Title: Hermione Granger and the Centaur Boy
Author: EV /Rhonda Weasley
E-Mail: lady_vader21@yahoo.com
Timeline: future fic, post-Hogwarts years
Chapter Three: Going Home
Summary: Hermione deals with the possibility of
losing the child she loves.
It had been a long trial. Several articles had been featured in the Daily
Prophet and after two reporters met the young centaur, they were much kinder.
The wizard and witch community who kept up with the events had certainly become
split between those who thought Cyrus should stay and those who thought he
belonged with his centaur family. But the day they would get the final decision,
Hermione and Ginny had a sense of what that decision would be. The base of their
argument was that Cyrus' life style hadn't equipped him for life with centaurs
in the wild. This argument had been used against them to point out how this
would be a disservice to Cyrus in the end. All the arguments Hermione had heard
from Ron. So they sat and listened to the ruling knowing what it would be, but
hoping it would be something else. It went as follows:
"It is my finding that the centaur named Cyrus shall be returned to the care
of his father, Raine, and his father's herd. It is the place where he rightfully
belongs. Lacking a place for him among his own, we may have considered putting
him in the care of Miss Granger. But that is not the case. We sympathize with
you Miss Granger. Centaurs are so human like in there appearance and there
intelligence, there is not doubt that it is possible to love one as you would a
human child. However, his proper place is among other Centaurs. Arrangements for
the transfer of custody will be made by the Department for the Regulation and
Control of Magical Creatures."
~~~~~~`~~~~~~
"You knew this day would come. At least you know where he'll be," Ginny said to
Hermione.
They'd been home for an hour and Cyrus had been in his room deciding what he
would take with him when he left.
"He's near Hogwarts, maybe you'll get a chance to see him again."
"Maybe," Hermione said sadly. "I should make sure he's ready."
Hermione went into Cyrus' room. She expected to see Cyrus gathering his things,
but he seemed to be unpacking.
"What are you doing?"
"Centaurs don't wear cloaks and play with toys."
"No they don't," Hermione said. "But if you want to take them..."
"No," Cyrus interrupted. "I have to go, I want to be like the others."
"You don't have to be anything but you."
"I know," Cyrus said. "Thanks Hermione... excuse me, Miss Hermione."
"Hermione? But you've always called me."
"Mum, I know. But now..."
"You don't want me to be your mother?"
"Of course I do," Cyrus said. "But I didn't think you would want..."
"Cyrus, to me you'll always be my son, no matter where you are. I love you."
Cyrus smiled. "You love him too." She would have asked 'Him who?', but she knew
without asking. It was a statement of fact, not a question at all. Sometimes it
was like Cyrus could see right inside of you and sense things about you.
"Where is he?" Cyrus asked.
"Ron had to work," Hermione replied.
"So I don't get to say good-bye."
"I'll tell him you said good-bye."
"It's okay to love him Mum," Cyrus said. "Just like it was okay to love me."
"Have you been talking to Ginny?"
"No, but I can see it. I think you should marry him mum. That way you won't be
lonely after I'm gone and you can have a real son."
"And what are you? A fake son."
Cyrus shrugged.
"You're not." Hermione kissed his forehead. "Even if I get married someday, even
I have many sons of my own. I will never forget you."
"Me too Mum."
"Hold on, I have something for you."
Hermione left the room. A few minutes later she returned with a long thin brown
box. She gave it to Cyrus. He opened it and took out a wand.
"Cool," Cyrus said. "But mum, I'm not..."
"A wizard, or human, I know."
"But the law... the law about non-humans and..."
"Well you're not going to use it are you?"
"No."
"I just want you to have something of mine. That was my first wand, it got me
through all my years at Hogwarts. Keep it in the box if you wish, but I had a
lot of good fortune with that wand and I want you to have the same."
"I'll take my blankets and I'll keep it wrapped in them and I'll keep it safe."
Cyrus took the wand and wrapped it in his bundle. Ginny entered the room with
her eyes downcast.
"They're here for you Cyrus," Ginny said. "A couple of handlers from the Beast
Division."
"Did you tell them Cyrus doesn't need to be handled?"
"Yes, but I think that's just a precaution."
"They're worried you won't let me go," Cyrus said. He grabbed his small bundle
and left his room with the two women following him.
It was night when they arrived on the Hogwarts ground with Cyrus. When the
handlers came to pick up Cyrus, they didn't intend for Hermione and Ginny to
come along to drop off Cyrus to his father, but somehow Cyrus had convinced them
to let her come along. As brave as Cyrus seemed, Hermione could see the fear in
his eyes as they entered the Hogwarts gates. His father, Raine and a few members
of the herd were waiting around the back of Hagrid's Hut. To be quite honest,
Raine was quite a handsome beast himself (or at least Hermione thought so). He
had Cyrus's eyes, though they didn't seem as warm. And the same wave black hair.
But there was something in Cyrus that seemed far removed from these large
magnificent beast, something that was unique.
"Cyrus," Raine said in his deep thundering voice.
"Father," Cyrus replied.
As brave as Cyrus had been all day, he looked quite afraid of moving. The
always graceful Cyrus seem to stumble on his four legs as he walked up to him.
