Chapter 21: Family Reunion
Hermione was sitting at the table with the other professors quietly listening to their talks of what to expect this year, most were excited to see what the Gryffindor Golden Trio would concoct to get themselves into trouble. Hermione was pulled out of her thoughts by the great doors opening, the doors revealed Lucius, Narcissa and Draco Malfoy followed by her parents.
"Mother, Father, Your back!" Hermione quickly approached her family giving each of them a hug. By the time she reached her aunt she came to a realization, "Where's Severus?" The group looked at each other with worry written all over their faces, "What?" Nothing "Spit it out, WHERE IS SEVERUS!"
"Hermione, maybe you should sit down," Draco suggested.
"No, tell me what happened." At this moment, Albus and Minerva approached them with no hints of their emotions upon their faces.
"Hermione…." Bella started reaching for her daughter.
"No." Hermione snapped, she turned to Rudolphus and said, "Father Please tell me"
Her father sighed, "Hermione, Severus was with us when we were with The Dark Lord, He sent us on a mission and it went a rye." He looked at his daughters face, he noticed the confusion written all over it, "The group that we encountered was prepared for us, they attracted us, and… we weren't ready."
Hermione felt her knees get ready to give out on her but she refused to show any signs of weakness in front of the group, "So what does that have to do with S……"
"Hermione, we lost sight of him and the Dark Lord told us to leave and that he would take care of him if he found him." Bella said finally finding it necessary to tell her daughter what she knew, but she instantly regretted her choice of words when she saw the look on her daughter's face, panic, but it was instantly replaced by determination.
"So when will he be returning?"
"We don't know, as of right now he is listed as MIA."
Tears filled her eyes as she thought about what they said, she knew that in their world, MIA most likely meant dead, "No," she whispered, "No." Her mother reached out to her again and when she barely touched her arm Hermione shouted, "NO, NO, NO, he can't leave me! NO!" She sobbed uncontrollably and Hermione couldn't hold back anymore, he knees gave out and she leaned back into Albus and Minerva.
"Hermione!" Minerva and Bella cried as everyone stepped closer in attempt to catch her. "Hermione look at me, he isn't gone, he is going to come back to us do you understand me?" Minerva told the young witch.
"He's gone Minerva, MIA never means well in our world." Hermione continued to sob onto the shoulder of her Mentor and Albus rubbed small circles on her back in attempt to comfort her. Bella wanted to comfort her daughter too, so she knelt down beside her and Minerva and grabbed one of Hermione's hands and held it comfortingly.
"Hermione if we hear anything you will be the first to know." Lucius said out of deep concern. Hermione nodded in response and then Minerva and Albus helped her to her feet and the group escorted her to the Headmaster's office where they sat down, each with a cup of tea. Hermione sat between her parents on one couch while Albus and Minerva sat across from them. Lucius sat in a chair between the couches while Narcissa sat on the arm of the chair. Draco sat by the hearth looking at the group.
"Uncle Lucius?"
"Yes Hermione?"
"What was your mission?"
"Recruitment."
"Of who?"
"Powerful wizards and a very powerful witch."
"What was so special about them?"
He hesitated, "They were decedents of…"
"Lucius, we have already divulged her in too much of the mission." Bella said warningly.
"Dear, she has a right to know what happened to her husband; wouldn't you pry for answers if you were in her position?" Bella shut up and nodded.
"As your uncle was saying Hermione, They were descendents of Grindelwald's most loyal followers."
"What happened?" This time it was Minerva that spoke.
"We," Bella indicated between the three older death eaters in the room, "Had been watching them for two days and on the third day he said to take any opportunity we could to get them in front of him. Well that proved to be easier said than done."
"Why?" again Minerva spoke.
"They don't believe the same things that He believes in. They actually like Muggleborns, and they didn't want to see reason with him so when they refused, he asked us to persuade them and so we drew our wands in intimidation but they were faster and they threw the first curses. Sometime between the first hex and the last, Severus had escaped off to somewhere and that's when they escaped and the Dark Lord told us to come home."
Hermione nodded, "What are his chances?"
"Depends on who threw the curse, Lydian seemed content enough but those boys were tough to read," Rudolphus explained.
"Wait are you talking of Lydian Leseran?"
"We didn't know their last name."
"She has a brother Brandon?"
"You believe that they are one in the same." Lucius said.
Albus let out a sigh of relief, "Lydian is a very bright witch like her mother. Marianne graduated with Minerva, I am glad to see that she didn't take the same path as her Mother and Father."
"I agree," Minerva said. The group sat in silence for a while simply enjoying the knowledge that most of their loved ones were here, safe. Hermione calmed herself and eventually she got up and sat by her Mentor who was allowing quiet tears run down her cheeks and rested her head on her shoulder and once again let the tears fall freely. Bella looked at Minerva with jealousy clearly coming from her eyes, she should be the one to comfort her daughter like that but she couldn't demand that from Hermione that just wasn't fair. Rudolphus must have sensed her jealousy because he slid closer to her and wrapped an arm around her.
"Why don't you all stay here tonight, and get some rest," Albus suggested.
"No we should return to the manor for the night in case any news comes through," Lucius declined.
"Will you all come back in the morning?" Hermione asked, pointing her question to her mother.
