The light streamed through the window, illuminating the two forms on the bed. The bigger of the two was still fast asleep. The smaller one lay awake, a picture frame in hand. She was whispering to it, fingers tapping gently against the plastic holding the photo. Hermione stirred at the sound of Adeline's voice, blinking and opening her eyes slowly. "And then we got ice cream!" She sounded excited and Hermione smiled when she noticed her daughter's digits wrapped around the frame. The witch sat up just as Addie leaned in and pressed a kiss to his face before setting it down again. "Mama!" She twisted to jump happily into her mother's awaiting arms, smothering her with kisses. Hermione giggled, wrapping her arms around her small frame.
"Good morning, little dragon. How long have you been awake for?" She questioned, yawning and leaning in to press kisses to her cheek. She lay the child in her arms as if she was still a baby, cradling her. Addie shrugged causing Hermione to giggle, leaning in to press another kiss to her cheek. "Well, I'm sure you're hungry, my love. You can help me with breakfast and then we can do whatever you'd like. It's Saturday, you know."
"Saturday!" Addie sat up at that, her arms on either side of her mother's face. "Maman, it's Saturday!" She repeated. The start of the weekend was their favorite day. Hermione didn't work and they often spent the whole day further uptown, walking around Central Park or going to museums. Whatever it is that Adeline wanted to do, Hermione did her best to make sure it happened. It was always a wonderful day for the two of them and it started off with breakfast. "Maman, I wanna go to the zoo! I wanna see the monkeys!"
"The zoo! What a wonderful idea, little one!" Hermione grinned, lifting them both off the bed, not as easy as when she was two. She held her in her arms, heading to the bathroom. "The zoo it is, then. And we'll take our time. We'll see all of the animals and we'll spend extra time with the monkeys." She put the little girl down on the small stool in front of the sink, patting the top of her head and watching her go for her toothbrush at the same time as her mother. In the exact same mannerisms, they took their toothpaste, squished some in the brush, spit in the sink, turned on the faucet, and rinsed the brush just a tad. Hermione smiled as they both brought the toothbrush to their mouth and started cleaning the left side first. Addie looked up at her with a matching grin.
Once they'd finished waking up, Adeline copying her mother as she applied some skincare, they went downstairs. Hermione let her jump onto her back, the young girl keeping her arms right around her neck. She scrambled down once they stepped into the kitchen, jumping on her toes from the excitement of breakfast. Addie loved breakfast. "Pancakes! No, egg! No, pancakes!" Hermione chuckled and took out the box of eggs and the box of pancakes. "Both!? That's a great idea!"
"Did you want to help me, love?" Hermione asked, bringing up another small stool so Addie could reach the counter. The child nodded and stepped up, taking a clear bowl from the clean dishes and a whisk. "Okay, so pancakes first. Remember, you have to get all the lumps out." Hermione poured the flour in and then the water, kissing the top of her head. She pulled her hair up into a messy bun, stretching her arms and grabbing another bowl. The eggs cracked with ease and she tossed the shells, turning on the stove and placing a pan over it. Her brows furrowed in concentration as she whisked them together. If Addie saw any white, she wouldn't eat the eggs. She kept her back to Addie, keeping an ear out, trusting her. It wasn't the first time she'd whisked pancakes. Hermione poured the yellow mixture into the pan, watching the bottom begin to color for a moment. She lifted the spatula and was immediately distracted.
"Mama! Mama, look!" Addie sounded super excited, but Hermione's smile fell once she turned around. A cold ran through her veins.
"Oh, fucking hell." Hermione murmured, her face falling as she took in the sight before her. Adelina stood in front of the bowl of batter, the whisk moving furiously, but she wasn't touching it. No, it moved on its own, removing the lumps of batter and lifting to let it drop out before whisking again. It felt like a stone had dropped in the pit of her stomach, an anxiety washing over her. Almost suddenly, the whisk seemed to lose control, moving so quickly that the bowl cracked in half, sending batter flying everywhere.
It splattered on the counter top and on Adeline's clothes and cheek. Her daughter screamed and ran to her mother, the whisk dropping immediately in place, rolling and falling onto the floor. Hermione wrapped her arms around her child, lifting her into them and held her tightly, her eyes closed. She willed the tears to dry. She blinked furiously. No. Not now. Not so soon. Please, Merlin, not so soon. She took in a shaky breath.
