Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognise.
Author's Note: Hello everybody! Many, many, many thanks to Mariahana, yenny-1411, jessirose85, valia (anon), Gotacold, screamxheart, cali-lion-11, Melora (anon), sc12321, yellow 14, HPfan626andfuturewriter, weasleyisourking45, enoimreh39 and nonameavailable for reviewing on the last chapter. Glad you liked it.
This chapter has driven me mad, I've had to re-write it 5 times. I hope you enjoy it and don't forget to review.
Reeves3.
Chapter 38
Rose and Hugo sat at the top of the staircase listening to their parents argue with one another. It was usual for their parents to bicker about things but they knew it was dangerous to go downstairs as this argument was different. They were shouting back and forth, wands out in front of them and they had even heard the vase carrying the flowers shatter. It was after the glass breaking did Rose run up the stairs and Hugo crawled out his bedroom to listen with her.
In the lounge, Ron and Hermione glared at one another across the room with their wands were positioned out in front of them. Already Hermione's anger had broken the vase, inside held the flowers Ron had brought her a few days ago. She felt bad for upsetting Rose but she was furious at her husband.
It had all started earlier at work...
After starting her new job only a month ago Hermione was now starting to get used to the courtrooms and agreeing with the Wizengamot to send criminals to Azkaban. Hermione sat on Kingsley's left side while Glenn Connor, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister, sat on Kingsley's right, Glenn had been working for Kingsley since Kingsley was first appointed Minister of Magic so was used to being in the courtrooms. The members of the Wizengamot sat on the benches either side of the podium where Kingsley, Hermione, Glenn and the Junior Undersecretary sat. Ron and Harry, being Head and Deputy Head Auror were also in the room and sat with the Wizengamot. The criminal sat on the chair in the middle and his family sat behind him on the benches as he faced up at Kingsley.
"Bryan McLachlan. You have been sentenced here today for being caught using the Cruciatus Curse on a muggle family in South Wales. How do you plead?" Asked Kingsley, his deep voice echoing out around the room.
"N-Not guilty," stuttered the man. Hermione looked over at Ron and saw him roll his eyes.
"We have statements from both Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley that on the Forth of November, last week exactly, that you were standing above the victims, laughing madly while they twitched on the floor? How do you explain that?" asked Kingsley. The man sat on the chair, shaking with anxiety. Hermione looked at his family and saw they looked downright terrified.
"It wasn't me," sobbed Bryan. "I was under the Imperius Curse."
"You were able to follow orders when the Auror's got there. If you were under the Imperius Curse why didn't you refuse?" asked Ron, from the crowd. Hermione frowned, for some reason she was finding Bryan to be innocent.
"I broke out of it," said Bryan. Once again Ron rolled his eyes.
"Mr. Weasley. Was Mr. McLachlan given Veritaserum during his interrogation?" asked Hermione. Bryan looked up hopeful towards her.
"Of course not. Harry and I saw him with our own eyes," said Ron.
"Then how can you prove Mr. McLachlan is guilty? If the Imperius Curse was placed upon him and he managed to brake out of it?" asked Hermione. Ron frowned and gave her a look to see why she was being so ludicrous. Everyone turned to look at Ron to see why he hadn't used the truth telling potion during the interrogation. Ron flushed with embarrassment and sank back down in his seat next to Harry, who whispered.
"Why didn't you use the potion?" asked Harry.
"Because he's guilty! You can see it on his smug little face!" snapped Ron. The tips of his ears blazing, he glared up at Hermione. How could she embarrass him like that? He thought. He turned to look at Bryan while the Wizengamot turned to talk with one another and decide on what to do. Bryan gave him a sly grin which made the blood in Ron's ears pound. After the Wizengamot finished talking, Kingsley stood up from his seat.
"Raise your hand if you vote guilty," said Kingsley. A few hands raised in the air and Ron pounded the bench, in anger. Hermione's eyes snapped towards him with a fierce look.
