Wild child

A few minutes later, when Fanny came downstairs, Hermione was sitting on the sofa holding a milk glass in a daze. She was wearing a nightgown, and she looked much calmer than the previous few days.After looking at Hermione for a while, Fanny sat down beside her friend.

"I'm sorry, Fanny..."

"Oh, please spare me." Fanny raised her hands, "I don't intend to offend, but it's not unforgivable for a bride-to-be to go to a friend's house to relieve tension on the eve of the wedding."

"No, I mean, I'm sorry to force you to come back for this. I know those studies are very important to you, and..." Hermione watched Fanny's reaction carefully, "Going back to England, it's important It's not easy for you either."

Fanny had nothing to do, so she picked up the milk glass on the side.

"But Ron and I are getting married soon, and I really hope you're here. You haven't been back since... that incident two years ago, and I hope..."

After a moment of silence, Fanny took a sip of the milk.

"It's actually not as scary as you think," she said, Hermione's concerned brown eyes reminding her of Mrs. Weasley. "You see, I know that he got married a few months ago, but the wedding date had passed when the invitation was sent to me, so I didn't attend. I can't say it's because of him that I haven't come back in the past two years."

Hermione shook her head, "Have you noticed, Fanny? When you talk, you always think about your own business, as if you are about to rush to the next place, without any sincerity. And when you look into other people's eyes To speak, is not to swear, is to lie."

"Oh." Fanny looked at the ceiling, and then realized, somewhat annoyed, that Hermione was right, "Well. Well... at least not all because of him. I wouldn't say it was easy for me, but Anyway, it was my choice to leave him. I'm going to get through it, after all... well, it's not the first time. Have you heard from him?"

"When he had his wedding your... you know, that part of the past was brought up by the Daily Prophet for a while, and the Malfoys didn't give any response, and it subsided after a while. Nothing new after that The news came in, and I think he's doing well, at least peacefully."

"That's good." Fanny nodded. "I was actually quite happy knowing that he was going to get married. If he didn't feel that he was ready to start a new life, he wouldn't do it. It sounds selfish, but Knowing that he didn't hurt that deeply, I can also feel at ease."

"Fanny, you don't have any..."

"I know what you think of him, Hermione." Fanny raised her voice slightly over Hermione's objection. "He's a coward, or a scumbag, or a bigot, or something worse, and I know how he is." You didn't say anything wrong about your treatment. It's just that I was the mean one in this matter, there's no doubt about that."

Hermione sighed and said nothing more.

"So, you came here today just to discuss my ex-boyfriend with me?" Fanny didn't speak until the milk was almost finished, "At this time?"

"Uh, actually..." Hermione smiled a little embarrassedly, "I'm just a little... not sure about marriage. Ron and I have known each other since we were 11 years old. After so many years, our relationship is about to take a new turn." changes and I'm not sure I'll be able to adapt, I always have a hard time adapting to new things. He's an Auror and I have my own job and we don't get much time for each other. When we finally live together After that, will he find me boring? What if he meets a brave and funny female partner at work who is always there for him and understands? Will he complain that I only value work and ignore him? Wouldn't he prefer that I stay at home, cook and raise the children, just be a wife and mother like Mrs Weasley?"

Fanny put down her glass and supported her head to listen.

"Last month he was injured in an operation to capture a dark wizard. I didn't find out until after the meeting. I threw the material to the assistant and apparated into St. Mungo's directly. I was stupid and rushed Only then did Lou realize that he had no idea which ward he was in, nor what kind of injury he had suffered. Just as he was about to go downstairs to the information desk, Ginny appeared. She first asked, "Why did you come here now?", and then Tell me where Ron is. He's been in St. Mungo's for a few hours and his treatment is over. When I get there he says to me 'very sweet, you were there when I was dying in the hospital Get pay and time off for the elves', he thought it was a joke, but I got so mad I got into a big fight with him.

"Later, he apologized to me first, and we got back together. I couldn't stop thinking about it. If one day, he was tired of arguing and bowed his head to admit his mistakes, what would I do? If he really appeared in the mission Had an accident and I was busy with my work somewhere else and didn't know it? I was always mad at him when things weren't going my way, and he made me laugh anytime. But when he didn't Complaining to me about minutiae and then we fight and I say he doesn't tell me anything and he says I never really listen to him. I try to tell him I don't care about Jimmy's tattoos and Vincent's I just wanted to share with him the things that really bothered him, but he said that I was nervous, and there was nothing wrong with me.

"He couldn't understand my struggles for the elf's freedom, and I couldn't understand why he was ruining so many rare holidays by taking a team that almost never won. He was funny and I'm a dull, unattractive nerd who loves sports. I've always believed that my love with Ron was unbreakable, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that's not quite the case. We've always had problems, we've always Fighting about it, but never getting an answer. Harry won't understand, and I can't tell Ginny, she's his sister. I know I've been acting like a madman these days, but I really can't stop worrying .”

