To America

“Hermione” as the elevators fully open she sees none other than Ginny, with her beautiful red hair and a smile stretched from ear to ear. “Oh my Godric I didn’t know you were coming, why didn’t you tell me you were coming, its been how many years, oh my I can’t believe you’re here, how are you here” 

“Ginny”

”I mean I figured I’d get a rise out of you in a letter but not have you come in person…”

”Ginny”

”Like how are you here, where did you go, how have you been, I have so many ”GINNY”

Ginny looked taken back for a second after having Hermione yell at her. She then seemed to notice the two small children holding each of Hermione’s hands. Ginny looked at the kids then back at Hermione, back at the kids, and once more back at Hermione this time with tears in her eyes. 

“You’re a mother” Ginny whispers, not able to contain her excitement, she grabs Hermione into a hug and can’t seem to let go for a whole minute, thinking she’d disappear with those beautiful curly haired children never to be seen again.

”Ginny, I’d like you to meet my daughter Lyra and my son Leo.” Hermione looks down at her kids and back to Ginny, “this is your Aunt Ginny.”

Lyra is the first to speak up “mommy tells stories about Aunt Ginny at bedtime” then she lets go of Hermione’s hand, walks up to Ginny and wraps her arms around her legs and gives her a big hug. At this point Ginny can’t hold back the tears and starts crying. She leans down to pick Lyra up and holds her tight to her chest.

“Lyra wipe away sad tears, no more crying Aunt Ginny” at that, the adults chuckle “these aren’t sad tears sweat Lyra, these are happy tears, seeing you, your brother and your mom makes me beyond happy, and I know once Uncle Harry wakes up, he’s going to have happy tears too.”

”Ginny, where is Harry, I would like to speak to his healer and see if there is anything I can do to help, it is why I rushed here after all.”

”Of course follow me this way” Ginny lead them down the hall and into their private room. Hermione couldn’t help but rush to the side of Harry’s bed and hold his unconscious hand. It felt much colder than it ever has and that sent a chill down Hermione’s spine.

”Lyra, Leo I need to go talk to a healer can you promise me you’ll stay here with Aunt Gin and behave” Lyra still attached to Ginny’s hip gives her a big smile and nods her head. Leo tugs on his mothers shirt and looks up at her with tears in his eyes.

”Please don’t leave me here mommy, take me with mommy” Leo whispers so only Hermione can here, she picks him up and sets him on her hip, he rests his head on her shoulder, she rubs his back with her free hand as she leaves the room to find the healers.

Astoria wasn’t sure if it was the best decision but she knew that without Draco by her side she wouldn’t see an ounce of the Malfoy wealth, so she told the healers to go ahead and reverse whatever memory charm is on him. They worked on him for 6 hours, untangling the web of memories, trying to weed out the fake ones and make sure the correct ones were in their place.

“Mrs. Malfoy we are finally finished, it will probably take a few hours for him to wake up and be completely aware of what happened. All we ask of you is to keep a calm head and help him through this. We aren’t sure how this will affect him once he wakes.” Healer Stroud said.

”Are you able to tell me what the memories are about that were so important someone had to try to completely wipe them out and replace them’ Astoria was worried that this would change her marriage, Draco had never once wanted her and she knew it, but one random day he came over with the signed contract saying he didn’t want to wait to marry. He took her up to the ministry and they had a very simple party after with just their family. She knew Narcissa didn’t like her and wouldn’t spend all her time planning an extravagant wedding, but thought she would at least try to talk her son into doing something better than getting married in the dingy ministry. She was pulled out of her thoughts, remembering the Healer was talking to her.

”—against patient confidentiality, sorry Mrs. Malfoy”

”No its alright, I’m sure he’ll me once he wakes” and with that the healer leaves her alone with her husband and his many secrets.

As Astoria watches the hours go by and her husband has still yet to wake up, she decides to go out of the room and find a healer, as she enters the hallway she see’s a witch she hasn’t seen since 1999, Hermione Granger. And it seems she has a child, but no ring on either finger, figures a mudblood would go even further and have a child out of wedlock.

”Ms. Granger, what a surprise, thought you fled the country, now I see why”

Hermione turns around to see none other than Astoria, one of the main reasons she left and someone she was hoping to avoid.

