Chapter 23: Longe Aestivus
"Dad and I are going to pop over to the mall to meet Jerry, he says that he's finally found a house that sounds suitable for us. Would you like to come?" Hermione's mother entered the living room and patted her daughter's head. Hermione was counting stitches- she was knitting a little playsuit for the baby.
"…17, 18, 19, 20….no thanks, you go ahead mother…21, 22, 23…"
"You know you could use some fresh air, since you've come home, you've hardly stepped outside."
"…24, 25, 26, 27…Dumbledore's orders. Supposed to lie low….28,29,30…"
"Well, when I had you, I found that taking some exercise helped me feel much better. Just a short trip darling?"
"Oh no! I've lost count!" said Hermione in despair. She really enjoyed knitting. She put down the thread and needles.
"All right, mum" Hermione got up and stretched her back. It was already July and she was getting very big.
"Wonderful. I'll go fetch your coat."
At that moment, the doorbell rang.
Mother and daughter looked at each other.
"I wonder who that could be?" Mrs Granger wondered aloud and went for the door. "Probably a salesman"
As it turned out, it was not a salesman.
"May I help you?" asked Mrs Granger, as she opened the door on a young girl in a cream blouse and black slacks. The girl looked a bit nervous.
"Yes, I've come to see Hermione. I'm Ginny Weasley, her friend from school."
Suddenly, Mrs Granger recognized the girl from the wizard photos Hermione had showed her.
"Oh of course, well you just go right in, I'm looking for Hermione's coat."
"Thank you."
Ginny Weasley walked shyly into the living room where she saw her friend putting away her knitting things.
"Hello, Hermione!"
"Er…do I know you?" asked Hermione. She didn't recognize the girl.
"It's me! Ginny!"
"Ginny?"
Then, as if a cloud had been lifted from her eyes, she recognized her best girl friend Ginny Weasley. But how?...of course! Aspectus Deceptio! Ginny had remembered how to use the charm.
"Ginny!" The two girls ran into each other's arms.
"Oooh, not so hard, I don't want to hurt you Hermione. You're getting really big!"
Hermione laughed. "Don't worry, it doesn't hurt at all."
"How have you been 'Mione? We've all been thinking and thinking about you!"
"I've been okay. Fine. Really. Well, I think about you all lots, seeing as Dumbledore said I'm not supposed to get owls or anything, I only get letters from Harry the muggle way. The last one was weeks ago, after Percy's wedding. And the worst thing was he didn't leave a reply address, so I couldn't write back."
"Oh, he's at Sirius' place now, up in the Cotswolds. It's lovely Hermione, I've been there to stay!"
"Wow, I can't wait to see it."
"Hello girls!" said her mother coming into the room with Hermione's coat. "I had to search for ages for your coat- you haven't worn it for a few weeks."
"It's summer mum, I'm not cold."
"Well, you're pregnant and I don't want to risk anything" said her mother firmly.
"Oh, were you going somewhere?" asked Ginny in surprise.
"Well, yes. My parents are house-hunting and they asked me to go along, for some fresh air."
"Well," Ginny turned to Mrs Granger, "I was just going to ask if you would let Hermione spend the day with me. We'll do muggle things like shopping and watch a movie. I've really missed her."
Hermione's mother looked concerned. "Hermione, you know what Dumbledore said about associating with magical people…"
"Mum, please let me go! Anyway, I know that Ginny used an appearance altering charm on herself so that only people who she tells who she is will know her. No one will possibly recognize her. They'll think I'm with a muggle friend."
Hermione's mother looked at her daughter beaming with eagerness.
"All right, but be back before dinner and oh Ginny dear, would you like to stay for dinner?"
"May I?"
"Well, of course, dear."
"I would love to Mrs Granger" said Ginny politely as she took Hermione's coat from her mother and helped her friend wear it. It was just a light summer knit.
"Well, I'll give you two a lift to the mall, I'm meeting your father and Jerry there in 10 minutes."
Hermione and Ginny walked arm-in-arm out of the room.
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Hermione and Ginny had just finished lunch at Pete's Pasta and were now having enormous ice-cream sundaes in Sundae Heaven. Hermione's appetite was quite substantial now that she was nearly eight months pregnant. Ginny furtively put a privacy charm on them so that no one could hear their conversation.
"We really missed you at the wedding, 'Mione." Said Ginny, through a mouthful of strawberry ice-cream, "Bill brought his fiancée- Fleur Delacour…remember her? She's graduated and working in the French branch of Gringgots. Do you know Fred and George have got girlfriends- a set of twins. And they're muggles. Dad couldn't stop asking them about about muggle-stuff. Penelope looked absolutely lovely, she chose to wear a muggle gown I helped her choose it actually… mum cried and cried. And I think Ron's going out with Parvati coz he brought her to the wedding. Mum practically choked her in a bear-hug- she's so glad Ron's found a girlfriend."
"What about Charlie? Didn't he come?"
