Never Too Late
Chapter 3: House Guest
Hermione closed the cab door behind here when she exited onto the sidewalk in front of an apartment complex. She looked at the posted addressed and saw that it matched the one in her letter. "This is it," she stated to herself before turning to the driver who was waiting for his fee. She quickly paid the man and he drove off without so much as a thank you to her. "What manners these Americans have."
She walked up the creaky steps of the complex. The place was old but rebuilt to look fairly decent. She climbed three flights before reaching to her desired floor. She walked to the end of the hall to the door marked C5. She hesitated slightly before knocking.
"HERMIONE!" exclaimed the redheaded woman as she opened the door to see who it was. Ginny Weasley had grown up which made Hermione feel older even though they were only a year and a few months apart. "It is good to see you. Come in, come in."
Hermione gave a smile to her old friend and walked into her apartment. It was very elegant and well organized. You could tell that the Molly Weasley in her was the one who decorated this place. "How's teaching going for you, Gin?"
"Fifth year nearly complete, just have a week to go. These Americans though, they are tough to teach." She said while escorting Hermione into the living room. "How about you?"
"Same old Hogwarts."
"Aye, oh do I wish I could go back." Ginny sighed. "Don't get me wrong, New York Institute of Remedial Wizardry is really nice and all, but its too new for me. Plus American techniques are so unorthodox. It's hard to keep up." She sat Hermione down on the couch, "Would you like some tea?"
"Yes please." Hermione said. Ginny walked over to the kitchen. "So what are your plans for the summer?"
Ginny was pouring water into the kettle when she answered Hermione, "Well I plan on going back to the Burrow for a few days, but mostly just relax." Ginny paused for a moment, "so how is everyone?"
Hermione knew what Ginny was leading to, "He's fine. Just missing you."
Ginny turned back to Hermione through the kitchen; her eyes were glazed for oncoming tears but were held back. "That's good. I bet he and what's her face is doing well."
Hermione turned her head towards the kitchen and looked upon her old friend with sympathy in her eyes. "They haven't been together since you took the job here, Gin. Draco kicks himself everyday in the ass for what he did."
"I know." Ginny said confidently. "He says so in the letters he writes me. I don't have the courage to answer back."
"If I have the courage to apparate across the Atlantic to go on a hunch from you, you most certainly can write a few words on a piece of paper." Hermione smiled as she approached the bar, looking inward to the kitchen.
Ginny nodded. "I was waiting for you to get to that." She motion onto the coffee table back at the couch. "Read section T under school Elementary Honor Rolls."
A confused look came over Hermione's face. "If you had me come over here for a newspaper.."
"Trust me. That is just the first that I've stumbled upon."
Hermione read the paper until she came upon a familiar name. It seemed not possible but then again, how many other people in the world would name their child, Lily Potter.
"Interesting I take it?" asked Ginny, handing Hermione her tea. Hermione slowly nodded. "I had my doubts at first, but one day I decided to check things out. Just to make sure. I went over to the Elementary school and waited for it to let out. When it did, I saw her. I knew it was her, because she is almost identical to his mother, just younger. Deep red hair and everything."
"So her has a little girl." Hermione said with a slight depression in her voice. "I bet he is a wonderful father to her."
"You of all people know how much he wanted a family." Ginny said while drinking the rest of her tea. She looked over and saw a single tear fall off her face. "Come on, Hermione. You should be happy. We know he is alive now."
"I know," she said, wiping the tear away. "I just wished I knew why he left in the first place. Why did he fake his death after the battle?"
"I'm sure he had his reasons." Ginny said, remembering what she felt when the news came back of Harry's disappearance and presumed death. "Look Hermione, why don't you go to the school and follow Lily home. Then you could confront him there."
"I can't..I couldn't do that. His wife would surely be upset."
"I am sure that his wife knows how loyal Harry is and wouldn't expect a thing." She said trying to comfort her. "He is no Draco Malfoy." Hermione looked back at her old friend. She knew that she was right. It wasn't like she was Harry's mistress, even though she wanted to be. She wanted to see Harry so badly that it hurt to say the name. She longed for him and now she had the chance to ease her pain and perhaps get some answers for questions nearing two decades old.
"Where is the school at?"
Ginny smiled, her goal had been accomplished. "I'll write the directions for you."
