Chapter Text
PROLOGUE
2004
Standing in the middle of her now empty room, Hermione remembered every single moment she ever spent in Grimmauld Place since the age of fifteen. There were so many memories there, bad and good. Especially since the end of the war. And where Grimmauld had once been cold, dark, and unwelcoming, it had grown to be warm and familial.
Home.
Dark floorboards had been stripped and polished to gleam in the morning light, and the walls had been ripped down to the bones of the structure. The entire house had been gutted, restructured, and then rebuilt with happy colors for a happier life. Pale yellows, soothing blues, and calming grays. There were framed photographs everywhere, fresh flowers in every room, warm rugs on every floor, and inviting sheets on each bed. Grimmauld Place smelled like a loving, magical home should, just as Harry and Ginny had intended.
“Are you sure you won’t stay, Hermione?” Ginny asked from the door as she rubbed the small curve of her stomach. “It’s only been a few months since the accident, and you’re still struggling with what happened during the war.”
Sighing, Hermione shook her head. “It’s time, Gin. MACUSA is offering us all the help we need, and it’s a fresh start for me. And Remus is going with me, and Crookshanks. I won’t be alone.”
“I understand. I do.” Ginny paused, brows pinched together and lips pressed into a thin line. “Harry and I, we’re just worried. Everyone is, you know. You’re family.”
“If it wasn’t necessary, I would stay.” Hermione offered her friend a strained smile. “This is something I have to do, but I will be back for the birth of my godson, I promise. So will Remus, and hopefully Sirius.”
“Good, because Harry and Ron would just drag you back kicking and screaming if you miss that portkey.” Ginny, smirked, her usual fiery spirit lacking in bite. “Send us updates, alright? Harry’s already paid for the international floo.”
Nodding, Hermione wiped the tears from her eyes as Ginny shrunk everything Hermione had packed, sending it floating into an open suitcase. The international portkey wasn’t scheduled for another hour, but Hermione knew Harry and the Weasleys were waiting downstairs to attempt to change her and Remus’ minds one last time. But Hermione had made her mind up weeks ago, and Remus wasn’t going to separate from a comatose Sirius since his return. They had both accepted the offer from MACUSA, and that was that.
Hermione and Sirius needed their help.
Besides, the war had been over for years, but it was still fresh, and Hermione’s nightmares continued to get worse. Even if Remus and Sirius moved back to England, Hermione may stay in the States. Everyone was moving on, and she was stuck in the past. She needed a new start, to be away.
Straightening her stature, Hermione called on her Gryffindor courage and hugged Ginny before they descended the stairs. Everyone was there, waiting in the main room with grim expressions and sad eyes. Hermione went down the line of Weasleys, and Neville and Luna, embracing each person as tightly as she could to memorize every little detail that made them so wonderfully, uniquely them. It was difficult to part ways, but she assured them all that she would be a frequent visitor, once she was well enough.
Harry and Ron escorted her to the Ministry, as Remus had gone with Sirius and the Healers the day prior. Her best friend's faces were the last she saw before the tell-tale, nauseating tug behind her navel swept her away to a new life.