title: No Take Backs
rating: PG13
keywords: harry/hermione
category: romance
summary: when harry and hermione finally make that connection, what harry gets is more than what he bargained for.
a/n: okay, so this isn't the best chap in my opinion, but i tried to keep it true. and yes, the comp did the thing where it erased my story again. so this has been written twice now!! :) --not really. :( ---more like it
disclaier: i was thinking about it, and i guess a disclaimer would be useful. here it goes: jk rowling, blah blah blah, they belong to her blah blah blah i'll give them back when i'm damn well ready to.
REVIEW THIS THING!
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Harry was still laid up in bed, unable to move by the time the term of his fifth year at Hogwarts was done with. He was lucky enough to be able to lift his arms, but heavy breathing was out of the question, and he'd be damned before he'd try getting up to walk. This he had told Madam Pomfrey, and she'd been very upset to hear it.
Madam Pomfrey had offered Harry a healing spell to mend the broken ribs, but he had told her that he'd also be damned before he would do that because layed up in a hospital bed at Hogwarts was better than being with the Dursleys.
All of the students had left Hogwarts for the summer except for Harry. He had stayed behind in the hospital wing in the care of Madam Pomfrey. The last day of the term Hermione had come up to the hospital wing early in the morning to see him. He had been sleeping, but upon seeing her face, he woke up fully and was very attentive.
Hermione put her hand to Harry's cheek and moved it up to brush a few trim locks off of Harry's forehead.
"I'm sorry, Harry. Sorry for everything," Hermione said as she gazed deep into the green depths of his eyes.
"There is nothing to be sorry for."
"Yes, there is. I've ruined everything for you. I've ruined everything for myself."
"You haven't ruined anything for me. You've made things even better. I don't think you realize how happy you have made me."
"Happy? What's there to be happy about? When you finally get back to full strength, my father is going to come looking for you."
Harry laughed slightly, a grimace forming on his face from the pain that it had caused. "I'll be sure and put a protective charm on myself. But what about you? What will happen for you?"
"I don't know. I expect that if my parents were magical, I'd be hexed from here to eternity, but since they aren't, I guess that's one good thing."
"You know that I'm here if you need anything. Well, maybe not -here-, but you know how to get ahold of me."
"Yes. And rest assured that I will. Harry, are you upset at all about this?"
"Not at all. You know that I love you, and I'm just as much at fault as you are. But this makes me happy. Although I -am- pissed about that damn bludger knocking me off of my broom. I would have loved to have given those damn Ravenclaws a good show too. We won anyway, so that's all that matters."
Hermione smiled and blindly reached up a hand to her stomach. she had developed a habit out of doing that in the past two days that she had known about her pregnancy. Harry reached up and covered her hand. She moved her own hand to let his touch her stomach. He ran his thumb back and forth, tickling lightly.
"It's going to be a hard summer. Especially if I don't have you there with me everyday," Harry said.
"A hard summer for you? By the time we get back to classes on the first, I'll be as big as a balloon!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Speaking of getting back to classes, what should we do about Ron and the others? They'll have questions."
"I don't think I want them to know."
"Can we really keep this from them? I mean, it's not like I can just say that I mysteriously gained a stomach the size of a bludger over the summer, can I?"
"No, I don't reckon that you can. We'll find something."
Hermione looked up at the clock on the opposing wall. It was almost time for the others to be coming down to breakfasst, and she still needed to go and finish up the last of her packing before the trip back home. She leaned down and kissed Harry softly on the lips before standing to walk away.
Harry sighed as he remembered that day. It had been at least a week since then, and he had been in agony ever since. Being away from Hermione for more than a few hours ripped Harry apart. And by the time that he did get to see Hermione again, he was afraid that all she would find of him were the tattered remains of his lonely soul.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Hermione ran off of the train and into the waiting arms of her mother. She smiled happily and kissed her mum on the cheek. Almost immediately her mum had grabbed her by the arm and looked into her eyes knowingly.
"There's something you need to tell me, isn't there?" Hermione's mum, Michelle had asked.
Hermione looked away, a frown appearing on her face. "Can we talk about it somewhere private?"
Michelle nodded and helped Hermione to grab her belongings that were being unloaded off of the train. Hermione grabbed the owl cage and sat it down on the cart just on top of her trunk.
"It's a beautiful owl," Michelle said as she examined the sleeping creature. "Where ever did you get him?"
"Harry gave him to me as a Christmas gift."
"You must have forgotten to mention that to me in your letters."
"Yes, well. Can we go?"
Hermione was about to cross through the gate when a strong pair of arms wrapped around her from behind. She shoved them off and turned around to look into Ron's eyes. She smiled and reached over to kiss his cheek lightly.
"Have a good holida, Hermione," Ron said as he turned around to go and find Ginny. Hermione looked up and saw that Ginny was standing on the middle of the platform wrapped up in Malfoy's arms, kissing like there was no tomorrow.
Hermione laughed and crossed the barrier.
Later that afternoon Hermione and her mother sat in a local park not far from their home, eating ice cream that Hermione said she had been craving for hours. The wind blew lightly, throwing Hermione's hair into her face.
"Damnit," she breathed as she pulled it out of her face.
"You're easily agitated today, Mione. What's wrong?"
Hermione looked across the park at a mother and her two small children. She smiled and watched as they tackled their mother to the ground, giggling and have a good row in the grass. Hermione's mother noticed her daughter's interest in the children.
"Mom, I've done something awful and I don't know if you can forgive me for it," Hermione said as she looked down at her empty ice cream cup.
"Honey, you know you can tell me anything."
"I know, but I'm so scared to say it. I mean, it was a bad mistake, I know, and we never meant for this to happen, but now it's too late to change things."
"Hermione?"
"Mom, I'm pregnant."
Michelle drew in a deep breath and looked away from Hermione's eyes. She bit her bottom lip and clenched the park bench. She closed her eyes and gathered her thoughts for a moment.
