Ginny

Ginny steadfastly attempted not to overtly think about her first meeting with Harry—and, by extension, his daughters—at the little wizarding supermarket in Diagon Alley. There was no reason for it, after all; sure, he may have been the technical brother of her generous hostess, but that certainly didn't mean she was obligated to see him overmuch. Pushing those thoughts down and shaking her head, Ginny strove to ready herself for her gracious dinner invitation from Remus and Dora Lupin, close friends of Hermione's, who were eagerly anticipating her arrival, not to mention the notion that it was Dora's considerate mother, Dromeda, who had booked her the trip in the first place.

Ginny chose figure-hugging jeans, knee-length boots, and a warm green sweater that evening and gathered up Crookshanks, who was apparently a frequent guest at the Lupin cottage. "Come on, now," she said gently to the ginger half-Kneazle, "we're going somewhere fun, and that you're familiar with. I promise."

Stepping towards the Floo, Ginny called out for the Lupin cottage and was swept up and into the green flames, Crookshanks held tightly in her arms. Once she popped out, she navigated herself gracefully into the parlor, and, after a quick Scourgify, both she and Crookshanks were more presentable as guests. She looked around the parlor and smiled; it was a lovely room, tastefully decorated, with much-loved furniture and the occasional drawings made by one of the three Lupin children hanging from the walls, all framed, of course.

Ginny was pleased the Crookshanks didn't fight her hold upon him as they left the parlor and ventured into the rest of the house. She could smell something delicious cooking in the kitchen, and soon realized that it was simple but delicious fare of roasted chicken and potatoes. Smiling to herself at the notion of one of her favorite meals, she came completely into view as she saw who must have been Dora Lupin, checking the dinner in the oven before smiling with satisfaction and shutting the door behind her.

"Good evening," Ginny said softly.

Dora turned around and quickly beamed. "You must be Ginny," she said warmly as she stepped forward, to which Crookshanks hopped down from her arms, as Dora reached out to give Ginny a warm hug. "So nice to finally meet you in person. How are you? Settling in all right at our Hermione's place, I hope?"

Ginny nodded at Dora, immediately liking the witch, who appeared to be only about a decade older than she was. "Yes, I am, thank you," she replied, accepting the hug before pulling back when it was deemed appropriate. "Hermione's cottage is absolutely lovely, and everything I'd hoped for in my getaway."

"My mother will be so pleased with the report," Dora replied.

"Will she be here for dinner tonight?" Ginny wanted to know.

"Not this evening, I'm afraid—she and my father have jetted off until the New Year to see some other potential properties in Scandinavia, all to expand the business, you see," Dora explained, and Ginny nodded, slightly disappointed that she would not meet Dromeda. "But, I do know that she'll be overjoyed that you love the cottage so much."

Ginny nodded at her. "I do," she replied, and reached into her pocket, removing the bottle of white wine she'd purchased that afternoon, and eliminated the Shrinking and Anti-Breaking Charms she'd placed upon it, before she handed it over to Dora. "Thank you very much for your hospitality, and your generous invitation to dinner this evening."

Dora smiled as she took in the bottle. "This is one of Remus's and my favorites," she said, very happily, as she placed it in the cooling cupboard to chill before dinner.

"Is he not here?" Ginny wanted to know.

"Remus took the children to Black Manor, the home of one of his closest friends, Sirius Black, and his wife, Gwenog Jones," Dora explained. "He and Sirius wanted some time together, and their children are all quite close. They should be back soon, though. Remus never likes them to be late for dinner, you see."

Ginny nodded in understanding. "My mother and father were the same way when my brothers and I were growing up," she replied with a quick smile.

"My mother mentioned you came from quite a large family," Dora put in.

Ginny grinned at that. "Yes. I have four older brothers—Bill, Charlie, and the twins, Fred and George," she said softly. "I had another brother, Percy, born between Charlie and the twins, but he sadly passed away some time ago."

