Chapter 2: A Birthday Celebration
"Surprise!"
It was Damien's sixth birthday, and all of the Weasley's old school friends had been invited over for the party. There were treats and games galore thanks to Fred and George. Everyone was smiling and having a good time. If someone wasn't, they would be quickly cured by a practical joke from the twins.
Ginny was rushing around checking on everything, making sure that the party was going perfect. Damien watched his mother sadly off to the side.
"Hey there," a female voice said to him. He looked over at the woman that addressed him.
Hermione was bent over close to Damien. Her hair was just as bushy as is had been at Hogwarts. Even though she grew up, her looks did not. She had a childish look to her features, which gave a tone of innocence off. After Hogwarts, she had gotten a desk job with the Ministry of Magic and was now dating Ron. On her time off, though, she would visit the Burrow and look after Damien if Ginny needed the help.
"Why are you over here all alone, Damien? Come on, let's go play a game." Hermione lifted the child into her arms in a single, fluid motion. She walked him over to the Toddler Broom ride and sat him down on one of the sticks. As the ride started, she smiled and talked excitedly to him. Damien looked past her to his mother. He didn't want to be on this stupid ride. He wanted to be with his mother.
As the day went on, Hermione continued giving all her attention to Damien. She seemed transfixed with him. Whenever one of the other adults tried to get his attention, she hissed foully at them and moved the child somewhere else.
Ginny sat back in a chair with a relieved sigh. Her feet hurt and her back ached. She needed to rest for a bit. Sitting there, she looked around for Damien and spotted him with Hermione. She watched them with a small smile on her face. As the minutes passed, the smile faded more and more until she was frowning. Why was Hermione hogging him? He was her son, she should be looking after him.
Ginny stood up and walked over to the other woman quickly. "Hermione, may I please have Damien."
Hermione looked at her like she was speaking parseltongue. "Why? We're having fun?"
"I don't need an excuse to take my son." Without saying another word and before Hermione could, Ginny swept her son into her arms and walked quickly away. "The nerve of that woman," she muttered.
Hermione kept her eye on Damien the rest of the party. As she did so, she got a stronger and stronger unrecognizable sensation. Just when she thought she would fly off the handle, Damien looked straight into her eyes. Hermione's brown eyes went wide and her breathing became short and fast. She knew what she had to do now.
"Time for fireworks everyone!" Ginny shouted excitedly to all her guests. They looked to the top of the Burrow, and that is when they saw the figure on top of the house.
"Who is that?"
"What are they doing?"
"I think it's Hermione."
Hermione walked to the edge of the roof, a rope in her hand. Her unseeing eyes played across the crowd that had gathered closer to the house.
"Hermione! Get down from there!" Ron ran through the crowd until he was in the front.
She slipped the rope around her neck, the other end was tied to the chimney. It wasn't just any rope. It was a noose. Hermione smiled as she stepped closer to the edge. "I did it all for you, Damien." Then her feet left the safety of the roof.
Ginny looked away, covering Damien's eyes with one hand. The child peeked through an opening in his mother's fingers. His eyes never left Hermione's motionless, swinging corpse.
