Almost a week later, Hermione heard an owl pecking at her kitchen window. She had been receiving them pretty frequently since she kicked Malfoy out on Monday.

One from George let her know Malfoy had crashed on his couch and inquired as to what happened. She hadn't responded. Harry had written a few times to see how she was after her crazy day at the Ministry and let her know he wanted to drop by. She had turned off her floo, though, so if he tried to come over that way, he'd wouldn't have much luck. She dropped him a line to say she was fine, knowing he'd worry. Her boss owled her a few questions about the case at one point and then owled again to let her know their petition seemed to be holding up but that she was officially off the case. Apparently, Charlie had been a brilliant presenter. Her absence left her out of any further dealings, though. She tried not to be upset but it stung.

The letters she'd been receiving from Charlotte sat on her counter, unopened. She didn't want anything more to do with Olympus and couldn't bring herself to read whatever the woman had to say. Hermione felt like her days of writing were over. A terrible weight on her chest seemed to indicate she had wasted a whole year of her life on something that would never happen. Her dream was shattered but she tried to have hope. She'd been through much worse and simply had to find inspiration once more.

It hadn't helped that she'd been suspended from work all week with nothing to do. She chatted with Charlie a few times via cellphone about the dragon case but he couldn't say much due to the sensitivity of the project. He'd merely said things seemed to be working out in their favor. Which only made her more curious.

The tapping at the window pulled Hermione out of the book she was reading. She shut it and walked over to the window, opening it to let in the brown barn owl she recognized as the Weasley's.

"Here you go, nibble on that while I read and reply," Hermione gave the bird a pellet and he hooted in appreciation.

Opening the letter, she already suspected what it was about. And she'd been right. It was Sunday, after all.

Hermione,

We'd love to have you over for dinner tonight. I know you had a row with Percy last time but he won't be here this week. Normally we expect you to just show up but seeing as how you've been so distant with us recently, I decided a formal invitation was in order to let you know that you're always welcome. It is your home, after all.

I'm making your favorite. Pot Roast.

Hope to see you, dear.

Love, Molly

Hermione felt her heart expand like it only could when she received such love from a parent. She felt guilty like she had been neglecting the Weasley's in her search of publication. It wasn't wrong to follow your dreams but it was terrible to put loved ones on the sidelines in pursuit of those dreams. She had to remedy that.

She wrote a reply saying she'd be there and sent it off with the owl.

Going to dinner tonight plus going back to work in the morning would make her feel her old self again, she was sure of it. It was about time she got her life back on track and focused on what was important.

All week, she'd been lounging around her home, feeling lonely and sorry for herself. She'd eaten pints of ice cream and drank loads of wine to try to make herself feel better. It'd only made her feel worse. What she really needed to do was move on and stop acting like she was in mourning. It was only a book, after all. She could find another dream to pursue and she always had her work at the Ministry.

She just wanted things to go back to normal.

Sunday dinner was the perfect first step in making that a reality.

Hermione felt better than she had in over a week. She showered, shaved her legs, did her hair and makeup and dug out her favorite jeans and maroon Weasley jumper that had a lowercase, cursive H on the front; a distinction Molly did purposefully so she and Harry wouldn't get their clothes mixed up in school. Not that it mattered much. Most of the sweaters Molly made for the Weasley clan were similar in shape and size.

Hermione knocked twice before opening the door to the Burrow and being enveloped by the delicious scent of pot roast. Molly turned towards her from the kitchen table, where it looked like she was setting plates out, and smiled.

"So glad you could make it, dear." She beamed and went in for a hug. Hermione held her a little longer than usual, relishing in the feeling of home. When they parted, she held up a bottle.

"I brought wine," She said softly. Molly took it and placed it on the table with the other bottles already set out.

"Good. The boys do love their drinks after dinner."

"I do, too, when I'm here. I think it just gives us all an excuse to catch up with one another. It's tough getting older." Hermione said. Molly regarded her with a knowing look.

