After Tonight

Chapter 11: The Gangs All Here

Hermione could not recall when she had fallen asleep, but she awoke the next morning, feeling groggy and starved. She slowly made her way downstairs, the house eerily silent, and she felt her pulse quicken in fear.

Upon entering the kitchen, she met the cool eyes of Narcissa, slowly rocking a bundle in her lap, her lips in an 'o' shape as she hummed quietly.

"How is he?" Hermione asked, her voice thick within her throat.

Narcissa's eyes flicked up to hers, searching her face before she turned her attention back to the baby in her arms. "He's strong," she replied, pursing her lips at the sleeping baby. "Teddy will be strong, like his mother." Narcissa crossed over to Hermione and held the baby out to her, her chest breathing steadily. Hesitantly, Hermione took Teddy into her arms, holding him close to her chest. He was so small, his lashes long, and he breathed in and out deeply. "I'm going to check on Fleur," the older woman said, walking out of the kitchen.

Hermione turned around to watch her. "Wait," she called and Narcissa halted her movements. "How is she? And how is...Ginny?"

"They will be fine," Narcissa replied, without turning around. Hermione felt a lump in her throat once more as she clutched Teddy to her, trying to inhale his scent. "They will be alright."

Narcissa's footsteps faded as she walked out of the kitchen and Hermione sat down at the kitchen table, rocking her arms steadily. "You are awfully sleepy, aren't you?" she whispered, peering at the sleeping baby, feeling a pang in her chest at the thought that he was now an orphan.

Nymphadora and Lupin knew the risks, yet they fought, anyway.

They had to survive. Otherwise, Teddy was an orphan for nothing. Fleur was a widow for nothing.

Hermione felt like her chest was constricting, the temperature in the room suffocating. She looked down at the sleeping baby in her, jealous of his obliviousness to all the devastation around him.

"Goddamn it, is you."

Hermione could not help her jaw hanging open as she laid eyes on Pansy Parkinson. Her hair was chopped short, perhaps even shorter than Hermione remembered, and she wore tight jeans and an extremely oversized sweatshirt with a giant 'S' on the front.

Hermione blinked and stared at the letter, waiting for Pansy to speak. Pansy followed Hermione's eye length and looked down at her shirt, then gave a small shrug, her head tipped to the side. "What can I say, old habits die hard." She smirked and walked to the kitchen sink before turning the faucet on.

"What're you doing here?" Hermione breathed. As far as she was concerned, Pansy's family was a massive supporter of the production of Spawning. With her smooth lips and shiny hair, Hermione would not be surprised if Pansy was taking it herself. Then again, Pansy had always been especially attractive, in a boa constrictor type of way.

"I know this is a shock to you, Granger, but I do not really support murder," Pansy sniffed, avoiding her gaze as she lathered her hands.

"You don't?" Hermione questioned and Pansy shot her a look quickly.

"Look," Pansy sighed, turning around so that she was leaning against the counter, and folded her wet hands across her chest. "Things happen and people change. I made a mistake. I want to do what I can to fix it."

Hermione sat in silence, stunned. The Pansy she went to school with was ruthless, quick lipped and never apologetic. She was sharp as she was cynical, her title as Draco's girlfriend in their early years had always made sense.

"What changed your mind?" Hermione asked, not sure if she was ready to believe her. She watched as Pansy looked at her hands, a soft smile tugging at the corner of her mouth and her raven hair moved with her as she nodded to herself.

"My priorities...changed."

"How'd it happen?"

Hermione and Pansy turned to find Ginny standing in the doorway of the kitchen, her eyes a deep red, cheeks stained and skin pink.

"Ginny..."

"No, stop it," Ginny snapped, walking forward and sitting in front of Hermione. "You tell me what happened."

"I don't...I got there later," Hermione replied, finding it very hard to meet her friend's eyes. She could see Pansy squirming uncomfortably, her arms wrapped around herself in a self-preserving hug.

"That's not good enough," Ginny retorted, her tone icy. "I've lost them all. Tell me how."

"You haven't, you haven't lost them all," Hermione whispered. "I didn't see Molly, or Ron. They're still out there."

"We haven't heard from Ron in days!" Ginny cried, shooting up from her seat. Teddy began to whimper in her arms, pushing his tiny fists into the air.

"Ginny, please, you'll wake him," Hermione said softly.

"I-I I need to know," Ginny wailed, her lip trembling as she tightened her fists.

Narcissa walked into the kitchen, followed swiftly by an exhausted looking Neville. His eyes were wide, skin pale in comparison to his normal color, and Hermione stood up, the room suddenly feeling congested.

"Neville," she breathed, her eyes darting from him to Ginny. "Tell her."

Before Hermione could listen to him reiterate the horrific events of the day before, she pushed past the group of wizards, clutching the baby to her chest and exited the house. Stumbling down the porch, she sat on the stone step, the wind pushing her hair across her face, and she could feel the tendrils sticking to her skin.

She had not realized she was crying.

The tears fell onto Teddy's blanket and she willed herself to stop. Crying would not help. It would not bring Bill or George back; it would not grant her a solution. She closed her eyes, taking a lung full of air and rocked her arms softly. It was simple, really. Stop the production of Spawning. Easier said than done, she mused, her eyes still shut, and a cracking sound echoed in the air.

"Granger."

She froze, slowly opening her eyes. A tall skinny boy with chestnut colored hair and a wide smirk stood in front of her, a girl had her arm slung around him with her head bent forward. Theo was taller than she remembered, and Hermione couldn't tear her eyes away from him.

"Granger?" the voice repeated, the sound not coming from Theo.

Hermione looked past him and could see several people laying on the floor, obviously dazed. She recognized Kelly Brown hunched over, retching into the grass. Another man was kneeling next to him, his hand bracing against Kelly's shoulder as he stared at Hermione. He was hardly breathing, crouching so stilly she was unsure if he was a glamour or if he was in fact, alive.

"Draco?"