AN: Just a happy Christmas chapter, you guys! You've earned it haha.
Remus and Hermione crept back to the Gryffindor Common Room in the early hours of the morning. Not that Sirius and James would have missed their absence, but they didn't want to miss presents.
They snuggled up on the couch in front of the fire, and dozed off, waiting.
"Oi! Lookit the love birds!" James shouted as he came down the stairs.
Sirius let out a catcall before transforming into Padfoot and pouncing onto them, snuggling up like the overgrown mutt he really sort of was. Hermione laughed and scratched behind his ears.
"Bugger off," Remus said lazily, not bothering to open his eyes.
"Aw but then you'll miss your presents," James said. "And I have it on good authority that there will be chocolate."
Remus' eyes twitched open. "If you're lying, I will eat you."
Sirius barked a laugh and leapt down off the couch, transforming as he went.
They were lounging about, snacking on a bit of food the boys had scrounged from the kitchens the night before, bits of ribbon and wrapping scattered about them, when Gideon and Fabian slipped through the portrait door.
"Happy Christmas!" they said, joyful smiles on their faces. They crossed the room and promptly pulled Hermione to her feet.
"Please excuse us while we steal our Mione away for the day," Gideon said, with mock seriousness. "It's all incredibly urgent."
Hermione laughed at their eagerness to see Molly, and allowed them to tug her toward the portrait. "See you later," she called over her shoulder.
They trudged out into the snow toward Hogsmeade. "Nice boots, by the way!" Fabian said as Hermione cast a quick warming charm.
"Woaah!" Gideon said. "Those are badass, Mione!"
Chatting about her boots, and the combat gear they most coveted filled their walk to the apparition point. Together they turned and apparated to the Burrow, and Hermione felt an immediate pang in her heart. She wasn't sure she'd ever be able to see this home without feeling a tidal wave of conflicting emotion.
"Alright there, Mione?" Fabian asked.
"Yeah, yeah, of course."
"Good, because if I have to wait any longer for Molly's cooking, I might die," Gideon said seriously.
Hermione laughed. "Well, best not delay."
The inside of the Burrow was nearly the same as she remembered. Warmth and love and the bustle of Molly's housekeeping. A touch of magic everywhere you looked, and a generous dollop of chaos. Hermione could hear Charlie and Bill shouting from the backyard, Arthur's voice raised as he tried to keep them in line. Percy was toddling around underfoot, pulling things from surfaces and inspecting them with an intense focus that Hermione found charming in spite of herself.
Fabian and Gideon stomped into the house and shed their jackets and boots like it was their home. Hermione remembered that feeling. That's the way Molly liked it best.
Molly hurried out of the kitchen and pulled each of them into a tight hug, one after the other. "I'm so glad you could come Hermione," she said, hugging Hermione last. "Do make yourself comfortable." She turned back to the twins. "You two, get out there and play with your Godsons, will you? And send my husband back in to keep an eye on Percy."
They both groaned and pulled their boots and jackets back on, then heading out into the backyard.
"You made those two godfathers?" Hermione asked with a grin.
Molly laughed. "Well, I'd hoped it'd give them a sense of responsibility, you know? But mostly, they're just as bad as the boys, and them only 5 and 7." She rolled her eyes. "Percy's godfather is Arthur's brother Howard." She hesitated. "I don't like to speak ill of family, of course, but he's a bit… you know…" she lowered her voice as if the walls had ears, "dull." Hermione nearly laughed, thinking back to Percy's report on the thickness of cauldron bottoms. "Still, he's a good man. And with the way things are going with the war… well…"
Hermione frowned and glanced up at Molly's clock, where everyone was still pointed at "home." Molly followed her gaze, smiled a bittersweet smile, then shook her head.
"Well, enough of that sort of talk!" she said, suddenly cheerful. "You sit down, dear. Keep an eye on Percy for me till Arthur comes in!"
And with that, she bustled back into the kitchen. "Breakfast will be ready soon!" she called behind her, then turned up the wireless, singing happily along.
