"Sometimes we find the things we want the most, in the unlikeliest of places and in the unlikeliest of times."

And the award for the worst mother goes to…

Amidst the shower of rotten eggs and tomatoes and much howling, enters.

Ms Hermione Granger.

The ex-war heroine, one-third of the golden trio, brightest witch of her age and if you ask (of course nicely) to a particular potions master's portrait back at Hogwarts, an insufferable know-it-all.

She actually was an awful mother.

Who abandons her only child, that too on her birthday? That would be none other than, herself.

She raggedly sucked in a puff of air as if she couldn't breathe, what with her drowning in her own self-loathing.

Hermione winced as she sat in front of her boss or rather 'the deranged dingbat', as his employee's referred to him when his gargantuan back was turned. She fumed at the absolute nerve of the damned man.

He couldn't even bother to turn up on a normal working day but decides to grace the rest of the lesser being with his foul presence, on the only day she always took a leave. Someday, she thought, someday when she wasn't feeling her magnanimous self, she will set off the wonder Weasley twins after him. And with the thoughts of the Weasley clan followed the numbing sadness.

She had no love lost with Ron anymore, but she hated him more than anything. Not because she found him wrapped around a leggy blond every other day, not because she was jealous or anything but because he chose to forget the wonderful daughter they had made together. She had considered the hasty marriage with Ron a mistake. They were all broken and beaten from the war, struggling to find any resemblance of hope and normalcy amidst each other, but she could never in her worst nightmare considered her daughter a mistake. White anger sliced through her thinking about the betrayal Ron and dished upon them both.

Even after reminding him again and again, that absolute moron still forgot to wish his daughter. And the darling that her daughter was, made a brave face when she found, not even a card from her father today morning.

Oh! Ron hadn't fathomed the depths she could go to protect her loved ones, but he should have known that. Because it wasn't a long time ago, that he himself was one of those who enjoyed her love and loyalty.

But now nothing will ever stand in between her daughter's happiness, nothing.

She broke the yammering of her boss, midway.

"Mr Dinglebert, as much as I am happy to carry on this meeting, but alas I really have to go. Because technically I am still on leave and as much as I can see my work here is done."

"Ms Granger, you can go when the meeting is finished. Yes, as I was saying …"

"Well Dinglebert, I think that's enough for today, that's as much as I can listen anyway without hexing you to Merlin and back. We had a similar meeting a fortnight back where you did nothing but yammered on till our ears bled off. So there was no need for this meeting again and I think we have humoured you enough. So the interdepartmental meeting is adjourned for today," he said.

"What … you can't … this meeting was called for my department appraisal, you can't just dismiss it…"

"Of course, I can," Harry Potter replied sternly. And when the head of the Auror department who was well on his way to become the next Minister of Magic or rather famously known as the boy who lived said anything, one way or the other people, listened. One by one people started making their war out of the room surreptitiously hiding yawns behind their hands.

Hermione mouthed a grateful thank you to Harry as he gave a nod in acknowledgement.

"Go on, run off before Mr Dingbat gets hold of you and dumps a shite load of work. I still don't get it, why you turned down Kingsley's offer for heading this department, at least, I wouldn't have to see Dingbat's ugly mug," Harry good-naturedly whispered in her ear.

She opened her mouth to put on the same argument that they might have had more than, one can count.

"Harry you know…"

"Yes, yes, I know, you want to spend more time with Rose, you are comfortable where you are, blah, blah, blah … but do consider the offer again when Rose is old enough. Because I know how handful they are, James himself alone can put the whole Auror department to shame," said Harry.

As Hermione looked to the person who had been her rock always. When Ron had split up with her, for a moment she was scared that Harry might side with him but as always, Harry had done what was right. And she would be always thankful to him for that.

"Don't forget to come to the party tonight," she reminded him, but she was pretty sure he remembered it alright, unlike someone.

"Of course, like James would let any of us forget. That kid has been bouncing all over the place for a week now. Anyone would think it's his birthday," Harry said with a big smile.

"Well, then I have to rush. I have to pick up a picnic basket and that's the least I could do for leaving her on her birthday, I had to leave her with this kid, Mary. It was the fastest I could get hold of a nanny. For all I know, Rose might be getting kidnapped right now while she's mooning over some wizard's arse."

"Deep breaths, Mione. Are you telling me that, you didn't do a background check on her? Oh please, Hermione, I have known you for a long time. We have come a long way from that day when we fought with that troll in the dungeons to know that, the Hermione Granger doesn't do anything half-arsed. And I know if you had to leave Rose with someone you would have made sure she was in safe hands. So … don't worry, go, have a blast of a time with Rose. We will be there, before time as always, or else James will have my hair. And I am rather attached to mine, makes Ginny swoon every time." He winked.

With a laugh Hermione turned, making a list of things to buy for the picnic in her head when Harry called back hesitatingly.

"Mione … uh! ... He … he hasn't wished yet, has he? "

Hermione's hand tightened a bit around her briefcase while she turned back to answer Harry. And Harry was asking a question whose answer he already knew.

"I am going to hex him in the balls, Mione. That's it. How can he do this to his own daughter? I can't even believe, he would pull this, at least not on her birthday, and not again," said Harry, his infamous temper breaking through the surface.

"Harry, calm down first. You know it very well that, you can't make someone love you. I just hope that, when he, at last, comes to his senses, it wouldn't be too late. And don't worry Rose is a brave girl, she always has been, after all, she is my daughter. So we will be alright. As always. And by the way, Rose has an uncle who dotes on her so much that, he can put any father to shame," replied Hermione.

"I know, she is too much like her mother to be any different. Now scram," Harry said making a shooing gesture with his hands.

With the smiling face of a man who had been her best friend that felt like forever as the last thing on her mind, Hermione made her way through the Department for the regulation and control of Magical creatures.

Hermione was going to make sure that, this would be Rose's best birthday ever. She would make sure that every last of her little girl's wishes came true this year.

Little did she knew …?

A/N- so guys read, review, favourite, follow … you know the rest.