Chapter 6: A New Career and Baby Werewolf Adventures
A/N: Remember when I said in the beginning of this that it was going to be short? Lol, well, that idea is pretty much out the window, this story is looking to be anything but short. Hopefully it's alright with all of you…you'll tell me if it's not, right? :-D *Winks* Well, here's chapter 6!!
*Just a note, I'm sorry about the little question marks or whatever is after the sentences, I can't figure out how to fix it…so just bear with me here!*
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Life is a road
And I want to keep going
Love is a river
I wanna keep flowing
Life is a road
Now and forever
Wonderful journey
I'll be there when the world stops turning
I'll be there when the storm is through
In the end I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you
- `At the Beginning' by Richard Marx and Donna Lewis from the movie Anastasia
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Wednesday rolled around, the day that Harry was not looking forward to at all. He could tell that Hermione was dreading it too. Not because of what could happen to them, but how much pain it would cause Teddy to change to his werewolf form. But Hermione constantly assured Harry that the potion had been made right, and he wouldn't be dangerous. The day after Hermione had gotten home, she went to go see Ron. She had come back two hours later very frustrated and wouldn't tell Harry anything of what happened. The topic hadn't come up again until Wednesday afternoon when a knock on the door of Grimmauld Place interrupted the daily routine. It was around lunchtime; Harry, Hermione, and Teddy were all in the kitchen finishing up lunch. Harry and Hermione looked at each other with confused looks. Who would be there that knew where they were? Harry got up and went to the door and opened it to find Mrs. Weasley standing on the doorstep, a warm smile on her face.
"Hello, Harry, dear," Harry stood aside so she could come in. Harry wanted to ask her what she was doing there, but every possible way he could think of asking her sounded rude. She answered his question without him having to ask though.
"Is Hermione here? I want to talk to the both of you." Harry got that nervous stomachache all of a sudden, worried about where a conversation including him and Hermione with Mrs. Weasley could possibly go.
"She's in the kitchen, we were eating lunch."
"Sorry to interrupt it," She said as she led the way to the kitchen. Hermione looked up in surprise seeing Mrs. Weasley enter the kitchen.
"Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said unsteadily. "How're you?"
"I'm fine, dear, thank you," Mrs. Weasley said pleasantly. She sat down at the table, and said, "I need to talk with the both of you. Regarding my two youngest." `Here it comes,' thought Harry. But Mrs. Weasley totally threw him for a loop when she said, "And I want to apologize for them and their behaviors lately." That definitely hadn't been what Harry was expecting her to say, and judging by Hermione's reaction, she hadn't expected it either. Mrs. Weasley went on. "Lately, they haven't been acting as I would like, and I'm very disappointed in them. With Ginny telling Rita Skeeter the information for that article, and Ron being…for lack of a better word…a total prat, it goes without saying that I'm very frustrated with my two youngest. Ginny should not have gone to Rita Skeeter, whether the information she gave was true or false, she still shouldn't have gone to her and brought the entire wizarding world into this. It didn't solve anything, just made it worse.
"And as for Ron, he told me about your row with him, Hermione, and I refuse to believe it happened like that. I'm sure he twisted things around to make himself look better, it happens, we're all human, most people do that telling details of a fight. But he did tell me of how I got brought into the fight. And I apparently have given Ron and Ginny and possibly you two the wrong impression of my intentions. From the way it looks, Ron and Ginny believe that I want you two married into the family so we'd be one big happy Weasley family. I will admit, I mentioned once recently that it would be nice. But just because it'd be nice, doesn't mean it should happen and that I want it to happen. I want you to be happy. If you two are happy with Ron and Ginny, wonderful, if you're happy with each other, wonderful. Even you're happy with totally different people, that's wonderful too. I wouldn't want you to sacrifice your happiness to make me happy." Mrs. Weasley left a stunned silence after she finished speaking. It was finally Hermione that spoke first.
"Mrs. Weasley, the things mentioned in that article, were over exaggerated and mostly untrue."
