Chapter 4
Of all the ways Minerva had imagined telling Hermione she was her mother, this one certainly had never crossed her mind, and it couldn’t have been a worse scenario.
She knew she’d never be to her daughter what a mother should be. She thought that, if she ever got the chance to tell her, she’d at least be able to prepare her first. Not scare her the way they had.
But they didn’t have time to prepare her. They still didn’t know how the information about her daughter was found, and it was imperative to take the necessary precautions.
What hurt Minerva the most, though, wasn’t the hurt stamped in Hermione’s face right after she heard the news about her and Albus. She could feel that with time, it’d lessen, and she hoped that one day her daughter would forgive her. She had contented herself on being only a teacher to Hermione, and if Minerva could still have her respect, it’d be enough. The agony of what would become of her daughter and her friends was what was piercing her heart.
Minerva had observed Hermione growing into a woman. She had learned to read all her daughter’s wishes and aspirations over the years. One of her most precious dreams was shattered today, and she’d do anything to give that dream back to her daughter.
She had always thought that it was absurd to believe in prophecies. No one could predict the future. It was a result of choices, and a single choice could change so much. At the same time, she couldn’t deny that every time Sybill had made a real prediction, it had come true. Furthermore, Albus believed it, and he had never taken prophecies lightly.
There were so many things to decide. And Minerva didn’t even want to think about Voldemort discovering who her daughter was. When Severus had told them about his last meeting with the Dark Lord, she had felt herself tremble. They had tried so hard to keep it a secret. She had deprived herself from taking care of her only child so she’d be safe. Now she asked herself if she shouldn’t have fought harder to stay with Hermione.
Hermione, who was looking so lost at that moment. It took everything in her to stop herself from holding her daughter.
The silence in the room was interrupted by Harry’s angry steps, pacing tirelessly. When he seemed to reach his boiling point, he stopped and looked around. His eyes fell on Hermione, then on the seat that Ron had been occupying earlier.
"This is wrong, and everyone in this room knows it. I don’t care what she said. It’s not going to happen. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to find Ron."
"Harry, don’t you think Ron needs a little time? Besides, Arthur is with him," Remus said gently to Harry.
"No, I think he needs to know that I am and will always be his best friend, and best friends don’t betray each other." And with that, he left the room.
Minerva had never been so proud of Harry Potter. The loyalty between the three of them was something unique. It was one of the things that made her believe that Voldemort could be defeated.
When she looked at Hermione again, she could see a little glimmer of hope shine in her eyes once more, and it filled Minerva with warmth.
"Remus, Severus, would you mind helping me find Arthur? I’m afraid it’s getting late, and I want to have a word with Ron before leaving." Molly stood up from her chair, and practically pushed the two men to the door.
"Oh, of course, Molly. Albus, if you need anything…"
"I’ll let you know. I’ll call another meeting soon. Thank you, Remus."
It was clear that Molly wanted to give them privacy, and Minerva was grateful to that, but at the same time it made her extremely agitated.
As soon as they left the room, a very uncomfortable silence enveloped them. A few minutes passed before Albus spoke: "Mr. Granger, I think we’ll have to reinforce the protection around your house, without attracting suspicion."
Mr. Granger looked, startled, at Albus. He knew quite a few things about magic and the war, but Minerva suspected that no matter how much he knew, it still was a shock to finally realize that he and his family were in immediate danger.
"What do I have to do?" he asked a little hesitantly.
"Don’t worry about it for now. I’ll send Remus and Arthur to take care of everything. They’ll probably go later at night, to strengthen the wards around your home. I’ll let you know beforehand when it’ll be. I have to warn you, though, that if Voldemort discovers that Hermione is my daughter, I’d like you to take both of you to a safe location. I’ll leave everything prepared in case of an emergency."
Hermione was visibly trembling at this. The Grangers would be easy targets for the Death Eaters, and she knew it.
"We’ll do anything that is necessary, Mr. Dumbledore." Mrs. Granger whispered, holding Hermione’s hand and crying softly.
"Thank you, Mrs. Granger. I know this situation is very difficult to everyone, and I want you to know that we’ll do anything to protect you."
They fell silent again. Minerva wanted to know what Hermione was thinking, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask. She hadn’t uttered a single word since the meeting had started. She had never felt this helpless before.
"I think we should go," said Mr. Granger looking at his wife.
"Yes, it’s quite late already," Mrs. Granger added, rising from her chair.
"Wait!" Hermione, who had her eyes fixed on her hands in her lap, looked up at the two couples in the room. "I think we should talk." When she saw the Grangers hesitating, she asked, "Mum? Dad? Please."
They took their seats again, and waited a few seconds. "What do you want to know?" asked Mr. Granger quietly, seeming as afraid as Minerva felt.
Hermione took a deep breath and looked at each person in the room. "Everything that there is to know."
"Then I think I should be the one to start." Minerva’s voice was hoarse from lack of use, and from emotion. Her eyes met her daughter’s, and she saw understanding there. It was more, so much more than she could hope for. She felt herself relax a little. She knew that she’d have to relive the best and worst moments of her life, but Hermione needed to know the truth. She needed to know how loved and wanted she was, and that every day Minerva wished that she could have stayed with her daughter instead of giving her up.
She felt Albus’s hand on hers, and looked gratefully at him. She’d need all support she could get.