Separation for love
It was a cold February night. The phone rang loudly through the darkness at the Granger's house. Her ears and mind now finely tuned into patroni and the sound of the phone, Jane roused herself, even though it was 1:45am, pulling on her dressing gown and slippers. She ran down the stairs, nearly tripping in her excitement. She flicked on the downstairs lights. She'd recently felt a mixture of angst and excitement. Hermione was due any day now…
Upstairs, Robert stirred and turned over in bed, pulling the blankets up. 'Who the hell is phoning at this time of night?' he yawned.
Jane walked towards the phone, her heart beating, feeling surprisingly rather emotional. 'This is it!' she thought.
Minutes later, like seven months before, tears began to streak down her cheeks. Tears, of happiness. After replacing the receiver, she wiped her streaming eyes with a tissue.
Later that day, Jane sat next to Robert, gazing down at a tiny, perfectly formed baby girl, who was lying peacefully asleep across their laps. Their granddaughter was perfect, and being grandparents felt even better.
Lucy was gorgeous. She had a petite pale face with a tiny snubbed nose, soft adorable little ears, but her most prominent feature was her flaming red hair. No doubt who she'd inherited that from… They could hardly believe that the transparent blobs that they'd seen on Hermione's ultrasound scan were their little granddaughter who was lying there. She touched Lucy's tiny hand. Lucy's slight fingers curled around her grandma's finger, which was huge in comparison. Slowly, her tiny bright blue eyes opened, staring weakly up at them all.
Molly and Arthur were seated next to them, endlessly cooing over Lucy.
A few minutes later, Ron re-entered the room with Hermione, who'd been upstairs taking a nap. Both of them could not have looked more happy, yet exhausted. Hermione's usually sleek brown curls were messy, having been in labour for 6 hours the night before. Her nighty looked baggy now that she no longer sported a tummy the size of a large beach ball underneath it. Ron's long hair was tousled, nothing unusual to how it usually looked, but there were huge bags under his blue eyes. His pyjamas were slightly dirty and his pyjama top looked like it had been puked on once or twice by Lucy.
'So,' she half said, half yawned 'isn't she just gorgeous?'. Lowering herself into the gap between Molly and her mum, Hermione hugged her mother and Molly. Removing her dressing gown, she took Lucy in her arms.
'Absolutely sweetheart.' came both grandmas' replies. 'She's what we've been waiting nine months for after all.' Jane finished. With a bright smile, Hermione took Lucy in her arms, looking intently at her. Although she did not want to look too emotional in front of her parents, Hermione could not help shedding tears. All the books and information had assured tearfulness as normal after giving birth.
Ron leaned over, offering Hermione a tissue, gazing admiringly at his baby girl's tiny face. He was filled with pride as he stroked her cheek and her soft ginger hair with the fingers of his large outstretched hand. Her skin was so soft and velvet, her eyelids slowly closed. Lucy stirred, flailing her little arms and legs until she found a comfortable position. She slept on, her little chest rising and falling as she breathed.
'You know,' Hermione started 'she's been well worth waiting for, even though I've only been able to walk comfortably again today! Head-aches, back-aches, cravings, hormones, labour pains, all the stuff, worth it.' Hermione couldn't quite believe that the her bump that had been growing on the front of her for nine months, that she'd been proudly showing off to the world, now lay in her arms. She smiled.
Nothing would separate her from Ron or Lucy, ever.
…
A large tawny owl swooped through the bedroom window next morning.
Landing on Hermione, the owl screeched. 'Your turn to change her', Hermione muttered to Ron, rolling over and pulling the duvet up.
Ron roused himself. But Lucy was still sound asleep. Ron paid the owl and practically chucked it out the window.
The Daily Prophet newspaper which the owl had delivered that morning, presented a terrible news article:
Ministry falling – Job loss increases – by Falindra Scawling, editor of the Daily Prophet.
There was a photograph of a large wizard, who was surrounded by a knot of dismal looking people.
Minister of magic, Mr Solenius Jigger, has been forced today, yet again to dismiss many ministry employees, owing to the current financial situation. He stated earlier today: 'The ministry will not be able to afford to pay many employees much longer. The existing system of magical benefits, which we will soon be forced to abandon, is a strain in itself. These employees were valuable members of the ministry team and I do not hesitate to state that their dismissal has nothing whatsoever to do with their motivation or personality, far from it in fact'.
Although some witches and wizards are fearful for their lives, and lives of their family, Harry Potter (now where have we heard that name before?), who still claims that he himself witnessed the return of the Dark Lord 12 years ago, has assured us that 'there are little or no remnants of Voldemort still existing. The public have no reason to be fearful about this being the cause of the ministry's downfall'.
I myself believe there is only one cause of this dilemma; Gringotts. The bank costs the ministry thousands of galleons to keep, and I believe that Gringotts may soon find itself plummeting as well.
Be warned ministry workers.
Your jobs may be extinguished faster than Gilderoy Lockhart can drink a goblet of Ogden's Old Firewhisky.
