Chapter 43
"A New Reason to Live"
Hermione fell back onto the bed. Pregnant? That would explain her nausea and weight gain. Dear Lord! Pregnant?!
"Hermione, are you all right?" asked Dumbledore.
Hermione closed her eyes and raised her hands to her head and covered her face.
"No, I'm not," she said. "I can't be! I mean, I was told that I would be unable to conceive a child because of some growth malfunction when I turned sixteen. I knew I had been feeling ill the past several weeks, but never in a million years had it crossed my mind that I was...pregnant!"
Dumbledore dragged Hermione's hands from her face. Tears cluttered those lovely cinnamon eyes.
"What am I going to do?" she asked him, sitting up. "I'm in the middle of a dangerous war, and I can't even help. Not only are there thousands, maybe even millions of lives at stake, but now I have to worry about my life and...my unborn child's life."
The words stung her. She was going to be a mother, and she knew who was the father. Tom. She placed a hand on her stomach. A life created by love.
"I'm going to be a momma," Hermione smiled.
Dumbledore hugged Hermione. She seemed so fragile, yet so tough at the same time. She had a strong will, and he knew that she would be even stronger now.
Hermione sobbed on Dumbledore's shoulder for a bit before collecting herself. She wiped away her tears and looked up into those twinkling blue eyes.
"I know that I may be in a delicate situation, but I will not give up in stopping Tom," she said while getting up. "No one will stop me. I have let others push me around for far too long. Now it's my turn. In the end, I know that I may die, but if my life must be given up to save this world from a fate far worse than death, than let that be so."
She flung her hair back over her shoulder and marched out of the Hospital Wing. Dumbledore ran up to her.
"Hermione, I know you wish to put an end to all of the terror, but you must remember there are many things at stake. Allow me to gather up the Order to discuss action on what we can do to stop Voldemort," said Dumbledore. "I don't want you to overreact on anything."
Hermione stopped and stared at him. She was overreacting.
"I-I'm sorry, Professor,"
"Please, call me Albus,"
"Albus. I know I'm going mental. It's just that my parents are being held captive as well as Harry and many others. I feel like the world is depending solely on me," said Hermione. "I just need some time alone to think."
Dumbledore nodded his head.
"I understand. I'll call up the Order and get them out here as soon as possible. Take as much time as you need to collect yourself. I'll come and get you when the Order has arrived," said Dumbledore.
Hermione watched him disappear down the hall. She went back to the room her parents were staying in and changed into a simple blue dress. She then went up to the astronomy tower. A gentle breeze was blowing. Hermione thanked it for she felt hot and sick. She sat down on a bench just by the ledge. She placed her arms on the ledge and rested her head on her arms.
She closed her eyes, only for a few minutes to rest. She smiled when she remembered this was the spot where her and Tom first kissed when she was Katrina. She remembered him asking her if she could ever love someone like him. At that time, she was uncertain of what he meant, but now she did. He meant someone as evil and ruthless as him. Hermione felt her heart twist in fury, but also in sadness.
She opened her eyes and lifted her head, staring past the Forbidden Forest and toward the dark silhouette of the hills and mountains. The sun had begun to drift behind them, causing the hills and mountains to appear as menacing giants standing against a blood red sky. Clouds stretched across the sky, each one appearing as a golden orange. A few stars began to appear behind the clouds. Hermione's hair blew around her, and her eyes began to tear up. That's when it hit her.
She knew that she had to live. Another person's life was depending on her very own body to live. Even if it meant going away and hiding in a cave for a while, she would do so. Nothing or no one would stop her from loving her child and providing a loving home for him or her. She knew that once he child was born, she would have to come out of hiding and battle Tom, but not until she knew she would make it out alive.
"Hermione," said a voice behind her.
She spun around and smiled when her eyes rested on the figure's face.
"Ron," she said as she ran up to him and hugged him. "I missed you so much!'
Ron held Hermione. She was like his sister, and he wanted to be there for her.
"I missed you too, Mione. Come, Dumbledore has assembled the meeting with the order. We must discuss our plan of action," said Ron as he held out his hand.
Hermione turned her head and took one last look at the dying sunset. She then took Ron's hand, him leading the way to Dumbledore's office. Hermione's mind was already racing with ideas and goals, but none of them were greater than the one goal she had to achieve, staying alive.