Dora gave Ginny a sympathetic smile. "I'm very sorry for your family's loss," she told her with a genuine tone of voice. "My mother's parents experienced the loss of their only son, Oberon, when my grandmother was six months pregnant," she said quietly. "They never got over the loss, nor the notion that they would never have a son. As such, they were distant at best with my mother and her two sisters, Narcissa, whom you know, and Bellatrix, my aunt, who lives here in England," Dora explained. "You'll meet her when she's here, I'm sure, because she has lavish Christmas celebrations at her and her husband's home. Remus's and my children get along exceptionally well with her four—her twin boys, Triton and Titan, and her daughters, Despina and Kamaria."

"I'm used to family gatherings with many children," Ginny explained with a smile. "While my brother, Charlie, is married to his work, my oldest brother, Bill, plus Fred and George, are all married with families of their own. I have six nieces and nephews, and one on the way, so neither one of my parents have been pressuring me too much about settling down and having a family," she joked, leaning up against the counter, feeling completely at ease with Dora, almost as if she had known her for years.

"Is that something you may want?" Dora asked, gathering ingredients for what Ginny assumed was for dessert—flour, eggs, and sugar, among other things. "A family and children?"

Ginny pursed her lips, considering that. "With the right person, I think so," she said softly. "I was so stagnant with Viktor for so long that, after a while, I guess I thought that it was normal, and how pathetic is that?"

"I don't think that's pathetic at all," Dora assured her, smiling. "I think when we're subjected to a particular behavior, day in and day out, for a specific period of time, it becomes our own personal normal. I'm sure many people in relationships, not just romantic ones, feel that way, once they cut themselves out of the equation. Don't beat yourself up about it, because it won't do any good."

Ginny found herself liking Dora more and more, minute by minute. "That's one of the most wonderful things anyone has ever said to me," she admitted. "My parents just consoled me, while my brothers wanted to know how they could get ahold of Viktor to hex him."

Dora smirked. "While I myself didn't grow up with siblings—and the same goes for Remus—I do know a thing or two about boys, given that Remus is a professor, and he and I grew up around plenty of them while at Hogwarts."

"Was he your professor?" Ginny asked, grinning.

Dora laughed aloud at that as she proceeded to mix the ingredients. "Oh, Merlin, no. He had enough things to say about our relationship—the age-difference, not to mention the financial difference of our lifestyles," she explained. "I'm an Auror, you see—although I have been on a part-time basis, since the children are so young, and so Remus is the main breadwinner now. But, I think if he had been my professor, things wouldn't have turned out this way."

Ginny nodded at that. "So, was he in an extended apprenticeship program, then?"

Dora pursed her lips. "Despite being Purebloods, my mother mentioned that your father finds the Muggle—your No-Maj—population fascinating?" she asked.

Ginny blinked, wondering what this had to do with anything, as she was already aware that both Remus and Dora were Half-Bloods, not that Blood Status mattered... "Yes," she replied. "He likes to refurbish old cars in his spare time... Why do you ask?"

"Many Pureblood families, especially those who are members of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, don't take too kindly to those who are Muggleborn, Muggles, or...aren't human," Dora said, knowing entirely well that she could easily Obliviate Ginny if the conversation didn't go well.

Ginny gave Dora a small smile. "Your mother told me about Remus."

Dora dropped the whisk she'd been using. "She did?"

"She quickly assured me that she had his permission," Ginny said hastily, not wanting anyone to get into trouble. "But if this is about Remus being a werewolf, yes. I'm aware of it. And, based on what she told me, he takes his Wolfsbane regularly and is quite a well-mannered, soft-spoken gentleman otherwise. I have no issues with it, and besides, he's employed at Hogwarts. I think if their headmistress took issue with his...affliction, then he wouldn't be employed there at all, his sorting aside."

"So, you know he sorted Gryffindor?"

"And that you sorted Hufflepuff," Ginny replied. "None of it matters; not to me, at least, although there definitely needed to be reforms sooner rather than later when it came down to wixen who found themselves in any given situation out of their control... So, long apprenticeship program, then?" she wanted to know, grinning at Dora.

