Title: Life without Hogwarts
Chapter one: The Forgotten Child
Life without Hogwarts The door closed behind Harry with a bang as he ran around the corner of his ratty old house of Number 12, Grimmauld Place. He could hear screams from around the bend as he pranced forward. He panicked at the thought of who was screaming. He thought what if it was to be his Hermione, or was it just Sirius's mother screaming because a door shut. Harry was confused and scared.
He began to sprint now. His legs pounding and his arms swinging rapidly by his sides. As he approached the room of the screams he opened the door slowly and right when the door started to creep open… Harry awoke to a frightened Hermione and a screaming James at the end of the hall. "Harry, what's wrong?" She had a frightened quiver in her voice as she spoke. Harry knew that he couldn't keep this from her because she was there when these nightmare's first began back in Hogwarts. He told her half the story thinking it would keep her safe, "I, I-'m fine… just a nightmare…"
He sat there for a few minutes thinking about the dream. Trying to remember if he had seen the woman who was screaming or what was making her scream. By the time he had come back to reality Hermione had already brought James over towards him and sat him in his arms. Hermione smiled at Harry, "He has your eyes you know. See there their just like yours …" Harry cut in, "and my mothers." Harry examined James. He noticed that his pitch black hair was as messy as Harry's. The thing he noticed that was Hermione's was James's nose and mouth.
He turned to Hermione smiling and thought about the first time he ever laid eyes on Hermione. He pictured the day she had walked in on the Hogwarts Express and fixed his glasses for him, or when he saw her petrified after she saw the Basilisk through her mirror by the library. Then he remembered at the end of his fourth year when she had kissed him on his cheek. Harry thought of the time when Ron had asked Hermione out. He put this thought through his head because it was the first real time Harry had felt jealous of Ron. Hermione looked at Harry with longing eyes as she crouched down beside him and James and laid her head down upon Harry's shoulder. Her eyes began to close and she drifted back off into sleep as James did the same.
The next morning Hermione woke Harry up when she moved James back into his bed so he could sleep a few more hours. He went down stairs before Hermione could. He wanted to make her a breakfast since he had felt guilty about keeping her awake last night. He began making her favorite, bacon, eggs, sausage, and a glass of orange juice. With the flick of his wand the breakfast for Hermione, a pancake for James, and French Toast for himself appeared. As they sat down to breakfast Harry looked at Hermione and had noticed that she had an glowing look upon her face. "Hermione, are feeling okay?" Harry asked. Hermione paused for a moment then began to speak, " well, I have good news, and I was just waiting to tell you for a while," Harry gave her a look, " And…" Hermione finished, "and …I-I'm p-pregnant!" Harry had a shocked look on his face. "T-that's wonderful! I mean its incredible. Since when did you know?" Hermione didn't want to admit how long it had been, "two months…" she saw his face grow red. "why didn't you tell me?" Harry started to say before they heard a knock at the door. " We'll talk about it later Hermione, I'll go get the door."
To Harry's surprise at the door was Ginny Weasley, the one person Harry never wanted to see again, Draco Malfoy and a little girl Harry has never seen before. "Ginny, what are you doing here?" Harry asked. Ginny replied, "Draco and I came to see you…" Draco interrupted Ginny and said, " … first of all we are married. And this beautiful girl is Narcissa. She is our daughter." " I never would have figured that one out!" Harry replied sarcastically, then Harry thought to himself for a moment and then invited them inside.
"Well this is my home Ginny, and you basically know the place but we've made some changes." Draco got a smug look on his face and arrogantly asked, "We? How many of there are you Potter? Its not like your married or anything…" Harry ignored Malfoy and continued talking to Ginny about Grimmauld Place, "We've fixed up the kitchen a bit Ginny. Would you like to see?" Ginny nodded yes excitedly.
