Chapter 4: Once and For All

Later that same afternoon, there was a whoosh of green flames as Hermione stepped from the Potter's fireplace, Ron right on her heels. James and Albus were on the floor, chattering enthusiastically, and Lily was bouncing in her playpen, watching the telly with her parents sitting on the couch.

"Afternoon, all. Just here to check in with Lils."

Lily, who by now, had spotted her godmother and recognized the sound of her voice, bubbled and babbled and reached for her with a grin. "Mu... Mummy!"

Everyone in the room froze, even James, who knew enough to know that Lily was directing the endearing title to the wrong person. Harry could only stare at the ceiling; Ginny looked shocked and sullen. Ron was making no effort to hide the fact that he had a hand clapped over his mouth, tamping down a heaving laugh. Albus was the only one oblivious to the tension in the room. Even if magical babies developed skills much faster than their Muggle peers, there was never a mistake of this magnitude.

For her part, Hermione felt her cheeks burn, as she gaped at her niece in disbelief. She recovered quickly, letting out a forced laugh, trilling in baby-talk as she crossed to the playpen. "Oh, no, Lily Bear! I'm not Mummy! I'm Auntie Hermione." Ever the scholastic mind, Hermione knelt beside her niece and pointed to herself. "Auntie," she sounded out. "Now, who's that?" She pointed to Harry. "Who's that?"

"Daddy!" Lily squealed.

"And who am I?"

Lily cocked her head inquisitively. "Mummy."

"No," Hermione patiently shook her head. "I'm Auntie."

A pause, and then Lily babbled out. "Auntie-Mummy."

Ron hid his face in his hand. "This just keeps getting weirder..."

Desperate, Hermione turned Lily around in her playpen, and pointed towards Ginny, ready to correct the record. But Ginny was already standing up and stalking for the stairs.

"Why don't you just adopt her right now? Have a blast!"

Hermione gasped as if struck, and Ron looked serious for the first time all afternoon, clearly ready to go after his little sister. Harry just sent a sheepishly apologetic grin to his best mates, imploring them to let it go for now and, sighing, Hermione lifted Lily from the playpen, ready to nurse her.


Ginny's mood did not improve throughout the rest of the week. She and Harry had a huge row about going to the weekly family Friday Night Dinner at the Burrow. Finally, Harry threw down the hammer and said that if she didn't come, he would simply go alone, with the kids and slog it out with them for the night in her old bedroom. So it was that Ginny trailed after her husband and three children on Friday evening, looking thoroughly sour.

The Potters were the last to arrive, and like a heat-seeking missile, Lily's eyes landed on Hermione's, even though her aunt was clear across the room. She squirmed in her father's arms, whimpering when he didn't immediately go to Hermione.

"Lily, hush now, sweetheart..." Harry murmured.

"Mu... MUMMY!" Lily wailed, reaching for Hermione. "MUMMY!"

All 26 of the Weasley relatives fell silent, clearly seeing for whom Lily was reaching ... and for whom she wasn't.

"Um, Lils? Mummy's back there!" George tried to crack, pointing to Ginny standing in the doorway, who looked like she was about to burst into tears any second.

Bill looked confused, swiveling to Hermione. "She calls you Mum?"

Hermione could not bear to look at anybody. "We've... we've been trying to get her to stop..." she whispered.

"Dinner is ready!" Molly's voice cracked in odd places as she practically threw the meal down onto the long table. Harry preemptively took a place between Ginny and Hermione, reaching around behind his wife's back to feed Lily her first wave of slightly solid foods. Occasionally, because he was sitting closer, George helped.

Arthur, the family patriarch, finally laid down his napkin. "So: what happy news do my children and grandchildren have to share with me this week?"

Ginny glanced into her bowl, lowering her spoon from her lips. "Ron and Hermione have a new addition to the family."

Hermione swiveled around to gape at her sister-in-law. Then her eyes locked onto Harry's, fear and looming betrayal there. Did you tell?

No, Harry silently reassured her.

"Or is it Harry and Hermione? I'm not quite sure, she seems to be having a time deciding who the father is." Ice was warmer than the tone of Ginny's voice. Molly's mouth fell open. Percy was stuttering, and George looked like he was squeezing his brain too hard, trying desperately to find a joke to lighten the mood. Change the subject. Anything.

