Where do I belong (Hermione)

Dominique had been struggling with some thoughts lately and she didn't really feel comfortable talking to Vic about it. So she decided to reach out to the widest woman she knew; Her aunt Hermione. She sat at the Three Broomsticks with two cups of butter beer as she waited. She slipped one of the glasses to try and calm her nerves. She didn't know how to talk about the thoughts in her mind.

@Hermione Granger

Hermione was grateful that one of her nieces reached out to her even if she's no longer in Hogwarts; she found it important to try and be a stable figure for her children and their cousins while their parents were away from Hogwarts and occupied with their own business. Walking into the Three Broomsticks, she waved around until she could finally figure out where Dominique was sitting. Once finding her table, Hermione went over to give her niece a hug before sitting down.

"Hello, Dominique! It's so wonderful to see you!"

@Dominique Weasley

Dominique smiled when she saw her aunt, "Aunt Hermione!" She said, returning the hug, "Thank you for coming. It's been a while since we got together." The only family member she had truly seen since returning was Vic. And she had to do better about that. She would have to reach out to Louis and her parents next. "I was hoping maybe we could talk? I know you're after hours right now. But I just.... Need to talk."

@Hermione Granger

"It has been! How long has it been?" It had become easier and easier to lose track of the time with the years. Did they last see each other at Christmas? Was it longer than that? Hermione wouldn't be able to say when. "Dominique, you know I'm always here for you, your siblings, and your cousins. What's going on?"

@Dominique Weasley

"I think I left home right after Christmas before last. So about 2 years now." She had been gone along time. It made her wonder if her family truly wanted her around again. "I feel like an outsider in my own family. Like maybe they don't really want me around anymore. They're just pretending. And yeah, I know Vic let me move in with her but what if that's just familial obligation and she secretly hates me for it. And my mother. Oh god, I left my mother for 2 years! What if she resents me too? And I just abandoned Louis. I wasn't even here when they found out he was going to be head boy." It all just spilled out after holding it in for so long. She did t even notice the tears falling down her face as she rambled on.

@Hermione Granger

About two years?! That was much longer than she realized! Oh, now Hermione was especially grateful to see her niece again. It was so relieving to know that Dominique's healthy and well!

"Oh, Dominique..." Hermione felt terrible when she heard that her niece felt alienated from her own family. "We all make mistakes. Ron ran off from your uncle Harry and I once when we were hunting the horcruxes. It made things rough between us for a bit, but in the end, we all forgave each other for our own misgivings as we valued our friendship. Although they might feel hurt by what you did in the past, I know they all still love you. Your cousins might not be as quick to forgive, but you have to give them time and show that you're there for them."

@Dominique Weasley

"Uncle Ron ran away?" She asked, wiping the tears from her face. Her uncle was one of the greatest and bravest men she knew. Him and uncle Harry had been her heroes growing up. If he could make a mistake similar to hers and everything end up ok, maybe it could for her too. She nodded silently, trying to compose herself so she wouldn't cry again. Dominique wasn't the type for emotions, "How do I even start to make something like that up to them?"

@Hermione Granger

Hermione nodded as she smiled at her niece reassuringly. She was thankful that her nieces and nephews found her trustworthy enough to open up to her; she could only hope that they'd also be able to find that same trust with their parents as well down the line. "Maybe you could write them an owl explaining why you left like you did? I think they'd like to understand your motivations."

@Dominique Weasley

"I left to get away. I was kind of tired of being compared to my mother and father. And my uncle's... And my aunt." She felt ashamed telling Hermione why she left. "But that's not why I stayed gone. I met a guy. His name is Austin. And he taught me alot. He taught me to hunt down magical creatures that rebel against the ministry or that hurt people. People like Greyback." She had heard the stories of Fenrir Greyback. What he had done to her father and uncle Ron's ex girlfriend. He had been the one to turn Remus Lupin as a child. She wanted to stop attacks like that. "I was gone for so long because I was trying to make the world a slightly safer place."

@Hermione Granger

Hermione had been her years just a bit oblivious to the next generation's issues derived from having such famous parents. She sheltered her own children more than her in-laws hoping to allow them to have as much of a normal childhood as possible. "Oh, Dominique!" She was stunned as to why her niece had stayed away for so long; she could've gotten harmed! Hermione already went through her share of it around her age, and she felt it was her responsibility to help ensure that the next generation would never have to deal with such dangers.

"I was so worried! What if you had gotten hurt?!"

@Dominique Weasley