As they walked in the kitchen, Malfoy began babbling on to himself again, then he asked Harry a question that turned Harry's face as red as Fawkes. "Potter, what ever happened to that mudblood you used to hang around with?" As Malfoy was saying this they walked through the kitchen door where Harry stopped dead in his tracks. "If you ever talk about Hermione like that again while your in my house, Malfoy, I'll kill you myself! If I gave you the job, I know you'd chicken out at the last moment!" Hermione heard the noise and pushed the door open to see Ginny yelling at Harry. "Harry James Potter how dare you!" Harry began to look sympathetic towards Malfoy as he remember what had happened but once Malfoy had started on Hermione it all disappeared. " Mudblood, what are you doing here?" Hermione turned her happy smile from earlier to a mean look of disgust, "I live here Malfoy and shouldn't I be asking you that question?" Malfoy looked at her in disbelief, "Potter, you married the mudblood? Don't want to see what your children look like." Just as Harry was about to fire back he turned to see James standing in the door way hung onto Hermione's leg. Ginny got a complete look of surprise as she saw James on Hermione's leg, "oh my god! Harry is this James?" Harry and Hermione gave a happy nod and Malfoy face grew more frustrated, "How do you know his name and who are you talking about…Potter is he yours?" Ginny shot Malfoy a look that Harry determined meant for Malfoy to shut up! Harry began sarcastically telling Malfoy, "Well unless you know someone else that looks very similar to me then…" Hermione stared at Harry as if he had been as ignorant as Malfoy, " Harry!" Malfoy began to laugh when Harry got yelled at until Ginny screamed, "Draco! Well I guess we'll go because someone hasn't made us very welcome anymore… um… where did James and Narcy go?" Hermione went to the back room and brought them up to the kitchen. " I'm sorry Ginny, I told them to go and play when these two started…" Ginny put Narcy's coat on as they started to the door, "Well it was so nice seeing you, Ginny and nice meeting you Narcy." Narcy finally spoke among the adults, "Thank-you, bye James!" James peered through the door with pancakes overflowing out of his mouth, "Bye Narcy." they turned and walked out of the door.
Before Harry could turn around Hermione had hit him upside the head, "you two were worse then the children themselves! I thought I married an adult I guess I married the 11 year-old version of you!" as she kept screaming she hit him upside the head. Harry finally got a chance to state his case, "I'm sorry, I was just sticking up for you! Hey at least I didn't punch him!" Hermione shot another look at Harry that made him move back, "there's a difference Harry! He wasn't married to our best friends sister at that time! And I didn't act like a 6 year-old when I was talking to him!" Harry then tried to reason with Hermione's anger, "well he deserved it." Hermione looked as though she was going to burst in two, "Harry James Potter! You acted like a complete child! I don't see how you ever got out alive of those duels with Voldemort…um…Harry I didn't…I'm sorry I…" Harry looked at her with the eyes that made her cry. The distressed look in them meant that she had gone to far. "Hermione, I'm going up stairs and I don't really want to be disturbed…and I know that I said we'd talk about the whole baby thing but, right now I don't really want to talk to you so why don't you just close your flabbergasted mouth and go relax or something." Before Hermione could reply he was headed upstairs. Half way up he turned and said, " James, come. Let mom relax she doesn't know what she's doing or saying."
Hermione turned with tears in her eyes, she never meant for those words to hurt Harry. They were just an example of how childish he had been, but then she thought he had been protecting her and she had yelled at him for it. She rationalized that she had been unfair to Harry that whole morning. He had a nightmare, which she knew was something that was happening or would happen, then she never thanked him for the breakfast he prepared for all of them, she had sprung on him that she was pregnant, then she told him that she'd known for 2 months and hadn't told him, and last he stuck up for her and she yelled at him for it!
Hermione did not go see Harry right away. She sat down stairs for awhile and read and then she began to write a letter explaining how she knew it wasn't just a normal nightmare and explaining her actions throughout the day. When she finished, she tip-toed up the stairs and slide the letter under the door. James ran off his father's lap and grabbed it. Harry tore it open like it was a piece of garbage. The letter was short but it made Harry stop in his tracks:
Dear Harry,
I love you and I owe you all of my gratitude but I took your help for granted. I didn't think about how horrible that nightmare must have been, to relive what had happened so many years ago, for it to start up again. Then you making us that beautiful breakfast and me never thanking you, or not telling you sooner about the baby, then the whole Malfoy thing, and I didn't mean what I said. You are a great wizard Harry. Everyday you earn money and things for our family you are helping James and the new baby have a wonderful life. You are a great father to him and he's lucky to have you. I'm so sorry Harry.
