Chapter 4

Hermione started working at Hogwarts that September and after a few months of settling in and getting herself used to being around other people, she started to feel normal again. A great part of that normality was due to James. He was a persistent young man to say the least and after weeks and weeks of asking she finally agreed to a date. It was an extremely slow start but that suited James as he was quite entangled in his research. They went on a few dinner dates and had some lunches together but it hadn't moved past first base. Hermione had very deep scars that James was aware existed but he didn't pursue it or try to hurry things along.

It was during the winter break that Hermione was having breakfast in the Great Hall when she noticed a small article on the bottom right hand side of the Quibbler.

The Quibbler has breaking news,

The Saviour of the wizarding world, Harry Potter has

broken off his long term engagement to his childhood

sweetheart Ginerva Weasley. Even after many denials,

the two started dating straight after the War when

Harry Potter defeated He Who must not be Named.

The couple had never set a wedding date which just showed

Potter must not have been serious about the relationship

much to the obvious distress of the only

Weasley daughter and her family.

Many years before the couple started dating, I reported that

the young Potter was romantically linked to his female trio partner,

Hermione Granger. The young lovers denied the romance

but considering Potter is available now, I doubt it will be long before he

makes his move. But will Potter be prepared for some competition?

It has been confirmed by our sources that Professor Granger,

now a permanent employee of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,

has taken a partner. This mystery man is 'much' younger than herself and even though

we have tried to find his identity, he still remains a secret.

Our offices have tried unsuccessfully to get statements from Potter,

The Weasley Family and Professor Granger but to no avail.

Stay tuned for more information following this tragic love triangle.

From Rita Skeeter.

Hermione could not believe it, how did she always manage to get in the middle of a drama without even trying. She decided it would be best if she took it to the Head mistress before a scandal erupted.

Hermione twisted her hands in her lap while she waited patiently for Professor McGonnagel to read the article.

"Hermione, its just Rita causing trouble, or at least she is trying to. The best thing you can do is just ignore her, she wants you to bite. One good thing is she obviously hasn't linked James to me yet and the longer the better." Hermione nodded and after a few more pointers of how to avoid Skeeter, she left her office. She walked down the corridors chatting intermittently to one of her students or other lecturers and slowly made her way back to her quarters. Professor McGonnagel's old room, now Hermione's was quite large and spacious. She had a small office set out in one corner looking out over the Great Lake and her bed faced the mountain range on the other side of the Lake. It had a beautiful relaxing atmosphere and gave her the peace and quiet she longed for. Hermione sat down on one of the small lounge chairs she had near the windows and opened the paper once more. She read the article again which only caused more questions to form in her mind, more questions that wouldn't be answered. She was startled by a knock on the door and knowing that only authorised personnel can enter the dorms, she called out enter.

Emerald walked in and as soon as Hermione saw her face she knew she had also read the article.

"Emmy, please don't concern yourself with this, it's ok..."

"Mione, do you even know what this means?" Hermione stopped and slowly shook her head.

"It means, my dear big sister, Harry is free, free to be with you finally. Hermione this is awesome." Hermione was gobsmacked, she stared at her sister like she was an alien.

"What? Why are you looking at me like I have two heads? Come on Hermione you can't possibly tell me you haven't thought of this, this is what you have been waiting for for the past 15 years." Emerald sat down on the armchair that Hermione was still sitting on. The words of what Emerald said had sunk in and Hermione stood up in a rush.

"Emerald how could you possibly think I would think that? There is no place in this universe where Harry Potter and Hermione Granger are together, no where at all. There is way too much water under the bridge Emerald, way way too much water." Hermione walked over to her window and looked outside watching the snow fall gently over the grounds of Hogwarts. She glanced down and saw Professor McGonnagel and what looked like Mrs Weasley in a very heated discussion on the front steps of the building. Hermione had no idea why she did what she did but she marched down stairs in an attempt to put this mess behind her. As she approached the two arguing women, she could hear the conversation.

"Where is she Minerva, I want Granger down here right now!" Professor McGonnagel tried to reason with Molly but it was proving impossible.

"I'm here Mrs Weasley, if you have some problem with me I suggest you..." Hermione was cut off.

"Hermione Granger, why isn't it you couldn't just leave well enough alone." Mrs Weasley was so annoyed she was panting and flushed.

"Mrs Weasley I have no idea what I am supposed to have done but..." again she was cut off.

"YOU ruined my daughters life that's what.."

"I haven't done anything to Ginny, what are you talking about?" Hermione was genuinely confused.

Molly stopped and seemed to be thinking over things in her head.

"You were supposed to go away Hermione, you were supposed to leave Harry to marry Ginny. That was the plan and you ruined it." Hermione looked at her and stepped in closer.

"What do you mean go away, what does that even mean?" Molly had the decency to look away and slightly ashamed. Hermione pushed on.

"Listen Molly, for some reason you have hated me with a passion since the war and I have no idea why. I have never done anything to you or your family and especially your daughter so I have no idea why this hatred is directed at me. Please tell me what I did that was so wrong?" Hermione ended up pleading and realised that Professor McGonnagel had left them alone.

