"You sure this is the place, Harry?"
"Stop doubting me, mate! I'm sure this is what the ministry records said. Besides, look how prim and proper it is. If this isn't Hermione's place, then whose would it be?"
The two had seen and heard shockingly little from their friend in the past couple of months and had decided to surprise her with an up close and personal visit. As far as they knew, she still lived with her parents.
A kindly woman answered the door, and she only stared at the two for a few moments before recognition settled in. "Harry and Ronald, yes? I'll let you two in momentarily—there's just something I've got to do first." She walked off quickly and collected all the framed photos of her grandchildren before hiding them in one of the kitchen cabinets. "Come on in, boys! I just had to crank up the thermostat a bit; John insists on saving up, but it wouldn't do for our guests to freeze!"
"I do not!" John said in a mock indignant voice, walking over to her and playing along. "Don't listen to her. She's all for saving money too. Now, did you boys want anything?"
"Is Hermione here?" Ron asked, craning a look up the stairs.
"No, actually she's… she's gone off to—what's that place?—Diagon Alley for a bit of shopping," Jean said quickly.
"Oh," Ron said awkwardly. If Hermione wasn't here, he saw no reason for the two of them to be in the Granger home. He suddenly wished that Jean hadn't invited them in.
"Well, why don't you take a seat, boys? It's quite a surprise to see you two," said John.
"How was Australia?" asked Harry, thinking of the first topic in mind.
Jean's face immediately clouded while John placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It was great," she said shortly. "Great to have our identities taken away from us without our consent."
"Now come, Jean, we've already discussed this. She did what she had to. Or would you rather be dead without meeting our gr—" He shut up real fast.
"Grandchildren?" Jean piped up helpfully, looking at a sheepish John. "We still have a few years to go before that, I would say." She turned her attention to Ron, remembering that he had many older brothers. "Has your mother had her first grandchild yet?"
"No, not yet," Ron stuttered, not expecting the topic to go to his family.
"Well," said Harry, placing his hands on the table in front of him and making to stand, "we wouldn't want to intrude any longer without Hermione here, right, Ron? When she comes back, tell her to stop by the Burrow, yeah?"
"I'm sure she'll appreciate the fact that you two thought of her."
When they left, John sighed. "Do you want to be the one to tell her that she should leave her peaceful existence and check in with those two?"
"Nah. You can do it."
The trip to the Burrow was inevitable, Hermione knew. She just thanked her lucky stars that she'd already found presents for Harry and Ron during a Hogsmeade trip earlier on. Deciding that it would be more meaningful to hand them over in person, she had done so, warning the recipients not to open theirs till Christmas Day. Since it wasn't the official Christmas gathering, only Molly, Arthur, Ginny, Harry, and Ron had been there. The rest would show up in a couple days. Harry had been staying there ever since the war, and he couldn't've been happier. Granted, most of the time he was away for Auror training, so he didn't have to face his girlfriend's parents.
Molly had bustled about, trying to do as much as she could. "You didn't tell me you were coming! I would've made more food!"
"It's alright, Mrs. Weasley, I'm not planning on staying long."
"You're not?" asked Ron between a mouthful of stew.
"No, I've got extensive holiday plans with my parents," she fibbed. "You know, since we missed it last year."
Ron had the good sense to look abashed, but Harry frowned. "We all missed the chance to celebrate the holidays last year, Hermione. I for one was looking forward to properly spending it with my two closest friends this time. I've seen hide nor hair of you since you decided to go back to Hogwarts."
Hermione softened, wondering how she was going to get out of this mess. "Oh, Harry… Life comes at you in different ways, you know? You and Ron went your way and I went mine. We can't help that. I wish we saw each other more nowadays, but it is what it is. And the situation with my parents is a unique one, one that I couldn't have seen happening just a few months ago. You'll understand more as time goes on," she said vaguely.
He shrugged. "I mean, I guess it's like you said, it is what it is. Maybe next Christmas then."
She walked over and gave him a hug. "I love you for being you. Please, always remain so understanding. You too, Ron." I have to remember that these two aren't the same as the two who rowed and made a big fuss over Severus yet, she thought. Maybe they'll be better this time around?
She still didn't trust them fully anymore and it was with disguised glee, so her friends wouldn't see, that she flooed back to her family.
Johnny felt unsure of himself as Maggie returned empty handed, signaling that his father had received his letter even if he hadn't saw fit to reply. Maybe it was a bad idea to spring it onto his mother at the last moment. Maybe he should have told her the full truth. Besides, if he told her, he could get her to cook his favorite things. And it would still have been a surprise for her. Decision made, he set out to find her.
She was sitting on the stairs and staring lovingly at their tree. Well, the photos of them on the tree, he amended. Mum had always been so sentimental.
