#hermione: emotional

[dramioneasks]

Hello, I was hoping you all could help me find a fic that seems to have disappeared from my bookmarks. It’s about how Hermione is not “recovering” from the war with a successful career like Harry who has become an auror mentored by Gawain Robards. She is asked to volunteer at a rehabilitation center north for war victims and for convicts. She ens up taking over the group made up of Malfoy, Parkinson, Nott, Bulstrode, and an OC I can’t remember. Her boss is a misogynist nightmare who turns out to be dirty and working for a corrupt Robards. Robards is angling to be Minister with the patronage of the Greengrass patriarch who seems to be some kind of king,asker in the background. Hermione brings her concerns to Harry and he dismisses and belittles her. She leaves and ends up in an empty investment apartment of Malfoy’s who has been reluctantly talking to her after meetings. They have become friendly and start to develop romantically. Then Malfoy is blackmailed into an engagement to Daphne Greengrass to save his mother from her infidelity being made public. Draco, Hermione, and Theo decide to keep looking for a way out and start diving into politics. Hermione decides to back Hestia Jones. Harry finally realizes everything that has been going on, including being set up as a fall guy for all the embezzlement from the ministry. Theo joins up with revolutionaries through his many middle-aged, nouveau riche, half blood paramours. In the end Narcissa decides to deal with her own consequences allowing Draco to be happy with Hermione. I have read this fic a few times and now I cannot find it anywhere. Please convince me I did not dream up this fic in my head multiple times.

Thank you so much,

Laura

This?

The Light is No Mystery - masterofinfinities - M, 41 chapters, Words: 238,224 - Defeating one man was simpler than ripping out the roots of a centuries-old belief system. For Hermione Granger, agreeing to work in the Mental Rehabilitation Center is the latest attempt at stitching her life back together. For Draco Malfoy, finishing his court-mandated rehab has just gotten a lot harder. Soon, Hermione and Draco find themselves in the middle of a storm of new politics, power struggles, and pureblood culture. But a growing connection between them might not only change the course of their lives, but also the future of the Wizarding World.

-Lisa

[whinlatter]

What’s something about Ron Weasley as a character that you think is underrated?

That Ron is really, really funny, and that his sense of humour isn't a sign of immaturity or gratuitous comic relief for the reader's sake, but an absolutely essential part of what both Harry and Hermione value in Ron as a character as an antidote to their own tendencies (moodiness and seriousness/anxiousness, respectively). Ron makes bad days bearable to get through for the people around him. I think people mistake Ron making jokes for a lack of emotional awareness, but I actually think it’s the opposite. By the series end Ron is literally the most emotionally well-adjusted of the central canon characters. That line about Peeves’ poem right at the end of DH when the war is won (“Really gives a feeling for the scope and tragedy of the thing, doesn't it?”) is a) brilliant and b) such a great manifesto for how Ron’s outlook on the world — not humour as emotional avoidance, but humour that sits within all the grief and pain and suffering, and makes it that bit more bearable. So yeah Ron Weasley’s love for chuckles is Important and Overlooked and I will keep saying it til I am blue in the face

[rewritingcanon]

time of day where i think about how ron and hermione are canonly in love in every universe. it doesn’t matter if theyre not married. it doesn’t matter if the world has gone to shit. the only reason they don’t get together in every universe and are quietly yearning is because they believed their love was one-sided, and they each held that belief for DECADES !! aghhhh !!!

[pottermagiczz]

Lol, it got me! 😂😂

[falkendreamsxxx]

Writing emotions when you have none.

[asexualenjolras]

Hermione Granger sitting and sobbing on the staircase after the Yule Ball all alone because the person she loves more than anything in the whole world has hurt her feelings, and she has nobody to talk to about it.

And Scorpius Malfoy sitting and sobbing on the staircase after Staircase Ballet all alone because the person he loves more than anything in the whole world has hurt his feelings, and he has nobody to talk to about it.

[neva-borne]

Unforgivable

Rated M

Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy

A decision made in the heat of battle, a split second choice between life and death, leaves Hermione Granger shaken to her core. When reality hits, comfort comes to her from the most unexpected of places, only to be taken away just as quickly.

