Better than me? | Hermione Granger x Reader (GXG) (UNDER EDITING)

|| 24. Dad (UN-EDITED)

"Dad," she breathed, the word carrying an intricate mix of emotions that her voice couldn't quite conceal. Her father, Caspian, looked down at her, his expression adorned with a small but genuine smile.

"Y/N, it's wonderful to see you again!" Caspian's greeting was hearty, his frame bending down slightly to align with Y/N's level. An attempt to wrap her in a hug was met with an unspoken resistance, followed by his own self-awareness. 

"Right. Not much of a hugger, are you? I keep forgetting," he confessed with a playful, lopsided grin.

The atmosphere shifted as Y/N's voice carried a wry, deadpan edge. "I suppose it's understandable that you'd forget, given that you've been absent for three whole years." Her arms crossed over her chest, an unspoken barrier as her gaze bore into him with a mixture of reproach and longing.

Caspian's mouth briefly parted, his response caught in the crossfire of her emotions. "Y/N, I've been dealing with a lot—"

Her interruption was swift, her tone a mixture of frustration and sorrow. "Busy. Always busy, huh?" She glanced away momentarily, a soft sigh escaping her lips. "Well, I've been busy missing you," she admitted, her voice softening as vulnerability emerged beneath the layers of her emotions.

Caspian's voice carried a touch of earnestness as he attempted to bridge the gap between them. "Y/N, you need to understand—I love you. You're truly the best thing that has ever happened to me," he assured, his words an echo of deep emotion. Yet, Y/N's response was marked by an eye roll, an outward display of her skepticism.

Before his sentiment could fully land, Y/N interjected, her tone edged with impatience. "Where's mom?" Her query was succinct, a sign of her desire for practicality despite the maelstrom of feelings within her. Caspian's shoulders slumped slightly, his attempt at connection momentarily derailed.

He collected his thoughts before answering. "Your mother actually requested that I pick you up. We're meant to have a family dinner," he explained, his words carrying a blend of hope and explanation.

Y/N's scoff of disbelief was both audible and palpable. "Oh, the irony. You're still considering me part of the family, huh?" she sneered with sarcasm.

"Even though you've managed to construct an entirely different one?" Her sarcasm dripped like venom, the bitterness she felt toward his absence evident in her words. 

With a determined step, she moved past him, walking toward the parking lot with a brisk gait. It was a blend of wounded pride and stubbornness that drove her forward.

Caspian's sigh was heavy as he followed her, his pace resigned yet steadfast. His eyes were locked on her retreating form, a mixture of regret and longing tugging at his heartstrings. The distance between them felt insurmountable, the years of estrangement and the weight of unspoken emotions hanging heavy in the air. 

✴✴✴✴✴

Y/N found herself situated in the backseat of the car, an impenetrable blanket of silence enveloping the space as the vehicle glided down the street. Caspian occupied the driver's seat, his eyes occasionally darting to the rearview mirror to catch fleeting glimpses of Y/N. The corners of his lips tugged upward ever so slightly, a wistful smile attempting to bridge the gap between them.

Breaking the silence, his voice held a tender note as he ventured, "You've grown so much. I have no doubt that you'll blossom into a beautiful young woman." His words were an attempt to bridge the chasm that had formed between them, a tentative step toward reconnecting.

Y/N regarded him with an empty expression, her gaze fixed on him yet betraying no particular emotion. His attempt at sentimentality was met with her skepticism. "Do you even remember my age?" Her tone dripped with a mixture of bitterness and disbelief.

Caspian nodded, a flicker of acknowledgment in his eyes. "Twelve, of course. How could I forget? You're my eldest daughter," he responded, his words carrying a mix of pride and sorrow. Y/N's eye roll communicated her lack of surprise at his accurate recall.

His voice softened as he continued, a sense of hope evident in his tone. "Have you ever thought about meeting your siblings? The twins— Axel and Agil have been yearning to see you. They practically look up to you."

The mention of siblings prompted a scoff from Y/N. "Siblings? Those two are not my siblings. They're the result of your pitiful affair," she spat, her words laced with scorn. Caspian's jaw clenched, a surge of frustration coursing through him as he attempted to control his emotions.

His voice strained, he interjected sharply, "Y/N! Don't talk about your step-mother that way!"

But her retort was unyielding, her voice unwavering in its defiance. "Arabella is not my mother. The only 'mother' I know is Mom—Amaryllis, the one you betrayed when you cheated on her." Her words hung in the air, carrying the weight of years of pain and resentment, the fissures in their relationship laid bare by the truth that had been buried for far too long.

Y/N found herself immersed in a conversation that carried the weight of years of resentment and shattered expectations. Caspian's voice was marked by a sense of weariness as he attempted to bridge the gap between them. 

"Y/N, not all marriages are meant to last forever. Your mother and I—well, we were just two people who, in the end, didn't quite fit together. Sometimes that happens in life, and you'll come to understand that as you grow older," he stated, his words carrying a tinge of resignation.

The implication was met with Y/N's swift retort, her voice laced with sarcasm. "So, what? Are you suggesting that I'll be a pitiful cheater like you when I'm older?"

Caspian sighed, his features reflecting the heaviness of the topic at hand. "No, Y/N, that's not what I'm saying. It's not about becoming like me; it's about understanding that life is complicated."

"Relationships can unravel, and things might not work out the way you expect. It's not as simple as 'right' or 'wrong,'" he attempted to explain, his voice tinged with a mixture of regret and resignation.

Y/N's anger was palpable as she interjected sharply, her voice a mixture of pain and fury. "Don't talk to me! You think you can justify what you did? I won't be your excuse for betrayal and hurt!"

Her gaze shifted out of the car window, her face a reflection of her turbulent emotions. The vehicle's interior was enveloped in a heavy silence, the weight of their words hanging in the air like an unspoken truth. 

The chasm between them felt insurmountable, a divide forged by choices made and the consequences that followed. And as the car moved forward, the silence deepening, both Y/N and Caspian were left grappling with the remnants of their conversation, the wounds reopened and raw, exposing the complexities of love and pain

TO BE CONTINUED...