The Dangers of Naiveté

The Dangers of Naiveté

Chapter 1

By: FayeValentine00

It was 2:30 in the morning when I jolted out of bed, jarred from my sleep by a familiar dream. Should I even bother calling it a dream? No… a memory. The dream was a memory from my past. One of many that has haunted me since leaving Hogwart's nearly six years ago. Back then it had all seemed so black and white. Peace was a tangible dream to each of us. Somehow we'd always thought that it was something we would always be able to attain if we worked hard enough. Now I realize those dreams were nothing more then that. They were dreams that were created by nothing more than the naïve hopes of children.

Ron, Harry and I were wrong. There is no other way to say it now. The adults around us had been so convinced that ending Voldemort's terror would bring peace to the world that we hadn't even stopped to think about anything else but the million dollar question that should have been asked was what happens to the heroes when the battles are won? Do they go off and live happily ever after like they do in some Muggle fairy tale? No they simply fade away and before long, they are completely forgotten. No fame, no glory and no second thoughts for those who fell during the fight for freedom.

Why, do you ask? Because when we have peace and things are running smoothly, no one wants to remember the past. No one wants to remember the pain and the heartache they'd endured. That is why no one remembers the heroes. Doing that forces you to remember the very things that you'd rather forget. Forget it and it must have never happened right? After all, that is the credo of human civilization, right?

At least that is how is all appears on the surface until danger rears it's ugly head once more and the mob public turns back to those very heroes that it had once forgotten. It wasn't as though we minded being forgotten in those four year between the end of Voldemort's reign and the events of two years ago but when I look back on it now, it was cruel. No one had any concern for our families or us. All they cared about was themselves. They sent us to be slaughtered just to save themselves and when things didn't work out, they crumbled to the dark forces without a second thought.

I'm sure people who knew me a few years ago would hardly recognize the woman I've become but I can assure you all that once you know what we've been through, it will make sense. The world is a different place. Two years ago today the world as I knew it collapsed around me and when you are forced to scrape your way back, you never come back the same.

*** Two Years Ago ***

It was only 10:30 at night but Ron and I were laying in bed together discussing our days when we heard a sharp knock on the front door. Although I had no confirmation for my suspicion, I knew who it was and I knew what had happened. Ron must have been thinking the same thing as me because our eyes met and I could see fear. I knew why he looked upset and I couldn't blame him. At 22, Ron and I hadn't even been married a year, I was three months pregnant and a new battle had just been dropped on our doorstep.

We quickly got dressed and made our way to the front door but with each step, the knot in my stomach grew tighter. Rumors had been spreading for the last several weeks of a potential uprising among the dark wizards but deep down I had always hoped it wouldn't come to this. Ron, Harry and I had all finally found some peace yet now here we were again. Ready to fight despite the risks.

"Come in, Harry. I'll get us some tea," I said, opening the door with a smile.

"There's no time, Hermione. It's happening now." One look into his green eyes and I knew it was worse than any of us had dared to fear.

"Go on then, Harry. What's happened?" Ron said, entering the room with a dark expression that matched Harry's.

It took nearly 15 minutes for him to explain what he knew. Apparently Draco Malfoy and a large number of other wizards who'd long been expected of practicing the dark arts had organized and carried out a large scale breakout of Azkaban prison just hours before invading the Ministry of Magic with the help of inside employees. Time was running out. If the dark forces couldn't be stopped and they got control of the ministry, there was no telling what would happen.

"Well then," I said jumping to my feet as soon as Harry had finished. "What are we waiting for?" I was just about to step towards the door when Ron's firm hand on my forearm stopped me.

"Hermione, no," he said firmly in a tone that he only used when he was dead serious.

"What?" I asked in disbelief. I was furious. Ron, Harry and I had always fought together as a trio yet now, when we were needed again, I was being told I couldn't go.

"Not you, Hermione. Not this time. Please just let Harry and I take care of this."

I wanted to scream in frustration but I couldn't. I couldn't scream when Ron looked at me with eyes so full of love and concern. I knew he only wanted what was best for me but for some reason my foolish pride just wouldn't accept that.

"Honestly Ron! You can't seriously think I would just let you and Harry go off and fight alone while I stay home and worrying like some useless wife!" My eyes were blazing with indignation as Ron and I stared each other down. We both knew the very real risk involved in the impending war and in retrospect I can see that his only hope had been to protect me but at the time, I had been too hard headed to think everything through.

"You know I don't think you're useless, Hermione! I love you. All I want is for you and the baby to be safe. Can't you understand that?"

I opened my mouth to tell him he was being stupid. I wanted to tell him that the baby and I would both be fine but Harry beat me to the punch.

"Hermione, please," He started softly, with a voice full of brotherly concern. "How are we supposed to stay alert when he and I are both constantly worrying about you?"

