Tempus Magia

Part One

Chapter 6: Parties and Werewolves

Hermione Granger made a grave error during the final battle that resulted in Remus's death. Working as an unspeakable she spends two years working on a spell using powder from time turners to go back to Remus's greatest hour of need. What if Remus's greatest time of need wasn't in *this* war?

Hermione woke up Saturday morning with the sun blinding in her eyes and a potion hangover. The morning after was one of the many reasons she hated taking dreamless sleep. It was good for the short term but she suffered the entire next day because of it.

She wouldn't take it unless it wasn't absolutely necessary, but Hermione knew that lack of sleep exasperated her depression worse than it already was. Given what had happened the day before, she didn't want to give her body the chance to spiral.

Groaning, she dragged her heavy limbs out of bed and treated herself with a morning shower. It was half past nine. Teddy's party wasn't called until one and she had found a stuffed werewolf in the shopping mart earlier in the week. Clad in only a towel, Hermione found the doll and transfigured a bag with wrapping paper to put it in. She also charmed it to make wolf noises based on Teddy's mood.

She hoped he would like it.

She dressed quickly unsure of what one wore when meeting a three-year-old. Her doorbell rang and after a quick inspection that it was only a neighbor she answered it.

"Good morning, Berty."

Her mother's oldest friend kissed her cheeks. "I made an extra cherry pie, dearest. You've been so skinny lately I dragged these old bones down the block to make sure you eat."

Hermione smiled. "Would you like to come in for some tea?"

"Maybe another time, dear. I have to take Arnold to the doctors."

"How is his arthritis?"

"He insists it's worse than mine. The old fool thinks it's a contest." Berty chuckled.

Hermione put the pie down on the bureau and grabbed her house key. "Let me walk you home."

Hermione held onto Berty's elbow as the two walked down the stairs leading up to her home.

"You know when your mother was a little girl, she skinned her knees in Wyckner park. It was so bad she refused to go back for almost a year."

"Really?" Berty nodded happily. "Is that why she never wanted to take me to Wyckner park?"

"Yes, she said you threw such a tantrum you tossed all the books from the shelves."

Hermione chuckled. Actually, she had one of her first accidental bouts of magic and emptied every bookshelf in the living room. Her mother, who had been contemplating just giving refused on principle. Her mother was not the sort of woman who gave in or suffered fools easily. Her mother would never have been bullied by Shauna and Fauna and need saving from her boss.

"You know Hermione if there is something going on you can talk to me, dear."

Hermione smiled at the elderly woman she considered a beloved aunt. "Just work stuff. Some girls were harassing me because they think they're a higher class than me. It's okay. I spoke to my boss and he is taking care of it."

"Are you sure, dear? Arnold's classmate is a lawyer and we can give him a ring. He'll be by in the afternoon if you'd like."

Hermione hugged Berty warmly. "Thank you, but my supervisor is a friend and I have no doubt the people in question will be either suspended or sacked. Either way, I work for the government they're very strict about racism and stuff like that."

"As they should be. We follow our governments lead and what kind of example would they be making by allowing some racist bint to be rude to you."

Hermione chuckled as she guided Berty around a bit of broken sidewalk. "Oh, I actually have a birthday party to go to this afternoon."

"Oh," Berty smirked. "Finally settled down with that ginger friend of yours?"

"No-"

"The one with the glasses and the scar? You, know the one from Surrey?"

Hermione laughed, "Harry is married to Ginny. My ginger friend's sister."

"Hmph, well he's not going to find any better than you dear." Hermione laughed and then gagged at the idea of kissing Harry.

They reached the stairs to Berty and Arnold's modest home. Hermione helped her up the stairs and onto the wrap-around porch where Arnold was sitting in the swing.

"Hermione, dear!" Hermione hugged Arnold from his chair as Berty sat down next to her.

"Arnie, Hermione was telling me she has a date this afternoon."

Arnold's eyes lit up, "Going dancing are you?"

Hermione laughed. "Berty, it's a birthday party and it's a three-year-old's birthday party."

Arnold looked at Berty, "Well three is kind of young but what can you say when you're in love you're in love."

The two burst into laughter and Hermione rolled her eyes. "Behave you two and stop throwing cabbages at Mister Hackney's dogs. He's going to call a neighborhood meeting again."

The two mischievous adults smiled at each other and then looked at her innocently. "Whatever are you talking about Hermione? Berty and I would never harm such a darling dog that barks the entire night."

Hermione ran her hand through her curls, "You know I can't go on any of these dates if Mister Hackney starts calling meetings every night."

"She does have a point, Arnold. Whatever shall we do?" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure you two will come up with something else to make Mister Hackney's dog miserable."

"Well, if he stopped the ruddy thing from barking all night…"

Hermione sighed and checked her watch, she needed to leave soon. "You realize he's probably just scared of the dog. A light up toy will do the trick. I'll pick one up on my way home from work on Monday."

