After the war, Hermione finds that she had drifted apart from Harry and Ron, as their lives head in different directions. As new opportunities come to her and she makes new friends, will the Golden Trio ever reconnect? Cedric lives. HG/CD.
.o.O.o.
Disclaimer: Not mine, don't own it – I wish! Unfortunately, Harry Potter belongs to JKR and not to me; I'm just playing in her sandbox.
Author's Notes:
» This story is has been written in full and updates will be posted at the rate of approximately one chapter a week.
» Thank you to my beta, the wonderful StrongHermione, for all her help and support.
» Thank you for all the reviews, alerts and follows; they're all appreciated.
.o.O.o.
Chapter 13
Harry had been wanting to write to Hermione ever since his birthday party but had kept procrastinating. He did not know how to begin to apologise and was scared that she would never forgive him. Ginny had told him several times that while he may deserve an ear-bashing from Hermione, it was not in her nature to hold a grudge, however, he had been too busy wallowing in guilt to bring himself to write. Upon hearing what Hermione had done for Ron, he finally steeled himself to send her a letter. As predicted, she did indeed send him a lengthy rant in reply but he philosophically consoled himself with the thought that at least it was not a Howler, and the two resumed their friendship, albeit at long distance.
Meeting the beautiful Nyx when she delivered Hermione's rant had finally inspired him to get a new owl, so the burden of the international deliveries was now shared between Nyx and Harry's handsome Northern Hawk Owl, who he had named Archimedes, after the owl in Walt Disney's The Sword in the Stone. Harry well remembered when a young Dudley Dursley had insisted on watching that movie, much to the disgust of his parents, who hated any references to magic, no matter how vague. However, Petunia and Vernon Dursley could not deny their precious son anything he wanted and so they reluctantly allowed him to watch the video. Harry himself had not been allowed to watch but he had listened to the movie from the cupboard under the stairs, which had been his room at the time, and he could not resist using the name of the crotchety owl from the movie. Archimedes approved Harry's choice of name for him and when he delivered his first letter to Hermione, she promptly rented the movie so that Cedric could understand the Grangers' amusement upon hearing the source of the owl's name. "Harry's Archimedes has the same eyebrows as Archimedes in the film," Cedric commented, making the Grangers all laugh.
Shortly after that, Hermione started university and to no one's surprise, she loved it. The Potions Department was thrilled with the donation of the copy of Severus Snape's potions journals and her Potions Professor immediately dived into Severus' research regarding werewolves. "I've been discussing this issue with the aboriginal shamans and I'd like to apply the information and advice I received from them to Severus' theories. I think the combined magics might actually provide a cure, although it will take time," he explained. Professor Albert Reese was young, enthusiastic and still had his idealism. Despite being ten years older than Hermione, he sometimes made her feel ancient. He had not been through a war, or even suffered the basic prejudice that she had experienced before Voldemort's return at the end of her fourth year of school, and there was an innocence to him that Hermione had lost long ago. However, she did not dwell on her lost innocence but instead plunged herself, with great enjoyment, into her studies.
Severus Snape's teaching had been excellent and Professor Reese assured her that she should have no problems qualifying as a potioneer by the end of her first year of university. Hermione was happy to hear this as she enjoyed Potions and wanted to have that qualification, however, her heart was really in Charms and Arithmancy. The latter had been her favourite subject at school and she was exceptionally skilled at the former.
With the encouragement of both Gringotts and her Professors, she was also working on her charmed database. In order to gain her double Mastery, she would have to submit an independent project, showing her ability to create spells and to use Arithmancy in her spell creation. Her database system would more than quality for this. However, before she could complete the database, she first needed to be able to take her laptop to Gringotts with her. Unlike in school, where she had learned Arithmancy and Charms as separate subjects, she was now learning how to work with them together in order to identify and isolate individual components of spells through the use of Arithmancy, in order to adapt and create new spells. With this new and deeper understanding of her two favourite subjects, Hermione was able to pull apart the spell she had created to protect stationary electronic devices from magic and adapt it to create a second, similar spell for mobile devices, which the goblins of Gringotts were happy to patent in her name, as they had done with the original spell.
