"Hey I'm Hugo, Hugo Weasley," the boy that looked like Ron offered the hand not holding onto the library books to Hermione. Hermione just stared at him.
"Sorry about my sister, she's normally the type to help others, she just seems to be in a mood lately," Hugo said putting his hand back down a look of confusion flashing across his face as he looked at the girl standing in front of him.
"Your sister?" Hermione managed to get out.
"The girl who knocked into you," Hugo explained glancing around, running his hand through his red hair before his eyes came back to rest on Hermione.
"Hey Hugo," Roxie came bouncing into view. "You ready for class yet?" Roxie asked Hermione who was still staring at Hugo.
"Er, Hermione?" Roxie asked, casting a glance at Hugo who was looking between the two, brow furrowed.
Hermione couldn't breathe. She heard Roxie saying something to her, but it was just noise. Hugo had to be Ron's son; he looked too much like him to be simply a nephew. Hermione felt the tears forming when she remembered what Hugo had said about a sister. Ron had two children. With all the thoughts running through her head, Hermione dropped the books in her hands before turning and running leaving Roxie gaping after her and a very confused Hugo Weasley behind.
"What do you mean that's my mother?" Hugo exclaimed loudly. Roxie shushed him looking around eyes wide for other students. After Hermione had taken off running, Hugo had turned to her with this look on his face and Roxie knew Hugo hadn't been told about the time traveler yet. She sighed and then explained what had happened over the past few days. Hugo's eyes had widened and that's when he had his outburst. Roxie relaxed slightly when she didn't see anybody in the area surrounding the two, but only slightly. This was Hogwarts after all. Who could know for sure if anyone else was around?
Hermione ignored the other students as she pushed past them. A few students turned around curiously as the Gryffindor girl ran past trying to figure out who this unfamiliar student was.
Ron had children. Two children at least, maybe even more than that. Part of Hermione felt guilty for being upset about this; at least it meant that he survived upcoming battles with Voldemort. The bigger part of her, the jealous part was more upset that Ron had children probably with Lav-Lav. Suddenly Hermione felt herself hit something hard and fall back onto the cold stone floor. She looked up warily, with all the surprises today she half expected to see an older Draco Malfoy sneering down at her.
"How did you know this before me?" Hugo demanded of his cousin.
"Neville told me. Probably because she's in Gryffindor with me," Roxie shrugged apologetically at the Ravenclaw boy who was glaring at her arms crossed.
"I'm so glad Neville thought to inform me, considering it's my mother who traveled through time," Hugo muttered angrily still glaring at his cousin. Roxie bit her lip watching her younger cousin. After a few seconds Hugo relaxed dropping his arms.
"Does Rose know?"
"Oh hey Neville," Hermione accepted the older man's hand as he helped her up. Once standing again, Hermione brushed down her skirt and wiped her eyes sniffling. Neville looked at the girl.
"What is it Hermione?" Neville asked softly concerned.
"Hugo," Hermione stopped short.
"You met Hugo," Neville stated, sighing. He knew how much Hugo resembled his father in looks. Looking at Hermione's puffy eyes he knew she probably assumed Hugo was the son of Ron and another woman. He hesitated at telling Hermione the truth, that Hugo was her son. Eventually, her memories would be erased and she'd be sent back and things would happen as they should.
"He's Ron's son, isn't he?" Hermione asked softly. Neville hesitated, "Yes, he is," he finally answered deciding that it was best to be truthful.
"And he has a sister," Hermione said looking at Neville carefully. The professor nodded, wincing. Hermione just sighed.
"Is Ron…" the girl hesitated, "is he happy?" she finally asked.
"Yes he is," Neville said. Hermione nodded to herself looking at the wall. Neville stood next to Hermione for a few minutes, glancing at her occasionally. The sixth year was staring at the stone wall, every so often a different emotion flashed across her face and Neville was sure he could hear her mumbling to herself. After a few moments Neville broke the silence, once he was sure he had given her enough time to compose herself.
"Do you think you're ready for class now?" Neville asked. Even in the emotionally charged moment he had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. He never thought he'd see the day when he asked Hermione Granger if she was ready for class.
Hermione nodded her hair falling down on both sides of her face as she looked at the dark grey floor. Neville walked with her silently to her first class. She only vaguely registered Neville talking with the Charms professor whom she noticed was not Professor Flitwick.
It struck Hermione at that moment how much about Hogwarts would have changed since her time. Her stomach clenched at the thought. Even with Ron dating Lavender she loved Hogwarts and hated the idea that she would have to leave it some day. Of course the fact was she could stay forever but with everyone else coming and going it would never be the same. It would always be changing. The idea of that was almost painful. A feeling of homesickness came over the girl. She willed herself not to cry in front of her new classmates. She woke herself up enough to look at the students who were looking curiously at her. Her eyes fell on a girl sitting towards the side a few rows back. She noted the dark red hair and the blue eyes that were watching her. Those blue eyes that looked very familiar. Hermione swallowed hard, those eyes that looked like Ron's eyes. The girl was studying Hermione intently brow furrowed, biting her lip, Hermione saw her give a start, with that she refocused her attention on what was being said.
"Well Miss Granger, welcome to our class and to Hogwarts. Why don't you join Miss Weasley?" the professor indicated the seat next to the red headed girl. Hermione swallowed hard and slowly made her way over and sat down on the bench near Ron's daughter. The girl's head swiveled back around to the front of the room as Neville handed a Charms text and parchment to Hermione winking as he turned and left. Hermione almost did cry when she noticed even the textbook was different from what she was use to.
