June 24th

Hermione was desperate to get out of their house. Even for just a few hours, she needed to catch her breath and escape from the tension and stress that the unanticipated meeting with the Dark Lord brought crashing to her home days earlier. Unwilling to go to the Ministry of Magic on a Sunday even out of desperation, she left Antonin a note telling him where she'd gone. When he woke up, he hopefully wouldn't worry too much about her.

After she was finally able to get him to calm down early Saturday morning, she turned the tables on him. Pushing a familiar vial of potion in his hands, she was insistent that he drink. At first he tried to argue with her that it was unnecessary, but she would not be deterred. What was the purpose of having an entire drawer full of potions designed to calm and clear the mind of an emotionally distraught person if they weren't consumed by those that needed them? Only when she promised him that he would be free from all thoughts or nightmares for many hours did he finally drink.

It was strange to be the nurturing, comforting one in their relationship after so many years of it being the other way around. She almost didn't know what to do. Once he was asleep thanks to the potion, she was able to relax. Or at least try to relax. The knowledge he shared with her in the middle of the night was disturbing to say the least. She spent most of Saturday replaying their discussion over and over again in her mind.

Some of the odd behavior he exhibited the night they went out for dinner in Diagon Alley made sense. Despite what he was trying to show to the contrary, Antonin didn't want to be the Dark Lord's replacement. Never would he come right out and admit so though. That would be dangerous. Maybe he used to have real ambitions about ascending to the throne, but somewhere along the line, he'd changed his mind. If being forced to kill the little girl with hair like his wife's was his turning point, she wouldn't be surprised. Everyone had a limit of what they could bear. Evidently, her husband finally reached his.

Continuing to act as if he wanted to become the next Dark Lord was a tricky move. She knew that he couldn't just sit back and watch their world descend into chaos. Time and time again he'd made it clear that his priority was to his family. He would never want his wife and son to be caught up in a dangerous situation. He had to do what was necessary to ensure that the wrong person didn't gather enough support to take over. Someone like Theodore Nott wouldn't hesitate to murder all of his rivals the first chance he got. There would be no peace if that wizard got his way.

With everything that was on his mind and his conscience, it was no wonder Antonin was as exhausted as he was. The longer she remained in Hogsmeade, the more physical changes she noticed in her husband. His hair was turning silver. Even more lines were appearing on his skin. She could only imagine what his blood pressure was like. Stress was slowly killing him just as effectively as a deranged rival. Watching him sleep under the influence of the potion helped calm Hermione's nerves as well. He seemed so peaceful. Years melted from his features when he was relaxed.

An entire day passed without incident. Antonin continued to sleep. No one dropped by unexpectedly. He would be all right if she left him alone for a few hours. Just to be safe, knowing that he was in such a vulnerable state, Hermione strengthened the security wards on their home. Nott might be out of the country on his dismal honeymoon, but there were sure to be many still around who were on his side.

Diagon Alley was busy with excitement. The last weekend before the school year ended at Hogwarts, many parents were out enjoying the last bit of freedom they had before their children returned home. Some were anxious to buy presents for their students. Others were getting a head start on purchasing the reading materials assigned over the summer. Hermione might not have a lot of use personally for Headmaster Temeritus Mulciber, but he ran a tight ship. Under his supervision, test scores were the highest they'd been in a century. While not nearly as brutal as under Severus Snape, discipline was firm and effective.

Like they had more times than she really wanted to admit, Hermione's steps took her to the end of the Alley where a popular secondhand shop sat. The Junk Shop used to be an interesting place to explore when she was in Hogwarts. One never knew what they might find in the dusty corners and shelves. A lot of the merchandise certainly lived up to the name of the store, but sometimes, if one was diligent in looking, real treasures could be found.

She stared up at the sign in desperate need of painting. It had been years since she crossed the threshold into the establishment owned by her husband's mistress. Due to her family's visible loyalty to the losing side, Andromeda had been fortunate to be able to retain any of her properties. Likely Antonin was responsible for her being able to keep the one store. Wherever she once lived with her family was long since sold. The horrible woman and her grandson lived in the tiny flat above the shop since the war ended.

