Hermione Granger and the Centaur Boy

The Centaur Baby, now a Centaur Boy of five years, went by the name Cyrus. Hermione home-schooled him, and he was rather intelligent for his age. Hermione and Ginny had mostly kept Cyrus a secret. Only their closest friends knew about him. Ginny had a witch friend who baby-sat for Cyrus when he was really small. One of Hermione's friends, who was rather wealthy, let Cyrus come down to her estate on weekends. She let him play with her kids, and he got to run and play on the grounds. Even though he never complained about being cooped up in the flat, he cherished the weekends where he could stretch his legs. As he got older, Hermione noticed that Cyrus's coat had begun to look more silver than gold. He had beautiful, wavy black hair, and his horse-like body was lean and his coat smooth. When he ran, there was something magical and graceful about it.

With the exception of those weekends, he usually stayed inside with books. Today they were going to The Burrow for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's anniversary dinner. Now that her children were all gone and some of them had children of their own, she enjoyed any excuse to gather them all together. She'd insisted Hermione come along this year as she had ALMOST been her daughter-in-law, and she honestly felt like Hermione was a part of the family. Hermione would have felt better if the other almost-family member, Harry, was around. But he was somewhere in the far north teaching at Durmstrang. There were rumors that someone was attempting to recruit young wizards and witches from there for a new secret alliance of Dark Wizards. Viktor Krum, who'd become headmaster of the school and was keen on changing the school’s reputation, had requested Harry’s involvement.

Harry had never met Cyrus, but he'd heard about him through Ginny (as had Ron). It seemed odd that Harry had been and still was one of her best friends, but she hardly ever spoke to him these days. It was a bit weird after she and Ron broke up. She found it easier to just pull away from everyone and everything. In Greece, her constant distraction was work, but she found herself at a loss when she got home.

Then Cyrus came along, but his day-to-day mothering needs were fading away. He was the cleverest child she had ever met, even if he wasn't human. He quickly graduated from being read to, and now he could read on his own. And it was something he loved. He spoke well, and he groomed himself every morning. And he had a certain intuition about life that went well beyond his five years. But it was clear he was still a boy. He had an assortment of Muggle and wizard toys that, like most boys, he often left all over the house.

"Mum, where’s mini Viktor Krum?" Cyrus asked. "He's not on the shelf with my other figures."

Hermione came out of her bedroom and walked into the living room. She picked up the toy. "I thought you were going to be more careful with your rare figures."

"Sorry, Mum," Cyrus said. "Did you really know him?"

"He was kind of my first date ever."

"I thought that was Aunt Ginny's brother Ron."

"No, Ron was my first love. My first ... a lot of things."

Cyrus smiled.

"Some day I'll have to tell you the entire Yule Ball story," Hermione said. "At the time it felt like the worse night of my life. Now it's kind of funny."

"Is Ron going to be there, at The Burrow?"

"I heard he wasn't," Hermione said. "You want to know the truth?"

"Always," Cyrus replied.

"I've been avoiding him," Hermione told him.

"Why?"

"We didn't end on the best terms, and I don't quite know what to say to him."

Ginny entered the room. "You all ready Cyrus?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah," Cyrus said. "If I could just find my ..."

Hermione handed him a cloak. She helped him put the cloak on and it draped across his back and fell off. Hermione had been dressing Cyrus (at least his upper body) since he was small. This, along with many other things, worried Ginny. As much as she loved the boy, she knew his too-human lifestyle would be more of a hindrance than help once he was introduced into the centaur world, where he belonged. The problem was trying to get Hermione to say exactly when this would happen. Cyrus was growing like a weed; she had to face reality soon.

Whenever Ginny brought up taking Cyrus to the Forbidden Forrest or some centaur reserve, Hermione avoided the question or set up some unknown date in the future.

"Aunt Ginny, you think your mum will like me?"

"Everyone loves you Cyrus," Ginny said. "See you there."

