Love Lost, Not Forgotten

The night at the Granger home had gone quite well, both women had lain in Hermione’s bed watching Don Juan DeMarco and Grace even made little kissy faces at the screen every time Johnny Depp put his mask on. This was the normalcy that Hermione needed. After Don Juan went off the women began their normal marathon of all the Disney movies that Hermione owned and the ones that Grace bought while she was at school, it was during Cinderella that Hermione had finally fallen asleep, her head lying on her mother’s stomach just as she used to when she was little.

The next morning Hermione woke up alone but was not that surprised to see that Beauty and the Beast was playing on her small television. It was her mother’s favorite movie, standing up she looked around the room, there were no traces of the Chinese food they had had before, no trace of the ice cream bucket they cleaned out together, nor was their a single kernel of popcorn on her bed.

Hermione smiled. Things were normal.

Hermione showered and got dressed for the day, she felt great, with any hope her parents would fall in love again—Sirius was just not the father figure she needed in her life—and everything would be okay. It wasn’t until she walked into the living room and saw her mother sitting on the sofa staring at the window that she even faltered in her thoughts.

Two things registered in her mind, a letter in her mother’s left hand and the stains of dried tears that were on her mother’s cheeks.

“Mum?”

Grace didn’t move but to lift her arm, she couldn’t speak-she was afraid she would start crying again. Hermione took the letter and skimmed it first before sitting down on the arm of the couch and covering her mouth.

My dearest Grace and sweet Hermione,

I love you both so much. Hermione you were mine the moment your mother said I do, but I’ve always known you weren’t my blood. I’m sorry if this comes as a shock to you but your mother and I were never really in love. Ours was a marriage of convenience, your mother was in the early stages of her pregnancy and her parents were keeping her locked up. I took her away because I thought it was what was best. I thought we could grow to love each other.

I know what you saw darling; your loving parents … but Sweetie, things aren’t always what they seem.

Grace, I’m sorry I forced you into this. Now that you remember everything I do not feel right about our marriage. I’m seeing a judge this coming week, since I can prove that Hermione is not my daughter and it was a known ordeal of your amnesia I will see about an annulment. I really don’t want to go through the pains of a divorce but after Australia I think it is obvious who you would rather be with. I thought that maybe in our marriage we would fall in love together, I think we can both say its safe to assume I was an ass and was completely wrong. I’m sorry.

I was going to speak to you both when I came in tonight but when I went to Hermione’s room you both looked so peaceful sleeping I couldn’t wake you. I’m currently looking for a place to stay, do not worry about me. I will call when I find something out.

Elliot.

Hermione’s eyes began to leak as she read she didn’t know when it happened but at some point her mother had pulled her from her perch on the side of the couch and into her arms. Together they cried, Hermione because the normal was slipping away again and Grace from the shock.

“Mum … why are you crying?”

Grace wiped her eyes and looked at her, “I thought he would at least want to try again now that I remembered everything. It isn’t as if I’ve forgotten how wonderful he was as a husband.”

“Is it true that you don’t love him?”
“I don’t think I ever loved him?”

Hermione nodded, she understood. Kind of.

“Mum … did you ever love Dad before the spell was lifted?”

Grace wiped her eyes once more shedding her useless tears, as she stood up she thought and shook her head, “Honestly, sweetie, in Australia we had been looking for a divorce lawyer that would take care of both of us. We thought we would be fine as friends though … so that you didn’t get jipped a parent.”

Again Hermione’s head bobbed in the affirmative. Grace pulled at her shirt and nodded slowly, “I’m giving your father the house, Elliot, I can go and stay with my parents. If not maybe I can find Lily … surely she would let me stay if only to say she found me.”

It took the brainy girl a moment to figure out the ‘Lily’ her mother was talking about, looking up she sucked in air rather quickly causing her to choke. Coughing and sputtering she felt her mother’s hand run down her back in a soothing manner, “Just cough darling, that’s it. In with the good, out with the bad.”

When the coughing spell ceased Hermione looked at her mother with big doe eyes, Grace knew what this meant, “What do you know ‘Mione?” Hermione dropped her head and held out her hand, “Mum … I think there are some people you need to meet. Its important.”