Octavia
“Miss Granger?”
Hermione frowned, clutching her summons to the DMLE with a look of abject confusion, Harry at her side. “Yes,” she confirmed.
The Auror nodded at her, a pained look on his face. “I..why don't we go and have a seat somewhere more comfortable.”
Hermione felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. “I assume Harry can come with me?”
“Yes,” he confirmed quickly, his low, “another wand is probably wise,” setting her further on edge.
“Auror..”
“Keith, Miss Granger, Edward Keith.”
“Right, Auror Keith, is there an issue?”
“Just into this room Miss Granger.” he ushered her in quickly. Looking around she was glad it appeared not to be the interrogation room she’d been dreading, instead, it seemed to be a cross between a meeting room and a sitting room, a desk combined with armchairs confusing the space. “Now cup of tea?”
“No, thank you. I'd really just rather you explain my summons.”
“Right well…” he fidgeted slightly. He did not want to be the one giving her this news. “The thing is.” Hermione's eyebrows slowly crept up her forehead, Harry mirroring her expression on the other side. “Two things really.”
“The first, Auror Keith?” Harry checked with a hard edge to his voice.
“Right, the first. I ah.” he took a breath. “I am very sorry to inform you that it appears your parents were involved in a road traffic accident in Australia Miss Granger.”
Hermione froze. “What?”
“A car ran a…red light?” he looked down at the report on his hands checking his terminology. “I am so very sorry for your loss.”
Hermione felt as if the world had stopped. She’d been planning to go and look for them. The war was only just over, her healing finally at a level that the Healers had given in to her pleading to sign off on her going to Australia. And apparently, she was too late. Dimly she was aware that the Auror was still speaking but she couldn't hear the words.
“Hermione.” Harry's voice cut through the fog as knelt in front of her. “Hermione, you need to hear this. Auror Keith has something else to say.”
She dragged her eyes back up to Auror Keith slowly, still feeling lost in the fog. “You have a sister Miss Granger.”
“A what?” she croaked.
“A sister. She's two weeks old. She survived the crash. The Australian Aurors checked her lineage in case she had a magical relative. Your name appeared. She used accidental magic to save herself, one of their muggle liaisons got in touch after his colleagues mentioned a ball of light around her.”
“Can you repeat that?” she asked faintly, her eyes darting to Harry when he squeezed her hands.
“Breathe, Hermione. Take a moment.” he moved, sitting back down in the seat next to her, his grip on the hand he held tight, anchoring her to this hellish version of reality. “Where is he?”
“Here.” Auror Keith admitted softly, his eyes on the silent witch. “We can…” he blew out a breath, “You do not have to take her.”
“Of course, I have to take her!” Hermione hissed harshly. “It's my fucking fault she has no parents!"
“Hermione!” Harry's tone was uncharacteristically sharp. “Stop it. If it's anyone's fault it's Tom fucking Riddles, the adults who didn't help when they should have and the arsehole that was driving the other car. It is not yours!”
“I didn't give them a choice,” she mumbled, her lip wobbling.
“No. But Tom and Dumbledore didn't give you one either. Yes, you could have spoken to them, but they'd never have agreed and they'd be dead.”
“They're dead anyway,” she whispered, making him flinch at the broken tone of her voice.
“Not in the way they would have been if Tom's followers had got them,” he reminded her gently.
“Tom…” Auror Keith interjected, “You're calling You-know-who Tom?”
Harry shrugged, “It's his name. No one names their baby Voldemort for Merlin's sake.”
“Tom,” he repeated, sounding dazed. “Right.”
“The baby, Auror Keith,” he prompted.
“Right I…you're sure Miss Granger? Only…I don't imagine it's been an easy few months,” Hermione's laugh bordered on hysterical, gamely, the auror continued, “and if you’ll forgive me, you don't look particularly well.”
“Yes well lack of food and the cruciatus curse will do that to you,” she muttered. “Just…just bring her here. Please. I’ll figure it out.”
“Miss Granger..."
“Auror Keith,” Harry sighed, “Bring Hermione her sister. We are not without support.”
He sighed, but nodded, knowing he wasn't winning this argument, not against Harry Potter of all people. He'd just reached the door when Hermione called to him, turning slowly, he waited for her to speak. “What's her name?”
“Oh. Octavia, I believe.”
“Antony and Cleopatra,” she mumbled, “they stuck to the theme I suppose. Auror Keith?," he turned again, "What happened to my parents' bodies?”
“They were buried by members of the community they lived in,” he offered a sympathetic smile. “I’ll get the location for you.”
“I won't ask if you're ok,'' Harry said once the door was closed. Hermione let out a derisive snort.
“Thanks ever so much,” she muttered.
“Don't be a bitch,” he chided with no real censure.
“No?” she scoffed, “How would you like me to be?”
