DISCLAIMER: I own nothing here except my own characters, and I think you'll
be able to figure out who they are. Everything else belongs to J.K.
Rowling.
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"Hermione."
The voice roused Hermione from her deep sleep. She groaned and ignored it, not wanting to wake up. By sleeping she had managed to forget about the events of the night before.
"Hermione, you really should get up. It's almost ten o'clock."
"Ten o'clock!" yelped Hermione, sitting up in a flash. Her hair swung forward as she did so and her nightgown was twisted around her body, but she hardly noticed.
Harry smiled wryly. "Yes, and I think the reason you've slept so late is because you were up until two in the morning watching soap operas and eating chocolate pudding; am I correct?" He sat down on the bed next to his wife.
Hermione smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry Harry," she began, "it- well, it made me feel better, if you can believe that," she sighed.
Harry nodded and took Hermione's hand. "I know this is hard for you," he said, "but at least you knew your mother before she died."
Hermione saw the look in Harry's green eyes that meant they were in a sensitive subject, so she said, "Yes, but now there's a lot to be done. Oh no! I need to call dad!" Hermione couldn't believe that had bypassed her thoughts.
She jumped out of bed and quickly strode over to her dresser and selected an outfit. "Where's Audrey?" she asked over her shoulder as she went into the master bathroom.
"In her playpen with some toys," called Harry, "and I'll go check on her now. Do you want breakfast?"
"No thanks," Hermione called, pulling a shirt over her head. She heard Harry go downstairs.
"I can't believe I didn't call dad!" Hermione said aloud, brushing the tangles out of her hair. "I better do that before I do anything else."
As soon as she was dressed, Hermione went down the hall to the phone and dialed her father's number. It rang eight times before the answering machine picked up.
"Hi dad, it's Hermione," she said, "I just wanted to talk to you and make sure you're okay. Call me later. Bye."
She replaced the phone in its cradle and sighed. What was she thinking, wondering if her father was okay? Of course he wasn't; his wife of twenty- one years had just mysteriously died! For a moment Hermione wished that she had had the courage the night before to make the call to her father about her mother's death, but she had asked Officer Rodriguez to do it instead.
Since neither the police nor the coroner had called yet, there was nothing more Hermione could do at the moment. She wandered downstairs and played with Audrey for awhile before deciding she really should eat something other than chocolate pudding. Later in the day she and Harry took Audrey for a walk in her stroller, came home, and ate dinner. It had been a typical day up until eight o'clock, when the police called.
Hermione was upstairs in Audrey's room, getting ready to put her to bed. She heard the phone ring just as she was laying Audrey down in her crib and Harry picked up the phone.
"Goodnight Audrey. I love you," Hermione said, kissing her daughter's forehead.
Audrey smiled and cooed before closing her eyes. Hermione smiled also and went downstairs. Just as she entered the kitchen she heard Harry say, "Yes, thank you Officer Smith," before hanging up the phone.
"What did he say?" asked Hermione, sitting down at the kitchen table.
Harry looked at her, a somber look in his eyes. "Hermione, I love you," he said carefully, sitting down next to her.
Hermione frowned. Harry did this whenever he was about to say something he didn't want to say.
"What? What did he say?" she asked again.
Harry closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. When he opened them again he began to speak.
"Hermione," he said, taking her hand, "your father is dead."
Hermione jerked her hand away from Harry's and stood up abruptly. "What in the name of hell are you talking about?" she cried.
"Honey, he's dead! His body was found behind the train station early this morning. No one knows how he died, and now the coroner's looking at your father as well as your mother." Harry stood up too and looked into Hermione' s eyes.
"I - I-" said Hermione, "how - why?"
"I wish I knew sweetheart," said Harry, "I wish I knew."
Hermione started crying then. Harry opened his arms and she fell into them, sobbing. Harry embraced her and tried to calm her, but it was no use. Hermione felt as though her world was unraveling and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
And then the phone rang again.
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A/N: So, what do you think? I want at least twenty review altogether before I make another chapter!
Also, a big thanks to Stephanorkle, AllStar628, FEAngel258, Robaatsu, silverwand13, harryschic, sherry, britbrat, and hermione for your reviews! Love ya all! Mwah!
