Positive (Completed)

Chapter 16: Battle

Hermione, Arabella, Kit, Torry, who had Crookshanks, and Lynch landed safely on the ground in a house. Hermione looked at her surroundings ans smiled, knowing exactly where she was.

Grimmauld Place. It was heavily guarded. Kreacher was no longer a spy, Sirius made sure of it as he monitored the house elf's every step. The gangly house elf came to Lynch and took Hermione and Arabella's belongings that they had packed before they left. He brought them upstairs into an empty room. Arabella looked around the house, a little frightened of the gloominess and darkness of it.

"Mummy, I don't like this place very much," she said sadly to her.

Hermione pulled her closer and said, "I know, I didn't like this place either the first time I came here. But you know what? It's safe. We won't be found here. We'll go home when the war's over."

Arabella looked at a house elf head that reminded her of pictures of taxidermy that she saw in a book once. "You promise?" she asked looking at it disgusted.

Hermione smiled. "I promise."

"Hermione! Arabella! You two are alright!" came a familiar voice. Hermione turned and saw her parents running to them. She held out her free arm, the one that was not holding her daughter, and hugged her mother tight. Her father came in and hugged her once Charlotte let go.

"Grammy! Gramps!" Arabella cried smiling at them.

Charlotte was crying. "The guards at our house had gotten word that Death Eaters were at the Manor. We were immediately brought here about five minutes ago. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. We both are. I was hit, but Arabella protected me," Hermione gazed lovingly at her daughter, who blushed, but grinned.

Charlotte and Jacob looked confused. "We'll tell you later. Right now, someone needs to go to bed." She looked at Arabella and Kreacher brought them to their room. Torry followed with the family cat. Kreacher thought it would have been best if mother and child would share a room after what happened tonight.

Since Arabella was already in her pajamas, she just laid her in the bed and gave her Peter to hold. Torry set Crookshanks on the bed. He curled up into Arabella's side, warming her with his fluffy fur. She giggled a bit as it tickled her skin. "I will go and meets Kit now, miss."

"Okay, thank you, Torry." And their house elf was gone.

Hermione tucked her in the bed. She sat on the edge as she did not want to leave her if she was awake. And she knew that Arabella didn't want her to leave as well. Arabella was getting a little tired from all the magic she used tonight. Protecting her mother had drained her a little. Arabella reached up and stroked her mother's chin. Hermione closed her eyes at her touch. "I'm happy you are okay, Mummy."

"I'm happy you're okay. Are you? That must have drained your magic a bit," she asked taking her wandering hand and holding it in hers.

The little girl nodded. "A bit."

"Arabella," she laid down next to her on the other side. "I want to thank you for saving me. I know you tried to save me before when you were in my tummy, but you didn't succeed."

Arabella nodded. "No one hurts you, Mummy. I don't want them to. It hurts me." A tear rolled down her cheek and Hermione wiped it away with a kiss and held her tight in her arms. After a while, she heard her even breathing and knew that she was asleep.