"Raise your hand if you vote not guilty," said Kingsley. More hands went up in the air this time, including Hermione's. Kingsley tapped his wand on the podium in front of him, sealing the vote. Bryan's family all let out collective sighs of relief and broke out into smiles. The Wizengamot all started to file out the courtroom and just before he left the room, Bryan looked at Ron and gave him another glare and smirk, before Ron could retaliate Hermione came up to him.
"What was your problem?" she asked. Harry looked between his two best friends and knew this was going to be a bad argument so he quickly got out the room as fast as he could.
"My problem? I didn't have a problem. Everyone else did, seeing as though you let him go!" shouted Ron. Hermione opened her mouth to retort but noticed everyone who was leaving the room stare at the two of them.
"We'll discuss it later. I need to go pick up Rose from school and Hugo from my mother's," said Hermione. Hugo should have been in school but woke up in the morning with a painful stomach ache so he didn't go. Hermione stormed past him and out of the room. Ron stomped back up to his office where Harry already was but he didn't say anything so Ron was grateful for that. So for the remainder of the afternoon until he got home he wrote reports on missions. When it reached home time, Ron apparated back to his house and landed in the hallway.
"Daddy!" Rose greeted him, she ran towards him with open arms and Ron hugged her. Hugo was back in his bedroom lying in bed still in pain with his stomach.
"Where's your mother?" asked Ron. Rose led him into the lounge where Hermione was reading a book by the window. She looked up and gave him a glare when he entered the lounge. Rose stood near the doorway, noticing how her parents weren't greeting each other in the usual manner.
"So have you come to your senses yet?" asked Ron. Hermione slammed the book shut and stood up, her anger starting to boil.
"There wouldn't have been a problem if you had done your job properly," snapped Hermione. Ron put his hands on his face then bellowed.
"There was no need to waste Veritaserum on scum like him-,"
"Watch your language," growled Hermione. Her eyes darting towards Rose, as she was standing at the doorway. Ron ignored her.
"I was there. I saw the manic torture that muggle family, he was guilty. But you and your stupid Wizengamot chose wrongly because you're all a bunch of idiots with all the wrong information so you make the wrong decisions," shouted Ron. The vase on the coffee table in front of them shattered into a thousand pieces. Ron and Hermione pulled out their wands to protect themselves from the glass and Rose had charged out the room. When the glass landed, Ron glared at Hermione.
"What the hell did you do that for?" he shouted. Rose kneeled down at the top of the stairs and saw Hugo crawl towards her as he couldn't walk because his stomach was in that much pain.
"Because I'm mad at you and I don't see why you're getting so angry about this Ron. The man was innocent, he said he was under the Imperius Curse, he swore to tell the truth and nothing but the truth and he did. Now why don't you and the rest of you lazy Auror's get to work and do something right for a change!" Screeched Hermione. Ron raised his wand and Hermione raised hers. She doesn't know the whole reason why you're angry about this, just tell her. No! Thought Ron, his eyes quickly scanned over Hermione's neck however.
"I was doing everything right, that family was helpless and I'm not going to let someone get away with torturing a fellow human being. It's not right!"
"So by arresting the wrong man makes everything better?" asked Hermione, sarcastically.
"Oh just shut up Hermione," yelled Ron. He turned around but heard a 'crack' behind him when he turned around again Hermione had gone. With another 'crack' Hermione arrived at Shell Cottage, the sun was just setting to the West sinking behind the ocean. Hermione walked up the path, not really sure why she had come here, she was just so furious with Ron she needed fresh air.
"Ermione?" called Fleur. She was outside taking down the washing from the line as she saw her sister in law make her way to the front door. Hermione stopped and looked at Fleur and made her way over to her.
"Iz everyone alright?" asked Fleur. Hermione nodded.
"Everyone's fine. I just had an argument with Ron that's all." Fleur folded the last of Bill's shirts in the basket and picked it up. Currently Bill and Louis were inside the house starting on dinner.
