“Nice place you’ve got here,” Holly commented as Harry led them into the living room. Harry's house was fairly large, but cosy all the same. Pictures adorned the walls, of the Weasley’s, his parents and of his friends. It was also surprisingly tidy, although he had quite a lot of belongings. Not up to Hermione’s standards, but then again, who’s is?
“Thanks, my parents left me a lot of money. So did my godfather,” Harry replied, uncertain what else to say to the new girl.
“Still, I like how you’ve used the space,” she complimented.
“Hermione and Ron helped me choose the furniture and stuff…what would you like to drink?” Harry asked, leaning against the kitchen door frame as he waited for a reply.
“Firewhiskey,” Ron said automatically, reclining onto the sofa next to Hermione.
“Wine please,” Ginny said, picking up the photo on the side table. It was of Ron, Hermione and Harry in their first year.
“Just butterbeer, please,” Hermione said, ignoring the odd looks she was getting from the boys.
“Come on Hermione, have some wine or something, have you forgotten what day it is?” Harry pleaded, attempting to do puppy dog eyes but only succeeded in pulling a weird face.
“Oh…go on, just one…” Hermione said. Then, a lot more sharply, “but it won’t become a repeat of my birthday!”
“No of course not!” Harry said. In the background, Ginny and Ron sniggered.
“Just butterbeer, please,” Holly said, much more forcibly than Hermione was able to manage, as Harry turned to her.
“No alcohol? I think you deserve a bit after what you did for us today,” Harry exclaimed. Then, with an afterthought, he added, “You are legal, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I’m legal. I’m 19. I just prefer to keep a clear head. In my time, it was too dangerous,” Holly explained seriously.
“What do you mean, too dangerous? Is it poisoned or something?” Ron asked, looking alarmed. Holly chuckled weakly. Harry nipped out the room quickly, evidently to grab the drinks.
“No, not poisoned, I should have made it clearer. Its more like life was too dangerous”” Holly explained, stopping to watch Harry walk into the room, who had charmed the drinks to float in midair around him. As he passed them out, Holly spoke again.
“But I shouldn’t say anymore about that.” She sounded completely calm.
“But then why did you come…back if not to change something?” Hermione asked.
“But I think we need a bit more convincing that you are from the future as well. How can we trust you?” Ginny added.
“First of all, I don’t know how I can prove it to you that I’m from the future; you just have to trust me. There is something I want to ” need to ” change, but I can’t tell you it yet, seeing as I don’t want the entire future to get more screwed up than it already is just to satisfy your curiosity,” Holly said, ending her little speech rather bitterly.
“Than at least tell us something about yourself. Who are your parents, for example?” Harry said. Holly shook her head.
“I can’t tell you that!” her voice was shaking slightly. The other four exchanged confused glances.
“It’s a simple question,” Ron said. Holly was starting to get more and more agitated.
“Easy for you to say,” Holly muttered, picking at her cuticles.
“Oh come on, who are they?” Hermione asked. She was noticing Holly’s agitation, but chose to ignore it.
“Just leave it,” Holly mumbled.
“No, we’re not going to leave it, it’s a simple question!” Ron exclaimed.
“I can’t tell you! You can‘t make me!” She slammed her bottle down on the table and then stormed out.
“Well, she has a temper,” Ron commented, taking another liberal swig from his bottle. Over the years, they had gotten used to such outbursts from each other, so it didn’t affect them that much.
“I’ll talk to her,” Hermione said, placing her glass of wine on the table and following Holly out of the room. “Holly, wait!”
“What?!” Holly snapped as she turned to face Hermione.
“We’re sorry, we didn’t mean to upset you. It’s just a big shock to have someone suddenly walking into our lives claiming to be from the future,” Hermione said.
“I am from the future! I don’t have the Dark Mark on me or anything if that’s what you’re thinking!” she growled. Hermione swore that her eyes flickered red for a second, but then it was back to the normal brilliant blue. Dismissing that as a trick of the light, Hermione continued.
“I’m not doubting that,” Hermione said quickly. “If you don’t want to tell us, fine, I’m okay with that. You saved our lives earlier, and we owe you one.”
“Really?” Holly asked, her eyes glittering with unshed tears.
“You’ll tell us if it’s a necessary. I can tell that you’re good, just from the way you are. Now could you please come into the other room and have a drink with us, even if it’s just butterbeer?” Hermione said softly.
“Okay,” Holly said, calming down. Hermione put an arm over her shoulders and led her back into the other room.
“Between you and me, I think you’re the smart one, not drinking,” Hermione whispered in her ear.
“Then why do you drink?” Holly asked in amazement.
“It tastes nice,” Hermione replied, shrugging. “But I don’t go overboard, unlike those two boys in there, they don’t know when to stop!” Holly giggled.
“Nice of you to come back,” Harry said. Hermione took her place back next to Ron.
“Yeah, you’re just in time for the retelling of your eighteenth birthday party!” Ginny said, smirking. Hermione blushed.
“What happened?” Holly asked, looking very intrigued.
“Well that was the day Hermione Granger, the rational, intelligent witch, got completely drunk!” Ron teased.