Ginny apparated out of the living room. She, like Hermione, only traveled by Floo when apparating wasn't an option. And right now, Hermione had to see to Cyrus. Cyrus took some Floo powder and stepped into the fireplace.

"The Burrow," Cyrus said loudly.

~~~"~~~~

Hermione arrived in The Burrow seconds after Cyrus. Mrs. Weasley’s grandchildren surrounded him. They were all talking excitedly and examining Cyrus. She greeted many Weasleys with a 'hello,' but she found an unexpected face at the edge of the room. He looked different; almost all of his hair was gone. Well, he hadn't gone bald, but it was extremely short — like he'd just come home from the military. She missed his fiery red hair. But she certainly didn't miss his fiery temper, she reminded herself. They approached each other cautiously.

"So it's true then. Hermione Granger owns a centaur," Ron said.

"I don't own him."

Cyrus hooves were heard as he approached the two of them.

"So you're Cyrus?" Ron said.

"Yeah," Cyrus said. "And you're Ron, I guess."

"Never seen a centaur wearing clothes," Ron said.

"Well, I'm not like most centaurs," Cyrus said with a smile. Then he turned to Hermione. "Can I play outside Mum, with the others?"

"Sure Cyrus."

He ran outside with Ron's nieces and nephews.

"He calls you mum?" Ron asked.

"What else would he call me?" Hermione said. "I raised him."

"Yeah, but he's a centaur. Don't you think it's about time he had a home with other centaurs?"

"She's been told a hundred times," Ginny, who was standing nearby, pointed out. "She won't listen. She hasn't even registered him."

"And I won’t! He's not a pet; he's a child," Hermione said. "And no Muggle has seen him, only my closest wizard friends know I have him, and I'm NOT keeping him."

"Sure you aren't," Ron said.

At this point, most people had gone about their business, and Ginny decided to slip away.

"He sees me as his mother, and he's still a little boy. I'm not just going to drop him amongst a bunch of strangers and hope he's okay," Hermione argued.

"So you plan on raising a centaur to adulthood in your home?"

"Of course he won't be with me that long," Hermione said. "Besides—" she paused. "Look Ron, I didn't come here to argue with you, and I don't have to explain myself. Cyrus and his future are my responsibility. You need not be any more concerned about him than you are about me."

"Of course I'm concerned about you. Just think about it, Hermione. He's a magical beast, and there are laws ..."

"HE IS NOT A BEAST!" she yelled sharply. Realizing how she had spoken, she took a breath. "I'm sorry for yelling, but he's like my son, Ron. Don't refer to him as a beast."

"I'm sorry, okay. I've talked to Ginny," Ron told her. "I know how you feel about Cyrus. But centaurs are classified as beasts. And that's how other wizards will always see him."

"He's just like those other children, Ron," Hermione explained. "He eats at a table, and he's never hunted or lived in a forest. He lives in a flat, he has a warm place to sleep every night, and he plays with toys and reads books. How cruel would it be to take that life away from him?"

"How cruel would it be to let him grow up in a world he can never be a part of?" Ron asked. "Right now he's at the perfect age to be taught to live as a centaur."

"But he doesn't belong with them ... he's not like them. I can see it in his eyes," Hermione told Ron. "He's something unique. I can't explain it. I mean, I know centaurs are quite intelligent, but that's not the world for Cyrus. Just look into his eyes, Ron, and you'll see what I mean. He’s more than what he seems. That world is so removed from us. Our world is what Cyrus knows."

"That's only because you see yourself as his mother. It was like Hagrid seeing Norbert as some sweet, harmless baby."

"How can you compare Norbert and Cyrus?"

"Of course they're nothing alike! But you still need to take him home to the centaurs and stop trying to make him more than what he is."

"You'd know a lot about that, wouldn't you, giving up. I don't work that way," Hermione told him. "Now if you'll excuse me—"

Hermione left the room and went outside where Mrs. Weasley was watching Cyrus playing with her grandchildren. She seemed quite enchanted with Cyrus.

"He's really beautiful," Mrs. Weasley said. "I wouldn't believe it if I wasn't actually looking at him, but there's something almost—-"

"Delicate about him," Hermione finished.

"Yes, very much so."

"I've always known centaurs were intelligent creatures — but with this earthiness about them. Cyrus doesn't possess that. He seems ... angelic almost"