Hermione took an awkward seat on an old, familiar couch, and pulled a gurgling Percy onto her lap. She tried to let his weight ground her as she looked around. The photos were different. The ones that were there were the same, of course, but so many beautiful memories were missing – hadn't happened yet. The Weasley story was still in its beginning chapters, and there was so much left to write. It hit her, not for the first time, how strange it was going to be to meet Harry and Ron and Ginny as babies. Tiny and precious, with no burdens… no connections to her.
She looked down at the toddler on her lap. "At least this time around you'll have no opportunity to cause so much trouble," she baby-talked to him. "You're going to grow up in a world without war this time, Perce." She sighed and tried to stop her thoughts from drifting to morose places.
"Alright, Hermione?" Arthur said, settling a cup of tea on the table in front of her. His eyes were full of joy, his cheeks reddened from the winter chill, and it immediately lifted her spirits.
"Oh, yes, having a wonderful Christmas," she said with a smile. "You?"
Molly looked somehow much the same as she had in the alternate timeline. A few fewer wrinkles, of course, and none of the grey hairs, but otherwise… the same Molly Weasley. But Arthur… Arthur looked so different. The stress of even the peaceful years had clearly taken their toll on him in the original timeline. This Arthur, only a decade or so younger, was almost boyish. His eyes were always alight - not just when discussing Muggle technology. His hairline was fully and boldly intact in a tumble of hippy-ish waves. There was an ease to the way he moved that had been missing in the older Arthur she'd once known.
"Delightful! Absolutely delightful!" he said, accepting Percy onto his own lap and bouncing him up and down, making silly faces that had Percy in giggles. "How could I not? Look at my beautiful family!" He froze, his happiness dulling. "Oh, Hermione, I'm so—"
Hermione smiled through the pang and shook her head. "No, no Arthur. Your family is perfect, and you deserve every happiness. My family might not be blood, but they make me just as happy, I assure you."
Relief washed over his face, but didn't entirely erase the concern. "Still," he said gently. "It must be hard." He reached out and patted her hand a bit awkwardly. "I want you to know that Molly and I feel you're part of our family. If ever there's anything you need, even just a bit of a chat, well, we're always here."
Tears sprang to Hermione's eyes, and she quickly blinked them away before pressing a tender kiss to Arthur's blushing cheek. "Thank you, Arthur. That means the world to me."
They chatted for a while about this and that. Hermione was glad, not for the first time, that he thought she was a Pureblood and wasn't trying to talk to her about ancient 1970s Muggle technology she didn't know anything about. Instead they chatted about ordinary things. Things future Arthur would never have chatted with her about. Babies and marriage and work and his family. She found herself hanging onto every word.
Is this what our conversations would have been like, she wondered, if I'd grown up to marry Ron? She shook off the thought with surprising distaste. Thank goodness that never happened!
"Breakfast is ready!" Molly shouted out to the boys still playing in the snow. Hermione heard their shouts of glee as they came racing for the door. "Boots off, Charlie! Walking in the house, Bill! Gideon, Fabian, for goodness sake, be role models, will you!"
Hermione found herself smiling fondly as she and Arthur rose and found their seats at the table.
Breakfast itself was a lovely affair, of course. The food was delicious and it felt like family. The dissonance she'd felt when she'd first stepped through the door faded to almost nothing, and she found herself easing into the familiarity and the newness of it all. It felt like home. As much as the castle did. As much as her home with Sirius did. As much as The Burrow of the future did. And her heart was filled as thoroughly as her stomach.
Together she and Molly cleared the table and washed the dishes, chatting about this and that. Little things Hermione would never recall later, but that left her feeling warm and cared for in the most important of ways.
When they were done, they all settled down in the living room for presents.
Hermione had struggled to come up with something lovely to gift the Weasleys; for a family with very little to their name, there was very little she could think of to give them that wouldn't feel like charity. So she'd settled for an adorable set of baby clothes for the twins.
"Oh, Hermione, they're precious!" Molly cried, sweeping her into a grateful hug. "The babies are going to look so sweet in these outfits."
Hermione smiled softly. "I can't wait to meet them."
"Us neither!" the twins chorused.
Molly frowned. "If they're anything like the two of you, I'll have my hands full."
Hermione held back a snicker. Molly had no idea what was in store for her.