"Would you like to take a walk and talk about it?" asked Fleur. Hermione nodded and Fleur took the basket back inside the house then rejoined Hermione outside. They walked down the path that led to the secluded beach and took a walk on the sand. Hermione let out her frustration and let Fleur know what had happened and Fleur listened to her. When Hermione had finished ranting she and Fleur were standing on the shore, letting their feet soak in the ocean.
"I don't understand why he got so angry with me," finished Hermione, sadly.
"I would imagine the Cruciatus Curse is a touchy subject for him, iz it not?" asked Fleur. Hermione frowned, her hand brushed across her neck. The journey of tracking down the Horcruxes was respected by everyone in the Wizarding World so that Harry, Ron and Hermione didn't have to tell about the ordeal they went through. Bill and Fleur swore to secrecy not to tell their fellow family members about the night the trio were captured and taken to the Malfoy Manor then escaping to Shell Cottage.
"He said years ago he was over it and he promised me, he was," said Hermione.
"Yes but these things have a way of coming back. I'm pretty sure Ron isn't entirely over it and still gets bothered by it. Think how you would have felt if you were in Ron's shoe's that night," said Fleur.
"It would have destroyed me," muttered Hermione. She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, just letting the feel of the wave's crash against her legs. Meanwhile back at home Ron was staring sadly at his burnt toast. He sat at the kitchen table thinking over the fight he had had with Hermione. Before sitting down however he had put a couple of pieces of toast in the toaster then forgot about them as he got lost in his thoughts.
Maybe I shouldn't have told her to shut up, or called her idiotic. I'm the one who acted like an idiot tonight but why couldn't she have just understood that Bryan was guilty. Another voice in his head argued the point. Hermione's usually right though and there wasn't one hundred percent accurate information to say Bryan was guilty. The other voice fought back though. I just know he is guilty though!
Ron grumbled and tossed the toast into the bin and was about to put another couple of slices of bread inside when he heard someone coming out the fireplace in the lounge.
"Hermione?" Ron rushed to the kitchen door but got disappointed when he saw Harry standing there brushing off the ash.
"Nope, it's just me. Where's Hermione gone?" asked Harry.
"Don't know, she left," said Ron, sadly. Harry looked at him with a stunned expression. Hermione would never leave Ron. He thought.
"She's gone?" he asked. Ron shrugged.
"Well she's gone somewhere and I don't know where," said Ron.
"What happened?" asked Harry. They sat down on the settee and Ron told him the story from when he got home and until Hermione left. When he finished Harry was staring at him.
"It's not all just about the trail though," said Ron. "When we got there that night and I could hear the woman screaming and when we got inside the house and we saw her. It just reminded me of that night and the woman even sort of looked like Hermione a bit. I just wanted to pound Bryan, after all I never got to pound Bellatrix," said Ron.
"Yeah but your mom did kill her," said Harry, smiling. Ron gave him a look and Harry stopped smiling and stared sympathetically at his friend.
"All I can say is Ron, I don't know why you're telling me this. Why don't you go and find Hermione and tell her yourself because I think she's the one who needs to hear it," said Harry. Ron nodded and stood up off the settee.
"Oh wait the kids," said Ron, stopping himself.
"I'll take them back to Grimmuald Place with me. If you want," said Harry.
"Thanks but you should know Hugo's not feeling to well," said Ron. Harry nodded and Ron got Rose to collect her and Hugo's night things.
"How are you feeling now son?" asked Ron. As he walked next to Hugo as he made his way downstairs.
"Sick," muttered Hugo. Ron nodded and they got downstairs and Harry took hold of Hugo over-night bag and put it on his shoulder.
"You haven't got the same thing Lily, Al and James had a few weeks ago is it?" asked Harry. Hugo shrugged and Rose entered the lounge then, she stood next to Hugo.
"You and mommy aren't getting a divorce are you?" asked Rose, fearfully. Looking up at her father Ron shook his head and crouched down in front of his children.
"Of course not. Be good at Uncle Harry's alright?" asked Ron. Rose and Hugo nodded and hugged Ron. Ron stood back up and then realized he hadn't asked Harry why he had come around in the first place.
