Time skip to Halloween
"Hogsmeade, Hermione!" I say in a sing-song voice. The other girls are having showers, so they can't hear us.
"Harry's not coming, is he?"
"I don't think so. I'm pretty sure he's hanging out with Lupin today..."
"Good. He got into trouble last time, remember?"
"Yeah, I saw it through his eyes as well. He should have been more careful if he wanted to come today."
"Any plans for the trip?"
"Earning money. I'm broke, remember?"
"But you don't have to pay for anything."
"I want to at least buy presents myself."
"I get how you feel. When parents give you money to buy Christmas presents it just defeats the purpose."
"Exactly. I want to be able to pay this year."
"After Hogsmeade?"
"Family stuff."
"Okay. I guess I'll see you at the feast. Where are you working?"
"The Magic of Books."
"Oh!" Says Hermione. "I'll pop in to visit you!"
"And the books."
"Of course, they're books!"
"Exactly, I don't see how Harry gets bored of this school, and these books. He's so lucky to not be a muggle. He could be going to some muggle school, studying muggle subjects, and reading muggle books. I get how you feel. When we get back to... My place, I'll show you my favourite books."
"What kind of books?"
"Fictional. Stuff like... Well, you know."
She laughs. "How was it? Realising this was all real?"
"I was freaking out when I met you, to be honest. And everybody else. Ron has no idea how lucky he is, to live in the burrow. To go to Hogwarts, to have a gringotts vault. You're lucky as well, you're a witch. You could have been a muggle."
Hermione lends me the outfit she gave me last time and I do the side plait again with the beanie. It suits my hair type. This time, I wear a scarf. It may not be winter, but it's cold.
"Let's go, I bet Ron's waiting." I say.
We head down the stairs where Harry and Ron wait. Harry's going to walk with us until he is told to go back. I walk beside him and when we get to the separating point, pull him aside.
"You'll see Snape do something, don't judge him. You don't know the full story. Remember first year?"
He nods and I pat his shoulder. "Next year will be better in terms of Hogsmeade." I whisper.
"Thanks, Belle. I'm glad I didn't freak out on the train when you went all psychic."
"I already knew everything. Now go have fun."
He gives me a small smile and turns back to the castle.
I decide to leave Ron and Hermione alone because I ship Romione. George offers to walk with me instead.
"Exactly how old are you?" He says. "You look older than Hermione."
"I'm actually turning fourteen in a few months. I'm a year older than my year group. I'm lucky I'm a small person, or I would get weird looks."
"So I'm a year older than you."
Well, actually, 23 years older than me, but yeah. Whatever, George.
"Yup." I say, popping the 'p'.
"Are you working today?"
"Is that even a valid question? I need the money."
"I'll keep you company, then. Fred's with Angelina today."
"Thanks, George."
"I might even work as well."
"The more, the merrier." I take a good look at him. "How do I know you're not Fred?"
"I'm more handsome."
I nudge him playfully. "Yeah, right."
"We have different eye colours. Sort of. Fred's got Whittaker's colour eyes. I'm more Hershey's."
"Of course. Anything else?"
"I've got a freckle on my ear."
Isn't that the ear that gets chopped off?
"Oh yeah, you do. You're also more serious."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Fred's sort of more bubbly and... I guess fun-loving. Like a puppy. You're more serious, which is actually good. Sometimes you have to stop and just look at the situation. You're more sensible, but still fun."
"You sound like you've known me all your life."
We walk in silence for a bit. It's a peaceful silence. Fred and Angelina come up to us and Fred wiggles his eyebrows at us.
"Merlin's beard, Fred. We're walking." I say.
"Together."
"Everybody is technically walking together. It's a group."
"But you two are walking beside each other."
I roll my eyes. "It doesn't mean anything."
"Sure, sure." He winks at us and goes back to talking to Angelina. George's eyes are glued to the ground.
We get to Hogsmeade and George helps me out with the books, cracking jokes the whole time. Halfway through the day, we're thanked and payed. More people want to help out here, so we have to clear out.
As we walk out, Hermione approaches the bookstore with Ron. "Hi, Hermione. Hi Ron." I say.
For the rest of the trip, George keeps me company. I'm grateful because if he wasn't here, I'd be bored out of my mind. I decide to show him the shrieking shack.
"People say it's the most haunted building in all of Britain. I don't believe them. I think it's a place that some poor person goes to let their emotions out. People need to do that sometimes. Just let it all out." I of course know what happened, but I can't say that.
"Let it all out." He echoes thoughtfully.
We head back to the village, and Angelina is arguing with Fred. She saw him looking at Em. Multiple times. Oh, no.
George steps in and breaks up the fight. Soon, we all go back to the castle. When we get there I say bye to George and go with Severus to Godric's Hollow so we can plant more lilies. I'm glad we started this tradition, it helps him cope with her death.
Once we get back, George pesters me at the feast.
"Who were you with? Where did you go?"
"Whoa, calm down. I have a new foster father, and we were just having some father-daughter bonding time."
"Who?"
"It's a surprise."
"Well, at least you were honest."
Hermione catches my eye. That's the closest I've come to telling someone.
What's up with me?
______________
Expect quite a few chapters today. In case anybody was wondering, it's the holidays where I live.
No school!
QOTC: Frangelina or Fremma? I'm all for Fremma.
Please vote and submit chapter names.
No chapter name is too silly.
~Ericano