Chapter 58: Loss

Southampton, Hampshire, England

June 27, 1987

Nymphadora Tonks kept her hazel gaze fixed firmly upon that of her younger sister, Hermione Granger. Alright, so they were not blood sisters, but Hermione Granger and Eleanor Branstone were her mother's Wards. Nymphadora had decided that made them her little sisters. They were certainly the closest she would ever get to having siblings since her mother could not have another child. Her mum was a strict but loving woman. She was a good mum and deserved to have more children. Now Hermione would live with them permanently. She was happy that Hermione would be living with them now. She just wished that Hermione's heart had not been broken for it to happen.

She didn't know what she would do if she were in Hermione's position. She would probably lock herself in her room and cry for days or weeks. Hermione hadn't locked herself in her room, but she had cried. Dora had taken to sleeping in Hermione's bedroom with her at night to try to soothe her. It was also to soothe Dora. She found she couldn't sleep in her own room with thoughts of Hermione crying all alone in the room down the hall. She had to assure herself that someone was watching over the younger girl, so, she had appointed herself Hermione's protector.

It had started around the twelfth of June, just two weeks ago. Hermione's parents, Doctors Robert and Helena Granger, had to travel for a business conference. Nymphadora's mother, Andromeda, had chosen to watch over Hermione for the week that they would be away. Soon after that was agreed upon by the Granger's, her mother had also managed to convince the Branstone's to let her take Eleanor for a week. The week had been fun for Nymphadora and she thought that Hermione and Eleanor had also had a good time. She had taught the girls a bit of magic when her mother wasn't watching, and she had taught the girls how to bake chocolate chip cookies, blueberry muffins, and chocolate brownies. They had gone on a few shopping trips as well and Nymphadora had enjoyed buying a few items for her little sisters. She liked the way that Hermione and Eleanor seemed to look up to her. She had wondered if her friend, Charlie Weasley, felt that way about his younger siblings. Charlie had one older brother, four little brothers, and one little sister. She wondered if the bond between sisters was any different than the bond between brothers or between a brother and a sister?

The week had been a lot of fun and a good bonding experience for Nymphadora. She didn't get to spend a lot of time with Hermione and Eleanor during the year due to school. Nymphadora spent most of her year at the Magical Boarding School, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was the school that Hermione and Eleanor would one day attend. They would be first years during Nymphadora's final year of education at Hogwarts. Dora was looking forward to that. She was happy that they would be first years during her final year. She could look out for them during their first year and make sure that other students didn't bully them. Some kids could be cruel, and it disgusted her to think of older students picking on her little sisters.

The trouble with the Granger's really started on the twentieth. They were to take Eleanor and Hermione home on that date. They safely saw Eleanor home but when they arrived at the Granger residence to return Hermione to her loving parents, no one was home. It had puzzled her mother, embarrassed Hermione, but a cold chill had traversed down Nymphadora's spine. She didn't know how she knew, but somehow, she just did. She knew that something was horribly wrong. She didn't mention a word of it to her mother and they had stayed in the house with Hermione awaiting Hermione's parents. They waited until ten o'clock before her mother decided to leave the Granger's a note stating that she had brought Hermione home but since they were somehow delayed, she would be taking Hermione back home with her. They had then returned home, and a sleepy Hermione was tucked into her bed just down the hall from Nymphadora's room.

They still had not heard from the Granger's by dinner time the next day. Nymphadora did her best to keep Hermione's mind occupied by giving her some of her older Hogwart's books to read. When Hermione finished a chapter, Nymphadora would quiz her and go into better explanations, anything to keep the younger girl from worrying herself sick about her parents.

They were dead. Somehow Nymphadora knew that but she couldn't just blurt that out and say it to Hermione or to her parents. There was no other logical explanation for why the Granger's had not at least called to let them know that they were held up at their conference. No. Something had gone terribly wrong, but she couldn't say that to her parents. Couldn't voice it aloud because that might make the whole nightmare situation too real. Instead, she kept it to herself and she kept Hermione occupied.

