The week before the students were to arrive at Hogwarts, Harry decided to have a few friends over so they could see the babies. Emily waited in the living room for the guests to arrive. She was not pleased to be having people come over. She sat and sulked on the couch, while her family members set up the backyard for a barbeque. Emily slowly walked towards the front door when she heard the doorbell ring.
"Remus! Grandpa Sirius!" Emily exclaimed when she found two of her most favorite people in the world standing on her front porch.
She hugged Remus and then hugged Sirius. Even if Sirius wasn't her real Grandfather, Emily refused to think of him as anything else. He smiled and then looked into the house.
"Their out in the backyard," Emily said, stepping aside.
Sirius smiled, gave a small tug on her hair and went outside in search of Harry. Emily turned to find Remus still standing on her front porch.
"I brought you your favorite," Remus said, taking out a chocolate frog.
"You never forget," Emily said, hugging him once again.
"Come on, let's join your family," Remus suggested.
"No thanks, I'll just answer the door," Emily replied.
Remus sighed. Emily was as stubborn as Harry at times. He just nodded and headed into the house and out through the back door. Emily closed the front door, and sat back down in the living room. She was just about to open her chocolate frog when the doorbell rang.
"Hi Jenny," Emily said, as she stood face to face with Jenny Weasley.
Ginny, Draco, and their children stood on the doorstep, each of them holding one of the twins. Emily showed them to the backdoor and opened the door once again to Andrew and his family. Then she found herself looking into Parker Weasley's eyes as his family rang the doorbell. Emily led them to the backdoor, unaware that Parker was lingering behind.
"Aren't you going to go out?" Parker asked.
"After I open my chocolate frog," Emily replied.
"Don't you like the new addition to your family?" Parker asked.
"Sure, the twins are great, and I had always wanted an older brother, and now I have two," Emily said, shrugging.
"You're not happy are you?" Parker asked.
"What makes you think that?" Emily asked.
"It's been seven or eight years since the last barbeque we had with your Mom. And I don't remember it at all, except that your eyes looked different. They had a happy, contented look to them. Once your Mom died, you always had a sad look in your eyes, even when you were smiling. Then once you had gotten used to living without your mom, your eyes started to change back to the happy contented look, but then Gina came along. You're eyes always seemed to be angry, but now they don't look angry, they look sad again. And Emily, don't deny it, I've known you my whole life, and I can tell when you're sad or happy," Parker explained.
"Parker, you have no idea what you're talking about," Emily said, sitting down on the couch, pushing her shoulder length brown hair out of her eyes.
"You've changed so much since your mother died. But now, well, you're just so much different then you used to be. Why is that?" Parker wondered.
"I haven't changed, it's my life that has," Emily replied, keeping her eyes on the chocolate frog in her hands.
"Fine Emily, but when you've admitted the truth to yourself, I'll be ready to listen to how you feel," Parker said and walked off towards the backyard.
Emily felt a single tear fall down her cheek. She brushed it away with her finger absentmindedly. Emily closed her eyes, making herself calm down. A few more tears trickled out of her green eyes before she could calm herself down. She stood up to go outside, leaving the chocolate frog forgotten on the couch.
***
"Do you think I'll have as bad of a first year as my Mom did?" Jenny asked.
Emily sighed. Jenny had done nothing but bombard her with questions since she stepped out into the backyard. They were now watching the boys play Quidditch. Emily wished she was up there, flying in the sky, instead of sitting in the grass, listening to Jenny's questions.
"I'm sure it will be a fine year," Emily replied.
"Are you sure?" Jenny asked.
"Jenny, no more questions! I don't know how the year is going to be. I'm not psychic!" Emily nearly shouted.
"Gosh, Emily, I didn't mean to make you mad," Jenny said.
"Sorry Jenny, but I haven't had the best of days today. I'm probably not good company right now, so you might want to leave me alone," Emily replied.
"What happened to put you in such a mood?" Jenny wondered.
Emily groaned.
"Please, no more questions," Emily said, standing up and walking off towards her front door.
"Emily, wait!" Jenny called.
Emily ignored Jenny and slammed the front door shut, stomping through the hallway and turned towards the stairs.
"Emily dear, is something the matter?" Mrs. Granger asked, wiping her hands on a dishtowel as she wandered into the entryway.
"No Grandma, I'm fine," Emily replied, not looking her Grandmother in the eye.
"Emily, I know things have been hard on your lately, but you mustn't take your feelings out on others. We're all here for you and we all care for you. You must understand that," Mrs. Granger replied.
"Sorry Grandma, I just need to be alone right now," Emily said, running up the stairs.
Emily opened her bedroom door, flinging herself across her bed, forgetting to close her door. Emily let the angry tears fall from her face, squeezing the edge of her comforter in her hands. Emily let the tears flow, making her body shake in the process.
"Emily?" A voice said from the doorway.
Emily let go of her comforter and sat up slowly, drying her eyes in the process. She turned around and found Aaron and Josh standing in her doorway. Emily stared at them, hoping the redness from her tears didn't show on her face. Aaron walked towards the bed, taking a seat next to his sister. Josh followed his brother, but stayed standing in front of Emily.
"Emily, what's wrong?" Aaron asked.
"Nothing," Emily replied.
"Okay, I would believe that, but since you were crying like it was the end of the world, I know something is bothering you," Aaron said.
