Chapter 10
"I've had a brilliant idea." Hermione called out as she burst into the kitchen. Hermione grabbed a slice of toast and started buttering it at the table.
"My next project should be a treehouse for Victoire in the back. There are some perfect trees for it." She said smiling as she unrolled the Daily Prophet to take in the headlines.
Mrs. Weasley was now fluent in Hermione, and nodded and hummed along as she brought her cup of tea over to the table and sat down.
"Sounds lovely, dear."
Hermione continued to read the paper, flipping through pages as Mrs. Weasley watched her.
After a bit, Hermione felt the warmth of Mrs. Weasley's long gaze and peaked over the newspaper to see Mrs. Weasley watching her.
"Mrs. Weasley?" She said, cautiously.
"You know I told you to call me Molly, dear."
Hermione gulped.
"I believe it is time for you and I to have a bit of a chat." Mrs. Weasley said matter-of-factly.
"Okay." Hermione squeaked. She recounted the last days. Short of the fight with Ron, she couldn't think of anything that would have set Mrs. Weasley off. Did she actually cross over a line with the photo albums?
"It's time, Hermione." She said, taking a sip of tea.
"Time?" Hermione echoed setting down the Prophet and looking over at Mrs. Weasley with worried eyes.
"Yes. Time for you to figure out what the next phase of your life should look like."
Hermione paused. "I don't understand."
Mrs. Weasley looked at her with sympathetic eyes. "My dear, you can't hide from the world forever."
"Why not?" Hermione retorted. "I like it here."
"And we love having you, Hermione. But this isn't the end of your journey. It's just the beginning."
Hermione took Mrs. Weasley's words in. The wise woman always pushed Hermione when she needed it, but Hermione wasn't sure she was ready for this.
After a long contemplative pause, Hermione responded softly. "But, I...I don't know who I am anymore."
"Pish-tosh" Mrs. Weasley scoffed in disbelief. "You are an amazing woman with so much to give the world. It's time you get back out there. Spread your wings."
"Mrs. Weasley...Molly…" she corrected, "I knew who I was when I was at school...and I knew who I was when I was an Auror... but now…" She waved around the room, "I don't know…"
"Hermione, your past is a part of who you are. You are still the bright intelligent girl who aced all of her exams and soaked up knowledge like a sponge. And you are still the lean mean fighting machine that single-handedly took down eight death eaters in one fell swoop. You are all of your success, all of your mistakes. You are still every bit of the amazing things you've done, and more…" Mrs. Weasley paused.
Hermione hung on her every word.
"Now that you are armed with these amazing past experiences...and learnings. You get to decide where you'd like to go on the next phase of your journey, and who you'd like to take with you."
"What if I just don't know…"
"Then figure it out, dear!" She laughed.
Hermione chuckled, but Mrs. Weasley could tell she was deep in thought. As if sparking a new pathway in the forest of Hermione's mind, she nodded a thanks to Mrs. Weasley, and then bit into a new piece of toast whilst simultaneously grabbing her glass of milk in one hand and Daily Prophet in the other, leaving the room as quickly as she came.
Mrs. Weasley continued to hum as she took another sip of tea.
The weeks flew by as Hermione began to search inside for what she wanted next.
To the outside world, it looked like just another day at the Weasley household, but Mrs. Weasley could tell there was something different about Hermione's intentions.
The days were colder and Mrs. Weasley had made Hermione her very own purple knit sweater with a bold 'H' on the front.
Mrs. Weasley watched Hermione out the back window as she delved into her latest project, the treehouse. Hermione spent part of the time sawing away, and other times magically raising wooden slats up the tree and hammering the nails in.
Mrs. Weasley turned as she heard a familiar pop in the living room.
"Hermione!" Barked Ron as he stormed into the kitchen, searching for her.
"Ron." Mrs. Weasley half welcomed, and half scolded.
"Where is she?" He said angrily.
"What's the matter dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked, concerned.
"She is ruining my life!" He screeched. "Evangeline dumped me because of her." He yelped, pointing out the window at an unsuspecting Hermione.
Ron was headed for the back door, but Mrs. Weasley stuck her hand out in front of him and stopped him in his tracks.
"Sit down." Mrs. Weasley said calmly, but in the tone that every Weasley child knew was about to receive a stern talking to.
Ron instinctually looked back at the door, but turned and harrumphed himself down onto the bench at the kitchen table.
Mrs. Weasley sat and took a moment.