On the twenty-second, her mother went alone to the Granger residence. She then alerted Marius Black that the Granger's had not yet returned home. Together they contacted the police. By dinnertime that night they learned that Hermione's parents were dead. It was a car accident. Another car, a drunk driver, had hit their car and pushed them off the road and into a tree. Robert Granger had died on impact, but Helena had held on for five more hours before passing away. The pair were already dead when they had attempted to return Hermione to them on the twentieth.

Nymphadora had been standing across the room of her parents' study from Hermione when her mother had sat Hermione down to tell her about her parent's deaths. Hermione had stared at Andromeda with tears in her golden-brown eyes for a few moments and then she had launched herself across the room and into Nymphadora's arms. She could only hold Hermione tight as she whimpered and cried and begged between sobs for it all to be a very bad dream. At that moment, Nymphadora would have moved mountains for the younger girl if she only had the power. She didn't have the power to turn back time and somehow save the Granger's though. So instead she held Hermione, whispered words of love and comfort to the girl and felt impossibly helpless.

Someone in the family had informed Hermione's Grand-Aunt Eugenie Dagworth-Granger about the death of Robert and Helena. The woman had come to visit, and she had spent a few hours ensconced in the office with Dora's parents and with Lord Black discussing what was to be done for Hermione now. She had feared that Madame Eugenie might want to take Hermione away to live with her, but the older woman had made it clear that she wouldn't fight Andromeda's right to raise Hermione. As Magical Guardian of Hermione, Andromeda had the legal right to raise Hermione. Only a blood relative that was a Witch or Wizard could contest it. It was a relief to Dora that the woman didn't wish to take Hermione away from them. Madame Eugenie made it clear that she still expected Andromeda to continue to send progress reports about Hermione and that she expected Hermione to come and visit with her at least one day a month from that point forward. It was not an unreasonable demand, so Dora's mother had agreed.

Then they had arranged the funeral. It had been a solemn affair and Dora was surprised to see so many members of the Black family at the funeral. Even her Great-Grandmother Irma Black nee Crabbe had come to the funeral. Dora wasn't sure what to think of that. At first, she had been furious to see her. This was the woman who had refused to have anything to do with her mother after she had married her father and all because he was Muggle-born. Then she remembered that the last time she had been in the same room with Irma, it had been at a family dinner some three years ago held by Lord Black. It was one of those affairs that demanded that the whole family attend, so Irma had been there. Antares Black, better known to most of them as Dudley, had his first bout of accidental magic that day and had levitated food onto her. The woman had wanted Dudley whipped. The boy was just four and it had been accidental magic. At that moment Dora had learned all she needed to know about Irma Black. For that reason, she had kept as far from the woman as she could, and she had kept Hermione and Eleanor away from her during the funeral and the reception afterward. She had acted as a shield between Hermione and others when she could. The younger girl was lost in her grief, though she tried at times to come out of it enough to be polite to those who sought to talk to her and pay their condolences. Dora's cold and remote grandpa Cygnus had surprised her by not only kissing her on the forehead when he saw her, a gesture that showed he cherished her, but he had held Hermione for a few moments as she broke down into another bought of tears. He had given Hermione his handkerchief and had refused to allow Hermione to apologize for bursting into tears on him.

"My dear girl, please never apologize for your grief," her grandfather had said gently to Hermione. "You honor your parents for all to see by showing your sorrow and you honor us by allowing us to take care of you while you mourn," he gently and patiently wiped away her tears. "And we will take care of you, Hermione," he assured the girl.

Dora had been torn between following her grandfather when he left them to go speak with Marius and Sirius and staying by Hermione's side. In the end, she had stayed with Hermione, the better choice. The girl still needed her.

That was two hours ago and now Hermione seemed to be relaxing more. She was no longer crying, and she was seated on a sofa between Dudley and Eleanor with Estelle seated on a cushion at Dudley's feet. Hermione was leaning against Dudley and he had an arm around her to keep her at his side. Eleanor was right beside her and the two girls were holding hands. Tightly clasped a testament of how much like sisters that the two had become. Hermione and Eleanor often joked that they were like sisters who were split up when their parents divorced, one to live with the father and the other to live with the mother. Dora thought that was a good analogy for it. The two girls really did seem like sisters to her and they felt like little sisters to her. She watched as Harry, Leonis, and Draco came over to the other three. Draco and Leonis were carrying drinks while Harry held a small tray with French bread.

