Vienna

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Hermione Granger

Work had never passed so slowly before.

Every minute, every miniscule second seemed like a goddamn day. I could swear at some point that the clock was moving backwards. Every 'tick-tock' of that damn clock seemed to be mocking me, an infuriating pain in my ass. At one point, I sighed, exasperated, which earned me a few strange looks from my co-workers.

After Emma was born my career took off. As difficult as it was, single, and raising a newborn while working full time, I managed to overcome it, and Emma was always welcome in my office. I was twenty, Emma one, when I'd started in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, the centaur division. I started low, a secretary. I rose up in ranks, taking night classes at a local muggle university in law until I was one of the best public defenders they had. I could win almost every case. I transferred to The Wizengamot, still as a public defender, sometimes on the prosecution side, not soon after. We lived a comoftable life, Emma and I, but we were by no means rich. Our small flat in muggle London was just the perfect size, Emma's toys were always scatered all over the floor, and bookshelves lined the walls, overflowing with books.

I had hoped that I would be swamped at with work, anything to keep my mind off the fact that Emma doesn't get off of school until 3:15. Its not like we hadn't been apart before, I had left her at a daycare while I was at work everyday, but today it felt different. She was growing up, way too quickly, and I just wasn't ready to part with her, even if it was just as simple as primary wizarding school. She was accepted into an advanced class, smarter then most at her age and oddly perceptive. Nothing seemed to get past her. I was worried about what she had said this morning, and I prayed that my baby girl would fit in. Who knows what she could have done to those kids, as sweet as she may look, she's been known to be cunning, a little trickster.

For what seemed like the millionth time, I looked back at the clock.

Five more hours left. You had got to be kidding me.

I had to do something to occupy my time, distract myself, and sitting there tapping my fingers against the cherry wood of my desk clearly wasn't productive.

My eyes scanned my desk; it hadn't been properly cleaned out in a while. Stacks of papers and legal documents were strewn in a messy fashion, probably not the best way to stay organized, I thought to myself. I started to separate the documents into separate piles, and I had at least six piles going by the time Harry came in.

"I thought you might be needing this," he placed a steaming cup of coffee in front of me. I was so absorbed in my organizing that I didn't even hear him enter.

I smiled up at him, always happy for his interruptions. "Thanks Harry, you're a life savor."

He sat in a leather chair across from my desk. After the war was over and the media died down, he enrolled in the Auror training, with Ron, and now they were working together in an office just below mine. Ginny and he married right after the war, and she was expecting their second child in January. As of now she stayed home full time with three-year-old James. James was a terror, just like his father. Always getting into trouble, he had figured out how to levitate the cookie jar right off the table, something I'm sure Emma had taught him, as it was always one of her favorite tricks at that age too. It stressed poor Ginny out constantly.

Ron was living with Luna, none of us had seen that one coming. But they were good together, he didn't mind her little quirks, though she had matured a bit since Hogwarts. Still, she never did let anyone's comments bother her before. They were just getting serious, testing the waters before they jumped in, so to speak. She helps with the Quibbler from time to time, its much more toned down now, and had worked along with me in the Magical Creature department, and remains there today.

To this day, I still have not told any of them the true identity of Emma's father.

Harry took a sip of his coffee as I did mine, "How's Ginny," I asked him.

"She's much better, morning sickness is gone, thank Merlin, but I think the cravings are starting to pick up. She's not nearly as, uh…" He let out a nervous laugh, we all knew Ginny to get a little snippy, okay so maybe a little bitchy might be better, when she was pregnant. He leaned forward in his seat, and grew a little more serious. "What I really want to know, Hermione, is how you're doing today."

It was my turn for a nervous laugh. "Me, oh, uh, I'm great." He raised one eyebrow at me and looked at the carefully sacked piles of papers on my desk. It did seem a little OCD, now that I think about it. Obviously, he did not buy that. "No Harry, I'm not, I'm a complete wreck. What if she doesn't like it there, what if the other kids are mean to her? She was so scared this morning, she thought they would think she was weird."

"Hermione," his voice was soothing, "don't worry, Emma's stronger then you'd think. I wouldn't doubt her turning anyone who picked on her into a newt. You know her, she doesn't crap from anyone, much like someone else I know."

I'm not the only one.

Finally. Five after three, it was about damn time.

I jumped out of my chair and grabbed my coat. I said a hasty goodbye to Shari, who had a desk next to mine, and ran out of my office.