Dora smiled back, obviously relieved that her mother had selected Ginny for Hermione's home exchange for the holiday. "Remus was employed at Flourish and Blotts following his graduation from Hogwarts," she explained, returning to her whisking. "He didn't get the opportunity to work at Hogwarts until 1993, just before Harry and Hermione's third-year there. That's when the reforms passed," she continued.

Ginny nodded. "Yes, I remember reading about that," she responded. "Dad was just overjoyed about the entire thing..."

"Although, from what I hear, in that regard, at least, the MACUSA is a good fifty years ahead of our own MOM," Dora put in.

Ginny smiled. "Perhaps in some ways, yes," she said softly, as she heard the Floo flare in the living room, and a chorus of voices following that.

"Oh, that'll be Remus," Dora said, and combined the wet and dry ingredients with a flourish, before she spelled the contents into a cake pan, and banished it into the oven, so as they could have it—it, of course, being a cake, Ginny deduced now—after supper. Dora spelled the rest of the kitchen clean, and the dishes to wash themselves, before she banished her apron, just as Remus swept into the kitchen, grinning at his wife.

"Hello, love," Remus said warmly, crossing directly to Dora and embracing her. "I saw our dear friend Crookshanks on the way in. The children are all greeting him properly..."

"So, he has got his eye on them, then?" Dora queried, tilting her face upwards so Remus could lean down to kiss her.

"Apparently so," Remus said, holding Dora close before turning to regard their guest, his eyes very friendly. "And you must be Ginevra."

"Ginny, please," Ginny replied, getting to her feet and putting out her hand. "A pleasure to meet you face-to-face, Remus. Dromeda and Dora have been singing your praises to me since... Well, since the beginning."

Remus smiled openly, and reached out to return Ginny's handshake. "Your hair may be a bit redder than my mother-in-law had me initially believe..."

Dora gently smacked Remus's chest. "Remus," she scolded lightly.

"No, that's all right," Ginny assured her, laughing. "My brothers and I always poked fun at the notion that red hair was inescapable, as both our parents are redheads."

Remus chuckled at that. "Well, if you don't mind, Ginny," he said, placing a hand onto her shoulder, "Dora and I have someone we want you to meet."

Ginny raised her eyebrows. "Oh? Am I being set-up?"

"Only if you're all right with it," Dora said quickly. "You see, he's a dear friend of the family, and Remus's godson..."

"I think you'll like him very much," Remus concluded, kissing Dora on the cheek one last time before he took ahold of Ginny's other shoulder and steered her into the living room, where Ginny could see a total of five children fawning over Crookshanks, who was seemingly basking in the attention, leading her to believe that he was familiar with them, and although three of the children seemed unfamiliar, two of the girls looked a bit—

"All right, not too rough with him now," said the familiar voice of the man overseeing the children, his raven head turned away. "Watch his tail, now!"

"Harry!" Remus called, and the younger man turned around, his green eyes flashing with mirth as they took in his godfather, before they widened in recognition as he caught sight of Ginny being led by him. "This is—"

"Ginny Weasley," Harry said, nodding his head.

"Yes," Ginny replied, flushing deeply at the apparent disappointment in his voice, "and you're Harry Potter. We've met," she informed Remus, who suddenly released her, and Ginny had never felt so small in the entirety of her life.

~*~

Hermione

Hermione left Ginny's beautiful home that morning for a proper jog before breakfast, and was enjoying the crisp weather, albeit with a fair amount of sun peeking through the clouds. It was shining quite brightly that day, and Hermione wondered if it would truly come out to play, or the clouds would somehow manage to overtake it. As she jogged, her heart rate speeding up quite nicely, she rounded a corner a few blocks from Ginny's place, and her jogs suddenly drew to a stop at the sight of an elderly man on the opposite block, who seemed to be looking around in a rather helpless manner, and she grew concerned.

