Guilty Love: Year 6
Chapter 9: Plans Unveiled
Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I would spend my time spending money on expensive things I would never use, not writing fan fictions.
It was well past midnight when the short stubby man ran stumbling through a dark forest. Tripping over a stone he fell forward, landing hard. He reached forward, his hands grasping a thick tree branch that had fallen to the ground. In frustration he squeezed it as hard as he could, his silver hand crushing it into a fine dust.
'Perhaps I was wrong to leave,' he thought, fear coursing through every pore of his body. 'If he finds me, there is no telling what he will do. Kill me for sure, but knowing the Dark Lord, there will be pain first. Lots of pain.'
The sudden sound of nearby footsteps caused Peter Pettigrew to freeze. As the steps came closer slowly, he reached into his sleeve and pulled out a thin twig of a wand. He pointed it at himself, muttering an incantation. In a mere second the man that was Peter Pettigrew melted away, leaving a tiny rat in the space he had been. The only strange thing about this rat was one tiny glinting paw.
Another footstep shook the ground and the tiny creature scurried off into the dark underbrush.
Seconds later a man walked into the clearing. He paused, picking up a rumpled set of robes off the ground. "Still warm," he muttered. "Wormtail! Wherever you are! There is no escape! The Dark Lord WILL find you!" Macnair bellowed, before disappearing into the wood again.
Harry and Hermione stood panting at Dumbledore's door. Harry rubbed his toe, having just kicked the stone gargoyle in frustration at not being able to guess the latest password (which turned out to be fizzing whizbee).
Hermione took Harry's hand and raised the other to knock on the door, which promptly swung open of it's own accord.
"Mr. Potter, Miss Granger. What a pleasant surprise!" said Dumbledore from behind his desk. He stood and waved his wand, drawing up two chairs from nowhere. "Please, come sit." Dumbledore set about conjuring up a steaming pot of tea, and some biscuits. "Tea?" he asked, offering a cup to Hermione.
"No thank you, Professor."
He offered to Harry, who shook his head. Dumbledore poured himself a cup and settled back in his chair. "What can I do for you?" he asked.
Harry and Hermione exchanged a nervous glance, and then Hermione spoke up. "Well, er, Professor, Harry and I were in the…er, Room of Requirement, and Harry had a vision," she said rather quickly.
"I see," said Dumbledore, "Tell me about your vision, Harry."
Harry cleared his throat and began explaining his vision as best he could, "Well, I could see Voldemort, and he was yelling at Macnair. And then Macnair told him that Wormtail escaped. Voldemort got really man and used an unforgivable curse on Macnair, and told him to go find Wormtail. He said to bring him back alive…"
Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, pressing his fingertips together, in what Harry had learned meant that he was in deep thought.
Suddenly, Dumbledore swept to his feet. "You must return to your rooms now. I have to leave."
"But…but Professor!" Harry interjected, "What does this mean?"
Dumbledore walked around his desk until he stood right next to Harry. They were nearly eye-to-eye now; Harry had grown quite a bit. Dumbledore's usually vivid blue eyes seemed angry and distressed. He placed his hands on Harry's shoulders. "Harry, I must find Peter Pettigrew, before Lord Voldemort does. It is very important. I will only tell Minerva McGonagall that I am leaving. You must speak of this to no one. Tell no one about your vision."
Harry nodded dumbly as Dumbledore tapped a bit of parchment on his desk, turning it into a portkey. "Take care Mr. Potter, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said with a brief smile. He picked up the portkey and was gone.
Lying alone, tangled in her bed sheets, Bellatrix Lestrange writhed in pain. The large lump on her stomach shook violently. This was no normal baby, she could tell.
She felt another contraction arise and she pulled a pillow to her and squashed it over her mouth, screaming in agony.
The time was coming.
Draco Malfoy paced in front of the fire. It was well after one in the morning, and he had yet to sleep. His plan was nearly complete. In two days he would return to Hogwarts and share his plan with his friends. They would help.
Potter had better watch his back, he thought with a smirk. With a swish of his cloak he turned and headed for his room
He slept peacefully, for once, that night; visions of a dead Harry Potter dancing through his mind.
Late that night Harry lay wrapped in Hermione's arms. Hermione had fallen asleep, there on the couch in the Common Room, but Harry's mind was racing with a thousand questions, each more pressing than the last.
