-* Chapter Two
Breaking the Ice
The tension between Ron and Heather was thick as molasses and
almost as quick to resolve. The two said nothing to one another and frankly
both Harry and Hermione were quickly growing tired of it. Neither Ron nor
Heather seemed to want to work things out.
"This has to stop." Harry mentioned to Hermione as she sat there with
him in his office, grading his sixth years essays on the founder's defensive
spells on the school.
"Agreed, but how on earth are we going to do it without them
suspecting anything?"
"Oh, we're not going to do anything sneaky. We'll just tell them
we need to talk to them, say what we have to say, and lock them in a room
together until they solve their problems."
Hermione laughed. "Are you serious?"
"As Heather once said. "Damn straight"." Harry edited one of the
papers extra vigorously to prove his point. "Until they work out their
differences we're going to have a tough time tracking down the escaped
casualties down to a minimum."
"Agreed. If there is anything that should be the most important
thing right now is getting them to talk. I just hope they will."
Harry nodded and rested his hand upon hers for a moment; allowing
the platinum band to glisten in the candle light before shutting his grade book
and placing his class essays back into his bag. "Dinner is in a few minutes. You
coming?"
"Yeah," Hermione shut her book on healing potions that Madame
Pomfrey gave her to help her with her H.E.L.P. (Healer Examination of
Level Proficiency) test at the end of the semester. "A break would be nice
although I really need to get back to studying afterward. I really only have
one semester to go and I'm going to need as much time as I can study."
Harry chuckled. Hermione was in her element. "Alright, we'll
get back to work after our meeting is over with Ron and Heather. More
than likely, they're going to have to duke it out. So, we'll have to study
In our room."
Hermione smiled playfully. "I mean be too distracted if I study
in our room."
Harry grinned as he held up his hands in protest. "I solemnly
swear that I will be good."
*****
After dinner was over, Harry sent Hedwig with notes to both
Ron and Heather letting the both of them know he wished to speak
with them in his office. Hermione stood next to him and rubbed his
back for support. "Who do you think will arrive first Ron or Heather?"
Harry chuckled. "Knowing the both of them, they'll both be
late and they'll arrive at the same time."
Hermione continued to rub his back and she nodded in
agreement, until Ron arrived dressed in his drill uniform. "Sorry
I'm late. Sergeant Duckhorn insisted while we were here to get
in several hours worth of drills to stay in shape."
"That's alright." Harry offered as he walked over to greet
his best friend. "I actually have to run a quick errand. I'll be back
in a few minutes."
Once Harry stepped outside of his office, Harry sighed.
"Its going to be a long night." Harry thought as Heather walked
down the hallway wearing her postulant's robes.
"Hi, Harry. You needed to see me?"
"Yes, would you step inside my office?"
"Sure." Heather smiled as she walked into his office,
but stopped just beyond the threshold. "Harry, is this some sort
of sick joke?"
Harry quickly locked the door to his office wandlessly
and wordlessly. Ron stood up while Harry did this to get up
to leave, but his body pulled him back down to the chair. "No
joke, Heather. We're just trying to calm down a situation before
it blows way out of proportion."
Heather continued to stand even though Hermione
Offered her a chair. "I really don't have time for this,
Harry."
"Too damn bad. Harry gestured for his sister
to sit in the chair and she continued to rebel. Harry
walked over to his desk to claim the winged arm
chair behind it. Hermione claimed an empty patch
of Harry's desk next to him. "Hermione and I feel this
childish situation between you two needs to stop in order
not to compromise the mission."
Ron half stood up, again, and his body as pulled
back down. Ron rolled his eyes. "Really, Harry, a
sticking charm? You really can't make us sit here and
talk about what happened. What is done is done. If
she wants to be a bitch about it, then fine the bloody
hell by me."
"A bitch?" Heather countered. "How dare you?
Every time I have wanted to talk about it this past month
you ignore me. If anyone is a bitch its you!"
Ron opened his mouth to speak, but Hermione
stopped him. "Ron, don't say anything before you
had a chance to think about it." Hermione paused.
"Then again, go ahead. Its not like you'll be able
to leave this room anyway until the two of you
resolve this."
"You can't be serious." Heather questioned
in pure disbelief.
"Very." Harry folded his bad leg over his
good one as if to prove a point. "No one is going
to leave this room until the two of you figure this
thing out."
"Come on, Harry. We've both moved on.
There's nothing more to discuss." Ron protested.
"Yeah, you moved on all right. Right into
Sarah Campbell's bed." Heather folded her arms
in defiance. "You were probably doing her while
you were with me."
Ron huffed. "Its not like you have been
sleeping with other people."
Heather laughed. "Yeah, his name is Jesus
Christ."
"Who is this jerk and where is he at so I
can beat the crap out of him?" Ron turned red in
anger. "As for Sarah, I haven't been shagging her.
She's been one of those who've been having to
Deal with me looking for you."
With the last statement, Hermione and Harry
were too busy laughing to hear his confessing about
his relationship with their former teammate. "What?"
"Ron, she's a postulant!" Hermione offered,
though her laughter.
"So what should I care about the way she stands?
What does it have to do with this Christ guy?"
Heather rolled her eyes. "A postulant, Ron. Not
posture. A postulant is a girl who is trying to become a
nun in the muggle religion Catholicism. A nun will take
three vows to Christ, the Son of God, and a vow of
chastity is one of them."
"You mean you haven't loved anyone
since me?"
"I still do, Ron." Heather sighed unfolding
her arms and taking the chair next to him. "That
has never changed."
"Then how come you ran away?" Ron asked
sounding like a child "We could have worked it out."
