Forgiveness and Friendship
Harry awoke to the unnerving sight of two purple eyes staring right at him. He jumped into a sitting position and reached for his wand finding it wasn't there. "Where is everyone?" he asked spotting his wand next to an oak one lying on the coffee table in the living room of the table.
"Celebrating the wedding I suspect, mum's outside the door though so you don't have to worry about that," she shrugged slightly and nodded to his wand, "You can hold it if it makes you feel better."
"Who are you?" he asked leaving his wand within reach for the moment.
"That's a hard question to answer, originally my dad Tom was supposed to be reborn in you, his essence was not supposed to split… it was like a final security measure but because of both of you he split in half and the spell went haywire. Mum got pregnant and she figured out pretty quick it was me, so basically I'm part Tom Riddle and part Tom Riddle's daughter."
"That is rather confusing," Harry admitted screwing up his eyebrows.
"Do you mind?" she pointed to the fireplace and Harry nodded picking up his wand and sending a jet of light over her shoulder lighting the fire.
"So your not Tom?" Harry questioned remembering her haunting words.
"I'm part Tom, kind of like you are and he can sort of… geze… have you ever heard of that split personality disorder?" upon Harry's nod she thought for a moment choosing her words carefully, "It's like half of me is Tom and the other half is just his kid, the half that's his kid is stronger so I can usually easily suppress the bad guy side but when it saw you it just came out and I'm sorry."
"Right… well… how exactly did you get in there, I mean I know Hermione wasn't a virgin but she didn't sleep with Tom right?" Harry asked prepared to throw up at the thought.
"No, that white cloud that went into both of you affected her differently for whatever reason and Tom thought he would be re born but because A, the cloud was split and B, just because I share his DNA doesn't mean I'm him I doubt that there will be another lord Voldemort," she shrugged and rolled her wand back and forth across the uneven table. Ever since Arthur Weasley's promotion to the head of the Department of Games and Sports due to Ludo Bagman's death and the absence of all the Weasley children the house had increased greatly in standards. The parlor that Harry sat across from the girl was decorated in Gryffindor colors with a large rug that sported a detailed Gryffindor crest while the couch and chair where a beautiful red with golden pillows everywhere around the room. When someone fell asleep on the couch however they need only to tell the lion what time they needed to be up and a loud roar awakened them at the appointed hour. The Weasley twins had enjoyed setting the rug on Ron when he had slept over his parent's house once and fell asleep over a cup of hot cocoa waking the unfortunate man up at two o'clock in the morning.
"So what's your name?" Harry asked conjuring himself a glass of water.
"Jordan, Jordan Harriet Granger," she smirked, "Guess who I'm named for."
"Care to join me at the party," Harry held out an arm to her as a symbol of trust and she accepted it surprised.
"And me thinking I would be greeted well and I find you gallivanting off with my daughter," Hermione laughed from her seat at the kitchen table waiting for the pair to emerge from the room.
"Hermione!" Harry reached out and pulled her toward him his hug more a death grip then anything else; Jordan laughed as Hermione returned it just as fiercely.
"Sorry we came here today, I thought it'd see how she sat with the Weasley's before bringing her too you but I guess things worked out after all, are you ok?" she ran her hand through his hair looking for a bump to signify his fall.
"I'm fine, just glad to have you back," he grabbed her wrists and kissed each of her hands before tugging her arm.
"Harry what are you doing?" she cried as he pulled her out, at the last minute she grabbed onto her daughter's arm tugging the teenager along for the ride.
"Hey! Mum," was the indignant cry that announced their arrival in the center of the dance floor.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to welcome for the first time Miss. Jordan Granger, and I hope you all will join me in welcoming back because she's not going away again, Miss. Hermione Granger," the group applauded politely while those who knew Hermione whooped and cheered, the Weasley twins shot fireworks off into the sky through their wands and Jordan just raised an eyebrow at her mother who elbowed her in the side with a laugh.
"I herby call the first dance," Ron took Hermione by the hand Harry noticed Jordan's face fall when he avoided physical contact with her but a cheerful mask was soon in place and Harry moved toward her. The entire family was silent as Harry held out a hand to the girl; she looked up at him unsure her eyes flicking to his scar with worry.
"I trust you," he said softly, she poked him in the arm a few times before accepting his hand and allowing him to pull her into a dancing position. Harry let out a breath he didn't know he was holding as they spun gracefully around the dance floor.
"I think where underdressed," she commented looking at the people in dress robes dancing around her.
"In all honestly it doesn't matter to these people what you're wearing, all that matters is that she's back and you're an added bonus," Harry smiled as she rolled her eyes in a very Hermione like fashion.
"Thanks for lying, half of them are terrified I'm going to kill them the other half are scared I'm going to kill you," she joked as they moved together.
"Well I'll talk to them," Harry said looking around at the group watching the dance with baited breath.