Ron came outside and both his mother and Hermione glanced at him briefly. Ron joined some of his brothers, who were discussing Quidditch a few feet away, but you could tell he had no interest in the conversation.

"Ron still thinks fondly of you, Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said. "He asks Ginny about you all the time."

Hermione didn't respond, but she seemed to soften some as Ron's eyes met hers. Ron left his brothers and came over to where Hermione was standing. Mrs. Weasley excused herself.

"I'm really sorry if I offended you by calling Cyrus a beast," Ron said.

"I know you're sorry," Hermione said.

There was an uncomfortable silence.

"I wanted to send you owls loads of times," Ron said. "I just never knew what to say."

"'Hello' or 'How are you' would have been enough."

"You didn't write to me either."

"You made your choice Ron, and so did I." Hermione sighed. "I guess this is what broke us up before, the arguing over who was at fault."

Ron laughed. "We were always good at arguing."

"We were good at other things, too," Hermione replied with a smile.

"Yeah," Ron said, returning the smile. "So, we're sorry? Can I get a hug?"

"Of course," Hermione said, reaching out to hug him.

It actually hadn’t been the fighting that had broken them up. They'd been trying to find their way in the adult world. Ron joined the squad for Accidental Magical Reversal. The hours were erratic, and it made it hard to plan anything, which annoyed Hermione to no end. They spent less and less time together. Then she went to Greece. She had asked him to come with her, but he refused. He was happy where he was and didn't want to be uprooted. Eventually distance got the better of them, and their relationship ended. It wasn't even motivated by the idea the love had ended; they just needed to find themselves before they could find each other again.

The rest of the evening, the whole house was in good spirits. Hermione helped Ginny and some of the boys complete the anniversary dinner for their parents. Cyrus enjoyed the company of other children. And Hermione and Ron caught up with each other's lives. It was hard to believe that just that morning she’d feared seeing him at his parents’ house.

The happy mood was not to be sustained, though. It was broken at dinner with a knock at the door. Mr. Weasley went to answer it, thinking nothing of it. He found himself face to face with a member of the Ministry.

"Mr. Finnigan, what are you doing here?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Seamus?" Hermione questioned silently.

"Doesn't he work for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures?" Ginny asked.

"Did one of you—" Hermione began to ask.

"Of course not," Ginny and Ron said together.

"Cyrus," Hermione said. "Go in the other room."

"Yes, all you children go with him," Mrs. Weasley said, getting them out of the room.

Mr. Weasley brought Seamus inside. Hermione had a feeling she was the one he wanted to see and went out to greet him with Ron and Ginny nearby.

"Hermione," he said, “I’ve been informed that for the past five years you have been caring for an unregistered magical creature."

"Cyrus isn't a pet," Hermione said. "And that's why he's not registered."

"Even if you believe that, he has to be registered as that for you to lawfully keep him."

"I'll adopt him then," Hermione said. "Adopt him as my child."

"Adopt a centaur!" Seamus gasped.

Ron and Ginny shared a worried glance. It certainly was the craziest thing either of them had ever heard (then again, Hermione had once been on a mission to liberate perfectly happy house elves). Still, an inter-species adoption was unheard of, even in the wizard world where there were many non-human beings with human-equivalent intelligence.

"All I know is you need to register him, or you may lose him." Seamus handed her the registration forms.

"If I sign those papers, I'm saying he's a beast. He's NOT!"

"He's already classified that way. All I'm saying is, this way, you can keep him."

Ron saw that Hermione was ready to refuse again, so he stepped up to Seamus and took the papers.

"How much time do we have on these?" Ron asked.

"Ron—" Hermione began.

"Forty-eight hours," Seamus said. "Then the department takes him. Owl them when you're done."

Seamus apparated away. Ron turned toward Hermione, who looked annoyed that he had taken charge of the situation like she was helpless.

"Just fill out the forms," Ron said.

"I won't. He’s not my pet, and he's not a beast. I won't sign any papers that say he is."

"But he's not your child, Hermione," Ron said. "No matter what you feel when you look at him, he came from a completely different species. You can call him whatever you want, but filling out these simple forms will allow you to keep him. Refusing them will cause you to lose him." Hermione didn't answer, but kept that defiant look on her face. "But maybe it's best you don't fill them out. Maybe, you know it's time, because Hermione, he may not be a pet, but he'll never be a wizard or human."

