A/N. For those who missed it and need it, I reposted Chapter 10 with this story's timelines in the end.
Finally, the chapter with the Ron and Ginny conversations.
Just so I don't lose any of you, the first part is again Hermione and Dean in some alternate dimension. I also have some fun with the kids.
Enjoy.
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Chapter 12 - Expected and Unexpected
15 September 2021
"Bummer you and Harry didn't work out," Dean said to her as they swam up to the surface.
They had been talking for sometime underwater and it was a bit weird.
"Things eventually turned out okay. We both moved on," Hermione replied in earnest, "I have Rose and Hugo and he's got three wonderful kids with Ginny."
"Is he happy?"
She thought about it for a moment. Harry's happiness used to be a big part of her life and it just stunned her how out of touch she was about it. It wasn't that she didn't care anymore, she just didn't feel as responsible for it as she used to. It wasn't her place.
Is he happy? She assumed so. She hoped so. But having lived away from the Potters for the last four years she couldn't be sure.
"I suppose," she finally answered, having not heard otherwise.
"And you?"
Relatively...
"Yes," was her quick response.
She believed that she was. Overall there wasn't really anything for her to be unhappy about but maybe 'content' was a better word. Things could have certainly been worse.
"Good."
"What about you?" she was curious, "Are you happy?"
"Very. Thanks for asking."
"Was it hard at first?"
"You mean right after I died? A little."
She could understand. He was so young, his life ahead of him. He was about to get married to the woman he loved.
"It was so sudden."
"I did know about the occupational hazards when I became an Auror. Besides, if I had to do it again and had a choice, 'sudden' would be the way to go. We all have to die at some point in time."
"True," she concurred, then, anxious about her current state, asked, "Dean, am I...dead?"
"No you're not."
"Are you sure?"
"Believe me, if you were you'd know straight away. The Reaper would have told you. It's number one on his to-do list."
Hermione found that amusing and felt victorious in a way. Just then, she was distracted by a form clad in a hooded black robe, holding a scythe in his right hand and watching them from a distance.
She thought, Not yet. Please.
"Here we are," Dean announced and they broke out onto the calm surface of the water, the sun basking them with warm, soft rays, "Take care and good luck."
Even before she could thank Dean properly he was gone. Hermione kept herself afloat, turning to look around. She was in the middle of a very large lake, so large that not a shoreline was in sight.
Now what?
Just as she thought that a ripple of water nudged her from behind. A small rowboat was creeping up right beside her and man in colorful wizard robes was bending over the edge, extending his arm to her.
Hermione strained to see who her benefactor was but with the sun in her eyes it was just not possible. She reached up to take the offer and was pulled up without much of an effort. Warmth immediately encased her as her clothes dried up in an instant.
"Miss Granger. It's so nice to see you again," the wizard greeted.
Falling under the man's shadow, she gazed into his face and recognized the kind blue eyes of Professor Albus Dumbledore.
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The meeting was about to start.
Earlier, as he was looking for a place in the house to be by himself, Hugo heard someone come in through the Potter back entrance. It was Mr. MacMillan, one of his Mum's school friends who worked at the Ministry. Finding it unusual, he followed him unobtrusively and saw him slip into the Potter library, where several others were waiting, all with grim expressions on their faces. Something was up.
He ran back to Al's room and grabbed a few objects from his rucksack, coming back just in time to see his father go into the library and shut the door. Hugo quickly went to work. Placing a piece into his right ear, he felt the buzz as he turned it on.
The accompanying object, a transmitter disguised as a ladybug, was certainly small enough. With his wand he levitated it gently down towards the library doors hoping to slip it under the gap.
"If that's a Muggle device don't bother."
The voice made him jump. He lost control of the bug and it fell onto the floor, the amplified sound of the crash in his ear so deafening he had to take out the receiver the same time he whirled around to see who it was.
"Sorry," James apologized, whispering this time, maybe thinking it would compensate for the possible ear damage he just caused. "Dad has meetings in there all the time and sweeps it for eavesdropping contraptions and charms constantly, including Muggle."
Deflated, he summoned the bug and thought about how else to go about listening in.
"But..." James added as Hugo put them back in his pocket, "I may have another way."
"You shouldn't get involved. I don't want to get you in trouble."
Hugo really didn't for different reasons.
