Late One Night
Disclaimer: I own Romulus Lupin and Maria Lupin-Snape.
Cutieak88: You're right, there is too much Ron/Hermione.
Yoblossom: He he, Hermione has a fun fixation :-D Oh don't worry, I will keep up with the story.
Im no muggle: Thanks for reviewing!
Sarahamanda: You will actually find out this chapter why Severus is making the potion to bring James back. But Severus in particular is doing it because he is in the Order, Dumbledore trusts him and he is a very skilled Potions master. Glad you liked it!
DemiSaiyan: Yes both Harry and Ron fancy Hermione in this story. Glad you liked it!
ThouandI: Oh yeah, I hate Pansy, Hermione was speaking for me when she called the girl a whore. Glad you like it and fingers crossed about Maria!
Hobey-ho: He he, I am actually quite proud of this story. To tell you the truth, this story isn't planned ahead or anything, I just write each chapter off the top of my head. I can't stick to plans, that's why.
Sasami Tombo: Yes, the ending was kind of abrupt I know, but I was falling asleep (no excuse I know, but forgive me!). By all means, use that quote! Woot! A Beat Up Umbridge party sounds fun!
Frk-werewolf: Ha ha, you're right, Umbridge was very sadistic. But there's only room for two sadistic/semi-sadistic people in my mind and that's Lucius and Severus :-D A pissed off werewolf may very well hurt her, you'll have to wait and see. Also, the Harry thing…you are spot on.
Eve27: I can do more of Severus and Remus. There was actually going to be family time last chapter but it didn't work properly so I got rid of it. But I'll try and put some in soon!
Summer: Thanks! Glad you like it! And I agree, Umbridge is stupid.
Ginny-and-Draco-fan: Great!
Brunette89: You know, it took me a few minutes to realise who you were talking about in your review…he he, the Giant Squid might get indigestion from her though…:-D
Goddess of Gorgeousness: He he, questions like that are uncomfortable to answer.
Fallen Angel of Hell: Don't worry, she won't last much longer.
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I've just realised that both Hermione and Maria are named after Shakespeare characters…well, I knew Hermione was but I didn't think Maria was. We're doing 'Twelfth Night' in English and there's a character called Maria in that.
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Chapter 14: Wrongly Accused
By mid May, Remus was four and a half months pregnant but his baby bump was barely noticeable, which was rather worrying. The fact that the foetus was smaller than normal was a very good sign (or bad depending on how the parent looked at it) that this baby was going to be a werewolf as well, just like Maria.
The pregnant werewolf was currently in the Infirmary having his monthly check up with Madame Pomfrey, he lay on one of the beds staring up at the ceiling pretending to listen to Sirius babble on about something, he wasn't entirely sure what.
"You're not listening to me, are you, Rem?"
Remus blinked, "Hm? What?" He turned his head to look at Sirius. "What were you saying?"
Sirius rolled his eyes, "Nevermind. Are you all right?" He was no longer as weak or as paralysed as he had been, Dumbledore had practically bullied Severus into making the potion to help him and it was working.
Remus sighed, "No…my baby is a werewolf."
Sirius raised his eyebrows, "How can you tell?"
"It's smaller than it should be at nearly five months along." Replied Remus miserably. The last two times he had gotten pregnant he had been afraid of the baby contracting his lycanthropy, Hermione had been lucky but Maria wasn't and neither was this baby now.
Sirius frowned slightly, "Oh…"
Remus smiled slightly, "Sorry, it probably doesn't bother you much, does it?"
Sirius shrugged, "Well it's not my kid…but you two have managed all right with Maria haven't you? I think you'll be fine, despite how terrible I think your taste in men is."
Remus raised an eyebrow, "I'm not the only one that went after Slytherins, remember?"
"Shut up."
………
In the late afternoon the same day, Hermione headed down to one of the big flat rocks beside the lake where a certain lone blond was sitting. "Hey."
Draco looked up from where he had been staring at the hills on the other side of the lake, "Hi, how are you?"
She sat down beside him and brought her knees up to her chest, "I'm ok…you?"
Draco gave a small shrug, "I've been better…"
Hermione raised her eyebrows at him, "What's wrong?"
Draco sighed, "You mean apart from being treated like pond scum by my House mates?" Hermione gave him a stern look that was very reminiscent of McGonagall. "Ok, ok… I got a letter from my father this morning…my parents are divorcing."
"Oh Draco, I'm sorry…"
Draco smirked humourlessly before finally looking at his oldest friend, "I know you, 'Mione, I bet you saw it coming long before I did. I mean, my parents were hardly a match made in heaven, were they?"
Hermione frowned, "True…but…did he give you a reason for it?"
"No…" Draco shook his head, "No, he just said he was writing to inform me of the divorce before I found out through the grapevine or from the papers or something like that. He also said he didn't think that I would be too surprised, and I'm not but still…they could have at least told me in person, couldn't they?"