"How did this happen?" Michelle asked calmly, looking back at Hermione's teared-up eyes.
Hermione's voice betrayed her and borke as she spoke, "It just happened once, I swear it to you! I was there and he was there, and the tower was empty. Things just got so confusing, and then it happened. I'm so sorry."
Hermione collapsed into her mother's arms and cried. Michelle rested her head on top of Hermione's and let a few tears of her own streak down.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
By the time that the second week after term was over, Harry had decided that he wanted Madam Pomfrey to give him something that would help mend his bones faster. The potion had worked overnight, and he decided that he wanted to try and walk the next day.
Harry had just swung his legs over the side of the bed when Dumbledore came walking in. He walked steadily and intently up to Harry, watching as the boy tried his best to stand. He held out his arm to Harry, which Harry gratefully took and straightened his composure.
"I suppose you heard," Harry said as he took one step forward, a sharp shot of pain going up his arm.
"Yes, I did."
"Well, what happens now?" Harry asked as he walked a few more steps away from Dumbledore on shaky legs.
"What do you mean? Am I upset? No. After all, the same thing happened to me when I was in my sixth year. She was a Slytherin, too."
Harry turned around and shot Dumbledore a surprised look. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Once again he was left speechless.
"Yes, I was upset at the time. But I loved her, and that was all that mattered." The twinkle left Dumbledores eyes as he spoke of her.
"What happened?" Harry asked.
"It doesn't matter now. Waht does matter is that you and Hermione both have either a problem or a blessing on your hands. You need to start putting your priorities in their right order."
Harry focused on the task of walking again. The strides were coming easier to him, and he noticed that before long he could almost walk with no pain. He turned around to walk back and sit down on his bed. He layed back on his pillow and threw his legs behind where Dumbledore sat.
"So is that all you came here to say?" Harry asked.
"No," Dumbledore stuck out his hand, and Harry took it. "I came to congratulate you. I don't think that you could have found a better witch."
Harry smiled and shook Dumbledore's hand.
"I must get back to my study now, if you'll excuse me."
Dumbledore got up and left the hospital wing. He walked through many corridors before coming to the portrait that would lead him to his office. He walked in and was greeted by Fawkes. Dumbledore smiled and sat down in his chair. He turned and opened a large cabinet behind his desk.
"I haven't used you in a while, my friend," Dumbledore said as he pulled the pensieve out of the cabinet. He set it on the desk and dipped his wand into the water. It began to swirl, and he reached in his hand.
Dumbledore found himself standing in a flower shop in downtown London. He was buying Anne roses. She had always liked roses. He looked up to see his almost sixty-year younger form standing at the counter paying for the flowers.
He followed himself out of the shop and into the street. He watched as the flowers that he had been holding fell from his hands. He knew that something was wrong. Even through memories he could still feel the tingling sensation of something wrong.
And then he felt himself running on his street to his home; their home. He heard a scream and a door slam as he rounded the corner to their smal house in a secluded neighborhood that was only half-muggle. He followed himself as he ran inside the house to find Anne laying on the ground with the small lightening-bolt shaped scar on her forehead. He looked up and knew that whoever had done it was gone. Probably disapparated out.
He watched as he bent down and took Anne into his arms, his hands running through her silky black hair. He cried as he realized that he would never get to look into her beautiful dark eyes ever again. Never hear the sound of her voice. He kissed her pale cheeks and ran a finger over her cold lips. A tear fell.
Dumbledore heard the sound of their son crying in the nursery. He followed himself as he walked down the hallway and entered the second room on the right. A baby of no more than two stood in his crib crying. He lifted his arms to Dumbledore when he walked in the room.
"Samuel," Dumbledore said as he cradled the child in his arms. He ran his fingers through the child's black tendrils of hair.
A waft of grey passed and Dumbledore found himself standing alone on a hill in front of a grave. He threw a red rose down on the grave. They had always been her favorites...
Dumbledore leaned down and touched the cool slate tombstone as he read the words to himself.
Anne Bridgette Snape
1917 - 1934
~Love Eternal~
Dumbledore saw the grey once again and he found himself standing in front of a young man that looked to be about twenty. He stepped out of the way of the boys vision so he could watch himself as the two interacted.
"Yeah, she's still tired, but you can come in and see her if you want," the man said. Dumbledore followed the young man and a much older version of himself into what looked like a wizard hospital room. He smiled as he saw a woman sitting in a hospital bed holding an infant.
"Would you like to hold your grandson, Albus?" the woman said weakly.
Dumbledore watched as he stepped up and had the baby placed in his arms. The baby opened his dark eyes and looked at him. The eyes were so much like Anne's. The infant gripped on his finger as he played with it's fingers.
"What's his name?" Dumbledore asked as he looked at Samuel.
"We named him after Karen's father, Serverus."
Dumbledore looked back down at the baby one last time before everything went grey. He found himself once again in his office, soft tears rolling down his cheeks.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"Jeremy, we're home!" Michelle called from the doorway.
Hermione's father came around the corner and pulled his wife and daughter into a large hug. He kissed both of them on the cheek before pulling back and making sure taht all limbs were attached to his daughter and everything was in oreder.
"Honey, I'm sure you've got unpacking to do upstairs, and me and your father will go and have a chat."
Hermione smiled weakly and grabbed her trunk, hauling it up the staircase. She heaved it over the top step and down the hallway into her room. Michelle grabbed Jeremy by the arm and pulled him into the living room.
"We have to talk," she said before they disappeared.
Hermione was unpacking her things fifteen minutes later when she heard it. The sound of yelling from downstairs. She began to shake a bit when she started to make out the muffled words from downstairs.
"Why in the bloody fucking hell wasn't I told about this sooner?!!" Jeremy yelled from downstairs. Hermione could hear her mother's soft voice trying to reason with him.
"I just found out this afternoon."
"How could we let this happen?!"
"It's not like we can be with her twenty-four hours a day, Jeremy!"
"Well I'm, going to get to the bottom of this sodding problem right now!"
