Challenge: Hermione's House-elf Training

Note: This is a "Starter Chapter" ment to get things moving, the next chapter should be added by someone else wishing to partisapate in this rowned robin story challend.

Hermione Granger set down the book she was studying at the sound of someone knocking on her door. Since they had defeated Voldemort almost six months, she had moved out of her parents' house to her own apartment. She could have stayed with her parents, but after removing the memory charm Hermione had placed on them, they had had an argument over what she had done. While her parents had eventually forgiven her after she realized how much she had abused their trust, her guilt forced her out. Crookshanks was left with her parents as the apartment didn't allow for pets.

Moving quickly, Hermione went to the door, peering through the peek hole before throwing open the door.

"Harry! How are you doing? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be getting ready for your trip to France?"

"Hello Hermione. It's nice to see you, too." Harry replied teasingly. "My train doesn't leave until tomorrow morning and I'm already packed, so that problem is out of the way."

"Oh! I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't mean it like that." Hermione flustered before remembering her manners. "Please come in."

Hermione led the way back to her sitting room, quickly using her wand to clear her couch of books.

"Hermione, I don't have much time tonight. I have a favor to ask. I found out earlier today that some old witch recently died and left their house to me. I was going to take a look at it after I returned from France, but there's some kind of urgency to take a look at it soon. I was hoping you could start doing that tomorrow after I left."

"Of course I will. Where is the house?"

Harry pulled out a slip of parchment. "Here is the address. Could you promise not mention the house to anyone else yet? Depending on how the house is, I might want to hide there the next time my fame gets to be too much."

"All right, but what about Ron? Shouldn't he know?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

Harry shook his head. "As much as I like Ron, he'd blurt it out at some point and ruin it. I'll tell him eventually, but I'd rather you wait until I decide to tell him." He looked her in the eye. "Will you promise me that, Hermione?"

At first, Hermione was going to vehemently argue against keeping secrets from each other, but guiltily, her memory flashed back to when Ron exploded with anger when they were camping before beating Voldemort. It might have been induced by the Horcrux, but even so Ron still left them alone.

Hermione's argument deflated before it had a chance to begin. "All right. I won't mention it." She glared at him. "But don't expect me to lie to him about it."

"That's fine, Hermione. I appreciate it. I have to finish preparing, so I'll talk to you later."

After some more studying that lasted a good hour, Hermione finally put away her books and went to bed.

AN: What happens next; I leave up too you. Have fun!