Summary: AU fic where Hermione has grown up in France and Harry lives with parents who never died. Hermione's parents decide to move back to England where James has agreed Hermione can stay with them after school just as Sirius, James's old prankster buddy from school comes back to town looking for a place to stay.
Category: H/Hr with J/L predominantly as well with bits of R/Lu and D/G later on.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters therein. I do not own the lyrics to any of the songs. I own nothing.
Author's Note: Please excuse any grammatical errors with the French; I don't speak it so I'm going of what the online French dictionary says it is. Also lyrics are by Alana Davis.
Little boy wishes he wasn't small.
He'd give his turtle to be six feet tall
He's got photos of Shaq and Ewing up on his wall
And he'd try a jump shot but he's afraid he'll fall down
Harry Potter stood in front of the mirror, his arms down at his sides and a frown plastered on his face. Why couldn't he just be taller, even a few inches would help. Then perhaps it wouldn't be so easy for the boys at school to pick on him. He'd give anything to be taller.
"Harry come down for supper."
His mother called to him. Harry sighed and walked downstairs. His father was already at the table reading the evening news. James Potter looked up when his son entered, noticing the morose look on his face he questioned him.
"What's the sad look for old boy?"
Harry glanced at his father over his glasses and sighed again.
"Dad, why am I so short? All the other boys in my class are taller than I am. Even some of the girls are taller."
James set down the paper.
"Well then that means they'll all be midg-"
"James!"
Lily yelled at him from the kitchen. James cleared his throat.
"They'll all be really short when they're older son."
Harry sat at the table looking hard at the tablecloth in front of him.
"I wish I were taller."
He mumbled. Lily walked in carrying the platter of roast beef and potatoes, setting them down she leaned over and kissed her son on his forehead, absently tracing the scar he got in a bicycle accident.
"Don't worry Harry, your father was no taller than the edge of this table when he was your age and look at him now. These things just take a little time that's all."
Harry looked up at his mum, his green eyes pleading with her to be right about this one thing. She smiled at him gently and began serving the meal.
Little girl wants to fall in love
Dressed like her mother in white evening gloves
She pretends tells her friends she's got somewhere to go
They don't ask where so they'll never know how she feels
Hermione Granger stood watching her mother getting ready for a night out on the town with her father. She watched intently as she applied the final coat of lipstick, a spritz of perfume and then out they came. The white evening gloves. How Hermione longed to have a pair of her own, not just have a pair of her own but have a place that it wouldn't seem silly to wear them. Sophia Granger looked up from her ministrations to see her daughter's eyes clouding over.
"Chérie, what troubles you so?"
Her mother asked in that special way she reserved for Hermione alone.
"Mum, will I ever grow up to be pretty?"
Her mother looked startled at this.
"Mon Dieu! Mon petit how can you ask such a thing?"
Her mother's French accent thickened as she hurried to her daughter's side.
"Belle, you are exquisite already."
Hermione looked at her in disbelief.
"Mother, how can you say that? Look at me, I'm hideous."
The little girl walked to the mirror and gestured at her wild, bush brown hair and rather large front teeth. Her mother walked up behind her and placed her hands on the girl's shoulders.
"I am looking at you and I see someone beautiful. Look at those eyes, so expressive!"
She picked up one of Hermione's hands.
"Look at this hand, so small and delicate yet strong as well. The hair it can be tamed mi belle, the teeth will fix themselves eventually. You simply need to grow into them a bit more."
Sophia turned Hermione to face her.
"You are beautiful my darling. So much more than looks do you possess. Your brains, your many talents, your ability to love people so easily. Your heart is so big it isn't to be believed. Someday you will see what I am saying is true and you will come to know as I do."
With that she dropped a kiss on her daughter's head and left the room. Following, Hermione saw her father standing by the front door waiting for her mother. He too dropped a kiss upon her head and with a small smile in her direction walked out the front door. Hermione stood a moment listening as her parents got in the car and drove away. Once she could no longer hear the car she wandered into the living room and quickly back out again. The last thing she wanted was to spend the evening with Judy, her "bonne f d'enfants" as she insisted upon being called. A nanny was a nanny was a nanny even if they did live in France. Hermione walked back up stairs to her parent's room and sat down at her mother's vanity dreaming of being older and more glamorous.
