A Loving Reunion

14

Hermione had pins her mouth while she designed some new dresses, the motivation was striking and she knew she wouldn't focus on anything else

"Hermione?"

Hermione broke out of concentration and furrowed her eyebrows

"Katherine?" She asked mumbled, she quickly removed the needles and put them in a pin cushion before leaving the studio

Katherine stood by the entrance, she was gripping her bag like a vice and looked very nervous

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked

"Yes everything is fine, I-I was wondering if y-you wanted to get some...coffee?" Katherine hesitated

"I don't drink coffee" Hermione said

"Oh"

"But I do drink tea" Hermione smiled

Katherine returned her smile

"I know a good cafe near here and they offer the best biscuits, if I recall correctly, you had a thing for caramel" Katherine said

Hermione nodded

She removed her work glasses and grabbed her coat

"Lead the way"

The two women reached a small book cafe hidden in the wall, they took their seats at the back of the cafe and sipped on their coffee and tea

Neither spoke up because neither knew what to say, they were familiar strangers to say the least

"So..." Katherine trailed off "Lyra takes after you" she stated

"She does, Danny seems to have your sense of fashion"

"Sometimes, her wardrobe consists of sweatpants and leggings"

Hermione chuckled

"Speaking of fashion, how did you get into it? I remember that you didn't care about it" Katherine said

Hermione played with her wedding ring

"When I was younger, I used to doodle a lot — still do as my husband states every so often — anyways I had a ball at my school and I needed to get a dress, I passed this store and I saw this seamstress making a dress from scratch, I just watched as she worked with such...ease, the way she would focus on making sure every stitch was perfect, it was like me with my assignments, I fell in love with it and I started fixing a torn shirt here or there, and every opportunity I had I would visit this seamstress" Hermione explained "I would start doodling dresses on my notes and on the edges of my books — shocking I know — I learned how take measurements, anyway, close to the ball, the seamstress approached me and gave me the dress she had been working on with a pin cushion, apparently she had noticed that I had been fascinated with it and told me to go for it"

"I've seen your dresses Hermione, do you design all of them?"

"Every single one, granted now I have people working for me I couldn't possibly make every single dress but every design is mine"

"They're lovely, Lyra showed us your private collection and—I know you already figured it out, they don't call you the brightest witch of the age for nothing Hermione" Katherine said

"Why haven't you said anything?" Hermione asked

"Because I remember how I treated you when we were younger...I couldn't bear the fact that you would have judged me and called me a hypocrite when my daughter turned out to be a witch" Katherine sighed

"You raised her well Kathy" Hermione smiled

"Sometimes I feel like a failed her, I don't know anything about the wizarding world Hermione, she wants to be an potioneer like her father and I'm panicking Hermione, I lost Vincent and I can't lose my little girl Hermione, I'm a just no-maj, I don't know my daughter's life, Vincent died before her first outburst and I've been doing this alone but I—"

"And you've been doing brilliant Katherine, you're working with what you have Kathy and you're making it work, and you're doing it alone, do you have any idea how strong you are Katherine? You're beyond powerful, you're being a wonderful mother, I see how Daniella confides in you, you're her mother and her best friend, don't ever underestimate yourself Katherine"

Katherine sniffed and wiped her eyes

"Do you really think so?" She whispered

"I do" Hermione confirmed

"I'm really sorry Hermione for the way I treated you when we were younger, I just...I just wanted Elaine to like me...it wasn't fair to you, and I'm sorry I made you cry all those times"

"And I'm sorry I almost killed you"

Katherine and Hermione laughed

Elaine sighed and patted her forehead

"I'm so glad you came Hermione, I've missed you"

Hermione smiled softly

"We have a lot of time to make up for"

.

The two women entered the hotel and were catching up

"Do you want to meet Draco?" Hermione asked

Katherine smiled and nodded

They entered the lift and made their way up

"— I helped Andromeda raise Teddy, anyways one day he and Scorpius were on their bikes — Teddy and Scorpius were always close — and then I just hear Scorp cry out and bolt out the door, he had fallen and scraped his knee, I got close and saw Teddy rip off a piece of his shirt and wrap it around his injury, mind you this was his favourite shirt, and I just saw as Teddy hugged him and began soothing his cries, later when I was making him some cake I asked how Scorpius was, and he said 'my little brother is okay now' I bawled my eyes out" Hermione laughed

"Oh what an angel" Katherine giggled

"When Danny was little, she used to have this stuffed toy that she would take everywhere with her, one day she spilled pudding on it and I needed to wash it, so I waited until until she took a nap and then placed her toy into the machine, she woke up and hour early and padded into the laundry room and asked me for the toy, when I told her that it was being washed she held her breath, she used to it all the time, when she noticed that I wasn't giving her the toy, she got furious and the next thing I know, there is soap everywhere, water spilled on the floor and the machine was split in half, when I got the replacement, the worker asked me what happened and Danny gave me her most innocent smile while she held the soaked bear"

The two women laughed as the exited the lift and entered the pent house

"Draco I'm back" Hermione called out

Draco walked into the entrance hall with three files and his reading glasses on

"Love, the reports for last year finally came in and I—who are you?" Draco asked

"Katherine Chapman"

"Chapman? You wouldn't happen to have been married to Vincent Chapman?" Draco asked

"Yes he was my husband...how did you know him?" Katherine asked

"Pureblood" Hermione responded "purebloods are related to everyone" she explained

Draco glared at her while she giggled

"I'm sorry for your loss" Draco said after a moment

"Thank you" Katherine whispered "and I'm glad to finally meet you" she said and extended her hand, Draco shook it before going to stand beside his wife

"It has been nice to meet you too, Hermione has had me locked up in here for days now" Draco smirked

"Have not!" Hermione gasped

Katherine giggled quietly

"She has always been bad at sharing, haven't you Hermione?" Katherine teased

Hermione stuck her tongue out at her while Draco and Katherine laughed

She was happy to have finally reconnected with someone from her family, out of her two cousins, Katherine was always the nicest to her