There is nothing in the world that is Muggle or Magical, is more powerful than a child's wish.
"Mum, come on! We're going to be late!" said Rose Granger as she pulled her mother through the crowd.
"Rosalind Caroline Granger, you slow down right this minute. We aren't going to miss it." said Hermione, admonishing the eight year old.
"But we'll miss Atlas and Bella!" Rose complained once again pulling on her mother's hand. Rose and Hermione were on their way to see Hermione's best friend, Bellatrix and her son Atlas, who she was as thick as thieves with. Hermione weaved through the crowd, trying to keep up with her daughter's mane of red-brown hair. They were in a Muggle shopping center to see the mall Santa. Even though, they were magical, Father Christmas did have a place in the magical world too.
When she finally caught up Rose was chatting animatedly to Atlas and Bellatrix was standing off to the side and as always looking generally disinterested. Bellatrix and Hermione had met at a support group for single mothers that Hermione was encouraged to go to after Rose's father left. Bellatrix had been coaxed into going by her younger sister Narcissa; Atlas' father had divorced Bella shortly after he was born claiming that they wanted different things. Ever since that first meeting Hermione and Bella had been best friends; But for Hermione it had been something more. Hermione had had strong romantic feelings for Bellatrix for a very long time.
"Now you decide to show up, honestly you're getting slow in your old age, Granger." Bellatrix said, smirking.
"Just because Rose is faster than me doesn't mean I'm old. I could out duel you any day, Black." said Hermione.
"Right, keep telling yourself that." said Bella.
"Mum, we're going to be next." said Atlas pulling on his mother's hand.
"Alright, alright. Go on you two, Hermione and I will be over here." said Bella pointing to a spot a few feet away from the crowd.
The two mothers looked on as their kids rushed toward the Santa and eagerly began chatting about what they wanted for Christmas.
"What are you doing for Christmas Bella?" asked Hermione.
"The usual, most likely." said Bella.
"Coming over and stealing my food?" Hermione teased.
"Of course." said Bella.
"You guys ready to go?" asked Hermione once their kids had bounded up to them.
"Let's make a wish first, Rosie." said Atlas, then pulling Rose toward the wishing station.
"What should we wish for?" asked Rose.
"Something cool." said Atlas.
"A million Galleons?" asked Rose.
"No, not like that…I know!" Atlas exclaimed. He whispered his plan and then whispered it to Rose. She nodded and Atlas scribbled their wish down. They then ran off to join their mothers.
"Alright, Atlas and I are gonna leave, the poor kid's tuckered out." said Bella shifting the sleeping boy in her arms.
"You should stay, there's plenty of room. You're going to be here tomorrow anyway." said Hermione.
"Good point. He might wake up in the middle of the night and ask to go back." said Bella. Bella carried Atlas up to Rose's room and tucked him in beside her. When she crept back downstairs Hermione was sitting in front of the now lit fireplace with a mug of butterbeer.
"Hey." said Bella sliding next to her friend.
"Hey." said Hermione.
"This is really nice. It's all I've wanted for Atlas ever his father left. For him to have a normal life." said Bella.
"Same with me for Rose. Ron has another kid now, with some other woman. He writes Rose sometimes and it always tears her apart. I mean we're we not enough for him? Was I not enough?" asked Hermione tearfully.
"Hey, none of that now." said Bella wiping Hermione's tears away. "Ron's awful. He was insane to leave someone like you." Bella.
"Thank you, Bella. You've always been there for me, and for Rose." said Hermione staring into the other woman's eyes. Hermione then had a sudden overwhelming urge to kiss Bella. Hermione leaned up until their lips were barely touching and then pressed forward and the world fell away.
"Mum! Mom! Wake up it's Christmas!" said a distant voice.
"Ugh, what happened?" asked Bella.
"A little too much Firewhiskey last night, Mum?" asked an unfamiliar voice. Bella and Hermione both sat bolt upright and screamed. In front of them were four kids, Atlas and Rose, and a teenager of about 13 who was holding a baby on her hip.
"Whoa! You guys! Corv is gonna start crying and you don't want that." the teen said making sure the child was still happily sucking his thumb.
