Love Lost, Not Forgotten

Author's Note,
Hi guys! Leave reviews, tell me if you at least like the story! If you have any ideas feel free to share, I won't bite promise. My writing seems to be getting worse, I'm sorry, I'm trying though. If you're waiting for the action/romance it should start soon-ish, within the next few chapters at least. I've got to get rid of Hermione. Haven't yet decided if she'll have her own little plot bunny or not. I've got something in mind but I'm not too sure. Anyway, happy reading!

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The funeral of Molly Prewett Weasley went well enough. Despite being told to stay away Harry and Hermione were in attendance, though Hermione kept her distance from the family before she was asked to leave by Bill who thought that Ron seeing her would cause some upset. As it turned out, it did, but not to Ron. No, Ron was just fine as he tried to be strong sitting next to Lavender Brown. Hermione had left after giving her condolences to the twins and Ginny, Harry promised to be back soon—he wanted to spend some time with Gin. When Hermione returned to the house she was staying at, she was still refusing to call it home, she ran straight into her mother’s room and fell on the bed in tears.

Grace, who at the time was brushing out her wet hair, looked at her daughter and crossed over to her after laying the hairbrush down. Climbing onto the bed she ran a hand over her daughter frizzy locks and spoke softly, “Its alright darling, Mrs. Weasley is with her husband now … she’s not hurting.” Hermione turned and looked at her mother, “It isn’t that mum! Its Ron! He’s with her again.” Green eyes studied the ceiling trying to think of who this her was, “Lavender! Lavender Brown, Mum. That stupid slag has him again.” Hermione wailed into the large goose down pillow as her mother sat rubbing her back.

There were always times to speak and times to hold your tongue and just let people cry, thankfully her mother had always been a master at the art.

When night fell in the house everything was still quiet. Harry had not returned and Hermione still lay in her mother’s bed now all tucked in.

Downstairs Grace sat across from Sirius in her pjs just watching him as he wrote a response to a letter he had received. “She’s heartbroken,” stated the woman plainly as she sipped her hot cocoa. Sirius looked up and nodded, “Surely this isn’t the first time though.” Grace shrugged a sholder, her dressing gown moved down onto her bicep, “Wouldn’t know. She’s hidden the majority of her magical life from me. I think she honestly thought Elliot and I hated her for being a witch.”

The dog-man snorted and shook his head, “You? Doubtful … him … I wouldn’t put it passed the—” he stopped when he looked up at her face, “what I mean is, it wouldn’t surprise me if he wasn’t a little put off at the idea that the girl had magic.”

Grace took a long drink from her mug and set it down before leaning across the table, “Elliot loved her. He knew all along that she wasn’t his, it wasn’t as if anything from my previous life was hidden from him. He still loved her.” Sirius leaned towards her but before he could make his retort there was a throat clearing at the door.

Both of them turned to look at Remus who was holding up chains, “Sirius, I need your help … they sort of,” he looked sheepishly at Grace before finishing, “broke.”

Knowing the urgency of the night Sirius took no time getting up and following after his friend. Grace stayed in her spot thinking bitterly about what her ex had said.

* * *
The next morning the small rag-tag group sat in the kitchen, Grace was cooking breakfast for a bunch of people who looked as if they’d all rather just be back in bed. Life, however, didn’t have that planned for them.

Grace was just pouring the morning coffee when the post arrived, Remus offered to get it—without anyone stopping him, and left the three to them selves.

“Hermione, do you have all your things for school?”

Hermione nodded solemnly as her mother set the plate in front of her, “I’m waiting until the last minute to get fitted for my robes and I’ve had to order a few other books.” Grace nodded and set Sirius’ plate down before picking up her own and Remus’ and was sure to set them side by side, something that didn’t go unnoticed by the other occupants, “Then later today we’ll see if the books have come in. There’s someone you need to meet anyway.”

Sirius looked up for a minute, “No.”

Grace fixed him with a glare that nearly made him wilt however Sirius stood his ground, “She will not meet that vulture! It’ll ruin the girl!”

Grace took a bite of toast and picked up a butter knife to point at the male with, “Do not speak ill of my mother Black. For some strange reason she’s on your side with this, you’d do best to go along with it.” She then used the knife to scrape marmalade onto the bread, “She’s going.”

Hermione looked between her birth parents and cleared her throat, “I’m meeting my grandmother? When? For what?”

Grace smiled brightly, “Well Mum apparently would like to give you your inheritance early.” She shrugged and picked up her coffee as Remus walked back in reading his own mail, “What’ve you got, Remus?”

The werewolf looked up and smiled sitting next to Grace, “Just got a letter from Hogwarts, they’re inviting me back to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts again,” picking up his coffee he sipped it and looked around the table, “I’m not taking the job.”

Hermione, who had a smile growing on her face at the news, frowned and tilted her head, “But … but why?”

“Well, you remember what happened the last time, I don’t want that to happen again. Add the fact there will be many angry parents, I’d rather not turn the academic world of Hogwarts into a large fire casting mob,” stated the former professor plainly.

Grace set her mug down and looked at Sirius, who was watching his friend intently, before turning to Remus, “But surely it wouldn’t happen like that. You’re a war hero, Remus. People know…it has to garner some respect.”

Remus turned his tired face to her and shook his head, “Doesn’t matter Grace, I’m still a werewolf. And no matter how much of the Wolfsbane potion I take, if I forget one dose,” he trailed off and looked at Hermione who was hanging her head. “If I forget one dose,” he turned back to Grace and took her hand, “I could attack someone. I can’t take that risk again, besides, I’ve come up with a new plan.” He kissed the back of Grace’s hand before picking up another letter, “This just came in from an apothecary in Diagon Alley, they want to buy all of my excess Wolfsbane. Offering quite the hefty price. I’m writing Snape later this afternoon, see if he wants to get in on the deal—after all, if it weren’t for our dear old spy I never would have learned how to brew it.” He chuckled at his friends, when he mentioned the former potions master both Grace and Sirius had scrunched up their noses, he could almost hear them sneering Snivellus under their breaths.

Grace, recovering from her lapse in manners, smiled and nodded, “Very well then. As long as you can get yourself a job, something another man in this room should look into,” she said with a smirk as the other man glared at her. “Come Hermione, love, we’ve got a lot of work to do today. I want to go house hunting while I’m at it.” She stood and picked up her plate, she had only picked at it, and looked at the men, “Not that I haven’t enjoyed your company, but there’s bound to be talk and Merlin knows I don’t want to live with, how did you put it Sirius, my vulture of a mother.”

Hermione only rolled her eyes as her mother rounded the table and took her plate. Apparently this was going to be quite the day, now if only she knew exactly what it had in store.