Harry gnashed his teeth. "Ginny," he snarled. "Shut. Up."

"NO I BLOODY WELL WILL NOT!" Ginny screamed, leaping to her feet. "My own daughter thinks this tramp is her mother! I only labored with the child for twenty ruddy hours! Change the diapers. But, no, Hermione can just waltz in and breastfeed and do everything perfect as usual, while I'm the failure! I bet Lily would love to have her as a mother!"

Harry was gawking. Never, in all his life (and he had seen the Dursleys do some pretty barking mad shit, not the least of which was putting bars on his bedroom window), had he witnessed a scene like the one that was currently exploding around him. Hermione was in tears, the salt streaming down her cheeks. To his eternal credit, Ron looked like he wanted to rush to the defense of his wife and his brother-in-law.

Ginny's red hair whipped around as she surveyed the Golden Trio, leaving her wrath particularly for Harry and Hermione. "You all deserve each other!" she hissed, and fled from the room. Ron leapt out of his seat, and only Harry's hand on his arm stayed him.

"Ron... let it go." And Harry prowled after his wife.


He found her in the sitting room, arms folded around herself, and turned away at an angle, on the love seat.

"What in the BLOODY HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?" He hadn't meant to start having a row right away, but he had never - never seen his wife act that way. Ginny raised her eyes to her husband's and all he could find there was cold, unfeeling steel enrolled in deep blue.

"Problem?" she scoffed. "There's no problem. Not according to you, anyway."

"Well, you've obviously got a problem," Harry snapped. "Spit it out, will you?" And in his mind, as she looked at him, he was seventeen years old again, saying those very words to her brother before he stormed off on a cold, dark night. Merlin... she sometimes looked so much like Ron...

Ginny slowly stood. "All right... I'll spit it out. If you wanna run off and raise our daughter with Hermione, why don't you just say so?"

Harry's mouth fell open, and his throat tickled in disbelief. "Where in the ruddy hell...?"

"You were in love with her once! You might still be in love with her!" Ginny raved.

Harry couldn't help it. He burst into laughter. Long, deep, rumbling laughter. He barely even noticed when a blazing Ginny whipped out her wand. Let her try her Bat-Bogey Hex!

"Don't you dare laugh at me, Harry James Potter! Don't you dare! I know what I see!"

"Then join the ruddy club! I hear they have jackets!" Harry snapped.

Ginny blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"You're not the first person to wonder about Hermione and I, my love," and Harry's voice dripped heavily on the last two syllables. "And you might not be the last. Even though I am happily married!"

"What are you on about? There are others?"

"Yes. Would you like a list?" Harry started counting on his fingers. "Let's see: there was Cho Chang. And Krum. Professor McGonagall. Even your mum thought there was something there, once upon a time! But let me spell it out for you, Ginevra Weasley Potter:" and his face got quite close. "There has never been, nor will there ever be, anything more than familial love between Hermione and I. We are pretty much brother and sister - that's it!"

"Then why are you constantly protecting her?" In a slight improvement, Ginny's voice had at least grown quieter, if still raised. Harry was certain the whole rest of the family was hearing them row. "I watched you the night Hugo was born - you looked like you'd gone mad with worry! Ron did, too, but at least he had a reason to be; she is his wife and the mother of his children -"

"SHE WAS TORTURED!" Harry bellowed. Ginny stumbled back as if physically smacked, her face white.

"Wh... what?"

Harry breathed long and hard. "I never told you... in the spring of '98... Voldemort's lackeys captured us." His eyes filled with tears. "Bellatrix separated Ron and I from Hermione..." His voice broke. "She used Crucio on her... and 'Mione was all alone... Ron's never looked so scared - I've never been so scared. And the night Hugo came, she... she was so small in that hospital bed; we thought for a minute there she was going to leave us."

"But she didn't," Ginny stammered. "Hermione and Hugo are happy and healthy and safe; Hugo's so strong..." She shook her head. "But that still doesn't give her the right to take my child away from me!"

