Disclaimers: See chapter 1.

~x~

She stood on the enclosed back lawn, wearing a pair of black straight-legged jeans and a scarlet and gold Gryffindor sweater that Albus once gifted her. Her new Firebolt 2010 and an old Nimbus 2001 lay on the floor by her feet. Gesturing for Isobel, the little girl came running from where she'd been snuggling with Hermione on the terrace. Skidding to a standstill, Minerva glanced over her chosen outfit of leggings under a skirt, a green hoody and green and white canvas shoes. Her hair was still down and snaking in loose curls down her back. Picking up a small pebble, she took her wand and transfigured it into a green hair tie to match her outfit. "Let me tie your hair back, mo nighean."

She stepped behind the little girl and taking up her soft curls into her hands, quickly wrapped her hair into a loose braid. Pulling back, she smiled at her and offered up the first instructions. "Step to the left side of your broom." She laughed loudly when Isobel stood beside her Firebolt rather than the Nimbus. Taking her hand, she moved her daughter to the correct position next to the Nimbus. "Cheeky wee yin." Once Isobel was in place, she stepped next to her broom. "Stick your right hand out over the broom and say up." Her Firebolt jumped into her hand immediately.

"Up," Isobel shouted gleefully. The Nimbus twitched, then rolled over but didn't rise to her outstretched hand.

"Try again, mo nighean." Minerva urged. "With feeling."

"Up!" Isobel made her demand and the broom listened, landing in her outstretched hand.

"Well done." Minerva praised. "Now watch me. Once you have your broom in hand, it is time to mount it." She threw her leg over the Firebolt. "You grip it tightly, then kick off hard from the ground." She kicked off, showing the girl exactly what to do. "You need to keep the broom steady and you need to remain focused. When you are ready to land, lean forward slightly to touch down." She hovered for a moment before doing just that.

"And now it's your turn." She placed her Firebolt down and watched as Isobel mounted her Nimbus, before correcting her grip slightly. "Okay, kick off from the ground." Isobel did so and she stepped back a little, listening as the girl gasped when the broom rose. "Now lean forward, and touch down."

Looking a little uncertain, Isobel did as she was told and after dismounting, she put the broom down gently before throwing herself into her arms. "I did it, màthair. I flew."

"Aye, you did." Minerva grinned. "I reckon you're gonna be a natural. We'll have you on the Quidditch team before you can say Gryffindor."

Isobel turned and ran to Hermione, almost vibrating with excitement. "Did you see me, mam? Did you? Màthair reckons I'm a natural and that I'll be playing Quibbitch."

"It's called Quidditch, my little love." Hermione corrected. "And I think you're still a bit young yet." She glared at Minerva, shaking her head slightly, showing her displeasure. "It's not a game for the faint-hearted and can be dangerous."

"Did you play Quidditch, màthair?" Isobel asked.

"I did. I was one of the Gryffindor Chasers from my fourth year." Minerva stated. "However during my last game against Slytherin, I had a nasty fall, leaving me with a concussion and a few broken ribs and that put a stop to me playing."

"Was it a foul?" Isobel looked at her, eyes wide. "Did you lose the game?"

"Aye, it was," Minerva admitted. "And we lost the Quidditch Cup because of it."

"And ever since, your màthair enjoys nothing more than to see Slytherin being crushed, and not just by her own house." Hermione couldn't help but smile over her daughter's shoulder at Minerva.

Minerva smirked. "True, that is one of my greatest guilty pleasures." She held her hand out to Isobel and it was grasped warmly. "Come, mo nighean. While I don't think you're quite ready to fly on your own without more practice, how about we fly over the loch together?"

"What if you're seen?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"It is private land, lass. The land I own encompasses the loch and the woods on the other side of it." Minerva's lips twitched. "My parents needed somewhere secluded to raise their three magical, and very rambunctious, children." She turned to Isobel who was gazing up at her, her eyes wide. "So how about it, mo nighean?"

"Yes, please." Isobel agreed, skipping beside her when she turned and headed to her Firebolt.