"Here, Hermione dear," Molly said, handing her a wrapped package of her own. Hermione immediately knew what it was, and her heart leapt right into her throat as Molly handed one to Arthur and each of her brothers as well. "They're not much, you know. I'm only just learning…"
They all tore the paper off together and held up their hand-knit Weasley sweaters – the very first Weasley sweaters - and Hermione found she couldn't help the tears that spilled down her cheeks. "Oh, Molly, it's perfect." She traced her finger over the golden H nestled in dark blue and immediately pulled it on. "Thank you," she said, with such tearful sincerity, that Molly began dabbing at her own eyes.
"Oh don't you start. You're not allowed to cry in front of pregnant women, you know!" she said with a sobbing laugh.
Gideon and Fabian exchanged a bewildered look, but Arthur smiled fondly and pulled his sweater on as well.
"Thanks, Molly," he said, kissing her affectionately. "I love it."
Molly sniffled. "Well, put yours on!" she encouraged her brothers. They did so without any reluctance and then distributed their own presents.
When the gift giving was over, they sat and sipped tea and talked and played with the boys for another hour or so.
"Will you lot stay for afternoon tea?" Molly asked as the time ticked away.
Hermione and the twins shook their heads regretfully. "I have Christmas tea with Albus and Minerva, and the boys have to get back to their Auror duties."
The twins groaned and dragged themselves to their feet. "She's right. We'd better get going. Thanks for having us Molly."
They each gave her a whole-hearted hug and a kiss, then Molly enveloped Hermione in a hug so maternal she almost forgot they were nearly the same age.
"Happy Christmas, Molly, Arthur," Hermione said as she pulled away. "See you soon!"
"Not too soon, I hope," Arthur joked. Hermione just forced a smile and looked around for some wood to surreptitiously knock on.
On their way back to the castle, Fabian and Gideon told her all their favourite stories about Bill and Charlie, and Hermione listed with rapt attention to every word.
"Well, here we are," Gideon said obviously, as they halted at the Headmaster's office. "Happy Christmas, Mione." They each pressed a kiss to her cheek, and then headed off to relieve Frank and Alice.
Tea with Albus and Minerva was lovely, but Hermione was also distracted and filled with nerves. At any moment, Andromeda and Nymphadora (that had taken some real adjusting to) were going to come through Albus' fire.
"Goodness, Hermione!" Minerva finally exclaimed, with no small amount of exasperation. "You've faced down Death Eaters and Giants but I've never seen you as nervous as you are over a little family reunion!"
Hermione forced a smile. "I just… I really want this to go well for Narcissa. And for Andromeda, too, of course. But Narcissa is just… she's so alone. I want her to know that she has…"
"Options?" Minerva supplied perceptively.
Hermione shrugged. "I guess. I don't know! I just care about her. And I hate how she's hurting. I want her to see that… I mean, I don't think she would ever run. I don't think she would ever leave Lucius. I don't mean to be manipulating her. I just think… I think it will give her some hope, you know? Some strength. If it were to go well."
The fire flared green, and Andromeda and Nymphadora finally stepped into the office.
"Thank Merlin," Minerva muttered, rolling her eyes subtly.
"Were you waiting long?" Andromeda asked, though she didn't particularly sound like she cared one way or another. She readjusted Nymphadora on her hip. "Nymphadora was reluctant to leave her new toys."
Hermione noticed the small girl's hair was dark and limp, and her pout was somewhat exaggerated. She smiled. "Hey Dora. I'm sorry you had to leave your presents behind, but would you know… I think I've got something right here that's just for you!"
Pink highlights filtered into the girl's hair, and a bit of its bounce came back. "For me?" Andromeda offered a grateful smile.
"Let's open it when we get up to the special Christmas room, okay?" Hermione suggested. The girl's hair wilted for a moment as she processed the disappointment and thought it over.
"Okay," she said finally. Her hair turned all the way pink and regained its liveliness. "Let's go!"
"Ready?" Hermione asked Andromeda, still feeling nervous.
"Narcissa really wants to see me? Us?" None of her own worry came through in her tone, but it was enough to hear the words.
Hermione offered her most comforting smile. "She really does. I promise."
Andromeda nodded. "Alright. Then I'm ready. Lead on."
They wound through the empty corridors, Nymphadora chattering away about all her new presents, until they came to the Room of Requirement. Hermione thought hard about Christmas and family and warmth and then opened the door into a beautiful room.