Emily turned her head to look into her brother's hazel eyes. Both boys had dark brown hair like their father, except Josh had blue eyes instead of hazel eyes. Emily took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She then looked back down at the floor.
"Things just changed too quickly. I never asked for a new Mom, and now there's Gina, and the twins. I just don't understand why all this happened," Emily replied.
"Emily, it's time you let go of your mother. You can keep her in your heart, but you can't keep pretending she's going to come back to life," Aaron said.
"But, you don't understand," Emily said.
"Emily, you're driving me crazy! I can't stand it! If you're mad just kick and scream, but don't keep it inside you. You drive people away from you by doing that. So either kick and scream or I'm going to scream at you," Josh said, looking annoyed.
"How can I kick and scream, when I don't really understand why I'm feeling this way?" Emily asked.
"You're impossible you know," Aaron said with a smile.
Emily smiled at her older brother. Josh still looked annoyed as he watched Emily hug Aaron.
"You need a boyfriend, that will make you feel better," Josh said.
"What?" Emily asked, jumping up from the bed.
"You heard me, it'll keep you from acting so strange," Josh replied.
"I don't like any boys, Joshua Walker. I'm only twelve! Why would I need a boyfriend at twelve?" Emily asked angrily.
"You really are impossible," Josh said walking out of the room.
Aaron began to laugh on the bed. Emily whipped around to face him.
"It's not funny!" She yelled.
"Yeah it is," Aaron said, leaving the room as well.
Emily groaned as she slammed her bedroom door shut. She looked at the clock on her nightstand. It was only eight. The twins were probably already in bed. Emily looked at her half-packed trunk. She'd be leaving for Hogwarts in a few days. Emily thought about her first year. She hadn't been exactly kind to many people. She decided that this year she'd be nicer to her friends. She couldn't keep pushing the people she cared for away from her.
Emily sprawled out across her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She let a few tears fall down her cheeks onto her bedspread. Emily took a deep breath, biting her lip to make the tears stop flowing. Once she had calmed herself down, Emily sat up against her headboard, staring at a picture of her mother she had hung up on her wall.
"I know I have to let you go eventually, but I'm not going to today. I've never stopped loving you, and even if Daddy has, I will always love you. I don't know why Daddy won't tell me my brother's name, but I know you two are enjoying each other's company wherever you are," Emily whispered.
Emily closed her eyes, trying to remember her mother. Emily let another tear fall down her cheek as she drifted off to sleep.
Hermione looked down at her daughter, wishing she could hug her and tell her that everything would be all right.
"Emily, your father loves you. He only did what he thought best," Hermione whispered, watching her little girl sleeping, tears rolling down her cheeks.
***
"Emily! Come here!" Harry yelled up the stairs.
Emily sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She looked at her clock; it was only 9:30. Emily sighed and opened her door.
"Why?" She shouted.
"Because I said so," Harry yelled back.
Emily sighed, stomping down the stairs. She walked into the living room, finding Aaron glued to the TV again. Gina was feeding Cora while her grandmother was feeding Brent. Josh was nowhere to be seen. Harry was holding a chocolate frog in his hand.
"Is this yours?" He asked.
"Oh, I forgot it," Emily said quietly.
"That's all I wanted to know," Harry replied. Emily looked at the floor.
"Sorry," She whispered.
Harry smiled, pulling his daughter into a hug.
"I love you Emily, sweet dreams," Harry whispered. Emily smiled and headed back upstairs.
She sat on her bed and opened the chocolate frog. She let the frog hop around the room as she looked at the card. Emily almost dropped the card in surprise. She stared at the card for a number of minutes before turning it over to read what it said.
Hermione Granger PotterHermione Granger had to leave this planet
Young. She was a loving mother and a wife
To Harry Potter. Mrs. Granger was Voldemort's
Last victim. And she will forever remain in our hearts
And her memory will live on forever.
Emily stared at the card. No one ever wrote Voldemort's name out. She figured Dumbledore must have created the card before he turned evil. Emily turned the card back over to stare at the picture of her mother. Her mother was famous enough to be put on a chocolate frog card. Then why wasn't her father on a card? Emily pondered this for a few minutes, but then decided to stare at her mother. Hermione was smiling happily in this picture. Emily held the card close to her heart as she drifted off to sleep.
Harry found Emily still holding the card as he went up to bed. He stared at the card for a few minutes, but then gently placed the card back in his daughter's hands. He still loved Hermione, but it was time for him to move on. He would always remember his first love. Hermione would live in him and Emily forever. Harry smiled as he looked at his daughter. She looked just like her mother. He kissed her on the forehead and headed off to bed.
Hermione smiled at her child and her husband. She knew it was time for him to move on, but it hurt her to think of him with another women. She looked down at her son whom was sleeping on her lap. She would be able to talk to her family someday, but she hoped they would live long enough to enjoy life. She never had the chance to fully enjoy her life, but she wanted Harry and Emily to have that chance. She wanted them to live and be happy.
A/N: I don't like this chapter much. I had such a bad writer's block. But I promise it will get much better as it moves along. Next up, back to Hogwart's. I'm sorry to all you guys who have stories you want me to read of yours. My computer is not letting me review stories for some reason. GRRRR!!! Stupid computers! Well I won't be able to work on this for a while, I'm busy this weekend and school starts soon, but I'll try to work on it when I get the chance. I hope you like this. Please leave a review!!!