Unofficial Portkey Archive

~I want to apologize for taking so long to get this chapter out. It's been a rough week and I just couldn't find time to sit down and write. I am now willingly unemployed, so I hope to get the next chapter out faster. Thanks for the encouraging reviews, I love that you like what I write!!~

The last week of classes seemed to fly by for Harry and Hermione. They both had end of term exams to take and were trying to take turns studying while taking care of Conlan. Two nights they had gotten Dobby to watch him in their quarters while they studied in the common room and then the other nights they would set him in the swing in the common room and if he cried they would take turns calming him down or one of the lower year students would take him out and play with him. They were both grateful to all of the Gryffindors; they had all taken to Conlan and would help Harry and Hermione as much as possible.

Things had gotten better between Harry and Hermione. Hermione still had her down days, but the potion Madam Pomfrey gave her seemed to be helping. Plus the fact that Harry seemed to be the most understanding guy on the planet helped too. He tried to assure her of his love and attraction to her every day and he also could tell when she just needed a little space. The only thing that bugged Harry was her interaction with Conlan. She seemed almost...afraid of him somehow. He couldn't understand how Hermione could be afraid of her own son, but that's just the feeling he got when he watched the two together. And she never held him for very long either. If he needed changed or fed, she would pick him up, do what was needed then put him right back in the bassinet. Harry wouldn't admit it to anyone, but a few nights ago he had snuck down to the library and found a book on new mums. He had read through a few of the chapters and had found out that Hermione wasn't bonding with their son. It said that a mother-baby bond was the most important thing in a childs life and that had him worried. He had thought that she had bonded with the baby while she was carrying him, but then since he's been born she seemed unable to take care of him and didn't want to be around him very much.

The night before their last exam, Harry and Hermione decided to stay in their room to study since Conlan was asleep. Harry had to go to the library to get a book on one of the curses they had studied in Defense Against The Dark Arts and had left Hermione with Conlan. Hermione was a little nervous, but she figured that since he was asleep it would be ok. She continued on with her studying for about twenty minutes before Conlan started crying. Her whole body tensed up at the sound and she looked towards the bassinet trying to decide what to do. He started crying even harder and she finally got up to walk over and pick him up. She cradled him awkwardly in her arms as she got a bottle and sat in the rocking chair. He drank for a few minutes and then spit the nipple out, crying once again. Hermione didn't know what to do so she lay him down on the bed and checked his diaper. Seeing that he was dry she picked him up and lay his head on her shoulder like she had seen Harry do so many times before. Walking around the room and lightly bouncing him, Hermione was getting desperate as the baby cried even harder.

"What's wrong Conlan?" she asked, knowing he couldn't answer. She kept jiggling him but it only seemed to make things worse. She tried rubbing his back and then rocking him in the rocker only to be met with a flood of tears. "What do you want?!" she asked, frustrated. Why wouldn't he stop crying? She'd done everything she'd seen Harry do before but it wasn't working. She was feeling so uncomfortable, not knowing what to do. 'But I know how to fix almost anything' she thought to herself 'why can't I fix this?'

The feeling that her baby hated her came upon her again with a vengeance. She got up and lay on the bed, laying Conlan next to her and snuggling him to her side. As he continued to cry, she joined in with him, huge tears running down her face. 'I'm a horrible Mother' she thought to herself, crying even harder.

Poor Harry had no idea what he was walking into when he said the password to their quarters and stepped inside. He heard the crying first, then looking towards the bed he spotted Hermione with Conlan laying by her side, both of them crying quite loudly.

"Hermione?" said Harry, hurrying towards the bed, starting to get worried. "What's wrong? Is it Conlan; is something wrong with you?"

Hermione sniffled quite loudly and looked at Harry with tears swimming in her eye. "He-he started crying and I couldn't get him to stop. What's wrong with him Harry? Why doesn't he want me to hold him?"

Harry finally got the answer to the question that had been plaguing him all week. Hermione thought her own baby didn't want to be around her. Reaching down to pick Conlan up, Harry put his head up on his shoulder and bounced him while rubbing his back. Hermione looked up at the two of them and started to cry again. Harry looked at her sympathetically and said "there's nothing wrong with him 'Mione. He probably needs to burp is all. What's going on?"