"She doesn't need this right now, Jeremy! Jeremy!"
Hermione backed up against the headboard of her bed as she heard the stomping of footsteps up the staircase. Her door burst open and slammed against the wall, breaking a hole where thd oorknob was.
"How could you?!" Jeremy hissed loudly.
"I'm sorry, Daddy." Hermione collapsed and cried into her pillow. Jeremy's heart broke when he saw his daughter begin to cry. He lightened up and went to sit down on the edge of the bed. He put a warm hand on Hermione's back.
"I didn't mean to yell at you, sweetheart," Jeremy said quietly.
"And I didn't mean for this to happen, Daddy. you don't know how sorry I am."
"Why did you let something like this happen?"
"I don't know. It just happened. At least he's not a stupid prat like most men are! He's sweet and I love him, Daddy."
Jeremy sighed and let his shoulders slump. "I need some time alone." Jeremey got up and waked out the door.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"Harry stood in the foyer of the Dursley's house with his belongings at his side. He heard laughter coming from the kitchen and assumed that it was time for Dudley's second brunch of the day. Harry left his things sitting in the middle of the hallway and advanced forward into the kitchen.
"Oh, you're home, I see," Uncle vernon said in his deep voice. "It's about time. We need someone to weed the garden."
"I'm afraid I can't do that this week."
Uncle Vernon glared opened-mouthed at Harry. He tightened his grip on the fork that he held in his hand. "And why the bloody hell not?" Vernon asked with genuine interest.
"Didn't you get Professor McGonagall's letter?" Harry asked, apparently annoyed.
"We saw one of those annoying little owls fluttering outside the window, but it was raining and we didn't want it to come flapping its wet wings in here."
Harry clenched his fists, and through a stiff jaw managed to mutter, "So you let it stay outside in the rain?"
"Of course we did."
A glass busted on the table. Harry looked at it nonchalantly and began to speak. "Well I am late getting here because of an accident at school. I am recovering and can't do any of your chores for at least a week. So sorry."
Vernon was picking up the pieces of the glass as he spoke.
"It's a wonder you didn't kill yourself. That's why you aren't considered normal like us. We don't put ourselves in danger like your kind do."
Harry's face turned red as he became angrier and angrier. Another glass busted on the table and Vernon seemed to be getting angry as well. Petunia stood by the sink, her back pressed up against it, afriad to see what might happen. Dudley was cowering at his end of the table.
"Go to your room, boy." Vernon said through clenched teeth.
"Gladly."
Harry sat on his bed reading through one of his books that night, and Hedwig was in her cage on top of Harry's trunk sleeping. harry felt as though he could fall asleep, and he probably would have if it hadn't been for the insistent tapping sound on his window. He looked up to see a small brown owl fluttering violently outside. He walked over to the window and opened it, taking the parchment from the owl and paying it before it flew off.
Harry sat down on his bed and read the letter.
Dear Harry~
Hello, it's Victor. I was hoping to get in touch with you about your animagus training. I've heard that your muggle family doesn't like it when you do any sort of magic, so I need you to meet me in my London office for your training. I heard about your accident with the broom, and I hope that you are well. I waited until I thought that you were mostly recovered before sending this, so I hope that I am within good time. Here is the time of our meeting, and I hope to see you there.
Victor
Harry smiled and wrote down the time and place for his animagus training. It would take place in two days in downtown London. Maybe he could sneak out and see Hermione while he was about.
Just as Harry began to think about Hermione, another owl fluttered into the window that he had left open. Harry immediately recognised it as Hermione's owl. He took the letter and sent the owl on it's way.
Dear Harry~
I hope you are well. By now you should be up and about, maybe even home. I am fine. A little on the sick side, but that's usually only every morning. And sometimes after bedtime, but that tends to happen when you're pregnant. I told mum about the baby the day I got back. She wasn't thrilled, but she's supportive. Dad on the other hand exploded when he heard. He's still pissed. I want to see you so much it hurts, Harry. I'm going to talk mum into taking me to Diagon Alley to do some shopping, and maybe you can meet us there. She'd love to see you. Anyway, I expect a letter ASAP.
I love you~
Hermione
Harry collapsed back on his bed and let out a breath that he didn't realize he'd been holding. He hated not being with Hermione as much as she hated being away from him. Harry set Hermione's letter on his nightstand and reached over and turned off his light. He thought of nothing but Hermione and dreamed of nothing but her throughtout the night.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
For once in his life, the Dursleys had complied with letting him out of the house for a day on his own. It was the best feeling in the world to be free. But seeing as how he had never been into London by himself, he didn't really know how to get around. There were many times that HArry had found himself lost and had to ask directions. But soon enough he found himself standing in the main room of Victor's office.
Victor standing in a far corner of the room talking to a man in a brilliant green cloak. The man tipped his head to Harry before apparating out. Victor walked over to Harry and smiled.
"Let's start out with the normal warm up excersizes," Victor said.
Harry grew his hands to twice their size and to half their size. then he did the same thing to his feet, and finished up by growing out his hair and shrinking it short. He did all of this with remarkable speed, his injuries now a thing of the past and causing him no pain.
"Everything looks to be in order. Now I want you to imagine a wolf. I want you to embrace the animal in your mind. Be the animal."
Harry stared blankly at a wall past Victor's head. He concentrated as hard as he could before a tingling feeling came over him. Once again he could smell the forbidden forest and hear the growling. But he couldn't see the forest. He saw the wall past Victor's head.
Harry shook himself out of the trance before looking at Victor and wondering why Victor was always smiling when he came out of his trance.
"That was good. You're starting to develop the vocal chords for the wolf," Victor said.
"What do you mean?"
"Did you hear the growling?"
"Yes," Harry said hesitantly.
"That was you. Not the dream, but you. Now try changing your vocal chords again, and make some sound."
Harry thought about it for a miinute before his throat felt strange. It wasn't like anything he'd ever felt before. When he went to ask Victor about it, nothing came out but a low barking noise. Harry tried to talk again, but he got the same sound.
