After Ginny's little talk, everyone became less tense. Although no one talked to Hermione, Ginny, and Harry, the kids became much nicer to Eric. Christmas had passed, and the kids were about to go to school. The Order was way ahead of Voldemort thanks to Snape as the spy. The Order was having one of its long dinner meetings once again. The older kids were out playing Quidditch. The rest were playing in the long hallway. Rachel was asleep in the room.
"There's some sort of weapon. Something he's using to spy on us. I just know it!" Snape said.
"Okay, we either have a choice to let Snape continue spying or find Voldemort ourselves and defeat him," Harry said. He was once again at the head of the table, with Ginny sitting on his left. Hermione was sitting in the center of the table with Tonks and Neville next to her. Ron was sitting across from her.
"I say Snape should continue and get more information before we do anything else," Hermione said.
"Stall for time? Let's fight already and get this bloody war over with," Ron said. He looked at Hermione and she glared back at him.
"This information can help Harry survive," Hermione said, still glaring at Ron.
"He's surviving now! Let's just fight him!" They were still keeping eye contact. They didn't notice their voice rising as they spoke.
"Oh, so you want him to just go out there and risk his life?"
"All of us are risking our lives!"
"Do you want your best friend to die?"
"I don't have any best friends," Ron said coldly.
Hermione closed her eyes to prevent that comment from sinking in. How could he say that? She knew they hadn't talked since the divorce, but the way he said it. It just made her feel so angry.
"What happened to you Ron?" she said quietly. "He used to be your best friend. I used to be your friend. We all used to be so close. What happened?"
"You want to know what happened?" Ron was still shouting. "I'll tell you what happened! He betrayed our friendship and you betrayed our marriage. And what do you mean what happened to me. What happened to you? You ran off to America, got married, and had a kid."
"That's what you think happened?" Hermione rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"That's what it looks like."
"Ron, after our divorce, I suffered hell. I moved to the U.S., thinking I could get a fresh start. I met a great guy who helped me deal with my bloody problems with you, like our –"
Hermione was about to spill the beans on their child. Luckily, Rachel began screaming and crying at that moment.
"Damn, can't you get her to shut up?" Ron said. "She's been having bloody nightmares ever since she got here."
"Well I'm sorry that I'm not a responsible mother. I guess I'm just like her father."
"You know, why didn't you just leave her with her father?"
Hermione looked straight at Ron. Tears were falling down her eyes.
"I would've, but he's also here." She ran out of the room towards Rachel's screams.
Once she was in the hallway, Eric and Erin came running to Hermione. They had tried to stop Rachel from screaming, but she only cried harder. Eric saw her crying. She wouldn't tell him what had happened, but Eric was smart enough to figure it out. He rushed towards the Order of the Phoenix meeting.
Ron, meanwhile, didn't take the hint that Hermione gave him. Everyone else had and began talking amongst themselves. Snape, though, seemed worried.
"She's been having nightmares all the time?" he asked Harry. Harry ignored him because he was lost in thoughts about Hermione. Ginny was too. She looked extremely tired. Just then, a young boy and girl ran into the room. Eric was furious and Erin was chasing after him. Eric took his mom's seat and pointed his wand at his father.
"What did you do to Mom?" he said dead cold.
"Nothing," Ron replied.
"What did you to Mom?!?!" Eric leaned against the table and forced the wand closer to Ron's face.
"Ron," Neville said from next to Eric, "I guess this is the best time to tell you that Eric, her, is the best in his Defense against the Dark Arts class."
"I didn't do anything to her," Ron said annoyed.
Eric was about to mutter an incantation when Harry said, "Eric, I suggest you put your wand down before you hurt someone." Eric lowered his wand and sat in the chair moodily. He was glaring at his father.
"The dork must've said something to make her cry," Eric said quietly.
"What did you call me?" Ron said.
"A D-O-R-K! It's American for a git, a fool, an idiot! The perfect word to describe you." Ron and Eric got into a huge argument, shouting at each other from the top of their lungs. Everyone was watching them.
"Can everyone give us a moment please?" Harry asked. The other members of the Order walked out of the room. The only people that were left were Harry, Ron, Eric, Ginny, and Erin.
"Eric, Ron, SHUT UP!" Ginny screamed. They obeyed.
"Ron, we have something very important to tell you about Hermione," Harry said.
"Well…" Ginny said, "after the divorce, when she moved to America…"
Eric, who was keeping his eye contact on his shoes spoke, "Eight months after we moved to America, my mother gave birth to your daughter."
Ron froze. "My?"
"Rachel's your daughter, dad," Erin said.
Ron didn't want to believe this. "She can't be. Her husband in that photo is the girl's father."
"What husband?" Eric asked. He looked at his dad.
"They red-headed guy in the photo."
"Oh, that's Ben. He's her best friend," Harry said.
"Mom carries a picture of him around?" Eric asked.
"Yeah," Ginny said, "ever since he d-" She stopped suddenly. Eric didn't know about Ben's death.
"Ever since he what?" Eric said.
"Eric," Harry said, "Ben – Ben died a month after you went back to school."
"WHAT?"
"He was in a car crash."
"HE COULDN'T HAVE DIED! HE – HE – " Eric broke into tears.
"I'm sorry, Eric," Harry said. Eric ran out of the room. Harry looked frustrated with himself while Ron and Erin were confused.
"What's up with him?" Ron asked.
"Ben was the father figure in his life," Harry said. "For him to lose Ben was like for me losing Sirius." There was a long silence.
"So I'm the father?" Ron said.
"Yeah, you are," Harry replied.
"I can't be," Ron said angrily. Ron stood up and walked out of the kitchen into the hallway where everyone was waiting. As Harry was climbing up the steps he screamed, "Ron, you forced her away once, you can't do it again." Harry reached the hallway to see Ron turn his back towards Harry.
"I'm not the baby's father!" Ron turned towards the door and left. Harry watched him close the door and turned to Ginny who was behind him accompanied by Erin.
"Harry! HARRY!" Snape screamed. "THE LITTLE GIRL IS THE WEAPON!"
"What are you talking about Snape?" Harry said.
"It fits! It fits! The Dark Lord uses her as a spy when she's in an unconscious state! That's what he means by when he said their spy wasn't close enough!"
