Time Again (Completed)

Chapter 39

The total silence that had fallen on the room was broken by a loud gasp from Richard "Dad!" was all that he said as he stared at the Bishop.

"Colin found him wandering up and down the lane, I wasn't sure about what to do," Dig said as the silence fell again.

"You did the right thing Dig," Hermione said as she shuffled to sit up a little more comfortably. "Hello Grand Father," she said in a rather stiff slightly scared voice.

"I…, he…, er…, the…, I wanted to see my grand daughter," the bishop said haltingly as he approached the bed with his hand held out in a formal way.

Every one stepped aside as they gave him room to reach Hermione, he stood next to the bed his hand still out stretched, his face stiff and his lips held in a tight line. Hermione could see fear behind the mans eyes as he looked down at her, she could almost feel the discomfort he was feeling as he stood there his hand still held out to her. Suddenly Hermione could see regret and pain in the old mans eye and she reached out and took hold of his offered hand with both of hers, she turned his hand over and pulled gently on it forcing him to lean forward over the bed, "I'm glad you came granddad, thank you," she said smiling at him.

She saw him relax just a little as she changed the formal greeting into a friendlier one; he was obviously not expecting a warm welcome, she thought as she held onto him for a few seconds longer. "You should say hello to your great grandson and daughter," she smiled as she nodded to her new borns.

Her words seemed to touch something inside him as his face relaxed into a small smile, without warning he leant even closer and enfolded Hermione in his arms, "I should explain," he said as she returned his embrace.

Harry watched as his family put the babies back into their mothers arms then as one they left the room, leaving just Harry watching as the bishop stared down at his great grandchildren, he mimed to Hermione that he was going to fetch a cup of tea and would return soon, she nodded to him in understanding as he too left the room. Turning to her grandfather Hermione awkwardly patted the bed next to her "We should talk, don't you think," she said as he looked down at her hand.

"I've made some really terrible mistakes," the bishop said as he sat on the bed next to Hermione, "I was overzealous when I was younger, and it led me to making some of the worst mistakes a man could make," the bishop began.

"We should talk of the future granddad and not dwell on past mistakes, if we put the past behind us where it belongs we can enjoy being a family," Hermione told him as she gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

The bishop took a deep breath, then looking at the floor similar to the way Harry did when he was embarrassed, he began to speak.

"I have had two unusual experiences in the past few months, the first one I was told by what sounded like a young mans voice, that I should meet you, the second one I had a visit from… well I'm not sure what he was, he had a long flowing white beard, he told me you would understand, said I was being given a second chance to be with my family thanks to your husband, he told me I should visit you, left me the address, that's how I knew where you live but I couldn't find the house, I should have visited you weeks ago but to be honest I was frightened you might turn me away, I've not exactly been a very nice person that's why I have retired, I wasn't doing a very good job of being a bishop, I was worried you would not want to see me, I hope your father can also find it in him self to forgive me."