Hermione read this article whilst Ron was upstairs running her and Lucy a bath. The words circled round in her head:
'Ministry falling – Job loss increases'.
Later they had visitors, which took Hermione's mind off the concerning article. Harry and Ginny's visits always cheered them up, especially now that Lucy was there. Both of them were overjoyed with their new little niece, who not only made them happy, but also gave them practice. Ginny was due in 6 days, so she was observing Hermione's every move, helping eagerly to change nappies and comfort Lucy, whilst Harry sat next to her.
'It's pretty amazing to think that we'll have one of these soon' Harry smiled, rubbing Ginny's bump with one hand and holding Lucy with the other. He had his own family, at last.
Whilst reassuring Ginny that having a baby was well worth the ups and downs of pregnancy, Hermione felt she now wanted her quiet time again, to be alone with Ron and their baby.
Before bed, Hermione took a relaxing, soothing bath. Hermione stepped into the water Lucy still in her arms, and began to bathe herself and Lucy.
After washing, she lay in the water, Lucy asleep on her chest. She contemplated a little.
She knew of course that the ministry was falling, making many wizarding employees redundant, but this was a real wake up call. She needn't worry though. As the head of the Department for Magical Animal Rights in Transportation, Hermione felt sure that her job was secure. It had to be. Her job was their main income. Without it, Lucy wouldn't have the childhood that they'd envisaged, with varied toys, beach holidays and hippogriff riding lessons. Lucy gave a small cry, flailing her wet little arms and wailing, as if she could hear her mother's thoughts.
Lying back and smiling, Hermione moved Lucy so that her little head was on her shoulder, lulling her to sleep. Hermione closed her eyes, feeling the sheer peace and tranquillity of the moment.
…
A week later, Hermione and Ron received wonderful news. Ginny had given birth to a baby boy, James Sirius, after Harry's father and godfather. Lucy had a cousin, they were an aunt and uncle.
What's more, in the post that morning, Hermione had received a job offer as Muggle Studies professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Later on that day however, Hermione received an owl. She was unsurprised when she found it was a letter from the ministry. She unfurled the parchment and read:
Dear Mrs Hermione Weasley,
As you may know, the ministry of magic has recently been suffering a tide of misfortune, resulting in us having to make many staff redundant.
We regret to inform you that we can no longer hold together your department. You are therefore discharged. We are, again, very sorry.
With all due respect for your hard work and efforts. You will be sourly missed
Mr Solenius Jigger,
Minister for magic,
Head of the international confederation of wizards,
Order of Merlin 1st class etc.
Hermione stared at the piece of parchment in her hand, wishing that the words were not true, holding Lucy close to her. Her job was their large income, without which, they were in trouble. Hermione felt Lucy's tiny fingers close on her shirt button.
She looked over at the letter from Hogwarts, which lay on the coffee table.
The Hogwarts employment offer was her only choice. Tears sprang to her eyes at the thought. On the one hand, she'd aspired to be a Hogwarts professor, on the other hand, she was a wife and a mother. If she did not take the job, time with her husband and child, if she did, an income. Her heart broke as she thought of Ron, being left the entire time with Lucy, whilst she dealt with unruly young wizards and witches. She would only be able to spend Christmases, summers and Easters with her family, a thought which tortured her.
Even as she held her new born baby daughter, the pleasure of being a mother seemed distant.
Eventually, she came to a decision. Even though it would be painful, she knew what she had to do.
Her eyes streaming, she extracted a quill and parchment.
Dear sir/madam,…
She began to put quill to parchment.
…
A few months later, Hermione sat in the living room, trying hard not to cry. She looked down at Lucy, who was smiling up at her, cradled in her hands. Her lip trembled as she looked upon her sweet little face. She was trying to hold back the tears, but she just couldn't. Lucy moved her head, babbling 'ba ba ba', as if asking 'Mummy, what's wrong?'.
A few hours later, Hermione stood at the bottom of the stairs, luggage which felt like dumbbells in either hand. Tears came to her eyes as Ron descended the stairs, 7 month old Lucy over his shoulder.
'D'you really have to go?' Ron sniffed, putting Lucy in the sling, holding Hermione close. At that moment, tears began to pour silently from his eyes. He closed them, and took in Hermione's sweet scent of lavender.
'Yes,' she replied, burying her streaked face in Ron's jumper 'I must. It's the only way. We just have to face it. It's the only way we're going to be able to… to…'. Breaking down into huge sobs, she hung on to Ron, until she could hang on no longer. Lucy promptly began to wail, partaking in this moment of sadness.
Taking Lucy into her mothering arms, Hermione held her close, wishing to hold on to her forever.
'Ne t'inquiètes pas ma petite, ne pleut pas ma chérie (Don't worry my sweetheart, don't cry my sweetheart)' she sobbed 'Maman va te rentrer bientôt (Mummy will come back home for you soon)'. She wiped a tear from her eye.
As she took her off her shoulder and gave her back to Ron, Lucy's wails began again.
Re-embracing each other, Ron and Hermione cried together:
'I love you'
…