Love, Pain, And The Whole Crazy Thing
Chapter 1: You're Not Alone Tonight
It was a shock, something she had expected. She hadn't even known anything was wrong. It was sudden, too sudden to comprehend.
Hermione was devastated. That's all there was to it. She sat down hard in her chair. The letter in her hand was the culprit of the news. She found out from a bloody letter and from Arthur Weasley no less. How could they have been so cruel? Hermione's anger flared briefly and dissipated just as quickly to be replaced with sorrow. That's when the tears came, a torrential downpour that wouldn't cease.
Her mum was gone, dead, and no longer of this world.
Dear Hermione,
I have some bad news. The police got in contact with me when you couldn't be reached. It seems a neighbor went over to check on your mum and she was dead. The coroner said a blood clot had caused it and her cancer was in remission. I had no idea that your mum wasn't well. You could have requested time off had you needed it. As it stands all her affairs were in order and she left everything to you. I believe you should return home immediately. I'm sorry for your loss.
Sincerely,
Arthur Weasley
How could he be so callous? Hermione crumpled the letter and tossed it into the fireplace. The tears, which had slowed, came back full force and she curled up in a ball on the bed in her hotel room, eventually falling into an exhausted sleep.
Hermione woke to brilliant sunshine, but her memories of the letter kept her from enjoying it. She sighed unhappily; her tears spent for the moment and began to pack. When she was done, she shrank her trunk and stowed it in her pocket and apparated to her little house. It was a quaint place her mother had helped decorate. There were several owls waiting in her tree as she opened her front door. Her mail was in a pile on the floor. She glanced at it sadly. A letter from Harry and Ginny, from Arthur and Molly, from Ron and Luna, from Sirius and Tristan (the girlfriend du jour), each sat atop the pile of bills and other correspondence. There was even one from McGonagall and a separate one from Dumbledore. She knew what they were. She opened the one from Dumbledore first and read it. He had the keys to hr mothers house and had been named executor of her estate. He requested that she come to see him as soon as she was comfortable to retrieve that keys, and decide what to do with her mother's estate. Hermione left the rest of the post and flooed to Hogwarts. Dumbledore was waiting patiently for her to dust off her clothes. When she was finished, he held open his arms to her and she rushed into them to be hugged tightly. Dumbledore had been like a father to her, in the absence of her own; who had left when he discovered that she was a witch.
"Hermione, as wonderful as it is to see you again, I wish it were under better circumstances." Albus said, his eyes lacking their usual twinkle.
"As do I." She answered flatly. It seemed that shock had settled in.
"If you do not object, I will accompany you to your mother's home. Do you know what you want to do with the house?" He asked.
"Sell it. I wont be able to live there again."
"Very well. I believe Professor McGonagall should come as well." Hermione just shrugged. Albus flooed the other professor, who stepped through the fireplace a moment later. She swept Hermione into a hug, which was returned half-heartedly. She was beginning to feel numb.
They left Hogwarts grounds and apparated to Hermione's mother's house. Albus produced a key and let them in.
"What do you want us to do, Hermione?" Minerva asked.
"Pack the living room. Leave the furniture and the TV. Pack the kitchen and the study. I'll do the upstairs." She answered as she started up the stops. They nodded and set to work shrinking things into a box. Hermione went into her mother's room. She conjured a box and began to fold her mother's clothes into it. When she got to an old Oxford sweatshirt from her mum's college days, the tears returned and turned into silent sobs. She set the shirt aside. She would hang onto it. She packed the rest of the clothes. They would have to be donated. With a quick look around to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything, she went onto the next room. Each room was emptied of personal items, leaving only the furniture. She sent the boxes downstairs after she was finished. Those that were marked donate, were left normal sized. The rest she shrank and put into the bag that McGonagall held. She looked around on last time. She felt like she was forgetting something.
"Is that everything, Hermione?" Albus asked.
"No, I've forgotten something, I know it." She looked around again, while Albus and Minerva puzzled over what they could have missed. Albus brightened a moment later.
"Your mother's car perhaps." He suggested. Hermione snapped her fingers as if that was it exactly.