"Trust me, I know that too well. I love that you're all so close. It's all I've ever wanted for my children." She said and opened the lid on a large pot to check its contents.

"Can I help?"

"You know I like doing these things. Go! Relax with the others. Not everyone is here yet, but the kids are in the garden. No doubt picking my dirigible plums again..." She muttered, sounding exasperated but wearing a maternal smile. Molly was so good at being a parent... and now she was even better at being a grandparent. She always knew the right things to say and do. She truly cherished the people in her life. Hermione hoped she'd have half that instinct one day. She walked over to Molly, planted a kiss on her cheek, and went out back. She immediately noticed Teddy, Victoire, and Dominique nibbling on the plums Molly mentioned. That lady had to have eyes in the back of her head. How else could she have known?

"Grandma Molly is going to swat you lot for eating before dinner!" Hermione chastised the children but couldn't help smiling as they all jumped a little before racing up to her like lunatics.

"Aunt Hermione!" They all cheered. Teddy reached her first, his legs having grown longer in the months since she'd seen him. His normally teal hair turned a bright shade of aqua as he hugged her around the waist and squeezed.

"Oh, Teddy! It's so good to see you!" She ruffled his hair. "Look at how handsome you're getting!" She held his face between her hands. His cheeks and hair turned bright pink at being complimented.

"I don't think so," He mumbled.

"She's right. She's always right about everything," Victoire said as she went in for a hug, too, her long blonde hair cascaded down her back and was feather soft. Hermione snorted.

"That's not always true," she said.

"Uh-huh!" Dominique, the middle sibling of Fleur's children said. She was four years old and had bright blonde curls and blue eyes. The veela definitely shined through in the children. The only one who had inherited the signature Weasley red hair and freckled complexion was baby Louis. And he was also completely gorgeous. "Auntie 'Mione knows everything. That's what Daddy says." Hermione looked over at the makeshift Quidditch pitch the Weasley boys had concocted several years earlier and smiled at the eldest Weasley boy flying around with Ron and Harry. Bill had always valued her intelligence.

Hermione turned back to the children and sighed.

"You're all getting so big! Are you guys in your twenties now?" She asked, pointing at the kids.

"Teddy is only almost eleven, Aunt Hermione. And I'm almost nine. Maybe you don't know everything..." Victoire said seriously. The girl was entirely too serious most of the time.

"I was only joking!" Hermione laughed.

"I'm four!" Dominique exclaimed.

"Yes you are, darling! Come on, let's go watch your Dad whoop Uncle Harry's butt at Quidditch!"

"As if! Harry is the best at Quidditch!" Teddy said indignantly.

"Who told you that?" Hermione asked as she led the kids to the edge of the little field.

"He did!" Teddy said and watched the boys fly around, mesmerized.

"Figures. Harry likes to talk up his abilities..." She snickered and greeted the others around the pitch.

"I heard that!" Harry shouted from above and flashed her a grin.

"I wanna fly! Can I, Harry?" Teddy yelled up at his Godfather.

"Absolutely!"

"Not!" Hermione added.

"Oh, come on!" Harry and Teddy said at the same time.

"Do you know how many different ways you could injure yourself by flying around on a broom, Edward Remus Lupin? The possibilities are endless and I certainly don't want to be the one to tell Andromeda that we let her only Grandson get hurt playing a silly game." Hermione chastised.

"In a crowd full of excellent Quidditch players? I think he'll be fine." Charlie said behind her.

"There you are! I want to talk about the dragons-"

"I can't Hermione, you know that." He slung an arm around her shoulders.

"It was my case. My discovery!" She pleaded.

"Now it's out of your hands. Sorry, 'Mione." He said sympathetically but averted his gaze. "It couldn't hurt to let Teddy fly around a little bit. There are so many of us here to keep an eye on him."

"Grandma would be mad, Aunt Hermione is right," Teddy said, defeated.

