A\N—I have almost 100 reviews!! By the time I post this I should have 100 reviews. If I don't, you are very bad people. No, not really, no one who reads my story could be bad, I love you all. Well, if you read my story, then you go kill people, reading my story does not make you a good person. But since you don't do that, and you do read my story (unless you have given up and closed the window by now) you are a good person. Life is good I'm babbling. Do you know why I'm babbling? Because I have almost 100 reviews that's why. :quits typing: :rereads what she has typed so far: :sigh: :begins typing again: Whatever I'm on, I want some!
This chapter is dedicated to Majestic, because she puts up with me. I've told you Majestic, stop damning my chapters to hell. JK! And in answer to ur ? I always need ideas.
Chapter 10
Yes, chapter 10
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Weasley Manor, Front Hall, 12:00pm
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Once the ghost servants realized that none of the mortals in the room were going to open the ominous door, they floated over to it and opened it themselves. There shivering on the icy front steps, paused in mid knock was….Harry. (hahahhaha)
The Quidditch robe clad, star athlete dropped his bag on the floor in surprise. There in front of him, sprawled out on an ornate floor rug in a dead faint, was Hermione, Ron kneeling at her side. On the stairs were the two boys, sobbing by this time, Blancoeeb holding them back.
"Well." Harry managed at last. "I realized there was a lot going here, but this was not quite the welcome I was expecting."
"HARRY POTTER!" cheered Alex through the tears in his eyes, and, as Blancoeeb had now let go of him, he darted down the stairs toward the three adults, Rion trailing behind him, holding on to his shirt tail.
Both boys stopped running when they reached Hermione "Mummy?" they whispered, lips trembling again. Ron reached up and hugged *his* boys close.
"Mummy will be fine." He told them, and he could swear he felt them relax a bit. But that would be wistful thinking…wouldn't it. He felt more than saw Harry kneel down beside him and hand Alex a bag.
"Listen to your daddy." Harry told them. "Alex buddy, go put these under the tree for me will you?"
Alex nodded, albeit slowly, and headed off to the parlor to put the presents under the tree, Rion following at his side, wanting to know what was in that big bag for him.
"Enerverate." Whispered Harry.
A few moments later Hermione awoke, to find herself laying on the rug with her head in Ron's lap, Harry kneeling over her. "Harry." She gasped. "Thank God it's you."
Harry ginned at Ron. "That's more of the welcome I was expecting."
Ron glared at him, but Harry's teasing grin did not falter until Hermione handed him the note, and both he and Ron read it.
"Oh my Lord." Ron said. He squeezed Hermione's hand. "It's ok 'Mione. He can't hurt you anymore."
Hermione struggled to right herself. "I have to get home. I have to get away. Where are my babies?"
Ron squeezed her a bit tighter. "You can't leave Hermione."
Hermione turned her head a bit to glare at him. "I don't care about your stupid business deal any more Ron Weasley. Apparently I'm gonna lose my job anyway. My boys are gonna be safe."
His eyes were steady and calm. "It's not that Hermione. You'll be safer here with me and Harry and Blancoeeb. We won't let anything hurt you." Harry nodded his afirmenation.
Hermione began to tremble with out seeming to realize it. Ron clapped his hands twice. "Annie!" he called. "Get Hermione to bed please. She needs to lie down." The ghostly youth floated down and took Hermione's arm, and Hermione didn't protest. She walked to the Master bedroom, and when the double doors had shut behind her, Harry stared at Ron. "She went in your room." He mouthed, and Ron nodded, incapable of keeping the grin off his face. Harry rolled his eyes, and then looked around. "Where did Blancoeeb go?" he asked. "I saw him when I came in. But he's not here anymore."
Ron shook his head. "I have no idea. There's something almost eerie about that man, something I didn't notice when we were just owling each other back and forth."
"He seems familiar you mean?"
"Well, that. And the way he appears and disappears around here. And I swear he knows something. But he never says anything."
Harry nodded thoughtfully. "And there's that name…Blancoeeb…." He sighed. "I don't know buddy. I'm supposed to be on vacation for once."
