Rain
By forbiddenlight
Disclaimer: For the last time, I own absolutely nothing!
A/N: Thank you to all those who reviewed. Some people were a bit confused over the last chapter, what with Hermione yelling at Blaise. Well, we'll find out more about it now, won't we? I've read the sixth book. It was really good. A little dark, and you will never believe who dies and who is the Half-Blood Prince!
CAUTION: Proceed with caution. This chapter and the rest of the story will contain HBP spoilers. You have been warned and I will not feel bad if you are mad that this story is containing spoilers.
maraudin-around: I don't think so right now, but you never can be sure…
Steelo: No, he isn't a mediwizard (whatever that is).
Pip08: Thanks for reviewing. Yeah, you never know… Nobody's going to be killed off… yet…
Athena: Thanks! Yeah, I didn't really like how their meeting went, but there wasn't any other way…
FlairVerona: The language was completely unnecessary. Don't worry, you'll find out why Hermione was mad in this chapter.
CareBearErin: Well, it doesn't matter if you're good or bad; killing someone would be a very stressful thing to do. And don't worry. We'll find out about Hermione in this chapter. You didn't miss anything!
amrawo: I've already read it! I'm glad you loved that last chapter- I had a lot of reviewers who weren't so sure how they felt about Bittersweet.
iluvdracossoul: Thank you. There sure were a lot of events. That was a very big chapter.
I-Lurve-Harry: As much as we all love the Boy Who Lived, this story isn't his. It's about Hermione and Blaise's Romeo and Juliet relationship, and the hardships they face, through misunderstandings and fights, along with being threatened by who may be your future father-in-law and Lord Voldemort.
I'm not going to bother to tell you about the names in bold.
Ship: Blaise/Hermione
Genre: Drama/Romance
Chapter Seventeen: Shocked and Hardly Believable
Hermione
She felt so stupid.
She shouldn't have yelled at him, but if he had just told his mom straight out that it was his decision- not hers- she wouldn't be next on the list to die. Hermione knew what Death Eaters were like, having her few encounters with them over the years, especially last year. They weren't merciful.
But she loved Blaise! She loved him so much, every part of her heart was screaming at her for hurting him like that. But she knew she couldn't be around him. She knew she needed her space right now.
She was so perplexed.
She needed to sleep.
HarryHermione had left earlier that morning, and hadn't returned. Harry just shrugged, thinking that she had gone to the library. He was looking for Ginny, but found Ron instead.
"Ron? What's with you and Pansy?" he asked, sitting down next to his gangly, red head friend in the Gryffindor Common Room.
Ron gave him a weak smile. "That's the thing," he began. "I mean, I think I love her. I never felt like this with Hermione. But with Pansy I feel so alive, so free. As much as we all think Pansy's really mean and dark, she's really not, just a lost soul on the wrong side."
Harry grinned. "If she's gotten you to think like that, mate, then you should've fallen in love with her years ago."
"Yeah," Ron said dreamily. "How are you and my sister?"
Harry smiled inside. He loved thinking about Ginny. This was, however, the first time Ron had really acknowledged their relationship without gritted teeth. Harry was glad Ron had found Pansy- maybe loving her would help Ron realize what Harry felt with Ginny- that feeling that's impossible to describe, that warm feeling that puts a smile on your face.
"We're good." Harry told him, not wanting to get into detail.
Ron didn't seem to notice Harry's short answer. Instead he sunk back into the armchair. "Wanna play chess, mate?" he asked Harry. Harry grinned. "Yeah. Accio Wizard Chess," he called, with a flick of his wand, and the chessboard along with its pieces flew into the room from the boys' dormitory.
The two teenage boys happily dug into their favorite game (besides Quidditch) and spent the rest of the afternoon trying to destroy each other's king.
Ginny"Hermione? What the heck are you doing? It's positively pouring out here, and you don't even have a jacket!" she called as she found her best friend sitting on a rock by the lake, wearing nothing but a pair of jeans and a cotton tee. She was sopping wet. Ginny hated the wet. It was stuffy and humid outside, and it was cold.
Hermione stared out at her. Ginny realized she was crying.
"Oh, Herm, what's wrong?" Ginny asked her, sitting down beside her on the rock. It was slippery, and Ginny struggled to keep herself upright.
Hermione wouldn't look at her. Finally, Ginny felt it was appropriate to repeat herself.
"Hermione, what is wrong?"
"Voldemort wants me to die." Hermione said it so bluntly and so matter-of-factly Ginny didn't quite understand.
"What?" she inquired dizzily.
"Voldemort no longer will tolerate me living here on the Earth." Hermione laughed. Oh my gosh, she's hysterical! Ginny found herself thinking. She's a lunatic. She's laughing because Voldemort wants her dead.
Oh my God, Voldemort wants her dead!
"What? Why?" Ginny asked her with urgency, fear in her almond-colored eyes. "When did you find this out?"
Hermione was smiling and laughing. Ginny hadn't seen her this way in ages. "It was a misunderstanding!" she said when she had stopped laughing for a few moments in order to form the words in some type of recognizable form.
Ginny felt relieved. "Oh, so I misunderstood you? Voldemort doesn't want you to die?"
"No, silly," Hermione cried. She was giggling uncontrollably. "Blaise's mother thought I was the one who convinced Blaise not to be a Death Eater, when it was really Blaise. So, I'm going to die. And Blaise is a butt-faced maroon."