"I figured as much. But, raising a child brings two people together, brings them closer. Even if nothing comes out of it other than a very close friendship. Ron and Ginny don't understand that. Ginny is still harboring the thought of life being like a fairy tale. But it's not like that at all. Life is full of responsibility, taking opportunities, because you never know what day is going to be your last. You're not guaranteed forever, or a happily ever after ending." Mrs. Weasley took out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes. "Ever since Fred died, Ron has been taking the `seize the day' approach, but I think he's trying to seize the wrong thing. He's trying to seize what is easy and what's expected, not necessarily what is right. Don't hold this against them, though. Please try and forgive them. Here, now I've taken up enough of your lunch time here, so I should probably go." She got up to leave, and Harry and Hermione protested, saying she should stay, but she wouldn't hear of it.
"I have to be getting back, there are things I need to do before the day is out. I will see you all later," with a `pop' she Disapparated leaving a silence behind her.
"She's right," Hermione said, still staring at the spot that Mrs. Weasley disappeared from. She turned to Harry, "We do need to forgive them."
"What? Hermione, you can't be serious."
"No, I am. They're our friends, Harry. Even if yours and Ginny's and Ron's and my relationships fall apart, they're still our friends."
"Hermione, there are many things that are not forgivable; this is about as close as it gets to being one of them."
"No, it's not. Yes, you're right; there are things that are unforgivable. Ron leaving us that night in the tent, that was unforgivable, this is not. This is a misunderstanding."
"So the fact that Ginny went to talk to Rita Skeeter was a misunderstanding?"
"No, Ginny going to talk to Rita Skeeter was an act of anger and frustration on Ginny's part. We have to understand her position on this situation."
"You can try to understand and forgive her, Hermione, but it'll be a long time before I forgive her, if ever."
"You don't mean that."
"Yes, I do. She had no right to do what she did, no matter how angry she is. I can't just ignore that, just like that."
"Alright. Maybe in time-"
"No, not even with time will I forgive her."
"Harry, you can't say that, you don't know how you're going to feel in a month or so. And besides, you have to talk to her sometime. You can't just ignore her." The conversation sort of ended there, neither one really felt like talking to the other. After a few moments of silence, Hermione slid her chair back and got up, taking Teddy with her, going to put him down for a nap. They didn't know how long he was going to sleep that night, so they decided they should let him have as much sleep as he could that day. It was a few minutes before Hermione came back into the kitchen, baby monitor in hand. She sat back down in her chair, and continued eating. Harry looked at her, wondering what to say next. She was right, he didn't know how he'd feel in a month's time, but he still didn't feel that he could ever forgive Ginny. He was brought out of his thoughts of Ginny when an owl flew into the kitchen, depositing two letters in front of them before flying off. Harry and Hermione looked with surprise at the letters sitting in front of them. They both opened their letters, which had the same words written on both letters from their old Transfiguration teacher, Professor McGonagall. It read,
Would you be able to be at my office tomorrow afternoon at three o'clock? There is something I wish to speak with you about.
Sincerely,
Headmistress Minerva McGonagall
"Wonder what she wants," Harry said, folding the note back up and stuffing it back in the envelope. Hermione shrugged.
"We'll find out tomorrow."
That evening, as the sun started to go down, the atmosphere in Number Twelve Grimmauld Place became very tense. Even though Teddy had the Wolfsbane potion, Harry and Hermione were still worried. The three of them were shut in Teddy's room, the baby playing on the floor, and they waited in silence for the moon to rise. When the moon came into view, the child's body seized up, and he let out a painful cry, screaming at the top of his lungs. It pained Harry to hear Teddy cry like that, with no way of being able to help him. Teddy's head and body began to lengthen, and his small shoulders became hunched. Hair grew on his face and arms and legs, the wails of pain still echoing in the room as the fingernails lengthened to claws and the final transformations of the baby wolf were complete. He was small, just like a baby cub, and he whimpered. He wandered on wobbly legs; the mind of the child still didn't know how to walk as a human so his walking as a wolf was hesitant. His cries and whimpers began to subside, and Teddy seemed to be at ease. Finally, it was Hermione that spoke.
"I think he's remembering this all from last month. He had to have the Wolfsbane potion last month and he remembers that once the pain is gone, he's a little different for a few hours and then he'll change back in the morning." The wolf cub batted a toy on the floor and looked up at the adults in the room with him. The expression on the wolf's face brightened and his whole body turned orange. Surprised, both Harry and Hermione laughed.