Tears formed in Heather's eyes. "I was scared,
Ron."
Not really noticing Harry and Hermione had
slipped out of the room. Ron collected Heather in his
arms and she cried. "I was too."
After her crying subsided, she looked up at him
with her tear stained face. "I'm sorry."
Ron placed his hands on both of her cheeks to
wipe her tears away. "Me too." When he looked into
her eyes at that moment, he saw instead of loathing,
he found love.
*****
Azkaban Breakouts
Continued from page one
The Ministry of Magic is continuing
its investigation as to how and who broke out
the known followers of He-who-must-not-be-named.
Among the many who are now on the loose
are Belatrix Lestrange who was being held
for using the unforgivable "Crucio" curse
(For specifics on this particular spell see page 5)
against the aurors Frank and Alice Longbottom
nineteen years ago (see page 7 for more information
about the Longbottoms' career and page 4 for an
interview with their son Neville.).
The Daily Prophet reminds its readers
that these "Death Eaters" are considered armed
and dangerous. Any reports as to their where
a bouts or any other suspicious activities
should be immediately reported to the Auror
Department at the Ministry of Magic.
"I'll give you three guesses who," Ron
laughed as he dug his spoon into his oatmeal, "and
I'll bet you can figure out who broke them out in the
first two."
"I wonder, Ronald." Heather noted as she
took notes from the book she was reading. "If
you enjoy stating the obvious."
"I do actually." He grinned playfully at
her. "Where's Harry and Hermione this morning."
Heather smirked knowingly. "Perhaps they
slept in."
"Maybe." Ron dove into his oatmeal,
eagerly. "Harry has class in an hour and Hermione's
got Healer training."
Heather giggled. "Wrong type of "sleeping in"."
"Oh, you mean…" Ron trailed off. "Heather,
that's just wrong! He's my best mate! Not to mention
Hermione…"
"Ron, reality check. Hermione and my brother are
married."
"It's still wrong."
"They're trying for a baby." Heather refreshed
his memory. "How do you think you're parents got you?"
"OY! Thanks for the mental image."
"No problem," Heather grinned evilly, "but
its not like we've never…"
Heather was interrupted by the arrival of Harry
and Hermione. "Good morning."
"Some people are having a better morning than
others." Heather smiled at Harry then smirked again at
Ron.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked as she
reached for the oatmeal.
"It's a private joke between Ron and I from
before." Heather told them at Ron's silence. "You
had to have been there."
"Where have you two been?" Ron asked when
he found his voice.
"We slept in late." Harry stroked Hermione's
back. "It's a good thing Hermione has an internal
alarm clock otherwise I would have missed my
class this morning."
"We had a late night last night." Hermione
yawned. "Harry had quite a few papers to grade and I
had to study for my H.E.L.P. exam."
"That's understandable." Heather winked at
Ron. The duo knew exactly what Harry and Hermione
were actually up to.
*****
Hermione Potter strolled down the corridor
hours later her break from reviewing her notes for her
examination. She resisted the urge to sprint down the
corridor while the students were in the hallways. To
her it would be too painfully obvious as to her intentions
with her husband.
She stopped at the Defense Against the Dark Arts
classroom and he noticed the students in her husband's
room were still assembled and in their seats. She quietly
leaned against the door frame to listen to him lecture to
his first years. "Never underestimate the simplest of spells
because they can be your lifesaver in the thickest of
situations. This is often a mistake of the dark side because
they underestimate its worth."
A girl I the front row from Gryffindor raised her
hand. "Yes, Miss Hill."
"How is that? I mean you had to use an
unforgivable to defeat HIM…"
"Lord Voldermort, you mean?" Harry asked
and shivers went through out the classroom. "That's
very true, but it was some very simple spells that saved
me, Ron, and Hermione more often than naught. Spells
like the Bat bogey hex and Lumos."
"And don't forget "Wingardium Leviosa"."
Hermione called from the back of the room. Every
head turned to where she stood at the door way.
Feeling slightly conscious that she interrupted his class,
She added. "That's the one that saved me from a fully
grown Mountain Troll in my first year."
"Thank you, Mrs. Potter. May I ask why you're
interrupting my class?"
"Period ended five minutes ago." Hermione
grinned playfully. "I'm sure your students don't
want to be tardy to their next class. Besides, I have
something to discuss with you."
"Oh,, really? Time does fly then. Class is
dismissed and don't forget to read the next chapter
in your books. There might be a quiz on it tomorrow."
A collective groan came from the majority of
the students, except for Miss Hill. Once all of the
students left the room, Harry's attention went back to
Hermione. "Merlin, that girl reminds me of you."
"Who? Miss Hill?"
"Pricilla is her name, a very bright girl. She
should have been in Ravenclaw."
"Boy, that does sound familiar." Hermione
grinned, walking toward him and meeting him at the
front of the classroom. "Does she have two male
friends who always seem to get her into trouble?"
"It's not quite Halloween yet, so we'll have
to wait and see." Harry chuckled as the two of them
climbed the stairs to his office. Once inside and the
door was locked behind them, Harry pushed her up
against the door to begin nibbling just below her right
ear. "What takes you away from your books to come
and see me?"
"I thought it was rather obvious." Hermione
huskily said as she pulled off his belt victoriously
and threw it to the floor. She then began unzipping
the front of this pants. "Madame Pomfrey said this
week would be one of the best weeks for us to try
to get pregnant."
Harry smirked down at her lovingly. "It's a
good thing its my free period now isn't it? How
very convenient for us."
It is isn't it?" Hermione gave him a wicked
smile she only reserved for him as she began
un-tucking his shirt. "Why don't we get started
making your sister an aunt."
*****