"A New Reason to Live"
Hermione fell back onto the bed. Pregnant? That would explain her nausea and weight gain. Dear Lord! Pregnant?!
"Hermione, are you all right?" asked Dumbledore.
Hermione closed her eyes and raised her hands to her head and covered her face.
"No, I'm not," she said. "I can't be! I mean, I was told that I would be unable to conceive a child because of some growth malfunction when I turned sixteen. I knew I had been feeling ill the past several weeks, but never in a million years had it crossed my mind that I was...pregnant!"
Dumbledore dragged Hermione's hands from her face. Tears cluttered those lovely cinnamon eyes.
"What am I going to do?" she asked him, sitting up. "I'm in the middle of a dangerous war, and I can't even help. Not only are there thousands, maybe even millions of lives at stake, but now I have to worry about my life and...my unborn child's life."
The words stung her. She was going to be a mother, and she knew who was the father. Tom. She placed a hand on her stomach. A life created by love.
"I'm going to be a momma," Hermione smiled.
Dumbledore hugged Hermione. She seemed so fragile, yet so tough at the same time. She had a strong will, and he knew that she would be even stronger now.
Hermione sobbed on Dumbledore's shoulder for a bit before collecting herself. She wiped away her tears and looked up into those twinkling blue eyes.
"I know that I may be in a delicate situation, but I will not give up in stopping Tom," she said while getting up. "No one will stop me. I have let others push me around for far too long. Now it's my turn. In the end, I know that I may die, but if my life must be given up to save this world from a fate far worse than death, than let that be so."
She flung her hair back over her shoulder and marched out of the Hospital Wing. Dumbledore ran up to her.
"Hermione, I know you wish to put an end to all of the terror, but you must remember there are many things at stake. Allow me to gather up the Order to discuss action on what we can do to stop Voldemort," said Dumbledore. "I don't want you to overreact on anything."
Hermione stopped and stared at him. She was overreacting.
"I-I'm sorry, Professor,"
"Please, call me Albus,"
"Albus. I know I'm going mental. It's just that my parents are being held captive as well as Harry and many others. I feel like the world is depending solely on me," said Hermione. "I just need some time alone to think."
Dumbledore nodded his head.
"I understand. I'll call up the Order and get them out here as soon as possible. Take as much time as you need to collect yourself. I'll come and get you when the Order has arrived," said Dumbledore.
Hermione watched him disappear down the hall. She went back to the room her parents were staying in and changed into a simple blue dress. She then went up to the astronomy tower. A gentle breeze was blowing. Hermione thanked it for she felt hot and sick. She sat down on a bench just by the ledge. She placed her arms on the ledge and rested her head on her arms.
She closed her eyes, only for a few minutes to rest. She smiled when she remembered this was the spot where her and Tom first kissed when she was Katrina. She remembered him asking her if she could ever love someone like him. At that time, she was uncertain of what he meant, but now she did. He meant someone as evil and ruthless as him. Hermione felt her heart twist in fury, but also in sadness.
She opened her eyes and lifted her head, staring past the Forbidden Forest and toward the dark silhouette of the hills and mountains. The sun had begun to drift behind them, causing the hills and mountains to appear as menacing giants standing against a blood red sky. Clouds stretched across the sky, each one appearing as a golden orange. A few stars began to appear behind the clouds. Hermione's hair blew around her, and her eyes began to tear up. That's when it hit her.
She knew that she had to live. Another person's life was depending on her very own body to live. Even if it meant going away and hiding in a cave for a while, she would do so. Nothing or no one would stop her from loving her child and providing a loving home for him or her. She knew that once he child was born, she would have to come out of hiding and battle Tom, but not until she knew she would make it out alive.
"Hermione," said a voice behind her.
She spun around and smiled when her eyes rested on the figure's face.
"Ron," she said as she ran up to him and hugged him. "I missed you so much!'
Ron held Hermione. She was like his sister, and he wanted to be there for her.
"I missed you too, Mione. Come, Dumbledore has assembled the meeting with the order. We must discuss our plan of action," said Ron as he held out his hand.
Hermione turned her head and took one last look at the dying sunset. She then took Ron's hand, him leading the way to Dumbledore's office. Hermione's mind was already racing with ideas and goals, but none of them were greater than the one goal she had to achieve, staying alive.