Hermione Papadakis

Years later

" Mamma!" The guests will start arriving and nothing is ready!

Hermione smiled as she heard her daughter's panicked voice echoing through the house. With a patience acquired over the years, she replied in a reassuring tone:

" Calm down, Sophie. Everything will be ready in time, don't worry. Giorgis and Marcos are about to arrive with what we are missing.

As if to confirm his words, a Jeep appeared at the end of the dusty road that led to the property. On board, two men waved their hands in greeting before parking the vehicle in front of the house.

But it was no longer a simple farm. The former Papadakis property had been transformed over the years, reborn under the warm name of "Chez Sophie", a charming rustic-style guest house.

With her savings and a lot of work, Hermione had invested in the renovation of the family building. With the help of the inhabitants of the village, she had transformed the place into a place of life and celebrations. From then on, "Chez Sophie" was the beating heart of the island, hosting weddings, baptisms and all kinds of festivities.

The old barn, once abandoned, had been converted into a vast reception room where people danced until the end of the night under the dim lights. The main house had adapted to its new vocation: the ground floor now housed a friendly restaurant, while the six rooms, spread over the two floors, offered a peaceful refuge to passing visitors.

For couples in search of romance, an outbuilding had been transformed into a sumptuous bridal suite, very popular with newlyweds who came to celebrate their union on this enchanting island.

However, despite all the work done, the biggest upheaval in Hermione's life had not been the transformation of the farm, but the birth of her daughter, Sophie.

This child, this ray of sunshine, had given a whole new meaning to her existence. As she watched her excitedly busy preparing for the upcoming party, Hermione felt a surge of pride and love. She may not have followed the path that would have been expected of her, but here on this light-drenched Greek island, she had found her true home.

Flashback

It had now been two months since Hermione had left England for Greece. The renovation of her new house was progressing slowly, and although the comfort was still spartan, she now had the minimum necessary to live decently. And it suited him perfectly.

The work progressed at the pace of the arrival of materials. The island being isolated from the mainland, we had to wait for the weekly ferry, the only link with modern civilization. Everything went through him: orders, deliveries, and sometimes even news from elsewhere.

The organization of the village was very different from what Hermione had known in England. Here, there are no large chain stores or instant services. If a resident needed something, all he had to do was go to the port counter, where a register listed all the orders of the villagers. These were sent with the ferry to the mainland and, hopefully, the goods were delivered when they returned the following week.

Many residents used this system to obtain medicines or basic necessities. At first, Hermione had been completely disoriented. Accustomed to the continent's fast and easy way of consuming, she had to learn to anticipate her needs and plan ahead.

But, against all odds, this return to basics did him a world of good. Very quickly, she found her rhythm and adapted to this new way of life. The village had a small grocery store for basic products. Every morning, the fishermen sold their catch of the day, and every week, a market brought together producers from the surrounding islands, allowing the inhabitants to stock up on fresh products.

Thanks to Sofia, Hermione learned the basics of local cuisine. Her pantry from the early days was quickly exhausted, so she had no choice but to learn how to cook with local ingredients. It was a revelation: here, people did not cook simply to eat, but for the pleasure of flavours and sharing.

In addition to his culinary apprenticeship, Sofia offered him a job in her small bar. As she grew older, the old woman struggled to manage too many customers, and Hermione's arrival was a real blessing for her.

The salary was not high, but it allowed Hermione to preserve her savings, which was not negligible with the mountain of work she still had to accomplish. And above all, this work allowed her to integrate even more into the life of the village, to forge links, and to feel, little by little, truly at home.

Hermione had been feeling unwell for several days. Persistent fatigue, inexplicable nausea, a feeling of constant discomfort that she struggled to explain. Sofia, worried, came every day to take care of herself, taking care of the young woman as if she were her own daughter. In time, the old woman had ended up adopting her by heart, watching over her with an almost maternal tenderness.

