Taming the Beast
Ch 18
Proposal, Gestation and Eruption
Ron looked at his sister warmly and hugged her. "Of course I'm going to propose to her! There's no way I'd run out on her now." They walked back to the Gryffindor common room, where Ron wrote a brief note telling his parents the same thing.
Hermione awoke early that morning and went to the bathroom, feeling sick to her stomach. Her stomach purged itself, and she sat back feeling dizzy. She took several deep breaths and stumbled over to the sink. Hermione rinsed out her mouth with water, and....wait a second...something didn't feel right. She opened her mouth...and saw that her teeth had lengthened into short but distinct fangs. Full moon or not, her body was preparing itself for pregnancy. Checking herself for other changes, she saw that her body hair was definately thicker. She got into the shower, feeling ill and frightened.
It was the first time her parents had actually seen Hogwarts Express, much less ridden on it. Hermione had given them a short tour, but she wasn't in much of a mood for entertaining. The hair on her legs and under her arms had grown back within twenty minutes after being shaven. She had thirteen days till she transformed, was it happening already?
"RON!! RON!!!!!! HERMIONE IS BACK!!," Harry shouted to his best friend that evening. Ron jumped up immediately. He raced downstairs with Harry to the Great Hall where Dumbledore was talking to Hermione and her parents. He slowed down to a walk, worried about her parents reaction to him. Hermione noticed him almost immediately, and rushed into his arms. "Oh Hermione...Hermione!!"
"Ron, Harry, here are my parents, John and Kathleen Granger, and my baby brother Tristan." Ron looked up at his girlfriend's parents, trying to read their faces...A touch of anger? Perhaps? "Pleased to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Granger..." "Mister Weasley," John Granger said sternly, "since you have obviously imposed on our daughter, I must insist that you call us by our Christian names." Kathleen Granger nodded in agreement. "And I believe you have something you want to ask Hermione, do you not?" Ron chuckled and took Hermione by the hand, walking her back a couple of steps before dropping to one knee.
"You know I didn't like you at first Hermione, coming across so bossy and arrogant. Before long you had shown yourself to be a true friend, standing up for Harry and me, and then over the past five years becoming a greater friend than I could have possibly imagined. You helped me in so many ways, you tolerated my weaknesses, my foolishness. You didn't push me away when I wanted to help. You shared yourself with me, and you showed me what a wonderful person you are on so many levels. And now, I want to repay you by asking you to become part of me forever...."
"Hermione Granger, will you marry me?"
She had no idea where such articulation had come from, but she no second thoughts. "Yes, Ron Weasley! Yes, I'll marry you!!"
They embraced, kissed. They were surrounded by the Grangers, Harry Potter, Ginny, and Dumbledore. "I suppose the proper thing to do now would be to notify the family of the second part of this happy development. We can discuss the details tomorrow morning. I've arranged lodging at Hogsmeade for you, Mr. and Mrs. Granger," Dumbledore said.
Ron's family would arrive on the morning Express. The four students walked together with Dumbledore on the way back from Hogsmeade. "Yes Hermione, we will make sure that you and your child are well taken care of over the coming year. You will lose only a few months of experience, and with a considerable amount of effort, there is a strong possibility that you will graduate with Harry...and your husband."
HER HUSBAND! She could scarcely believe it. She had known her life would change drastically after being bitten, she wasn't aware it would net her a husband!!! Hermione.....
"What the!!"
"GET DOWN!!"
Columns of orange flame and smoke were rising from the general directions of both Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. "MY PARENTS!!!," Hermione screamed.
Dumbledore acted quickly. "HARRY!! You Ron, and Hermione run and check Hogsmeade!!! GINNY, you come with me to the school!! HURRY!!
Harry, Ron and Hermione ran as fast as they could towards the conflagration. As they arrived, wands out, people were rushing using buckets of water and Aqiuos spells to extinguish the fires blazing. Hogsmeade Station, the Post Office, and the Three Broomsticks were gone, and flames had spread to Honeydukes and other buildings. To their horror, they saw charred remains and severed limbs. At least two dozen others were on the ground, moaning, writhing and screaming in pain.
"...muggle bombs, I'm SURE of it!!"
"couldn't possibly have known.."
"HERMIONE, RON, HARRY!!"
"MOM! DAD!"
Her parents rushed up to her. They were OK, except for some lacerations from flying rocks. "We dropped our suitcases off and were 50 feet away from the Three Broomsticks when it just...it just....BLEW UP!! Another building blew up behind us." Her mother sobbed, "Oh God, what is happening!!"
The situation was not quite as bad when they returned to Hogwarts after rendering what aid they could at Hogsmeade, a series of hidden bombs had exploded on the grounds. Hagrid's hut was utterly destroyed, but Hagrid himself had been in a classroom, preparing an upcoming lesson. Unfortunately, Parvati Patil, Stewart Ackerly, Lavender Brown, Roger Davies, and Kevin Whitby had lost their lives in other blasts. Several other students had minor injuries. The three looked at each other, horrified.
War had come to Hogwarts with a vengeance.
Author's Note: A terrible thing when the lives of those so young are lost, but such is the nature of war.