Disclaimer: I do not own anything just the plot and the characters that are not included in the book.

Chapter 14

As soon as Draco and Narcissa left, Hermione's knees buckled unable to hold her weight. She used all her will power to stagger to the bed and for a moment, even just for a tiny moment wished that the past few moments had never occurred.

'My life is a mess' she said sighed, her eyes squeezed shut to hold back the flood.

Soon after Isabella bounded in, arm outstretched with a flower in her hand. She somehow sensed that something was wrong.

"Mama? Are you okay?" she asked, her bright eyes worried and curious to see what had happened to her mother.

"No sweetheart, nothing's wrong", Hermione replied trying to convince Isabella, but moreover to herself. "I think it's time for us to go back home poppet" she said squeezing the little hand between her own, letting a lonesome tear escape from her eye and slide down her stony cheek.

"Yes mama", whispered a quiet Isabella, after all no girl liked to see her mother this distressed.

The next morning, Hermione and Isabella left the Weasley's house. There was nothing else to say, Hermione had no words and knew she didn't need them as the Weasley's, her family knew her just too well for that.

"Promise that you'll write to us… please 'mione", Ron claimed whilst gripping her tightly.

Hermione nodded, peeling herself from him "I'll miss you too" and turned to her audience, addressing each one, "all of you".

"We'll visit on holidays. Take care of yourself and Isabella", Harry stuttered. How he wished he could stop them, but it wasn't his choice to make.

She took a last look at her second family, she didn't want to leave, but she needed to. She smiled at them broadly whilst her heart slowly withered away. She took Isabella's petite hand and apparated with an echoing 'crack'.

Once outside her mother's home she released her daughter's hand to open the door with her key. The girls made their way inside but were met with total silence. Her mother was not there.

'She must be at the church'

"Isabella, are you alright?" she enquired.

"I'm okay, just sad that I didn't said good bye Mr. Draco and Ms. Pansy… Can I go to my room now mama?" she asked, sadness etched on her angelic face.

"Go on puppet"

A few hours later the stillness was broken by Hermione's mother's return who was surprised to see her daughter slouched over the kitchen counter, a bottle of best wine limply hanging between her fingers.

"Don't ask mother, just let me be", the distraught woman replied.

Her mother stared at her, concerned, but respected her wishes and left her to wallow in her misery- waiting for the right time to approach her daughter, much preferably in a sober manner.

Days passed and all Hermione's mother could see were her two distraught, lonely girls. Isabella was really missing the Weasley's, the girl stayed locked in her room, playing all by herself as if in her own imaginary world. Hermione like her daughter chose not to talk, but her mother saw right through her clearly seeing that she was deeply distressed over something. She didn't know that her mother can hear her cry at night and she couldn't do anything to help her because she refused to communicate with her. But her mother would have none of it anymore, deciding enough was enough she took matters into her own hands.

"Oh good! Your home, come here and sit", She claimed, patting on the seat next to her.

"Mother I'm not in the mood," Hermione said, tired from work.

"When is the time then? I'm tired of seeing my granddaughter and my daughter in this kind of state, you're both here but I feel like I'm living all by myself. You're either sleeping or at work! And Isabella, it's like happiness has been sucked from her, I haven't heard her laugh once since you guys came back!"

'I know that mother!' Hermione screamed in her head, she wouldn't talk about that now, no wouldn't talk about that now. Hermione refused to cry anymore, she was tired of it and any form of confrontation would only lead to her break down. "Please mom..."

"HERMIONE JEAN GRANGER! SIT HERE RIGHT NOW OR HELP ME LORD I WILL DRAG YOU TO THIS CHAIR AND TIE YOU DOWN!"

"Mom…" Hermione pleaded.

"NOW!"

She sighed; there was no point in avoiding now. When her mother wanted to talk, she wanted to talk and with that look of determination on her face she knew it was a battle she had no chance of winning.

She wants the whole story. Fine. "I saw Isabella's father"

"And?" Her mother said, raising her eyebrow.

"And we talked, and we got back together. But that scumbag, once again, lied to me. He lied to me AGAIN!" Hermione said, slamming her hands on the table. "I felt so stupid mom, there I was, believing in him again… loving him again. When I saw him at the wedding, that gorgeous face, those caring blue eyes, I knew then that I still love him. And when we kissed, it all came flooding back. Again, I used my heart, and look where it got me".

She looked at her mother, who remained as silent as she continued, "I wanted us to be a family, and so did he. The day before we came back we were going to tell Isabella the truth, but then…I saw the news."

"The news?" her mother said.

"I saw him, laughing, smiling and his arms draped over some girl! It was in the headlines, mom! He's getting married. He kisses me and promises me things and then he's already getting married to someone else! How am I supposed to trust him again mom, how am I supposed to trust myself again?" she finished, tears starting to leak down her cheeks.

Her mother went over to her side and hugged her.

"Did he explain himself to you?" she enquired, whilst rubbing consoling circles on her back.

"He was going to, but then he brought his mother with him. So I just told him to go and not see us again. You know how I feel about the Malfoy mother hen."

"Malfoy? Draco Malfoy is Isabella's father?" she said surprised. She never even considered him to be her granddaughter's father.

Her mother was so eager to hear the whole story that they didn't even see a surprised pair of eyes staring at the pair with absolute astonishment. They also failed to see her run to the door and race out the entrance as if her feet were on fire.

Pansy rushed over to the Weasley's house, a gift for Isabella (her own little witch wardrobe) clutched in her hand.

"Oi Weasley! Where's Isabella? I have to give her something?" Pansy asked Ron after spotting him at the door.

"She's not here."

"Then where is she?"

"They left", he said sighing.

"They? Who?" Pansy was already getting irritated at Ron. Couldn't he just get to the point, it's not like she had all the time in the world.

"Hermione and Isabella. They left, four days ago."

"Oh. I'll just come back when they get back", she stated, already at the door. "Can you send me an owl me when they're here?"

"I don't think they'll ever be back. You should ask Malfoy what happened. Don't ask me why, I'm pretty sure your friend already knows the reason", Ron sneered out.

She nodded. She had a feeling that she already knew what he was talking about. She would have to kick some sense into Malfoy's thick egoistic head.

"I should- HERMIONE! What are you doing here?" Pansy claimed.

Ron hurried to the door and found a distraught Hermione, and her mother standing breathlessly beside her.

"What happened to you?" Ron asked.

"Ron, help me. Isabella, she's, she's missing! I don't know where else she'd go!" she said as she buried her face into Ron's neck, breaking out into sobs which wracked her whole body.