She said her goodbyes and hurried home. Sometimes she wondered if Berty and Arnold only stayed in their home to keep an eye on Hermione. She paused in the doorway and stared at herself in the mirror.

She could do this.

He was only three.

She could do this.

Hermione gathered the bag and the cherry pie and opened her Floo. "Tonks Cottage!"

"HERMIONE!" Hermione stumbled back into the fireplace as Ginny Weasley launched herself into her arms.

"Ginny… can't breathe…"

"I was so worried you weren't going to make it and you keep canceling our lunch dates and I have the Harpies season coming up and-"

"Ginny, I think Hermione's turning blue. Also, is that pie?" Harry smirked from over a couch. She was in a small simple sitting room. She could hear excited shouting from the next room.

"Oh yeah, Berty made it."

Harry chuckled. "Is she still trying to set us up?"

"Yup and she said I should remind you that you won't ever do better than me."

Ginny laughed and let go of Hermione, "Damn straight Granger but Harry will settle for me."

Harry smirked devilishly, "Settle you say?"

"Eew, sexual stuff… no… nope. I'm out." Hermione ducked under Harry's arms as he met Ginny for a kiss. She crossed into what was a dining room to find the Draco and Narcissa Malfoy, Bill and Fleur Weasley's family, and Andromeda all gathered around a small blue haired boy.

They all stopped talking and looked up as she walked in. Hermione smiled shyly. "Ummm… hi?"

The boy jumped from his place at the head of the table squealing as he barreled into Hermione. "Auntie Hermione!"

Hermione felt her heart tug and her eyes sting. She scooped the boy up and return his hug. She vaguely heard chairs moving and she looked up to see Fleur and Bill looking at her in alarm. Narcissa and Andromeda were smirking at each other and Draco had a carefully built mask up. Hermione wondered if it was true that Malfoy's starting training their children at the age of three in occlumency.

"Her.. my… knee!" chuckled Teddy. He pointed to the sparkly bag in her hand. "What's that?"

Hermione wanted to put him down but her heart was clenching to the point where it was painful. "It's a present for you, Teddy."

Teddy dug his head in the bag and cheered when he pulled out the doll. "I love it! Thank you, mama!"

Hermione froze and looked from Teddy to Andromeda, who didn't look upset at the boy's slip up. Teddy was busy playing with his doll giggling at the noises it was making.

"You have a lot of the features Nymphadora had when she wasn't using her abilities. Teddy shares those features. Don't fret, Hermione." Hermione nodded at Andromeda and kissed her cheeks in greeting. "Teddy, please come down from Hermione so she can greet the other adults."

Teddy whined and gripped onto Hermione's arm like a monkey. Hermione smiled at the boy and patted his hair, "It's alright, Mrs. Tonks. I don't mind."

"Mrs. Tonks was my late mother in law, just Andromeda please."

Hermione nodded and handed the pie to the older witch. "My neighbor baked a pie. I thought you would enjoy it."

"Pie!" shouted Teddy. Andromeda smirked at the small boy.

"One slice and you must sit on your own chair."

Teddy pointed at Hermione, "Can she sit next to me?"

"Why don't you ask her?"

Teddy looked up at her wide eyes. She smiled kindly, "It would be my pleasure."

Teddy hopped down and dragged her to the head of the table. Hermione clutched at her chest and sat down in the chair that Teddy pushed her into. She felt dizzy and lightheaded. It was not a good combination.

"I say, Miss Granger," Narcissa said from opposite her. Andromeda took her place next to her sister and it took several seconds for Hermione to register that Draco was sitting next to her. "You don't look well. Have you eaten today?"

Hermione nodded shamefully, "No ma'am."

Andromeda tutted and made her a plate of food.

"Thank you, Andromeda."

Teddy was quickly covering himself in cherry and Hermione wasn't sure it was possible for anyone to look happier. She returned his happy smile and picked at the food in front of her. As her belly filled, the crushing feeling that made her want to scoop of Teddy and shield him from the world did not lessen at all. Rather than concentrate on the empty hole in her chest, she looked around the room.

Harry and Ginny had yet to make a reappearance and she wondered idly if they working on giving Teddy a godbrother. The two Black sisters made eye contact and were clearly having a quiet conversation amongst themselves. Fleur interrupted by asking them about the day school Teddy was attending twice a week and they were all quickly immersed in the conversation.

Bill was wiping Victoire's hands, while she played with a small toy on his lap. Draco was oddly silent to her left. She turned and met his molten silver eyes that were filled with unasked questions and was that... intrigue?

"What?" she whispered while Narcissa and Fleur debated Hogwarts and Beauxbatons etiquette.

"When you picked up Teddy, your eyes turned yellow."

"What?"

" Lupine yellow."

Hermione rolled her eyes and drank from the glass of water in front of her. "You probably just imagined it."

"Your telling me everyone in the room imagined it?"

"No, but-"

"Where have the two of you been?" Andromeda admonished loudly. "We were thinking of cutting the cake without you!"

