Fixing Yesterday's Mistakes by Lady Starlight

Rating: PG
Genres: Drama, Romance
Relationships: Harry & Hermione
Book: Harry & Hermione, Books 1 - 7
Published: 10/09/2007
Last Updated: 10/09/2007
Status: Paused

Sometimes we are given a new chance to make things right. Post-DH, ignoring epilogue. Written
for the hhr_las LJ comm. Prompt: “The way it should have been.”




1. Starting Anew
----------------

Disclaimer: No money is being collected, no infringement intended upon the creative property of
J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Books, or Warner Brothers. Also, I really don’t think JKR would write
something like this.

A/N: I am indebted to my beta, Anndee Granger, whose criticisms have only helped me improve.

This fic tied for first place with kyc639 in Session 2, Round 1 over at the hhr_las LJ
community.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been only one year since the tragedy of the war. Voldemort had been defeated, but the
cost had been high. One could point out that loss of life was minimal, but as Harry Potter sat on
the floor of the playroom with his godson Teddy, he could not help but ponder on how life can come
full circle. Even though he knew precious little about childrearing, he had insisted on taking
guardianship of Teddy, as he knew that Sirius would have done for him when war had taken his own
parents. Hermione helped him with everything, as she had always done. She researched childrearing,
and helped him shop for everything he needed for his little godson. And if he had a tendency to
spoil the boy, Hermione did not say much, only smiling before looking away to hide a more unhappy
expression. He was glad for the time that he spent with Hermione, for he was alone for the rest of
it. Hermione was the closest thing to a mother that the boy had right now.

Mrs. Weasley tried to help, but more and more, Harry found her overbearing and just wanting to
do things for herself, not trusting that a man could take care of a child. Andromeda Tonks was
always happy to care for her grandson, especially when Harry needed a break, but she respected her
daughter’s decision of a guardian.

Ginny had not been so happy with her conquering hero. She was not ready for the moodiness and
his unwillingness to talk about what he had been through while they were apart. The time spent
alone with Hermione was another sore point between them, as Ginny could not believe that nothing
had happened and kept insisting that he tell her the “truth”.

The little boy pushed over the pile of blocks that Harry had been building, distracting him from
his ruminations, and let out a shriek of glee at the noise and mess.

“What do you think that you are doing, little bear?” Harry asked with mock severity. He snatched
Teddy up and rolled onto his back to hold the boy in the air above him. His godson giggled as
tossed him gently into the air before catching him again, only to do it again.

A soft, almost indiscernible <I>*crack</I>* came from downstairs and Harry was
quickly on his feet with his wand out. He silenced Teddy for expediency’s sake and quietly crept
towards the stair well, keeping the boy behind him.

“Harry! Harry, are you there?” a very familiar voice rang out and Harry sighed with relief
before removing the charm from Teddy and carrying him down to Hermione.

“Hermy!” the boy yelled as he reached for her.

Harry was only too glad to hand him over as he calmed his shaking hands and steadied his racing
heart.

“I’m so sorry, Harry,” said Hermione, reaching to put one hand on his arm. Teddy was held firmly
in the other arm as was attacking her unruly hair, one of his favorite pastimes. “I would have
Flooed ahead, but I just had to see you and wasn’t thinking much beyond that.”

“What’s wrong, Hermione?” Harry questioned. He searched the brown eyes that he knew so well for
some hint, but she was holding her secrets close.

“Not now, Harry. It’s enough that I’m here. Plus, isn’t it almost someone’s naptime?” The last
was cooed to the little boy in her arms as she gently extricated her hair from his grasping
fingers.

Hermione had unconsciously started rocking back and forth as she always did when she was holding
Teddy and Harry just took a moment to watch her, loving the sight before him. She was so good with
his godson, giving Harry the confidence that he so desperately needed.

“Harry, I’m going to go rock him for a little bit. Would you mind making some tea and I’ll be
down shortly?” Not waiting for an answer, Hermione sauntered off, talking to Teddy about the
different kinds of dragons and promising to read him some of his book about Andy the Antipodean
Opaleye.

Harry just stood there as she walked away, transfixed for a moment, before shaking himself out
of it and heading to the kitchen.

A short while later, she came down with a wisp of a smile on her face before sinking into her
favorite chair. She had one just like it at her flat as well and when Hermione wasn’t at Harry’s
house, no one else was allowed to sit in it. She took a sip of the tea and closed her eyes, just
reveling in the quiet moment.

“Thank you, Harry, I needed this. I always feel so much better when I spend time with you and
Teddy.”

“What’s up, Hermione?” questioned Harry as he placed his own cup down.

“I…” Hermione grabbed a scone and started picking at it. “Ron’s started dating.”

“But you guys have been broken up for awhile, I mean… How are you feeling about this?” Harry
cursed his insensitivity, but his heart had jumped at her words.

“I….I don’t know. He’s with Luna and they seem rather perfect for each other…in a decidedly
bizarre fashion. She makes him happy. It’s good to see him happy. It’s been too long, for all of
us.” She put the scone back on the tray, not having eaten a bite, before picking her cup back up
and taking a couple more small sips while Harry waited expectantly.

