Here's yet ANOTHER chapter! It doesn't have Ron in it and it's mainly Ginny and Hermione talking things through…although someone DOES get pregnant…
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Harry Potter! Wish I did…
You're going places, Hermione
~~!!!~~
Chapter Eleven: The aftermath
"You know," Said Hermione slowly as she gazed at the passing scenery from the Hogwarts Express window, "I really don't feel like I've given birth. If you tell me about this whole thing in ten years time I'll probably laugh at it like it was some silly childhood thing I couldn't remember doing."
Ginny looked up at her friend and sighed. Hermione was back to normal. Well, as normal as she had been beforehand. She wasn't temperamental and she wasn't all over the place. She was together and calm.
"I hope you don't do that," Ginny said roughly, "I hope in fact that you change your mind and decide to make your children a part of your life!"
"Children?"
"I meant to say child."
"Oh," Hermione continued to stare out of the window, "Well you know that there would be no point. That spell and all…"
She trailed off, knowing that she didn't need to go over it because the topic of the Disattachment Spell had been done to death.
"You seem a bit distant." Ginny pointed out.
"Do I?" Hermione shrugged, "That will just be the potion Madam Pompfrey gave me. I'll tell you what; it was strange wake up and discover that I'd been asleep for four days. It took me two days to get all of my strength back."
"I know, I sat by your bed everyday."
Hermione smiled softly at her Ginny, grateful for the great friendship they shared. She wouldn't have been able to handle her final year without her.
"It's going to be scary starting university without you."
"Don't," Ginny warned, glaring slightly, "Don't you dare start! If you bloody start, I'll bloody curse you! You aren't saying bloody goodbye and getting sentimental on me now cos I'll bloody cry."
"Or just bloody swear a lot."
"That too!"
"You sound like Ron."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Ginny said happily, "I could not be more proud of my brother. Taking care of his kid the way he his."
Hermione gritted her teeth. She didn't mind talking about the birth really, but Ginny just kept bringing up her child!
"We'll get it out of the way shall we Gin?" Hermione asked, "What is it about my child that you think I should know? Was it healthy? What did it look like? How much did it weigh?"
"I…" Ginny frowned, "I wasn't saying you had…I don't want you to think that I'm trying to force this stuff on you…"
"I know you want that spell to be reversed like that!" Hermione clicked her fingers, "And have me run to your brother ready to raise the baby with him. But it isn't going to happen. I've said it already, I'm sorry. Please don't keep getting so worked up about it."
"You could at least pretend you're interested." Ginny pouted, looking remarkably like a five-year-old.
"I'm not going to be fake," Hermione said mildly, "But I would like to know some things."
"Ask away."
"How is Ron going to afford to look after it and," She paused, "Where is he going to look after it. Because I'm going to look for a job the moment I get to America and send half my pay check over."
"You don't have to do that," Ginny started, "You don't even love the-"
"Whether I love my child or not is of no importance," Hermione said, wincing at how cold her words sounded, "It is still my responsibility."
"Right, well. Firstly, Ron borrowed a few thousand galleons off of Fred and George to get him started and prepared for everything," Ginny said, "They were actually quite thrilled about it. Couldn't believe they're finally Uncle's, they're completely over the moon. Although they really did think that it'd be Bill or Charlie who'd do the honors-"
Hermione laughed, "I've always liked your family, nearly as much as my own! No doubt…no doubt they all hate me now."
Ginny paused, choosing her words carefully.
"No," She said, "No, they don't hate you. I can't see them every really hating you. They're just mad. Mum mostly."
"And Ron?"
"Ron's not mad, not really. I think he's more hurt than anything. He just doesn't understand why you can't give up on Sister Salem and work it out with him."
"He knows about the spell-"
"I know Hermione, he just doesn't understand."
"And he broke up with me!"
"Yeah well," Ginny half grinned, "You were pretty impossible. From day one of your pregnancy. Males aren't made for emotional angst like that, especially Ron."
"But he said it was because I was going to Sister Salem. That was reason he gave me." Hermione said in confusion.
"Maybe he thought you would change your mind if he said it was over. I don't doubt that he truly thought you would choose him over university," She nodded knowingly, "And plus, it's not like he could actually say you were driving him mad with your moodiness could he? You'd go loony!"
"You're extremely intuitive for a sixteen year old, you know that?"
Ginny flipped her hair back; "Oh I know it. Indeed, I do."
"And where am I to mail half of my paycheck?" Hermione wondered, realizing that her second question still hadn't been answered.
"The Burrow. Where else would he be?"
"I suppose."
The train ride was considerably quiet without Harry and Ron's presence, Hermione noted. Usually it was Ron, Harry, Ginny, Neville, Luna Lovegood and herself sitting together in one compartment. But Ron, as she had been told, was at the Burrow and Harry had no doubt accompanied him because she hadn't seen the Boy-Who-Lived at all since that night in the Hospital Wing. Neville wasn't at school anymore; he hadn't been since the Final Battle. And Luna Lovegood had seemingly disappeared into thin air.
