Disclaimer: If this was mine, I'd be awfully rich, and we would be happy for HHr happening.
A/N: My reply to the "You can't take my child" challenge by Natsky, you can find it here: http://talk.portkey.org/index.php?showtopic=26363&st=0 . I hope you'll like the story, and I feel I need to alert you, Ginny won't be particularly likable here. I don't think that's a problem, but anyhow, I told you beforehand, ok? lol. Now, on with the story…I have an hunch you will like this chap, lol
Credit for the original plot of the story goes to AnasellaEmm, who wrote the story A Wonderful Caricature of Intimacy on fanfiction.net.
Fight for Custody
Chapter Five: New Family?
"Hermione, will you pose as my wife till the probation is finished?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Harry regretted them. How could he ask it of her, they hadn't seen each other in years, and right now they weren't on the best of terms, that was for sure.
He had been foolish to go there and ask her that. Foolish, and desperate.
"Forget it" he hastily said, running out in the courtyard, taking Bea and Apparating home.
Hermione still hadn't moved from the spot she was in, shocked by his request.
--
As every Sunday, Harry and Bea went to have lunch with the Weasleys, at the Burrow. Now that his daughter was playing with the other kids, Harry and Ron had the time to chat. However, the redhead could easily see that his mate wasn't focusing on the conversation they were having.
"Harry, what's up?" he asked.
The raven haired wizard shook his head. "I don't know what to do, Ron" he said. "The probation is going to start soon, and I'm gonna lose her. I don't know how I'll be able to go on without her"
Ron nodded. He wanted to kick his own sister for hurting his best mate this way. Ginny was just a spoiled brat who wanted it all, and he didn't know how to help Harry out of this mess. If only Hermione was there with them, she could think of a solution, some old law to exploit to their advantage, anything to keep Ginny from getting full custody of Beatrice…
"I'm sorry, mate. I wish I knew something to suggest, but I don't" he meekly said, and Harry nodded.
"It's not your fault, Ron. If anything, it's mine, I didn't push for a final agreement about Bea in the divorce, I just wanted Ginny on her way so I could care for my daughter. If I had taken more time defining the agreements of the split…"
"You couldn't have known" a voice said from behind them. Both men looked in the direction it had come from, and spotted Luna, her usual serene expression on her face, walking toward them.
"You couldn't have known, Harry. Ginny never manifested an interest in wanting to have Bea's custody. If anything, she did everything to suggest she would never want anything to do with the little girl, actually" she reasoned, in a typically analytic Ravenclaw way.
The three of them speculated some more on the matter, trying to find a loophole Harry could use, but to no avail. When evening started to approach, he thanked his friends for the help, complimented Molly on the wonderful food, took something she had packed for him to bring home, and then he and Beatrice were on their way to their flat.
That night, as she slept with her head in his lap, having fallen asleep while watching a movie, Harry gently ran his hand through her locks.
"Munchkin, I want you to know I've always loved you and always will. I'd like to keep you with me forever, but sadly this won't be possible, unless a miracle happens" he said, before lifting her and bringing her to her room, tucking her in, and switching the light off.
Little did he know that the miracle was on its way.
--
A couple days had passed since Harry's desperate request for help, and Hermione had barely been able to stop thinking about him and Bea. She knew what would be the right thing to do, but she wondered if she had the strength to do it.
There was a clear reason for her leaving so long ago, without even a word. She knew Harry and Ron would have done anything to keep her with them, but the situation had become unbearable, and she simply needed to go away. Which she did, but she never expected to be in the situation she was now.
Sighing, she entered the classroom where the little kids were waiting for her, went through the usual routine of teaching them the basics of reading, writing, calculating, even explaining them the basics for magic, which they would start doing at Hogwarts in few years, but still she felt it was good to instruct them on the basics of it so early, so that they could grasp them beforehand and have less difficulties when in the actual Wizarding school and dealing with sudden outburst of magic, which should start happening soon considering their age, but her eyes kept going to a particular raven haired little girl she had taken a special liking for.
When the time to let the kids go home came, she wished all of them a good evening with their parents, escorted them to the courtyard then quickly walked to her office. Grabbing the little bag she had prepared, she took a long breath and Apparated away.
--
Harry had decided to take Bea for a bit of Christmas shopping in Diagon Alley after picking her up at school. If he had only six months left with her, then he would make them the best six months of her life, for her to remember them forever.
The two of them had lots of fun, window-shopping, picking up gifts for their relatives, and then making a well deserved stop at Florean Fortescue's parlour for ice-cream. Even if it was winter, Bea never seemed to want to stop eating ice-cream, and now and then Harry indulged her. Not too much, otherwise she might get sick or something, but once in a while a little treat wasn't bad.
When they finally arrived at home, Harry was surprised to feel it quite warm. He wondered who had got the fire in the fireplace going, because he was sure he didn't, when he had left for work in the morning.
His nostrils were also assaulted by a delicious smell coming from the kitchen. He exchanged a look with Bea, and whispered to his kid to go in her room and wait for him there. Grabbing his wand, he cautiously made his way to the kitchen.
It was unlikely that whoever was there would have bad intentions, otherwise they wouldn't be cooking dinner, and yet you can never be too careful. Constant vigilance, as Mad-eye Moody loved to say.
His jaw dropped, though, when he got a glimpse of who was in there.
"Hermione?" he cautiously asked, and she turned, smiling shyly at him.
"I see you and little Bea have gone for a bit of shopping" she commented, motioning for the bags still in his hand.
He looked down, noticed them and grinned sheepishly. He then set them on the counter, and walked toward her.
"What…why…" he stammered, still unable to think coherently. He did, however, notice quite clearly that the black trousers, white shirt and grey sweater she was wearing made her look very nice, and that the curls of her hair cascaded quite elegantly around her shoulders.