Ginny took a deep breath.
"But I thought you loved him! You even bought him that necklace!" Ginny told her. "For his birthday!"
Hermione unearthed a gold chain from her pocket. It had been expensive, yet it was plain, but elegant. "Oh, this thing? I was so stupid. That should be evident!"
And with that last word, Hermione threw the necklace into the lake, beaten down by the rain. As Ginny watched the necklace sink down into the lake and out of view, she realized that Hermione was shocked.
"Hermione, I think we need to go to the Hospital Wing," Ginny told her, laying a hand on her best friend's shoulder. "I think we should go now."
Hermione just grinned. "No." she said a moment later, utter defiance in her voice. Her face had taken on a new composure- a look Ginny had never seen before on the brunette's face. It was a definite look, a you-can't-take-me look.
"Hermione, we need to go. You need to see Madame Promfrey!" Ginny urged her. She really wanted to get out of this rain.
"No!" Hermione shouted. Finally Ginny took a deep breath. Sorry, Hermione. But it's the only way, she thought sadly.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Ginny cried as she waved her wand at Hermione, who was rigid as a board. Ginny bit her lip. She'd have to levitate Hermione to the castle.
"Wingardium Leviosa," she muttered, so Hermione was soon hanging in midair.
"Off to the castle we go," Ginny thought aloud sadly.
Madame Promfrey"What is this?" she ordered as a red-haired Gryffindor fifth year entered the hospital wing, levitating another girl, whom Poppy recognized immediately as Hermione Granger (she remembered her from her second year, when Hermione had spent quite a bit of time in her care). "Did you hex her? Oh, you used Petrificus Totalus!"
"Yes, I did," Ginny admitted. "But she was in emotional shock. And I need Dumbledore!"
"Dumbledore!" Poppy asked wildly as she laid Hermione down on a bed. She used the reverse spell for the Petrificus Totalus, and Hermione lay there, staring up at Ginny and Poppy.
"Dumbledore?" Hermione repeated. "And Ginny! I told you not to bring me here!"
"But I had to! You're going insane!" Ginny argued back. "And I need Dumbledore!"
"Dumbledore isn't here right now," said a voice from the doorway. Poppy looked up and saw McGonagall. "Minerva! What is going on?"
"I don't- I won't drink it!" Hermione screamed as Poppy handed her a goblet of potion.
"Something is wrong with her," Poppy said, forcing Hermione to drink the calming drought so she could give her potion for relieving shock. She looked at Ginny. "Ms. Weasley, why do you need the headmaster?"
Minerva looked up at Poppy. Poppy just shrugged.
"Well, I, well," Ginny looked flustered. Poppy gave her an odd look.
"Well, now that we have that sorted out, I'll just pretend I have any idea why you need Professor Dumbledore." Minerva replied, sitting down next to Hermione. Poppy finished force-feeding the seventeen-year-old and shrugged her shoulders again. "Hermione, what happened? We need to know."
Hermione
She looked at Madame Promfrey with an odd look on her face. She lowered her eyes as one large tear slipped down her cheek. "You wouldn't believe me." And she knew it was true. Neither McGonagall nor Madame Promfrey would believe her. Ginny was right. She needed to speak to Dumbledore.
"Of course we would!" McGonagall told her. Suddenly her face fell. "No, you're not… Not pregnant! Oh, Hermione! Please tell me you aren't!"
Hermione glared at her. "No," she told her transfiguration teacher and head of house through gritted teeth. "No, I am not pregnant. But I am in danger. A death eater has been ordered to kill me, and maybe even his son. I need to talk to Dumbledore! I need to talk to him now!"
Hermione sat up as McGonagall and Madame Promfrey stared at her through wide eyes and gaping mouths. "No, surely what you are saying… Surely what you are saying is not true!" Promfrey cried.
Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but Ginny spoke for her. "It is. It is true. When will Dumbledore be back?"
McGonagall's face darkened. "He will not be back until day after next."
"Well, where is he then?" Ginny demanded with urgency. Hermione was glad she was here. She may be the smartest witch in her year, but she wasn't a people person. Ginny was.
Promfrey stood up. "He's at the ministry, attempting to persuade the new minister, Rufus Scrimgeour, to figure out what to do with Azkaban. The dementors are out of control and there has been many breakouts."
"Can't he come back? The situation is urgent!" Ginny told her fiercely, eyes blazing.
"I'm afraid not. However, can you tell me who else may be in danger? We can take you both out of your houses and keep you in safer places, where reach from any one who is not permitted will be inaccessible. You can study with a different teacher." McGonagall asked Hermione. Hermione felt her heart drop. Could she?
It was a choice of life with Blaise for a while or death. "His name is Blaise Zabini. He's in Slytherin."
"I figured the Slytherin part, with the father being a Death Eater. All right. Well, Ms. Granger, you will remain here until I can collect Mr. Zabini and Poppy is happy with you. Then you will stay in a special dorm. It's between my office and the headmaster's, and is guarded by several obstacles. You will not leave it at all, except for Saturdays. You may not ever go alone. You will study there and eat there. I am sorry"- McGonagall said, addressing Hermione's despaired look- "But if what you say is true, it must be done. Ms. Granger, Ms. Weasley, Poppy."
And with that McGonagall left the wing and Hermione to her fate. Ginny gave Hermione a nod before leaving the room. Hermione burst into tears, with only Poppy to soothe her.
forbiddenlight