The Head Girl That Couldn't

The Head Girl That Couldn´t

CHAPTER TWO:

Life With No Magic Is the Life For Me

 

The next morning Hermione woke up to the sound of the birds chirping outside her window. She rolled over and pulled her pillow over her head, attempting to block out the annoying birds.

"Shaddup!" Hermione screamed groggily at them and then pulled the pillow around her ears tighter. On the contrary, however, instead of things becoming quieter, the birds started to chirp louder. It seemed the birds were right outside her window.

After a few minutes Hermione figured trying to go back to sleep was hopeless so she finally clambered out of her bed and got dressed. Hermione was about to go downstairs to eat breakfast when she heard a tapping noise from behind her. She turned around to see Hedwig right outside her window, tapping at the window somewhat impatiently.

Hermione immediately turned back around and ran to the window. She opened it and Hedwig came in bearing a letter. Hermione gave Hedwig an owl treat, who hooted in gratitude and then flew away back to Privet Drive.

After Hedwig left, Hermione closed the window behind her and then started to rip the parchment open. It was in Harry's handwriting, of course, and it read:

Dear Hermione,

Hello! I've been doing okay-well, as okay as staying with the Dursleys can be. At least it's better than it ever has been before. The Muggles are scared of me more than ever, especially now that I'm allowed to do magic outside school and because I made Head Boy. They refuse to talk to me or be anywhere near me but that, at least, has a few good sides. They don't order me about like they uses to. Hedwig can come and go as she pleases and I don't have to do my homework at night in hiding anymore, though with all these new privileges, who would want to do homework?...

Hermione grimaced to herself.

...Just kidding, Hermione. You know Snape would have my hide if I didn't finish my Potions research essay.

You asked when I was planning on going to Diagon Alley in your last letter but I might as well tell you that I've already gone. Sorry, I know it's a kind of an annual thing that we three do but I had to get out of the house, so I went to Diagon Alley and while I was there I just went ahead and did my school shopping. But it doesn't matter; I will still meet you up there. Funny you asked about me going to the Weasleys; I'm supposed to go there today. Ron should be sending you an owl telling you when we're going to meet at Diagon Alley. Thank the sages that this is my last summer here with the Dursleys! Can you imagine how wonderful it's going to be when we've graduated? No more homework, no more quizzes, no more studying, no more Trelawney, and, best of all, no more Slytherins! It's scary knowing that soon we're going to be out there in the real world, providing for our own selves. But...until later. No need to worry now, school hasn't even begun yet. Until later,

--Harry

Hermione suppressed a grin as she folded up the parchment when she was finished reading. That is so just like Harry, Hermione thought to herself, so careless and immature.

Hermione went downstairs to join her parents for breakfast, but nobody was there yet. She just shrugged and sat at the table and started to pour her some cornflakes into a bowl when her dad walked in.

"Hermione," he said sternly, "Are you even packed yet?"

"Packed for what?" Hermione said with a mouth full of cereal. "School? It doesn't start for another week and a half."

"No, ready to go stay with your Aunt Ginger, remember?" Her dad said. "You promised me last night that you'd go spend a few days with her to help her out and keep her company."

Hermione swallowed her cornflakes roughly as realization dawned on her. He was right. Last night, she told him she would go.

"You better hurry, Hermione, we're leaving in an hour," her dad said as he sat at the table to fix his breakfast. Hermione shoved the rest of her cereal in her mouth, washed it down with a cold glass of orange juice and ran upstairs.

How could she have forgotten? She ran to her closet, pulled out a suitcase and began to throw random clothes in there. After that she grabbed some jeans and a t-shirt and ran to her bathroom to go bathe quickly.

Thirty minutes later, Hermione was standing in front of the door to her Aunt Ginger's flat, luggage in tow behind her.

"Remember, Hermione," her dad whispered in her ear, "do not use magic in front of her or any Muggles. She doesn't know that you're a witch and we'd like to keep it that way. If she was to find out, she'd be likely to have a heart attack." And then her dad raised his fist up and knocked on the door.

"Coming!" a high-pitched voice yelled from inside. In Hermione's opinion, her Aunt Ginger didn't seem or sound ill to her at all. She could walk and do normal things just fine. She had had cancer a few years back that had made her disables, but she didn't like to let it get to her. Or at least her pride didn't.

The door opened and there stood a woman in her mid-thirties with soft red curls and bright blue eyes.

"Hello, hello," she said, inviting them all inside. "Thank you for coming, Hermione. Would you like to stay for tea, Robert?"

Mr. Granger shook his head and said, "Sorry, Ginger, I must be on my way to work. School's about to begin again and you know how those kids are, they have to get their teeth checked before school starts again. Maybe next time. So when do I need to pick of Hermione?"

"In a couple of days would be fine, Robert. Bye," she said. Mr. Granger smiled and turned around and descended the stairway, the door to Ginger's flat shutting behind him.

Once he was gone, Ginger ran to Hermione and gave her a huge hug, grinning and said, "Thanks for coming, Hermione. It's awfully lonesome over here and it would really be so much easier if I had somebody to help me with the laundry. The stairs really hurt me to go down."

Hermione pulled away, feeling awkward, but helpful nonetheless. "Erm, you're welcome...Aunt Ginger."

"Oh no, don't call me Aunt; it makes me feel really old. Just call me Ginger. Oh, and please make yourself at home. Follow me, I'll show where your room is," she said, starting to walk down the hallway, which branched off into two bedrooms and a bathroom.

"This one is mine," she said pointing to the first room they passed.

"And this one is the room where you'll be staying," she said, opening a door. She left Hermione as she went in the bedroom and threw her bag on her bed. The room was quite small and there wasn't much in the room. There was a small single bed, a nightstand with a lamp and an alarm next to the bed, and little wooden wardrobe across from the bed.

Hermione sighed and began to unpack her belongings. There was a knock at the door and Hermione called, "Come in." Her aunt walked in just as she began to put her clothes up in the wardrobe.

"Sorry it isn't much," Ginger said in a regretful voice, weaving her hands through her red curls nervously as though she was waiting for Hermione's reply.

"I like it," Hermione said simply. "It's cute and has a home-sweet-home feeling to it. I like it."

She put her clothes down and looked at her older aunt, smiling. "Thanks for inviting me over. I would rather stay here than at my own home any day. Too much fuss and chaos."

"You're becoming a fine woman and you're going to make some man happy one day," Ginger said, smiling broadly. "Now let's get you washed up and then we can eat some dinner."

After an extremely delicious dinner, Hermione insisted on doing the dishes but Ginger was putting up a big argument about it.

"you're my guest, it isn't right for you to be doing my housework!" she said, pushing past Hermione to the sink.

"Oh no you don't!" Hermione squealed, suppressing her giggles. "You're supposed to be sick. That's the whole reason that I'm here: to help you out!"

"No I just told that to your father," Ginger said, "I just wanted some company."

"Well even if that's the truth," Hermione said, "I still have to do something to earn my keep here, so you can just remove yourself from this kitchen right this moment."

Giving up, Ginger threw the kitchen towel she was holding on the cabinet and walked out of the kitchen, not wanting to argue anymore.

When Hermione was finished with the dishes she went to the room she was staying in, got undressed and laid in her bed. Living like a Muggle was so wonderful. Even though she wasn't allowed to do magic there, she was still having a great time. Hermione smiled and thought, as she turned the light switch off, it wouldn't be so bad to live as a Muggle. Not so bad at all.