A/N: This will be the last chapter before NaNoWriMo. The chapter is short but I didn't want to leave without any updates before NaNo whatsoever. Enjoy. ~Cissy

Chapter 13

"Cissy."

Andromeda looked at her younger sister but could not manage anything else but her name. A name she had not spoken out loud for so long. She stood there, in the middle of the living room, a few steps away from where her sister stood. Their eyes were fixed on each other but neither of them spoke.

"You came," whispered Hermione and she stepped past Andromeda and towards her lover. Narcissa wrapped her arm around the young brunette's waist before her hand caressed the baby bump. Hermione's hazel eyes drifted back to Andromeda and looked at her. She wanted to be here for both of them, support them. She knew there was so much they had to talk about.

"I am glad you're here," Andromeda said softly and closed the final distance between her and Narcissa. She could reach her now. Touch her. Narcissa's blue eyes searched Andromeda's face. She could feel herself tremble, deep down inside. She was frightened and nervous. Andromeda's voice was soft. "Cissy, I am so glad you're here. I never dared to hope. I never…"

She was interrupted by Narcissa as she stepped forward and flung her arms around her sister's neck. They stood there, wrapped up in each other's arms, and they cried. After more than twenty five years apart they were finally together again. Too many years had gone by, too much time had passed, times they couldn't talk about or erase, but they could try to make amends and try to be a better person.

"I missed you," Narcissa whispered into her sister's soft curls and hot tears began to trickle down her skin and seeped into Andromeda's robes. She could feel her sister's tears against her own flesh as their bodies grew used to the bond of sisters that they had once shared.

"I'll wait for you," Hermione said softly and stepped into the fireplace. She felt comfortable enough to leave them. They had too much grief to share to even think about the hatred that had once separated them. The flames roared up green as her eyes fixed on the two women one last time. Narcissa's blonde hair was a striking feature against Andromeda's dark. The living room slowly changed into a blur and then they were gone from her sight.

Andromeda and Narcissa were alone now and slowly they stepped away from each other. Red tear tracks were harsh against their skin. They looked at each other, quietly, and with those look it was as if they said more than a thousand words ever could. They stood in front of each other as equals. Narcissa knew what Andromeda had lost in the war. She felt nothing but guilt and regret for what she went through. She had watched her own family suffer, had seen what the darkness did to her own son, but she still had her child whereas her sister had buried hers. And she was about to have another child. A new start. And she wanted Andromeda to be there. To be part of it like she had once been part of her.

"There are so many things I want to say," said Andromeda softly and she took Narcissa's hand into her own and led her to the sofa. They sat down, side by side, and Andromeda held her little sister's hand into her own. Soft, familiar and comforting like it had once been.

"It should be me who speaks, Andy. I have done wrong. I rejected my own blood," Narcissa said and could taste her own tears in the back of her throat. "I wanted to come and see you after the war. Lucius… when we went our separate ways I hoped that…. But I was afraid that you wouldn't want to see me. You have so many reasons to hate me, Andy, and I have none to hate you for. All I have to offer is apologies and love."

"Hermione often suggested I should go and see you. Even before you two got together. She knew that I missed you," Andromeda said and both witches smiled at the mention of the young brunette. She had enlightened both their lives, in a completely different way. "I was too afraid you'd send me away."

Narcissa weakly smiled. "And here I was, afraid you wouldn't accept me back."

"A lot has happened," Andromeda sighed and her eyes drifted to the picture frames on the fireplace. Nymphadora and Remus waved at her and Ted flashed that smile that had made her first fall in love with him. They were with her every day, mostly in the shape of Teddy, but sometimes she could feel them. She swallowed and just as she was about to speak when the sound of footsteps on the stairs made both women aware there was somebody else in the house. The door to the living room opened and Teddy's head appeared. His hair was pale blonde, much like Narcissa's. Curiously he inspected the new visitor.

"Nana?" he asked questioningly. He made no attempt to come into the room. His eyes remained fixed on Narcissa.

