A/N: I was not planning on posting this, however, this week was an absolute shit-show. I wasn't able to get anything written for V-Day, so I figured I would just update this for you instead! I will get to the V-Day oneshots, but it's going to be a bit.

ENJOY!

TWO

It was never Hermione's intentions to ever step foot in England again. When she had moved to Canada over three years ago, she had made her peace with her home country. She hadn't even told anyone where she had gone, but at one point, her condition had taken a turn and there were complications. She had needed help. She had given in and contacted Harry.

Being the amazing friend that he was, he dropped everything and came to her side. He had even kept it from those around them. And when he first saw her, stomach round at seven months along, he hadn't asked any questions. She knew he wanted to; it was always written on his face. She was grateful that he didn't. She wasn't sure could answer them.

Even as her daughter came out with platinum blonde curls and striking silver eyes, he kept his mouth shut.

Harry came by once every few months and stayed for two weeks. He always came under the guise of an international case that needed his attention. She never asked for the specifics of his cover story. She often wondered what the others made of his leave of absence when it occurred, but she trusted him to tell her if he couldn't do it anymore.

So when he arrived a month ahead of schedule, Hermione knew it wasn't good news that led him to her door. It turned out that Arthur was sick and it was beyond what the Healer's at St. Mungo's could do. That, according to them, it wouldn't be long now. Hermione's gut had twisted. She wouldn't be able to live with herself knowing that she never got to say goodbye to someone who had a hand in raising her like a second father.

It was how she found herself packing up her Canadian flat with no intentions to return. When the only thing left was her daughter, Hermione and Harry paused outside of her door and leaned against the frame, facing each other. "Are you going to tell her?" he asked.

Hermione glimpsed her daughter's face through the slit in the door, watching as the nightlight sent different colors dancing over her skin. "Tell her what?"

"The truth, Mione. About her father."

"No," she answered firmly. "I still haven't told-"

"Do you remember the tapestry at Grimmauld?" he asked, cutting her off.

Her blood turned to ice as she stiffened. In two sluggish heartbeats, she lifted her gaze to his.

"I noticed it a year ago, though I assume her name's been there since you made it official on her birth certificate."

"But I didn't list him-"

"It doesn't matter. It's a magical tapestry, Hermione. It goes by blood, not names."

She swallowed hard and reached up to twist her curls around her fingers, not caring that she was only doing damage to the strands. "Has he… Do you think…"

He shrugged and reached out to grab her hand. "I don't know. I don't see him that often. Being that the Malfoy line is one of the oldest and heavily documented, I'm sure there's magical record of it somewhere. It's just a matter if anyone's noticed it. But as far as him coming and asking if we've seen you… He hasn't."

"How long do we have?" she asked.

He checked his watch and she saw the way his eyes scrunched as he calculated the time difference. "Not long."

She nodded and went to push open the door, but he grabbed her other hand and held it as well. "You know everyone is going to ask when they see you. What are you going to tell them?"

"I don't know, Harry-"

"You have to think of something, Hermione. She looks just like him. And the timing? You left right after they got married. Everyone's going to connect the dots. Just like I did."

She snatched her hands from his and took a step back, wiping tears of frustration from her cheeks. "I'll dye her hair."

"The portkey is taking us directly to the Burrow in a half an hour. There isn't enough time."

"Fine," she snapped, running fingers through her hair for the hundredth time that night. "Let them connect the dots then. I don't owe anyone an explanation."

"You owe Malfoy."

Her lips pressed into a thin line as she clamped a hand over her mouth. Her other hand was curled over the opposite bicep, her fingers drumming against her skin. "I can't-"

"Did he hurt you?"

"What? No," she said, her hand going from her mouth to her chin. She lifted her gaze to Harry and begged him to see the truth, hoping to soften the anger in his emerald eyes.

"Well someone did. People don't just run away when affairs turn sour, Hermione. And they certainly don't abandon everyone they ever love with the intention of never being found again. Especially you. Someone hurt you and the only reason I can even think is what led to her," he said, pointing towards the slumbering toddler.

"I'm not afraid of Malfoy," she said after a moment. "I'm afraid of Astoria."

Her admission had his brows nearly lifting off of his face. "What did-"

"I ran because it wasn't just me that I had to worry about, Harry. I had her well-being to consider. It was just easier to be far away from all of it and pretend it never happened."

Harry pulled her into his tight embrace while she sobbed as quietly as she could manage. "Hermione, you have to tell me what she did."