"Where's Luna?" Hermione inquired just as the train was slowing down, signifying its arrival into Platform 9 ¾.
"You notice she isn't with us now?" Ginny demanded.
"No, I just didn't wonder about it until now."
"Her father heard about some sort of Wiggly-Woggly Wibblebock being spotted in some foreign country so he's whisked her off there."
Hermione giggled as she grabbed her trunk, "Wiggly-Woggly Wibblebock?"
"Oh I don't know!" Ginny cried in exasperation as she struggled with her own trunk.
"Here," Hermione raised her wand, "Locomotor Trunks!"
Both cases rose in the air and Hermione guided them outside the train. Ginny heaved a sigh of relief and followed her friend, basking in the joy of not having to drag something half of her weight around for ten minutes.
"Hey Mudblood!" Came a voice from behind them belonging to no other that that of Draco Malfoy, "Heard you had a baby with Weasley! What were you trying to do, make the bloodline more pure?"
"Ignore it." Ginny told her, rolling her eyes.
"How will you ever feed it?" Draco shouted, "Because even the amount of money you have couldn't make up for how poor the Weasley's are!"
Ginny's eye twitched.
"Hey…hey Mudblood," Draco shouted again, "What did it look like? A cross between a weasel and a beaver? Is that what it looked like?"
"A beaver?" Hermione whispered to Ginny, raising an eyebrow.
"I think he's trying to make fun of your teeth, or you know, the teeth you used to have."
"Oh."
"Hey, hey Mudblood! Was the kid cute? Why aren't you carrying it around now? Aren't you supposed to be taking care of it? Aren't you supposed to be watching it's every, pathetic twitchy little-"
"Yes she is actually Malfoy. And to answer your question, the baby is absolutely adorable," Ginny snapped, turning around, "But of course, I don't doubt that the one you have will be even more beautiful!"
Draco sneered at her, "And what is that supposed to mean?"
"It means this," Ginny raised her wand, "Polaté Zygoté!"
A small wisp of yellow smoke seemed to bloom from Ginny's wand before it dissolved into the air. Hermione didn't know what to think but Draco started laughing.
"Pathetic spell Weasley!" He mocked, "Just like your family."
Ginny, strangely, didn't react to his comment and instead grabbed her friends arm and proceeded to walk along the platform, following the direction of their levitating trunks.
"Gin?" Hermione asked worriedly, "What happened? Why didn't the spell work?"
"Oh it worked," Ginny said with a smile, "That's just what happens."
"Okay. And what does the spell do?"
Ginny's smile grew even wider, "Draco will see in about three months when he starts to show. After he's experienced the motion sickness, the cramps, the-"
"You made him pregnant!" Hermione gasped.
"Yup," Ginny beamed, "I found that spell one day in an old book in the library and I just couldn't help revising it because it all just seemed so hilarious."
Hermione was speechless. What was one to think when one's friend cast a spell to make a male enemy pregnant?
One was to think it was genius.
"Oh you're so smart! I wish I got to see his reaction when he realizes he has to give birth. But what if he gets rid of it?"
"I doubt he will. He doesn't think the spell worked and he won't start showing until his third month, in which case he'll probably think he's just gained weight so then he might not even realise until he's about five months, in which case it's too late to get an abortion or something." Ginny took a deep breath.
"The chances of that happening are kind of slim Ginny."
"Oh don't be a kill-joy," Pouted Ginny, "It puts a smile on my face!"
Hermione couldn't argue, it put a smile on hers too. She suddenly spotted her parents in the crowd waving over at her and grinned back, tears forming in her eyes. She hadn't realised how much she had missed them!
"There are my Mum and Dad," Hermione told Ginny, "I think I'd better go now and avoid a confrontation with your Mum…you know."
"Oh believe me, I know," Ginny said hugging her, "But whatever her mood, I'm still going to come and see you off tomorrow. I'm glad you aren't going by Floo."
"I wish I was, I hate flying," Said Hermione with a slight smile, "But my parents want a formal goodbye. I'm not complaining that much however because I'll get a proper goodbye from you too!"
Ginny pulled away and tried to hide her sadness. It didn't seem right for her be down when Hermione was so obviously excited and happy.
"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow them." She said quietly.
"Yes! Tomorrow," Hermione gushed, "Oh Merlin, can you believe I'm leaving for Sister Salem tomorrow?"
"It's going to be great." Ginny told her encouragingly.
"I know. Oh Gin, I know! I'll see you tomorrow!" Hermione hugged her one more time before she turned and dragged her trunk over to her parents as quickly as she could.
Ginny closed her eyes and shook head. Sister Salem…really! Didn't Hermione realise that she had two things better than Sister Salem right here in England? Well no, of course she didn't. Because she didn't know.
