Disclamer : … Not mine. The plot is mine and Seth is mine too. … And that isn't even true.
Author's note: Oooh…. Thank you for all your lovely reviews! Just because I feel like being evil (I'm in the middle of my tent week) I'll post the continuation of chapter one. This should answer to many questions.
Or only confuse you more. (For those who wonder, yes I am drunk.)
I actually had a fun time wirting this whole chapter. It has bits and pieces from three other different chapters... And I managed to score a 5/10 inphilosphy... Just so you know...
Whocares aboutphilosphy anyways?My teatcher's classes are as interesting as she's sexy (and believe me, even a dead oyster is sexier than she is)
"- May I inquire about the identity of your guardian?"
Hermione was now looking at her hands. She was thinking. She was thinking very fast.
"- This guardian of mine…. He's name is Seth. Seth Seven Granger."
Hermione couldn't really remember the story well. She remembered being very sad as a child, and angry.
But one thing always comforted her. It was old song. She would hum it every time she would watch through the window and see other small girls like her run, shout, laugh and play in the daylight.
She didn't care for those girls. She wanted her daddy back. They had kidnapped her, and she was alone now.
But when she sang her song, he was back to her again.
He was singing to her in her shell like ear her song, with his warm voice:
" - Sitting all alone, inside, today Jane.
The other girls are home, we're playing a new game.
The voice is very, very close, you like it that way,
and we're feeling rather warm inside."
She would listen to it playing in her head during hours. She wouldn't move because she was afraid to loose her music. So she stayed where she was, next to the window and listened.
Her foster parents started to worry. Their daughter's mouth didn't smile. She didn't play with her toys. She browsed her book sometimes.
She was so quiet in her corner. They worried during days and nights. Hermione started to become invisible. She lost the substance that made her Hermione. It escaped through her. And they were afraid to find one day her body lifeless yet functioning perfectly, staring at the park, eyes wide open and empty.
What they didn't know was that Hermione didn't sleep at nights. She stayed awake then, and played with her toys and imaginary games with her father. She would dance to an imaginary music, and she would laugh, laugh so hard her voice would become noiseless.
Hermione was at home. Her home was the nights with her dreams and memories from her earlier life. Her home was her father's voice singing to her.
"Are you smiling or afraid?
You can have it either way…"
Hermione was a least home. It was still home to her, even after her now dead parents had done. She turned around, smiling to the two persons who were behind her.
"- I sent him an owl before we left. I hoped he received it in time."
Dumbledore watched carefully over his shoulder. Severus Snape was just behind him, gritting his teeth.
Severus had tried to grab Hermione aside to talk with her when they were in Dumbledore's office. He was confused and wanted to clear up things. She was hiding something, and it wouldn't have concerned him if it didn't touch something from his past. But it did, he had known Seth and Angela. And he was ready to cut his hand if it would make her talk to him.
But of course, Dumbledore had wanted to sort things out as quickly as possible and meet this Seth Granger. So badly that he couldn't leave Hermione and Severus alone for a half an hour.
So, a very cross Severus Snape had followed Dumbledore and Hermione. He needed to talk with Hermione. It was simple as that. She could try to run away, but he'll hunt her down. She was a Know-It-All; surely she knew answers to his questions.
Hermione had led them from Grimmauld place to London and from London to its suburbs. They had walked through blocks of short skyscrapers.
Hermione was obviously used to walk here. All the streets looked the same, but Hermione walked surely forwards all the time.
They walked into an house obviously built in the seventies, which wasn't in a brilliant condition. It had been bright red, but now it was more of an sickly orange colour. The neighbourhood didn't seem to be all too safe. Or at least not if you were rich.
They walked up four flings of staircases before stopping in front of a blue door.
Hermione, who had always led them, walked a bit aside, thus giving Dumbledore the honour of pushing the house bell.
A loud crash was heard from the inside of the flat and some swearing. Finally the door opened.
"- Welcome. I am Seth Granger, please step in.
Snape snorted. And then froze. The man in front of him wore tight trousers and a too large mans shirt. His hair was dark blond and hung loosely around his face. His eyes were yellowish and brown. He gave them a goofy smile but a concerned look as well
Severus had to control himself. But before he knew it, had his hand flew to Hermione's hand and squeezed it tightly.
The man in front of him was without any hesitation Seth Granger. He had barely changed during all the years Severus hadn't seen him.
But he was older, now, and it was clearly written on Seth's face. His eyes were too large for his face. His eyes had seen too much. Severus wondered where Angela was. They couldn't have broken up. Not with the love they had.
Hermione held Severus's hand and he felt how she trembled next to him. Both of them stepped into the apartment at the same time, giving support to each other. They gave each other courage to face a piece of their past.