She nodded against his chest as she tried to get her breathing under control. "I will as soon… As soon as we get to the Burrow. As soon as I see Arthur. I'll tell you everything. Just help me keep the rest of them at bay, please?"

He nodded and wiped away her tears when she pulled away. He checked his watch again and gave her a tight smile. "You go on and take a breather, I'll get Elara."

"Thank you," she breathed. She took one last look at her sleeping daughter through the slit in the door before heading towards the bathroom. After a quick splash of water to the face, she did a hurried last look around the house and joined Harry in the living room to shrink their possessions and put them all into her trusty beaded bag.

Her heart hammered in her chest as she stared at Elara sleeping on Harry's shoulder. Her little arms were wound around his neck, her thumb trapped between her gums. She swallowed hard as the panic began to settle in. "Mione, the portkey," he whispered, gesturing as best he could towards the chipped coffee mug on the end table beside her. She grasped the handle and held it out to him with trembling hands. "You can do this, Hermione. You were always the strongest of us. Don't let them take that away from you."

She gave a jerky nod of her head and sucked in a breath as the portkey began to activate, nearly vibrating out of her hold. Harry latched onto it and tightened his hold on Elara. Right as Hermione exhaled, she felt that familiar hook tug at her navel and the next thing she knew, she was just beyond the wards of the Burrow.

As she and Harry took a moment to let the nausea pass, Hermione wondered if Malfoy ever felt sick after using a portkey because Elara didn't so much as a twitch a brow after being transported from such a long distance. They both waited a few beats to make sure she would stay asleep before moving forward. Hermione tensed just beyond the wards, but forced herself through them, feeling the tingle of her skin as she passed.

It was several hours ahead here and Hermione felt out of sorts, but the sun had yet to rise. She hoped that meant the majority of those that dwelled in the misshapen building would be sleeping. As much as she wanted to just get it all over with soon, the idea of facing them all at once was overwhelming.

Harry went in first, careful not to wake Elara as he maneuvered himself through the front door. He held it open for Hermione and she closed it softly behind her. They strode towards the kitchen and she held her breath as she looked for signs that anyone else was awake.

"Oh, Harry. I wasn't-" Molly's voice cut off with a gasp and Hermione took a deep breath from her spot behind Harry. "Who-"

She stepped to Harry's side and watched as Molly's face went through an array of emotions. Harry stepped to the side as the Weasley matriarch stepped forward and yanked her into an embrace that left her unable to breathe. Tears fell into her hair and before she knew it, her own tears were flowing again. She wished she had taken a Calming Draught before coming.

"Hermione, is this… Is she…"

"Her name is Elara. She's a two and a half," she replied when Molly pulled back to look at the sleeping girl in Harry's arms.

"She's beautiful," she whispered and when she turned to Hermione again, she could see the older woman's mind reeling as she tried to connect the dots.

"Can I see Arthur?" Hermione asked, desperate to change the subject.

"Of course. Harry, you can set her up in one of the rooms. Most of them are empty right now."

"I'll be here after," he said to Hermione, reaching down to grab her hand. She squeezed it the way her chest was doing to her heart from being back in the Burrow. She hadn't allowed herself to miss this place, but now that she was here, she couldn't shut off her emotions. She handed him her bag as well and he took off towards the stairs as Molly beckoned her to follow the opposite way.

"He's too weak to make it upstairs so we transfigured the front sitting room for him."

"Molly, I'm so sorry," she said, stopping by placing a hand on the matriarch's forearm. She pulled her into another crushing hug, one that was long overdue.

"We've done all that we can," she said, pulling away again and wiping at her tears. "But he'll be overjoyed to see you. He never thought he would again."

"Had I known sooner, I-"

"You're here now, Hermione. I'm sure you had your…reasons…for leaving, but you're here now. Just promise that if you're going to leave again, please let us say a proper goodbye first. You're family and I c-can't…"

Hermione hugged her again and nodded vigorously. "I'm not leaving again. It won't be as easy to go away a second time," she said, knowing that once the word spread and Malfoy found out, there would be no way he was going to let her leave. Even if he didn't know she had her memory back, he, like everyone else, would only need to take one look at Elara to know.

When they pulled away from each other again, Molly took her hand and led her into the front sitting room. "Arthur? Darling, I have a surprise for you. Look who's come home."