"Come on 'Mione," Dudley said gently. "You need to have a little something. Just try a little bit of the bread."

"It'll help soothe your stomach," Draco said gently as he handed a glass to Dudley.

Hermione turned her head toward Eleanor, sad golden-brown eyes looked at the other girl for help in defying her friends, but she found no help there. Eleanor had placed a napkin on her lap and had taken a stick of bread and had begun to break it in half. "Here," Eleanor said to Hermione handing her a small bit of bread. "I'll eat some with you. My stomach is a bit upset from crying too. We'll feel better once we have a little something in it," she said.

Dora thought she might have to step in and more forcefully coax Hermione to eat by threatening to tell mum about it, but then Hermione took the bread and slowly began to nibble on it. She relaxed slightly at seeing that. The boys swiftly followed their example and began to eat bits of bread.

A moment later the kids were joined by the Greengrass twins. Dora continued to watch as the blonde-haired twin, Daphne, placed a gentle kiss on Hermione's forehead and whispered condolences to her. When she had first seen Lord and Lady Greengrass along with their two daughters at the funeral, Dora had not been able to understand why they were there. She had not been aware that Lord and Lady Greengrass had known Mr. and Mrs. Granger. She had belatedly remembered that Hermione was somewhat friends with the Greengrass twins.

"How are they doing?" the voice of Sirius Black asked her.

She jumped a little, startled by his sudden appearance at her side. "Don't do that!" she exclaimed as she glared at him. "You are always so silent when you walk," she complained with a frown. "Why are you always so silent?"

He chuckled softly. "Years of training not to get caught combined with Auror training," Sirius said without a hint of repentance in his voice. "So, how are they?"

Dora eyed him for another moment and then sighed. "She's still pretty upset. They all are for differing reasons. Eleanor, Estelle, Harry, and Dudley knew Robert and Helena, so they hurt for Hermione and for themselves because they'll miss them. Leo, Draco and the rest hurt for Hermione and they hurt for Eleanor, Estelle, Harry, and Dudley," she explained.

Sirius nodded. "I figured it was something like that. She's not crying anymore though so that is a good sign," he said.

Nymphadora eyed him with curiosity. "You have lost both of your parents, cousin Sirius," she said.

"Just Sirius," he said. "You don't have to call me Cousin Sirius. Just Sirius is fine."

"Alright," she agreed. She was happy that he thought them close enough now that she didn't have to call him Cousin Sirius when addressing him. "So, I was just wondering," she paused and wondered if asking him this was a good idea. She was curious though and her father said that she would never know things if she never asked. "Did you hurt like Hermione does when your parents died?"

She wanted to take the question back as soon as she saw it register in his eyes. Those blue eyes looked hurt and then they seemed to cloud over. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked," she began to babble. "Of course, you hurt when your parents died. That was such an insensitive question for me to ask," she berated herself and waved a nervous hand about. She was surprised when Sirius caught her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"None of that now," Sirius said kindly. "You haven't known me for very long and from what I understand, you didn't really know my parents either," he said.

"I knew your father," Nymphadora admitted to Sirius and she smiled a little to see him surprised. "He liked to visit with my mom when I was younger. He'd bring me presents every time he came over. Mom said he was spoiling me. He was always so nice, but he seemed so very sad when he'd arrive and sad again when he had to leave," she murmured.

Sirius nodded at that. "I was estranged from my parents when my father died," he said softly. "When I learned that my father had died and how, I was angry, and I was sad. I locked myself in a room and cried," he admitted. "James finally managed to get into the room and then he took one look at me, relocked the door and then sat down beside me and took me into his arms. I cried even harder then and he just took care of me," he said with a sad smile. "My relationship with my father was always complicated, kiddo, but I did love him, and I hated so much that he was gone," he admitted.

"I cried a lot when I learned that he had died too," she admitted to him. "What about when your Mum died?" she asked.