With a shorter past there's a greater hurry
Let the moment last, there's no need to worry
We should be living for today or tomorrow anyway
And don't ask for the world on a plate 'cause you just might get it
Don't ever say it's too late, you know you'll regret it because
Just when you think you're sure, your life can change right before your eyes
The Grangers were sitting at their usual table in La Fermette Marbeuf when Gerald looked at his wife questioningly.
"Hermione looked awfully serious as we were leaving. Any idea why?"
Sophia looked up from her Coq au Vin to regard her husband.
"She thinks she is not beautiful."
Gerald looked aghast.
"Did you tell her that you looked just like her when you were her age?"
Sophia laughed as she shook her head slightly.
"She would not have believed me. I am not the one to tell her such things I suppose."
Gerald toyed with his Shrimp Quenelles before speaking again.
"Do you think she needs to hear it from me more often then?"
Sophia hastened to ease his insecurities.
"No mon cher, not even her father can make this better. Non, I think it is another man who will be the one to do this."
Sophia laughed at her husband's look of surprise.
"She's only ten years old!"
It took a moment for the woman to compose herself after her husband's outburst.
"I understand the concern mes amour, but there will come a time when her heart will belong to a man who is not her papa. And it is he, who shall help her to see what it is you and I know to be true."
Gerald nodded his head grudgingly. He was silent for a moment and then spoke again.
"Do you remember when I told you Dr. Goudeau was selling his practice in England?"
At her nod he continued.
"Well he's offered to sell it to me for a good price Sophia and I was hoping that you would be my partner there as well."
Sophia was startled.
"You wish to move to England?"
He nodded.
"But what about your practice here?"
Gerald rushed to explain.
"Dr. Trahan has agreed to take it over if we decided to go."
"But where would we live?"
"Goudeau is also selling his house and he told me he couldn't see selling it to anyone but me."
"And you wish me to join you in your practice?"
Brown eyes pleaded at her.
"You always said that once Hermione was in school you would start practicing again. Well Hermione is in school and she's quite responsible as it is. She could be left to herself for a few hours afterward."
Sophia shook her head vehemently.
"Non! If we are to move to another country I do not want Hermione left alone. It will be hard enough for her as it is."
Gerald smiled at her.
"I knew you would say that. Which is why I talked to a friend of mine in England. He and his wife live only a few minutes away from Dr. Goudeau's home and his wife said she would be willing to look after Hermione after school. They have a boy about Hermione's age and the two of them would be going to school together anyway."
Sophia smirked at the man across from her.
"You have not given me many reasons to say no."
Gerald laughed softly.
"So we go?"
Sophia inclined her head a bit.
"We go."
A mother's thinking of her little boy
Left home at sixteen back in '84
He's got a dog named Lucy says she's all that he needs
Lucy knows better she hears all his dreams
Sirius Black wandered down the lonely street, his loyal black Labrador retriever gamboling by his side. Reaching a tavern Sirius looked down at his dog and wondered aloud,
"Well Lucy, do you think they allow dogs inside?"
As thought knowing the answer Lucy sat down by the door without so much as a pause.
"All right then, I'll be back out in a little while."
As soon as he was inside Lucy lay down and put her head upon her paws preparing herself for another night alone. Soon, however, the door opened again and Sirius motioned for her to come inside. Getting up with slightly arthritic joints protesting mightily she trotted into him. Sirius looked down at her and smiled.
"Seems we have a dog lover here Lucy."
He motioned to the robust woman behind the counter. At his movement the woman looked up and grabbed a bowl from the counter. She came over and placed the bowl in front of Lucy. Beef stew, one of her favorites. Sirius looked at the woman in front of him.
"Thanks, we've been traveling all day and haven't had a chance to stop and eat since early this morning."
The woman looked at him and smiled.
"Well don't worry about it none. I love dogs, have three myself. The name's Rosmerta by the way."
She extended her hand.
"Sirius."
He replied taking it firmly. He was relieved when she refrained from making any of the usual jokes about his name.
"Well sit down Sirius and we'll get you something to eat."
He obeyed her and after ordering a meal of fish and chips with a bottle of beer he was left alone with his loyal
companion once more. As he sat there he wondered if it was fair after all this time to go and look James up. After all
he did have a family and Sirius couldn't help but wonder if he would just be intruding on all of that. The arrival
of his food interrupted his thought and as he ate he put the worry out of his mind.