"Don't, they have to accept me on their own terms and understand I'm not going anywhere," she smiled and then her face turned to a grimace as a growling animal ran onto the dance floor. The large animal didn't realize the floor was waxed and instead of stopping like he intended he bowled into Jordan and Harry landing on top of the pair and looking around curiously to find out where they went.
"Ugh you big tub of lard geroff!" she prodded the large black and white animal in the side with her fingernail and he scrambled off them, she turned to Harry ready to apologize but saw him laughing hysterically on the floor as he pointed at the dog.
"He… and you… jumping…" he laughed so hard tears where streaming down his face as he pointed from her to the bewildered dog and back unable to stop laughing in order to get a word in.
"Jordan, you alright?" Hermione asked instantly moving to her, those who knew Hermione Granger realized the significance of this. It didn't matter who was hurt she had always gone to Harry first and seeing her go to this new girl perhaps motivated them to trust the little 'Voldie Pie Wannabe' as Ron had dubbed her during the conversation between the Boy Who Lived and You Know Who's Daughter.
"Yah but I think your friends gonna stop breathing in a minute," she pointed to Harry and Hermione rolled her eyes much as her daughter had done earlier.
"Why don't you get that damn animal into the jeep," she commanded, the dog growled at her setting his stance.
"Honestly Parker nobody's gonna hurt me now come on," she coaxed the animal.
"No he should stay, he's funny," Harry finally coughed out as Hermione helped him into a sitting position, the dog wagged his tail and moved behind Harry as if that would stop the trip to the dreaded car.
"Why, if I may ask do you have a dog?" Ron inquired the bitterness in his tone obvious to all as the panther forwent his savior and moved in front of Jordan growling.
"Back off," she tugged at the black collar the animal wore but to no avail. "I'm color blind he tells me when the lights change" she commented absently tugging harder on the dog's collar.
"The dog started following her to school, and when I say to school I mean into school and under her desk. He was just a puppy then but eventually he was just there all the time," Hermione shrugged and patted the dog on the head.
"So since we obviously can't dance without being bowled over by this butt head what do you propose we do?" Jordan inquired and the dog gave her a look that was clearly angry at the butt head comment.
"Well kid it's late and we need to find ourselves a hotel," Hermione looked at her watch but Harry's hand covered it,
"Stay with me and Ginny, I set up a room for you after you left and there's a guest room Jordan can use."
"I don't know I'd hate to be an imposition," Hermione's eyebrow lifted.
"Geze mom you're like really a goody two shoes here huh… you make up your mind I'm going for a fly," she ran to the car grabbing a broom and took off expertly.
"Nice," Harry commented, "So I'm not sure how to get to my house with that car of yours but I suppose you could apparate it or something," he moved over to the car smirking at her exasperated sigh.
"She didn't say yes yet dear," Ginny ran up beside Harry avoiding the spot where Jordan had taken off from.
"She will," Harry smirked and wagged an eyebrow at Hermione.
"Are you sure we wont get in the way?" Hermione asked.
"Positive and you'll have me angry at you for a week if you say no," he looked at the car and shrugged his shoulders.
"Does that mean where going?" Jordan shouted down from where she hovered just out of reach of the group.
"Yah does that mean your going?" Harry echoed nodding to the girl who landed beside them with a flourish.
"Alright," Hermione rolled her eyes but started seeing a pair of angry blue orbs staring at her as though challenging her.
"If it's alright with Ginny," her eyes never left the other girl's and Ginny's eyes flicked to Jordan who was deep in conversation with Harry before smiling.
"Of course it's fine," she belted out her voice a crescendo of false cheer.
"Great MerlinHarry this is beautiful," Hermione breathed entering the room her eyes wide.
"Whenever I went out and I found a book I thought you'd like I added it in but there's still plenty of room for your collection," Harry pointed to the bookshelves suddenly nervous for the first time since seeing her.
"How can I thank you for this, you've brought me into your home, brought Jordan in unquestioning. Harry what did I ever do to deserve you?" Hermione pulled him into a bone crushing hug that he returned with equal fever.
"Get a room or at least a different one," Jordan plopped down on the bed watching the pair with raised eyebrows.
"You have the worst timing in the history of the world," Hermione flopped down beside the girl rolling her eyes.
"Unfortunately for you, ya love me anyway," Jordan smirked.
"Damn those circumstances," Hermione gave a fake sigh.
"Get ya every time huh?" Jordan smiled sympathetically patting her mother's shoulder.
"You two are very strange," Harry commented from his position now perched on the desk.
"We get that a lot," Hermione answered shrugging.
"I gather," Harry laughed aloud and stood, "I'm gonna head to bed have a good night."
Hermione moved foreword and hugged him tightly kissing his cheek, "Goodnight Harry."
"Yah night," Jordan followed him from the room and entered her own across the hall, "I think she likes you." She whispered at Harry before closing her door leaving Harry standing befuddled in the middle of the hallway.