Minerva grabbed her broom and mounted it before kicking off. Hovering low to the ground, she extended her hand to the little girl. "Come on then." Isobel gripped her hand and she swung her up onto the broom behind her. "Hang on now."

She shot off towards the loch quickly, the grip around her waist tightening as loud squeals and whoops of enthusiasm roared through the air, almost deafening her. Minerva told herself, she'd have to borrow some earmuffs from Longbottom the next time she had Isobel on the broom with her. Young Mandrake's cries were nothing compared with the shrieks of delight coming from her wee bairn, but despite the noise, she couldn't stop the wide smile that formed.

Leaning forward, she lowered them so they were skimming the loch and slowed down. "Look down, mo nighean." She told the young girl. "Do you see that shadow?"

"What's that?" Isobel exclaimed breathlessly.

"A Kelpie. They're shapeshifting water demons and typically take the form of a horse with a bullrush mane." Minerva explained.

"Your kiddin', right? Isobel yelled.

"I'm not, mo nighean. I'm sure you've heard of the Loch Ness Monster. She's the largest Kelpie in Great Britain and his favourite form, and the one Muggles have seen over the years is a sea serpent." Minerva told her daughter. "Watch this." Minerva slowed the broom even further and holding the broom with one hand, let the other trail over the cold water beneath her.

The shadow rose quickly to the surface and knowing what was about to happen, she shot upwards, accelerating the broom. Below them, the Kelpie breached the water, lifting its body and exposing itself above the surface before splashing back into the loch and causing Isobel to laugh joyfully.

"No matter what, Isobel, you must ignore an invitation from a Kelpie to ride across a loch. It will drag you under and gobble you up." She advised loudly. "And I'd hate to have to explain that one to your mum."

Isobel laughed again. "You know mam's a pussy cat, right?" She shouted.

"She wishes," Minerva muttered.

"What d'ya mean?" Isobel asked as she turned the broom, heading back towards the Manse, slowing as they came closer to the shore.

Minerva was surprised that the utterance had been heard above the roaring of the wind. "Your mum isn't a pussy cat, but I am." Minerva leaned forward and hovered a few inches over the grass. "Let go of me then hold on to the broom. I want you to practice your touchdown." She felt the arms about her release their hold and the broom shifted slightly. She launched herself from it and mid-jump, she transfigured herself into her Animagus, landing on four paws gracefully before sauntering towards the waiting brunette and jumping onto her knee. Her paws flexed into Hermione's thighs as she purred happily and butted her chin.

"Hiya, Tabby." Hermione rubbed her fingers behind Minerva's ear, causing her to purr even louder, and unable to resist, she turned in a circle before curling up on the witch's lap. "Isobel Lenna! Put your màthair's Firebolt down and use the Nimbus." She called out. "You've started something now." She grumbled good-naturedly to the cat.

~x~

The morning was spent quietly on the terrace at the back of the Manse, with Hermione watching Isobel like a hawk as she practised summoning and taking off on the Nimbus while Minerva spent time resting in Hermione's lap and fully relaxing upon having light fingers massaging her head and behind her ears. She let her thoughts roam to the conversation they'd shared the evening before, before going to bed.

"I want you to be a part of Isobel's life, and for her to attend Hogwarts, but if you want us to be friends again, I have conditions," Hermione told her.

The words captured Minerva's attention, and she allowed her gaze to pierce the younger witch, watching her closely. "And what might those be?" She queried.

Hermione's gaze fluttered away from her."If you still want this, I won't be rushed. We need to move slowly and build friendship and trust again." She began. "That means I won't be jumping into your bed tonight or moving in with you tomorrow." Minerva listened intently. "I need to be sure that we can still be compatible as friends before I even consider anything else. At the same time, I won't push you away if you move to hug me or hold my hand."

