Hermione's life had changed a lot. Draco had stolen something from her she
could never get back, and she would always look back on it with pain and
sadness. She had been forced to grow up, her innocence snatched from her in
an instant. And yet, she was reasonably happy. She had discovered how
deeply and ultimately her family and friends cared for her and loved her
and would support no matter what. Sure she still had her hard days when it
came stingingly back to her, but now she felt as if she could live through
just about anything.
Harry and Ron had sent a few owls to her, one with a big box of chocolate frogs, hoping that she would get better soon, and telling her what she had missed out on. She felt kind of smug when she read Draco had left. Hermione had cried when she read the little card Ron had enclosed with one owl with, 'I'll always bee there." on the cover. The letters flashed and changed colours, and there was a cartoon of a bee that continuously winked and grinned at her.
After that night when she had told her parents, slowly Hermione began to heal. She would never be the same again, she knew that, and sometimes she would have a good cry or scream into a pillow, but she also knew she was a survivor. One morning she woke up, with a new sense of confidence and readiness. She walked into the kitchen, where her mother sat with a cup of coffee. She turned and smiled at Hermione, "Good morning sweetie, did the aroma of pancakes finally lure you out of bed?" But Hermione's intentions for emerging were far more serious. "Mum," she began, and took a deep breath, "I'm ready to go back to Hogwarts,"
* * * * * * * * *
"Now, don't forget to write," Hermione's mum said for the fifteenth time that morning. They were in the car. Both her and her husband had been reluctant to allow Hermione to return to school, but Hermione had insisted that was what she wanted to do and that the culprit had disappeared. Finally, they consented. Hermione's dad caught her eye in the review mirror and rolled his eyes at Hermione's mum's fretfulness. Hermione giggled. "If you look in the bag next to you Hermione, you'll find a silver package. That's for you," Hermione dug into the bag and pulled out something bulky wrapped in pretty paper. She carefully opened it, and gasped when she saw what was within. She lifted up a gorgeous teddy bear, sandy brown in colour with shiny black eyes and a cute pale blue bow around his neck. "Awww," Hermione said, "thanks you guys!" and she leaned forward and pecked each on the cheek. "Whenever you feel sad or lonely, you can hug him," her Mum said. Hermione gave him a test hug, feeling his soft fur against her skin, and announced his name was Cuddles.
All too soon it was time to say good-bye. Hermione hugged each of her parents in turn, and thanked them for everything. "We love you Hermione!" her mother called as she walked away, and she could her the break in her voice. "Don't ever forget that!" her father added. Hugging her new companion, Hermione jumped on the train and waved madly to her parents as it chugged away.
* * * * * * * * *
"Harry! Ron!" a happy voice called. Harry and Ron swivelled around. They were in the middle of a Care of Magical Creatures class, and were outside. "Hermione!" Ron cried, and both ran towards her. When they collided, Hermione caught them both in a hug, and they were all laughing happily. When Ron pulled away, he was rubbing his eyes with his hands, and grunted, "Just got something in my eye.."
"How are you?" Harry asked carefully.
Hermione looked him straight in the eye and told him the truth, "I feel great." From the steps of the castle, Dumbledore smiled.
* * * * * * * * *
Harry and Ron were happy to have Hermione back, but didn't ask her what had happened under orders by Dumbledore. Everyone, (well, except the Slytherins anyway) was happy to have her back. While at dinner, Harry and Ron brought Hermione up to date with what she had missed out on in her absence of almost a month. "You missed out on heaps of new stuff," Ron told her, winking at Harry over her head to invite him to play along. "Oh.yeah," Harry quipped quickly. Both burst out laughing at the horrified look on her face, and realizing she had been tricked, she punched Ron playfully on the shoulder.
While they ate, Harry and Ron had a good look at their friend. She looked more mature. If you looked carefully into her eyes you could see a sadness that was never there before, and that she been through things no one should ever have to go through. "We've missed you, Hermione," commented Harry, shovelling his second serve of baked potatoes onto his plate. Ron nodded in agreement, and she beamed at them.