“Oh shut up, I wasn’t that bad!” Hermione muttered, turning a much deeper shade of red.
“You couldn’t stop talking! It was as if you were like one of those Muggle toys that you wind up! Then you passed out on the middle of the dance floor!” Harry exclaimed, sniggering at the same time.
“Okay…well, I didn’t realise how much I had drunk!” Hermione defended, but it was too late. Harry, Ron, Ginny and Holly were all falling about with laughter.
“You’re one to talk ” when you got drunk you thought it would be funny to go flying in the middle of the night. It’s a good thing you fell on something soft, that very large puddle of mud!” Hermione retorted. Harry stopped laughing, but Ron, Ginny and Holly’s laughter doubled. It took quite a while for the three of them to stop calm down laughing and Ron was able to stop laughing long enough to ask Harry to get more drinks and to pass him his own empty bottle.
“Hermione, would you like some more?” Harry asked.
“No thanks,” Hermione replied. Her glass was still quite full. She hadn’t drank any more since Ron and Harry had brought up her eighteenth birthday ‘incident.’ She threw Holly an I-told-you-so look as Harry picked up the empty bottles. Holly was holding back a laugh.
“I think this deserves a toast. To the second anniversary of Voldemort’s defeat and to Holly saving our butts back in that house!” Harry declared as he gave Ron a new bottle of Firewhiskey and topped up Ginny’s drink. Everyone raised their glasses (and bottles) for a toast, and Harry downed the bottle in one.
“How do you know who we are?” Ginny asked suddenly. Ron and Harry sat up a bit straighter, they hadn’t thought about that, but now it was mentioned, they were also curious. Holly sighed.
“Do you know us in the future?” Hermione asked. She too, wondered how Holly knew their names.
“You could say that,” Holly said, looking at the ceiling. Then she looked at them. “But you are famous; Harry did defeat Voldemort after all.”
“Then how do you know our names?” the redhead asked.
“Well, you’re were his best friends and h”” Holly started, stopping suddenly, slapping a hand over her mouth then glancing, for a split second, at Ginny. “I shouldn’t say anymore.”
“Maybe later then,” Ginny said, feeling slightly confused. Holly seemed like the sort of girl from which you would only get bits of information when she felt the time was right. Settling down on the chair, she picked up her glass, took a sip, and then relaxed. There would be a time to ask questions, but not tonight. They needed to absorb this information before finding out more even.
About an hour or two later, and many bottles of firewhiskey later, Ron and Harry had become ” well the nicest way to say it was ” very merry.
“I love you, you know that don’t you Hermione?” Ron slurred, putting an arm around her; obviously very drunk. His latest bottle of firewhiskey was in serious danger of being tipped all over the floor. Holly sniggered.
“Yes Ronald,” Hermione replied, shaking her head good-naturedly
“You’re the…the best thing that’s e-ever happened to me…” Ron said, having trouble putting his words together.
“I think that’s enough firewhiskey for you,” Hermione said, giggling as Harry toppled out of his seat in the most ridiculous way. “Ginny, could you help put Harry to bed please?” Hermione hauled up a now snoring Ron.
“Sure,” Ginny said, getting up and pulling Harry to his feet.
“Do you need some help?” Holly asked, as Hermione started to sway dangerously from side to side due to Ron’s weight and height.
“Yes please! He’s too tall for me to carry him,” Hermione replied.
“That’s what’s good about Harry, he’s not as tall as my dear brother here,” Ginny said, grinning. Hermione directed Holly and Ron to one of the bedrooms upstairs. Hermione lay Ron down, checked that he was breathing, then the two left the room to look for Ginny and Harry. From Harry’s bedroom, they could still hear Ron’s muffled snoring. Ginny had gotten Harry into a bed and was now playing with a lock black of his hair.
“What are you doing?” Holly asked. Ginny swiftly took her hand out of Harry’s hair, then muttered ‘nothing’. Just as they left the room, Ginny took one, almost sad, look at Harry.
“Hermione, is Harry okay about me staying?” Holly asked, sounding concerned, as the three girls sat back down in the living room.
“Of course,” Hermione replied, sitting on the sofa again. Ginny wasn’t paying attention to them, but looking at the staircase.
“Ginny, when are you going to come to your senses and talk to Ha”” Hermione started, only to be cut off by an angry Ginny.
“Don’t Hermione, you don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ginny said coldly. Hermione sighed and stopped talking. She had tried before, but the Weasley temper had won out. Hermione had no desire to be cursed by her again any time soon.
“So why were you in that house?” Holly asked, trying to break the uncomfortable silence.
“We had a tip off that there were some Death Eaters there,” Hermione said, looking sadly at Ginny. Holly was playing with something around her neck.
“What’s that?” Hermione asked, honestly curious.
“Nothing! I think, if you don’t mind, I’ll go to bed now,” Holly said quickly, jumping out of her seat as though it was scalding hot.
“Okay, see you tomorrow,” Hermione said. Holly nodded at the two of them before disappearing up the stairs. Well done Hermione, now you’ve managed to irritate everyone! Hermione thought to herself, glancing at Ginny, then at the staircase.
Hermione had a feeling that life, from this time onwards, would be very different.