Story Title: Time, Interrupted
Chapter Title: Consolation
Author: Madm_05
Rating: Strong PG-13/T
Chapter Word Count: 5,064
Date: 12 July 2006
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and everyone else from Potterverse belong to JKR.
Chapter Two: Consolation
Hermione sat huddled in a broom closet, weeping bitterly. She rocked back and forth, holding Harmony close as she cried. How could everything have gone from being so wonderful and under control to being so horribly wrong so quickly? It seemed as though every time she took a step forward, something knocked her back three more. Horace pushed his cold wet nose against her leg as she sobbed while Harmony fussed in her arms, drawing her attention away from her dark thoughts.
"A single grain of sand can tip the scale, right Horace?" She choked, looking at the puppy beside her with tears in her eyes. "I saved your life, and changed the course of history as I know it. Now everything I know is useless," she sobbed. "How, Horace? How am I supposed to fix everything, when all I do is make mistakes? I'm supposed to keep Harry from going mad and becoming a Dark Lord, but I haven't done anything to help him, have I? I've probably made everything worse!"
Hermione sniffled as she continued to rock back and forth. Everything had been… okay that morning. It hadn't been pleasant by any stretch of the word, but it hadn't been horrible either. After departing the Weasleys and much discussion, she and her diminished family had been sent to stay with Ms. Pearson, a kindly old witch who, upon learning Hermione was a muggleborn, explained all about magic to her.
It had been a long, sleepless night for her. Her parents, she had decided, were simply destined to die. At least in this world she had Harmony and Horace. Rather than wallow in her grief, she decided to stray from her normal path of logical pessimism, and look at the six days before their deaths as a mini vacation of sorts where she got to visit with them again. She considered that if she had somehow gone to the time right after they had died in the first reality, she wouldn't even have had those six days. She felt it was the only way to stay sane and complete her mission.
After waking up after her one hour nap-- a brief respite haunted by the Dark Harry-- and the two sisters had dressed in Ministry - provided clothes, Harmony had said "My-My, wuh-ooo", which sounded remarkably like 'love you' in baby talk. Hermione had been so happy the baby toys Harmony had been playing with began to dance around.
The day had gone progressively down hill from there. During breakfast, Harmony fell, scaring Hermione and causing the time traveler to cause a nearby window to shatter. Ms. Pearson wouldn't come very close to her after that.
Then there was the Weasley hearing-- it didn't take very long; the Weasleys were found not guilty of harboring a criminal. Next came Peter Pettigrew's trial. He and Sirius Black had been questioned under Veritaserum and the scandalous truth had come out. Remus Lupin had even been summoned to testify, as he had been a friend to both parties, and Tonks was there because she had been there when he had changed back into human.
To add insult to injury, Hermione had been called to the center floor of the Wizengamot Hearing to testify-- only they didn't care about Wormtail and Padfoot anymore. They wanted to hear all about her wandless magic.
Hermione banged her head against the wall of the closet. How could she have been so foolish? She had known that something was off-- she had known her magic had been acting up constantly, for the slightest things-- and yet she had agreed to attempt a demonstration. It had been a good idea at the start-- she would pretend to try, fail miserably, and her wandless magic would be written off as a one time incident and be considered nothing more than a fluke. Then she would able to practice in private and eventually she could master the skill. That was until Delores Umbridge started causing problems.
"You see?" Umbridge had said in a superior tone. "Muggleborns just aren't very talented in magic. They shouldn't even be permitted to attend schooling, they're so far behind. All they do is hold back the Purebloods."
Hermione had felt her anger rising. Every glass of water in the room shattered and the copy of the Daily Prophet she had been pretending to summon flew into her waiting hands. It wasn't until she had calmed slightly that she realized she had effectively condemned herself. She had proven she could do wandless magic at will and made herself into a spectacle. Another argument ensued-- everyone wanted to be the custodial guardian of the only known wandless witch in the world, even if she was a muggleborn-- especially Lucius Malfoy.