Ron laughed. "The famous boy who lived doth not get a vacation."
The men walked to Ron's office, so they could talk with out being overheard by Blancoeeb. Ron had a lot to catch Harry up on.
"Neither does his faithful sidekick." Harry returned as the door closed.
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Ron's office, 1:15 pm
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Alex, with his uncanny ability, took his sweet time putting the presents, and his brother, under the Christmas tree. When the two boys (Rion with fur boughs in his blond hair) walked into Ron's office, the man had already told his old friend everything, from Hermione's surprising confession at her house, to the Anniversary surprise Alex had planed. (a\n basically, everything that has gone on in the chapters since Harry left.) (a\n2 I don't want anyone thinking he broke Hermione's confidence. He only told Harry because he needed to know in order to help protect her.)
Harry shook his head. "I knew this was coming. You're head over heels with all three of them. Not that I blame you."
Ron shook his head, knowing he should make a smart remark back, but finding himself unable to do so. That was when Alex had saved him by opening the door.
"Hi Harry. Hi Ron." Alex said. "Where's Mummy?"
"Upstairs." Harry supplied as the six year old made himself comfortable on the floor exactly between Harry and Ron's chairs, his brother on his lap. "She'll be all better in no time."
Alex nodded. "Did you win Harry?"
Harry grinned. "But of course. And I won time off for Christmas."
Alex also grinned, and Rion followed suit. Soon however, the seriousness had returned to Alex's small face. "Ron, are you and Mummy fighting again?"
Ron looked aghast. "Of course not Alex." He replied. "Your Mummy just misunderstood something is all."
Alex would not be quieted. "Do you love her?" he asked quietly. "For real? Like for always?"
Ron didn't answer. He couldn't find his voice. Harry knew this and was sending him panicked looks. Ron's eyes told Alex all he needed to know however.
This was when Rion spoke up. "Al-ix." He whined plaintively. "We go home to Daddy. Mummy and Daddy."
Alex both looked and felt more than a bit helpless. "No Ri." He whispered. "We don't want to go home with Daddy. We'll stay here with Ron and Harry and Mummy."
"NO NO NO NO NO!" Shrieked Rion, his little face turning quite suddenly red. "DADDY DADDY DADDY DADDY!!!"
Ron stood quietly up and lifted the small kicking boy off his helpless brother. Alex took the opportunity to climb up in Harry's lap, and Ron sat back down holding the toddler close, not saying anything. Harry was a bit in awe. This father stuff was obviously not easy, but Ron seemed remarkably good at it for a 'confirmed bachelor.'
Eventually Rion's shrieks subsided, but the four of them sat in the office for a long time. **********************************************************************************
Master Bed Room, 8:30 pm
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Later, Hermione would wonder how she had made it all the way up the stairs to bed that afternoon. The energy she had spent arguing with Ron, coupled with the terror she had experienced had drained her completely and she was out by the time she hit the pillow.
The next thing Hermione knew, she found herself in a little cove, in the middle of a Forest so big and dark it gave the Forbidden Forrest a run for its money. She knew instantly where she was. This was the Forest of Whispers. She looked down and saw that the robes she wore were a deep, sad black color. (And only a size or so smaller than what she would wear in real life Thank You Very Much.) She could feel the tears that had only just dried on her cheeks, and the scratches that had found themselves there as well. Far off in the distance she could hear funeral music, and the murmuring of mourners. If she squinted just so through the fog, the cold steal letters 'Whisperside Cemetery' were visible. Feeling her heavy feet move her forward, Hermione prepared herself for what she new she was about to experience. Her eyes unwillingly searched for the figure she knew would appear, her ears strained reflexively for the words that were bound to meet her ears.
"Hermione? Hermione?"
Hermione sat straight up in bed with a start. Ron was standing next to the bed and had been calling her just a moment before. "Are you ok Hermione? You've been asleep for hours." Ron said.
