Title: family
Fandom: Harry Potter/Sherlock (BBC)
Disclaimer: not my characters
Warnings: pre- and post-canon
Pairings: canon
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 575
Prompt: Harry Potter/Sherlock, Hermione Granger + Jim Moriarty, cousins
Jim's never had much use for his family, but he does remember one of his cousins fondly—Hermione, his father's sister's daughter, a bright little thing who devoured books faster than even Jim, and always wanted to share what she'd learned. His aunt Jean was the only member of his father's family to ever make something of themself, so Jim likes her well enough, even though his father used to complain that she thought herself so much better than everyone else.
She was better, Jim used to want to say. He kept it to himself because contradicting his father only ever ended poorly.
At some point, though, Hermione disappeared. Jim had popped in on Aunt Jean once at work, to ask where Hermione had gotten to; he'd found a new book he thought she'd like, so he took the time to leave his newly-found job as an errand boy for London's best criminals. Perhaps he was fonder of the girl than he'd admitted, even to himself.
"Oh, Jim," Aunt Jean said, taking her morning tea break from patients. "Hermione's gone off to boarding school. She's quite gifted."
Something was wrong with the delivery of the words, and Aunt Jean avoided his eyes. But it didn't seem like Hermione was in any sort of trouble, so Jim left the book with his aunt and returned to his rounds.
He didn't hear much about Hermione, or see her, not until well after the 'troubles' were over. That's what Aunt Jean called it, after she'd gotten back from Australia. By then, Jim was well on his way to establishing his empire, and if only Hermione hadn't been so busy doing whatever it was, she'd have made a wonderful addition to his staff.
But she, and Aunt Jean, and Aunt Jean's husband, they were all keeping something a secret. Jim dearly loved secrets but he hadn't the time, and for all that he remembered the girl she'd been fondly, he didn't know the woman his favorite cousin had grown into. He hadn't the time to figure out whatever they were hiding, so he always kept it on the To Do list.
And then there is no time left. Hermione has her life, and Jim isn't a part of it at all, and then he finds Sherlock Holmes.
...
"Oh, no," Hermione murmurs, tears welling as she listens to Mum on the phone.
"What's wrong, Mione?" Ron asks, glancing up from helping Rose with her breakfast.
She shakes her head, just listening in shock as Mum continues.
Jim had been her favorite, the only one beside Dad who'd listened to her when she was little, as she'd been so excited to share everything she'd learned. She hasn't thought about him in such a long time...
"Oh, Mum, what happened?" she asks.
"No one's quite sure yet," Mum says.
Hugo wanders into the kitchen, rubbing at his eyes, and says, "Mummy, I had a bad dream."
"I've got to go, Mum," Hermione says. "Keep me posted, yeah?"
"Of course, sweetie," Mum says. "My love to the children."
As she lowers the phone, Hermione wipes at her own eyes and then scoops Hugo up into her arms.
She wonders what could've possibly happened to Jim—but then Hugo is telling her all about his nightmare, and Rose throws a tantrum, and there's a setback at work, and life is just too busy for a cousin she hasn't seen since she was a girl.