Hermione realized that she would have to explain to Harry the way she'd been feeling lately. This was one thing she hadn't explained to Harry during their discussion that one night a week ago. "I-I don't know what to do with him Harry. I'm used to being able to figure everything out, but I just can't seem to do that with Conlan. I do everything I see you do with him, but it doesn't calm him down when I do it. He's up at all hours of the night, he spits up all the time and some of his diapers should be labeled toxic waste." She sighed quite loudly and said "I just don't think I can be a Mum."

Harry looked at her, shocked at what she had said. "What do you mean, you don't think you can be a Mum? You don't get a choice Hermione. This isn't like you; are you saying you don't want Conlan and I anymore?"

"No, no that's not what I'm saying. I just feel so...stupid when I'm around Conlan. I have no idea what to do with him" exclaimed Hermione, surprised that Harry had thought she didn't want them.

"If you would have taken care of him his first week you would have gotten to know him better; that's how I learned and it wasn't easy. This isn't how it's supposed to be Hermione; you're his Mum and he needs you. I grew up without a Mum and let me tell you, no child should have to do that" Harry said, trying to hide the disappointment he felt in Hermione. "He's counting on us Hermione, we're the ones who are supposed to teach him right from wrong."

Hermione felt ashamed of herself. What would she have done without her own Mum? She looked at Harry and again was struck with how comfortable he looked holding Conlan. "Can you show me how to hold him? You know, like you do?"

Harry looked at her and felt a little hope blossom inside his heart. "Sure, it's easy" he said, walking over to where she was standing. He picked Conlan up off of his shoulder, making sure to support his head and turned him so he was facing Hermione. "Just lay his head up on your shoulder" he said and watched as Hermione took the baby from him and put his head on her shoulder. The baby started to fuss and Harry said "no, see you need to put his head up higher on your shoulder. Like this" and Harry scooted Conlan up higher on her shoulder. The baby quieted down and snuggled into the crook of Hermione's neck. A small smile blossomed on Hermione's face at the feel of the baby snuggled into her neck like that and the baby released a soft sigh.

"See, he's almost asleep already. He just likes to be held specific ways; I guess he's a perfectionist, like his mother" Harry said with a smile on his face.

Hermione mock-glared at him and went to sit in her rocker. "Why don't you put him in his bassinet?" Harry asked.

"I want to hold him like this for a little while" she said, closing her eyes while she rocked slowly.

"Ok" said Harry, happy that the two were finally content with each other. He walked back over to his desk and continued to study for his exams.

That night after Hermione had spent some time with Conlan, they had both studied until they were exhausted. They collapsed into bed around one in the morning and fell instantly asleep. Hermione had been sleeping fitfully, tossing and turning in the bed as her eyes moved under her closed eyelids.

"Hermione" a faint, soft feminine voice called out into the silence of their room. Hermione twitched but did not wake up. "Hermione" it said again, this time a little louder. Hermione's eyes popped open and she looked around the room, wondering what it was that had woke her up. She looked towards Conlan's bassinet, but he was sound asleep. "Hermione, come to me" said the voice, and Hermione felt fear course through her. 'Who could that be?' she thought to herself as she got out of bed and put her robe on over her nightgown. She walked over to the door of their quarters and opened it, peering into the darkness of the Common Room. Seeing no movement there and hearing no noise she made her way over to the couch. "Hermione, come find me" she heard again and realized it was coming from outside the portrait hole. Making her way slowly towards it, she paused for a moment, wondering if she should pursue her curiosity. Deciding to investigate, she pushed the door open and walked out into the corridor. "This way Hermione" the feminine voice said and she turned to her right, making her way to the staircase. She kept walking and following the sound of the voice until she found herself in front of the door to the Room of Requirement.

'Why would I need to come here?' she thought and slowly placed her hand on the door knob. Turning it, she opened the door and peered inside, hoping there wouldn't be anyone dangerous waiting there. Her eyes scanned the room and she gasped at what she saw. There, floating in mid air in the middle of the room was a golden scepter. It was half as tall as Hermione was and seemed to glow with an internal radiance. Hermione looked to the top of the scepter and saw what she thought was a lotus-bud. Something about the scepter seemed to draw her closer and she tried to resist, but the pull seemed to strong to ignore. Just as she walked up to it, she heard the voice again "welcome my child. Do not be afraid, take what is yours."