"She isn't taking Lily away from you! Or replacing you! Or anything! Do you even realize how much nursing Lily has helped Hermione?"

"How?"

"She has post-partum, Gin! Honestly, did you even go to Hogwarts?" Harry hadn't meant for it to slip out; he had promised Hermione that he would keep her secret, but it seemed like the only way to explain his point, to get it across.

Ginny's eyes widened. Slowly, she shook her head.

"She told me one day when she was up in the nursery, feeding Lily. It's put her in such a right state, she and Ron are trying for another baby."

His wife gasped.

"That's between you, me and these walls," Harry ordered sternly.

Ginny smirked. "Like that's ever helped before." They both knew the rest of the family was straining so they didn't miss one wretched word.

"And as to your other question," Harry continued. "I protect Hermione because I know what it's like to be bullied. And she's never had a sibling like you have in spades! I had a sibling, sort of, and he was a useless waste of space until we were both nearly adults!" He was encouraged to hear Ginny giggle at that crack about his cousin. "Do you know that when I got wind that she kissed Krum after the Yule Ball, I punched Krum in the nose?"

Outside in the kitchen, George was periodically checking and re-checking that his Extendable Ear was working. Upon hearing the mention of Krum, Ron pumped his fist, grinning. "Go on ya, mate!"

Hermione swatted him. "Stop it!" Even as she was trying to hide her own grin.

"Me and Krum could barely string a sentence between us at Bill and Fleur's wedding! It was only at yours and my wedding reception that we decided to bury the hatchet!" Harry sighed heavily. Then he got an idea and fished out his wand. He held out his hand. "Come on, Ginny. I wanna show you something."

Nervously, Ginny took her husband's palm. Then, Harry waved his wand.

It was an advanced charm, one that allowed you to see a memory without having to use a Pensieve. There was the tent, lit late at night, a young Hermione sitting sadly listening to music on the wireless. Then, Harry approached, reached for her hands and began to dance with her. Pretty soon, the pair were laughing and boogeying around, ending with Hermione resting her head on Harry's shoulder.

And then they stopped. There was a long pause as the youthful apparitions of Harry and Hermione just stared at each other. Back in the present, Ginny held her breath. Then, Hermione turned sadly away. The memory winked out.

"Ron was gone..." Ginny murmured. "I knew he'd shacked up with Bill and Fleur at Shell Cottage..."

Harry nodded. "That was the only time we felt something... charged between us. But she and I came to understand that it was more out of loneliness than anything else. She was broken-heartened, delirious with worry for Ron's safety. I was missing you, tracking you on the Marauder's Map most nights in my bunk. Hermione told me later that she knew, in her heart, that she was practically married to Ron and that she wanted to remain faithful. I felt the same about you. And that was it. We never discussed it again."

Ginny looked bewildered. "Why didn't you tell me any of this?" she whispered.

"Because, whether you want to admit it or not... I was trying to protect you, too."

Ginny shook her head. But Harry was relieved to see that she was smiling. "So dark, so dark indeed, these secrets that you keep..."

Harry took his wife in his arms. "You think you've had it bad, just ask Ron about the night he came back to the Hunt. Wondering about Hermione and I was the primary reason he left." Ginny stared at him, and he kissed her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Now do you understand?"

Ginny bobbed her head. "Yeah. I do."

"Why don't we go back in?"

Just as quickly, Ginny was rapidly shaking her head No. "I can't face them."

Harry chuckled. "You've got a lot to learn about forgiveness, Gin. If I can carry on a civil conversation with my cousin who tormented me for years, you can face your own sister-in-law after one outburst."

Ginny and Harry emerged from the sitting room to hear a scraping of chairs and feet; the last few people were still falling into their perches around the table. Harry raised an eyebrow, but said nothing else, while Ginny only had eyes for Hermione. Lip quivering, she burst into wracking sobs and ran into Hermione's arms.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... What I said was... unspeakable!"

Both women were weeping. "I forgive you," Hermione said simply, even as she also cried. Over Ginny's shoulder, she observed Harry.

"Do I need to ask for forgiveness?" he rumbled low. He still felt bad about spilling secrets.

Hermione gave him a watery smile. "You already have it, big brother."