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Chapter Sixteen
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The following days passed by in a haze for Hermione. She avoided the two classes she knew she would meet Harry in and went straight home.
She didn't feel like reading or studying. Every night she found herself sitting by the window looking out at the pouring rain. It hadn't stopped raining since that evening she had gone to see Harry. She found it slightly eerie. She truly felt like the world was crying along with her.
Hermione felt like she had taken so many steps backwards, not that she had ever been close to getting over Harry. But the wounds felt so fresh again, and they were hurting more than ever. She missed Harry, and she hated their situation so much. She hated that she had always seen Harry as an amazing person, but after what he had done - she couldn't do so anymore.
Ron was playing a big game the next day, but for one of the first times; Hermione was going to miss it. She couldn't run into Harry and Lavender again. It didn't matter what the occasion was. She'd had enough!
---
"Cheers!" the Ron's team yelled together. They had won by a landslide and now it was time to party. Ron had to admit that he had been disappointed that neither Harry nor Hermione had shown up, but he could understand their reasons. The team members were all getting drunk, and Ron was falling behind. He had injured his shoulder and wanted to go gently tonight. He looked around the bar, there were many Quidditch groupies around, but he wasn't interested.
"Come here, Ronnie-boy," Patrick called out. He waved at Ron, who obeyed and sat down.
"You were awesome tonight, Ron," Sally slurred, sipping a glass of wine. Sally was a well known Quidditch groupie, eager to go home either with male or female players, it didn't really matter to her.
"Yeah, thanks, Sally," Ron answered and turned to Patrick.
"I'll buy the next round, what are you drinking, Ronnie?" Ron smacked Patrick on the shoulder.
"Don't effing call me that!" Ron scolded and Patrick laughed loudly.
It wasn't long until the whole team was gathered around the table. Ron was tired and wanted to go home when talk came around to marriage.
Jessie, one of the girls on the team said: "Well I can't wait to get married, as long as the guy supports the right team in Quidditch, that is!" The others laughed and cheered again.
"Well, we guys have to watch our backs, there's always girls trying to snare us." Patrick said.
"You don't mean me, do you?" Sally pouted. Patrick put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into a kiss.
"Course not sugar, you'd never try anything like that. But a few months back I was seeing this babe." He leaned closer so not everyone around them could hear. The rest of the team followed.
"She was a real looker, but I just wanted to have fun, you know." The others nodded understandably.
"Well, then she comes and tells me that she's knocked up, and that I should marry her." Everyone's eyes were opened wide and even Ron was listening now.
"Told her I wasn't falling for that one, told her - how the hell could I know I was the dad? You know there girls, just trying to get hitched to a rich famous bloke like us."
"Maybe she was pregnant for real!" Sally scolded.
"Yeah she was, but I'm guessing I wasn't the dad, seen her around town with someone else now." The subject got dropped and Ron thought about what Patrick had told him. Suddenly the truth dawned on him.
---
Ron was pacing around his apartment, maybe he had acted rash. But he didn't have a choice. He tried to think back, hadn't he seen Lavender with Patrick at all the parties way back? He needed to sort this out. He looked at the clock on the wall.
Any second now.
Harry and Lavender had just arrived a few moments earlier but Ron couldn't stop pacing.
"Nice of you to invite us for breakfast," Lavender said gently and rubbed her belly.
"Mmm." Ron said and looked at the clock again.
"What's wrong with you, Ron?" Harry asked annoyed. He hadn't spoken to Ron after hearing about Hermione and Ron's snog, and he figured Ron had asked him there to apologize.
"Oh, eh…nothing. Just waiting for the delivery."
"What?" Harry shook his head, Ron wasn't making any sense. Ron quickly ran for the door at the knock.
"Hi Ronald, what's the big emergency?" Hermione asked as she took off her coat in the hallway. She walked into the kitchen and saw Harry and Lavender stare at her in surprise.
"What the hell is this?" Hermione spun on her heel towards Ron.
"Please don't be angry!" he started and gestured for her to sit down.