"I thought you needed to find a wife to go through the probation with some chances to gain full custody of Bea" she frowned, now a bit self-conscious.
Harry nodded, still speechless. After another minute, he managed to make his brain work again.
"So you're going to do it?" he asked, unable to keep the hopefulness out of his voice.
"Yes" she grinned, finally setting down the spoon she was still holding and walking toward him. "We've been the best of friends, Harry, and we've been in the front line against Voldemort. You didn't really think I'd leave you alone in this, did you?" she said, an hint of hurt permeating her voice. "I know we've got some differences to straighten, but…"
Harry couldn't believe his luck. This was really a miracle and he didn't know what he had done to deserve it but he prayed whatever God that this wasn't only a wonderful dream.
When he reached out to Hermione and engulfed her in a bear hug cutting her mid-sentence, however, he had the confirmation that it wasn't. It just felt too good for it to be a dream.
She hugged him back, inhaling his musky scent, and when he finally pulled back, she smiled warmly at him, albeit a bit uncertainly. She knew she had been very rude to him when he had gone to see her the first time, and regretted it. It had just happened, being under the pressure of facing him again. She sure enough didn't mean to threaten him with her wand, she had just acted on instinct, after her secret had been unveiled.
Harry grinned back at her, easing her worries.
"I missed you, Mione" he said, and she blushed.
"I missed you too, Harry. We will have to get used to be around each other again, I'm sure, but I think we can make this work" she said, and he nodded.
"Well, I guess we will need to tell Beatrice you're going to be around a lot more now" he joked. "But I'm sure she won't mind, she seems to be quite smitten with you" he added then, with a wink that made her blush again.
After they explained to the little kid that Hermione was going to live with them now, Bea was overjoyed and ran to hug her teacher, making Harry chuckle and muss her hair.
"Can I call you mummy?" she asked, and Hermione looked at Harry, who was beaming at her. The brunette looked down at the expectant kid.
"I'd be honoured if you do" she said, and Beatrice let a squeal of joy.
The three of them resumed preparing dinner, and then ate quietly. Well, if you don't count Bea's continuous chatter, that is. She was really excited to have Hermione live with them.
When after dinner Bea dragged Hermione away, Harry reassured her that he would mind the dishes and such. After he was done, he snuck upon the pair, who had gone to the living room and was currently watching one of Bea's favourite movies from Disney.
He leant on the doorframe, observing them, and he felt a sudden rush of affection for Hermione, seeing them interact.
"She's going to be a wonderful mother one day" he thought, and just few moments later she turned his way. He smiled fondly at her, and she blushed a bit but smiled back, the same warmth reflecting in her brown orbs.
Yes, with Hermione on his side he could make it, he thought while walking inside the room to join them. They might have difficult times ahead, he was sure some fights would happen when she would reveal him her reasons for leaving, something he knew she would feel compelled to do soon or later, but they would work it out.
He just knew they would.
--
Beatrice had already gone to sleep, not without a bit of a tantrum as she wanted to be up more with Hermione, and now the brown haired witch and Harry were sitting in the living room, a Butterbeer in their hands, chatting quietly.
"I can't even begin thanking you, Hermione. I may really have a chance at keeping her now" he said.
"Harry, I could never let Ginny get custody of Bea. Who knows why she wants it in the first place, but I've my sources and I know how she treated the kid before. I know you're a wonderful father to her, and how much you've always wanted a family to call your own. I won't let Ginny deprive you of that, whatever difficulties you and I might have to face to make this work" she determinedly said, and Harry nodded.
"One day I'll tell you why I left, Harry. Now it's still too soon though" she said then, guessing his curiosity about the matter, and he nodded, albeit he truly yearned to know why did she leave.
"Well, I guess we might call it a night then" she yawned. The emotional turmoil of the day had tired her lots. He agreed, and offered her his hand as she moved to stand up. She took it, and revelled in the sensation the contact brought her.
Harry banished the empty bottles to the waste bin with a flick of his other hand and Hermione raised her eyebrows.
"A bit of wandless magic can come handy" he grinned and she rolled her eyes.
"Show off" she nudged him and he chuckled. When they were in the hall, Hermione suddenly stopped in front of the guest room, and looked up at him.
"I guess this is goodnight then" she said, and he looked at her like she had sprouted a second head.
"Hermione, if you're going to pose as my wife, you don't actually think you can sleep in the guest room, do you? We will be expected to be sleeping together, so we better start getting used to it" he said, blushing when an image of him and Hermione doing that came to his mind.
She blushed crimson red, and he realized she had had the same thought.
"I mean, in the same bed" he hastily said.
"Of course" a quite flustered Hermione replied. "Well, then, if you'll lead the way…" she shyly added, and he nodded, instinctively taking her hand in his own once more.
He led her to his bedroom, where the bed he had shared with Ginny still was, and with his wand he quickly transfigured it in a different double bed. It just felt right to completely start over, beginning from the actual furniture of his, no, scratch that, their bedroom.
Hermione silently grabbed her things, got to the nearby bathroom to change, and was back in few minutes. Harry had already slipped into his pyjama bottom and into the bed, on his usual side. He looked up from the book he was reading, and his breath caught in his throat.
"She's beautiful" he thought, not for the first time that evening. She fidgeted under his gaze, and silently made her way to the other side of the bed, quietly slipping inside, as far from him as she could, trying to wipe the image of his naked torso from her mind. The attempt resulted completely useless.
"Goodnight, Hermione" he said, then with a quick "nox" the room was plunged into darkness, his book now on the bedside table.
"Goodnight, Harry" she softly said, before letting sleep and very pleasant dreams take her.
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