" Kóri mou (my daughter), you really don't get any better..." I brought you some broth, it will help your stomach.

Hermione gave a tired smile and grabbed the bowl gratefully.

" Efcharistó (thank you), Sofia... I feel like I ate a fish that is not fresh.

Sofia looked at her with a mixture of gentleness and attention, and then, after a pause, she asked a question that surprised Hermione.

"Listen, my darling, I don't want to meddle in what doesn't concern me. but did you leave a boyfriend at home?

Hermione raises the tête, confused.

"Why a boyfriend?"

Sofia let out a slight sigh and approached, gently taking the young woman's hand in hers.

" Kóri mou, look at me and answer frankly. Are you late?

Hermione's heart missed a beat. She opened her mouth to answer, but no sound came out. Slowly, she scrolled through the days in her head, counting, recounting... before suddenly turning pale.

— Sofia... You think that... ?

"Seeing how you have become whiter than a ghost, it is a strong possibility," replied the old woman gently. Don't worry, rest. I'll come back at the end of the day to remove any doubts. In the meantime, eat your soup, you're going to need it.

Then she left the room, leaving Hermione alone and distraught on the couch.

Instinctively, the young woman placed a trembling hand on her still flat stomach. Her thoughts swirled, bringing to the surface memories that she had not allowed to impose on herself until now. Before he left London, there had been... one night. Only one night, engraved in his memory.

A thin smile of melancholy stretched her lips as a silent tear rolled down her cheek.

"It seems as if your other relative has left me a memory of him." she whispered in a breath.

That same evening, the doubts were dispelled. Sofia returned with a doctor from a neighboring island. The old woman, using all her influence, had managed to get him to come as quickly as possible, aware of Hermione's emotional urgency.

In the quiet of the living room of the old Greek farmhouse, under the flickering glow of an oil lamp, the doctor's small portable ultrasound machine was placed on Hermione's belly.

Then, a sound fills the room. A fast, tiny, fragile beat... and yet so alive.

The heart of a child.

Hermione burst into tears, unable to contain the emotion that came over her. At his side, Sofia discreetly wiped away a tear, overwhelmed by the same tenderness that a grandmother would feel when she discovered a new being to love.

At that very moment, Hermione understood that her life had changed forever.

Months passed, and Sofia watched over Hermione with maternal attention, never leaving her alone for too long. The entire village became involved in the preparations, considering the arrival of this baby as a real blessing. The work was accelerated to ensure a comfortable living environment for the mother-to-be and her unborn child.

Some nights, however, Hermione couldn't help but let a few tears flow. The pain of losing her parents grew stronger as her pregnancy progressed. They would never know the joy of being grandparents, they would never hold that baby in their arms. But every time sadness threatened to engulf her, Sofia appeared, as if she felt her grief from a distance. With a word, a gesture, she always knew how to soothe Hermione, reminding her that she was not alone.

When the birth became imminent, Sofia made the decision to move in with Hermione. As the island had neither a doctor nor a hospital, it was obvious that the birth would take place at home. But Sofia had anticipated everything. With the help of the other women in the village, she had gathered everything necessary to welcome this child in the best possible conditions.

And so, on a sweet Valentine's Day, Hermione gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, surrounded by Sofia and several women from the village, who watched over her with kindness.

When the baby's first cry echoed through the house, an emotional silence set in, before being replaced by smiles and tears of joy.

Sofia, her eyes shining with emotion, approached the young mother who held her newborn baby close to her, her eyes filled with infinite love.

" What is this beautiful little girl going to be called?" Sofia asked softly, looking at Hermione and her child with tenderness.

Hermione looked up at her and, without hesitation, replied with an emotional smile:

— Sophie, in honor of her adopted grandmother.

Sofia brought a trembling hand to her mouth, upset by this choice she hadn't seen coming.

" Oh, Hermione... I... I don't know what to say, it's...

