Unofficial Portkey Archive

Chapter 14: Endings

"Hands up where I can see them."

Hermione slowly lifted her hands above her head, turning around to face her attacker. Sure enough, her suspicions had been dead on.

"I should have known," Hermione's eyes narrowed as she glared at her captor.

Rita Skeeter snickered, keeping her wand leveled at Hermione's chest. "I'm a bit surprised you didn't think of it sooner. Oh well, we all make mistakes."

Hermione forced herself to remain calm while searching for various avenues of escape. Rita was blocking the exit, and Hermione's wand was lying on the ground where she'd dropped it after Rita had first spoken.

Hermione had to find a way to stall.

"How did you know?" Hermione murmured, continuing to search for alternatives out of the corner of her gaze.

Rita snickered.

"Colin talked about nothing but that stupid party for a week," Rita's voice was haughty, triumphant. "A shame really. They really should have fixed the door to the Photography Department. It was too easy to get in."

"For an unregistered animagus?" Hermione could help but dish out a verbal jab. Rita raised the wand to point between her eyes.

"Ah yes, Hermione, one of the three who knows I'm an unregistered animagus. Well, two really. One of you is dead."

Hermione felt the rolling anger begin to surge in her body. "You did this to keep us quiet?"

"Don't be naïve, Miss Granger. Or is it Mrs. Potter now? Which do you prefer?" Rita sniggered, giving her wand a little swipe. "After all, Draco Malfoy is still alive."

"Draco Malfoy would never have told about someone trying to write lies about Gryffindors," Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"True," Rita admitted. "But this goes beyond what memory charms would have satisfied. This is about getting my revenge on you."

"Revenge on me?" Hermione's eyes narrowed. Why would Rita… recognition flashed through her mind.

Hermione kept a straight face, while trying to inch her way slowly to the side. "This is about your career, isn't it? Hasn't been the same when you can't write nasty lies about people?"

Rita waved her wand menacingly at Hermione. "You ruined my career. I was the best…"

"You were a fraud," Hermione interrupted. Rita's gaze narrowed, and Hermione could almost see her calculating how to best finish her off.

"I wrote what people wanted to read," Rita spat angrily. "And you will not stop me from reclaiming my former glory."

If this went on too much longer, Hermione thought to herself, it was bound to end badly. She began looking more frantically for a way out.

"Tut tut, Hermione," Rita said, a sinister smile creeping across her face. "Looking for your scarred savior to ride in on a white horse to save you? I admit I was a bit shocked when you two got married, but it didn't matter. I was not going to be deterred by a change in plans. I was shocked when he survived our little encounter at the LeStrange place."

Hermione felt the anger surge in her body. "That…that was you?" She felt her fists clenching.

Rita smirked triumphantly. "Cornelius could never keep a secret when it came to Ministry raids. He loves the publicity far too much."

Hermione saw a flash of activity in the window behind Rita, and she forced her gaze onto her would-be attacker. She had to figure out how to postpone her.

"Why didn't you do it yourself, then?" Hermione asked. "Why use Ginny Weasley?"

Rita smirked. "You'd like to know that, wouldn't you? Well, I suppose it won't hurt, since you'll never leave this place alive."

She continued, "I wasn't expecting Ron to have company over so early, but in a way it worked out better that she was. After all, it was her wand that cast the curse. Not mine."

Hermione was stumbling over questions to ask when Rita finally spoke again.

"Enough questions. It's time to end this," she grinned. "Now…how to end this? Shall we start with the Cruciatus curse? Or would you like to skip quickly to your death?"

Hermione felt the panic starting to rise in her body. What would the effects of the Cruciatus curse have on her unborn child? She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"Speechless, are we? Well then, I suppose we'll just skip to the grand finale. Avada…"

"STUPEFY!"

The sound came from her side. Hermione jumped backwards and hit the ground as the curse hit Rita in the chest, tossing her head over heels before she came to a stop on the other side of the room, unconscious.

Harry Potter stepped out of the shadows, rushing to Hermione and drawing her into a hug.

"About time, Harry," Hermione whispered, a flood of emotions hitting her all at once as she hugged him tightly.

"I'm sorry. I ran into Colin and must have gotten there just after you did. When he told me what you asked, I knew where you'd gone. I'm sorry, Hermione, please…"

Hermione lifted a finger to his lips, silencing his hurried apology.

"Let's talk about this later. We need to get the Ministry out here."

Harry gave a slight nod as they restrained Rita in a full body-bind and left to call the Aurors.

* * *

Later that evening, Harry and Hermione sat on their couch in the living room. Harry had apologized about a dozen times since they'd arrived at the flat.

" 'Mione, let me explain," He managed to interject after they'd settled down onto the couch.

Hermione opened her mouth, about to stop him, but he shook his messy raven hair furiously.

"Please," he whispered hoarsely. Hermione sighed and gave a slight nod.

" 'Mione, you left the courtroom before I could explain the whole story. I didn't KNOW I'd lost my transfiguration book until after we got back from our honeymoon. It didn't cross my mind until then. Hermione, I love you. And I would have never married you just to get in your pants," He paused, tears flowing freely down his face. "I wanted to tell you. But I was scared you'd hate me for what I did. I'm sorry. It was wrong, and I didn't mean to hurt you, I…"

His voice trailed off, replaced by quiet sobs. Hermione wrapped her arms around him, holding him as they cried together. It was a long time before either felt the need to speak.

"Harry, do you still have my ring?" Hermione whispered quietly. Harry sniffed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the small gold band.

"I…I kept carrying it. I hoped I'd find you and…" His voice broke. Hermione took the ring from him and slid it onto its rightful place on her finger. She looked at him, her gaze gentle as she kissed his cheek.

"Harry, I love you, and I'm sorry I didn't stay to listen." Hermione felt the tears welling again in her eyes.

Harry wrapped his arms around her, giving her a tight hug. "No more apologies, okay?" He whispered softly, the only light in the room now the flickering fire in the fireplace.

"Deal," Hermione whispered softly, kissing his forehead. She paused, her mind a tumult of thoughts before a realization hit her.

"Harry, is the furniture from Ginny's stay still in the second room?"

Harry drew back, giving Hermione a curious look. "Yes, why?"

Hermione allowed a grin to cross her features as she leaned against Harry, relishing in the warmth he provided.

"I'm going to need your help transfiguring it," she continued, nonchalantly.

"Eh…Okay…" His voice sounded uncertain, suspicious, but he wrapped his arms tighter around Hermione.

"Well, you can't very well expect our child to sleep in a bed, can you?"

She felt Harry stiffen beneath her, and he drew back sharply, his gaze wide as he glanced from her face to her stomach and back to her face again.

"Our…baby?" He whispered softly, his emerald gaze bright.

Hermione gave a slight nod, resting a hand on her stomach.

"I'm…I'm going to have a baby?" Harry repeated, as if unsure of himself. Hermione couldn't help but give a slight chuckle.

"Well…I think I'm going to have the baby. I don't think you're quite equipped to handle that part."

Harry grinned, drawing her into a tight hug.

"A baby. We're going to have a baby." He kept repeating over and over, an air of excitement in his voice.

They stayed like that a long time.