The Hogwarts Lonely Hearts Club

And I Met a Boy ...

"And I met a boy ..."

It was this little statement, both innocuous and potentially monumental, that really drew Catrin Granger's attention that afternoon.

She had been waiting patiently at King's Cross Station, on the St. Pancras side, with a steaming mug of coffee for company for just over an hour. She was there to collect her witch of a daughter, who was returning from her private school for their Winter break. Catrin chuckled to herself, recalling how she had told a colleague of her plans in those exact terms. The scandalised look she received in return might have been enough for Catrin to expect a visit from the Child Protection Service any day now.

If only the colleague had known the truth of the statement ... that would have changed things entirely.

Had Catrin ever found the courage to look that reality in the face, she'd have to be honest with herself and accept that she'd never quite gotten used to it. Her daughter, her beautiful girl, was a witch. And not in the same way that other exasperated parents might describe their errant children in moments of fraught and exhausted fragility, that every parent succumbs to from time to time. Her child wasn't a monster, wasn't a little terror, wasn't a mischievous imp sent to drive Catrin and her husband round the bend. In fact, the girl was well adjusted, exceedingly bright and a joy to be around.

But that didn't change the fact that Hermione Granger was a witch ... a true one, with a magic wand, a pointed hat and books full of complicated spells. She had even added a cat to her stereotypical paraphernalia last year. Thankfully, Crookshanks hadn't been a sinister black cat, even if he was perhaps the ugliest kitty Catrin had ever seen. Though his bandy-legged, unsure-footedness meant he wasn't likely to sit on the end of Hermione's broomstick, guiding her to devious schemes and mischief ... not that the girl had ever taken to the genre trope of gliding around on a sweeping brush for fun anyway. She wasn't interested in flying, or broomsticks, or that strangely-named sport that other Magical folk played on them.

Well, at least, she hadn't been ...

But this last few months had changed a lot of things about Hermione Granger, as her mother was about to find out. She noticed a couple of changes as soon as Hermione emerged from the exit at King's Cross and made her way through the concourse, to the coffee shop where her mother was waiting. Catrin could see that her daughter had grown a little since they'd last seen each other. She had added perhaps an inch in height, and her body looked a little fuller. Catrin had to remind herself that her little girl was quickly growing into a graceful young woman ... something that was as equally tough to accept as the fact that she could perform actual magic.

But the first big change Catrin noticed was that Hermione wasn't alone. This was new, unheard of in all of Hermione's school years since her education began. She was flanked by two people, and the three of them gave off the vibe of genuine friendship. Indeed, the two either side of Hermione had interlocked their arms with hers. It warmed Catrin's heart to see, for it looked like her staunchly solitary child had actually, finally, made a friend or two at last.

"Hi Mum," Hermione beamed as she reached her mother. "Where's Dad? I was hoping he'd be here too."

"You father has to work, I'm afraid," Catrin sighed. "There's a baggage handlers strike in Munich, so Joon can't get his flight back from a conference he attended on new false teeth materials and laser plaque removal."

"Sounds riveting," Hermione grinned.

"I wasn't keen to go, either," Catrin smiled. "But it left the surgery a little under staffed. So your father has a day of root canals and fillings, and I think a veneer or two, while I'm on Daughter Collection Duty. So, are you going to show some manners and introduce us?"