With the creation of a new and original spell before she even began university and the subsequent, successful adaptation of this spell within her first semester, Hermione had already been identified as one of the brightest witches ever to attend Monash University. Consequently, when Minerva McGonagall came to visit at the beginning of July, her professors were only too happy to accede to Hermione's request that Minerva be able to meet with a representative of the Potions Department.
Minerva explained that Britain was in dire straits due to the dearth of qualified Potions Masters and competent potioneers. She would like to invite a Potions Master or Mistress to come to Britain for a minimum of six years. They would teach at Hogwarts and, at the same time, train potioneers and Mastery apprentices. Hogwarts would offer a very attractive salary and they would also receive the benefits of free lodging and little expenses during that period. They agreed with Minerva's assessment of the situation in Britain and that it was important to rectify this as soon as possible. After much deliberation, the university agreed to release Professor Albert Reese for the next few years and he would begin teaching at Hogwarts after the summer. Professor Reese was looking forward to being able to talk to Severus Snape's portrait in person and, observing his buoyant personality, Minerva had confidence that he would be able to inspire students with regard to his subject. Hermione concurred and, with her enthusiastic endorsement of his abilities as a teacher, Minerva finally had hopes for the future of potions in Britain. With that resolved, she relaxed and enjoyed the rest of her holiday in Australia, before returning to the UK in a much more optimistic frame of mind.
While Minerva was in Australia, Hermione had introduced the older woman to Peaches. Minerva could actually be quite playful in her Animagus form and the two Animagi had a ball, romping around together in their cat forms. Minerva had helped Hermione become more in tune with her cat and had promised to speak to Kingsley about putting Hermione's Animagus registration on the restricted list that was used for Aurors and other persons of importance, for whom it was deemed best to keep their forms secret. This meant that the fact that Hermione was an Animagus would be on the open registration list but the details of her form would remain restricted information. Of course, Hermione was not planning to return to live in the UK at this time but she wanted to be able to visit without worrying about possibly being thrown into Azkaban for being an unregistered Animagus. Hermione and Minerva had also offered to help Cedric if he wished to try and become an Animagus and he gratefully took them up on their offer and after several months of hard work, he finally managed the transformation. With his love of flying, Cedric had hoped to become a bird of some sort but was very quickly reconciled to his fox, which matched his Patronus, when he and Hermione would sneak out at night and roam around together, exploring in their Animagus forms. Hermione named his fox Cinnabar, after the fox in The Magician's House series of books and Cedric, who had expected payback for dubbing her Animagus Peaches, gratefully accepted the name she chose for him.
.o.O.o.
Two and a half years later, Hermione had finished her third and penultimate year of university. As she had hoped, she had qualified as a potioneer at the end of her first year and spent much of her time at Gringotts happily brewing, when she was not working in their archives on research or on the database system she was developing. This latter project had turned out to be far more complicated than she had anticipated, as it involved creating several new charms, but she had thrived on the challenge. Although she had managed to protect electronic devices from being fried by magic, she knew that it would take time for computers to be widely accepted and used in the wizarding world, therefore, she had to create a non-computerised database and catalogue system.
Hermione had managed to create the necessary charms to conduct searches in archives, however, it was too complicated a system for the average user of a library and would need to be taught specifically to librarians and archivists, who would then need to aid the researchers in identifying and gathering the materials that met the search terms. From that point on, it was then up to the individual to read and search through the books, journals, scrolls, papers and files to find the particular information they required.
Everyone was delighted with the work Hermione had done, apart from Hermione herself. The intelligent young witch had hoped to refine the system further, wanting to make it more user-friendly. Her wish had been to allow users to conduct searches themselves, without needing to rely on the assistance of a trained archivist or librarian. However, she philosophically accepted that this was probably the best that could be achieved, unless the use of computers should become widespread in the wizarding world. Hermione was going into the long summer holiday feeling very optimistic about the completion of her degree and her chances for receiving her joint Mastery.