Terrified to talk to her friends or even sleep, Hermione struggles to cope with what's happened. Not just during the battle, but the entire war. And this time, she seeks comfort out in the form of a grey-eyed, blond-haired boy who's about to stand trial for crimes that would send him to Azkaban for the rest of his life.

She's determined to save him from that fate, but is she doing it because she truly believes in a second chance for him, or because she wants a second chance for herself?

[romionarry]

harry smelling ginny’s perfume or shampoo or whatever in the desire cocktail is based of him but i like that right after, he chooses to seek out ron’s gaze across the table and grin at him . something about wanting to share his joy with ron … wanting ron’s company in happiness and love land. harry kid i got my eye on you

[draqo-pctter]

to save an empire; a dramione royalty au

chapter fifteen; cold, cold heart

Time slowed as it usually did when he stared at her, the band and jovial laughter fading away until the only thing Hermione could see was Draco’s eyes. They were blank then. Not cold – empty. A thick, neverending sheet of arctic snow where angry glaciers had once been. Somehow, that was worse.

“Don’t we want him to think we’re–” I can’t promise you happiness. “–getting along?”

He studied her carefully, his eyes scanning every inch of her face for things she knew he could find if he so chose. She didn't know what it was like to have someone slip into her mind, but Hermione had always assumed it might hurt.

“Is that what we’re doing?” Draco asked. “Getting along?”

“We could be,” Hermione countered, leaning toward him almost instinctually. It wasn’t lost on her that he didn’t pull away. “If you’d let us.”

rated e, explicit

wip; chapters 15/34

tags; nsfw, queen hermione, prince consort draco, rivals to lovers, marriage of convenience, assassination plots, legilimens draco

updates every tuesday! / click here to read on ao3

[moderndayamymarch]

do y’all think when harry first put the sorting hat on it thought “omg why is tom riddle in here too”

[dramioneasks]

Hi, I am looking for a short (maybe one shot?) fic where Hermione works with Theo and they have just had a big success/won a case and he kisses her. She is surprised and is married to Draco. She goes home and tells Draco what happened and he is not surprised because he has assumed they have been having an affair due to how much time they have spent together at work and how absent Hermione has been. She is shocked and vows to do better and they make up.

Chasing Forever - floorcoaster - M, one-shot - After a shocking turn of events, Hermione worries her marriage isn’t as strong as she thought.

-Lisa

[nichefairyblogs]

Falling Asleep At the Wheel — A Severitus Fic

Chapter 5 has officially been finished and reuploaded! I have also put an Author’s note in and I will make a separate post about that!

Read and enjoy,

Fairy

[a-sunset-outside-my-window]

fic rec friday

The Teacher

by SpaceWall on Ao3

Dumbledore hires Remus Lupin as a teaching assistant for Defence Against the Dark Arts. To everyone’s surprise, he isn’t fired, maimed, murdered, or otherwise removed from the job. Severus Snape does not approve of this development.

--

“Here to pick up your friend?” Aberforth demanded, tapping a glass with his wand and setting it sparkling clean.

“Not my friend,” Severus said, just as Lupin said,

“Haven’t got any friends.”

Hm, yes I am currenly back to being obsessed with the 'older' tropes, so get ready for this amazingly written fix-it taking place around philosophers stone.

favourite tropes included are:

fix-it

enemies to friends

Remus is the DADA Professor

exept not really

adults actually being helpfull? (it's more likely than you think)

Sirius gets out of Azkaban

we care about the kids here

they get taken seriously siriusly

as always, leave lots of love and kudos to the author and have an amazing rest of the week <3

[lepoltergeist]

Unpopular opinion, Harry Potter doesn't have a "Hero complex" or a "Saving people thing", he is just a distrustful traumatized kid.

Implying he has a hero complex would be saying that he does the saving thing to feed his ego. He doesn't do things to feed his ego or fulfill a urge. He only took things into his own hands when the adults failed him, he always tried to go to the authorities before acting.

In first year, he first tried to go to Dumbledore to warn him about the philosopher's stone, McGonagall dismissed his worries about the stone.

