Round 4 Short - Little Girls Don't Last Forever
Written for The Houses Competition, Year Two, Round Four.
House: Hufflepuff
Year: 4
Category: Short
Prompt: [Character] Mrs. Granger (Hermione's Mum)
Wordcount: 577 (Google Docs)
Betas: Pix, Aya
Dr. Beatrice Granger always knew something was special about her daughter, Hermione. Ever since she was pregnant, she knew that her baby was going to do great things. She just should've realized it would be in witchcraft almost immediately. Her intellectual mind just wanted a different explanation other than spells and broomsticks and magic wands.
The signs were pretty obvious from the start. The women in her prenatal group had complaints of cravings, morning sickness, swelling feet, and other things.
None of them mentioned what Beatrice was experiencing, so she decided to keep her mouth quiet about her… symptoms.
Like… one time, she got morning sickness so bad, it caused her eyes to bruise. Imagine her surprise when, the next day, she had no morning sickness and every-so-often belched up bubbles.
And there was another time where she read to her baby, having read somewhere that it was good for their development, and when she put the book down to go pee for the billionth time, the book was waiting for her on the seat.
They didn't get any less strange when their daughter, Hermione Jean Granger, was finally born in September.
Books would suddenly off shelves.
Baby food would end up in unfeasible places, like the roof.
Bullies would inexplicably contract chicken pox.
Her little girl would appear in different spots in the house when it was supposed to be bath time.
It varied.
In spite of the oddities, Beatrice had to admit that she was proud of her daughter. Hermione always studied hard and was wicked-smart as well. She was at the top of her class in almost everything, and the things she wasn't top of her class in… well… that made the girl try even harder.
Beatrice worried that perhaps Hermione was overcompensating by trying to be the best at everything. Strange things would happen from time to time, and her poor daughter would become withdrawn and embarrassed, and try even harder to be 'normal'.
So, when a Scottish woman in old-fashioned clothes arrived years later, claiming their only child was a witch…
It just made sense.
It was almost a relief when the woman told her that there was a special school for children like her daughter where she would learn how to control her abilities. Beatrice would miss her daughter dearly, but she knew that putting her on that train to Hogwarts was the best thing she could do for her little girl.
"Good-bye, Mum!" Hermione called from the window of the train. Even in the face of uncertainty, her daughter put on a brave face.
Beatrice had no idea what to expect when she saw her daughter again at the end of the term, but each time she came home, Hermione was bigger. Stronger. More confident.
Beatrice wiped a stray tear away after sending her daughter on the train for her sixth year at Hogwarts. Hermione had grown into a beautiful young lady and sending her off again and again was becoming harder and harder. At the same time, her daughter was finding it easier and easier to leave.
Beatrice sighed and tried to look forward to the next time she'd see her daughter without letting herself dwell on the fact that it would be one of the few remaining Christmases that she'd have with her child. In just a few short years, Hermione would be on her own, and all of those special times they'd shared together would be memories.
This was what growing up was supposed to be.