It was a rainy day that she had decided to visit. Her daughter was away at school and her husband had been called away on business. Years had passed since she had last set foot here. The place brought back too many memories… many of which she wished to forget.

From afar, no one would even question the young woman, but a step or two closer would reveal an entirely different picture. Her body was rigid, swathed entirely in raven black robes which clung unnaturally to her body. She had been standing in the rain for what seemed like ages and had long given up the process of peeling wet silk from her skin. In her right hand, she held a small wooden stick and a dozen white roses in her left. The minutes ticked by and still she did not move from her statuesque stance.The low rumble of a passing car brought her from her reverie and she bent numbly to place the flowers on her mother's grave.

Lynn Granger

Loving wife and mother

She would read those words and laugh. Sometimes, she cried. Occasionally, she did nothing… or tried to do nothing. It was an impossible task for she always failed to stop the inevitable… she would always remember.

"Four," she stated. "I'm sure of it. I suppose those were the first signs. I always tried to ignore it… but life never turns out the way you want it to."

Hermione stared at her mother, who turned to face the crackling fire. Its dancing flames threw shadows everywhere and for a moment, she doubted the elder woman had spoken at all.

"I had just picked you up from nursery and had decided we should go shopping." Lynn paused, choosing her words delicately. "Anthony and I were barely making ends meet. If you can recall, we had just started the practice and clearly it was a feat much harder than we had expected. Anyway, you had fallen in love with the cutest teddy bear and there was no way we could afford it. Out of all the toys, you had picked the most expensive. Needless to say, we left without it and—"

"Mum, what are you getting at? I didn't come here for stories………."

"Let me finish! You were always so impatient." Lynn turned to give Hermione a sharp look. "As I was saying… On the way home, you were simply angelic. The moment I closed the door, however, you broke out into a huge tantrum. You were kicking and screaming so hard I was sure you'd wake the dead. In a way, I guess you could say you did.

"Everything around you started to vibrate. Cups, toys, books. Everything. And then it stopped. You ran up to me and apologized for making me cry, but it was too late. From that moment on, I had my suspicions… I hardly dared to believe and yet the signs were clear…"

"Magic, you mean. You knew I was a witch even before the letter came…." This time it was Hermione who turned away. "Were you surprised?"

Lynn laughed bitterly.

"Heavens, no! That was the least of my worries." Lynn shook her head. "From that moment on, I knew…that was the only logical explanation. Brown hair and eyes… that unquenchable thirst for knowledge, your undeniable taste for the best. It could only mean one thing."

"Mean what?" an exasperated Hermione yelled. "Tell me already!"

"It meant that you were his..."

A/N: That's it for chapter one. I hope you enjoyed it. This is my first fan fic ever, so please review. Thanks.