A/N: Hello loves! Thank you so much for sticking with me thus far! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I really appreciate all the reviews and responses I've been getting with this story, so much that I have decided to post THREE chapters ;) Have a wonderful weekend loves and please feel free to leave a review on your thoughts!

Chapter Twenty:

Los Angeles, California

Apartment 23

"That was an excellent movie." Hermione stated as the end credits to 'Just Go With It' began scroll across the television. She had always been a fan of Romantic Comedy's, especially when Adam Sandler was involved. Hermione stood up from the sofa and made her way to the kitchen to wash out the popcorn bowl her and Lily shared.

"Yeah it was.'' Lily said, nodding her head in agreement as she laid back against the couch, pulling the green crochet blanket Ms. Jenkins' made for her up to her chest. although she really hadn't paid much attention to the movie. All day she had been going over and over again in her mind on how she was to bring up the subject of her father and when. Lily took a deep breathe, trying to slow down her fast pacing heart that was causing her nerves to act up.

'No time like the present'. Lily thought to herself silently.

"Sweetheart, are you alright?" Hermione asked her daughter who was clearly lost in her own thoughts. Her instincts told her something was bothering her little girl. Whatever it was, she had not the slightest clue on what it could possibly be about.

"Yeah, just thinking is all." Lily replied as her mother took a seat next to her, placing a gentle hand on hers.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"Please." Lily said as she turned her body towards her mother, finding the courage to bring up what she'd wanted to know her whole life.

"Go on love, I'm listening." Hermione encouraged, giving her daughter her utmost attention.

"Well I was hoping you would tell me how you and Dad got together?" Lily said, biting her lip as traced the lines of the crocheted blanket with her finger.

Hermione sighed as she closed her eyes. Talking about Harry was a touchy subject for her. For the last ten years, she had fought back all memories of her time with Harry while they were together, trying so hard to build the life she put together for herself and Hailey. But she'd be lying to herself if she said she hadn't had an occasional thought about what she left behind in England. Afterall, she did leave her eldest daughter behind without a second glance.

Hermione winced as she thought of her sweet Lily. She missed her other daughter very much. It pained her everyday that she walked away from her, never getting to see her growing up. In the wee hours of the early morning on the girls' birthday while Hailey slept soundly, she would sneak down into the kitchen and conjure a cupcake with the tip of her wand. She'd grab a candle out of a drawer and placed it in the center of the cupcake. She'd light the candle with a small lighter she had kept for such occasions. She'd close her eyes and make a wish, that her eldest daughter would have a fantastic birthday. She would whisper, "Happy birthday, Lily bug. Mummy loves you so much", before eating the cupcake and making her way back to her bedroom.

Shaking her head of the memory, she opened her eyes once more. She saw her daughters face, yearning to know the truth about her parents.

"Honey, I'm not sure it's a good idea for me talk about your father." She told her, twisting her fingers with her right hand nervously.

"Please, mom. Just one time and I swear to you, I will never ask you again." Lily pleaded, placing her hands atop her mothers.

"Alright, then." Hermione sighed in defeat. "But only if you promise this will be the last time you ask me."

"I promise."

"Well, I suppose I shall start at the beginning." Hermione began as she crossed her legs in front of her on the sofa, turning her whole body in the direction of Lily.

"I first got a crush on your father way back in our first year at Hogwarts, right after he and our friend Ronald, rescued me from a troll in the girls' bathroom on Halloween night of 1991. I found him brave for standing up to a full grown mountain troll as he tried to help out a bushy haired, know-it-all girl he hardly come to know. That was also the night your father, Ronald and I became the best of friends. By the time our third year came and was nearly over, I knew the crush I had on your father was beginning to blossom. I had spent a great deal of time fretting about your father that year since he, Ronald and I knew there was an escapist from Azkaban, the wizarding prison, and it was rumored that he was after your father, to kill him." Hermione said, pausing for a moment to take a deep breath before continuing on.

