Coming Together
Harry looked straight past Pansy while she looked down at her plate. He was thinking of all the ways Charlie was going to pay him back for keeping an eye on Pansy. Two days ago, Charlie had owled Harry saying Pansy seemed upset in her last letter and wanted Harry to see her in person; give him an unbiased opinion on how she seemed to be fairing.
Unbiased.
Hermione had laughed aloud at that one, knowing how Harry didn't really fancy any kind of friendship with her, anything remotely relating to Draco, or many of the other Slytherin's that had helped make his life hell. But, she understood that Harry respected the Weasley's and that he had promised Charlie to check up on Pansy. So, he managed to owl Pansy and asked her to meet him at the Three Broomsticks.
"So, how're you and Hermione doing?" Pansy asked twirling her spaghetti around her fork, still not looking at him.
"Uh, fine. What've you been up to?" Harry quickly shoved a piece of bread in his mouth so he wouldn't have to answer any other questions that came his way.
Pansy lifted a shoulder in a small shrug. "Basically helping Narcissa with stuff around the house. No one wants me to go get a job in case I accidentally fall or get a cut and maybe bleed to death," she began sarcastically, "so I basically try to relax all day. My life is pretty boring, actually."
"Yeah, that doesn't sound too fun," Harry mumbled pushing his food around on his plate, wishing Hermione was here instead of her appointment at a bookstore in London. She wouldn't tell him for what, and he didn't press…he only knew she couldn't make it to dinner. He racked his brain for something to say to Pansy because he was feeling more and more uncomfortable by the minute. Hermione's advice came back to him now; he asked what he was going to talk about with Pansy.
`Ask her about the babies. Most women would love to talk about their pregnancy.' So, he did just that and asked how her pregnancy was progressing.
Pansy finally looked up at him and gave him a small smile.
"In a week I find out the sex of the babies, so that's something I'm looking forward too."
"Any ideas?" Harry asked cautiously, amazed at how her eyes seemed to light up when she talked about herself, and her babies.
"One of each, I think. Apparently some old friends have bets going on, so we'll see who's right." Pansy took a bite of her spaghetti as Harry nodded, not really wanting to know what friends she was talking about.
"Don't you have a birthday coming up or something? I thought Luna said something."
"Yeah…July 31st…the day before you find out about your babies," Harry answered, nodding to the waiter when asked if he could take Harry's plate.
"Doing anything big?"
"No, just dinner with Hermione and her parents the weekend before. You should know I don't like fanfare," Harry gave her a slight smile as she nodded in agreement.
"And Draco did like fanfare," Pansy added looking wistful.
Harry remained silent, not really know what he could say other than agreeing with her.
"I know Charlie told you to ask me here. Never in a million lifetimes would I ever expect you, Harry Potter, to owl me and ask me to dinner," Pansy finally said firmly, folding her hands and leaning on the table. "I've only written Charlie two letters. One, letting him know that my mini vacation with my parents to Germany went fine. Another thanking him for the stuffed dragon he sent me for the babies. I have to say, I never thought I'd be writing a Weasley in my life, let alone accepting a gift from one of them." Pansy now looked down and twirled her water glass around in a small circle.
"Apparently he thought in those letters, since they were short, something was wrong. I'm not a letter writer. I'm fine; babies are fine. I'm bored…that's about it."
"Okay. I understand…I'm just doing my friendly duty." Harry placed some galleons on the table and waved Pansy's hand away when she tried to place some down. Their eyes met and for a moment, Harry thought she might cry. She looked so sad and he prayed that she wouldn't let the tears over flow. He was rubbish when it came to crying females.
"Thank you, Harry," Pansy suddenly blurted out as she stood up. Her top flowed over her round stomach and Harry couldn't help his eyes flicking to her middle, then back up at her face.
"Sure. I'll write Charlie and tell him you're just bored."
Pansy nodded wordlessly and headed back to the front of the restaurant, disappearing into the loo before she headed out into the humid air.
Harry sighed and finished his juice, wondering if his life could get any more twisted from how it was a month ago.