"Only if you wish." Bella said trying to hide the sadness that she felt.
"Please?"
"Ok, then let us be going," They all got up said their goodbyes and departed.
"Hermione are you going to be ok?" Minerva asked.
"Honestly, no, not until he is home."
"Why don't you stay with us tonight dear, that way you don't have to be alone?" Albus said offering her his arm. Hermione smiled and allowed him to escort her to their extra bedroom.
The next morning the group returned just in time for breakfast, today was the day that the students returned. Hermione was panicking inside but she tried not to let it show, she knew Minerva was just as worried as she was, Severus was after all just like a son her. She wanted to go down to the potions classroom before they all headed off to breakfast, but there just wasn't enough time. She didn't want to think any negative thoughts that brushed her mind, it was hard, she had to think positively, he was going to come home. The group walked to the Great Hall full of chatter and laughs, trying to keep the mood light.
The group sat with the other professors and chatted up a storm, Albus took the time to talk about the staff meeting and how things would be different this year simply because the worse was to be expected; just in case, everyone had to be prepared. They also talked of who would take over Severus's class if needed. Hermione stayed quiet throughout the conversation and stared at her plate which had food on it that had only been picked at.
"Hermione?" Professor Sprout asked.
Hermione looked up startled to find that the entire table had been looking at her. "Yes?"
"Did you hear the question dear?" Madam Pince asked.
"No I apologize, I seemed to have been zoning."
"No matter, the question was if you would be up for taking over Severus's first through third years if it was needed," Albus smiled knowingly at the young witch.
"I will sir, but that won't be….won't be necessary," Hermione said while taking a breath, "he will be home in plenty of time to terrify students."
"Hermione dear are you alright?" Madam Pomfrey asked.
"I am fine, just stress is all."
"Are you running a fever, feel dizzy, nauseated, anything like that?"
"No why?"
"You just haven't eaten much and usually you have a good breakfast, I was just wondering."
"I promise if anything was wrong that I would come to you first." Hermione smiled a bit weakly.
The others just let it go for now and returned to their meal in almost complete silence. Just before everyone departed to get ready for their day Madam Pomfrey had a thought, "Headmaster, I am short on some of my healing potions stock."
"No matter Poppy, I am sure that Hermione and young Mr. Malfoy are more than capable of brewing the more prominent of your stock."
"Yes sir." Hermione nodded.
"Very well, Hermione could I meet with you in an hour or so?"
"Of course Poppy, down in the dungeons or in the hospital wing?"
"The dungeons will do nicely."
"Very well." And the group of professors went their separate ways.
"Mother, Father, Draco, Aunt Narcissa, Uncle Lucius, could you all come with me please?"
"Of course." And the five followed the young witch to lead them to the dungeons, more specifically, Severus's classroom.
"I need your help sorting out the classroom making sure that the rooms are well prepared for Severus when he returns."
"Hermione..." Draco started.
"No Draco, he IS coming home." Draco shut his mouth and nodded,
"Where do we start Hermione?"
"I figured see what he has in stock, take an inventory, take an inventory of his books, and just clean the room."
"Fair Enough." And the group got started and made sure that they had everything listed and marked, the cleaning took about a whole two minutes with the help of magic but there were a lot of supplies to inventory and tools to sharpen, and that had to be done by hand or Severus would have complained that they weren't sharp enough. About an hour after they started, Poppy came in with a list of what she needed for the hospital wing.
"Poppy, how did we get this low?"
"You and your friends along with the quiddich team, we go through everything fast, Severus usually does all the brewing beforehand but with the wedding and all, well he just didn't have time."
"Sorry about that."
"It's not like you would know." Hermione smiled at the mediwith and then she took the list to get started. "Hermione, you don't have to brew all of that, Severus can do it when he gets back."
"True, but I want him to take it easy when he gets back, he will need it."
"Ok well then I will leave it to you then, don't skip lunch either dear."
"Yes Ma'am." Hermione said sarcastically.
"Don't start taking after your husband so soon my dear, wait a year or so." Poppy smiled and left the room and she and Draco got started on the brewing while the others finished up the inventory. When they were done, Hermione and Draco each had two cauldrons going at the same time.
"Mind if I help?" Lucius asked.
"I don't see why not, we have plenty to brew and plenty of cauldrons," Hermione smiled as she continued to brew. The other adults joined in the brewing, except for Rudolphus, potions was never his strong point, instead he kept track of time to make sure that they didn't miss lunch. When the clock was at 11:45, he told them to find a good stopping point, luckily, most of them had reached that point in five minutes. They corked the ones that were ready for the hospital wing and took them up on their way to the Great Hall.
"Well, you didn't mess around, Mi… Hermione."
"No Ma'am, this is only what we got done before Father told us that we weren't going to miss lunch." Hermione smiled at her father.
"Ok, let me just set these here and we can all headed to the Great Hall together." When she was finished the group took their leave, Hermione had her arm around her father's waist and he in turn had his around her side. They arrived to the tables set like they were during the year. So the group headed up to the head table and sat down, to fill their plates. Hermione once again was picking at her plate and everyone watched her nervously. Toward the other half of the meal, everyone started to relax and eat as normal professors again. But not for long, to everyone's surprise, the great doors opened to reveal someone that no one expected.
A/N: Cliffy!