DISCLAIMER: I do now own any characters or settings. I only own the plot. The rest belongs to Ms. J.K. Rowling.
Chapter 2: Wrong baby, wrong.
Hermione woke to a rapid knocking at the door, groaning she buried herself deeper under the covers, she wasn't read to face the world. She looked at the clock, 6:27am. After flooing to the Leaky Cauldron Hermione knew she needed to get away, she had checked herself into a plush muggle hotel, paying up threw next week. Sometimes being a war hero with lots of money was nice.
"Go away" She groaned out. The knocking grew louder and more urgent.
"Hermione it's me. Please open up, you really need to see this!" Harry rushed out, knocking again. 'Harry Potter you'd best be in life or death danger' she thought, sitting herself up.
"Ugh!" Hermione threw the thick blanket off herself and stepped onto the plush, warm carpet. It was to early in the morning for this, especially after last night. She trudged her way to the door and lazily opened it to the poor, unsuspecting soul on the other side who was about to get hexed. Before she even had a chance to draw her wand Harry was shoving a newspaper in her face. Hermione took a step back, wondering why Harry would wake her up so early for a bloody newspaper!
"How did you even find me Harry?" Hermione asked, taking the newspaper and walking back to her comfy bed.
"I went to your flat and no one answered so I went looking for you. You weren't at the Leaky Cauldron and Flourish and Blotts doesn't open till eight." Harry said calmly, "So I figured the next place you'd be in muggle London, I've been checking hotels since about 4am, when the paper was brought to me."
Hermione had almost forgotten about the paper, she looked down, reading the headline of the front
page.
"BLOODY HELL! THAT FOUL LOUTHSON LITTLE BUG! HOW THE HELL DID SHE EVEN GET THIS INFORMATION! WHAT KIND OF PERSON WOULD DO THIS?" Hermione screamed. She quickly began to read the rest of the article, tears fell down her checks and the first few words sunk in.
'War Hero Hermione Granger- DUMPED AND HUMILIATED!'
Hermione Granger was left by her long time fiance, Ronald Weasly late yesterday evening. And yours truly has all the gory details! Hermione came home from work late last night to find Ronald Weasly with bags packed and ready to go, after taking their fight to the street below their shared Diagon Ally flat, Ronald Weasly was all to quick to let Hermione Granger his reasons for leaving:
"Don't you get it? I don't need you anymore. I've got my name now. Everyone knows who Ron Weasly is! Everyone knows my name! I've got money, I've got fame! What do I need some stupid little book worm for now? You were just a cover you stupid cow. I needed you to make me look good, to make me look respectable."
"I have to say, you played your part well, the loving girlfriend, so sweet. You made it all so believable, and even easier with your 'wait till marriage' crap. Do you really think wanted you? You bushy haired, stuck up, prude bitch?"
Hermione found herself unable to stomach the rushing truth of his words, she sunk into the cold snow covering the ground. Ronald Weasly processed to whisper something in Ms. Granger's ear which caused the young witch to become physically sick.
Mr. Weasly left Ms. Granger and proceeded to flooed to an undisclosed location, after several hours Ms. Granger also flooed to an undisclosed location.
By Rita Skeeter – Daily Prophet
Attached the the article was a picture of Hermione sitting in the snow crying, no shoes or coat on. Harry could see the blood rush from Hermione's body. She looked like she might be sick, he quickly grabbed the small waste basket near the desk and brought it to her. Hermione crumpled the paper and throwing it in the waste basket.
"Confringo!" She screamed, pointing her wand at the crumpled mess of paper.
"Is it true? Did Ron really say all of that?" Harry asked, looking down at the mess that was now Hermione.
"Yes, it's true." She sighed, suddenly feeling the stress of the last few hours. She sat down on the floor in front of the blazing waste basket, she could feel to tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Watching the fire consume that magical paper, she knew that the life she knew was over. How could she face anyone after this? Everyone she knew read The Daily Prophet...
"I'm sorry Mione, I really am. I honestly didn't know..." Harry sat down beside his broken hearted best friend, she leaned into him, resting her head against this shoulder.
"Oh no..." Hermione suddenly felt a rush is panic.
"What?"
"Molly is going to see this..." Hermione felt a sudden rush of mixed emotions, if Molly saw what her son did she'd be furious! She'd really let the git have it! But she'd also be broken hearted, she already lose so much.
"I need to go talk to her, she's going to hate him" Hermione started for towards the door, catching a glimpse of herself in the bathroom mirror she knew she'd need to get cleaned up before going to see the Weaslys. Quickly she slipped on her shoes and coat, and shrank her purse down into her pocket.
"Harry, I need to go home. I can't face them looking like this" Hermione sighed, Harry simply nodded his head.
After collecting her things and informing the front desk to not let anyone else know she was there the pair dashed into a nearby ally and apparitioned away. With a twist of space they were in Diagon Ally, a few blocks away from the flat. She prayed that it was early enough on a weekend that few people would be awake to read the Prophet.
As Hermione turned the corner to her flat all hope was smashed. There had to be at least a hundred people crowding around her home, trying to get inside or catch a glimpse of the poor heroine. Hermione grabbed Harry's hand, the two slowly started to move back when a man crashed into Harry.
"It's Hermione!" The man screamed, pointing to her. She panicked, frozen in fear. Everyone started to rush her at one, cameras flashing in her face, questions being screamed at her left and right. She could see enough to know that the same thing was happening to poor Harry, he was trying to best to push them away but to no avail. Suddenly Hermione felt a tug at her waist, she looked down to see George smiling up at her. He motioned for her to stay quiet, she nodded silently. In a instant Hermione couldn't see, George had thrown a smoke bomb, with everyone distracted he was able to pull her away. She ran and ran until she felt herself growing weak. Without a word George picked her up and kept running, over his shoulder she could see Harry and Ginny in tow.
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"So it's true? Ron really said those thing?" Ginny asked, wrapping a blanket around Hermione.
"Yes. And he's apparently been cheating on my with Lavender" Hermione watched as everyone's face turned to disgust.
"How long?" Harry asked in a low voice.
"Since year four. Did you know? Did any of you know?" Hermione asked, looking at them all with pleading eyes.
"No" A chorus of voices filled Hermiones ears. All but one, all but Mollys'. Hermiones heart stopped, she could feel another piece of her dieing.
"Molly..." She walked over to Molly Weasly, taking her hands, looking her in the eyes.
"Molly, tell me you didn't know. Please." Hermione begged.
"I know... about Lavender... Ron came to me. Told me he'd gotten a girl pregnant... I just wanted to give him the chance to do the right thing. I didn't think it right, me telling you." Molly looked down at her feet, shame over taking her soul.
"Since when has Ron ever done the 'right thing?" Hermione screamed. She'd had enough. Enough lies, enough backstabbing. She was leaving.
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'Molly...knew...pregnant...' The words repeated over and over again in Hermiones mind the whole flight. After the scene at the Weaslys she knew she couldn't stay, she couldn't face the shame and media once it came out that Lavender was pregnant. Hermione had signed the flat over to Ron, she'd sent Harry and Ginny to collect her things. Ginny had burned the bed.
Hermione smiled as the runway came into view, she touched the keys in pocket. She's start over here. She wouldn't be Hermione Granger Wizzarding World War Hero – betrayed lover; she would simply be Hermione Granger, book show owner.