A/N: as promised, the sequel to Hermione's New Self. Please give constructive crit, I need it and I'll take it into account. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: not mine, blah blah blah
Chapter One
"Helena! Will you came downstairs please?" Hermione called from the bottom step, and then she walked into the kitchen. A few minutes later she heard footsteps on the stairs, then a small voice sounded from the door.
"I'm here, mummy." Hermione turned and looked at her five-year-old daughter. She had thoughtful, serious deep brown eyes, just like hers, and curly pale blonde hair falling down to almost her waist. The girl gave her mother a serious look and said, "shall I go and wake daddy for breakfast?"
Hermione smiled and nodded, turning back to the eggs and bacon frying in the pan. The girl disappeared and a minute later, tiny footsteps were heard going back up the stairs.
Just as she was dishing up the eggs and bacon onto three plates, Helena reappeared and took her place at the table. "He's just coming, mummy."
"Thank you honey." The girl regarded her for a second, then nodded.
"That's okay mummy." She picked up her fork and started to eat the pre-cut pieces that Hermione had prepared for her.
Just then, a man entered the room, looking dishevelled. His fiery red hair was messed up, half of it sticking up, and his pyjamas were crumpled, quite the contrast of the neat and tidy infant sitting next to him.
"Morning, Ron."
"Morning 'Mione." He smiled as she placed his breakfast in front of him and kissed him quickly on the lips, before sitting across from him. "How are my favourite girls today then?" He beamed down at Helena, who smiled back.
"I'm fine daddy." She said, after carefully finishing her mouthful.
"What are you going to do today?" He asked, through a mouthful of bacon.
Helena looked at him through sad eyes. "You shouldn't talk with your mouth full, daddy."
Hermione laughed. "Only Ron Weasley would be told off for his table manners by a 5 year old." Ron grinned at her, then turned back to Helena, his mouth now empty.
"You still didn't tell me what you're doing today, sweetie."
She thought for a moment, then a smile crossed her face again. "I'm going to school, then mummy's taking me shopping." She smiled up at her daddy and then ate the last piece of her toast. "May I be excused from table to get changed for school?" She stood and held her hands behind her back.
"Yes, sweetie, I'll be up in a minute to help you." The girl nodded, and walked off.
Ron watched her go. "There's not a soul like our Helena." He shook his head. "She's always so serious." He turned back to Hermione. "A bit like you in our first year, really."
Hermione shook her head, sending her curls flying. "I was never that formal. I'm afraid she got that from…" she trailed off.
"From her father." Ron finished the sentence with a hoarse voice.
"Yes," Hermione said distantly, then stood and started clearing the plates. Ron got up to help her.
"You alright?" He said, looking into her eyes.
She smiled, "I'm fine, it's just…I dunno. Maybe it's just that time of the month or something." She smiled and gave him a quick kiss. "Come on, you should get a move on, or you'll be late."
Ron glanced at the clock. "Damn! You're right, as usual." He gave her another quick kiss and bolted up the stairs.
Hermione shook her head and waved her wand, cleaning the dishes in an instant. Then she followed him up the stairs.
Their house was small, but homely, and just outside London. It was the perfect place because Ron didn't have to go too far to get to his job at the ministry, and it wasn't too dangerous for Helena. They had moved there after they got married about four years ago, when Helena was about eighteen months old. Before that they had been renting a flat in the middle of town, where it was noisy and the air was thick with fumes.
They had married as soon as Hermione reached her 18th birthday. They couldn't before because Hermione's parents wouldn't consent to the match. They thought it horrifying that she should fall pregnant at sixteen, and bring the child up with another man. Since then they had warmed to the idea, seeing Ron with Helena would warm anyone's heart. Seeing them together would make anyone doubt the fact that they weren't blood related, there was a connection between them, the best of friends.
When it first came to light, Hermione was overjoyed because she wondered whether Ron would treat her properly, seeing as who the father was. Nowadays she found herself left out of all their little games, but she wouldn't have it any other way.
"Mummy?" A voice shook her out of her thoughts. She had paused at the top of the stairs, one hand on the banister as she thought. Helena watched her. "Are you coming to help me or not?"
"I'm coming right now, honey." She followed the girl into her room.
"Good, because we're gonna be late."
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"Have you got everything?" Hermione asked as she pulled out of the driveway. Helena, looking tiny in the big front seat nodded, her curls springing up and down with the movement.
"Yes, none of it has walked off from the last time you asked." She tightened her grip on the little schoolbag sitting on her knee and looked out of the window.
"Good." The silence descended again. Hermione snuck a look at the little girl. She always thought five-year-olds were supposed to be noisy little things, chattering away nineteen to the dozen about anything, but Helena liked to be quiet. Instead of going out and getting muddy, she'd sit in the corner and read a book. Then again, Draco was never one to get his clothes dirty.
Draco. Her breath caught in her chest. Helena reminded her so much of him it hurt, but she hadn't seen him for years, not since the train journey home for Christmas in the fifth year. She blinked and pushed that train of thought out of her mind as she concentrated extra hard on the road.
When they pulled up at the school, Hermione got out and crossed over to the other side of the car, before letting Helena out. Helena attended a muggle infant school, although Ron had been a little apprehensive to begin with, having never been to one himself. Hermione had insisted that she went, though, so they made the arrangements.
