Lirik Jean Valko was born at 6:22am on February third. Hermione had been helping Charlie with a new hatchling that had been born to small and was injured in a fight with another young dragon. She'd been feeling some back pain all evening and was tired but the baby was going to live so she'd hugged Charlie and when she stepped back her water broke over his shoes. Half a minute later she was doubled over in pain, breathing as Molly had coached her.
Charlie lifted her into his arms and carried her to a safe corner, immediately sending his patronis out for a medi-witch and his family. They wanted to get her to the hospital but the labor was progressing to quickly.
She was already pushing by the time the others arrived.
On one side of her Remus stood providing his hand for her to squeeze in a death grip. Behind her sat Charlie bracing her and rubbing her shoulders or lower back. When they arrived Ron took one look and passed out cold. Harry hurried to her other side and grabbed her hand, wincing as she nearly broke it with the next contraction.
Draco, looking a little green, levitated Ron away to wait outside with the others. Only Molly stayed bringing cool clothes for Charlie to mop her head. The woman had never been so proud of her son as he talked soothingly to her or just hummed gently between contractions.
Landren was able to deliver the baby with the medi-witches help and she came out pink with a loud cry, which stopped as soon as Landren wrapped her in a blanket and handed her to Hermione.
Luckily the entire thing, from her broken water to the final push had taken less than twenty minutes. The birth had been one of the easier ones but the medi witches were whispering about how well the young girl had handled it, with not one scream and no potions to help numb her or make the process smoother. Of course Hermione had been through torture and knew that as painful as this was it was nothing to Bellatrix Black with a wand.
Looking down at her infant girl Hermione relaxed back into Charlie and cried, kissing the soft brown curls of her daughter and murmuring how perfect she was.
Hermione and Lirik were brought to St Mungos to be looked over, both diagnosed as completely healthy. Lirik was weighed in at six pounds three ounces, all of her vitals taken as well as prints of her hands and feet. Mother and child were kept over night and then went to the Burrow for a week.
Molly and Kalina both cried over her and kissed Hermione, telling her how well she'd done. Yesen had kissed her temple and smiled as his granddaughter blinked up at him, "She has his eyes."
Iliyra smiled from where she stood in Keo's arms as tears silently fell. "I wish I could see her."
"I wish you both could." Hermione responded quietly.
"What will you name her?" Kalina asked gently running her finger over her granddaughter's tiny fingers.
"Lirik" Hermione whispered. "For her father."
"Lirik Valko." Yesen nodded and pulled his wife into his arms kissing her temple. According to them she was very much a Valko, widow or not and they asked her to return to Bulgaria with them but Iliyra had answered for her in the negative and kissed her sister's cheeks.
"Don't live forever in his memory but live." Iliyra whispered before letting Keo lead her out.
The elf reached over and touched between her eyes whispering a blessing to her before nodding, "Be well sistra."
"Until we meet next, take care of Iliyra."
"Always." He sent her another nod and a warm smile before leaning closer to whisper in her ear, "Take care with Lan and the dragon hearted wizard." He kissed the top of Lirik's head before turning to lead Iliyra out after her parents, leaving the young mother alone and frowning in thought.
Visitors came and went, bringing gifts and words of love to encourage the young single mother. She was grateful for the support but even more so to get home to her tent in Romania, much to Molly's horror, but Hermione felt at peace there with the sounds of the dragons and the work she was doing with the hatchlings.
With Remus having moved himself and Teddy out to give her a hand she saw no need not to continue, as she had been, where she now felt most comfortable, Draco had been right, she and her baby needed a fresh start in life. This was a new year and a new world, one in which she would fight to make better for her daughter.
Lirik was as easy a baby as the pregnancy had been, she rarely cried and though she woke twice a night it was as though she had an internal clock and every night it would be at one and five. Landren, generally a night owl would stay up until one and take care of her then and Charlie who woke everyday at five to get started with the dragons took care of her then letting Hermione sleep through the night. Remus took care of dinner and both Lirik and Teddy so Hermione could work a little in the afternoons.
They fell into an easy pattern over the next several months and all of them were happy. Teddy especially had formed a bond to Lirik, much to both Remus and Hermione's delight. When she ever did cry he'd change his appearance and she'd stop and stare at him, he was the one who got her first smile. He liked to climb into the crib with her for their story at night and always had to sit next to his little sister at meals.
It was three months before the lust began to hit her again and Hermione cursed the magic doomed to haunt her changing body over the next year. Landren was always there to ease her horomones though and she was grateful. More than grateful, as each day that passed she wondered what really being with him would be like.
