drabble: Shadows
Title: Shadows
Author: PigWithHair
Prompt: Lazy
Ship/Characters: Hermione & her parents
Rating: PG
Word Count: 339
As the sun lowered over the Devon countryside, light in the Burrow’s garden dimmed to blue and then purple and still Hermione sat there. Watching Ron’s mother in the kitchen that evening as they had all prepared for Harry’s birthday dinner had triggered memories of her own mother and father who loved to cook together. She thought of that last evening…
“You sit there and be lazy,” her mother had said with a smile. “Dad and I are just so very happy you’re here.”
“Yeah.” Her father had stood at the sink, scouring a pot he’d used for the meat. “What would you like to do over the summer?”
“Well…” Hermione had sat there at the table, not knowing what to say, aware of what she was about to do.
Her mother had glanced nervously at her dad. “Maybe we shouldn’t go anywhere All that in the Daily Prophet ─” They had both looked at her, and Hermione had struggled for words.
“Hermione?” She remembered the expression on her father’s face as he’d wiped the pot and set it down before crossing the room to touch her face. “Is it all propaganda or have things… is it really that bad?” He had seen the answer that Hermione couldn’t hide. “Hmm. We’ll stay here then.”
“Actually…” She recalled getting to her face, going up on her toes and kissing him one last time before pulling her wand.
It had been very complicated, but it had to be quick. She’d spent weeks working it out, and it all went as planned. It had been quick and then they didn’t remember… didn’t even see her standing there as they went upstairs to pack and plan, and she had left.
“Mum!” Behind her, Ginny’s voice rang out in the house, and Hermione’s throat closed up. Would they ─ would she ever call someone “mum” again?
The sun was down; the garden was dark. Only shadows of the trees and square patches of light from the Burrow’s windows lit patches of ground around her.