AN: I don't own Harry Potter. It's JK's world, I'm just playing here for a while.
Uh...hello again. I'm sorry it's been so long, truly, but to be honest, I just haven't felt like writing anything. It's been a lousy couple of months for me, everyone, and I'm sorry you've all been waiting so long for this. But, I'm back, and hoping my creative juice sticks around a while. I'm super behind on all of my stories.
Alright. Go! Read and enjoy!
Hermione's bedroom - Hermione's flat - Diagon Alley
There was noise, chaos, and destruction everywhere she looked. The smell of death hung in the air, coming from the roaring fire Harry and Ron were piling bodies onto. As a Death Eater tried to run for his life, a larger-than-life Crookshanks sent him soaring back from his post in the eerily still Whomping Willow. As the man went flying, Harry deftly caught him, grabbing his robe and throwing him onto the fire, the man's screams filling the air.
A baby's cry caught her attention, and as she turned to find the source, she saw a tearful Aiden sitting in the courtyard, a gutted and burning Greyback lying next to him.
'Hermione! Get the baby!'
On the other side of Greyback's burning corpse sat her parents, each on a camping stool, using the fire to roast marshmallows.
'Hermione! Grab Aiden before he reaches for another marshmallow,' her mother called, pointing toward Aiden.
'Yeah, the little bugger's already had five!' her father growled, pulling a blackened marshmallow out of the fire. 'I thought you were supposed to be watching him?'
'Wha...I don't understand,' Hermione frowned, rooted in place at the sight of her parents. 'You can't be here. You're muggles,' she added, shaking her head in confusion.
'Hermione Jean! Aiden's your responsibility now! Grab him, dammit!' her mother roared, her hair beginning to move and hiss, suddenly resembling Medusa's head of snakes.
'But...you...you died,' Hermione stammered, tilting her head. 'You can't be here.'
'Hermione, for the love of god, grab the baby!' her father shouted as the two rose from the chairs they'd been sitting in.
Movement from behind them caught her eye, and she yelled out to her parents, 'Move!', but it was too late. Molly Weasley had cast the Avada Kedavra on the both of them, giving Hermione a nasty smirk as her parent's bodies fell to the ground, immediately being enveloped by the fire from Greyback.
'Nooooooooo!' Hermione screamed, staring in shock at the burning bodies.
'You're one of us now, Hermione. You owe the Weasley family everything,' she sneered, stepping around the buring bodies. 'And, we'll start with this thing,' she said, picking Aiden up by his left arm, letting him dangle as he screamed in fear.
'Give me my brother, Molly!' she yelled, walking toward the Weasley matriarch, her shock turning to anger in an instant.
Molly started walking backward, still dangling Aiden by his arm. 'No, I won't! He's an abomination, just like you, and we'll be taking him for payment. After everything we've done for you, you owe us, you filthy mudblood!'
Hermione stopped, feeling a pain in her chest at those words coming from Molly's mouth. As she stood, devastated, Molly turned and began walking out of the courtyard with Aiden.
'Oh, no you don't!' Hermione yelled, taking off running after the two. Spinning around, Molly lost her grip on Aiden, and he fell to the ground, rolling off to the side. Hermione took that as her chance, throwing herself at Molly, taking them both to the ground.
'You can't have him! He's my brother, and he's coming home with me!' she yelled in Molly's face.
'Oh, yeah? And how are you going to raise him, you filthy mud...' Molly spat, being cut off when Hermione punched her in the face.
'I'll manage just fine on my own, you overprotective bitch!' Hermione yelled, giving her another punch.
Blood pouring from her nose and mouth, Molly began cackling, her features morphing as she did. Suddenly, Hermione wasn't attacking Molly Weasley, but Bellatrix Lestrange.
'Boo!' Bellatrix yelled, throwing Hermione off her and sitting up. 'I'm baaaacccckkk, mudblood. Did you miss me?' she asked, her cackling following Hermione as she grabbed Aiden and began running.
Hermione sat up in her bed, sweating, panting and shaking like a leaf.
"What the hell was that?" she asked herself, pressing a hand to her chest, her heart pounding a mile a minute underneath.
