A/N:Hello again everyone. You guys are the best. 124 favorites 217 follows 63 reviews and over 17000 views; Two milestones passed this chapter. Over 200 followers, JessieBishop you'll find your cybercookie in your PM, and over 100k words (Shout out to all those authors that have stories over 200k, I didn't realize how difficult it really was). Thank you all for your continued support, you certainly make trying to entertain you worth it. That being said, this chapter will be a short one; I'll talk more about that at the end.

Once more, I apologize for any grammatical errors, that I may have missed.

Please Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Harry Potter or anything dealing with its franchise; Only the OCs.

Chapter-12

Family Reunion

Hermione looked up from the book she was reading, and out the window to look at the sunny day, as the London streets bustled with its usual symphony of distant sounds, muffed footsteps and conversation of pedestrians, and various horns of vehicles; as they slowly made their way through traffic and towards the train station that would take her to school. She looked at the front of the car at her parents, who were once more sitting in awkward silence, which was now a common occurrence these past few months within the Granger household, ever since they had received the news of her brother from her visit to Gringotts.

~Flashback~

Hermione and her mother were driving back home; both trying to contain the rage that was within them, but for different reasons. Hermione's anger was more due to the fact that her brother…brother…a title that were crush now held, which now created different set of feelings within her whenever she thought about the boy. The same boy who had known of their relations, a fact that he had withheld from her for a year at most, had kept her in the dark until he couldn't any longer. What if she had told him about the feelings that had been growing for her rival/best friend/now known brother or had act on the thoughts that had pervaded her mind due to her growing hormones?

'Merlin…' Hermione thought as she realized something, 'what if my brother had seen those thoughts?'

It hadn't taken her long to figure out that William…no…that her brother was a proficient Legilimens; especially when the book he gave her on Occlumency had given a list of tells that one could look for when someone was performing legilimency. She burned scarlet as she used her occlumency to recall all those moments when he used it on her, had sometimes coincide with her less than pure thoughts of her now brother, and felt an overwhelming sense of mortification that added additional fuel to the fury that she would set down upon her brother the next time she saw him. Glancing across at her mum, who was holding the steering wheel in a tight death grip while she muttered to herself, Hermione recalled the next recipient of her anger...her father. She felt hurt at the thought of him cheating on her mum, and angry on her brother's behalf, due to the fact that he had abandoned him. What would her life have been like if she had a brother like William growing up? What would it have been like if she had someone to stand beside against all the bullies or a friend that shared her interests? She felt robbed of the opportunity of having William always by her side, and that translated to anger at her father.

As they finally reached home, Hermione gathered herself and followed behind her mum, as she all but marched into the house and quickly located her dad, who was sitting in his den with a newspaper in hand.

"Hey Honey, princess; How did it g-" Her father started to say but was interrupted by her mother as she stepped towards him.

'SLAP' came the sound as her mum hit her father across his face with her hand.

"How could you…" her mum said in a hurt whisper, and seeing the bewildered look on her father's face as he rubbed the red hand print there, took out the scroll that they received from Gringotts and stuffed it into her father's hands. Hermione watched as her perplexed father read the scroll, and watched as shock grew on his face as he reached the end of it. He looked up sharply towards her and then her mum and spoke as he started ripping the scroll.

"Emma, this is a lie, an obvious forgery. We can't believe this garbage" he said trying to sound calm.

Hermione couldn't contain her silence any longer and shouted at her father, "Don't you dare call my brother a liar; he wouldn't lie about something like this!"

"YOU DON'T HAVE A BROTHER!" he yelled back at her.

"I WOULD HAVE IF YOU DIDN'T ABANDON HIM!" she yelled back as tears started streaming down her face.

"I'm your father young lady, don't you yell at me" he said in a warning tone.

"He's right honey, that's my job. Why don't you go up stairs." Her mum all but demanded her in a calm tone.

"But I want to know why did that to William" Hermione tried to argued with her mum.

"Hermione." Her mum said in the tone of voice that told her not to argue with her. Reluctantly, she did leave, and still emotionally charged from what happened, cried silently on the unfairness of the world and on the behalf of her estranged brother.

~Flashback end~

She never did find out what was said between the two that day, but since then, her mother hardly spoke a word to her father, and when she did, it was with a feeling of indifference and coldness that Hermione didn't think her mum was capable of. Personally, she gave her father the silent treatment and avoided him when possible; while she still loved her dad, she was extremely disappointed in him and how he seemed to not want William in their family, even now that they all knew, he tried denying it.