”Astoria lovely to see you” she practically spits out at her. “I’m not sure you’d believe the story even if I told you, which I wont, I dont even know you. But since it seems you have nothing proactive to say I think you should walk away so I can continue my conversation with Healer Stroud here.”

”Well actually I need to speak to Healer Stroud as well.” She said with her arms settled on her hips and her right foot tapping ridiculously loud.”

”One second Hermione” the healer gives her a look she knows all to well and turns to Astoria. “Mrs. Malfoy what can I do for you this time?”

”My husband has yet to wake up and its been hours since you fiddled with his brain, I just want to know what there is that you can do to make this go by faster?”

”Well actually, we have the most awarded mind healer in this hospital at this moment and I’m sure she wouldn’t mind taking a look” he looks over at Hermione and winks “Miss Granger, would you mind taking a look in room 6015 for us that would be great, young Mr. Malfoy was in the accident with Mr. Potter and seems to have some sort of memory block we can’t seem to get him out of enough to wake up.”

All the color drains from Hermione’s face and she grips her son even tighter “once I’m done with Harry I can take a look” she said faster than she meant to. This was bad, this was very bad. No one was supposed to know she came back, especially not the Malfoy family. If senior Malfoy were to find out she knows he will go looking for her parents, though he wont be able to find them this time, but doesn’t mean he wont try. Hermione needs to think of a plan and fast.

”Oh that would be wonderful thank you Miss Granger, now Mrs. Malfoy please go back to your husbands room and wait for Hermione there, I’m not sure how long it will take but I’m sure she’ll be by some time tonight.” And with that Astoria walks back towards Draco’s room and Healer Stroud goes in the opposite direction, leaving Hermione alone in the middle of the hallway trying to get her thoughts together.

She walks back into Harry’s room and see’s Mrs. and Mr. Weasley sitting in chairs with Lyra in the middle telling them one of her bedtime stories.

”Oh Hermione dear how have we missed you” Molly rushes up and engulfs Hermione and her son in one of her famous hugs, Hermione can’t seem to help the tears that run down her face. She realizes just how much she missed all her friends and family that she left behind in Britain. “And oh don’t you have just some of the cutest children I’ve ever seen, oh besides James and Albus of course. You know I love all my grandchildren just the same” and threw a wink Hermione’s way. 

“Hermione, it’s so good to see you after all this time.” Arthur brings her in for a side hug, opposite of where Leo is currently latched on to.

”It is so good to see you both, I can’t even begin to express how much I’ve miss you both after the past few years.”

”Deary would you like to come to the Burrow for dinner tonight? We could take your kiddos with us now so you can work oh Harry and come and get them after.”

Hermione looked over at Lyra who had the biggest smile on her face, then looked over at Leo who was definitely not as excited as his sister. “Leo baby, would you be okay with going to Mrs. and Mr. Weasleys house while mommy works on Uncle Harry, it shouldn’t take too long. Then I’ll be by to get you and we can go back home okay?” Leo looks at his mom and can see that it would be okay to go with them, he thinks they seem like nice people. And his sister seems really taken with them, so he nods and Hermione gives him a big smile and a kiss to his curls. 

“Come here dear, my name is Molly and I’m sure you’re just going to love the Burrow, your mom sure does” she puts her hands out to take Leo from Hermione’s arm, he’s hesitant at first but seeing how his mom and sister react to her, he thinks it will be okay. Leo wraps his arms around Molly’s neck and nuzzles his face in her hair, just like he does with his mom, and he feels safe.

”Thank you Molly, it means a lot to me, and to see Leo warm up to you like that means a lot, he’s not one to like people right away, and definitely not one for physical contact, so this means more than you know” 

Molly walks up to Hermione and gives her one more hug before she grabs Lyra’s hand and apparates them off the the Burrow.

”You know Mione, you could stay in Britain, I know mom would love to see you and those kids of yours if she could on a daily basis” both the women chuckle knowing Molly would keep them every day if she could.

Hermione slowly exhales “you know why I had to leave Gin, I can’t stay it wouldn’t be safe for any of us. I only came back to help Harry then we go back to America when all this is over.”

Ginny looks over at her husband, knowing its a losing battle and goes to grab Hermione’s hands in hers and looks at her, blue meeting brown.