Minerva thought over the conditions and Hermione's explanation and nodded once. She knew that she'd do her best to give the brunette whatever it was she needed. Nothing she could ask for would be unreasonable after what she'd experienced. "Okay, I can agree to those terms. Taking things slow is wise, there are things we need to learn about one another after so many years apart. And the only reason I did not offer you the comfort of a hug earlier this evening is that I didn't wish to make you uncomfortable by assuming you would be okay with such casual contact." She glanced away. "And just so you are aware, I've never stopped loving you, lass. I couldn't." She admitted. "But I have no expectations around you becoming my friend, sleeping with me or for you and Isobel to move in, not because I don't want any of those things because Merlin knows, I'd love nothing more, but I recognise, despite anything I might say to try and persuade you, you need time."

"I'm glad you realise this isn't a simple process," Hermione stated.

Minerva bobbed her head in acknowledgement. "I can't promise that I won't push at times, but—"

"You've already proven that." Hermione pointed out, rolling her eyes.

"—I'll try my best to temper my eagerness and give you all the time you need to decide what your future holds. You should know though, that as long as there's even the smallest chance for us to share the rest of our lives, I will not give up." She took a shaky breath. "I'm sorry if I've been pushy. In all honesty, I've no idea how to navigate all this."

"Please, let's just try to take things one day at a time. This isn't a game of chess where you need to plan to win with minimal losses. This will affect all our lives." Hermione explained. "And whatever we decide doesn't just affect us, we have to consider Isobel and put her first, starting with her education."

"Does that mean she will be attending Hogwarts?" Minerva asked hopefully. At Hermione's breathless agreement, she smiled. "Good, that's good." She sat back and sighed. "Will you tell me why you didn't say anything about what happened to you or about Isobel"

Hermione frowned. "What he did, didn't just affect me physically, but also mentally. I thought the wizarding world would be a safe place for me after the fall of Voldemort, but that morning, he shattered that assumption. If he'd merely slapped me around, it would have hurt, but I could have gotten over it and it would have been easy to explain. The way he treated me was not only painful, but also humiliating, and I'm convinced even though he had the emotional range of a teaspoon, he was conscious of that. But worse still was that there was a time during the attack when I was paralysed by fear. I said no but he didn't care, and I lost all my capacity to fight him." Hermione bowed her head. "Afterwards, I wanted to run to you and for you to somehow make everything better, but I know you couldn't, not really. You couldn't take my shame away. I was the filthy little Mudblood I'd been branded as, and I found I couldn't contemplate being in a place that reminded me of him. That included Hogwarts since most of our time together was spent there."

Tears fell from Hermione's eyes and scooting closer, Minerva wrapped her up in her arms. "And Isobel?" She queried. "Did you fear she belonged to him?" Minerva asked.

"Yes. It became my biggest fear, and then when she was born she had blue eyes and a little tuft of red hair. So yes, I did consider it, but I decided it didn't matter." Hermione blushed. "But as she grew, there were times I saw you staring out at me from her gaze, especially after her hair and eyes darkened. In certain light and depending on what she's wearing, her eyes can look more green than anything. I felt such a relief from knowing she was conceived from a pure act of love."

"That doesn't explain why you didn't tell me about her," Minerva stated.

"After what happened, I needed time to decide what to do but the longer I stayed away, the more impossible it seemed to ever make things right. I'd been gone for months when I found out I was pregnant, and I convinced myself that you wouldn't ever want me because I'd let him do what he had. My mind kept emphasising that you'd never accept the child, even with our bond." Hermione sighed. "I know I was wrong, but—" She faltered.

"As painful as it is to admit, I understand, lass," Minerva said. Pulling away from their embrace and standing up, she gestured towards the door. "Shall we head up to bed?" Noticing the look on the brunette's face, she quickly explained. "I meant what I said about having no expectations, lass. Effie has prepared the room next to mine for your use. There are fresh linens on the bed and the ensuite has been stocked with the usual."

Having Hermione back in her life, and with the addition of Isobel, seemed too good to be true even though she felt so much hope and joy at having them with her, she'd do right by them and make up for the time lost. Slowly, of course.

When Isobel eventually came running over, having grown tired and hungry, she patted Minerva, who growled playfully at her and then leapt off Hermione's knees, reverting into her natural form easily. Calling for Effie, she asked about lunch and within a few minutes, an array of sandwiches and cold drinks appeared on the table in front of them.

