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ILLUSIONS OF LOVE
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Chapter One
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"Hermione!"
Hermione turned to see Percy Weasley hurrying towards her. She stared at him somewhat icily.
"Well?"
Percy noticed the bite of frostiness in her voice but chose to ignore it.
"I haven't come here to start an argument about... anything," (his voice faltered a little), "I wondered if you could pass on a message to Professor Dumbledore."
"And why would I do something like that, Mr. Weasley?"
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Percy stiffened a little. He wasn't used to being called 'Mr. Weasley' from those lips – except when she was teasing him... But he didn't want to get lost in those thoughts – not now... it was just too late...
"Professor Dumbledore would only be disappointed if you don't," he said nonchalantly. "Moreover, Herm- Miss Granger," (laying sufficient stress on her last name, which made Hermione flinch a little), "This is in respect to things concerning Death-Eaters."
Hermione didn't answer for a while.
"I guess... okay...," she said after a long pause. "But that's only because Death-Eaters are involved in it."
"Of course. You don't think I could ever ask you a favour otherwise, could I?"
Hermione glared at him though there was hurt in her eyes. Percy looked away. Why should he feel guilty about anything? It wasn't him who had asked her to leave. She had walked out of her own accord. It was all her fault. She was unreasonable. He should have known that things could never work out between them.
"What's the message, Mr. Weasley?"
Hermione's quiet voice jerked Percy out of his thoughts.
"Tell Dumbledore I found him and am leaving for the place that I had deduced because I don't want to lose track of him. Tell that to him word to word!"
Hermione frowned slightly. "You found someone..."
"I found him! H-I-M, him!" said Percy, annoyed.
"Alright! Keep your hair on! You found him and you are leaving for the place you deduced because you don't want to lose track of him," said Hermione in a funny sing-song kind of voice.
Percy was a bit irritated. "Yeah and it's important that Dumbledore knows this as soon as possible. Good-day to you, Miss Granger."
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"What's it about?" asked Hermione. "Who's 'him'? Where are you going?"
"None of your concern," said Percy coldly. "You lost my confidence the day you walked. It is all your fault! So I don't see why I should confide in you."
"Yeah, neither do I! So sorry I asked, Mr. Weasley!" Hermione almost shouted at him though a tear or two threatened to drip out of her chocolate- brown eyes.
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Percy felt guilty at being so rude to her. He hadn't really meant to be... He didn't know what happened to him... But whenever he thought of her now... he didn't know what came over him. He felt flustered and angry and he wanted to hurt her... her feelings... he wanted her heart to bleed just as she had made his... And he just couldn't control himself...
But the tears in her eyes weakened him. He felt guilty. He knew she thought that he was an unfeeling monster right now... and he didn't want her to think that about him because he wasn't. Though he understood that they couldn't be together now, he didn't want her to think that he hated her – because he really didn't.
"Hermione..." he began in a gentle tone, wanting to apologize.
But Hermione turned and began walking swiftly away from him.
If he hadn't been feeling so guilty, he would have turned away and convinced himself that he couldn't care less about this. But as it was, he was very remorseful and kept staring after her for quite some time. And it was a good thing that he was. Because Hermione hadn't gone a few yards, when she stopped suddenly and her slightly trembling hand darted up to her head.
Instinctively, Percy sprinted towards her. "Hermione!"
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Hermione felt that she would black out, but then, quite out of nowhere, a pair of strong arms caught her in a warm embrace. It wasn't something unfamiliar, though...
"Hermione, what's wrong?"
For a moment, Hermione felt like nestling closer to him. But no... She had spent the last two years convincing herself that she didn't even like him anymore... there was no reason to change that now... Moreover, he was past... She had moved on and now, there was someone else in his place...
"Hermione!"
His voice... He seemed to be truly concerned about her... But what was the use now? It was too late...
"I... I am okay," she managed to mumble as she pulled herself away from him. Even after two years, it was miraculous how difficult it was to pull away from him. "Overwork... I was tired..."
She looked up at him and knew that instant that he didn't believe her. She was never good at lying.
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Percy shrugged and stepped back. He was very unsure if it really was exhaustion that had made Hermione almost swoon. But he wasn't supposed to care. He hadn't cared for two years... why start now? No reason why to make present a misery... his past was already too much of that. And if she thought it proper to be cold and formal and distant with him – well, he won't act otherwise.
"Well, then, don't forget to tell that to Dumbledore. Good-day."
With that he disapparated.
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Hermione wondered why she hadn't thought of it before. Now that she considered it, it was the most probable thing, wasn't it?
She put her pregnancy report in her bag and apparated to Hogsmeade.
Still absorbed in her thoughts, she made her way to her alma mater.
For more than a year after her divorce from Percy, she had been devastated. She had truly been in love with him. She had enjoyed the five years they had spent together. She thought about the time when the first signs of bitterness had developed. But still, it was all his fault, wasn't it?
She had wanted a baby after two years. Percy's workload had increased as he had become the Head of Charms Department of the Ministry of Magic. Hermione was also much interested in Charms and had been involved in his work, too. But after some months, due to Percy's over-involvement in his work, they had grown apart. Hermione felt that a child was exactly what they needed at this point.
But Percy won't agree. The last thing he wanted was to be "burdened and tied down" with a child.
Hermione had been angry with him for saying that.
And from then onwards the rifts had just grown wider and wider until the time came when they couldn't even say a word without hexing each other.
