The Wrong Time

The Chapter I’m Sure You’ve Been Waiting For

Just for you, CryingCinderella….Now you better update yours soon too, it has me quite hooked


Hermione scanned the cottage again. Everything seemed to be packed, save for Josiah and his Norby. She wrung her hands in anticipation. She felt butterflies in the pit of her stomach, and she was worried that if she didn’t contact Silvano soon and confirm that she was coming today, then she might just back out and stay here, at Minerva’s cottage, where she was still getting a daily barrage of hate mail.


She hugged herself tightly, and fought back the tears that were creeping to the corners of her eyes. She was not sad to leave this place, on the contrary in fact. She was filled with emotion at the thought that now it was really official. She had received the papers via owl post this morning. She was officially Ms. Hermione Granger again. It saddened her a bit that she would not share a surname with her children anymore, but she felt a sense of freedom that she was no longer bound to Ron.


It was an odd mixture of feelings, really. She was excited to be embarking on a new chapter of her life, but scared to death at the same time. Over the last twenty years of her life, Ron had become a big part of who she was, and now that they weren‘t together anymore, she didn‘t know how to be herself anymore. She was going to have to rediscover who Hermione Granger was.


She sighed deeply. She was pulled from her reverie by a light tug on the leg of her pants. She looked down to see Josiah sucking his thumb and holding Norby out to her.


“Feew bettow, Mummy,” he said innocently.


Hermione felt her chest swell with love at the display of affection from her baby.


She bent down and kissed him sweetly on his forehead.


“Alright, sweetie, it’s almost time to go tell your grandmum goodbye,” she told him.


He nodded and shuffled back over to the rug, where he sat down and began to sing to the stuffed dragon.


Hermione reduced everything and placed the reduced boxes into a single cardboard box. Once everything was as packed as it could be, she gathered up Josiah and the box and stepped into the green flames of the fireplace.

“The Burrow,” She said confidently.


When she stepped across the carpet, she was almost taken aback to see Ron and Lavender sitting in the kitchen with mugs of tea. Let’s make this goodbye quick, then, she thought to herself. She held her shoulders back and walked confidently into the kitchen. She did not miss the nasty glare that Lavender shot her, nor did she miss the uncomfortable looks from Ron.


“Oh, are you off, then?” Molly asked, shuffling towards them, wiping her hands on a dish towel.


“Yes, nearly. We stopped by to say goodbye,” Hermione said, deliberately avoiding looking at Ron and Lavender.


“Oh, well perhaps we should say goodbye then too,” Lavender said sweetly.


She stepped out from behind the counter and waddled towards Josiah, her hand resting firmly on her back. Molly rolled her eyes.


“Cut the theatrics, Dear. You’re not nearly pregnant enough to be walking like that,” Molly said shortly.


Hermione looked slightly taken aback at the sharpness of Molly’s tongue.


Lavender’s face reddened.


“Well, all of Ron’s other children were rather large, and it seems this one is too,” she said with a nervous laugh.


“That’s even if it is his,” Molly said simply.


“Mum!” Ron interjected.


“Well, Ronald, all I am saying is that if she was tart enough to sleep with a married man, then perhaps you’re not the only man she was sleeping with,” Molly said dismissively. “How can you be sure that it’s even yours?”


Ron looked a little taken aback. Hermione shifted uncomfortably on her feet.


“I know that what I did was wrong,” Lavender said. “I know that Ron was married when he and I started seeing each other, but I am no tart. I am not some hussy who sleeps around. I love your son, and you are just going to have to get used to that fact. This baby is definitely his, there is no question about that. You are just going to have to learn to tolerate me, because we plan to be married by the end of the month!”


“What? Well, Ronald, don’t you think that’s a bit…soon?” Molly asked.


“Well, Mum, no, I don’t. She’s already showing, and people will start asking questions,” Ron said indignantly.