James smiled, an impish flash in his eye, "We'll only get in trouble if we get caught. Come on."
His cousin...brother moved with the swiftness of the Gryffindor Quidditch Chaser that he was up the steps and into his room across from Al's. By the time Hugo caught up with him he was rummaging through his trunk tossing stuff behind him as he dug. Hugo had to duck a few times.
"What's going on?" Lily joined them.
All the ruckus must have caught Lily's attention.
"Er...nothing sis. Just showing Hughie some boy stuff. Run along now and play with those Muggle dolls of yours or something," her brother said dismissively, not paying her any attention.
Hugo had heard James say the same thing to Lily many times in the past even way after she stopped playing with Barbies. She always hated how her brothers treated her like this because she was younger and was a girl. Hugo glanced at Lily already sensing her furious reaction. Her face matched the color of her hair, her hands were on her waist and she looked like she was going to erupt.
"What are you guys doing?"
It was Al with Rosie by his side, interrupting just as Lily was about to give James an earful. When James didn't answer Rosie looked at him and must have read his mind.
"It's about the meeting in the library isn't it!" she exclaimed excitedly, never one to hide just how brilliant she was at figuring stuff out.
"You guys are crazy!" Al hissed.
"Dad's gonna kill you!" Lily pointed out to James.
"This isn't very smart, eavesdropping on the Head Auror," Rosie weighed in.
Great. Just great.
"Look, I just want to find out about my Mum," he said more to Lily and Al, knowing Rosie would understand.
Lily nodded, "What's the plan?"
"Ah! There you are!" James announced, finally finding what he was looking for.
"Extendable ears? That's what you have? That's not gonna work," Al said skeptically.
Hugo had to agree with Al. It was an old Weasleys' Wizard wheeze. His father surely was smarter than that.
"Ye of little faith," James replied smugly, then assessed the next plan of action, "Since we're all here it'll be a matter of time before Mum seeks us out. Al, you distract her."
"Me? Why me?"
"Because you're her favorite and you'll be the least suspicious," his brother replied, "Just keep her away from the subcellar."
"How am I supposed to do that?"
Rosie suggested, "Tell her about your girl problem. Ask for advice. Parents love it when you do that."
Lily was shocked, "Al has a girl problem?!"
"I don't have a girl problem!" Al denied vehemently.
Rosie answered, "Precisely. Don't you think that's a problem?"
"Please, we don't have time for this," Hugo said desperately, "The meeting has already started."
Al left in haste, still blushing from Rosie's declaration. They went past the study where Al found Aunt Ginny by herself and started the awkward conversation. Two flights down they got to a part of the house Hugo was not familiar with.
"You two stand guard and warn us if you see or even hear Mum coming," James ordered, obviously having done this before.
Hugo followed James into the damp, dark room and he heard a switch flip. A bulb flickered a dull yellow light revealing a dusty small storage room that look like it hadn't seen anyone in years, except for the somewhat clean day bed at the corner. James headed that way, got on it and began unscrewing a vent covering from the ceiling.
"What is this room?" he asked standing beside him, looking up.
"Not sure. Kelly, my girlfriend, came to visit last summer and we kind of stumbled into it. There's old furniture, broken toys, Muggle contraptions..." James explained in a hushed voice as he handed Hugo the metal grate and introduced one end of the Extendable ears into the opening.
"Anyway, we were here for a while, um, experimenting, when we heard animated voices coming through the vent. We couldn't make out what they were talking about but this room is two stories down and from my estimation almost directly below the library," James talked as he peered into the ear and was seemingly maneuvering it through bends and angles, "This ear may look the same as the original but it's actually not. I do prototype test work for Uncle George. It's an enhanced version with directional cameras at the tip and covered with a stealth charm that hopefully still isn't on Dad's list."
True enough, they started hearing voices through the ear. Hugo patted James on the shoulder in appreciation as the older boy smiled. They listened in.
"We're talking about the Death Stick, the Wand of Destiny," Mr. Macmillan's voice came through. "This is huge. If word gets out that the wand exists everyone will want it. They'd want to study it, replicate it and own it. I can understand why you want this hushed up."
"But remember, the wand is just part of it. With possession of all three its followers believe that one becomes master of death," a woman replied.
James whispered answering the questioning look on his face, "Unspeakable Boots."