For Hermione, that dream was mild in comparison to some of the others she'd had since the war ended. Of course, this one had went in a whole other direction, though, as it was the first time her parents had appeared in one of her war dreams. Not one of her scarier dreams, but still disorienting.
"It wasn't real, Hermione. Molly's never once said that word in reference to you, and Bellatrix is dead. Kingsley made sure of that. And, remember, Daddy hated marshmallows, so he'd never be using Greyback to roast them," she said out loud, trying to calm herself. "It wasn't real, it wasn't real, it wasn't real."
Just as her heart went back to a normal rhythm, and she got her breathing under control, the cries of Aiden rang out through the monitor on her bedside table. Throwing back the blanket, Hermione walked into the nursery, smiling as her brother came into view, her dream nearly instantly forgotten.
"Good morning, my love," she said, picking him up from the crib. "I think you're getting better at this whole sleeping thing. You only woke me up once last night," she cooed, smiling down at him. "Now, let's get you into a new nappy, and then we'll go have breakfast."
Fortescue's Bistro - Diagon Alley
"Are you sure Granger's okay with my being here?" Draco asked as he and Harry waited at Fortescue's for Hermione to show up.
Harry rolled his eyes at his lover's question, as he had asked the same one several times since they woke up that morning.
"Yes, Draco, I'm sure," he answered, grabbing his hand. "Besides, it was Mione's idea for you to come."
"Sorry, love. I'm just nervous," Draco said, bouncing his leg.
"Well, get over it, because here she is," Harry said, standing to greet his best friend. "Hey, Mione!"
Draco had seen Hermione several times since the war ended, but he'd never seen her look so...adult. But now, wearing a pair of camoflauged pants, a fitted white turtleneck, and black boots with a thick heel, her hair – which she had finally tamed – hanging down her back, along with the baby and the baby bag, she looked extremely grown up.
"Hi, guys," Hermione smiled, panting slightly. "Ugh. I forgot how heavy that thing can be with him in it," she laughed, setting the carrier down in one of the chairs across from the two.
"Him?" Draco asked, eyeing the carrier.
"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed, laughing. "I forgot you haven't met Aiden yet." Leaning over, she spun the carrier in the seat, turning Aiden to face them. "Draco, this is my brother, Aiden," she said.
"He's not as...wrinkled...as I thought he'd be," Draco commented, making Harry and Hermione burst out laughing.
"Why didn't you bring the pram, Mione?" Harry asked, leaning over the table to coo at the baby.
"Well, because it's only a little way from my building, and it's kind of a tight squeeze in here, so this was easier, believe it or not," she said, hanging the baby bag on the chair. "I'm gonna go to the loo, could you watch him for me?"
"Sure." Harry smiled.
"Thanks," she said, giving Draco's shoulder a squeeze as she passed by him.
"So, this is mini-Granger, huh?" Draco asked, moving over to what was going to be Hermione's seat. "He's...cute, I guess."
"You guess?" Harry laughed, shaking his head. "Draco, this is the most adorable baby I've ever seen," he said. "Besides Teddy, I mean."
"So...what does he do, exactly?" Draco asked, staring at Aiden.
"What do you mean, love?" Harry asked.
"Well, I've only been around Teddy the few times Auntie Dromeda's brought him around to the Manor, and he wasn't just a lump like this," he said, frowning at the baby. "So, what do they do at this age?"
"Look cute, mainly," Hermione said, coming to stand beside Harry. "And he eats, cries, poops...oh, Merlin, this kid can poop, I tell you.
"Aiden have another bout of vomit-inducing poo, I take it?" Harry asked, trying not to laugh. He'd been witness to a few times Hermione nearly threw up changing one of his nappies.
"Yep," she nodded. "Earlier this morning," she answered, giving Draco a small smile as he moved to allow her to sit. "Thanks."
"Yeah," Draco nodded, reclaiming his seat next to Harry.
"But, I think I'll eventually get used to it. You know, the dirty nappies that make you want to throw up everything you've ever eaten in your life," she said with a shrug.
"Charming," Draco said, looking a bit green. It sent Harry into a round of laughter as that was the moment the waitress chose to come over and take their orders.
"So, Mione," he said, looking back to his best friend once the waitress had gone, "how was it last night?"