----
"Two weeks I'd say, Miss Granger. That's all we can tell right now," a kindly healer told Hermione. The healer moved around to her desk and sat down making a note in Hermione's file.
"But…I still don't understand. How could this happen? The charm was done, correctly. I know it was. I've never heard of it not working before, if done correctly," Hermione repeated nervously. Her stomach was twisting around in knots, threatening to spill out the water and toast she had earlier.
"Well, considering what you told me about your partner, and just from what you said about how you found a few items uprooted from their sticking charms, I believe that he is truly more powerful than anyone knew. You know how hard it is to override some charms. However, we all know how powerful Mr. Potter is normally and if he lets go of the control that he keeps over his magic, he can override just about any curse. Maybe not the Avada Kedavra or the Crucio, but probably the ones lower on the totem pole, so to speak." The healer leaned forward and smiled kindly. She could see tears threatening to spill over Hermione's eyes and knew how nervous she was at this moment.
"You didn't know. No one did. I know you're a bright witch and will see the logic in this. Also, based upon your previous relationship and the spell working correctly back then…I believe you are dating someone so powerful, not much stands in his way. Not even a contraception charm."
"So, I got pregnant the first time we had sex? I mean…I thought all the tiredness was jet lag. Then I thought maybe, in the back of my mind that all the symptoms I had could be related to pregnancy; I had every symptom that I had ever read about… but then remembered we did the charm the first time. But, the last time, just a few days ago we forgot…," Hermione's soft tone trailed off as she stared at her hands, truly unable to comprehend what she had just found out.
"Well, it wasn't from a few days ago. The readings we took, based on your last menstrual period are confirming that you are two weeks pregnant. I can't tell you any more than that. You said your period is due tomorrow. If you don't get it in the next few days, that might cement the fact in your mind. Miss Granger, there isn't any need to be scared. I'm sure Mr. Potter will-," the healer thought but stopped short as Hermione shook her head sharply.
"I'm not used to things that aren't unplanned but, usually, I can handle them…but telling Harry will be one of the hardest things I will ever have to do. Also…ummm…how can pregnancy be prevented if he loses control again?"
The healer flipped Hermione's folder shut and looked at her pointedly.
"A Muggle condom. The Muggle Contraception Pill probably won't work on you since you are a witch, but the condom works on everyone. Some people I see have never mastered the magical contraception charm and use the condom so they don't have twelve children. That's the only advice I can give you."
"Great," Hermione intoned, knowing what a condom was and not looking forward to telling Harry that piece of news. The healer was still talking as Hermione brought herself back to the reason she was in the office.
"…you will tell him though won't you? You know I'm sworn to patient/healer confidentiality so nothing will get out from this end. But, based on my twenty years of experience, it's always best if the father knows."
"I'll tell him… I just don't know when I can," Hermione sighed, standing up and now looking at the healer, a neutral expression on her face. "Thank you. When should I come back?"
"Come back in a month or so. We can do some imaging and see what's going on in there."
Hermione nodded, quietly shook the healers hand and walked quickly out of St. Mungo's lest anyone saw her there. She felt bad enough lying to Harry about where she was going to be while he was eating with Pansy. She wasn't sure what she was going to say to him now…then as she looked up and saw a Muggle billboard with a test tube on it, promoting some new Muggle pharmaceutical, a thought slammed into her, actually pushing the thought away briefly that she was pregnant.
She had an idea on how to get that cylinder out of the niche it seemed to be permanently stuck on Harry's basement wall. Thoroughly concentrating on that, so she didn't have to feel the guilt and nervousness that she felt moments ago, she ducked into an alley and disapparated back to Harry's house.
It was dark and quiet when she appeared in the library at Harry's house, so she took the moment to floo Bill at home, praying Fleur wouldn't answer the floo. She wasn't sure if she could look at another pregnant woman at this moment. Luckily, Bill appeared and immediately asked how they were doing.