In second year, he and Ron went to Lockhart for help. Why didn't Harry go to McGonagall? Remember that McGonagall dismissed him during his first year, his trust in McGonagall was already dead.

The thing in third year happened spontaneously, Harry didn't have anyone to ask for help close by, so he took things into his own hands.

In fourth year there is the famous incident where Hermione tells him he had a saving people thing, when Harry saved Gabrielle in the second task. But remember Harry's perspective, the egg poem literally said "But past an hour, the prospect's black; too late, it's gone, it won't come back." Harry didn't have the best track record with adults until this time, so he would obviously think that the hostages would be left to die.

Fifth year, is the year where all the adults failed him. First he was isolated with his relatives with only his trauma keeping him company. Then he found out almost everyone in wizarding britain hated him because the ministry had a vendetta against him. He was abused for the entirety of the year and almost no one gave him emotional support. Even then, when he received the vision of Sirius, he tried to go to adults as well, but also the adults he found trustworthy were all unavailable, so he decided to take matters on his own hands.

Then in sixth year no one believed him Malfoy was a death eater, and the one that believed him had his own bizarre plans for him.

Then in seventh year he was on the run.

[miss-grimwood]

Summer - Bellamione

Bellatrix pulled open the old wooden gate of Hermione’s beachfront cottage, the creak of the rusted hinges breaking the silence of the night.

Three knocks on the door to alert Hermione to her presence, and then she let herself in using the spare key.

Hermione was dozing on the sofa, a thin blanket draped over her legs.

‘Granger, I’m here,’ Bellatrix whispered. Hermione startled a little, but her face relaxed into a smile when she saw her lover in the doorway.

‘C’mere.’

Bellatrix settled beside her, sitting in comfortable silence.

She’d visited Hermione every night over the summer, once darkness had set in and she wouldn’t be seen.

Tonight was different. Tonight, she was finally saying the words that had tortured her for weeks. But before she could, Hermione spoke up.

‘I go back to uni tomorrow. I won’t be back here until Christmas.’

Bellatrix’s face fell.

‘I have to go.’

‘But you only just got here,’ Hermione said, puzzled.

It was no use, Bellatrix was off like a shot, running back to the rickety old gate that had served as a barrier between her real life, and her romantic summer with Hermione.

One hand on the gate, Bellatrix turned to Hermione, her face red in her attempt to suppress her tears.

‘I came here to tell you I loved you.’ She spat.

Hermione froze. ‘Bella, I love you too,’ she replied, as if that changed everything.

‘No you don’t. You’re leaving me here alone. Fuck you, Hermione.’

Hermione pouted. One of the rare times Bellatrix had used her first name, and it was for this.

@sapphicmicrofics

[animealways]

A broken family of monsters

oc × abusive mother/ mention of child abuse, maiming leading to infertility, torture, killing, generational trauma, cannabilism, and basically everything messed up you could expect from a death eater. (phoebe black visits her only living parent in Azkaban. To tell the truth and see what's still left of her cold, abusive death eater mother) Very long fic lol

The war was over. Voldemort is gone, death eaters are either dead or locked up and the few that didn't were heavily fined leaving them with enough to live but not strive in wealth as they did before the war. Except for the ancient most powerful house of black.

All thanks to phoebe narcissa black.

The war left everyone scarred often quit literally but for phoebe it simply showed her the absolute worst side of herself. Guarded, ruthless and cold. People deemed her a war hero but she didn't care, not much atleast. The title was just to benefit her and her siblings.

The family was left in pieces. Both parents death eaters, father dead, mother locked up in Azkaban, regulus at 15 and Asterum at 5 left in the care of Phoebe who recently turned of age and therefore became head of the house black.

Now the young witch walked through the cold, grim halls of Azkaban before she stood in front of her mother's cell. Cheek was scarred, eyes red as if she hadn't slept properly in days, and her beautiful long hair was now cut so short that it barely reached her shoulders. Phoebe wore a mix of my old wardrobe while also having 'unproper' clothing, such as my leather jacket and a blouse whose two top buttons were left open.