"What exactly does that mean?" another man asked.
"Auror Bones," his brother informed him.
The Unspeakable answered, "Whatever you want it to mean. It's a legend. Some take it literally, that being master Death will be at your beck and call, tell him what to do. Some say you can live as long as you want. No getting old, no getting sick, no dying until you say so. Something like the elixir of life that Nicolas Flamel and his wife drank for centuries. Possession of all three affords you invincibility. A Dark Wizard like Malvado using the most powerful wand in history and being invincible at the same time. Big problem. That is if the myth is true."
The Head Auror spoke, "Even if the myth isn't true the three objects do exist. And it is prudent to approach it as if it were."
"What exactly is it that you want us to do, Harry?"
It was Mr. Macmillan again.
"It's simple really. I need your help to catch Hermione's killer before anyone else figures out what this is about. We catch her killer, we solve the case, we neutralize the wand."
"And how do we find Malvado? The SAMP and the IMP have been looking for him for years."
"Gates. We find Gates, we find Malvado."
Hugo was about to move closer when, all of a sudden, the ear James had in his hand flew off pulling the rest of it from within the hole and out.
"Busted..." James murmured beside him, motioning to doorway, waving with a weak smile, "Hi, Mum."
A very angry Aunt Ginny was standing just inside the room, Weasley invention in her hand. Al, Lily and Rosie were behind her peeking from the hallway with apologetic faces.
"James Sirius Potter, you better not be doing what I think you're doing!"
For all his earlier confidence, Hugo heard the somewhat pale James gulp.
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The meeting adjourned an hour later with each of them taking assignments.
Padma was to look into the Unspeakable restricted files to see what the Department of Mysteries had on the Hallows. She was also going to send a feeler out to Dennis Creevey if he'd be interested in being their mole in the Head Unspeakable's Office. They needed to find out if the stone was indeed no longer in a DOM vault.
Ernie and George were going to find Warren while Ted would continue to work on the POTH members. He was reassigning Ron to the Central quadrant so he could keep an eye on Hank while the Deputy muddled through the case. They weren't sure how much Hank knew but suspected that he was too close to Leo and Max not to know more than he was letting on. After all, it was unlikely to be a coincidence that the robberies occurred as Harry went away for holidays and left Hank in charge. The Minister probably told him to back off.
For his part, Harry had some recruiting to do. He called Neville at Hogwarts and asked to meet with him and his wife Hannah at the Leaky Cauldron later that night, thinking the Professor might have ideas about the POTH. Seamus Finnigan was another friend who would be valuable to have on board. He had connections they didn't and he would also want the opportunity to be involved, particularly since he and Jessie were close friends with Hermione. Maybe his wife would be back from visiting her sister and she could join them then.
Ted and George left and Harry found himself alone with Ron in the library.
"You look like shit," his friend said to him. "Why don't you get some rest?"
"Later," he replied, his throat dry and his body anxious. "So, what do you think?"
"I think it's brilliant. Hermione would have said so herself," Ron said with a pang of sorrow in his voice, "I can't believe we're reliving the nightmare again. It used to be Horcruxes, now it's the Hallows. These evil gits don't let up."
"There'll always be evil gits, even long after we're gone," he answered, matching Ron's tone, "We have to destroy the wand this time, make sure it's no longer a problem for someone in the future. We destroy the wand, we break the triangle."
"Yeah, but first we have to find the wizard who has the wand. We know Malvado won't give it up without a fight. I'll talk to Hugo about Warren. He should know that he can't always get what he wants," Ron said firmly.
With Ron's mention of Hugo Harry had the opening and felt he had to do it now.
"Ron, listen. There's something else I have to tell you."
"What is it?"
He reached into his robes pocket and took out the letter Hermione wrote for Ron, remembering Hermione's request.
Please give Ginny and Ron my letters once you and Hugo have decided that it's time. With Ron, I prefer that he finds out from me. I insist that you have him read my note first before saying anything.
Ron never knew that he and Hermione had been lovers. The concept of them having more than a platonic friendship had been a sore point with Ron ever since Hogwarts so it was their mutual decision not to tell him. And Harry was certain Ron remained unaware for had Ron found out his friend would have surely confronted him about it already.
