Explaining why she had modified Tom's memories to the Riddles was no easy task, as she wasn't sure exactly what to tell them. Hermione tried to be as vague as possible when telling them what happened; that Tom had done something wrong, giving her reason to do what she had.
They didn't understand fully, and a part of her was relieved about that. She didn't want to explain it to them in detail, knowing that they would no doubt fear him if she did. If there was one thing she wanted to leave Tom with, it was a family that loved him. She saw blatant evidence of this in Tom Sr.
"I thought you were different, but clearly I was wrong," Tom Sr. stepped up to her, glaring at her with the same iciness in his eyes that his son had. "All you witches do is leave pain and destruction in your path. We would all be better off if you would just leave us alone."
Mary tried to protest on her behalf, insisting that I must have had a good reason, and as much as she appreciated it, Hermione chose to take the blame. She wasn't angry at Tom Sr. for accusing her of such, knowing that it stemmed from his own personal experiences.
"I give you my word that I will trouble your family no further," Hermione assured them.
Then, bidding them farewell, she left. Though, she couldn't deny that it hurt her to do so. Next to Tom, she would probably miss Mary the most, for she had become something like a grandmother to her.
At least she still had her grandfather…
The hard part may have been over, but there was still much work left to do before she could safely leave. There were still loose ends that needed to be tied up, and Hermione was nothing if not thorough. She couldn't allow herself to leave before every last one was taken care of.
It felt only right that the first of many stops should be to visit her closest friend and goddaughters one last time. While there, she questioned Cygnus on the Death Eaters, and he affirmed her theory that he had been the one to refuse to join. Druella seemed proud of him for this, even going so far as to plant a kiss on his cheek right then and there. Bellatrix pulled a disgusted face, earning a slight giggle from the adults.
"Promise me that you'll write," Druella requested. "I would hate to lose a friend as good as you."
Hermione nodded. "If you want me to. However, there is something I want to tell you before I go, something that I've kept secret from everyone for a long time."
Both Cygnus and Druella raised a brow at that, exchanging curious glances. "What is it? You know you can tell us anything?"
"I'm not a half-blood as I led you to believe," she admitted. "My parents were both muggles."
Their eyes grew. "That would mean…"
She let out a sigh. "Yes, I am a muggleborn."
They didn't speak for quite some time as they stared at her in disbelief. She could only imagine how difficult this was for them. Learning that their good friend, someone they had known and trusted for years, was actually one of those they had been taught to despise.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you from the very beginning. It was a secret that Tom and I agreed to keep to ourselves. I knew that no one in Slytherin would give me a chance if they knew."
Druella was the first to break from her shock, getting up and crossing over to her. For a split second, Hermione feared the worst, that she too would want nothing to do with her, ordering her out of their home and lives just like Tom Sr. had. She braced herself for it, but no such words ever came.
What Druella did next shocked Hermione. Taking hold of her hands, Druella pulled her up from her seat and enveloped her in a hug. The gesture meant more to Hermione than her friend would ever know. Unable to hold back her tears, she hugged her back with fervor, burying her face into her shoulder.
"Y-You don't hate me?"
She felt Druella shake her head. "How could I ever hate you after everything you've done for me? You cared for me at a time when it seemed no one else did. I'm ashamed to say that you're right. I probably wouldn't have given you a chance had you told me right away, but now that I know you and what you're capable of… Well, you're not at all like what I was told."
Cygnus on the other hand was a different story. Glancing over Druella's shoulder at him, she saw the conflict written across his face. She wasn't sure how much Druella's family had pushed the whole pureblood supremacy idea, but she knew that with the Blacks, it was pushed strongly.
"Don't worry, I won't jeopardize your place on the Black Family Tree," Hermione assured him. "I understand the consequences of what my association with you would entail."
Cygnus nodded his head, seeming a bit more at ease.
She didn't stay for too long, warning them that while Tom would still likely remember them, he wouldn't remember her and asked them to pretend as if she never existed with him. They agreed to do so.
Her next stop was Malfoy Manor, this time making an effort to actually spend time with Hera as well as Abraxas. After tea, she pulled Abraxas aside into his office for a bit more privacy. Feeling that it was now safe to do so, she unlocked the memory of her previous visit in his mind. He didn't say a word as she explained what had happened with Tom.
"You do realize that others will likely come along to try and continue what Tom started," Abraxas pointed out. "Those of us who joined because we believe in the cause will not stop simply because our leader lost his memories."
