~A/N>I've been working on this story for a while now, in between my other two stories, and with some
reassurance from my friend Poppywillow, I decided to start posting it. I'm going to put up the two-part prologue
today and then, since I have over half of it written already, I'll probably update every Saturday morning, so the
next update will be next Saturday. This story has been an absolute joy for me to write and I hope you enjoy reading it
just as much. Also, I hope to have the new chapter for "The Light Within" posted tomorrow night, and then
I'll be working on "The Razors Edge". Sorry it's been so long between updates on both stories, my
mind works in strange ways and I end up working on two or three stories at once :) As always, thanks to my brilliant
beta Spaz, who's taken time out of her busy life to work on my stories.
The way you're bathed in light
reminds me of that night
God laid me down into your rose garden of
trust
and I was swept away
with nothin' left to say
some helpless fool
yeah I was lost in a swoon of peace
you're all I need to find
so when the time is right
come to me sweetly, come to me
come to me
love will lead us, alright
love will lead us, she will lead us
can you hear the dolphin's cry?
see the road rise up to meet us
it's in the air we breathe tonight
love will lead us, she will lead us
"The Dolphin's Cry"-Live
She had never thought that something like this could happen to her...
Hermione Granger was an intelligent girl, the top of her class at Beauxbatons, and was well liked among the other students. She had attended the Wizarding School for seven years; she had been born and raised in London, England, but the year before she was to start Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, her Father had announced that they would be moving. She had been devastated at first; she had only found out two months earlier that she was a witch, and she had immediately started reading up on her new school. Now, not only was she going to a new school that she knew nothing about, but a new country too.
Hermione had adjusted rather quickly, finding the school and it's students captivating and inviting. She excelled in all of her classes, she mastered the French language and made friends with the girls in her dorm; in her fourth year she became friends with another Muggleborn named Michel Dubois, a fourth year student like her that shared some of her classes. She had noticed him before, he was quite handsome and outgoing; she couldn't believe it when he had approached her one day at lunch and asked to sit with her. From that day forward their friendship grew, and soon it had grown into something much more than friendship; they found themselves deeply in love with each other and inseparable. As the last three years flew by, their relationship grew even more intense and their bond became stronger.
Their final night in the school had been spent together on the couch in their common room; they had been discussing job prospects, finding their own place to live and where they were going to take their relationship next. They planned to see the world and once they returned, they would get married and start working on the family they both wanted.
At nine o'clock that night one of the sixth years had come rushing into the room and told Hermione that she was needed in Madame Maxime's office immediately. Confused, Hermione told Michel she would be back shortly and made her way to the Headmistress' office. When she walked into the spacious room that Madame Maxime spent her days in she saw her Mother sitting in one of the chairs in front of the desk. "Mum?" she had asked, her confusion starting to give way to the fear that was starting to overtake her. Her fear doubled when her Mother turned to face her and Hermione saw the tears streaking down her face.
"Oh Hermione," her Mum had said, embracing her tightly, "I-It's your Father, he-he's...gone."
Hermione stood there stiffly holding her sobbing Mother as she tried to absorb what she had just been told. "Mum, what do you mean 'he's gone'?"
Her Mum pulled back and wiped her face with a handkerchief before she said, "He had a heart attack at the office today, in the middle of cleaning a patient's teeth, and when the Medics got there he was already d...gone."
After hugging her Mother tightly and crying for what seemed like hours, Hermione was finally able to calm down and think straight again. "I'll go get the rest of my things together so we can leave," she said to her Mum.
"You might as well stay and take the train home tomorrow like you planned," her Mum replied, "I have to go to your Aunt's house from here and she'll probably want me to stay with her tonight. You know how close she and your Father were..."
"Oh, okay," Hermione replied, only mildly disappointed, "I'll need you to pick me up at about one tomorrow afternoon."
After saying their goodbyes Hermione made her way back to the Common Room, thinking about her Father her mind replaying all the memories she had of him; she couldn't imagine how she and her Mum would go on without him.
The moment she walked through the door Michel knew something was wrong. He ushered her over to the couch and held her while she cried some more. She explained to him what had happened and he tightened his hold on her; "I'm here for you Hermione, I hope you know that," he said, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.