Hermione's gaze swept over Arthur's frail and withered form. Her gaze blurred with more tears at seeing him like this. His skin was ashen like the blankets that surrounded him and what was left of his hair was no longer vibrant red; it was a dusty and dull. He fixed a gaze on her, trying to figure it out and then his eyes widened with surprise and he was reaching for her with brittle fingers. She moved to his side and gently threw her arms around him.

"Hermione? Oh how we've all missed you."

"I've missed everyone too," she said, her voice breaking with how true that statement was.

"Where were you?"

"Canada," she replied. "Harry's been helping me with something, but I heard about you and had to come home. I wanted you to know I was okay." She smiled as she brushed her thumb over his knuckles. "And I have someone I want you to meet later on if you're up to it."

"Oh?" he asked, rubbing at her left hand to check for a ring.

She laughed lightly and shook her head. "I have a daughter," she said, watching as his eyes sparkled with delight.

"I would love to meet her," he said, looking up to Molly over Hermione's shoulder. "We were just saying how we couldn't wait to have another grandchild around here, weren't we Molls?"

New tears sprang up furiously with a fresh wave of guilt.

"We were," Molly whispered behind her.

"Her name's Elara. She's two and a half."

"If she's anything like you she's as beautiful as she is brilliant," he said and then pulled his hand from hers to cough into it. Hermione looked away when she saw the splash of red that landed in the tissue he pulled up last minute.

"She really is a beauty," Molly agreed. "I only saw her asleep just now, but she looked like an angel."

"Not so much when she's awake," Hermione muttered, earning an amused chuckle from both of them.

"Does she take after her father at all?" Arthur asked when the coughing had subsided.

Hermione smiled grimly as he started coughing again and she stood up. As glad as she was for the interruption, she hated seeing him like this. "Get some rest, Arthur. I'll bring her by later," she promised.

He nodded and she slipped back into the kitchen, leaving Molly behind to take care of her husband. Harry was leaning against the counter when she turned the corner and she went straight into his arms the moment he held them out for her. She was all cried out, but she took comfort in his embrace.

"Elara didn't even notice when I tucked her in upstairs."

A trait she definitely didn't get from Hermione. Even before the war, her longest night of sleep was usually no more than a few hours. Her brain was just always on the go, never stopping for a breather. And she woke up at the slightest of sounds, even as a child. She sighed and relaxed into Harry as he idly stroked her back, his chin resting atop her head.

"You should go get some rest too, Hermione. It's going to be a long day as it is."

"I'll be fine," she assured him. She wouldn't be able to sleep. Not when she knew what she would be facing when she woke. "What about you?"

"I'm not sleeping until you do."

Her lips parted to say something, but they were interrupted by Molly's return to the kitchen. She studied them for a moment and then smiled. Hermione pulled away from Harry, but lingered close enough she could still feel him through her clothes. "You two should get some sleep before the cavalry comes home. Breakfast is at eight and you know my boys."

Hermione cracked a smile and nodded as nostalgia spread through her like wildfire. "It's alright, I-"

"I have Dreamless Sleep or Calming Draughts if you need," Molly said, heading to her potion's cabinet.

Hermione looked at Harry and he nodded encouragingly. "Thank you," she said, accepting the potions from Molly. She handed Harry the same ones and shooed them out of the kitchen. Harry then led her upstairs to the room Ginny used to use as a child. Elara was sleeping on the bed and she could see wards shimmering around the edges since there weren't any railings around.

Harry pointed to a pile of pillows and blankets near the foot of the bed. "I figured you'd want to sleep in here."

"I do, thank you."

She used her wand to make a makeshift bed and then they downed their potions at the same time, both of them shuddering at the taste. "Will you stay?"

"Already planned on it," he said, shucking off his shoes and laying down. He yawned as Hermione laid down on her side facing him. "Goodnight, Mione."

"Night, Harry." She was asleep before she even finished closing her eyes.

It took a moment for Hermione to remember that she was in Ginny's old room at the Burrow. It was strange for the space to feel both foreign and familiar at the same time. She lifted her head and panic crept in when she realized the bed was empty.

"She's downstairs."

Hermione scrambled to turn and see Harry lounging against the wall beside her. He was sitting on the pillow he'd slept on the night before. He had a mug of coffee in his hands and he smiled at her reassuringly as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Wh-what time is it?" she asked, moving to sit beside him.

He used his wand to bring her a matching mug from the dresser across the room. The contents were at the perfect temperature as she sipped at it. He glanced at his watch. "Half ten."

