Picking Up The Pieces
Disclaimer: I own nothing. I don't profit.
An: I have pictures on my profile so you guys can get an idea of what Regulus and Esmeralda look like. Glad you guys seem to be enjoying this story, and trust me the wait for Fleur will be worth it.
The room felt distant, cold almost, as she looked out the window watching the sunset. She didn't know how long she had been standing here, leant against the window frame, but the weariness lingering at the edges of her body told her that she'd have to move soon. She'd been doing this the past couple days, waking earlier than the rest of the house and then spend her tie in this library like she was chasing after that moment everything she knew about her life changed. Maybe if she could catch it, she could take it all back.
Kreacher delivered her meals to her, and most ties he would linger in the room waiting for an order until she finally sent him away with some meaningless errand. This morning she had asked him to change her bedding, though she hadn't slept in the bed since her arrival but on the sofa in front of the fireplace in her room. After lunch she sent him to find and feed Crookshanks, only after did she realize he also gave the stubborn cat a bath as well, she didn't know who was more frightened after the incident, Kreacher or Crooks.
The door opened behind her, and the tinkling of silverware and china reached her ears. "Is Miss Hermione wanting her dinner now? Kreacher made Miss favorite! Bouillabaisse with Garlic Bread and Kreacher brought Miss Tea too! Won't Miss come eat?" Hermione turned to look at the giddy old house elf and smiled sweetly.
"Of course Kreacher, thank you." The elf blushed at the gratitude and set the tray upon the desk, pulling out the chair from his mistress, no matter how many times Hermione had said otherwise. She sat in the offered seat, curling her legs up and beneath her as she watched the elf light the fire place and light the oil lamps. It was so clear that the elf was giddy at having someone to serve, someone he respected. Hermione sighed and looked away.
"Is Miss Hermione wanting anything else?" Kreacher asked, his ears perking up slightly.
Hermione shook her head, "No thank you Kreacher, why don't you go relax." She offered hopefully.
The house elf scrunched up his face in distaste. "No Miss, Kreacher goes to bed after Miss Hermione. Kreacher will go make dinner for Miss Hermione's guest…unless Miss Hermione does not wish for Kreacher to feed Miss Hermione's guest?" The elf almost seemed giddy at the prospect.
Hermione chuckled, "Please do feed them Kreacher; we wouldn't want them to starve now would we?" Hermione grinned as the elf adopted a reluctant look.
"No wouldn't want thems to starve." He grumbled before disappearing. Hermione shook her head with a grin as she ripped off a corner of bread to dip into her soup. The old house elf had made it abundantly clear how much he despised Sirius and Harry, he even meant as far as trying to throw them from the house when she had found out that she was in fact Regulus' child and so the true owner of the house. It was quite comical at the time, though Sirius didn't think so and when he had risen a hand to hit the elf, Hermione had been horrified. She remembered yelling at the man…her Uncle, as Kreacher hid behind her leg and bared his teeth at the man.
She had even tried to free the house elf, at which point the old elf nearly broke down in tears. When he had calmed she asked him to explain why he was so upset seeing as Hermione couldn't fathom why anyone would actually like being slaves. Kreacher told Hermione that it was a great honor to serve, as his line had always served the Black family. Begrudgingly, Hermione put the clothes away and accepted the fact that this was truly how the elf wished to live, even if she didn't understand it.
He was the only one she had really spoken to since the meeting with Dumbledore and Severus. She couldn't bring herself to face Sirius and Harry…what could she possibly say? 'Thank you for telling me that I'm not how I always thought I was. I'm really grateful that I know my parents aren't actually my parents and that I'm actually a pureblood witch and not just any pureblood, but the last heir of the Black and the Woulfe family.' It sounded sarcastic even within her head.
Sirius was her family though, at least she could go to him if she had any questions…though by the sound of things Severus was the one who really knew her…father, and Snape was her freaking Godfather! She couldn't really get over that little detail. The Woulfe family had died with her mother though…she was the last of them, and Severus had said that Bellatrix and made certain that there was nothing left of the family's estate…that was unfortunate.
Hermione sighed and rubbed her head, all this thinking was giving her a headache. She thought about going to the nearest payphone to call her parents and get their side of the story, but things were already strained and she feared breaking things completely. But if they knew…maybe that's why they acted so strangely when she brought up the magical world? Maybe they resented taking her in? No, she shouldn't assume such things, not until she talked with them.
She pushed the now empty tray away and turned in the chair so that her back could rest against one of the thing wings, her knees pushed up against the other as she curled in on herself. I faint pop sounded behind her and she knew Kreacher had returned to take her tray; big blue eyes and floppy ears peaked at her from over the chair arm by her feet. "Is Miss Hermione not feeling well?" He asked softly.
"I'm not sure what I'm feeling at the moment Kreacher." She smiled sadly.
Hermione watched as the elf pulled at his ears as he thought. She waited patiently and then smiled as Kreacher offered his hand, "Come with Kreacher Miss Hermione! Kreacher has something that will cheer Miss Hermione up!" Hermione uncurled and took the elf's hand with a soft smile and followed him from the room and down two flights of stairs to his little room just outside the kitchen. The door opened to a surprisingly large room, for an elf…actually as Hermione thought of it, it looked like what Harry had described his room beneath the stairs as.
