Chapter 39
With the morning, came the bustle of arranging everything to leave the Potter mansion. Hermione helped Mrs. R. Weasley, though she managed well on her own, to magically set the boys' possessions in their travelling chests. Before midday, everyone was set in the hallway to take a Portkey back to London.
The affair was a loud goodbye, and trying to get the younger Weasley boys to behave long enough for the Portkey to take hold. Before they disappeared, though, Hermione had been surprised by an honest hug from Miss Ginevra. The witch had always been straightforward with her, but this show of abundant familiarity took Hermione off guard.
When finally the house was empty once more. Mr. Potter decided to have lunch with his daughter, before lessons were to resume. Although he invited her also, she claimed preparation work as an excuse to leave for the classroom. Lily was to join her after having finished with her father.
Hermione hadn't really come to any decision about the problem stemming from the Magic of Firelight. And with Lily joining her in less than an hour, she couldn't permit her thoughts to linger on that subject. So preparing everything to revise all Lily had been taught since Hermione had arrived, she was expecting a hard afternoon.
It would be expected that Lily would have experienced a regression of sorts. In what degree remained to be seen, but Hermione sincerely hoped she wouldn't have to resort to locking the door again.
After rewriting the alphabet on the large chalk board she had to her disposition, she went back to the table. Displaying the cards they'd practised on before, she slyly placed a few cards without pictures but very simple words between them also. It most likely was too soon. After all, she had been teaching Lily just a week and now there had been two days of suspension in the lessons.
Before she could change her mind and take the cards away, Lily made her presence known.
Pleased, Hermione could see her father hadn't joined her. This meant Lily had come up here by herself. An encouraging fact indeed.
"Miss Granger," Lily said politely as greeting.
It was all Hermione could do not to show surprise at her civil tone. But not one to squander away chances of progress in the child's behaviour, Hermione signalled for her to enter further in the room, taking her place in her usual seat at the table.
"Are you ready, Miss Potter, for your lessons to resume?" after a curt nod from the girl in front of her, Hermione proceeded, "We will start with a revision of what we've learned already, if that is agreeable to you."
It wasn't really a question, since Lily had no choice, but Hermione wanted to test her response to such an opening. Any acerbic remarks remained unspoken though. Which in itself was an event to be glad of.
The alphabet was first. Hermione couldn't be sure yet that Lily was really reading from the chalkboard, or if she was good at remembering the recitation of the alphabet from the previous lessons. But with no little amount of pride, Hermione was to note that Lily faltered only twice during her abc, and corrected herself during those instances.
Next came the cards. Lily picked them one by one, reciting the word underneath. When she made a mistake, it was clear to Hermione that she still relied a lot on the pictures, and not yet on the words.
Therefore, she stealthily called back the cards without pictures magically.
For one card, it had been too late. Lily picked it up:
"This one hasn't got a picture on it…" She remarked.
"Indeed not, Miss Potter," Hermione replied calmly.
With her little nose turned up, Lily answered snottily: "Without pictures I cannot know what it says!"
"Really, now?" Hermione responded in her calm way, every bit the governess.
Lily frowned: "Of course not!" Her voice full of certainty.
She glanced back at the card. Confused and angrily she said: "How am I supposed to guess what this means… It's… it's…"
Wonder laced through her voice, and with incredulity Lily said: "It says 'hat'?"
The expression on Lily's face was priceless, and Hermione felt privileged that she had been witness of that look. Pride filled her when she saw her daughter realise for the first time what a mind was possible of achieving. A small occurrence, but with the promise of so much more…
Hermione had to check herself when she saw Lily looking up at her, as if expecting assurance from her that everything was all right. It was as if the girl needed an anchor, it was as if she had been shaken quite thoroughly.
Hermione sensing it was very important to give her insurance that she was doing very well, acted without hesitation.
"You may be very proud of yourself today, Miss Potter. In fact I think you're ready for this…" With that, she took out her wand and summoned a little chalkboard from the chest that sat in a corner of the room.
Placing it in front of Lily, she explained in a clear voice:
"As you've been such an exceptional quick student, the choice is yours: which word do you want to be the first you learn to write?"
Hermione made sure to lace enough pride in her voice, so Lily would be sure to accept this as a compliment to her achievements. Normally she didn't let her students choose. Since the parents were usually expecting the surname the be the first word to be exercised. Family pride and all.
Somehow, Hermione believed 'Potter' was to be Lily's choice anyway, but this way, Lily would have a sense of power in her own learning. And that was suddenly very important to Hermione.
With that playing in her mind, Hermione wasn't prepared for what happened next. Lily had been contemplative and silent for a while. Finally looking up, locking her green gaze with Hermione's. She said with only a little bit of hesitance:
"I want to… If I can choose what word I learn to write first. I want… mother…"
Lily's innocent desire was heart wrenching for her governess. The girl couldn't know what her request did to her. It was a while before Hermione sorted through her feelings, finding the correct interpretation of Lily's request. She couldn't be sure that she had recovered well enough in order not to scare the girl with her peculiar behaviour.
Taking a deep breath, Hermione responded as calmly as possible: "Well 'mother' it is. So, do you think you can show the first letter of that word in the alphabet?"
The lesson progressed in spelling the word down in the letters needed. While one letter at a time, Hermione showed Lily how to go about it to draw them on the chalkboard. By the end of the lesson, Lily was trying to string all the letters to form the one word. Hermione had to remind Lily that the lesson was almost over.
The governess saw a hint of disappointment in her pupil, and pride filled her heart. This newfound thirst for achievement was refreshing, and hope grew within her that Lily would hold onto that thirst. Even if her current governess had to leave her in a short while…
They unwound in front of the hearth, in the otherwise dark room, as was their habit. Lily broke the silence with a question:
"Miss Granger?" At the encouraging nod from her governess, Lily continued: "You don't approve of my choice, do you? It's not a good word to learn first, is it?"
Hermione wanted to cry. She needed to cry… But not now. Later… Right now, she had to reassure her daughter.
"No, Miss Lily, I think it's an excellent word," after a short hesitation, Hermione continued, "I just wished it had been my first word too… You see, my mother died when I was born. So I was alone with my father too when I was little…"
Lily nodded like she understood everything. A look that strangely suited the seven year old.
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