Not a whole lot of dialogue in this, set just after the end of the war after Voldy carked it. This is where it really starts to lead into the end game pairing =D
Reviews encouraged.
The battle itself was horrible. Hermione and Ron had stole off to the Chamber of Secrets where they had destroyed the cup and retrieved the fang. Ron had kissed Hermione and then quickly explained, before he got slapped, that he had to get it out of his system and now he was fine. Loveable bloody idiot. They had then joined the battle though Hermione found she had the upper hand as most of her opponents were shocked by her skill with wandless, and typically non-verbal, magic.
They witnessed Severus' demise and then shortly after Harry did the honorable thing and went to meet Voldemort. Narcissa had ended up saving his life by lying right to Voldemort's face. Hagrid was made carry Harry back to the castle where it was revealed Harry wasn't dead and then another fire-fight ensued. People were too busy fighting for their lives to pay much attention to anything but it all changed when Voldemort died, for real this time.
Some death eaters continued, others fled but most of them were captured. Thankfully Narcissa and Draco were pardoned, so had Lucius been until his amazing wife spoke up and informed Kingsley, the acting Minister, of the Malfoy Patriarchs part in Hermione's parents death. Devastation was something else that occurred, of couse it would though, this was a war and they were cleaning up the battle field as we speak.
For Hermione, Harry and the Weasley's it was finding that Fred had been killed in the battle, George was inconsolable. It wasnt until a little later that Bill pulled Hermione aside and led her along the rows of the dead that the little witch finally broke. Laying side by side, covered in cuts and bruises, dust and a few shards of glass hanging in their clothes was Nymphadora and Remus Lupin. Bill caught the little witch as she collapsed and held her tight as she sobbed.
When she finally started to calm she realised quickly what needed to happen, it had to happen now and she didn't like the taste of it one little bit. During the months that the trio had been on the run, Edward Tonks had also went into hiding, being a muggle born and all. Unfortunately Mister Tonks had been found and murdered a few months ago. Hermione knew that Andromeda needed to be told, the poor sweet woman had lost everything from this war, just as Hermione did.
"I need to go see Andy." Hermione rubbed her tear-damp face on Bill's shirt and he nodded.
"Do you want me or Fleur to go with you?" He asked gently, Fleur was over with Molly and Arthur.
"No. Stay, be with your wife and family. Let them know... I... I will probably stay with Andy for a while. She's lost everything." Hermione stepped back and rubbed her face.
"I'll let them know. Be safe, not all the death-eaters were caught. Oh and Mi..." Bill made sure he had the little witches attention.
"Greyback is dead." Bill informed coldly and Hermione nodded.
"Thank you, Bill. Tell Fleur I will write her as soon as possible." Hermione got up on her tip toes, he understood her intention and leaned down a little, she was so much shorter than he, and accepted the kiss on the cheek.
Hermione watched Bill head back to his family before Hermione reached down and plucked up Remus and Tonks' wands and then apparated directly out of the hall. She appeared a short way away from the Tonks' cottage and took a moment to draw in a deep breath. She was half way along the path to the front door when it opened to see a stressed out and worried looking Andromeda holding a tiny little baby boy.
The look of frantic curiosity that Andy sent Hermione made the little witches heart ache as she stepped up and gently took baby Teddy into her own arms and slowly, regretfully, handed over the wands. Andy noticed them instantly and it took only a moment to understand why Hermione had handed them too her, amazingly the little witch managed to hold onto Teddy and catch Andromeda before she sank to her knees.
Eventually Hermione managed to maneuver the little baby boy and his grandmother onto the sofa, she sat holding a sleeping Teddy while Andromeda cried into the little witches shirt. It had taken a while but Andy had eventually exhausted herself and she had fallen asleep. Hermione ever so gently managed to lay the woman down and get a blanket over her before she went and made a bottle for Teddy and changed his nappy. It wasn't something she expected she would be doing but it really wasn't so bad, Teddy was a good boy.
Managing to temporarily become a domestic goddess she even managed to cook a small meal for herself and Andromeda while letting Teddy suck on a little piece of chocolate she had found. The little boy seemed to like chocolate and it made Hermione smile sadly, his father was also quite fond of chocolate. When he started to get sleepy again she gently look him back to the room she found to have been set up as a nursery for him. He grumbled a little when she put him down but soon drifted off easily.
When the food was done and cooked she carefully vanished the dishes to the coffee table and then got a clean cloth and wet it with cool water. Hermione went out and sat on the sofa hip to hip with Andy and gently shook the woman awake. She seemed considerably less upset but she also didn't do more than mumble something incoherent and let Hermione place the cool cloth over her burning eyes.