"Where are we?" asked Hermione.
"You're at home, mom, duh. Now come on its Christmas and we have to open presents!" said Rose.
"Kids can you go out a second? Your mom and I have to discuss something." said Hermione. Once the door closed she turned to Bella.
"Okay. So, I remember from yesterday, is taking the kids to the mall, you putting Atlas to bed, you kissing me…" said Hermione her voice trailing off.
"You think I caused this?" asked Bella.
"No, no. That's not what I'm saying at all. Look the kids were right saying it's Christmas it's the same year, just the next day." said Hermione pointing to the calendar.
"So, what this is one of Fred and George's pranks? They hired some kid to pretend that they were ours?" asked Bella, pacing.
"No, I don't think that's it. Bella look at this." said Hermione. In Hermione's shaking hands was a magical photo of them, both wearing wedding dresses and kissing, as the photo looped over and over again. The caption bottom of the photo was Bellatrix's messy scrawl that read Wedding Day: August 28, 2000. In another picture Hermione sat in a St. Mungo's hospital bed holding a sleeping baby as she waved at the camera over and over. The caption read: Avery Polaris Black, May 17, 2002. There was another photo of two babies, dressed similarly. The caption read: Rosalind Caroline Black and Atlas Orion Black, June 5, 2007.
The final photo was obviously the most recent one, it was of the child they had seen earlier, the baby. The caption at the bottom of the photo read: Corvus Regulus Black. March 18, 2014.
"This is happening, no we are not married, and we do not have kids!" exclaimed Bella.
"Bella, calm down. There's a perfectly rational explanation for all of this. Let's just go out there and face it." said Hermione. Bellatrix took a deep breath before nodding. As they walked out, they found they weren't in Bella's house nor Hermione's, it was a nice, with a cobblestone trail leading up to it with a stone well not far from it; In the back was a small currently frozen lake. The cottage was tastefully decorated, with a library that Hermione cautiously poked her head into. As they continued on, the large windows let in light from the bleak gray sky.
"Finally, Avery said exasperatedly "you've been talking for ages. Now we can open presents." The kids opened the presents excitedly and there were two squeals of excitement as the twins ripped open a large package that held two Shooting Star brooms. Avery thanked their parents excitedly as they ripped open a package that held a Thunderbolt, the fastest racing broom on the market. Avery thanked Hermione and Bella for that and a new pair of gloves that were embossed with the Ravenclaw eagle. Hermione was secretly proud that her 'daughter' had gotten into Ravenclaw. After all the presents were done the twins said they had one last present to give them. Hermione and Bella were both told to close their eyes for a moment. And when they opened them, nothing.
"What's the present?" asked Bella.
"This!" said Rose gesturing around them.
"What do you mean by that?" asked Hermione.
"Remember, yesterday when you guys took us to the mall? There was a wishing station." said Atlas.
"We wished you guys would be together." said Rose, almost shyly.
"So, our magic, mine and Rosie's created a universe where you were." said Atlas.
"So, none of this is real?" asked Hermione.
"Of course it's real. It won't be if you don't accept it though." said Rose.
"You'll forget this ever happened if you don't accept." said Atlas.
"The pull between you guys is real, the love and everything is there, but you guys didn't see it." said Rose.
"Everything is the same, the only difference is that you guys are together." said Atlas.
"I'd like to keep existing, so if you would accept that would be nice." said Avery.
Bella and Hermione both laughed and then turned to each other.
"What do you say? Want to stay here?" asked Bellatrix.
"If I decided not to who would care for Rose as much as you do? Who would be as good of a friend? Who would care for me as much as you do? I love you, Bella, and being with you would mean the world to me." asked Hermione.
"I love you too, Hermione." said Bella.
"Psst… You guys need to kiss to accept." said Atlas, whispering. Bella then surged forward and captured Hermione's lips softly. When their lips touched memories of the last 15 years flooded back to them. Their first date, Bella telling Hermione the first time she loved her, their wedding day, the birth of their kids, everything.
"Hermione?" asked Bella softly.
"Yes?" said Hermione.
"I'm glad that you decided to stay." said Bella.
"You guys are nauseating." said Avery.