Two days later all the students were back at school. Christmas break was over, and it was time to get back to work. Teachers pressed homework into the already full hands of the sixth year students, urging them to prepare of their N.E.W.T.S. next year.
Hermione seemed to return to her old study-obsessed self. She set about drawing up study schedules for herself, Harry, and Ron.
One morning at breakfast, Ron sat stuffing his face with bacon, watching Hermione furiously pour of a Transfiguration book. "Er-my-knee, why are 'ou studin at break'ast?"
Hermione sighed impatiently, poking her head over the top of the book. "Some of us, Ron, would like to pass our N.E.W.T.S. You might think about picking up a book or two, especially after what your Mum said about your O.W.L. results."
She disappeared back behind her book and Ron blushed red as Harry sat down next to him. "Hermione poking fun at you again, Ron?" Harry asked teasingly.
Ron scowled and returned to his bacon.
Hermione reached up and turned the page of her big book. As she did so, Harry caught and glimpse of the ring on her finger. His ring. Harry remembered, for the millionth time that morning, how close they had been on Christmas night. He wished he hadn't had that vision. He wished they hadn't stopped.
Hermione felt his stare through the book and snapped the big book shut with a sigh, placing it in the empty share next to her. She saw Harry's look and knew what he was thinking about. She had thought about it too.
Ron noticed the sudden tension in the air between his friends and looked confusedly between them for a moment before snorting a laugh and returning to his plate.
"I'm going to the library. Coming?" Hermione asked Harry, standing up and grabbing her books.
Harry shrugged, "Sure."
As soon as they were out of the Great Hall, Harry pinned Hermione up against the wall, kissing her passionately. "Hermione, I can't stop thinking about Christmas."
Hermione pressed her lips to his again, "Neither can I," she whispered, before kissing him again.
"I want you. I've changed my mind," Harry told her. "I can't wait."
Hermione smiled and ran her hands through his hair, grabbing his dark locks in her fist and using them to pull his mouth to hers.
Harry picked her up and swung her legs around his waist, pressing her back against the wall even harder. He deepened the kiss and groaned as he slid his tongue into her mouth, taking in the taste of her. He couldn't get enough.
Regretfully, Hermione broke the kiss, "I really do have to get to the library." Harry pouted, "Stop it Harry, I'll see you in class," she said with a laugh.
Harry set her down and placed a kiss, so soft, so gentle, and so full of love on her lips that for a moment she didn't say anything.
After she recovered, Hermione picked her bag up and smiled, "I know, I love you, too," and she headed off to the library.
Harry leaned against the wall for a minute, his mind replaying the hot kisses they had just shared. He shook his head, if he kept thinking about that, he was going to need another shower.
He pushed himself off the wall and turned back to the Great Hall. As he turned, he felt a sharp jab in his neck. He turned to look and saw Draco Malfoy holding his wand to Harry's neck, a disgusted sneer on his face.
"I can't believe you're thinking about having sex with a Mudblood. The famous Potter could have any girl in the school, and he chooses the Mudblood," he spat, "disgusting."
Harry took a step backwards, rubbing the spot where Malfoy's wand had been. "What's disgusting, Malfoy, is the fact that you still think you're right, about Pure-Bloods. You're such an asshole, Malfoy." Harry moved to walk around him.
Malfoy stepped in front of him. "Consider this your warning, Potter. Before the end of the school year, I'm going to kill you."
Harry snorted, "Whatever you say, Malfoy. Harry stepped around him and walked into the Great Hall, sitting down next to Ron just in time to hear a joke from Seamus. Harry threw his head back and laughed with his friends.
"Laugh while you can, Potter," Malfoy sneered before disappearing into the shadows.
A month and a half passed quickly, the students doing nothing but study. Harry was doing quite well in all of his classes, much to Professor Snape's dismay. Snape, being able to find nothing wrong with Harry's work, resorted to sneering at him, and quoting bits from old Rita Skeeter articles.
Hermione was in a studying frenzy. Harry's time alone with her had been limited to sitting next to her in the library while she poured over book after book.
One night, the last Thursday before exams would start, Harry and Hermione were sitting in the library, when Hermione snapped her book shut. "I think I may have reached the point where I simply can't study any more."
Harry's jaw dropped. Hermione punched him playfully. "Shut up, Mr. Potter. I need to relax."