"I'm out of here!"
"What is this?" Harry demanded and stood up.
They both started scolding Ron, and he raised his hands and said loudly: "This is really important. Can you two just shut the hell up?" This caught both of them in surprise but they went quiet.
"Hermione, please. Just give me five minutes, take a seat." Reluctantly she did as she was asked; Harry sat back down next to Lavender. Ron took a deep breath and clenched his fists.
"Look, you are all going to get mad at me today, and I don't care. All I know is that if I don't do this I'm going to hate myself."
Hermione glanced over quickly at Harry; he was already looking at her.
"Lavender did you sleep with Patrick?" Ron blurted out.
"What?" Harry sounded shocked.
"Look here's the thing, I remember seeing you two together a few times when we were out, and yesterday he told everyone at the pub how some girl had gotten pregnant but he wouldn't marry her…"
Lavender looked horrified. Harry looked outraged, but Hermione just looked confused.
"What are you trying to say, Ron?" she asked.
"I'm not sure, I just want to know the truth, am I wrong?" Lavender looked down in her lap.
"We can always get Patrick here," Ron pointed his finger angrily at her.
"Don't talk to her like that, she's pregnant. She can't be put to this kind of stress!" Harry yelled.
"I…. I didn't. Please Harry, don't believe it!" Lavender burst out and Harry could see that she had
tears in her eyes. Lavender started sobbing and Harry looked surprised. She wiped her nose with the back of her
hand.
"I don't mean to upset anyone, all right?" Ron started explaining, "It's just… well something has always been off with this whole thing."
"You're lying, Ron!" Lavender pointed her finger at him. Harry looked at Hermione and she looked as confused as him.
"See what I was thinking was… maybe it isn't your kid, Harry," Ron said so quietly that he could barely be heard. Hermione couldn't stop herself from gasping. Harry looked at her again and he could see a small glimmer of hope in Hermione's eyes. Damn Ron for getting her hopes up like this, Harry thought
"Look if she slept with both of you, it's worth looking into, don't you think?" Ron continued. Harry looked at Lavender.
"It's not true, Harry, we made this child together. In my bed, in my room." Harry's eyes quickly shot back to Hermione who had closed her eyes. Lavenders voice was steady but in the corner of his eye Harry noticed something odd. Lavender was clenching her hands so hard that they were turning white. Could it be? Could she be lying? Harry thought.
There was a long silence in the room, no one dared to speak. Harry came to his decision quickly. He had to do it; he
had to do it for Hermione's sake. He had to know for himself. He turned to Lavender and said:
"Legilimens!"
Harry had the feeling of flying through Lavender's mind. Swooping past memories of shopping and gossiping. A memory flashed before him of Lavender and Patrick lying in a big hotel bed together. Harry's pulse increased slightly, so she had been lying about that! He looked down at Lavender and Patrick, they were sleeping and Patrick was holding her. How long was this before she slept with Harry? He had to visit one more memory before he left.
He found what he was looking for, the night he slept with Lavender. He had to know what had happened. He entered the memory as Lavender was helping Harry up the stairs.
"I can barely walk," he was slurring so much that he could hardly understand himself.
"I know, Harry, but don't worry, I'll help you,"
"Where's Ron?"
"Em, well he is- we're gonna meet him later."
"Okay."
Harry watched as Lavender put him down on the bed. He had no memory of any of this.
"Is this your room? No, I'm supposed to stay at Ron flat. Did I have cake?"
He fell back on the bed and fell a sleep in a moment. Harry looked at himself on the bed, how the devil would Lavender wake him up? He looked back at Lavender who seemed not at all bothered that Harry had fallen asleep. She had started taking of her clothes.
"What the hell?" Harry said angrily, even though he knew Lavender couldn't hear
him.
He watched how she walked up to him and pulled his pants down. In just a few minutes she had taken every piece of clothing off and crawled under the covers with him.
"What are you doing?" Harry yelled as he saw Lavender kiss Harry on the neck a few times so he had lipstick on him. Then she laid down next to him, and soon she was also asleep.