"Is he lost?" Hermione whispered to herself, before looking both ways and crossing the road, and placed herself before the elderly gentleman. "Excuse me," she said politely, and the twinkling blue eyes seemed to widen slightly at her accent, "my name is Hermione Granger. I was wondering if you were all right?"

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Granger," the gentleman replied, and Hermione's eyes widened at the notion that he sounded as British as she did. "My name is Albus Dumbledore. Forgive me—this wizard's memory isn't what it used to be..."

Hermione stepped closer to him. "How did you know I was a witch?"

"You are positively brimming with magical energy, my dear," Albus Dumbledore informed her, his eyes twinkling a bit more at that. "But, I'm afraid, I am having a bit of difficulty. You see, I sometimes get a bit turned around..."

Hermione nodded her head in understanding; she would absolutely hate it if such a thing happened to her! "Well, perhaps I could direct you, Mr. Dumbledore?" she asked, moving closer and took his arm in hers. "If you wouldn't mind, of course."

"Not at all, Miss Granger, not at all," he responded. "But, please, call me Albus."

"Call me Hermione," Hermione told him, returning his smile. "Now, do you remember the cross-streets of your home?"

"My home is called Phoenix Hall, and it's not too far away from here," Albus informed Hermione with a small smile. "I believe if we were to make a left here, and continue down the block, I would just be able to get my bearings."

Hermione nodded her head. "Of course," she responded, permitting the elderly wizard to lead the way down the block.

"So, what brings you here to the States?" Albus asked her.

"The holidays," Hermione responded with a small smile. "I realized I hadn't gotten away in quite some time, and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to do so."

"Where are you from in England, my dear?" Albus wanted to know.

"I was born in Hampstead, and was raised there until I was eleven," Hermione responded, even though it was a touchy subject for her. "My surrogate family lived in Godric's Hollow, and I spent my Christmas and summer holidays during my school years with them. My biological family are Muggles, and they... Well..."

"Didn't take too kindly to your magical heritage?" Albus asked tentatively.

"Yes, exactly," Hermione told him. "Where did you hail from, then?"

"Mould-on-the-Wold originally," Albus told Hermione softly, and she could tell that the subject was a complex one for him as well. "My father, Merlin rest his soul, got tangled up in a bit of nasty business during my young adulthood, wherein he was attempting to protect my younger sister, Ariana, and ended up serving a life sentence in Azkaban. My mother took me and my younger brother, Aberforth, plus Ariana, to Godric's Hollow ourselves later on, to start over, and times were better, for a while."

Hermione very nearly stopped walking. "I've met your brother," she said quietly. "He runs The Hogs Head Inn, in Hogsmeade, doesn't he?"

Albus smiled at that. "He does," he confirmed. "We merely send letters to one another now, along with the occasional Floo Call during holidays and birthdays. Always liked goats, my younger brother did," he remarked with a chuckle.

Hermione chuckled right back. "They were actually very friendly," she told Albus gently. "They would come up to the tables and place their heads on your lap. Sweet creatures," she said as they continued down the block. "Where now?"

"To the right," Albus indicated, pointing a gnarled finger in that direction, and Hermione easily guided him that way. "Do you have any familiars, my dear?"

"I've a half-Kneazle, Crookshanks," Hermione said fondly as they moved to cross the road in a safe manner. "He's all orange, and has the most adorable smushed-in face. He's still at home at my cottage, though," she informed him, a trace of sadness in her voice. "The young woman who is staying at my home, while I'm borrowing hers, is currently looking after him."

"Oh," Albus said, perking up slightly at that with a smile, "who is the young woman? Is she a witch as well? Perhaps I know her..."

"She's a Pureblood witch, yes," Hermione told him. "Her name is Ginny, and she's about two years younger than I am."

"Oh, I adore the Weasleys," Albus said, his voice quite fond. "Molly and Arthur Weasley are absolute delights. They throw the best Christmas gatherings every year; I always have an invitation, of course, and never miss the opportunity to attend..."

"I've been invited myself," Hermione said as they kept along the road, and followed Albus's directions of taking another left. "My surrogate family, consisting of James and Lily Potter, plus their son, Harry, always held lovely gatherings as well..."