"Fine, thanks," she answered automatically. "I have a thought I'd like to run by you on getting that cylinder out of the wall. We've tried the blasting spells we were taught at Hogwarts and everything related to that. But, I thought of something…maybe if we can get Harry to lose all his magical control…and have him direct one of those blasting spells or even accio the cylinder, he might override whatever is holding it down."
Bill stared at her for a moment, confused. "What do you mean `all his magical control'? I'm not sure I follow."
Hermione closed her eyes and sighed, already embarrassed that she was going to have to reveal this next piece of information. Taking a deep breath she quickly explained about, how during an intimate moment he let all his control go and even with the strongest sticking charms she knew, she still found some items knocked off their perch. She didn't mention this happened to be in her classroom a few days ago. Thankfully, Bill was the most mature Weasley child and just nodded knowingly.
"I've actually read about that somewhere. Very few wizards can override that kind of magic. Let me run to the office and find the book I saw it in and bring it over. We might be able to figure something out."
"I don't want to take time away from Fleur and Will," Hermione began apologizing, rocking back on her heels in front of the fireplace.
"Not a problem. They're in France until Sunday. Fleur wanted to go while she could still travel safely and took Will with her. So, it's been obscenely quiet here the past few days," Bill smiled at her and said he's be over in an hour or so. With a soft crackle, he disappeared leaving Hermione sitting on the floor, staring into an empty fireplace.
For once, she was at a loss as to what to do or say. Part of her mind knew that the sensible thing was to sit Harry down and explain what happened. But, the emotional part of her kicked in and told her to hold off on telling him, citing all the reasons why: he just finished a long two weeks of renewing the wards; he was racking his brain trying to figure out what was in the cylinder and what could be done to remove it; he was planning the Quidditch Club via owl's with Christie Bell; he had been helping her, Hermione, find the last two volumes to Transfiguration and Astrology: The Stars and Moons of the Changing World. And for the first time in a year, he seemed relaxed, happy and enjoying life. She needed to let him experience that relaxed state as long as she could. He deserved it.
Her thoughts then inevitably turned to the future. She played with numbers and came up with an estimated due date at the very end of March, or early April. Her mind was so muddled and tired from just being pregnant she couldn't truly be sure what date it would most likely be.
She didn't even hear Harry come in finding her sitting in the living room staring into a blank fireplace, her arms wrapped around her knees. For a moment he watched her, wondering why she was sitting on the floor with one magical lamp lit. He expected her to be reading whatever new book she found, or maybe taking a bath since she had been working outside all day and seemed to be physically sore when they had parted that evening---going their separate ways.
"'Mione?" Harry called softly smiling as she spun around, obviously startled. He couldn't see her eyes in the dim light bur got the distinct feeling she had been crying. "You alright?" He watched her pick herself up off the floor and walk straight into his arms, hugging him hard.
"Yeah…how was dinner?" Her arms were tight around him causing Harry to frown a bit. He held her against him and quickly ran through the non-events of dinner then asked how her trip to the bookstore was.
"They…didn't have what I was looking for," Hermione said quickly. He noticed as she pulled away she didn't meet his gaze. Instead she turned and walked towards the kitchen citing she was thirsty.
"Volumes four and five of Transfig and Astrology?" Harry questioned, reaching down to pet Crookshanks who had made his way down the stairs for a snack.
"Yes…oh, by the way, Bill is coming over. I had an idea about the cylinder downstairs." Harry noticed she changed the subject quite quickly but went along and asked what her idea was. After hearing what she said to Bill, and feeling a flush creep into his cheeks, he had to admit that it seemed very possible.
He hadn't noticed the bottles he had knocked over in Hermione's classroom until the next day when they were
going to meet Ron. Ron was already waiting in her classroom making fun of Hermione for not keeping her classroom neat.
Both Harry and Hermione looked into one of the darker corners where just a few bottles and odd machines had been
sitting on top of a locked cabinet. They were now on the floor in pieces and hadn't been noticed by Harry nor
Hermione the day before.
She had told him later that night, after talking with Ron for hours, that she had cast the strongest sticking charms she knew on those items. Harry had apologized, but she blew it off citing that their reparo spells seemed to restore them back to their natural state.