Hermione nodded her head. She had already thought of that. "That doesn't really concern me. I've already helped put a stop to two of the darkest wizards the world has ever known. My work here ends with Tom."
She was tired, in more than just the physical sense. Recent events had taken their toll on her and now that it was over, or at least would be over soon, she just wanted a break. She would do what she must and try to move on with her life. That was all that was left for her to do.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked sympathetically.
"Just… keep an eye on him, and try to forget about me as well."
He shook his head. "I won't forget about you, Hermione."
She managed to give him a small smile as he reached out to hug her. As strange as it sounded, she was actually going to miss him. She never thought she would be able to truthfully say that about a Malfoy.
"Take care of yourself, Abraxas."
"You too."
With her own personal business taken care of, she moved onto her next task; hiding all of the powerful relics that Tom had or would have acquired. She already had the Elder Wand, along with two of what would have been his horcruxes. There was only one more known horcrux that she knew of, and she knew exactly who had it.
Hepzibah Smith…
While Hermione had no intention of taking the locket for herself, deeming that it was in no immediate danger, she did go and check up on the overweight witch just to make sure. Hepzibah was still alive, and appeared to be in good enough health. Though Hepzibah was still a frequent customer to Borgin and Burkes, she appeared to have no connection to Tom Riddle, a change that had occurred due to Tom's different choice of career.
Then there was the Elder Wand. Many ideas had crossed her mind, each of which she had quickly decided against. Her first thought had been to ask Dumbledore to take it from her, as he was the one who would have taken it, had he defeated Grindelwald himself, but her grandfather talked her out of it, insisting that a man who invaded the mind of an eleven-year old girl without her consent was not to be trusted with that much power. She had to agree with that.
After discussing it with her grandfather, they decided to take the relics down to Gringotts and lock them away in the Renshaw Family Vault where they could be sure that they would be safe. The Elder Wand reached out to her, screaming at her not to lock it away, trying to tempt her to keep it in every way it could think of, but it was no use. Hermione didn't want the wretched wand, and had never intended to keep it to begin with. It was better off being forgotten.
"Is there anything else that needs to be taken care of?" Kieran asked her as they were leaving the bank.
Hermione shook her head. "It's time to leave."
The weeks that followed Hermione's departure from Britain were some of the most difficult she had ever endured, dragging on at an alarmingly slow pace. She couldn't sleep, tormented by her thoughts and by her grief. She ate very little, pouring herself into her work during the day in order to distract herself. It wasn't healthy, she knew as much, but she didn't dare stop. This was the only way she knew to cope.
Aside from her personal struggles, things were going well. Her and her grandfather had settled into an apartment not even a block away from the Flamel's home. Though they had two bedrooms, the second was used as a storage room. Kieran preferred to use the basement, as it was much more sound proof and light proof.
Her apprenticeship was also going well. Nicholas Flamel was a top notch mentor. He was kind and patient with her as she struggled to grasp it at first. Alchemy was by no means an easy craft, in fact it was possibly even more complicated than potion making. However, Hermione enjoyed it, as it challenged her mind and prompted her to think outside of the box.
Just like Tom used to…
No matter how many times she tried to push thoughts of him from her mind, they just seemed to keep coming. She wondered what he was doing. Whether he was happy or unhappy. There were many times in which she was tempted to seek out information on him, but with help from her grandfather, she managed to restrain herself.
Kieran had been a great help to her through this troubling time for her, as he understood all too well how it felt to lose someone you loved. He didn't share any details with her about how he had managed to cope with his own loss, and frankly she didn't think she wanted to know, but he reassured her that, though it might never completely pass, the pain would lessen with time.
For the sake of her well being, she hoped it would lessen sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, she soon discovered that it was not to be…
Her sleep had just started to improve when she started to feel ill. She would wake up in the mornings feeling dizzy and nauseous, forcing her to make a mad dash towards the bathroom to vomit what little food was in her system from the night before. Then, she would feel better for a bit, that is until she went to eat something else. It was almost as if her body had become completely repulsed by food in general, as she ended up running back to the bathroom to vomit after almost every meal.
Determined not to let it get in the way of her work, she started to take pepper-up potions, and while they did relieve her of the sickness for a while, it never lasted long enough. More often than none, she would end up puking in an alley on the way home, unable to hold it back any longer.
After a full week of this, Hermione finally gave in and went to see a doctor. The result was far from what she had been expecting.
"Congratulations, Mademoiselle Granger," said the Mediwitch. "You're pregnant."
Hermione didn't reply for the first while, nor did she even move, frozen with shock. Did she just hear what she thought she heard? Surely not. The Mediwitch must have been mistaken. Either that or she had heard her wrong.
