Note: So you people liked it! Yay! Keep the reviews coming guys I really enjoy reading them and take on board everything everyone says, so always Read & Review. More surprises and shocks coming soon…
I don't own Harry Potter or anything of the sort, no matter how much I wish I did! So don't sue me, I'm quite penniless anyway, unless you count £20 a month allowance for a 14-year-old girl. Bah.
Posy- has your wish come true? Lol, Hermione's sensible and level headed, but she's also strong willed. She won't let anyone tell her what to do! Thanks for the review.
Paprika90- Yep, McGonagall WAS calm… not anymore! Keep reviews coming!
NewSecretRose- you're the new Trelawney! Wonder how much more you'll be able to predict? Spookily psychic… God Draco is seriously sexy!
Gazy- I knew you knew it, because you're another Trelawney too! I love in-depth reviews, thanks for `em, I really enjoy em.
Shadiyah- thanks mate, thought you would enjoy it. It wasn't that rubbish was it, lol? Please Review again!
Trapt*Rocks* My World- more updates soon, thanks! I add new chapters reasonably often, between 2 and 5 times a week.
Aquaprincess1- keep reading! Thanks again.
Oooo- Thanks, keep reading! Ps. Cool name ;)
"You're pregnant…" the words ran through Hermione's head and jumbled up, but they didn't seem to make sense. It just… it couldn't be…
But she had to admit her periods had been having a no show recently; though she put it down to just the normal irregularity for a teenage girl, especially as she'd only started a year ago. And she had been feeling sick every morning- but wouldn't she feel kicking or something if she was pregnant? Hermione's head swam, but she felt empty. Meaningless. Considering Hermione's intelligence, she had always been shockingly naive to how the body works. Hogwarts had never put it as part of the education and her parents, nice, good parents but very prim, had always hidden that sort of information from her. Apart from the basics she'd picked up from other people, nothing that had happened led her to believe she was pregnant.
"Miss Granger, I am extremely shocked," Professor McGonagall said in a low voice. "For a girl of your IQ this is appalling and disgraceful. Things like that are specifically forbidden at this school, and I'm still at a loss to how this could have happened. And really, if you felt you had to, couldn't you have used some form of protection?" It was obvious discussing this sort of thing both disgusted and embarrassed the teacher, as she closed her eyes in pain, then looked up at her disdainfully.
Hermione said nothing.
"Haven't you anything to say? Who is the father?"
Still Hermione said nothing, only stared into space and clutched her elbows to her knees, scrunched up and wishing she could disappear. Making herself small might make her invisible...
"Miss Granger?" Finally Hermione snapped out of it and looked at her teacher.
"It has no father really," she said hollowly.
"I must insist-"
"I am not going to say," Hermione said and bowed her head, her eyes closed tightly. She kept thinking it was all some bad dream, and soon she'd be waking up back in her bed in the dormitory and be rushing down to the Common Room to talk to Ron and Harry and everything would be just how it used to be…
"I understand this must be hard for you, so I'm not going to give you a really hard time," Professor McGonagall said, more soothingly, though she hadn't lost her agonising expression. "I must admit though, when Madam Pomfrey brewed the potion, which she added a little of your saliva to, I was positive there had been some mistake. Hermione- was you- was you raped?"
"What? No!"
"So you were willing?" demanded McGonagall, snorting in disbelief.
"Yes." Hermione said monotonously. She pulled the covers around herself tightly.
"Well then at least you aren't mentally damaged by this- and the other type of damage can be fixed. I know a very reputable Muggle clinic that could terminate the pregnancy for you, because you don't seem too far gone yet, and it wouldn't be anything very stressful, only a quick procedure-"
"I am not having an abortion," Hermione said loudly, surprising even herself. Sitting up, she glared at Professor McGonagall. "When can I leave the Wing?"
"Not at all with this kind of attitude." The teacher glared from behind her spectacles. "How dare you? I am being very sympathetic to let you off without taking away your Prefect honour, and I have always trusted you, even let you have that party with the very obvious disapproval of Professor Snape, and how do you repay me? Miss Granger you are having an abortion. Then you can continue with your studies."
