Chapter 18 – Reconciliation

A few days later, amongst the ongoing trials and rebuilding of Hogwarts, which McGonagall was thankful was nearing its end, Mrs Weasley managed to pull together a joint eighteenth birthday party for Harry and Neville.

A marquee was set up outside the Burrow, not dissimilar to the one used for Bill and Fleur's wedding. It had a dancefloor and floating lights that changed colour throughout the evening and into the night, and a buffet, planned to perfection by Mrs Weasley and Neville's grandmother, was laid out along a table at the back of the space. At midnight, Mrs Weasley levitated a large, tiered cake into the marquee, and everyone sung Happy Birthday to them, the two teenagers flushing pink at the attention. As the singing finished, Ron, having had a good number of Butterbeers, transfigured into his Labrador animagus and ran around them barking excitedly, eventually knocking Harry over who rolled beneath his best friend laughing his head off, tears pooling in his eyes.

The green of them shined even more vibrant than usual and, when he scrambled out from beneath Ron, Ginny launched herself at him and this time he just and so managed to remain standing, wrapping his arms around her and pressing their lips together, wolf whistles sounding from around the marquee.

Honestly, Hermione thought rolling her eyes and walking over to give Neville a hug and murmur her congratulations in his ear. She snagged two glasses of champagne from a tray that was floating by, handing one to Neville and raising hers in a silent toast to him. They chatted for a while, about his upcoming Auror training, about the way he kept looking at Hannah Abbott across the dancefloor, even a bit about the trials, but Hermione kept getting distracted by Ron's Labrador still running around the marquee, creating havoc.

Excusing herself and pushing Neville lightly in Hannah's direction, Hermione swapped her champagne for a large glass of pumpkin juice and stalked across the marquee towards Ron with a determined look on her face.

Approaching him from behind, she swooped her empty hand down mid-stride and grasped the Golden Labrador by the scruff of the neck, tugging him along beside her until they were outside in the mild night's air, under a clear, cloudless sky. She crouched down so that she was staring him in the eye and gave him a flash of her Alpha look when he whimpered at her.

"Change back, now."

Ron bowed his head and looked, as much as he could, to be concentrating for a minute but eventually began shaking his head from side to side and whined again. Sighing, Hermione pointed her wand at him and twisted it anti-clockwise, uttering the incantation to reverse the transfiguration. Ron was surrounded by a globe of soft, blue light for a moment until he sat in front of her as himself again, coughing and spluttering.

"Here," Hermione said, holding out the glass. "Drink this, and hopefully you'll feel better."

Ron took it in a shaking hand and greedily gulped down half of the juice before letting out a, long, appreciative sigh and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Thanks, 'Mione. I needed that."

"You don't say," Hermione commented drily. "I'm pretty sure Professor McGonagall will have warned you against transfiguring while intoxicated, Ronald."

"Yeah, she did," Ron had the good sense to look sheepish. "I didn't think I'd get stuck though."

"Well, at least you usually learn from your mistakes," she rolled her eyes at him, teasing, and set her hand on his shoulder. "Drink the rest of the pumpkin juice and maybe sober up a bit, alright?"

Ron nodded and they sat in silence, Hermione leaning back to study the stars while Ron steadily sipped at the juice, the music and laughter from the party continuing in the marquee behind them.

X - X - X

Hermione just couldn't get enough of Teddy. She'd missed having cuddles with him and spending time with Andromeda while she had been so consumed by the trials. Maybe those cuddles and having someone to talk to would have lessened the worry and apprehension, but Hermione hadn't wanted to bring the trials to Andromeda's door, especially not her frustration over having to sit out of Draco's and Narcissa's.

But today, there was a bit of a lull. The Wizengamot had decided to take a much-needed break now that they had finished trying most of the Death Eaters and were moving on to lesser crimes committed during the war. Hermione knew that the Snatchers would be involved in the next lot of trials, as would complicit Ministry workers. For many of them, Harry and Ron would not be required to provide testimony, so they could now begin to wind down before starting their Auror training. Hermione was glad for that, but also slightly disappointed that she wouldn't have an inside source for the Snatcher's trials. She desperately wanted to know if any of them could point the Aurors in the direction of Greyback.

So, while Harry was enjoying being eighteen by taking Ginny out in muggle London for the day, and Ron was conspiring with George at the shop, Hermione had decided to take time for some Teddy cuddles.

She smiled down at the head of soft hair resting on her chest, returning to its natural blonde now that he had drifted off. Andromeda had been watching her grandson gradually fall asleep as Hermione read to him, and the two witches shared a smile when a gurgle escaped his mouth as he dozed peacefully.

Hermione hadn't quite finished reading The Fountain of Fair Fortune so, when Andromeda stood and motioned to Hermione that she would go and make them a pot of tea, Hermione nodded her acknowledgement without breaking the rhythm of the story, murmuring the words softly to Teddy so as not to wake him. As she read, she heard the water running from the tap into the kettle and Andromeda setting it on the stove but, before she heard it begin to boil, Hermione heard a surprising knock at the door. It wasn't often that Andromeda received visitors and especially visitors who didn't use the floo.