"Màthair, am I a cat too?" Isobel asked after swallowing a rather large bite of her tuna and cucumber sandwich.

"Perhaps one day, if you should become a transfiguration master." Minerva smiled. "Although your Animagus may be a different creature entirely."

"Oh," Isobel took another large bite of her sandwich and chewed it thoughtfully. "Mam?" She asked.

"Yes, my little love?" Hermione grinned.

"Are you a cat or something else?" Isobel queried.

"No, Izzy. I was close to completing the process of becoming an Animagi when I left school but didn't quite finish it." Hermione responded. "Perhaps, once everything is settled, I might try to pick up my studies again."

"Màthair?" Isobel asked.

"Yes, mo nighean?" Minerva replied patiently.

"Where's grandma? Last night you said she was expecting you home, but I was asleep when we got here and I haven't seen her." Isobel questioned.

"She's in the sitting room," Minerva explained.

"I was in there earlier and didn't see her," Isobel said, taking a sip of lemonade. "You have tons of books in your library though."

"Do you have a library?" Hermione gasped. "How did I not know that?"

"Yes, I have my collection of books across two floors. From the main house, it's accessed through my study or the utility room and there's also an entrance at the side of the house." Minerva explained before turning to Isobel. "You may read anything on the first floor. Now, regarding your seanmhair, she's always here." Minerva stood up. "Come on, I think it's time I introduced you. You may bring your sandwich." She handed the girl a napkin and led the way into the Manse, exiting the kitchen and entering the sitting room.

"It's about time you showed your face, Minerva McGonagall." Her màthair stated.

The young witch looked around, searching for the soft voice. "There's no one here." She exclaimed.

"What am I then, chopped liver?" Came the teasing voice of Isobel McGonagall once again.

Minerva chuckled and taking Isobel's free hand, led her towards the portrait over the large open fireplace. Isobel looked up, her sandwich halfway to her mouth, and gaped at the sight of the portrait of an older witch waving at her. She stumbled back in surprise. Minerva's hand came up to hold her steady.

"Whoa." Isobel breathed causing the portrait and Minerva to chuckle.

"Isobel, I would like you to meet your seanmhair, Isobel McGonagall. Màthair, this is your ban-ogha, Isobel Lenna Wilkins."

"I suppose I should look at fixing that," Hermione stated, entering the room and smiling shyly up at the portrait. "Hello, Mrs McGonagall."

"Hello, nighean-cèile [daughter-in-law]." The portrait greeted Hermione warmly even as Minerva glared up at her with narrowed eyes. "You're looking well."

"What d'ya mean, mam?" Isobel asked, tearing her eyes from the older woman in the portrait and grabbing everyone's attention. "What's wrong with my name?"

"My family name was Granger but before you were born, I decided to change it to the one my parents use now," Hermione admitted nervously.

Isobel frowned. "Why would you change it when your parents don't speak to you?" She glanced at her mum with a frown. "You never told me why they don't speak to you."

"It's a long story, my little love," Hermione stated. "But you are a Granger." She caught Minerva's eyes. "Or a McGonagall."

"So I should have the same name as my shena—?" Isobel growled in frustration. "—Uugh, I can't pronounce it!"

"How about you call me mamó?" The elder Isobel offered.

"Yes, you should have the same name as your mamó." Hermione nodded up at the portrait and mouthed a quick thank you.

Isobel grinned. "That's awesome." She turned to the portrait. "Is your middle name Lenna too?" Her nose scrunched up in distaste. "It's a weird name, isn't it?"

"No, my family rarely used middle names and I didn't when my children were named, mo luaidh [my darling]." The portrait advised. "But I do think Lenna is a good name to have and not at all weird. It means lion's strength or lion-hearted and if you're anything like your parents, it will suit you admirably.

"I didn't know it meant that." she glanced at Hermione again. "You never told me that's what it meant. That's kinda cool, mam."