Horrified at the turn of events, Hermione had fled as stealthily and quickly as possible with Harmony and Horace. It hadn't been difficult to slip from the room-- everyone else was so wrapped up in what they would gain by being her guardian, no one saw her slip through a nearby door, Horace and Harmony alongside her. It had been quite easy.
And so she sat in a broom closet, sobbing hysterically. She had never felt so out of control in her life, not even when she had used a time turner in her third year. There was nothing she could do-- no one would listen to a six year old child. She could only hope that Sirius would be allowed to have a role in Harry's life. Perhaps Sirius could keep Harry from the road to darkness since she was so likely to fail. Hopefully some good would come from her rash actions.
A shaft of light fell over her as the door opened. Looking up, Hermione saw Remus Lupin standing in the broom closet doorway. "Hello," he said in his gentle voice. "I thought you might like some company."
Hermione sobbed harder, looking at him through her tears. "It's all wrong! They weren't supposed to die! They weren't supposed to leave me!" She cried louder, her distress causing Harmony to cry out with her sister.
Remus sat down and pulled the two sisters into his lap. "Yes, it's unfair, isn't it? It is a sad day when those we love leave us," Remus soothed, stroking her hair with his right hand and cradling Harmony with his left. "You must remember that they loved you very much, and that they are very proud of you. You have done many good things, little Hermione. You've saved and innocent man from prison and you've brought a traitor to justice. That is something to be proud of, though that probably means very little to you just now."
Hermione sniffled and changed the topic. She didn't want to talk about her parents or Uncle Jack. It hurt too much. "How did you find me?"
Remus smiled. "I was standing near my friend Padfoot-- that's Sirius Black-- after I was called on to testify. We saw you leave, but since he's technically still on trial, I followed you. We wanted to thank you for all that you have done for us. I know that it is very painful for you right now, but it may help you to know that some good has come from all of this. This may sound silly, but is there anything we can do to help you?" Remus asked. His concern and honesty were so genuine Hermione nearly began to cry again.
"Can you keep me away from Mr. Malfoy? He kept looking at me like I'm going to be dinner," she joked weakly. She shuddered and reached out to touch Harmony, who was now fast asleep and drooling all over Remus. "I'm afraid of him," she admitted quietly. "I don't like the way he looks at me, and I don't think he wants to be my guardian out of the goodness of his heart. I'm worried about what he would do to Harmony and Horace-- they're all I have left," she started crying again as the lights overhead flickered.
She cringed. "And then there's that. It's never done that before." She looked up at Remus, glad to see a familiar face, even if he didn't really know her. "I've always known I could do magic, because things would happen-- I'd summon a book or something, but it was never… And now I have no control over it. It happens whether I want it to or not."
Hermione began to cry again. The tears she didn't cry the night before began to trickle down her cheeks. "So I can't control my magic, I'm worried about my sister and my dog, and I don't know what to do." Sobs wracked her body as Remus held her and made soothing sounds, simply letting her cry.
In the back of her mind, Hermione realized that Remus must feel awkward-- he was holding two children in his arms that were of no relation to him as the eldest soaked his shirt with her tears and told him all of her fears and troubles and the youngest drooled all over him. It didn't help that her thoughts were so scattered that she couldn't think properly and was babbling away about all of her troubles. Hermione couldn't bring herself to pull away and apologize for being so childish-- it had been so long since anyone had been able to comfort her, that she relished the feeling.
When at last she was out of tears, Remus spoke again. "We had better get back. Sirius has been cleared, so we'll try to help you out, but you're going to have to go back and face them. Do you think you can?"
Hermione nodded and wriggled out of his lap. Standing, she reached out for Harmony but Remus stopped her. "You have enough on your shoulders to deal with just now. I'll carry your sister for a while-- her name is Harmony, right?"
"Yes," Hermione replied, keeping pace beside him as he walked. "Harmony Belle Granger. I got stuck with Hermione Jane," she made a face. "No one can say Hermione right, and Jane is boring."
Remus chuckled. "There is nothing wrong with either name-- you should try being named Remus-- now that is a pesky name. I've had so many people ask me if I have a twin named Romulus, I'm ready to snap at the next person who asks."
