Chapter 8
It took 3 more days before Hermione was finally able to leave the hospital. She and her daughter went to stay with Blaise and Pansy, she wasn’t sure she was able to go back to their home just yet. Pansy had gone and packed some clothes up for Hermione and went out and bought the essentials for baby Madi so Hermione wouldn’t have to worry.
10 days had passed since Matteo’s accident and today was the funeral. Hermione looked at herself in the mirror and didn’t even recognize the person looking back at her. Her hair was pulled up in a tight bun down at the bottom of her head, it had lost its shine. Her skin lost its shine, it was now almost grey and her eyes were blank with dark grey circles under them. She had hardly eaten since she had woken up and with the addition of breastfeeding she was losing weight rapidly and it was now very noticeable. She was so far into her own head she didn’t even notice someone had entered her room. She turned her head when she heard someone behind her clear their throat. She sucked a deep breath in when she saw the tall dark man standing in her door frame.
He wasn’t quite as tall as his younger brother but he was still around 6 feet if Hermione had to guess. His hair was cut quite short but he had the same eyes as Matteo. His wizard robes stood out from her basic black muggle dress. She knew that he was Matteo’s older brother, Marco.
“Miss Granger, I am sorry to bother you at this moment but if you could spare a few minutes of your time after the funeral, the family lawyer is here to discuss Matteo’s will.” She just nodded her head and just as fast as he entered, he left.
She stood tall and didn’t let one tear slip while people said their goodbyes to his casket. She could hear people talking all around her but none of their conversations were understood. She waited until everyone left the room to head to his burial site just outside the De Luca family home. She slowly walked up to the open casket and saw her Matteo. He looked peaceful, like he was just taking a nap and oh how Hermione wished that was true. She didn’t know how she could fill the hole that was in her heart. He was the person that made her whole again after the war. She knew that he would be the one she would grow old with, have more children with and watch them grow up, watch her grandchildren and great grandchildren grow up. She used to imagine at one time the large family getting together over holidays or birthdays, all with Matteo by her side. But now, that was all snatched away from her. A dream that would never come true and she didn’t know how she would make it without him.
She stood outside, an unusual cold day, and watched as they lowered the love of her life into the ground. She stood there as people came up to her and gave their condolences and said they were sorry. People she had never met before. As everyone left she could feel someone standing behind her but didn’t have the energy to see who it was. She heard someone say her name but it felt like it was lost in the wind. She finally fell to her knees, not caring that the dirt was getting on her dress and let out a gut clenching sob. She cried harder than she had ever cried. She was practically choking on air but didn’t care at that moment. She wished she could join him in the ground. That way they could have stayed together. She wasn’t sure how long she sat there and cried but eventually she felt strong arms wrap around her waist and under her knees and lifted her up. They smashed her body into theirs, she wrapped her arms around their neck and cried into their chest, soaking their shirt with her tears and snot. She knew she should be embarrassed but didn’t have it in her to care.
She had no idea what time it was but when she woke up she was in her bed at Pansy’s and Blaise’s house in a pair of her own pajamas. She got up and decided since it was still somewhat light out someone would be awake. She headed down the stairs and heard voices coming from the kitchen.
“—need to be discussed now! I understand this is a hard time for her but he was my brother!”
“That you haven’t talked to in years! You don’t get to come into my home, yell at my fiancé and demand to talk to Hermione! She will come to you when she is ready. You may have lost your brother but she just lost the father to her newborn daughter and the love of her life!” She knew Pansy was truly upset because her voice wasn’t shrill, but deep and venomous.
Hermione took a deep breath and made her way into the kitchen. She didn’t even bother looking at Marco and just threw herself into Pansy’s arms. She let herself have 2 minutes to cry before she pulled herself together and faced them. She turned to face Marco, not bothering to wipe the tears that ran down her face.
“You wanted to speak to me.” Hermione said in a cold tone.
“Yes, I’m not trying to be insensitive but we must go to hear his will. The lawyer is waiting at my house if you would follow me.” He made his way out of the kitchen to the main room that held the floo.
“No, please bring him here, I don’t have it in me to travel right now.” He nodded his head and disappeared into the fireplace, returning just a minute later with a very short, very frumpy looking man. All four adults took a seat on the couches and armchairs and waited for the man to speak.
“I have two wills with me today, the original, which was to be read if he and Miss Granger had been married, and his newest one which was to be read just in case something happened to him before they were married. Which now makes the first will null and void.
“The last will and testament of Matteo De Luca.
To my brother I leave my business vault at Gringotts French branch and any possessions that still reside at our family home.
To my Mia, if this will is being read, that means that I likely had an accident before we were wed. I am sorry I have left you so soon but I promise I didn’t leave you with nothing. First and foremost I hope you gave our daughter your last name, and before you get mad yes I knew it was a girl, I may have bribed the healer to tell me.”
Hermione couldn’t help but chuckle.
“ I leave our cottage to you, it was always in your name to begin with, but I hope that even without me there you will make it a home for our darling daughter to grow up in. I also leave you my personal vault at Gringotts French branch, everything in there is yours. My only wish is that you find someone else who loves you almost, because no one will love you as much as I, but someone who loves you with their whole heart. You are more than I could have ever imagined and I know our time was short but I cherished it non the less. Just know that you were my greatest love and will continue to love you even though I am gone. Take care of yourself and our daughter. I love you ma petite cherie.”
Hermione gasped, he left her everything. She couldn’t help the tears that rolled down her cheeks. She felt Pansy wrap her hand around Hermione’s free one and felt Blaise rub soothing circles on her back. The lawyer stood up and withdrew a very old looking key and held it out to Hermione. She knew she had just heard that he left her his vault but was honestly shocked. They weren’t married so she figured everything would automatically go to his brother, but Matteo knew his latest potion was deathly dangerous and took steps to ensure that Hermione would need nothing.
The next few weeks were hard, she had fallen into a deep postpartum depression . Pansy had stayed at home to help with Hermione and the baby and Blaise only left when necessary. Hermione barely had enough energy to leave the bed most days, she lost even more weight and was on the verge of being extremely malnourished. She had to quit breastfeeding since she no longer made milk and the potions no longer helped. She was a shell of who she once was and if she stayed here in Paris she knew she would never get her old self back.
So for the next two days she discreetly packed her and her daughter’s belongings into her beaded bag and in the middle of the night she disappeared, only leaving behind a note.
When morning came and there was no baby crying Pansy got worried. She got up from bed and rushed to the nursery, when she saw that Mardi wasn’t in her crib she hoped that Hermione had gotten up with her. She made her way to Hermione’s room and when she knocked and heard no answer she walked in. She saw the room was empty of Hermione’s things and a note sitting on the bedside table. She read it, not even caring about the tears that came, and let out a choked sob. When Blaise had noticed Pansy and yet to come back with Madi he got worried. As he stepped out of their bedroom he heard Pansy cry and rushed to her. He found her on the floor in Hermione’s room grasping onto a piece of paper.
“She…she’s gone. She took Madi and left.” Pansy choked out. Blaise reached out and settled Pansy onto his lap and into his chest and carefully grabbed the paper from her hands.
Dear Pansy and Blaise,
I’m so sorry to leave like this. You two have been my rock and my best friends. I know without a doubt that without you both I would not have survived this. You took care of Madi when I could not, took care of me when I couldn’t take care of myself and asked for nothing in return. I don’t mean to leave and hurt you, but if I did not get out I felt like I was going to suffocate. Everything in France reminded me of him, of the love that we shared that I will never feel again. I love you both and I hope that you won’t be too mad at me. I promise to come back soon. I just need some time for myself.
Love
Hermione and Madeline