Secrets

Chapter 5

Secrets Swapped, Slytherin Swamped

Hermione wiped away her tears and stood up, "Mrs. Weasley, did you need to get in here?"

Going over to Hermione, Molly gave her a hug, "No, I came in here because I am really worried about you. Do you have something you want to talk about? You know I care for you and Harry as if you were my own children."

Nodding, Hermione sighed, "I know, but you have to promise me something. Whatever I tell you stays between us. I am going to tell Harry eventually, but not now. I just can't."

A realization struck Molly, "Hermione, you're not...pregnant are you?" She said, looking at her with renewed concern.

"Oh, Merlin no!" She said, almost laughing, "No, I'm not pregnant. Harry and I just started dating and we haven't even considered making love. Although in a way that would be easier than what I do have to tell him."

Conjuring up a chair for her and Hermione, Molly invited her to sit down, "I knew that something was wrong from the moment you arrived yesterday. I promise you that I won't say anything to Harry, just tell me what's wrong."

Taking a deep breath, Hermione told Molly everything. She told her about the pain she'd been having over the summer, about the nausea, the feeling of coldness, everything that had gone on since the battle at the Ministry of Magic.

"Not even my parents know. Just Ginny, and now you. I didn't want to tell Ginny, but yesterday I passed out at Florean's ice cream parlor and I had to tell her why."

Molly allowed Hermione to finish her story without interruption, then gave her a gentle hug, "I wish you had told me about this yesterday. It's such a burden for you and Ginny to carry around by yourselves. Well, that explains why you are so thin, if you can't keep food down. Do your parents know about anything that you have gone through at Hogwarts? I mean, the petrification or anything like that?"

Hermione shook her head, "As I told Ginny, I didn't tell them anything because I was afraid that they wouldn't let me return. I want to finish my education, Mrs. Weasley. I love being a witch."

"I guess I can understand why you don't want to tell them, but please know that you can come and talk to me anytime you want to. I'd also be willing to talk to them for you, if you want me to."

With a vehement shake of her head, Hermione gave her opinion on that, "Please don't do that. I will tell them someday, when I've graduated Hogwarts and they know that I'm safe. I'm worried enough as it is that they are there without protection if someone would choose to attack them."

"Well, let's see what we can do to help you with the pain and nausea you are dealing with. I think I have a couple of potions in the medicine cabinet that might help, but there is no guarantee. You really should see a healer about it," Molly said, opening the medicine cabinet and looking through it.

"I plan to see Madam Pomfrey as soon as I get to Hogwarts," She said as Molly handed her two vials.

"Take a swallow from each bottle...one is for nausea and the other is for pain. Like I said, I don't know how well they will work but since they are specifically for magical injuries and ailments, they should give you some relief.

Doing as Molly suggested, Hermione felt a warm feeling as the potion spread through her body, "I do feel a bit better. I'm glad I told you about this, Mrs. Weasley. It feels better knowing that I can confide in an adult about it. I'm going to tell Ginny that I told you too, this way she knows that she doesn't have to worry about spilling the beans when she's talking to you."

"I'm glad you told me too," Molly stood and gave Hermione a hug, "I think that for those of us who come from an all wizarding family, or even one where there is one magical parent and one muggle parent, it's easy to forget how hard it is for those who are muggle born. The only friends you have who you can really relate to are those who are at Hogwarts and though your parents might try to understand what you do and your schooling, they really don't know."

Standing, Hermione nodded, "That's something that Harry and I have talked about. Although I have it easier than he does since my parents don't mind me doing homework or being a witch, we both understand how hard it is living with muggles. I think that is one of the reasons why we have grown so close."

Just then a knock came at the door, "Hermione, are you alright in there? You've been in there quite a while," Harry's concerned voice came through the closed door.

Standing and removing the chairs, Molly smiled at Hermione, "Once again, I'm glad you came and confided in me. I'm always here to talk to if you need me," She said, opening the door.

"Hi Harry," Hermione said, quickly brushing her teeth, "Mrs. Weasley was just giving me a potion for my..."

"Don't worry, Ginny told me. I'm just glad that you're okay," Harry said, blushing slightly, "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, just about. Let me just go grab my purse," She said, leading him into the bedroom she shared with Ginny.

"Hermione, you don't need to bring any money with you," Harry said, smiling at her, "I am going to treat for lunch."

Hermione chuckled, "Well, you know us females, we always have to carry our bag with us," She said, slipping the potions into the bag, along with some lipstick, "Don't worry, I won't spend a dime."

Harry embraced her and gave her a tender kiss on the lips, "I won't let you. With the money that Sirius left me and the money my mum and dad left me, you don't have to."

They finally arrived at Diagon Alley after a half an hour of Fred and George telling them to come visit the shop, then Molly giving them money and a shopping list, along with Ginny making sure that Hermione was feeling okay, during which she whispered to her that she had also told her mother.

"I thought we'd never get out of there," Harry said, laughing. They had taken the Knight Bus since Hermione wasn't up to using Floo Powder.

"Me too. But now we're free and we have a whole day to spend together. I have a feeling Ron really wanted to come too."

