Good News/Bad News
Parent's Weekend came and went; a success that would make Hogwarts: A History proud. Students talked about it for days, exchanging stories on what their relatives thought of their school; the look of awe on Muggles faces and the opportunity to meet your good friend's parents or siblings.
Ron recovered rather quickly and was up and moving about by Sunday evening, still sore from his fall to the ground.
Samantha had attended her first week of classes with Hermione, practically giving Professor Snape a heart attack when he realized he had a relative of Hermione's in his class. Shadowing Hermione, she soon realized that "Arthimancy" was incredibly boring to her so she chose to attend the library during that period, reading and researching.
Hermione was very distracted, she would manage to concentrate in classes but would fall apart at the drop of a hat in the common room, often burying her head in Harry's shoulder as he tried to comfort her and figure out what he could say to make her feel better. She was so disappointed in herself for forgetting the charm; she prided herself on remembering everything she learned and being able to use her common sense when needed and this time her hormones had trumped her.
She fretted about what if she got pregnant, how would she be able to study for NEWTs? How would she work, what would Harry think? Despite numerous repetitions of: "I won't leave you, no matter what", from Harry, nothing seemed to bring her up out of her depression.
Harry had confided in Ron, a day after him and Hermione had that amazing night under the moon, and his mouth had dropped in surprise. He had known that the relationship had been "consummated" but he was very surprised that his two very smart friends forgot a major part of the whole sexual side of the relationship. Despite that, Ron was genuinely concerned about what would happen, and told Harry that all he, as her boyfriend, could do was just to listen to Hermione.
Samantha had echoed Ron's words, now an almost permanent fixture on Ron's arm in the Common Room. They rarely saw each other in class, and if they did they were learning so much there was no time to talk.
Draco had learned that there was a Muggle amongst them and wasted no time in making snide remarks to her, or about her being related to Hermione. With the Slytherin game still on his mind, and Draco taking his insults one step to far, Ron had punched him in the hall, resulting in a broken nose for Draco and a detention from McGonagall for Ron, who didn't mind in the least. When Samantha had found out what Ron had done, she waited up for him that evening and had given him the longest, most incredible snog of Ron's young life.
As Ron struggled with his new relationship with Samantha, Ginny struggled to study for her classes, practice for Quidditch while Neville and Luna just struggled in general with studies, but it was Hermione that was having the hardest time keeping it together. She was three days late for her period and was on her way to see Madame Pomfrey when Harry caught up to her in the hall, having lied about not feeling well to his DADA teacher to get out of class early.
"I want to go with you," Harry had insisted, falling in step beside her. Hermione sighed and tried to explain that he wasn't going to be able to be in the room as she was being examined and the pregnancy test was being done.
"I can wait, Hermione. I'm involved too and should be able to support you." Harry was getting angry and was slowly losing patience with her stubbornness. He was tired from staying up with her at night, whispering endearments in her ears and talking with her about the future, with or without a baby. He was trying not to get too worked up about it until he found out what the test results said, but by Merlin, he was TIRED and when he got tired, he got moody.
They stopped outside the doors and Hermione paused, her hand on the knob. He could see her hand shaking; she was about to find something out that would affect the rest of her life. Harry dropped his bag to the floor and gathered her into his arms, placing a kiss on her neck. They hadn't been very intimate since that night on the lake twelve days ago. She was so consumed in what she was feeling about being or not being pregnant, everything else, except attending classes had been put onto the back burner. She hugged him hard and pointed to the bench on the opposite wall of the hospital wing. He held her hand for a moment then held the door for her as she went in, not glancing back at him.
Harry threw himself down on the bench, hearing low murmuring coming from a classroom down the hall.
He tried to keep his nervousness at bay by thinking about his aunt and the memories he had seen in her. The parchment sprang to his mind, the one that he had found in his memories that said, "You are not alone." That was it. He recognized the handwriting, identical to that of Professor Snape's, but had no idea what it meant. He had talked it over with his friends, and it was Luna who had mentioned that maybe it meant that he felt like her, an outcast. Harry thought that was the best answer he had received so he had stopped thinking about it, concentrating on studying, Quidditch and Hermione. He wasn't used to seeing her so out of control. He was being strong for both of them; on one hand he enjoyed the aspect that he was making decisions about her and she was listening. If he said for her to eat, she would comply, if he suggested she should nap, she would do it. She just didn't seem to have the energy to strike up an argument as to why she shouldn't do what he was asking or telling her to do.