Lirik was almost four months old when they travelled back to the Burrow and while Hermione had floo called Kalina and Molly dozens of times about her daughter's quietness both women had assured her that with some infants it was just like that. Kiril had been an easy child until he hit two, Bill and the twins as well. Apparently Percy had been a nightmare but his toddler years were a breeze, every kid was just different. Hermione finally relaxed but still floo called both her surrogate mothers over every little thing for the first few months.
At the Burrow, everything changed. Her easy, calm, quiet daughter turned into a screaming banshee and wouldn't sleep for longer than two hours at a time. Hermione was an over emotional mess and cried almost as often as her daughter feeling helpless.
Teddy made faces, Remus walked her around the living room for hours, Hermione sat up all night rocking her. Nothing seemed to work until Bill, who had instantly moved up to her favorite Weasley, produced a toy dragon spelled to roar. When he activated it Molly immediately went to yell at him for making such noise when they were trying to get the baby to sleep but after just a second Lirik's cries stopped.
Bill took her from Hermione's arms and began to hum, the way Charlie would and Lirik gave a little hiccough and yawn before falling into a peaceful sleep.
Hermione launched herself at Bill as soon as Remus took her up to bed, the toy dragon flying magically behind them. She hugged him with all her might and kissed his cheek. Bill laughed and led her to the couch where within a minute of him explaining how he'd thought of it, she'd been asleep, softly snoring against his shoulder.
Harry had laughed and carried his best friend up to bed.
The visit went much smoother after that, though Teddy would throw a fit if someone else took his spot next to his sister at meals. Remus had to sit on one side, then Lirik and Hermione, Charlie or Landren was supposed to sit on the other side of Hermione, beside his dad at their table at home or next to him if Remus wasn't there. Since this was a long square table and not a round one and Charlie wasn't with them Teddy said it was ok for someone else to sit next to Hermione but only if they didn't bump her and never beside Lirik, he insisted if Bill was there he sit across from Lirik, because she liked him but Fleur couldn't sit across from him because George had to. Within a couple meals Teddy had assigned seating to every family member and would shout if someone sat in the wrong seat. Only Remus, Landren and Hermione or Bill could pick Lirik up when she was sleeping or the girl would wake up and cry and Teddy had taken to kicking them in the shins if that happened. Remus did his best to monitor his son's behaviour but Teddy would tell them it was his job because he was Lirik's big brother and he had to take care of her. It was just too cute for any of them to be upset.
After two weeks Charlie got a few days off and came to visit as well. He was the one to get Lirik's first laugh as she cooed and giggled at him, spitting bubbles and he lifted her to blow on her tummy. He gave a loud belly laugh when they told him Lirik wouldn't sleep without the sound of dragons and wouldn't stop grinning the rest of the visit and calling her his Little Dragon Tamer. Landren shook his head, and said she had the spirit of the Dragon Rider from the magical connection her father shared with his people. The men didn't seem to care over much for each other and gave each other wide space which confused Hermione since they had quite a bit in common but she let it slide without comment.
Amalie announced her pregnancy to them during the visit, right before throwing up on George when Molly brought in a roast chicken. Ron didn't stop grinning the entire night and practically begged Hermione to help put Lirik down.
Remus took her and led Ron upstairs to teach him to change her, bathe her and get her ready for bed. With a grateful sigh Hermione kissed her daughters head and handed her off to Remus before kissing Teddy goodnight as well.
"A walk Zana?" Landren appeared at her elbow next and Hermione gratefully nodded.
They walked for a long while in silence and Hermione felt a distance between them she'd only felt once, after New Years, "Everything ok Lan?"
Landren nodded, "I will go home tonight."
"You're leaving?" Hermione felt a chill run through her and stopped walking as she softly questioned the elf who'd become almost as close to her as Harry, closer in someways as she shared a physical relationship with him she didn't with Harry as well as a connection to her daughter and husband. "I still need you."
Landren stepped closer to her and pulled her into a hug, "Would it be so wrong to give in to temptations Zana?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Kiril…"
"Is long passed into the other realm."
"Not long." She whispered with tears in her eyes.
"Long enough Zana." Hermione shook her head even as she clung to him. Landren gently pried her arms from around his waist, "I am not Kiril." He whispered kissing her temple gently.
Hermione frowned in thought but before she could ask him about the comment he had gone. Angry and hurt Hermione returned to the Burrow and slipped into her daughter's room to check on her.