They suddenly heard hooves making careful steps into the room.

"Mother?" Cyrus questioned. "Is everything okay?"

"No Cyrus," Hermione said. "It's not. Come with me, we need to talk."

Hermione led Cyrus out the door so they could talk alone. They walked in silence for a long time. It was dark now, but The Burrow was one of those wizard homes safely hidden away from prying Muggle eyes. So she wasn't worried about the centaur being spotted.

"Am I going to live with other centaurs now?"

Hermione didn't answer.

"I hear it, you know. People tell you that I'm not human and that you have to give me up eventually."

"Cyrus, when I brought you home, I never planned to love you so much," Hermione explained. "I couldn't love you any more if you came from me. But you didn't, so the next thing I do depends on you. I've told you about centaurs, as much history as I know. You know that your kind is classified as beast."

"By choice," Cyrus said. "Not because we're not smart."

"Right," Hermione said. "But for that reason, the only way I can keep you is by registering you as a magical creature under my care. It's not unheard of; some wizards have things as dangerous as Hippogriffs for pets, not that you're anything like that. And they have regulations about keeping certain creatures, not that they've ever had to worry about a centaur before. I'm hoping they won't request anything out of the ordinary, like keeping you in a stable. They may request that I live somewhere else. I just don't know what regulations they'll come up with. Now, I could not sign these papers, and you would continue to be a free centaur, but you couldn't stay with me."

"I don't care what any department calls me, I want to stay with you, Mum."

"And I want you to stay," Hermione replied. "But if we do this, I want you to know that I've always known you're more than what you seem, more than a beast, more than a magical animal. I know you're someone very special."

"I know, Mum," Cyrus said, and he threw his arms around her.

Cyrus and Hermione returned to the silence of the Weasley home. Everyone who had planned to go home that evening was gone, and anyone who stayed had gone to bed. Hermione decided to stay the night with Cyrus. She sat in a chair by the fire filling out the forms with Cyrus sitting nearby. He eventually fell asleep with his head in her lap. Hermione remained awake, watching him sleep. Ron found her there and kneeled in front of her. He took a good look at Cyrus — perhaps the first deep look he had taken.

"That's an odd mark on his forehead," Ron said.

"I know. It a birthmark I believe, but there's something queer about it. I keep thinking it means something, but then I dismiss it."

"He does seem special," Ron said, "even for a centaur. But he's still a centaur, and eventually he's going to understand that."

"I thought you were on my side."

"I am," Ron said. "But right now I know you see a little boy, and he sees his mother. You haven't thought about the day when he's not a little boy."

"I hear you Ron, and I know you think I'm quite mad—"

"No," Ron said, "I know you're not. You remember SPEW?"

"It wasn't —"

"I know, I know. The thing is, I knew why you were doing it. But I also knew the elves didn't want it. You just wouldn't hear me—"

"I still think that—"

"Hermione!" Ron interrupted. "It doesn't matter. My point is, I know you have a big heart, and you're trying to make a stand for what's right. But I also know sometimes you get so focused on one thing that you don't see the whole picture."

"You're wrong. I asked Cyrus before I decided."

"You asked a child if he wanted to stay with his mother or go into a world of strangers," Ron told her. "What did you think he was going to say?"

She wouldn't answer because she knew Ron made perfect sense. No child would ask to be sent away.

"I know he is your son, Hermione, in all the ways that matter. But the rest of the world is never going to see that."

"But you see that he's more than just some fantastic zoo animal to me."

"Of course."

At that moment she didn't care how the world saw Cyrus. Ron saw Cyrus as Cyrus, and that was enough. She pulled him close, careful not to disturb the sleeping child in her lap, and their lips met in a gentle kiss. For a moment, the familiar lips lingered, cherishing the long lost touch, and then they separated.

"I really did miss you," Hermione said softly. "I'm sorry we didn't speak for so long."

"Me too," Ron replied.