Harry tilted his head back until it hit the stone wall, feeling the coolness spread down his neck to his back. He closed his eyes, listening to a teacher's voice drone on and on the hall. It was chilly inside the castle and he drew his cloak around him, thinking about anything but what might be happening in the room opposite him. He was so into his own thoughts alternating between Quidditch plays and Hermione and what she was doing in there, that he didn't notice Ron quietly settling next to him.
Ron just sat there, gazing every so often at the doors and at Harry, who he knew wasn't asleep but had his eyes closed and his head resting against the wall. Ron and Ginny had talked the night before and she had a feeling that Hermione was pregnant. Ron had no idea how to handle any of this, so after fidgeting in class he managed to annoy Professor McGonagall so much he was told to sit still or leave, Ron left his Transfiguration class.
He tried to find Samantha by quickly looking in their common room, the library and dining hall but she wasn't there.
Ron sat forward, his hands clasped between his knees and felt Harry move next to him, accidentally bumping Ron's leg which led him to open his eyes and look at his friend next to him. Harry felt an overpowering sense of emotion that someone was there for him. He had been constantly caring for Hermione that he neglected himself and he gave Ron an uneasy smile, jumping up as the doors opened in front of them. Hermione closed them behind her then leaned against the doors and gave a small nod, causing Harry to run over to her and catch her before she fell to the floor.
Ron and Harry helped her to the bench and both held her as she cried, harder than they had ever seen her before. Harry just held her, while Ron rubbed her back. People moved through the halls, changing classes and Ron looked up when he heard Draco's familiar icy laugh. He was walking arm and arm with Pansy when he glanced over at the bench, taking in the sight of Harry holding Hermione and Ron rubbing her back. For a moment he looked surprised to see Hermione crying, but was dragged around the corner before he could say anything or give Ron another look.
"Let's get her back to the tower," Ron suggested and Harry nodded, quite numb at the moment and eternally grateful that someone was thinking straight. With some coaxing, they got Hermione to her feet and walked her back to the Common Room and up to her bedroom. Samantha was already in there, reading at the desk and jumped up when they barged in through the door. She didn't need to ask what was wrong; she knew from the looks on their faces.
"Let me talk to her and get her settled," Samantha said quietly, laying a hand on Harry's arm. Ron lifted Hermione up into her bed and pulled a blanket up over her.
"I want to stay…," Harry started but Samantha interrupted.
"She needs to sleep for a bit and talk later. Please? I promise I'll come get you when she wakes up, wherever you are." Samantha looked up at him seeing confusion and pain etched across his features. He nodded in agreement and Samantha threw her arms around him, giving him a fierce hug which Harry returned.
"You're the best, Harry, and she knows that." She smiled up at him, then let him go to walk over to the bed where Hermione was quiet and seemed to be asleep. Ron looked down at Samantha as she stood next to him telling him the same thing she told Harry.
Turning from the still form under the blankets he looked at the top of Hermione's dresser. The key he gave her lay on top of the velvet bag and he touched it, remembering her response to his gift. Rubbing a hand across his face, he felt Ron's hand on his shoulder, guiding him towards the door.
Back in the common room Harry sat and stared at the fire. He didn't really know what he was feeling…there wasn't any anger, just worry about Hermione and a strange sense of wonderment that there was a child inside of her that was HIS and much confusion about what to do next.
"Harry, I should get to my next class..," Ron began standing in front of him.
"Yea, go, you shouldn't be late. Thanks for being there…here," Harry stood up to shake his friends hand, but Ron stood there for a minute.
"It'll be ok, mate," Ron said, finally taking Harry's hand and holding it for a second. "You have us to help you and Hermione." Ron let go, reached down and grabbed his bag.
