by Black-Diamonds
 
 

Chapter 2
living a lie / L is for...
 

Hermione awoke the next day with a jackhammer pounding inside her skull. Holding her head with
one hand, Hermione slowly made her way to the kitchen and filled a glass with cool water. Bright
sunlight made the taps in the sink sparkle, and music floating in from an open window filled her
apartment with the gentle sounds of Chopin and Bach. It all seemed like a normal average Saturday,
the view from the window nearest to her revealing passing cars on the street and hurrying pedestrians
with their own agendas.

Her silent reverie was broken by the brash jangling of the telephone. Setting down the glass from her
hand, Hermione picked up the handset.

“Hello?”

“Oh hello, is that Amy Robertson?”

“Uh yes, speaking...” It was often strange for Hermione to respond to her new name.

“This is Jenny Anderson from the library. We’re just wondering where you got to.”

“Oh heck.” Her Saturday shift in the library had been totally forgotten.

“Oh it’s all right. We were just wondering is all. Look, you sound like you’re feeling a bit under
the weather, and we’ve got someone filling in. So just take it easy okay? I’ll cancel your days for
the next week and get Rebecca to come in for you.”

“Thank you, er, Jenny.”

“Bye then Amy. Take care now sweetie.”

“Bye.” Hermione hung up the phone and sat down on a kitchen stool. The music from outside
had changed. It was now a jazzy romantic number, full of swinging beats.

|| L...is for the way you look, at me...O...is for the only one, I see...V...is for the very, extraordinary... ||

Hermione slammed the window shut. Moping around was not the best thing to do. In fact, it was
driving her half insane right now. Sadness only made her head hurt more, and pain was something
she didn’t need more of. She found some headache tablets, took three of them, and decided to
go for a walk. Before leaving for it, she fed her goldfish, and washed some dishes in the sink.
Normality -was- what she needed. Stability. But hhow hard it was to feel safe and secure, after
everything she’d been through.

*

Outside the apartment block, the breeze was cold, but the day was almost nauseously cheerful.
Two children were bouncing a ball between them, and as it reached her, Hermione picked it up
and tossed it back to them. After buying some sugarless scalding coffee from a street cafe,
Hermione sat down on a bench in the park. She looked over wearily at some children playing
nearby.

Ifonlyifonlyifonlyifonly.

If only the past weren’t what it was. This could have been a bright happy day. She could have
been sitting there with a milkshake, reading a magazine. Their children could have been playing
on the grass, with Draco keeping a watchful fatherly eye over them to make sure they were
okay.

Couldhavebeen.

A little girl in a blue cotton dress wandered up to her. The small child regarded her with bright
blue eyes and smiled.

“You’re pretty.” The girl smiled broadly. Hermione couldn’t help but smile back.

“Thanks, what’s your name?”

“Mione Weasley, three n’ a half.” She held up three fingers. Hermione nearly choked as she
took another sip of her coffee. Couldn’t be. No. Had to be a very big coincidence. The girl
didn’t seem to notice the awkward silence. Hermione swallowed hard and met the girl’s gaze.

“That’s a very pretty name.”

“Thanks! How old are you?”

“28.”

“Wow...you’re the same age as my Unco Ron.” Hermione gripped the sides of the now empty
foam cup in her hand so hard it cracked. The girl continued in her merry voice.

“You look like this lady from these pictures in Unco Ron’s house. She’s really pretty too. But
Unco Ron said she had to go away...he was very sad.”

Nononononononono.

“Oh here comes daddy!” Mione turned and gestured her arms towards her father. Hermione
looked up from where she was sitting. Fred Weasley didn’t look any different from the last time
she saw him. He lifted his squealing three year old daughter on to his shoulders, and finally saw
Hermione.

“Hermione?”

“Fred?” So, it wasn’t a coincidence. Chance of all chances, fate had given her a hangover,
she’d missed work, had come to the park instead, and Ron Weasley’s niece had bounced
over and brought back the past. Hermione silently wondered if God was punishing her for
getting so drunk. Good Girl turned Bad-and-Unsober-Girl. her head swam with confusion.
Was this really punishment? To be reminded of way-back-when by meeting someone from
days long gone? Fred set Mione down again. The girl giggled and dashed off towards a
swing set.

“You have a beautiful daughter Fred.”

“Thank you.”

“Is she...well, you know...”

