Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the Harry Potter series of books. I am making no money from the distribution of this fanfiction. Anything you recognize is not mine.

Author notes: Thanks everyone who had reviewed so far. I have been through some of the other chapters and fixed some spacing issues. I also fixed some places where some people could've mistaken the speaker to be someone else. If you can't understand who the speaker is, I'm sorry but I can't simplify it any more. If it's the same paragraph, the same person is still speaking. If it's not, then chances are it's someone else speaking! Thanks again to Bansidh for continued reviewing useful feedback!

Chapter 11: And Friends Again part one
The healers tried their best to soothe Hermione as she waited to hear news of her son's illness. Fletcher Hopkins had been at the hospital more than his home for the first months of his life and the routine had become quite tiresome. She read through pamphlets about certain magical ailments that she'd never heard of, surprisingly so considering that she had worked with Madame Pomfrey for a period of time. After sitting for what seemed like an hour, Hermione stood to talk to one of the healers and felt a light tap on her shoulder.
"Hello stranger." The man said, grasping her hand in his while she turned to face him.
"Harry, oh my, it's been so long. How are you?" Harry led her back to the waiting station and sat beside on her on a very uncomfortable and cold bench.
"Good, I've started an apprenticeship with Madame Sirocco to work with children here at St. Mungo's. And you, what brings you here today?"
"My son is ill. He felt warm and his eyes were puffy and red, so I brought him here to get a check up. He's been ill for a while and since he can't say what's wrong with him, I just bring him here for safety."
"Your son? When did you have a son?"
"February 28 of last. My former husband and I, that is, had him last February."
"Former, you and Christopher aren't together anymore? What happened, I'd always heard from Gin that you were both so well suited." Hermione snorted and turned her gaze from him, knowing that just year's prior Harry would've known everything about her, especially the man she had formed a romantic attachment to.
"We were well suited in some things and not so well in others. He is in confinement right now. Fletcher, that's my son, is in my custody."
"What happened that you can't tell me why your former husband is in custody?"
"He was irrational and sometimes very unhappy and he treated me in a way that was unbecoming of a husband." Hermione eyes searched Harry's for understanding, hoping he wouldn't press the matter further.
"Where have you been staying?"
"With Severus, I mean that is until now. After we leave here I was planning on going to Remus's flat until he returns from the ministry after testing."
"Yes, I am quite sure living with Snape could be bothersome." She shot him an abrupt look and then fidgeted with her hands as always and snorted once more.
"He was very kind to let us stay with him, but I should have realized that it wouldn't work out and just stayed at Remus's flat in the first place."
"You can always bunk at my place, it's in Hogsmeade." Harry offered, patting her arm slowly as if she needed his comfort.
"Thank you, but it would be an imposition considering that Fletcher will have to get used to another room and he'll keep you up all the time."
"Hermione, it will be fine, besides we have so much to catch up on. I mean, where have you been for the last three years. I wrote you a million letters and you never answered them. I came to check on you once and Christopher said you didn't want guests, I just assumed you didn't want to have a friendship with me anymore." Startled, she looked at him quizzically.
"I never received one letter from you."
"Do you think Christopher kept them? I know I sent them unless Hedwig ate them before they got to you." He laughed a bit, but she, however, did not. Her hands trembled in her lap as she thought about all of the things that Christopher had kept her from and also about Severus's cruel words.
"I am so sorry, Harry, I never meant to make you feel as though you weren't important in my life."
"It's life, Hermione, maybe it was better. I was so jealous of Christopher that I would've probably been cruel to him."
"Jealous, why?"
"Are you kidding. You have found someone you I thought completed you and I was so jealous because inside I knew that there was no one to complete me anymore. It was horrible."
"Who then?"
"Tonks."
"And you got on to me about Severus."
"Yes, because Snape is a greasy git who could never love you with all that he is, Tonks was so different, so perfect."
"I believe you might be right about Severus. I mean, I told him the truth about our separation and then he let me stay with him, and tonight he was so wonderful and so cruel at the same time."
"What did he say?" Her eyes met his and she wondered if he could handle all that she might tell him.
"It is complicated. I mean, there is so much I hid from everyone, Harry, that I truly believe you would be upset."
"We all have our secrets, Hermione. I know you loved him, even if it's hard to believe, but I know there's history and I guess if you can't tell me, I understand."
"No, it's only right, you deserve to know if I am going to be staying with you. When I told Severus I loved him while I was working with him, he basically forced me to leave him. I found out I was pregnant not but two days after I left. Then we reconciled and I still didn't tell him about the baby in fear that he would blame me or accuse me of trying to ruin his life. I was abducted, as you know, by the Death Eaters and tortured, except that Severus was called upon to do the deed. He mutilated my face and then my abdomen, killing our child and I guess for a long time, I couldn't forgive him for taking that away from me. So, I left him and never told him about it all until I was given an assignment to do further research into the new Wolfsbane he and Remus had been working on. He helped Fletcher get over chicken pox and discovered that I had been pregnant with his child. He was so forgiving and yet so guilty that I believe I mistook his feelings for forgiveness in me and not in himself. His father passed away earlier today and I tried my best to help him grieve. He made an uncalled for comment about my being at his house with an infant and how his family might make accusations about us. And then basically implied that I didn't deserve Julius and that is why he was taken from me."

"Are you serious...you aren't joking at all. He made you miscarry and then told you that you didn't deserve the child in the first place. The gall of that man. Sometimes I believe he has no heart." Harry fumed while he spoke, the words slipping from his mouth as if he was choking.
"He has a heart, it just doesn't have room for me in it." Hermione felt the first signs of tears coming; her heart was racing as well having revealed so much in such a short period.
"I wish you'd told me about all this before, I could've helped you."
"You were always so busy everytime I tried to get in touch, I just gave up after a while."
"Yes, I can see how I was very available. You know how I am sometimes, Hermione. I was grieving for Tonks and I guess I never put myself out there for support. I am here now, though, that must mean something." Harry draped his arm around her shoulders and squeezed a bit to show her he was sorry.
"Mrs. Hopkins, Healer Sirocco would like to speak to you." A young healer said, breaking the tender moment between two friends.
"Would you like to come with me, I might need some emotional support."