A/N I will still be publishing on , sorry if some of you were confused about that.

Chapter 35

Hermione woke in bed alone, still naked. She must have dozed off after their second time. Even alone in the dark she blushed, hiding under the covers.

He'd left, but the fact that he was here left a little… weight in the room at his absence. He must have tucked her in, because she didn't remember climbing under the covers.

The first time had been exciting, but completely nerve wracking. The second time, at his place, was scorching. And this time… was just unexpected. She hadn't known it at school, or even when she had first begun this plan, but he was surprisingly fun to talk to when they weren't trying to bite each other's heads off. And the sex was… magical, hot, incredible, dizzying, and yet completely real all the same.

He'd been right about what he'd said in the tub, she was letting him close enough to hurt her and she should be afraid. When she remembered to be, she was. But when she didn't… he made her laugh.

Ginny would be proud of her for attempting to scheme with him. This meant that probably they had a shared secret, something to bring them closer. She wouldn't have to resort to making him jealous if she could get him to admit he had feelings for her on her own.

And she was sure that he would, if she could get him to open up. He'd already opened up a little. He'd told her about his house during the war, surely that was something, even if it was a very small thing. Maybe he didn't sleep over, but then, neither did she. If she became too interested too soon, he would sense that something was up. The plan was progressing completely as it should.

But something, something was pulling at the edge of her thoughts. She was pleased, that she wouldn't have to resort to extreme measures, but there was another feeling mixed in with it, something elusive.

She got up and pulled on her bathrobe, trying to ignore the fact that she was naked, but blushing all the same. She walked into the kitchen and retrieved crookshanks and a glass of water, bringing them both back to her bedroom.

" Oh, Sweetheart," She rubbed Crookshank's ears soothingly, " Did the bad man scare you with his loud noises?" She smiled silently into the cat's fur.

Hermione arrived at the ministry in the morning with a spring in her step, four coffees in tow. It was early enough that most of the protesters were not there yet, although their numbers were dwindling by the day.

She strode up to the makeshift platform, depositing her bag on the floor and handing a coffee to the grateful Ginny.

" Thanks, 'Mione," Ginny took a deep sip and sighed, " I didn't get a wink of sleep."

" Was Jamie up all night?" Hermione asked.

" Yes," Ginny rubbed her eyes, " We think he might be teething."

Hermione pulled a sympathetic frown, " Oh, poor little man. Have you tried a numbing spell?"

" Yes of course," Ginny snapped, and then recovered, " I'm sorry, 'Mione, I'm just…"

" No, of course," Hermione shook her head.

" What's wrong?" Ron came up holding his favorite sign.

" Nothing, I just didn't get much sleep last night," Ginny explained.

Ron rubbed his sister's back gently, " Well if it helps, it looks like Hermione didn't either."

" Ronald!" Hermione blushed.

" What? I can tell by the look on your face," He responded simply.

" There's no look on my face," Hermione disputed, shaking her head.

" What's happening?" Harry walked up and settled a bunch of signs on the bench.

" Oh nothing, we're just teasing 'Mione," Ginny explained with a grin.

" Why, did she try to draw again?" Harry grinned and took a sip of his coffee.

" Never had a worse pictionary partner," Ron announced under his breath.

" No, I just saw Malfoy last night," Hermione cut them off from their old joke.

Harry pulled a face, " Have you told him yet?"

" No," Hermione replied, " I've only seen him a few times."

" Harry," Ginny warned.

" It still bothers me, am I supposed to pretend it doesn't?" Harry snapped.

" No, but you could at least pretend to support me," Hermione knew she sounded a little whiny but she couldn't help it.

" I support you," Harry protested, " I'm gonna start speaking now, if you've set up the microphone, Ron." He turned away and headed towards the makeshift platform.

" He'll come around," Ginny offered, " He's just sensitive about this."

" Yeah," Ron echoed, " And he knows you just don't trust Malfoy yet."

Harry took the platform with stiff, angry steps.

" It's been a while though," Hermione worried her lip with her teeth.

Harry performed his amplification spell. It was early, so the crowd was just a smattering of people, the list of whom was dwindling every day. Hermione couldn't blame Harry for his frustration. Not only was her decision on his mind, but he was putting all this time into what he knew was a wasted endeavor.

" Look around you," He intoned.

The small crowd began to wander over to the platform, but Hermione stayed rooted to her spot.

" We are the free thinking of wizarding England. We few," He wasn't doing his planned speeches, he was just speaking, " Not so long ago a few people stood up for what they believed in, they stood together. I'm tired of choices being taken away, and I will not take it sitting down."

Ron shuffled his feet and shared a look with Ginny.

" They want us to have children, more children without a choice," Harry's voice was fragile on that last word.

Before Hermione could stop herself, She ran to the platform.

" Harry!" she called.

He focused on her, " What?"

" You're acting like a crazy person, come down from there," Hermione chastised.

" I'm acting like the crazy person?" He raved.

" Get down from there, we're talking about this once and for all," Hermione censured.

He shook his head but reversed the charm, to the crowds amusement. She pushed her way past the people in his direction.

" That was a thoughtless, erratic thing you just did, Harry," She pushed her way past the inner circle.

" Oh yes, because we should all behave so rationally, all the time," Harry sniped back.

" You're behaving like a child," She sniffed.

" And you're not?"

" Not enough for you to have some sort of crazy outburst," She countered, " I keep waiting for you to just come to me and talk to me about Malfoy, but you just keep saying the same thing over and over again."