Hermione giggled. "Don't worry, I won't ask you if you have a twin. It would be too easy to poke fun at my name. Why don't we call a truce?" I need to keep him talking to me, Hermione thought as an idea blossomed in her mind. I need to be safe, and what safer place than with Remus Lupin? There is the werewolf thing, but I should be able to get around that. First I have to convince him that he would be a good guardian.
Remus chuckled. "Deal," he agreed. "Ow!" He suddenly yelped. Hermione looked up to see Harmony, awake again, pulling Remus' hair. Harmony giggled and released his hair. He chuckled again and bounced her in his arms. "Aren't you a cute thing."
"You know what? You'd make a good dad," Hermione said, careful to keep her eyes ahead of her, even when Remus made a choked noise. "I feel a lot better now. Some people have been nice to me, but they haven't been very comforting. The people trying to figure out what to do with me don't really care that my family just died last night." She said quietly, not needing to pretend to be in pain. She looked up as Harmony pulled on his hair again. "That means she likes you."
"What does she do when she doesn't like you?" He half joked, wincing as she tugged his hair again.
"She throws things. I highly recommend you stay on her good side-- she has very good aim." Hermione replied with a grin as they approached the door to the Hearing. She stood before the door, reluctant to enter. What fate awaited her? She looked up to see Remus looking at her strangely. "What's the matter?"
"You don't act very much like a six year old," he said, watching her carefully.
Hermione remained calm-- she had planned for this. "I'm almost seven," she defended herself. "And I'm very mature for my age. My mum thinks--" she swallowed thickly, "thought I might be a genius or a prodigy. I've been reading since I was two years old, and I remember everything I have ever read." She said firmly.
It wasn't entirely a lie-- her parents were convinced she was more intelligent than normal, but they had never mentioned her being a prodigy, and Remus didn't need to know that she was very nearly three when she learned to read. Her ability to remember everything she read was very real, however. To her younger self, it was something else that made her an oddity, so she read constantly to hide her ability. Reading soon became a difficult habit to break, especially after books became her best friends.
Normally she wouldn't tell anyone her secret, but she desperately needed Remus to see that she couldn't fall into the hands of a less than noble person. Throwing in words like prodigy and genius, while not entirely accurate, made her more important, thus ensuring that Dumbledore would fight to keep her safe. Besides, she reasoned, considering she had attended Hogwarts for six years, she was sure she could make everyone believe she was a genius. She could study more advanced subjects when no one was there to question her to keep up appearances.
Remus looked deep in thought when he pushed the door open. Good. Hopefully he would go to Dumbledore and impress upon him the importance of keeping her away from Malfoy. Taking her by the hand, he led her into the chaotic room. Everyone was scrambling around, looking for--
"There she is!" Ms. Pearson shouted, pointing at her. The members of the Wizengamot looked at her with a sigh of relief. They were treating her like she was nothing more than an experiment they had yet to observe! Feeling her anger building, she calmed herself by listing ingredients frequently used in various calming potions.
Remus released her hand and knelt down before untangling Harmony's hand from his hair. "Here you are, little Hermione. I'll see what I can do for you and your sister," he whispered in her ear. Dodging questions and wizards, Remus walked as quickly as he could towards Professor Dumbledore and Sirius before Hermione lost sight of him.
"Perhaps your parents never taught you to wander off," came a smooth voice from her left. "It is a lesson you will have to learn, eventually. Perhaps I would be so lucky as to be the one to teach you." Hermione turned and looked up into the cold eyes of Lucius Malfoy. Reflexively, she took a step back. He grinned at her obvious reaction.
"Oh Hermione!" Ms. Pearson said, bustling up to her as Lucius Malfoy melted back into the crowd. "You gave me quite a scare there, my dear. You weren't gone long were you? Here, let me hold your sister and you can put your dog back on his leash."
"Her name is Harmony, and his name is Horace," Hermione replied half - heartedly, tying Horace up and sitting in her seat. It annoyed her that no one seemed to remember their names, almost as if they weren't important. They're important to me, she thought vehemently. She felt a tugging and looked to her right-- Harmony was chewing on her hair. "Just don't choke on it," Hermione said tiredly, making a face. Harmony gurgled happily and continued chewing.
