Late Confession

*****************

Hermione pressed the golden doorbell and crossed her arms over her chest. She had no idea what had caused her to finally go to see him after so long. She must have been out of her mind.

The door opened slowly to reveal a short, slightly plump woman with dark, curly hair and a scowl upon her face.

“Hello, Mandy, is Harry home?” Hermione asked pleasantly.

“Yes,” Mandy replied. She turned and said to a small boy with Harry’s unruly hair, “Go get your father, Aaron.”

“Yes, Mum.”

The little boy ran down the stairs. Hermione flinched as she heard a thud from down the stairs.

“I’m okay!” Aaron called up to his mother.

“So, Mandy, can I come in?”

Mandy Brocklehurst Potter opened the door enough to let her in, but only just.

Hermione looked around the disheveled house that was showing the ware and tear of a house that had too many young boys living in it.

Harry’s face was that of confusion when he saw her.

“Hermione, what are you doing here?

“I have to talk to you, Harry.”

“All right,” he said, inviting her into the kitchen.

“Privately,” she said softly as Mandy followed them in.

Mandy ‘hmphed’ and went down the stairs to finish the laundry.

“About what?” he asked.

“Americus wants you to be at Hogwarts for her graduation this Saturday,” Hermione said, nodding her thanks as Harry passed her a cup of tea.

“Hermione,” Harry began, running his hands through his already untidy hair, “why? Why now?”

“Because you’re her father. She wants you to be her in life for once.”

“Whoa! Don’t put the blame on me; I’m not the one who said ‘Stay away,’ okay?”

“Harry, what did you expect me to do? I was nineteen years old! It’s not like I didn’t give you any time with her! She was three at the time!”

“What’s the matter with you? Who tells the father of their baby to stay away even when the father is a nice guy who never hurt anyone, except for Voldemort, but he deserved it, anyway?” Harry demanded, his glasses knocked askew from when he threw his arms up in the air.

Hermione looked down guiltily.

“Was there someone you would rather share your life than with me?” he demanded, his face inches from her. His aura sent out angry vibes.

Hermione could not keep her blood from boiling at his comment. She stood up angrily. “That’s not fair because you TOLD me to go out with him! Even after you knew. After we discussed that we were not going to get married.”

“You wanted to go out with him though. That’s why you wouldn’t marry me.”

“What does this have to do with marriage? Besides, I told you that I would only marry for love. And I did not love you.”

Harry picked up Mandy’s knitting needle and threw it at the wall behind Hermione, narrowly missing her ear.

“Nice shot...” she said softly.

Harry was looking down, breathing heavily. He looked up at her. “Why did you ask me to leave you and Americus alone?”

Hermione looked about ready to cry. “Oh, Harry, I was afraid. You and Mandy had just gotten married. Mandy didn’t like Americus being your daughter. I was afraid it would tear apart your marriage.”

Harry gave her the dirtiest look she had ever seen him give anyone. “You’re lying. Or at least there’s something else you’re not telling me. I know you too well for you to lie to me, you know that.”

Hermione slumped to the floor. Tears accompanied her. “I was afraid that I would become attached to having you in my life,” she said through sobs. “I didn’t know how long it would until you and Mandy decided to have a family of your own. I didn’t want to be left dependent on you.”

“What else, Hermione?”

“I...” She paused, choking on a sob. “I was afraid of loving you. I was afraid that I would fall in love with you and you would be married and it would be hopeless for me. Better Americus and I live alone than with the knowledge that we were abandoned.”

Harry stared at her. He had never been sure exactly why Hermione had turned him away from her and their daughter. It hurt to know why, but he felt this way he could fix what ever she thought he might have done.

Hermione started rocking gently. He’d had no idea how much this shook her up. He had been thinking that Hermione was emotionally invincible, but even she couldn’t take everything.

He didn’t know what to do.

“There’s going to a professional photographer there. Americus wants all four of us to take a family picture. A momento, she says,” Hermione said quietly, wiping her eyes.

“The four of us?” Harry asked skeptically. “Tell me you didn’t have another baby.”

“I didn’t,” she said. Glaring at him, she added, “And that wasn’t very funny, either.”

“So, who is this mystery person?”

“My fiancee,” she replied, blowing her nose.

“Your fiancee?”

“Yes,” she told him, standing up.

“Does he have a name, by any chance?”

“Draco Malfoy.”

Well, that’s the way to kick someone when they’re down. Not that he was down, anyway. But, his heart had been breaking for her, bringing him close to tears and now she springs it on him that she’s engaged to the Slytherin Prince himself?

“Oh don’t even give me that look. You were the who told me I could date him,” she snapped.

“Yeah, when you were seventeen. I didn’t think it would actually go anywhere.”

“Don’t worry. That time it didn’t. We got back together while teaching at Hogwarts.”

Harry gave her an “ah” look.

“He courted me for seven years, all right? So, you can’t say we’re rushing things.”

“When’s the wedding?”

“Not for a while. We want to get Americus a job and such.

“Well, if that’s everything I’ll be going.”

Hermione grabbed her purse and turned to go.

“Wait,” he said.

“What?”

“You didn’t ask me if I was going to go or not.”

“I never said you had a choice.”

Harry stared.

“Kidding, Harry, kidding.”

She turned and left the kitchen. She open the door to go but stopped. Looking back at Harry, she blew him a kiss and waved teasingly.

He awkwardly waved back. Oh, damn, he thought. Damn those fuzzy feelings...But this fuzzy feeling was not alone; It brought along its friends Giddiness and Pink Blush.

This was going to be a very awkward Saturday.