Disclaimer: I do not own any Harry Potter characters.
Summary:
Author's Note: Thank you to all the people who had reviewed my story. I really appreciate it!
The Baby
Chapter Four: Meet The Parents
Harry trudged down the stairs the next day. He slumped in his chair as he sat down in the kitchen and smiled at Hermione, who was standing by the stove, frying eggs.
"Morning, 'Mione," he grunted as he took a sip from the coffee Hermione had set in front of him.
He didn't have a lot of sleep last night, granted as he dreaded this day. Aside from the fact that Angelica kept on crying in the middle of the night, today was the day he would have to face the wrath of Hermione's over protective parents. He had met her parents before, but that was when he and Hermione were only 'friends'. If he did not want to see her father when he found out Hermione's ex-boyfriend, Jake, kiss Hermione, he certainly didn't want to see him when he found out his only daughter had been more than friendly with her 'bestfriend' and had produced a child with the said person too.
"Good morning!" Hermione said cheerfully as she put down a plate in front of him. It was Thursday today and it was her turn to cook. "Why the long face?"
"You know," Harry said while he picked up his fork. "today is the 'Meet the Parents' day."
"Harry, their not that bad," Hermione said as she sat down in front of him.
Harry snorted, "Yeah, right."
Hermione shook her head. "Honestly."
"Can we please just go tomorrow?" Harry pleaded.
"Harry, what's the difference of today and tomorrow?" Hermione asked, rolling her eyes at the same time. "Just get it over it."
Harry sighed, resigned. He knew that he could not persuade Hermione not to do something she already had her mind on. 'I just hope I live till Christmas.'
At around six o'clock, the trio were driving to Hermione's parent's house in Surrey. One of the reasons he did not wish to go there was because there was a chance that they could bump into the Dursleys. It was a slim chance, but there was a chance nonetheless.
They were all dressed in Muggle clothing, as to not arouse any suspicions. There were a lot of people in the neighborhood and they hoped they would blend in. Hermione was dressed in jeans and a halter-top with a black jacket tied around her waist because it looked ready to rain. Angelica was wearing a sundress with matching a hat and sandals while Harry just had on a simple white shirt and dark jeans.
Hermione had admitted that it was the last a pair of clothing she had, Muggle or Wizard wise.
"You better wash the clothes soon, Harry!" she had said before theyhad gotten in the car.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Hermione staring at him with an unreadable expression on her face. He ignored it, telling himself that she was just thinking about somwthing very deeply. He passed it on as her nervousness about telling her parents.
"Herm?" Harry asked worried after a few more moments of her looking at him as though she had never seen him before in her entire life.
"Hmm?" Hermione said as she turned her head away, her cheeks turning slightly pink, and looked and the houses passing by.
"Why couldn't we tell Ron about Angelica?"
"Harry," Hermione said, her cheeks back to normal. They returned to normal so fast that Harry thought he was just imagining her blushing, "how many times does Ron get drunk?"
"What?" Harry questioned. "What does that have to do with anything?
"Just answer the question."
"At least once a week."
"Exactly," Hermione said as-a-matter-of-fact while she looked around to check on Angelica.
"Huh?" Harry asked puzzled.
"When Ron gets drunk," Hermione replied, "he talks about his inner most secrets. What if he blabs this out? It's not that I don't trust Ron, but this is just too risky."
"Oh, right." Now he understood her motives. Ron, indeed, did talk about his inner most secrets when he was drunk. "But what about your parents? Couldn't we tell them? They should understand."
"Harry," Hermione sighed, "I don't mean to talk bad about my parents, but my mom gossips a lot and she might let it slip. My dad," Hermione continued, "wouldn't like his co-workers at the office thinking that his 'little angel' had done something she shouldn't have done until she was married."
When they were just a block away, Harry tensed. What Hermione said frightened him more. Her father was obviously one of those who could not handle when their child was now grown up and an adult. He gripped the steering wheel harder. They were already on the driveway of the house, getting out of the car, when Hermione put a hand on Harry's arm.
"Maybe you and Angelica should stay outside first," she suggested. When Harry looked at her questioningly, she added, "You know, it might give them quite a shock."
Harry nodded. He could do that, he thought as he watched Hermione go to the back yard. He thought she did that so that when her parents opened the door for her, they wouldn't see Harry and a giggling baby at the backseat of the car. He took out Angelica from her car seat and placed her down on the grass. He watched her as she played with her teddy bear and giggled when it danced before her. He, too, had to admit how much Muggle technology had changed. It was more advanced now.