"Yeah, I know I'd prefer it if I was told in person if my parents were divorcing." Replied Hermione, "Not that they're married, mind you."
Draco gave a grim smile, "You're lucky in that respect, at least you know they're not fighting over who has custody of you."
Hermione moved and put her arms around his shoulders in a hug, "I'd take you home with me if I could." Draco gave her a small smile. She pulled away a little and gazed at him thoughtfully, "You're seventeen now, you don't have to live with either of them if you don't want to."
Draco frowned and picked up a pebble and threw it so it skimmed across the surface of the lake, "If I did move out, what would I do? I don't have a job, I don't like working-"
"There's a shock." Muttered Hermione sarcastically.
"Shut up." Draco heaved a sigh. "Anyway, I wouldn't have a job and who would want to hire me now, after my father's been in Azkaban? I hardly have any money left in my Gringotts vault and I don't have access to my trust fund until I graduate. I'm screwed before I even put anything to action."
Hermione watched thoughtfully as he skimmed another stone across the lake, "Well…" she had just thought of somewhere he could stay in the summer if he really didn't want to be part of a custody battle. She lowered her voice as she spoke again, "There is always the Order Headquarters…I'll probably be going there again this summer, I'm sure Dumbledore would let you stay there as well if there's no where else you want to go."
"Yeah but Potter and Weasley would be there." Stated Draco like it explained everything for why he wouldn't go and stay at the Order Headquarters.
"Oh for heaven's sake, Draco, you three are as bad as each other." Draco gave her a highly offended look. "It's the truth. I understand why they don't like you, you have been a right little shit the last six years, and vice versa, but I think you should put your pasts behind you. I'm sorry but that's the way I feel."
Draco folded his arms almost petulantly, "Oh great, my parents are divorcing, I may decide not to live with either of them and now you're trying to talk me into befriending bloody saint Potter and his Weasel."
Hermione narrowed her eyes slightly; "I will hit you if you continue to insult my friends to my face." Draco glared at her. "I do it to Harry and Ron as well… Anyway, we were discussing what you are going to do in the summer, weren't we?"
Draco folded his arms on his knees and rested his forehead on them, "I just don't know…"
"Well, if you had to decide, who would you prefer to live with? Lucius or Narcissa?"
Draco turned his head so he could see his oldest friend, "Mum is a bit…suffocating…especially now with the Dark Lord back, and dad can be a bit of bastard sometimes." He gazed off into the distance in thought. "…I think I would choose dad though, if only for some sense of security. Although-" he abruptly stopped talking when a voice came from behind them.
"Oh look, a Malfoy courting a mudblood, won't your father be happy, Draco?"
Hermione got up at the same time of Draco and made sure she had her hand on her wand if it came to that. Judging by just how quickly Draco reacted she guessed he had been expecting an attack.
"Shut your ugly pug face, Pansy." Snapped Draco, he had his wand out and ready.
Pansy glared at him, "That's right, protect your mudblood girlfriend you blood traitor."
Hermione narrowed her eyes, "Honestly Parkinson, is mudblood the best you can come up with?" she had her wand out now at her side.
Pansy turned her glare onto Hermione, "How dare you speak to me!"
Hermione raised an eyebrow, "You're right, I shouldn't speak to you. My IQ may start to drop if I continue talking to a mental defective like yourself."
Draco smirked, that seemed to have shut Pansy up while she tried to work out the insult, "Come on, let's go." He grabbed Hermione by the elbow and dragged her glaring off the rock they had been sitting on.
They had only gone a few metres when one of the group of Slytherins behind them fired a hex.
"Incarcerous!"
Hermione spun around as Draco fell to the ground tied up in the magical ropes that had just been conjured in the hex. "Impedimenta!"
Blaise Zabini had been mid run when Hermione's jinx hit him; he fell over and was unable to move for several minutes.
"I'll get you, bitch!" Shrieked Pansy, she raised her own wand and pointed it at Hermione. "Stupe-"
"Expelliarmus!" Hermione was much too quick for the Slytherin.
Pansy's wand was blasted out of her hand and it hit Crabbe right in the eye.
Blaise was up on his feet again, his wand pointed at Hermione. Draco was struggling against his bonds on the ground.
As Hermione and Blaise got ready to blast another jinx or curse at each other a shout from across the grounds caught their attention.
"HEY!"
Romulus was sprinting across the grounds to them, he glared between the students when he got there, "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
"They started it!" Shouted Hermione, though there was no need to shout, as Romulus was only a couple of feet from her. "They attacked while we had our backs turned!"
Romulus looked to the group of Slytherins, "Is that true?" Pansy and Blaise were both glaring at Hermione and Draco, who had now been set free of his restraints. "Answer me."
"They insulted us first!" Cried Pansy, suddenly bursting into what were obviously fake tears.
