New chapter, quite a short one but I had to post, at least, one before Christmas.
After such a dreadful year, I hope that you are all going to enjoy Christmas. I don't really know what else to say, this year has sucked and I really can't wait for this year to end.
Thanks for reading and being here.
purelygreen welcome :)
addytwohill welcome :)
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and finally for this week stellae leoinix welcome :)
xx
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When Hermione went to the kitchen, for breakfast, Andromeda was already there. She was feeding baby Teddy, she smiled when she saw Hermione.
Her smile said it all and Hermione knew that Andromeda knew where she had spent the night and why. Hermione blushed a bit before to sit next to the older witch. Without knowing why, she started to cry.
Andromeda wrapped an arm around Hermione's shoulders and asked her why she was crying. She asked if the experience had been bad, if she had been fighting with Fred, if she was in any kind of pain.
Hermione shook her head. She told Andromeda that everything had been perfect. The night, once she and Fred had arrived to her house, had been even better than what she had dreamed of for a very long time. Fred had been gentle, he had listened to her and been careful. It did hurt, a bit, but Hermione affirmed that she had expected something worst. She had heard so many things, bad things so she had convinced herself that it would hurt like hell and would not be pleasant at all but it had been the opposite.
« I am glad Honey. After the dreadful events of last evening, I am very happy to know that your night had ended on a positive note. I knew that Fred was going to take care of you and guide you but then why are you crying?»
Hermione replied that she did not know. She was not lying yet she could not stop sobbing.
« I guess your body has been overwhelmed, your mind too and somehow everything you have been dealing with, lately, have to get out. Sometimes, we have to let the tears fall. »
Hermione blushed a bit, again, and said that she had never experienced something like that. She had felt so, so good that she was almost ashamed of it. She was almost feeling bad for being that happy after what had happened the previous evening.
« Nonsense Honey. You have the right to be happy and to enjoy your life. You have waited long enough. No one should blame you for living your life. If we had to wait for everybody else to be happy, to enjoy our own happiness, we would never enjoy life. However, I am a bit mad at you for not listening to me and asking for Kingsley's permission instead of mine but you are an adult, so his Fred, I can't ground you for disobeying. »
Hermione apologized and promised to never do something like that, ever again.
The last thing that she wanted was to fight with the older witch. She loved her too much and needed her too much to argue with her. Andromeda laughed and said:
« Hermione, I was just worried about you. Now that the morons are finally behind bars, I can relax. I won't forbid you to go to your house to enjoy carnal pleasures with your boyfriend, Kingsley said that it was as safe as this house yet I want you to know that I don't mind having Fred for breakfast. Tonks never said a word about her private life before troubles started with Remus. It might sound selfish but I don't want you to leave. I am enjoying our relationship too much to let you go just yet.»
« I am not going to leave. Living here with you, Harry and Teddy is a dream. I miss my parents but I do have a family. As for Fred being here for breakfast, I will think about that. I need some times to get use to the idea, you know, you, Harry and unfortunately many more persons knowing what Fred and I are doing. Geez, I must sound like a prude. »
They looked at each other's and laughed, even baby Teddy laughed.
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Later on Harry joined them. He had not slept for that long since forever, when he had seen 10am on his watch, he had first thought that he was still dreaming.
« You better than anyone deserved some extra hours of sleep. » said Andromeda gently as she was waving her wand to make some toasts for him.
« Yes, speaking of sleep, I heard you coming home at 5am, I guess I had slept some extra hours for you. » joked Harry as he was looking at his best friend
Hermione turned red which made Harry and Andromeda laughed. She asked her best friend how come he already knew what had happened. Harry shrugged and said that he had understood, as most of the Weasleys, when they had not seen her and Fred anywhere.
« We put and two together. »
Worried Hermione asked him if Ginny was mad at her, if someone was mad at her.
« Not because of Fred and I sleeping together but because of what did happen before. » she clarified
Harry reassured her, nobody was mad at her. Why would they? What could they possibly have against her, nothing. Hermione was not so sure, many could easily blamed her. If she had not taken the time turner none of this would have happened.
« If you had not, Fred would be dead. Ginny might not be happy about you keeping secrets, specially one like that but Fred is her favorite brother so believe me, she is glad that you had gone to McGonagall's office to borrow the time turner, they all are. »
Hermione bit her lips, perhaps the Weasleys would not hold any grudge but what about the others?
« The others, you mean, Fred and George's best friends like Alicia, Katie, Angelina and Lee, same as the Weasleys happy that you did what you did. »
Harry and Andromeda could tell that Hermione was not convinced.
« Look Hermione, things happened. We can control everything all the time. As Kingsley told you yesterday, it is everybody's fault. Besides, torturing you is not going to bring back Mr Lovegood and the Aurors who died yesterday. We can not save everybody. Choices have to be made and if someone has problems with yours, they can come and fight me. » said Harry who did not want Hermione to feel guilty
Andromeda agreed with Harry. With tears in her eyes, Hermione jumped of her chair to hug her best friend. Harry wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled, it felt good. He had missed her just like she had missed him.
« No more secrets. » they promised to each other's.
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After that, Harry told Hermione that he had stayed at the Burrow past midnight. He had come home only after George and Percy had come back from St Mungo to inform their family and friends that Alicia, Fleur and Audrey were ok.
« Thanks God, they are ok. Do you think Fleur is pregnant? George mentioned in his owl that the nurse had said that her blood test confirmed it, so is she?» asked Hermione who was still quite certain that the veela and the half werewolf would not easily procreate
George had also sent an owl to Fred and Hermione, he had known that the two lovers would like to be informed as well.
«It looks like she is. I am surprised you had time to read the note. George was not sure you and Fred would. » smirked Harry
« So they all know about Fred and I. Oh no. » grunted Hermione
« No, they don't. I don't think so. I do know because I knew that you had gone to your house, Kingsley told me and I had assumed that you had not gone there to just sleep. »
« Good because the last thing that I need is to face a knowing Mrs Weasley. I need time to prepare myself for that face and conversation. » replied Hermione nervously
« Oh Honey, sorry to break your hopes but we are speaking about Molly Weasley, believe me, she must know. »
Hermione hide her face with her hands. Harry and Andromeda cheered her up and they all ended up laughing
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They chatted, happily, for a while. It was the first time that Andromeda was seeing the kids chatting so freely. They were smiling, joking and laughing which filled Andromeda's heart. They had finally reached that new white page.
A bit before noon, she said that Teddy had to be changed to give some space to the kids.
As she was climbing the stairs, she heard Harry and Hermione laughing. She smiled as she was wondering when was the last time that the house had been filled up with carefree tinkling laugh: certainly decades ago.
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I will post next chapter, the last one before new year's eve
Xx
