Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.
Summary: Set at end of HBP. As the ministry falls further under Voldemorts control a new law is passed, forcing Hermione into a life she wasn't ready for. How will it affect the horcrux hunt and the fight against Voldemort?
CHAPTER 37
The silence remained as everyone continued to stare at Hermione, and Ron felt her shrink even closer to him under their stares. He wanted to say something, but his mind would not work fast enough.
After what seemed like forever, the silence was broken by the sound of a door opening and feet running hard on the tile.
Suddenly, the crowd stepped aside and let whoever had run in, and this time. Hermione finally glanced up to see Ginny, standing a few feet from them, looking equally as shocked, but not at Hermione as much as at Harry.
"Harry!" Ginny screamed, running forward and hugging him fiercely.
Harry hugged her back; relieved to see she was okay beside the bruise on her cheekbone.
The crowd still remained silent as Ginny pulled away, and when she did Ginny glanced to see everyone still staring at Hermione's stomach. She glanced at it momentarily, but did not seem phased before turning back to the crowd.
"Oiy! So she's pregnant…lets move on here…" Ginny roared.
Immediately the crowd disbursed and went back to whatever they were dong before Harry, Ron, and Hermione arrived.
Ginny then turned to a still speechless Ron and Hermione. "Luna told me…can't say I'm happy with the timing but…well…congratulations, I guess…"
Hermione was shocked by the fierce hug Ginny gave her and then Ron.
"I can't believe you were stupid enough to bring her…" Ginny whispered in Ron's ear.
Ron sighed and shook his head. "She didn't give me much of a choice…"
"No, I didn't." Hermione said, leaning in between the two siblings.
Ron just smiled at her and then stepped away with Harry, toward the group huddled around the Chosen One, clearly ready to make a plan with Harry.
Hermione wanted to step forward with her two friends. It felt like the natural thing to do. The three of them had been so close the last few months that they operated almost like a machine, each its own part, moving when the others moved.
However, Ginny pulled Hermione away from the boys, toward a corner of the Room of Requirements where they could speak alone, without all the eyes of the other girls in the room on them.
"Hermione…" Ginny started.
"Gin, I know what you are going to say, and I am sorry about the timing of all of this…I am sure your mother is not exactly thrilled, but Ron and I are fine, and the baby is fine, and I am staying—" Hermione unleashed in one breath.
Ginny, however, just smirked a bit. "Mum doesn't know…not yet anyway…"
Hermione let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She was glad Mrs. Weasley did not know yet. As much as she loved Mrs. Weasley, she was not exactly ready to deal with Ron's overbearing mother.
"And as for the rest of it…whatever you and Ron are doing, I am sure its fine, and I am not about to step on your toes and tell you that you bloody need to leave…I know how that will go. I just wanted to say…well…" Ginny shrugged and pulled Hermione in for a hug. "Congratulations…really…when this is all over…well, a new baby might just be what this family needs…"
Hermione smiled at Ginny's words. Family. She was part of the Weasley family now, wasn't she? With everything going on, she had hardly even thought about it, but now she realized it felt good to be part of such a carrying family.
Harry and Ron moved to the middle of the Room of Requirements, and were quickly surrounded by familiar faces including Neville, Seamus, Dean, Lavender, Cho, Luna, Padma and Pavati.
"So, right, what's the plan then?" Neville asked, hyped up, as seemed everyone else in the room, now that Harry had returned.
"Well…we are looking for something that has to do with Ravenclaw. Something small…" Harry said.
"Brilliant…what?" Dean asked.
Harry shrugged. "I dunno."
"Well…that helps, doesn't it?" Lavender sighed. She looked beat up, her eyebrow split open from some sort of bop to the head.
"Hey, he's doing the best he can. We will figure it out." Ron narrowed his eyes at his ex-girlfriend just as Hermione and Ginny approached the group. Without looking, Ron reached out, his hand snaking around Hermione's rounded waist, which quickly caused Lavender to look away from the pair.
"Well…anything besides Ravenclaw and small? I mean…that's not much to go on, Harry." Dean said.
Harry nodded. "I realize that."
"Actually, that's nothin' ta go on…" Seamus said.