”You know you are family and we would never let anything happen to you, I just wish things were different. Our kids could’ve grown up together, they could’ve gone to Hogwarts together. And I know its selfish of me but I just wish you could stay.”

At this point, both women are crying and Hermione pulls Ginny in for a hug, rubbing circles on her back trying to stop her tears. “I know….know Ginny…it’s just so…so hard seeing you and…and not be able to stay” Hermione tries to talk but sobs start to come out instead and soon she’s breathing hard and Ginny lead them to the chairs to sit.

”Shhhhh Mione, everything will be okay I promise. You don’t have to stay in order for your family here in Britain to love you, we will always love you know matter what.” Now its Ginny comforting Hermione, trying to get her to tears to stop and her breathing under control. 

After about 30 minutes Hermione’s breathing is back to normal and she finally is able to lift her head up and look at Ginny “I’m sorry for that Gin, I just don’t cry hardly anymore, having to be strong for the twins is more than a full time job and didn’t realize how hard its been on me”

”No need to apologize Mione, it’s good to let it out sometimes, I know I do” and with that they both chuckle.

Hermione stands up and straightens out her shirt and wipes the remaining tears off her face. She makes her way to Harry’s hospital bed and pulls out her wand to cast a quick diagnostic charm. As shes working Ginny steps outside to grab herself and Hermione a cup of tea.

”YOU CAN’T EXPECT ME TO BE OKAY WITH THE FACT THAT THE PAST 5 YEARS OF MY LIFE HAVE BEEN NOTHING BUT A LIE”

”NO ASTORIA, YOU CAN TELL THEM ALL YOU WANT BUT I’M DONE”

”I WILL GIVE YOU 10 SECONDS TO LEAVE THIS ROOM BEFORE I MAKE YOU”

Approximately 4 seconds go by and she sees Astoria, face full of tears, practically running out of what she is guessing would be Draco’s room. Ginny abandons the tea and decides to check on her semi-friend. Over the past 6 years their friend groups have over lapped and now they all hang out regularly together.

knock knock

”Astoria I swear to Salazar if you are trying to come back I suggest you get the hell out of my doorway.”

”Actually mr grumpy pants its me Ginny” and at that he seemed to have calmed down tremendously.

”Ah Ginny to what do I owe the pleasure.”

”Well I was off to get me some tea and heard some obnoxious patient yelling and figured I’d be nosy and see who the git is”

Draco looked over at Ginny and almost snorted, “why are you in the hospital anyway? I know it’s not because you and me are best friends”

”No that we are not” she laughed “but Harry is actually a few doors down and is having some trouble waking up, but hopefully soon”

”That’s good, they finally figured out what was wrong with him”

”Well yes and no, his brain has some swelling in it and said they had to let it heal on its own pace, but there’s someone working on him now as we speak.”

”I thought you said they wanted it to heal on its own?”

”I did say that yes, but as you know Hermione Granger likes to take things in her own hand, and being that she’s one of the best, if not the best head healers of this time, she thought she’d try her wand at it”

Draco seemed to have frozen at the name, he knew she fled the country but before his accident he wasn’t sure why, and he definitely didn’t care. But with all of his old memories back he knows exactly why she left, and now he had the perfect opportunity to make it right.

”Ginny, grab my bag over there and hand me the clothes in it” She looks at him like he’s lost his mind.

”Please Ginny this is important” He may never get this chance again.

”Fine alright, only because I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say please to me before” She goes over to the chair and picks up the bag and hands it to Draco. “Now if you don’t mind I need to get back to my husband”

”Ginny wait! Please let me come with you, just give me two minutes to get dressed.”

”What could you possibly want, why would you come with me?”

”Please Ginny I need to, and I promise to explain everything once we get to the room.”

”Fine, but this better be one hell of an explanation” and with that she waited just outside the door for Draco to get dressed and as soon as he exited his room she led them both to Harrys, wondering what in the world was about to happen. As they entered the room, Draco was stuck staring at his beautiful witch, sweet Salazar did she look amazing. 

“Hermione I hope you don’t mind but I brought company, he was very persistent” 

Hermione takes a break from what she’s doing to turn around and her wand falls to the floor as she sees the tall blonde standing beside Ginny. All of a sudden she feels like the breath has been snatched from her lungs and before she has a chance to say anything, the world goes black.