Amos and Amaryllis Diggory were coming to spend Christmas with them as usual. Cedric had long since finished his term of service with Gringotts on Hermione's behalf and was now a qualified curse breaker. He was well liked in Gringotts and was frequently assigned to field teams. He had by now moved out of the Grangers' home and was renting his own apartment in a building near the magical district, which housed a number of other young magicals. Hermione spent as much time with Cedric as she could but no matter how much her parents reassured her that they did not mind if she moved in with Cedric, she was reluctant to move out of her parents' home, as she was still making up for lost time with them. However, with Hermione and Cedric no longer living under the same roof and Cedric's frequent assignments outside Melbourne, the young couple did not get to spend nearly as much time together as they would like and Cedric had resolved to rectify this situation.
Amos and Amaryllis had been staying in Cedric's flat but on Christmas Eve, all three Diggorys moved into the Granger's welcoming home. Everyone was up early in the morning and excitedly opening presents. Helen and John always made a point of finding Muggle items for Amos and Amaryllis that they would be able to use easily in a magical environment, however, this year they had commissioned for the Diggorys a luxurious chess set, hand carved from exotic Australian woods, and which Hermione had charmed to animate, as per wizarding chess sets. Hermione and Cedric had commissioned a luxury backgammon set to match, as the Diggorys had become very fond of this game after being introduced to it by Hermione. Both games had exquisite designs, which had been superbly carved, and the Diggorys were thrilled and delighted with these beautiful gifts.
Hermione and Cedric had commissioned for Helen and John glass-blown wizarding figurines, about six inches high, of a fox, a cat and an otter that were remarkably lifelike. The figurines had jewelled eyes and had been delicately tinted with colour, so that they looked just like Cinnabar and Peaches, while the otter was in a shimmery, silvery colour, just like Hermione's Patronus.
"Stroke them," Hermione said to her parents.
They did as instructed and the figurines rumbled with pleasure, leaning into the touch and batting their heads gently against John and Helen's hands, asking mutely for more attention. John and Helen were enchanted with the figurines and placed them in a position of pride next to each other on the mantle, where they strolled around examining their surroundings before happily curling up together. All three figurines were charmed to be unbreakable, and Hermione had added an additional charm, which she had developed based on her shared genes with her parents since they themselves did not have magical signatures, to ensure that the figurines would remain still and always in one specific position when any Muggles apart from John and Helen were around.
Amos and Amaryllis, however, had brought Helen and John an intricately crafted 3D Celtic style knot, made from a mixture of highly polished silver, platinum and white gold, all imbued with protection spells. It was abounding with symbolism, representing family, good fortune, protection, strength, wisdom, health and love, and was set in a frame carved from a mixture of woods: rowan, representing protection, expression and connection; alder, representing endurance, strength and passion; and reed, representing harmony, health and growth. It was beautiful and also mesmerising, as Helen and John tried to follow the complex lines of the knot. As John hung it on a ceiling fixture in the centre of their home, even he and Helen could feel the magical power emanating from it.
"It won't protect you from the kind of dark magic attacks you would have suffered during the war but it will create positive energy and harmony within your home and give you smaller protections in your day-to-day life," Amaryllis explained.
"Against Nargles!" Cedric quipped and everyone laughed. Luna Lovegood had visited Australia a year before in her search for unusual creatures and John and Helen had been charmed by the quirky young woman when they met her.
"Thank you," Helen said sincerely. "We will treasure this always."
Hermione had given Cedric a set of enchanted mirrors: one for himself, one for his parents and one which she intended to keep for herself. This would make it easier for Cedric to keep in touch with his parents and it would also allow her to talk to Cedric when he was in the field, as he was usually in areas where there was no internet access or cell phone reception, so the wizarding communication mirrors were very welcome indeed.
"Thank you, Peaches," he whispered in Hermione's ear before kissing his girlfriend enthusiastically, making her blush when she surfaced for air and saw the smirks on all four parents' faces.
Finally, it was time for Cedric to give his present to Hermione. Both sets of parents knew what he had planned and their joint present to their children was waiting until after Hermione received her gift from her boyfriend. Hermione, who was always like an over-excited child on Christmas, was sitting on the floor next to the tree from where she had been handing out the presents. Seeing that there was nothing else under the tree, she looked around in confusion, only to find Cedric kneeling on one knee next to her.