As they pulled into a parking lot close to the station, Hermione heard her mum speak to her, "Hermione dear, why don't you run on ahead and find your brother-"

"Emma we talked about this." Her father interrupted her mum with a tone of exasperation, but she continued on as if he hadn't spoken.

"-It's time for us to meet him as his family." She finished. Biting her lip, she nodded at her mother and hopped out the car and headed towards the station.

Inside the station was busy as it usually was this time of year, as she headed towards the entrance of platform nine and three quarters. If William was anything, he was punctual if not early; and she expected to have to search the platform itself or the empty train in order to find her brother. However, as she headed towards the column entrance, she spotted him standing a bit away from the entrance, speaking with his adopted mother and the man she had met the last time she saw the pair, Mr. Lupin.

"WILLIAM EDMUND CUNNINGHAM, YOU COMPLETE ARSE!" she said as she stormed her way to her brother, ignoring the few people that started looking at her and the two amused adults at his side. He turned to her, only to be greeted with a hard fist to his shoulder, and more following the first.

"YOU-PRAT. YOU-SHOULD-HAVE-TOLD-ME-YOU-ARSE. A-YEAR! YOU-KNEW-FOR-A-YEAR-AND-DID-NOT-TELL-ME." She punctuated each word with a hard hit wherever she could reach on the boy's body when he started stepping away from her after the first two, until he hugged her. As she was wrapped in her brother's arms, she felt tears starting to fall onto his shoulder as she rested her head there and continued speaking, "You're lucky I can't use my wand; I'd have hexed you into next week."

"I'm sorry Mi', I wasn't sure how to really tell you something like that, and there were things that needed to be taken care of before I could…there are still things that need to be taken cared of; but after what happened at the end of year, I just had to tell you. Do you forgive me?" said William as he held his sister tightly. He could smell the emotional storm that his sister was going through, which was worsening the light headedness he had gotten from the different scents around him when he first arrived, that was until Remus warded the area around them to help. She smelt of vanilla and parchment, it was quite pleasant, but the experience was soured by the emotional turmoil he had put his sister through by not telling her sooner. While he didn't regret it, it did cause that familiar pang of guilt he always felt when his sister was like this.

She punched him softly while still not moving from his shoulder, "Prat, there's nothing to forgive. I get why you did it; I'm angry at you yes, but I get it."

"Thanks Mi'" he replied hugging her a bit tighter.

"When's your birthday?" she asked out of the blue, her voiced muffled, but still clear to him.

"The twelfth of December, why?" he asked.

He watched as she leaned back and with her eyes slightly red from her tears, she smiled at him as she spoke, "So I have a little brother then."

"You're the little one actually." He replied nonchalantly.

"I'm older." She said with a perplex look on her face.

"Yes…But I'm taller." He said sagely as her tousled her already bushy hair with his hand, causing her to slap it away with a smile.

"Prat." She said as she pulled him back into a hug again. They stayed like that for a moment until there was a brief flash, which caused them to be once again be aware of their surroundings. They turned towards the flash, to see a camera-welding Nymeria rubbing fake tears out of her eyes as Remus chuckled along beside her as she spoke.

"'I'm older'. 'Yes, but I'm taller'." She mimicked their words in a false voice for both, before she continued in her own while wiping away fake tears, "Don't those two just make the cutest little siblings Remus?"

Remus continued to chuckle as he spoke, "Quite, it's amazing to see another person that's able to slip through the wall of seriousness and control that Mr. Cunningham likes to display."

"That picture does not get developed, Nymeria." William said as he stepped out of his sister's grasp.

"You disappeared for the entire summer; this shall be your punishment for leaving your poor lonely mother by herself in such a big home." She replied as Remus started chuckling once more.

William sighed deciding not to argue with Nymeria, and turned back to his sister who was watching the byplay and spoke to her, "I take it that you're dying to ask me some questions about our House."

"Yes. I've read about House Dagworth from a book that Su Li gave me last Christmas, and heard what happened to our House from Blacktooth, and how all those things happened to it, and he alluded to the fact that you were fixing it. I want to know what I can do to help; I want to do my part as your sister and a Dagworth." She said with her face filled with determination.

William gave her a proud smile. He knew that Hermione would be more than willing to help their House to greatness, and he planned on giving her the chance to do so, but his sister was still naïve; The fact that her moral compass still relied on rules and authority, could be detrimental to many things that he had planned or planned to do. His sister would help, but not until he brought her into the fold…and if that was impossible, he could always use her to accomplish things that he could not when they came up or would be deemed 'light' on her moral compass.

