A/N: If the story isn't for you, that's fine. Keep scrolling. However, getting reviews about "another betrothal story" made me chuckle because that's not what this story is or going to turn out to be. Yes, yes, wild idea that you can't pinpoint exactly where a story is going with a prologue and a summary alone.

The only words I have are this; be kind to me, yourself, and others that you interact with. It'll make for a happier life.

More notes at the end.

Chapter 1, Coming Home

It had been five years since Hermione had packed up the flat that she shared with Ron and moved to the big apple. Those five years had been, well to be perfectly honest, filled with unexpected twists and turns. Heartache, immense joy, and gaining new experiences and knowledge that will expand a lifetime for the pair of girls sitting on their flight back to London.

"I love you, Mummy. Uncle Harry picking us up at the airport?" Hermione gazed down into the face of her beautiful four-year-old, Aurora. Her startling grey eyes, pale skin, and white blond hair was a stark contrast to Hermione's own brown eyes, honey colored skin, and golden-brown hair. Unfortunately for Aurora, the only thing that she had inherited from her mother was her thick set of wild curls. Otherwise, Aurora was the spitting imagine of her father.

"Yes, love. Uncle Harry is picking us up from the airport." Hermione said as she smoothed back the curls that had fallen loose from her daughter's braid. "He's picking us up, then taking us for a quick lunch before we go to Gran and Papa's house. Does that sound alright?"

"Yes, Uncle Harry will take me for ice cream I think." Hermione couldn't help the grin spreading across her face at her daughter. Even if Harry hadn't promised taking the girl for ice cream, she knew that he wouldn't be able to deny his goddaughter once she set her puppy dog eyes on him.

"Aurora, you can't just expect Uncle Harry to always take you for ice cream." Hermione softly scolded the girl. It had no effect on dampening her mood though, Aurora just beamed up at her mother.

"Uncle Harry likes green ice cream just like me." Resting her head back into her seat, Aurora picked up the coloring book and crayons that she had previously discarded for their conversation. Humming to herself, Aurora went back to coloring the cat a bright orange.

A small shake of her head at her daughter's proclamation, Hermione tucked herself back into reading a copy Witch Weekly from the month prior. On the front cover was a beautiful picture of her redheaded best girlfriend, Ginny Weasley, and her tall, lean, dark skinned Italian boyfriend – er fiancé – Blaise Zabini. The newly engaged coupled were both wearing their Quidditch uniforms with the giant emerald engagement ring that Blaise had given Ginny was on full display with them looking at each other before turning back to look into the camera before the loop continued.

Ginny and Blaise both played chasers for their respected teams. Ginny playing for the Holyhead Harpies and Blaise for the Caerphilly Catapults. They were this year's "hottest couple". Hermione chuckled to herself as she read the spread talking about their relationship and how it had started at Hogwarts during the war, but they had broken up after Voldemort's defeat.

They briefly mentioned how Ginny had dated "Harry Potter, The Chosen One" for a few months her seventh year at school while Blaise was recruited and off playing professionally with the Ballycastle Bats at that time. The following year during Ginny's rookie season and Blaise's second, they'd met on the field and Ginny had "wiped the sky clean with Zabini" at their first match against each other. The next time they faced each other later that year, Blaise had gone after Ginny with a vengeance, causing her to have the worst game of her career to date.

The following season, Blaise was a free agent and picked up by Caerphilly Catapults, putting both Ginny and Blaise in Wales. At their last match up against each other of that season, it was a hard-fought match, but the Harpies had come out on top. When they had landed to celebrate their victory, Blaise had dropped in the middle of the all-female team's huddle and marched up to Ginny. When she had begun taunting him, Blaise had grabbed Ginny and kissed her for all of England to see.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Flipping to the next article made Hermione's stomach clench. A picture of Draco and Astoria Malfoy celebrating their fourth wedding anniversary. The beautiful couple was smiling wide for the camera, then looked at each other and kissed.

The article was filled with questions on when the happy couple might be expecting their first child and highlighted all the trips that the pair had gone on over the last year. There was also a bit about Draco's work for the ministry as a solicitor and all the charity work that Astoria had been doing as the Lady Black along with Narcissa in her role as Lady Malfoy.

Just fucking gag me.

There were a few pictures from a ministry fundraiser that they had attended and the Malfoy's New Years Eve ball. Rolling her eyes, Hermione thumbed through the rest of the magazine, with a scowl on her face. It wasn't that she wasn't happy for Draco having a happy marriage and fulfilling life. No, that's a lie. She was resentful, but mostly she was irked with herself that she had spent the last almost five years lying to everyone in her life that she didn't know Aurora's father's identity and that he was just some random muggle that she'd met at a bar in America.

Of all her friends, no one had ever questioned her story. They all believed that she truly didn't know the identity of Aurora's father, and it was very lucky for her that Aurora had been born in New York City instead of London, because when her birth certificate was generated and the trace indicated her parentage, no one in the birth records department knew the names Hermione Granger or Draco Malfoy, and that they really shouldn't be associated together.