* * * * * * * *
It was pretty smooth sailing the next two weeks for Hermione, until she started getting sick. She felt tired during the day and always retired early to bed, only to wake up and be sick in the morning. Her friends began to feel concerned, as it didn't seem to be getting any better. Not wanting to miss out on any more schoolwork, Hermione was reluctant to go to see Madame Pomfrey, but after feeling particularly bad one morning, she weakened and trudged to the Hospital Wing. Just outside the door she felt self-conscious, remembering that the last time Madame Pomfrey had seen her, she had tried to kill herself earlier that day. She stood uncertainly just outside the door, contemplating what she should do. Suddenly Madame Pomfrey's voice rang out, "Come in!" Hermione felt like she had just been caught doing something wrong and was about to bolt when Madame Pomfrey poked her head around the doorframe. "Hermione!" she exclaimed in surprise, her lips forming into a smile, and motioned her inside. "What can I do for you?"
"I've been feeling sick in the stomach.." Hermione said. Madame Pomfrey shook out a sheet, and hurriedly made a bed for her to sit on. Then she came around to face Hermione, and looked her straight in the eyes. "How are you dear?" she said seriously, and Hermione knew she wasn't referring to her health. "I'm getting better," she said.
"That's good," Madame Pomfrey said, nodding but still unsmiling. After a moment she bustled off again. "Now, you said you feel sick. Do you want me to give you something to settle the stomach?" She went over to a cabinet and began inspecting the labels of bottles and jars. "Yes please," Hermione said. Madame Pomfrey returned with a small transparent purple bottle with 'Kwick Ease' printed on the label. "Take two of these with every meal until you feel better," she instructed. Hermione slipped the bottle down her robes, gathered her stuff and hurried off to her first lesson. By the time she got there, there was already a stream of students coming out the door. Spotting Hermione as they came out, her two best friends walked over to her. "Hey, don't look so disappointed. Snape was hell today!" Harry said when he spotted Hermione's expression. "As usual," Ron added, rolling his eyes and making a face. Hermione laughed, her disappointment gone. For now she could forget about being sick.
* * * * * * * * *
"So the Kwick Ease didn't work," Madame Pomfrey stated rather than questioned. Hermione shook her head sadly. "Hmmmm. I think I'll keep you in here for a while and do some tests. You lay back and relax and we'll try to find out what's wrong with you," Hermione sank onto the pillows and took a deep breath. It was about midday when Madame Pomfrey returned. Hermione tried to read her expression, but it was like her face was a closed door. Hermione sat patiently waiting for Madame Pomfrey to say something. She seemed to take a deep breath. "Hermione," she started. She had her eyes closed. "You're pregnant,"
Harry and Ron had sent a few owls to her, one with a big box of chocolate frogs, hoping that she would get better soon, and telling her what she had missed out on. She felt kind of smug when she read Draco had left. Hermione had cried when she read the little card Ron had enclosed with one owl with, 'I'll always bee there." on the cover. The letters flashed and changed colours, and there was a cartoon of a bee that continuously winked and grinned at her.
After that night when she had told her parents, slowly Hermione began to heal. She would never be the same again, she knew that, and sometimes she would have a good cry or scream into a pillow, but she also knew she was a survivor. One morning she woke up, with a new sense of confidence and readiness. She walked into the kitchen, where her mother sat with a cup of coffee. She turned and smiled at Hermione, "Good morning sweetie, did the aroma of pancakes finally lure you out of bed?" But Hermione's intentions for emerging were far more serious. "Mum," she began, and took a deep breath, "I'm ready to go back to Hogwarts,"
* * * * * * * * *
"Now, don't forget to write," Hermione's mum said for the fifteenth time that morning. They were in the car. Both her and her husband had been reluctant to allow Hermione to return to school, but Hermione had insisted that was what she wanted to do and that the culprit had disappeared. Finally, they consented. Hermione's dad caught her eye in the review mirror and rolled his eyes at Hermione's mum's fretfulness. Hermione giggled. "If you look in the bag next to you Hermione, you'll find a silver package. That's for you," Hermione dug into the bag and pulled out something bulky wrapped in pretty paper. She carefully opened it, and gasped when she saw what was within. She lifted up a gorgeous teddy bear, sandy brown in colour with shiny black eyes and a cute pale blue bow around his neck. "Awww," Hermione said, "thanks you guys!" and she leaned forward and pecked each on the cheek. "Whenever you feel sad or lonely, you can hug him," her Mum said. Hermione gave him a test hug, feeling his soft fur against her skin, and announced his name was Cuddles.