"Thanks," Harry answered, now realizing that he did have help which removed a small portion of the weight from his shoulders.
But, right now what he wanted was to think by himself. Try to plan what to do next. Ron nodded goodbye then ducked down the hall and out of the portrait hole. Harry dragged his bag up to his room and flung himself down on his bed, placing his glasses on the table next to him. He stretched out, arms behind his head, staring up at the light dancing on the ceiling, combing through his memory on any hints of what to do next.
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Harry was dreaming…he saw his aunt and Professor Snape walking down towards Hagrid's hut and no matter how fast he tried to run, he couldn't catch up with them. He wanted to know what that note "You are not alone" had meant. No one was any closer to figuring it out, so he thought he would just ask! As he was running down the hill, he felt a hand on his shoulder and a voice calling his name.
Harry sat straight up in bed, "What!" he yelped, fumbling for his glasses. Looking up he saw Hermione standing there and he reached over, grabbed her around the waist and buried his face into her chest, feeling her arms go around his neck, playing gently with the back of his hair. Harry felt a wave of relief come crashing over him as he held her; just her being up and around was a great start and feeling her hug him back was a bonus. He took a couple of deep breaths, pushing back tears the threatened to come. His hand absentmindedly made small circles on her lower back.
"Hanging in there?" he whispered.
"Yes."
More silence as she hugged his head closer to her, running her fingers through his hair and gazing down at the top of his head, buried in her robes.
"I'm sorry I melted down…," Hermione began, not knowing what to say after that. Harry mumbled something that vaguely sounded like, "Don't be." He moved his head until his forehead was resting just under her breasts and he stared at her stomach, covered by her gray sweater.
"Tell me what Madame Pomfrey said," he requested, tentatively bringing a hand to her front and laid it on her abdomen leaving it there, as if trying to feel for something. Hermione's hands stilled in his hair and went to his shoulders. She was relaxed, another good sign since she didn't have a death grip.
"Well, she examined me and said I looked fine. She asked me when my last period was and I told her then she performed some tests with her wand and a few other instruments, supplemented it with a Muggle Pregnancy test and all came up very positive." She felt Harry nod his head against her stomach and felt his hand move from her stomach to her hip where it rested. "She told me what I should and shouldn't do, how I might feel and figured the due date to be around June 28, graduation week." Hermione felt him pull away and she looked down at him as he looked up at her. She got down on her knees so her face, a bit pale and tired looking, was almost even with his.
"I am so sorry about what I put you through. Samantha and Ron both told me how you haven't been sleeping; how you have been reading up on pregnancy; how, even if I didn't notice, that they noticed you rarely left my side. I was just wallowing and not thinking about anyone else and I am so very sorry…," Hermione cupped her hands around his face and leaned over and kissed him. He had no idea what to say to her as he felt her stand up and move him onto his twin bed. She laid next to him and curved herself around his side, never taking her lips off of his.
"I love you," was all Harry could think to say against her lips and he felt her smile.
"I love you too…we'll get through this." She glanced at his clock and saw that they had another hour until dinner. She wrapped one arm around his stomach and brought her lips to his cheek, gently, then laid her head on his shoulder, slowly building up their strength to survive through this whole ordeal.
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Meanwhile in Samantha and Hermione's room, Ron sat on Samantha's bed, legs dangling over the sides, waiting for Samantha to finish one of her papers on Potion Making. He was watching the back of her; dark brown hair starting to curl at her neckline as she was letting it grow out, a pencil stuck behind one ear, her left arm propped up on the desk, with her hand holding up her head. He could hear the quill, something she loved to write with, scratching over the parchment as she jotted down some notes. It wasn't a half hour ago that they both had talked to Hermione, listening to her fears and reassuring her that they, Harry, Ginny and all their other close friends would be there for her. Ginny was the only one who knew, outside the four of them and was currently helping with the Apparating test since she passed two months ago.
Ron was emotionally drained. He wasn't use to so much angst in his life and having actually done things right (by being there for Harry and helping Hermione), then talking to Hermione with Samantha he felt like he could just close his eyes and fall asleep. Quietly, he stretched out on Samantha's bed, noting how nice and soft the bedspread and pillows were, and closing his eyes, waiting for her to finish.