~~~~"~~~~

The next day arrived sooner than Cyrus would have liked. Hermione had stayed up so long that she was asleep long after Cyrus had awoken. Ron was also up early, and he found Cyrus in the yard alone. He hadn't really spent much time interacting with the centaur child the day before, so he didn't know how to handle their interaction.

"Hello Cyrus," Ron said.

"Hello Mr. Ron."

"Just Ron," Ron said.

"You still fancy my mum, don't you?" Cyrus asked.

The forwardness of the question shocked him. "We used to be ..."

"I know, they told me. I was just wondering if you still—"

"Yeah, I still," Ron said.

"You're nicer than I imagined," Cyrus said.

"Why? Did Hermione make you think I was some kind of beast?"

"No, did Aunt Ginny tell you I was one?"

Ron smiled. "You're only five right?"

"I've been told centaurs mature faster than humans. I don't know what my human equivalent age would be."

"Do you ever wish you were human so you could live with your mum like a normal boy?" Ron asked
"Only sometimes, but not because I fancy having two legs instead of four. It's just that my mum would be happier. I could go outside no matter where I was. I could meet her parents, and she wouldn't have to be so careful. She wouldn't have to be ashamed of me ever."

"She's not ashamed of you," Ron told him. " If she thought it was safe and the world would understand, she'd gladly take you anywhere and proudly tell anyone who asked that you are her son."

They grinned at each other and then both heard their names being called from inside the house. As Ron walked inside past Ginny, she handed him a newspaper.

"Hermione's in trouble," Ginny said. She pointed to an article in the Daily Prophet.

Ron looked down at the page. There was a moving cartoon of a mad witch chasing a rather wild looking centaur with a diaper and clothing in her arms. The centaur looked too crazy to be Cyrus and the witch too wild to be Hermione.

The article read:

'Witch to Adopt Centaur

It seems someone from the Beast division in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures visited a young witch named Hermione Granger yesterday. He requested that she register the pet centaur that's she's been keeping for many years (and adhere to some codes for keeping it). She refused, claiming the centaur was not her pet but her CHILD.

Now you may think a request like this could only come from a fool. But, in fact, Miss Granger (a former top grade student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry) has been called one of the greatest wizard minds of our time. However, like many geniuses, she seems to be quite mad. This is not the first time she's tried to make a creature act against his nature. She once formed a group called Spew.'

At this Ron had to stop and laugh. He could hear Hermione in his head saying 'not spew Ron, S-P-E-W.' He continued reading:

'Miss Granger actually tried to cause a rebellion amongst the perfectly happy and well taken care of house elves of Hogwarts. They weren't fool enough to follow. Unfortunately for the young centaur, he's been brainwashed from birth to believe himself human. He actually calls Miss Granger his mother.

I think it's clear it will serve this beast's best interest to be separated from the witch, and this may happen very soon. For the first time ever, the Centaur Liaison office was used by none other than the boy's centaur father. Let's hope there will soon be a happy reunion between these two creatures, which were unfortunately separated by a desperate and lonely woman.'

These last few lines really disgusted Ron.

"Have you read this?" Ron asked as Hermione came in the room.

"Yes," Hermione said. "It's all lies, or at least the truth is twisted enough to make it a lie."

"Is it true, Mum?" Cyrus asked. "Do I have a centaur dad who wants me?"

"Yes, apparently you do."

"So what happens?"

"Hermione just finished talking with the head of the department," Ginny told Cyrus. "There's going to be a trial, and they're going to decide if it's best for you to stay with Hermione or go to your father."