"So do I, but he has to understand that we're dating and that we will want some time to ourselves now. I'll play Quidditch with him tomorrow and that will make up for it I'm sure. Did I tell you that I was made Quidditch captain this year?"

"No you didn't, that's great!" She said, beaming at him, "I'm so proud of you, Harry!" She then put a stern look on her face, "Don't let it interfere with your studies."

"That's my Hermione I know and love," He said, laughing and glad to see that she was acting a bit more like her old self, "So, where do you want to go first, or do you just want to walk down the street and see what we see?"

"Let's just walk and when we come to a shop we want to go in, we'll go. Of course you know I want to go in Flourish and Blotts, and I know we'll be going in Quality Quidditch supplies."

"Well, yes, I was hoping I could steer you in there," Harry said with a sheepish look on his face, "I would like to check out the new brooms that they have come out with."

"No problem, as I said we have all day."

The hours passed and they went from shop to shop, picking up things that were on Molly's list and doing some window shopping. Finally around noon time they stopped at The Leaky Cauldron for a bite to eat, and then headed to see Fred and George's shop.

"Harry, Hermione! Good to see you!" Fred greeted them enthusiastically as they entered, "Come on in and take a look around."

Hermione shook her head and laughed at the selection of sweets and miscellaneous mischief making supplies. She thought ruefully that if things kept going the way they were she wouldn't require a skivving box to get out of class.

Coming to the display of Pygmy Puffs, she decided to get one for Ginny in thanks for her helping her so much, "Hey Fred, I'm going to get your sister one of these. What color do you think she would like?"

Coming over to her, Fred thought about it, "Probably a purple one. But don't worry about paying, you're with Harry and he is our partner in this shop. Since you are his girlfriend, that goes for you as well."

"Oh, so the Potty's got a mudblood for a girlfriend, now does he?" A drawling voice said as an unwelcome visitor entered the shop.

"Malfoy, don't you have better things to do with your time?" Harry said, glaring at the boy who had no end of trouble for him and his friends.

"Of course I do, but I'm sure you know by now that this is my favorite passtime. So tell me, mudblood, were you able to scrape together a couple of OWLs last year? Surely a mudblood like you didn't do well at all on those tests."

"For your information, Malfoy, Hermione got top marks. Better, I'm sure, than you did. Except, of course, in Defense Against the Dark Arts, since you were part of that toad's little band of followers," Harry's face burned with anger.

"Come on, Harry, let's go. For some reason, this shop is just too small for Malfoy's big mouth and I won't have him ruining our day."

Fred motioned to the door, signaling for them to leave and he'd take care of Malfoy.

They had just left when they heard a huge splash as Draco slipped and fell into one of the portable swamps.

"Wish I could have seen that," Hermione said, laughing, "Too bad you didn't bring your..."

"You mean this?" Harry said with a grin, pulling out his invisibility cloak, "I always come prepared for such an emergency. That Draco is really a prat. He makes my cousin look like a boy scout," He said, expanding the cloak with an engorgement charm so that it covered both of them.

"Harry, I have long since given up on letting him get to me. If that is how he gets his kicks, so be it. I know that I can cast rings around him any day and that is all it takes for me not to care."

Harry saw a jewelry store up ahead, but noticed that Hermione was getting tired, "Are you okay?"

Hermione, who had been trying to hide how she felt, shrugged, "A little tired, that's all."

"Why don't I take you to Florean's so that you can sit down and get a drink. There's one more stop I want to make and then we can go home."

Hermione realized that they had gone to Quality Quidditch Supplies and he had seen something he liked, but hadn't gotten it, "Alright, that sounds good."

She had been sitting, drinking her malt and just relaxing when Harry returned. He had a package in his hand, but nothing that she would have expected.

"That looks like it's kind of small to be a Quidditch item," She said, looking at it, "Unless it's a snitch?"

"That's because it's not a quidditch item. It's something for you," He said, handing it to her, "Happy early birthday."

She opened the package to find a beautiful sapphire necklace set with a small diamond. The sapphire was in the shape of a teardrop and the diamond was at the top of the teardrop. It was mounted in white gold with a white gold chain.

"Harry! This is beautiful! Thank you!" She said, throwing her arms around him and giving him a kiss. When she pulled away, she had tears in her eyes, "Would you put it on me?"

Harry had just put the necklace around her neck when an owl flew into the shop and dropped a note in Hermione's lap.

Dear Harry and Hermione,

You need to come home right away. There has been another attack

and I want to know that you two are safe.

Sincerely,

Molly

"Well, we were on our way back anyway, so that's okay," Harry said, shrugging, "At least we know we had a good time."

Hermione nodded happily; there was no reason to think that the attack was anything of consequence, Ron's mum was just being overprotective.

Leaving Florean's, they went through the Leaky Cauldron and out into Muggle Britian, where they hailed the Knight Bus and soon found themselves back at the Burrow.

When they entered the house, they knew something was terribly wrong. Both Ginny and Molly were crying and Ron looked grim, as did Mr. Weasley.

"What's wrong?" Harry said, looking at the looks on the faces in front of them.

"Hermione," Molly said, going over and putting her arm around her shoulders, "It was your parents who were attacked. I'm so very sorry."