He was staring to get bored and, it seemed, do was Angelica for she let go of her bear and started to crawl around the grass covered parts of the front yard. He wanted to get this over with, but that didn't mean he wasn't nervous. He looked at the parents and their children talking not far away from him. He turned away as he noticed a ten-year old girl squint in his direction. The last thing he needed now were people asking for his autograph.
'Relax,' he told himself. 'It's not like the man's gonna kill you!'
He took that back when, just a few moments later, a shout came from the house.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVE A BABY?!"
He could hear Hermione trying to reason with her father. Angelica was startled at the sound and wailed while she crawled towards him.
"WHERE IS HE?!"
"Dad!"
Harry bent down to pick up Angelica as she cried loudly. He took out a bottle from her baby bag and put it in her mouth, only to be pushed away.
"Shhh," he cooed as he rocked her gently. This seemed to calm her down because she stopped crying, but she was still heard to hiccup now and then.
"I SAID WHERE IS HE?!"
Harry was nervous. Very nervous. When he saw how easily Angelica got scared, he imagined how scary it actually was when the man was in front of him.
'Hermione won't let anything happen to you,' he said trying to comfort himself. 'It's not like he's going to kill you!"
'I wouldn't bet on that,' said a voice in his head as the front door banged open it was nearly thrown of its hinges.
A man with a murderous expression on his face stepped out of it, Hermione just behind him, closely followed by a woman, who's face was pale but was, nonetheless, trying to calm her husband.
"You!" the man shouted as he pointed a shaking finger at Harry in rage. "What have you done?!"
Harry quickly put Angelica back on her car seat, just incase Hermione's father hit him. A few moments later, he was glad he did so as the man suddenly pushed him hard against the car's side.
"Todd!" Hermione's mother screamed.
"Monica, do you have any idea what this bastard did?!" Todd, as she had called him, shouted. "What he did to our daughter?!" He shook Harry as if to prove a point.
Harry did not move. He knew that Todd had to take of some steam. He knew when he should be stopped, and now was not yet the time. He shook his head slightly at Hermione as she made a move to stop her ragging father. She walked swiftly to Angelica, who had now stopped crying, and held her tightly in her arms.
"Boy!" Todd barked as he faced him. "What have you done?!"
Harry was quiet.
"Do you know how much this could change her life?!" Todd shouted
Harry was silent. People were now starting to gather around them.
"ANSWER ME!" he roared when Harry just stood there, pinned against the car.
Harry did not say anything. This, if possible, angered Todd more. He pulled his fist back and hit Harry hard on his cheek.
"DAD!" Hermione shrieked as she took a step towards them. The crowd was now silent, wanting to witness a real life drama unfold before their eyes.
"Hermione, no!" Harry told her. At this, the people surrounding them muttered amongst each other. It was no secret that their neighbors were the parents of Hermione Granger, the famous movie star, but never saw her as Hermione rarely visited them.
"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO HER?!" Todd screamed as he punched Harry across the face. Harry did not make a move to stop him. Instead, he turned his head slightly and looked at Angelica and Hermione. Angelica had started to cry again, as though feeling her 'father's' pain. Hermione, on the other hand, had tears streaming down her cheeks.
Todd hit Harry in the stomach, who grunted and fell to his knees. He shut his eyes tightly in pain as a foot came in contact with his face. His cheek was hurting and his stomach was pounding. He felt Todd release him and opened his eyes slightly. Hermione and Monica, her mother, had pulled Todd of off him. Angelica was back in her car seat.
Todd was fighting them off, but stopped when they did not let go. He glared at Harry before he turned to Hermione.
"Pack your things," he said. "We'll pick them up later."
"What?!" Hermione shrieked as she let go of her father and stood in front of him.
"Pack your things," her father repeated with false calmness.
"No," Hermione answered him boldly.
"I'm you father, I told you to -"
SLAP
Hermione struck her father. It happened so fast that the next thing Harry knew was that Todd had a hand on his cheek and the crowd had, once again, irrupted in whispers.
"You treat me like a little girl!" Hermione shouted. "Why can't you just accept the fact that I'm not young anymore!"
"Hermione, were doing this for your own good!"
"That's just the problem!" Hermione screamed. "I don't want you controlling my life!"
"Hermione, ple -"
"No!" Hermione interrupted. "I want a life of my own! I want a life without you always interfering in it!"