Divorce was but a natural solution to their misery.
It was only after she had lost him even by law that she felt the deep void of his absence. She knew that he had gone away from her much before that time, but the true force of it hit her that day.
She had taken quite some time to recover.
She had resigned from her job at the Ministry because she couldn't even face him without wanting to first cast an Unforgivable Curse on him, or bolting away in tears (that was mainly during PMS).
A few weeks later, Dumbledore informed her that Flitwick had resigned and had asked if she would like to take up the job.
It had not taken her long to decide what she wanted.
Her welcome at Hogwarts had been quite satisfactory. All her old teachers had been pleased to see her. Well, all but Professor Snape. He had scowled at her and for the first week hadn't even looked at her. Dumbledore had then insisted that he mend differences with her. With a lot of cutting remarks and glares, he had finally conceded to not to treat her like an erring first-year. He even called her "Professor Granger" now.
She smiled slightly at the thought. Though he always unduly stressed "Professor", she knew that he didn't hate her now. She had taken the initiative to start a decent conversation with him. He had glared at her at first, then scowled and sneered, then sighed and looked away and finally, just two days ago, he had answered her queries on Wolfsbane Potion. She was determined to make him talk to her again this evening at dinner. It had become a sort of sport now.
Dumbledore often helped her in her pursuit, much to the "intense displeasure" of the Potions Master.
Returning to the problem at hand, she knew she needed to talk to Viktor soon, for it was Viktor who had played a major role in bringing her out of her depression after her abrupt divorce. And eventually, they had ended up as a couple, once again.
Their relationship had been a secret until now. She did not want the publicity that would come if it was known that the best Quidditch player at present was in a pretty serious relationship.
Was it so serious for him, too? She wondered as she headed towards the Headmaster's office.
It better be… I am carrying his baby, aren't I?
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"I did not believe that any person could be more annoying when they were twenty-six than they were at sixteen!" snapped Snape irritably.
"Professor, you kept track of my age? I am touched."
"If not of your age, Miss Granger," said Snape, rolling his eyes, "then I can certainly keep track of my own. And since I am well aware that you must be about twenty-one years younger to me and also, as I am well-versed with Advanced Arithmancy so deducing your age is no great feat."
"You studied Advanced Arithmancy?" asked Hermione, letting go of her earlier teasing manner – if one could be teasing with Snape.
"It was an amateur project," he answered, turning to his dessert in a manner which clearly indicated that he would allow no further conversation.
But Hermione was not to be deterred. "I never knew! So what did you like best in it? I like Encryptonumerancy. It's a lot like Muggle encryptology, too, don't you think so?" she persisted.
"Don't you ever shut up, Granger?" said Snape irritably and got up.
Biting her lip, Hermione turned back to her meal. There is only so much bitterness you can take from a man – even if that man is Severus Snape.
Snape, seemingly not noticing that he had upset her, stalked off towards the dungeons.
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She didn't know why she even bothered. It wasn't as if he cared a whit about her conversations. It irritated him more than anything else. What she couldn't comprehend, however, was why he was so cruel to her. Well, to everybody in general. The sole exception was Dumbledore.
Her mind soon drifted away from the subject of Severus Snape and turned to the baby.
She imagined all possible responses Viktor could have. If he would be happy, everything would be all right. They would marry secretly. She didn't want her baby to get into limelight, but have a normal childhood. She hoped that his or her father would be there for them.
But if he didn't like it… she hoped it won't be so. But if it was, then she would have the baby and be a single parent. The magical society deeply frowned on single mothers even now. But she was determined not to let it bother her. Her baby was her priority.
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Dear Viktor,
There is something we've got to talk about – something I have to tell you. Can we please meet this Friday instead of next week? It's urgent.
Love,
Hermione.
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"Lucius definitely had some connections in Orleans and Luxembourg… and if I remember rightly, they also had a summer house in Marseille. Mr. Weasley seems to be on the right track. How did he find out his whereabouts?"
"I am afraid I am in dark about that as yet."
"If that would be all, Headmaster, I would retire to my chambers… I am convinced that the first-years are getting dumber each year. Soon, Hogwarts will be boarding Squibs."
Dumbledore chuckled. "A little kindness won't hurt anyone, Severus."
Snape got up, scowling fiercely. "You have not an iota of idea about how difficult it is to stay alive and keep twenty brats alive through the day."
With a flourish of his robes, he was about to leave, when Dumbledore said, "A minute, Severus."
Sighing exasperatedly, he turned to face him again.
"What else?"
"Love might be a matter of chance but obtaining and keeping love is purely human effort and hope. And don't forget that hope is the most faithful friend of men."
Snape blinked. "You've finally lost your marbles," he muttered.
"Hermione is a nice young woman… she esteems and admires you more than you know… more than even she knows."
"It is a pity I am no longer on talking terms with my brother in St. Mungo's… else I would have got you a free ward to yourself," said Snape scathingly and left in the blink of an eye.
"You put such ideas into his head and nothing good will come of it," said Phineas Nigellus, who had, by now, become well aware of who Hermione Granger was. "We, Slytherins, TRULY hate Gryffindors."
Dumbledore regarded him with an indecipherable look.
"If rumours are to be relied on, Gaius Nigellus was a Gryffindor… he had the traits of his mother, they say," he said mildly and disappeared before an outraged Nigellus could lash out against him.
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