She kneeled by the door and watched as the elf puttered around the room in search of something. The room was filled with knick-knacks and random bits and ends that the elf had collected over the years. "Where is it? Where is it?" He muttered to himself, until finally he pulled a tattered, dusty looking book from beneath his mattress and scurried over to her, thrusting it into her hands.
"What is this Kreacher?" She asked as she swiped her hands over the cover to clear the dust.
"Master Black gave this to Kreacher. Told Kreacher to protect it, he did!" Kreacher nodded frantically as he reached to pull the cover opened to reveal a moving picture. Hermione gasped as her hand flew to her hand to cover her mouth. She watched as the dark haired man and blonde woman stood side by side, hands clasped together. First they looked at each other, foreheads touching, then the man drew back to place a kiss on the woman's head. Beneath the picture, in elegant script, was written. 'Our Wedding Day.'
"These…these are my parents?" She looked to the elf with tears in her eyes. The elf merely nodded and reached to turn the page once more. Hermione fell back to sit upon the floor, her back against the wall as she spotted the same woman and man, only this time the man was kneeling with his hands splayed across the woman's clothed stomach. They were both grinning madly into the camera and looked to be laughing. This one was labeled, 'Our First Family Photo'. Tears fell as she realized she was in her mother's stomach when the picture was taken, Esmeralda wasn't showing so it must have been when they first found out.
Kreacher turned the page once more and it was an exact replica of the last, but this time Esmeralda was clearly showing. 'Six Months.' The elegant script read. Regulus looked rundown but so happy, and Esmeralda glowed with pride as she looked down on her husband and their unborn child.
Another turn of the page showed a pregnant Esmeralda wrapped in a loving hug by Lily Potter, both laughing joyously as Lily whispered something into Esmeralda's ear. 'Sisters.' It read. The next photo showed the two women again, this time they were sitting on a couch with hands on the others belly. 'Harry and Hermione.' Hermione gasped realizing this must have been taken at the start of September as Harry and Her were nine months apart.
Again, Kreacher turned the page and Hermione sobbed as she watched mother and father cradle their newborn, both parents crying and smiling as they looked upon their baby. It was labeled simply as 'Hermione Esme Black, 19 September 1979.' That was the last picture and Hermione clutched the book to her chest as she sobbed, grieving for the parents she never knew, for the life she never got to live and the family she never got to experience.
Kreacher stayed by his Mistress' side as she cried herself to sleep. When he was sure she wouldn't wake he wrapped a blanket around her and prepared to over her to her room, but the sound of footsteps coming down the hall stopped him. Sirius entered the kitchen to see his niece curled up next to the elf, she looked exhausted and troubled even as she slept. Sirius could very well kick himself. He moved closer to take her to her rooms when the elf hissed at him. He raised his hands in peace, "I'll take her to her room Kreacher. Will you help and open the door?"
He waited as the elf deliberated, then finally Kreacher nodded and allowed Sirius to pick the girl up. Quietly and gently man and elf climbed the stairs and walked through the halls to finally reach her room. Sirius looked around and noticed that it didn't look like she spent any time here, though he knew she was mostly in the library, he thought she at least slept here. He moved to place her on the bed when the elf stopped him.
"Miss Hermione does not sleeps in bed. Miss Hermione sleeps on the couch by the fire. Miss Hermione doesn't know that Kreacher knows, but Kreacher can hear when his Mistress starts to cry. Kreacher come and sits next to his Mistress until hers crying stops." The elf bit his lip. "Kreacher is worried for his Mistress." He whispered softly.
Sirius had to clear his throat of tears before he could speak, "Well let's see if she can sleep in the bed tonight then, yeah? I'm sure you will hear her if she needs any help, right?" Kreacher nodded quickly and pulled back the covers allowing Sirius to deposit the girl in bed. With the help of the house elf he tucked the girl in, but it was then he noticed that Hermione was clutching something to her chest. "That'll be all Kreacher." Sirius dismissed the elf. "Thank you." He added hesitantly, remembering the girl's fondness of the mean old elf.
After Sirius was sure that Kreacher had left, he gently pried the book from the girl's hands. When he opened it to find pictures of his brother and his bride, the pictures of his unborn niece and her parents and then as he saw Lily with Esmeralda and their unborn babies he all but broke down. The last picture killed him and he could not stop the tears from escaping him. How could he have not known? Why wasn't he there to protect them? Lost to his grief he didn't notice that Hermione had awoken by the man's quiet crying. She placed a gentle hand upon his, startling him as she spoke. "There's nothing you could've done." She whispered in a hoarse voice.
"Will you ever forgive me?" Sirius cried.
Hermione squeezed his hand, knowing that he was talking to her as much as he was talking to his lost brother. "You're here now Sirius, for me and for Harry. I'm sure that's all they care about." She sighed; sleep dragging her back into the land of dreams. "They loved me Sirius and I know…he loved you…too." Her eyes lost the fight and closed; her breathing evens out as she falls deeper and deeper to sleep.
Sirius wipes his eyes and places the book next to Hermione's pillow, kissed her forehead and quietly left the room to go check on his other ward. Peaking in, he sees Harry resting peacefully. He closes the door and walks further down the hall and up to the fourth floor to his room, but pauses just short of opening the door and looks further down the darkened hallway. The black door taunting him. He shook his head; that was for another time…when Hermione was ready.