Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters, names, etc. are property of J.K. Rowling, all publishers concerned and Warner Brothers. The only things owned by the author are the plot and any names not featured in the official Harry Potter books or movies. No money is being made from this, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Hermione Granger looked on the rising sun and thought once more about her life. She came everyday to the balcony and sat on the couch at sunset and sunrise to do some thinking. It was natural. It had been five years since she'd graduated Hogwarts and her life since had changed drastically.
She had conceived her daughter on graduation night with Harry. It had broken her heart when he'd abandoned her forever the next morning to go live as a muggle. She had a child. The child needed a father and a mother, but pretty soon, her daughter would be an orphan.
Hermione was suffering from cancer. No one could help her with it. It was a muggle disease, so the muggles should have been able to take out gland, but they couldn't. They had never failed before her. Something about her just didn't work. Maybe she had too much magic in her. It was a possibility, as she had never been able to get braces in her youth, no matter how hard her parents had tried.
Hermione sighed loudly. She was simply going to die. She was just going to die one day, and there would be no one to look after her daughter. Alisse. She was the most beautiful creature Hermione had ever seen. She'd fallen in love with her the moment she'd seen Alisse's pink face with her tiny eyes closed. She couldn't possibly blame Harry for giving her Alisse. It was a token of love. A goodbye present, she liked to think of it.
A tear slipped down Hermione's cheek. He should have been there. He should be here right now. Hermione remembered the tantrum she'd thrown when she'd read over the letter Harry had left lying on the bedside table for her to read. Her heart had been shattered like glass and her life had been changed forever a month later when she'd found out she was pregnant.
What was she going to do? She wouldn't let Alisse be an orphan. Alisse needed a daddy. Every four year old girl deserved to have a daddy. Ron had offered her more than once to be Alisse's guardian. Hermione had even thought about marrying Ron when he'd proposed. She'd thought about the support it would be and Ron loved her and he'd love Alisse too. There were no flaws in their relationship, but Hermione hadn't done it. Alisse deserved to know her real daddy.
The Weasleys had often offered to take care of Alisse after Hermione was gone, but it didn't seem right. Hermione would have loved for her parents to look after Alisse, but that was out of the question, unless Alisse was to live in a graveyard.
No. Alisse needed her real father, and she would get him too. Hermione stood up and dressed herself up, sporting a lavender robe and jeans and a blouse underneath. She cooked breakfast and then went into Alisse's room to wake her up.
Hermione entered her daughter's room and tears filled her eyes as she saw her little girl sleeping soundly, on her stomach, just like her father always did. There were too many things about Alisse that reminded Hermione of Harry. The green eyes, the buckled knees and specially Alisse. Just Alisse and her personality and her attitude and her talents.
"Wake up Alisse. We're going to go visit Grandma Molly today." Hermione said, shaking Alisse lightly.
Alisse groaned and rolled over. She opened one bleary eye and Hermione took the opportunity to grab Alisse and make her sit up.
"Mum, what did you do that for?" Alisse asked, rubbing her eyes.
"So you wouldn't go back to sleep. Now listen, mummy's going to take you to Grandma Molly's house okay? You can spend the day there," Hermione looked uncertainly at her daughter, waiting her reply.
Alisse jumped up and down, with a smile on her face. "I get to stay at Grandma Molly's for a WHOLE DAY? That's awesome! I can go visit Uncle Fred and George and then we can invent something new together. And I'll get to play with Terrence and Caleb and Agatha! And then we can…." Alisse went on listed the things she would do and Hermione interrupted her.
"You can do all those things when we get there, okay? Right now, you need to get dressed. Go wash up, okay?" Hermione smiled at her daughter and left the room.
An hour later, they were in front of the Burrow. Alisse went running up to the door screaming all the way and when Molly finally opened the door, Alisse burst into a jumble of greetings.
"Hello grandma! It's great to see you! Where are Uncle Fred and George? Is everyone sleeping? Why's it so quiet here? I think I'll go wake Terrence and Caleb up." Alisse went for the stairs, but Molly stopped her.
"Hold on young lady. You're going to eat something first."
"I already ate. Mum made scrambled eggs this morning."
"Well, then take something up for everyone else. They won't wake up unless there's food, remember?" Molly smiled and Alisse burst into laughter.