"Unless," Hermione added, "you want to go to your father."

Cyrus looked confused and didn't say anything for a long time. "I'll get my things, so we can go home," Cyrus said and left the room.

"I'll help you with research or whatever," Ron told Hermione. “I have to make a stop first, and then I'll meet you at your flat."

"Thank you," Hermione said, and she gave him a polite kiss on the cheek.

She caught a grin on Ginny's face as he departed.

"What?" Hermione said.

"So, the magic's back?" Ginny asked.

"Don't get too excited. You know how we are."

"Maybe this time will be different," Ginny said.

"Maybe, but let's worry about Cyrus first."

~~~~"~~~~

Ron and Ginny spent most of the night poring over case files with Hermione — not that there was ever a case of an interspecies custody battle (at least not one that they could find). Cyrus was sent to bed at his usual time, and he asked for a bedtime story, which he hadn't done since he'd learned to read on his own. Later they decided to get some sleep and start back on research early in the morning. Hermione gave Ron some blankets so he could sleep on the couch and then went to Cyrus's room. She sat in the chair where she had read to him and watched him sleep. With the reality of a custody battle pouring down on her, she couldn't sleep. In the middle of the night, Ginny found her still awake in Cyrus' room.

"Hermione, you need rest," Ginny said.

"I know," Hermione replied. "Do you think I'm mad for fighting for him?"

"No," Ginny said. "I love him, too. But Ron has a point. One day he's going to grow up. And he can't live within these walls forever. He'll never forget that you were his mother, but sooner or later you'll have to let him go."

"I know that I'll have to let him go one day, and I fully intend to do so."

"But when, Hermione?"

Hermione didn't answer.

"Try to get some sleep," Ginny said, leaving.

Hermione didn't know when she fell asleep, but she awoke in the chair in Cyrus's room. Her body was stiff from sleeping upright in the chair, and she found Cyrus was already up. She walked out of the room and heard Cyrus and Ron’s familiar laughter. They were shouting commands to chess players. She walked to the dining room door and peeked in. They watched each other and each move carefully from across the board. She smiled at the two of them. They hadn't noticed her at all, so she slipped away and left them alone.

"Checkmate," Cyrus said. "I win."

"I let you win," Ron replied.

Cyrus laughed, knowing he hadn't. "Mum told me you were pretty good at Wizards' Chess."

"Does she talk about me often?"

"About you, Harry, school ... wish I was going to Hogwarts one day. It sounds like it's a place you never forget."

"Well, with all that happened to us there, it's kind of hard to forget."

"Will you promise me something," Cyrus said. "Will you promise you'll look out for her when they take me away?"

"Cyrus we don't know that—"

"I know that if my centaur dad wants me, they're not going to leave me with a witch. Especially after that article in the Daily Prophet."

"You're a smart kid, Cyrus."

"I'm still scared. I don't know anything about living like a centaur. What if they never think of me as one of them? What if my dad doesn't like me once he sees who I am?"

"If your father bothered to come to the ministry at all, I'm sure he has every intention of making it okay for you once you go home with him."

"Thanks, Ron," Cyrus replied. "So you will take care of Mum?"

"I'll do my best."

"Thank you."

"Cyrus, you don't ever have to thank me for doing anything for Hermione."

Cyrus collected his Wizards' Chess set and went off to put it away. Ron headed into the kitchen where he smelled food cooking.

"You've done an excellent job with Cyrus. He beat me at Wizards' Chess," Ron said to Hermione. "You have yet to accomplish that."

Hermione grinned.

"He'll be okay when he goes back."

"When?" Hermione questioned, her smile fading. "You've already given up on us?"

"No, your son said something to me, and he had point. If his proper parent wants him, why would they let him stay with a witch?"

"Cyrus said that?"

"Yes, and no, I didn't tell him to say it."

"I didn't say you did," Hermione snapped.

"Hermione," Ginny said entering the room. "It's arrived," she said handing her a letter. "It's about the hearing."