Granger Yet
Fumbling

Hermione hated that her gut reaction was to think of divorce. Yet, she felt silly, guilty even, for thinking that her parents getting divorced might actually be an even worse nightmare than finding out her father was a Death Eater, not to mention a Pureblood, which didn't make sense given how she'd chastised her mother for marrying him—something she now felt slightly guilty for.

"But I'll have no way of getting those things to him," Mr. Weasley said. "I mean, that was your intent, but even if you did tell me who your husband's family was, I wouldn't have a way of doing so."

"Which I'm not going to tell you who his family is as that won't do anybody any good. And it's really on the off chance that Hermione runs into her dad. Because" her mother kept a straight face. "I knew my husband left with nothing but the clothes on his back, but I was going to ask this of her even though her father doesn't want her involved. Because I also knew there would be a chance she'd find out the truth, and not from one of us."

"Me?" Hermione swallowed.

"You're the only one in the family who can," Hamlet Granger said, smiling at her. The way her uncle looked at her, Hermione couldn't help but feel he wanted to be the one helping her father instead.

"And you're still placing that on her, despite your contact with me?"

"Because," Olivia sat down, her fingers tightening around the strap of the duffel bag. "Our number one priority is, of course, the safety of the girls, but there is no getting around the fact home may not be a safe place for my girls anymore."

"Olivia!"

Hermione watched her uncle tense up, obviously not having been a part of this plan.

"You know I'm right, and I know it's asking a lot. I'm more than willing to compensate the Weasley family fairly," her mother said as Mr. Weasley's mouth opened and closed, obviously surprised.

"And what about Jules! She's autistic!"

"Hermione will be there and knows how to handle Jules."

"Autistic?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"She gets it from her father," her uncle said as if that would explain to a Wizard what autism was, although Hermione had forgotten there'd been mentions floating around the family that Jules got it from her father, as in her mind, her father was simply her quicky, dorky father that she loved—and now was unsure of. "Mind you. He's diagnosed as being Aspergers as we have absolutely no information regarding his early childhood, which my oldest brother says is important for determining a diagnosis."

"Lettie, Wizards don't have a diagnosis such as Autism," Hermione's mother said, frowning, looking at her brother.

"What?" her uncle said. "Why the hell not?"

"I don't know the specifics beyond the fact Sebastian has told me that's one of the places the Wizarding society is behind, but given Mr. Weasley's reaction, it still is."

"Autistic?"

"You and Mrs. Weasley have quite a few children, right?" her mother looked right at him.

"Yes. Seven."

"So you and your wife would know that children have specific milestones as they get older."

"I think I'm following."

"And you know that we're waiting for Jules to receive her letter this year," her mother said, "but would you expect that from what you saw when you came in?"

Mr. Weasley's mouth twisted slightly as his mind contemplated what she meant, with Hermione finding herself confused. And then he said, "Are you asking if, from my experience of raising seven kids, if I might have thought Jules was much younger based on how she was acting when we got here? And thus, I wouldn't have expected that this year would be the year she got her letter? Because if so, and apologises if I've gotten this wrong, or anything like that—yes, I'd have to say I wouldn't have expected her to be the age one would send their child off to Hogwarts."

"Yes. That's what I'm getting at."

"So, effectively, autism is where the child doesn't hit milestones at the same time as their peers?"

The answer made her Uncle Lettie's jaw drop. He then looked at Olivia. "Alright. I now understand why you thought we could trust him."

"Still, if we were to be staying at our place this summer, we'd willingly take the girls, Mrs. Granger, and not accept a penny for doing so," Mr. Weasley said. "But we're not. And that's actually part of why I wanted to talk to you. About Hermione staying where we are going to be staying this summer, for some very complicated reasons."

"I—no," Hermione said. "I need to be here with my mom and help her with my sisters. I need to be here."

"No. You're going," her mother said.

"Mom!" Hermione stared at her mother, wanting to argue back despite knowing it would be futile.

"Don't mom me. I'll have peace of mind knowing at least one of you girls will be safe somewhere, where those connected to your father's past can't find you, so you're going," her mother said. "And I take it you'd have been leaving with her today?"

"Yes. That was the plan."

"Mom. Please," Hermione said, looking at her hands, although the table hid them as they were in her lap.

"And I'll ask about the other two. Even if the answer isn't yes, about them staying there, where we're going to be, I think there is a definite need for there to be some kind of protection put in place for them, but I'll fight tooth and nail for it if I have to."

"Why?" Hermione asked.

Mr. Weasley looked at her. "Because as your mom said, keeping you girls safe is the number one priority."

"But my dad's a Death Eater." There was a definite feeling of numbness. "And you know what Death Eaters do."

Mr. Weasley frowned. "Hermione, I hope you get to see your father again, that you'll give him a chance to explain himself."

"What?" Hermione looked at him, thinking Mr. Weasley a bit naive, given how he should know all Death Eaters were the same.

"Your father married a Muggle. Doesn't that mean something to you?"

"I don't know," Hermione said. "I don't know what to think, for once."

"Which is understandable, I think, but if it helps, when I met him, he didn't seem the type. Not at all."

"You only met him once."

"And you've known him your entire life," Mr. Weasley said.

Hermione looked at the table before her, feeling guilty over doubting her father. Yet, him being a Death Eater stuck with her creating such doubts as she did not know what he was up to that would take him away from her mother and sisters, nor did she want to go leaving them while not knowing what was going on with her father. "But his things?"

"I already said your dad left with only the clothes on his back. Though I guess I'm including his wand in that. So there are clothes in there for him. And toiletries. But there are also things in there to help relieve his stress, things he likes, including the candies he likes."

"Don't forget you included the first book I gave him," Hamlet chimed in.

"Ah. Yes. That's important for him to have. And his music."

"Mom," Hermione continued staring at the bag.

"And his food journal. Since I'm not there, you'll have to do it for him if he forgets to write down what he eats. Because if he forgets to eat, he'll unintentionally make himself sick."

"You're acting like dad's not coming back," Hermione said, her mind still focused on the idea of her parents divorcing.

"He would have been back already if he could have come home," her mother said. "And this—this is all I can do for him. And I tried to think of anything, anything I could that I might want to hold onto, that he might have packed for himself if he could have. Almost everything," she muttered. "Because I'm sure there are things that I missed. But please, take care of him for me because you know how your dad is. And I know you're likely not happy with him."

"I'm not happy with him or you," Hermione said, cringing when her uncle Hamlet looked at her, obviously not happy she'd said what she did. She looked at the table. "I don't want to leave you. And Jules." Her hands balled into fists. "Even Lizzy, even though she doesn't want me here."

"Please, Hermione," her mother asked.

"Kiddo. Please. I know it's a lot to ask, and Sebastian will likely flip when he finds out. I mean, you know how your dad is when it comes to you girls, and—well, just in general."

"Hermione," Mr. Weasley said, smiling. "The sooner I get you where we're going, the sooner I can inquire into your sisters coming as well, or at the very least seeing that something is done to keep them safe."

"Fine," Hermione muttered, feeling he too readily accepted the situation. Reluctantly, she stood up. "I'll need to adjust what's in my trunk and get Crookshanks into his carrier case, but know I'm not happy with this."

"I know. But," her mom smiled. "What I want most is you girls being safe, and I'm going to do what I can to ensure that."