She stared into the cell looking at her mother, once always wearing expensive clothes to show her wealth in nothing but a prison uniform. The older witch looked wide-eyed at her supposed-to-be dead daughter. "..mother." She stood there in the cell just staring at her girl for what seemed ages. Finally, she spoke when she decided it wasn't a hallucination of her imagination.

Lucretia voice was cold, harsh, and filled with a mixture of bitterness and disbelief.

"…I thought you were dead."

That was all she said in response, her body completely unmoving as she continued to stare her firstborn down. Her eyes roamed over every part of her daughter, taking in every little detail.

"I thought the same when that curse of yours hit me." That statement stung Lucretia somewhere deep but she didn't show it. Like mother like daughter. "But Hermione saved me." A mudblood that saved my life was all the mother heard and now on a first name based with the girl she nearly died for. Standing in front of her while she stood behind bars she realized just how different her daughter had become from what the young powerfull witch was raised to be… Yet still had traces of my parents in her which infuriated the death eater. Phoebe stood there fearless and her face hardened at her mother while she could tell her child was deliberately thinking about what to say, the same way her father did.

After a long moment of silence, she spoke, her voice filled with a mixture of disappointment and disgust.

"How… pathetic."

A part of her still loved baby, and a part of her worried, but it was buried deep beneath layers of pride, bitterness, and disappointment.

"You're a black, not some filthy mudblood's pet."

She said harshly, her voice cutting like a blade.

"I raised you better than this. I thought I gave you a stronger backbone, stronger pride."

"You say that but I'm not behind bars for my actions" The young witch reminded her predecessor who was in control now. "Your choices nearly killed me. How exactly does that make you a proper mother?" Tone firm unwavering, and determined to see this through. No matter how many horrible memories it might bring up.

A flicker of annoyance crossed Lucretia's face, and she clenched her jaw, anger beginning to grow inside of her. She tried to control her temper, but her first child's audacity and the truth in her words stung like a slap in the face.

"You dare speak to me like that?"

She hissed, taking a few steps closer to the bars, her eyes narrowing

"I gave you everything. A name, family, power, privilege. I gave you your life."

Each word was punctuated with anger, her voice rising in volume. "And now you have nothing after you nearly murdered me" Phoebe stated unmoving from her stance.

Her grip on the bars tightened, her knuckles turning white from the force of it. Her voice was cold and venomous, her words dripping with anger and bitterness.

"Watch your tone, girl. I am still your mother even if I'm in this cell."

She said through gritted teeth. She struggled to maintain her composure, her body tensing as her temper boiled over. She was struggling between the deep-seated love she had for her child and the overwhelming anger that her daughter was no longer the person she raised her to be.

"I know but look where we are now. Father is dead, you're imprisoned for life and I'm infertile. All for what? Our traditions? Hard to care for them when it gets us killed" Phoebe stated reminding her mother of how they got here but there was one detail that stuck with Lucretia more than anything else the scarred witch said.

I'm infertile. Lost the ability to carry children… And she had the nagging suspicion it was due to that curse...

Her eyes widened, a mix of shock and regret flashed across her face briefly before she composed herself, forcing a stern expression.

"You're… infertile?"

She repeated, her voice slightly wavering. She tried to keep her composure, but a wave of guilt washed over her. She knew the chances of her daughter being able to bear children were slim after that curse, but hearing it be said out loud was like a dagger in her heart. She swallowed back her emotions, not wanting to show any weakness, just as she taught her children to do as well. The woman always prided herself in her motherhood. That her children excelled in whatever she taught them to do only for her to be the reason that her daughter could never start a family of her own... It tugged on something buried deep in hatred and resentment.

"Are you surprised?" No, no one who saw what happened would have been, They would assume she had died yet by some miracle Phoebe lived to tell the tail.

Of course that curse left her with permanent bodily harm it should have killed the girl. The way blood came out of her stomach as if it was a leaking pipe, how she coughed up blood as if she was a human fountain. And yet her own child still disarmed her, standing just a few seconds while coughing up blood before collapsing. She knew her firstborn was resilient, determined, and fierce. It was inherited from her, and was taught how to use it to her advantage

But never in a million years did the woman think it would be used against her. It showed how little she actually knew or understood her own baby.