---
Harry left Lavender's mind and was once again looking at Ron. He looked over at Hermione…sweet Hermione, who had been put through hell. He started shaking slightly and turned slowly to Lavender, her face was bright red. She obviously knew what Harry had seen.
"How could you?" he hissed.
"So she did sleep with him?" Ron asked and Hermione's eyes widened.
"Did she sleep with you both, Harry?" Hermione asked, her voice near breaking point. Harry looked at Hermione and shook his head. Hermione turned away, feeling her last hope slipping away.
"She only slept with him," Harry finally said. "How could you do this, Lavender?"
"NO!" Lavender said and looked up. "I was with Patrick, and I thought he was in love with me. But then I got pregnant..:" Lavender was interrupted as Hermione gasped loudly.
"It isn't Harry's baby?" Hermione squealed.
Harry turned to Lavender and she shook her head.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't want to lie," the tears were pouring down her face. "I was all alone, I needed a father for my child, I needed a husband and Patrick refused to marry me."
"So you seduced Harry," Ron said unbelievingly.
"No, I didn't. Harry and I never slept together, he fell asleep. I just let him believe…"
"What?" Hermione stood up from the sofa; she looked at Harry who now had his eyes closed.
"How could you do this, Lavender?" he asked calmly.
"I'm sorry; I didn't know what to do."
"Do you understand what you've done? You've destroyed our lives!" Hermione shrieked and as she did so
she realized that tears were running down her face as well.
"I'm sorry!"
"Why me?" Harry asked just as calmly.
"I knew you wouldn't let me raise the baby alone, and… and I knew you had money. And you were by far more drunk than everyone else at the party. I'm sorry, please…"
"If you weren't pregnant I would hex you!" Hermione yelled. "I would beat you down right here,"
she walked towards the table and Ron grabbed her.
"How could you live in my home, watch my relationship with Hermione end… and let me believe that the child was mine?" Harry turned to her, desperate for an answer that could make him understand.
"It's been killing me…" Lavender tried.
"Killing you?" Harry finally raised his voice. "Killing you?! It's been killing me everyday!"
"I couldn't do it alone," Lavender buried her face in her hands and whimpered. Ron finally sat down on one of the chairs. Hermione wiped her cheeks from tears. Harry looked at her.
"I…I didn't cheat…" he spoke softly.
"No you didn't," she cried.
"It isn't my baby."
"No."
Harry walked over to her in two strides. He put his arms around her and pulled her into an embrace. Hermione collapsed in his arms and cried loudly against his shoulder.
"I could never have thought this about you, Lavender," Ron scolded.
"Oh shut up, Ron," Lavender snapped, obviously annoyed that the truth had come out.
Lavender turned towards Harry.
"Harry, please. Please try to understand, you're all I've got. This has felt like your baby, hasn't it?" Harry turned and looked at her, Hermione still in his arms.
"You never had me Lavender; I was always Hermione's. You had all your friends, you had us. We would have helped you. This is beyond evil - thank God Ron found out the truth. He has just saved my life."
Lavender stood up. "Do you want me to move out then?" she asked, her voice shaking with tears. Harry was quiet for a moment and Hermione looked up.
"No." he answered and Lavender's eyes lit up. "You can keep the flat; it's already paid in full. I'll move out - the place holds bad memories anyway." Lavender nodded and walked out of Ron's flat.
"What a whack job," Ron mumbled and sat back down again.
Harry took Hermione's face in his hand and looked into her eyes.
"Can you believe it?" he asked.
"No, I really can't, is it actually true?"
Harry smiled weakly. "I'm yours again if you'll have me," he whispered.
"Oh, you're so stupid!" Hermione said as she pulled him closer and kissed him fiercely. Both her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. Harry squeezed her so tight that he could have sworn he heard a rib crack.
"Where did Ron go?" Hermione mumbled into his mouth. Harry opened one eye.
"Gone. Wise guy!"
"We'll have to get him a gift as thanks for this," Hermione mumbled while still kissing him.
"Something really good!"
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