After a while, Fanny raised her eyebrows: "Is it finished?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to say so much..."

"Relax?" Fanny waved her hand, poured some milk for the two, and cast a heating spell. "What do you think I think? Tomorrow—today, to be exact—you go back to the house after the ceremony, and these problems follow you back home. He'll be complaining every weekend about how miserable the Charlie Cannons are." record, messing up your meticulously organized mess every half hour, hostilely treating every man who approaches you as a beast trying to snatch you back to its lair - think of a life like this, you think you Do you still love him?"

"Of course," said Hermione, "he's always been like that."

"That's right." Fanny laughed. "You've known each other for 12 years. These problems have always been there. They didn't stop you from falling in love. Your love didn't make them go away. So for now, things It will be like this: You still have to spend a lot of time fighting over them between busy work, fighting for many years, until some day in the future your children can say the lines you are about to fight before you start. No one can predict the future, but if you can live with that, then there's nothing to worry about right now."

Hermione's worries seemed to calm down. The two girls sat quietly for a while, and she said as if she remembered something: "Actually, there is one more thing. Both Ron and I agree that Fanny is a good name. What do you think?"

"What?" Fanny stared at her in horror, "I believe you have already completed all procedures other than the wedding, but please tell me that you are not pregnant yet."

"Of course not." Hermione blushed slightly and glared at her.

"Then my objection is still valid?"

"Unless you agree to be her godmother, or Hugo's, Ron and I have already discussed it," said Hermione.

"Hugo?" Fanny raised her eyebrows, "Hey, does Ron know that Hugo's name is Victor?"

"He knows that Hugo is my favorite author." Hermione obviously didn't intend to let Fanny go. "So what do you say? Agree or disagree?"

"Well, if you're not going to go further and require a godmother to be present at every birthday party for every child—"

"Say it like you can do it."

"—nor plan to charge me their pocket money up to the age of seventeen—"

"Who do you take me for?"

"——I will reluctantly agree to accept this title, lest the bride be troubled by it and get alopecia areata."

"It won't kill you." Hermione rolled her eyes, helpless to her friend, "Thank you, Fanny."

"Oh, it's so touching. I feel like something has been touched in my stomach." Fanny finished speaking solemnly, and made a grimace, "Like drinking too much milk or something."

Hermione picked up a cushion and patted Fanny on the face.

"Now that the problem has been resolved, you should rest for a few hours before the wedding. You are welcome to sleep here, if you don't mind causing a little disturbance about the disappearance of the bride." After a while of laughter, Fanny said. "Seriously, I think you should have a bachelor party too. You've missed enough."

"No, I think I'll go home," said Hermione, standing up. "Thanks, Fanny. I mean it."

"Okay, everyone knows that my dear know-it-all's honesty doesn't need to be emphasized." Fanny shrugged, "Good night, Miss Granger."

"Good night."

After Hermione twirled away, seeing that there was not much time left, Fanny simply made do with the sofa for a few hours.

No matter how well-prepared the next morning was, it was still a hectic affair: Fanny was correcting the wizarding guests one by one with her troublesome skirt, and Harry and Bill cheered up the hangovered groom who seemed about to pass out and vomit at any moment , George and Ginny rushed to pick up the pastor who was stuck in traffic, and Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Granger hugged each other with tears in their eyes...

But it came to this point, and Fanny stood beside the bride, listening to the ancient vows that had been passed down through the centuries.

"I would," said Hermione.

The bride and groom hugged and kissed, and time seemed to stand still here.

For that long moment, the mind of the bridesmaid appeared luxurious ornaments, exquisite carvings and busy servants.The images of the old manor are vivid and lingering.

And then?

The baby boom is taking shape, and Fanny's old friends have contributed to it in varying degrees.In addition, as the official with a lot of nicknames from all the graduates said, these people have become the backbone of the wizarding world.

Fanny's Muggle friends also started families and businesses one after another.Although the legal age of marriage is a year earlier than in the wizarding world*, it seems to be common for Muggles to marry later than wizards.After returning from studying abroad, Smith and Amelia went through several times of separation and reunion, and finally reached a positive result when the two were nearly [-] years old. Fanny, who ran back from the edge of the world again to be a bridesmaid, complained that they had waited long enough. There is no need for marriage.News of the rest of the band was brought up in Smith's gossip as well, and it sounds like they're all doing well.Occasionally there will be news about the children who were also in the orphanage back then, there are good and bad, some people Fanny can remember, and some can't.

There were always more people who knew her than she knew, and that was always the case with heartless people.