The memory of her child's body, limp and bleeding in front of her, flashed before her eyes, it felt like a punch to her chest. Her body tensed as guilt and anger coursed through her veins.

"You should have never stood up to me…"

She said, her voice quiet and bitter, brown eyes searching her own kin's face, taking in every detail, trying to discern what other secrets were kept from her. Using her strong will against her mother, just as she had always taught her little girl.

"What happened to you…?"

"I simply saw a chance to live my life. My way. I decided if I was going to die it would be by my choices and not someone else" The hardened, scarred witch stated firmly yet calmly. She had her mother's determination and her father's calm manners. Phoebe was the living result of what they ingrained into her and used it against them.

Hearing those words was like a dagger to her heart. Her baby had turned everything she had taught Phoebe against her, proving how her harsh methods had backfired.

"You've always been stubborn, ever since you were a child."

She said, her voice stern, but a hint of pride mixed with her anger. She couldn't help but feel a pang of respect at your defiance, even if it was against her.

"You're a fool. You're throwing away everything… family, legacy, power, all for what? Happiness?"

"I am my mother's child" Sass came through the young witch's attitude as a response when she was called stubborn "Right, I'm assuming you haven't heard what's been happening outside of your prison" What was that supposed to mean? Her brow furrowed as the bold mentioned what had been happening outside the prison. She was completely cut off, her world now confined to a dark, cold cell. Her curiosity was piqued, but she tried to keep her tone aloof.

"No, I haven't."

She said quietly, her eyes flickering slightly as she looked back at kin, her expression a mixture of anticipation and uncertainty.

"Tell me then."

"I was a spy for the order" That caught her off guard. She assumed her child's betrayal was an impulsive in-moment decision but apparently, it was decided long before the war even started.

"I received an order of Merlin first class" The statement had pride, glad she finally got respect of her own. "I'm the only one of age of our family. I'm the head of our family now. The mansion, the money, the reputation, the power. it's mine now" I won.

Her breath caught in her throat, her eyes widening at the confession.

"You… You betrayed us. You joined the Order?"

She repeated her daughter's words, disbelief and anger evident in her voice. When mentioned phoebe Order of Merlin, her eyes darted to her chest, a mixture of disbelief, pride, and anger warring within her.

But it was when her blood-traitor daughter mentioned becoming the head of the family, that she lost it, her face flushing red with anger.

"You? The head of the Black Family!?"

The sudden anger made Phoebe's spine stand straighter for a mere split second. "Who else would it be? Regulus isn't of age for another two years and doesn't even want to be while Asterum is 5 she needs someone to take care of her" The words fiercely remind Lucretia of the reality outside of her cell. Phoebe was the only adult left standing free. She had to step up.

Her jaw clenched as was reminded her of the reality - that Regulus was too young and that Asterum needed someone to take care of her. She couldn't deny the truth of her child's words. Still, her pride and anger flared up, and she shot back sharply,

"You? You betrayed your family, yet now you're claiming to be the head? The rightful heir? You're no true Black. You're a disgrace!"

"I'm the only thing that kept our family from being shunned!" The young blond snapped, for the first time in her life she yelled back at her mother. Her opinions be damned.

"You think you're choices helped you? the Malfoys lost all their wealth and are shunned" She retorted, fire burning in every word as if holding herself back from roaring the reality into lucretia head.

The Malfoys, their extended family, who also had a death eater among Voldemort's ranks lost everything that gave their name meaning. Phoebe managed to protect her family from the same fate.

Her eyes widened at the snap back, voice rising in volume. Her daughter's words struck a nerve, and her anger flared up even more.

"You think you're some kind of savior?"

She retorted, her voice shaking with anger and frustration.

"The Malfoyles made their choice, and they faced the consequences. So did I! But you, you betrayed everyone!"

She stepped closer to the bars, her eyes blazing with anger.

"You're just a filthy blood traitor. Not worthy of the Black name!"

