Andromeda woke the following morning to soft gurgling coming from Teddy's bedroom. When she entered the room, she saw the small boy sitting up in his crib, playing with a small stuffed rabbit. As he cooed to the inanimate object, his hair flashed seamlessly between colors. Andromeda approached him, softly singing, "Good morning, my love," as she scooped him into her arms.

She quickly changed his diaper before carrying him downstairs to the kitchen. It was still early, and the house was silent, so she took care not to make too much noise.

Her letter from the previous evening sat discarded on the counter-top, but Andromeda could not be bothered to be concerned about it at that moment. She was too distracted by a different piece of paper that was taped to her fridge.

Andromeda,

I had work early this morning and will not be available until after four in the afternoon. I would like to have dinner with you and discuss your proposition.

Please owl me your decision.

H.

The older witch ran her fingers over the writing. She missed the younger witch already, so she immediately penned her reply and sent it to Hermione.

A large grey owl flew through the ajar door of the book shop at half past nine. Hermione, disguised as Lillian, was in the process of checking out a customer. The owl began to cause a fuss when it was not acknowledged immediately, hooting and preening its feathers as it sat on the counter.

In hopes of quieting the disruptive bird, a short wizard with curly blonde hair approached the owl. He reached out his hand to retrieve the letter but only managed to further aggravate the bird. It flapped its wings and hooted menacingly at the young man before returning its gaze to the witch with straight dark brown hair.

"Uh, Lil, I think this owl is here for you." He ran his hands through his greasy hair as he slowly backed away from the aggressive bird. "I'll take over for you here."

Lillian's pale green eyes met the striking yellow of the owl's eyes as she strode toward the bird. "You're a disruptive thing, you know that?"

The owl appeared to grow in size at her comment, almost as if it took pride in her criticism.

Hermione merely laughed as she retrieved the neatly folded letter.

H,

I would love to have you come for dinner tonight. We have much to discuss. Please floo over at your earliest convenience.

-Andromeda.

As Hermione finished reading the letter, it tore itself apart until there was nothing but a thin layer of dust on the counter. The owl preened its feathers, appearing to be calm now that its task had been completed.

Hermione stroked the ash colored feathers at the top of his skull and retrieved a few treats for him. "Thank you for making sure this got to me."

The next moment, the owl flew out the door and disappeared into the skyline.

Hermione flooed to Andromeda's house at the close of her shift, not bothering to stop by her apartment first.

She was greeted with heavenly aromas wafting out of the kitchen. Hermione followed her nose and found Mila and Andromeda in the kitchen. Mila stood on a step stool in front of the oven, and Andromeda appeared to be laughing at something the elf had just said.

When Andromeda's eyes found Hermione, the dark orbs widened in glee. "Hermione, I am so happy to see you." The older witch took a moment to consider her words before correcting herself. "Should I say Lillian?"

Hermione had flooed directly from work, so her fine, dark hair still fell well past her shoulder blades and her normally-amber eyes were the color of the algae that grows on the Black Lake. "No, Hermione is fine." She grasped her wand before performing the counter spell.

Again, Andromeda was captivated by the way Hermione's nose flattened slightly and lost some of its upward curve. She wondered if Hermione's scalp itched when her hair receded into her head. Nymphadora had often complained of that particular phenomena. "Much better. Dinner should be prepared soon. I am incompetent in the kitchen, so Mila is helping, but doesn't it smell wonderful?"

Hermione nodded vigorously as she inhaled deeply and fixed her gaze on the small female working at the stove. "Mila, do you always make dinner since Andy is incapable of making food?"

Mila laughed heartily as she peered over her shoulder. "Mila makes dinner when Mistress allows her to. Lately, that has been infrequent, but Mila loves to make dinner for the kind Mistress."

Andromeda smiled warmly at the elf. "Mila is only a few years older than I am, and she has been a lifetime friend of mine. I feel bad asking her to make food for just me. I typically eat out these days."

Hermione nodded, excited to learn more about the other people in the room. "But if she grew up with you, doesn't that make her a Black family elf?" The possible alternative made Hermione giddy. "Are you a free elf, Mila?"