With a little gentle coaxing Hermione managed to get the woman to sit up and eat, she was pretty sure that Andy didnt taste the food but she ate it and that was the main thing. When that was all said and done Andy sat and stared at nothing while Hermione cleaned up. When she was done she got Teddy who had woken up and gently handed him over to Andy who asked for him quietly. As the grandmother cuddled the little boy Hermione made him another bottle.
When Teddy was asleep again it was getting rather late in the evening and Hermione was looking critically at the older woman. Gently she extracted the small boy from the rather reluctant woman's arms and went and put him in his bed. When she returned to the den it was only long enough to collect the woman from the sofa and lead her to the womans bed. After some gentle prompting Andy let the witch undress her and place her in a nightgown before tucking her into bed.
Andy mumbled something that Hermione didn't quite catch before she fell asleep, the little witch walked out of room and gently closed the door before going out to the sofa. She sat down and looked at the two wands on the coffee table for a long time. She must have fallen asleep though because the nest thing she knew she was waking to the sound of Teddy whimpering in his bed. Rubbing her hands on her pants she got up and went to get the baby and take care of him.
And so it went for almost a month, Andy didn't talk much, but then Hermione didn't push her much either. They pretty much kept to themselves, Hermione would write to her friends and go and get supplies they would need while Andy looked after Teddy. Most nights Hermione had to put Andy to bed as the woman would just sit on the sofa and stare at nothing. It frightened Hermione and eventually she decided she needed help with the woman.
Cissy,
I know you and Andy haven't spoken in years but I also know she is your sister and that you love her. I've been living with her for almost a month now, she rarely talks and I don't think she would eat if I wasn't here making her. The only one who can get a response from her is Teddy. I need your help please, this kind of grieving isn't healthy and I... I need her to actually acknowledge me.
Hermione.
She hadn't received a response in almost a week and in that week there had been no improvement at all. Finally though, shortly after lunch on the sixth day a dark feathered owl was at the window. Hermione let it in, gave it some water and food and took the letter it offered her before it went on its way. The little brunette sat down at the small kitchen table and unfolded the letter before reading through it.
Sweetheart,
I do love Andy and miss her. I have been planning to come by and see her, knowing you are there is only extra incentive. It pains me to hear she isn't doing well though it is understandable. I don't know if you know but it was Bella who took Nymphadora from my sister. I will be there but it will take me a few days, Draco and I are having a lot of trouble with the Manor, we are hated by both stray death-eaters and aurors despite anything dear Harry says. I promise to be there before the end of the following week though, Andy needs a little shaking and i've been quite good at doing that for her. Tell me though... Have you missed me?
Cissy.
Hermione had thought of Narcissa a lot actually, of the handful of encounters she had had Narcissa was the one that really stuck. The woman was gorgeous and really quite the enigma, she was also incredibly intelligent and surprisingly compassionate. All things that Hermione admired most in a person. It didn't hurt that the sex had been really great too, heck she had, if subconsciously, missed Narcissa since they had parted at that bar.
Harry had at one point, in a letter, teasingly asked if Hermione was intending to bed Andromeda. Her immediate response was no. Andromeda was a beautiful woman but she was broken, her husband and child had been killed in a war none of them wanted. Throw in the fact that Hermione see's Andy as more of a mother figure and there was simply no desire there to attempt to sleep with Andy.
Without really needing to think to much on the matter she took out a quill and parchment to pen another letter to Narcissa.
Darling Narcissa,
It would probably frighten you just how much I have missed you in all honesty. I've missed you since we parted at the bar. It wasn't the time then, I was too young and the war was just starting so I never took the initiative to try and contact you after that night and I am sincerely worried for Andy and would rather get her sorted out first. How ever, after all that, if you are interested I would like to get to know you more intimately.
Of course I would understand if that isn't what you want. Looking forward to seeing you.
Yours,
Mione.
Reading back through it Hermione was happy with her response and called the resident owl, a brown screech owl who often came down to the kitchen at dinner time in the hopes of an easy feed. She attached the letter and smoothed the docile birds feathers before sending him on his way. No sooner was the owl gone did Teddy wake up and Hermione moved off to get him, she had put Andy in the shower an easy twenty minutes ago and as she passed the bathroom door could hear the rustling of clothes.
She called that she would get the little boy and then did so, she didnt wait for a response from Andy, the woman wouldn't have given one. The rest of the week would no doubt be the same and she wished Narcissa could get here sooner but unfortunately that wasn't the case. She smiled down at the little boy and cooed too him happily, he had inherited his mothers metamorph ability and was sporting deep green hair on his tiny head. The week could go quicker but if it doesn't, at least she has Teddy to keep her entertained.
So after a few reviews from the last few chapters i feel i need to apologise for the turn this fic took. It kind of went from 'Hermione shagging all the birds' to 'Hermione being a more depressed, more bookish version of Molly' all while i pretty much skimmed over the cannon plot and all that stuff and i don't believe a few (or a lot of you) liked that. So i'm sorry for that.
Silver Fox