Harry nodded again, tight lipped.
"Well, what about the Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem?" Luna suggested, her voice casual.
"Oh bloody hell, and here we go…" Ron rolled his eyes, only to receive a slight elbow to the gut by Hermione.
"No?" Luna looked around, her eyebrow cocked and her voice a bit more focused.
"Well, Luna…even if that's it. It's lost…" Choe glanced at her fellow Ravenclaw. "No one alive has seen it…"
"But it doesn't mean we can't find it." Luna said.
"Actually, that's usually what lost implies…" Ginny said under her breath.
"A diadem? What in the bloody hell is that?" Ron asked, his head turning to each girl as they spoke.
"It's a tiara." Hermioen glanced at her husband.
Ron cocked an eyebrow. "A what?"
"Like a crown, Ron. Bloody hell, you better hope that's not a girl in there…" Pavati spoke up, surprising everyone as she pointed to Hermione's pregnant stomach.
Hermione blushed, her hand moving to her bump automatically.
"Well, that could be it. We should start looking for it. Or at least, start searching around the Ravenclaw Common Room…" Harry said, knowing they had to start somewhere.
"Might be hard to sneak around there…with Snape's watchdogs out." Neville said.
"Then we are careful about it. Only do it at night or early in the morning…You-Know-Who is not on his way here…not quite yet." Harry said, knowing that Voldemort was on the move, but not quite ready to strike Hogwarts yet.
"Well, when is he headed here? Do you know?" Dean asked.
Harry shook his head. "No…but when he is…I will know."
"Alright, so we should stay in here then…go to class when we are supposed to…someone needs to let Remus and the other's know Harry is here safe, but other then that…we cannot say a word to anyone outside of this room 'bout it…if Snape finds out…" Neville shook his head at the thought.
"What about the assembly this afternoon? In the Great Hall?" Padma asked.
"We go, like we normally would. As far as we are concerned, Harry isn't even here." Ginny ordered.
Hermione, Harry, and Ron passed a look among each other, all impressed by the way Ginny and Neville were leading the group of students in the Room of Requirements. Clearly, they had stepped up in the wake of the impending battle.
"Well, we should get going then…" Cho said, glancing at the watch on her hand.
Ginny nodded and turned to Harry, Hermione, and Ron, noticing the yawn Hermione was trying to stifle. "Harry, you should start trying to figure out what we are looking for. There are a few books in the corner of the room…and Ron, get Hermione in a cot. She looks exhausted."
"I am not—" Hermione started.
"Yes you are…and you are no help cranky and pregnant. We can only take one of those right now." Ginny said, sounding eerily like Mrs. Weasley.
Hermione fought against another yawn, but lost to it and therefore, lost any credit she had against Ginny's order.
"That's what I thought." Ginny smiled a bit and then kissed Harry before joining he rest of the Hogwarts students as they moved out of the Great Hall.
"Well, I am going to get on those books. Ron, join me in a bit?" Harry asked.
Ron nodded. "Sure…"
"Ron, really…I can get to a cot myself." Hermione said.
"I'd like to walk you over to one, if you don't mind." Ron smiled sweetly at Hermione as he placed a hand on the small of her back and led her to the cot he knew belonged to Ginny because the sweater Mrs. Weasley had knit for her two Christmases ago was being used as a pillow on it.
Hermione rolled her eyes at his concern, but couldn't hide the small smile on her face. Ron's actions were cute, a bit overbearing, but adorable none the less.
Hermione eased herself down onto Ginny's cot, one hand supporting her back as the other gracefully made his way across her round midsection.
"Comfortable?" Ron asked, when she was settled.
"As much as I can be…" Hermione shrugged. She had to admit, it was no bed like she had at Shell Cottage, or even at Aberforth's, but it would do.
"Alright…rest up a bit. I am going to see if I can help Harry…" Ron leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.
"Wake me if you two need anything…" Hermione said, her eyes drifting close.
Ron nodded, giving a small and concerned smile. He wished she would just listen to him; get herself to safety, but at least she had agreed to stay in the Room of Requirements. That was better the nothing, for now.
