A/N: This was a challenge by Tiger 111991!! It really drew me towards it and I cant wait for you guys to read it! Hopefully its good.
For the many of you that read Office, not to worry, I'm still working hard on that!! Sorry about the cliffy!!
~~
"Hermione, dear, please come help me." Elizabeth Granger called from the kitchenette they had in their small apartment within the women and children rescue shelter for the abused.
"Coming, mum." Hermione called. "C'mon Emma, let's go help mum." She told her little sister.
"But she called for you." Emma complained.
"Em, mum needs us, okay?" Hermione sighed. "Can't you ever think of someone other than yourself?"
"I do!" Emma exclaimed as she followed her sister into the kitchen.
"Yeah?" Hermione smiled walking up next to her mum. "What'd you need?"
"Oh, just some help with dinner." Elizabeth smiled.
It was a worn, torn smile that Hermione had gotten too used to. She hadn't seen her mum smile for real in a long
time, probably over 7 years, when her mother had left her father, fleeing from his abuse. Emma had no idea what they
had gone through, she hadn't been born yet.
Hermione remembered the night they left.
"Hermione…go! Get your stuff." Elizabeth said her voice raspy.
"Mummy!" Hermione clinged to her mum as she heard her father approaching.
"Go!" She exclaimed softly. "We have to get out of here! Hermione, please, go call 911 and tell them what's going on."
Hermione nodded and ran up the stairs, as fast as her feet would carry her. She stuffed everything in her bags and picked up the phone dialing 9-1-1.
"Hello? 911, what's your emergency?" An operator from the other side asked.
"Please." Hermione's 7 year old body shook violently. "You have to help us. My dad's drunk again and he's going to hit us again. He's going to hurt her worse tonight."
"Okay, Okay, sweetie." The operator said calmly but frantically. "I need your address. Do you know your address?"
"456 Abbey Lane. Hurry!" Hermione practically screamed at her in a pleading voice, hanging up the phone and watching as tears streamed down her face, looked out the window, waiting for the police to come.
She whipped her head around when she heard her mum scream and her dad curse loudly. `Oh, god. Oh, god.' She thought, `Hurry, please, hurry…'
Not three minutes later, she saw red and blue flashing lights accompanied by sirens racing down her lane and coming to an abrupt halt in her driveway and run into her house. She heard her father yell louder as he threw his mother down on the ground. She ran down the stairs and watched as her father resisted against the handcuffs being placed around her father's wrists and her mother, lying on the ground, was being tended to by a paramedic who arrived in the ambulance.
A young man had approached her, whom she didn't recognize and he was not a police man, and asked her if she was alright. She cried and cried as he hugged her and promised her that everything would be okay…
That man had been named Remus Lupin. She had never heard of the man, and her mother confessed to have met him once.
That night, she remembered Remus telling her that she, and her mother, are witches. Hermione had not let herself believe it, but her mother told her that they found out when she was a little baby, but her dad had not wanted her to know.
Remus Lupin had come into her mother's life around the time when owls from a school called "Hogwarts" begin delivering acceptance letters to all the witches and wizards. He had come to her mother and made a deal that Hermione would not have to attend the school, but strongly encouraged that she keep in contact with him.
Elizabeth Granger had called Remus that night, in fear for her daughter's life. He had come to her beck and call, and assisted them in finding a women's shelter for the abused in the Muggle world, as Hermione's mother preferred.
Hermione's little sister, Emma, had showed signs of being a witch at an early age, and had always known about her potential power, but never felt the need to embrace it.
"Hermione, dear? Are you alright?" Elizabeth Granger asked concerned.
"Fine, mum, just fine." Hermione smiled as she set cookies out on a baking sheet. "So, are we, or you, doing anything today? Wait, don't you have to work?"
"Um, actually, darling…" Elizabeth smiled, searching for words. "I don't work at the hospital anymore."
"What? Why?" Hermione asked confused.
"I got a letter from Remus last night." She said simply, but then explained further. "He said they were searching for a teacher…and Head Mistress McGonagall offered me a job at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! They want me to be the new Transfiguration professor!"
"Pro…Professor?" Hermione choked and Emma covered her mouth in shock. "You're going to be a…professor?"
"Why, yes. Don't look so shocked, dears. I can do transfiguration with the best of them." Elizabeth chuckled.
"Sorry, I just…" Emma trailed off being interrupted by a rambling Hermione.
"Wait…It's August 31! Mum! This is so like you! Aren't you supposed to be at school by now!! We still have to find a place to live, and…we have so much to do! It's the last day before…oh my…" Hermione started frantically walking around.
"Sweetie, Hermione, calm down." Elizabeth grabbed her daughter by the shoulders and sat her down. "I know. We have a place to live, in Hogsmeade. You can do jobs around the town, even at Hogwarts…Relax, darling, we've got it all under control."