"Did Bill say anything about Ron?"
Hermione shook her head and sipped the tea she had made for both of them. They were leaning back against the counter hip to hip, each trying to relax from their out of the ordinary evening. Harry noticed Hermione seemed to be back to herself and chalked up her curious behavior to tiredness.
"No…after we went to Arthur and Molly's and told them about Ron, I noticed he seemed to be the one that had the biggest problem going to see him. I'm pretty sure the next day Fred, George, Katie, Lavender and Charlie went…before he left for Romania."
"Molly and Arthur haven't gone?"
Hermione shook her head. "I think they need some time to get used to the idea, especially now that they know Ginny isn't going to be a ghost and seems friendly with Draco."
"Maybe they're angry at Ron for letting her become friendly with Malfoy," Harry mused.
"I don't think so. Ron made it clear that they could take care of themselves and there is nothing we can do from here. She's beyond their control now. I'm just curious as to why Bill seems hesitant in seeing him; you think he'd jump at the chance to go talk to him and hear about being Light and what that means."
Harry swirled that last of the tea in his cup thinking about an answer. Bill was always very mature and serious and Harry thought truly it would've been Bill, Arthur and Molly that would go see Ron first. Obviously he had been wrong. A picture of Will flashed through his head and Harry set down his teacup.
"I think I know why."
"Why what?"
"Why Bill won't go see Ron. It's Will. He looks so much like Ron it's eerie; maybe he just has issues with going to see his brother, then coming back and seeing Will. It could be that he isn't ready to introduce Will to Ron yet either. You know how relentless Will is with questioning everything."
"Yes he is…and he does look a lot like Ron. I think you may have a point actually," she paused for a moment as she thought that reason over. "Do you think we should talk to him about it?"
Harry immediately shook his head, placing his cup in the sink then walking back towards the basement.
"Give him time. Men need time to get used to ideas that are sprung on them like that. I bet by next week, he'll have figured out how to handle it," Harry advised her, never knowing that he had helped lift a small weight off of Hermione's shoulders on how she was going to tell him she was pregnant.
---
"Well…they said it-they said `I love you'-- according to what I heard Neville tell Luna," Ginny said to Draco as she idly passed her hand through a flowering shrub near the entrance to the castle.
"So, you're free and clear now?" Draco asked watching her struggle with her decision.
"I guess…I know this is what I kept saying I needed to move on, but it still doesn't feel completed."
"Maybe you need to hear them say it, instead of hearing someone say they said it."
Ginny laughed, then stopped short realizing she hadn't done that in a long time. Her eyes drifted to the other side of the stairs where he was sitting.
"You almost made sense there, Malfoy," she gave him a small smile then let her hand drift back down to her side. "But, truthfully I'm confused as to why I don't feel like I had been set free when I heard Neville say that. I'm sure Harry probably said something to Neville about how strange it was to say those words, or how hard it was. I know Neville wouldn't talk about it unless it was true. And, I remember Ron saying how he felt when he was ready to move on and I certainly don't feel like a tether has been cut from me." Ginny realized she was rambling and forced herself to stop talking before she talked Draco's ear off.
"Maybe it's different for each person? Your needs are different from his…rather, were different. Just as mine are different from yours."
Ginny stared at him wondering when he began to actually philosophize about things. Maybe he was starting to become that neutral emotional being that the Light becomes after "living" this life for awhile.
"What?" Draco asked seeing the look on her face. "It's true. I just want to know the babies are healthy and fine and I can move on. I don't want to hover…I'm not a hovering kind of person."
"Yeah, that's obvious…I mean, I know," Ginny quickly corrected seeing him narrow his eyes at her. "But…I guess all this time I thought that those three words were what I needed them to say in order for me to move on. Maybe I was wrong all this time."
Draco moved closer to where she was and waited until she glanced up at him to continue.