Harry shook his head at the pile of books in the corner of the room. He needed ones that had to do with Ravenclaw, and even then, he had no idea where to start looking. He kicked a stack over in frustration, wishing Voldemort had given a clearer vision of what he ought to be looking for.
Harry's thoughts were so consumed with finding the horcrux and figuring out when Voldemort was going to make his next move that he had no even heard Ron approach him.
"Are we really going to waste our time on books?" Ron asked.
Harry shrugged. "What else do we do? I've got no idea what to look for…"
"You were in such a rush to come here…" Ron said gently, trying to hide his annoyance. He had thought Harry had a better plan, and that's why he had been so pushy to come to Hogwarts, but clearly they could have rested another day; given Hermione more time to get her strength back.
"I know…and I know he is coming here…he won't wait long…that's why we need to figure out this horcrux. If he gets to it first…" Harry shook his head.
"Even if we figure it out…we have no way of destroying it…not without the sword." Ron said.
Harry sighed, rubbing his eyes under his glasses. "I know…"
"Well…looks like we've got a lot to figure out in a little bit of time then…and books aren't exactly our strong suit…" Ron said, handing Harry a book before grabbing his own.
Harry nodded, glancing back at Hermione who was fast asleep. "Well, never had to be. We always had Hermione for that…"
"Well, we may not much more. She's here and all…but she is staying in here. I am not letting her run around with us anymore, Harry. Its too dangerous. Whatever help she will be, its gotta be from this room." Ron said, wanting to make himself clear with Harry.
Harry nodded. "Probably for the best."
"Good…then don't bloody change your mind on me like you did back at Shell Cottage." Ron said quickly.
"Ron, I am sorry about that but…Hermione was right…we did need her for Gringotts." Harry said.
Ron sighed. "I know…but doesn't mean it wasn't bloody stupid…so no more of that."
Harry just nodded, giving his friend a small smile before burying his nose down in the book Ron handed him, searching in vain for some kind of answer.
An hour had passed before the doors to the Room of Requirements swung back open, causing Ron and Harry to look up and see Dean and Neville supporting a battered Seamus, whose right eyes was swollen shut.
"What in the bloody hell…" Ron started, but stopped when he realized hords of other students were carrying back in injured classmates.
"Snape went mad…he knows Harry was in Hogsmeade…" Ginny said, holding together her own split lip.
Harry immediately moved forward to check her injury but she shrugged his hand away, not wanting him to worry.
"I'm fine…there are others much worse…we need to get them sorted out." Ginny told Harry.
Harry nodded. "Get them on cots…do we have any medical supplies?"
"Just what Madam Pomfrey managed to give us…its in that cabinet over there…" Pavati pointed.
"I'll grab it." Ron said, helping Neville ease Seamus onto a cot. "Bloody hell, Seamus you look awful."
"At least I'm not a ginger…" Seamus grinned back, indicating he was in good spirits despite the injury.
Ron just rolled his eyes and moved toward the cabinet Pavati had directed him to, hoping he knew what he was looking for to fix Seamus' face up. Usually, Hermione was the one to do all the patching up.
The Room of Requirements seemed to almost transform itself into a makeshift hospital, the sound of cries and moans and laughs filling it, everyone doing there part.
The commotion instantly woke up Hermione who sat up as quickly as her pregnant stomach would allow, glancing around, and trying to figure out what was going on as she wiped the sleep from her eyes. She scanned the room to see Ron handing Seamus a bandage and what looked like a flask of Firewhiskey across the room. What was going on?
"Are you alright, Hermione? Do you need anything?" A familiar voice caused Hermione to turn and look to her left.
Hermione was speechless for a moment as Lavender stood there, shifting her weight awkwardly from foot to foot, waiting for Hermione to respond. Hermione's mouth gapped open for a long second, but nothing came out.
"Do you need Ron? I could get him—" Lavender's face had gone red now and she was about to move away.
"Oh, no I'm fine…he looks busy." Hermione scooted herself up on the cot so that her back was supported by the small headboard and pillow. She knew the position made her look all the more pregnant, but she was not quite ready to stand up, afraid she would get dizzy. The last thing anyone needed was her getting sick right now.