"Oh, the Potters," Albus remarked. "I know them well. I attended young Harry's christening ceremony... Oh, it seems like a lifetime ago," he mused. "They were quite good to take you in when they did, my dear. You would have been in the best possible hands."

"Harry and I were sorted into Gryffindor upon our entrance to Hogwarts, which was initially how we met one another," Hermione told him. "Harry taught me about the Wizarding World, and I always made sure we kept up with our studies. I will admit, I got a bit carried away with revision schedules, but it was wonderful in the end. Harry's an Auror now, you know, with two of the most lovely little girls..."

"I had heard of his marriage to Xenophilius Lovegood's daughter, Luna," Albus said softly, "as well as the announcement in The Daily Prophet and The Quibbler about her passing. It is wonderful that he has you, my dear, along with James, Lily, and his godfathers, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, to support him. Not that he wouldn't do a wonderful job on his own..."

"No, I understand your meaning," Hermione assured him. "I look upon those girls as if they are my nieces, and I love them to pieces."

Albus continued directing Hermione along the way, and, after another ten minutes or so, they reached what Albus dubbed Phoenix Hall. It was a beautiful old house, with a curved drive, and painted white, with a fair number of pillars holding up the place, and a sizeable front porch. It was quite exciting for Hermione to be invited inside, and Albus informed her that the place had been standing since 1794, and he had gotten it as a steal upon his departure from the United Kingdom just after the Second World War.

Albus brought Hermione directly into the kitchen; there seemed to be more spring to his step now that he was on more familiar ground, and Hermione believed that the house, being familiar to the aging wizard for so long, could be sentient. Albus proceeded to get a tea tray ready, once he confirmed that Hermione would stay for it, and asked her about her likes and dislikes, and it was very pleasing to see that Albus exclusively drank Tetley, which just so happened to be Hermione's favorite black tea as well.

Once they were sat in the parlor, Albus told Hermione that he had defeated the Dark wizard, Grindelwald, who had formally been his lover, just before he had left England. Hermione was truly fascinated; yes, they had discussed the battle in History of Magic, but it was an entirely different matter to hear it from a participant. Hermione was saddened that Albus and his lover had such differing viewpoints that it had led to an all-out war, and wondered if the man had ultimately settled down with a family of his own.

"No, I'm mostly alone here," Albus informed her with a small smile, and then there was an indignant-sounding trill, and a beautiful phoenix came swooping into the room, and perched onto the mantelpiece. "Oh, a thousand pardons," Albus continued, stirring some sugar into his tea and smiling at Hermione. "Where are my manners? Hermione, this is Fawkes, my phoenix familiar, who has been with me for quite a long time."

Hermione turned and smiled at the phoenix; she had never seen one outside of Care of Magical Creatures, and this one appeared to be in tip-top physical condition. "A pleasure to meet you, Fawkes; my name is Hermione. You're beautiful," she whispered, awed.

Fawkes trilled again, swooping downwards, and landed gently upon the arm of the finely upholstered chair Hermione was currently sitting on. He lowered his head, which Hermione knew was the utmost respect any familiar could accomplish, and she slowly reached out, petting the animal, and gasped at the softness of his feathers.

"Merlin, you're even more lovely up close," she breathed.

"My dear friend, Severus, who is a potions master, will come to Fawkes exclusively for his tears and his feathers," Albus informed her.

"Oh, you're familiar with Severus as well?" Hermione asked. "I just met him recently myself, and found his company quite enjoyable."

Albus's eyes twinkled at that. "Considering how intelligent the pair of you are, I can see exactly why that would be, my dear," he replied. "You must have had many questions for him."

Hermione nodded. "I did, yes. It was quite an honor to meet him, although he did have a fair few disparaging things to say in regards to the current potions professor at Hogwarts, Professor Horace Slughorn. I wholeheartedly agreed, of course," Hermione went on, as Albus chuckled and helped himself to a lemon drop. "As kindly as he is, and despite the fact that Harry and I were his first recruits for the Slug Club in our class, I found the entirety of the class... I suppose, wanting," she said after a moment of consideration.