“And…?” inquired Harry, still waiting for Hermione to elaborate more.

“And what, Harry? That’s all there is to say. Honestly, he’s happy and I’m…I’m fine.” Hermione
did not meet Harry’s eyes and her words had a rote sound to them.

Harry edged himself closer to her, but she pretended not to notice as she stared out the window
at the expansive backyard. “Something’s bugging you, Hermione. You can’t lie to me. Are you happy
for him?”

Setting her cup down, Hermione turned to look at him, before picking her cup back up again as if
she needed something to do with her hands. “I am happy for him. He and I never made each other
happy, things were at best okay and at worst…well, you saw enough of that to know. It’s better this
way. After all, he can’t pick a fight about little things with Luna, she’ll just ignore him.”
Hermione laughed a little, before continuing, “It just makes me feel—alone.”

Harry had listened to her ramblings carefully, and her last words struck something in him. They
had all taken to grasping at whatever happiness they could find these days, trying to make things
better, trying to suppress the nightmares of what had happened, trying just about anything to feel
good. He was not sure what she wanted, but he was desperate to help her, to see her smile; just
having her around made him feel better, and so maybe these feelings were derived from some selfish
desire as well.

“I think you should move in here,” Harry blurted out. “I mean…Teddy would really like more time
with you, you’re practically his mum after all, and I worry about you in that flat all alone. You
could practice magic here too; you wouldn’t have to hide it from your Muggle neighbors. And you
already have your own room here, it wouldn’t take much to add an office to it. Teddy and I would
make sure to be quiet while you’re working…”

Harry trailed off, wanting to drop his head into his hands and groan. He could not meet
Hermione’s eyes as he was too busy berating himself for letting all of that out. At least he hadn’t
told her how much he wanted her around, wanted to spend more time with her and maybe, if he
admitted it to himself—which of course he wouldn’t—that he wanted something more from her than just
her presence.

“Oh, Harry,” Hermione breathed out, and he looked up to see her eyes bright and a huge smile on
her face as she sat down right next to him on the loveseat. “It’s not a bad idea at all. I’m here a
lot anyways, especially when you’re off training. It would be nice to have someone to cook for,
because I know you don’t make much beyond baby food when I’m not around,” she paused to look at him
sternly. “I’ll think about it, Harry, ok?”

Harry could hardly keep from grinning at thought of having her in the same house as him. He did
not know why he was so attached to the idea, but he certainly missed her whenever she had to go
back to her own flat.

Jumping up from the couch, Harry said, “Since I seem to be incapable of feeding myself, how
about I go run out and get some groceries and we can cook dinner tonight while you think about it,
ok?”

“Sure, I’ll stay here with Teddy to see what you come up with,” replied Hermione.

Harry Apparated out without a sound and Hermione sat there on the couch, grinning.

“I don’t think you have any clue what you’re getting into, Harry Potter,” she mused and then
headed up to her room to make plans in case she decided to take him up on his offer.

~~~~~

After a supper of chicken, roast potatoes and a salad—with little bits of chicken, potato and
carrots for Teddy—the three of them were upstairs giving Teddy a bath before bedtime.

“So, Teddy,” Harry began slyly, “do you think that Hermione should come and live with us?”

“Harry!” admonished Hermione.

“Hermy be here?” asked the little boy, looking up to Hermione with big, innocent eyes.

Hermione looked back and forth at Harry and Teddy, a helpless expression on her face. She
sighed, but then grinned at Harry. “Ok, I’ll stay, but I think there’s going to need to be some
changes in the way some things are done around here.”

“Anything, Hermione,” Harry answered, not caring what she demanded, as long as she was around.
He didn’t know what he would do if she had said no. He didn’t know why he suddenly needed her so
much, but decided to figure that out later.

“I’ll stay in my room here tonight, and you can help me move my things over a couple days from
now, Harry. Tomorrow simply won’t work.” Gathering Teddy out of the tub, Hermione stood and started
out of the bathroom door. “Well, aren’t you coming, Harry? We have a lot to get figured out.”

Harry started, realizing that he was still kneeling next to the tub. He came to stand next to
her. “So, you’re staying, for good?”

“I don’t think you’ll be able to get rid of me now, Harry,” she teased, noting how close he
was.

“I don’t want to get rid of you,” whispered Harry, so close that her hair fluttered with his
breath. “I want you here with m—us. I want--. Bloody hell!”

Harry jumped backwards, having just been sprayed by his godson, who was giggling at the
commotion he caused.

Hermione quickly covered him up, but the damage was already done. “I’ll get him ready for bed,
Harry, so you can change. We’ll move my stuff the day after tomorrow, ok?

“Ok, Hermione,” replied Harry, as he headed to his room, while Hermione took Teddy to the
nursery, humming off-key on her way. He tried to push aside thoughts of what could be, content to
just have her around. He didn’t know where all this was coming from or why he needed her so much.
“She’s here,” he muttered to himself, “and that’s all that matters right now.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*To be continued…*



