"Have you no imagination, Witch?" The portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black growled. "It's a wonder you accomplish anything here."
"Indeed." Severus Snape's image shook his head slowly. "Your hands are tied only by your own inflexibility. Are you a mistress of transfiguration or not?"
"The law prevents me..." Minerva began.
"The only thing preventing you is your hidebound acceptance of the rules." Severus's portrait snarled. "The war stole your fight. It's a pity really."
"She shouldn't break the law." Hermione sighed and looked up at her former professor. "She has to be a role model."
"Yes, a role model." Phineas Nigellus snorted from high up on the wall. "She needs to be strong and clever."
"She needs to be flexible." Snape sighed. "She cannot allow you to see the children on school grounds. She can not allow the children off school grounds to meet you. We do have a wall and a gate."
"That defies the spirit of the law." The headmistress glanced up between the portraits before looking at Hermione. "But it doesn't break it. I'll escort them to the gate. You can talk to them there."
Hermione nodded and offered her thanks to Minerva and her pair of painted supporters before rushing to the gate. It wasn't ideal, but she had to tell her children.
Hugo watched his mother walk away. Her shoulders didn't slump. Each stride was confident. He knew she wouldn't let it show, but Rose had hurt her.
He needed to fix this somehow. He didn't know how he felt about having a half Malfoy for a sibling, but he knew his mum.
"I love you, Mum." He called out.
She stopped and turned toward him. Being on either side of the gate was awful. He wanted to hug her.
"I love you, too." She came back to the gate. "I didn't do this to hurt you or your father."
"Rose is just blowing off steam, Mum." He shrugged. "She's quick on incendio. It's the Weasley temper."
"Yes." His mother smiled. "It almost always flares up at unfortunate times."
"Dad is gonna pop like firecracker." Hugo shook his head. "I knew he was wrong about this blowing over, but he didn't."
"I'm sorry this has been so hard on you. I never wanted to put you in the middle of this." She made an awkward gesture with her hand. "I tried. Maybe you could come visit during your next break."
"I'd like that." Hugo pushed his hand through the gate and used a push of magic to slip his hand through the wards. His mum grabbed it, and they both stood there just holding hands. It was probably strange, but he'd missed her so much.
"You need to get to class, Hugo. I don't want to let you go, but..." She squeezed his hand.
"Yeah, school's important." Hugo grinned and let her hand go. "I have potions soon. Take care of yourself, Mum. I love you."
Harry stood beside Gin outside the wards of The Burrow. The sun was shining down on the building and it's garden, but he didn't admire the beauty of it. The coming confrontation was going to be uncomfortable at best.
"We can't stand here all day." Gin sighed and squeezed his shoulder gently.
"I know that." He glanced at his wife. "I know what I need to do."
"That doesn't make it easier." Gin leaned against his side.
"If he'd hit her, I would have done something." Harry slid an arm around his wife. "He was hurting her, and I knew it. On some level, beyond the other women, I saw it. She wasn't offering her opinions anymore. She wasn't hugging me. She wasn't being Hermione. I should have done something."
"Fleur noticed." Gin scuffed the toes of her shoe in the dirt of the path. "I realized it last night. She kept asking me about Hermione, and I ignored it. I wanted the happily ever after fantasy more than the reality."
"So, we are going in there and dealing with the explosions." Harry gripped her hand and grinned at her. "Because happily ever after looks different now, but it's still a possibility."
Gin flung herself against him and wrapped him up in her love. He took a deep breath and closed his arms around her. They could face anything together.
Draco sat next to his son and stared out at the Black Lake. It was a peaceful afternoon. He glanced at his son sitting beside him and waited for any reaction to the news he'd just imparted.
"That's why Rose and Hugo were arguing this morning." Scorpius frowned. "This isn't going to be easy. I'm not mad or anything, but how did you forget to use the charm?"
"I don't know, Son." Draco felt the heat in his cheeks. "I know it goes against all the rules I've taught you, but I am only human."
"It's a pretty big mistake, Dad." Scorpius frowned. "It's gonna change everything."
"I think that's a good thing." Draco shrugged. "I'm happy."
"I'm glad, Dad." Scorpius bumped his shoulder against Draco's. "I'm not changing diapers though."
"I wasn't expecting you to be so level headed." Draco smirked and tossed a pebble at the surface of the lake.
"Grandmother owled me. She told me to keep an open mind about your news." Scorpius plucked a pebble from the grass beside him and tossed it up and caught it. "Wish she'd told me the news. Rose Weasley casts a wicked hex, and we've got Practical Defense this week. You couldn't have put off telling us until a theory week?"
"Takes after her mother, I guess." Draco chuckled. "Shield charms, Scorpius. They are a wizard's best friend."