All too soon it was time to say good-bye. Hermione hugged each of her parents in turn, and thanked them for everything. "We love you Hermione!" her mother called as she walked away, and she could her the break in her voice. "Don't ever forget that!" her father added. Hugging her new companion, Hermione jumped on the train and waved madly to her parents as it chugged away.
* * * * * * * * *
"Harry! Ron!" a happy voice called. Harry and Ron swivelled around. They were in the middle of a Care of Magical Creatures class, and were outside. "Hermione!" Ron cried, and both ran towards her. When they collided, Hermione caught them both in a hug, and they were all laughing happily. When Ron pulled away, he was rubbing his eyes with his hands, and grunted, "Just got something in my eye.."
"How are you?" Harry asked carefully.
Hermione looked him straight in the eye and told him the truth, "I feel great." From the steps of the castle, Dumbledore smiled.
* * * * * * * * *
Harry and Ron were happy to have Hermione back, but didn't ask her what had happened under orders by Dumbledore. Everyone, (well, except the Slytherins anyway) was happy to have her back. While at dinner, Harry and Ron brought Hermione up to date with what she had missed out on in her absence of almost a month. "You missed out on heaps of new stuff," Ron told her, winking at Harry over her head to invite him to play along. "Oh.yeah," Harry quipped quickly. Both burst out laughing at the horrified look on her face, and realizing she had been tricked, she punched Ron playfully on the shoulder.
While they ate, Harry and Ron had a good look at their friend. She looked more mature. If you looked carefully into her eyes you could see a sadness that was never there before, and that she been through things no one should ever have to go through. "We've missed you, Hermione," commented Harry, shovelling his second serve of baked potatoes onto his plate. Ron nodded in agreement, and she beamed at them.
* * * * * * * *
It was pretty smooth sailing the next two weeks for Hermione, until she started getting sick. She felt tired during the day and always retired early to bed, only to wake up and be sick in the morning. Her friends began to feel concerned, as it didn't seem to be getting any better. Not wanting to miss out on any more schoolwork, Hermione was reluctant to go to see Madame Pomfrey, but after feeling particularly bad one morning, she weakened and trudged to the Hospital Wing. Just outside the door she felt self-conscious, remembering that the last time Madame Pomfrey had seen her, she had tried to kill herself earlier that day. She stood uncertainly just outside the door, contemplating what she should do. Suddenly Madame Pomfrey's voice rang out, "Come in!" Hermione felt like she had just been caught doing something wrong and was about to bolt when Madame Pomfrey poked her head around the doorframe. "Hermione!" she exclaimed in surprise, her lips forming into a smile, and motioned her inside. "What can I do for you?"
"I've been feeling sick in the stomach.." Hermione said. Madame Pomfrey shook out a sheet, and hurriedly made a bed for her to sit on. Then she came around to face Hermione, and looked her straight in the eyes. "How are you dear?" she said seriously, and Hermione knew she wasn't referring to her health. "I'm getting better," she said.
"That's good," Madame Pomfrey said, nodding but still unsmiling. After a moment she bustled off again. "Now, you said you feel sick. Do you want me to give you something to settle the stomach?" She went over to a cabinet and began inspecting the labels of bottles and jars. "Yes please," Hermione said. Madame Pomfrey returned with a small transparent purple bottle with 'Kwick Ease' printed on the label. "Take two of these with every meal until you feel better," she instructed. Hermione slipped the bottle down her robes, gathered her stuff and hurried off to her first lesson. By the time she got there, there was already a stream of students coming out the door. Spotting Hermione as they came out, her two best friends walked over to her. "Hey, don't look so disappointed. Snape was hell today!" Harry said when he spotted Hermione's expression. "As usual," Ron added, rolling his eyes and making a face. Hermione laughed, her disappointment gone. For now she could forget about being sick.
* * * * * * * * *
"So the Kwick Ease didn't work," Madame Pomfrey stated rather than questioned. Hermione shook her head sadly. "Hmmmm. I think I'll keep you in here for a while and do some tests. You lay back and relax and we'll try to find out what's wrong with you," Hermione sank onto the pillows and took a deep breath. It was about midday when Madame Pomfrey returned. Hermione tried to read her expression, but it was like her face was a closed door. Hermione sat patiently waiting for Madame Pomfrey to say something. She seemed to take a deep breath. "Hermione," she started. She had her eyes closed. "You're pregnant,"