They spent a few more days at the Burrow before Charlie and Hermione needed to get back to the reserve. A new dragon was being brought to the reserve and they needed the newly promoted Head Tamer and Dragon Healer's help.
The rhythm of their lives changed again on their return home. Landren's quiet presence was missed by both Lirik and Hermione the most but they all felt his absence in what had become a family to all of them.
Hermione had been surprised to find that with his absence the lust curling in her hadn't increased, only the small tendrils around the few of them she shared matching pheromones with.
The steady presence of Charlie created a slow build as the weeks passed at home though and the night after Lirik's seven-month birthday she gave in to the desire. Remus had brought Teddy to stay with Andromeda and was out with the Werewolf pack testing the newer version of the project for Hermione and Iliyra. Lirik was sleeping and Charlie was sat at the table, shirtless with a pretty bad burn from a young Chinese fireball. Hermione carefully tended the wound for him but as the skin healed she'd found her fingers tracing the outline of the phoenix tattoo just a little above it on his ribs.
"The Order." Charlie informed her on a sucked in breath.
"I'd like one." She whispered. "On my upper thigh. Harry, Ron and I were going to go together, before the law."
"You should still." He whispered back, tracing his finger over her jaw.
"This is the hormones Charlie." She tried to pry herself away from him.
"What if it isn't?" He pressed.
"I…" Hermione swallowed hard, not sure what to reply, she didn't need to find one though as Charlie pulled her into a heated kiss.
She let desire over take her.
Later as she lay in his arms, unable to sleep she found her mind wandering. She thought about Kiril and how much she still missed him, about their beautiful daughter. Guilt ate at her. What surprised and worried her was that the guilt was not for going to bed with a man who wasn't Kiril. Her heart ached with missing him, more now than it had in months, but behind her eyelids she saw Landren's face and that was what kept her from sleep. Slipping from the bed Hermione wandered into the nursery to watch her daughter sleeping. She missed Kiril so much, had she fallen for his adoptive elf brother without knowing it? How could she love someone who wasn't Kiril? Had sleeping with Charlie been a betrayal of her husband? Of Landren? Of herself?
Charlie stood in the door watching her as her hand slipped into the crib to gently trace her daughters fingers as tears fell silently down her cheeks. He debated leaving her to her grief or comforting her. He didn't know what to say, she had come here so broken and he'd watched her, so brave and strong as she struggled to heal. On silent feet he walked forward and pulled her into a hug.
Hermione hid her face in his chest and cried.
When her gentle sobs became little sighs and hiccoughs Charlie began to hum gently, just like he did for Lirik and after a few minutes he felt her body relax in his arms. He lifted her up and she sighed in her sleep. Gently he tucked her into her bed and kissed her forehead before wandering down the hall and back to his own room.
Things were awkward in the morning and both of them were distracted when Remus returned that afternoon.
What worried both men was the way she shrugged off Remus's report and told him they'd go over it later.
It was three days before Charlie cornered her in the pen of a young dragon and pulled her into the woods to talk.
"Mione." He sighed running a hand through his hair.
"You want it more than you knew." She told him with a small smile.
"What?" Charlie frowned at her.
"A family. I know you were happy, liked your life, before we came, but I think that under the hormones and lust, what you want isn't me, its this life. Your own family."
Charlie frowned at her, "You know I care about you and I love Lirik."
"I know. I know if I stay here, you'll give up your life and your chance at your own family to take care of us. Maybe we keep sleeping together, give Lirik siblings, get married, but you don't love me Charlie and I don't love you, not like that."
"You're leaving then?" He couldn't argue with anything she said, he would marry her and raise Lirik, he could picture their lives continuing on like this forever but was it what they both would want forever? Did he love her the way Bill loved Fleur?
Hermione nodded slowly, the decision only coming to her then. "Coming here was, it was everything I needed, everything Lirik and I needed to start fresh but this isn't our lives, its yours."
Charlie nodded and pulled her into his arms hugging her tightly. "I'll miss you."
"I know. We'll miss you to but you'll always be uncle Charlie."
Charlie nodded and kissed her temple, "Promise you'll come back or write if you need anything."
"I promise."
It was all the goodbye Charlie could manage so with a nod he turned and walked back towards the dragon pens.
Her decision made Hermione went to find Remus.
"Will you go find Landren?"
"Lan…" Hermione shook her head, "he left."
"Did you ask him to stay?"
"Yes."
"Did you tell him you loved him?"
Hermione shook her head, "I didn't, don't…"
Remus just looked at her with a lifted brow making Hermione blush and then tears sting her eyes. Remus pulled the young witch into a hug. "You're family Hermione, I've known you since you were a child and had your first crush on Ron Weasley."