"We had figured out near the end of term that Sirius Black wasn't out to kill Harry, but instead sought revenge on someone else. Your father was brave and scared that year. I also didn't help the matter by nagging him and Ron about their homework either." Hermione laughed, causing a smile to form on Lily's face.

"But the year I truly figured out I was in love with your father was the following year. Two other wizarding schools joined with ours that year, since the Triwizard Tournament was hosted by Hogwarts. On Halloween night, everyone had gathered into the Great Hall to witness the names of the Champions emerge from the Goblet of Fire, one from each of the three schools. Unfortunately, your father never had luck when it came to having a normal school year. Someone had placed his name in the Goblet, under a different school."

"I was scared for him all throughout the year. He was so brave even though he was scared. It wasn't until the end of the third task when your father emerged from the maze, holding Cedric's limp, dead body in his arms he weeping as he told everyone Voldemort had returned. It was in that moment, when I realized how much I loved him, how scared I was to ever lose him." Hermione said as tears streamed down her face as the memory played over in her mind once more.

"The following two years at Hogwarts were no different than the last when it came to the dangerous adventures at Hogwarts. In sixth year, your father and I had one of our first fights, all over a stupid potions book your father had found. I began to doubt myself, doubt that your father could ever see me anything more than his know-it-all best friend. There were times when I would put a silencing charm around my bed, so I could cry silently. I would lay there and ask myself why I went through all the trouble? Why did I bother to stick around?"

"Did you ever figure out your answer?" Lily whispered as she scooted closer to her mother, laying her head in the crook of her mother's neck.

"I did." Her mother replied, as she placed her head on her daughters, wrapping an arm around her while she used her free hand to wipe her damp, tear stained cheeks.

"What was it?"

"I had to remind myself it was because I loved him. He had been a part of my life for five years. I wasn't going to let a small, stupid misunderstanding stand in the way of everything I felt for your father."

"You must have really loved him."

"I did." Hermione told her as she smoothed the spiral black curls that rested on her daughter's head. "The following year after the attack at Bill and Fleurs wedding, Ron's Eldest Brother, the three of us began our journey to search for Horcruxes, the only things that could truly stop Voldemort from destroying the wizarding world.

"After a couple months on our journey, Ron eventually deserted us due to his jealousy and the effect of wearing one of the bloody horcruxes around his neck."

Lily let out a small gasp at the thought of Ron deserting his best friends. She never would have guessed that the man she had grown up with and considered an uncle, would ever leave his two best friends in such a crucial point in their lives. "Ron left?"

"Yeah he did for a couple of months. But if he hadn't I don't think your father and I would have grown as close as we did. There was this moment in the tent while we were sitting around listening to the radio, when the song, 'O Children' started playing. After a few notes in, your father walked over to the spot where I was sitting and held his hand out to me. I looked up at him and took his hand without a second thought. He pulled me to my feet and took the horcrux locket from around my neck and set it to the side. He strolled us to the middle of the tent where we began to dance." Lily glanced over at her mother, her eyes resting on her mother's face as a smile began to form in the corner of Hermione's mouth.

"Your father and I certainly were not dancers." Hermione laughed, " He began to side step as he swayed my arms, causing me to forget all about the war, the search for horcruxes or that the one-third of our trio had deserted us. I remember smiling at your father as he twirled me around the dance floor spinning me into his arms before he spun out, twirling underneath my arm, then spun back into my arm. His face light up, smiling so big as the two of us began to laugh without a care in the world. He pulled me closer to him as he rested his chin on the top of my shoulder as our dance began to come to a close. I laid my chin on top the hand that rested atop his shoulder, just taking in that moment. He and I raised our heads at the exact same time, just looking one another in the eyes. And for one split second, I thought 'this was it, he's going to kiss me'."

