Yes, yes, it's been a long time. Bad me. I don't mean to, but I get less and less time to write as time goes by. I do, however, intend to finish this story, so...don't get too mad. All right this chapter pretty much marks the beginning of the end. And, that doesn't mean it'll end soon, but it's maybe half way through. So, yeah. Go read it, then!
Disclaimer: If I owned it, I would really be expecting some money or publicity or something, but, seeing as how I don't own it, you don't have to do anything.
Chapter 11: Job Offers and Attacks
The next few weeks passed fairly uneventfully. Summer was now in full swing and the heat was to the point as to be a bit unbearable. The skies seemed to be perpetually clear, a rare occurrence, and the breezes were few and far between. Life passed quietly during these lovely days for the occupants of Grimmauld Place. There was the occasional crying from Hermione, the occasional meeting of the Order, and the occasional visit from the Weasley sons, but, all in all, everything was desperately dull. Of course, things rarely stay that way in the lives of Hermione Granger-Weasley, now Lupin, or Harry Potter. The rather quiet morning of August 6 was soon to become a very important day indeed.
Hermione sat in the kitchen, looking over the front page of the Daily prophet as her husband read the inside across the table from her. She sipped her tea and picked at the eggs Molly had dutifully made for her though she had no intention of eating them. Evie sat beside her and made her expected porridge mess, which never ceased to amuse her or annoy Molly, and chattered to herself. Molly flitted about the kitchen; continuously making food, despite the fact that she knew neither Hermione nor Remus would eat it. It was all a daily occurrence and not the least out of the ordinary, but the quiet routine was quickly spoiled.
They heard the loud slam of the front door shutting, followed immediately by Mrs. Black's screams and a cascade of footfalls belonging to at least two people. All of the adults looked up, startled at the outburst and not quite sure what to expect. The rather harried figures of Harry Potter and Hannah Potter emerged from the dim doorway and sat down noisily beside Remus. The kitchen was silent for a moment as it tried to acclimate itself to the loud new occupants. No one spoke, save for Evie who was not in the least perturbed at the intrusion. She continued to natter on about some silly child thing that seemed to be half in English and half in some language she had, no doubt, created herself.
After the initial shock, Remus set down his paper and turned to the wiry, heavily breathing fellow seated beside him. "What's all this, then, Harry?" The boy smiled breathlessly and took Hannah's hand in his.
"We've got something to tell you."
Hermione stared at them starkly and solemnly over the rim of the steaming teacup she still held in her hands. After another silent moment she set it down. "If you tell me that Hannah's pregnant I shall smack you," she said shortly.
Molly and Remus gaped at them when both Harry and Hannah flushed a deep red. "No, no, she's not pregnant," Harry responded gruffly. "Not at the moment, anyway," he added, much to Hannah's shock. "Though I am quite curious as to why you should smack me for it."
"Because you're far too immature to be a parent," she answered frankly. "And you haven't the faintest idea how to take care of a child, seeing as you're still one yourself. A rather big one, but a child nonetheless." She took her teacup back into her hands and slurped rather unceremoniously.
Harry had the decency to blush once again as both Molly and Remus smiled at him, amusement evident in their eyes. He cleared his throat gruffly. "You know, this isn't how I imagined this conversation going, Hermione. But, no matter," he went on with a smile, "my news is far too good to be put off by your sarcasm or whatever it is you want to call it." He glanced at Hannah before continuing. "I'm getting a job."
The response was what one would expect. Everyone stood up with a cry of delight and there was a good deal of clapping and back slapping before everything settled down for the conversation to continue.
"Where will you be working, Harry?" Molly asked him excitedly. "Is it a very good job? With the Ministry, perhaps?"
Harry made a loud scoffing noise. "Working with that lot of duffers? Not on your life. Who'd want to be working for a Malfoy anyway? I've got myself a teaching job."
Again, the response was cliché. So, we'll proceed without going into repetitive detail.
"But don't you need a good deal of schooling to be a teacher, Harry?" Hermione questioned, continuing on before giving him a chance to answer. "I know you do. And I also know that you haven't had nearly enough. At least, not for any teaching job I can think of."
Harry's face flushed to a delicate pink. "Well, Dumbledore doesn't seem to mind. I guess that he thinks that I'll do an all right job..."
"And, well, he's Harry Potter!" Hannah butted in, not realizing that everyone always knew that. "He defeated You-Know-Who, so who knows more about Defense Against the Dark Arts than him?"
The question was, obviously, rhetorical, but Hermione was never one to pass up a question she could answer. "I suppose there's Dumbledore...and perhaps McGonagall, or maybe even Remus, here. You have to admit, he was the best professor for the class that we ever did have." Harry rolled his eyes in amusement, but didn't respond.
Remus, however, had the decency to feel completely embarrassed and even reached out a hand to cover his wife's over-active mouth from continuing. With a wry look at the two Potters on the other side of the room, he said, "Continue, Harry, I'm sure there's more for you to say without Ms. Know-it-All intruding." Hermione glared at him half-heartedly as she tried not to burst out laughing and slobber all over her husband's hand.