With love,
Hermione
James sat looking at Harry and wondering what the letter said, "Daddy, whose it from?" Harry looked down at James and began to laugh, "Mommy brought it up. Are you ready to go play a game with her?" James thought for a moment then said, "can I take a nap first?"
After Harry had put down James for his nap, he went down stairs. Hermione was sitting on the couch when he walked down. He stopped and walked through the kitchen. He burst through the door into the living room. Hermione nearly fell on the floor until Harry caught her. He looked into her eyes and she began to talk about why she was sorry until Harry stopped her, " Hermione, for once don't ruin the moment by talking through it!" he bent down to the height of where he had caught her and kissed her. Then they had began to watch television together.
2 hours later, Harry found himself laying down on the couch with Hermione and the TV still blaring. He awoke to Kreacher staring at Harry and began mumbling under his breath about Hermione. He didn't retaliate because he would have just dug himself deeper into Hermione's anger. Hermione asked Harry, "Harry would you like to come to a doctor's appointment with me tomorrow?" Harry at first didn't know what she meant, "you mean for the baby?" Hermione nodded her head yes and he said that he would love to go!
Harry and Hermione let James sleep for about 1 more hour then they brought him down to start dinner. When Harry went to awake James, Hermione had made a beautiful dinner. As they ate they talked about the event's that had happened through the day. Harry yipped up about baby names half way through the meal, "Hermione, if it's a boy why don't we name him after your father or if it's a girl we'll name her after your mother since James is after my father." Hermione gave him a look that comforted Harry and he couldn't figure out why, "Harry, how about Lily, if it's a girl?" Harry shook his head no, "No, I already have James its your turn to have a name that's for you." Hermione smiled at Harry, "This is the name I to choose if it's a girl. If it's a boy why don't we name him Draco." Harry looked as if he was going to faint, "What?" Hermione began to laugh at Harry, "It was a joke Harry." they both laughed for a while until they had started talking about something else.
Once they finished dinner they all went into the living room and began to play games with James. It wasn't to much longer when they got a owl. It was Ron and he was writing to see if him and his family would like join him and Cho for some Wizard Scrabble. They graciously accepted the invitation. When Hermione, Harry, and James arrived Harry's jaw almost hit the floor, he never thought the sight of Cho would bring back so many bad memories. All of the sudden visions of Cedric's cold, corpse appeared in his head, then the day in the coffee shop, and all of the bickering and fighting. Harry came to his sense's when James pulled on his father's leg to pick him up. Hermione did not try and yell at Harry when she saw his eyes because Ron did the same to her. They had both been in the room with the first people they had ever loved. They had all changed now and Harry hadn't seen Ron for over 3 years, but they talked frequently by owl. On the day of Ron's wedding, Hermione had gone into labor during the reception and then Ron had moved away on James's 1st birthday.
Once they had chosen teams, of course Harry and Ron had been on a team, they began to play. When it was Hermione and Cho's turn, two words flew up. Hermione had been thinking of love which flew almost automatically. Hermione did not notice because her mouth was still flabbergasted at Cho's choice. The word "Pregnant" flew up in front of Cho. Harry and Ron's mouths dropped faster then a dementor could suck the soul from a person. Harry immediately congratulated Ron and Cho's great news. As soon as he finished his sentence, Hermione chimed in with a congratulations. Ron smiled back at her and replied, "shouldn't I be congratulating you also." Hermione shot Harry a look that meant once again he would be in trouble. "Did Harry go babbling his mouth again?" Ron smiled at the thought of Harry getting yelled at. "um…well…ya he told me in the last letter he sent us tonight."