"See? Told you she's always right," Victoire sniggered.

"But 'Arry eez 'ere. What 'e says matterz, too." Fluer piped up from her spot in one of the lawn chairs. Lavender was sitting next to her with baby Louis in her lap.

"That's very true. It's Harry's choice." Charlie said. Hermione flinched.

At the beginning of Teddy's life, it had been Harry and Ginny who made most of the decisions regarding his upbringing. Andromeda wanted the child to have a normal family and decided they should be parents to him. Not that they'd pretend to be. He'd be brought up to know his real parents, but they wanted to give him his best chance at happiness. Andromeda would come by often to spend time with him and take him to her home for weekend stays pretty frequently. The little family lived together for a time and seemed to be happy. When Ginny ended things, though, Harry was devastated. It was hard for him to care for Teddy alone. Hermione had moved in with him for about a year, playing mother to Teddy. He was truly the happiest, most gifted child. She felt truly happy to be able to be an active part of his life.

But when it was finally decided that Harry and Andromeda would split time with Teddy instead, due to Harry's meticulous work schedule, somehow Hermione became discluded from the equation.

It had been that way ever since.

She wasn't even sure if Teddy remembered the year they had spent together. He'd been three when he went to live primarily with Andromeda.

"Come on up," Harry said, snapping Hermione out of her reverie. Harry had lowered himself to the ground and Teddy climbed on the broom in front of him.

"A compromise. Good thinking, Harry." Ron said, eyeing Hermione. He'd been the only one she'd cried to when she no longer got to live with Teddy. He knew how much Hermione wanted children one day.

It wasn't long after Teddy moved away that Hermione and Ginny had gotten their house together. Harry had understood but was hurt just the same, thinking she'd chosen sides. She had reassured him many times over that it was just what she needed to do. She couldn't live in the Black household without memories of her childhood or Teddy's laugh haunting her.

"Just be careful," She said as the boys flew back up into the air a few feet with the others. They were all low enough to chat with everyone but high enough to give Teddy a thrill.

"Can I go up, too, Ma'ma?" Victoire asked.

"Definitely not," Fluer said. The little girl pouted and sat in the grass, staring at the boys flying around.

"Maybe when you're a little older, flower," Bill called over to her and she grinned slightly. She was very much a daddy's girl.

"Are we just waiting on George and Percy now?" Charlie asked the group.

"Percy won't be here and George is probably on his way. Dad is running late at work." Ron said.

"Percy isn't coming? Is it because Hermione verbally whooped his ass last week?" Charlie sniggered.

"I wouldn't have had to verbally whoop any of you if you lot could just be appropriate and not talk about my personal life," Hermione said grumpily, careful not to say too much in front of the children. Lavender muttered a small, 'Here, here,' and scowled at Ron. "Besides, he had it coming. He really hurt my feelings last week."

The boys all grumbled under their breath. Some gave an apology. Others merely sounded disgruntled.

"Come on, Weasley's! Dinner is ready!" Molly called across the yard. Victoire and Dominique tore inside, their blonde hair bouncing as they ran. The moment Harry and the others touched back down on the ground, Teddy followed after at the same pace.

"It looks like they all still get on well," Hermione mentioned. Harry fell in step with her and grinned.

"Yeah. That's how cousins should be." He lamented.

"I thought you and Dudley were on good terms these days?" She asked.

"We are. But he's still a prat who made my childhood miserable. It would've helped if he'd been kind to me or treated me with family affection once in a while." Harry said a little bitterly, but it didn't hold as much edge as it would have seven or eight years ago. Hermione nodded along.

"So where's Draco tonight?" He asked uncertainly as they all congregated around the dinner table. Hermione opened her mouth to respond but was cut off.

"Right here, Potter."

Well, well, well... look who's crashing dinner. Hehe. Thanks so much for all the kind words of encouragement. I hope everyone is still loving this story!