"Well, there is something else..." Harry admitted, "But I'm not sure if I can tell it to Hermione properly if you hold her head in that unseemly matter." His eyes twinkled in a way that was oddly similar to that of the Headmaster.
Reluctantly, Remus let go of his wife and she quickly wiped her face while still glaring at him, but all he did was smile cheekily. "Yes, Harry?" Hermione asked between face swipes, "what is it?"
"Well..."he began, "I want you to come and help me look over the stuff. Everyone knows that you are the smartest witch of the age and, well, to be completely frank, you'll be the best employment advisor that anybody could ask for."
Hermione turned a red to shame her former husband's blush and smiled brightly. "All right, I'm going. Nothing could stop me, not when you give me such a nice compliment!"
She went across the room and grabbed her friend's arm and looked over at her husband. "Are you coming, too, Remus?" Needless to say, he was and they were off, leaving the ever active Evie in the capable hands of one Mrs. Molly Weasley.
The trip to the castle was uneventful, seeing as how they only had to apparate from outside Grimmauld Place, and soon there were standing before the main gates of the most impressive wizarding school that any of them had ever seen. Without further ceremony than a happy glance at the castle that had been their home during their childhood years, they entered the familiar halls of Hogwarts.
Once inside, they are all greeted by the aged yet strangely youthful form of Albus Dumbledore. He shook each of their hands in turn, lingering longer on the hands of Remus and Hermione. With a sweep of his arms he led them to the Great Hall, where the teachers, all who had stayed over the summer holidays, were gathered for breakfast. They stood at the entrance of the Headmaster and his guests, but sat once again as Dumbledore pulled out places for the four guests at the Head Table. After he had finally seated himself, he addressed them.
"I'm sure you have come about the job I've offered you, eh, Harry? And I see you've brought along your lovely wife, too. Splendid! I'll send you off in just a moment with Professor McGonagall, but first I'd like to put a question to our lovely Ms. Granger--oops! I apologize. Mrs. Lupin!" Both Hermione and Remus turned a most spectacular shade of scarlet before he continued.
"You see, Professor Vector, our esteemed Arithmancy professor," he gestured to stooped old figure of a man with a tuft of white hair shooting out from beneath his worn hat, "plans to retire. And it's about time, my friend! He's been teaching here since I was a lad! Taught a rather difficult class, didn't you, old boy! But, I digress. The point is, our faculty will be lacking in a member and I was left with the task of appointing a new professor. I thought that perhaps you could help me with this predicament, my dear Mrs. Lupin."
Ecstatic that Dumbledore put enough faith in her abilities to be of service in his search for Vector's replacement, she practically glowed. "Of course, Headmaster! Nothing would please me more! Just hand me over the résumés from your applicants and I'll look them over. I'll make a chart of their various plans, jobs, and references for you and you can look them over, try to choose the best of the best, you see. Perhaps I'll make up a few graphs or something and you--" Dumbledore stopped her with one long fingered hand.
"I'm afraid you misunderstand me, my dear. I don't mean for you to go through the applications, I mean for you to take the position!"
The table grew deathly quiet. All eyes turned to the young woman who was quite pale and looked about to faint. "Sir...do you really mean that? Do you mean...that I'm to be a--a Professor? Here? A Professor at Hogwarts?"
The kind man laughed loudly. "Of course that is what I mean, my dear girl! Will you accept?"
She sat stock still, her mouth hanging open. "I--I don't know. I mean, I've got a perfectly good job already. Though I haven't gone to it in some time...but, oh, I don't I possibly..? Oh, dear..."
"Er, Hermione? You work in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office alongside Perkins, the poor old coot, and you're actually not certain about switching over to your dream job?!" Harry called out incredulously, to the amusement of some of the nearer educators.
Hermione fumbled with both her hands and her voice as she tried to come up with an answer that wouldn't sound ridiculous. "Well, it's just that--I've worked there ever since I graduated. I took over for Fred who had taken it over for a bit after Arthur di--well...it's sort of, well, a traditional post, I guess. For as long as I can remember there's been a Weasley in that little office beside Perkins and I don't--I mean, it's a wonderful offer...and I..." she turned to Dumbledore, "may I get back to you on this?"
Dumbledore, smiling and twinkling as always, agreed. Hermione was on the verge of responding with a sincere "thank you" when the Headmaster once again spoke up. "Minerva, would you be so kind and take the Potters to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom?" The woman complied quickly and gestured for the young couple to follow her.
Remus and Hermione stood to follow them, but they were stopped by Dumbledore. "Actually, my dear Remus and Hermione, I should much prefer a talk. I'm sure you'll be able to see the room later. There is much we need to discuss. Partly about your how you're becoming accustomed to your new marital life." From beside Dumbledore, Hermione noticed Snape's cruel smirk beneath a long since faded bruise. She glared in return, but complied with the Headmaster and followed him, along with Remus, to his office.