"Yes, Johnny?" she said, and he jumped. Perhaps she wasn't as preoccupied as he thought.
"Erm…"
"I'm waiting."
He froze on the spot. Maybe it would be better if he didn't tell her after all, he thought. It would hardly be a surprise if he told her now. He would just cross his fingers and hope that his father came through earlier rather than later, and that his mother would have time to make some of his favorite things in the time before his hypothetical early arrival and dinner.
"N—nothing," he stammered, "I was just looking at you looking at the tree."
"Come here," she beckoned with a smile, and he obliged. "Is this about your friend coming over in two days? I promise, I'm not mad at you. I mean, I wish you'd told me ahead of time, but what's done is done."
"Oh," he said, not daring to look into her eyes, "I'm, erm, glad you think that way."
Seeing that her son was still behaving oddly, Hermione frowned in confusion. "Was there still something else?"
"No!" He said it way too fast, and Hermione raised an eyebrow in an eerie imitation of her husband. "Alright, fine, there's something else, but you'll find out soon enough."
Her eyebrows knitted. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"That you'll find out anyway."
"Don't be cheeky. Are you in trouble?"
"No!" Johnny said hastily. I'm not the one who gets in trouble, you know that."
Hermione relaxed. "Well, then. Why don't you take a seat here next to me. You're awfully tall standing there and looming over me."
He did so, relieved that she'd let the topic go, and together they pointed out and laughed over select photos on the tree.
"You know, many of these will have to go when your visitor stops by," she said.
"Among other things. You'll have to be Hildegard again. Ha—Hildegard. I still can't get over how you chose such an old name."
"It's Christmas Eve! Mummy! Mummy!" Roman barreled right into Hermione's room and launched himself into bed with her. In his excitement, he had reverted back to the childish form of address. Hermione groaned, but she had at least been awake for a while thinking over the next couple of days.
"Couldn't you have let me have some more time before you flew in?"
"I did! I opened up my finished advent calendar and hung it up first!" The calendar company that they used could open in the back and become a large cardboard poster of a winter scene, a different one each year. Bryan and Johnny had always tossed the finished calendars out, but Roman took great care to preserve them ever since he was old enough.
"Of course. Shouldn't have expected otherwise. But you couldn't have spared me and at least disturbed your brothers first?"
"They like to pretend they're not as excited and they always make fun of me even though they feel the same! Meanies!"
"Well, let's go get them then," she said, pulling herself out of bed. "I bet they're awake anyway. It's what, seven—" she looked at her bedside clock— "six-oh-two." Fixing her youngest with a stank eye, she shook her head good naturedly before continuing on her way and grabbing the two others, calling for Turnage to also join in the festivities.
The three boys stared in amazement at the presents under the tree.
"That's so much more than usual, Mum," said Bryan earnestly. "Where'd you get the time and gold to get this stash?"
"You'll see," she said mysteriously. "Though you'll have to thank Turnage for doing the wrapping with me. I would've been up all night!"
The gifts were explained when Bryan opened his first package. "Hey, that's my waveboard!" He stared disbelievingly at it, wondering how his mum had managed such a feat.
"I nicked more than just photos the other day," she said by way of explanation. "That's why there are so many gifts—many of the things you'll recognize." She looked almost nervously for their reaction, but she needn't had worried.
"That's so smart, Mum! I'd rather have my old things that I thought I'd lost forever than a shiny new thing. And I gather it didn't cost you a thing!"
"There's that," she admitted. "It's hard living on the bank account of my nineteen-year-old self."
Roman was thrilled when he opened up a box with a small stack of old advent calendars-turned-posters. "I don't have to start over anymore! But oh… the years on these…" They ranged from 2015 to 2021. The older ones were particular dog-eared, but he smoothed a finger over the corners fondly. Digging through the rest of the pile, he found a suspiciously broom shaped package. Eyes wide, he turned to his mum. "You didn't."
"You're right, I didn't, but I know who did!"
Roman read the tab. To the firstie who's always shown me more kindness than I deserve. Draco.
"Draco got me a broom!" he squealed. "You said you knew?"
"He had pretty much already decided on a broom, but he happened to ask me for validation. I thought it was a great idea for you."
"A Cyclone 240," he said reverently.
"Oh, hush, you," said Bryan, but he wasn't the least bit jealous as he didn't care for flying.
Among Johnny's gifts was an old traveling cloak of Severus's. He held the cloth with even more reverence than Roman had with his broom earlier.
"I had half a mind to keep it for myself, you know. You can shrink it to your size, as we planned on giving it to you in three years, but knowing you, you're going to treat it like a specimen either way, no?"