"Yeah…well…Snape made sure a few of us paid for not telling him where Harry was…" Lavender said.
Hermione squinted a bit, and realized Lavender's cheekbone was bruised badly. "What happened to your face?"
Lavender touched the bruise and shrugged. "Snape thinks we are hiding Harry…little does he know he's right…" She laughed a bit.
"Well, let me look at it…" Hermione offered.
"Oh, no, really, Hermione, you don't have to…I just…I wanted to come over and say congratulations." Lavender motioned to Hermione's stomach.
Hermione cocked an eyebrow. Congratulations? From Lavender Brown? That hardly made sense.
"I know you think I am just some stupid girl who liked to suck Ron's lips off last year…" Lavender started.
"I don't think you are stupid…" Hermione corrected her quickly, though the memory of Ron and Lavender's snogging sessions burned deeply in Hermione's mind, and she couldn't even pretend that she wasn't upset by it.
Lavender just shrugged and continued on with her thought. "But…I did really like Ron…but I also knew it was always about you to him."
Hermione raised both eyebrows now. "Lavender, I hardly think that's true. He and I barely spoke for most of last year…"
"I watched him watch you. Why do you think I dispised you so much? I was jealous. He never looked at me the way he looks at you…" Lavender and Hermione both glanced over to see Ron staring at them, his jaw set, clearly trying to figure out if Lavender was bothering his pregnant wife or not.
Hermione however, gave him a small headshake, indicating that his fears were foolish and that she was fine.
"See? Just like that…he cares a lot about you, Hermione." Lavender laughed a bit to herself.
"I'm sorry if you are hurt by this…" Hermione motioned to her pregnant stomach. She now realized that Lavender had grown up quite a bit in the past few months. They all obviously had, but the Lavender standing in front of her was hardly the same one who used to snicker behind Hermione's back and probably not even the same one who snogged Ron all over the castle last year.
Lavender just shrugged, dismissing Hermione's comment, laughing a bit. "I was sixteen…I am sure I'll manage to get over Ron. You two look better together anyway…"
"Thank you, Lavender." Hermione smiled up genuinely at the girl as Ron approached them.
Ron cleared his throat and Lavender turned to face him.
"I was just congratulating Hermione…so I should do the same to you, Ron." Lavender said.
Ron was clearly taken back by Lavender's comment and took a moment to recover. "Uh…yeah…thanks, Lav…"
Lavender just nodded. "I should go help Pavati."
Ron nodded back and smiled as she walked away before turning to Hermione and raising an eyebrow as he took a seat on her cot. "What in the bloody hell was that about?"
"I think Lavender just grew up a bit." Hermione said simply as she took Ron's hand in hers. "What happened?"
"Apparently Snape knows Harry was in Hogsmeade and he had some other teachers beat the boogies out of almost all the Gryffindor's…but everyone seems alright." Ron said.
"Snape knows? Ron, that's not good…if he knows that then he must know Harry is trying to get into the castle." Hermione said, very seriously.
"In all honesty, he probably knows Harry's already here…" Ron sighed, glancing over toward Harry who was wiping blood from Ginny's chin.
"Ron, this is serious—" Hermione started, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.
"Hey, relax…" Ron thumbed her hand. "Ginny said he gave up after a bit…so if he knows he isn't doing much about it right now…so why don't you rest?"
"I was just sleeping." Hermione said quickly, wanting to do more then sit around.
"Well, I wasn't, and I am bloody beat and so is everyone else. We are all going to try to sleep a bit…" Ron laid down on the small cot as well, forcing Hermione to shift a bit and eventually, he pulled her partially on top of him so that they could fit together.
"Ron, you rest. I am going to crush you anyway…" Hermione said, realizing there was no way Ron could be comfortable under her pregnant weight.
But Ron was already snuggled up into the crook of Hermione's neck, a complacent smile on his lips though his eyes were closed. "No way, I sleep best with my wife next to me."
Hermione went to object, but Ron tightened his hold on her and she sighed, running a hand through Ron's red hair, her thoughts now completely focused on how long they had before Snape did find out Harry was hiding there.