"I'm sorry, I'm what?"
"You're pregnant. Five weeks along, from what zee tests reveal," the Mediwitch clarified
It felt as though the world had come crashing down on her. How had this happened? Well, obviously she knew how, but how had it happened when she had always been so careful. Then it hit her. Five weeks… That would have been while she was in Paris for Rosaline's wedding. She had an idea when exactly it would have happened, as she could recall one night in particular when she had been a bit less than careful.
"I take it zis ees unexpected for you?"
Hermione nodded her head, not knowing what to say.
The Mediwitch ran a few more tests to make sure everything else was alright, and gave her a prescription slip for a potion that was specifically designed to combat morning sickness. Hermione asked if she could have the recipe for it instead so that she could make some for herself at home. The Mediwitch agreed to get it for her, and sent her off on her way.
Her grandfather was waiting for her when she stepped out of the examination room, his eyes filled with concern for her. She didn't even bother to ask if he had heard as she flung herself into his arms, soon breaking down crying. There was no doubt that he had heard every word the Mediwitch said.
"I'll never be able to forget about him now!" she sobbed.
"Shh, it'll be alright," he assured her, rubbing her back in soothing circles. "We'll get through this."
He let her cry it all out for a while before he took her home, giving her a bit of time on her own as he went to make her a cup of tea.
She wasn't quite sure how she felt about it. She was scared, that much was certain. Here she was, unmarried and pregnant, in a time where such was highly frowned upon. If she thought the treatment Druella received was bad, she could only imagine how bad it would be for her.
She was angry, both at Tom and at herself. If only he hadn't let himself grow corrupted by power, then she wouldn't be in this situation. She might still be pregnant, but at least she'd have the comfort of knowing that he was actually there. As it was, he didn't even know she existed, let alone the fact that she was pregnant with his baby.
And she was mad at herself for letting this happen in the first place. It took two willing participants, most of the time anyway, to create a child. The fault wasn't solely on Tom. She had played her part. She had agreed to make an exception to wanting to wait. Then again, she never had been able to deny Tom much. He was a slytherin after all. He always found a way to get what he wanted.
"Curse him and his bloody charismatic arse!" she muttered.
And yet, a part of her felt hopeful about it. She may have lost Tom forever, but she had been left with a tiny being that was his just as much as hers. A part of Tom was in this child, and as scary as that thought was, considering everything that had happened leading up to her obliviating him, it did make her feel a bit happy.
Months passed and Hermione's pregnancy progressed smoothly for the most part. She had been scared at first that her apprenticeship would be ruined because of it, but Nicholas and Perenelle were nothing but accepting, and didn't seem to think any worse of her because of it.
"Children are a blessing," Perenelle assured her. "Yes, it will change things, but it doesn't mean you must give up all your ambitions."
And so it was settled that she would remain as Flamel's apprentice. Her schedule changed over time, as she found herself growing tired sooner than before and had to sit down much more as well, but still she managed to maintain good progress.
Hermione stayed out of public for the most part for the duration of it, hiding behind big, loose fitting clothing when she went to work each morning. At her grandfather's insistence, she had agreed to take his last name, both for the child's sake as well as her own. Though she herself insisted on going under the name Hermione Granger-Renshaw. She decided that she would let her child choose for itself which last name it would take.
Hermione insisted upon learning the gender in order to plan ahead and get everything that she would need ready. She had always been organized like that. You can only imagine her shock when the ultrasound showed she was having twins; a boy and a girl! It was enough to make her feel light headed for a while.
"Well, looks like we might have to look into a bigger house in the near future," her grandfather said.
He definitely had a point. Their apartment would work for a while, as they did have an extra bedroom to put both the babies in, but she feared that they would need more space once they started to grow up… Much more space...
As the latter months of her pregnancy dragged on, Hermione found herself unable to work, much to her frustration. Just walking down the stairs sometimes was enough to drain her energy, and she often started to feel dizzy when she remained on her feet too long.
And so, most days she would make it as far as the living room, where she would lean back on the couch with a blanket over her legs, which were always cold as of late, and read a book. She had read in one of the many pregnancy and childcare books that she got that reading to her unborn children would promote brain activity and help with early literacy skills. That was all the encouragement she needed to read a mountain load of books to them.
Then came the delivery itself… Contractions started to hit at 36 weeks, which she had read was entirely common for twins. Twin pregnancies hardly ever went to full term. She wasn't particularly worried, as childbirth in the wizarding world wasn't exactly fraught with risks. Her doctor was highly trained and trustworthy, as were her team or nurses. She would be in good hands. Still, the pain was more than she had expected.