Her eyes went wide. "How long have both of you been awake?"

"I've been up for less than a half hour. Molly brought coffee and food when you're ready. Said Elara was wandering the halls at six." He smirked at her. "Cheeky little witch got past my wards and out the door without us noticing."

Hermione groaned as she took a long sip from her cup. "Great, she's inherited my penchant for sneaking about."

He snorted. "Double when you factor in Malfoy and her Slytherin side."

Hermione sighed and leaned her head back against the wall. "I suppose you want me to tell you now."

"Please," he said, levitating her breakfast to her as well. "You can even kill two birds with one stone. I reckon they're eager to see you."

As it was, she could hear the loud chatter that came with a gathering of Weasley's. An odd sensation crept up her spine as she heard her daughter's laughter mixed in here and there. "How much detail do you want?"

Harry grimaced and he pushed up his glasses again. "Spare me the nitty-gritty of your relationship."

She cracked a smile. "But that's where all the good stuff is."

"Please, Hermione. I ate quite a bit just a few minutes ago. Last thing I want to do is see it again."

She laughed and nudged him with her elbow before taking a small bite of toast. She took her time in chewing it and once she swallowed, she just played with the crumbs on her fingers as she told him what led up to her running away. When she got to the part of Astoria, he had taken her plate from her and held tight to her hand.

"She meant it, Harry. And I'm scared. If they find out about her, they'll either disinherit him or they'll try and take her from me. Either way, Astoria-"

"No one is going to take her away, Hermione. No one," he said as he looped an arm over her shoulders and pulled her into his side. "I will pull every last one of my Golden Boy cards if I have to to keep that from happening."

Deep down, she knew if it came down to it, she would sully her magical core by using the killing curse on anyone who tried to take her daughter from her, but she would let Harry try that route first. "I need to talk to him first. Before the rumor mill starts."

"Let's start with the people downstairs," he said and pushed her off of him. "A couple more bites and then we should go."

She nodded and they sat in silence while she forced a few more bites into her stomach. She levitated the plate back to the dresser and summoned her bag. "Can you keep them down there so I can freshen up a bit?"

He nodded and got to his feet before offering his hand to help her up too. "Once they know I'm up, it'll be about ten minutes before they come storming up here, regardless if I lie and say you're still asleep or not."

She smiled and followed him out of the room into the hall. As he made his way to the stairs, she ducked into the hall bathroom. She relieved the sting in her bladder and then rummaged around for a fresh pair of clothes. She had just showered the night before, although you wouldn't know it by the state of her hair. Too many knots spread through the curls from running her fingers through it during her hours of anxiety after Harry had arrived with the news.

After a few minutes of psyching herself up in the mirror, she returned the bag to the room she'd slept in and then made her way downstairs. The moment she stepped into the living room, an uncharacteristic silence settled over the Burrow. She took in the red hair and freckled faces as they stared at her like she was a ghost come back to haunt them. As her eyes watered, her lips parted, but she was prevented from speaking as someone barreled into her, forcing her to grunt as the air left her lungs.

The familiar smell of Ron Weasley hit her nose and before she knew it, she was a sobbing mess in his arms as the intensity of his hold had them staggering to their knees. She clutched at his shirt to keep him anchored to her, afraid that if she let go, she would truly fall apart the way she wanted to. He was the only thing keeping her together at this point and he clung to her like he knew.

"Mumma?"

She felt Elara's hand on her shoulder and forced herself to pull away from Ron. They continued to sit on their knees as she turned to face her daughter. "I'm okay, little love."

"Mumma sad."

"No," she said, tucking some blonde waves behind her daughter's ear. "Mum's just happy. These are Mum's friends. Mum's family."

Elara's little hands reached out to press against Hermione's cheeks and lifted them up into a squished smile. The same thing Hermione always did to her when she was sad. She smiled for real and pulled her in to kiss her forehead. Elara squirmed and kissed Hermione's forehead in return.

"Elara, would you like some ice cream?" Harry asked, bending down to her.

"Yes!" she squealed, throwing her arms up around Harry's neck.

Hermione mouthed a thank you to him as he carried her to the kitchen and found herself in Ron's embrace again. "I'm so mad at you for leaving without saying a word, Mione, but you're here. You're here and I never want to let you go again."

"I know, Ron, I'm so sorry. I'm not leaving again. It was what I had to do then."

"Where did you go?" Ginny asked.