"Ron." Her voice was loving, yet stern. "I am sorry about your break-up."
"It's her fault." He grumbled. Mrs. Weasley ignored this.
"Ron, I know you've been through a lot these past years, but it's time to bury the hatchet with Hermione."
Ron looked away, trying to distract himself by nudging the miniature salt and pepper shaker nearest to him.
"Hermione isn't the same person she was 5 years ago, and she isn't the same person she was a year ago."
Ron continued to look away, but was listening.
"And neither are you." She said gently, putting her hand over his.
He looked back at her, almost painful to hear.
"There's been something I've been meaning to show you." She walked over to the shelf of photo albums, pulling Ron's off the shelf.
"Mum" he whined, trying to avoid looking at the book.
"Ron, please." She said. Ron shut his mouth, surprised at his mother's vulnerable tone.
"Listen" she said softly, "I..I didn't notice when you were growing up. You were always a part of the group and I thought it was fine..."
Ron furrowed his brow. He could tell she was getting at something, but couldn't decipher what.
Mrs. Weasley opened the photo album and began to flip through the pages. He watched, letting her take the lead.
The pages were filled to the brim with Hermione's handwriting. Select pages had photos of him as a child, but most were made up of special notes, class assignments and all sorts of random odds and ends that made Ron's life.
"Ron...I've been looking through these books and realized how little we photographed you. How little your father and I spent doting on you."
Ron gulped, trying to mask his emotions.
"Even Ginny has a book filled with pictures." She paused. "We never gave you as much time and attention as the others." She said softly. "I am deeply sorry for that."
"Mum, it's alright." He said, though he had never known how much he needed to hear her say those words.
"And even despite that" Mrs. Weasley went on, tears peaking from the edges of her eyes, "oh what an amazing man you've become."
Ron touched her hand, unsure of what to do, but desperate to absorb every ounce of his mother's love.
"Ron...the memories Hermione listed out, the details and notes and letters she hunted down... I just, I'd never really understood what you went though, what you did for Harry and her. Even at eleven...the Wizard's Chess" she choked out, "I hadn't realized how dangerous it was. How instrumental you were in defeating Voldemort even back then."
Ron felt his heart lurch.
"Even during your time as an Auror, Hermione shared the most amazing stories." She paused again, trying to get the words out.
"Ronald, dear. I am endlessly proud of you."
That's all Ron could take before he swiftly moved next to his mother and wrapped his strong arms around her, burrowing his face deep in the crick of her neck.
It went on like that for a while until Ron sat down next to her, continuing to hold her hand.
"I love you, mum." He said in an almost child-like voice.
"I love you too, sweetie." She said gently, giving his hand a squeeze.
"Which is why I can't have you go out there and start another one of your rows with Hermione." Her no-nonsense motherly tone returning in full force.
Ron looked up at her, still vulnerable.
"It is time you start taking responsibility for your actions." She patted his hand and popped up. "Hermione wasn't the reason for your break-up Ron, and you know it."
Ron pulled back, trying to avoid the wisdom Mrs. Weasley was flinging his way.
"It's time, Ronald. It is time for you to figure out what you really want, and do something about it. No more excuses."
Ron didn't say anything, he just sat there stunned.
"Now, I've got more work today. Hermione's been avoiding her chores lately, spending far too much time on that monstrosity of a treehouse." She smiled looking out the window.
Ron silently nodded, popped a kiss on his mother's cheek and disapparated.
Today was the Weasley Family dinner and Hermione decided that she wouldn't attend this go-round. She wasn't ready for another row with Ron, and she needed to do something alone. Something she'd been avoiding for a long time.
Silently, she stood in the center of her apartment taking in her past life.
Her eyes drifted over the stacks of files, the walls of victims. After living in the Burrow these past months, it almost seemed like this was another person's life.
Taking a breath, she began digging through and clearing out all of the old scribbles and notes. She took down the old files, incinerated some of the sensitive stories and information. She gently put the photos of her parents in a folder and stored it in the box of memories she chose to keep. She spent the entire day clearing everything out and shrinking all of her furniture into her extendable purse.
By nightfall she was staring at an empty apartment. One that sparked no joy and no love. One that she was proud of, just as much as proud to be rid of.
Hermione knew she was ready to turn the page. She had figured out where she wanted to go next, and this was not it.
After a final look at the space that helped her survive these past years, she gave one final heartfelt goodbye and disapparated.