“I think she is. You mean, magical, right?” Hermione nodded, and Fred continued. “Once, when
she was two, Alice tried to give her a bath, and Mione turned the bath water to green jelly. I’m
telling you, it gave Alice such a fright.” Hermione smiled at the thought.

“So is Alice...?”

“Mione’s half and half.” Hermione nodded again, not in the least affected by the fact that Fred
had married a muggle. Fred looked over at her daughter, who waved. “She’s a bright kid. I
think she really takes after her namesake.”

A restless silence settled between them. Hermione picked at the hem of her black shirt.

“I’m Amy Robertson now.” She whispered, her eyes not meeting Fred’s.

“You’ll always be Hermione to us.” Fred placed a gentle hand on hers. “We’ve been trying to
find you for god knows how long. We miss you.”

“It’s only been two years.” //But oh, it’s seemed so much longer. I tried to run, and I tried to hide...//

“It feels like forever...to all of us. Mother panicked. She cried and cried, saying we should have
done more. Ron was inconsolable. But me and George thought it was best to give you some
space. But perhaps...”

“Fred there is no perhaps. You were right. I needed to hide from Hermione Granger. I needed to
learn to let go. But it’s proving to be so difficult.”

“You really loved that bigoted pasty little slime ball, didn’t you?”

“Fred.” Her tone was stern and her eyes flashed with slight anger.

“Sorry, it’s just that...he did kill your parents you know.”

“He didn’t! Someone else did.” Hermione found her breathing increase rapidly, and her hands
clenching and unclenching.

“Yeah, someone else under his orders. Hermione, we can’t forget all those lives he destroyed.
I mean, Neville was never the same after his whole family was killed. I mean-”

“You don’t know him! You don’t! Don’t you dare start lecturing me on how to feel about him,
because -you- never even knew him the way -I- did!” Hermione herself was shocked at the way
her words lashed out. Instantly, she tried to calm down, although she was shaking. She moved
her hands in an apologetic manner.

“Look Fred...I’m sorry. I really am. It’s just that-”

He waved his hand nonchalantly.

“Nah, look...don’t worry about it. Anyway, I have to go. Mione...” He turned and called out to
his daughter, before turning back to Hermione. “I’ll tell everyone you’re okay...let them know
you’re safe and all.”

“Fred...stay. We can talk a bit more. My apartment, it’s not far from here...”

“I’m sorry, but I have to go back. See you around Hermione...” He waved slightly, turned, and
walked off. Hermione stared after him, an uncontrollable sadness and a newfound loss tearing
at her. Happiness and sunshine surrounded her. A gentle breeze whispered through the trees.
But she was lost inside her own inner world of darkness and shadows, where she felt herself
free-falling towards an uncertain future.

Everything had been hidden under a disguise of normality for the past two years. She’d
pretended to be someone she wasn’t. Amy Roberton, who payed her taxes, bills, complained
about the shoddy heating in the apartment and ate fast food after work. The alcohol deep into
the evenings had acted as a corrosive. It had stripped away the disguise she’d so clumsily put
on, and revealed the truth. Seeing Fred Weasley had shaken her already unstable version of
normality altogether. Hermione couldn’t help but wonder how ‘Unco Ron’ was doing. And
Harry...the Golden Wonder Boy of Hogwarts, how was he?

But as she gazed-wihout-seeing out on to the street beyond the park, Hermione felt the voice in
her head declare in a sing-song voice...

//Gold is gold...But it can’t be platinum...//
 
 
 

a/n:
Thankyou for the reviews...you know they mean a lot 2 me :) You're all so wonderful, and your comments
make me feel so cheery:) I'm glad you enjoy my writing, and your enthusiasm is a real inspiration!

just a note:
LilyAyl: 'Music Of The Night' is wonderfully dark, and we all know I like dark stories. They have a certain...
charm to them. Oh, and btw, the e-owl should be on its way!

The story is titled the way it is, (Shangrila*The nightingale Song), because nightingales are thought to be
enchantingly beautiful birds. Shangrila, being a word meaning like, paradise, it all sort of fits. Well, it will,
anyway:) I guess more of the story needs to be rolled out for everything to fit together.
As 2 what happens next: you'll just have 2 wait + c. :D

Music credits: L-O-V-E is by Natalie Cole. Go listen to her stuff. It's good:)
I am a D/H shipper, thru+thru...BUUUUUUT. There might possibly be a Harry+Draco fic on the way. Possibly.
 

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Chapter 3