“Hermione,” he sighed, forcing her chin up to look at him. “Talk to me.”
“And say what? That I hate myself? That I'm angry? and ….sad but that doesn't seem like a big enough word and…fucking terrified. What the fuck do I know about babies Harry?”
“We’ll figure it out.”
“Will we?” she retorted sharply. “How?”
“I…I Mrs Weasely….”
“I know,” she cut him off with a sigh, “And under any other circumstances I'd ask but given…”
He flushed, not needing her to finish her sentence. Given that she’d chosen him over Ron. Given that they'd grown closer than was probably healthy after Ron had left them. Given that he’d realised that as much as Ginny was amazing, she wasn't for him. Given that despite their attempts at appearances and reassurances, neither of the youngest Weasleys were taking it overly well. They were trying, but the hurt was painfully apparent. He had to hope that with time they'd come around.
“Remus is reasonably adult.” he offered with a shrug, making her snort.
“Remus has a new baby of his own.” she countered.
“And now Teddy can grow up with a friend.” he paused. “What ah…will you just be her guardian?”
“And her sister.”
So you won't...”
Hermione's expression softened, knowing what he was trying to say. “I don't know,” she admitted finally. “Don't you think it's different? I won't…I won't be like the Dursleys.”
“Merlin Hermione of course you won't!” he exclaimed “I just…even with Sirius I didn't feel like I completely belonged,” he shrugged helplessly, not quite having the words to explain how untethered he'd felt his entire life. Hermione wound her arms around his waist, her head resting on his stomach, not needing the words to understand. “I think about it,” she whispered.
He hummed, his hand working its way through her curls, beginning to massage the base of her neck in tiny soothing circles with his thumb and index finger. “It will be alright.”
“I hope so,” she mumbled.
The sound of incessant crying drew their attention to the door and they pulled apart seconds before Auror Keith walked in looking uncomfortable with the flailing child, all but throwing her at Hermione.
Moving on instinct from half-forgotten memories of baby cousins, Hermione stood, manoeuvring the tiny girl onto her shoulder, bouncing her slightly, murmuring low soothing nonsense in a constant stream until the crying tapered off with a whimpered sigh and the baby finally settled, leaving them all breathing a sigh of relief.
“We’ll need you to sign here, Miss Granger. And provide an address for someone to come and check on you.”
Hermione froze. “That might be..challenging.”
“Why?” Auror Keith arched a brow.
“I live in a secret-kept house. A secret kept house we intend to remain secret kept given the….invasiveness of some people.”
Pulling a face, Auror Keith conceded her point. “Could access be arranged another way?”
Hermione frowned. “How?”
“Elves.”
“AH. I ah…maybe.” she conceded. “Winky.”
“The mistress wants winky?” the tiny elf looked up at her hopefully.
Hermione bit back a sigh, not entirely on board with owning an elf, despite knowing that they needed magic and being able to see the dramatic change in her. “Winky if need be can you bring someone through the wards at home without them knowing the address?”
Winky paused, “With the Mistress's permission.” she admitted slowly.
“Ok. Well. Auror Keith, I imagine that answers that.”
“I’ll discuss it with the Department then Miss Granger. If you sign here.”
Hermione flinched slightly at the feeling of the blood quill, her name glowing gold. “Is that everything?”
“Yes, Miss Granger, you're free to go.”
“The mistress is giving Winky a little miss to look after?” Winky checked, the words bursting from her, her entire body vibrating with excitement.
Carefully, Hermione crouched down, manoeuvring her now sleeping sister down from her shoulder. “This is Octavia. She's my sister.”
“Oh,” Winky breathed, running a careful finger down the baby's downy cheek. “Winky is sorting a nursery.”
Hermione blinked slightly as she disappeared with a sharp crack, behind her Harry let out a huff of laughter. “Let's go home love,” he pulled her carefully to her feet, peering at the baby in her arms. “Looks like she’ll have your curls.”
“Poor soul,” Hermione muttered.
“Oi! I like your curls.” he tugged on one, making her smile faintly.
“Yes well, your sanity is often called into question, Potter, so….”
His eyes narrowed briefly before his expression cleared, “I hope you’ll remember that it's all your fault when I buy her her first broom before she can walk as payback for that.”
Hermione's eyes widened in horror. “Don't you dare!” she breathed.
Harry's laughter bounced down the corridor as she raced out after him, calling a hasty goodbye to the smiling Auror.
Sirius was waiting on them at the floo, his eyebrows hitting his hairline as he took them in. “Explains Winky's mutterings,” he mumbled finally. “Anyone going to actually explain?”
“She's my sister.” Hermione sighed.
“Your.” he froze, understanding flooding his face, “Oh Kitten.” Harry hastily took the baby as Sirius wrapped Hermione in a hug, feeling her sag against him as she began to sob.