She cursed Tom's name a lot that day, wishing that she hadn't altered his memories so that she could strangle him right then and there for getting her into this. Alas, she didn't have Tom to strangle. However, she did have Druella, who remained by her side throughout the whole process, holding her hand.
"Don't worry, I won't leave you, Hermione," Druella assured her. "You were there for me, and now I'm here for you."
Hermione nodded her head, gritting her teeth through the pain. She had never felt more grateful towards Druella.
After hours and hours of pain and then two rounds of pushing, her children finally made their debut into the world. The first one, the boy, came out remarkably calm. At first the nurses were concerned that something was wrong with him, as he wasn't crying like most babies did, but with a couple of tests, they deduced that there was absolutely nothing wrong with him. Then came the second one, the girl. Unlike her brother, she came out kicking and screaming, and didn't calm down until she was swaddled in a blanket and laid down across her mother's chest, her twin brother laid beside her.
Hermione's eyes flooded with tears, which she quickly wiped away as she pulled her head up to get a good look at them. One look and she knew she would never be the same. They were without a doubt the most beautiful things she had ever seen, both with wisps of dark hair on their heads.
"Congratulations, Mademoiselle," said the nurse. "You 'ave a beautiful son and daughter."
Her heart swelled with love at the two tiny beings that she and Tom had created. Every moment of pain she had spent cursing his name was now long forgotten. She only felt bad that Tom wasn't there to see them as well.
"Shall I send in zee gentleman waiting outside?" another nurse asked.
Hermione nodded her head, her eyes never leaving the babies on her chest. She was referring to her grandfather, not that she could call him such at the present time. That would be a bit troublesome to explain. She didn't know who the nurses thought he was. Surely not the father, as they had all heard her cursing the name of Tom Marvolo Riddle. Maybe they thought he was a brother or some other close relation?
A few moments later, the door opened and in came Kieran, his wide eyes drawn to her. With a tired smile, she motioned him over. Druella moved to the other side to give him room. He just stood there and stared at the two babies for the longest time before a grin finally tugged at his lips.
"Have you decided on names for my Godchildren yet?" Druella asked, cooing at the babies.
Hermione giggled, even though it hurt to do so. Of course she had named Druella as their Godmother. Who else? As for their Godfather... Ordinarily she would have chosen Cygnus, but he had been distant towards her ever since she told him the truth of her blood status. With that in mind, she instead chose his brother, Alphard, whom she had grown considerably close with in recent months.
Glancing at the tiny, peaceful faces of the sleeping newborns, she made her decisions.
"My son will be named Sebastian Thomas."
The name Sebastian was chosen in honor of her own parents, who had named her after a character from Shakespeare's works. The name Hermione had come from 'The Winter's Tale' and the name Sebastian had come from 'Twelfth Night'. And then of course, Thomas was chosen in honor of his own father.
She could practically see Tom rolling his eyes at her choice. He always hated having such a common name.
"And my daughter will be named Evelyn Marie."
At that, Kieran's eyes snapped towards her. "You mean...?"
Hermione nodded. Her daughter was named in honor of both her grandmothers. She never got to meet Evelyn Bluebell, but from what she had heard of her from Kieran, she was confident that they would have gotten along wonderfully. And Marie… Well, it was only right that she be named in some way after Mary Riddle.
She wasn't sure if she was just seeing things, but she could have sworn she saw a small drop of blood leak out the corner of her grandfather's eye.
"I think that's a perfect name for her."
A little while later, a nurse came in to weigh them and fill out their birth certificates, which she then handed to Hermione.
Sebastian Thomas Renshaw
Born on March 17th, at 8:10 AM
Weighing 5.2 lb
To
Tom Marvolo Riddle & Hermione Jean Granger-Renshaw
Evelyn Marie Renshaw
Born on March 17th, at 8:25 AM
Weighing 5.1 lb
To
Tom Marvolo Riddle & Hermione Jean Granger-Renshaw
Hermione smiled sadly at the slips of paper as she glanced at the babies who were now asleep in their bassinets next to her bed. Her children would grow up knowing who they were and where they came from, she promised them that, but they would never meet the man who had fathered them. And if by some miracle they did, he wouldn't even know who they were. It was a tragic card that they had been dealt, but there was nothing to be done about it now.
She vowed right then and there that she would be the best mother she could possibly be to them to make up for that fact.
