I originally wrote Reach Out For Me in 2017. In order to post it to AO3 I heavily edited it. Since I'm very pleased with the result I decided to post it here as well. As the original is just as dear to me and maybe to a few of you, dear readers, I won't remove it.

Harry Potter's room at Number 12, Grimmauld Place, was an utter mess.

A pigsty, her mother would've said. Hermione quickly rid herself of the memory of her mother's smiling face and schooled her features.

Despite the vastness of his bedroom, the whole floor was covered in his clothes, some fresh and some worn. Sighing, she picked up wrinkly shirts and single socks, folded the clean ones neatly with a flick of her wand.

When her foot bumped into Harry's Quidditch helmet, she scrunched up her nose and shot him a withering glance.

'I'm visiting Andie and Teddy today. You should join me,' he said unfazed. He let his gaze wander across his room while he shoved clothes and shoes out of the way with his foot.

'Are you looking for these?' Amused, she dangled a shabby pair of jeans in front of his face.

With a smile on his lips, he snatched the pants from her hands and stepped into them. 'She mentioned that she would be happy to see you, Mione.'

Hermione's stomach fell like it always did when Harry mentioned his godson and the toddler's enigmatic grandmother.

She crossed her arms in front of her chest, her eyebrows raised. 'The two of you have been talking about me?'

A faint blush crept on his cheeks. 'Well, I may have mentioned you're a bit of a loner these days.'

Hermione groaned and suppressed the urge to flee the room. While it was true that she sometimes felt isolated living with Harry and Ginny, this was not the way she wanted to reach out to Andromeda Tonks. The woman had a lot on her plate as it was, and Hermione didn't want to impose. There were always more books to read and ideas to explore.

Harry snapped his fingers in front of her face and broke her out of her reverie.

'Don't overthink it, Mione, just accept the invitation.'

Hermione nodded thoughtfully. It could not hurt, could it?

-§-§-§-§-§-

Less than half an hour later, Hermione and Harry walked along a gravel footpath towards a cosy-looking cottage that blended perfectly into a monotonous Muggle neighbourhood.

In the garden, many colourful vegetables sprouted in perfectly formed beds. Not a blade of grass seemed out of place. White and yellow flowers grew around the pond and along the path leading up to the house. From a distance, they looked like ordinary daffodils, but up close it was clear they must be enchanted. Their blossoms glittered and sparkled in the glow of the sun and seemed to dance in the light. Hermione bent down to touch the soft blooms and breathe in their aromatic scent. 'Definitely not normal daffodils,' she said to herself. She wondered how the older witch hid them from her Muggle neighbours, but before she could think about it, she saw Harry ringing the bell and quickly joined him at the door.

After a bit longer than expected, Andromeda opened. A lovely shade of pink graced the older witch's cheeks and an even lovelier smile graced her lips. She seemed out of breath and her chocolate-coloured hair looked a little more dishevelled than it usually did. Almost sheepishly she put a few loose strands behind her ear before she moved to lean against the doorframe. She mustered them with a curious expression on her face before her gaze settled on Hermione. Hermione drew in a breath. She had never seen Andromeda so tangible, so raw before. She seemed like a whole new person.

Andromeda's voice interrupted her musings. 'Well,' she drawled, 'I never thought I'd get to see you at my doorstep!'

Hermione couldn't take her eyes off her. Heat rose in her cheeks as Andromeda winked almost invisibly at her. Fortunately, she focused on Harry immediately afterwards, because Hermione feared she would burst under her gaze.

The other witch drew Harry in a hug. Before entering, she turned around again. 'A little warning. Teddy has been unwell the last few days, and it's taken a bit of a toll on both of us. This is your last chance to flee!' Her eyes sparkled, and she ended the sentence with a bright laugh.

Hermione swallowed empty. She had never heard her laugh before, and it immediately drew her to her.

'Very funny, Andie!' Said Harry in an amused tone. 'You know I want to see the little rascal!'

In a fluent motion, Andromeda moved away from the door and let her guests enter. Hermione froze as warm fingers touched her arm.

'It's good to see you, Hermione,' said Andromeda at a volume that was only meant for her ears.

The way Andromeda behaved today was contradictory to everything Hermione knew about her.

Since she met Andromeda, the witch had never been particularly accessible. Only occasionally in her interactions with Tonks did Andromeda show she had a warm, caring heart beating in her chest. However, this fact alone was not enough to make her more approachable. She had always exuded an aura that had prevented Hermione from exchanging more than a few pleasantries with her.

After the war, it had gotten worse. Andromeda's face had become distant, almost emotionless and only softened when her gaze was on her grandson. The stony expression accentuated the sharp edges of her cheeks and jaw and tampered with her beauty. Her smiles were hollow, never reached her eyes, and under the grey orbs, the skin was always darkened. It always saddened Hermione to see her like this and she would have liked to get to know her because Harry adored her so much. But the cool pride with which Andromeda held herself still discouraged Hermione from reaching out. That was almost half a year ago.