"I'm happy to hear that Mi'; how about we go find a compartment and talk more about that." He said as he was starting to move towards the barrier, when Hermione spoke.

"We can't leave yet, my parents want to meet you." She said causing him to halt. He had hoped to put that particular meeting off for as long as possible. With an internal sigh, he focused his barriers, or as much as his other side would let him, and answered his sister.

"Ah, I was wondering where you left your luggage; where are you supposed to meet them."

"We hadn't really decided on a place, but I'd assume they would come here, towards the barrier entrance." Hermione answered as she started looking around the crowded muggle platform for her parents. It took some time, but she finally spotted them, standing close to each other while looking searchingly around the platform themselves. She waved at them, but noticed that they didn't seem to notice her.

"You'll have to forgive me, Ms. Granger; I placed a ward around us so the muggles wouldn't take notice of the scene between Mr. Cunningham and yourself." Remus spoke up, causing her to turn towards him as he swept his wand through the air, causing a slightly a translucent bubble to shimmer around them and then dissipate.

"Could you teach me how to do that?" she asked, and blushed slightly when the two adults started to chuckle as a reply.

"You certainly do share your brother's enthusiasm for difficult and advanced spells, Ms. Granger." Remus replied.

"You still haven't taught me how to apparate yet, Remus." William pointed out to the werewolf, and then continued on to his sister, "Don't worry Mi', we'll both be busy learning spells from our family's vast library this year." William finished, causing his sister to brighten greatly and start asking him questions about the library. While he answered where he could, his attention was solely on the two that were now heading their way and the feeling that was building in him as he watched the man approach. He believed that he had longed laid the desire to meet and learn about his mother and father to rest, but as he approached, he could feel himself become edgy and nervous; it was only due to his occlumency that he wasn't looking down at the ground and fidgeting.

When they came to a rest beside each other, in front of them with Hermione's trunk, did he really take them both in; the woman looked to be same age as Nymeria, if not a couple years older. She had short black hair and he could see that Hermione had received most of her looks from the woman. Her scent was filled with curiosity and…wariness? He wasn't certain how to describe it. The man…his father…had Hermione's bushy quality and color to his hair. He was older, but he could see the same features on his face that he'd seen every day in the mirror. His hazel eyes seemed to look anywhere but at his own intense gaze, and he didn't have to try, to pick up the scents of stress and nervousness and…fear? That was coming off in waves from the man before him. His observations were disturbed by a soft hand resting on his shoulder that was connected to Nymeria, who gave him a small squeeze as she spoke with her small graceful smile on her face.

"Hello there, it's a pleasure to finally meet you; my name is Nymeria Cunningham, William's Mother." She said while looking towards his father as she continued, "And this here, is William. William Cunningham." She finished with a too sweet smile.

"Nice, to meet you; we've heard so much about you from the media and from Hermione, we feel as if we know you already. My name is Emma Granger, and my husband, Dan; and you already know Hermione; It certainly nice to finally meet you." The now named Emma said as she attempted to stealthy elbow his father, who coughed and looked towards him and spoke.

"Yes." His father coughed and then looked at him directly as he spoke, "It certainly is, nice to finally see you…Son." He finished.

William felt a spark light up in him that started to grow within him. What was this feeling? It felt similar to whenever he was with Nymeria, Hermione or 'Crow', but it felt…more? And it nearly broke through his barriers to show on his face, but as he stared into his father's eyes, his habit took over and he went into his mind.

The probe of magic took easily to the undefended mind, and he found himself watching images slide pass him. His desire to know got the better of him, and he focused on those that tied to the name and feelings associated to 'Samantha Foster'.

The memory of a lecture came into view; He watched as his father was standing in front of a group of students as he finished up his lecture. As he finished, he watched the students all leave, until one who seemed to be in a rush, dropped a book and walked on not noticing it. He watched as his father went and picked up the book, and hurried after the girl.

"Ms. Foster!" he said as the girl stopped, and he continued when he stood in front of her, holding the large book up as he spoke, "I believe you dropped this in the lecture hall."

William took in the features of the girl that stood before his father. She looked young and had a quirky presence to her; she had long dark brunette hair that she kept in a high ponytail with strands framing either side of her face and grey eyes that were hidden behind a pair of thin rimmed glasses and dressed plainly. She didn't really stand out, but to him, she held a sort of reserved or hidden beauty to her.

"Samantha please, professor. And thank you, I greatly enjoyed your lecture, It was amazing how you made tooth decay sound fascinating enough to hold everyone's attention." She said jokingly as she held the book to her chest and pulled a strand of hair behind an ear, while smiling up at his father.

