AN: Well, it only took 3 years, but here is the next chapter! This is my welcoming in of a new decade in 2020. I will finish this and Keeping Secrets at some point... I already have the ending written for Keeping Secrets (I'm just stuck for the last few chapters in between), and I have quite a few chapters for this story's Part2. It will only be a few chapters away.

If anyone knows the name of the clothing shop in Diagon Alley, please let me know! I put Tattings...

Also, thank you to everyone who told me where this story has been plagiarized over the years. I has happened 3 times (that I know about). I appreciate the continued support and knowledge that my readers knew I was the original author.

Chapter 20

The next morning, Hermione awoke feeling somewhat depressed. Her body craved to have Draco beside her as did her heart. She sighed and crawled out of bed, put on her robe, and walked down to the kitchen to grab a cup of something with caffeine.

"Good morning, Hermione. Did you not sleep well?" Jean inquired when she saw the tiredness around her daughter's eyes and in her movements.

"No, not really."

"Well I had been hoping we could go Christmas shopping today, but perhaps we can put that off until tomorrow and instead you can help me address envelopes for the dental practice's holiday cards?"

Hermione gave a small smile. Addressing envelopes was a tedious job she knew her mother despised but did for the benefit of their business. "Why don't we do both? We can go do some light Christmas shopping and then return and work on that." Jean Granger was known to go overboard when it came to Christmas shopping.

Jean bobbed her head as she thought about it, "Yes, I think that sounds perfect."

And so the two women bundled up and fought the cold in order to brave the holiday crowds. Hermione bought Ginny a purple sweater she knew would be flattering, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley some chocolate covered dried fruits, Astoria some deep green, faux-fur earmuffs, her father a leather belt he had asked for and the latest book from a series he was reading, her mother would receive a new crockpot she wanted, but did not find anything appropriate for any of her other friends or soon-to-be-family. Her in-laws were by far the most daunting to buy for. Hermione knew she needed to go into the wizarding world to finish her shopping.

She brought that fact up as she was addressing envelopes. "Mum, tomorrow I need to leave for a couple of hours to finish my Christmas shopping."

Jean licked an envelope and set it aside, "Why don't I go with you?"

Hermione paused, "I need to go to Diagon Alley."

Jean swallowed but pressured on, "I- I still want to go with you."

Hermione gave her a hesitant smile, "Are you sure?"

"Perhaps if I go with you, I can learn more about why you love that world so much."

"Alright. We'll go through the entranceway in muggle London. Can we leave in the morning?"

"Is ten too late?"

"That sounds perfect, Mum." Hermione was nervous, yet excited about tomorrow. She knew her mother had always been somewhat fearful of her magic but perhaps she could show her why the magical world was so wondrous. Her nerves increased as she felt her 'heat' beginning. She tried not to let it show too much as her leg bounced under the table.

That night Hermione was forced to put up silencing spells as she attempted to sleep. Horny was an understatement. She was desperate for sleep after sleeping so little the prior night due to the absence of Draco. If she could just get comfortable, she knew exhaustion would take over. However every time she moved to get comfortable, her nether regions made themselves more and more alert. Her body had broken out in a sweat. Finally she growled as she laid flat on her back. She didn't know if it would help or make things worse, but Hermione was going to have to take things into her own hands. She had tried to ignore it for the last four hours, but she could no longer. After bringing herself to release twice, her exhaustion finally overtook her.

When Hermione awoke late the next morning, she sought release once more while she took a shower. After dressing, she and her mother took a taxi to the Leaky Cauldron. It was freezing out, so Hermione gave her mother one of her cloaks to borrow that had a warming charm stitched into the fabric. It was entertaining to watch her mother prepare herself for a cold gust of snowy wind, only to have it pass by as a lukewarm breeze because of the cloak.

"I wonder if they make jumpers like this; do you know darling?" Her mother inquired.

"We can look at Tattings but I doubt there will be a style there you could casually wear to work."

"Yes, shame."

After entering through the magically opened brick barrier, Hermione took her mother to the book store.

Once in the book store, Hermione automatically walked to the left of the store to see what was in the 'Just In' section. She browsed the tall shelves and saw a book at the very top she wanted to look through. "Oh that one looks interesting, Wingardium Leviosa"

Suddenly there was movement coming towards them, "And just who do you think you are? What if you damage a book! Don't you know it is common practice to ask for assistance from the shopkeeper?"

Hermione carefully held the book to her chest and turned with a bashful smile, "Sorry Mr. Asa."

"Ah, it's you! Good afternoon Miss Granger! Splendid to see you. I apologize I didn't recognize you for a moment. Looking for anything in particular today?" The storekeeper Mister Asa spoke in a suddenly joyous manner.

"Mostly just going to browse, but I was wondering if you had any books focused on combining aspects of alchemy and potions together?" Hermione inquired as she gave the storekeeper a friendly hug while taking care of the book. He had helped her every year gather what books she needed for school and encourage her passion to learn since she began coming to Diagon Alley by herself.

"Hmm interesting concept, my dear." He brought a finger to his short beard. "Let me think a moment while you browse. I'll bring anything I think of over to you."

"Thank you, Mr. Asa."

He nodded and took a measured look at her mother before he moved to the right of the store and Hermione walked with her mother back to the front. "Feel free to grab whatever interests you from the shelves, of course." He called back to her.

Her mother looked at her with her eyebrows up. "He seems to know you well."

Hermione shrugged and went back to the shelves. "He has helped me get school supplies every year. The first year he realized I was by myself, he and his wife closed the store down for an hour to help me gather everything. There were some potion ingredients I wasn't allowed to purchase without an adult but they were required for school. I was terrified Professor Snape was going to kick me out of class for not being prepared. I had come in here next, blubbering what I needed for books while his poor wife tried to understand what I was saying. He took one look at me, asked what was wrong, and then went with me to get what I needed. He even bought me an ice cream. His wife, Elizabeth, passed last year. She was a lovely woman."