With a sigh she looked around from her seat next to Ms. Pearson, and saw that Remus, Sirius, and Professor Dumbledore were huddled together. They seemed to be arguing. Her stomach tied in knots. That was not a good sign.
The Minister stood before the Wizengamot, holding a bit of parchment. "Very well, now that our little wandless - wonder has returned," Fudge began jovially, "we can proceed with naming a guardian. It is our decision that Hermione Granger should be in the custodial care of Lucius--"
The paper he was reading from burst into flames. The Wizengamot swiveled around in their seats and stared at her. Hermione looked innocently back. "Can I help you?"
Fudge cleared his throat. "Well, I guess we'll just have to get another copy of the paperwork, and then--"
"Actually Cornelius, I would like to ask that we all take recent developments into consideration." Professor Dumbledore interrupted.
Fudge frowned. "What would these 'recent developments' be?"
"Well, as your memory is clearly not as good as it used to be, I will remind you that the young Miss Granger and her family slipped out of this Hearing with no one knowing." He said cheerfully as the Minister flushed. "The only one to notice was the gentleman who escorted her back-- Remus Lupin. It seems we have all been a bit callous and have not been very kind to the young Miss Granger-- she informed us herself that her parents died only last night, and that she found them." Many began to shift uncomfortably in their seats while others lowered their heads in shame. Others didn't seem to care at all. No one, however, looked at Hermione.
"In fact, it seems the reason for Miss Granger's escape was to take the opportunity, an opportunity that we denied her, to mourn. I propose that we give custody of Miss Granger to Remus Lupin, as he is the only one in the whole of the Wizengamot and this Hearing's spectators, that bothered to follow her when she left and took the time to comfort a child who has suffered a terrible loss."
Her heart leapt as the headmaster spoke, and prayed silently that Remus would win. She peeked over at the werewolf. He looked terrified. Murmurs spread through out the room until the Wizengamot was divided into two groups-- Lucius Malfoy had a slight majority over Remus.
"I can provide a more stable home for the girl," Lucius argued. "The Malfoy family is renowned for their wealth and prestige. She will want for nothing. Look at his clothes-- I dare say he would have her dressed in the best rags he could afford," he sneered. "The Malfoy Manor is more than large enough for her to have her own room and solitude should she wish it."
"And you, Mr. Lupin?" Fudge asked in a tone that made it clear the choice was already made.
Remus cleared his throat nervously. "Well, I am a resident of Number 12 Grimmauld Place, and I--"
"Grimmauld Place? That is part of the Black estate!" One wizard called out.
"Yes," Remus flushed. "Yes it is. As I was saying, I--"
"You are not a member of the Black family." A witch interrupted.
"No he's not, but I am," Sirius boomed, standing. Still clad in chains, he was a frightening sight to behold. "Grimmauld Place is my property, and Remus is a guest in my house. Remus is a brother to me in all but blood, and it would be a pleasure to share the Black family fortune with him and any he would like to call family," Sirius said, nodding to Hermione.
"Yes, so you see, I have a large residence where Hermione and her family would not feel trapped in the least. The Black Fortune is more than enough for us. The only other thing I have to offer her is the knowledge that I will comfort and care for her and her sister as if they were my own daughters."
"At least I am not a werewolf and won't kill the girl during the next full moon," Malfoy snarled. The room fell silent before whispers broke out. Apparently they had forgotten that detail from the earlier trial. Hermione cringed. She had been hoping they wouldn't remember.
Remus stiffened. "I have considered that issue. My friend Sirius has agreed to hire a Potions Master to brew the Wolfsbane Potion. As a further precaution, there is a cellar below the Black Manor, where I can be contained should I not get the potion in time or it was brewed incorrectly. The children will be safe."
Lucius scoffed. "I offer the safety, and can offer the prestige of the Malfoy name. Clearly I am the better choice."
"What's her name?" Remus asked suddenly.
"What?" Lucius asked, eyes narrowing.
"The young lady we are fighting for custody of. Tell me her name." Remus reiterated.