"Oh it doesn't matter," said Harry. When Ron repeated his question out loud.
"No go on, tell me," said Ron. Knowing Harry was hiding something. Harry sighed and pulled out a letter from his pocket.
"Marcus who is taking control of the Auror missions tonight. Well he owled me to say they've arrested Bryan again for breaking an entry into the Ministry. They've given him Veritaserum and he's guilty...of both charges. Not one Imperius Curse placed upon him at all," said Harry. Ron looked shocked at first then he looked positively gleeful.
"I was right. Wait till Hermione finds that out then," said Ron. and before Harry could stop him, Ron apparated away. His first stop was at his mother and father's, he managed to come off as he was just visiting and not looking for Hermione. After staying there for fifteen minutes he left the Burrow and then he apparated to Shell Cottage.
"Ron, you know you could apparate outside my house," said Bill. After jumping in his seat at the sound of his brother apparating into the room, Louis had done the same and spilt his spaghetti on the floor.
"Thanks Uncle Ron," said Louis, staring sadly at his food on the floor. Raoul their German Sheppard dog came and started to eat it.
"There's more in the kitchen son," said Bill. Louis hopped up off his seat and went to get more food as Bill stood up and looked at Ron.
"What are you doing here?" asked Bill.
"Hermione's not here, is she?" asked Ron.
"She's gone for a walk with Fleur on the beach. She told me Hermione seemed pretty pissed. What did you do?" asked Bill.
"We just got into an argument. Thanks Bill, I'll see you in a bit," said Ron. He jogged out the cottage and down the path leading towards the beach. Back on the beach Fleur and Hermione continued to talk about lots of things, avoiding the issue with Ron until Hermione saw him making his way over to them.
"I think I'll go get some food," said Fleur. She walked back up the beach, passing Ron who said a quick hello to her as he continued to walk towards Hermione. She had come out from standing in the ocean and now sat on the soft sand. As Ron got nearer Ron started to walk slower, just incase Hermione pulled out her wand and cursed him, but when she didn't, he found himself sitting down next to her.
"I hope you didn't leave the children home alone," said Hermione.
"Of course not, there both staying at Harry's for the evening," said Ron. Hermione nodded her head.
"I need to tell you something," said Ron.
"I need to tell you something to," said Hermione.
"Well you go first," said Ron.
"Were you angry because the Cruciatus Curse was used?" Hermione asked, staring at him with warm tender eyes. Ron stared at her.
"Yes," muttered Ron. He explained to her what he had said to Harry earlier, when he had finished Hermione stared at him still, though there was a thin line of tears brimming in her eyes.
"What did you want to tell me?" asked Hermione. Ron opened his mouth ready to tell her about Bryan but a silver object coming towards them made him stop. It was a silver Patronus of a stag, Ron and Hermione stood up as it stopped in front of them and Harry's voice sounded out of it.
"Taken Hugo to St Mungo's as he passed out when he arrived at ours. Healer says he's got to have his appendix out." The stag vanished into a mist and Ron and Hermione paled.
"Bloody hell. Come on Hermione we need to apparate," said Ron. Hermione was shaking however and out of fear Hermione would splinch herself, Ron grabbed Hermione by the waist and apparated them both to St Mungo's. Ginny was waiting in the reception for them with Rose and Lily.
"Good you're here. They want to get him into surgery as soon as possible," said Ginny. As Rose came up and hugged Hermione tightly. Ginny led them to the room Hugo was in, inside Harry, Albus and James were sitting on seats while Hugo lay on the bed. A Healer stood in the corner of the room checking his paperwork on his clipboard.
"You had us fooled son, thought you were just skiving to get of school," said Ron. Hugo smiled.
"I don't skive, I love school," said Hugo. Harry, James, Albus, Ginny and Lily waited outside in the waiting room. The Healer came over and explained the situation to Ron and Hermione and Rose, who was sitting on her fathers lap. Ron was listening intently to what the Healer had to say while Hermione's brain had stopped functioning but she could still hear what the Healer was saying.