She leaned back against Harry, who reached up and moved her hair aside and started massaging her shoulders. "Mmm, that feels really good," she whispered. "Say, do you have any idea what Ron has been up to? We've hardly seen him except at meals lately."
Harry thought about it, "You know, you're right. I have no idea where ickle Ronnikins has been."
Hermione sighed, "Oh well." She gathered up her books, "Let's go back to the Common Room."
Harry stood, and grabbed some of her books for her, leading the way out of the library.
They turned off of the main hallway, into a much narrower corridor, a sort of short cut to the Common Room. Suddenly, they heard voices. Harry motioned for Hermione to be quiet, and they crept a little closer.
They heard a gently thud, and then a groan. "Ron! Shhhh! Someone is bound to hear us."
"Don't worry, I'm the Prefect on duty tonight. Everyone should be in their Common Room."
"Oh, ok." Then Harry and Hermione heard some rather disgusting slurping and smacking sounds.
Then there was a moment of heavy breathing, and then quiet. Then, they heard Ron speak, "I'm really glad you're here with me, Luna."
"Me too."
Hermione pulled Harry back out of the corridor. They ran up the hall and all the way to the first staircase. Hermione burst out laughing. "So I guess we know where Ron has been."
Harry laughed, "Yeah. I wonder when he was planning on telling us though."
"He'll tell us when he's ready," Hermione said. Harry knew she was right. Harry pulled out his wand, and waved it, Hermione's books and bag all disappeared. "Hey!" she said in surprise.
"Don't worry, you'll find them neatly stacked on your bedside table, in alphabetical order, by Author and subject."
Now Hermione's jaw dropped. Harry shrugged, "I've been practicing."
He pushed her against the wall at the foot of the stairs, kissing her hotly. Hermione had had a no-tolerance level for disruptions during her studying, even for Harry. Hermione pulled a rubber band and two chopsticks from the pocket of her robe and tied her hair up carelessly, and then returned to kissing Harry. She broke the kiss and took his hand, leading him up the stairs and in a direction quite opposite of the Common Room.
Harry knew very well where it led.
Once inside the Room of Requirement, Harry wasted no time talking. He carried Hermione over to the big bed and laid her down. She pulled him on top of her and began kissing him hotly. She pulled off her robes, tossing them aside, leaving her in just her school skirt and blouse.
Harry ran his hand up the outside of her thigh, under her skirt, and back down, dragging his nails lightly across her skin. Hermione broke the kiss and giggled, "Harry, that tickles!"
"That's the idea," Harry growled, his voice low and husky from desire.
Hermione grabbed his hair and drew him in for another passionate kiss. Harry began running his hand up and down the inside of her thigh, going a little higher each time.
She reached up and removed his t-shirt, tossing it aside carelessly. Then she rolled them over so that she was on top. Harry began unbuttoning her blouse, which was then added the pile of clothes on the floor. Hermione straddled him, her skirt bunching around her waist. She pressed herself against his waist, feeling his erection pressing hard against his pants.
She leaned down and kissed him, grinding her hips against his. Harry moaned loudly, his hands reaching down to undo his pants. Hermione removed his hands and did the job herself. Pulling his pants off completely, she returned to sitting on his boxer-clad waist.
Harry pulled her in for another kiss, this time they both moaned when Hermione ground her hips into his.
Harry broke the kiss, panting heavily. "Hermione, Merlin…" he took several deep breaths, "Are you…are you sure?"
"Absolutely," Hermione replied softly, crawling back over to him. Harry pressed his lips to hers, and then it happened.
Harry groaned in frustration as he felt it. "Of course! Now that we're so close, something was bound to go wrong!"
"Harry, what is it?"
"It's being born," Harry said angrily.
"WHAT?" Hermione yelled. "Right now?"
Harry stood up and pulled on his jeans and t-shirt. "It's begun." Harry picked up his wand. "I have to go to Dumbledore."
Hermione sat on the bed, her eyes watering. Harry walked over to her calmly. He kissed her softly. "I love you, Hermione Jane Granger."
"I love you, Harry James Potter."
Harry walked onto the grounds of Hogwarts. It was late and the sky should've been pitch black. It should've been any color but green.
The sky was lime green, as far as the eye could see. The only black was an outline of a snake, a snake being ridden by a small child.
"Accio Firebolt!" Harry shouted. His broom arrived at his side and he mounted it, kicking off into the night sky.
