Promises
Aubrey spent the evening packing her bags for Spain. She managed to fit everything into one case although she shrunk a lot of her clothes and shoes to ensure all her hair and make up products could fit in.
Once she had finished packing, she took a long bubble bath and pampered herself. She laid in the bath and though of her last holiday. Her mother has just discovered the cancer was back and Hermione wanted to go away before she started chemo again. Hermione had booked a muggle holiday and they went to Italy; they went to an exclusive cottage, just the two of them and spent their days together.
At night they would watch movies together and Hermione told Aubrey her memories from school. Aubrey snuggled up to her mother and was wrapped up in her arms and love and listened to her mother speak of such fond memories. The Holiday had been one of Aubrey's fondest moments with her mother. Little did she know at that time, that she would lose her four short years later.
Aubrey brushed the memories away and got out of the bath and looked into the mirror. Her eyes were red from crying and she looked tired. The past few days had been hard and stressful, she needed this holiday. She wrapped her long dark hair up in a ribbon and applied face cream and then pulled on her night dress and climbed into bed where Xavier was.
Aubrey snuggled down with her new pet and sighed. She closed her eyes and let tears fall down her eyes. She missed her mother so so much. She wanted to hear her voice again, she wanted to be wrapped up in her arms and protected by her warmth. She missed hearing her mother laugh, watching her smile at something she did or trust kiss her head. She missed so much and she wished she could be here now.
She had finally found her father and now all she needed was her mother to be here and they could be a family. She knew her mother never stopped loving him. He was her one true love and she believed the same for her father.
Aubrey couldn't sleep and got out of bed trying not to disturb her sleeping wolf puppy. She walked to her draws and opened the bottom one and pulled out a diary of her mothers. She read the side and saw the diary was from Hermione's last year at Hogwarts. She made her way back to her bed and turned on her reading light and opened the diary and began to read.
Hermione's Diary – 1998 (October)
Severus opened the door to his potions classroom and stood in the doorway watching his lover brew potions. He watched as she cut ingredients and stirred the potion. He watched as she bit her lip as she concentrated.
He walked towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist making her jump not realising he had been watching.
'You scared me.' She whispered.
'I didn't mean to.' He said as he kissed the side of her head. 'How is it going?'
'Good, I think.' She replied as she motioned to the potion she was making. 'Does it look alright? I'm following your instructions to the tee.'
'It looks perfect like always Hermione.' He said. 'Finish off the last bit and join my upstairs.'
'Severus I should go back to my room, they're getting suspicious.' She replied as she sighed.
'Come upstairs.' He said as he walked away from her.
Hermione finished the potion and left it to brew. She picked up her cloak and bags and walked upstairs. As she walked up the stairs to his room she saw him sat in his arm chair.
'Severus.' She said.
'Come here.' He said as he opened his hand to her.
Hermione walked over to him and let him pull her onto his lap. Hermione snuggled into Severus's chest and smiled.
'Everything alright?' She asked
'I want you to know something.' He said as he kissed her head gently.
'Okay.' She replied.
'If something happens to me, I have made sure you are looked after.' He said. 'If I am killed in the final battle which I am sure I will be, I want you to stay away. I don't want you to tell anyone about us. They will presume I died for the dark and I don't want you to be ruined by that.' He said.
'Severus.' She tried to interrupt.
'No, Hermione you do this one thing for me please?' he asked.
'I can't.' She said as she looked up at him. 'I can't pretend you mean nothing to me.'
'Please?' he said as he kissed her gently on the lips.
'I promise.' She said as she let tears fall. 'You're not going to die Severus, you and I we have a future to look forward to. After this war is over, we are going to be together.'
'And what do you have planned Ms Granger?' He asked smirking.
'Well.' She began as she snuggled into him. 'I imagine us married, still hear, both of us teaching maybe or maybe I would be taking a break from work and study to have a baby.'
'Children?' he asked.
'Just one.' She replied. 'A girl.'
'A girl?' He replied. 'What would you name her?'
'Aubrey.' She said as she smiled. 'I know it was your Grandmother's name and I like it. From what you've told me of her she was a lovely woman.'