"Of course," he said. It's too good to regularly wear. I thought I'd never see it again!"
As Severus had passed in March, he'd still been present for Bryan's seventeenth last December and had been able to personally gift his eldest with his watch. However, they all knew that his time was running out, and so he and Hermione had privately planned for posthumous gifts for the two other children when they turned seventeen, when he was sure to be gone. They'd agreed on the cloak for Johnny and a memory photobook with handwritten messages for little Roman, as the book would be seven years old and a nice flash from the past when he finally turned seventeen.
However, the situation had changed; it was very possible for Severus Snape to actually be in Johnny and Roman's lives when they turned seventeen, and so Hermione chose to give the gifts to them now. The meaning didn't change one bit, and she'd rather have them enjoy the pieces from their late father earlier than later.
Roman was reading the messages at least twice-over each, a wide smile on his face. "It feels different now that he's alive," he said aloud. "Of course I'm happy, but I know I would be sadder if I read this back in Schwalmstadt." He flipped to the next entry.
I snapped this picture of you with your mother's new camera when you were two years old; I know you've seen this picture before. You were sick and so your mother didn't take you to the bookshop with her as usual. With your eyes closed and thumb in your mouth, you looked younger, smaller, and more fragile than ever. I remember thinking again how lucky I was to be blessed with another baby, another beautiful son.
Hermione peeked over his shoulder and felt tears prick at her eyes. "I remember that day like any other," she said quietly. Ruffling her fingers through his hair, she pressed a kiss to his forehead. "You always were small." I'm sorry again for what you had and still have to go through, she thought again.
She wiped at her eyes quickly before opening the first present of her own.
Draco had gotten her a round stained glass piece with a butterfly flying above some flowers in bloom. It was casual enough, as they were just beginning to explore a newfound understanding. Though it was beautiful, she knew that glass was cheap, unlike gemstones, and she was relieved that he hadn't spent more than was necessary. Hermione smiled as she realized that he'd been listening when she off-handedly remarked that spring was her favorite season.
She'd gotten him a muggle poster of a green dragon, though it was in jest. The muggles' envisioning of a dragon was nothing like the Norwegian Ridgeback it might've resembled, and she had to admit that the poster was one of the ugliest in the convenience store she'd randomly decided to visit. She was more than comfortable playing jokes on him, though, and she hoped he'd be able to get a laugh out of it.
Her parents got her a small necklace, and all three boys seemed to deflate when they saw it. She noticed right away and looked at them questioningly.
"Just open the next one, Mum," said Roman.
She did, and it was another necklace. That explains it, then. It was in the shape of an oval, and small red jewels glittered around the perimeter. Rubies, she figured. It was certainly worth a pretty penny.
"I gather it's from all three of you?" she asked, noting their expectant faces. "How did you get the gold for this?"
"The Prince vault," Bryan said. "But that's unimportant. Open it!"
Suddenly, the oval became thicker, and a clasp became visible on the right side. She wondered what charms were on the piece as she pried it open. Inside, it was like a mini book; one "page" was of her and Severus, three more of each of her children, and the final with all five of them. She felt warmth spread through her fingertips.
"It's charmed to not look like it can open so that others won't try to see what's in it," Johnny explained.
"But did the Prince vault really have something like this, conveniently with five spots for mini photos too?" she wondered aloud.
"Of course not. We charmed it some more. Well, Johnny and Bryan did. I watched."
Hermione fingered the necklace lovingly before deciding that here was finally a necklace that could rival the timeless metal heart from Bryan. Taking the one currently around her neck off for the first time in years, she set it on a nearby couch before gently putting the new one on. The boys beamed, realizing that they had accomplished quite a feat. It amazed her how thoughtful her children could be.
After a hearty breakfast, the quartet headed off to Cokeworth to pay their respects to their late grandmother. Though they usually went on Christmas day, they didn't want to accidentally bump into Severus. They brought Turnage along too, and she was pleased to meet another Prince, even if the circumstances were less than ideal. Hermione left flowers as usual, but she also adorned the headstones of neighboring souls with flowers too so as not to confuse Severus when he stopped by to pay his respects to his mother.
The rest of the day was spent in hearty relaxation. One particular member of the family waited anxiously for the next day to come.
I know we're all looking forward to the visit! As a Christmas present, the next chapter will be here before the 25th, i.e. there will definitely be a less-than-seven day wait. I'm in the process of editing that chapter after deciding to go a different route, so it's taking me a bit. Till then! x
P.S... Some of the reviews on the last chapter convinced me that you guys wanted something different from what I had originally planned, and so what I mean to say is that your reviews are really important! Not only do they always motivate me to write more... they also help me put your hopes into perspective. So please, please, review! :)