Disclaimer: don't own.
That's what happened in chapter 28:
"My name is Elena Krum." she said and hoped against hope that he didn't know any Krum's.
No such luck.
"Are you related to Maksim and Aleksey Krum?" he asked.
"Yes." Hermione smiled.
"Great. And what are your friends called?"
"This is my brother." she pointed at Harry. "Viktor Krum. And the other one his Ha- Viktor's friend as his name is Anatol Karkaroff."
"Good." Antonin smiled at her.
"We are here now."
And in front of them in the middle of the snowy forest stood a huge black castle with a big silver sign saying: GRINDELWALD. About seventy people who were wearing the same robes as Antonin were patrolling the entrances to the castle. Nurmengard was on the left side behind the castle and all in the entire place had a dark aura and Hermione SO wanted to leave this place.
But they had a mission to fulfil. And it was too late to back out now.
On with the story:
"A butterfly!" Jana said suddenly, her face beaming.
"What?" Tom was confused. They were sitting comfortably on the big soft sofa in the head boy dorm, snuggled up together. And out of nothing, Jana had suddenly shouted. "A butterfly!" and a happy smile was lighting up her already beautiful face. Tom was clueless… or Jana had lost her mind.
"The baby moved!" Jana had tears in her eyes. "And it felt as if there were a little butterfly flying."
"Really?" Tom asked eagerly. He put his hand to her abdomen, but he didn't feel anything. "Hmm, I didn't feel anything." he pouted.
"Of course, you wouldn't feel anything now – it's only as light as a butterfly right now… only I can feel it." Jana shook her head, grinning.
"Oh fine." Tom groaned.
"I'm in my 18th week now – you'll probably start feeling it after the 23rd week or something like that." Jana shrugged. "Hey, tomorrow we can find out if it's a girl or a boy." she informed him.
"Yes…" Tom said slowly.
"But I don't want to know." Jana started crying. "Really, Tom, do I really have to know?"
"Uuuuugh, calm down, girl." Tom said alarmed. Honestly – what was it with pregnant women and their hormones? What was there to cry about right now? "If you don't want to know what it's going to be, then we'll tell her we don't want to know. OK?"
Jana smiled at him through her tears. "Thank you, Tom. You are the best." she hugged him and gave him a big kiss. "I'm hungry."
Tom rolled his eyes skywards. Pregnant women and their cravings – all fine with that. But why did they have to crave something at midnight, when their respectable partner wanted to sleep?
"Come on, darling." Jana laughed and tore at his sleeve. "Get some houseelves."
Tom gave the woman he loved a kiss. "Fine, but just because it's you."
"Wrong. It's because of me AND the baby." Jana corrected him grinning.
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"And you want to join me, because you support my views?" Grindelwald asked. Holy sh… did he look good. Hermione could hardly take her eyes off him. She so wanted to run her hand through his silky blonde curls, and it took her every ounce of willpower to stay away from them.
All three of them nodded solemnly.
"Well then – answer me this, then. What is the meaning of the sentence: FOR THE GREATER GOOD?" Grindelwald asked and a teasing smirk appeared on his face.
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. "Everything we do, even if these are small things, little things…." she halted for a second. "Everyone can benefit from them."
Grindelwald obviously hadn't heard enough. He still stared enquiringly at Hermione. Hermione inwardly cursed her two silent companions. Men, honestly. Why did she always have to do the work?
"I like your goal that wizards won't have to hide any longer. That's what we want as well and we will support you." Hermione smiled sweetly at him.
Grindelwald rose from his chair and gave the three students a tight smile. "All right, then. Welcome to my castle. I'll introduce you tomorrow at breakfast. Breakfast starts at 9:30."
9:30? Hermione suppressed a snort. Why would the followers of Grindelwald sleep in? Didn't they have better things to do? Obviously not.
"Jurij…" Grindelwald called out. "Show the three new members their bedroom and tell them where they have to show up for breakfast tomorrow."
A young man appeared next to Grindelwald not a second later. He bowed and led the three students out.
