None of the Harry Potter characters belong to me, I have only borrowed themNone of the Harry Potter characters belong to me, I have only borrowed them.
Second time Love
The penny bet, Dumbledore and Ginny.
Hermione walked down the train looking for Ginny and Luna, she knew they would be together, they always rode the train together, having nearly reached the end of the train they found the two girls they were looking for and joined them in their compartment.
Hermione intended to let Ginny know that Harry was off limits, he was hers now and she would let no one take him away from her.
Hermione found Ginny's reaction to the news that she and Harry were now engaged quite a bit different to what she had expected; Ginny remained friendly though she did for a short time look just a little disappointed.
An hour into the journey Hermione excused her self and made her way out of the compartment, and headed for the washroom.
As soon as she was out of sight of the compartment she heard Ginny behind her.
"Hermione can I have a word," Ginny was asking in an unusually serious voice.
'Ah this is more like it, the evil little tart wants to try and scare me off' Hermione thought as she turned to face the young red head. "Yes Ginny, what is it?"
"I know I don't have to tell you I love Harry, and most likely I always will, I just want to warn you now that you will regret it if you ever hurt him, I don't care who you are, friend or not, hurting Harry is not going to be a bright idea," Ginny said in a really threatening voice.
The surprise was evident in Hermione's voice when she answered "You really do love him then, it's not just a crush on the boy who lived?"
"Hermione, do you really think I would have offered to face death eaters, and maybe V-Voldemort him self for a crush?" Ginny almost whispered.
"Sorry Ginny, you just took me by surprise," Hermione answered honestly.
"Well just you remember, anyone, and I mean anyone who hurts Harry will have me after them," Ginny said firmly.
"What if it was Ron that was hurting Harry, what then Gin?" Hermione asked.
"Same goes for him and anyone else, even my own family," Ginny said as she turned to go back to her seat "they would deeply regret it."
The conversation with Ginny had Hermione just a little puzzled, she had been so sure in both lives that Ginny only wanted Harry for his fame, but the Ginny she had just spoken to, had a fierce passion in her eyes when she had threatened anyone who hurt Harry, passion and love beyond her years and Hermione had seen it in those eyes and knew it was real.
There was another surprise for Hermione when they reached Kings Cross, having climbed down from the train and said goodbye to Neville and Luna she turned to say good bye to Ginny.
The young red haired girl hugged Hermione tight and whispered in her ear "Keep him safe, and love him truly." Before waving goodbye and walking away.
Harry tapped Hermione on her shoulder as she watched Ginny disappear into the milling crowd of students, turning to him she saw him pointing at something further along the platform, looking where he was pointing she saw her parents, and to her surprise they were talking to Dumbledore.
"If he has persuaded my parents not to allow you to come with us, I'll hex the old prat into next year," Hermione exploded causing several of the younger students nearby to hurriedly move away.
Harry had to drag both of their trunks along the platform as Hermione charged off toward where her parents and Dumbledore stood, the three adults stared at her as she approached them looking like she was going to erupt at any second.
Dumbledore remembering their very recent encounters headed Hermione off before she could start, with a small cough to clear his throat and to gain her full attention he turned to look her in the eye, finding she averted her eyes from him he spoke up
"Miss Granger, Mr Potter, I was just arranging for your parents to take care of a dog for me, you will no doubt remember Snuffles, well he will be accompanying you on your holiday this year. your parents have also kindly offered to allow Mr Potter to accompany you as well, I hope this little gesture on my part will help you to see that though I have made many mistakes, I am trying to repair a little of the damage I have done, if there is anything I can do to help you I hope you will not hesitate to ask, and maybe one day when all this is over you might find it in your hearts to forgive an old mans mistakes."
Hermione could see a tear trickle down into the old mans beard and for a moment her heart felt for the old man, but then she remembered all Harry had been through, Dumbledore would need to do more than this to get Harry to forgive him and she knew it, never the less she nodded her head, she knew the old man wanted her help in rebuilding the bridges that had been demolished even though she had helped to demolish them.
Dumbledore turned to Mr Granger "I will deliver the dog later today at the address you have supplied," with that said he made to walk away.
"Headmaster, could we have a word with you when you deliver Snuffles?" Hermione asked politely though she was shaking a little as her anger and the adrenalin that fed it died down.
Dumbledore nodded before wishing them good bye and a safe journey.
"Wonder what all that was about?" Harry said as Mr Granger led them out to the car park.
"Well love I think of all the things we said, that last remark about getting some fresh air might just have really hit home, I really do think he regrets the things he did, like I said before, he did what he thought was for the best, he has made a lot of mistakes but I think he really might care for you,"
Harry looked at her like she had gone crazy, but then he began to think it over, he was going to need the help of both Dumbledore and the order if he and Hermione were to succeed, he gave a little chuckle at that last thought as he realised he no longer thought in the singular, what ever he thought of doing he thought of doing as a couple, and it made him feel warm inside, she was the only girl in the world who had seen him at his best, and at his worst, she had no interest in the boy who lived, she knew the real Harry Potter and still she loved him, "Maybe you're right, besides we are going to need him on our side," he said as they climbed into the rear of the Grangers car.