Harry tried to put himself in Ron's shoes. He asked himself how he would feel if Ginny told him one of the kids wasn't his. He would probably explode at her and at whoever it was who made her a cheater, doubly so if the bloke was someone he knew and trusted. So, Harry was prepared for a number of possible reactions; he was prepared to be hexed, punched, shouted and cursed at, maybe even to the point of being killed. The key was surviving that first ten minutes.
Had Hermione not specifically asked Harry would tell Ron himself. He felt a bit cowardly but respected Hermione's wishes.
"She wanted you to have this," Harry handed the envelope to him.
Ron recognized Hermione's neat scribble on it and took it, somewhat confused about why the note would come from Harry. He slowly unfolded the parchment and Harry watched as his eyes darted hungrily over the lines. Ron's face got redder with each word he finished, his knuckles whiter with each paragraph he read as he gripped the paper tighter. By the time Ron was done, and it was quite a lengthy letter, Harry could almost imagine fire coming out of his nose.
What followed next was unexpected. Ron took a big breath in, exhaled, gently folded up Hermione's letter and put it into his pocket. This was worrisome.
"Say something Ron."
Ron's face was still a heated mess and he was biting his lower lip so hard Harry was sure he would cut himself. For a moment Harry considered that either he got the wrong letter or Hermione didn't tell him.
Harry persisted, "What did she say?!"
Finally, with fury in his eyes and his finger wagging, Ron let it out, "Three days! She's given you three days! You better make a will! You better hide from me when your time is up!"
Ron wasn't making sense.
"What do you mean?!"
"We can't talk about it for three days! I can't kick your cheating ass for three days! Three fucking days!"
"I don't care! Let's talk about it now!"
"I can't believe you did that to Ginny! To my sis…"
Ron's words faded off and while Harry couldn't lip read because the man was talking too fast he was pretty sure there were quite a few curse words in there. The inability to convey his emotions frustrated him even more. He charged at Harry with everything that he had.
Instinctively, Harry braced himself from the blow but it never came. Ron softly bounced off from him, landing a few feet away and on the floor. It was as if there was invisible aircushion that formed around Ron as he attacked.
This was Hermione's doing. Having been married to Ron, she guessed what his reaction would be. She must have cast a spell through the note.
The other Auror got back on his feet, huffing and puffing and glaring at Harry righteously.
"I can't believe she jinxed you!" Harry yelled.
"I should have known! She's doing what she's always done! Protecting your sorry ass!"
Harry was as miffed at Hermione for it. It would have been better to deal with Ron without her intervening.
"Why don't you do the counter-curse?" Harry suggested.
"If you know it, be my guest! I would so like to kill you right now!"
A spark came off Ron's wand and backfired immediately, sending him off his feet and landing a ways from Harry.
Harry was quickly by his side helping him up, "Are you okay?"
"Get your hands off me!"
"I'm sorry," he said to Ron. "I didn't know Hugo was mine until last night. It happened a very long time ago…"
The red head held his hand up to Harry's face, "We'll talk about it in three days! No…first I'll beat the living daylights out of you then we'll talk, if you still can!"
Ron turned his back and stomped out of the library, leaving him alone. Harry slumped on the nearby seat, closed his eyes, thinking how surreal all this was.
You didn't have to do that. You shouldn't have done that.
Three days...he felt even sorrier for Ron now than he did before. Three days…that would be the day before her birthday...
Harry took the other letter from his pocket and thought it very likely that Hermione had done the same thing. He looked at the clock; her study. He got up with that destination in mind resolved that he wasn't going to make the same mistake.
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Moments before, Ginny was in her study, arms across her chest, listening to what her eldest son had to say about his unlawful act.
"Do you realize that you can be imprisoned for doing something like that, even if you're Harry Potter's son?"
"But Mum, Hughie wanted to know about Aunt Hermione," James tried to explain.
"That's right Aunt Ginny. I begged for his help," Hugo came to his rescue. "He didn't want to but I begged him."
"Hugo, you don't have to lie for James. He is quite capable of doing that by himself."
"But Mum..."
"Enough! You have absolutely no excuse. You're the older one, the one who should know better, not the one who instigates trouble. There is a reason why your Dad ensures his meetings are confidential and you treat the whole thing like it's one big prank. What if you compromised the investigation, endangered a life by what you did? Are you going to be responsible for that? You're almost of age James. You need to grow up!"
