All Bets Are Off

Chapter 17

June 2003

"You've got Muggle mail," Fred announced when Hermione walked into the shop.

"My parents?" Hermione questioned, squeezing herself and James past customers.

"Nope." He slid a large manilla envelope to the end of the counter and continued to check out a father and his young daughter.

"Let's play pass the baby," Hermione said, handing James off to George. She picked up the large envelope and looked at the neat, block letters, addressing the parcel to WEASLEY/GRANGER. She didn't recognize the script and was surprised to find the envelope's seal had already been broken. "It's been opened already."

"It says Weasley and Granger. I thought I was part of that pairing. Have a great day!" Fred said, as the pair of customers left. "Apparently the Weasley it's referring to is Ginny. Go on, check it out," he encouraged with a knowing grin.

Hermione gave him a skeptical look and peeked into the package. It was stuffed full of individual envelopes, each labeled with different names. With a racing heart, Hermione shuffled past the familiar names- Bill, Charlie, Molly and Arthur- until she found her name. Unlike the lettering on the front, this handwriting was as familiar as her own, having spent many evenings correcting essays written in the untidy scribbles.

She pulled out her envelope, tossing the pack to the side. She hastily tore it open and read it three times over within a minute.

Hermione,

I hope this letter doesn't take long to get to you, as I'm sure everyone is worried and anxious to hear from us. I don't have much time to write this. We've only just been told that if we wanted to send a quick word home there was someone that would be able to send out letters through the Muggle post. Ron is currently furiously scribbling out letters to every member of his family. I told him he's crazy, but he's persistent. I hope they're able to read his chicken scratch.

I know we have been gone for what feels like forever and a day. I can't say much because we're still in the middle of operations. But I wanted to reassure you that we are safe and things are going as planned, just not a quickly as we had initially hoped. I wish I could give a definite date as to when we'll be home, but I can predict that with as much certainty as I can predict what we'll have for dinner tomorrow night. Could be one week? Maybe a month? Who knows, maybe I'll be reading these letters with you all.

Mainly we just wanted to seize the chance to reassure everyone that we're fine and missing you all like crazy. Ginny still wants to marry me, right? There hasn't been some other hunky wizard swooping in, trying to take my place?

And now I'm being given the signal to wrap it up. I wish we could give you a way to write back to us, but of course that runs the chance of compromising the mission. With any luck, we'll see everyone soon. Miss you!

Love,

Harry

Hermione looked at a Fred, tears running down her cheeks. "They're okay," she croaked, clutching the letter to her chest.

"As if there was ever any doubt," Fred reassured, wrapping her in a hug and kissing her head.

Relief flooded her head and her heart. Her best friends were safe! She hugged Fred tightly and it felt like she was letting go of all the tension she had been holding in for the past year.

"I take it you two already found your letters from Ron?" Hermione sniffled, hastily wiping her eyes on the back of her hand.

George laughed as he bounced James on his hip. "Yes, if you want to call them letters. It was a few lines stating that he was okay and that the meals were horrible."