Chimera

Chapter 30

Hermione took a deep breath and braced herself. As she pushed open the door, a torrent of noise flooded her senses. She flinched and took a small step backwards.

"Hermione!" Molly cried. She bustled over and swept Hermione into a crushing hug. "It's been so long since we last saw you! Come in, come in."

"Yeah, no, sorry about that, I've just been so busy lately..."

Molly waved off Hermione's apologies with a bright smile. Hermione edged around the kitchen table, which was sagging under plates of food. Spatulas and wooden spoons whizzed around the room as they prepared even more to eat. Molly watched each movement with a keen eye, redirecting as necessary with a flick of her wand.

"Do you need help with anything?" Hermione asked.

"No, no, you go on ahead," Molly said. "Everyone else is here already."

Hermione followed the sound of laughter and chatter. The family were in the living room, sprawled across mismatched furniture. Three year-old Teddy ran around the room. He dodged between sofas and chairs as Victoire toddled after him. Their burbling giggles made Hermione smile.

"Auntie 'Mione!" Victoire shouted, wrapping her pale arms around Hermione's leg. "Tell me a story?"

Teddy joined Victoire, clinging onto legs and smiling hopefully. Hermione laughed and waddled over to the empty seat next to Ginny. Teddy and Victoire shrieked in delight as she dragged them across the room.

"Let 'er come in before you pester 'ermione for stories!" Fleur admonished.

Victoire pouted, her huge blue eyes staring sadly at her mother.

"Do not try zat look with me! I invented zat look."

"I'll read you a story after dinner," Hermione promised.

Hermione grinned at Ginny as the two children high-fived each other. Ginny's posture was stiff and she didn't return Hermione's smile. Harry sat on the other side of the room, talking animatedly with George. He had nodded to Hermione when she arrived but now wouldn't look in their direction.

"Uh, everything ok?" Hermione asked Ginny in a low voice.

"It's fine," Ginny replied, barely moving her lips.

A wave of panic crashed through Hermione - do they know?

Percy leaned over from the armchair nearby and briskly shook Hermione's hand. Bill rolled his eyes as he walked past with drinks.

"...wonderful to see you," Percy was saying, breaking through Hermione's thoughts. "It's been too long!"

"I know, sorry. You know what working at the Ministry is like, I've been so busy!"

Hermione briefly wondered whether she would spend the whole afternoon apologising. Surely she hadn't missed that many Sunday dinners?

Ron and Arthur walked in from the garden. Ron nodded over at Hermione, then joined Harry and George by the fire.

"Hermione!" Arthur cried. "You need to come and see what the kids bought me, it's fantastic! Absolutely magical!"

"We got him a computer for his birthday," Ginny explained quietly.

"State of the art. Top of the range," Percy added.

"Oh, you're not on about that damned muggle box again are you?" Molly asked, brushing her hands on her apron. She frowned good-naturedly at her husband. "You'll have to bore Hermione with it later, food is ready."

Arthur took Hermione's elbow and walked her through to the kitchen. She grinned as he gushed about the virtues of computers. Arthur took his usual seat at the head of the time, smiling broadly at his family. Ginny slipped into a seat between Hermione and Bill. Harry took the chair next to Arthur and focused his attention on Arthur's stories about his muggle technology.

*****

After they finished eating and all pitched in to clean up, Hermione and Ginny went up to Ginny's old bedroom. Faded quidditch posters hung off the walls. The players swooped between pictures, scoring endless goals for adoring, faceless crowds.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked.

"Me and Harry had an argument," Ginny muttered. She flopped back on her bed, staring up at the peeling paint on the ceiling.

Hermione waited in silence for Ginny to continue.

"I was upset about the assignment," Ginny explained. "We had plans to go away for Christmas and New Year, and now...we're not."

Hermione patted Ginny's shoulder comfortingly.

"I bet he's disappointed too," Hermione said. Harry had told her in confidence he'd been planning to propose during their holiday.

"I know," Ginny said, letting out a frustrated sigh. "And I know it's his job, and I know it's not his fault. But...we'd been saving up for this trip for so long, you know? We were going to see the Northern Lights!"

"That really sucks," Hermione agreed.

"I am going to apologise," Ginny reassured her. "I just need to calm down a bit first."

They were interrupted sound of Molly shouting for everyone to come to the living room. Hermione pulled Ginny to her feet and they trudged back downstairs.

They all crowded into the room. Hermione hung back by the doorway. She felt like an outsider, intruding on a family moment. Ginny went to Harry and perched on the arm of the sofa next to him. He looked up at her in surprise and smiled, hesitantly. She rested a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it.

"Fleur and I have an announcement," Bill said, standing in front of the fireplace with his arm around his wife.

A hush fell over the room.

"We're 'aving another baby!" Fleur cried.

Everyone burst into excited chatter, sweeping the happy family up into hugs. They were congratulated enthusiastically and everyone praised little Victoire for keeping the news secret all day. Hermione smiled as she watched the scene unfold before her, but felt a familiar tinge of isolation creep in.

*****

Later that evening, after several rounds of champagne and firewhisky to celebrate, Hermione and Ginny sat on the doorstep looking up at the moon. Hermione had toasted the couple with lemonade, still feeling the effects of Friday night's overindulgence.

"It's a bit weird," Ginny slurred. "I mean, I'm excited to have another niece or nephew, but...it's weird to think about, y'know?"

"What is?"

"A baby means that they had sex, which is like...totally normal, but not something I want to think about my brother doing!"

Hermione snorted, earning a shoulder-nudge from Ginny.

"It'd be like if you and Ron had stayed together and had kids," Ginny continued, not noticing the smile stiffen on Hermione's face. "I wouldn't want to think about that either! That'd be like...like...my sister AND my brother having sex! Wait...no, that came out wrong..."

"I think I know what you mean," Hermione laughed. She was touched Ginny considered her to be like a sister. That's how Hermione viewed Ginny, but neither of them had put it into words before.

Hermione absently rubbed the fresh love-bite just below her collarbone, hidden under her jumper and scarf. Clearly last night would need to stay a secret. Ginny obviously wouldn't want to hear about it, and Harry would kill Draco if he knew. Hermione sighed and wrapped her arms around her legs.

Harry came outside and sat next to Ginny, looping an arm around her shoulder. Hermione quietly made her excuses and stood up to leave.

"I'll see you when I get back," Harry promised. "And we'll all go out to celebrate how your new job is going, ok?"

"Sounds like a plan," Hermione smiled, forcing herself to smile at them both.

Hermione stepped inside to say goodbye to the others, then apparated home. Her flat felt empty and cold by herself.