Harry and Ginny walked into the room looking slightly more disheveled when they greeted her at the Floo.

Draco coughed, "Subtle."

Hermione tried and failed to hold back a smile.

Teddy looked up from his pie. "Now, we have my birthday cake?"

Harry chuckled and disappeared into a side room. Ginny sat down in the chair next to Draco. Draco looked over at her and smirked, his grey eyes sparkling. Ginny rolled her eyes and punched him in the shoulder. "Don't start, Malfoy. I'll flatten you on the Quidditch pitch tomorrow."

Draco snorted. His mother looked across the table in alarm, it was clearly not an action befitting a Malfoy. "You've been saying that for how many weeks now?"

"I've been working on some new maneuvers…"

The two began to debate different Quidditch moves and strategies. Hermione happily tuned them out when Teddy asked for a story. Hermione smiled and told him the first story that came to her head, Goldilocks and the three bears.

"How did she get into the house? Why didn't the bears have wards on the doors?"

Hermione chuckled. "They're bears, Teddy. What bears do you know that have wards on their homes."

"Most bears don't live in homes and have pots of stew," he said thoughtfully.

"Huh… you actually have a point."

"Also, why didn't she just charm the bed to be softer?"

"Well, Goldilocks was a muggle so she couldn't. Even if she wasn't she was too young to be using magic outside of Hogwarts." Teddy thought about it for a moment. Happy that she answered all of his questions, he returned to his pie.

Hermione leaned back into her chair. She adored Teddy even after just meeting him and the thought of leaving him when she had to go home made her want to hug herself and eat a pint of ice cream.

Noticing that Andromeda was clearing up the plates Hermione stood up and helped her. She entered the kitchen with several plates, to find Harry putting candles on a birthday cake.

"I was getting worried about you, Harry." Andromeda smiled. "I've never heard of someone taking this long to put candles on a cake."

Harry hovered over the cake trying his best not to look affronted. "Put candles… put candles…" Harry stuttered. "One does not simply put candles on a cake. I birthed this beast."

Hermione burst into laughter while Andromeda rolled her eyes. "Molly was right, you and Ginny are ridiculous."

"Ridiculously awesome!" Andromeda loaded the dishes into the sink and charmed them to clean themselves.

"Take out the cake Harry and you better not drop it!"

Harry chuckled and levitated the cake to the table with Hermione on his heels in case he dropped it. Teddy stood up tall and proud as he sang his birthday song and blew out the candles. Hermione's clenched her eyes shut as tears leaked from them.

Hands snaked around her chest and hugged her tightly. "It's okay, Hermione," Ginny whispered.

Teddy looked up at her worriedly. "Hermione is sad because she doesn't have cake! Quick Nana! We have to give her a piece of cake! Does she want a candle like Harry, you think?"

Moments later, Teddy came running over with a slice of cake for each of them and insisted that they both sat on the floor and ate it. She obliged the toddler and soon all the young adults besides Fleur were seated on the floor eating happily. Teddy snuck bites off of everyone's plate and Hermione estimated he ate roughly a little less than half of the cake.

They were laughing about a Quidditch story where Ginny flew into the stands when Teddy yawned and crawled into Hermione's lap. He promptly fell asleep and Hermione froze unsure of what to do with the sleeping tot. Well, he wasn't a tot anymore but he was small enough.

Hermione leaned back against the wall so the boy could lean against her. He had long since changed his hair to match Hermione's, although his eyes were bright yellow.

"Hermione," whispered Andromeda from above her. "If you'd like to follow me we can put Teddy in his bed."

Hermione stood carefully and followed Andromeda to a small child's room. It had clearly once been Tonks, there were still old posters from the Weird Sisters and a picture of Remus and Tonks on one wall. It was an intimate picture and Hermione wondered if it was the only one Teddy had.

She gently lay the boy down on his snitch covered bed. He held the werewolf tight to his chest as she snuggled into sleep. Hermione looked down at him fondly.

How had she not been to see him before? The idea was foreign to her and she wondered when Andromeda would allow her to see Teddy again.

"Andromeda?-"

"Hermione, when your eyes turned yellow," the older witch paused gauging Hermione's reaction. "It's because you are both orphans. It happened to Harry as well."

"Oh," Hermione hadn't thought of that. It didn't sound like a big deal, so why did she sound defensive?

"Was that not what you were going to ask?"

"No, er I mean I was curious but I wanted to know if it would… be okay if I saw Teddy again?" Andromeda's face tightened. "It's okay if you don't want me to. I understand what with happened to Remus and it being my fault and-"

Hermione took one look at Andromeda's stern face and couldn't stop the tears before they came pouring down her cheeks. She took off in a run, sprinting by her alarmed friends in the kitchen and ran through the Floo before anyone could catch her.

Arriving at home in the dark, she closed the Floo and put up wards to keep out even Harry. She needed to work on the Project. She had wasted too much time already.