Albus nodded. "I can understand that, my dear. Minerva, your former headmistress, and I have always been very close. She has asked me to beg for Severus to become the potions master for years, but he refuses to do so."

"He doesn't like children, or he doesn't have patience for dunderheads?" Hermione asked, reaching out to snag a biscuit for herself.

"The latter, most assuredly," Albus replied. "As far as I know, Severus quite likes children. He is on good terms with the Weasley children, and is quite close to Draco Malfoy and his lovely wife, Astoria, as I'm sure you witnessed."

Hermione nodded at him. "Yes. I was a guest at the Malfoy family home for dinner. It was all quite lovely, the way he interacted with them all."

"Old friends of that family, Severus is," Albus told her. "If it weren't for the Malfoys, as well as Tom Riddle, I don't believe Severus would have moved here."

Hermione blinked. "Is that so?"

"Oh, it is quite so, my dear," Albus assured her. "He learned all he could about potions and whatnot, but he seemed a bit stagnant, the more he remained in England. I think moving over here was the best thing that could have happened to him."

Hermione smiled. "Well, I am glad he is happy."

"Just because one is fulfilled professionally, Hermione, does not mean they are happy," Albus told her gently, and cocked his head to one side.

"Is something the matter, Albus?" she asked.

"Not 'the matter', per se, Hermione," he replied. "I am merely curious as to why a lovely young woman like yourself, a brilliant witch in her own right, would wish to just sit here in my admittedly lovely parlor, just speaking to an elderly wizard like myself. You're exploring the United States for the first time, are you not? Perhaps you should be out and about more..."

Hermione gave him a smile. "Well, I enjoy your company."

Albus smiled. "As I enjoy yours, my dear," he assured her. "But why did you really come all the way over here? Surely, there was another reason..."

Hermione lowered her cup of tea onto the coffee table between them. "Well, I supposed I needed a getaway as a means of escape," she replied.

Albus raised his eyebrows. "An escape? What from?"

Hermione bit her lower lip, trying and failing to keep the tears from entering her eyes. "From one person in particular," she replied. "The man I thought I loved, who I'm not even sure was ever a proper boyfriend to me, who got engaged to the woman he was seeing behind my back, and conveniently forgot to tell me," she went on, covering her mouth to prevent the sobs from overtaking the entirety of the room.

"Ah, a pillock, then," Albus said, nodding his head, his entire expression filled with a fair amount of disdain. "Hermione, dear, listen to me. This young man..."

"Ron," Hermione provided helpfully.

"...Ron," Albus continued, "clearly doesn't deserve you. It is readily apparent that he hurt you more than once. Is that correct?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes. We were at Hogwarts together. He was either seeing me or Lavender, the other girl, near constantly. Of course, he readily saw me before any big exam in class, or before the OWLs and NEWTs..." Hermione shook her head, and gritted her teeth, somehow managing to get a grip on herself. "Merlin, why was I so blind?"

"Love makes us blind," Albus told her gently.

"You are so right," Hermione said, nodding vigorously. "Merlin, I should've opened my eyes when everyone was telling me he was just using me..."

"Being on the outside looking in, or being introspective, doesn't come easily for one so young, especially teenagers, when our minds are quite self-centered, or overtaken by hormones," Albus told her, giving her a small smile. "Trust me on this, Hermione. This trip will be good for you. I know that, if you were to go out a bit—even to a bookshop—you could find something worth your while. You could do that, couldn't you?"

Hermione dashed the remainder of the tears from her eyes. "That depends," she said, and returned Albus's smile, "what is the equivalent of Flourish and Blotts?"

"That would be Furbelow and Blemish," Albus responded, "located on Main Street in Compass Rose Corridor."

Hermione lifted her cup of tea again, gently clinking it with Albus's. "It seems as though I have plans for later on this afternoon," she replied, suddenly quite happy once more.