Helena hopped out of the car, kissed her mother goodbye, then walked steadily up the path. Other children raced around with their friends on the grass on either side, but not Helena, she walked straight up the steps and into the school.
After that, Hermione went to work. She worked as a muggle waitress in a small café during the day, and on Friday and Saturday nights she worked in a bar. The job wasn't ideal, but it was all her qualifications allowed her to do. Ron's father had managed to hook him up with an office job in the ministry, which Ron hated, but they needed the money.
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Her shift at the café ran over a little, so Hermione was half an hour late picking up her daughter.
"I'm so sorry, 'Lena! I got caught up in my work again."
"That's okay, mum." The girl hopped gracefully off the wall she'd been sitting on outside the school. After that she walked solemnly into the car park, and stood by the passenger door. Hermione looked after her and shook her head. The child never seemed to cry or cause a fuss, even as a child. Following her, she made sure she was strapped in and drove towards town.
The drive was quiet, Helena looked out of the window at the children in the park, laughing and playing. The silence unnerved Hermione, no matter how much of it she had endured.
"What do we want for dinner, eh?" The girl jumped a little then slide her eyes over to her mother.
"Chicken nuggets and chips." Helena stated.
"Dinosaurs or normal?"
"Dinosaurs." Helena answered with a small smile. Hermione smiled back. "And Ben and Jerry's ice cream."
"Ooh… that means we'll have to go to the big scary supermarket. Do you wanna go?" Helena nodded her head with a look of longing.
"Phish Food Ben and Jerry's." Hermione looked at her daughter with a look of shock.
"Is there any other kind?" Helena thought about this for a second then shook her head, making her curls fly around.
"Not any other nice kinds." Hermione nodded and changed into the lane for the supermarket.
The supermarket wasn't a huge one, but Hermione much preferred to go into the smaller shops to buy the food; she found supermarkets so impersonal. But they were the only place that stocked the wonderful B&J's, so off they went.
Helena, as usual, sat in the bit of the trolley that you put food in. Hermione perused the pasta for the one she liked to (and could) cook. Helena sat in the trolley and stacked the tinned food neatly.
"Do we want to buy shells today, little miss?"
"I think so." Helena concluded, after a little thought.
"Catch." Hermione threw the bag gently towards the trolley, and Helena caught it with the air of an expert, and put it next to the tins.
"Right, where shall we go next?" Hermione started to push the trolley out of the pasta section.
"Ice cream." Said the determined Helena.
"Not yet, unless you want melty ice cream." Helena stuck her tongue out in a gesture of disgust and Hermione nodded. "Exactly." They went off to the delicatessen.
After about half an hour of exploring the shop and buying what they needed, they finally got to the ice cream section.
"Can I do it?" Helena asked from her position amongst the fruit.
"Sure you can, sweetness." Hermione picked her up and put her on the floor, where immediately the little girl walked up and down the freezer section, looking for her favourite treat.
"There is it!" The little girl laughed in delight and ran towards the glass door, but just before she opened it, they were plunged into darkness.
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The shoppers looked around, stunned at the sudden blackout. A about a minute later, figures started appearing out of the thin air, just visible in their black hooded cloaks.
A shout went up that turned Hermione's blood to ice. It was a cruel, high voice, one that she had never heard in person, but knew who it was anyway.
"Well, muggles, time to die!" Then there was screaming. Hermione was in confusion. Why was Voldemort in London? He had been on the run for so long, and now he turned up not miles away from his hunters? It was ludicrous! Why a supermarket. Of all things? Hermione shook her head, there was no time to think, she had to get her daughter out of danger.
"Helena, come here!" Hermione whispered urgently, the girl came immediately, as Hermione fished out her wand.
"We need to get out, now. Let's find the back door." The girl understood and put the ice cream on the floor. She took her mothers hand and they crouch ran down the aisle, ducking behind the low fridge's that ran down the middle of the section.
With Hermione's knowledge of evasion magic, they got to the back door easily. It had been locked. No problem. Hermione did her thing and the door sprang open, the fresh afternoon air brushed her cheeks.
She took a step outside, but someone caught her arm.
"Don't think you can escape, muggle." Said a deep voice, close to her ear. She spun round and pointed her wand to her attackers throat.
"I am no muggle." She geared herself up; ready to stun them and run away, but something strange happened.
The death-eater stood back, shocked, as they saw her face, their hand dropped from her arm. Hermione knew she should take this chance to run, but something made her stay. Silence overwhelmed her, as she stood rooted to the spot, close to tears and not knowing why.
A short sniffle from her knee made them both jump, and she looked down to see Helena was also almost on the very of tears. The death-eater had noticed too, and was now staring at the little girl. Hermione heard him whisper faintly, "Five years…" then slowly kneel so they were on the same level as the child "Finally..." As they reached out towards Helena, Hermione sprang into action.
She kicked the death-eater hard in the stomach, sending him sprawling on the concrete floor. Then she picked up her child and whispered dangerously to the figure.
"Stay away from my daughter." Before taking flight. The figure just watched her go.
The figure stood as another came running out. "Was that…?" Said a feminine voice.
"Yeah." Said the man.
"Then she lives somewhere near here," the girl looked to the guy. "What are you going to do." The man looked at the girl, and then took down his hood, revealing a blonde man, with pale blue eyes, which were brimming with tears.
"Find out where." Said Draco Malfoy. "It's been a long time, Hermione."