"My beautiful Hermione," he began. "I love you very much and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to go to sleep at night with you in my arms and wake up next to your beautiful face in the morning. I want to have children with you, I want to spend my life with you and I want to grow old with you. Please will you marry me?"
Tears of joy spilling down her cheeks, Hermione fervently nodded her head several times. Swallowing, she finally managed to clear the lump from her throat and croaked, "Yes. I love you and nothing would make me happier than to be your wife for a lifetime and beyond. Yes, I will marry you."
By now, both Helen and Amaryllis were crying too, while Amos and John were both beaming with joy. Both families were delighted with this development, as they each thoroughly approved of their child's choice of life partner.
Cedric shakily held out a small jewellery box to Hermione. Opening it, she saw a classic engagement ring in platinum, with a simple diamond solitaire, which was both beautiful and elegant in its simplicity. "I wanted something you could wear while you brew. Master Stonecrest recommended platinum, and told me how to charm it so it will be protected during brewing. I also wanted to give you something a little more ornate, though…"
Hermione interrupted him, shaking her head. "It's perfect. Do you know there's a school of thought that says three stones mean 'I Love You' while a solitaire simply means 'Mine.' I'm very happy to be yours, Cedric Diggory."
Cedric placed his fingers on her lips, gently hushing her, and Hermione couldn't resist kissing them. Smiling, Cedric took Hermione in her arms and said, "I wanted to give you something more. The ring you would have received sooner or later, no matter what, but I want to give you a Christmas present, too."
He held out a larger, flat jeweller's box and opened it, to show Hermione diamond earrings and a delicate necklace with a diamond pendant, all matching her engagement ring. "Happy Christmas, my love," he said.
Hermione kissed him lovingly. "Oh, it is. The happiest Christmas ever."
Once everyone had finally calmed down, it was time for the four parents to produce their gift for their children. John held out a plain, manila envelope and Hermione took it. Looking inside, she withdrew sheets of paper and looked at her father, puzzled.
"We," and he indicated Amos, Amaryllis and Helen, "want you to start your married life well, so we're buying you a house. We all went to view several properties last week – that's why Amos and Amaryllis came over so early for Christmas – and selected a number of properties for you to view yourselves. They're none of them palaces," he warned, "but they're all nice houses, which we think you'll like. We've made arrangements with the agents to show you the houses."
Two days later, Hermione and Cedric were touring homes for sale in Melbourne, mainly in the area near the magical district and in the neighbourhoods surrounding John and Helen's. Hermione fell in love with a neat, little house in a nice, leafy street, midway between the magical district and her parents' home. It was close enough to both that Cedric and Hermione could travel by bike to both locations, and it had a secluded back garden that they could easily apparate from. Cedric was already visualising relaxing in the garden during the summer evenings and weekends, while Hermione was planning a herb garden, for cooking and potions' ingredients. John and Helen, who were dealing with the Muggle real estate agent, immediately put in a bid for the house and after a tense waiting period, to everyone's delight the bid was accepted. Amos and Amaryllis had by this time returned to Britain, but Hermione and Helen dived into decorating with the reluctant input of Cedric.
"If you don't tell us what you like, you could end up living in a house that you hate," Helen pointed out firmly.
"I don't have any preference about colours or styles. I just want an atmosphere that's warm and welcoming," Cedric said. "And with lots of plants throughout the house. Hufflepuff common room has greenery everywhere and I always liked that about it."
Hermione got Cedric to describe the Hufflepuff common room in greater detail and when she and Helen decorated the young couple's new home, she used a lot of those influences. There were polished, bare floorboards, cream walls and furnishings in warm earthen colours, like terracotta, burnt orange, paprika and burgundy, with copper and gold highlights. There were bright copper fittings and, as requested, plenty of plants and greenery. Finally, Hermione installed a large aquarium, which added serenity to the cosy feel of the home.
With the help of magic, the decorating was completed very quickly and soon Cedric had given notice on his rental flat and had moved his belongings into the new home. Since Cedric would be on a field assignment almost continually until very close to the wedding, Hermione decided to remain with her parents for now and only move to her new home upon her marriage to Cedric, which the young couple had decided would be in July, between university semesters.