Hermione closed the cab door behind here when she exited onto the sidewalk in front of an apartment complex. She looked at the posted addressed and saw that it matched the one in her letter. "This is it," she stated to herself before turning to the driver who was waiting for his fee. She quickly paid the man and he drove off without so much as a thank you to her. "What manners these Americans have."
She walked up the creaky steps of the complex. The place was old but rebuilt to look fairly decent. She climbed three flights before reaching to her desired floor. She walked to the end of the hall to the door marked C5. She hesitated slightly before knocking.
"HERMIONE!" exclaimed the redheaded woman as she opened the door to see who it was. Ginny Weasley had grown up which made Hermione feel older even though they were only a year and a few months apart. "It is good to see you. Come in, come in."
Hermione gave a smile to her old friend and walked into her apartment. It was very elegant and well organized. You could tell that the Molly Weasley in her was the one who decorated this place. "How's teaching going for you, Gin?"
"Fifth year nearly complete, just have a week to go. These Americans though, they are tough to teach." She said while escorting Hermione into the living room. "How about you?"
"Same old Hogwarts."
"Aye, oh do I wish I could go back." Ginny sighed. "Don't get me wrong, New York Institute of Remedial Wizardry is really nice and all, but its too new for me. Plus American techniques are so unorthodox. It's hard to keep up." She sat Hermione down on the couch, "Would you like some tea?"
"Yes please." Hermione said. Ginny walked over to the kitchen. "So what are your plans for the summer?"
Ginny was pouring water into the kettle when she answered Hermione, "Well I plan on going back to the Burrow for a few days, but mostly just relax." Ginny paused for a moment, "so how is everyone?"
Hermione knew what Ginny was leading to, "He's fine. Just missing you."
Ginny turned back to Hermione through the kitchen; her eyes were glazed for oncoming tears but were held back. "That's good. I bet he and what's her face is doing well."
Hermione turned her head towards the kitchen and looked upon her old friend with sympathy in her eyes. "They haven't been together since you took the job here, Gin. Draco kicks himself everyday in the ass for what he did."
"I know." Ginny said confidently. "He says so in the letters he writes me. I don't have the courage to answer back."
"If I have the courage to apparate across the Atlantic to go on a hunch from you, you most certainly can write a few words on a piece of paper." Hermione smiled as she approached the bar, looking inward to the kitchen.
Ginny nodded. "I was waiting for you to get to that." She motion onto the coffee table back at the couch. "Read section T under school Elementary Honor Rolls."
A confused look came over Hermione's face. "If you had me come over here for a newspaper.."
"Trust me. That is just the first that I've stumbled upon."
Hermione read the paper until she came upon a familiar name. It seemed not possible but then again, how many other people in the world would name their child, Lily Potter.
"Interesting I take it?" asked Ginny, handing Hermione her tea. Hermione slowly nodded. "I had my doubts at first, but one day I decided to check things out. Just to make sure. I went over to the Elementary school and waited for it to let out. When it did, I saw her. I knew it was her, because she is almost identical to his mother, just younger. Deep red hair and everything."
"So her has a little girl." Hermione said with a slight depression in her voice. "I bet he is a wonderful father to her."
"You of all people know how much he wanted a family." Ginny said while drinking the rest of her tea. She looked over and saw a single tear fall off her face. "Come on, Hermione. You should be happy. We know he is alive now."
"I know," she said, wiping the tear away. "I just wished I knew why he left in the first place. Why did he fake his death after the battle?"
"I'm sure he had his reasons." Ginny said, remembering what she felt when the news came back of Harry's disappearance and presumed death. "Look Hermione, why don't you go to the school and follow Lily home. Then you could confront him there."
"I can't..I couldn't do that. His wife would surely be upset."
"I am sure that his wife knows how loyal Harry is and wouldn't expect a thing." She said trying to comfort her. "He is no Draco Malfoy." Hermione looked back at her old friend. She knew that she was right. It wasn't like she was Harry's mistress, even though she wanted to be. She wanted to see Harry so badly that it hurt to say the name. She longed for him and now she had the chance to ease her pain and perhaps get some answers for questions nearing two decades old.
"Where is the school at?"
Ginny smiled, her goal had been accomplished. "I'll write the directions for you."