"Come here, darling," Andromeda said and Teddy tentatively stepped into the living room before rushing across the room. He climbed onto her lap and put his thumb in his mouth. His blue eyes inquisitively searched Narcissa's face. She looked back at him, overwhelmed by a sense of love and appreciation. Andromeda brushed a finger across Teddy's cheek. He responded immediately and kissed her cheek. "Teddy, darling, there is someone I want you to meet."

"Hello Teddy," Narcissa said with a smile and the little boy looked at her. "My name is Narcissa."

"What do we do when we meet new people?" Andromeda reminded her grandson and the boy extended his hand. Narcissa took it into hers.

"Nice to meet you," Teddy said with a slightly nervous voice and Narcissa smiled. With his blonde hair and blue eyes he reminded her of Draco. But as she looked at Andromeda she saw her nose, her mouth and her cheeks.

"Narcissa is your auntie," Andromeda said and suddenly Teddy's face lit up. He recognised the term auntie and associated it with all the women in his life. Women who played with him and loved him. He glanced from Andromeda to Narcissa and back. "Just like auntie Hermione." She kissed him on his hair and unexpectedly Teddy slid of his grandmother's lap and crawled onto Narcissa's. She was too stunned to move for just a second but then allowed the boy to nuzzle into her arms, resting his head against her chest. Her fingers absentmindedly stroked his hair.

"Looks like Teddy is happy for you to be here," Andromeda said and smiled. "It suits you."

"Well, I am glad it does because I am about to become a mother for the second time and I am feeling as nervous and scared as I did the first time," Narcissa answered. Her blue eyes met Andromeda's. "I am glad Hermione has had you in these difficult times, Andy."

"She is a talented and amazing young woman. What she, Harry and Ron went through was traumatic and I am amazed every day by how they have grown up and how their lives turned out to be," Andromeda said softly. "Though of course Ron Weasley is in a different league compared to Harry and Hermione. He is…"

"An arse?"

"Yes, something like that," Andromeda grinned. She leant back. She had never dared to think that she would be sitting here with Narcissa, talking about life. More than twenty five years had gone by and yet they sat side by side as if they did this every week. Seeing Narcissa with Teddy filled her with joy as well as pain. Thinks were falling in place. Her lips curled up into a little smile. She gave her sister a coy glance. "But you together with Hermione. I would never have thought."

"Neither did I," Narcissa smiled. "It was kind of a surprise."

Andromeda snorted. "I'd say!"

"And a baby."

"That sort of came with the package," Narcissa grinned. She became aware of the heavy pressure against her chest and her eyes dropped to the little boy who was now soundly asleep, his thumb still in his mouth. He looked calm and peaceful. She took a deep breath. "Good to know I can still send them to sleep."

"You can stay from now on," Andromeda laughed. "He won't do this for me."

"I am glad I came here," Narcissa said softly.

It was strange, sitting next to her sister again after all these years. They had not spoken about the past. About who had been right or wrong and what had been said and done. They just sat here and enjoyed the fact they could be together, like sisters, without hatred poisoning them. She turned her head and looked at Andromeda. Her sister smiled and Narcissa smiled back.

~()~

Narcissa found Hermione in the nursery, curled up in the rocking chair. She rocked herself gently, wrapped up in a blanket and with her hands resting on her baby bump. She looked up when the blonde witch walked in and smiled. Narcissa reached the chair and leant in to kiss her.

"How did it go?" Hermione inquired and Narcissa smiled. Her blue eyes wandered around the nursery. Now that it was all set up it looked beautiful. The walls had been painted in warm shade of cream and with the white furniture all in place, some stuffed animals on a shelf and some books with nursery rhymes. A beautiful mobile hung above the crib. Molly had made it and given it to them. It matched the nursery perfectly and now that it was all finished Hermione would often walk in and look around. Soon there would be a child sleeping in here. Their child. Their daughter.

