Disclaimer: In its use of intellectual property and characters belonging to JK Rowling, Warner Bros, Bloomsbury Publishing, et cetera, this work is intended to be transformative commentary on the original. No profit is being made from this work. Any similarities to other fanfiction stories are completely coincidental.
It felt like I had just lain down when I opened my eyes and glanced at the clock that told me it was just past midnight. I rolled over and closed my eyes before reopening them in surprise. My son, Scorpius, was standing right next to my face while I was sleeping in my bed. I rubbed my face with my hand.
"What is it, Scorp?" I said quietly.
"Alex is crying, it woke me up." Scorp was my spitting image, except for his eyes, he had his mother's milk chocolate eye. I sat up and turned to him.
"Okay, go lay back down." Scorp was five now but he had grown up a good deal in these last two years; he never complained when I asked him to play with his brother or to clean his room. I followed him to the boys shared room and heard Alex, my two year old, crying quietly in his bed. I tucked Scorp in and then picked up Alex.
"What's wrong, bud?" I said quietly before walking out of the room.
"Dada," he sobbed into my shoulder. Unlike Scorp, Alex didn't much resemble me. He had my blonde hair and grey eyes but his hair was full of messy ringlets and his face was soft and round like hers. I carried Alex into my room and sat in the chair next to my bed. I saw the picture of Alex in his mother's arms the day he was born, the last day I got to talk to her. I tried to soothe my son a little longer; I even sang the song that she sang to Scorpius. He settled down eventually.
"Do you want to sleep with Daddy tonight?" Alex pulled back and nodded with his lip in a pout. I stood up and tucked him into bed before getting back into my side. Alex snuggled up next to me. I was about to close my eyes when my door opened slowly.
"Daddy?" I heard Scorpius say.
"What's wrong?" I asked, looking at him.
"I had a nightmare, can I sleep with you?" He walked up to my bed. I sighed and nodded. I normally didn't give in but this was a rough week for me. Alex had just turned two years old. I was going to take the boys to the Potters' tomorrow so that I could have a day to myself and visit her grave. Scorpius crawled into the bed next to me so that I had my sons on either side of me. I closed my eyes and waited until I heard their quiet breathing that meant that they were asleep. I turned my head and looked at the wall that was covered in pictures. The biggest one was of my wedding day. She and I were standing under floating flowers in the gardens of the manor. The other pictures were of us as a family or on holidays. One of my favorites was of her hugging me while I held Scorpius during his first Christmas. I turned my head to her nightstand to look at the small muggle portrait of her.
"Hello, love. Work was quiet today. I've gone over the new potions and they are being brewed successfully. Your potion is in the final acceptance stages and we will begin human trials soon. Scorpius picked up a new book and was able to read a few words before he asked for help. The boys are going to see Ginny tomorrow so I can visit you." I realized I was crying when I felt my throat swell. "I wish you were here. I feel like I am doing everything wrong. I really am trying to raise the boys the way you would want but I don't know what I am doing half the time. I nearly pulled my wand out at the movie theatre when we went last week. Potter had to restrain me and then Scorp and James were laughing. I felt stupid when Potter told me the characters couldn't come out of the screen." I swallowed again. "I wish we had had the time to get your portrait done. I wish I could hear your voice again. Everything feels wrong without you here."
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I saw my wife reading to Scorp before bed while she was pregnant with Alex. She had passed away three days after Alex was born. The doctors hadn't known anything was wrong until her heart stopped and she nearly dropped the infant. They got her heart beating regularly again, but then the rest of her body started to fail. The doctors were always one step behind and couldn't save her in the end. The last thing she had said to me was the name of our new son. I wouldn't let Alex out of my arms for a month after. He was the last piece of her that I had.
I opened my eyes and turn back to her portrait. "Goodnight, Hermione. I love you and always will."
A/N: I know, it's depressing. I can barely get through it without crying. But I'd like to thank my incredible boyfriend (who won't let me put a Tom Felton poster up in my room) for editing this piece and telling me he thought it was decent.