The fire alarm broke her silent prayer and she spun, dropping Adeline gently on the ground and moving her out of the way. She took a hold of the burning pan of eggs, mind so muddled that she didn't think about grabbing the oven mit. "Shit!" She removed her hand, looking down at the red skin before taking a glove and grabbing the handle again, shoving the burned eggs in the trash and the pan under cold water. She removed the glove angrily, tossing it aside. The tears threatened to fall. She swallowed the knot in her throat and gripped the edge of the sink tightly, her knuckles white as she tried to take in what just happened. Her lips were in a tight line and as much as she tried, a soft sob escaped her lips, a tear flowing down her cheek. This wasn't supposed to happen. Not yet. Not like this. She was five. It was too early. All of the books said her powers wouldn't develop until she was seven years old. At least then Hermione could have a real talk with her about it. But this? This was uncharted territory. It all was.
Hermione wiped her eyes and turned to her daughter, who had tears of her own flowing down her cheeks as she huddled in a corner. "I'm sorry, mama! I'm sorry." Her little shoulders shook and her mouth was turned into a frown that made Hermione's heart break.
"Oh, Addie." She knelt down, beckoning her daughter to her. The little girl rushed forward, crawling into her mother's arms. Hermione held her to her chest protectively. She rubbed gently on her back as Addie cried. "No, hush, little dragon. It's okay. It's okay. You're safe. Mama was just scared. It's not your fault." Addie whimpered, overwhelmed. She buried her face into her mother's neck. "Shhhh, love, shhh. It's okay. It's going to be okay." She rests her cheek on top of Adeline's head, rocking back and forth with her. Hermione soothed her, sitting back against the pantry doors.
They say like that for a while until Adeline began to hiccup, her cries stopping. She looked up at the mother she worshiped, golden blonde hair framing her face. Hermione wiped tears off of those perfect, soft cheeks. "This means that one day….one day you're going to be a very, very, powerful little girl." Hermione smiled, her own eyes brimming with tears. "It'll just have to be our little secret. Just between us, okay?" Addie nodded at that, extending her hand out, pinky up. Hermione smiled, curling her pinky around her daughter's. "You can't tell anyone, Adeline. Not your friends, not your teachers. The stories stop now, okay?" Again, she nodded and Hermione smiled, bringing her back into a very strong hug. "Now let's clean this up and we'll go get some breakfast from the deli and we can eat it at the park, okay?" The budding witch nodded a third time, wiping her eyes and Hermione smiled. "Give mummy a kiss." Her child wrapped her arms around Hermione's neck and pecked her lips gently. Hermione's heart fluttered. Merlin, how this child has saved her. She held her again. "I love you, little one. I love you, so, so much."
XXXXXX
The Burrow was abuzz with people on this Saturday. Ginny looked up at the clock with more than 9 faces on it now that Fleur and Victoire had been added. It was just after 1 pm. She and Harry had arrived just in time to help her parents finish cooking and setting up. Saturday's were always busy. It was the one day a week when the entire family got together for lunch at the Burrow at 2 pm. This meant all of her siblings, including Charlie and Percy were under one roof. Any partners, spouses, grandchildren (which was only one for the time being) and surprisingly, Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood. If they weren't busy with work that is.
Neville had run into Ronald in the middle of a coffee run three years ago and had been cheerily invited for lunch. Ron had claimed everyone would be so happy to see him and they were. Molly couldn't stop commenting on how well he'd filled out. She was so proud of him and that made him blush so hard that he was almost as red as the Weasley hair. He came round the house every Saturday of the summer when he wasn't teaching at Hogwarts. Neville had begun to date Hannah Abbott a little over a year ago. She was beautiful and blonde and the kindest person they'd ever met. She complimented Neville so well and they were both ecstatic that she had officially been hired to help out at the Three Broomsticks. Neville visited her for lunch every day and usually spent the night.
Luna had bumped into Ginny in Diagon Alley, so the red head invited her over for lunch. Again, the whole family had been ecstatic to see her and how she'd been doing, including Neville. Two months later, Luna introduces Rolf Scamander to the entire crew. Three months after that, Luna had shown up with a beautiful sapphire engagement ring. They got married four months later. It was a beautiful, outdoor wedding and both of them were barefoot. Ginny was the maid of honor and helped add the flowers to Luna's hair. It had gone perfectly.
Ginny slipped into the common room as the fireplace roared to life and Fleur walked through, carrying her 1 and a half year old in her arms. "Fleur!" She walked forward to greet her, taking the toddler from her arms immediately. The fireplace roared once more and Bill stepped through, carrying a pot of roast. "Billiam!" Ginny leaned in to hug her brother, a grin on her lips. "You lot are early! No one's arrived yet. Mum is still upstairs getting ready. Dad's in the shed, working on this muggle….television?" She had to sound it out, but she was sure she'd got it right this time.
