Hermione was softly singing to Rachel, who was sleeping in her lap. She had another nightmare. It had happened so often this week and Hermione couldn't figure out a way to get rid of it. Rachel would never tell Hermione what happened in the nightmares. It was probably too much for her to stand.
Hermione was still silently crying. She wanted to tell Ron a million times before about the daughter he didn't know about. She wanted to so bad. But in the end, she ended up throwing the letter in the trash, of using the floo powder instead for Harry and Ginny. Why couldn't she do it? She didn't know why. She just couldn't.
"I love you so much," Hermione said to herself. "But I hate you so much too." Why didn't Ron believe her when she said it was Viktor who kissed her? Why didn't he even listen to her?
Just then, the door banged open. Snape rushed in followed by Harry. Rachel had woken up to the loud noise.
"Give me the child," Snape said.
"What? Why?" Hermione said.
"Hermione, give Rachel to Snape," Harry said.
"But why?"
"Just give me to her," Snape said. He took Rachel from Hermione's arms and put her on the bed. He looked directly into Rachel's eyes.
"Mommy!" Hermione said.
"Hermione, we need you to get out," Harry said. "I'll explain later." Harry pushed Hermione out of the room onto the landing where Ginny was standing. Harry closed the door in front of her.
"What's going on?" Hermione said.
"I don't know, but my head feels a bit funny," Ginny replied. "C'mon, let's go up to an empty bedroom."
They walked into the room next door and Ginny lay on the bed. She closed her eyes and began to laugh.
"What are you laughing about Ginny?" Hermione asked.
"I have an image of my head of Rachel…riding a bike… and crashing straight into Eric on his bike…. She was riding so fast and then crashed." Ginny was in a fit of giggles.
"Oh yeah, I remember that," Hermione said. "That was in Rachel's I'm-going-to-follow-Eric stage."
"Ooh, I'm getting another one. Rachel's sitting in a chair with a cake in front of her…you lower your face from behind her so that you can light the birthday candles…and Rachel pushes your head into the cake!" Ginny was consumed in laughter once again.
"Oh yes, her fourth birthday." Hermione watched Ginny laughing to herself as she closed her eyes. "Ginny, why are you having memories of Rachel? I don't remember you there."
Ginny opened her eyes and sat up. "You know, Hermione, I don't know why." Ginny yawned. "I'm feeling awfully tired. I'm just going to take a little nap."
Ginny drifted off to sleep as Harry walked into the door a few minutes later.
"What's going on, Harry?" Hermione asked.
"Um… we have some odd news for you," Harry said.
"What's wrong?"
"Well," Harry looked at Ginny, "How about we wake up Gin?" He walked up to her and gently shook her. She awoke.
"Okay, well Hermione, umm Rachel is Voldemort's tool to spying on the Order."
"WHAT?" Hermione screamed.
"Snape said that Voldemort somehow possessed Rachel in her sleep. I guess that means that when Rach is asleep Voldemort can here her surroundings. Fortunately for us, Rachel has been inside the room ever since you guys came."
"But I don't understand. Why Rachel?"
"We don't get it either, but Snape is trying to teach her Occlumency right now."
"Can I see her?" Hermione asked.
"I'm sorry, but he have to keep her locked up." Hermione began to cry. "I'm really sorry."
"AHHHHHHHHH!!" Ginny screamed.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked.
"I don't know, I just… it hurt."
"You've been feeling ill forever. What's wrong?"
"I dunno." Harry held Ginny tightly.
"Merlin's Beard!" he shouted.
"What now?" Hermione sobbed.
"Ginny's her life line."
"What?" Hermione and Ginny asked.
"Remember, that legend."
"Oh yeah," Ginny said. "But why does she need me now?"
"What are you guys talking about?" Hermione yelled, frustrated.
"There's a wizard legend, Hermione," Ginny said. "When a baby is born, the first person to touch it, besides it's parents and a healer, is they're ultimate lifeline."
"Lifeline?"
"The child can use strength from they're lifeline, when they don't have enough of it's own. Very few wizards know this because it's such an old story. So very few kids have a lifeline."