Raine said nothing else. None of the other centaurs spoke. They turned to go
into the forbidden forest. Cyrus took a last look at Hermione and followed the
adult centaurs. He looked so small next to those great big horse like bodies.
"He's in good hands Hermione," Ginny said. "He's where he belongs."
"I know," Hermione replied. But she couldn't stop the tears that fought there
way to her face.Hermione hadn't expected to cry. Ginny put an arm around her and
walked her off the Hogwarts grounds.
~~~~~"~~~~~~
When they got home, Hermione said she needed some time to herself. Ginny decided
to go out for awhile and give Hermione some space. Hermione went into Cyrus'
room and began to pack up his toys. She knew she couldn't stand to look at them
anymore without the urge to cry coming on again. She didn't know what she would
do with them, but she knew she had to move on. But with each toy she picked up
she remembered some moment with Cyrus and eventually she just sat down and held
one of his toy Unicorns in her hand. It was a stuffed toy, one of the first
she'd gotten for him. He'd slept with it almost every night. Hermione cuddled
the toy unicorn.
"You'll be okay, I know it," she said to herself.
"He's gone?" an unexpected voice questioned.
"Yes," Hermione replied looking up at Ron. "That should make you happy,
considering you never agreed he should be here."
"I think it's for the better, but I'm certainly not happy."
"If it's for the better, why aren't you happy?" Hermione questioned.
"You're hurting," Ron said kneeling down to her. "I'll never be happy about
that."
"Oh Ron," she said throwing her arms around him. "Why can't you be this sweet
all the time?"
"Because then you wouldn't appreciate it," Ron replied. Hermione laughed a
little
"I'm glad you're here," Hermione said leaning back to look at him.
Ron ran a finger along her cheek and then he kissed her cheek and then the
corner of her mouth. Hermione then met his lips in a short delicate kiss.
Suddenly Hermione turned away.
"We shouldn't," Hermione said after there lips parted.
"Why not?" Ron asked.
"We know what happens from here."
"Hermione," Ron said. "Stop thinking so much."
He captured her lips in a more intense kiss. And for a moment she forgot there
was anything else but Ron and his warmth.
Ginny returned to a quiet house and decided to peak in on her friend. She
thought maybe she was still in Cyrus' room, but she saw the boxes she was using
to put away the boys things were half packed. Then she peaked in Hermione's room
and was shocked to find her asleep, but not alone... with Ron... and looking as
if they... She thought about it no further, just smiled to herself and slipped
away.
Hermione was still sleeping soundly when Ginny got up in the morning, but Ron
was awake. They shared a knowing glance as they crossed paths that morning.
"It's none of your business baby sister," Ron said before she said a word.
"You'd be a fool to let her go again," Ginny told Ron. "Don't mess up."
"I won't."
"I mean it, don't you hurt her Ronald Weasley."
"I won't," Ron told Ginny. "I love her Ginny."
"I know," Ginny replied with a smile. "I knew it the first year you came home
talking about her and how crazy she made you."
Ron and Ginny both heard Hermione enter the room and turned toward her.
"Good morning," Ginny said.
"Good Morning Ginny," Hermione replied.
Ron walked up to her and tried to give her a simple kiss on the cheek, but she
turned away. Both Weasleys seemed perplexed by this response.
"Can I have a moment alone with him?" Hermione asked Ginny.
"Sure," Ginny said.
Hermione led Ron into the dinning room where they sat opposite each other.
"What's wrong?"
"Ron," Hermione said nervously. "I lost a child."
"I know," Ron replied.
"Last night, all I wanted was to escaped that pain."
"I know that," Ron replied.
"And I'm glad you were here for me. I appreciate it, but I'm not ready to deal
with us. I need to get away and sort some things out."
"I understand, I can get some time off work, I'm in need of a holiday and..."
"Ron," Hermione interrupted. "I need to do this alone."
"But what about us? I don't want to lose us again."
"Neither do I, but I can't clear my head right now. like this?"
"Why does your head need to be clear?!" Ron asked more sharply then intended.
"You know if you love me or not!"
"I don't know anything anymore," Hermione replied. "Everything is tangled up in
this loss, this hurt. I cannot deal with anything else or anyone else until I
deal with it."
"Fine," Ron replied trying not to reveal the bitterness in his voice. "I don't
know why I try. You're impossible."
He stormed out of the room. Ginny looked up from the paper she was reading as he
stormed past her.
"Ron?"
"Don't worry. This time I wasn't the one to say good-bye."
Ron left through the front door. Ginny put down the paper and went to Hermione.
Ginny noticed she was holding Cyrus' toy unicorn.
"Cyrus is gone Hermione. I'm sure he misses you too, but you have to let go."
"I know that Ginny," Hermione replied. "I just need time. I'm sorry if I hurt
your brother."
"Ron will be all right. He just needs to calm down. I'm worried about you."
"Well you don't have to. I'm going away for awhile."
"When will you be back?"
"I don't know, tell you're brother I'm sorry."
Hermione got up and left the room.
-End Chapter 3-
5-30-2003