Sirius shook his head. "I was in Azkaban when she died. I didn't shed a tear. Still, haven't," he admitted. "I will never cry for that woman. I think I shed enough tears for that woman when I was a child," he said simply.

It left Nymphadora feeling cold. She had such a great relationship with both of her parents. She found it hard to wrap her mind around what her cousin Sirius must have felt for his. She knew that Walburga Black had not been a nice woman. Her mother had told her that Walburga had been abusive to her two sons. Her mum was glad that Walburga was gone. Considering what she had just heard from her cousin Sirius, well she was glad that Walburga Black was long gone now. She certainly understood a little bit better now as to why Leonis was not given to Walburga to raise. That would have been a real disaster.

"So, you were devastated when you dad died but not when your mum did?" She had to ask.

"Devastated?" he said the word aloud as though contemplating it. "No. Hurt, definitely, but no. I wasn't devastated. "Devastated would suggest that the loss of him changed me in some way."

"Oh," she said after a moment.

"It was Reggie," he said so softly she almost didn't hear him.

"What?" she asked softly.

"The loss of Reggie devastated me," he said with a sad smile and she watched as his gaze landed on his son. "The loss of him would destroy me."

Nymphadora watched her younger cousin for a few moments. Leonis was kneeling on the floor between Harry and Draco. He was holding Estelle's hand and saying something to her in a soothing voice. She smiled softly as she watched the kid. She was rather fond of Leonis Black. He was a nice kid. He was always polite to her and he loved to hear her stories about life at Hogwarts.

She looked at Sirius again and gave him a confident smile. "I'll do whatever it takes to make sure that you never have to suffer that," she promised him. "I'll protect him. I'll protect all of them."

He chuckled the and squeezed her hand again before releasing it. "You need to be careful about making vows," he said after a moment. "You are a descendant of House Black. As I have come to learn and to appreciate, our magic is very potent. Once we voice our intent, our magic can seal it as a vow."

"That's fine by me," she said with a decisive nod. "I want to protect them. I love them," she said plainly. "I love that group of kids over there and I know that in a few more years they'll be at Hogwarts with me. And I know that by the time they are sixteen I might have gray hairs," she said.

Sirius laughed at that. "Probably," he agreed. "Leo, Draco, and Harry seem to be a deadly combination."

Nymphadora smirked then. "You should see them when Hermione makes the plans and sends them off to execute them. It is downright diabolical."

Sirius smiled at that. "Good," he said. "They'll keep us all on our toes."

She nodded at that and smiled as she watched Hermione and Eleanor. "Yeah, they really will," she said. Somehow, she knew that things would be alright for Hermione. It wouldn't happen overnight. The pain would always be there with Hermione, but time would help her figure out how to carry that weight.

Nymphadora didn't think that time really healed wounds. She thought it just helped you learn how to deal with the pain. She'd help Hermione when the pain seemed too much. She knew the kids around her would help her as well. This was a devastating loss for Hermione and she knew her little sister would change because of it. She would be there for Hermione and love her no matter what was to happen next.


I am sorry that it took me a little bit longer than I expected to get this chapter edited and posted. Sometimes I just don't have the time to settle in at my computer and write. This was a hard chapter for me to write for a few reasons. In my early plot outlines I knew that Hermione's father was going to die in a car accident. In those earlier outlines, Helena Granger was not going to be in the car and therefore was going to live and juggle being a single mother to the talented Hermione. As I approached writing this part of the story, I revised those first ideas and changed things so that Helena would also die in the car accident. Why a car accident? some might ask. My sister did point out to me that perhaps I should have them killed by Death Eaters or something like that. I did contemplate her idea, but in the end I thought it terribly sad and tragic that it was a car accident. Something so terrible, yet mundane. Something that we Muggles fear and try to avoid by emphasizing safe driving techniques. Robert and Helena lived in the Muggle World and I decided that their death needed to be by Muggle means and not be Wizards torturing them. I always designed to write this chapter from the pov of Nymphadora Tonks. I wanted to show that Hermione has been devastated by her parents death, but from the outside point of view of someone who loved her, felt responsible for her, but was still young and was still trying to figure things out for herself.