Hermione furrowed her brow in confusion, wondering what the voice meant by 'take what is yours'. How could this scepter possibly be hers. Her Gryffindor courage kicked in and she decided to grab the scepter to see what would happen. The minute her hand wrapped around it she felt power rush through every cell in her body and there was a glow about her that was blinding. After a minute of this display it stopped and she blinked, trying to adjust her eyes once again to the darkness. Her body thrummed with power as she took in every detail of the scepter. Something about her holding it felt very right and she was trying to remember if she ever read anything that could help to answer what had just happened. Coming to her senses, she bent down to put the scepter onto the floor and stopped abruptly as the voice said "do not put it back. It is yours now, take it and guard it with your life."

Hermione stood for a moment, contemplating what she should do. After a few minutes she decided to take it back to her quarters and she would go to see Dumbledore before breakfast. Maybe he would know where this scepter came from and why it had called out to her. Walking out of the room, she made her way back to the Common Room and back into her quarters. Placing the scepter on her bedside table, she took off her robe and crawled back under the covers falling right back to sleep. Unknown to Hermione, the scepter gave off a faint glow that was exactly like the glow that emitted from her body as she slept.

Harry and Hermione woke early the next morning, Hermione grabbing the shower first before Conlan woke up. She had made up her mind to be a good mother to him and that meant that she would feed and dress him this morning. After showering, doing her hair and getting dressed she started to gather her books together for her classes as Conlan started to fuss. She turned to make her way to the bassinet when she saw the scepter on the stand next to her bed. She had forgotten all about her night time treasure hunt and stared at it for a moment. Conlan's cries snapped her out of her daze and she walked over to pick him up. She cradled him in her arms and walked over to the cabinet to get his morning bottle. She walked over to the rocker and fed him, loving how comfortable she was starting to feel around her son. She rocked back and forth slowly, humming a lullaby her Mum used to sing to her when she was little.

Harry had just stepped out of the bathroom and saw Hermione feeding Conlan in the rocker. He stood listening to her humming and smiled, proud of her for finally getting past her fears and enjoying their son. He turned to make his way over to the side of the bed when suddenly the hairs stood up on the back of his neck. Recognizing this as a sign that danger was near, he froze and looked around the room. He looked towards Hermione and couldn't believe the sight in front of him. She had stopped humming and sat on the rocker with Conlan, just like she had a minute before. But now there was a soft glow around her and her hair blew in a non-existent breeze. Walking towards her, he stopped when he was directly in front of her and noticed her eyes were glazed over and she wasn't blinking.

"Hermione?" he asked, hoping to get an answer. When none came, he reached out his hand to caress her cheek and was zapped with a jolt of electricity the minute he made contact with her skin. He worriedly looked down at Conlan and noticed that the baby was surrounded with the same blue shield that was around him and Hermione before as he just lay there looking at her with what looked to be fascination, not affected at all. He didn't move or cry, he just watched her while still sucking on his bottle. Harry's attention was brought back to Hermione as she started talking in a voice that was feminine, but not hers.

Hermione became quiet once again as her head drooped down and the glow subsided. Shaking her head, she looked up at Harry and saw the look of fear in his eyes.

"Harry, what's wrong?" she asked, then looked down at Conlan whose shield had disappeared and was just staring at her. Seeing that he seemed to be ok, she looked back up at Harry and waited for him to answer. When he just continued to stare, she got impatient and said "well, what is it?"

"You-you just said..." he stuttered out, then trying to pull himself together he said "I think you just gave a prophecy."

"WHAT?! I wouldn't give a prophecy, I don't even believe in divination. How...but...what did I say?" she asked, becoming frantic.

"Something about me failing and that evil was still around in disguise. Then something about the sixth month...look, why don't we go to Dumbledore's office and I'll see if he'll let me use his pensieve? That way I can put the memory of the prophecy into it and you can watch it with Dumbledore."

Shook up and confused by what Harry had described, she just mutely nodded her head and stood up with Conlan. Taking the now empty bottle and putting him up on her shoulder, she started to burp him while making her way out the door with Harry close behind. The pair made their way through the common room, ignoring the calls of their friends. As they walked through the portrait hole and down the corridor, Hermione was almost scared to consider what had just happened. 'Did it have something to do with the scepter I found?' she thought as she walked quietly next to Harry.

As if reading her mind, Harry said "I'm sure Dumbledore will be able to explain to us what happened with you in our quarters. Try not to worry, ok?"

Nodding her head in agreement, she felt Harry wrap his arm around her waist, hoping to comfort her. She smiled her thanks to him and thought 'I hope it's nothing to worry about, for my family's sake.'