Lily stared at her mother in awe as she listened to her mother describe an intimate moment between her parents. Lily began to think how much of a turning point that would have been in not only their journey, but in their friendship if her father kissed her then. "Did he?" she asked eagerly.

"No love, he didn't." Hermione responded as she kissed the top of her daughter's head. "Instead, I walked away from him and let him have some space. I didn't want him to see the disappointment in my eyes. But in all honesty, I couldn't blame him for not kissing me then. We were in the middle of a dreadful war, where something could happen at any given moment to one of us. We spent that Christmas Eve in Godric's Hollow, visiting the graves of your grandparents, James and Lily Potter." Lily smiled as her mother mentioned her namesake. She's visited that gravesite many a times with her father, each year on the anniversary of their deaths and on Christmas Eve. Now Lily understood why her father started that tradition.

"Ron eventually made his way back to us. He and Harry destroyed the locket with the Sword of Gryffindor that same night he returned, saving your father's life. We finally had three horcruxes destroyed. Not long after that we made our way back to Hogwarts Castle, knowing there had to be another hidden inside. The final battle between your father and Voldemort took place there as well. There was a time when I thought I was going to lose your father for good. He was about to make his way to the Forbidden Forrest to meet Voldemort face to face, to give up his own life to save others. I told your father I would go with him, to face Voldemort together so he wouldn't be alone. He told me no, this was something he had to do on his own. I clung to your father, and held on to him for as long as I could. But your father was clever, fooling everyone into thinking he was dead, giving me a downright heart attack."

"But once the Battle of Hogwarts was over and Voldemort vanquished, I went in search for your father. I was standing atop of the lower level of the Grand Stair case, searching for any sign of him. When at last, I saw him run into the entry way of the castle, standing as he bobbed his head back and forth, searching for something. Until at last, he met my gaze. I ran as fast as my legs could take me and threw myself into your fathers arms. He picked me up and spun us around in a circle, as we smiled at one another celebrating his victory."

"Your father placed me on the ground and pulled me into his arms, closing the distance between as he pressed his lips against mine. We stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, as if we were the only two people in the room. In that moment, no words needed to be spoken. That one kiss gave us both the confirmation we needed to know on how we truly felt about one another." Hermione said solemnly, as she stared off into the distance reliving the feeling in that moment.

"That's beautiful, Mom." Lily said as she moved her head off her mother and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"I thought so too." Hermione smiled as she looked down at her little girl. 'She reminds me so much of Harry'.

"Did dad tell you when he realized his feelings for you?"

"Yes." Hermione replied, nodding her head, "He told me the next day. He figured out his feelings for me back in our fifth year, but was too afraid of anyone using me as a pawn to get to him."

"I'm glad after all you went through, that the two of you finally were able to be with one another."

"So am I love. Afterall, he gave me you." Hermione told Lily as she kissed her hands. Hermione stared at her daughter as she ran her fingers through the unruly curls, lost deep in thought.

"You alright, mom?" Lily asked, noticing how quiet her mother had gotten within the last few minutes.

"Hmm? Oh it's nothing love. Just bringing everything back got me thinking about how things would have been."

"Meaning if we never left?" Lily asked, eyes full of wonder. 'Does she regret leaving us behind?

"Yes." Hermione whispered, almost to where Lily could hardly hear her. Hermione cleared her throat, shaking her head free of all the 'What Ifs' running about in her mind. "It's getting late love, off to bed with you." She told her as she stood up from her spot on the couch.

"Yes ma'am." Lily replied as she followed her mother off the couch and gave her a hug goodnight. "Thank you for telling me your story."

"You're welcome, darling." Hermione said as she walked her daughter to her bedroom, bidding her goodnight as she kissed her on the head.

"I love you, mom."

"I love you too, Hailey." Hermione told her with a smile before walking off to her own bedroom to get some much needed sleep. Lily closed the door behind her and crawled into bed, making a mental note to call Hailey as soon as she could.