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"Hermione."
The voice roused Hermione from her deep sleep. She groaned and ignored it, not wanting to wake up. By sleeping she had managed to forget about the events of the night before.
"Hermione, you really should get up. It's almost ten o'clock."
"Ten o'clock!" yelped Hermione, sitting up in a flash. Her hair swung forward as she did so and her nightgown was twisted around her body, but she hardly noticed.
Harry smiled wryly. "Yes, and I think the reason you've slept so late is because you were up until two in the morning watching soap operas and eating chocolate pudding; am I correct?" He sat down on the bed next to his wife.
Hermione smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry Harry," she began, "it- well, it made me feel better, if you can believe that," she sighed.
Harry nodded and took Hermione's hand. "I know this is hard for you," he said, "but at least you knew your mother before she died."
Hermione saw the look in Harry's green eyes that meant they were in a sensitive subject, so she said, "Yes, but now there's a lot to be done. Oh no! I need to call dad!" Hermione couldn't believe that had bypassed her thoughts.
She jumped out of bed and quickly strode over to her dresser and selected an outfit. "Where's Audrey?" she asked over her shoulder as she went into the master bathroom.
"In her playpen with some toys," called Harry, "and I'll go check on her now. Do you want breakfast?"
"No thanks," Hermione called, pulling a shirt over her head. She heard Harry go downstairs.
"I can't believe I didn't call dad!" Hermione said aloud, brushing the tangles out of her hair. "I better do that before I do anything else."
As soon as she was dressed, Hermione went down the hall to the phone and dialed her father's number. It rang eight times before the answering machine picked up.
"Hi dad, it's Hermione," she said, "I just wanted to talk to you and make sure you're okay. Call me later. Bye."
She replaced the phone in its cradle and sighed. What was she thinking, wondering if her father was okay? Of course he wasn't; his wife of twenty- one years had just mysteriously died! For a moment Hermione wished that she had had the courage the night before to make the call to her father about her mother's death, but she had asked Officer Rodriguez to do it instead.
Since neither the police nor the coroner had called yet, there was nothing more Hermione could do at the moment. She wandered downstairs and played with Audrey for awhile before deciding she really should eat something other than chocolate pudding. Later in the day she and Harry took Audrey for a walk in her stroller, came home, and ate dinner. It had been a typical day up until eight o'clock, when the police called.
Hermione was upstairs in Audrey's room, getting ready to put her to bed. She heard the phone ring just as she was laying Audrey down in her crib and Harry picked up the phone.
"Goodnight Audrey. I love you," Hermione said, kissing her daughter's forehead.
Audrey smiled and cooed before closing her eyes. Hermione smiled also and went downstairs. Just as she entered the kitchen she heard Harry say, "Yes, thank you Officer Smith," before hanging up the phone.
"What did he say?" asked Hermione, sitting down at the kitchen table.
Harry looked at her, a somber look in his eyes. "Hermione, I love you," he said carefully, sitting down next to her.
Hermione frowned. Harry did this whenever he was about to say something he didn't want to say.
"What? What did he say?" she asked again.
Harry closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. When he opened them again he began to speak.
"Hermione," he said, taking her hand, "your father is dead."
Hermione jerked her hand away from Harry's and stood up abruptly. "What in the name of hell are you talking about?" she cried.
"Honey, he's dead! His body was found behind the train station early this morning. No one knows how he died, and now the coroner's looking at your father as well as your mother." Harry stood up too and looked into Hermione' s eyes.
"I - I-" said Hermione, "how - why?"
"I wish I knew sweetheart," said Harry, "I wish I knew."
Hermione started crying then. Harry opened his arms and she fell into them, sobbing. Harry embraced her and tried to calm her, but it was no use. Hermione felt as though her world was unraveling and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
And then the phone rang again.
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A/N: So, what do you think? I want at least twenty review altogether before I make another chapter!
Also, a big thanks to Stephanorkle, AllStar628, FEAngel258, Robaatsu, silverwand13, harryschic, sherry, britbrat, and hermione for your reviews! Love ya all! Mwah!