Victor crossed his arms in front of his chest and urged Harry to try and see what else he could make with his new-found voice.
Harry snapped loudly, making Victor jump sharply. A smile spread across Harry's face as he explored a vast range of sounds from the whimper to the growl, and after several tries, he managed to get out a long howl.
"That's very good, Harry. You're progressing quite quickly. At this pace, it won't be long before you can fully change."
Harry thanked Victor and hurried out the door. He was going to meet Hermione in Diagon Alley today.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Hermione sat opposite her father and next to her mother at a sidewalk cafe in Diagon Alley. Tension ran high between the three people. She knew that things would only get worse when Harry arrived. He didn't know that she was going to bring her father with her, and that might scare him off.
Hermione looked up as she heard a few girls crossed in front of their table. They were whispering and giggling to themselves.
"Did you see him?" one said.
"Yeah, he's so cute in person," said the other.
"Jsut think, Harry Potter. And we saw him."
The two girls passed by and Hermione stiffened. She looked at her parents and the looks on their faces were quite a sight. Her father looked confused and her mother had a quirked eyebrow.
"Why would they be so excited to see Harry?" Her father asked.
"Oh, right. Harry is the most famous person in the wizard world. I might have forgotten to mention that little detail."
"Famous? for what?" Her father asked.
Hermione didn't have the time to answer before she was jumping up and running through the crowd and into Harry's arms. She kissed him hard as she melted into his arms. People on the street stopped to watch the scene, and some took pictures. It was after all, Harry Potter. And when it came to his love life, it had to be everyone's business.
Hermione pulled away from Harry when she heard her mother clear her throat loudly. She turned around, blushed a little, and stepped back, entwining her fingers into Harry's.
"Mum, Dad, this is Harry."
Harry reached out and shook Hermione's parents' hands. Jeremy kept a firm rasp on Harry's hand, making sure taht Harry knew what and who he was dealing with. Harry seemed almost scared of the muggle.
"Well, looks like you two have some talking to do. Hermione, didn't you say that you needed to get some shopping done?" Michelle said as she tugged on Hermione's robes.
Hermione nodded and turned to walk away, leaving a stunned Harry and a smiling father to talk for a while.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Hermione stood inside Madam Malkin's when she heard a calm voice from behind her. She turned and saw Harry standing there with a grin on his face. He reached out to her and pulled her into his arms, kissing her forehead lightly.
"I see no broken bones. What's going on here? Why so happy?"
"Everything is going to be fine. Your father isn't really upset anymore."
"How did you manage to pull that one off?"
Hermione and Harry walked out of the robes shop with their fingers entwined together. They walked down Diagon Alley, looking in the shop windows as they went.
"We just talked and I think he understands what you mean to me. It's just really hard to explain."
Hermione stopped in the middle of the street and kissed Harry lightly on the lips for everyone to see. She kissed his cheeks and he wrapped his arms under her robes and around her back. They stood in the middle of the alley for the second time that day kissing. And also for the second time that day they heard the familiar sound of a throat being cleared behind them.
"Do you think that you two could do that someplace a little more privately?" Michelle asked.
"Don't give them ideas!" Jeremy scolded.
"Why not? What else do they have to learn?" Michelle said defensively.
"Harry, how would you like to stay with us and get rid of those horrid people you stay with for the rest of the week?" Michelle asked.
Harry's face lit up. He looked at Hermione who was also smiling brightly.
"That would be absolutely perfect."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Harry found himself standing in his living room with the Grangers and the Dursleys. Both families were eying each other suspiciously. Vernon looked repulsed at the idea of letting Harry go and stay at the Grangers' house.
"Why should I let you go, boy?" Vernon asked.
"Mr. Dursley, Harry will be fine with us. We'll just take him off of your hands for a few days. That's all." Jeremy said.
Harry and Hermione stood in the corner of the room, trying their best to become transparent to the others. They thought that Vernon was just about to say yes when Dudley came running down the stairs as fast as his fat legs could carry him. He stopped halfway, panting with the effort. He had something clutched in his hand. something that looked vaguely familiar...
Harry opened his eyes wide at the parchment. Dudley had been in his room! He had found Hermione's letter!
Harry went running across the room and rushed at Dudley. He lunged for the letter that Dudley held, but Dudley shoved him off. He went running to hs father. Harry tripped him on the way and he sprawled out across the floor. Harry reached up and grabbed the letter, sighing in relief.
Until Vernon reached down and took the letter out of Harry's hand.
Vernon turned a deep shade of purple as he read the words on the parchment. He read the letter several times, each time growing a deeper color. Harry layed on the floor, scared to get up. The Grangers all looked very confused. But Hermione clutched a protective hand across her stomach as she realized what Vernon had.
"I thought we had taught you better than this, boy. What have you done? Is this her?" Vernon grabbed Hermione by the arm. She grimaced in pain. Jeremy reached over and grasped Vernon's arm, trying to pull it off of his daughter, but he wasn't as strong as Vernon. "Is this the slut?!"
Harry stood up from the floor and walked over to Hermione. He put a protective arm around her and shielded her from Vernon. Vernon dropped his hand from Hermione when he saw a bright flash of red pass over Harry's eyes.
"Get out." Vernon said as calmy as he could muster. "GET OUT!!!" he shouted loud enough to rattle the windows. Vernon dropped the letter on the floor and turned to leave the room.
Harry looked at Hermione's parents who stood in the corner of the room looking absolutely outraged. Jeremy's face was one that could kill. Michelle didn't know what to think. She stood there with her mouth open, and her hands clenched in fists at her side.
"Get your things, Harry. And hurry. We'll be waiting in the car."