As their seven-hour flight began to come to an end, Hermione folded up the magazine and tossed it into her tote before looking over at her daughter who had at some point fallen asleep. Scooping up Aurora's books and coloring supplies to be put away, Hermione folded her hands in her lap to wait for them to land.

It was true, she could have used a port key to get home, but international port keys, especially ones that went so far overseas were really hard on small children. Therefore, Hermione and Aurora always used muggle transportation when coming to visit England or, before her parents had left, Australia. Now those needs to bounce around the world had come to an end.

The soft breaths coming from the small girl kept Hermione calmed while the plane landed. Flying was possibly the worst way to travel as far as Hermione was concerned. Everyway that Hermione had tried it, horrible. If she never had to leave the ground again, she would be perfectly content. The slight bump as the wheels from the plane hitting the ground drew a deep exhale from Hermione, allowing her to open her eyes, not even remembering closing them during their decent.

Hermione had always joked that Aurora was appropriately named after Sleeping Beauty, because even as the plane touched down and jostled the passengers, she continued in her deep sleep. Passengers all around them began to gather their carry-on luggage, bringing Hermione from her thoughts as she peered out the small round window.

The bright July sky shone, warming Hermione's face as she looked onto the airport. She was finally home for good.

Gathering the sleeping girl into the carrier on her back (thank Godric for her being petite enough to still fit in it), Aurora's head slumped onto her back as her heavy breaths continued.

Thanks to the undetectable extension charm and shrinking down all their belongings, Hermione had been able to fit all their possessions in a single carry on, letting her skip the circus of luggage claim. Riding down the escalator, Hermione eagerly searched the crowed for the messy raven hair, bright green eyes, and glasses that were here to collect them.

Instead, her heart sank as chocolate brown hair and sparkling blue eyes were looking back at her holding up a sign that read "Princess Aurora". Bugger, of course it would be him.

"Theodore."

"Granger. Harry got called into the office, something about a Death Eater gathering trying to gain support in Russia. I believe it was the Carrow twins and Dolohov. Sorry to disappoint."

"Mind staying out of my head? I'm perfectly capable of voicing my thoughts to you without you rummaging around." It wasn't that Hermione didn't like Theodore Potter (formerly Theodore Nott). Being a natural born Legilimens (and an extremely powerful one at that) just made him a complete pain in Hermione's arse, not to mention his best friend being Draco. Rather, they had been much closer before Draco's engagement to Astoria, but that was really none of Hermione's business.

It was long before Hermione had found out that she was expecting Aurora when she had decided to train in Occlumency. Hermione would deny it, but when Harry and Theo started dating had been the final push she needed to dig her heels in and fully commit and acquire the skill. Having someone who would rummage through your head (even unintentionally) irked Hermione enough that she had become a master.

"I don't need to be a Legilimens to know that you aren't happy that I'm picking you up."

"After you then." Before following him, Hermione focused on clearing her mind and throwing up a few shields around any thoughts of Draco that Witch Weekly had brought up, because Theo finding out about her little secret was not going to happen.

"Ginny will be excited that you're here to help with the wedding planning. Molly has been driving her up a wall and Luna, bless her, has taste that's just doesn't line up with Ginny's vision. I thought maybe a wedding would bring Mrs. Zabini around, but alas, it wasn't meant to be." The damn man had clearly saw the cover of the magazine in her mind. Fuck was she out of practice.

"That was some spread that Witch Weekly put out on her and Blaise. I figured that she'll expect everyone up on brooms for their bonding."

"Actually, Blaise was trying to convince Molly that getting married on a Quidditch pitch was perfectly acceptable. She actually hexed him for his cheek. There was also that charming story for Draco and Astoria's anniversary, did you see?"

Theo was the single person on the planet that questioned the validity of Hermione's story of her not knowing who had sired Aurora. Not that it mattered, because from what she had gathered not only had she not remembered having sex with Draco and Pansy the night of Harry and Theo's wedding, but neither did the other participants. If they did, and it was possible since they were both skilled in Occlumency as well, they had never mentioned it to anyone else.

It had been an issue since Aurora's birth when Harry and Theo had flown out to stay with her in her town house on Staten Island. Theo had known Draco since the pair were in nappies and had grown up as close as brothers. Upon him walking into her home, he took one look at the tufted of white blond curls on the top of her head and her pale skin before his eyes had narrowed at her questioning the identity of Aurora's father.

"Hm, your thoughts are so loud, but cloudy. You haven't had to put up shields in so long, tsk, tsk, you're out of practice, Granger." Turning her glare towards the man, Hermione threw up more shields in her mind to keep him from being able to read her so easily.

"I told you to stay out of my mind, Theodore. Harry might find it charming that you can have an entire conversation without him having to utter a word, but I find it much too intrusive."