Now Andromeda stood before her wearing clothes that must have belonged to Tonks and a bright face full of genuine emotion and bare of any make-up. Hermione couldn't believe what she was seeing and quickly wondered whether she had been thrown into a parallel universe.

They were about to sit down in the living room when a sharp cry cut through the silence. The cry quickly turned into a wail. For a split-second, Andromeda let her face fall and Hermione caught a glimpse of sorrow in her expression. The witch quickly schooled her features. On her way to the hallway, she put her hand on Hermione's shoulder and turned towards Harry. 'Be a dear and put the kettle on.'

When she was gone, Hermione absentmindedly but her hand where Andromeda's had been and began to look around the room.

The living was constricted and airy simultaneously. How this was possible, Hermione couldn't quite grasp. An advanced form of transfiguration, perhaps?

Many photographs were displayed on the walls, all framed in black, some large, some small. In one picture, young Tonks waved at her, proudly flying around in the backyard.

One photo took Hermione's full attention, judging by the hair it had to be of Andromeda. The witch was turned away from the photographer and was in a field of wheat, her delicate fingers gently touching the green blades. Hermione was about to look away, thinking it was a Muggle photograph when the witch in the picture turned around and gave her a beaming smile. Hermione's heart skipped a beat. She was beautiful.

Another picture showed the entire Tonks family with blissful smiles on their faces as they held onto each other. Tears stung at the corners of her eyes, and she quickly turned her attention to the bookshelf.

To her liking, all the books were sorted alphabetically. Gently, she ran her finger along the spines as she read the titles. Some of them she knew inside out, others were magical literature unknown to her. The words on their spines changed as she tried to read them. Careful not to make disarray, she took her all-time favourite out of the shelf. With great pleasure, she realised it must have been read many times. Its yellowing pages were battered and crumpled at the edges and the back cover was etched with lines. She had just taken another book in her hands when Andromeda returned with a sleepy Teddy nestled into her arms.

'I'm not surprised to see you raiding my bookshelf. Haven't you always had a book in your hand when I saw you at the Burrow?' Hermione felt busted and attempted to put the book back on the shelf. Andromeda's genuine smile calmed her down. 'Don't worry, love, with the noise level at the burrow, I sometimes have to zone out, too. Take your time, I'll help Harry with the tea.'

Hermione watched her retreat before turning her attention back to the books.

-§-§-§-§-§-

Before she went into the kitchen, Andromeda leaned against the cool stone wall in the corridor, closed her eyes and took two deep breaths. She loved Harry and his visits, but today, she would've preferred to curl up on her couch with a captivating novel and read. Or sleep. Sleep would be wonderful. She was tired of acting like everything was fine. With a steady motion of her hand, she refreshed the glamour on her face and prepared to take on the role of the cheerful grandmother again.

When she joined Harry in the kitchen, he was about to pour the tea, which appeared too thick and too dark. She could almost taste its bitterness on her tongue. 'Thank you, dear, why don't you go ahead?'

With her wand, she placed the cups and some biscuits on the tray and levitated it.

She carried Teddy in her arms, who was much heavier than he had been a few months ago and tried to concentrate on not spilling the tea. She almost made it to the small table in the middle of the room, but Teddy had other plans and elegantly pulled out of her grip. She had no choice but to drop her wand and, as a result, the tea.

'Dammit,' she hissed.

Teddy grinned cheekily at her and busied himself with her hair. Andromeda freed her hair from his iron grip and handed him over to Harry. Then she knelt to deal with the broken china. She didn't know whether it was sleep deprivation or a sort of ridiculous melancholia towards the china, but she felt tears in her eyes. The cups and saucers were a wedding gift from Ted's parents. They had withstood the whirlwind her daughter was, and now that she was gone, they shattered.

Hermione noticed the change in her demeanour and quickly knelt next to her. 'Let me clean this up.' She took the fragments from her shaking hands.

Andromeda nodded and sat down on the well-worn, emerald-coloured couch. She rested her face in her hands for a moment, so she didn't have to face her guest's pitiful glances. She had never been able to bear pity. Not when she was disinherited, nor when she stood at her daughter's grave.

Andromeda looked down at her hands and played with the hem of the t-shirt she had nicked from Nymphadora's dresser. She felt the sudden grief for her daughter deep inside her and it made her magic quiver. The glamour vanished from her face and there was nothing she could do about it. In the corner of her eye, she saw Hermione flinch.

'Sorry about that,' she said in a low voice and gestured to her weary face.

Hermione kept her gaze on her. Her emotions were now so palpable in her face that her heart ached for her. She opened and closed her mouth a few times but didn't dare to say anything. Instead, she sat down next to her, took one of her cool hands in her warm one and gave her a reassuring smile. The moment passed quickly, and the young witch knelt once again and picked up the rest of the shards.

Andromeda closed her eyes for a moment to gather herself. 'Thank you both. Let me bring you a fresh cup.'

Andromeda levitated the shards on the kitchen counter before pointing her wand at them. She had to turn away when the remains of the china slowly dissolved into nothingness.