Jeremy, Michelle, and Hermione left the house quietly as Harry walked upstairs to get his belongings.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
END CHAPTER FIVE
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
a/n: REVIEW ME! REVIEW ME!! and message me, for crying out loud. tell your friends! CURSEoftheSCOTS
rating: PG13
keywords: harry/hermione
category: romance
summary: when harry and hermione finally make that connection, what harry gets is more than what he bargained for.
a/n: okay, so this isn't the best chap in my opinion, but i tried to keep it true. and yes, the comp did the thing where it erased my story again. so this has been written twice now!! :) --not really. :( ---more like it
disclaier: i was thinking about it, and i guess a disclaimer would be useful. here it goes: jk rowling, blah blah blah, they belong to her blah blah blah i'll give them back when i'm damn well ready to.
REVIEW THIS THING!
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Harry was still laid up in bed, unable to move by the time the term of his fifth year at Hogwarts was done with. He was lucky enough to be able to lift his arms, but heavy breathing was out of the question, and he'd be damned before he'd try getting up to walk. This he had told Madam Pomfrey, and she'd been very upset to hear it.
Madam Pomfrey had offered Harry a healing spell to mend the broken ribs, but he had told her that he'd also be damned before he would do that because layed up in a hospital bed at Hogwarts was better than being with the Dursleys.
All of the students had left Hogwarts for the summer except for Harry. He had stayed behind in the hospital wing in the care of Madam Pomfrey. The last day of the term Hermione had come up to the hospital wing early in the morning to see him. He had been sleeping, but upon seeing her face, he woke up fully and was very attentive.
Hermione put her hand to Harry's cheek and moved it up to brush a few trim locks off of Harry's forehead.
"I'm sorry, Harry. Sorry for everything," Hermione said as she gazed deep into the green depths of his eyes.
"There is nothing to be sorry for."
"Yes, there is. I've ruined everything for you. I've ruined everything for myself."
"You haven't ruined anything for me. You've made things even better. I don't think you realize how happy you have made me."
"Happy? What's there to be happy about? When you finally get back to full strength, my father is going to come looking for you."
Harry laughed slightly, a grimace forming on his face from the pain that it had caused. "I'll be sure and put a protective charm on myself. But what about you? What will happen for you?"
"I don't know. I expect that if my parents were magical, I'd be hexed from here to eternity, but since they aren't, I guess that's one good thing."
"You know that I'm here if you need anything. Well, maybe not -here-, but you know how to get ahold of me."
"Yes. And rest assured that I will. Harry, are you upset at all about this?"
"Not at all. You know that I love you, and I'm just as much at fault as you are. But this makes me happy. Although I -am- pissed about that damn bludger knocking me off of my broom. I would have loved to have given those damn Ravenclaws a good show too. We won anyway, so that's all that matters."
Hermione smiled and blindly reached up a hand to her stomach. she had developed a habit out of doing that in the past two days that she had known about her pregnancy. Harry reached up and covered her hand. She moved her own hand to let his touch her stomach. He ran his thumb back and forth, tickling lightly.
"It's going to be a hard summer. Especially if I don't have you there with me everyday," Harry said.
"A hard summer for you? By the time we get back to classes on the first, I'll be as big as a balloon!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Speaking of getting back to classes, what should we do about Ron and the others? They'll have questions."
"I don't think I want them to know."
"Can we really keep this from them? I mean, it's not like I can just say that I mysteriously gained a stomach the size of a bludger over the summer, can I?"
"No, I don't reckon that you can. We'll find something."
Hermione looked up at the clock on the opposing wall. It was almost time for the others to be coming down to breakfasst, and she still needed to go and finish up the last of her packing before the trip back home. She leaned down and kissed Harry softly on the lips before standing to walk away.
Harry sighed as he remembered that day. It had been at least a week since then, and he had been in agony ever since. Being away from Hermione for more than a few hours ripped Harry apart. And by the time that he did get to see Hermione again, he was afraid that all she would find of him were the tattered remains of his lonely soul.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Hermione ran off of the train and into the waiting arms of her mother. She smiled happily and kissed her mum on the cheek. Almost immediately her mum had grabbed her by the arm and looked into her eyes knowingly.
"There's something you need to tell me, isn't there?" Hermione's mum, Michelle had asked.
Hermione looked away, a frown appearing on her face. "Can we talk about it somewhere private?"
Michelle nodded and helped Hermione to grab her belongings that were being unloaded off of the train. Hermione grabbed the owl cage and sat it down on the cart just on top of her trunk.
"It's a beautiful owl," Michelle said as she examined the sleeping creature. "Where ever did you get him?"
"Harry gave him to me as a Christmas gift."
"You must have forgotten to mention that to me in your letters."
"Yes, well. Can we go?"
Hermione was about to cross through the gate when a strong pair of arms wrapped around her from behind. She shoved them off and turned around to look into Ron's eyes. She smiled and reached over to kiss his cheek lightly.
"Have a good holida, Hermione," Ron said as he turned around to go and find Ginny. Hermione looked up and saw that Ginny was standing on the middle of the platform wrapped up in Malfoy's arms, kissing like there was no tomorrow.
Hermione laughed and crossed the barrier.
Later that afternoon Hermione and her mother sat in a local park not far from their home, eating ice cream that Hermione said she had been craving for hours. The wind blew lightly, throwing Hermione's hair into her face.
"Damnit," she breathed as she pulled it out of her face.
"You're easily agitated today, Mione. What's wrong?"
Hermione looked across the park at a mother and her two small children. She smiled and watched as they tackled their mother to the ground, giggling and have a good row in the grass. Hermione's mother noticed her daughter's interest in the children.
"Mom, I've done something awful and I don't know if you can forgive me for it," Hermione said as she looked down at her empty ice cream cup.
"Honey, you know you can tell me anything."
"I know, but I'm so scared to say it. I mean, it was a bad mistake, I know, and we never meant for this to happen, but now it's too late to change things."
"Hermione?"
"Mom, I'm pregnant."
Michelle drew in a deep breath and looked away from Hermione's eyes. She bit her bottom lip and clenched the park bench. She closed her eyes and gathered her thoughts for a moment.