"I'll take some cookies."
When Alisse was gone Molly greeted Hermione. "Hello, Hermione, how are you doing?"
"Alright, thanks. And you?"
"Good as ever."
They took a seat at the dining table and Hermione began to explain her plan. When she was finished, she looked up at Molly, and was surprised to see tears in her eyes.
"I hope you find him, dear. We'd love to have Alisse here for the day. She'll have a great time."
"I must leave then. I've got a lot to do."
"But dear, where will you start. What about work?"
"I've already taken care of work and I think I'll go to Professor Dumbledore first. He might have an inkling about Harry, he always does."
Hermione departed the Burrow after saying her well wishes to Molly and apparated into the town of Hogsmeade. It looked so alive, with the hot summer sun shining above. Hermione made her way to Hogwarts and entered the large gates.
The grounds were deserted and the castle looked scary with no activity going on. Hermione made her through the Entrance Hall and towards Dumbledore's office. Everything about the castle brought back old memories. The first time she was kissed by Victor. The time she and Harry had to hide from Filch. The third floor corridor, where the Sorcerer's Stone had been hidden.
Hermione stopped in front of the stone gargoyle and pulled out her wand. She muttered the stunning spell and a minute later, Professor Dumbledore came out, looking tired and old.
"Well, Ms. Granger. Would you care to step inside? What seems to have troubled you to contact me so early in the morning?"
Hermione didn't reply until they'd reached Dumbledore's office and he'd assumed his usual position behind his desk. Hermione took a seat, and simply said, "Where is Harry?"
"I do not know, my dear. I've given my word to Harry. Why must you ask?" Dumbledore's blue eyes were searching, as if looking through Hermione to find answers.
"I would like to speak with him, and please don't lie Professor. This is about Alisse. I must speak with Harry."
"Hermione, refrain from calling me Professor, would you? You're an adult now. Dumbledore would do fine. And I will say this again. I cannot tell you."
"I couldn't possibly call you anything but Professor. You'll always be my instructor," Hermione said and then continued, " I beg you to tell the whereabouts of Harry. I need to talk to him about Alisse. It's rather important."
"What is so important that I need to break my word to Harry?" Dumbledore questioned.
Hermione sighed, frustrated. She should have known Dumbledore wouldn't be easy. She had no intention of telling Dumbledore of her plans.
"Could you please just tell where Harry lives? I just need to speak to him about Alisse and my cancer problem. I doubt he knows anything about Alisse or me, does he?" Anger flared up inside her, but Hermione let it go.
"Very well. Harry's residence is in Surrey. He lives on Mongolia Drive in fact. 25 Mongolia Dr. Does that help?"
"Yes, thank you very much Professor." Hermione smiled and left the office.
She made her way into Hogsmeade and then apparated in front of Number Four Privet Drive. Yes. This was definitely the place she'd visited in the summer of her sixth year. Now, Mongolia was just around the corner now. Hermione walked onto the little park, and crossed over it, turning a corner to step foot onto Mongolia Drive.
Hermione walked from one house to another until she finally reached a house that was painted tan and looked magnificent. The second floor balcony held a couch and a rocking bed swing. The front garden was full of flowers. Roses, lilies, daisies, chrysanthemums, and all other sorts of colorful flowers caught her sight. Hermione breathed in the blossoming smell of flowers. She looked up at the number by the garage and saw a two and a five. This was where Harry lived.
Her heartbeats were quickening as she stepped closer and closer to the front door. Hermione stopped and rang the doorbell. There was a little buzz of sound and Hermione waited. Two minutes later, the door opened and Hermione froze.
It was Harry. It was indeed Harry, looking not a day older than the last time she'd seen him. She noticed his eyes widen as he saw her. Tears built up in Hermione's eyes and she launched herself at Harry.
"Harry! Oh, Harry! I've missed you so much!"
"What are you doing here? How did you know I was here?" Harry asked, confusion written all over his face.
"Professor Dumbledore. I went to Professor Dumbledore. I need your help Harry."
"Hermione, I can't help you with anything. Please leave."
It was a request, but it sounded more like a demand to her. Hermione was furious now. She went through so much pain, and now she comes up to him for help, and he's kicking her out!