"It's unintentional, I apologize." Sure, you do. With a chuckle at that last thought, Theo turned back to Hermione and smirked just like his irritating best friend who will not be named. "He learned the smirk from me. Oh, someone is waking up."

Just as his words registered in her mind Hermione heard the sweetest sigh "Mummy, Uncle Harry wants to buy me green ice cream."

"Hello princess, I've missed you." Theo had come around Hermione's side so that he was standing next to Aurora when he addressed her. Hermione could feel rather than see her daughter perk up at the sound of her second favorite Uncle's voice.

"UNCLE THEO! Mummy! Put me down, put me down! Uncle Theo, you want to play with me." She said it as a statement and not a question. Unclipping the buckle of the carrier, Theo had Aurora in his arms before Hermione could finish moving the carrier off her person.

Knowing that Draco would want Theo to be an important part of his child's life, Hermione had asked both Harry and Theo to be Aurora's godfathers. If she couldn't tell Draco about his daughter, the least she could do was honor what she hoped his wishes would be in the best way she was able.

It wasn't that Hermione didn't want Draco to know about Aurora. No, that wasn't it at all. In the years that Hermione had gotten to know him before moving to the States, he had actually grown into a wonderful, kind, thoughtful, and attentive friend.

It had been three years after the war and six months after Harry and Theo had started dating when they had decided that they wanted to have a night out with both their groups of friends and to stop keeping them separate. That's where Hermione was reacquainted with Draco, Pansy, and Blaise.

It had worked out. Her and Ron were a couple and happily engaged. Blaise and Ginny were seeing each other, and Draco and Pansy were friends with benefits (they had always specified that they were not a couple). The Slytherins really weren't bad company to keep, and Pansy had grown out of being a complete bitch all the time, mostly.

Up until a few months before Hermione moved to New York City, they had a standing time to all get together on Saturday nights. Going to a club, out to dinner, drinks at someone's house; it didn't matter if someone wasn't available or on vacation, their group always got together. Sometimes that group included Luna and her girlfriend, Susan Bones, or Neville and his wife, Hannah Abbott. There were even times that Greg Goyle and Millicent Bulstrode had joined them.

For the most part thought, it was the eight of them. Theo would annoy everyone with his Legilimency, Ginny and Blaise sex drive would be disgusting to watch, Hermione and Ron would bicker, and the pieces just all fell into place.

Hermione getting the offer from MACUSA caused her and Ron falling out of the group and staying home on Saturdays fighting. She'd never even gotten the chance to tell their group of friends that she was planning on moving because she had been swept up in the problems that she was having with Ron, thus by the time she had left for New York City before Harry and Theo's wedding the only two who knew about her move were Ron and Harry.

That was five years ago.

Obviously, she'd come back to England a few times since then, but all her visits were short and sweet. She would stay with Aurora at Harry and Theo's house, and they would get together with Ginny and Blaise, but none of the other Weasleys or her other friends. Hermione had been careful to make sure that her visits lasted only the bare amount of time.

Sure, a lot of her friends had come to visit her in New York City over the years, but for the most part they had all been short visits, and not very often. The only two consistent friends that had come to see her and be apart of her daughter's life were Harry and Theo.

Hermione was pulled from her thoughts with the chime of her daughter's voice "Mum! Uncle Theo says that he'll take me to Diagon Alley for ice cream! Please mummy, please! Uncle Theo wants to take me to eat green ice cream!"

"Or, if Uncle Theo wants to take you for ice cream, you can go to the one that I always went to with Gran and Papa." Seriously Theo, Diagon Alley on our first day back in Wizarding London? How long until you think the paparazzi will be stalking us.

Nodding his head to show that he had heard her thoughts loud and clear, Theo looked down at his goddaughter (who had put her hands together as if she were praying, giant pink pouting lip, and the largest eyes to date). "How about- " Hermione started shaking her head, she watched in slow motion as Theo's resolve was wavering to the charms of his Goddaughter. "Granger, I'll just take her, yeah? No one really pays attention to me unless my stud of a husband is with me and no one even knows you have a kid to guess that my princess could be related to you."

Dropping her head into her hands, Hermione could only shake her head. She knew that Theo was powerless when it came to Aurora. Most people were, so as much as she wanted to, she couldn't blame him. She had most definitely inherited her father's charm and how to play everyone to bend to her will.

"Fine, fine, but I'm going to Gran and Papa's for a nap. Theo, bring her back after you've fed her something besides ice cream, or she will be staying with you."

With a leap into the air (Theo really was just a child in a grown man's body) Theo and Aurora shrieked in joy. Shaking her head the trio said their goodbyes, leaving Hermione alone for the first time since in a long time.

Please just keep my daughter off the front page, Theo Potter.

A/N: Aurora's personality and the way she speaks come directly from my own four-year-old. Green ice cream is mint chocolate chip, and the entire time I was writing this I kept getting asked for green ice cream.