Chapter 2

Wednesday, June 5th

The Burrow

“All right, Hermione,” Molly said as the young woman emerged out of her fireplace, “I think you better be telling me just what’s going on before Josie and Alice arrive.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Don’t play coy with me, Missy,” Molly huffed, waving a spoon in her direction. “I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt here. Since when have you leave to rent out Craig Mhor?”

“There isn’t much to tell.” She moved around and snagged a warm roll from the counter beside Molly. “I wrote to him, apprising him of the situation, and he offered. You know how he is about these things.”

“Get out of that,” Molly snapped, slapping at her hand with the spoon. “I swear you’re getting to be as bad as Ron.” Hermione grinned cheekily at Molly as she plopped a bite into her mouth. “Is he coming home then?” she asked, pushing the butter toward Hermione.

“No,” Hermione sighed, leaning against the counter, “he’s not coming home just yet.”

“Do you really think it’s wise to send Josie to Craig Mhor?”

“What do you suggest we do then? You two have already argued over her moving in here with you, and I doubt she’d take kindly to moving in with me, or anyone else for that matter. The cottage is available, and despite its unpleasant residential annoyance, is probably the best spot for her and Alice.”

“Yes, well,” Molly sniffed, “I still can’t believe Augusta Longbottom is doing this, and to her own great-grandchild.”

Hermione shrugged. “You know how Neville’s gran can be.”

“Still, it isn’t right, what she and that lot of hers are doing. It isn’t right at all.”

“Yes, well, I don’t think they’ll get far,” Hermione replied, breaking off another piece of the roll. “Everything I’ve looked at, so far, suggests that Alice is entitled to Neville’s assets as his heir. So, while they’re making it hard on Josie at the moment, Alice will get everything they’re trying to deny them once she gains majority.”

“That’s all well and good then, but what about now, when Josie and Alice need those assets?” Molly asked, her tone conveying her contempt for the Longbottom’s actions toward the girls. “What about the cottage? Will Alice and Josie be able to return to Rose Cottage?”

“I don’t think so. Technically the cottage wasn’t Neville’s; apparently his gran let them live there, even though she disapproved of Josie.”

“Thus, they have no choice but to make a go of it at Craig Mhor,” Molly stated flatly. “Have you told her yet?”

“No,” Hermione sighed, pushing off from the counter, “not yet. I’ll talk to her once she’s settled.” She reached around Molly’s ample frame and snagged another roll. “Speaking of settled, would you mind helping me tomorrow at Craig Mhor? I need to make sure the Muggle confusion and repel charms are down. It would be horrible if we set Josie up in the cottage only to have her get lost the first time she went out into the yard.”

~~oOo~~oOo~~oOo~~

Wednesday, June 5th

Rose Cottage

“I don’t wanna,” cried Alice, her face red and blotchy with tears. “You can’t make me!”

“Alice Claire Longbottom, when I ask you to do something, I expect you to do it.”

“I don’t wanna move. I wanna stay here,” Alice screamed. “You can’t make me go!”

“Alice, stop it,” Josie said in a stern voice.

“You can’t make me,” Alice howled, flinging herself onto the floor. She kicked and writhed against it, all the while screaming, “You can’t.”

A flower vase flew off the bookshelf and crashed to the floor, the books lining the bookshelf began to whip across the room, where they smacked into the wall only to fall the floor. Alice screamed until her voice began to get hoarse, kicking at the floor as tears of rage rolled down her face.

Josie pulled Alice onto her lap, curling a leg around Alice’s flaying legs and wrapping her arm around Alice’s body. “I know, Baby, I know,” she muttered in a calm voice, rocking her body back and forth. The furniture rattled against the floor, thumping and scraping as it shook in place.

Alice shuddered, her muscles tensing and twitching as Josie held on. “It’s scary to be this out of control,” she whispered against Alice’s ear. Water drops began to fall all around the room, as Josie held on to her daughter.

“I’m going to help you gain control,” Josie said soothingly into her hair, over and over again, as she rocked Alice. “I’m going to hold you until you get back into control.”

“I don’t wanna,” Alice gasped out. “Please, Mummy, don’t make me.”

“I’m sorry, Alice,” Josie murmured. “We don’t have a choice. We can’t stay here.”

“But – but, Daddy,” Alice wailed. “We’ll forget Daddy if we go.”

“Ah, Honey, you will never forget your Daddy,” Josie assured the trembling girl. “He’s always here.” She placed her hand over Alice’s heart.

“But – what if I forget?” Alice whimpered. “What if I can’t remember him?”

“You won’t forget,” whispered Josie. “I won’t let you forget.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

~~oOo~~oOo~~oOo~~

Wednesday, June 5th

Hermione Granger’s Flat

“Bloody hell, Hermione, there’s an owl at the window,” came a sleepy, gruff voice, followed by a sharp jab of an elbow. “Get out of bed, you lazy slag, and get it.”

“’S sleeping…” she mumbled, rolling over and pulling the covers over her head.

“Hermione,” the voice grunted, as the owner pushed her out of bed. “You’ve an owl.”

She landed with an undignified thump, sprawled out in a mess of blankets. “Eh? What?” she uttered unintelligibly.

“Owl,” came the muffled reply.

“Oh, right. Owl,” she muttered in a sleepy voice, pulling herself up of the floor. She crossed to the window and pushed it open.

“You’ve got a rotten sense of timing,” she wheezed at the bird, as it stuck out its leg. “I’d have thought by now you’d’ve developed enough manners to nip your owner if he did something like this at this time of night.”

“Go on,” she shooed the bird once the message was off. “I’ve nothing for you, not at this time of night.” The owl ruffled its feathers and gave a reprimanding hoot before taking flight.

Hermione,

Will be sending workers to the cottage at the end of week. Make sure he doesn’t scare them off before Josie moves in. She should be fine in the house as long as they avoid the cellar. He doesn’t manifest unless someone touches the items down there.

She threw the note on the nightstand and climbed back into bed.

“Was that…?” asked her bedmate.

“No, it wasn’t.”

“It sure looked like it was his owl…”

“It wasn’t,” she yawned, rolling on to her side.

~~oOo~~oOo~~oOo~~

A/N:

The annoyance of a temper tantrum, parents know these symptoms well, err most of the symptoms, minus the flying and shaking items. I have to thank Rachel W for her search and destroy methods on my grammar foibles, and Mark for giving it a once over to make sure I’ve not been too American with everything. Any and all fubar portions are my own.