It seemed like only a minute but his eyes snapped open to Samantha shaking his shoulder.
"I leave you alone for fifteen minutes and you fall asleep on me?" she smiled at him and laced her fingers through his.
"Hey, I was being a supportive friend it takes a lot out of me." Ron grinned and sat up, pulling her to him and kissing her soundly on the mouth. As usual, she immediately relaxed and responded, leaning into him feeling his rough hands cup her face, sending pulses down her body and back up. Samantha pulled away for a minute, staring into his bright blue eyes.
"You do realize that you make me crazy?" she said softly.
"I do that to a lot of people." Ron answered, totally misunderstanding. Samantha threw her head back and laughed, making Ron jump.
"No, not that way!" she giggled, then on a whim, straddled his lap, seeing a look of surprise draw across his face, as his hands went to her hips.
"I meant another way." She leaned in and nibbled his lower lip and Ron groaned, pulling her to him.
It wasn't long until Ron's robe lay on the floor and Samantha's (she had to dress in the school uniform too) joined his.
It wasn't long until they realized that what they were doing was leading them both to think 'THIS led to Hermione getting pregnant', and as if by some mutual agreement they pulled away at the same time; hands still stuck in various places, sheets all rumpled from rolling around.
"Not today, Ron," Samantha said quietly, enjoying the slight flush in his cheeks. He nodded his consent and slowly started buttoning up her shirt….both of them getting ready to meet everyone for dinner.
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The four of them sat quietly at dinner, Neville and Luna were telling stories back and forth, Ginny was half listening to them and quietly talking to Hermione about her appointment in the hospital wing. They had all decided that no one would say anything for at least two months, unless need be. Samantha had explained that in the Muggle world, many people waited until the three month mark to tell people, so the new parents could get over the first tricky trimester and the mother didn't usually start showing until then anyway.
While Harry happened to be taking a bite of his dinner, he looked up and over at the Slytherin table and noticed Draco looking directly at him. Harry had forgotten that Malfoy had seen Hermione sobbing on the bench earlier that morning.
But, the strange thing was is that Draco didn't do anything. No sneer, no movement of any kind, he just kept eye contact, then his eyes flicked to Hermione next to Harry then back to Crabbe next to him. Hermione hadn't seen it, so Harry decided not to say anything to her about it.
The next few days went by, at what Harry would have called a very consistent pace. Hermione was slowly coming up out of her "funk" as Samantha had put it. Numerous talks with Harry about what they would do in June had helped her put her overactive mind at ease. As a couple they had decided to wait to tell her parents. They would know by Christmas if everything was going well.
It was the weekend that some very unexpected news came. Harry and Ron were talking Quidditch, Hermione had gone to Hogsmeade with Samantha and it was Neville that had come running into the Great Hall, where Harry and Ron were talking, very breathless and skidded to a stop next to him.
"Guess what Ernie just heard Pansy say? Draco's father is dead!" Neville panted and sat down next to Ron.
They stared at him, their faces frozen. He had been in Azkaban for a bit, then had been rescued by Voldemort and now no one, including Draco had seen him or any other Death Eaters, for the better part of the year.
"Apparently there was some huge argument between him and some other Death Eater in hiding and he was AK'd. Can you believe it? Draco went home this morning and I guess Pansy will be going over there this afternoon." Harry and Ron just stared at each other. Neither one felt any great remorse, or joy (because he had been someone's father)…Harry could quite understand that.
"Well, I guess Draco will have more free reign over his future then," Ron said and Harry nodded in agreement. Neville bid them farewell as he saw Luna walking towards him. Ron raised his eyebrows as he saw Neville and Luna's heads bent together, obviously talking about what Neville had just heard.
"With Halloween coming up, I wonder if Malfoy's dad will have a mask dedicated to him," Ron offered up as a joke. Harry cracked a smile, then shuddered.
"Nah, no way I would want to dress up as him or anyone on that side." Harry gestured to the papers in
front of them and the two friends bent their heads together to try and come up with plans for the Hufflepuff
match.