"We had to wrestle this one into her outfit and wanted to get her here before she completely covered it in dirt from the garden." Bill chuckled, placing the pot roast in the middle of the table. "I'll go check up on dad and make sure he's alright." He exited through the back door, calling out for his father. Ginny could hear the two men greet one another and smiled, looking at Victoire.
"Hello, gorgeous." She grinned, kissing Victoire's cheek. The toddler giggled, playing with her aunt's fiery red hair. Fleur moved up the stairs to go find her mother-in-law, passing Harry on the way. They greeted each other warmly and went on their ways. As Harry descended the stairs, he watched his fiancée interact with the child, both of them giggling. He stayed silent and watched them play, loving the way she looked with a baby in her arms. His fingers curled on the railing. He couldn't wait to marry her. He couldn't wait to spend his life with her, even if children were on the back burner due to his career as an Auror and hers as a chaser for the Holyhead Harpies. Ginny looked up at the stairway and smiled at him, a blush coming to her cheeks. "She gets cuter every time I see her."
"I agree." Harry nodded, heading over to sit beside his fiancée. "Hello, sweetie." He held out his hand in a high five and Victoire giggled, giving him one. "Good job!" He chuckled, slinging his arm over Ginny's shoulder. Ginny leaned her head on his shoulder as Victoire lay her head on her chest. Someday. Someday, they'd have a child of their own.
By two in the afternoon, nearly everyone had shown up. Neville and Hannah arrived after Bill and Fleur, causing a frenzy as they all took a look at her hand. A gorgeous silver banded, pink princess stone. They were both grinning at the remarks from their friends and very happy, they assured everyone. Percy arrived after with a very pregnant Penelope Clearwater, greeting his family and congratulating Neville. At this point, Bill had placed Victoire in the small cot by the stairs. Charlie arrived next, alone, but smiling, happy to see his family and friends. Luna and Rolf arrived after, George not far behind.
They were all sat around the enlarged table, speaking excitedly, happy to be together again. It was a special time. Neville had just been let out for Christmas break, so he had the next two weeks off. He was extremely excited. "Where is Ron?" Neville looked around the table, noting the empty chair. Ginny sniggered, catching George's gaze. "Am I missing something here?"
"Well, you see, Neville. Apparently, Mr. Weasley has gone and found himself a girlfriend." Charlie grinned, leaning back on the chair's hind legs, ignoring his mother's gasp. He smirked, nodding. "Oh yes, he told me last night at the pub."
"Charles Weasley, what pub are you taking your brother to? You know I don't approve of those kind of influences on him." Molly raised a brow at her eldest son, who grinned cheekily at her.
"Relax, mother. I made sure your precious child was safe. He didn't throw up anything last night." Charlie wiped away a fake tear, hand on his heart. "And that makes me so proud." This earned a good laugh from around the table, even Molly, who recalled the first time Ronald had gotten truly smashed and in front of his mother, no less. It had been a sight to behold. He was a hilarious drunk, honestly. After an hour or so, when no one could find him, Bill had the good sense to check the shed. Ronald lay on the grass, snoring his head off, a pool of vomit beside him. No one was allowed to move him until Ginny got her camera.
The fireplace roared to life and eyes darted around the table, everyone looking at each other, some nervous, some excited. Ron's head appeared at the doorway, clearly more nervous than anyone. His left hand was behind him and Ginny smiled. "Hi." He cleared his throat, stepping into the room. "I'm sorry I'm late."
"No more than usual." Ginny shrugged, sending a knowing grinning at him. She leaned forward, her chin in her palms. "What's your excuse this time?"
Ron licked his lips, pulling someone along as he moved from the doorway. Ginny sat up straight, a look of shock crossing her face. She knew the woman in the doorway. A tall, blonde haired woman with deep green eyes and a nervous smile. She wore a pair of casual jeans, a blouse, and a pair of flats. Her hair was up in a ponytail. This woman had patched her up several times through the beginning of Ginny's Quidditch career, but instead of the confident healer, she seemed shy. Ginny noted how Ronald stood protectively in front of her, their fingers interlaced and smiled at that. "Everyone, this is Daphne. Daphne Greengrass." Molly was grinning already, while most of the men smirked at that. The poor girl was going to be interrogated. "She's a healer, a- a great one. And she's my…girlfriend."