I couldn't believe my ears. It felt like they were both against me. My husband and my very best friend in the world, whom I had been fighting beside for literally half of my life, were trying to keep me away. I can see now that they were only trying to protect our futures and every single hour of every single day since that night, I've had to ask myself how I could possibly have been so blinded by my own foolish pride as to not have understood it then.

"You're both prats. You know that, right?" I said calmly looking back and forth between the two. I shook off Ron's arm and grabbed my wand off of the counter. "Look, I'm going whether you like it or not. If you're coming, you'd better keep up," and with those words, I apperated to the front of the Ministry building.

I didn't allow myself to stop once to even consider the potential possibilities of tragedy. After all, we were the infamous trio, right? Everyone said the trio could overcome anything, right? A few moments later, Ron and Harry apperated at my side. It was the last time I can ever remember smiling with complete sincerity.

Ron met my eyes evenly. Although I could see the fear, he smiled at me despite it all. "Do you always have to be so difficult?"

"Isn't that why you love me, Ronald Weasley?" I said softly, looking up into my husband's eyes with all the pride of a loving wife.

"Of course… Even if you are unbearably stubborn sometimes."

"Of course." We both laughed before Ron took me in his arms and kissed me firmly on the lips.

"Promise me you'll be careful," he asked when he finally broke the kiss that made me feel weak in the knees.

"I promise. We'll both be fine," I answered breathlessly, my hand moving over my abdomen unconsciously before I turned to Harry with a grin. "Be safe, Harry."

"You too," he replied softly, pulling me into a big bear hug which he seemed reluctant to release and for some reason I shared the sentiment.

It was really as though we were all saying our good-byes to each other. Maybe it was because we'd lost so many people over the years and never really gotten the chance to say anything at all. Whatever the reason, it was a moment to remember. For as long as I'll live, I will never forget Ron's loving expression or Harry's obvious concern for my well being.

We entered the Ministry building through the phone booth that we'd used all those years before. It was quite a nostalgic moment when the doors opened to Ginny and Neville who were waiting for us inside. Although my sister-in-law didn't seem happy about my presence, she quickly accepted the inevitable and gave me a tight hug before Neville gave us the update.

The explanation of what had happened was disturbing. Many people had lost their lives. When he was completely done explaing, Harry was the first one to speak. "So what you are telling us in not so many words is that these dark wizards have already taken over the building and we are the last line of defense."

There was a brief silence before Neville finally nodded his head. "Yes, Harry. We need your help."

The one thing I'd always loved and respected about Harry was that he'd never asked for his fame and he didn't like the attention when he had it. He would have been just as happy to be a virtual unknown but when someone or something needed protecting, Harry was always there. Like a true hero, he was always willing to take a risk for the better of the very people who had tried to make a freak show out of him for most of his childhood. He was a hero in the truest sense of the word and Ron and I, like good sidekicks, were always right there with him.

Ten minutes later, after a few more questions and convincing Ginny that being three months pregnant wouldn't hinder me in a fight, the three of us made our way towards the Minister's office. We were being watched the entire time and we all knew it. It was too easy. Nothing stopped us or even attempted to block our path to the office and it was quiet… dead quiet.

We stepped into the office knowing that any battle there may be would happen in that very room. It was a trap, of that I was sure, but somehow I just kept telling myself that as long as we stayed strong an fought together, everything would work out. As long as the trio stood firm, nothing could touch us.

If naivete were a crime, I would've been punished with death.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Potter, Weasley and Granger. Or wait, I guess it is Potter, Weasley and Weasley, right?" The familiar voice sent a chill down my spine as the chair behind the desk turned slowly around to reveal none other than Draco Malfoy. "I would say this is a pleasant surprise but that would be a lie. All three of you are really quite predictable. You know that, right?"

Looking around quickly, I saw that Malfoy was the only person in sight although I was certain we were not alone. He sat in the Minister's chair as if he owned it with that familiar cocky grin that had always made my skin crawl. He had a carefree aura around him as if he hadn't just taken the office over my force and as if he wasn't now faced with three wizards willing to take him out with the slightest provocation. It was unsettling yet annoying all at the same time.

"I don't know what you're playing at Malfoy but let it go and leave. I'm not even going to bother saying I don't want to hurt you. That would be a blatant lie," Harry said eyeing Malfoy with the same cold hatred he'd had back in our school days.

"It's funny that you say that, Potter because I was going to say something very similar."

"Don’t be a fool, Draco. You know you can't win," Ron added, the wand hand trembling in anticipation.

The unexpected shout of laughter made me jump. Malfoy's laugh cut down to my very bone marrow but it was short lived because he turned back to Ron with a serious expression only a moment later. "But don’t you see, Weasley. I already have."

From somewhere behind me, I heard a whispered voice but I couldn't quite make out the words. It wasn't until Draco looked me straight in the eye with that cocky smirk that it all made sense. I knew what was coming and it was already too late to try and get out of the way. I saw the green light fill the room and I braced for whatever might come.