"How did this happen?" Michelle asked calmly, looking back at Hermione's teared-up eyes.
Hermione's voice betrayed her and borke as she spoke, "It just happened once, I swear it to you! I was there and he was there, and the tower was empty. Things just got so confusing, and then it happened. I'm so sorry."
Hermione collapsed into her mother's arms and cried. Michelle rested her head on top of Hermione's and let a few tears of her own streak down.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
By the time that the second week after term was over, Harry had decided that he wanted Madam Pomfrey to give him something that would help mend his bones faster. The potion had worked overnight, and he decided that he wanted to try and walk the next day.
Harry had just swung his legs over the side of the bed when Dumbledore came walking in. He walked steadily and intently up to Harry, watching as the boy tried his best to stand. He held out his arm to Harry, which Harry gratefully took and straightened his composure.
"I suppose you heard," Harry said as he took one step forward, a sharp shot of pain going up his arm.
"Yes, I did."
"Well, what happens now?" Harry asked as he walked a few more steps away from Dumbledore on shaky legs.
"What do you mean? Am I upset? No. After all, the same thing happened to me when I was in my sixth year. She was a Slytherin, too."
Harry turned around and shot Dumbledore a surprised look. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Once again he was left speechless.
"Yes, I was upset at the time. But I loved her, and that was all that mattered." The twinkle left Dumbledores eyes as he spoke of her.
"What happened?" Harry asked.
"It doesn't matter now. Waht does matter is that you and Hermione both have either a problem or a blessing on your hands. You need to start putting your priorities in their right order."
Harry focused on the task of walking again. The strides were coming easier to him, and he noticed that before long he could almost walk with no pain. He turned around to walk back and sit down on his bed. He layed back on his pillow and threw his legs behind where Dumbledore sat.
"So is that all you came here to say?" Harry asked.
"No," Dumbledore stuck out his hand, and Harry took it. "I came to congratulate you. I don't think that you could have found a better witch."
Harry smiled and shook Dumbledore's hand.
"I must get back to my study now, if you'll excuse me."
Dumbledore got up and left the hospital wing. He walked through many corridors before coming to the portrait that would lead him to his office. He walked in and was greeted by Fawkes. Dumbledore smiled and sat down in his chair. He turned and opened a large cabinet behind his desk.
"I haven't used you in a while, my friend," Dumbledore said as he pulled the pensieve out of the cabinet. He set it on the desk and dipped his wand into the water. It began to swirl, and he reached in his hand.
Dumbledore found himself standing in a flower shop in downtown London. He was buying Anne roses. She had always liked roses. He looked up to see his almost sixty-year younger form standing at the counter paying for the flowers.
He followed himself out of the shop and into the street. He watched as the flowers that he had been holding fell from his hands. He knew that something was wrong. Even through memories he could still feel the tingling sensation of something wrong.
And then he felt himself running on his street to his home; their home. He heard a scream and a door slam as he rounded the corner to their smal house in a secluded neighborhood that was only half-muggle. He followed himself as he ran inside the house to find Anne laying on the ground with the small lightening-bolt shaped scar on her forehead. He looked up and knew that whoever had done it was gone. Probably disapparated out.
He watched as he bent down and took Anne into his arms, his hands running through her silky black hair. He cried as he realized that he would never get to look into her beautiful dark eyes ever again. Never hear the sound of her voice. He kissed her pale cheeks and ran a finger over her cold lips. A tear fell.
Dumbledore heard the sound of their son crying in the nursery. He followed himself as he walked down the hallway and entered the second room on the right. A baby of no more than two stood in his crib crying. He lifted his arms to Dumbledore when he walked in the room.
"Samuel," Dumbledore said as he cradled the child in his arms. He ran his fingers through the child's black tendrils of hair.
A waft of grey passed and Dumbledore found himself standing alone on a hill in front of a grave. He threw a red rose down on the grave. They had always been her favorites...
Dumbledore leaned down and touched the cool slate tombstone as he read the words to himself.
Anne Bridgette Snape
1917 - 1934
~Love Eternal~
Dumbledore saw the grey once again and he found himself standing in front of a young man that looked to be about twenty. He stepped out of the way of the boys vision so he could watch himself as the two interacted.
"Yeah, she's still tired, but you can come in and see her if you want," the man said. Dumbledore followed the young man and a much older version of himself into what looked like a wizard hospital room. He smiled as he saw a woman sitting in a hospital bed holding an infant.
"Would you like to hold your grandson, Albus?" the woman said weakly.
Dumbledore watched as he stepped up and had the baby placed in his arms. The baby opened his dark eyes and looked at him. The eyes were so much like Anne's. The infant gripped on his finger as he played with it's fingers.
"What's his name?" Dumbledore asked as he looked at Samuel.
"We named him after Karen's father, Serverus."
Dumbledore looked back down at the baby one last time before everything went grey. He found himself once again in his office, soft tears rolling down his cheeks.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"Jeremy, we're home!" Michelle called from the doorway.
Hermione's father came around the corner and pulled his wife and daughter into a large hug. He kissed both of them on the cheek before pulling back and making sure taht all limbs were attached to his daughter and everything was in oreder.
"Honey, I'm sure you've got unpacking to do upstairs, and me and your father will go and have a chat."
Hermione smiled weakly and grabbed her trunk, hauling it up the staircase. She heaved it over the top step and down the hallway into her room. Michelle grabbed Jeremy by the arm and pulled him into the living room.
"We have to talk," she said before they disappeared.
Hermione was unpacking her things fifteen minutes later when she heard it. The sound of yelling from downstairs. She began to shake a bit when she started to make out the muffled words from downstairs.
"Why in the bloody fucking hell wasn't I told about this sooner?!!" Jeremy yelled from downstairs. Hermione could hear her mother's soft voice trying to reason with him.
"I just found out this afternoon."
"How could we let this happen?!"
"It's not like we can be with her twenty-four hours a day, Jeremy!"
"Well I'm, going to get to the bottom of this sodding problem right now!"