Lucius began to sputter. "What are you driving at?" Remus waited quietly. "Hermininy." Malfoy replied shortly.
"What is her sister's name?" Remus asked another question. Hermione smirked as she watched Malfoy begin to sweat. "We'll try an easier question. What's her dog's name? You don't know?" Remus turned to the Wizengamot. "The young lady's name is not 'Hermininy', it's Hermione. Her sister's name is Harmony and her dog's name is Horace." Hermione smiled as she saw many approving nods. "I cannot offer her a prestigious name, but I can assure you I will at least remember hers."
Hermione watched the debate continue on, each side trying to prove the other would not care for her properly. Harmony had long since given up chewing on her hair, leaving a glob of drool for good measure, and was now fussing in Ms. Pearson's arms. "She's hungry," Hermione whispered. Ms. Pearson nodded and began the hunt for baby food.
A few moments later, a handful of green baby food sailed through the air and hit Lucius Malfoy in his ear. "Gah! Gah!" Harmony babbled and tossed another handful of baby food.
Hermione stood up, fighting a smile. "That means she doesn't like you."
"You should try to stay on Harmony's good side because she has good aim," Remus added and walked over to where the girls sat with a smile. "If she likes you, she pulls your hair." Harmony promptly began to giggle and tug Remus' hair, covering part of it with whatever she had been throwing at Malfoy.
With a hiss of anger, Lucius Malfoy raised his cane to strike either Remus or Harmony, Hermione wasn't sure. Understanding the elder Malfoy's intention, Remus moved his body in front of the sisters to protect them. Panicked, Hermione lifted her hand as if to ward off the blow, and inadvertently used her magic to throw him across the room. "Don't touch my sister," she said, her voice trembling with anger and fear. Everyone began to whisper to one another about what they had witnessed-- both Lucius Malfoy's attempt to strike someone and Hermione's wandless defense against him.
"Silence! Silence!" Fudge tried to regain control. His face red, he belted out, "custody of Hermione Granger and Harmony Granger is hereby granted to Remus Lupin!" Hermione nearly wept with relief. Finally, something was going right. "However! The Ministry will be checking in with Mr. Lupin and the children at random intervals to be sure they are being cared for. If at any time there is suspicion that the children are not being properly cared for, Remus Lupin will be stripped of custody."
Judging by the goofy grin on his face, Remus didn't care about the Ministry's extra stipulation. "I'll take her now, Ms. Pearson," Remus said, reaching out for Harmony.
"Of course, Mr. Lupin. I'm very pleased to hear that you have custody over the little dears. They're such sweet things." Ms. Pearson said, patting Hermione on the head. Hermione wondered if Ms. Pearson remembered she had kept away from her all morning.
Remus grinned wider. "Why thank you," he turned to Hermione. "Why don't you grab Horace's leash, and we'll see about getting those papers filled out, okay?" He asked her kindly as he reached out to grab the bag containing the nightclothes she and Harmony had been wearing when the Ministry found them.
With a toothy smile, Hermione reached for Horace's leash, only to have it burst into a flurry of butterflies. Remus laughed merrily as the swarm of butterflies flew throughout the chamber until fluttering out of the room. Ignoring another wave of whispers as witches and wizards alike pointed and stared, Hermione picked up Horace. "I'll just carry him." She said. "It will be easier."
Sirius, finally released from his bindings, bounded over and lifted Hermione, Horace and all, into his arms and spun her around. "Thank you, Hermione, for everything that you have done-- you saved me."
Hermione smiled but didn't say anything. Sirius has no idea, she thought with much amusement. In the back of her mind she noted wryly that she had something of a habit of saving him-- she helped him escape in her third year, had attempted to rescue him in fifth year, though it was a trap, and now she had freed him from Azkaban.
"Well, we'd better get the paperwork done before Mr. Malfoy thinks of a way to steal you girls," Remus said. Horace barked. "And you, Horace," he amended as Harmony began chewing on his hair.
As Remus was filling out the paperwork required to be named her legal guardian, the Minister approached Hermione and Sirius. He smiled thinly. "Apologies, Mr. Black, for the mistake. The Ministry would like to present to you a temporary wand until you can get a replacement," he said, handing him a slender wand.
