Belong To Nowhere
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
AN: First of all, I would like to apologize for my latest AN. A mixture of RL issues and fandom irritation caused that. I believe that everyone has the right to give their opinion about something (since it is in polite way) but I, as a writer, also have the right of not agree with it. Of course I am talking about real *concrit* reviews, because flames are just pathetic.
I am still *firm* with my point that if you don't like a certain type/style of fic, just don't read it.
If you don't like Post-Epilogue fics that's fine- just don't read them. But please, don't leave *comments* like *I hate these Post-Epilogue fics*. You don't like angst/drama fics? Okay, you don't need to read this fic, I won't be offended.
Right, now, let's continue with the fic? Here it is chapter 26. A huge thank you to everyone who read and reviewed last chapter. I hope you like this one.
Chapter 26: In between
In front of the Hospital Wing's (closed) door
Ginny couldn't understand what was going on- she knew that something was going on- that something was terrible wrong, but what was worse: no one seemed to want to give her any kind of explanation.
Everything seemed simply too confusing.
Of course she couldn't believe how lucky she had been for Harry's (or maybe Hagrid´s?) timing. That- that damn Dean Thomas had almost ruined everything.
Damn Dean!
Sometimes she wondered why she had ever dated him.
And how in hell he had been able to know about her chat with Hermione?!
Rotten luck.
However, Ginny knew she was a clever person- and a little something wouldn't get her. No, her happy ending with Harry was closer than ever.
Thinking about Harry made the young redhead witch sigh; If only she knew what had happened to him.
Why had he collapsed in the Great Hall? Why everyone seemed so scared? Why the undertones? The whispers? The strange looks?
Even Lupin had been called, and with him had also come a strange hooded man that she couldn't place...
And there was also Hermione.
Bloody fucking hell Hermione Granger!
Evidently she didn't want Hermione dead. Ginny never thought of herself as a bad, evil person. Yes, she had some difficulties with the Muggleborn witch; yes, she truly thought that Hermione was a nagging, utterly boring know-it-all bookworm that absolutely didn't deserve Harry's love.
But none of that meant she wished her dead.
However, now, seeing that something had happened and that the nagging witch had managed to be attacked or whatever in the Forbidden Forest, Ginny started to wonder if it wouldn't be for the best if-
No, she wouldn't think about that.
She was a good a person.
And there was also another thing that was intriguing her...
Hermione had been attacked, or managed to hurt herself, in the Forbidden Forest.
Right.
What Ginny couldn't understand was why the centaurs had brought her back to the Castle? Hermione couldn't be considered a youngling or innocent anymore, and the centaurs had made very clear that they wouldn't help any human.
So why did they help her?
"Miss Weasley!" Minerva McGonagall's imperative voice made Ginny jumped on her feet. "What did I say about being here? Go to your class now!"
"I don't have any class now, professor. Professor Flitwick suspended his class!" Ginny replied very quickly. She didn't want to leave. She needed to know what in hell was happening!
Professor McGonagall pursed her lips. "So go to someplace else, Miss Weasley! Why not the Gryffindor Common Room? I really don't want Gryffindor to lose house points..."
"But I want to know what happened with Harry!" Ginny blurted out. "And you don't need to lie and say it was nothing! I know something's going on!"
"What's happening is nothing of your concern!" McGonagall replied fiercely.
"Why I can't go in there?" Ginny asked frustrated and irritated, pointing to the closed door. "Why can Ron and Luna- Luna! -be there and not me? It's not fair! I'm his girlfriend!"
"No, you aren't!" McGonagall blurted, surprising herself. Ginny looked at the Headmistress in shock. "That's it, Miss Weasley! Fifty points from Gryffindor and three weeks of detention with Mister Filch!"
"But Professor-"
"Not. A. Word, Miss Weasley," the Headmistress advised in a controlled voice, "I am too tired and it's still too early." The older witch took a deep breath. "Please, Ginevra, go back to the North Tower. If something happens I assure you you'll be called."
Seeing that it wouldn't help her to fight with the Headmistress, Ginny gave a nod and then walked away.
An idea had just come across her mind-
She knew how to get the answers she needed.
If they didn't want to answer her- well, they now would have to answer her mum.
***
The Burrow, kitchen
"That was another beautiful song by the talent Celestina..."
"Mum! Mum!" Molly Weasley's heart seemed to have stopped when she heard Ginny's voice coming from the fireplace. She knew that Gryffindor's Common Room fireplace was connected to the Burrow, and some other 'strategic' places, but it was meant to be used only in case of extreme need-like an attack-
"Ginny dear!" She hurried up to see her daughter's head floating within the green flames. "What happened? Oh dear! Was there an attack?"