To Hermione's surprise, she had to share the room with Harry and Marc. They rooms were brightly furnished, comfortable and magically enlarged. The beds were huge and comfy.
Harry raised his eyebrows. "No wonder, people like to follow him. His followers are quite spoiled if you compare them to Voldemort's death eaters."
"Yeah well…" Hermione shot an anxious glance at Marc, but he wasn't listening, instead admiring the silky bed linen.
"So, how are we going to rescue your parents then? Any plans?" Hermione asked him.
"It's my first time in Grindelwald's quarters as well, but hey, let's find everything out tomorrow." Marc yawned. "I'm surprised Grindelwald let us join that easily, though."
"Me too." Harry answered. "And remember, they are going to introduce us at breakfast tomorrow."
Hermione and Marc groaned.
With her heart as heavy as a stone, Hermione fell asleep past midnight.
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"Everything is fine." the nurse smiled. "Your baby is growing perfectly."
Jana and Tom smiled at each other relieved.
"How are you feeling?" she asked.
"Quite well, thank you." Jana answered politely.
"Except for her moodswings." Tom murmured.
The nurse laughed. "You will have to go through that, Mister Riddle, when a woman is pregnant, the man is usually too."
Tom grimaced.
"I can even tell what your baby is going to be." the nurse said.
"Oh no." Jana said hurriedly. "We don't want to know. Not yet at least."
"Fine with me. Quite a few couples don't want to know beforehand." she rummaged around in a drawer and pulled out some vitamins.
"Take one pink and one yellow capsule per day." she instructed. "Vitamins and minerals for the baby."
Jana nodded. She was too excited to say anything, or otherwise she would have burst into tears.
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"Oh no oh no oh no." Hermione murmured barely audible. Probably a hundred or so followers of Grindelwald were sitting at tables seating six or eight people, eating breakfast and gazing at the three new people with barely concealed curiosity. It didn't help that the breakfast hall was deathly quiet now.
"Well, hello there." Grindelwald himself swept up to them, wearing magnificent emerald green robes. "Sonorus."
With his voice now magically magnified, Grindelwald addressed his followers. "We've got new blood, everyone – these are two more Krums and one Karkaroff."
Hermione desperately hoped that the real Krums wouldn't notice or wouldn't say anything to Grindelwald about their real identity.
Everyone applauded politely. "I will now put you into groups."
"You, Miss Krum, you will go with Vlad's group. Vladimir is the leader of the prisoners." Grindelwald ordered. Oh no. Hermione had to deal with the prisoners. She would hate doing that, being locked in the dungeons, having to silence screaming prisoners. Oh well, then she could at least rescue Marc's parents.
"You, Mister Karkaroff, you will go with Antonin's group, who is part of the guard. Antonin will give you the correct clothing so that you won't get cold."
Marc looked fearfully for the striking man they had met the day before.
"And you, Mister Krum, you will be part of my personal servants. Ekaterina will show you everything. Now, eat, you'll need your strength." Grindelwald ordered. "You have half an hour."
"Come on, why do I have to be Grindelwald's personal servant?" Harry moodily stabbed a sausage with his fork.
"Do you think it's better to stand in the cold for the whole day and do nothing?" Marc shot back. "I would rather be in the warm and play Grindelwald's pet."
"And I would rather be part of the guards." Harry said acidly.
"Stop it boys." Hermione said urgently. "We are here to do something important."
The boys stopped immediately, looking ashamed.
"Okay, I will be part of Vlad's group, and we have to deal with the prisoners." Hermione said.
"That's brilliant; you will be able to get near my parents. Would you like me to tell them what they look like?" Marc asked eagerly, but Hermione held up her hand.
"We don't want to appear too suspicious. Give me a few more days."
"No!" Marc almost shouted. "We have to get them out as soon as possible.
"That's not possible. But Marc, I will try my best." Hermione said soothingly.
Marc growled but said nothing.
"Now, my plan – I'm going to smarm up to Vlad, the leader." Hermione said conspicuously. Harry and Marc looked at each other exasperatedly, both thinking the same thing. Hermione was going crazy.
To her big surprise, it wasn't difficult to smarm up to him.
