Work Text:
"Hyacinth Calliope Granger, what am I going to do with you?"
Hermione stared at the kitchen table as Christmas music played on the stereo in the next room. The salt dough that she and her seven year-old just finished making was scattered about the table in little lumps. There was glitter everywhere in the kitchen of their rented holiday cottage--on the table, the floor, somehow it was even on the curtains. But there wasn't any on her adopted daughter.
Hyacinth was sitting primly on her chair, hands folded on her lap. Hermione could see she was struggling to keep her expression neutral. The corners of her mouth kept twitching, and her green eyes were alight with mischief.
"What on earth happened?"
Hyacinth giggled and the the dough lumps started dancing on the table top.
Hermione's breath caught in her throat.
"Isn't it funny, Myo?"
Hermione shook her head and grinned. "It's magical. Have you ever done anything like this before?"
"I don't know," the little girl shrugged.
"Do you want to know a secret?" Hyacinth nodded eagerly. "When I was your age, your mummy and daddy were visiting my house. Mummy hurt herself when we were playing in the backyard, and I really wanted to cheer her up, so I made my teddy bears dance for her, just like you are making the dough dance right now."
"Really? Can everyone do this?"
Hermione shook her head. "No, sweetheart, not everyone. But there are quite a few people like us." Her mind reeled, thinking of places she could take Hyacinth. And she would have to let her friends know they no longer needed to hide their magic when they visited. "Uncle Harry and the Weasleys can do magic. And now that we know you can do magic, too, we can show you some special things we couldn't share with you before."
Hyacinth's eyes grew big, imagining all sorts of things she might have been missing out on. "Can I see something now?"
"We can clean up quickly and do some extra special Christmas shopping at the pier," she said as she slipped her wand from her disillusioned forearm holster.
"But we were just at the pier, Myo. We went on rides and got candy floss!"
"Yes we did," Hermione grinned at Hyacinth, "but we only got to see a part of the Brighton Palace Pier. There is a special area that only magical people--witches and wizards--can find." Hermione flicked her wand at the dough and glitter. The loose glitter streamed into the containers on the table and the salt dough stopped dancing, flattened, and assumed Christmas shapes on the sheets of waxed paper they laid out earlier.
"Wow."
Hermione smiled at her child's wonder. "Now go get your coat and shoes on. And don't forget your hat!"
As Hyacinth rushed to get ready, Hermione put away the glitter. She never would have imagined that the daughter of her closest childhood Muggle friends would be a Muggleborn witch, too. When they asked her if she would be Hyacinth's guardian, of course none of them believed anything bad would happen. But after Andrew's cancer diagnosis, a couple years ago, it gave him and Meredith peace of mind, knowing their little girl would be cared for.
Then a car accident claimed her friends' lives last February, and Hermione gave up using magic at home, except for the odd time she was completely alone, if Hyacinth was having a sleepover with Meredith's parents, or visiting friends from school. There weren't many cases of wizards adopting Muggle children, so Hermione was making it up as she went along, and trying to keep to the Statute of Secrecy. Which was another thing to acquaint her little girl with, now that she was a witch, too.
Hermione went to the entry of their little rented cottage that she'd leased during the school hols to find Hyacinth wearing her winter gear and ready to go. Hermione quickly put on her coat, gloves and scarf before slipping on her boots.
"Are we taking the car, Myo?"
"Not this time, Cin. We are going to use a magical form of transportation called Side-along Apparition." Hermione checked her purse before slipping it on her shoulder. "Now take my hand. When we travel, it might feel a bit odd, like we are being sucked through a straw, but it isn't too bad."
Hyacinth's giggle was interrupted by a crack as Hermione Apparated them away.
~*~*~
Hermione smiled as they landed on a secluded bit of rocky beach beneath a brick arch. The cool sea breeze was nothing like the crisp highland air she'd grown used to during the winters of her youth.
"Where are we?"
"We're still in Brighton. On the beach." Hermione pointed along the shore. "See the old boats over there?"
"Those are near the fishing museum, right, Myo?"
"Part of the museum actually. Watch carefully now," Hermione pointed her wand at the brickwork they stood beneath and tapped on a small square brick with one chipped corner. The bricks rearranged themselves so that a small arch formed before the two witches.
The archway opened onto a small market square. Shop stalls were set up around a pavilion which housed a small skating rink. Near the pavilion, an enchanted bell choir was playing Christmas carols. Everywhere they looked was lit with twinkling fairy lights.
"Wow! Those bells are playing by themselves!"
"Magic." Hermione had barely finished saying the word before Hyacinth darted off, eager to explore. She smiled as she watched her child skip along the shop stalls, trying to see everything all at once.
"Myo!" Hyacinth raced back to her side. "Is that Uncle George up ahead?"
Hermione looked at the booth Hyacinth was pointing to. "Yes. He owns a shop in Diagon Alley called Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes," she replied. "They run a stall here in Brighton during holidays."
"Can we go there first?"
"Of course, oof--" put her arms out to steady herself. Her feet wouldn't budge from their spot.
