The Beach House

5

The small cottage wouldn't have looked out of place in a Hansel and Gretel fairy story. A whitewashed picket fence ran around the edge of a petite, and neatly tended garden. Red Poppies and pink peonies stood proudly forming a guard of honour down the little winding path leading to the small wooden front door.

A lady could be seen in the garden bending slightly, watering can in hand. As they neared the cottage Hermione suddenly felt quite peculiar. Her hand, which was still in Severus' suddenly became ice cold and she felt the colour drain from her face.

"Whatever's the matter?" Asked Severus, aware of the change in the witch's demeanour. "Hermione?"

But Hermione stopped and seemed rooted to the spot. The elderly lady in the garden seemed to sense their arrival and stood up, smiling and holding out her hand. "Hello Hermione" she said "You found us at last then?"

"M.....Mum?"

"You're a bit late for lunch you know so I've done an afternoon tea" Continued the lady, seemingly oblivious to Hermione's shock. "Come on in. Your dad's just putting the car away." Hermione made no move towards her. Still holding the witch's hand Severus placed his other near to his wand. Something very strange was happening. "And Severus! How lovely to see you again. You're looking well. Now where are the children? Didn't you bring them? Oh daddy and I were so looking forward to seeing them. Never mind. Next time. Well don't just stand there. I've a plate of scones just out of the oven and a Battenburg just for you Severus...."

Hermione felt like she was going to faint or be sick or quite possibly both. Still standing at the gate, clasping Severus' hand as if her life depended on it, she was experiencing a feeling akin to being sucked into a stomach churning abyss and falling and falling not sure when you were going to hit the bottom.

This woman in front of her looked like her mother but was a good few years older than the last time she'd seen her. But it couldn't be. Could it? Her mother and father had died in the Wizarding war. She had seen their lifeless bodies, eyes glazed in perpetual fear, their last breaths just screamed from their lungs. Hermione had killed the Death Eaters who had callously murdered them and it gave her a sickening pleasure in doing so, but she had never stopped mourning her parent's loss. Whoever this was, it couldn't be her mother. Could it?

"Th....this isn't right. Severus. Tell me this is a dream or something?" Hermione hissed. "That woman. She can't be my mother. I saw their bodies. I fucking buried them!" She took a step backwards and Severus, raised his wand to the old lady who was now approaching the gate. He placed his protective arm around Hermione as she stood behind him, in a way not dissimilar to the time, years ago when he shielded her from the werewolf.

"Who are you?" He said to the woman, his black eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Hermione's parents are dead."

"Dead?" The woman scoffed "Oh Severus! What are you on about? I think it must be the heat got to you both. Now come on in. I've put the kettle on. Ah here's Robert now." Both Severus and Hermione turned to the sound of the gravel crunching around the side of the cottage. A man with short salt and pepper grey hair, a lilac polo shirt and canvas chinos made his way into view and waved at them with total familiarity.

"Hallooo!" He called "You made it then? Jean almost sent me out looking for you. Lovely to see you both. Where are the ankle biters then? Not here? Out with Harry and Ginny's mob then are they?" He came to join his wife at the gate "Come on in then" he said with a broad beaming smile. "Or are you going to stand there all day? I'll pop the kettle on...." and with that he turned and went into the cottage, followed by his wife who had unlatched the gate and swung it open.

Hermione turned to Severus, the colour still completely drained from her cheeks. "Severus." She started slowly, trying to control her breathing. I don't know what is going on but we won't find out by standing here. Let's go in." Severus nodded but still had his wand raised.

"Ok" he said "but tread with caution."

**********

The cottage didn't appear to be a portal to an otherwise unknown dimension and it was far too full of chintz and Berylware to be some kind of time vortex, which left Hermione with the only rational explanation that she was, completely and certifiably bonkers. She looked around the room. Everything in it has a feeling of familiarity yet she knew nothing. Her mother knew how she liked her tea, knew that she liked butter as well as cream and jam on her scone and she also enquired about her eczema - Hermione had always had a small patch on the creases of her arm and behind her knees.

On the wall were photographs. Hermione and Severus both studied them in great detail whilst her 'parents' were out in the kitchen putting the finishing touches to the afternoon tea.

"Look Severus!" Hissed Hermione, hitting Severus on his arm "It's US!" The picture appeared to be of them both dressed in wedding apparel, holding hands and coming out of a church and being doused in confetti. In every sense it was the perfect Muggle wedding. The next set of photos were various shots of Hermione and Severus holding babies and then posing in what was, for all intents and purposes, a family portrait, with two slightly older children and another baby. Severus inhaled a sharp intake of breath. It all seemed so normal and yet it was all so very peculiar.

Her mother came bustling in the room with a heaving trolley of cakes and sandwiches. "Here we are lovelies" she said, jangling the trolley to a halt. "Plates are on the side. Oh don't sit there Severus dear, that's daddy's seat" she smiled and raised her eyebrows slightly "you know what a creature of habit he is." Severus stood as he was bade and sat on the settee and Hermione joined him. "So tell me, how did Toby get on in his football trial? Daddy said when he was playing in the garden last time he had a really good right foot. Didn't you Robert?"

"What was that dear?" Said Robert coming in to the lounge and sitting on the seat Severus had recently vacated.

"I said 'Toby was coming on a treat when you had him practising football in the back garden last time he was here?'"

"Oh yes. A right little Beckham. Did he get on the team? He was very excited about it."

"Toby? I.... I..... Don't..." started Hermione completely at a loss for words.

Her mother frowned at her and placed a hand on the young girl's forehead.  "Are you sure you're alright, dear? You seem quite warm.  Would you like to have a lie down? The spare room is all made up.  I put that old stuffed rabbit on the bed.  Do you remember dear? Daddy got it for you from that toy shop in Brigstone when you were little." She turned to Severus "She could've only been your Eleanor's age - about six - and her face when daddy got it out the car.  I think he'd been away at a Dental Conference and liked to bring her back a present.  Oh we laughed when she took it from him; It was nearly as big as her!" She chuckled.  Hermione smiled, remembering the day quite clearly that her father had indeed brought this large white rabbit with a blue and pink spotty ribbon. 

"Hector" replied Hermione, still in a bit of a daze.

"Oh that's right, dear!" Replied her 'mother'.  "Daddy and I couldn't think what he was called.  More cake Severus?"