A/N: Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read my story! Also, a huge thank you to my beta-reader for looking over the chapter and correcting minor things. If you could, could you leave a review and tell me what you think so far? I'd greatly appreciate it! Enjoy Chapter Two and Happy Forth of July to America!
Disclaimer: I Do Not own Harry Potter, Only the characters I introduce :)
" Lily it's time for you to wake up and eat breakfast." Hermione said through her daughter's bedroom door.
"Just five more minutes Mom." Lily replied to her as she snuggled closer with her pillow and pulled the covers over her head to keep the sunlight from blinding her.
"Please Lily hurry up, we have to open the bookstore in an hour. You know how long it takes you to get ready."
"Fine mom, I'm getting up.", Lily said as she threw the covers off of her and dragged herself out of bed and towards her dresser to pull out her clothes to take a shower as she grumbled "It's way too early to be up on a Saturday".
"Well it's about time you got up lazybones." Hermione joked as her daughter entered the kitchen and sat down at the kitchen table a half hour later. "Eat up, Lily."
"Thanks Mom." Lily said as she took a bite of her French Toast.
"You're welcome dear. Now I am going to use the restroom and then we can leave after you finish eating." Hermione told Lily as she got out her wand and cleaned up the kitchen (After mum told me all about her past, she decided that there was no reason to hide magic from me any longer).
"Okay mom." Lily said as she continued to eat her breakfast. Hermione came back downstairs about 10 minutes later.
"Lily are you ready?" Hermione asked as she gathered her keys off the table.
"Yeah I'm ready. So, have any acceptance letters came in the mail yet?", Lily asked her mother with anticipation as they drove to the bookstore 5 blocks away. Lily had applied to various Healing Programs such as Lady Gwen's School of Healers in London, St. Hector's College for Healing in London, and Duke's University for Magical Healers, which happens to be located right here in New York.
"Not that I know of sweetheart, but I'm sure you will hear from those programs soon, especially Duke. It is only the beginning of June."
Lily let out a sigh as she thought of hoping to hear from at least one of the medical schools soon. She wanted to get into St. Hector's more than anything, but the one school she wasn't looking forward to the most was Duke. Lily decided to apply to Duke because of her mother, it was "closer to home", as Hermione stated.
The shop had been opened for only a couple hours when a voice spoke behind Hermione, who was taking inventory in the "History" section.
"Excuse me, would you be able to help me?" Hermione jumped and smacked her head on the bookshelf as she was startled by the man.
"Bloody Hell!" Hermione said as she rubbed the knot that was forming on her head, " You scared me half to death" she said with a laugh as she bent down to pick up her papers that had flown out of her hand.
"I am so sorry Ma'am I was not trying to startle you honestly." The stranger had told her as he bent down to help her gather up her papers.
"No, It's quite alright. You just caught me off guard that's all." Hermione said as she collected the papers from him and when she looked at the man in front of her, her breath caught in her throat. The man had short locks of charcoal hair, tanned skin as if he had just come from laying out in the sun all week, and deep green eyes. 'Harry', Hermione thought as her heart sped up.
"I beg your pardon?", The man said as he gave her a strange look.
Hermione shook her head as her thoughts evaporated and cleared her throat before she spoke "I am sorry I did not realize I had spoken aloud. You remind me of someone I once knew."
"Oh, it's no big deal, I get that all the time. By the way, my name is Kevin, Kevin Snipes", he said with a chuckle as he held out his hand.
"My name is Hermione Granger," Hermione said as she took his hand and the two of them stood up.
"Mum are you okay? I heard you shout." Lily asked as she ran over to her mother who was holding the hand of a man. "Um am I interrupting something?"
Hermione gave her daughter an inquiring look until she realized her and Mr. Snipes were holding hands. "Oh no dear, this is Mr. Snipes. He came to ask me a question while I was busy taking inventory. Mr. Snipes this is Lily. my daughter." Hermione said as she immediately dropped his hand.
"Please, call me Kevin. It's nice to meet you Lily."
"Nice to meet you as well Mr. Snipes, is there something I can help you with?" Lily asked him. She had just met the guy, there was no way she was leaving this man alone with her mother.
"Actually, I'm hoping you can and it's a bit embarrassing. I was wondering if you had any Nickolas Sparks books in stock. I am a sucker for his writing."
"As a matter of fact, we do. If you will follow me this way please," Hermione said as she leads Kevin to their destination.
'Oh Hell', Lily thought as she watched the two of them walk away and out of her sight. Thirty minutes later, after Kevin had bought the entire Nicholas Sparks collection they had and chatted with Hermione a bit more than Lily would have liked, it was just the two of them left alone again.
"Mum are you okay?", Lily asked as she noticed her mother was in a bit of a daze at the end of the counter.
"I'm fine sweetheart, I was just thinking."
"About what?"
"It's nothing darling. Kevin just reminded me of a friend I once knew." Hermione told her as she shrugged her shoulders and started to walk away.
"He reminds you of Dad, doesn't he?", Lily asked quietly.
Hermione stopped in her tracks and then to a deep breath before she answered, "Yes, he does."
"What happened between the two of you? You and dad?", Lily asked as she bent over the counter.
"Sweetheart, we've already had this discussion many times. Things between your father and I just simply did not work out.", Hermione spoke to her as she turned to face her daughter and walked towards the counter her daughter was leaning over.
"What kind of things? Why did you never tell him where we are?", Lily asked as curiousness filled her mind.
"Because I never told him or anyone else where I was going. Once I spoke to your grandparents about the pregnancy, we decided that it would be better to have a fresh start. They sold their dental practice in the UK and relocated to here in New York."
"But why?", Lily asked as she looked up at her mother sadly.
"I wanted to protect you.", Hermione said with tears forming in her brown orbs. She did not want to have this conversation with her daughter. The truth of what happened between her and Harry 19 years ago was still raw for her to relive.
"From who? Voldemort? Mom you told me that Dad had defeated him a year before I was ever born.", Lily asked becoming irritated. All she wanted was answers, so why couldn't her mother give them to her!
"No honey. Not Voldemort.", Hermione said as she wiped a tear away from her face.
"Then WHO Mom? WHO could you possibly want to protect me from if not him?!", Lily had shouted at her mother.
"Your father, that's who", Hermione said in a composed voice.
Lily was shocked to hear her mother what her mother had just said. "My Father? Why would you want to protect me from him?", Lily asked wanting to know the answer as she stood straight up and walked around to her mother.
"I am not going to talk about this anymore. Drop the subject Lily, and get back to work.", Hermione said in a tone that Lily never dared to cross with her mother.
"I don't understand why you had to protect me from him! Mom I am eighteen years old now! I am an adult. Please for once just tell me the truth!", Lily said furious.
"No Lily! I will not tell you, not now." Hermione told her and then walked away.
"Fine then!", Lily said as she stormed out of the bookstore and slammed the door behind her.
