Ollo everyone, welcome back to meee! I'm so sorry it has taken me so long but the block has gone I think…

I love you all for the reviews… LauraFlowi 3 my most avid reviewer, this be for you.

I own nothing of the wonderful Rowling World.

Chapter 7

Hermione landed lightly, used to the unpleasant sensation and held onto Leia tightly in front of her who gasped for breath, hunched over with a wild look in her eyes.

"Wh- WHY!" was all she could get out. As she recovered, "There isn't a better way?" she breathed, looking up at her with hands on her knees.

Hermione smiled at her sympathetically, hand on her back "You get used to it."

"Not bloody likely." She grumbled, and clutched her stomach. The burrow caught her eye and she stood, eyes roving over the impossible angles and weight distribution. Eyebrows arching and a slow whistle escaping her lips, "That looks… dangerous. Magic?" she asked.

Chuckling, Hermione answered, "You have no idea."

She had done hundreds of spells herself to discover the workings of the Weasley home. After hours of work, she finally came to the conclusion that there were more spells and charms on that house than nails, and promptly gave up.

"Come on, Molly will be absolutely insufferable if we keep her waiting any longer."

They walked up to the house and as Hermione had expected, Molly had been waiting for them. The door was flung open and a beaming Mrs Weasley threw her arms around her. Hermione giggled, "Good morning Molly… really… I haven't been gone that long."

Mrs Weasley stood back, and gripped her warmly by the shoulders, "Miss Granger! Why, you have been gone so long my garden has been destroyed three times by the gnomes and grown back again since you were last here! You get so caught up in your books, time could reverse, do flips and steal your underwear before you would even notice anything different!" she was beaming though, and Hermione grinned back.

Molly turned her attention to Leia, "Hello dear, welcome to The Burrow." Leia was about to go for a handshake but the motherly woman pulled her in for a warm hug. "Come in! Come in! Everybody is here for the weekend! It's getting so hard to get the old gang back together… What with Ginny off playing Quiddich and Harry at the Ministry, Hermione doing… whatever it is she is doing. Consulting. George always cooking up God knows what."

"I don't even think the Big Guy knows what George gets up to mum." Ginny had walked in, grinning from ear to ear, red hair framing her face. She gave Hermione a quick hug and looked Leia over. "God Hermione she doesn't look too well, not everyone is as comfortable to Apparate as you are, why didn't you Floo over?"

"And have another Harry incident?" Hermione grinned, "I don't think so… Professor McGonagall would have my head if I lost her day one."

"True." Ginny bobbed her head in agreement.

Leia looked baffled at the exchange but didn't say anything. Hermione guessed she had heard enough strange things today and just decided to let a few slide.

Harry was next to enter, "My ears are burning… talking about me again?" he joked.

"That's such a stupid phrase Harry… must you?" said Ginny, rolling her eyes.

"Oh it's not a phrase; my ears are literally burning…" he pulled out a key-ring with two fleshy, cartoon-like ears dangling from it. "Another prototype from George to try out… they get hot when someone is talking about you nearby." He frowned in thought, "It is kind of stupid though isn't it."

"Well that's George," sighed Mrs. Weasley dramatically, "If anyone is able to make a living out of stupidity it's him."

Hermione spotted the cheeky grin before Mrs. Weasley and tried not to smile, "Now mother, that's not a very nice thing to say about your favourite!" before his mother could reply, he put on a show of suddenly spotting Hermione. "Hermione!" he enveloped her in a bear hug that she swore popped a few bones. "Good to see you out of the book cave… you smell a little musty you need to get out more." He paused, comfortable in the centre of attention, "and who is this?" he raised his eyebrows doing a show of looking Leia up and down- as only George can get away with.

"George." Hermione deadpanned, "You know who she is, no need for the theatrics."

"Oh Hermione, we know what she is, our new experiment… as for who she is, however…" He looked Leia with an over the top mysterious expression, resting his chin on one knuckle.

Molly gave him a playful whack on the arm and told him to cut it out.

"Anyway!" interjected Ginny with the fail-safe conversation stopper, "We were about to go practice some Quiddich; did you want to join us?"

Leia was tired but eager to see the brooms in action, she glanced at Hermione.

"Go ahead," Hermione said, seeing the burning curiosity in her eyes, "I'll put your bags in your room and join you all shortly."

"Oh…" Leia seemed to double-take, "No, I, I'll help with the bags, I don't want to be a trouble…"

Hermione giggled, and twirled her wand around her fingers, "Magic."

Leia flushed, "Oh, right. That takes a little getting used to."

Harry, George, Ginny and Leia tramped out to the open field, brooms in hand and excitement in their veins. Flying, it never gets old.

George pulled out a bag he had brought with him. "Alright guys and gals I have with me here something to make this little playtime a little more interesting. The golf balls were starting to get old and to be honest they just weren't good enough for our celebrity, Ginerva here." Ginny smacked him over the head good-naturedly. "Owch. Anyway," he held up a walnut sized ball for everyone to see, "Ribbed, for your grasping pleasure, colour changeable and difficulty programmable…Tracking devices!" he added with feeling, "No more ball hunting!"

"No more shitty innuendos…" mumbled Harry.

Leia watched with amazement as he tipped the bag and the balls drifted out lazily, as if sinking through syrup. He waved his wand at six of them and gave Harry and Ginny a look to get ready. He gave his wand a sharp jab to the sky and the balls catapulted through the air, Harry and Ginny leapt onto their brooms and were not far behind.

Leia watched with awe at the movements through the air, so precise, so graceful, so fun. "Cool."

George clapped his hands together and turned to face Leia, "Right! Time for a crash course in aviation."

"The words 'crash' and 'aviation' should not be used in the same sentence George, especially when you are the instructor." Hermione said grinning, as she walked up to them, cup of tea in hand.

"You can talk miss Crash-A-Lot."

"You aren't going to fly?" Leia asked, she would have liked to have seen the witch in the air. She seemed so sure of herself on the ground, surely she would be an amazing flier.

"Oh no," she laughed, "I stay right here, I am much more use on the ground."

"Hermione here has probably healed more bones than a third year resident at St. Mungos!" said George proudly.

"But now I tend to focus on keeping them from hitting the ground…"

"There is still the odd crash in the air-"

"-and some nasty knocks to the head-"

"-but don't let that put you off!" called Harry, landing next to George lightly and handing him the balls he had caught, "It is the most amazing thing in the world."

"I don't doubt it…" Leia breathed.

Ginny arrived next, leaping of her broom at the last minute and landing half crouched, eyes burning with excitement, "I never get sick of this." She looked at Leia eyeing the broom, "Here…" she handed over the Cleansweep and chucked the other practice balls at George.

They spent a few minutes showing her how to hold the broom, Ginny talking at lightning speed how inertia of a turn can throw off pivot accuracy, and flying down at a rapid rate will make it harder to pull up, needing to match and increase the pressure of… something. Leia had zoned out, she smelt fresh leaves on the breeze and the wind under her hair, the smooth wood in her hand seemed to pull slightly…

"So let's give it a go!" Ginny finished, snapping Leia back to reality.

The little jump of surprise was misinterpreted by Hermione as fear, and she put her hand on her arm, "If you fall, I will catch you." She said softly.

Goosebumps raced up her arms, and she shook off the implication of a double meaning. Jumping on the broom like she had seen Ginny do not long before, she gripped the handle tightly and pushed off hard.