A/N: Thanks for all the WONDERFUL reviews. They all made me smile, so here's chapter three. Sorry it's so short.
Enjoy!
Chapter three
Hermione had been living with Minerva and Albus for almost three months and she was happier than she ever had been. But, one day she woke and felt as if her world had fallen down around her. Hermione went to her first three lessons, then skipping lunch hid in her bedroom, missing her first transfiguration session of two. She didn't want her mother to see her like this, but she also knew that she would have caught on that her daughter wasn't feeling too good because she never missed a lesson.
Hermione walked into her second transfiguration lesson just as everyone was starting their practical. Her mother was sat at her desk at the front of the room looking frantic. When she spotted Hermione walk into the classroom, she visibly relaxed for a splint second before fixing a stern glare.
"Please stay after this session, Miss Mc - Granger." McGonagall looked almost disappointed and concerned at the same time as trying to be angry. And on top of that, she had nearly slipped and called Hermione, Miss McGonagall!
"Yes, Professor." Hermione whispered, taking her seat behind her desk on the front row, directly in front of her mother's desk.
" Turn to page three-hundred and start practising, Miss Granger." Minerva watched as her daughter got out her book and quickly skimmed the page and began transfiguring her quill into a tortoise and back again, perfectly.
Looking up briefly from her desk, Hermione saw that Minerva was walking between the rows and rows of tables, checking people's work, correcting their wand movements, and helping with pronunciation. When she got to Hermione's desk, Hermione looked down at her hands that were sitting entwined in her lap.
"Miss Granger?"
"Yes, Professor?"
"Perfect work."
"Thank you." Hermione continued to gaze at her hands even as she felt her mother relax her stern position in worry.
The clock at the back of the classroom chimed, telling everyone that it was the end of the lesson. Minerva turned to the rest of the class and dismissed them. She rested one hand on Hermione's shoulder so she wouldn't try to leave so quickly. When the door closed, Minerva knelt next to Hermione and held her hands in one of hers.
"Hermione, dear, what's wrong?"
"It's nothing Professor." Hermione struggle to keep the tears that were welling up behind her eyes at bay.
"Hermione, please. I'm worried about you."
"As are all the other members of staff."
If felt like a punch in the stomach to Minerva. Standing, Minerva said, "Well if that's how you feel, then you can stay in the dormitory tonight. And you will serve detention with me after dinner for being late."
"Mom, I -" Hermione let the tears flow over her cheeks. "Please don't make me." Hermione tried to plead with her mother.
Minerva held back tears of her own at the sight of her daughter. "You better head to dinner."
"I'm not hungry." Hermione stood and ran through Minerva's office, through to their private chambers and into her room, locking it firmly behind her.
Minerva heard the door slam and felt the magic pulse from the room as she collapsed to the floor. 'What have I done?'
Albus walked into Minerva's office just before dinner and found her on the floor.
"Min." Albus rushed to her and held her in his arms. He looked briefly at the door leading to her office as he felt the magic coming from their daughter.
"Albus." Minerva sobbed into his chest. "What have I done? I can't believe I did that to my own daughter."
"Tabby, what happened?"
"She's not herself, Albus. I asked her what was wrong, when said said nothing and called me Professor, I told her I was worried." Minerva took a deep breath to calm herself. "She said 'As are all the other members of staff'. It felt like a blow to the stomach. I told her she would spend the night in her dormitory and the she would serve detention with me tonight for missing the first hour of the lesson. She ran off in floods of tears after she said she wasn't going to eat." Minerva collapsed in floods of tears again as Albus lifted her in his arms, levitated Hermione's bag and walked through into their chambers. Albus placed Minerva on the sofa in front of the now blazing fire and went to get Hermione.
"Hermione?"
"Go away."
"Kitten, please."
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Then at least come and explain to your mother why you said what you did." When Albus was met with silence, he continued, "She's a mess Hermione. I found her collapsed on the floor when I came to collect her for dinner." Again, met with silence. "She may not be your birth mother Hermione, but she loves you as her own."
"Please, Kitten. I just want to know you're alright." Minerva had stood at Hermione's door with her husband, tears still streaming down her face.
Hermione slowly opened her door so she could see out with one eye. Her heart tore as she watched Minerva collapsed into Albus' arms. "Mommy." Minerva looked at Hermione, tears still streaming down her cheeks. Hermione ran the short distance to her mother's arms and whispered, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, mom." Tears of her own streaming down her cheeks as she held on to her mother.
"Why 'Mione? Why?"
TBC...