“What are you going to do?” Sirius checked into the silence when she’d finally calmed down.
“I don't know.”
He hummed. “You have options,” he reminded her gently.
“But Harry…”
“Has the Potter Line to worry about.” he looked down at her shrewdly, “Something I imagine you’ll help with.”
“And you…”
“Are too old to adopt a baby, even if I wanted to.”
“No, you're not! And what about Tonks?”
“Doesn't want it,” he shrugged. “She's agreed to be added back into the family for Teddy's sake, but she doesn't want anything to do with any of the rest of it. You, though, Kitten, you could take the name and turn it into something worthwhile. Use it and the vaults to force the world to do your bidding. Don't say it doesn't appeal.”
“Of course it does! But my name shouldn't matter.”
“No, it shouldn't but change takes time. You could force it to take a little bit less.”
“And her.” she nodded at the baby in Harry's arms.
“I imagine it depends on what you decide to do with her,” Sirius replied carefully.
“It feels like erasing them.”
“It's not,” Sirius argued. “We’ll have pictures, and you can tell her about them, we’ll incorporate your traditions but, Kitten, the Black name will give her protection.” he shrugged suddenly, “And I’ll admit that it gives me perverse pleasure to know that the Black name is being continued by two muggleborn witches because let's not pretend that any kid raised by you isn't going to be terrifying and capable of keeping all the prejudiced old arseholes in line.”
Harry snorted, looking down at Octavia, “Do you hear that?” he murmured, “You're going to be as fierce as your big sister.” The tiny girl opened one eye before resolutely closing it, making him smile.
“Can I think about it?”
Course, you can Kitten,” he agreed easily. Dropping a fond kiss onto her wild curls. “Now, I think Harry's getting jealous,” he nudged her, “give me my…”
“Granddaughter if you get your way,” Hermione taunted.
Sirius paled. “Absolutely not. Niece. Or…something. I’ll be your big brother,” he shuddered, “Not your dad, I'm not old enough! And I'm definitely not old enough to be a grandfather.”
With a badly concealed snort of laughter, Harry deposited the still sleeping Octavia into Sirius' waiting arms, tugging Hermione to him, guiding her onto the sofa so he could wrap his arms around her, barely repressing his sigh of relief when she burrowed into him.
“So. thoughts,” Harry murmured, cuddling her close several hours later, Octavia sound asleep in a hastily acquired crib next to their bed.
“I don't know,” Hermione whispered, turning to face him despite the darkness.
“Do you want my opinion or do you want me to keep my mouth shut?” he checked.
Hermione snorted softly, “who knew months in a tent was what it would take for Harry Potter to finally grow up,” she taunted.
“Merlin you are bitchy tonight. If there wasn't a baby in the room I'd put you over my knee, Granger.”
He heard her slightly sharp inhale and smirked, “You've been spending too much time with Sirius,” she grumbled, making him laugh quietly, mindful of the baby.
“Don't pretend you don't enjoy the results of those chats,” he murmured. “Now be a good girl and actually tell me what you're thinking.”
“Arse,” she muttered with no real heat, before she sighed, burrowing closer. He waited knowing she’d talk when she was ready, content to wait her out as he drew lazy lines up and down the length of her spine. “Do you really think that changing my name will make a difference?”
“No,” he admitted slowly, “Or not in terms of how people see you. But it will get you into those places you currently can't access, like the Wizengamot, and it gives you both money and the backing of an old House.”
She hummed, “It feels like taking the easy way out,” she admitted, “Especially given everything we've just fought for. Doesn't it make me a sell-out?”
“No.” he contradicted sharply. “But if you feel truly guilty, why not get a group of muggleborns together, you can be their spokesperson on the Wizengamot, push for the changes that need to happen. You're going to do it anyway, this just cuts out the middleman and the hours you'd have to spend coaching Sirius.”
He felt her nod against his chest., “And Octavia?”
“It's your choice. Whatever you choose she's going to be recognised. I…you know I'd chose the security of indisputable family over the alternative but you're her sister regardless. I just…I can't imagine how I'd have felt if Sirius had children of his own.”
“Oh Harry. I…”
“No that wasn't a hint. I mean biologically. I know how I felt with the Dursleys and I know it's different, but wherever I was, I’d always been the odd one out. She…she doesn't have to be.”
“Christ,” she muttered.
“You don't need to make the decision now, love,” he murmured, “Take a few weeks, months, whatever. You have time.”
“Do you think she’ll hate me for it?” Hermione whispered. “Eventually. When I have to explain why they died.”
“No,” he retorted sharply, pulling her closer at the feeling of her tears on his skin, “You did the best you could in an incredibly shitty situation. She’ll understand. We’ll make sure of it.”
Saying nothing, Hermione let herself cry, knowing that if nothing else, after everything they'd gone through, he'd be there.