Hermione poked dejectedly at her swollen stomach and looked at the
calendar. Hard to believe it'd been six months...her stomach was mucho big
now...not that Hermione minded. It gave her a ticket to call upon oodles of
favors that were owed to her by one exuberant father. Not that he minded,
either. They were all counting down...now that the three pregnant women
were in their third trimester. But Hermione had begun having strange
dreams...
~*She was running through the woods. No!...something inside her mind shouted. No! You'll never have him!
Hermione...a voice at the back of her mind called...give him to me! Bring them all to me! They are my heirs...my children...mine!
MINE!
Hermione tripped over a bush and threw herself into a roll so that she landed on her back. There was a bundle in her arms. A bundle that gave a sleepy protest of fear. No! They wouldn't have him! She stood back up. Running...breathless...she couldn't breathe...she was running too slowly! They'd catch her! They'd catch her!!! No! She wouldn't let them catch her. She slid around a wall and froze there, watching in fear...they were going to find her...she held her breath...
They walked on by...thank God...she was safe...
She looked down at the bundle in her arms. Thank the Gods...she would NEVER let them have him...never.
Slowly, hesitantly, Hermione walked out of her hiding place and bumped straight into one of THEM.*~
She was sitting up in bed, caked in a cold sweat, the other prefects and Draco staring at her worriedly. Draco was cradling her close to him, rocking her.
"Shh...It was just a dream...just a dream."
Gods...how she wished it was...
"Draco..." She whispered. "It was awful...they were going to take him..." He put a finger to her lips. Why wouldn't he let her talk?! She needed to tell him! For some reason...she had to tell him...
But she was already fading...she was already fast asleep...NO!
Draco rubbed his temples. "I don't know, Harry...she's been having more and more nightmares lately...they all have. Maybe we should let them tell us. Ever since their third trimester began...maybe our kids are trying to tell us something."
"Nonsense..." Harry protested...even though he, too, was worried about Ginny. They were all worried. The girls had been getting less and less sleep.
"Nevertheless, maybe Draco's right, Harry. Maybe we should let them talk." Ron said...
"We'll wait...once the babies are born they can tell us...deal?" Harry said, desperately.
Draco and Ron exchanged glances. Harry had enough stress on his shoulders...Voldemort had been attacking more and more fiercely lately...and Hogwarts couldn't hide them all forever. They were staying until their kids were born...but then they had to leave, too. Not wanting to pile more stress on Harry, but not wanting to ignore the nightmares, Ron and Draco slowly nodded wordlessly.
That was the biggest mistake of their lives.
~*She was running through the woods. No!...something inside her mind shouted. No! You'll never have him!
Hermione...a voice at the back of her mind called...give him to me! Bring them all to me! They are my heirs...my children...mine!
MINE!
Hermione tripped over a bush and threw herself into a roll so that she landed on her back. There was a bundle in her arms. A bundle that gave a sleepy protest of fear. No! They wouldn't have him! She stood back up. Running...breathless...she couldn't breathe...she was running too slowly! They'd catch her! They'd catch her!!! No! She wouldn't let them catch her. She slid around a wall and froze there, watching in fear...they were going to find her...she held her breath...
They walked on by...thank God...she was safe...
She looked down at the bundle in her arms. Thank the Gods...she would NEVER let them have him...never.
Slowly, hesitantly, Hermione walked out of her hiding place and bumped straight into one of THEM.*~
She was sitting up in bed, caked in a cold sweat, the other prefects and Draco staring at her worriedly. Draco was cradling her close to him, rocking her.
"Shh...It was just a dream...just a dream."
Gods...how she wished it was...
"Draco..." She whispered. "It was awful...they were going to take him..." He put a finger to her lips. Why wouldn't he let her talk?! She needed to tell him! For some reason...she had to tell him...
But she was already fading...she was already fast asleep...NO!
Draco rubbed his temples. "I don't know, Harry...she's been having more and more nightmares lately...they all have. Maybe we should let them tell us. Ever since their third trimester began...maybe our kids are trying to tell us something."
"Nonsense..." Harry protested...even though he, too, was worried about Ginny. They were all worried. The girls had been getting less and less sleep.
"Nevertheless, maybe Draco's right, Harry. Maybe we should let them talk." Ron said...
"We'll wait...once the babies are born they can tell us...deal?" Harry said, desperately.
Draco and Ron exchanged glances. Harry had enough stress on his shoulders...Voldemort had been attacking more and more fiercely lately...and Hogwarts couldn't hide them all forever. They were staying until their kids were born...but then they had to leave, too. Not wanting to pile more stress on Harry, but not wanting to ignore the nightmares, Ron and Draco slowly nodded wordlessly.
That was the biggest mistake of their lives.