After many years, all the children of the same age had entered Hogwarts and even graduated before Luna announced that she had entered the marriage hall with a magical biologist, and Ginny was her bridesmaid. Hermione was relieved that She finally conceded that the Horned Snork might indeed not exist.

As for Mark, when he entered the tenth year of his wandering career, Fanny received the news that he was killed in a tribal conflict.

The stubborn young man who insisted on the concept of pure blood chose to die alone at the bottom of the lake in order to fight against the blood cleansers; the once pampered playboy finally dedicated his life to those scorching, turbulent and chaotic places.People do change, don't they?

The teammates buried Mark under the snow line of Mount Kilimanjaro, where a girl named Dominique had been waiting for a long time.Fanny had visited, and aside from a spell to keep Muggles from approaching, the cemetery contained no traces of the unnatural.She looked back at the white snow she had stepped on in a row, thinking that they would soon melt, seep into the ground or evaporate into the tropical sky, condense into new snowflakes and fall again.

Also, two unreliable guys never settled down.Mrs. Weasley talked a lot about Charlie's promise to spend time with his baby dragon in Romania.After taking office for a few years, Sirius switched to the "more interesting" position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. He was the most popular bachelor at Hogwarts until his retirement. Even Harry had vaguely doubted the Godfather's orientation.

Coupled with various reasons, the scandal between him and someone has become a long-lasting topic, and Rita has contributed a lot in this regard.

And this "someone", as a group of - such as Hermione's daughter Rose and son Hugo, Smith's sons Joy and Jenner, Bella's daughter Elizabeth - the godmother of the little carrot head, is in the perennial disappearance. state.Occasionally, she would appear suddenly, penniless, and go to a friend's house to eat in turn. By the way, she would watch how the group of successful people or artists and fighters who had faced the Death Eaters without changing their faces were gradually entered into puberty by themselves. The children were distraught.In the eyes of the little turnip heads, this grossly derelict godmother is a weirdo who always pulls out God knows where and God knows what they are used for as gifts from God knows where, or to put it better, a cool and mysterious guy.

Those who hold the latter point of view, especially Rose Fanny Weasley.At the beginning, Fanny didn't know her full name until she was one year old, and it was too late to change it, and Hermione gave her a good lesson on the grounds of godmother responsibility and so on.When she got older, she would be even more proud of her name, and she jumped with joy when she heard that her godmother was visiting, which made Fanny, who thought she had done nothing, feel very uneasy for a while.

Rose is a smart girl, and she was sensible early, which caused Hermione, as a mother, to focus mostly on wizard law and Hugo.The trouble is that when the Grangers escaped, Hermione didn't escape. In the summer vacation of the fourth grade, Rose seemed to become as irritable as a Hippogriff overnight, and she still kept her life well. His red hair was cut into a square inch, and he claimed that he was going to wander the world after graduation.

"Just like Fanny," said the little girl.

Look at her position.

After repeated persuasion to no avail, Hermione gritted her teeth and found the owner who was planning Frank's wedding at Field's old house.That night she dismissed Ron and Hugo and called Fanny over for dinner.

Hermione's cooking skills... in the best condition, it is quite satisfactory. At the dinner table, Rose barely touched the lamb chop that was the least charred among the three, and kept asking Fanny. West, without a glance at his mother.Several times, Fanny caught Hermione wiping away her tears from the corner of her eye—this is a strong woman who subdued the attackers and called the Aurors, then patted the ashes on her body, and then held a meeting to pass the werewolf rights protection bill.

After struggling to finish the meal, Hermione got the dishes and herself into the kitchen as quickly as possible, leaving the godmother and daughter to talk.

In the quiet and windless yard, only the freshly cut lawn is eavesdropping.

"Rose has gone back to her room." Hermione came to the balcony, stroking her hair behind her ears exactly as before. "I've never seen her look like that. What did you... say?"

"It's nothing, it's just that I just pulled myself off the altar in her heart." Someone in his thirties sat on the railing of the balcony out of shape, weeping, "Oh, it hurts me to death."

"She always wants to be like you." Hermione couldn't hide her sourness.

"That's the problem, she always thinks she wants to be like me. If you think the same, Hermione, then you really should spend less time in law." He patted his friend on the shoulder, barely hitting Hermione on the face, "She wants to be a woman who is smart, strong, fearless, with a strong sense of responsibility, upholds justice and never gives up. I just reminded her, This woman is not me, and we all know who she is."

When Fanny spoke, she looked at the night sky, dangling her legs in the air, still in a nonchalant manner.Hermione turned to look at her, considering whether to turn that head away.

"As long as my daughter can be half of yours, I will lose 20 years of life. But I will be the luckiest mother in the world, no doubt."

