Family

I do not own Harry Potter. Hope you enjoy. Sorry for any errors.

"Hermione?" the woman in question looked down at her shoes. Maybe this was a bad idea. If Bill caught her here she was a dead woman. She saw the growing frustration on the veela's beautiful face. This was definitely a bad idea.

Hermione was on the doorstep of her ex lover. Giving a once over of the older women she had to say age did go hand and hand with the French witch.

Fleur Delacour was breathtaking. She had long straight blonde hair, visible smile lines, icy blue eyes that always seemed to know what Hermione was thinking.

She lingered a little too long on Fleur's obvious growing stomach. There's was a glow that pregnant woman got and it was written all over Fleur. Overall Fleur would always be the most beautiful woman Hermione had ever landed eyes on.

"Is Victoire here?" the hope in Hermione's voice almost killed her.

"Yes." Her husband would kill her if he found out about this.

She thought she made it clear to Hermione that under no circumstances was she welcomed here. Maybe it was because Christmas was almost here or she really just wanted a reason to be in the same room as Hermione but against her better judgment she let her in.

Hermione spotted the huge Christmas Tree that was standing up in the living room. There were presents overflowing under the tree, some even open, must've been due to Victoire's puppy dog eyes. She chuckled.

"Aunt Mione?" A tiny voice asked confused.

Hermione closed her eyes at the angelic voice of Victorie Weasley. Not Granger, she thought disdainfully.

Turning around tears instantly filled the war heroine's eyes, she always thought Fleur was the most beautiful Delacour but she might have to reconsider that after seeing the beautiful 4-year-old Victorie. Like her mother she had long straight blonde hair, a button nose, and piercing eyes. Those eyes though weren't like her mother or father. They were like Hermione's, warm beautiful brown eyes.

Guilt swelled in Fleur's chest at the exchange.

If she wasn't a coward this could be her family, the baby in her stomach could be Hermione's not Bill's, but no she didn't choose that path.

Fleur had started an affair with Hermione at the beginning war. They fell in love.

Hermione was her mate but Fleur knew that Hermione wouldn't have been able to handle knowing that but she had always thought the witch knew. Voldemort was breathing down every body's neck and especially with her being tortured by Bellatrix.

She shuddered at that thought. She wanted to kill that bitch so much. Even to this day she wished she was the one that had killed Bellatrix.

Knowing Hermione wasn't ready she kept the information to herself. But she soon fell pregnant; it just wasn't Bill's baby. When you're a veela and you find your true mate anything is possible. It wasn't uncommon for Veela's of same-sex relationships to get pregnant as long as they were true mates.

Bill found out and that Fleur was pregnant with Hermione child and made Hermione swear she would stay out of their lives and let Bill raise Victorie as his own. Hermione agreed unwillingly but knowing it would be the best for Victorie.

She shook her head out of those thoughts when she heard Hermione's voice. Her daughter was now clutched in the hold of her favorite aunt.

"Hey sweetie." Hermione tried to give a real smile.

"Are you sad?" she didn't want Aunt Mione upset, she was her favorite Aunt, and this was the first time in a while that she had finally seen her.

"No pretty girl." Hermione fondly rolled the nickname of her tongue. She could tell Victoire didn't believe her, "I got you a present."

"A present?" asked the excited 4-year-old.

Hermione got her wand out and enlarged the present that was in her pocket. "Open it."

The happy squeal was the only thing heard in the cozy living room. "It's a dragon." Victorie said matter of fact.

Fleur smiled at the tone her daughter used, it sounded so much like the young women who was holding her oldest daughter.

"Hermione, she can't have a dragon. It will burn anything and is dangerous. Plus, what will I tell Bill?"

"It's a rare dragon. It's not able to breathe fire and will not become an adult dragon but stay a baby dragon for the rest of its life. If I thought it could harm Victorie in any way I wouldn't give it to her."

Fleur caught the hurt on Hermione's face before it disappeared into a neutral one.

"About Bill I asked Charlie if he would cover for me. He said that if Bill asked it was Charlie that gave her the dragon."

Hermione silently thanked her best friend and co-worker for helping her out. Charlie was truly amazing.

"Are you guys together?"

Fleur tried to act disinterested but the truth was she was far from it, she hated that Hermione had a job that made her never see her and that was one of the most dangerous in the wizarding world.

Hermione laughed. It made Fleur want to hit her. She hated that condescending laugh. "No."

