September 19th, 1998The evening of her nineteenth birthday was strangely calm. Hermione's friends
gathered together at Grimmauld Place where Mrs Weasley had spent all day cooking up a
feast, despite pleading with her not to make a fuss.
Since Hogwarts had yet to finish the repairs to the castle, the opening of the school
had been postponed until November, which allowed Ginny to attend the birthday
celebration. Hermione, however, had been upset about the delay, considering she had
decided to return to school to make up her seventh year. Despite Sirius telling her over and
over to take her time making up her mind about going back, she refused to be swayed.
Guests began to arrive, and Hermione tasked herself with being a dutiful hostess
while Sirius played bartender to all the new arrivals. She thanked them for coming, insisting
that they did not need to and hoped that they had not changed plans on her behalf.
As the presents were brought in and stacked on a large table in the corner, she paled.
It was one thing to have her friends make a big deal about her birthday, but quite another
for them to expect her to awkwardly stand in the spotlight and be doted upon with gifts
she did not need whilst everyone stared at her.
It was not until Remus and Tonks made their entrance with little Teddy that she
excused herself from the "Welcome Wagon Committee," taking the tiny boy into her arms
with a bright smile.
"Can I just have him for my birthday?" Hermione grinned as she snuggled her face
into the side of Teddy's plump cheeks, kissing him repeatedly as he giggled and changed
his hair from straight blue locks to honey-brown curls.
"He's teething, feel free to keep him," Remus said with a smirk.
Tonks gave a little chuckle at her husband's comment and kissed Hermione's cheek
in greeting.
Hermione took notice of Remus's tired eyes, and how he looked at her with a sad
smile before excusing himself to the loo, slipping downstairs. She pretended to not notice
the small gift in his hands.
"Give me my godson!" Harry demanded with a happy laugh as he stole Teddy from
her grip and held the boy proudly as Teddy's hair changed from brown curls to straight