As soon as they arrived at her home Hermione left Harry and her father to carry in their luggage while she went off with her mother on a walk around the rather large garden, having chosen six places around the perimeter, using her wand Hermione started to carve intricate runes into the objects she had chosen, the first runes she carved into the root's of an ancient oak, slowly moving around the garden she completed all the six runes, now all she had to do was to wait for Dumbledore to arrive then she could complete her security measures, Mrs Granger decided it was time to make supper and went into the house leaving Hermione waiting on her own.
It was rather obvious that Dumbledore was going to do all he could to repair his relationship with Harry because he and Snuffles arrived as she finished the last of her preparations on the house its self.
Once The two visitors had entered the garden Hermione began to make several intricate movements with her wand, all the while she was chanting in some language neither of the two visitors knew, on the final wave they were surprised to see a beam of sapphire blue light slowly travel outward and upward from her wand, seconds later the light arched over and dipped to the ground before once again rising and travelling in a different direction, in just two minutes they found them selves standing under a six pointed canopy of blue lines of light, the star shaped canopy glowed with its blue light for several minutes the light spreading out until it covered the entire property then it suddenly vanished leaving no visible trace behind.
"Fascinating, absolutely fascinating," Dumbledore said as he looked at Hermione in a new light, "I take it that display was your protection wards going up," he said watching her blowing on the end of her now smoking wand.
Hermione nodded, "Yes sir though I still have the inner one around the house to do," she answered still trying to cool her wand down.
"The power from that charm almost set your wand on fire?" Dumbledore said more as a question than an observation.
"Yes it did get a little warm, and now that Harry and I are together it seems the magic is even stronger," Hermione replied as she led them toward the house.
"I take it that it is based on your love for Mr Potter," Dumbledore said smiling.
Hermione realised then that the magic was so much stronger because she now had the love of two life times in her heart for Harry, she wondered absently why she hadn't thought about that before but was dragged from her thoughts when Snuffles jumped up and licked her face, chuckling she stroked the huge black dog "Yes Snuffles, I love him enough to set my wand on fire."
After opening the door and inviting them into the house Hermione gave her wand a wave and pointed it at the front door step, the step glowed for a few seconds then returned to its normal look.
"That'll even prevent Dementors finding us," Hermione said as Snuffles changed from a dog into Sirius Black.
Walking through the rather large house they found Mr and Mrs Granger in the kitchen watching Harry standing by the cooker enjoying him self as he prepared their supper.
While Harry finished cooking Hermione and the two guests joined the older Grangers at the kitchen table, Hermione took a deep breath and then began to tell her parents all about Voldemort and what Harry had to do, she also informed them that she would be with Harry through it all right to the end.
She had expected her parents to shout and yell, to tell her she was crazy to be involved in a war but she was quite surprised when her dad spoke up.
Instead of talking to Hermione as she expected he spoke to her mother, a grim smile on his face.
"Just this once dear I really wish I had been wrong, but I think I win the bet."
Mrs Granger looked as sad as Hermione had ever seen her when she pulled out her purse and took out a penny coin "This is one penny I wish I had not lost," she said as she handed the penny to Mr Granger.
"Mum, dad, what's going on?" a baffled Hermione asked.
"I bet your mum that you were in love with Harry," Mr Granger said putting the penny into a small jar of coins.
"You bet a penny?" Hermione said sounding astonished.
"We always bet a penny when we have a bet, dear," Mrs Granger said smiling.
"How did you know?" Hermione asked her now grinning dad.
"I knew from the first letter you sent us after Halloween of your first year," Mr Granger said still grinning.
Hermione turned to her still sad looking mother "You don't approve?"
Mrs Granger reached across the table and took Hermione's hand "Oh I think you have fallen in love with the right man for you dear, it's just he, both of you have so much to bear on such young shoulders, I just wish my little girl could live a normal happy life, well when I say normal I mean, well you know what I mean."
Hermione nodded she did indeed know what her mother meant, she would love to live a normal life with Harry, to be able to go out on dates, to be able to walk around Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade holding hands and laughing with each other, without some one trying to kill one or both of them.
Dumbledore coughed "You wanted to talk to me, do we need to go somewhere private?"
Hermione looked at Harry then at her parents "No I don't think so, Harry you should sit down love."
Taking a deep breath Hermione looked around at those gathered around the table, there was no way they would believe where she found out what she was about to tell them, she just prayed they would not ask.
"First I need to say that I know about the Horcruxes, I also know where four of them are, the first three are going to be fairly easy to find and destroy, none of you are going to like what I have to say about the fourth one, though I think I have worked out a way to get rid of that one as well." She paused to give them time to digest what she said.
