Chapter 7: Graduation

McGonagall, the new headmistress, was giving her speech to the new graduates and their families and friends, but little Belle wasn't really interested in it. She was marvelled by this new place to which her parents had taken her. It surely was so much bigger than where they lived. It had so many tall windows and walls, and the floor was so large. She had started to walk not long ago and she was desperate to try her new skill in this new place. It was too big for her little legs, but that didn't stop her from running wildly around the Great Hall. Her father was chasing after her, trying to grab her hand and take her back to their seats. He wasn't going to miss his girlfriend's graduation for anything in the world and he had promised Hermione to take good care of their daughter during the ceremony. Applauses were heard as McGonagall finished her speech and introduced the honour speaker. It was in that moment when Belle stopped her running and looked around.
"Look, Belle! Mommy's up there." Ron said pointing at Hermione who was coming out to the front of the room. Belle looked at where he was pointing at, curious.
"Mommy?" she asked incredously. Ron slowly picked her up.
"Yes. Mommy. Let's go to our seats and listen to her, alright?" he said walking back to where his family and Harry were.
"Yay! Mommy!" she cheered clapping her little hands.
Hermione's speech was emotional and motivational. Ron felt so proud of her! A whole year of hard work paid of. As soon as the ceremony was over and all the graduates were heading to their families, Belle started to get bored and tried to get out of her father's arms.
"It's ok, baby. Mommy's going to be here soon." Ron reassured her, but Belle wouldn't have it. She kept whimpering in her father's arms. As soon as Ron put her down, she started running towards the front of the room. Ron ran after her and soon lost her in the crowd. Many students got in his way.
"Bloody hell! Hermione's gonna kill me." he said.
Hermione was greeting a few of her fellow graduates and was about to walk to the back of the room when someone walked into her. She looked down and found her one-year-old redheaded daughter looking at her and grinning.
"MOMMY!" the little girl shouted as she held her mother's legs.
"Well, hello, princess! What are you doing here by yourself? You ran away from daddy again?" Hermione asked, smiling, as she picked up Belle in her arms. Belle just giggled and wrapped her arms around her mom's neck. Ron finally got to them, panting.
"I just... she just... bloody hell! don't ever do that again, Belle!" he said to the little girl. Hermione laughed a bit. "I promise... I was... taking care of her, but... people..." he continued as he tried to catch his breath.
"Relax, Ron. I saw you running after her. She does this pretty often when she wants to get her way." she said, then she kissed his cheek.
"You... you were incredible up there. Very... very proud of you." he said. She blushed and kissed him on the lips. The rest of the Weasley clan went to them and congratulated her as Ginny hugged her.
"Can you believe we finally graduated?! No more school to go to!" Ginny shouted of joy.
"you all ready to leave?" Mrs Weasley asked.
"Hermione and I are going to go upstairs to change and get my trunk." Ginny said.
"And I'm gonna change someone's nappy too before we leave." Hermione said as she kissed Belle's chubby cheek.
The girls went to the Gryffindor tower together, chatting and cooing the little one. Once they got to Ginny's room, Hermione laid Belle on one of the beds and changed her nappy. Then, she picked up the baby and sat on the bed, sitting her daughter on her lap. She looked around, nostalgic, as she remembed all the times she'd been in that room. "You know, Belle, this was mommy's bedroom when she studied here. Mommy used to spend a lot of time here rea..." she started.
"pinning over your daddy, crying because of your daddy and walking around the room in a rage because your daddy did something stupid." Ginny interrupted.
Hermione glared at her. "She didn't need to know that." she told Ginny. Ginny shrugged and smiled as she changed her clothes.
"She was gonna find out eventually." Ginny said with a smirk.
Hermione stood up with the baby in her arms and took her to the window. "Look, sweetheart! Look how pretty it looks from here!" she exclaimed looking at the view outside. Belle rested her head on her mom's shoulder. "One day you'll be here too. You'll learn lots of incredible things. And you'll do amazing, Belle." she said, kissing her daughter's head. Mother and daughter stayed there, just looking out the window, thinking of a stage that was finishing and a brand new future that was just starting.