“There are glamour charms to cover that,” Molly sniffed.


“I don’t want to hide my baby anymore,” Lavender said haughtily.


“And you shouldn’t have to, Love,” Ron said, taking her hands in his.


Hermione looked decidedly sick.


“Well, I think I should be going,” she said, her face blazing.


“Yes, Dear, don’t let us keep you,” Molly said sweetly, kissing Hermione on the cheek.


“Goodbye Josie, Grandma loves you!” She said, covering the baby’s face with kisses.


“I’ve asked you not to call him that, Mum. He’s not a girl,” Ron said.


“Oh, nonsense, I can call him whatever I want to,” Molly said, brushing her son off.


“Bye, Daddy,” Josiah said, waving at his father.


“Bye, Son,” He replied, bending down to kiss Josiah on the top of his curls.


“You know, if anyone’s paternity should be questioned, it’s his,” Lavender said, pointing at Josiah. “He is the only one of their children who doesn’t look a thing like Ron.”


Everyone in the room, Ron included looked at Lavender as if she had just sprouted a second head.


“Oh I have no doubt he’s my boy,” Ron said.


“Just because Ron couldn’t stay true to our marriage vows does not mean that I couldn’t as well,” Hermione seethed. “I never cheated on him in the twenty years we were married, and given how things turned out, perhaps I wasted some good opportunities in order to stay true to a completely loathsome git.”


With that, she scooped up her son and stepped back through the flames to the public floo.


She waited in line for a few minutes before it was her turn. She threw some powder into the flames and read Silvano’s address very clearly. She felt as though they were spinning for hours, but it was really only about forty-five minutes. When they landed, she noticed Josiah had fallen asleep. She smiled and made her way to the path leading up to the villa. The rain began to pour, and she pulled her cloak hood up and tucked the baby into the folds. She trotted up the path and rang the bell.


A few moments later, the door was answered by a tall man in a gauzy white shirt and black jeans. Hermione took in his appearance for a second. His skin was lightly bronzed and his hair was a sandy brown color and cropped short. He had a goatee.


“Silvano?” Hermione asked tentatively.


“Yes, and you must be Nancy,” he said, moving aside so she could come into the lavish home.


“I’ll take that for you,” He said motioning toward the box.


“Oh, thank you,” Hermione said, handing the slightly wet box to him.


“Just follow me and I will show you to your room,” he said. “I’ve had a nursery furnished in the room adjacent to yours if you would like to put him down.”


“Thank you so much, that would be lovely,” Hermione said, following him.


Her voice was shaking slightly. His voice was so familiar. She brushed off the idea. It just couldn’t be. It wasn’t possible. She followed him up stone steps and down a corridor to a bedroom with a lavish four poster bed. Right next to this room was a nursery decorated with dragons. Hermione smiled at his thoughtfulness and gently placed Josiah in the small bed.


She tucked him under the covers and put Norby beside him. She desperately wanted to get out of her cloak. She followed Silvano back into the bedroom she assumed was for her. He set the box on a handsome mahogany roll top desk and turned to face her. She removed her cloak and hung it across the back of the chair. She straightened up and turned to him to get a proper look at him.


Severus stiffened. It couldn’t be.


“I’ll just go and get some tea while you change,” he said quickly and practically ran from the room.


Once he was out of earshot, he raced to his room. He collapsed on the floor by his bed, clutching his chest. It couldn’t be! It just couldn’t be! Had he really fallen in love with Hermione Granger? Were the gods playing some sort of sick joke on him? He regained his composure and considered the situation. She did not know who he was, and perhaps she would not find out. Then he could work on falling out of love with her, and fast. This was just too crazy to be true! What was he going to do?


A/N:Thank you all so much for reading! I would also like to give a big thank you to L’Vanna who has helped me to make this story what it is. I went to her with an idea, and she helped me hash it out into what it has become…and you can thank her for the name Silvano Scolari too! Please Review!