The next events happened so fast that even now I find it hard to understand but somehow, I had been shoved aside. I felt my body hit the ground with a thud and the back of my head bounced of the concrete floor with a sickening crack. I heard a loud scream and yelling coming for every corner of the room before an explosion of some kind send my body flying into the far wall of the room and after that, everything went black.

I returned to consciousness slowly. My whole body ached like I'd been thrown off a cliff and hit every sharp rock on the mountainside during my fall. Trying to pry my eyes open seemed like an impossible task but when I finally managed it, everything seemed out of focus. For a minute, nothing made sense. I didn't know where I was, what had happened, whom I'd been with. Hell, I couldn't have even told you my name at that point.

I looked around the room slowly searching for anything that might strike a memory when I saw a man standing about ten feet away staring out a window. I could see his shoulders shaking silently as if he was trying to cry without letting anyone else know. I was about to ask the man what was wrong when the flood of memories hit me and the words simply escaped my mind. When the memories of the green light filled my mind, I must have gasped out loud because Harry spun around from the window in a flash.

One look into his eyes and I knew something terrible had taken place. Endless possibilities flew around in my mind but each one seemed as unbelievable as the next and without even realize what was happening, a sob tore loose from my throat and I broke down in tears. Harry was at my side in a flash, his own tears falling with my own and before any words were spoken, I already knew he was gone. Harry didn't say a word, he simply wrapped me up in his arms and we cried together for what seemed like hours.

"What happened?" I managed to choke out when words no longer eluded me.

"It all happened so fast," he started softly, obviously trying hard not to break down once more. "I heard the words but I was too far away. I knew… We both knew who the target would be. Ron didn't even hesitate. He…" It took Harry a moment of deep breathing to retain his composure before he could continue. "He moved faster then I can ever remember seeing him move before. He pushed you aside as hard as he could but he wasn't able to get himself out of the way in time."

It was a long time before Harry could say anything else but when he did, he took my hand and looked me straight in the eye. "I am so sorry, Hermione. I swear I would have done anything to stop it. … Anything."

I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out. I felt numb. I could hardly manage a simple nod or understanding because even though my heart felt like it had been shattered into a million pieces, somewhere deep down, it all still seemed too unbelievable. I kept hoping this was all just a bad dream but that wasn't the case.

The next hour was filled with a tearful silence. There was one question plaguing my mind but I was too afraid to ask it. If I lost that one last thing then I was lost. If I lost the last piece of Ron that I had left, the child that he and I had created with our love, I'd loose my mind. I know it was fact yet I had to know.

"What about the baby?"

"Fine," Harry answered immediately giving me a small squeeze. "You'd hit your head when you fell and there was so much blood that by the time we were able to get you out of there that we really thought we'd lost you both but thankfully you both made it through."

Words escaped me at that moment but the overwhelming feeling of relief was something that even now I can not fully explain. Right then and there, I vowed to protect the child I carried with every ounce of my strength I had left. As long as I had it, I had a piece of Ron and right then that was all that really mattered.

"Where are we?" I finally asked, forcing myself to focus on something other then the grief that would haunt me every day of my life there after.

"Don't worry about it right now, Hermione. Let's just get you healthy again and then we can worry about that," Harry said in a brotherly tone that was supposed to be authoritative but I didn't let it affect me.

"Please Harry. Why are we here?"

He opened his mouth like he was about to argue but then closed it again and sighed heavily. "Alright," he started slowly. "Once Ron fell, wizards and witches from both sides flooded the room and there were explosions everywhere. People and things were flying through the room in every direction. Somehow, I managed to fight my way over to you and Ron but by the time I got there, I realized how incredibly outnumbered we were. We'd underestimated everything. We underestimated their goals, their power and we definitely underestimated their sheer numbers."

"We were forced to retreat and mere hours after the Ministry was taken, Hogwart's was taken over too. … In a very short time, we went from being the hunters, to becoming the hunted. Out of fear, most of the public bowed to the new dark ministries will but those who did publicly denounce it were met with very brutal, very public deaths that persuaded others not to revolt. Those of us who refused to bend were forced into hiding. The Order has reassembled and, even now, are trying to assemble a new force to take them on."

Once Harry had explained everything to me, a horrible feeling crossed my mind and I felt a shiver run down my spine. "Jesus, Harry. How long have I been out?"

"Eleven days."

I leaned back far enough to look him in the eyes and for the first time I realized how much older he looked. It was as if he had aged ten years in those eleven days. "What are we going to do now?"

I watched him carefully as his eyes closed slowly and he took a deep breath. He looked so concerned, so tired and so overwhelmed that I almost wished I hadn't asked but just when I thought he wouldn't say anything, he looked me in the eye once more with a serious expression. "I don't know, Hermione. I honestly don't know."