Hermione nodded, albeit slowly, as if taking stock of her overall 'okayness'
"I'm fine." She said finally. "I feel much better actually. But Ron…" here her voice sounded more urgent. "Ron I dreamed about the funeral."
Ron ran a hand through his hair and looked at her. "Do you want to talk about it 'Mione? That was a bad time. For all of us. But its long since over now."
Hermione shook her head. "No. I think I just dreamed it because of all that's gone on lately. Where are Alex and Rion? Did you wake me up for a reason, or did you just miss me?"
Ron laughed, slightly. "They're in Alex's room with Harry. He's offered to baby-sit. The great dork."
"Baby-sit? Where are we going?"
Ron looked directly in her eyes here, so that his expressions said more than his words. "Blancoeeb and I have to finish our meeting. We figured we'd go out to dinner. I thought maybe you'd like to come with us?" When she didn't respond he continued. "Maybe we could come to an agreement Hermione."
"But Ron. My ex…the boys…"
"The boys will be fine here with Harry. And you'll be perfectly safe with me and Blancoeeb."
Finally, almost painfully infact, Hermione nodded. Soon she, Ron, and Blancoeeb were on their way to Finnigan's, a very posh type restaurant owned by their former classmate Seamus Finnigan himself.
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Alex's room, 9:00
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Harry was sitting with Rion on the end of Alex's bed, reading a story. Alex himself was curled up in a ball near the head of the bed, having just dropped off to sleep. Rion, Harry noted, for being so much younger, was a good deal more stubborn than his brother. The kid could draw out bed time for ages. But Alex? You said, "Time for bed good night," and the kid was out.
When an ever so slight moan interrupted his thoughts, Harry new he had spoken too soon. Alex was awake again, and there was panic in his eyes.
"Whoa Buddy." Harry whispered, putting Rion down and turning to Alex. "It's ok. You're fine." Harry's words did not seem to have any on Alex, who still looked quite frozen, Harry continued. "Alex? Alex? It was a dream. You're fine. You're Mummy will be home in a little while."
"Daddy." Whispered Alex in a pained little voice.
"Yes, Ron will be here soon too." Harry assured him. He looked toward Rion, who had journeyed quickly to his room, and had returned holding a blank picture frame as if it was his most prized possession.
"Not Ron." Whispered Alex. "Daddy. Daddy. He's gonna go to the fancy place."
Harry stared at him as he broke off, both of them seemed horrified. "Alex?" he whispered. "What's your Daddy's name? What fancy place is he going to?"
Alex looked even more pained. "The fancy place with Mum and Ron and Mr. Blancoeeb. Daddy Harry. Just Daddy!"
Rion held up his empty picture frame happily. "Daddy!" He squealed happily.
Harry stared at him for a moment, then rushed over and took the picture frame, much to Rion's chagrin.
"Finite Incantum." Whispered Harry, tapping the picture frame with his wand. Slowly, the blank picture page inside it began to transform. Where there had been nothing there was now a park scene. With a very small Alex, a very pregnant Hermione and-
Harry dropped the picture frame, and the glass shattered, leaving a maze of cracks over the family portrait. "No." He whispered. "No. It can't be."
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Fin Chapter 10
A\N- Ok, so there is the very short, and not very interesting Chapter 10. But it's a very important chapter. It's leading up to a lot. Next chapter—Any questions about Hermione's past, including her ex, will be addressed. Dumbledore's funeral will be explained. It will probably snow. You won't want to miss it.
Now, two questions
1) Have I mentioned at all, Voldemort or his downfall in any of my chapters?
2) Should Harry get a girlfriend? If so, who? I'm beginning to feel sorry for the guy.
Ok, obviously this story is coming slowly to an end. There are still several chapters left, but I'm beginning to get that bittersweet feeling you get when you've almost finished something that you've been working on forever. This chapter was put up fairly quickly, but I can't make any promises about the next one. Could be as early as Thursday could be as late as this weekend. It Depends.
Love ya all. See ya next time.
Chocolate Frogs and Butte Beers,
CatalinaRose
Sometimes we all need something to point us in the right direction…
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