"You know why we were chosen to be able to go to Echo…if we so choose right?" He didn't wait for her to acknowledge she knew but launched into his thoughts, "Nick said it's because we have some connection to each other that needs to be completed AND that is added to the fact that our lives were cut short and Echo gives us a chance to finish our so-called life. But, we can't take any baggage with us to the next place…and if you can't let Potter go and not hover, then I'm not sure how you will be able to move on."
"It's hard to let go…I have no idea what to expect in Echo. I don't know who'll be there; I'll know only you there and…I'm not sure what even that means."
"Sometimes you have to just leap before you finish planning everything…and considering that you won't kill yourself doing it as Light, what harm can come of it?" he asked quietly. It was easy to see how conflicted she was. After all, he had known her for years at Hogwarts and the month and a half of being Light; he knew she hated not knowing what was going on.
Ginny absorbed his words and turned them over in her head, trying to make sense of her feelings. He was patiently waiting next to her, their legs bumping when she shifted position as she thought. After what must've seemed like hours to him she looked up at him and told him the truth.
"I'm scared, Draco. I know what I have here," she watched his eyebrows shoot up in surprise at her blatant honesty, but kept silent. "All my familiar places and my friends are here. I can even communicate if I can find Luna…but there in Echo…well, the more I think about it the more scared I get. What if I don't like it? What happens after you take your aging potion and you die at whatever predetermined time is in the cards for you? Where do I go after Echo? Nick said he truly didn't know because after Echo there isn't any way to communicate back to here. I just don't like not knowing." She kept her eyes riveted at the bottom stair waiting for Draco to say something. He seemed to be struggling for something to say because he got up and began moving across the stair as if he was pacing.
Just as she was getting ready to give up on a response from him, and leave for the dungeons, he grabbed her arm pulling her towards him until they were eye to eye. Her arm tingled where his hand gripped it but she managed to concentrate on what she had just said in order to not relish too much in the feel of him.
"I can't believe I am going to say this…especially to a Weasley so I'll say it once," he looked right at her making sure she understood. Giving a small nod for him to go on she waited for him to continue. His eyes flicked up for a moment then back down as if summoning the courage to say what he felt.
"There's no need to be that scared of Echo…I'll be there with you." He waited for her reply but all he got was a confused look from her.
"You said that already," she responded slowly trying to read between his lines, but found there was nothing to read. Sighing Draco squeezed her arm then relaxed his hand, letting is slide down to hers.
"I mean, I'll be there with you. I'm not going to abandon you there…we'll be together. I'll be there for you; we'll learn that world together." His eyes searched hers seeing that she understood what he meant. Her mouth formed a silent oh and he couldn't help his gaze slide down to her lips. Quickly he jerked his hand away from her arm as a vaguely familiar rush of heat flooded through him.
"Did that make sense?" he asked making his voice sound a bit more firmer than he actually felt at the moment.
"Yes…and…it does help to know I'll know someone there and that you just won't dump me and run." Both were quiet and avoided looking at each other, awkward as teenagers. "Thanks," Ginny whispered floating backwards a bit. "I need to be alone for a bit, think things through."
Draco nodded curtly. "I'll see you later then," and he turned and flew off towards the Quidditch Pitch,
leaving Ginny alone to mull her strange life over in as many ways as she could. She needed to make a decision soon, or
it'd be too late. She's be stuck as Light forever.
---
Harry, Bill and Hermione stared silently at the glimmering cylinder that seemed to be mocking them.
"So," Hermione began tucking her hands into her jean pockets and cocking her head towards the niche. "What now? Did your book say anything?"
"Well, it talked a bit about how, like you said in certain instances it's easier for a wizard, or witch, to let go of their control…and that it's harder when they actually TRY to do it to obtain something. Whether to just be destructive in general or to show off. So, for us to tell Harry, "Hey mate, let go of all your power and while you're at it, accio the cylinder," won't be the easiest thing for him to do."
"So…what now?"
"Well, it'll work…I meant that you need to want to let go of it. You'll have to keep just a tad of it behind to pull the cylinder out of the wall. That's what takes the utmost concentration. We can't really help you, especially since this seems to be something only YOU can do." Bill tossed his book onto an overturned crate and walked over to the cylinder.