'She was.' He said. 'So one child then.'
'Yes.' She replied. 'Your little girl, she'd be a daddy's girl. You'd teach her about potions and take her on walks and she'd love you as much as I do.'
'And how much do you love me Hermione?' He asked.
'I'll show you.' She said as she stood up.
Aubrey closed the diary and smiled. So her mother had named her after her father's Grandmother. She was 'kind of' planned she thought as she snuggled down into bed. She hugged the diary close to her and fell asleep dreaming that her mother was here with her and her Dad.
The next morning, Severus walked into Aubrey's room at six o'clock to wake her. He silently watched her from the doorway first, she looked so young in her sleep and so peaceful.
Severus walked towards the bed and sat on the side. He stroked Xavier and then touched Aubrey's shoulder and shook her awake.
'Good morning.' He said as he watched her open her eyes.
'Morning.' She yawned as she let go of the diary.
'What's that?' he asked as he picked up the book.
'Mum's diary. I was reading it last night.' She replied as she stroked Xavier who was awake but snuggling into the covers.
'What were you reading?' he asked.
'A memory she wrote about in October 1998. You promised her if you died in the war to deny what you had. She promised and you spoke about a future together where she told you she'd have your daughter and name her Aubrey after your Grandmother.' She said sadly.
'And she did.' He replied.' She kept her promise, I on the other hand did not.'
'What promise?' She asked.
'Later that night I promise to be there always.' He said as he looked down at the diary.
'She didn't write that or I haven't read that yet.' Aubrey replied. 'She loved you so much.'
'I know.' He replied as he stood up. 'Start getting ready, the carriage will arrive in thirty minutes.' And he walked out of her bedroom with the diary.
Aubrey got herself out of bed and started to get ready. She pulled on a pair of black skinny jeans and a red hoddie which belonged to her mother once and then let her curly hair down. She put on a small amount of makeup and then pulled her suitcase out into the living room to find Lucius and Draco waiting.
'Morning.' Draco said as he walked towards her.
'Morning.' She replied.
'Are we taking Xavier or is he staying?' Severus asked.
'He's staying with the house elves.' She replied as she let Draco take her suitcase from her and give it to the Malfoy's house elf who was coming with them.
'Okay.' Severus replied. 'We're ready then.'
The four of them made their way to the where the carriage was awaiting them. Severus and Lucius took their seats in the compartment and Draco and Aubrey took the second. They sat down in the seats and buckled up and soon the carriage took flight.
'You alright?' Draco asked as he took hold of her hand.
'I'm fine.' She replied.
'If my mother taught me one thing it was that if a girl says she's fine, she's not.' Draco said as he kissed her hand.
'I miss my mum.' She said as she let tears fall down her face. 'I said it. I miss her.'
'Of course you do.' He said as he unbuckled his belt and learnt forward. 'I miss mine too and it doesn't go away but that pain dulls as times go by.'
'Does it?' she asked.
'Of course it does, I would never lie to you.' He said as he kissed her hand. 'Come here.' He said as he sat back and pulled her around to him and pulled her into his lap. 'When I first lost my mother.' He said as she snuggled into him. 'I was a mess, I didn't leave the Manor for days, didn't eat or sleep and then I realised she wouldn't want this for me, she wanted me to be successful, wanted me to move on and your mother, and I knew her well, was one who never gave up and she would never want you to do the same.'
'I know.' Aubrey whispered. 'It's just so hard.'
'I know it is.' He said as he kissed her head. 'Aubrey, she loved you so much everyone knows that and Severus love you as much as he loved her. You have your father and you have me and even my father who is quite fond of you.'
Aubrey giggled as she looked up at him. 'Promise me, you'll always be there even if we don't make it, promise me we'll still be friends?'
'I promise you not that but promise you to always love you.' He said as he leant down to kiss her.
Authors Notes:
I'm back! My muse has suddenly came back! I read my whole story of this so far and then she decided to come back and give me some inspiration! I am so sorry I took so long. I have been going through a hard time at the moment (still am to an extent) but I'm slowly coming back and will now have more time to write!
Please review x