What had become of the space in the three years since she was responsible for murdering the proprietress? Allowing her curiosity to get the better of her good sense, Hermione pushed open the door. A tiny bell announced her arrival. She looked around the space to see if anything changed. It hadn't. Everything looked exactly as it did once upon a time when she was a young teenager wandering the aisles with her two best friends.

"Is there something I can help you find, Madam?"

She hadn't heard that voice in twenty years. Not since the final battle. Her heart clenched and she spun on her heels. Despite knowing that it wasn't who she was thinking of, she knew she had to get a good look at its owner.

Even if she hadn't known she was standing in his grandmother's shop, Hermione would've recognized Teddy Lupin anywhere. It was impossible to remember how many years passed since the last time she saw him. Andromeda was highly protective of her grandson, rarely letting him out of her sight when he wasn't studying at Hogwarts.

He looked like the perfect combination of his parents. Tall and lanky like his father, he had the kind eyes that belonged to his mother. Not to mention the light blue hair. Seeing the young man standing in front of her brought up an influx of emotion in her that she struggled to conceal. What was wrong with her?

They would be ashamed of who you became.

She pushed aside the voice in the back of her mind. It wouldn't do to appear weak in front of the wizard. Based on the narrowing of his eyes, he knew exactly who she was. Likely his opinion on her, regardless of the fact that he didn't know for certain that she was responsible for killing his only living family member, wasn't very good. Most people hated her for less reason than he had.

"I am merely browsing."

"All right."

Teddy walked away from her, but didn't stray too far. She assumed that he would be glad to see her leave. Unwilling to give him the satisfaction of running her off, Hermione began her perusal of the once familiar shelves. Everywhere she walked, she felt his eyes. He would keep his silent distance for the moment. She knew without needing to speak to him that he found her intimidating. Most people did.

Ten minutes passed with no other customers entering the shop. None of the merchandise interested Hermione in the slightest, but she wasn't in a rush to leave. Something kept her drawn to the place. When Teddy chose to adjust the items on a shelf in the exact aisle she was standing in as a terrible cover for watching her actions, she turned to face him.

"Your father was one of the best teachers I ever had."

Startled by her statement, he dropped the tarnished silver frame he was holding. It went to the floor with a crash that made Hermione smile.

"And your mother could trip over air if she wasn't careful, but no one ever made me laugh so much or so hard."

The young wizard hastily repaired the broken glass with a spell before placing it carefully back on the shelf. No longer even pretending to not be paying attention to her, Teddy turned to face the woman he probably had grown up being told to despise. Not that Hermione could exactly blame his grandmother. There was a lot about her she didn't care much for herself.

"I think about them a lot. They were both exceedingly kind to me during a time when I wasn't very welcome."

She had no idea what her purpose for talking about Remus and Tonks was. Usually, when thoughts of them crossed her mind, she tried to shut them down immediately. It was also what she did when she remembered Harry and all of the other Order members who died fighting in the last war. She found surviving in their new world too difficult with the constant stab of guilt that thinking of them inevitably brought.

"I wish I'd known them."

One of the cruelest parts of the war was how history was determined to repeat itself. Just like his godfather, Teddy was doomed to spend his life never knowing the parents who loved him. At least he had a grandmother who adored the very ground he walked upon. That was more than poor Harry had.

"They were wonderful people and I will always be sad that they're dead."

Hermione couldn't spend another moment inside the store. Why she felt the need to enter in the first place was a complete mystery. There was nothing to find inside except for a sad, young man who didn't deserve what cruelties life sent his way. And she was responsible for taking the last family member he had away.

She rushed out into the Alley, not caring one bit that she likely seemed rattled and unstable to Teddy Lupin. Spinning on the spot, she Disapparated to a different part of London. Hopefully, checking on her potion would keep her mind off of topics better left undisturbed.