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Tweak says, "Happy Single's Awareness Day!"

weasley_now (weasley_now) wrote in pandorarpg,
@ 2011-11-01 21:57:00

Entry tags:

!status: complete, ^date: november 01 2003, character: ginny weasley, character: hermione granger, character: percy weasley

Who: Hermione, Percy, Ginny
What: Family time for grieving
When: November 1, 2003 a bit after 9 am
Where: Burrow
Rating worksafe

After hearing the news from Ron Hermione's immediate concern had been Molly's well being. Not only that, but she needed a mother of her own at a time like this. Once she was able to get herself dressed, they floo'd to the Burrow.

Now Hermione sat in a chair by the window a cold cup of tea held between her hands. She was staring out the window to the spot where she had flung herself into Harry's arms the night they'd moved him from Privet Drive. As soon as the Death Eaters had been on them that night Hermione had worried that Harry was gone. Now he really was. Maybe this was all some horrible mistake. Perhaps a ruse the Ministry was perpetrating as a part of the investigation into the other death. At any moment Harry would come walking through the tall grass that surrounded the Burrow. She wished it even if deep down she knew it wasn't true.

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youngestmformev
2011-11-06 04:28 am UTC (link)

Percy had thought Fred would have been proud, or at least groaned aloud, at his attempt at a joke. Nothing, however, could have prepared him for the reaction it had wrought from Hermione. He visibly shrank at the accusations, logically knowing they were unfair but feeling guilty nonetheless.

Thankfully, Ginny's questions gave him something he could grasp, something he could answer without having to delve into his own feelings on anything.

"According to the Prophet, there was someone found at the scene, and who is presently in custody. The last name was Smith. The first name... Ezekiel? Zanzibar? I believe there was a zed there somewhere..." He paused as he tried to remember, his usually immaculate memory temporarily flawed by the moment.

"Zacharias? I think that was it. Zacharias Smith."

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ginny_gin
2011-11-06 04:33 am UTC (link)

"Smith?"

It was a good thing she had put the teacup down or she probably would have dropped it right then. Right on mum's favorite rug.

"Zacharias Smith? Smith? Of all people? Smith?"

She was laughing suddenly, hard laughter, with a strange, almost manic edge to it. She couldn't seem to stop, laughing so hard that her knees buckled and she slid down onto the rug.

"Smith? Zacharias Smith killed Harry Potter? Zacharias 'I can't be arsed to do more than save my own skin' Smith killed the Boy Who Lived? Smith?"

Her stomach hurt. She clutched at it, willed the laughter to stop, but it kept on coming out, barking, hard laughter that sounded not at all natural.

"Smith. Smith did it. Smith killed Harry." Tears flowed down her cheeks. She didn't bother wiping them away. "Smith, of all people."

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weasley_now
2011-11-06 04:48 am UTC (link)

The sorrow Hermione understood. Denial she got. Anger made sense. But laughter, that just didn't seem to fit this particular situation. Hermione heard the same words come out of Percy's mouth that Ginny had heard, but she didn't see the humor. People were often capable of different things at different points in time.

"Ginny?" she turned and looked at Percy. For the first time in a long time Hermione Granger didn't know what to do. She knelt down beside her friend and put a hand on the other witch’s back. She didn’t say another word as there was nothing to say. Zacharias Smith obviously had some explaining to do, but to laugh at the situation was something Hermione couldn’t comprehend because it simply was not logical.

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youngestmformev
2011-11-06 04:55 am UTC (link)

"From what I read, it's not yet certain if he did it," Percy tried to correct, somewhat taken aback by the laughter. "He was found at the scene. Perhaps he was simply the first to find the body?"

He hoped that would help a little, if only to stop the hysterical laughter. He envied Hermione her ability to kneel down and offer physical comfort. It was simply not something Percy was comfortable with, no matter how much he might wish it were otherwise at times like this.

"I trust the Aurors will investigate."

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ginny_gin
2011-11-06 11:17 am UTC (link)

"Oh, Merlin. Oh, Merlin." The tears flowed fast and free now. She couldn't begin to imagine how she could try to stop them, so she didn't bother. The laughter continued unbidden, strange and unhinged, bordering on manic, but she couldn't stop.

Who cared anyway?

"Smith couldn't hex his own arse without a chart and an instruction manual, and he killed Harry? He did it? He did it? Him?" She would hyperventilate, she could feel it, but oh Merlin, if she didn't laugh she would scream. She would scream and she would never stop.

But it was true, wasn't it? Smith couldn't charm his way out of paper sack. Which meant...

Which meant...

The laughter stopped abruptly. Her expression darkened. "Whose patsy is he?"

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weasley_now
2011-11-06 01:21 pm UTC (link)

Hermione pulled her hand from where it rested on Ginny's back. She had never seen Ginny quite like this but was fairly certain the results would not be good.

"You're right," Hermione agreed, "Smith couldn't have done it." She turned to Percy. "Are there any other details that are known that can be told?"

Suddenly the laughter stopped and Hermione turned to check Ginny's well being. The way her expression darkened was scary. "Ginny," Hermione spoke softly, "I doubt he would do anything for another person." She couldn't think of what someone would be able to offer Smith that would entice him to put his own personal safety on the line.

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youngestmformev
2011-11-06 10:23 pm UTC (link)

Percy shrugged helplessly. He didn't like to admit his limitations in front of his family, but in this case he was going to make an exception.

"I'm not kept apprised of DMLE business except when it's directly related to the Minister's office, except at the monthly staff meetings. I wish I knew more, but I don't."

He looked at Ginny worriedly. "There is still a lot of information we don't know. The Aurors will look at the evidence and prosecute accordingly. Minist- Kingsley," he said, purposefully speaking the Minister's first name, as the Minister had often told him to do, to remind the others that the head of the Ministry was no longer the untrustworthy type, "has no doubt made this a priority, and will ensure that justice is served."

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ginny_gin
2011-11-07 09:42 am UTC (link)

"I am sure he will," Ginny said quietly, after a long moment. "I'm sure that Kingsley Shacklebolt will make this his top priority."

She wasn't being sarcastic. She was sure Shacklebolt would do such a thing, but that didn't change much, did it? It didn't change that Harry was dead and that Smith, the self-serving git, was somehow involved.

Well, then.

"Thanks for the toast and tea, Perce." She stood up. "I think I need to go lie down for a while." And before they could question or detain her further, she strode from the room and headed upstairs.

She had some thinking to do.

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weasley_now
2011-11-07 12:03 pm UTC (link)

There was nothing else to say. The words spoken by both Weasley’s had been all that could be said at the moment. Nothing Hermione had to say would add any substance to the moment. The Ministry would do their best. At least with Kingsley in charge their best now was a bit better than it had been all those years ago.

Hermione also reached for a slice of toast. Regardless of the fact that his joke had been in extremely poor taste, Percy was trying to be helpful. "Yes, thank you Percy." She gave a slight nod then returned to her perch by the window.

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