The class went by in a blur, Ron's daughter barely acknowledging Hermione's presence outside of when she had to, sitting as far away from her as the bench would allow. The only thing Hermione could say that she learned was that Ron's daughter's name was Rose.
For the rest of the school day Hermione found she could concentrate a little better on the material, although she was still distracted by the red head girl who seemed to be in all of her classes. Hermione couldn't help but be a little put out by the fact that Rose seemed to be avoiding her and began wondering what sort of role she had in the girl's life. Was she still friends with Ron this far into the future? Was she even still alive? Hermione mused on this. The fact that Rose seemed to be avoiding her implied she must have realized or been told who Hermione was. If Rose didn't know who she was, she wouldn't be avoiding her. None of the other students seemed to be avoiding her. Looking at her curiously, or introducing themselves and telling her if she needed any help to ask them, but not avoiding her. At least that was the conclusion Hermione came to. Stepping out of the last class of the day, Potions, Hermione saw a flash of red go past her. The 17 year old sighed. She really was hoping to talk with Rose, try to figure out a bit more of what had happened between her time and this time. Hermione made her way up to the Great Hall for dinner slowly lost in thought.
"Hey Hermione," Roxie joined the time traveler with a grin, that Hermione was starting to conclude never left her face.
"Hey Roxie," Hermione smiled wanly, only than noticing the red head girl next to Roxie. The girl smiled at Hermione.
"Hello Hermione," the girl said softly. Roxie looked between the two.
"This is Aunt Ginny's daughter," Roxie said. Hermione looked at Roxie surprised. Roxie and Fred had only mentioned a son; they had never said Ginny had a daughter.
"Oh! Hello er…" Hermione looked at Roxie; she hadn't told her the girl's name. Roxie exchanged glances with her cousin.
"My name is Lily," the girl said watching for Hermione's reaction. Hermione blinked in surprise. Lily? Ginny named her daughter after Harry's mother? The look of surprise on Hermione's face did not go unnoticed by the two girls who started giggling.
"You looked surprised Hermione," Lily said calming down a bit.
"Oh well, it's just the name Lily, I mean it's pretty, but Harry, why would Ginny… unless Harry's, I mean, I…" Hermione stuttered not sure what to say. Was Harry truly dead? She knew it was definitely a possibility, but the reality of it was too hard to comprehend. She could definitely see Ginny naming her children after Harry's parents if Harry didn't have children of his own.
Roxie smiled at Hermione, "Come with us, we have to show you something." The two cousins looked at each other in some secret conspiracy before they both grabbed Hermione and led her into the Great Hall over to the Gryffindor table. Hermione's mouth dropped open. A seventh year boy was sitting with Fred and a group of other boys laughing loudly down a ways. The hair and the face reminded Hermione very strongly of Harry. The boy seemed to feel the eyes on him and he turned and saw the girls.
"Oh hey Hermione," he called out grinning.
"That would be James or Jay as some people call him," Roxie said grinning.
"Jay, that's Ginny's son that you were talking about this morning, but he looks like Harry," Hermione said, confused.
Lily looked at her concerned, "I thought you were smart," she commented. Hermione just looked at Lily who sighed exchanging another glance with Roxie.
"James or Jay is my brother. Ginny is our mother and James looks like Harry because he's our father," Lily explained this to Hermione like she was explaining something to a small child. "Do you get it now?"
"Harry has kids. With Ginny? I thought he was dead," Hermione said trying to wrap her mind around all of this.
"I know you're from when Voldemort is trying to kill Uncle Harry, but yes, Uncle Harry is still alive and kicking," Roxie said looking at Lily raising her eyebrows.
"And Voldemort is not," Lily commented grinning.
"Oh," Hermione said as the girls led her over to where James was sitting at the table. James turned in his seat and grinned at the stunned best friend of his father.
"Hey Hermione," he greeted her yet again looking utterly relaxed that this was the teenage version of his father's best friend.
"Oh uh, hey James," Hermione said looking at him still trying to process that Harry and Ginny had kids together.
"I don't think she was paying attention in her classes," Lily commented to James. Hermione turned to Lily.
"What do you mean?" she asked confused and slightly annoyed. Confusion was not something Hermione dealt well with.
"Because if you had you would have seen Al, who looks exactly like Dad," Lily grinned as Hermione stared at her.
"Al?"
"He's our brother, my younger, her older, he's sitting over with the snakes," James motioned toward the Slytherin table. Roxie, Lily, Hermione, Fred and James all looked over towards the green and silver table.
"Hey Al?" sixth year Vanessa Jorkins said to Al who was in the middle of eating a chicken leg.
"What?" Al asked after he swallowed looking to his classmate, who just motioned towards the Gryffindor table.
Al Potter turned to see five faces staring at him. He shrank back in his seat, slightly creeped out and began looking around in a slight panic fully expecting something to explode.
"Maybe you should go see what they want?" Vanessa airily suggested biting back a grin at the panicked boy's expression. Al hesitated
"That may be what he wants," he whispered to the blonde who just rolled her eyes.
"Baby," she said. With that comment Al straightened his shoulders grabbed his wand and walked over to the red and gold table leaving Vanessa laughing behind him.
"May I help you?" Al asked his siblings and cousins eyeing them warily.
James grinned at him, "We were wondering if Neville had a chance to tell you about," his voice dropped "our visitor?" he raised his eyebrows.
"Our visitor?" Al asked slightly befuddled. "Like an alien or something?" he asked looking at his brother with concern. How badly had James been injured?
"No you dimwit, her," Lily gestured towards a slightly awkward Hermione who gave a slight smile to Al with one thought in mind. Harry's son was in Slytherin?