Hours passed, how many exactly it was impossible to tell. Harry's hands were freezing to his broomstick when suddenly, the broom seemed direct itself to the ground. Harry landed softly in the middle of a forest, hopping lightly to the ground and shouldering his broom.
Harry pulled his wand from his robes, muttering "Lumos," as he went. He walked for a few hundred yards, trying to avoid the crunching sounds he got every time he stepped on a pile of dry leaves.
Suddenly Harry froze, he could've sworn he'd heard a whisper. Not moving he listened…not a sound. Just as he lifted his foot to move again, he heard it.
"Harry." It was almost too quiet to be heard. A soft, but raspy voice was calling out to him. "Harry, is that you?" There was sudden movement and a tall man with a silver beard stepped out from behind a tree.
"Professor Dumbledore!" Harry cried.
"Harry, shh. They're all around us, waiting."
Harry crept closer, "Who, Professor?"
Dumbledore dropped his voice to a whisper, "His followers."
Dumbledore reached a hand out to Harry. Harry frowned and stepped backwards. This wasn't right. Albus Dumbledore would never hide behind a tree. Albus Dumbledore would never drop his voice for fear. This couldn't be Albus Dumbledore. "You're not Dumbledore!" Harry shouted, stepping back again. "YOU'RE NOT DUMBLEDORE!" he bellowed.
Dumbledore's blue eyes seemed to brighten for a second, before fading away completely, being replaced with burning red eyeballs.
Harry groaned internally.
Dumbledore melted away, leaving Lord Voldemort where he had been standing, moments ago. "Very good, Potter. I'm glad you could make it. Tonight is a very special night, indeed. Tonight, my son shall be born."
"Where's Dumbledore?" Harry asked through gritted teeth.
Voldemort snapped his fingers, and suddenly Harry found himself back in the graveyard he had become so familiar with two years ago. Cedric Diggory had died here.
"Look familiar, Potter?" Voldemort sneered. He went on without waiting for an answer. "You'll find your Professor behind that tombstone there," Voldemort said, point carelessly and a large tombstone. Harry shot a glare at Voldemort and raced over to the stone.
"Professor!" Harry shouted, "Professor! Are you ok? Can you hear me?"
Albus Dumbledore was sprawled on his back, as if he had suffered and bad disarming spell, and not moved. "Harry? Harry, you shouldn't have left school," Dumbledore said weakly, fighting to keep his eyes open.
"Professor. Professor! Stay with me! You need to stay awake. I'll get you back to school. Did you find Wormtail?"
Dumbledore's eyes widened. "He's got him back."
"Alright, Potter. It's time. Come out here, now." Voldemort's cruel voice called to him.
Harry rose to his feet, gripping his wand tightly at his side. The Death Eater's had arrived, taking their places in a circle around an enclosed tent that stood in the middle. Groans of pain and agony could be heard coming from inside.
Another moan of pain came from a small heap crouched at Voldemort's feet. Voldemort held his wand on the quivering pile of clothes, watching it writhe in pain. "Get up, Peter," Voldemort said, lifting the curse.
Wormtail stood slowly, tears of pain streaking his face. "Go check on Bellatrix," Voldemort ordered. Wormtail slowly turned and disappeared into the tent.
Voldemort turned to face Harry and the Death Eaters. "My son will be born in a matter of moments. I invited our special guest here tonight, for one reason. I think you will enjoy this, Potter.
"As you know, my son is to be the strongest wizard yet. Stronger than Dumbledore, stronger than Potter, even stronger than myself. He will be great. I felt he needed to be assured greatness though, so I had many spells performed on Bellatrix during her pregnancy.
"My son will be born fully grown. A man, already. A man, you may already know, Harry Potter."
Harry shifted uncomfortably as a scream of pain echoed through the graveyard, followed by several loud, deep cries; the cries of a man.
Voldemort turned and headed for the tent when a Death Eater apparated into their mist, pulling along two people.
"Well done, Macnair," Voldemort praised, "Let Harry say his goodbyes to his Mudblood and his precious Weasel." He raised the flap and moved into the tent.
Macnair dropped the two bodies unceremoniously, stepping back as Harry rushed forward. "Hermione! Ron! What are you doing here? I left you both at Hogwarts."
Hermione just shook her head, tears running down her beautiful face. Ron spoke softly, "I dunno, mate. I sort of blacked out, and then I was here. That's all I remember."