"If you want to wait in the waiting room and we'll take young Mr Weasley here into operation theatre," said the Healer. He left the room for a couple of minutes so the four Weasley's could have a moment alone.
"I'm not going to die, am I?" asked Hugo, tearfully. Hermione shook her head.
"Of course not. I'm just sorry Hugo, I didn't realised it was appendicitis and could have got you here earlier," said Hermione. Ron took her hand.
"Don't blame yourself. It's my fault, I didn't realise either," said Ron.
"No, no. It all my fault," exclaimed Rose, dramatically. Hermione and Ron looked down at her and she gave them a cheeky grin.
"Stop blaming yourselves," said Hugo. He winced and clutched his side and it went back to seriousness. Two Healer's entered the room now with a bed ready to wheel Hugo down to the operation theatre.
"You'll be fine Hugo," said Hermione. She lent across and hugged her son and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"See you when you wake up," said Ron. He ruffled Hugo's hair and kissed his forehead. Rose jumped up on the bed and faced her brother.
"Can I have your Chocolate Frog Card collection if you don't make it out alive?" asked Rose, jokingly. Hugo's eyes widened in panic and he looked at his parents.
"Rose," warned Hermione. Rose sighed.
"I'm joking Hugo, relax," said Rose. She leant across and hugged her little brother, her jokes masking her fear. "I love you really," she added. Hugo smiled and Rose got off the bed and stood in-between her parents. The two Healer's placed Hugo on the bed and wheeled him out the room, Ron, Hermione and Rose followed but turned in the direction of the waiting room.
"Wait," said Ron. He touched Hermione's forearm and pulled her back. Rose had carried on down the corridor and took a seat next to her cousins. Hermione looked at Ron.
"I'm sorry," they said together. The both of them smiled slightly and quickly kissed each other. Rose looked at her parents then rolled her eyes.
"One minute there angry at each other. The next they love each other. I don't get it," said Rose. Harry sat next to her and smiled.
"You will when you're older. I had to put up with you're parents for seven years being angry at one another and then being all happy and in love the next," he said.
"You're lucky you only had seven years. I've got my whole life," said Rose. Harry smiled as Ron and Hermione came towards them. They took the empty two seats and Rose went and sat next to her mother. Lily was sitting quietly on Ginny's lap while Albus and James were eating Bertie Bott's Every Flavoured Beans.
"What did the Healer say?" asked Ginny. Ron relayed the information the Healer gave, to his sister and brother in law.
"Harry and I only thought ourselves he just had a stomach bug but then he passed out and woke to say the pain was unbearable," said Ginny. Hermione and Ron nodded. They waited for forty five minutes until the Healer returned and came towards them.
"How's Hugo?" asked Hermione.
"He's fine. The operation was successful and currently he's asleep from the anaesthetic at the moment but will need to stay in St Mungo's for at least three days," said the Healer. He led all of them to the recovery room Hugo was in. Inside the room Hugo was sleeping on the bed while a Healer was putting a bandage across the side of Hugo's stomach where they had removed the appendix. At half eight the five Potter's went home and Hermione decided to stay the night in Hugo's room in case he woke up while Ron took Rose home to sleep.
"Are you sure you're alright staying here for the night?" asked Ron, as Rose sat on Hugo's bed prodding his face. Hermione nodded and wrapped her arms around Ron's neck.
"I'm sure," said Hermione. Ron wrapped his arms around Hermione and returned her hug.
"I'll be back with Rose in the morning," said Ron. He pulled back and kissed Hermione and she returned it. Then Ron picked up Rose who quickly said goodbye to her mother and Ron left with a 'crack.' Hermione took the unoccupied seat next to Hugo's bed and put her feet up on the other one, she watched her son sleeping for a bit then picked up Witch Weekly and started to read.
Author's Note: The appendix story was for a friend of mine whose just had his appendix out. It gave me an idea to write someone in this story to have their's taken out. I hope you enjoyed it, I shall update soon and don't forget to review. :)
Reeves3.