"Oh mum! You have to help!" Ginny whimpered. "Something happened! Something happened with Harry and Hermione, mum! Something terrible!"
Molly Weasley brought a hand to her mouth. "Oh dear!" she cried. "What happened? Was it You-know-"
"I-I don't know mum! No one will say a word! I only know that Hermione was attacked!" She sobbed once again. "She's my best friend, mum! I-I don't e-even know is-she is still a-alive!" Ginny looked at her mother with pleading eyes. "I-I need you, mum..."
"Oh, of course Ginny dear. I'll talk with your father and go to Hogwarts right away!" she replied hurriedly. "Minerva will have to tell me what's going on, but don't worry dear I'm sure Hermione is all right."
"T-thank you, mum," Ginny whispered back, holding back a smirk.
***
Hospital Wing
"I don't know if I should get extremely angry or-" With his eyes closed, he heard a familiar voice. Sirius?
"If wasn't for this the centaurs wouldn't ever have helped her," another voice replied. Lupin.
"I know. I know."
He could also hear other faint voices enjoying the conversation. People were talking about centaurs, the Forbidden Forest, injuries...he couldn't understand.
What was happening? What had happened?
He could remember feeling strange, the Great Hall, Ginny, Dean Thomas, and then- and then Hagrid running...
Hermione!
Harry then opened his eyes with a start.
"Hermione!" He sat on the bed, blindly looking around the infirmary, his heart beating very quickly. "Hermione! Where's Hermione?"
"Harry! Mister Potter!" several voices spoke at same time, hurriedly coming towards his bed.
"I'm glad you're awake, kiddo," Remus Lupin said, giving him his glasses.
"What happened?" Harry asked hurriedly, putting his glasses on. He could see that the infirmary was crowed; Madam Pomfrey, Professor Flitwick, Hagrid, the Headmistress, Lupin, Sírius... "Sí...?! What are doing here? Where's Hermione?"
"Calm down, Harry, calm down," Sirius replied, looking tired and concerned. "First, no one knows I'm here. I am just a hooded man." He put on his hood, which covered all his head and really made rather difficult to see his face.
"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked again, his heart making a strange pang inside his chest. "Something happened to her, didn't it? Where's she?"
Hermione is all right....
Hermione is all right....
"Shh, calm down Mister Potter!" Madam Pomfrey spoke firmly. "Miss Granger isn't awake yet, but she's fine. She is over there." She motioned to the bed beside Harry's, where Hermione was laying.
The young wizard's heart seemed to have stopped as he saw Hermione's pale face. With a painful effort, Harry tried to get up from the bed; a simple but hurtful task that was promptly stopped by Madam Pomfrey and Sirius.
"Mister Potter!" the old nurse shrieked. "What do you think you are doing?!"
"I-I have to touch her...I have to feel if she is really all right!"
There was an exchanged of glances between the adults present. Madam Pomfrey seemed a little skeptical until professor Flitwick gave a quick nod.
And then, helped by Sirius and Remus, Harry managed to get up and slowly walked towards Hermione's bed, where he sat on its edge.
"Oh, sweetie," he whispered, gently stroking her pale, scratched face.
"What happened, love?" Harry looked up at the others in the room, his green eyes flashing in a mixture of concern and anger. "What happened?"
"That's what we really would like to know, Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall replied sternly. "Mister Weasley here said you weren't feeling well this morning."
Harry narrowed his eyes at his best mate, but didn't comment about it. Instead, he said, "Yeah, I was feeling uneasy, I guess. However you didn't answer me. What happened to Hermione? And why in hell did I faint?"
"She was found in the Forbidden Forest by the centaurs, who brought her back to Hagrid."
"The centaurs?" Harry was confused. "Not that I am not pleased but we all know they made clear that they wouldn't help any human." Not to mention she can't be considered innocent anymore...
"When was the last time you saw Hermione, Harry?" Remus asked, clearly avoiding Harry's inquiry.
Just then Harry remembered something.
Ginny.
Dean Thomas had said something about Hermione and her.
What had the redheaded girl done?
The dark haired wizard took a deep breath; part of him wanted to call Ginny and give her a piece of his mind- and his wand, but looking down at Hermione's sleeping figure, he knew she wouldn't like any kind of violence.
He mentally groaned.
"Dean," he said instead. "It seems that Dean saw Hermione last night."
McGonagall raised an eyebrow and then clasped her hands crying, "Dobby!"
A half second later, the excited house-elf appeared in the Hospital Wing.
"Yes, Headmistress Minerva McGonagall mad' am!" he cried. "What Dobby can do for Ma'am?"
"Dobby, can you please bring Mister Dean Thomas from Gryffindor?"