"We talked," Narcissa said and walked towards the crib. She let her fingers run over the soft fabric of the sheets. She weakly smiled. "And it was so good to sit there beside her and just talk. And then when little Teddy came to sit with me, I was reminded how much she had once meant to me. How much both my sisters meant to me. And I regret having lost so much. We didn't talk about the past. Perhaps it is better left unsaid or maybe it will come another time. But today, today we were just sisters."

Hermione stood up and walked up to her lover. She let her arms snake around the blonde witch's neck and pulled her nearer. She softly kissed her and pressed her bump against Narcissa's body. Narcissa eagerly responded to the kiss and it grew in intensity and passion. Standing in the middle of the nursery it was Hermione whose hands slipped down before finding the hem of Narcissa's top and began peeling it away from her skin.

"Let's go to bed," she whispered and Narcissa merely smiled. "Come on."

~()~

The days began to pass and changed into weeks. Outside the seasons began to change and Hermione found her body changing every single day. As the days turned into weeks her bump grew bigger and she began to experience increasing discomfort. Narcissa knew this and tried to help her as much as she could. She made her drinks, rubbed her feet, talked to the baby at every opportunity she got and would often lie awake at night just to make sure Hermione got some good sleep. She bought her vitamins, cooked her healthy meals and travelled along whenever she went to visit somebody or nipped into the Ministry to get some paperwork.

Hermione was twenty eight weeks pregnant when there was a knock on the door one night. It was dark and quite late. She and Narcissa had finished their dinner and were watching a movie. Hermione had been curled up beside Narcissa whose hands had been resting on the bump. Both could feel the little girl inside her wiggle about. Every so often she kicked. Both would smile. It was Narcissa who got up when there knocking continued and walked to the front door. When she opened it she found herself faced with the one person she had not expected to see.

"Mr Weasley," she said through clenched teeth and left the door open just far enough for Ron to see into the hallway. She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "How may I help you?"

"I want to talk to Hermione," Ron said defiantly and cocked his head. "And I want access to my baby."

"Your baby?" Narcissa hissed and stepped outside. Ron instantly took a few steps back. Narcissa's eyes darkened dangerously. "I think you have lost your right to call this baby yours, Mr Weasley. And Hermione is currently asleep. For your information, it takes a toll on a woman's body to be pregnant. I suggest you leave and don't come back."

"Cissy? What's going on?" Hermione appeared behind the blonde witch and immediately recognised the ginger hair. She felt her heart freeze and resisted the urge to smack his face against a brick wall. She stepped past Narcissa out of the door and felt the blonde wrap a protective arm around her waist. "Ron."

His gaze dropped to the prominent baby bump before his eyes drifted up to her eyes. "Hermione." He forced himself to smile. He looked like an idiot, Hermione thought. He stood there, much like the time he had stood in front of her with the sword of Gryffindor in one hand and destroyed Horcrux in the other. He hadn't changed from the childish young man he had been then. "I want to talk to you."

"No," Hermione said dismissively. "I do not want to talk to you."

"That's my baby!" he said loudly and pointed at her belly. In the jogging bottoms and t-shirt it was quite clear to see how much she had grown. She carried her pregnancy well. "Mom said you're having a girl. That's my daughter, Hermione, and you do not get to keep her from me."

"The first thing I'll do when she is born is have Narcissa adopt her. I'll go the Ministry and make sure Narcissa will be her mother on paper," Hermione said and swallowed hard. Ron's eyes glistened with anger. She knew she was only fuelling his hatred towards Narcissa. She didn't care. It was about her child now. "I want nothing to do with you, Ron. You're an idiot. All you do is cause grief and stress and as you can see I am not really in the position to deal with either. So why don't you just leave, OK?"

"You can't do this," Ron said and his eyes pierced into Hermione's. "She is mine too."

"She will never be yours," Hermione sneered. "Just sod off!"

He stared at her for a few seconds and then he turned around and began making his way down the stairs. Hermione watched him go and then turned to look at Narcissa. The blonde wrapped her up in her arms and kissed her on her forehead before ushering her back into the house. The door closed behind them. They were alone now. The two of them and their unborn baby girl.

A family,