"Oh, he was really busy with work. He's been watching the dragons really closely this year- somebody seems to be poaching their eggs. He's really annoyed- says that that could lead to all kinds of problems if wizards start thinking they can be exotic pets or something."
Hermione laughed…she remembered Hagrid's attempt to keep a pet dragon named Norbert in her first year at Hogwarts. She lapped up all the information. She really enjoyed catching up on news in the wizarding world. "How are Harry and Sirius?"
"Those two! Tearing off somewhere in Northern Europe, last I heard. They came to the wedding and then disappeared. Top secret their jobs are. Luckily Harry writes to me often, but he can't really tell me about his job, you know. I think they got some more Death Eaters."
"Good," said Hermione, "I hope they get them all"
"I know, but it's horribly dangerous, I never thought I would be so worried about Harry but I am. And now it seems there's some new development with You-Know-Who trying to gain eternal life again. You know his network spreads across most of the world already so finding out information is really hard- they have covers and spies in every country."
Hermione shuddered. "Could we talk about something else?"
"I'm sorry, hey, you want some of my ice-cream? You've finished yours."
"Thanks!" said Hermione gratefully, picking at Ginny's ice-cream.
"Well, have you heard from Draco?" asked Ginny softly.
Hermione shook her head. She missed him terribly. "I didn't expect too. But I'll be seeing him next month- he's really busy at Hogwarts."
"Draco's still at Hogwarts?" asked Ginny in surprise. She had assumed he would go and work at the ministry or manage the Malfoy fortune or something.
Hermione nodded, "It's no secret now really, he'll be Assistant Potions Master to Snape next year. He's preparing for teaching now."
"WHAT!" Ginny yelped, "Why didn't you tell me! Hermione, how long have you known?"
"For a couple of months."
"Eeks! Draco Malfoy…might be teaching ME potions?" Ginny began to hyperventilate. "That's just what we need- another Gryffindor-hating Slytherin to take points off us…"
"Oh calm down Ginny, you know Draco's changed since last year!"
"Yeah…but…Still! I can't bear the thought of Draco lording it over all of us! Ooo…if he tries one of his sneers on ME I'll wipe right of his face." Ginny sounded suspiciously like her mother Molly Weasley.
"Don't worry, he's only teaching the first and second years."
"Whew…that's all right then."
"Ginny…" said Hermione suddenly, realizing that she had not told anyone, not even her parents of what Draco and her had talked about on the last day of school, "…I-I have something to tell you. You're the first person I'm telling so keep it secret, promise?"
"Of course I promise. You know me- I wouldn't tell for the world."
Hermione blushed. "On the last day of school- Draco asked me to marry him!"
"Oooo!" Ginny squealed and clutched her friend's hand, "That's wonderful! Harry and I both thought it was only a matter of time you know!"
"Why so?"
"Because you two are so disgustingly in luuurve…"Ginny pulled a face and giggled, "It's so obvious."
"Only to you. I thought we did a good job of keeping it from the rest of the school."
"Yeah well…when he's around you he's suddenly all 'Mione this and 'Mione that…ack! And the way you two gaze into each other's eyes! Oooo….this is wonderful! But.." and here, Ginny plunged down to reality, "When are you getting married? Wh-What about Lucius?"
"It can't be straight away of course. There's things to be sorted out and we're awfully young. Dumbledore has a plan to put everything right by the time Draco turns 21…" this was the closest Hermione had ever come to divulging the secret of the Malfoy prophesy and she found herself changing the topic… "so it's not too far off…and he even gave me a ring."
"Where?" asked Ginny looking hard at her friend's fingers. But the only ring she could see on Hermione was a plain silver-coloured band.
"I'll show you at home later."
Ginny nodded happily. She loved being let in on secrets. She was as curious as ever. "I can't wait!"
"Oh!" Hermione suddenly looked startled.
"What happened? Are you all right?"
"The baby kicked. He's been doing that a lot lately."
"He must be getting restless." Said Ginny putting her hand on her friend's tummy. She thought she could feel a slight thump from within. The two girls smiled at each other.
"Any names?"
"Draco told me after the exams that he'd thought of a name, but that it would be a surprise. I'll only know after the baby is born."
"How about Fabio? Or Lorenzo?"
"Ginny…"
"Okay, okay…bad names I know. But I was just reading this wonderful book…"
The girls spent a great afternoon at the mall. Hermione didn't want the day to end. She was glad Ginny was going home with her for dinner, or she would feel the day was too short.
"We have to sit down now, Ginny" panted Hermione as she collapsed onto a bench outside Mothercare. "My feet are swelling up."
Gnny plonked herself down beside her friend. She was exhausted too. After lunch, she and Hermione had watched a movie, done some shopping, gone for a hair-wash and set at a salon, then done more shopping. The last store was Mothercare where Ginny had insisted on buying the baby a blue frilly bonnet with her own money.