Darling. Sweetie. Dear. Hermione wasn't used to her mother treating her this way. Normally, her mother was irritable, angry, tired…she always pushed her daughters away. She didn't care. What was happening to her mother? Maybe she was finally getting over herself and the fact that Hermione's past father hurt Hermione just as much as he did Elizabeth. She'd noticed it the second she walked in the kitchen. Her mother wasn't tense or harsh; she was…kind and gentle. Hermione had a feeling she could get used to this. If this was what her mother was going to be like now, after all these years…that was fine with her.
"C'mon now girls, time will not stop for you." Elizabeth Granger called from the bottom of the stairs.
"Mum…" Hermione complained. "Why do we have to get up so early just to get there?"
"No kidding." Emma whined.
"Because. I want to get there and I want you to meet Head Mistress McGonagall before you two go home." Elizabeth explained. "Now, c'mon. Go."
Elizabeth and Emma dragged their trunks down the stairs and made their way towards a deserted fireplace that Remus had set up in the Floo Network so they could leave from there. "Alright you two, I know you've only used Floo once before. So, what you do is stand in the center of the fireplace, clearly shout the name as you drop the powder."
Emma and Hermione nodded. Hermione went first and then Emma, followed by their mother. Once through, they found themselves in a large office. It was the Headmistress's office in Hogwarts.
"Why hello, Elizabeth! These must be your two daughters! Hermione and Emma. Nice to meet you both." McGonagall greeted them warmly as they all came through.
"Nice to meet you too." Hermione said, shaking her hand. Emma shook her hand next.
"Thank you so much for offering me your old position." Elizabeth smiled. "It really means a lot to us."
"Of course." McGonagall said. "Please have seat."
McGonagall took a seat behind her desk and the three Grangers sat across from her in the comfy arm chairs. "Welcome to Hogwarts." She said. "We are very pleased you accepted our invitation, Elizabeth. However, I am very sorry that Miss Hermione Granger here is not able to join us. It is a shame that she could not, however, I'm sure Emma will be joining us when she turns age?"
Elizabeth nodded. "Most likely. I really am regretful that I did not allow Hermione to attend. But it is too late now."
Hermione looked down and McGonagall nodded. "Of course. Hermione, I understand you do not have a job?" Hermione nodded. "Well, in any case there are a lot of odd jobs and such around Hogsmeade, and we may need you here. How does that sound?"
Hermione smiled. "Thank you, Professor. I'm sure that would be great."
"Good. Now, I understand you have a lot to do. Elizabeth, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Good bye." Elizabeth said, as she led her girls out. "C'mon, girls, lets walk out."
"Cant we apparate?" Emma asked.
"No." Hermione answered before her mother could. "You cant here…"
Emma rolled her eyes. "You know everything."
"Just about." Elizabeth smiled. "C'mon."
Hermione, her sister and her mother walked through the school quickly and into Hogsmeade. They found their house and stared at it for a moment.
It was a small cottage, looking quaint and cozy. The windows were in the process of cleaning themselves, and the flowers were blooming beautifully. "Lets go inside." Hermione said anxiously.
They walked in and explored their new grand home. Hermione was extremely happy with their new living quarters and couldn't wait to start her new life. It was all going to be right this time.
~
Hermione made her way to bed per her mother's request in her new room. It was painted a soft blue and she could hear the faint crashing of waves. Her mother had helped her decorate her new room with her mothers wand and unpacked all of her belongings.
She saw a letter and a package sitting on her bed waiting for her. She looked at it curiously and opened the letter.
Hermione,
I'm sorry if in the past I have not been the good mother. I have tried, I really have, but it has been difficult. Letting your father into my life was not all a mistake, it brought me you and Emma. Other than that, yes, he was a mistake. I am sorry I was too scared for a while to do anything. You have to know that I love you and I would do anything for you. I am also sorry that you never got a chance to embrace your magic like a normal witch. I was wrong. But here, I have wand, it was supposed to be yours. I know you do not know magic, but maybe one day I can teach you.
I love you.
Mum
Hermione smiled and brushed the tear that was dangerously close to falling. She opened the package and saw her wand staring back at her. She carefully placed it on her nightstand and slipped into bed, letting the waves sooth her to sleep.
~~
The next morning, her mother was running around. "Okay…um…I have to go girls, don't get into too much trouble. I love you!"
"Bye!" Hermione and Emma called back after her as she ran out.
"So." Emma started. "What are we going to do today?"
"Look for a job." replied Hermione. "I need something to do."
Emma rolled her eyes. "Kay."
Hermione and Emma were about to walk out the door when Hermione ran back to her room and put her wand in her pocket.
Even if she couldn't use it, it felt nice to have it there. She was a witch, after all.
They made their way down the streets of Hogsmeade and walked into The Three Broomsticks.
"How can I help you?" A man asked.
"Got any job openings?" Hermione asked, smiling.
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