Hermione felt her face flush. She had nearly forgotten there were others in the room. She pulled away from Ron and got to her feet, letting him wrap his arms around her again after he stood as well. "Canada."

Ginny's eyes trailed off towards the kitchen for a moment before meeting Hermione's gaze. "Is she why you left?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Were you in danger?" Ron asked, his arms tightening around her. "Why didn't you tell me? How did-"

"Ronald." Molly's voice was full of warning. "Hermione came out of hiding from whatever chased her away so she could say goodbye to your father. She just got in this morning. The lot of you should just be grateful she's here and save your questions for when she's ready."

Hermione smiled at the matriarch. "Thank you for breakfast and for watching Elara."

"When she finishes her ice cream, Arthur's lucid. He'd love to meet her."

She nodded and watched as Molly disappeared again. She turned to look at the other Weasley's. One-by-one, they came up to hug her. Charlie, Bill, and Percy kept it short and thanked her for coming and then disappeared to other parts of the house. George held her almost as tight as Ron had and only let go because Ginny shoved him out of the way.

"Harry's not the father," she whispered so only the red-head could hear her.

Ginny snorted. "That much is obvious," she replied. "I'm here to talk when you're ready."

"Thank you," she said and pulled away to find Ron grabbing her hand and tugging her outside.

"I can't wait, Mione. I need answers."

She wiped at her face, wondering when she would be out of tears to shed. "Go ahead."

"How long has Harry known where you were?"

She worried at her bottom lip. She braced herself for an outburst. She knew everything she told him would break his heart. "When I was seven months pregnant, there were complications and I was put on bed rest. I needed someone to help me and-"

"Why didn't you ask me?" His voice was near a choking sob as he looked at her with hurt in his blue eyes. "I would have dropped everything to help you."

"I know, Ron, I know," she said, biting her tongue to keep from sobbing again. "He's just… I needed…" She took a deep breath. "I needed someone who wouldn't ask questions and could keep his anger to himself."

Ron smoothed a hand over his face and nodded begrudgingly. "So all this time we thought Harry was up to something shady, but he was just visiting you?"

She nodded. "Yes. Every three months. In the beginning he stayed with me for four months, two before and two after I gave birth."

A bout of screaming laughter had them both looking towards the house again and when Hermione looked back, his eyes were already on her. "Who's her father?"

"Ask me something else," she pleaded, dropping her gaze in shame.

"Mione, she looks-"

"Ron, please. Don't go there. Not now."

"But-"

"No," she snapped, looking up at him then. "He doesn't even know. No one can know until I figure out if she's safe."

His eyes widened in alarm at that. "Why wouldn't she be safe? Mione, what-"

"I will tell you everything, Ron, please, just not right now. I can't…Not now. I can't. I can't-"

She broke down, but Ron was there to catch her before she fell. His arms were one of the things she missed most. Even though they hadn't worked out once the adrenaline of war wore off, she would never stop craving his arms around her. Same as being near Harry. It had killed her soul when she made the decision to keep him in the dark. But they had been through enough for her to know that if she saw him again, he would forgive her with time.

"I'm sorry," he said into her hair. "I won't push. I promise. But you're safe here, Mione. No one will harm you or Elara."

That was how Harry found them when it was time to introduce her daughter to the Weasley patriarch. Ron joined her, Harry, and Elara in the sitting room. She sat back and watched her daughter interact with Arthur. It brought on more tears as she thought of her own parents. They were still in Australia where she had sent them before seventh year. They didn't remember her as she had done too good of a job.

It made Hermione wonder if it was Astoria's shoddy spell casting or if it was a side effect of being pregnant that made her memories return. Either way, seeing Elara with a grandparent in any capacity warmed her heart and she felt guilt come over her as she thought of all the years she had robbed them both of this.

When Elara started to fuss, they gave Arthur some space and the trio took her upstairs to put her down for a nap. When they were able, they stepped into Ron's old room next door and sat like they used to during their summers together. And later that night, she curled up behind her daughter on Ginny's old bed with her two best friends on the floor as if guarding them from any would-be attackers.

She knew she had to tell Malfoy, but as she drifted off to sleep, her fears and her guilt kept bringing out the worst-case scenarios. Sooner or later, she would have to confront him. That much was inevitable. But so long as she remained tucked away in the Burrow, she could maintain her bubble of ignorant bliss. It was just a matter of when, not if, and she was determined to keep it from bursting for as long as possible.