"But then that would mean that – "
"Yeah, since I was the first to touch Rachel, I'm her lifeline. And right now, she's in need of strength."
"Oh my poor baby!" Hermione sobbed. She was crying even harder.
"Don't worry Hermione, Rachel's fighting him. I can feel it," Ginny said. "I think that's why she's having nightmares. She's trying to wake herself up, because she knows something bad is happening."
Hermione was silent. She didn't want to say or do anything at the moment. The world was crashing down on her. The man she loves is too stupid to realize that she still loves him. Her daughter was being possessed by Voldemort, and she wasn't allowed to see her. And she just knew, for some odd reason don't ask her why, that Eric was angry and frustrated and distressed.
For the rest of the night, Hermione stood looking out of her window, lost in thought. She was so lost in thought, that she didn't even hear her door open and shut, hours later.
"Hermione, I'm sorry," she heard Ron say from behind her.
"For what?" She dared not look at him, for she knew it would make her feel even worse.
"For making fun of you, for our kid, for the divorce…for everything."
"Oh so they told you about Rachel then." Hermione was still gazing out the window. "She's just like you, Ron. Just like you."
"Really, then I must've been some smart, spoiled, brat when I was younger," he joked.
Hermione ignored his comment. "So I guess you've heard what's happen to her now?" Hermione finally turned her head to look at Ron. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her face was tear stricken.
"What's new?" Hermione looked out the window once more.
"She's been possessed by Voldemort." She explained everything to him, from Snape to Ginny. There was a long silence after Hermione stopped talking. Both of them were lost in thought.
"So what are you doing here, Ron?" Hermione asked rudely. All of the sorrow left Hermione, and animosity returned.
"I'm here to tell you I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"For everything."
Hermione began to walk towards the corner of the room, where he was. For a moment, Ron thought she had forgiven her. But when she walked towards him, she turned, and dragged the chair on his left to the window. She didn't speak.
"Look, Hermione. After that night I felt so much anger and hatred towards you. I never wanted to see you again. I felt that way towards you for a while afterwards. But then I finally got over you. I was fine. I was happy. But then you came back. All that anger and hatred that subsided, rose up again. I couldn't handle it."
"Then they told me," he continued. As he talked, he began to move closer to Hermione. "I didn't want to believe it. I took a long walk to think. I thought about you, the divorce, that night, the kids, and my new daughter. And while I was thinking, I figured out that that anger and hatred was never really that at all…. Well, on some level it wasn't anger and hatred. I was angry that I couldn't do anything to get you back. I was angry that you didn't love me anymore. I was angry that some other man was loving you the way I should have. And I felt hatred toward that Krum. But those feelings were really love. I truly love you, Hermione. I want you back in my life. I can't live without you."
Hermione stood up, walked to Ron, and hugged him. She looked up into his eyes, and he moved in to kiss her. Hermione and Ron felt a feeling wash over them both. Something they haven't felt for 5 years. Hermione thought it was pure bliss to be kissing Ron, but she had to stop. She pulled away from him.
"We can't do this, Ron"
"Why not?"
"Ron, you wanted a divorce, and you got one. I found a way to live again after your decision and I don't want to end up like I did 5 years ago."
"But Hermione, I want you back. I love you."
"Ron, please, don't expect me to come running back into your arms after you pour out your heart and soul."
"Hermione-"
"Ron, please, let's stop talking about this. I'm tired." Hermione got some clothes and went into the bathroom to change. When she came back, Ron was still there, sitting in the chair. Hermione got into the bed.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.
"Tell you what?"
"Tell me about Rachel."
"I don't know. I guess I thought that if I told you, then you would do the right thing, which would be getting back together for the sake of the child. And I didn't want the reason we got back together was because you knocked me up."
"Oh, well, I guess I better go now. Let you sleep, you know." He stood up and walked towards the door.
"Wait!" Hermione said. Ron turned around. "Will you stay with me until I fall asleep? I don't want to be alone right now."
"Yeah, anything for you." He walked over to one side of the bed and sat down. Hermione curled up close to him and fell asleep. Soon, Ron fell asleep also.