Hermione blushed into his chest and chuckled with a nod, "You knew?"
Remus chuckled as well, "I knew." He sighed, "I also know what it is to lose people I care about, friends and family but also the person I thought I'd spend my life with. We were lucky though, they both left us someone to love and remember them." Hermione bit back tears, sniffling in his chest. Remus just rubbed her back, "It's not a betrayal of him to love again."
"I know."
Remus pushed her a little away from him and lifted one hand from her waist to her forehead, "You know." He told her before moving his hand to her heart, "You don't know." As fresh tears came he pulled her back into a hug, "I'm glad you're going."
"Huh?" Hermione pulled away from him with a frown. "You are? I thought, I mean I…"
Remus smiled at her and shook his head, "I've loved living here Hermione. You and Lirik and Charlie are family to Teddy and I and we'll both miss you but you came here to heal and now it's time you spread your wings and flew. See where life takes you."
Hermione nodded, sniffling and giving him and smile before hugging him again, "Thank you Remus."
"You and Lirik are always welcome with Teddy and I." Remus told her with a kiss to the temple. "I'll go tell Charlie goodbye."
"Goodbye?"
"My post at Hogwart's was offered to me again, Teddy and I are going to move with Andromeda to Hogsmeade."
"Congratulations."
"Thank you." He nodded at her and they hugged a last time before Remus left her. Hermione magically packed her and Lirik before going to find the Reserve Manager to let them know of her departure.
It wasn't until she stood with Lirik in her arms and their trunks floating behind them Hermione realized she had no plan on where to go or what to do.
"Well little girl?" Hermione asked her daughter, then laughed as the girl scrunched up her face and pooped.
Using the time changing her to formulate a plan Hermione sucked up her courage and reminding herself she was a Gryffindor and went to face her inlaws.
Yesen and Kalina were surprised but overjoyed to see her. Hermione felt her courage flagging.
"What is it my daughter?" Yesen asked her gently as Kalina cooed at her granddaughter.
Hermione swallowed, again reminding herself she was a Gryffindor, "I love Kiril." She breathed.
"We know." Kalina smiled softly at her coming to sit next to her husband.
Hermione nodded, her eyes falling to her daughter, "I miss him."
Yesen nodded, "We will always miss him. I'm so sorry."
Hermione met his eyes and shook her head, "It was his time I guess." Hermione wiped at the tear that fell, "It wasn't your fault, not Iliyra's either. It was just… life, fate, I don't know what but I know I'm grateful I got the chance to love him, that he gave me Lirik, and parents, even a sister."
"Nothing can make losing our son easy but we are grateful every day that he left us a new daughter and a granddaughter to love in his stead." Kalina smiled sadly at her.
"Nothing will ever change any of that." Yesen met her eyes.
Hermione nodded at him and sucked in a breath and then let it out, her eyes still holding his, "I came to ask you to bring us to Isle Mars." The words spilled out in one long rush and were followed by a blush.
Yesen nodded, "Landren has missed you."
Hermione blushed deeper, "I missed him to, I," she felt tears stinging her eyes again, "I love Kiril."
"It's ok to love again." Kalina told her gently.
Hermione nodded wiping at the tears and turned her eyes to her daughter, "Do you think he wants to see us?"
"He asks Iliyra and Keo after you." Kalina replied with a nod.
"He spoke with me New Years." Yesen added.
"New Years?" Kalina was the one to question.
Yesen nodded, "He feared the way he felt would tear at the bond our families shared and wished to speak with me about it. I told him I did not think you were healed enough in your heart from Kiril to accept the place he might hold beside my son. Landren believed that perhaps in time you would be and wanted to help you heal, he returned because he believed that your heart would heal better if he left you to move on with the Dragon Tamer as the lust between you was more than just the pheromone attraction."
Hermione blushed as she remembered the night she shared with Charlie, "Charlie, he's, I care about him but, I don't," Hermione sighed and met his eyes, "I don't love him like that, not because of Kiril."
"Landren." Kalina supplied with a gentle smile and encouraging nod.
Hermione blushed dropping her eyes as she nodded, "Being with him was less of a betrayal to Kiril than the way I feel about Lan."
"Loving isn't a betrayal of our son. You and his daughter deserve to love and be loved."
"I know." Hermione nodded, "It's just hard to really, believe, sometimes."
"I know but Kiril would want you to be happy, he would want you to love. I promise you this.
Hermione gave them both a weak smile, "Thank you."