Dumbledore followed them into the flat. Seth brought them to the living room. Severus still held Hermione's hand.
"- Excuse me, but may I know who you are?" Seth asked politely.
"-I'm professor Dumbledore, Miss Granger's Headmaster from school"
"- I eeeem …. Eeerrr… Irimioneu's pôtion tiitcherr.¤" Snape answered with a strong French accent, slightly panicking.
He saw that Hermione tried not to laugh. This made him smile inwardly. Dumbledore gave him a warning look. Seth smiled uncertainly.
Severus always panicked when Béhotéguy came in the picture. He didn't want Seth to recognize him.
Severus felt all too often the burden of his battered past and paranoia weight on him. He didn't like being mean, but he was like that, and it was only for the better. The only time he had tried to change, he became worse, and killed a person. Maybe if he didn't do anything, everything would be okay. At least for Hermione...
… Err... Miss Granger off course.
"- Mister Granger, do you know what have happened these past days?"
"- Hermione sent me an owl where she told me something bad has happened… to her, err, parents. Are Marigold and Sebastian alright?"
Hermione excused herself.
"- I'll go and make tea and coffee. Or do you want something else?"
"- Tea is fine, thank you" Dumbledore answered.
" – Fruit juice would do for me, Hermione" Seth answered with a blank voice.
"- Something strong for you, Professeur Snape?"
"- Anything with coffee and/or alcohol will do"
"- OK."
Severus watched the girl when she went to the kitchen. She moved in a very feline like manner and didn't make any noise. She closed the door behind her and Severus heard when she started to prepare the coffee, the tea and Seth's juice. He wondered if she was okay.
Hermione was in the kitchen. She smiled sadly to herself when she remembered all the times she was eating with her parents. She shrugged her head and started to make coffee and warm the water for the tea.
Severus excused himself as Dumbledore started to talk precautionary with Seth.
He's goal was to go to the kitchen where Hermione was to talk with her. But he never came farer than the corridor.
There were pictures everywhere on the walls of the corridor.
Fifteen of them were framed.
Severus set his eyes on the first one. It was the picture of a newborn baby. Surely Hermione.
The baby that was born was born the first days of fall. Nature had obviously put all its power in her.
He was endlessly fascinated by her soft skin and small hands. He wondered how in the world he could take her in his arms without breaking her. He was afraid of breaking her when he took her in his arms. Her head fit perfectly his hand. He couldn't believe a person could be so happy.
There couldn't be a more ecstatic mother on the world. She seemed never to be bored anymore; she was too busy looking at her small baby. Her small baby girl.
She had known during her pregnancy that it would be a girl. She had felt it inside of her. She had known it by watching the flowers blossom in spring. All the flowers had been pink, and had showered her in their soft petals.
The summer had been warm and sunny. She had licked sweet tasting ice-creams under colourful umbrellas during the day, and had patiently waited her boyfriend at home whilst gazing at the stars the night.
She had even sympathized with his family. His parents were nice, but disapproved of their relation; they weren't even married!
But she didn't care. She had her baby girl now, and danced and cradled it for hours. She sang to it and told it stories about her past.
They named her Hermione. Hermione meant warrior. And Hermione was one tough fighter. She fought all the time everything expect her parents.
She fought against gravity, defying it by sitting, moving and attempt to walk whenever she could. She fought against storms, screaming louder than the thunder. She fought against discrimination, by smiling to anyone sensible enough to notice her.
She fought against her grandparents who tried, unsuccessfully, to take her in their old arms. She balled her hands to fists and would hit them when their tried to kiss her. Sometimes, when her mother was dozing off, or her father was reading her a book, she'll stare at them with her abnormally big eyes.
She would stare and stare, as if she could bore a whole through them. It was as if she knew all the pain they would bring upon her parents and herself.
And the grandparents felt often their hearts be iced by her baby blue eyes. Her eyes that were so very blue. It was impossible that she would have blue eyes, yet everyone wished she could keep them.
Each and every time some one she actually acknowledges took her in their arms, she would stare at them with her eyes; it seemed that she was screaming at them.
If Hermione could have verbalized her thoughts it could have been something like this:
"- ACKNOWLEDGE ME! It is doesn't mean anything if I am only five months old! I am already something great! Something superb! Your faith shall be put on me! No need for messiahs when you have me, a miracle!"
She was so loved. She was so adorable with her little pinks dresses and bonnets.
So adorable and horrible to look at when you couldn't have children…
Post Author's Note: ¤ "I am Hermione's potions teacher." If some of you wonder what Snape answered.
This fic is actually quite not funny... I'll get better in later chapters. It's supposed to be all angsty! Hermione just lost her parents!