She paused, feeling she had said more than necessary.
"I'm sorry, Mum," James said to her, genuinely remorseful.
She nodded and gave him a half hug and a kiss on the head, "I'll have to tell your Dad. Now go on and help your brother and sister in the kitchen."
James left as he was told. Ginny hoped at some point James would indeed act more responsibly and set a better example.
She walked closer to Hugo who was looking down at his feet, shuffling them as he was likely expecting some reprimand. Her heart ached for Hermione's son.
Ginny lifted his chin up gently and said to him as he looked at her, "It must be very difficult, what you're feeling right now. I know you miss her; you want her back. You've been very brave and your Mum would have been very proud."
The boy was crying. Ginny took him in her arms and cried with him.
Hugo tried to explain himself too, sobbing in between, "I just want to know what happened...I want to make sure her killers rot in jail...I want to help put them there...I want to do it for her..."
"Hush now. I'll speak with your Dad. Maybe he can share some information with you. But you have to be patient. Some of these things take time."
Hugo nodded, disentangling himself from his godmother, and left the study still wiping tears off his face. She contemplated how and when to break this news to the Head Auror when not long after Hugo left, Harry came. He closed the door behind him, looking so tired.
"You should sleep."
She knew he hadn't for more than twenty four hours and the sleep he had been getting recently, at least since they left for the Bahamas, couldn't be restful. Harry took his usual spot when he was in her study, leaning against her table to the right of her chair. She stood beside him.
"I have meetings with the SAMP and the IMP in an hour," he replied.
"Push them back," she suggested.
"I can't. We need information right away."
"Have Hank or Ron go."
"I have to be there."
"What are you doing?" she asked him pointedly.
"I'm trying to put the person responsible for her death behind bars. What does it look like I'm doing?" he snapped at her.
Ginny calmly replied, "You think you can do this from start to end without any rest? You're as impatient as Hugo. Perhaps I should tell Leila to schedule bedtime and meals into your timetable."
He knew she had a good point and changed his tone.
"I have to do this, Gin."
Just like Hugo...
"I know. But knowing her she would not have approved you doing it this way, especially when you're doing it for her."
She paused as Harry broke eye contact. He didn't want her to see what he felt and she didn't insist. When it came to his feelings about Hermione she preferred it this way like he did.
"Hugo..."
"There's something you should know," Harry interrupted, sounding like he was on some mission. What she had to tell him about the boys was clearly less important than this. He added, "I think it's better if you sat down for this."
Ginny's heart skipped a beat. The last time Harry asked her to sit before telling her something she was deeply hurt and forever scarred by what he said.
"If it's alright with you I'd rather stand."
He nodded, looked at her and struggled with his words.
"I wish there was some other way. I've put you through so much already and I'm about to ask even more of you than what I have before. But I can understand if you've had enough."
He stopped and she let his words sink in. He was apologizing in advance and as always he had no unreasonable expectations from her. He never asked for more than what she was willing to give even though as his wife, for better or worse, she was duty bound to give her all. Her 'all' had been tested thoroughly.
"Fourteen years ago, when Hermione and I…when we…"
Always seemingly having a problem with the word Ginny helped him out, "When you had the affair."
"Yes. She got pregnant and she had a boy. I didn't know until last night…Gin, it's Hugo. Hugo is my son."
His green eyes shimmered from the pool of tears that just now broke and cascaded down his face. In them she saw the anguish and helplessness that she expected to see. He had a son he didn't know about who hated him and he was faced with the uncertainty of how the rest of his family would feel. On top of that, the one person he wanted to talk to about it was dead. She had wondered whether or not Hermione would ever tell him and she was relieved that Hermione finally did. She was relieved for Hugo and for Harry.
"You don't need to worry about me," she tried to reassure him, hopefully lessen the burden somewhat, "I know he's your son. I was with her when he was born."
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A/N. ?
I probably will get flames for that last revelation but I thought it wouldn't be too out of character for Hermione and Ginny to keep something like this from Harry (as in this story they both care about him deeply).
In a way I feel like Hermione protecting Harry - he got off easier than he probably deserves, particularly with Ron :)
Haven't started the next chapter and am at a crossroad - will await your comments and hopefully your input before I decide direction. Is it time to put the present on hold and go back to the past? Do you want to know what Hermione wrote in the letters?