Albus Dumbledore's eyebrows rose up his forehead but he said nothing, her parents, and Harry asked what a Horcrux was, While Sirius said he thought that they were a myth, Hermione explained to Harry and her parents what a Horcrux was and how Voldemort had created six of them.
Silence followed her words as she saw the looks of horror on the faces around her.
"The locket, the one Regulus died retrieving is at Grimmauld place, Kreacher has it in his cupboard, the next one is a tiara, it's in the room of requirements, the third one is that snake Voldemort has with him all the time," she finished and stared at Harry.
"And the fourth one?" her mum asked.
"The fourth one is, it's, Harry has it, it's attached to his own soul, oh it cant affect him, it's just dormant like some sort of parasite," she answered quietly.
"You said Voldemort created six of these evil things?" Mr Granger said looking at his daughter; she looked so grown up all of a sudden.
"Yes, but maybe we should ask the headmaster about the other two," Hermione answered looking at Dumbledore.
Dumbledore nodded "I have two of them, but I have yet to figure a way to destroy one of them, Harry has already destroyed one, it was a diary he destroyed in his second year, when he saved the life of a young girl."
"Harry can destroy the stone with Gryffindor's sword," Hermione said looking at the headmaster "I know you don't want it destroyed, but it has to be done, and it has to be Harry that does it."
Dumbledore gave a tired smile "You are correct of course, it needs to be destroyed, but how do you know?"
Hermione smiled back at the old headmaster "You aren't the only one who has sought to own a myth." She looked with love at Harry.
"No I suppose not," Dumbledore agreed nodding his head.
"So the fourth one you said you have figured a way to destroy it?" Sirius asked looking worried.
"Yes, but we will need to go through the locked door, you need to get us into the department of mysteries," Hermione said looking at Dumbledore.
"Behind the locked door?" Harry asked looking puzzled.
"There is a room in the department of mysteries, it is kept locked at all times, within that room there is a force of such wonder, it is greater even than the forces of nature, Sirius and I were witness to some of that force just a short while ago," Dumbledore replied in answer to Harry's question.
"You said 'us', you said you need me to get 'us' into the room," Dumbledore said looking at Hermione.
"Yes well I will have to work out the details," Hermione said not wanting to reveal she had no idea yet just who or what would be needed to acquire enough of the force to work.
They ate their supper in silence, all of them alone with their thoughts. As soon as they had finished eating Dumbledore said his good byes and Hermione and Harry walked with him to the garden gate.
"I hope your wards are strong ones miss Granger, for they now need to protect Snuffles and your parents as well as you two," Dumbledore said as he opened the gate.
"Why don't you test them sir, another opinion on them would be quite welcome," Hermione replied as the gate swung shut.
Albus Dumbledore stood on the footpath and looked around, he wondered why he was there for a while, knowing he never went anywhere without reason he began to concentrate then slowly he began to remember, turning around he looked at the demolished fenced in building in front of him.
'Umm excellent' he thought as he looked up and down the leafy lane, seeing no one around he pulled out his wand and did several intricate movements, then smiling to himself he turned and walked away.
'Fascinating, I must congratulate miss Granger when next we meet, those wards are better than the blood wards I placed around number four Privet Drive' he thought before he disapparated.
That night Hermione tossed and turned in her bed as thoughts of the day's events ran through her mind, then she remembered Ginny's words, she was still thinking of them when she finally fell asleep.
The dream began as did all her dreams, random pictures of kissing Harry interspersed with pictures of her mum and Snuffles, then the dream changed.
'Ginny was raging at Hermione because her husband had just admitted he was in love with the older woman, she was still shedding tears as she finally calmed and accepted that Hermione could not control who fell in love with her, then the scene changed it was just after Harry's funeral and she and Ron were in Diagon Alley doing their shopping, Hermione saw someone like Ginny going into Flourish and Blotts, then she saw several other occasions when they had seen Ginny shopping or supposedly visiting St Mungo's for various reasons, each time they had been near to the book shop, Hermione received a helpful note or a book the following day, the last part of the dream took Hermione back to her last visit to the Burrow, and something she had forgotten, Ginny had been there and as they left Ginny had whispered to Hermione "goodbye and good luck," Hermione woke from the dream with a start.
After giving her pillows a good shaking and still not being able to go back to sleep Hermione made her way down stairs to the kitchen, sitting with a mug of hot chocolate in her hands she thought back, remembering all the help she had received in her research, she wondered why she had thought that George might be the one helping her, but the only thing she had based that on was he was the only one she knew who could brew just about any potion and he was always in Diagon Alley.
The more she thought about it the more convinced she became that Ginny in either of her lives would indeed seek revenge on anyone hurting Harry, even her own brother. after pondering the implications for a while she made her mind up, she would visit Ginny as soon as she could.