"Call me Dan, everyone does. And I remembered how stuffy my old professors were, and felt a different approach would be better." He answered with a smile of his own.

"It certainly did the job." She tilted her left hand, and looked at the small watch present there, "I'm sorry Dan, but I'm going to be late for another lecture if I don't cut this short. I'll see you around soon, yeah?" she finished with a smile and then walked off.

William watched his father as he watched his mother's arse as she walked away.

"Yeah definitely…see you soon." Dan said mostly to himself.

While it was interesting, it wasn't the memory he wanted. He continued onwards; watching as they meet up every now and then, and eventually went on dates, until one particular memory caught his attention.

They were in a flat that belong to his mother that featured in many of his father's memories. They were snogging on the couch with his mother straddling his father's lap, until she broke the kiss and rested on his shoulder.

"I wish you didn't have to leave." She said to him.

"Me too, but I still need to finalize things for the divorce, before I'm free to be with you as much as I want." He replied as he played with her long hair as he continued, "I can't wait till you graduate so that we can stop hiding out in your flat." He finished.

"Why, I like you keeping me all to yourself." She said as she cuddled into him.

"That's why I love you, my lil minx."

William watched as his mother seemed to freeze in his father's lap, and then slowly lean up to face him, while looking small and nervous and spoke to his father.

"D-Did you r-really mean that…that y-you love me?" she asked in a small and nervous voice.

His father laughed as he tousled her hair," Of course I do my silly lil minx, you're the only one for me; you are my moon and my stars, and when everything's done, you and I can be together." He answered.

William watched as his mother, teary eyed, began to snog his father, and progressed to taking off their clothes. Seeing where things were heading, he continued onwards to his father's last two memories regarding his mother.

They were once more in the flat, but the atmosphere seemed different. The two were sitting beside each other; his mother seemed to be barely containing her excitement, while his father sat beside her, looking at her curiously.

"What is it that you wanted to tell me, my lil minx." His father asked.

"Well, I don't know how to say this, so I'll just go out and say it…Dan, I'm pregnant." His mother said with joy and happiness seeming to burst out of her as she looked towards his father.

"What do you mean you're pregnant?" his father asked a look of denial on his face.

While the joy was still clear in her eyes, her smile was slowly dropping at the unexpected reaction she was getting "I missed my period and everything; morning sickness, fatigue, the works. I even took the test five times…they were all positive…what's wrong? I thought you would be happy? We're having a baby." She said the last part with the same excitement she started off with at first.

"Well it can't be mine." His father said as he got up off the couch.

"Wh-Wha? Are you the mickey out of me? I was a virgin before you. I wouldn't cheat on you Dan; I love you…we love each other. We're meant to be with each other like you side, right?" she said looking hurt and confused.

"Why would I want to be with you? I love my wife and I'm happy with her. Look, we had little fun, but if you're going try taking the piss with me, and shove another bloke's child on me; it's over." He said as he began to walk towards the door; however he was stopped by his mother who was clutching his back.

"Dan please…it's your child; our child. I love you…please Dan…please don't leave us." She said as tears started streaming down her face and onto his back.

Not looking back at her, he spoke, "Don't call; don't write. I wish you luck with the baby and finding the father; but that is not my child. Goodbye Samantha." William watched with the mental representation of his hands held in a tight fist that would've caused them to bleed in the real world. He watched as his 'father' walked out the door, while his mother knelt on the floor with her arms wrapped around her belly while she cried out in anguish as she watched the door close behind the man.

Everything slid away before him as the next memory came to view. It was late at night and looked to be within a household, and he watched as his 'father' seemed to be rocking a small baby, whose name was craved above her crib, in his arms. It continued like that for awhile until the house phone began to ring. He watched as his father answered and accepted the collect call.

"Hello?" he asked when the line connected.

"Dan..." a weak voice emanated from the line.

"Samantha? Look I told you not to-" he went to say but was interrupted.

"It's a boy" she said weakly.

"What?"

"It's a boy, Dan…I named him William…"

"That's…that's good, Sam. Congratulations." He replied awkwardly.

"The doc-the doct-he said-" she tried to say in her currently weak voice as the sound of her starting break out in tears came from the phone.

"What did they say, Sam."

"Th-there were complications dur-during my labor…I-I'm not go-going to m-make it Dan." She said weakly. At the lack of reply from his 'father', she continued, "I do-don't want my s-son growing up without a fa-family Dan. Please…please take care of him…don't let him grow up alone…please…our son…"

His 'father' paused briefly to look down at Hermione in his hands, and then he gave his reply, "I don't have son." And then he hung up.