"Shall we arrange to get you to Isle Mars then?" Yesen slapped his leg and stood.
"Now?" Hermione yelped. "I mean," a blush stained her cheeks, "I just got here."
Kalina nodded, "Best to go now while the momentum has your bravery or you might second guess it. Kiril told us you have a habit of over thinking things."
Yesen snorted, "Landren is sure that if you did feel something for him you would talk yourself out of believing it."
"Let's go prove him wrong." Kalina stood with a snort, "A Valko, not brave enough to face her emotions? Please." Hermione laughed at them, "I will be kidnapping my granddaughter for a couple days though so you and Landren can have time to yourselves." Kalina called back to the room.
Hermione blushed brightly while Yesen laughed and turned back to her, "Force of nature your mother is so there is no use arguing with her, even if she weren't right. We'll join you in a few days." He kissed her temple and motioned her to the floo, "Let's get you to Landren."
Ten minutes later Hermione found herself wrapped in Iliyra's arms and her bravery dwindling as she worried what she'd say to the woman.
"Are you here for Landren?" Keo asked her as the two girls pulled apart.
Hermione blushed crimson and Iliyra rolled her eyes, "Of course she is."
Hermione gaped at her making Keo laugh, "She looks at you like a fish."
Iliyra chuckled at the description.
"I, um, uh…" Hermione stuttered at them.
Iliyra tugged her to a couch, "He's been a bear the last couple months, or a dragon really." She chuckled, "He stays with them a lot but Keo's dragged him here for dinner a few times."
"I, um, uh…" Hermione stuttered again.
"You are here for my brother?" Keo asked her again. Hermione blushed and shut her mouth with a nod. "Good." Keo sighed.
Iliyra rolled her eyes again, "Ignore him, he doesn't understand, how are you doing? I'm guessing this is all terribly over whelming and its ok if you want to wait to face Lan until tomorrow. Knowing my parents you barely told them before they were running off with Lirik and shoving you on your way here."
Hermione chuckled at the description, "Basically." She sighed, "Maybe they're right though, I should just get this over with before my nerves make me pass out."
Keo shook his head as he moved over, "No need for nerves sistra. Lan has missed you."
Hermione blushed and turned back to Iliyra who seemed to sense her hesitance, "Kiril would have been pleased it is Lan to help you heal from him. If its forever love or not, you deserve to be happy, just let the past be the past and the future worry about itself. Live for today, for you and Lirik, it's what Kiril would have chosen for you if he could."
"Thank you." Hermione breathed hugging her sister.
"Go and find him then." Iliyra kissed her cheek.
Hermione hesitated and turned to Keo with a frown.
"You'll find him with Nyla most times these days."
Hermione nodded and took a deep breath for courage before making her way from the hut and into the woods.
Landren found her. Nyla letting out a shout and burst of flame before dropping near enough to the ground for Lan to jump off her.
"Zana?"
Hermione shook her head at him, "Call me something else."
"What?"
Hermione shrugged, "I missed you."
Lan smirked at her, "I didn't think you'd admit it."
"I slept with Charlie."
Landren nodded and then frowned at her, his head tilted, "It was by choice?"
"Yes!" Hermione rushed to assure him.
Landren nodded and his expression lightened though he still frowned at her, "It upsets you."
Hermione bit her lip and nodded, "I care about him, I just, I don't, it was, physical, I mean, Charlie's family, I love him, I just."
"Don't love him."
Hermione nodded, licking her lips, "I felt bad after, it was wrong."
Landren nodded, "You'd like me to come back and keep you from giving in to the hormones again." His expression was guarded and Hermione felt a distance had appeared between them.
She frowned at him and shook her head, "No, I… it wasn't bad after you left. Why wasn't it bad after you left?" Landren's eyes widened a little, "I mean, it built up with Charlie but, it wasn't," Hermione shook her head again and met his eyes, "Why was it different?"
Landren stepped closer to her, "Why are you here now?"
"I felt bad. When I slept with Charlie. I felt bad because I thought about you and then I felt bad because I thought you and not Kiril and I love him."
"You can love me too."
"Do I?"
Landren smirked at her and stepped closer, his scent was pulling at her but not drowning her, "It was different when I left." He replied with a shrug.
"What does that mean?"
"Your magic recognizes attraction to others but a tie to me." He shrugged, "It's an elf thing."
Hermione swallowed and nodded, "So I love you then."
Landren nodded, "I love you too. It's why I left."
"I was kind of hoping."
Landren had her in his arms a moment later and Hermione moaned into the kiss letting every thought fade away as she melted into the elf.