In all my haste, I bumped right into someone's chest. I was in a rush, so I didn't bother to look up to see who it was, merely muttering an apology and continuing on my way. I reached the apparition point, getting to the school with a few minutes to spare. Parents were standing together, holding hands while they waited together for their sons or daughters. Then there was me, alone, and I felt yet another guilty pang in my gut.

Its not like I had dreamed that my life would turn out this way, and though I had Emma, but I still could help but feel like my heart wasn't completely full, as if part of it had been left behind all those years ago.

The bell rang and students started to file out of the building, little kids making their way over to their parents. Emma came out behind all of them, timidly looking around until she spotted me. When she did, her eyes lit up, and she starting running, her blond locks blowing in the wind behind her.

I crouched down to her level, my arms wide open, and she slammed into me. She was smiling broadly, and in her hand she held a picture she had painted that day.

I took it from her; she had drawn two people, her and me I'm assuming. Her little black cat, Winky, was there too. The three of us were in our living room.

"Do you like it mummy?

"Oh honey I love it. I'll hang it up right away once we get home." I stood up and grabbed her hand, making our way down Diagon Alley. "How was your first day of school?"

"It was terrific, Miss Lavender is super nice, and I already made one friend, Allison. You'll like her mummy…" I let Emma talk, adding in the appropriate comments when need be, she tended to ramble and go off on tangents when she got excited and told a story. "… but Amelia didn't like my picture, and told me that I didn't have a real family because I didn't have a daddy. She said, 'you're weird if you don't have a daddy, your mummy must really not be your mummy then.' That hurt my feelings, I really don't like her, so I punched her in the face and told her she was a right fowl git. Miss Lavender gave me a time out."

"Emma Rose Granger, you never hit other people, not matter how mean they are!" I was shocked to hear her say this, but truth be told, I wasn't really liking this particular girl either. "And I never want to hear you say the word 'git' every again."

"Yes mummy, I'm sorry."

"Who even taught you this?"

"Uncle Ron and Uncle Harry, they said it was okay." Of course, I should have known. Leave it to them to teach her something like that.

"Well then, we'll be having a nice long talk about that tonight." We had reached our apartment by now. "Go get yourself cleaned up, we're going over to Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny's tonight." Dinner there was a regular event, but she was still always excited to see them. Winky followed her down the hall as she danced off to go get ready.

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We arrived at Harry's, flooing in, not to long after. Ron and Luna were supposedly arriving in a few minutes. I held off on yelling at Harry just for now.

I was standing at the kitchen counter, helping Ginny cook. James was playing with some action figures, his favorite quidditch players that zoomed around his head. Emma was reading a kid's books. She had always been advanced for her age, teaching herself how to read before she even started school, and learning simple math, much like me she always enjoyed learning something new.

Ron and Harry came sauntering into the kitchen not ten minutes later. They turned sharply on their heels after seeing my face, trying to make a run for it.

"Hold it right there, you two. Don't you think about running away from me."

"Wha- Wha- What we do 'Mione? It was nothing really! I swear. I- I- I didn't mean to!" Ron was stumbling over his words in his haste.

Luna, who had just entered, and Ginny narrowed their eyes at the two boys. "What have you two babbling baboons been up to now," Ginny asked them.

"Nothing, we didn't do anything, we promise!" Harry was palling under the scrutiny of his wife.

"Well then imagine my surprise to hear that my five year old daughter was told it okay to walk around punching anyone she didn't like, and calling them a 'right fowl git'. I believe those were her words. Do you two have anything to say for yourselves?" They looked scared out of their wits, their eyes focused on my hands. It took me a moment to realize that I was still holding a knife, and it was aimed at them. "I leave her alone with you two for one day, one day, and this is what righteous values you choose to instill in her."

Emma smirked up at them, almost as if to say, 'you're in trouble now'. Ron pointed a finger at her. "You! You said you wouldn't tell! We even got you that doll like you wanted. We were just trying to help her with school, just incase people were mean to her, 'Mione, we promise."

"Emma, did you blackmail them?" I had to give it to her, she was smart, she had a knack for always getting what she wanted.

She looked down, I took that as a yes. "Emma, blackmail is bad, how many times do I have to tell you that. And you two, I appreciate the fact that you would want to help her, next time try to say something age appropriate."

"Yes m'am," they said together in unison, heads bowed.

"Good, now off with you."

I looked at Ginny who rolled her eyes. "Kids…" she muttered under her breath.