"Says the woman who followed a homicidal maniac without a nose into war." Phoebe stopped caring how she described Voldemort now he is dead "What in Salazar's name made you think he cared for us or anyone else? He assigned me to punish whoever failed a mission. What type of wizard claims to care for 'pureblood' then proceeds to spill it as if it's a leaking faucet?"

Her face flushed red with anger and embarrassment as the words hit a sore spot. How dare you say these things.

"You know nothing!"

She snapped back, her body tensing in anger.

"The Dark Lord promised us power, power to rule over the mudbloods, the filthy half-bloods, and the blood traitors like you."

Lucretia's eyes narrowed as she looked down at her firstborn, her voice filled with venom.

"He was the one who was going to restore the Black Family to its rightful place!"

"Yet here I am, alive with all the black money and power" Phoebe put a hand on her chest full of pride and unwavering determination, not afraid of her mother anymore.

"So great yet never even consider I was a spy for the order or that Draco helped me" Yes, even the Malfoy heir was in on the secret. Sick of seeing his family getting mistreated by the dark wizard. "You're the blood traitor. How many innocent people regardless of blood status died for these stupid beliefs? what's the point of valuing blood purity if everyone who cares dies?!"

Her face twisted in anger and disbelief at the reveal of Draco's involvement.

"Draco? The boy is a fool."

Her words were sharp, her breathing labored as she struggled to comprehend the situation. But the reminder that her own blood was a spy for the Order was the dagger in her heart.

"How could you do this? To betray your own family? You're a disgrace. I regret ever giving birth to you!"

Phoebe paused at her burning words "And I regret you kept me alive" The statement was full of bitterness and pain. A mirror image of Lucretia's own venomous words.

Her eyes widened, and her face paled as the words of her baby hit her like a punch in the gut. Shame and guilt crept in as the realization of her child being this vicious was a direct result of Lucretia's own doing.

But she quickly composed herself, her mask of coldness falling into place again.

"How dare you! I raised you, cared for you, loved you, even after everything you've done, I still care for your well being…"

"I wished I could believe that" Her face was hard just like her mother, refusing to show the pain. Like mother like daughter. As much as she hated it Phoebe truly was her blood. Whatever Lucretia said Phoebe could turn it right back onto her but different. Like a mirror image.

"I truly wished I could believe you still cared for me but after allowing father to make me a death eater, giving me a dagger for my 14 birthday, training me in combative spells until I bled since I was 8, never even healing me yourself instead it was the house elves who protected me, forcing me to take your beatings without a single flinch or you hit me again, how I hugged you only for you to push me to the ground when I said 'i love you'. I can't believe you ever cared for me, let alone now"

Years of locked pent-up pain went into every word while Phoebe stared down her mother, still wearing that firey determent spirit she taught her daughter to carry wherever she went. Head held high just as her father always did.

Her heart shattered into a million pieces as her own blood recounted the pain of their childhood. She had always believed she was teaching her baby strength, resilience, and determination.

But now, as heard the years of hurt and neglect, she was confronted with the realization that she had failed to truly ever show her baby love and care.

The cold mask of indifference on her face crumbled, replaced by a mixture of anguish and pain.

"I… I thought I was preparing you, making you strong… I thought you were too soft, too gentle…"

"I was 6 when you pushed me to the ground after I said I love you" Pain was audible in Phoebe voice but even now she refused to cry a single tear "I didn't need to be strong. I needed my mother"

"You were weak," she said, the words leaving her mouth before she could even think.

But then she looked at her child's face, the pain in Phoebe's eyes, and she saw the child she pushed away. There was a moment of silence before she spoke again, her voice wavering ever so subtle.

"I couldn't show weakness. I had a role to play, a reputation. I didn't know… how to be gentle."

She swallowed hard, a rare moment of vulnerability.

"Clearly, you always said family came before everything. That the world is cruel and we should be capable of, not just defending ourselves but throwing it right back. Yet you and father brought all the cruelty into our home"

Phoebe took a deep breath to compose herself "Our house should have been the one safe place we had. Instead, you beat us on the regular. My existence was just to fulfill your needs. So was having a literal child eater in our house" A reminder of Fenrir Greyback who terrified Regulus and asterum. The first born was the only one of her kids who could stand in the same room with the cannibalistic werewolf without showing fear.

