Chapter 8: Proof

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Monday, March 24, 2008


When Hermione took Rosen to school Monday morning, conversation amongst the other parents hushed upon her arrival at the apparation point.

Wonderful.

She'd been expecting it after the article in the paper that morning. At least it hadn't been a full page spread this time, nor front page attention, but it had still taken up most of the gossip column talking about her Sunday outing with Malfoy. There was a large picture of the two of them at the restaurant with the children, and a smaller one of her scowling at him on the bench in the park. In the few seconds of movement contained by the image, he smirked as soon as she looked away from him.

The gossip column had speculated on the nature of their relationship, of course, but at least it had refrained from anything too lascivious. She wasn't sure why they'd shown any restraint when the press hadn't exactly been well-behaved when it came to her in the past. She'd been the subject of both wild speculation and outright fabrication before, but the tone of the gossip column seemed more curious than anything.

She wondered if it was that they couldn't decide what would sell more papers, a connection between single parents who used to be rivals, or an argument in a park while their children played. She doubted it was journalistic integrity, though perhaps she was just jaded and bitter from a decade and a half of attention from the press.

Whatever the case, Hermione ignored the other parents and knelt down before Rosen to say, "How are you feeling, svetlina?"

"I'm okay, Mama. You worry too much," Rosen answered.

Hermione smiled at her and said, "I worry the right amount, especially when it comes to you. It's my job to keep you safe."

"I am safe. Most kids are nice. I don't care about the ones that aren't," she answered.

Not for the first time, Hermione was impressed by her daughter's maturity and resilience, though she hoped it wasn't just because she'd had to grow up too fast these past few months. Or even before that. Hermione had been so focused on her education and her career that Rosen had been raised primarily by Viktor. Not on his own, of course. Hermione had been there, and they'd had other help, but she still felt like she'd missed more than she'd meant to. Sometimes it had felt like even the people helping Vik with Rosen knew her better than Hermione did, like Elena, their Bulgarian nanny.

At times over the past year since they had moved back to the UK, Hermione had even felt occasional pangs of guilt and jealousy over Ron and Harry and the rest of the Weasleys for the connections they had built with Rosen. It just seemed to come so naturally to them. Hermione loved Rosen madly, and she knew her daughter loved her too, but sometimes, even with how much the mother and daughter seemed to have in common, Hermione felt like she didn't quite know how to connect. She had missed out on so much time with her family in the early years, and now part of her family was gone. Viktor. He was the part that had made it all work.

The two week trip she and Vik had taken shortly before his death had been the first real break Hermione had taken from school or work since they'd gotten together, in fact. It had felt like the start of something, but...

Well. At least Hermione was there now. No work. No school. She was just there for Rosen.

"Good girl. Have a good day at school, okay? Enjoy your friends, and don't let anyone press your buttons. You're here to learn and grow," Hermione said encouragingly.

Rosen smiled at her and nodded, saying, "Like a smart sunflower!"

The unexpected and bubbly comparison drew a laugh from Hermione. Her daughter often delighted her with the way she saw the world, and that was a reminder Hermione was grateful for in that moment.

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