Once they had been comfortably seated in front of the desk, Dumbledore folded his hands imperiously and looked at them with bright lights in their eyes. "How are things between the two of you?"
A quick glance passed between the two. Remus leaned forward. "I'm not sure I understand you, sir."
The old man's smile broadened. "I shall clarify, then. How does married life treat you? How has it been for the both of you?"
An uncomfortable and tense silence followed. "Fine, sir," Hermione whispered, eyes downcast.
"Right. Couldn't be better," Remus put in desperately.
"I take it, then, that everything has...taken place."
Again, the room grew silent. "I don't--what do you mean, Headmaster?" Hermione asked in sotto voice.
A light chuckle escaped the man. "You know precisely what I mean, my dear Mrs. Lupin. But, should you wish it, I'm sure I could explain in further detail. First, you see--"
They both hurried to stop a most uncomfortable conversation with two very loud, very sincere "NO!"s. Needless to say, Dumbledore wasn't surprised, even if he was a bit disappointed. One always wants some of their favorites to be happy. And there had been such a promising start, that slight kiss on the stairs and tender glances from across the room, obvious care for each other, and there was no forgetting the time Remus had practically come to fisticuffs with one enraged Severus Snape, a scene of which had been brought to his attention almost immediately. It had, to say the least, made Dumbledore hopeful for more.
"I apologize for bringing up such a touchy subject, but it is in my interest to be informed. However, I shall pry no more into such a matter. I wonder, though...Hermione, I must ask this despite the pain it may cause, or the embarrassment. Did you and Ron plan to have a family?"
Hermione was completely caught off guard. "I--sir? A family? Well, to be completely honest, yes, but-"
Dumbledore cut her off. "This is very important, Hermione. Are you expecting?"
Again, she was shocked. Remus stared at her in something akin to horror. "What?! Of all things to ask me, you ask me that? Why, I--I--I don't what to say to that!"
"A simple yes or no will suffice."
"No!"
Dumbledore sighed but smiled. "All right, then. I'm sorry if that was less than pleasant, but it was necessary. I just thought that if you were, there's a good chance you hadn't told Remus yet and it's better to get it all out at once than waiting until the last minute and telling him you needed to get to the maternity ward at St. Mungo's. And, well, I thought that f you were, it might have been a nice remembrance of Ron. For you, but, well, just an old man's silly dream, I suppose."
By this time, Hermione had gained quite a bit of control over her tears; especially over the everyday sympathies she received by the dozens. This new thought, however, of a possible child she could have had brought out a whole new ache in her, a whole new loss she hadn't quite realized she'd had. Now it was all the more apparent and heart wrenching. Still, she remained composed.
"I am not going to be having a baby any time soon, Headmaster," she answered stiffly.
"I apologize for my lack of tact, but I thought it a necessary question. I sincerely hope that you can forgive me in time." He smiled brightly and stood, coming over to stand before the two much in the way one could expect of some very pleased grandparent. "Besides, I am sure that there is plenty of time for children." Without giving them a chance to respond, he gestured for them to stand and ushered them out the door.
"I do hope that you will seriously consider the offer of the teaching position. It would give the students quite a thrill, knowing that two of the most famous people in England would be teaching their classes."
Hermione opened her mouth to respond when a small figure came up to them, running as fast as possible in shorts that were too long, a pink fedora that kept falling over his eyes, and socks that kept slipping down his legs. All three of them stared at Dobby as he stopped in front of them, his tennis ball eyes bigger than usual in his oddly shaped head.
"Professor Dumbledore, sir!" the house elf squeaked. "I is looking for you everywhere!"
The Headmaster knelt down to face the elf. "What is it, Dobby?"
"Death Eaters, Professor Dumbledore, sir! There is been an attack!"
Hermione felt her heart sink into shoes as she leant down, along with Remus, to hear more of what the hysterical house elf had to say.
"Where has the attack been, Dobby," the Headmaster persisted, strangely calm.
The elf shook and trembled with fright. "I is not wanting to say, sir."
"Dobby," Dumbledore said warningly. "Tell me. Where has the attack been?"
The elf mumbled into his arm. "Dobby..." Dumbledore warned again.
"Grimmauld Place!" the house elf cried. "Grimmauld Place is attacked!"
For a moment, the room seemed to swim in front of Hermione's eyes. Her breath hitched and she felt her knees wobbling for a moment. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed Remus stiffen and Dumbledore stand, but little else came to her notice. It seemed like an eternity passed before she could breathe again, but was, in reality, only a few seconds. She looked around herself in horror, finally focusing on Remus.
His face was miraculously still and his hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. She found it odd that he should be so calm, but, then, without any warning, he shot off towards the large main doors of Hogwarts with both Hermione and Dumbledore not far behind.
There we are! A chapter! Just for you! I promise to try to get the next chapter out quicker. Emphasis on the word "try." So, please review!