Chiaroscuro

The Sword and the Scone

Spring melted away until the days grew long and hot and the gardens in front of Hermione's house blossomed. As summer approached rapidly, she spent more and more time in the gardens, attempting to calm the madness that was spreading. Even after days, the gardens didn't look any more tamed. They sat wild as ever, spilling onto the cobblestone steps that lead up to her house.

Hermione wanted to tell herself that she cared what it looked like. Maybe a piece of her did. However, she was no longer the girl who hated her bushy hair and strong wills. Instead, she appreciated the wild, untamable things in life.

It was a sunny afternoon, and Hermione was working in the backyard for once when Ginny, Harry, and the kids arrived.

The backyard, unlike the front, was not filled with wild grasses and vegetable gardens. Instead, it had been rather barren when Hermione moved in. Now, it was covered with soft, lush grass. Clovers bloomed in patches here and there, but it was a fairly well-kept yard. Hermione had just finished mowing it, hoping to have it cleaned up for the kids when they arrived.

"Hermione," she heard her name being called. She dropped the rake in her hands and walked through her little cottage to get the front door.

With the warm spring air, she had opened all the windows in the house. The pale, lacy curtains blew softly in the breeze as she walked towards the door.

"Harry, Ginny," she smiled at her two friends. To her immense pleasure, Harry and Ginny looked happy. It was a kind of happiness that could be felt. Harry had an arm around Ginny in a casual way and Ginny smiled down at the kids who stood in front of them.

"Aunty Mione," Albus was the first to run up to her and hug her around the waist. Lily was the next, followed by James.

Hermione embraced each of the kids, realizing how incredibly happy she was to see them. Since Hogwarts had restarted after Christmas, she hadn't seen James or Albus once. She had only seen Lily a handful of times since them. It felt good to see them all at once and exciting to know they would be spending the summer with her.

"James, Albus, Lily," she smiled down at the kids. "I've got a room set up just for you, I'm so excited to have you all over."

James' face remained neutral and almost unsure, a look he wore often. Albus looked incredibly excited and beside him, Lily wore the same expression.

Harry and Ginny only stayed about thirty minutes at Hermione's place before leaving. They made sure their children had everything they needed and shared a cup of tea with Hermione before leaving the cottage.

While Lily seemed saddened by her parents' departure, the two boys didn't seem to mind, they were already in her backyard arguing about whether or not the neighborhood cat was an Animagus or not. For a while, Hermione sat with Lily on the back porch, as Albus and James explored her backyard.

The first day of having James, Albus, and Lily at the cottage went well. A spare room that had once been a study had been set up as their bedroom for the summer. Hermione put two sets of bunk beds and a large wardrobe for their belongings. She assumed that none of them would be spending much time there, so she didn't bother with adding any books or games.

Most of the time, the kids were happy to be outside in the yard or curled up on the couch. That afternoon, Hermione made sandwiches and iced tea which went over well. That evening, she put on a movie, surprising the kids with the fact that she did own a TV.

"Mom says we can't have one," James said as he ran a finger along the spines of DVDs that sat on a shelf below the TV.

"Well, she's probably smart," Hermione said from her place on the couch. Lily sat beside her as close as she could. Despite the heat, Hermione didn't have the heart to ask Lily for a little space.