Minerva found herself chuckling and after she sat down on the sofa, Hermione rolled her eyes, and with a small sigh, ran her fingers through her curls in exasperation before slumping down next to her.

"You've never asked, Izzy." Removing her fingers from her wild hair, Hermione shifted and patted the seat next to her. Isobel bounded over and sat beside her. She curled up, laying her head on her chest. "As you know, when you were born, you were such a tiny little thing because you arrived early. The doctors took you away from me and placed you in an incubator where I could only touch you through a small door that fit my hand. I was told there was a chance you wouldn't make it." Her voice cracked. "You were named Isobel after your mamó because I needed to have that connection to your màthair, and I love the meaning behind the name." She stopped and glanced down at Isobel. "It means pledged to God or God's promise." She added, knowing her daughter was about to ask. She brushed a soft kiss against Isobel's head. "Because you fought ferociously, growing stronger every day, despite what the doctors told me, I chose Lenna for your middle name. You were my brave little lioness."

"Ar leòmhann beag treun [Our brave little lion]." The portrait whispered so only Minerva could hear. She nodded her agreement.

"Mam, how can I be a Granger or McGonagall if you chose to use Wilkins as my surname before I was born?" Isobel asked. "I've seen my birth certificate and I have Hermione Wilkins listed as my mother and no father."

"My surname was never legally changed and your birth certificate holds our real names. You wouldn't have seen it because I called in a favour to have the details hidden when my attempts to do so failed," Hermione admitted hesitantly. "Now you know about it, you'd probably be able to see the real details."

Minerva was shocked. "Who would do—?"

"Narcissa Malfoy," Hermione sighed. "Shortly after Izzy's birth, I asked her to meet me in Leeds and told her about Izzy and how sick she was. She understood my need to escape from this world. Although she did think it was because of the war and the possibility of losing my baby. I didn't tell her any differently, nor did I tell her who Isobel's other parent was. It was simple enough to hide the details with a concealment charm and as far as I'm aware, she doesn't know if Izzy survived or not." She caught Minerva's eyes over Isobel's head. "As bad as the Malfoy's appeared, 'Cissa and Draco saved my parents. They searched for and found them on Voldemort's say-so. Fortunately, they reversed the memory modification I cast and with the help of Severus, they kept the knowledge from him and because of that, they lived."

"But Narcissa Malfoy knew you were alive." Minerva's voice rose. "And yet she still attended your memorial service." Her temper flared and she couldn't stop herself from lashing out. "Narcissa knew you had a child and kept it to herself." She shook her head trying to get control of her rising anger. "That's jus'—I cannae—" Sparing an agonised glance at her màthair, she stood and swept from the room.

"Minerva, please wait, I—" Hermione called out for her, but unable to face her and not knowing what to say, she continued out of the room and up the stairs.

~x~

A low knock on her bedroom door stopped Minerva's pacing. There was so much she was angry about, mainly having lost the past 12 years with the woman she loved and their child. Not to mention after losing all hope of finding her alive, letting herself grieve for the woman. "Enter." She barked out, expecting to see Effie. When the door swung open, she was surprised when natural brown curls preceded Hermione into the room.

"I'm sorry, Minerva. I know you're upset with me, but I need you to realise that what I've done wasn't to hurt you." Hermione told her. "I hate the fact you're angry. I can't bear it." She unconsciously rubbed her hand over the mark she had on her inner forearm.

Closing her eyes, Minerva took some deep breaths, letting the other woman's scent calm her. The last thing she wanted was to lash out and hurt the brunette further. "I'm not truly angry with you, Hermione, but I'm furious about the situation, of having lost these years with you and Isobel. I'm angry that the people who cared for you grieved and then tried to move on from the loss of you from our lives."

She slumped down into a comfortable armchair beside the window overlooking the front garden and put her head in her hands, once again struggling with the feeling of vulnerability. "It hurts to have you so close now, while still keeping you at arm's length, as you wish, and more so, to be a virtual stranger to my child." She clenched her jaw. "In all honesty, I've never wanted to hex anyone as much as that lanky streak of pish who hurt you. I remember the boy he was and think of the man people believe he is now. And knowing what I do, having seen what he's capable of, I want to do something—anything—so he can hurt anyone else."