She had no idea how it had happened, but the next thing she knew she and Michel were lying on the couch together tearing each other's clothes off. A part of her mind knew it was wrong, that this was happening for the wrong reason, but she ignored that part and forgot the pain; she needed to feel loved and special, she needed to fill the gaping hole in her heart.
It wasn't how she had imagined her first time; instead of slow, tender and romantic it was fast, clumsy and painful. Michel had been so consumed with lust that he forgot the fact she was a virgin and had plunged himself into her; she had swallowed the cry of pain that welled up within her and closed her eyes as he quickly brought himself to climax. Afterwards he collapsed on top of her, murmuring his love and how wonderful she was and failing to notice her tears; that was not how it was supposed to be.
She lay awake in her bed all night long, crying for her Father and feeling hollow; this day was the worst day of her life. She wished she had a time turner so she could go back to yesterday and make sure none of it happened.
The next morning an exhausted Hermione boarded the train with a very jovial Michel; he kept referring to 'the next time being better' and it made her want to vomit. Finally unable to take it anymore she shouted, "Would you stop bringing that bloody nonsense up? It was...don't plan on it happening again anytime soon."
Michel was stunned by her words and not knowing how to properly react he chose the coward's way, he stormed out of their compartment and ignored her for the remainder of the trip. She sat alone in her compartment dreading what it would be like to walk into her house knowing her Father would never be there again. Without a single thought or concern for her relationship with Michel she walked off the train and found her Mum. It was time to go home and prepare to say her final goodbye to her Father...she'd worry about the rest of her life later.
Her Mother had made preparations for her Father to be transported and buried in London; when they arrived at their house Hermione found a moving van and men packing up their belongings.
"Mum, what's going on?" she asked, watching two men carry their sofa out the front door.
"We're moving back to London," her Mum replied, "There is nothing left here for us anymore; you're done with school, I've put your Father's dental office up for sale through a realtor and all of our relatives are in England. We can honor your Father's wishes by burying him in his Family Plot and start a new life for ourselves."
"What? Mum. This is...too much. You always resented him moving us here didn't you? Were you just waiting for him to die just so you could go running back to England?" she shouted knowing her words were hurtful, but she was hurting too. "Maybe I don't want too move back to England and start over? My life is here Mother. Michel and I have plans to travel and start a life of our own," stated Hermione, getting angrier at the idea that her Mum just decided to up-root her life without even bothering to ask her how she felt about it.
"Hermione, you don't know what you're saying." her Mum responded, attempting to pull her into a hug, "We...I need to do this. You are much too young to have notions about love and settling down. You'll see, you need to venture out on your own, live your own life for a while, without being tied down to a boy you think you love."
A vicious argument ensued with her Mum; Hermione finally gave up and stomped up the stairs to her room. Everything was already in boxes but thankfully her telephone was still there; she immediately picked up the receiver and dialled Michel's number. When he answered and she tearfully filled him in on her Mother's plan he was very quiet. Unsettled by the silence Hermione asked, "Do you think I could stay with you, that way we can still go on our trip?"
"I'm not going to be able to go on the trip, my Father expects me to work at the shop this summer. He won't let me go," he replied, "So it's probably better if you just move to England with your Mother." After a long pause, he lamely added, "After today I don't think we have much of a future anyway."
"Because I shouted at you?!" she asked, the volume of her voice rising. "We were talking about moving in together, getting married and starting a family of our own. What's changed so much that you feel we shouldn't be together anymore? I gave you my virginity, is that all you wanted? You said that you loved me..."
"Everything's changed," he replied shortly, "Your Father...your Mother is going to need you now...I'm sorry for doing this over the telephone Hermione; I had planned to come see you tomorrow so that I could tell you in person. It's been fun and I hope you have a good life."
He had hung up the phone immediately, denying her an opportunity to reply. Hermione sat frozen for a second and when his words had sunk in she snatched up the phone angrily and threw it across the room. As she watched it bounce off the wall she thought, 'Good riddance, I don't need you either.'
Two days later Hermione and her Mum had set off for England. Soon they found a lovely little house to live in, both of them quickly found jobs they liked and settled themselves into a quiet, routine life that both were comfortable with. Unfortunately their peaceful lives were disrupted when two months later Hermione discovered she was pregnant with Michel's child.