"Wow!" Nymphadora said. "This room is so pretty!"
Hermione froze. It was her parents' living room. She should have expected it, but it was still a painful surprise. She hastily requested that the photos on the mantle disappear, and then forced herself to enter the room that felt a more like an exhibit in a museum than anything else. She pulled into herself every single iota of Slytherinness and settled down at the coffee table before the fire.
Nymphadora eagerly ran to her side and opened her new gift. "What is it?" she asked, pulling the little plastic tubs out one by one.
"Play-Doh," Hermione said with a grin. "It's a Muggle toy. You roll it and squish it. And then, if you practice a lot, and really train your hands, you can even make it look like things. Like bears or snakes."
Nymphadora was still looking at the plastic tubs with confusion. Hermione laughed. "Here, let's do it together."
Andromeda watched in silence for a few minutes while Hermione and Nymphadora squished and squashed the Play-Doh. "That was a thoughtful gift," she said. "Thank you, Hermione. Nymphadora, don't you want to thank Hermione?"
"Oh. Yes. Thank you, Her-my-nee."
"You're more than welcome." She looked up at Andromeda. "I figure… as a Metamorphmagus, it might be hard for her to come to feel at home in her body. It might always feel a bit strange and clumsy. Anything that helps to ground her in it could help her know its shape better - no matter how often it changes."
Andromeda blinked. "That's what our Healer has said as well," she admitted. "She said she might always be a little clumsy." Hermione saw the Pureblood in Andromeda cringe at the thought.
"Maybe," Hermione said. "But she will be wonderful no matter what."
"Thank you," Andromeda said softly. "For saying so, and for arranging this. I haven't seen Narcissa in a very, very long time. It isn't easy for me to be here."
Hermione opened her mouth, then froze, as a knock sounded at the door. "That'll be her." Hermione rose and opened the door. Narcissa was fidgeting. Hermione had never seen her fidget. Not ever. Hermione smiled and took one of Narcissa's hands awkwardly into her own. "She's here because she loves you," she whispered. "You can do this."
Narcissa nodded, her entire demeanor shifting as she straightened and pulled her confidence around her like armour. "Of course I can." And just like that, she strode past Hermione and into the room.
"Andromeda," Narcissa greeted politely, her back as straight as her wand, and her hands clasped in front of her with artful poise.
"Andi."
Narcissa swallowed thickly at her sister's correction - her challenge - and smiled a smile that quivered dangerously. "Andi," she agreed, rolling the word through her mouth like a rich whiskey.
"Oh, Cis, you idiot!" Andromeda laugh-sobbed. Then she swept Narcissa up in a hug - an experience Hermione was quite certain Narcissa had never experienced before - unless perhaps from Lucius. Hermione watched as a single, dignified tear slipped silently down Narcissa's cheek, and was hastily swiped away.
Hermione smiled, waved a silent goodbye to Nymphadora, and slipped from the room, uncertain as to what to do next. She walked around the corner at the end of the corridor and found Regulus, who was leaning casually against the wall.
"Everything's good in there then?" he asked, a touch of relief in his voice.
"So far," Hermione said. "They were hugging when I left."
"Hugging?"
Hermione laughed at his incredulous expression. "Scout's honour."
"What?"
"Nevermind." They stood a moment in awkwardness. Or at least Hermione did. Then she gathered her Gryffindor courage. "Do you want to do something while we wait?" she asked, carefully keeping the uncertainty from her voice. She wasn't really sure where they stood now, after everything.
Regulus hesitated. "I'm going to wait a little while longer. Just to be sure." He hesitated again. "Tonight maybe?"
Hermione felt a knot in her heart loosen. She smiled and took a seat on the floor, her back against the wall. "Let's wait together, then."
He cocked an eyebrow, and she patted the floor beside her. "Come on, Black. You can lower yourself to sitting in the corridor. I just know it."
He frowned and took a seat, but his eyes were glittering with concealed amusement. She noted how gingerly he moved his body as he settled in beside her.
She sighed softly, trying to hold onto her happiness. "You're a good friend, Regulus Black," she said.
Regulus glanced at her, with a funny look on his face. "So are you, New Girl. So are you."