Hermione's brow furrowed. "What about compensation? You put Sirius in prison for five years without giving him a trial-- shouldn't he get something for that?"
Fudge looked at Hermione in surprise, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. "Well, I suppose something can be worked out," he said nervously, clearing his throat. "Very talented, aren't you? You're a clever little girl, and you can do wandless magic. Rather extraordinary, really."
Hermione looked at him coldly. "I'm sure you could do wandless magic if you wanted. All you have to do is have people break into your house and kill your parents and Uncle, then go find their bodies. Rather simple, really."
The Minister was struck silent and stared at her, openmouthed. He continued to stare until Remus returned, Harmony still chewing happily on his hair. The werewolf cleared his throat. Fudge snapped back to reality and coughed nervously. "Well, I'll just be going then. I shall send you an owl, Mr. Black, in regards to compensation for past mistakes." With that, he scurried away.
"What was that about?" Remus asked, glancing over at Sirius. Sirius launched into the story of their brief conversation with the Minister while he was away. Walking out of the Ministry, he looked torn between being angry at Fudge, laughing at the look on Fudge's face, and being sympathetic towards Hermione for all she had endured.
"Are we off to Grimmauld Place?" Remus asked, shifting Harmony to his other arm and adjusting the bag of clothes he was holding.
Sirius nodded. "We need to go there and get a few things taken care of first-- get the girls settled in and such. Then we can work on getting my godson." Hermione's heart leapt. She would get to live with Harry! Her mission would be so much easier now that she would be with the person she was to guide. "That reminds me, you wouldn't mind sharing a house with a little boy, would you Hermione?"
Hermione hid a smile. "No, I don't mind. It will be nice to have another person to talk to."
The two men grinned. "Well then, Moony and I will try to get you a playmate as soon as we can, how does that sound?" Sirius turned to Remus. "I don't suppose you have enough money for us to use the Knight Bus, do you Moony? They don't let prisoners have money in Azkaban."
Remus checked his pockets and pulled out a few sickles. "It looks like it should cover a trip for us." Remus raised his hand and with a sharp BANG, a large purple bus appeared and a plump woman leaned out.
"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board, and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Beatrice-- oh my stars! You're Sirius Black!" She gasped. "I'd heard there was evidence that you were innocent and oh! Why, that little girl must be, oh what was the name I saw in the paper? Hermy-won?" The two men and witch cringed at the gross mispronunciation of her name. "Yes, you look about the right age. Is it true that you do wandless magic?"
Remus stepped forward. "Our destination is number 12 Grimmauld Place. If you would please stand aside and--"
"That's part of the Black estate!" She bubbled, clapping excitedly. "So it is true. I must say though, I didn't think you would want to take care of a little girl like this, how ever did you get custody over her?"
"Just let us on the bus, will you? We have two little girls that have had a rough few days and need some rest. Now if you would do your job, and tell us the fare?" Sirius snapped, exhaustion from the day's events weighing heavily on him.
The woman had the grace to blush. "The total comes to thirteen sickles for all of you."
"Well, that's most of my money," Remus sighed, handing the thirteen sickles to the waiting conductor and stepping aboard. "I only have two knuts left."
"Be thankful for that, an don't worry, Moony. There's too much money in the Black family vault anyways." He clapped his empty hand on Remus' shoulder. "I meant it earlier when I said you were my brother in all but blood."
Soon they were all seated and the Knight Bus took off again with a thunderous BANG. As the bus swerved through the streets making it's way towards Grimmauld Place, Hermione felt her eyes drifting close. Her lack of sleep the night before was catching up with her. Half asleep, Hermione felt the pocket of her robe, checking to be sure her journal was tucked safely away. Satisfied that all was well, Hermione leaned against Remus and fell asleep.
---------
A/N: Well, here's the next instalment. On the bright side, we'll be seeing Harry in the next chapter, so that should be fun. Thank you to everyone who took the time to review, I appreciate it.
That said, please read and review.
Cheers,
Madm_05