sorry it took so long!

A Blue Umbrella Story:

Hermione Granger awoke in a nice snug bed and for a moment had to seriously question what was going on and where she was and, more importantly, what had happened the night before.

But all young people had at least a few mornings like that. Right?

Hermione wondered if she was dead. She had spent the last few days sleeping in bus shelters and shop doors, sheltering little Charlus from the wind and rain and the harsh elements that just weren't kind nor calm for either of them.

But this place was silent, warm and lacked the sound of wind, hushed whispers and/or the shouts to bugger off. And the streets of London didn't normally smell like pancakes.

Awakened and invigorated, Hermione snuck over to the cot Harry had Transfigured the night before and had a look at the chubby faced baby wrapped up in blankets. The newborn was sleeping peacefully and Hermione could not help but stroke part of her sons soft chestnut brown hair away from his face. The little baby waking up and fixing a pair of light brown eyes on its mother.
"Hey baby." She cooed, a broad adoring smile on her face as she reached down and lifted the quiet newborn from his bed. With the blankets off of him due to the heat of the house, Hermione could appreciate how her baby was under the weight of an average baby of his age. He had been born a whole month premature and despite Hermione spending every penny she could scrounge on her baby for the two weeks he had been alive, she still felt she was failing him as she could feel his pronounced shoulder blades. "Wanna go and see Uncle Harry? Yeah, we're with Uncle Harry!"

Charlus was a quiet baby, and Hermione wasn't expecting an answer from a child so young anyway, so Hermione decided to go downstairs anyway. The growling in her stomach aiding in the matter.

As she descended the familiar steps of 12 Grimwauld Place her mind drifted to Harry from the night before. He looked tired, gaunt and defeated, he looked like he'd given up on life as he was thin with an atrocious case of black, uncontrolled stubble on his face pale skin and his clothing hung on his body giving the effect of a well dressed scarecrow. Last time she had seen him was nearly a year ago, convulsing on the ground from the after effects of Ron's Cruciatus Curse, being comforted by the blonde haired girl who she could not match name to face. She had felt so many emotions that day that she was still sifting through them 11 months later, but this day she felt a strange bit of curiosity. She wasn't surprised that she hadn't noticed the night before, as she was unimaginably tired but…

Where was the girl?

She found the kitchen with ease and saw, with mild surprise, Harry Potter flipping pancakes and softly singing along to some obscure song on the radio,
"Morning, sleepy head." He said without looking, his concentration elsewhere, "You both rested?"
"Yeah, thank you Harry." Hermione said genuinely. Smiling broadly as he turned with a soft smile,
"Anytime Hermione. Now sit." He said, gesturing a hand to a chair at the table in the centre of the 20th century kitchen. Then, in a second thought, he brought a Moses basket into existence onto the table and levitated cutlery and crockery for her as she settled Charlus into it, "Do you breast feed?"

Surprised mildly by the sudden question, Hermione just stared at Harry who blushed slightly (under his facial hair) at the attention.
"No. I can't- I mean don't." She said, correcting herself halfway through. It wasn't the first time she had been asked and she wasn't really ready to open up properly and talk about why she didn't breast feed. When Harry raised an eyebrow at her slip up Hermione shook her head and Harry gave her one last meaningful look before backing off. He respected her, and that was why Hermione had come to him of all people.

Surprised slightly when a stack of blueberry pancakes and a bowl of syrup was set down in front of her, Hermione beamed up at Harry who smiled back wearily and went and began to clear up the remnants breakfast making and Hermione tucked in. Trying not to channel Ron as she tasted the exquisite food,
"These are some of the best pancakes I've ever had!" She exclaimed, disturbing Charlus and suddenly feeling guilty that she was stuffing her face when she needed to feed him.
"Here." Harry said, offering her a bottle, formula on the counter behind him,
"How?"
"Kreacher and I were up all night making sure that things were fine around here." Harry said with an almost distant look in his eyes as he handed over the pleasantly warm bottle, "It's been just us for a while and we feel like spoiling someone other than ourselves."

Despite the ghost of humour in his voice, Hermione noticed that empty and distant look that made her heart break as she watched it. Ripping her eyes away as she picked up Charlus ready to feed him,

"What's happened Harry?" She asked when Charlus was settled in her arms and being fed. He was scrubbing a pan free of pancake batter with his back to her when she realised how quiet the house was, "Harry… where's the girl? The girl you went to see?"

His whole body stiffened, his shoulders quivering slightly and he leant against the edge of the sink as if for dear life,
"Miss Greengrass." He spat in a way that made Hermione gasp, it was a voice full of anger, hatred and deep deep hurt, "Left a long time ago."

"What do you means he left?" Hermione asked, "Harry?"

There was crash that made her and Charlus jump as Harry literally through the pan he was cleaning to the stone flags. He turned with a fire in his eyes that made Hermione long for her wand,
"She's gone! What more do you want me to say?! One morning she said she was going out and she didn't come back!" Harry roared, Hermione scooted away from him in her chair and Charlus whined in her arms. Harry looked at them both and the fire died down until it was replaced with guilt and plain sadness, he took off his glasses and wiped them with his plain white t-shirt as he spoke quietly, "Like everyone else, she used me and walked away."

Hermione hid her hurt at his bitter use of 'everyone else' but decided not to comment, in fear of angering him again,
"Harry, I'm so sorry. I didn't know."
"How could you?" He said softly, sighing and his bitter tone gone, "I shouldn't have bit your head off. It wasn't your fault. Are you two okay?"

Hermione looked down at her son and despite his pretty brown eyes being a bit wider and more alert, he seemed okay.
"W-we're fine." She said and gave him a shaky and nervous smile. Hermione finished feeding Charlus whilst Harry finished the dishes in silence. Hermione felt pity towards her best friend, he had been there for her since he was eleven and now he was here, in the dreary imposing home his dead godfather had left him without a friend in the world.

She had been eating her lukewarm breakfast when she saw Harry, putting a mixing bowl onto the draining board and rubbing an arm across his face to try and clear away the streams of hot angry tears running down it. Silently, Hermione placed down her knife and fork and walked over to him, slipping her arms around him and hugging him so tight. Feeling him shudder as he lost his composure, falling apart in her arms and sobbing into her shoulder.

And she let him cry, whispering sweet nothings in his ear as her best friend, one of the bravest, kindest and strongest people she knew fell apart in her arms…

Please send me a Review to tell me what you think!