Careful not to shatter another set of china, she took fresh cups out of the cupboard. The last one she grabbed was the one Nymphadora had painted for her as a Mother's Day gift in pre-school. The colour had faded from the countless times she had used it, but the ill-drawn kneazle was still visible. Her heart grew heavy when she set it down on the tray.

Without Teddy in her arms, she managed to serve the tea without spilling. Both her young guests eagerly took their cups and some cookies. Relieved, she made herself comfortable on the armchair that stood opposite the couch. Leaning back into the cushions, she shot a glance at her peacefully sleeping grandson in Harry's lap. 'You must tell me your secret, Harry!'

Harry looked up from the cookie platter. 'I merely told him the story of how I caught my first snitch.'

Hermione laughed. Even hearing the story for the hundredths time hadn't made it any more entertaining.

'Shut it, Mione! That story's bloody brilliant!' He swatted her arm.

Andromeda chuckled, her thoughts drifting. 'There's no one I love more, but these last days he's been driving me a tad insane. I don't function well on no sleep.' Looking down in her lap, she began to play with the silver bracelet on her wrist.

Hermione let her eyes roam over her tired face. She looked like she could use some rest. 'We could watch him for a few days,' she eventually offered. Nervous, she kept her eyes on Andromeda's face. To her relief, there wasn't a sign of discomfort.

'Oh, Mione, that's brilliant! We would love to watch him, Andie,' the wizard exclaimed.

Andromeda hesitated. Giving her precious baby boy to two inexperienced tweens wasn't exactly something she had planned on doing. However, a whole night of sleep did sound tempting, and they could always send a patronus.

After a moment of silence, Hermione gave her an encouraging glance. 'I promise you we can handle him for a night.'

Andromeda sighed. 'I do trust you, but please keep in mind he's still unwell. This probably won't be pleasant.'

'Don't worry, we got this,' Harry said and put Teddy into Hermione's lap. With an excited grin on his face, he leapt up from the sofa and almost ran towards the hallway.

Andromeda chuckled and moved to sit down in the spot he had just vacated. Gently, she ran her hand through Teddy's currently cerulean hair.

Her proximity made Hermione squirm in her seat. When after a few moments the older witch still didn't look at her, she voiced her discomfort. 'I hope I didn't overstep, Mrs Tonks.'

'Andromeda, please. My last name has become a bit painful for me to hear.'

Hermione exhaled slowly and met her gaze. Hermione's furrowed brow and tense jaw testified to her concern. Andromeda wondered how such a brave Gryffindor could be so nervous in her presence.

'Don't worry, Hermione. It's just tough letting him go, even if it's only for a night.' Leaning back into the soft cushions of the couch, she ran her index finger over the smooth rim of her cup. 'I'm glad I finally got to meet you properly. The last time you were here was hardly the right time to make new acquaintances and at the Burrow, it's always too chaotic for a proper conversation. I've heard a lot about you, though.'

'From Ton- Nymphadora, I presume.'

'Not only but yes, she was fond of you. Said she'd always admired your brilliant mind and strength and that without you the boys would've lost themselves in the woods.'

For a second, the beautiful smile that spread across Andromeda's face distracted Hermione from the sorrow that washed over her when she thought of Nymphadora.

'Your daughter was a dear friend, Andromeda. I'm sorry I never visited, I just, I…' She trailed off and took a deep breath. Hermione didn't dare to look at her as she searched for the right words. 'If it isn't too late, I'd love to get to know you,' she rushed out and kept her gaze on her hands.

Overwhelmed, it took Andromeda a moment to react. The young witch next to her tensed up further. Andromeda placed her hand on her taut shoulder, careful not to pinch Hermione's curls. With her index, she lifted Hermione's chin and gave her a warm smile.

Perplexed, Hermione could only stare at the older witch. Hermione's expressive light brown eyes and her beautiful face captivated Andromeda. It was difficult for her not to brush her finger along her jaw. After a moment she spoke in a warm voice, 'I'd love to see more of you.' She withdrew her hand and smiled at her.

Relieved, Hermione exhaled and squeezed Andromeda's hand.

Moments later, Harry returned with a colourful baby bag. Carefully, he took Teddy from Hermione's arm. 'Ready to go?' He asked Hermione.

Hermione nodded and reluctantly got up. She would have liked to continue talking to Andromeda as the witch now completely fascinated her.

Andromeda ran her fingertips over Teddy's rosy cheek. 'See you soon, my sweet boy.' Softly, she kissed his forehead, then addressed Harry in a firmer tone with one finger pointed towards him. 'The moment you feel overwhelmed you call me!'

A sassy smile spread on his lips. 'Of course, ma'am,' he said before he was swallowed by swooshing green flames.

Andromeda's gaze fell back on Hermione. Hermione grabbed a handful of powder and had already one foot in the floo when Andromeda found the courage to speak. 'Please, stay for dinner,' she said in a tone a little too high and immediately cursed the blush that rose to her cheeks.

The younger witch opened her fingers and let the powder drizzle into the bowl again.