"Yes, Headmistress Minerva McGonagall mad' am!" he replied in a cry, before disappearing.
Harry could hear Sirius muttering under his breath. "That's an energized elf."
*
"Well, Mister Thomas," the Headmistress began as soon as Dean entered the infirmary, "it seems that you were the last one to see Miss Granger. Can you please tell us what happened? Why she was in the Forest?"
Dean grinned sheepishly, looking uneasily at Harry. "I-If I knew...I swear, Harry. If I knew that something like that would have happened...I swear...I swear, Harry..."
Harry held up a hand, making him stop. "No matter, Dean. I want to know what happened," Harry said through his teeth.
"I don't know exactly," Dean replied looking extremely uncomfortable. "I was walking back from my meeting with Professor Flitwick when I saw Ginny and Hermione-" He looked briefly at Ron. "- having an argument. I couldn't hear what they were saying....I just know Hermione was crying, her shoulders were shaking, and-and Ginny-" He stopped, unsure of how to continue.
"-and Ginny what, Dean?" Harry insisted, his blood already boiling in anger. Weasley or not, if Ginny had done something- anything to Hermione she would pay!
"And Ginny had that that smirk on her face as she walked away," Dean continued uneasily. "Um, so, I went to see if Hermione was All right. She was crying almost hysterically. I-I asked if she needed something, if she wanted me to call you, or even Ron, but she said didn't! She made me promise that I wouldn't say a word to you Harry!"
"That was what you wanted to talk about last night." It wasn't a question. Harry buried his head into his hands, in mild despair. "I-I should have listened. I should have..."
"No, Harry!" Dean cried firmly. "I am the one who should have..."
"No, don't you see? It's my fault! I know it's my fault! She was attacked because..."
"Harry," Remus interrupted him, "Hermione wasn't attacked last night."
Harry looked up at his former Professor in confusion. "What do you mean she wasn't attacked? Look at her, Remus! She is all bruised! There's dried blood on her hair!"
"Um, Harry it seems- it seems that she was knocked out by a tree." Harry could swear that he had heard Ron suppressing a laugh.
A-A tree?" What the hell?!
"Yes, it appears that Hermione was caught by the storm and-"
"...it was a very stupid thing to do!" a weak voice spoke behind Harry.
It was Hermione.
"Hermione! Miss Granger!" They all cried at same time.
"Hermione, love." Harry began to look over her body. "Are you all right? How are you feeling?" He began to place small kisses on her face. "I was so scared, sweetie."
"Mister Potter!!" Madam Pomfrey cried, though the apparent anger didn't reach her eyes. "I'll not tolerate this kind of behavior here!" Harry blushed, but smiled slyly. "Now, you all have to get out." Harry opened his mouth to protest. "You too, Mister Potter! You are going to go back to your bed. I have to check out Miss Granger."
"But you didn't check me out, Madame Pomfrey."
The old school nurse just huffed.
***
Sometime later...
"I don't understand," Hermione commented after some time. The only people in the Infirmary were herself, Harry, Remus, Sirius, Professor Flitwick, and Madam Pomfrey. Dean had been sent back to Gryffindor Tower, and the Headmistress and Ron (along with Luna) were trying to calm down a nearly Hysterical Molly Weasley. Somehow, the Weasley matriarch had been told about Hermione's incident and was demanding explanations.
Madam Pomfrey had examined both Hermione and Harry. Apparently, there was nothing wrong with the two of them.
"I don't understand," Hermione repeated, "why did the centaurs...why did the centaurs rescue me? I am not..." She blushed crimson. "It doesn't make sense. And-and Harry! What happened to him? Was it Voldemort?" She looked at her boyfriend, concerned. "Did your scar hurt?"
Harry shook his head. "No," he said, "I wasn't feeling well, but it seemed like a flu, a cold...but then when Hagrid entered the Great Hall...I just knew something had happened to you. I can't explain..." He shrugged. "And then...everything went black."
Hermione bit her lower lip, her eyebrows knitting in thought. "It doesn't make sense," she muttered almost to herself. "How come Harry could feel..." She shook her head. "Why the centaurs...I am not a youngling anymore..."
"The centaurs were saving the innocent, Miss Granger," Professor Flitwick spoke in a high voice. "They can sense..."
"Innocent?" Hermione looked bewildered. "I am not innocent anymore, Professor," she said the last part very quickly and lowly, blushing hard. Harry was blushing as well.
Professor Flitwick smiled widely at the young witch. "The innocent inside you, Miss Granger."
"Huh?" Harry and Hermione said at same time.
"You're pregnant, Miss Granger."
TBC.
AN: Betaed by Sugarquill39:)