The Deal
Prologue
Hermione's head ached. She paint stained her finger tips and added random splotches of color to her hair long curly hair. She enjoyed her job restoring damaged or fading art work but some days like today left her feeling tired and drained. She'd barely gotten the kettle on for some relaxing herbal tea when her step-sister showed up looking a dreadful site, which was saying something considering Fleur lived for appearances. She now sat sobbing at Hermione's kitchen table as Hermione listened patiently to her latest predicament.
Fleur sniffled looking up at her step-sister through thick eyelashes to make sure she was still listening intently to every carefully chosen word. Their life-styles clashed severely as Fleur preferred the fast life among the rich and famous and Hermione chose small town life either tucked away in the library or at work fixing up dull paintings of dead guys. Fleur didn't see what enchanted her step-sister so about working for a living. `Why work when you had a handsome wizard paying for your every need as long as you kept his bed warm?' Fleur thought. It wasn't as though Hermione wasn't pretty enough. If she just did something with her hair and tried a bit of make-up she could possibly pass as one of the pretty people that plastered the covers of magazine and newspaper. `Alas the poor girl would probably be taken advantage of.' Fleur thought much as she was now.
Fleur hadn't tried particularly hard to connect with the younger woman but she knew enough about her to realize that her generous heart was more a weakness than a strong point. Just because her mother fell in love with Hermione's father didn't mean she'd fall into the one big happy family the two widowers had foreseen. She made contact with her step-sister only when necessary and now was definitely one of those times because she certainly didn't want to involve her mother in the whole ordeal. She thought she'd for sure trapped her boyfriend into marriage when she'd gotten herself pregnant but sometimes that man was too damn smart for his own good. She'd found herself single, broke, and pregnant not being able to afford keeping up the appearance of still carrying on the fancy life style he'd paid for her.
"Oh Merlin, you poor dear. I can't believe . . ." Hermione paused her fist clenching. "Actually I can but it seems so cruel that men could be so heartless. He must be absolutely horrible to leave you with no means to support your child and his obvious lack of concern for his own flesh and blood just makes my blood boil. I'd kill him if only you'd tell me who he is."
"No `ermione, zat's `ardly necessary. I jus' need to you to take care of `er as if she were your own." Fleur replied schooling her features into a well practice affectionate smile. "And thank you for the money. I know you were hoping to buy that studio apartment so you could paint more at home. I'll pay you back everything as soon as I find a stable job."
"Oh nonsense, don't worry about the money Fleur, just take care of yourself. And I promise I will give Lily everything I can and protect her with my life as long as I live." Hermione vowed solemnly.
Fleur stood with Hermione from the table and moved to the door. Turning to give Hermione a dramatic hug for effect Fleur left, leaving a sleeping girl in Hermione's arms. Hermione watched sadly shaking her head as Fleur disappeared into the rain. Clutching the little girl tight to her chest, Hermione smiled down at the pale peaceful face. Closing the door with her foot, she settled down at her kitchen, writing desk and switched on her laptop. She pulled up all the sites she'd heard her friends and co-workers talking excitedly about whenever they were expecting or knew someone who was. Scanning the long lists of childcare items Hermione sighed and began clicking away determined to give this child the best life she could afford. She kissed the baby's long white blonde hair and received a soft cooing from the waking child. Hermione smiled again seeing herself reflected in the child's now open deep emerald green eyes.
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