When you search yourself, when you get down to it
If you know yourself, you know you'll get through it
So start living for today or tomorrow anyway
And don't ask for the world on a plate 'cause you just might get it
Don't ever it's too late you know you'll regret it because
Just when you're sure your life can change right before your eyes
James sat in his favorite chair listening to some jazz playing on the radio as he finished reading the evening paper. He'd just gotten a call from Gerald Granger to let him know that he and his family would be moving out here. James was happy to hear it. He missed his old college friend and couldn't wait to get to know the rest of the Grangers and show off his own family as well. He smiled to himself as he thought of the holidays their families could go on and the memories they'd make. As he was planning a short trip to Athens for them all over next summer the phone rang. He heard Lily answer it in the next room.
"James, it's for you."
She said as she carried in the cordless from the kitchen. He took it, kissing her hand softly as he did so.
"Hello?"
He answered.
"James? James, it's um… it's Sirius. How are you old man?"
James sat a moment stunned.
"Sirius?"
He asked when he found his voice again.
"Yes, I'm, I'm in town and I hate to ask it James, but I could really use a place to stay for awhile. I mean if I had anyone else to ask I would but-"
James quickly cut him off.
"Of course you can stay here."
He heard Sirius swallow on the other end.
"Are you sure it'll be all right with your wife?"
The hesitance was nothing like James remembered of Sirius. James reassured his friend that everything would be fine and they scheduled a time for Sirius to come over the next day. They talked for a while longer, each man loath to let the other off the phone for fear that despite their plans they might not speak again. After hanging up James went into to the kitchen where Lily was finishing up the dishes. She looked up when he came in.
"Sweetheart, that was Sirius."
She pulled off the rubber gloves and came over to him, her face creased with worry.
"Sirius? Is he all right?"
James pulled her into a hug and nodded.
"He sounded all right but he said he needed a place to stay."
"Well I hope you told him come here."
James smiled; he knew Lily would understand she always had when it came to Sirius. Remus too for that matter. Another thought occurred to him.
"Remus'll want to know too."
Lily snorted.
"He'll want to know? Is that all you think will happen James Potter? Remus Lupin will probably be on the next flight out here when he finds out and then it will be the three off you as though nothing has changed since you all got out of school."
"Nothing, except for Peter's not being here."
James's voice was sad as he thought of his dead friend. Back when they were in school Peter had fallen in with a bad crowd and during a police raid gone bad Peter had been killed and it seemed as though it was his death that set the tone for what their lives were going to be.
"I wish he could be here too James, but you have your other friends and your family and Gerald and his wife and daughter will be moving here soon."
James looked down at his wife and smiled.
"I love you."
Lily leaned up and kissed him.
"I love you too."
With a shorter past there's a greater hurry
Don't grow up too fast there's no need to worry
Start living for today or tomorrow anyway...
Just when you're sure your life can change right before your eyes
Right before your eyes
Hermione had waited up for her parents as she did every time they went out. As soon as she heard the car pull into the drive she was downstairs and outside in a flash. She met her mother at the door.
"So where did you two go? Was it lovely? Was the food good? Did you see a play or go to the movies?"
As usual she was full of a thousand questions and her mother answered each of them with a grin. Afterward, when they were all settled in the library, Gerald sat Hermione between him and Sophia.
"Your mother and I have some news for you Hermione."
She watched them carefully. The news didn't seem bad as they weren't behaving too strangely, but something was off.
"What is it?"
Hermione asked hoping to get this awkwardness to go away.
"Your mother and I have decided that we're moving to England."
Hermione stiffened a bit.
"Well that's nice Dad, but what about me? I mean will I go and stay with Grand Mere?"
Gerald burst out laughing and Sophia shot him a dirty look.
"No darling, you will come with us." Sophia waited for her daughter to say something. When she didn't Sophia began to worry.
"Hermione, are you all right?"
"Do I absolutely have to move?"
Came the quiet reply. Gerald answered that.
"It's a great opportunity for your mother and I. Plus we're going to be living in a beautiful house with large backyard and I have a friend that lives nearby and you'll stay with his wife and son after school. It'll be a great experience for us all. Also, to be honest, I'd like you to get to know your old dad's country as well."
Hermione paused a moment and then answered.
"If it's something you and Mum really want then all I have to say is, `when do we leave?'"
TBC….