The only one stone cold and great at lying to hide her true feelings.

Every word her daughter uttered was like a dagger to her heart. She knew in her heart that it was the truth. The cruelty, the beatings, the fear…

She tried to rationalize it by saying it was for her children's own good, that she was making her baby strong. But now, as she looked at the bitter, broken woman her baby who once smiled every time Lucretia dressed her up, spent hours listening to her reading books on magic, loved flying on her toy broom, and always wanted her approval. That bright, eager-to-learn, curious child had become stone cold to her.

She gripped the bars tightly to steady herself.

"I.. I did what I thought was best…"

"Then you're more broken than I am" The blunt statement was filled with the pain of a child who simply craved love. "I hope you're proud cause I became exactly what you raised me to be. I maimed, tortured, and killed people…You know how terrifying it is to realize doing all that with a smile is more natural to me than a simple hug?"

She felt her heart ache listening to her baby's pain. The realization that she had created a monster, all in the name of strength and survival. She had pushed and pushed, hoping to shape her daughter into a strong, unyielding girl.

But what she got was a broken woman who was more comfortable with pain and bloodshed than love and comfort.

"Merlin, what have I done..?"

"You turned me into a weapon that stabbed you in the back"

Lucretia sighed her knuckles turning white again as she squeezed the bars.

"I never thought… I never intended…"

She struggled with her words, trying to articulate the tumultuous thoughts in her mind.

She had wanted her child to be strong, to be a force to be reckoned with. But now she was faced with the reality that she had raised a monster, a weapon that had turned against its creator.

She looked at you, her eyes heavy with regret and sorrow.

"I was… a terrible mother."

"I know… And the worst part is that I still care for you" It felt so stupid, still caring for a mother that put her through hell but that's what prevented Phoebe from becoming a full-blown death eater as her father wanted her to be. Deep down, she cared, she loved, she was open-minded to the impossible, and it wasn't in her nature to be a mindless killer. Everything in her life seems to set her up to be a cruel death eater like her mother, father, and even Uncle Lucius came to be. hidden beneath years of pain and conditioning of what a 'proper pureblood' should be, something that would stay until she died. A caring, kind person who rather die than see her loved ones hurt.

A pang of guilt and sadness washed over Lucretia. She could hear the bitterness in Phoebe's voice, knowing she struggled with the fact that despite everything, she still cared for her mother. Her grip on the bars tightened, her knuckles turning even whiter, as she struggled to find the right response.

"Why?"

She breathed out, a mix of confusion and heartache in her voice, "Why do you still…"

"It's like father always said. Emotions don't make rational sense. It's why there so dangerous" She took a deep, bit shaky breath in.

"You sacrificed everything to make the world what you thought was right. I risked everything to make my life feel right" She paused looking over her mother bitterly yet the bond Phoebe wanted with Lucretia was always there no matter how much she hated it.

She had sacrificed so much for what she believed was right, for the legacy of the Black family, for the glory of Voldemort.

But hearing her own flesh and blood speak, she realized that her baby had risked just as much, if not more, for a different cause. The fierce determination in her baby's blue eyes, and she couldn't help but feel a mixture of admiration and regret and pain.

"Is this… what it was all for?"

She whispered, mostly to herself.

"That's what you should be asking yourself. I got what I fought for" She stated with a small shakey sigh. The most emotion Phoebe ever showed around my mother "I'll visit you next month. Let you know how things are going.." She spoke before taking a step back, looking over the woman who made Phoebe into what she is before walking away quietly.

She watched her world walk away, her heart heavy with regret and sadness. She wanted to reach out, to pull you back, to tell her all the things she should have said so long ago. But instead, she stood silently, her eyes following her baby's every movement until Phoebe disappeared from sight.

It was too late to change the past, but maybe, just maybe, there was still time to make amends.

She looked down at her hands, still gripping the bars tightly, and whispered to herself.

"Next month… "