Two days later, she received a letter from Harry's owl, Horles.

"Hermione,

Can we perhaps talk at your apartment tonight? I have a lot to discuss, it's been a long two days.

-Harry"

Hermione responded. "No problem," she wrote. "Come at 7."

As she hurried through a very rushed dinner of tea and chips, she thought about what she'd considered over the last few days. If Harry wanted to make it work with her, she would make it work. If he thought that it work better if it was just he and Ginny, she would step back as an aunt.

At 7:15, her floo roared to life and Harry stepped out of the green flames. He looked tired, and she felt bad for not asking him sooner.

"Tea?" she asked, smiling.

He shook his head no, and sat down, staring at her pictures on the walls with just the hint of a vacant look to his eyes. Finally, after a minute, he spoke.

"I can't take Teddy. I hope you can."

Hermione's jaw must have dropped, because he continued. "I know, you probably expected me to, but Ginny thinks it's all too much, that I'm too young to do this." He shrugged. "I tried talking to her, but she's decided. I know you are likely planning on saying yes, so…." He trailed off as he stood.

"So she decides." Hermione started speaking before she could stop herself. "I hope you're doing the right thing. I hope when he asks me why, in 10 years, you have a good answer for yourself." She busied herself with tidying stacks of books, then realized she'd be caring for him on her own and grabbing spare parchment, began a list of what she would need.

Harry remained standing in front of her fireplace, examining the pictures on the mantle. "I know she's taking me away from you. I know why. I want you to know that I'm sorry. I think she just needs this right now, needs me more."

She sighed, looking at the fresh ink blot over "cot sheets, two sets" and rested her head in her hands. "Look, Harry, I can't tell you what to do. All I can say is that I know she's jealous, I wish she wasn't and I hope that someday I can call you my friend again. Until then, until you become the person you have always been, I'm afraid I don't know you." She looked at him. "I guess it doesn't matter if I say this now, finally."

She stood up. "I have always loved you, Harry. Very much. It hurts to see that she doesn't want us to be friends, it hurts that you would listen to her jealousy and lies. I don't think I know the person she's turned you into. I hope you're getting what you want out of life, I hope you're happy - that is all I have ever wanted for you. It doesn't matter that I loved who you were. I could sit by the sidelines and be happy for you, but it doesn't even seem like you're happy. You know how she's cutting me out of your life as even a friend and yet you make no change to what she's doing." Hermione took a long sip of tea, breathing deeply. "Simply, you've made your choice. Especially with Teddy now, I hope you're making the right one. I think you should leave now, though."

She could feel the tension rising in the room, even as her own anger turned to resentment. "So you think less of me because of her?" he spat, angry.

"No. I think less of her because of how she treats you. I think less of you because you know how she treats you and you let her do it." Hermione stomped her foot and snorted. "I don't think Remus, if he knew what you'd turned into, would want you anywhere near his son, anyway."

That did it. Harry hurled a handful of floo powder into the fireplace and yelled "12 Grimmauld Place!" and disappeared, the flames immediately swallowing him. Tears came to Hermione's eyes, but she knew she had to keep it in check. Better he find out why she was angry now than to let it fester for years.

She whispered to the fire, "I hope you're happy with Ginny," and went back to her list. Teddy would be here in four days, and she likely had to move to fit all his things in.

Hermione showed up alone to Mr. Banning's office on the dreary Thursday afternoon. As much as it pained her to admit, she still secretly hoped Harry would show up, but to her anger, he did not.

"Well, Potter, if you can forget your friends and your godson so easily, perhaps you don't deserve us in the first place," she thought, waiting for Mr. Banning to come in.

The door creaked open and a small toddler appeared with bright green hair. It was obvious he didn't know many words, but he did say hi. She grinned back at him.

"Hello, Teddy." Mr. Banning came in just then, and told her she had one paper of guardianship to sign and with that, she could be on her way with Teddy and the small bag of belongings of his, sitting in the second chair. Hermione hadn't noticed them before, must have been a trick of apparation. Leaning forward, she took the quill and signed the parchment with a flourish.

"Wonderful. You take care of this adorable young lad, Ms. Granger. He is quite the cute fellow!" With a chuckle, Mr. Banning closed the door behind her and she found herself walking out of the building, holding Teddy's hand and wondering what to do next.

She somehow made her way to Averson's Grocery, a small store in her muggle London neighborhood where she proceeded to wonder what Teddy ate. She got a whole assortment of things, and after conjuring a pram for the exhausted toddler and shoving the parcels in the basket underneath, they went home.

Hermione's new flat, since she had just moved on Tuesday, had two bedrooms and a sitting room with a full view of London. It was expensive, but luckily Teddy's care in the will had come with a sizable living quarters budget, and Hermione grudgingly accepted, knowing she would have to find a real home for the tot. Tuesday she had set out, finding this place rather quickly. There was a courtyard with a small playground and it was a short walk to a magical daycare; she snapped it up quickly.

As she put Teddy down for a nap in his new room, she thought about how easily Harry had abandoned him. She wondered why - hadn't he always wanted a family? - but Ginny would easily give him a family. She'd always held Harry in such high regard, figuring he was smarter than Ron, but she had to admit that even Ron would do better than this. Especially now that he was living with Luna, his new girlfriend. Hermione hoped she was still on good enough speaking terms with the two of them to invite them over sometime, since she assumed she would never be getting out again after bedtime.

Shuffling out to make dinner, she stopped in front of the door with the small sign labeled 'Teddy' and under her breath, she made a promise. "Teddy, no matter what, I will not abandon you. I am not just your friend. For now, for always, I will love you like my own." She swore to herself not to think of the former friend and his red-head bossy mistress as she walked to the kitchen.

On her way, she stopped, grabbed a pinch of floo powder and thrust it into the flames, cheerfully shouting, "The Treetops." As a different red-head appeared, she started talking before he could say hello. "Would you like to come to dinner tonight? The both of you? This is my new flat."

He chuckled. "Sure, Herms, let me just verify with Luna. What time?"

She smiled. "7 sharp."