with a laugh. "Sorry, I should have warned you."

"I don't - think it would - make much difference," Hermione replied, her breathing gradually returning to normal, and as her legs quit shaking and were able to support her, Oliver let her go.

"Are you all right?" Oliver asked, looking at her in concern.

"Yeah," Hermione said taking a breath as her stomach finally settled.

"All right, let's head to the apothecary and get back home," Oliver said.

Hermione took a breath and stayed where she was. "I'm sorry, Oliver," she said, drawing his attention. "I know you're mum means well, but..."

"You want to get your own dress robes," Oliver said with a knowing expression.

Hermione nodded.

"I brought some money with me, I'll need to exchange it, but I'll be so glad when I'm of age and can have my own vault," Hermione said. "We asked about it my first year when we came to get my supplies, but we were told that I couldn't have one until I was -"

"Seventeen," Oliver said at the same time she did, and Hermione laughed and nodded. "All right, Gringotts it is."

"No," the goblin at the front desk said a short time later.

"No?" Hermione asked in disbelief.

"Are you deaf?" the goblin asked. "Clean out your ears; NO."

"But..." Hermione began and then shook her head. "Why?"

"No underage witches or wizards can be party to banking transactions without a parent or guardian," the goblin said.

"Ms. Granger has been spending this last week before school with my parents and I, and I'm of age," Oliver explained.

"Not good enough," the goblin said. "I see you here, but not either of your families to confirm your claim."

"Ugh," Hermione said, looking skyward before looking to Oliver. "Now what are we supposed to do?"