" Because it's wrong, and you won't listen!" He burst out in a furious whisper, " You can't control Malfoy, or this prophecy, or this child. It's bloody wrong."

Hermione stiffened, keeping her voice to a low volume, '" You think I have any control over this? You think I want to trick a man who I hate into marrying me? I don't have any control either, Harry. What you're seeing is me trying to control what little I can to protect myself."

" From Malfoy?" He made it sound like an insult.

" Yes, from Malfoy, the man who insulted and derided me for years and did God knows what during the war," Hermione shook her head, leading him away from the other people, " Was I supposed to have forgotten about it?"

" If you want to know what happened to him during the war, just bloody ask him. But don't think I'll stand by and let you keep tricking him because I won't," He stated darkly.

" What, are you going to snitch on me?" She crossed her arms.

" I just don't understand what's gained by tricking him," Harry explained, " I know you may forget it sometimes, but he is an actual person. Not only that, he's your bloody soulmate."

" If I told him, there's a big chance he might walk out on me. He swears up and down he doesn't keep his promises. He's not trustworthy," Hermione hissed, " Soulmate or not, I don't know what he's thinking or planning."

" So you're going to wait to tell him until after you trust him, after it would hurt him most," Harry sneered.

" If I tell him now he'll walk out," Hermione's cool broke, " He will. And then where will I be? I don't know what I'm up against but I remember, so clearly, how many people died because someone wanted power. I can't do it again, I can't watch people die, I can't kill people again, Harry." Hermione could feel her hands begin to tremble, and her eyes go tight and hot. She glanced up at the ceiling hoping to focus her thoughts, but all around she could feel the whisper of death eater's cloaks, the judgement in their dead eyes.

" But what if he doesn't walk out?" Harry placed a warm hand on her shoulder.

" It's too late now. I already started down this path, this stupid fucking plan," Her throat closed around the words.

" If anyone would understand having to back down on a plan, wouldn't it be Malfoy?"

She laughed a little, and then stifled a sob. Harry pulled her in for a hug, and she gratefully hid her tears in the shoulder of his thick grey jumper.

" I'm really afraid, Harry. And I know it upsets you, but I just keep thinking ' I wish I didn't know that something's coming for us. I wish I didn't know,'" She whispered.

" I know you're afraid. I'm fucking afraid too."

" If I never tell him-"

Harry pulled back from the hug and looked at her sternly.

" Then one of us will be happy, right?" Hermione swiped at her eyes, " I'd rather be with someone who would want to be with me. Even if it's Malfoy. If I tell him… all I'll succeed in doing is making us both miserable."

" But if you told him-"

" He wants to fall in love with someone, and be happy. He told me that. If I tell him, I take that all away, and he has to be with me, and we live with the threat of another uprising looming over us, and we have to have a child to help stop it. Isn't it enough that I have to live with all that? Isn't that enough punishment for me?" Hermione explained.

Harry had a strange look on his face, " So you're... miserable?"

" Well I'm having to trick my soulmate into dating me, he won't tell me almost anything about himself, and apparently the whole wizarding world or possibly more hangs in the balance," Hermione raised an eyebrow, " So I'm not good."

" 'Mione," He shook his head.

" What?"

" Sometimes, you can be really stubborn and cold blooded, you know that?" Harry almost laughed.

" I don't mean to be. I just… I'm doing my best, okay?"

" I'm not going to tell Malfoy," Harry said, letting Hermione breathe a sigh of relief, " When he finds out, it should be from you, or he'll be out for blood."

" If he finds out."

" He'll find out, Hermione," Harry countered.

" I don't think logically I have to tell him," She bit out.

" What about when your heart catches up with your head?"

Hermione bit her lip, " I don't know what you mean."

" You know what I mean."

Hermione was silent in response.

" Ginny told me that she performed the charm," Harry admitted abruptly.

" Wh-what?" Hermione reeled back.

" Last night. We had a huge row," Harry rubbed the hair on the back of his neck, " And I guess the similarities between the situations were just a little too much."

" Harry, I'm so sorry," Hermione bit her lip.

" It's… it's fine. Maybe if the marriage law hadn't been passed I could have dealt with it," Harry sighed.

" Probably not, Harry," Hermione patted her friend's arm.

" I just wish she had told me right away," Harry bit out.

" Oh, in fourth year? Come on, Harry, she would have been a laughingstock," She shook her head.

" I just… I thought my life hadn't been decided for me, for once," Harry's shoulders slumped slightly and Hermione laid a comforting hand on one.

" It's not decided for you. You and Ginny made a million decisions that led to you being together, of your own will," She hoped she believed what she was saying, " And honestly, Ginny was in love with you long before that day. She was going to try to be with you no matter what."

" Are you trying to say that taking up this prophecy is your choice?" Harry raised his head, and his eyebrow.

" Yes. I could ignore it, or try to get out of it, or decide not to believe it. And that would be easy," She replied, " But as soon as… well actually as soon as I found out that the person comforting me that day wasn't Ron-"

" You knew about that?" Harry goggled

" Well Malfoy isn't exactly Leonardo DiCaprio," Hermione shrugged, " But it doesn't matter. I just mean… I'm less afraid of being with Malfoy than I am of another war. I have to try and stop this."

" Even if it means sacrificing your child?" He asked.

Hermione swallowed the tiny bubble of hysterical dread that formed after those words, " Harry, I know it's kind of your thing, but you don't have to be so bloody morbid. I'll find a way... We'll find a way so that everything will be fine. Right?"

Harry looked doubtful, but he rested a hand on her shoulder comfortingly, " Right."