Harry pulled Hermione into a hug, and after a moment threw an arm around Ron, pulling him in too. Voldemort stepped out of the tent. "Macnair, restrain those two."
Macnair stepped forward and shot restraining ropes around Ron and Hermione, lashing them tightly to the same tombstone that Dumbledore lay on the other side of.
Voldemort coughed, drawing Harry's attention back to him. "I'd like you, Harry Potter, to meet my son." Voldemort raised the flap of the tent and a dark shape stepped out, walking towards the fire in billowing robes of black, a shiny new wand twirling elegantly in his fingers.
Harry instantly recognized the shape, but refused to believe it. He stepped closer the fire, and into the light. The shape turned and Harry gasped as his face caught the light. It was covered in shaggy hair, but Harry knew that face.
"Sirius?"
A dead silence fell over the cemetery. The shape reached up and pushed back its shaggy hair, revealing two blood-red slits for eyes. "Harry Potter, meet Lucius Riddle. I've decided to name my son after my most loyal follower."
Harry took a step back as Voldemort pulled his wand out of his robes, slowly advancing on Harry. Harry's mind raced. He was surrounded by Death Eaters, Voldemort and his son were coming towards him, Dumbledore, Ron and Hermione were incapacitated, there was no way out.
Harry raised his wand, not knowing what he was going to do. Suddenly he heard a loud bellow, and the sound of running feet. There was a flash of silver and a blur as Wormtail ran full speed, knocking both Voldemort and Lucius to the ground.
The Death Eaters all shot stunning spells at Wormtail who took off running the opposite direction. Harry seized the opportunity to grab Hermione and Ron. He pointed his wand and Dumbledore and shouted, "Eneverate!" Dumbledore opened his eyes and jumped up as if he were young again. He grabbed Harry's hand and muttered an incantation…
The hospital wing. Only, Harry wasn't the one being treated. It was Dumbledore. Dumbledore lie in a bed, downing a Pepper-Up potion.
Dumbledore sat up slowly, wincing. Harry had given him enough strength to get them all back to school, now he was in pain. "Harry, we need to talk."
"About what?" Harry asked nonchalantly. "About the fact that I now have two Voldemort's to kill instead of one? Or the fact that one of them strongly resembles my godfather, making it really hard for me to kill him."
Dumbledore sighed, "That's why he did it. He's making it difficult for you, Harry. I'm afraid it's going to get worse. I've made a decision, for your own good, but you won't like it."
Harry groaned and was silent for a moment. He sat down between Ron and Hermione, taking Hermione's hand in his. He took a deep breath, "Ok, what is it?"
"Over break, you cannot be in touch with Ron or Hermione. I will be sending them both out of the country for the whole break. You can't owl them, you can't call them, you can't talk to them."
Harry's jaw fell open, his eyes watering. "But, Professor! Talking to them is what keeps me alive over there at Number Four! If it weren't for these two, I would probably kill myself!"
Dumbledore closed his eyes and reopened them slowly. "Harry, I know this is going to be hard. It's for their own safety. The war has begun, Harry, with the birth of Voldemort's heir. This is the beginning. I can't take any risks until they are back at school and under my watch. Please, try to understand."
Harry nodded slowly. "Maybe, if the summer is quiet, I might be able to have you all together at the Burrow the last week of summer, but that's not a promise, remember that. Please, go spend time with your friends, Harry. You only have one week left."
Harry, Hermione and Ron walked into the hallway silently. Ron wrapped his arm around his best friend's shoulder, and Hermione laced her fingers through Harry's, squeezing them tightly.
"It's going to be a long summer, mate," Ron said as they headed for the Common Room.
A/N: Whew! What a workout! Ok, guys, that's it for now. The next chapter will most likely be the last chapter of Guilty Love: Year 6. So, in summary, Ron has gotten himself a lady friend, Harry and Hermione are closer than they've ever been before, and Voldemort has come up with a surprisingly brilliant plan to mess with Harry's head. I hope you all got that. Anyway, I'll probably start chapter 10 tomorrow. I want to finish before the real Book 6 comes out! Also, as per request, I hope you enjoyed Harry and Hermione's steamy scenes. And don't hound me for the next chapter! I spent 6 hours on this today! Anyway, leave some lovin' cuz you know it makes me work harder!
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