"No!" Hermione cried. She still felt hollow, but she knew she could never rid her body of this baby- she didn't want it, but she wasn't going to kill it, to terminate it, not yet anyway… She clutched her head and moaned; she couldn't think clearly, and all she felt was emptiness. "I want to get up."
"You are not having a baby!" Professor McGonagall shouted, her cheeks flushing with rage. "One thing is for sure: you keep that baby and you are not welcome at this school. I'll leave you some time to think, but remember that a foetus is not worth your education! If you don't want a Muggle abortion, Professor Snape could brew you the immensely complex Potion for it, although it would be much quicker for you to-"
"With all respect Professor, I should be almost four months gone anyway," Hermione said calmly. "I doubt I could have an abortion even if I wanted to."
"You're seventeen years old and- wait a minute, four months? That's September. It was at your party wasn't it? I was a fool for that to be allowed- never again. Goodbye Miss Granger!" And with that she stormed out, leaving Hermione to sit alone with her thoughts.
**********
"Hermione, you're okay!" Ron beamed.
"I'm so glad!" Harry smiled. Hermione laughed and put her arms around her best friends.
"Oh I'm okay, just not been eating very well have I?" she said, breathless from running down the stairs to greet them so eagerly. "And I'm supposed to take it easy for a while, so I shouldn't be running down stairs either!"
"Come on," Harry said, and the three of them went up to the Common Room. It was late evening on a Sunday, and Hermione had spent the rest of the weekend in the Hospital Wing, sleeping and resting, so she was glad to see her friends again. Harry noticed worriedly that Hermione looked paler than usual, pallid almost.
"You still look really ill," Ron said, noticing too.
"Thanks," Hermione said weakly, trying to laugh it off. "Yeah, I know, just need to rest for a while I guess…" she leaned on her friend's shoulders.
"Hi Hermione," Ginny smiled, spotting her. "You okay? That was a nasty fall you took, the Fat Lady was telling us… Ron, there you are! Follow me a minute, I need some help in the Library, there's this essay I'm doing…"
"No way," Ron said. "I'm busy."
"Please," coaxed Ginny. "I wouldn't usually ask, but it's really important, Snape'll kill me if it's not ready in time…" Rolling his eyes, Ron said a reluctant goodbye and hurried off after Ginny out of the portrait.
"Harry," Hermione began. "I've got something to tell you…"
"I've got something to tell you too," he smiled widely. "Is it okay if I tell you first? Only I've been dying to say something for ages and your illness has really put it into perspective for me." She nodded and he continued.
"Well, for a long time I've been upset about Sirius. I can't describe the pain… it was just gut wrenching, and for a long time I've not been able to sleep, to do anything really, because all I could think about was him and how much I missed him. And recently, when I've been having fun I completely forget about him and then afterwards I feel guilty, because I forgot the grief. I shouldn't be having fun; I should be thinking about Sirius, was my belief. I even turned Ginny down when she asked me out because I would feel guilt that I was enjoying myself while Sirius was dead.
"Then a couple of weeks ago I got thinking that I was being stupid… I mean, he would want me to enjoy myself wouldn't he? And I'll never forget him. Not ever. And now I've been doing things I like doing, you know playing Quidditch and relaxing, not brooding over Sirius… and now I asked Ginny out, so we're a proper couple. Everything's just perfect, just if only he were alive…" Harry stopped, his eyes filling up.
"But he's never going to come back and I have to face life without him. But he's always in my heart. And you were right all along, Hermione. I shouldn't grieve because nothing I can do will make me see him again, so I'm going to have fun- for Sirius Black, one of the greatest men that ever lived. I'm pleased that you and Ron are on speaking terms again; I don't know what happened, but whatever it is, at least it's behind us. We can go back to being three best friends again." He hugged her tightly. "Hermione, you're the best!" She smiled, a lump in her throat.
"Nothing's going to come between us again, because we're inseparable. We love each other, forever and always. You must think I'm silly," he said, chucking a little and drying his eyes on his sleeve.
"No," Hermione insisted, stroking his arm comfortingly. "You're the best friend ever, just like Ron."
"Good." Harry beamed. "So… what was it you wanted to tell me again Hermione?"