"Did Harry break off the engagement because he is seeing you again?" Hermione grunted loudly and yelled NO. She realised she startled Molly so she took a few breaths and started again.

"Molly listen I have not seen nor heard from Harry since Ron's wedding. He has made no effort to contact me nor have I him so whatever the reason behind the ending of their engagement I think you should talk to them. It has nothing to do with me at all."

Molly looked around and seemed to be calming down.

"You just ruined everything Hermione, my life was supposed to be perfect. All my kids are happy except for Ginny, she is the baby and she's the one who needed the most help. All she ever wanted was Harry and at the end of the war, you nearly ruined everything but I fixed that little problem..."

"YOU did what Molly? You fixed what?" Hermione's head was completely spinning and she felt like she was going to vomit.

"Yes Molly tell Hermione what you did? Tell her how you sacrificed someone's life for your daughter?" Harry walked up behind the women and the shocked look on Molly's face was enough to tell Hermione she needed to hear what she had to say. When it looked like she wasn't going to say anything, Harry pushed her further.

"Shall I tell her Molly, tell her what you did that day she lost our baby?" Hermione gasped and turned to stare at Molly.

"What happened?" her voice even shocked herself.

Molly started to fidget and it looked like she was going to leave but when Harry placed a firm hand on her arm, she snapped.

"OK I did it, I overheard Poppy Pomfrey talking to Minerva about Hermione losing that baby. I knew Harry would stay with you once he heard that, whether it was pity or something else. I just knew what I had to do, so I told Harry what he needed to hear. The rest you did on your own Hermione, you drove him away, you made your own life. I am not to blame for what happened to you." Molly was so defensive but Hermione didn't care.

"You told Harry what he needed to hear, and what may I ask was that Molly?" The fury in her voice was clearly evident.

"Its over now Hermione, it will change nothing." Hermione clenched her fists and stomped her feet. She stepped closer to Molly and pointed in her chest.

"It changes everything MOLLY. My life stopped the day I lost my baby and my best friend in the whole world wasn't there to help me through, he wasn't there to dry my endless tears, to hold my hand when I couldn't go on. My best friend hated me because of something you said so yes Molly it will change everything." Harry stepped forward and took Hermione's hand in hers but she shook it out of his grip.

"Tell me Molly!"

"It was for everyone's own good.."

"What did you tell him, what did you say to Harry?" Harry's head dropped and he again reached for her hand this time holding it firmly in his hand.

"She told me you asked to get rid of our baby, she said you told Madam Pomfrey that your life is just beginning and you didn't want to be tied to someone like me, someone broken, You said you didn't want a child to a murderer." Hermione was gasping while fighting the tears escaping down her cheeks. She felt her knees weaken and she started to slide down to the floor. Harry tried to hold her but he ended folding down with her.

Hermione sobbed and held onto Harry for dear life. A million thoughts were going through her head but the thing that stood out the most was that Harry thought she thought of him as a murderer.

"Harry it never happened, none of that happened Harry, you have to believe me." Hermione sobbed and all Harry could say was that's OK baby, it's ok. Hermione cried and cried and then at one point she turned and looked at Molly who had the decency to look remorseful.

"Molly, you should of never interfered in my life. I never did anything to you, I never hurt you like you have hurt me. I can never get back what you took from me, never."

"I just wanted what was best for my family..."

"At the destruction of another's life, how could you?" Hermione was so hurt she just couldn't believe what she was hearing. Molly brushed down her clothes and fixed her hair and turned to walk away. Obviously she had done enough damage.

"Molly, by the way Ginny left me for another man!" She stopped in her tracks and spun around to look at Harry.

"No that's not possible, she tells me everything, she would've told me." Harry snorted.

"Yes well looks like we are all a little disappointed in a Weasley today!"

Epilogue

It took many years of healing for Hermione to get back to normal and not the normal she had been living for the past 16 years, a normal life where she was having fun, laughing, and being alive. After persisting for many months Hermione finally went out on a date with Harry and they were never apart again. They were inseparable and after twelve months they married in a secret ceremony with Hermione's parents and a few friends of Harry's along with Professor McGonnagel officiating the emotional service. Thanks to Hermione's dearest friend James McGonnagel, Hermione undertook many months of research and testing and finally the damage that was done to her body from the curse was healed. Harry named their first son after his dad but James McGonnagel swears the baby was named after him. Hermione then went on to have twin girls, Lily and Rose. Since the pregnancy with the twins was very demanding on her body, they didn't extend their family anymore, more than happy with their three children. James and Emerald married soon after Emerald finished training as a Healer and James loved being a part of the family.

Years later Hermione made her peace with the Weasley's, thanks to Ginny and Neville pushing for peace. Ron and Luna had seven children and the two couples lived as neighbours with the children growing up together like the three friends who were inseparable in early years but due to lies and deceit were separated. Life has a way of healing old scars and repairing wounds.