"I will not leave! You have no idea! I've gone through so much in the past five years while you just sit here in your muggle world and have a vacation. You have no idea what it felt like when I found that letter on the table. I was so upset. You broke me Harry, you broke me! And then when I found out I was going to have your baby –"
"What?"
"Yeah, you have a daughter. I named her Alisse. She's just like you Harry. Just like you. And she needs you. I was so upset when I found out I was pregnant. You were gone. And then Ron tried to help me and he proposed, well more like threw the idea out there. And I seriously thought about it, but I realized I couldn't do that to you. To Alisse. You have no idea! You were never there when I needed you! Ron shared an apartment with me for a whole year while I was pregnant and to help me afterwards. You weren't there when I was feeling all the pain and bringing Alisse into this world. No. You had that you were a father until now! And you have no idea that I'm going to die any day! And you don't even care, do you?"
Harry let out an undistinguishable sound, but Hermione ignored him. This was it.
"I came here to ask you for help! You know, none of the doctors have been able to cure my cancer! I've got too much magic in me for it to get fixed by muggles and the MediWizards and Witches can't do it either as they've got no idea what it is. I don't care about dying. I'm just worried about Alisse. She'll be an orphan when I die. Of course the Weasleys offered to take her in, but I refused. I wanted you to be there, Harry! You! But I think I'd rather let my daughter believe she's an orphan than have you care for her like a weight on your shoulders! This was obviously a mistake! Good day to you!"
Hermione stormed on her heels, but Harry caught her wrist and spun her around sharply. Their eyes met and Hermione's anger faded as more tears filled her eyes.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Harry whispered.
"I did." Hermione sobbed. "I sent you owls upon owls, but you never returned any of them."
"I'm so sorry. I should have been there. I never should have left. It's just, I thought you'd be safer that you, you know…"
"I know Harry. You told me all about it in the letter, remember? Just come back. Please, just come back to us.." Hermione pleaded.
"I will. Don't worry. I've still got all the magic in me. I'll come. You and Alisse can move in this house. Speaking of which, have you told Alisse about me?"
"She knows. She always knew. I never hesitated to lie to her. I told her all about you. I told her you'd come back some day. She always asks about you, you know."
"Hermione, I'm so sorry." Harry kissed her forehead lightly.
Hermione cried some more and in an attempt to cheer her up, Harry focused on a light topic. "We never did set a date for the wedding, did we? Do you still have the ring?" Hermione held out her left hand, which had Lily Evans own engagement ring on her ring finger.
"We don't get married Harry. I'm going to die. I'm going to die soon. There's no way to save me. Even Dumbledore's tried and none of his remedies work. We can't start a life together, just to have it fall apart."
Harry's eyes darkened. "We will get married Hermione. And I will find a cure for your cancer. A magical cure. You believe me, don't you?"
"I've always believed you Harry."
Five minutes later, they were both in front of the burrow.
"It looks the same last time I saw it." Harry said.
"It's not the same. There's little kids always visiting and making noise."
Harry looked confused. "Little kids?"
"Ron and Luna had twins one year after I had Alisse, and Draco and Ginny had a little princess named Agatha about a year ago. They pop in everyday, you know how it is with the Weasleys."
"Yeah. Blimey, I've missed a lot."
"You were away."
Hermione knocked on the door and Molly opened it, looking surprised to see Harry there.
"Harry dear! Oh my goodness, I haven't seen you in ages! Where have you been! Leaving Hermione all alone like that! And now you come back when…"
"It's alright Mrs. Weasley," Harry said and then asked, "Where's Alisse?"
"She's right here in the kitchen. Alisse dear, you mummy's here."
Seconds later, Alisse came marching out, looking grumpy. She took one look at Hermione and started whining. "Mummy, do I have to go now, I thought I was going to spend the whole –" Her gaze fixed on Harry and she cried out loud. "Daddy! Mummy, it that daddy? It that really daddy?"
Hermione nodded and watched as her daughter was lifted from her feet and onto Harry's awaiting arms. Life was going to be back to normal. She had cancer. But Harry never broke his promises. Even if he did, she would forgive him in an instant, just by the fact that he came back into her life to put the shattered pieces together.
The magic had rekindled between them. Her and Harry hadn't yet shared a kiss together or said I love you once, but they knew in their own secretive ways, that they loved each other. For always and forever.
Finis