"I would have finished that Unforgivable curse if he hadn't disapparated that day," Hermione admitted, closing the door and moving further into the room. "I know you have to mean it, and I did. I think I could have easily used the killing curse, even without my wand. The thought of being able to do that, to loathe someone so much, it scares me, Minerva."

The words had her head rising and she spotted the pain reflected in Hermione's light brown eyes. "Oh, lass." She opened her arms out and Hermione threw herself into them, landing on her lap and nuzzling into her chest. Minerva felt the tears through her sweater and her hands wound into curls and tilted Hermione's head back slightly. Releasing one hand, she brushed the tears away and let her thumb rub along her jaw, watching her shudder slightly at the gentle touch. "I'm not angry with you." She reiterated. "You've been through so much, and I'm amazed by the strong woman you've become."

"I feel far from strong," Hermione whispered.

They sat for a while in silence, before Minerva spoke. "I've been thinking, and please don't think I'm interfering in your life, but if you want, I have a cottage in Hogsmeade, and you could live there. I'd be able to visit you when I'm not on duty and you'd be closer to Isobel when she's at school."

"I won't say that's something I don't want, but I need to work, Minerva." Hermione sniffed and leaned into her touch. "I had money in Gringotts from the sale of my parent's house in London, and then from being awarded the Order of Merlin, but I lost the key while on the run, and then when my wand snapped, so I assumed the Goblins wouldn't be able to identify me and didn't bother trying to access my account."

"We can get you a new wand from Ollivander," Minerva suggested. "The contents of your vault should still be intact and the Goblins may have another way of determinating you are who you claim to be, if not, I'm assuming you have some form of Muggle identification?" She leaned in and ran her nose along Hermione's collarbone, once again inhaling deeply and letting the scent soothe her. "If you want to work, you have options. There's an advert in the Prophet for a position at Tomes and Scrolls in Hogsmeade, or you can take over the management of the Hogwarts library. Irma has been muttering about retirement for the past few years but every time I offer up a name, she advises me they aren't worthy, simply because they do not love the books as she does. If neither of those options appeals to you, you could teach. I've not been able to find a worthy Transfiguration Professor in the last few years, and I've been teaching the fifth to seventh years while the less-than-stellar candidates teach the lower classes. You only need your level one Mastery to teach, which you completed before you graduated, and you could work towards your level two, or even look into extending your charms Mastery. I'm sure Filius would be thrilled to have you apprenticed under him again. I also believe Horace would be delighted to have you as an apprentice too. You don't have to decide right now, just think about it." She inhaled again. "Oh, lass, you smell incredible." She purred.

Hermione cuddled closer, holding Minerva tightly. "So do you." She exhaled an unsteady breath. "You know, I lay awake last night, just thinking about things and I decided I want to try and—Oh, Merlin! Lying in that room, next to this one, I wished I was beside you, wrapped in your warmth as I am now."

Pulling back, Minerva lifted Hermione's chin and caught her eyes. "I faced the same dilemma, lass. I had to stop myself from coming to you countless times." Her warm breath coasted over Hermione's lips and they parted involuntarily. "This may seem presumptuous after everything we've discussed, and don't be afraid of saying no, but may I kiss you?" She asked hesitantly.

"Yes," Came the whisper of agreement.

Minerva leaned in and caught her lips a delicate kiss that she hoped conveyed her feelings. She pulled back and offered the woman in her lap a serene smile. "If Isobel is attending Hogwarts I believe a trip to Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade will be needed in due course."

"Can it wait a few days?" Hermione queried. "I need to sort things out down in Manchester."

"Aye, lass." Minerva agreed. "As you know, we have plenty of time before the new term starts so there's no rush."

"I'm frightened, Minerva," Hermione admitted. "I don't know what I'll do if I see him."

"I won't leave your side for a minute if you don't want me to, and believe me, he will pay for what he's done to you," Minerva stated. "I just need a little time to work out how."

~x~