"What I would recommend is for you to sitdown here, relaxing, almost meditating on what you want to do, how you plan on doing it. Visualzing what it feels like to let your power go, how you can keep a bit of it back to remember to say "Accio Prophecy". Some wizards let it all go to the point where they end up passing out and don't have any recollection other than the destruction, or testimony of those around them."
"We can't stay in case he needs our help?" Hermione asked edging closer to Harry not liking the fact that she would have to leave him alone with an object they've never seen.
"He'll be fine…it's ultimately up to him though. I've scanned the cylinder and there aren't any dark spurts of magic waiting to be unleashed. You know, like those Muggle joke-cans filled with the worms that spring out at you."
Harry nodded knowingly, remembering Dudley's can-o-worms from so many years ago. "I would actually prefer if you two stay. Hermione can probably sense when I'm almost…well, she could probably tell me when to "accio" and I'll hear her," Harry tried to explain. He remembered, when losing his magical control, that he was only conscious of her; could only hear her, so he hoped maybe it was the same when he was actually letting his control go for a different reason.
"Alright," Bill nodded. He asked Hermione and Harry to help him move some empty boxes to a corner where they shrank them down to the size of quarters. They found a trunk Harry had acquired his first year at Hogwarts and sealed them inside. No one wanted anything flying around. His Quidditch equipment was already in the shed out back and the empty crate was something Harry chose to sit on, facing the cylinder. Hermione stood behind him, her hands on his shoulders rubbing them slightly to try and ease the tension out of him. All his natural defenses didn't want him to let his magic go but he was going to have to find a way around that in order to get the cylinder out of the wall.
"I'll go sit on the stairs," Bill motioned towards the center of the room. Harry swiped off his glasses and held them out towards Bill who pocketed them in his button down shirt.
"You can do this," Hermione whispered in his ear. "Just think of letting your control go slowly, let it trickle out. I can try and help you if you want, but I'm not sure what I can do."
"I'll let you know," Harry said quietly, turning his face towards her and kissing her quickly. She felt him settle himself more comfortably on the crate and bow his head towards his legs. It didn't take long until she felt the familiar pull that emanated from him. It made her want to climb into his lap, curl up and just hold him but she managed to keep her feet rooted to the floor behind him. Her hands on his shoulders, her stomach pressed against his back. She watched the cylinder for any signs of movement.
Nothing.
A minute later she could feel a ripple of warm air flow through the room. She glanced over at Bill who was watching the cylinder intently. Harry's shoulder twitched under her hands and she brought her attention back to him. She moved her hands slowly over his shoulders and as she did so, she could feel the intensity jump up in the room. It was if there was static in the air but not quite enough to make her hair stand on end.
"There's a piece of parchment in there," Harry said suddenly, surprising Hermione and Bill.
"What's on it?" Hermione asked quietly her hands still rubbing his shoulders. Something told her to not stop touching him, that somehow she was anchoring him in his thoughts. That he needed her to guide him in some small way to the end of this mission.
Harry shook his head and was quiet again…the air was filled with anticipation and out of the corner of her eye she saw Bill glance up the stairs as the door clicked shut. A low hum filled the room and Hermione recognized the first step of him losing his control. The basement door had shut on it's own accord and a dust bunny rolled across the floor and settled in the opposite corner.
"Good, Harry," Hermione whispered feeling him twitch under her hands. "Keep thinking about getting that cylinder out of there…it's about you, your family. You want to see what's in there." As Hermione was saying these words the pressure seemed to increase in the room and her ears popped. She swore she saw the light flicker in the niche, which was a good sign and the cylinder seemed to tremble as the hum in the room grew louder. Hermione crouched down behind Harry, her hand gripping his biceps, looking for some sign that the cylinder was free and he could accio it towards him.
There was a small metal scraping noise and she saw the cylinder tremble on it's spot, still upright. The light popped out as if some extinguished it just by blowing in its direction. Something rattled in the corner of his basement but she didn't want to turn her head to see what it was. His arms were tense, his breathing was faster. She heard him mumble something that sounded like a question, but the sudden roar that filled the basement stifled his voice.
