Minerva stared at the letters for days before she managed to open the them. She read the first one from Elphinstone and sobbed uncontrollably. He had pleaded, begged her, to forgive him. Forgive his questionable acts to save her and her child from the unknown of how others would react to Hermione's true parentage. Elphinstone had explained how he knew he had committed an atrocious act against her but he couldn't say if he would have done differently given the same situation. Elphinstone said he would always do whatever it took to protect her in the long road because she was the most important person in his life. He had ended it with an I love you Minerva, in this life and the next.
Minerva knew Elphinstone was her soulmate regardless if it hadn't realized it until he had passed. He understood her mind, her soul, her independence, in ways no one else had. Their love of academics and their need to fight for justice regardless of the personal damage it costed them. He understood her need to take walks in the rain and her love of muggle books. She understood his love of walks and freshly brewed tea. She loved his fascination with magical flowers although that lead to his untimely death. How a wizard of his calibre died by a spider bite she would never know! She missed him, his silliness, his humor, in ways she hadn't expected to after he passed away. She missed waking up in his arms and making love to him late into the night.
Minerva had read the stack of letters twice over. Elphinstone had written with such emotion and honesty that it amazed her. She knew the man loved her, he was her husband after all, but the way he expressed himself had been breathtakingly beautiful. Had Minerva herself known she didn't have a romantic relationship with Elphinstone prior to 1982, she could of easily believed it based solely on the letters. His words have painted such a lovely scene and she admitted to herself she wanted to experience the love he had wrote of far longer than she had been granted.
She had managed to figure out the extension charm on Hermione's beaded bag and pulled not one but two albums from the bag. One she knew to be a replicate of the one glanced through earlier. The other one was pale blue in color and had a note attached to the front of it. She would recognize Hermione's elegant penmanship anywhere. I can't speak of his actions towards you but he provided me with a wonderous childhood while he was alive!
Curiously Minerva opened the album only to have her breath hitch painfully. She turned the pages gently and was mesmerized by the images. Photo after photo showed the relationship Elphinstone had with Hermione. He hadn't just provided a name on her birth certificate, he had actually been her father. Quiet moments, vacations, school programs and parties throughout Hermione's first 6 years were there in beautiful detail.
It was obvious Elphinstone doted on Hermione. Many photos were of Elphinstone simply holding Hermione on his lap and reading to her. It appeared he read muggle and magical books to the girl. Photos of the two laughing together or napping together on the couch were enduring to her. Elphinstone loved the child!
Minerva wiped the tears from her face and she laid the album down on her bed. She took a deep breath and made her way to her office and eventually out of the castle. She silently made her way to the small cottage Elphinstone had bought her once they married or at least when she thought they married. She glided to Elphinstone's portrait above the fireplace and conjured a comfortable chair. Suprise showed on his painted face as she glared at him. "Explain," she said briskly and she folded her hands together on her lap.
"Explain what Minerva," Elphinstone asked confused.
Minerva glared at Elphinstone's portrait before saying, "Hermione Isobel Urquart."
Elphinstone sighed deeply before closing his eyes briefly. "When Isobel came to me with her plan, I initially refused. I tried to get her to see reason but she was adamant about having a father listed for Hermione. She explained inward thoughts of pureblood families and what harm Hermione could come to if something drastic wasn't done. Isobel seemed to forget I was a pureblood too."
"Why," Minerva asked with a frown. "What was she afraid of?"
Elphinstone met her gaze before answering, "That a Dark family would find Hermione and adopt her. Could you imagine if someone like Walburga Black would have raised her? Hermione is extremely powerful and is a sponge with learning new information. What would she have became if a Dark family had twisted her?"
Suprise filtered across her face as she listened to her bestfriend, her husband apparently, speak. She had never thought for one second about a Dark family raising Hermione. Dark families tended to be Purebloods and Purebloods typically refused to adopt those of unknown blood statuses. "Why did she fear that?" Minerva questioned. She was missing a piece of the puzzle somehow. "Why would she think a Pureblood family would adopt a child with an unknown blood status?"
Elphinstone looked at her gravelly and sighed deeply. "Isobel had a dream several weeks before you gave birth to Hermione. She saw Bellatrix LeStrange torturing a muggle family and a toddler crying in the background. In the dream, the toddler lashed out with accidental magic to protect its self for harm and Bellatrix recognized Tom's magical signature in the child. Bellatrix took the child and raised her, twisting right from wrong. Hermione in the dream become more powerful and sadistic than Voldemort. The dream terrified Isobel into drastic planning and questionable actions."
"It was just a dream though," Minerva scowled confused by it all. Everyone had bad dreams from time to time, it didn't mean they would come true.
"There was a prophecy orb with Hermione's name on it the next day," Elphinstone answered honestly. "Your mother showed me that dream and I went to the Ministry immediately after. It was there and had just appeared the night before."
Dumbfounded, Minerva gaped at Elphinstone. "Seriously," she asked shocked. Her mother was no Seer!
Elphinstone nodded in response. "I went back to visit Isobel the next day and agreed to her plan. I would do whatever it took to keep you and Hermione safe."
"How could Ma be so certain the her plan would work," Minerva asked, still confused.
"She had another dream after I agreed to her plan and the prophecy orb disappeared as well," Elphinstone explained. "There is no other orb with Hermione's name on it either. I kept a frequent check until a month or so before my death."
"I am rather speechless," Minerva admitted as she stared at the portrait before her.
Elphinstone smiled at her, twinkling chocolate eyes and all. "I left you a few things in a warded box behind that bookcase," he said as he pointed out said bookcase. Minerva found the box easily enough. "I ask that you open it in the privacy. To open it just place your hand on the lock and say Hermione's name as it appears on her birth certificate."
"Very well," Minerva said as she sent the box to her bedroom in Hogwarts with a silently cast spell.
"Will you do me a favor," Elphinstone asked her when she looked back towards his painting.
"Most likely," she said with a grin.
Elphinstone grinned back at his wife. They both knew she would do whatever he wanted her to do. "Point your wandtip to your chest and say your married name," he commanded.
Minerva raised an eyebrow at the request but did as he asked. A gasp errupted from her and she slumped into a nearby chair. She was overwhelmed by the breaking of the memory charms placed upon her. She remembered the wedding and the honeymoon. They had went on a honeymoon! It hadn't been just a wedding night but a few weeks together in seclusion.
Minerva blushed deeply as she remembered how sated he had kept her during those weeks, how loved he made her feel. For an older wizard, he certainly knew how to play her body beautifully. He never shied away from her touch either. She met his gaze, tears flowing down her face. "Thank you," she whispered emotionally.
"I refused to take those memories permanently," he replied. "You are the only witch I have ever loved and I regret having so little time with you."
"Oh Elphinstone," Minerva whispered emotionally. "I love you and miss you so."
"I feel the same my dear," he replied. "You have been the most important person in my life since the moment you started working in the Magical Law Enforcement department."
"Elphinstone, " Minerva said as she tried to calm herself. "I shall be back soon to visit."
Minerva smiled tearfully at Elphinstone's portrait before holding her head high and walking out of the cottage towards Hogwarts. She had a box to go through.