"After being apart from you all for so long and not doing many spells, I was beginning to wonder if the wizarding world was real…if I had really gone to a wizarding school called Hogwarts, if my baby was really the son of a wizard called Draco Malfoy…or if it was just a dream and I really just got knocked up by one of the locals in a pub."
Ginny put her head on her friend's shoulder.
"We're real, 'Mione. We're all still out there, and we are all still thinking of you. Ron and I have missed you so much. One day you'll come back to us, you belong there you know. You're one of the most powerful witches we know."
"I will come back to you all, it's just for a while while Draco and I get ourselves sorted out…and his father and all."
"He loves you, Hermione. Harry and I know it. Even Ron knows it."
"How does Ron know?"
Ginny laughed. "My brother gave up on you, didn't he? What else has ever put him off?"
The girls got in a taxi and headed for Hermione's home.
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The dinner conversation had revolved almost entirely around the new house the Granger's were going to buy- their housing agent Jerry Sherman had found a beautiful one for them and they were really thinking of buying it. Apparently, Dumbledore had advised the Grangers to move for their own safety.
After dinner, Hermione and Ginny went up to her bedroom. Ginny was bursting with curiosity.
"Where is it? Come on, 'Mione! Let's see!"
Hermione smiled and settled herself on the bed. She took her wand out from deep in her cupboard where she stored it for safekeeping (strictly speaking, they were not meant to use magic out of school) and muttered a transfiguration charm over the silver ring. Ginny gasped as beneath her eyes, Hermion's plain silver-coloured band turned into a large gold ring set with enormous diamonds. It was in the form of a snake biting its own tail with yellow diamonds for eyes.
"Oh wow!" Ginny breathed in admiration. "It's beautiful! It's a Jormungand! That's a really powerful magical symbol coz we covered that topic in History of Magic last year!"
Hermione nodded. "Apparently, it's a Van Doren family heirloom."
"Van Doren?"
"Draco's mother's side. Not his father's"
Ginny pulled a face. She hated Lucius as well. "That's good"
Hermione slipped the ring of and put it into Ginny's hand. Ginny turned the ring around in wonder. "Wish Harry would propose" Ginny muttered.
"Ginny Weasley- you are still in school!"
"Yeah well…so were you and Malfoy."
Hermione blushed. "That was different."
Ginny winked at her friend. Then she noticed the inscription on the ring. "In hora summe inopis nostrae…what does that mean?"
"In our hour of greatest need, Draco said it was a powerful ring that would protect me when I most needed it."
"Cool. Wow…Hermione, these ancient rings are very magical and powerful. No one really knows what they do or how they were made. You'd better wear it always."
Hermione nodded and put it on. She transfigured it back into a plain silver band- it was the only piece of jewellery she wore these days. She had kept away the little dragon pendant Dracp had given her- it was too flashy to wear in the muggle world and she didn't really want to transfigure that cute little dragon- he seemed too alive.
"When are you going to back to Hogwarts to have your baby?"
"In three weeks. We don't want to wait till the actual day in case he comes early."
"I wish I could be there, 'Mione. But I know Dumbledore wants to keep this all secret."
"Thanks, Ginny. I'll be all right. Draco will there and so will Dumbledore , Madam Pomfrey and all the other teachers. I'll be perfectly all right."
Ginny began to look teary. "I can't bear not seeing you for two more years 'Mione."
"Oh Ginny…you must be tougher than that. One of the years you'll be at Hogwarts where you'll soon stop worrying about me. Hogwarts is a fantastic place, treasure your time there."
Ginny nodded.
"And the next year you told me Harry's asked you to stay with him and Sirius- go traveling and all that."
"Yes, but we won't forget you. I know Harry's upset about it too."
Hermione hugged her friend. "I'm right here. I'll be okay and I'll see you real soon- Voldemort doesn't stand a chance against Dumbledore and the Aurors."
"You must let your baby wear the blue bonnet we bought today."
"Of course!"
After Ginny left, Hermione's mother stepped into her daughter's room.
"It looked like you had fun today, darling."
"Oh yes! It was fun getting out again….even though baby is beginning to make me feel like a hippo."
"Hermione, we might really buy this house Jerry's recommended. It really seems perfect. You are coming with us to see it next weekend, won't you?"
"Of course! It'll be great to move. Give me something to think about. And it's even nearer the Community Hospital where I'll start my nursing course, so that's good."
Katherine patted her daughter's hand.
"Get some sleep. You've had a tiring day."
"Good night mum."
"Good night, dear."
As Hermione's mother walked out of the room and turned off the light, Hermione lay for a long time in the dark with her eyes wide open. She was excited and nervous about having the baby, and seeing Draco again. It would only be about three months since she had last seen him…would he have changed in any way? Did he still think of her? She fell asleep and dreamt of holding a little blonde baby girl in her arms, watching, while Draco and a young blonde boy ran past her trying to catch a flying sorting hat.