Hyacinth looked down at Myo's feet. "Why are you stuck?"
Hermione looked up and sighed as she spotted the telltale cluster of white berries. "Bespelled mistletoe. It won't let me walk until someone kisses me."
"Anyone?"
Hermione sighed. "It depends on the charm, but probably a gentleman."
"I'll go find someone!" Hyacinth sped off.
Hermione sighed as she watched Hyacinth bound off toward George's stall. From her vantage point Hermione could tell the shop was busy. Hermione doubted he would be able to get away.
Hermione had actually hoped to save George's stall for last. She hadn't been able to think of anything to get for Hyacinth's stocking. A little something from George's shop might just do the trick.
"Myo!" Hyacinth crashed into her, giving her a hug. "I found the most gentlemanly gentleman who said he could help."
Hermione glanced up to see a familiar shock of platinum blond hair, and a teasing pair of grey eyes. Draco Malfoy.
"Well, what have we here?" Draco asked Hyacinth.
"She is really stuck, Mister. My tackle hug couldn't even knock her over!"
"Hello, Draco."
"You know each other, Myo?"
"Yes indeed. We even went to school together," Malfoy told Hyacinth. He reached up to remove a young boy who perched on his shoulders. "Now, Scorpius, what was it you asked me?"
"To help the pretty girl's mum, Daddy! Malfoys help people," Scorpius said, as if reciting an important rule.
"Right you are," he said lowering the boy to the ground. "Can you stay with the young lady, Scorp?" He watched as his son went up to the little girl and took her hand.
"Long time no see, Draco."
He stepped closer to her. "Too long. Quite the predicament you're in here."
She smiled at his teasing tone. While they hadn't seen each other in a few years, they had become pen pals of sorts, thanks to some nudging from Ron and Pansy. Being the only single parents in each other's sphere of acquaintances, they'd each found it helpful to have someone to talk to.
A few times she'd thought about getting together for a coffee, just to chat. It just never seemed to work out. Scorpius was having trouble controlling his magic, and the Ministry had taken a hard line on the Statute of Secrecy regarding Hyacinth. And then, she and Draco were rarely both child free at the same time.
"I'm surprised to see you here. I thought--work aside--that you were mostly avoiding, well…" he trailed off and glanced around the pavillion with all its charms on display for the festive season.
"Magic," Hermione suggested. At his answering nod, she explained, "That was my intention, but today Hyacinth did some accidental magic. We came to the pier to celebrate."
"And you haven't given her a copy of Hogwarts: A History yet?"
Hermione laughed. "I thought that could wait until she gets her letter."
"Myo, please hurry," Hyacinth piped up. "I didn't get a good look in that shop, and I want to see everything and go skating before the shops close."
Draco raised a brow at Hermione who merely laughed. "What if we just walk around a bit, Cin, and see if any shops strike our fancy? That way we can skip anything that doesn't hold our interest. This way we can get in some skating before dinner."
"But--"
"We can always come back another day to see anything we missed. We have the cottage for another week." Hyacinth nodded her agreement with Hermione's suggestion before turning to ask Scorpius about the various shops.
Draco reached a gloved finger to her cheek, brushing it gently.
Hermione startled at his touch.
"A snowflake landed, just there."
She could feel a faint flush sweep across her cheeks as she smiled at his thoughtfulness. "But it isn't snowing."
"Magic," he pointed up at the mistletoe above her head. Sure enough, small snowflakes were drifting down from the wayward sprig. "We should get you set free," he suggested, taking a step closer.
"Right," Hermione agreed. She looked at the space still remaining between them. Making her mind up, she reached out to grasp his robes and tug him even closer to accommodate her shorter height and stuck feet.
Draco's hands landed on her waist as he wobbled at her sudden move. Regaining his balance, he leaned down.
"Ever the Gryffindor," his whisper drifted by her ear, teasing her senses with his warmth.
She shivered with anticipation. Malfoy was a handsome man, and from what he'd revealed of himself in his letters he was now quite different from the pointy, abrasive teen he'd once been.
Feeling bold, Hermione unfurled her fingers, releasing her hold on his robes, and smoothed her hands up his chest. Lifting her face to his, she had no choice but to wait for him to bridge the distance. When his lips captured hers, she felt a swirl of magic before her feet released from the ground.
"Finally!" A purple blur crashed into Hermione's side and she staggered, dragging Draco a couple steps before they found their balance once again. Hermione and Draco looked at each other, eyes filled with promises and what ifs.
"Let's explore!" The children each grabbed their parent's hand.
And so they wandered. The two small families had a fun afternoon exploring the Christmas market and skating together. Hermione even snuck a few minutes alone, while Draco took the children to get cups of hot cocoa, to buy a special memento to mark Hyacinth's first day as a witch--a bookmark with a scene of the Brighton Pavilion painted by her old school friend Dean Thomas--which she planned to tuck into her Christmas stocking. She couldn't predict what the coming year might bring her or Hyacinth, but she hoped that this new world of opportunities would be good for both of them.