The Wrong Time

Looking Up

Hermione looked around the tiny second bedroom. She tried to make it as close to Josiah’s bedroom as she could. The only thing she could not duplicate was his precious Norby, because he would not part with it at all. She had connected the fireplace to the floo network, and was planning to use it to pick up Josiah.


She went into the kitchen and made him a ham and cheese sandwich, and some biscuits with peanut butter spread on them .Some celery with cream cheese and raisins completed the meal, and she set it on the tiny table and walked over to the fireplace. She dropped floo powder into the flames and stepped through into the Burrow.


“Hermione, Dear! Did you get all settled, then?” Minerva asked her.


“Yes, thank you. Everything is quite ready for him,” Hermione replied.


“He is just outside,” Molly said, taking Hermione to the back door.


Josiah was outside with Norby, playing in the grass. Hermione smiled at the sight of him. She hoped that these changes would not affect him too badly. She opened the door, and when he saw her, his face lit up.


“Mummy!” He screamed and ran to her.


She scooped him up and held him close. He buried his face in her hair and held on tight, as if he were afraid she would leave him forever.


“Let’s go home now, Baby,” Hermione said softly to him.


He nodded, sniffling.


Hermione carried him back into the house and through the still glowing flames. She set him down at his little table.


“Whewe we at, Mummy?” Josiah asked, looking around confused.


“This is where Mummy is going to live with you now, Baby,” Hermione said to him.


“Whewe Daddy going wive?” Josiah asked innocently.


Hermione bit back tears. Her little boy really was too smart for his own good.


“Daddy will still live in the house, Baby. You will get to stay with Daddy sometimes, too” She said, noting the worried look on her son’s face.


“Daddy no wove me,” Josiah said, matter-of-factly.


“Oh, baby, that is not it at all,” Hermione said, hugging her baby tightly. “Your daddy loves you very much. This is a grown up thing, Baby. It’s nothing to do with you.”


Josiah hesitated, looking unsure whether to believe her. After a few moments, he relaxed and began to eat his lunch. When he finished eating, Hermione showed him to his new room, and he tucked him into his bed. When she was sure he was asleep, she went into the study.


She had to ward this room to keep Josiah out. It was not like her basement lab, but it still would suffice. She stirred the Lycanthropy potion three times clockwise with a glass stirring rod. She felt like the answer was just out of her reach, taunting her with its very presence.


Her latest batch of Amortentia was ready, and she poured the pearlescent liquid into tiny gold labeled vials and boxed them up. She started a new batch of Felix Felicis. The demand for it was growing quite high.


She spent the next hour discussing the potion with Silvano. She felt like everything was going to be alright for the first time in years.


One week she spent this way, before the owls started arriving.

A/N: Sorry that was so short, but I had to cut if off there, because the next part really belongs in a new chapter. Please review!