Fanny stared, and Hermione looked at her with her chin raised high, refusing to look away.When she took a closer look, she found that the years seemed to have left more traces on her friend's face than on her own face when she lived in no fixed place. She probably didn't have the chance to experience the hard work of being a mother.

"Seriously, Granger Weasley, Hermione's saviour-know-it-all and Future Magical Law Enforcement Mother," she said, "Is there something you really want that I have that you don't?"

Hermione paused for a while, shaking her head as if giving up, while Fanny turned her gaze back to the sky.

"Looking at Rose, does it remind you of anything?"

"Never stopped for a moment," snorted Hermione, "but I didn't slam the door in my mother's face."

"It's a pity that being a mother doesn't have the experience, if you don't mind someone who didn't have the opportunity to experience it saying that."

"Of course you have the chance if you want to. You're still young."

"This is the crux of the problem. The responsibility of being a mother is too great. I will never have the courage to shoulder it." Fanny jumped off and leaned against the railing. "It is not an exaggeration to say that I am proficient in taking good care of All the skills I need. I could be a waitress in France, a cleaner in China, a busker in Russia, and I have countless choices as to what I'm going to do the next minute. But it never includes one Kind of — staying. Growing old with someone, watching my kids grow up and stay away... No, I won't have that opportunity."

"Even so, Fanny." Hermione looked worriedly at her friend who seemed to be different from the past, "There will always be times when you need company, everyone does. You know what I mean, it's a good idea for me to be here to chat with you Different."

"I had a chance. I gave it up because I knew who I was, but that time... it was really close." Fanny closed her eyes and tilted her head back, "It was like killing a Me, I'll never forget that feeling. Choices always come at a price, and since it's mine, I deserve it the way it is."

"What about Sirius?" Hermione asked suddenly. Fanny wanted to know how long this question had been going around in her mouth, maybe since the first time she and Sirius appeared in front of her at the same time. . "The relationship between you seems...unusual."

"We never slept, if that's what you're talking about."

"Of course not! I mean, is it possible...?"

"There have been some moments, indeed. I can't tell what went wrong, or it wasn't a mistake at all. We are all people who believe that the best choice is made by intuition." Fanny waved her hand, "I Still visiting him at the castle in the middle of the night, chatting all day and all night, and then he goes out in his pajamas to fetch Dobby for breakfast and maybe inform the students that he's skipping the next day's class - such news doesn't sell now .Besides that, nothing else. No beginning, no end."

"Have you talked?"

"Not on this topic, nor necessary." Fanny exhaled a long breath, "I'm scared, Hermione."

"Anything you need, as long as we can help," said Hermione without hesitation.

"I didn't mean...but thanks, Hermione," Fanny said. "I mean, have you ever felt like this? You're full of thoughts that scare you, and the thing that scares you the most is You find yourself really bringing it to life."

"Guess what I was thinking when the Magical Creatures Protection Act was passed? Your life is really empty." Hermione curled her lips slightly to ease the atmosphere.

"That's true. Well, in short, your house elf rights bill probably won't be making headlines on the 15th anniversary of its passage."

"But the 10th anniversary hasn't been that long! When did you start making your schedule?" Hermione frowned. "And I'm tired of correcting people that it's not 'my' bill. What are you going to do, Fanny?"

"If I'm really that crazy, you will know." Fanny blinked.

The lower jaw is slightly retracted, the lips are pursed, and the expression is cold and decisive.Hermione knew long ago that when Fanny made that look, no words or actions could do anything - push or thwart.In her second year, she couldn't stop Fanny from going out at night under the threat of the heir of Slytherin, and now, more than twenty years later, she couldn't and wouldn't try to stop or figure out what her friend was going to do.

"Remember what you said to me before I brought up the House-Elf Promotion Bill at the first plenary meeting of the Magical Law Committee?" Hermione looked at her, "'Now that you've decided, good luck, Come on.' No one I know is more difficult to find than you, but you are always there when I need you. Now I tell you, I am the same."

"You have to say that." Fanny patted the back of her neck uncomfortably, "By the way, if I change my mind and want to be tortured by the child someday, are you willing to lend me Ron?"

Hermione slapped her across the face like lightning, not hard but loud.

"Imagine this, with enough force to dislocate your jaw." Hermione glared at her. "You just have to say that. I swear if I could, I'd remove your ability to speak."

Fanny raised her hands.

"I was wrong. I swore I wouldn't hit the redhead with the zits."

Hermione's expression softened and she sighed.

"I don't know why I'm not worried at all. If I really wait until that day, the world will probably be destroyed."

Fanny smiled, and the light yellow light in the living room fell softly on her face, revealing the deep blue in her eyes.

The author has something to say:

It will end next week, mainly to explain the part with Draco.There will be a lot more, a lot of memories and dog blood previews.