Hermione gave him a knowing smile and whispered, with tears in her eyes:

"Then don't say anything... and come and take her in your arms.

With infinite delicacy, Sofia stretched out her hands and took little Sophie against her, gently rocking her, overwhelmed by emotion. At that precise moment, a new bond had just been born.

In the peaceful stillness of the night, Hermione stepped out onto the porch of her house, her little daughter snuggled to her chest. The light breeze caressed her face, blending the smell of the sea with the sweet scents of wildflowers.

With her arms clasped around her child, the young woman let out silent tears, overwhelmed by a wave of emotions that she struggled to contain. This fragile little being, nestled against her, was now her whole world.

In a soft, almost trembling voice, she murmured:

" You look so much like her, my darling.

She brushed her baby's cheek with her fingertips, fascinated by his delicate features, his peaceful breathing.

" I hope you will forgive me one day for having deprived you of your other relative."

A discreet sob escaped her as she looked down at Sophie, asleep against her, oblivious to the weight of her mother's decisions.

" But it's better for you," she whispered. The magical world does not bring anything good...

The night wind gently lifted her hair, carrying these words into the darkness. Hermione wasn't sure she could believe it entirely, but she clung to it with the hope that, far from everything she had known, her daughter could grow up in peace, free from the darkness of the past.

Unfortunately, reality quickly thwarted Hermione's plans.

Early on, little Sophie brought out her magical heritage, and it was during an episode of spontaneous magic, when she was only two years old, that Hermione discovered Sofia's secret.

The old lady was not a simple Muggle. She was a Squib, as were many of the island's inhabitants, including Hermione's own family.

Sofia then revealed to him the history of the Papadakis, an ancient and powerful line of Greek sorcerers. But Hermione's grandfather, Nikos Papadakis, was born Craf, which made him an outcast in the eyes of his family. Rejected, banished, he had to leave his family, condemned to live in exile.

In the course of his travels, he met Elena Papadopoulos, a Muggle-born witch. Together, they decided to settle on this isolated island and build a haven of peace for all those who were rejected by the magical world.

Here, there was only one rule: everyone could find refuge there, on the sole condition that they did not use magic and lived like Muggles.

When their daughter, Hermione's mother, came into the world, it was a huge relief for Nikos and Elena to discover that she was also a squib. This meant that she could grow up far from the dangers of the magical world, in a simple and peaceful life.

But fate decided otherwise.

Because Sophie had inherited the magic of both her parents. And worse still, she was precocious.

After revealing the hidden history of the island, Sofia handed Hermione a small necklace, set with a beautiful blue stone.

"This necklace is a magic channeler." If you make Sophie wear it, it will block her powers.

Hermione took the object between her fingers, her heart pounding fast.

"Thank you, Sofia. You save our lives.

But the old woman shook her head gently.

"Listen to me, kóri mou." You shouldn't limit it... But you're his mother, so do as you want.

Hermione clenched her jaw, her thoughts swirling.

"The magical world is too dangerous. I would have preferred to remain a simple Muggle... There's no way I'm going to inflict this on my daughter.

Sofia heaved a deep sigh before meeting his gaze with gravity.

"As you wish..." But the world isn't full of Voldemort around every corner.

Hermione shuddered at the name.

"Yes, I am aware of your exploits, Miss Granger," added Sofia, in a soft but firm voice. We may be lost in the middle of nowhere, but the news always reaches us eventually.

A silence weighed between them.

"What you have accomplished with your friends is inhuman. Dumbledore should never have given this task to children.

Hermione looked away, unable to support the truth she already knew all too well.

"But you have given your daughter a safe world," Sofia continued. So don't deprive her of her inheritance.

Hermione swallowed her saliva with difficulty.

"I will think about it." But for now... help me to put the collar on him."

Sofia let out a resigned sigh, before gently taking the jewel from Hermione's hands.

At that precise moment, a choice had just been made. But for how long...?