They finished there game and said their good byes. As Harry picked up James, who had fallen asleep, Hermione made plans with Cho for tea some time during the week. Ron and Harry finished one of their amusing conversations and they began to leave. As the Potters were walking down the drive way, they could hear Ron yelping joy, Harry and Hermione chuckled. As they walked home, the saw a gang ahead of them. Harry noticed the tall dark hats, or the evil, faces of the Death Eaters ahead. "Hermione, take James back to Ron's and stay there until I say its okay." Hermione's smile faded as she looked ahead, "what about you? I'm not leaving you!" Harry gave Hermione the look of pleading, "Just go Hermione, don't fight with me now!" Before Hermione could reply Harry shouted, "Go Hermione!" and her and James began to shuffle back to Ron and Cho's. Harry turned, they had not seen him yet and he did not intend for them to see him either. When he looked in the direction of the Death Eaters, he heard on spell and it made Harry nearly faint. The words Avada Kedavra flew through the air and a brilliant, florescent green light shined throughout the street.
Harry's jaw dropped as fast as a lighting bolt and he began to breathe heavily. He couldn't help but sit down on a nearby rock. All of his memories of Voldemort flashed before him. His scar began to scorch. He could barely move it pained him so. When his head finally had stopped spinning he saw they Death eaters coming his way. His legs were not working as he stumbled to the ground. They were closing in on him he couldn't escape now, he had sealed his own fate when he stayed behind.
Harry awoke to a frantic Hermione and a crying James, "Why wouldn't Harry avefouughtdeteater?" Hermione's last few words became a jumbled mess with the tears in her eyes. Ron's head was at a slight turn as if you had just asked a dog a question, "what was that last bit?" Cho and Hermione both looked at Ron as if he had just offended Hermione somehow. Hermione began to cry even louder, "I didn't mean to…I just didn't understand you…I'm sorry." Harry smiled, "You just can't help to get them mad at you, can you Ron?" Hermione gave a yelp of joy that nearly knocked Ron to the ground, "Harry! WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING? I thought they'd killed you!" Hermione nearly dove upon Harry while she hugged him, "OUCH! Hermione, you can't do that, Hermione… Hermione, your hurting my ribs…HERMIONE!" Hermione had loosened her grip and began to shake, "Hermione its okay I'm right here you don't need to be scared. Anyway where are we?" "St. Mungo's, Lupin brought you here after he found you laying on the side of the street." Ron replied. Harry's distorted look made Hermione answer what she knew he was thinking, "You fainted Harry and you fell down Bunker Hill and hit a rock, which is why your ribs hurt, so you ended up on the next street, behind a rock. Harry they were so close to killing you…" Harry closed his eyes and shifted uncomfortably in the hospital bed, "what now Harry?" Hermione said gritting her teeth. Harry looked at her with the eyes that made her cry harder, "Hermione, the thing is I didn't die so you can stop saying I could have died!" Ron and Cho exchanged looks at decided to leave. When the big, wooden door slammed shut behind them Hermione began to cry again, "I'm sorry Hermione. I d-didn't mean to. I…" Hermione looked at him with a little smile on her face and hugged Harry. James cried out, "Daddy is awake Mommy!" They began to laugh , "Ouch! James please don't make me laugh." James looked with eyes that filled with tears, "I'm sorry…" Hermione explained that it was just so Harry's ribs didn't hurt and he finally understood. Harry suddenly remembered, "what about your appointment Hermione?" Hermione gazed at him with eyes of sorrow, "I'm sorry Harry I already went. Ron and Cho made me. I wanted to reschedule but they said it was too important." Harry looked at her and replied, "its fine. I'm just glad you went."
In 4 days time, Harry was released from St. Mungo's and was greeted by the remaining members of the Order that were still alive. Lupin and Tonks walked up to Harry hand in hand. Their daughter, Liathia, had to be about 6 or 7 years-old, walking beside them. Harry and Hermione gapped at her beauty , the last time they had saw her she was a 2 year-old girl whose hair was as black as can be and short. Now she had long dark Black, messy, hair and beautiful green eyes, just like Harry's.
A/N Please read and review…no flames.