"It was fine," she said, shrugging again. "Once I got him to sleep, anyway," she laughed. "But, you'll never guess who came to visit me."
"Who?"
"Professor Snape," she said with a little chuckle as Harry, and Draco's, eyes widened.
"What!?" Harry exclaimed.
"Yeah. He bought Angie's old place, did you know that?" she asked.
"I knew he had left Hogwarts, but not that he had moved into your building," Draco admitted, shaking his head. "Mother's been so excited since he finally stopped teaching."
"Well...I can't exactly say he was suited for it," Harry said. "So...what'd he want?"
"Well, he thanked me for saving his life, for one," Hermione said, pausing as the waitress brought their drinks to the table.
"Thanks," Draco mumbled, trying to ignore the wink she gave him as she set his drink down.
"You're barking!" Harry exclaimed, a wondrous look crossing his face. "Severus Snape, the Severus Snape, thanked you for saving him?"
Hermione nodded, taking a sip of her lemonade. "Yeah. And then, I told him how I did it, and why I did it, and then...well, it got a bit weirder, actually. He...he tried to apologize to me for how he treated me at Hogwarts."
"No!" Harry exclaimed in a shocked whisper.
"Yes. I mean, I didn't let him, because..."
"What!" Harry yelled, which in turn scared Aiden, making him start crying.
"Thanks, Harry," Hermione said sarcastically, throwing him a look as she reached over and lifted Aiden into her arms. "Shhh, Aidy. It's just Uncle Harry being silly," she said, trying to calm him.
"Sorry, Mione," Harry said, grimacing. "I didn't mean to scare him."
"Can I try, Granger?" Draco asked. "I mean, I'm good at getting Teddy to stop crying, so..." he trailed off, shrugging.
"If you'd like, sure," she said, handing Aiden to Draco as he came around the table, arms open.
"He's really good at that," Hermione commented, watching Draco walk a now calm Aiden around Fortescue's.
"Yeah," Harry said, smiling at his lover. "You should see him with Teddy, he's great."
"I imagine," she nodded. "How was your night? Was it perfect like you hoped?" she asked.
"It was...far from perfect, actually, Mione. But, you know...I couldn't have pictured a better first time with him," he said, his face turning a bright red.
Hermione sighed, giving Harry a dopey smile. "That's so sweet," she gushed, feeling happy for her best friend.
Harry coughed, clearing his throat as he tried to stop the silly smile from overtaking his face. "Yeah," he said, shifting in his seat. "Anyway...aside from the Snape weirdness, how was your night? You did get some sleep, right?" he asked, knowing she still wasn't sleeping much.
"I did, Harry, yes," she nodded, not looking him in the eye. "Aiden only woke up once..."
"Mione, I asked about your sleeping, not his," he interrupted. "You had a nightmare, didn't you?"
Hermione sighed again, and told him about the nightmare. "And before you start, I know everything wrong with that dream."
"No," Harry said, frowning, "I was just going to remind you that Kingsley let you see Bellatrix...you know, before and after, not to mention you saw her being disposed of," he added.
"I know, I know," she sighed. "It doesn't help knowing, though," she said, gripping her glass tightly. "I mean...I know she's dead, and I also know that's she lying in several different places in the sea near Azkaban, but it just...it doesn't help, Harry," she said.
"I know, Mione, I know."
"Are you telling me you don't have any nightmares about Voldemort?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in his direction.
"Not nightmares, per se," he said, shaking his head. "Weird dreams, twisted dreams, even, but the actual nightmares have lessened a lot over the past year or so."
"Weird how?" she asked.
"Uh...Voldemort's a giant turtle, and instead of killing him, I capture him and set him free, only for him to be eaten by a whale," he said, chuckling a bit. "That's been one of my favorites, actually," he laughed. He was glad when he heard a little snort of laughter come from across the table, and saw Hermione smiling.
"Okay, yes...that is weird," Hermione nodded, smiling. "That is very weird," she laughed.
"It is, isn't it?" he laughed.
Review please.
Oh - I know a few of you have been looking for HG/SS recommendations, so if you enjoy a nice, long story that gives you all the feels, I suggest 'Chasing the Sun' by Loten. One of my all - time favorite stories.
Til next time!
XOXO - Onyx Obsidian