"She doesn't need this right now, Jeremy! Jeremy!"
Hermione backed up against the headboard of her bed as she heard the stomping of footsteps up the staircase. Her door burst open and slammed against the wall, breaking a hole where thd oorknob was.
"How could you?!" Jeremy hissed loudly.
"I'm sorry, Daddy." Hermione collapsed and cried into her pillow. Jeremy's heart broke when he saw his daughter begin to cry. He lightened up and went to sit down on the edge of the bed. He put a warm hand on Hermione's back.
"I didn't mean to yell at you, sweetheart," Jeremy said quietly.
"And I didn't mean for this to happen, Daddy. you don't know how sorry I am."
"Why did you let something like this happen?"
"I don't know. It just happened. At least he's not a stupid prat like most men are! He's sweet and I love him, Daddy."
Jeremy sighed and let his shoulders slump. "I need some time alone." Jeremey got up and waked out the door.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"Harry stood in the foyer of the Dursley's house with his belongings at his side. He heard laughter coming from the kitchen and assumed that it was time for Dudley's second brunch of the day. Harry left his things sitting in the middle of the hallway and advanced forward into the kitchen.
"Oh, you're home, I see," Uncle vernon said in his deep voice. "It's about time. We need someone to weed the garden."
"I'm afraid I can't do that this week."
Uncle Vernon glared opened-mouthed at Harry. He tightened his grip on the fork that he held in his hand. "And why the bloody hell not?" Vernon asked with genuine interest.
"Didn't you get Professor McGonagall's letter?" Harry asked, apparently annoyed.
"We saw one of those annoying little owls fluttering outside the window, but it was raining and we didn't want it to come flapping its wet wings in here."
Harry clenched his fists, and through a stiff jaw managed to mutter, "So you let it stay outside in the rain?"
"Of course we did."
A glass busted on the table. Harry looked at it nonchalantly and began to speak. "Well I am late getting here because of an accident at school. I am recovering and can't do any of your chores for at least a week. So sorry."
Vernon was picking up the pieces of the glass as he spoke.
"It's a wonder you didn't kill yourself. That's why you aren't considered normal like us. We don't put ourselves in danger like your kind do."
Harry's face turned red as he became angrier and angrier. Another glass busted on the table and Vernon seemed to be getting angry as well. Petunia stood by the sink, her back pressed up against it, afriad to see what might happen. Dudley was cowering at his end of the table.
"Go to your room, boy." Vernon said through clenched teeth.
"Gladly."
Harry sat on his bed reading through one of his books that night, and Hedwig was in her cage on top of Harry's trunk sleeping. harry felt as though he could fall asleep, and he probably would have if it hadn't been for the insistent tapping sound on his window. He looked up to see a small brown owl fluttering violently outside. He walked over to the window and opened it, taking the parchment from the owl and paying it before it flew off.
Harry sat down on his bed and read the letter.
Dear Harry~
Hello, it's Victor. I was hoping to get in touch with you about your animagus training. I've heard that your muggle family doesn't like it when you do any sort of magic, so I need you to meet me in my London office for your training. I heard about your accident with the broom, and I hope that you are well. I waited until I thought that you were mostly recovered before sending this, so I hope that I am within good time. Here is the time of our meeting, and I hope to see you there.
Victor
Harry smiled and wrote down the time and place for his animagus training. It would take place in two days in downtown London. Maybe he could sneak out and see Hermione while he was about.
Just as Harry began to think about Hermione, another owl fluttered into the window that he had left open. Harry immediately recognised it as Hermione's owl. He took the letter and sent the owl on it's way.
Dear Harry~
I hope you are well. By now you should be up and about, maybe even home. I am fine. A little on the sick side, but that's usually only every morning. And sometimes after bedtime, but that tends to happen when you're pregnant. I told mum about the baby the day I got back. She wasn't thrilled, but she's supportive. Dad on the other hand exploded when he heard. He's still pissed. I want to see you so much it hurts, Harry. I'm going to talk mum into taking me to Diagon Alley to do some shopping, and maybe you can meet us there. She'd love to see you. Anyway, I expect a letter ASAP.
I love you~
Hermione
Harry collapsed back on his bed and let out a breath that he didn't realize he'd been holding. He hated not being with Hermione as much as she hated being away from him. Harry set Hermione's letter on his nightstand and reached over and turned off his light. He thought of nothing but Hermione and dreamed of nothing but her throughtout the night.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
For once in his life, the Dursleys had complied with letting him out of the house for a day on his own. It was the best feeling in the world to be free. But seeing as how he had never been into London by himself, he didn't really know how to get around. There were many times that HArry had found himself lost and had to ask directions. But soon enough he found himself standing in the main room of Victor's office.
Victor standing in a far corner of the room talking to a man in a brilliant green cloak. The man tipped his head to Harry before apparating out. Victor walked over to Harry and smiled.
"Let's start out with the normal warm up excersizes," Victor said.
Harry grew his hands to twice their size and to half their size. then he did the same thing to his feet, and finished up by growing out his hair and shrinking it short. He did all of this with remarkable speed, his injuries now a thing of the past and causing him no pain.
"Everything looks to be in order. Now I want you to imagine a wolf. I want you to embrace the animal in your mind. Be the animal."
Harry stared blankly at a wall past Victor's head. He concentrated as hard as he could before a tingling feeling came over him. Once again he could smell the forbidden forest and hear the growling. But he couldn't see the forest. He saw the wall past Victor's head.
Harry shook himself out of the trance before looking at Victor and wondering why Victor was always smiling when he came out of his trance.
"That was good. You're starting to develop the vocal chords for the wolf," Victor said.
"What do you mean?"
"Did you hear the growling?"
"Yes," Harry said hesitantly.
"That was you. Not the dream, but you. Now try changing your vocal chords again, and make some sound."
Harry thought about it for a miinute before his throat felt strange. It wasn't like anything he'd ever felt before. When he went to ask Victor about it, nothing came out but a low barking noise. Harry tried to talk again, but he got the same sound.