He hung up; He hung up on his dying mother…he hung up on his mother who had asked for nothing of him until her death bed…and he hung up on her…

William snapped.

In the real world only three second had pass since Dan called William 'son'. And after those three seconds, William's face went from a blank slant, to a visage of hate and rage, and the temperature dropped abruptly, causing a visible reaction amongst all on the platform as it travelled outwards from its origin; while Dan collapsed bodily, his hands on his head as blood ran down from his nostrils and his sclera turned pitch red from the ruptured blood vessels.

"Dan." "Daddy." Emma and Hermione said at the same time as they went to his side, with their breaths now clearing visible.

William felt rage. Cold, black rage that smothered whatever spark had been there before, and now took its place and filled him. There was another feeling that he couldn't identify due to the rage, but it created a strangling and constrictive feeling around his neck and chest.

Red seemed to fill his peripheral vision as he looked down at the man before him on his knees with two others trying to help the filth up. How dare this man do such a thing to his mother! How dare this man continue to breathe while she lay buried! He didn't deserve it; filth like him did not deserve to exist. But first, he would pay in dividends the nine months of pain and loneliness his mother must have gone through.

His wand found his hand, glowing an eerie dark purple as he raised it at the filth before him. The incantation for the 'bone-breaking curse' was about to be casted, when he felt a pair of hands wrapped tightly around him and another on his wand arm, holding it down.

"I don't know what you saw, but he's not worth it William. You are William Dagworth-Cunningham, Head of House Dagworth, and you have more important things to do than taking out whatever you feel he deserves out on him; especially not out the open like this. It doesn't matter what he thinks or have done." Nymeria said as she tried to reason with her son, while Remus continued to place pressure on the extended arm. She had only seen him like his once, back when they first met, and he had killed everyone that had raped the poor girls or was implicated in it. What in the bloody hell did this man do to cause him to react like this?

William closed his eyes and started taking deep breathes in an attempt to calm himself. It was very difficult to do, but Nymeria was right. He needed to focus on the bigger picture, and control himself before he did something he would regret…well, something that would put everything in jeopardy or make things much harder. As he focused on his barriers, he was surprised to see that they had been greatly damaged from the suddenness of his rage and the attempt to contain it; his other side was already repairing them, but it was something he had to take note of in case of future events like this one.

When he opened his eyes again, and looked down at his sister and mother who were tending to the filth with worry clear on their faces. With the rage suppressed, the other feeling that was slowly strangling his insides was now clear to him…Grief. The grief of knowing that he'd never get to know his mother, except through the eyes of the filth that was his 'father'; the grief of caused from knowing that his mother's final hours weren't the peaceful ones that he had hoped for, but were filled with pain and worry about his future; the grief of losing the illusion of grandeur he had created about his father as he grew up and wondered about his parents; that image forever marred by the reality of the filth that kneeled before him…

While his expression was plain as it usually was, his eyes stung slightly and his voice was shaky as he spoke, "N-never again call me that, you have never earned that right. Hermione may be my sister, and I may be a Dagworth. But you neither are nor will you ever will be my father." William spat the last word out as his hatred boiled through his still broken barriers before he got a grasp on it as he continued, "Just as I will never be a Granger." With that said he placed his hands on Nymeria's as he released himself from her hug, though she offered no resistance, shook Remus' hold on his arm off, and walked silently towards the barrier.

Hermione, seeing her brother walking away, moved to stop him, but was stopped herself by a tight grasp of a hand on her shoulder, which she saw was connected to Mr. Lupin, who spoke to her, "Let him be alone for a moment, Ms. Granger. We all cope in different ways; William just needs time to himself for now. Look for him later on in your journey on the train. For now, let's get your father sorted out." Though she nodded, Hermione glanced back at her brother, biting her lip, as he disappeared through the barrier.

And there you have it. Got everything I wanted for this one, just hope it translated well to you as the reader, hope it was worth the wait.

-Chapter length: It was originally longer, with me continuing on after, but I decided that this deserved a chapter of its own...that, and my mind just kept telling me to leave it right here for some reason.

-Hermione's behaviour?: Hey. Hermione is a very emotional girl; a badass yes, but still emotional. I just hoped I captured that properly.

I...can't think of anything else that needs an AN. So, review and let me know what you thought about the chapter and what needs improvement if any comes to mind.

Till next time.