The house elf gasped and shook her finger at Hermione. "Mila is a proud elf who works hard for her mistress. She does not toy with notions of freedom."

Andromeda stepped in, hoping to clear the tension from the room. "Mila served my family during my childhood, but she was specifically assigned to serve me. When I was disowned, she was the one luxury my parents allowed me to keep. I don't know if they realized that Mila was worth more to me than any sum of gold."

The house elf in question had turned back to the stove, but Hermione noticed that her shoulders were shaking softly as she cried, "Mistress is too kind to Mila."

Andromeda stood to set the table and placed a gentle hand on the house elf's shoulder as she passed. "It is nothing when compared to the kindness you have shown me for all of my life."

Mila merely nodded and raised her shoulders in pride.

Andromeda returned to the dining table with dishes and cutlery and took the time to set all three places by hand. She then met Hermione's scrutinizing gaze and gestured to one of the seats. "I thought it might be best to include Mila in on this conversation, as it impacts her daily life, as well."

At that point, the house elf in question brought the meal to the table with a snap of her fingers. They ate in silence for a few moments before Hermione glanced between the two older women. "As much as I appreciate the offer, Andromeda, I cannot accept your invitation to live here. I cannot impose myself on either of you."

Andromeda quirked an eyebrow at the young woman. "Hermione, how much do you spend each month on rent? Or power? How much do you spend on food each month? Do you have access to a yard or a library?"

As her questions were met with stuttering, Andromeda smirked smugly, looking much too proud of herself. "You would save quite a bit of money by living here."

Hermione finally found her voice and uttered in muted defiance, "I couldn't live here for free. That would be taking advantage of your hospitality."

The older witch merely shook her head and tutted at the woman's frustration. "It's not taking advantage if I invite you to stay, especially if I want you to stay."

Hermione chose to ignore her final comment and fixed her gaze on the small house elf, who was watching the exchange with nearly hidden glee. "And you, Mila, you don't need another person to cook for and clean up after. It isn't fair to you."

Mila shook her head firmly. "Mila lives to serve the members of Mistress Andromeda's home. It would, in fact, make the house less lonely for it has been too quiet since..." She trailed off, unshed tears glistening in her eyes.

Andromeda placed her hand over Hermione's. "I feel the same way. I cannot help but look at you as I often looked at Nymphadora. I know you have parents out there, and I will never take their place, but I want to offer you a home here with Teddy, Mila, and myself. It's a hodgepodge of a family, but we want nothing more than for you to feel welcome here and maybe, one day, consider this your family, too."

Sincerity shone through Andromeda's eyes, and Hermione felt herself giving in, but she was still hesitant. "What if we don't live well together?"

Andromeda had considered that possibility, although she doubted the occurrence. "Let me pay your rent this month. Come stay with me, but keep your apartment. If you're not convinced that this is benefiting you, you're not stuck here without a place to go. You can always leave."

Finally, Hermione nodded her consent. "I'll have to retrieve more of my belongings at some point, but I have no interest in doing so tonight." She had enough clothing to last a few more days, but she had not intended to stay away from her home for very long, so her options had much to be desired.

Mila's eyes widened in excitement at the notion of having another person living at the manor. "May Mila assist the young Mistress in bringing her things here?"

Her question was directed at Andromeda, but the older witch merely shrugged her shoulders and looked to Hermione. "That will be up to Hermione."

The witch in question sighed, knowing that she did not need any help in bringing any of her belongings to the manor, but she did not want to squash the elf's excitement. Reaching a decision, she nodded slowly. "Mila, you may help me gather my belongings only if you refer to me as Hermione rather than Mistress."

The skin above Mila's eyes knit together as she lightly scowled at the younger witch, but she made a decision quickly. "Okay, then Hermione. Mila will assist you when you are ready to retrieve your things."

Andromeda hopped out of her seat with youthful agility and began pouring glasses of eggnog."Now that, that is decided, let's celebrate!" Before she poured the third glass, she glanced towards Mila for confirmation.

The house elf shook her head slowly as she stood to clean the dishes. "Mila would like to retire for the night, Mistress."