She heard Andromeda move to answer the door and felt the older witch's shock and then anger reverberate through the house. Hermione's heckles raised at Andromeda's reaction to the visitor and she stood from the sofa to protect her just as the door was pulled open and the scent of the visitor hit her.

"What are you doing here?" she heard Andromeda hiss through her teeth, quietly in the hope that Hermione wouldn't hear her, but with anger palpable in her tone.

Hearing Andromeda's anger and distress caused a growl to form in the back of Hermione's throat. The full moon was getting close again and her Wolf was not going to let a member of their pack to feel threatened or hurt.

She stalked across the kitchen towards Andromeda who was keeping the door as closed as possible, blocking any entrance or view into the house.

"Dromeda, take Teddy," Hermione ordered, trying to keep her impulses at bay while she was in the house, especially when she was holding Teddy.

The older witch turned to face her, wide-eyed upon hearing the bite which laced Hermione's words, but she still kept the door as closed as possible.

"I didn't want to disturb you. I'm alright, Hermione," Andromeda tried reassuring her.

"No, you're not. Now take Teddy," Hermione repeated, not giving Andromeda a choice in the matter when she held the baby out to his grandmother.

Andromeda automatically released her hold on the door to wrap Teddy in her arms, and Hermione had yanked it open and was pushing Draco forcefully in the chest, away from the door before Andromeda could say another word.

"You're upsetting my family, Draco," she growled low, giving him another push to the shoulder so he stumbled further backwards. "You should get out of here."

"What the fuck, Granger?" he spat out, regaining his balance. Surprisingly, he had managed to keep hold of the fresh loaf of bread that he still grasped in his hands.

Hermione growled again and bared her teeth, narrowing her eyes at him until he took another few steps back, but then, he stopped, deciding to stubbornly stand his ground against her.

"No," he said, his eyes narrowing right back at her. "Fuck this. I'm not running, I'm done being scared and last I checked, that's my aunt and cousin in there, Granger, so I'm not leaving until I speak with my family."

Hermione was sure that her eyes were flashing green at him by this point, but he didn't say anything, just stared her down as she appraised him. He'd had his hair cut since his trial the previous week, shaved at the sides but left longer on top and not slicked back in the way he would have done a few years ago. His face was still gaunt, and his collar bones stood out from what she could see beneath the open collar of his shirt. His skin looked less pallid however and he had a determined spark in his eyes again.

"Mother said you hated me, Granger, that you'd rather I rot in Azkaban, but I didn't want to believe her." His sharp words, hiding his disappointment, stung as though he had hit her, and Hermione winced.

She stepped towards him, softening her expression as she did so, and paid attention to his body language, what he wanted to say without speaking. Her eyes focused on his fingers still clutched around the loaf of bread. There was a nervous tension in them, and the way his eyes kept flitting to the house behind Hermione showed an apprehension, a hope that he wouldn't be rejected. That he wanted a chance.

She sighed and met his eyes, trying to project comfort and curiosity into her gaze, hoping that he would choose to trust her.

"Do you know how lonely I've been, Granger? Do you know how much I regret everything? How much I didn't want it?" he asked quietly before scoffing in answer to his own question. "No, of course you don't because you weren't at my trial. I thought you might not have been, I wouldn't have blamed you, but when Potter and Weasley showed up, and you didn't..."

He trailed off, sighing and looked longingly over her head at the house.

"Why weren't you there, Granger?" Draco sounded so forlorn and Hermione could only shake her head, choosing to indulge her own curiosity instead.

"What are you holding a loaf of bread for?"

Draco blinked at her a few times, his lips parted in a small O shape, before bursting out a surprised laugh.

"It's for Lughnasadh, to celebrate and break bread. I was hoping it could be a new beginning," he looked at the house again and Hermione wondered if Andromeda was watching their exchange from the window. "I've felt what it's like to lose everything, to be so lonely you go cold and can't get warm again. I still have family, family I've never met because I was never given the chance. Now I want that chance, to start again."

Draco shifted the loaf to balance it on one forearm so that he could stretch a fragile hand out towards her.

"I'd like that chance with you as well if I can. To apologize and move forwards."

Hermione slowly reached forwards and wrapped her fingers around his hand, feeling the delicate bones prominent beneath the skin. She squeezed only very lightly and curved her lips at the corners.

"I doubt I'll forget any of it, but I forgave you a while ago now, Draco."

She released his hand and turned back towards the house, pausing when he didn't immediately follow her.

"Come on. It's about time Andromeda met you."

Hermione just hoped that she wouldn't be faced with another Black sister trying to kill her when she walked through that door.

A/N:

So we've reached August and that means it's just one more month until Hermione goes back to Hogwarts! Thoughts so far?

Thanks, as always for reading xx