Vlad, indeed, was an attractive man. Probably already in his thirties, but still very elegant, sophisticated and handsome. Furthermore, he was quite charming himself and flirting heavily.
Vlad smiled at her, his group trailing behind him. "Welcome, Miss Krum."
Hermione smiled back as flirtatiously as possible. "Thank you Vlad, but call me Elena."
"Elena, then." Vlad winked at her. "I will show you the dungeons where we keep our prisoners and then we'll go out hunting for the resistance." Vlad informed her.
"What? Is that what our group does? Hunting for resistance?" Hermione asked alarmed.
"No, not only. We take it in turns. Part of the group guards the entrance of the prisoners department Nurmengard, and another part brings the prisoners food, drinks and clothes, and another part goes hunting for potential prisoners." Vlad said with a gleam in his eyes.
Oh no.
"Fine." Hermione answered, forcing a smile on her face.
"Today you'll be with me – we'll be looking for potential prisoners."
Oh joy. Hermione couldn't have felt more out of place. "And what are the others going to do?"
"Tatyana and Maksim will guard the prison Nurmengard, and Dimitrij, Alexey and Sergey will get the prisoners food and drink. And you and I are going out – we are going to look for possible resistance."
Vlad handed Hermione a black elegant cloak. "You have to wear that – it also keeps you warm outside as it is magically enhanced by a heating charm."
Hermione had recovered herself. Maybe she could somehow slow him down. "Oh, this cloak? Brilliant idea. I hope it suits me." she said, grinning at Vlad.
"Nothing would look bad on YOU, Elena." Vlad said in his charming manners and Hermione almost melted. Too bad, he was a follower of Grindelwald.
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Dumbledore sighed wearily.
His students hadn't come back and the red-haired one had been frantic.
Time to take matters in his own hands.
He put on his best travelling cloak and made his way to the gates in order to apparate to Grindelwald's quarters.
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"Oh Tom, I'm looking forward to our baby." Jana smiled happily.
"Me too." Tom answered. "Now do you know what you are going to do with your education?" Tom still valued knowledge and power above anything else.
"Oh, yes. The nurse is going to take care of the baby while I'm in classes. I might even get my own room." Jana grinned. "Besides, I've already got my OWLs anyway."
"What do you mean?" Tom asked sharply.
"That I don't necessarily need to take my NEWTs. I would already get a job with my OWLs." Jana shrugged.
"You can't do that. You are here to take your NEWTs. You can't just stop at OWL level – you would get badly-paid, low jobs." Tom said aghast. "Really Jana – stay here at Hogwarts."
"Tom, I don't know yet, but I think I will." Jana rolled her eyes. "I only meant – just in CASE."
"Okay." Tom pulled Jana closer.
Comfortable silence.
"Jana?" Tom asked, suddenly sounding unsure.
"Yes?" Jana asked sweetly.
"Uhm… I was wondering…" Tom began but couldn't go on any further.
"Yes?" Jana prompted again.
Tom said nothing.
"Well – spit it out already." Jana smiled. "I won't bite."
Tom didn't crack a smile. "Jana… would you…" Tom swallowed.
"Come on, Tom, it's impolite to keep a lady waiting too long." Jana said, trying to sound cross, but failing abysmally.
"Okay… don't laugh and promise me to say yes." Tom said fast.
"I can't promise you that – I don't know what your question is going to be." Jana answered.
"Well – Jana…" Tom stopped again. "You'll have to wait for another time. I am too tired now." He had given up. How very un-Tomish of him. But oh well, he would certainly do it with more style.
Tom pulled the protesting Jana nearer into his embrace and made a mental note to check if he could still produce a bunch of red roses out of thin air and if Abraxas still had this collection of beautiful cards.
Tom kissed Jana softly and lovingly and Jana reacted immediately to the kiss. The pregnancy had not only interfered with her mood swings, but also with her hormones – in a positive way. Now Jana couldn't get enough of Tom – and Tom couldn't get enough of her anyway. He carried her up to his bed bridal style and laid her down softly, admiring her beauty.
Oh, yes, she would soon be his.