"Swe -" Todd started, but was cut off by his daughter.
"Don't you Sweetheart me!" Hermione shrieked as she hit her father in his chest with her finger. "I'm not your little girl anymore, whether you bloody like it or not!"
Harry gazed at the crowd, his body sore. There was a stunned silence. There were women of all ages staring at the scene with their mouths open. Some men were looking uncomfortable. The children were watching intently as though it was their favorite cartoon show. Surprisingly, there was no one with a camera.
"You can't tell me what to do!" Hermione cried.
"I'm you fa -" Todd tried to reason.
"To hell if you're my father! I don't give a damn!" Hermione screamed. "To me, you're nothing if you continue this. Nobody."
"Hermione, don't you understand what he did to you?!" Todd said. "Now, you have a baby and you're not married yet! He gave you a responsibility you're not ready for!"
"If you had forgotten, it takes two of the opposite sex to have a baby," Hermione replied. "It takes two! And if I wasn't willing, he wouldn't be here right now!"
"I don't think th -"
"I don't give a damn of what you bloody think! If you tell me to do something I don't want to, just sit down on your bloody arse and wait till you fucking die for it to happen because I'm not listening to what you bloody say anymore, you hear me? I don't give a fuck! "
Harry, despite the situation, was shocked. He rarely heard Hermione swear. To be honest, he didn't even know that she even knew that much swear words. He heard the crowd gasp at the words she had just said. He turned his head and saw some women cover the ears of their children, yet, they continued to watch.
"Hermione," her mother said softly. It was the first time she had spoken throughout their whole conservation. "Go home. Rest. I'll meet granddaughter properly some other time."
"Thanks, Mum," Hermione said as she hugged her mother, tears welling up in her brown eyes. "Thank you."
She sent a nasty look towards Todd, who's jaw dropped in shock at his wife's acceptance.
"Come, Harry," Hermione said as she took his hand and led him to the passenger seat. "I'll drive." She got in the car and waited until Harry got in. She started the engine and called through the window she had just opened. The people, who were now starting to leave, stopped in their tracks to listen.
"Mom, I'll talk to you later!" she said, not bothering to say good bye to her father.
No one spoke for fifteen minutes. Harry kept on wincing every time he touched his cheek.
"Oh stop that!" Hermione said as she laughed a little.
"It hurts," Harry wined. "Really!" He let Hermione laugh before asking, "Are you okay?"
"I just didn't expect him to act like that," Hermione said. She was careful to stress 'him'. "I knew he would be mad, but not that mad."
"Hermione, I don't support what he did, but you are his only child," Harry told her.
Hermione was quiet. When the traffic lights were red, she said, "Do they hurt that bad?" She touched his cheek gently. "I'm sorry!" she said as he flinched.
"No, it's okay."
"I would heal it if I had my wand with me," Hermione sighed. "I left mine because we were in such a hurry." She started to go as the lights turned green again.
"I left mine, too," Harry laughed. "I forgot mine on the table." He cringed a little as his cheek throbbed.
No one said a word after that. They arrived home after a few more minutes. Hermione carried Angelica to her room because she fell asleep on the road, while Harry parked the car in the garage. His eyes traveled over the collections of automobiles that were stored.
Ever since he had gotten a driver's license, he loved driving. He bought cars he liked. He couldn't help but grin at the expression on Hermione's face when she saw, yet another car parked. It wasn't something that she liked, but he allowed him to do so, saying that it was his money. Harry, though had the suspicion that she was just saying this because she wanted him to have some of the things he enjoyed. It wasn't like they weren't helping people in need of money, in fact, they had helped quite a lot of charities.
Harry went up to the house and retrieved his wand before heading up the stairs. He was passing by Hermione's room when he heard her talking to her mother on the phone.
"Yes, Mum, he's fine," Hermione assured her. "Of course you can come tomorrow." She paused to listen to what Monica was saying. "With Dad?" she asked. She sighed deeply. "Fine." She paused again. "Come by at nine tomorrow."
Harry knew that he shouldn't be listening on private conversations his best friend had with her parents, so he went to his room and shut the door behind him. He sat on his bed and healed his bruises. He just hoped that tomorrow, Todd would be a lot calmer that he did a few minutes ago.
Author's Note: I don't think this chapter is long enough, but I just had to write something in. I enjoy this story a lot now, seeing as I got to the part a want to write. Thanks for reviewing! I'll update soon. I would like to hear your suggestions.
Laen: Sure you can. Thanks!