"What?" Hermione asked loudly against his ear as she felt a shudder go through him.
"Now?" he asked quickly, his voice just as loud. Hermione glanced up and saw the cylinder swaying from side to side…she had a feeling it needed to be levitated in the niche so it wasn't touching anything.
"Almost Harry… a little more," Hermione now yelled as it felt like a tornado was whirling around her. "A
little more!" The cylinder suddenly jumped up and was suspended in mid air.
"NOW! ACCIO NOW!" Hermione yelled in his ear. He was so turned into himself, his mind and magic, he didn't even lift his hand as he uttered the words, "Accio cylinder."
Hermione stuck her hand out at the last minute and felt something cold and hard slam into it, pushing her back, roughly, onto the floor. A swirling of gray filled the hole and one heart beat later, the hole was sealed as if it never existed.
Immediately the wind, the roaring and rattling in the basement stopped. Bill rushed over to help Hermione stand while Harry rested his head on his hands, still sitting on the crate.
"You both alright? That's was bloody amazing, Harry," Bill grabbed Harry's shoulder and gave him a little shake.
"Thanks," Harry said weakly, plucking his glasses from Bill's hand and turning around to face Hermione.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes…here," Hermione struggled to catch her breath as she handed him the surprising heavy cylinder. Harry took is slowly, still weakened by what he had just accomplished.
"I don't understand these symbols," Harry said turning it over in his hands and giving the black stopper a tug. It was stuck in there very tightly. Bill gave it a tug and it wouldn't budge, then he held the words up to the light.
"It says, "Potter Prophecy; July thirty first eighteen hundred and twenty one. To be Opened by the one for Whom it was Intended." Bill's voice trailed off at the end as he gave it a shake, not hearing anything inside and looking slightly dazed at what he just read.
"Another fucking prophecy?" Harry's asked wearily. "I don't want to know."
"But, it's your family's. It can't be that bad," Hermione consoled, helping him to a standing position as Bill continued to exam the cylinder.
"I need to eat something," Harry said weakly feeling as if every ounce of energy was pulled out of him. "Then maybe nap…I'm in no hurry to open another prophecy. We'll figure out what to do tomorrow."
Harry led the way, slowly, up the stairs and into his kitchen. Bill set down the cylinder on the kitchen table and, for good measure, placed a sticking charm upon it.
"Do you need my help for anything else?" Bill asked watching Hermione fetch Harry some pumpkin juice and push a slice of apple pie under his nose.
Harry shook his head, his mouth full.
"I'll get in touch with you tomorrow and we'll all open this together…if we can figure that out," Hermione answered for Harry.
Bill nodded then turned to Hermione complimenting her on her idea.
"How did you come up with that?" he asked shrugging on his summer wizarding robes that had been draped over the chair.
Hermione's mind flew in all directions trying to come up with an answer. She didn't want to give away that she
wasn't anywhere near a bookstore, so she just shrugged and stole a piece of Harry's pie so she didn't have
to answer.
"Well, good thinking there, Granger. I'll see you all later then. Impressive, Harry…you could come break curses with me anytime!"
"No thanks, this was enough to last a lifetime. I'm going to sleep for two days after I finish this," Harry waved goodbye as Bill let himself out the front door.
"You're okay?" Hermione asked Harry watching him closely. He raised his eyes to hers and gave a weak smile.
"I am…just tired that's all. You?"
"Same…I think it's early to bed tonight," Hermione said softly her hand running lightly across her stomach as she placed a napkin in her lap before she ate a piece of pie.
"Remember our dinner with my parents tomorrow," Hermione said softly, briefly wondering if he knew about his surprise party. He nodded and took a long drink of juice.
She felt that she needed to wait to see what was in the prophecy before she told Harry that he was going to be a
father. The words Harry and father together in one sentence made her tear up…she had no idea what his reaction was
going to be when he found out he was going to be a dad.
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