Fleur pretended that relief didn't fill her whole body. Glancing at the clock it was 8:00. Victorie definitely needed to be in bed or she would be a grumpy little girl in the morning. Hearing the childish laughter coming from her daughter made her heart warm. Victorie was placing kisses on the dragon's snout while the dragon would nuzzle her nose into little Victorie's cheek.

"Baby, it's time for you to go to bed."

Victorie nodded her head sadly. Would this be the last time she would see Aunt Mione? She didn't like that thought.

Hermione caught the little girl who was running straight at her easily. Both laughed happily.

"I miss you Aunt Mione. Promise to visit more?" Victorie practically begged.

"You can't blame it on your job because Uncle Charlie has the same one and he visits all the time."

Hermione laughed. It already seemed like Victorie was taking after her in the brains department.

"I promise." She weaved her hand through Victorie's bed head hair.

Victorie yawned. "I love you Aunt Mione."

"I love you too sweetie." Those were the last words Victorie heard before she fell asleep to dreams of dragons and Aunt Mione.

Hermione carefully handed over the sleeping girl to her mother.

Before Fleur could say anything Hermione apparated out of the Delacour-Weasley household.

Hermione stumbled through the Burrow. Her body was exhausted. All she wanted was a warm bed to lay her head on.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw a crying figure on the couch. The figure was Victorie Delacour-Weasley.

"Pretty girl?"

Victorie quickly wiped away her tears.

"Aunt Mione?"

Hermione was a tough subject for the pre teen. While Hermione was her favorite Aunt she was also hated by her Father and disliked by her mother. She wasn't so sure about her mother though.

Whenever Hermione's name was mentioned her mother would get tense. At the same time there would be moments when she would catch the older witch looking at articles that dealt with Hermione, a fond smile always etched on her face.

"Why are you crying?" her surrogate Aunt looked generally worried.

It still made her heart clench at all those times she wasn't there. She would send her a birthday invitation and not getting a reply. After her 7th birthday she stopped caring. The worst part was she knew Hermione would go to her cousin's party but never hers.

There was always an excuse. 'I'm busy or I got work. Next year sweetie.'

Why was she going to get close to this woman just to get hurt?

"It's nothing." Her icy tone would've made anyone stop broaching the subject but Hermione Granger wasn't anyone.

"How about I make you my famous hot chocolate?"

Nobody would be stupid enough to turn down Hermione Granger's hot chocolate.

She followed Hermione into the kitchen. After the hot chocolate was done they both sat down with their steaming cups.

"How's Dorey?"

Victorie instantly brighten at the mention of her dragon.

"She's great. Messes with Dad a lot." They both chuckle at that.

There was an awkward pause. What do you say to the woman you see maybe once in a while every year?

"Why are you here?"

"Ministry business. A dragon was spotted in a muggle village. They needed me to take care of it and since I sold my apartment a couple of months ago, I needed a place to stay."

Victorie nodded her head in understanding.

Hermione looked uncomfortable.

"You going to tell me what's bothering you yet?"

Victorie wasn't one to hold grudges even if she was still hurt by what Hermione did.

Victorie blushed red.

"Uh, I, um, I like Teddy."

Hermione gave a deep chuckle.

"What's wrong with that?"

"He's a third year!" Victorie said exasperated.

"He probably has a ton of girls all over him. Why would he ever go out with a first year?" the tears started to come back.

"Don't sell your self short. Your beautiful, smart, and sure maybe you don't have a chance now but give it couple years and I guarantee he'll come calling."

Victorie didn't know why but those words actually made her feel better. Getting up she walked over to Hermione and gave her a big hug. "Thank you Aunt Mione. I'm tired I'm going to go to bed."

"Wait.

"Yeah?"

Hermione gave her own blush.

"How's your mom?" Hermione thought Victorie would be shocked but instead it looked like the girl had been expecting that question.

"She's good. Still working for Gringrotts." Victorie started walking up the burrow steps but a question stopped her.

"Is she happy?" Victorie didn't know how to answer that question. Sometimes it felt like her mother was working off of instinct. Like always it seemed no one noticed but her.

"I hope so."

Hermione tried to hide her surprise.

Victorie Delacour-Lupin always had an inkling that her mother was actually in love with Hermione Granger. She didn't know why, didn't know if it was true but there were moments when there was just too much proof to deny. She just didn't think she was the child of them.

She would never tell anyone this but she was actually relieved and happy when she found out. Maybe now she could actually have a real relationship with the war heroine without her supposed father getting in the way. Maybe now her mother would actually be happy.