Hermione grabbed three more books to look at before deciding to put two of them back and only buy the one. Jean turned towards her daughter with an apologetic look, "Hermione, darling, I didn't realize-". She was cut off.

"Here you go, I think I found just what you were looking for." Mr. Asa said as he walked around the corner.

After looking through the table of contents and skimming a few pages she smiled. "This is perfect. Thank you."

"Is that all?"

"Yes sir." Now she could cross Professor Snape off her list.

The shopkeeper floated the books over to the front counter and they began to wrap themselves in brown paper and string as he walked over to ring Hermione up.

Once they left, Hermione was pointing out various places and things to Jean, explaining what they were as they walked by. Jean was actually learning quite a bit about the area and its history, but Hermione could see she was skittish around the mass of 'odd-looking' people walking by; especially when a man was talking with his hands while holding his wand and multi-colored sparks were emanating out of the end as he passionately spoke and walked by.

Next Hermione entered the parchment and ink shop. She grabbed her standard supply of black ink as well as some ink that changed colors for notes when a charm was added. It was when she made it to the parchment section that her troubles began. She had been doing a fair job of hiding her heat so far, but when she stumbled and grasped the shelf with a gasp, her mother took notice.

"Are you alright, darling?"

"Y-yes." She steadied herself as her hormones ran rapid. "Sorry, just felt light headed for a moment."

"Maybe you should sit down?" Her mother came over and felt her forehead.

Hermione wondered why that was the first instinct mothers had when something was wrong with their child. "No. Mom, I'm fine." When her mother tried steering her towards the exit, she spoke. "Maybe my blood sugar is a little low. Let me pay for these and then we can go get an ice cream?"

Her mother finally relented, "Alright, darling."

After paying for the purchases and walking down the alleyway to Fortescue's, Hermione noticed a blonde boy walking down the way in front of them. She smiled as she watched the little boy toddle down the street holding his mother's hand. He was perhaps 3 years old, at most. What caught her breath was the mother, late 20s with hair as bushy and uncontrollable as Hermione's. Of course the mother's hair was so dark brown it looked black but it didn't stop Hermione from relating to her and seeing where her life could be in a few years.

Jean glanced at her daughter and sighed with a small smile. "I know what you are thinking, but please don't make me a grandparent yet."

Hermione's eyes widened as she realized her train of thought. "No, that won't happen yet. I want to wait until after school before we even consider children." She smiled and looked back in the direction the mother and son had disappeared. "It is just nice to see where my life could be in a few years."

Once they entered Fortescue's, Jean's eyes could not stop looking from table to table as she watched groups devour perilously stacked scoops of ice cream. It was impossible that the six scoops of ice cream hadn't fallen over yet onto that table, yet there was a family of four still happy tasting from the different flavors.

Apparently there was some sort of discount today for four or more scoop bowls. So Hermione and Jean picked out two flavors each and sat down at a small table in the corner to eat their treat. Jean hesitated while deciding where to eat from first. She decided to brave the top scoop. She went to take a spoonful and met enough resistance to safely get a bite. However when she went for another, the scoop fell to the side, rolled around the second scoop and replaced itself back on top.

This was enough to recapture Hermione's attention from her distracting hormones. She bit her lip as she anxiously awaited her mother's response.

Jean's voice was hesitant, but perfectly calm when she asked, "There's nothing actually alive in it is there?"

As Hermione shook her head, "No, it's just ice cream;" Jean nodded while still staring at the mountain of ice cream and bravely took another bite.

Hermione smiled and took a bite from a different scoop.

The pair spoke of classes Hermione was taking at Hogwarts, and for the first time, Hermione felt that her mother was actually making an effort to listen to her.

Hermione felt another bead of sweat roll down her face and crossed her legs the other direction again. By this point they were both finished with eating what they wanted of the ice cream and were just sitting and talking. But Hermione was getting anxious to leave. Though she knew there would be no relief when she left.

As Jean watched her daughter begin to sweat profusely, she knew something was wrong. Her daughter could not stop fidgeting or shifting. Finally Jean was interrupted mid sentence, "Mom, we need to go."

Jean blinked, "Alright. Where to?"

"Out of here, I just-"Hermione stood and walked out of the parlor.

Jean watched as her daughter grew panicked and left without grabbing her cloak. She put hers on and grabbed Hermione's before exiting into the freezing cold.

Hermione was pacing near an alley, still sweating and not even noticing the cold. Jean knew there was something big going on that Hermione was not telling her.

"Sweetie, what is going on?"

Hermione looked at her with tear filled eyes, "I need Draco."

With a nod, Jean stepped towards Hermione. A few pieces were beginning to click in her mind, "Why did you send him away?"

"Well we knew… I didn't want to…" Hermione took a deep breath, "Because I wanted to spend Christmas with you."

"And he couldn't stay here?"

"Not if I wanted you to like him."

"Does what you are going through have to do with him being a veela?"

At Hermione's nod, Jean hugged her daughter. "I don't understand what is going on since you are human, but I think I understand enough to know that you need to be with him more than your parents." She pulled back and smiled, "Go."

Hermione looked at her, "but-"

"No 'buts', go! We'll be fine. We will see you this summer."

Hermione smiled and hugged her mother, "I love you mom. Thank you for today." They both smiled before Hermione disappeared with a pop.

Jean sighed. Now she just had to figure out how to leave Diagon Alley with no magic. She would find someone to help her. Today had showed her that her daughter really did belong in another world, but that that world was not necessarily a bad thing. And more importantly, she really needed to support her more if she wanted to keep any type of relationship.