Andromeda's face fell momentarily before she schooled her features. She could not force Mila to feel like family, even though she had long since considered her family rather than simply a house elf. "Of course, Mila. Have a pleasant sleep then."

The house elf thanked Andromeda and bid the two witches goodnight before disappearing with a loud crack.

Hermione could feel Andromeda's eyes on her and took a long drink of her eggnog, trying to avoid the inevitable conversation that she was sure would center on a certain Lestrange. She placed the glass back on the counter and met Andromeda's gaze. She knew she had to take the conversation elsewhere before Andromeda could ask her about it, so she dove into the previous topic. "I still work at the book shop, so I will be leaving multiple times a week. I am not sure how much I will actually be here between work and my research."

Andromeda wrung her hands together as she considered the weight of that statement. "Of course, Hermione. I don't expect you to check in with me at all times. I won't be keeping tabs on you. You're an adult. I simply ask that you let me know when you will be bringing other people to the house, especially if they want to join us for a meal. I'll need to make sure we make enough to feed everyone."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at Andromeda's request. "I don't plan to bring anyone here. My only friends were Harry, Ron, Ginny, and your daughter. I don't plan on seeing Ron any longer, and Harry comes here on his own. Ginny is at Hogwarts. I have no one to bring over here."

Andromeda nodded. "Of course, that makes sense. I am just saying that I know how quickly things can change. Feelings can change quickly, so if there is ever a boy you want to spend time with, you are welcome to bring him here. That's all I'm trying to say." She began to laugh at her own antics.

Hermione, however, was less than amused and glared at the witch in front of her. "I don't plan to bring anyone here: boy, girl, or otherwise."

Andromeda did not miss the emphasis Hermione placed on the word girl, and she was suddenly filled with endless questions. Did Hermione have feelings for her? Had she had feelings for Nymphadora? Was that the reason the pair spent so much time together? No. She stopped that train of thought quickly. Nymphadora had been head over heels in love with Remus, but Hermione's statement could not go unrecognized. Andromeda did not consider herself to be a judgmental woman, but she had not encountered a witch who liked other witches. She knew it could happen. It did happen enough that marriage between two witches was now legal, but Andromeda did not know anyone personally who had personally done it. "So, you like witches?"

Hermione could see the near panic in the older witch's demeanor. Maybe it had been a mistake to say something. She sighed, shaking her head slightly. "I do like witches sometimes."

Andromeda tilted her head to the side as she tried to wrap her head around the statement. "What do you mean sometimes?"

Hermione groaned and placed her head on the table for a brief moment as she attempted to quell her frustration. "I mean I don't like every witch that I see. I mean that sometimes I like wizards just as much as I like witches. I mean that sometimes I don't like anyone in that fashion." She exhaled again and met the older woman's eyes. "And sometimes I'm captivated by the sight of a witch and can't stop thinking about her."

Andromeda thought that she understood but only on the surface. She had never been captivated by a witch in the same way that she was enthralled by a wizard. "Have you ever loved another witch?"

Hermione shrugged at this point, unsure of the answer that was best for that particular question. "I do not believe that I have truly fallen in love with a witch, but neither have I fallen in love with a wizard. I have liked some and maybe even loved one, but I do not think that it was a matter of falling in love so much as the idea of falling in love and loving the person for their intelligence and beauty. I did not love every fiber of them. I did not long for them after they graduated. It was a very short thing, and it was beautiful, but I do not believe that I ever actually fell in love."

Andromeda hung on Hermione's every word. She felt privileged to hear this information. It felt just like when Dora told her about her first crush, but part of Hermione's story stuck out to her. "She was older than you then?"

Hermione smiled fondly at the memories. "Not by much. She turned seventeen right before the term started. I turned sixteen right after the term began, so we were two years apart at Hogwarts, but we were only barely more than a year different by age."

Andromeda so wanted to continue asking questions, but Hermione seemed to be closing that door quickly. "Okay, well, then I'll put it differently for you: if there is ever someone you would like to bring to the manor, I would be happy to host them here. Any friend of yours will be welcome in this house."