Victor crossed his arms in front of his chest and urged Harry to try and see what else he could make with his new-found voice.
Harry snapped loudly, making Victor jump sharply. A smile spread across Harry's face as he explored a vast range of sounds from the whimper to the growl, and after several tries, he managed to get out a long howl.
"That's very good, Harry. You're progressing quite quickly. At this pace, it won't be long before you can fully change."
Harry thanked Victor and hurried out the door. He was going to meet Hermione in Diagon Alley today.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Hermione sat opposite her father and next to her mother at a sidewalk cafe in Diagon Alley. Tension ran high between the three people. She knew that things would only get worse when Harry arrived. He didn't know that she was going to bring her father with her, and that might scare him off.
Hermione looked up as she heard a few girls crossed in front of their table. They were whispering and giggling to themselves.
"Did you see him?" one said.
"Yeah, he's so cute in person," said the other.
"Jsut think, Harry Potter. And we saw him."
The two girls passed by and Hermione stiffened. She looked at her parents and the looks on their faces were quite a sight. Her father looked confused and her mother had a quirked eyebrow.
"Why would they be so excited to see Harry?" Her father asked.
"Oh, right. Harry is the most famous person in the wizard world. I might have forgotten to mention that little detail."
"Famous? for what?" Her father asked.
Hermione didn't have the time to answer before she was jumping up and running through the crowd and into Harry's arms. She kissed him hard as she melted into his arms. People on the street stopped to watch the scene, and some took pictures. It was after all, Harry Potter. And when it came to his love life, it had to be everyone's business.
Hermione pulled away from Harry when she heard her mother clear her throat loudly. She turned around, blushed a little, and stepped back, entwining her fingers into Harry's.
"Mum, Dad, this is Harry."
Harry reached out and shook Hermione's parents' hands. Jeremy kept a firm rasp on Harry's hand, making sure taht Harry knew what and who he was dealing with. Harry seemed almost scared of the muggle.
"Well, looks like you two have some talking to do. Hermione, didn't you say that you needed to get some shopping done?" Michelle said as she tugged on Hermione's robes.
Hermione nodded and turned to walk away, leaving a stunned Harry and a smiling father to talk for a while.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Hermione stood inside Madam Malkin's when she heard a calm voice from behind her. She turned and saw Harry standing there with a grin on his face. He reached out to her and pulled her into his arms, kissing her forehead lightly.
"I see no broken bones. What's going on here? Why so happy?"
"Everything is going to be fine. Your father isn't really upset anymore."
"How did you manage to pull that one off?"
Hermione and Harry walked out of the robes shop with their fingers entwined together. They walked down Diagon Alley, looking in the shop windows as they went.
"We just talked and I think he understands what you mean to me. It's just really hard to explain."
Hermione stopped in the middle of the street and kissed Harry lightly on the lips for everyone to see. She kissed his cheeks and he wrapped his arms under her robes and around her back. They stood in the middle of the alley for the second time that day kissing. And also for the second time that day they heard the familiar sound of a throat being cleared behind them.
"Do you think that you two could do that someplace a little more privately?" Michelle asked.
"Don't give them ideas!" Jeremy scolded.
"Why not? What else do they have to learn?" Michelle said defensively.
"Harry, how would you like to stay with us and get rid of those horrid people you stay with for the rest of the week?" Michelle asked.
Harry's face lit up. He looked at Hermione who was also smiling brightly.
"That would be absolutely perfect."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Harry found himself standing in his living room with the Grangers and the Dursleys. Both families were eying each other suspiciously. Vernon looked repulsed at the idea of letting Harry go and stay at the Grangers' house.
"Why should I let you go, boy?" Vernon asked.
"Mr. Dursley, Harry will be fine with us. We'll just take him off of your hands for a few days. That's all." Jeremy said.
Harry and Hermione stood in the corner of the room, trying their best to become transparent to the others. They thought that Vernon was just about to say yes when Dudley came running down the stairs as fast as his fat legs could carry him. He stopped halfway, panting with the effort. He had something clutched in his hand. something that looked vaguely familiar...
Harry opened his eyes wide at the parchment. Dudley had been in his room! He had found Hermione's letter!
Harry went running across the room and rushed at Dudley. He lunged for the letter that Dudley held, but Dudley shoved him off. He went running to hs father. Harry tripped him on the way and he sprawled out across the floor. Harry reached up and grabbed the letter, sighing in relief.
Until Vernon reached down and took the letter out of Harry's hand.
Vernon turned a deep shade of purple as he read the words on the parchment. He read the letter several times, each time growing a deeper color. Harry layed on the floor, scared to get up. The Grangers all looked very confused. But Hermione clutched a protective hand across her stomach as she realized what Vernon had.
"I thought we had taught you better than this, boy. What have you done? Is this her?" Vernon grabbed Hermione by the arm. She grimaced in pain. Jeremy reached over and grasped Vernon's arm, trying to pull it off of his daughter, but he wasn't as strong as Vernon. "Is this the slut?!"
Harry stood up from the floor and walked over to Hermione. He put a protective arm around her and shielded her from Vernon. Vernon dropped his hand from Hermione when he saw a bright flash of red pass over Harry's eyes.
"Get out." Vernon said as calmy as he could muster. "GET OUT!!!" he shouted loud enough to rattle the windows. Vernon dropped the letter on the floor and turned to leave the room.
Harry looked at Hermione's parents who stood in the corner of the room looking absolutely outraged. Jeremy's face was one that could kill. Michelle didn't know what to think. She stood there with her mouth open, and her hands clenched in fists at her side.
"Get your things, Harry. And hurry. We'll be waiting in the car."
Jeremy, Michelle, and Hermione left the house quietly as Harry walked upstairs to get his belongings.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
END CHAPTER FIVE
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a/n: REVIEW ME! REVIEW ME!! and message me, for crying out loud. tell your friends! CURSEoftheSCOTS