"Ooooh!" Molly squealed and jumped up, pushing her husband down the table. "Arthur, move. Daphne must sit by me." The man in question looked up from his newspaper and sighed, shifting his chair down as the table grew to accommodate one more. He stood, so Ronald could sit with his girlfriend and moved to the opposite side of the table, next to Ginny. "Come, dearie, come." Molly waved her over and Daphne, clearly nervous, moved her way. It was almost shocking, the amount of grace with which she walked. She took a seat beside Molly, Ron sitting on her right.
The blonde looked down the table and smiled. "Ronald told me how many of you there were. It's just so different to see it in person."
Molly was leaning in, her fingers clasped together under her chin, her spectacles on the bridge of her nose. "You didn't have a big family, then, I presume?"
"Oh, no, not at all." Daphne crossed her legs and still somehow made herself look taller. Ginny was slightly envious of that. Still, she smiled at the girl. Daphne, if she recalled, had been in Harry's year. Her younger sister was in Ginny's and both of them were in Slytherin. "It was just my father and Astoria and I. Mother died when we were young, before we started at Hogwarts and…Astoria- she passed away a few years ago."
Ron took her hand in his, interlocking their fingers. She squeezed it gently in thanks, looking up at him with a gaze that surprised Ginny. That was not a look you gave a casual romance. Ron rubbed his thumb along the back of Daphne's hand. He knew how painful speaking of her only sibling was. His face was grave as he looked at the faces of his family, speaking low. "Astoria was wounded at the Battle of Hogwarts." Harry looked sick, his gaze kept down at his plate. "She didn't make it."
Daphne smiled sadly and mouthed, "Thank you," before turning to them all. "I miss her dearly, but I know she'd want me to be happy. And I am." She used her free hand to place it on Ron's shoulder, rubbing it gently. She blinked back any tears, smiling as she looked at Molly. "You've raised a wonderful man, you know. No matter how…childish, at times. He makes me happy. Happier than I've been in a long time."
Ron flushed deeply at that, nearly the color of his hair. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her temple. The entire family seemed to be proud and happy and also itching to tease him about it. He watched the others and shook his head. "Oi! Don't act so surprised. I can be romantic!" This earned a laugh from around the table and Victoire joined in, causing them to laugh some more. "Well, come on! I'm starving!"
"Tell us something new." Ginny joked, taking the bowl of greens and adding it to her plate. The rest of the afternoon passed in laughter and happiness, plates being passed over and under one another's arms. By the time the lunch was over and everyone headed out for the day, it was clear. Ron had found his match.
XXXXXX
Brandon McAllister was grinning as he made his way through the park. He'd just set up his date with Hermione Granger and to say he was excited would be an understatement. It would be tomorrow evening at 7. He had been planning this for weeks, hoping she'd take him up on his offer at some point. He had to go pick her up, they had to go to Tony's. Then maybe a walk in the park. If he was lucky, he'd earn a kiss.
Bran shook his head, brows furrowing. His legs picked up the pace, turning into a wind in the trail. A sense of confusion washed over him. Hermione had only agreed to go out with him if he stalled Allison. He shook his head, paying no kind to where he was going. He took a deep breath. It was a first step, he hoped. This date had to cement how charming and kind he was. It had to. He went through another windin the road, noticing how dark it had gotten. He paused, blinking as he looked around. "Fuck." He'd somehow got himself into The Ramble. Either side of him was thick with trees. This place had been built as an homage to New York's upstate forests. It was difficult to navigate in the dark, never mind now. He reached into his pocket, fingers closing around his flashlight. He always brought it with him on night runs, just in case.
A shiver ran up his spine as he looked around. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. He chastised himself for his fear. This was New York. There were people everywhere, the chances of him being watched were extremely high. Of him being hurt? Hopefully not as high. He pushed his fingers through his hair and turned, finding that he'd wandered further in instead of the opposite way. What was wrong with him? He never ran in The Ramble, he was smarter than that. His brain was muddled and he pushed his fingers over his face, taking a deep breath.
He walked in the opposite direction, leaning down so he wouldn't hit his face against a branch. He stopped again when he noticed a huddled figure on a wooden bench. A sigh of relief when he noted the dog. It seemed to be shaking and whining. His brows furrowed in worry. "Buddy, are you lost?"
"Are you alright? You missing your family?" He took a few steps forward, his arms around himself as snow began to fall. "Hey, I won't hurt you." The dog stood up on its hind legs and he jumped back as it transformed into a person. "What the hell?!" He didn't have time to run. Even if he had, it wouldn't have been much help. He was trapped.