Rose Weasley sat on her bed and wiped the tears from her eyes and charmed her hanky dry again. She wanted to write to her mum and beg forgiveness, but she just couldn't. It wasn't supposed to be like this.
Mum was supposed to get over this nonsense and get back with Dad. Gran and Dad had been so sure. They'd promised her if she played her part it would all turn out right, but that was bollocksed up now.
Hugo had told her that they were wrong, but he'd stuck to the plan to keep her happy. He'd been missing Mom for so long. She sank her teeth into her lower lip and rocked back and forth on the bed.
"I missed you, too, Mum." The words escaped her with the next flood of tears. "I missed you, too."
Ron stared out into the orchard. There was debris everywhere. He'd taken out a few of the trees. It was sure to annoy his father, but he didn't care. His heart had been ripped out.
He could hear Harry shifting from foot to foot behind him. The bite of the breeze tossed his hair about, but none of it mattered. He wanted to hex the whole bloody world.
"Are you done?" There was an edge to Harry's voice. It was almost as if he was annoyed.
"She's..." He turned around and looked at Harry. "Malfoy? Really?"
"She's with Malfoy." Harry nodded wearily. Ron felt a bit guilty. They'd been out here for hours getting through the first flush of shock and anger. "The ferret?"
"She says they're trying." Harry shook his head oddly.
"Sprogged up is a bit more than trying." Ron snarled. "Didn't want anymore when we were together, did she?"
"I don't know." Harry sighed. "She didn't talk to me much. She didn't talk to anyone much."
"So, you're taking her side then?" Ron glared at Harry. "She's fucking the ferret. There isn't any room to understand that!"
"Well, I say there is." Harry slammed him back into the trunk of a tree with the flick of his hand. "She let you have nearly everything and you can't even treat her with respect. You've kept her books. You've left her impoverished. You've been poisoning the children against her. How is that okay?"
"She only had to come home." Ron struggled against the magic holding him prone. "It's not bloody complicated. She could have come back and it all would have been hers again."
"She is the closest thing I have to a sister in this world. She has saved both our lives on so many occasions that even she doesn't have an accurate count. You weren't faithful and you hurt her. She left to save herself. If I can see it, you bloody well should!" Harry closed the distance between him. "You are my best mate, my brother in law, and I love you. I thought staying out of this mess was right, but I was bloody wrong. I'm hoping you pull your head out of your arse and grow up."
Ron watched Harry stalk away from him until the magic released him and he slipped into the grass. He took a deep gulping breath and started to shake. He felt lost.
"Godric." He wiped at the tears on his face. "I just wanted her to come home."
Molly watched her beautiful daughter burn all the paper she had enchanted for howlers. Gin flicked her hair over her shoulder and grinned as the paper burned. The moans and whimpers escaping from the sheets filled the room. Molly clenched her fists into her apron to keep from covering her ears.
"Stay out of this, Mum." Ginny looked out toward the garden. "You aren't helping Ron. He needs to grow up. He needs help. Professional help. Meddling mums don't qualify."
Molly glared at Ginny and made a face to express her displeasure. Her daughter's silencio was keeping her from doing anything else. She stomped her foot and continued to glare.
"Hermione isn't the enemy." Ginny turned to face her. "She loves us all. She probably still loves Ron in a way, but he doesn't make it easy. Try to remember that she gave you two grandchildren, sat with you for days when you had trouble after the war, and is a lovely person."
Molly sat down in her kitchen and watched her precious daughter leave without so much as a backward glance. Her silencing spell was still in effect. She slumped against the table and let the tears fall.
Luna smiled at Hermione from her perch on the witch's front porch. She took in the glassy eyes and rumpled clothing and knew there had been some drama. It was inevitable. They'd grown up to be warriors. Peacetime was hell.
"I adore your home. It's quite lovely." Luna stood up and hugged Hermione tight. "Did you know that Ron could assume control of it if the children spend time here? The pureblood protection laws are ridiculous."
"How?" Hermione swallowed and blinked. "They're my children."
"Do you want to discuss why the laws developed or do you want to join my family and fight?" Luna smiled widely and led Hermione into her own home. "I'm not one of the 28, but I am a pureblood. Rolf has allowed me to maintain my house. It's why I didn't change my name when we married. I do love the couch. Transfiguring blankets is such a challenge. They want to be cuddly."
Hermione managed a nod.
"So, I want to claim you for House Lovegood. It will give you the status of a pureblood house backing you."
"But I'm not a pureblood." Hermione frowned.
"With the adoption, you will be. Your children will be. It's not done much these days, but most houses have a cuckoo in their nest." Luna smirked. "I want to adopt you and then we will go to the Wizengamot and demand they right the wrongs done to you. It will be fun."