"I can't leave mum's baby. She'll haunt me if I do. She loved that thing. Had it imported and restored. It cost a fortune, but she didn't care. She was going to have it no matter what." She led them around to the side of the house and opened the garage. Sitting under a cover was her mum's pride and joy, a 1971 Barracuda, goldenrod yellow with white leather and a white convertible top. Hermione pulled back the cover and Albus chuckled.
"That explains the baby. Are you going to sell it?" Hermione looked at him like he'd grown three heads.
"Sell the 'Cuda?! No! Never! I couldn't…" Albus waved her off.
"I understand. You'll want to contact a realtor." She nodded as he passed her the keys to the house and the deed. He also passed her an envelope that was sealed with her name on it. "You'll also want to speak with a lawyer, about your mothers accounts." She nodded again.
"Minerva, will you do me a favor?" The older witch inclined her head. "Will you take the bag to my house. If you go by floo, the wards will let you through. Just drop it on the couch and I'll deal with it later." Minerva nodded and was in the fireplace and gone a moment later.
"I assume you wish to do everything today. What shall we do first?"
"I need to take the boxes to be donated and the TV to the nearest shelter. Have you ever ridden in a car before?"
"Once a very long time ago." His twinkle was returning and Hermione felt herself smiling as well. There was just something about Albus that made everything seem better. She levitated the boxes and TV into the backseat of the car. She locked the doors to the house.
The drive to town was only about twenty minutes long, but it was comfortable and easy as Hermione was an excellent driver. Their first stop was the lawyer. He read over the will and her mother's wishes. Everything was in order. Hermione's mum had left everything to her, so there wouldn't be any conflicts. Their next stop was the realtor's office. He was an old family friend. He listed the house at a fair price and would let her know when it sold. Their last stop was the Women's Shelter in town. Hermione dropped off the boxes of clothes and the TV. As she would have to apparate back to her own home, she drove them back to the house and parked in the garage. She shrank the car in its cover and put it in her pocket. Albus flooed to Hogwarts a moment later. Hermione apparated home. She felt exhausted, like there was this enormous weight holding her down. She had no other family. She was alone.
A knock at her door startled her out of her reverie. She opened it to see Remus on her doorstep, looking scruffy and rumpled and oh so familiar in the t-shirt she had made for him the Christmas before. It said 'Wanna ride my broom?" Just the sight of him was so welcome that she almost cried in relief.
"I heard about you mum. Are you ok?" Remus asked after she led him into the living room.
"I don't know yet. I think I'm in shock."
"Do you want some tea, Mione?" All she could do was nod. She and Remus had become close after the war. He knew his way around her kitchen very well. He made tea and brought it back to the living room. When he passed her the cup, she only stared at it, like she had forgotten what it was for. A moment later her hand started to shake and he set her cup aside and pulled her close.
Hermione shuddered and began to sob. The mere presence he provided was so special and she burrowed deeper into his strong arms, the scent of him and chocolate washing over her. He rocked her, stroking her head and rubbing her back. He started humming under his breath, getting a little louder until she could hear the actual words coming from his chest.
We all drink to forget
Some of us more than most
When reality gets too real
And the fires of hell too close
But I'm here to let you know
That you can make it through
If you believe that someone is watching over you
And call it an angel
Call it a muse
And call it karma you've got coming to you
What's the difference
What's in a name
What matters most is never losing faith
You're not alone tonight
As he started the second verse, her tears slowed, but she was still taking hitching breaths.
We all have our days
When nothing goes as planned
Not a soul in the world
Seems to understand
And for someone to talk to
You'd give anything
Well go on and cry out loud
Cause someone's listening
Yeah call it an angel
Call it a muse
And call it karma you've got coming to you
What's the difference
What's in a name
What matters most is never losing faith
Cause its gonna be alright
You're not alone tonight
Keep your faith alive
You're not the only one
Yeah call it an angel
Call it a muse
And call it karma you've got coming to you
What's the difference
Wants in a name
What matters most is never ever losing faith
Yeah you're gonna be alright,
You're not alone tonight.
Remus looked down to see that she had fallen asleep in his arms. He was loath to disturb her. She would need as much rest as possible, so he rearranged them on the couch and covered them with a quilt. When he was comfortable and he was sure Hermione was still asleep, he let himself drift off as well.