"And she wouldn't even care anyway." Ginny muttered to herself as she spotted her own parents and made her way over to them.
* * *
"Clean underwear," Mrs Granger said firmly, "I cannot even begin to emphasize that enough! Clean underwear! Always, Hermione, always."
"Yes Mum," Hermione said grinning, "Thank you for that extremely useful information. I'll take it to my grave."
Mrs Granger shook her head, "You cheeky madam."
"Brush your teeth after every meal," Mr Granger added, "Now that, my dear, you can honestly take to your grave."
Hermione hugged both of her parents, not even bothering to hold back her tears. She was going to miss them immensely.
"Why do you have to go now?" Mrs Granger sobbed, "Why can't they wait to settle you in until after the holidays?"
"Now dear," Said Mr Granger consolingly, "We've talked about this. The ways and standards of Sassy Salem-"
"Sister Salem, Dad." Hermione said helpfully.
"Oh, right. The ways and standards of Sister Salem are not for us to judge or insult. It's a very good university and we should be supporting Hermione with every ounce of our being." He finished sternly.
Hermione grinned; her father took the scholarship even more seriously than she did, even if he couldn't remember the name of the university.
"Flight's boarding!" Said Mrs Granger through tears, having heard the announcement, "Hurry up!"
Hermione nodded and hitched her carry bag over her shoulder, casting several quick glances around the airport before she was enveloped in yet another hug. There was no sign of Ginny anywhere. Or Harry. Or Ron. But then again, she didn't really expect Ron to show up.
"She can't board the flight if you won't let go of her dear." Mr Granger said gently, prying his wife away.
"Oh my baby." Mrs Granger cried.
"I love you both and I'll be seeing you on the holidays!" Hermione told them as she backed away, "And I'll write as often as I can! Bye!"
"Love you!" Her parents cried together.
Hermione turned towards the male hostess and handed him her ticket.
"Hermione! Wait!"
Her heart stopped. The person who had called out her name had a decidedly masculine voice.
"Ron?" She said hopefully, turning around.
"We've been through this," The person said with a grin, "Its Harry. Har-ry."
"Oh Harry," Hermione said hugging him, "I'm going to miss you! Thank you for coming to say goodbye!"
"And what about me?" Ginny wondered, joining them, "I'm the one that had to tell him where to go, he didn't have a clue! The rumor about which sex knows directions better is entirely wrong!"
"I would have found her somehow." Harry mumbled.
"Ginny!" Hermione hugged her now, fresh tears running down her face. She was going to miss her friends more than anything else.
"Yeah…" Ginny didn't seem sure of what to say and there were tears in her own eyes.
"I'll write to you both as often as I can," Hermione promised, "And they'll be visits, don't forget that! I won't be able to handle it all if I don't get to see you both at times."
Ginny was shaking but she nodded, wiping furiously at her tears. Harry looked entirely uncomfortable amongst the two crying girls but he managed to smile.
"Of course we'll be seeing you," He said, "And writing. You just make sure you do well and make us proud like you always have! Oh Merlin, I sounded like your parent then didn't I?"
"Miss," The flight attendant interrupted, "You really need to board the plane now."
Ginny wailed as he said this and flung herself on Hermione.
"I'm going to miss you so much!"
"Oh Gin." Was all Hermione managed to say as she was having trouble speaking because her throat had constricted. She took a few steps back from them to memorise her two friends for a moment before she gave Ginny a final hug and kissed Harry on the cheek. She turned and made her way down the boarding area towards the plane.
"I'll owl you immediately." She called before she disappeared from sight.
Ginny sobbed even more as her friend vanished from her view and Harry awkwardly patted her on the back.
"Ron didn't even say goodbye." Ginny said as she dried her face.
"He did want to Gin," Harry told her, "He really did. He was nearly crying himself when I told him why I had to leave him for a bit. He didn't remember it was today she was leaving."
"We'll have to sort them both out one day!" Ginny said determinedly before she spun around and marched away. Harry sighed and followed her, knowing that what she said was true.
"Would you like a tissue?" A flight attendant asked Hermione kindly. Hermione sniffed and nodded.
She took a deep shuddery breath and tried to ignore her aching heart. She had really, really wanted Ron to come and see her off. Maybe even sweep her off her feet and take her back to The Burrow, all the while confessing his undying love for her. Merlin knows she would have let him!
"Maybe it's best he didn't come then." Hermione said to herself quietly as the plane began to take off.
~~!!!~~
A/N: Yes well…that was a bit boring I'll admit but I had to get the 'talking' thing out of the way sooner or later! My apologies!
And Yippee! The twins were a surprise. I just couldn't see it any other way…
Thanks so much for the reviews! They were so nice I decided to update earlier! Keep em coming!
NEXT: THE UNIVERSITY