"And apparently he's happy," Harry said. "Once he has the potion, he'll be fine once he gets past the initial transformation." For the rest of the night, they played with the little wolf, and eventually he went to sleep, curled up in a little corner of the room, prepared to sleep it out until the morning when the sun would rise.
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At two forty-five, the sun was overhead casting its warmth upon the earth. Below, the village of Hogsmeade was busy bustling about, shoppers going in and out of stores making their purchases, while the villagers milled about the lawns in front of their houses, enjoying the perfect late summer day. Up on top of a hill at the end of the village, sat the castle of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a memory of happiness and loss. No one about the streets noticed two people appear out of nowhere in front of the Hogwarts gates, a child in the arms of the witch. People appearing out of nowhere were a regular occurrence in Hogsmeade, especially this time of year when teachers were beginning to return to the castle before the start of term. The witch and wizard opened the gates with the password given, and began heading up the hill. Harry looked up the hill and stopped walking. All the memories from last spring came rushing back to him, memories of all the people who died fighting for the cause, and others who would never be the same again. The baby in Hermione's arms was a victim of loss; his parents had met their end at the castle. He felt a hand slip into his own, and looked down at it, and then to its owner. Hermione gave him an understanding look.
"You going to be ok?" Harry nodded and they took off walking up to the castle, still hand in hand, neither one finding much to say. Even Teddy was silent, staring up at Hogwarts in wide-eyed wonder. A few minutes later, the three of them were standing outside of the headmistress's office and gave the password to get in. The stepped onto the steps and let them carry them up to Professor McGonagall's office. McGonagall was sitting at her desk writing on a few papers, and when Harry, Hermione and Teddy came in, without looking up to see who it was, she spoke.
"Come in you two, have a seat please." McGonagall smiled as they sat, noticing the baby in Hermione's arms.
"So this is little Teddy. He's gotten so big since I saw him last. Well, I know that it is the full moon again tonight, and so I'll try to be brief so you can get back before nightfall. I wanted you two to be here because I'm going to offer you each a job. Mind you, a temporary one, but a job nonetheless. As you may know, I haven't been able to get a teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts. And now, something has come up and Marian Wessely isn't able to teach this year. So Miss Granger, would you be willing to teach Transfiguration and Mr. Potter would you be willing to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Harry and Hermione looked at each other, shocked looks on both their faces.
"Um, Professor," Hermione said hesitantly. "Are you sure we are qualified to teach classes? We never finished our last year of Hogwarts, and we'd only be a year older than the oldest students in our classes."
"Well, like I said, it would be temporary. The term starts in two weeks and I'm running out of time to find a teacher. I know you're young, but no one can deny that you aren't qualified. Miss Granger, you were the at top of all your classes, including Transfiguration, and Mr. Potter, I don't even have to explain how qualified you are to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts." Hermione still looked apprehensive. Harry however was thinking about what they were going to do with Teddy.
"Professor, what about Teddy? If we're teaching, we won't be able to take care of him."
"We can set something up so he'll be taken care of. I've already spoken to a few of the house elves and they are more than willing to lend a hand." Harry's features darkened, talk of house elves made him think of Dobby.
"So what do you say?"
"I'd be willing to do it, as long as it's temporary," Harry said. "What about you, Hermione?"
"I don't know, there'd be so much I'd have to do, in two weeks?"
"I'm pretty sure you'll be able to handle it, Hermione. Think about it, you'll be doing something, you'll have a job; everyone always figured you'd be a teacher. And it's just temporary."
"I suppose. Yes, I'll take the job, Professor."
"Good. After all of Teddy's needs are taken care of with his transformations you can move in, and begin planning your classes. So, I'll let you two get back home, and I'll see you in a few days."
As Harry and Hermione were leaving, they were busy talking about their new jobs. Hermione was going on and on about going over old notes to make lesson plans. Harry, who had taken Teddy from Hermione, was playing with the baby, giving him one of his toys.
"Harry, I just thought of something,"
"What's that?"
"What are you going to do about Ginny? You're going to be her teacher."
A/n: Well, a little cliffhanger for you all, hope you enjoyed it. Sorry it's been so long since I updated, I just started up my second year of college, and it's been hard getting back into the swing of things. I'll try to post the next chapter sooner!! Oh, and we'll see what happened with the Ron and Hermione fight next chapter! Thanks you all, and please review!!
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