Hermione stared at her in disbelief, "You insulted us first, you bitch, and you know it!"
"Miss Granger, do you keep your voice down, there are first years around." Came a voice from behind them. A voice Hermione wasn't entirely sure she wanted to hear at this moment. "What is going on here?"
Romulus glanced at Severus and then back at the students, "That is what I am trying to find out, Severus. You are all in detention for this anyway, but you may as well own up so the punishment isn't quite so severe."
"They started it." Said Draco glaring at the other Slytherins.
"We did not!" Shouted Blaise, he was still clutching his wand like he would attack.
Hermione sighed; it seemed the Slytherins were going to deny it as much as they could so she felt shouting the truth to the two Professors probably wouldn't help, it would just make her and Draco seem guilty as well. "Draco and I were minding our own business when they turned up and starting sprouting off mudblood remarks. Then we walked away and they attacked while we had our backs turned. We had no choice but to retaliate."
"Very well, I will deal with the students from my House, Lupin." Said Severus; he really could not be doing with this at the moment.
"She's lying!" Shrieked Pansy, all signs of fake tears gone.
Hermione glared at her, "You tried to stun me, you cow!"
Romulus stepped in before the two girls could do anything else, "Hermione, come with me."
"Fine." Just as Hermione started to turn to follow Romulus back to the castle, a flash of light came from Pansy's wand and a gash appeared on Hermione's cheek. "Bitch!"
Hermione spun around and attempted to lunge at Pansy but Romulus caught her around the waist before she could get her hands around the Slytherin's neck. Before anything else could be said Romulus dragged Hermione, struggling like mad, away from the group of Slytherins and their incredibly pissed off Head of House.
"Let go of me!"
"No." Romulus let go of his struggling niece long enough to be able to grab a hold of her arm, he dragged her into the castle and up the grand staircase. "You need to go to the infirmary to have gash sorted out, and then we will be discussing your detention."
"I was defending myself!" Cried Hermione, she was being loud enough to draw Professor McGonagall out of her office.
"What on earth is going here?"
Romulus frowned, "It seems a little spat arose between a group of Slytherins and Hermione," he tightened his grip a little as Hermione tried to pull away again. "I was just taking her to the Infirmary before we discuss her detention."
McGonagall gave Hermione a very stern look, "If you receive anymore detentions after this one, I will be taking away your Prefect badge, do you understand?"
"Yes."
McGonagall nodded then she turned her attention back to Romulus, "And the other students involved are being dealt with, I take it?"
"Yes, Severus turned up just after I stopped the fight." Replied Romulus, "Anyway, we should be going." He gave McGonagall a curt nod and then he dragged Hermione off down the corridor.
"I can walk of my own accord, you know?" Grumbled Hermione a few minutes later when, as they entered the Infirmary.
Remus was in the Infirmary still, spending sometime with Sirius but upon hearing Hermione's irritated voice they both stopped talking.
"I don't care." Replied Romulus; he looked to the matron that had just come out of her office. "Poppy, can you heal this injury, thanks." He turned his attention back to Hermione. "You are in enough trouble as it is."
Hermione stayed silent long enough for Madame Pomfrey to tut around her and heal her wound, but when the matron had finished started talking again. "Why am I the one that's in trouble? That cow started it all."
"That maybe so, but you continued-"
"If Mad-Eye was here he would've turned her into a ferret or something for attacking while we had our backs turned." Argued Hermione, cutting her uncle off mid-sentence.
"Do you two mind? I have patients!" Snapped Madame Pomfrey.
Remus came out from Sirius' cubicle, "What's going on?"
Madame Pomfrey gave a frustrated growl before storming back into her office and slamming the door.
Hermione rubbed her cheek, she had only just realised how much that curse, whatever it was, hurt. "Oh good, maybe you'll believe me."
Remus frowned slightly, "Before you tell me what happened, what have you done with your sister?"
"I left her with Harry and Ron." Replied Hermione dismissively. "I am being wrongly punished."
Romulus sighed and rubbed his forehead, "You probably would have killed her if I hadn't've stopped you."
"Honestly, would you have missed her?"
Remus raised an eyebrow, "Is someone going to tell me what happened?"
"He can." Hermione turned on her heel and headed for the door, only to be stopped by Romulus.
"Oi! We haven't discussed your detention yet."
Hermione growled in frustration just like Madame Pomfrey had, she then proceeded to rip her Prefect badge off her robes and put it on a shelf beside her. "You know what? Suspend me if you want, expel for all I care. I've had enough!" she stormed out of the Infirmary.
Remus rushed out after her leaving Romulus standing in the middle of the room not quite knowing what to do next. But he did know that something must be seriously wrong with his niece if she willingly gave over her Prefect badge, he had heard from Remus that it had been important to her.
"Hermione!"
Hermione stopped in the corridor, her fists clenched, the tears in her eyes were threatening to spill any moment now.
Remus caught up with her and he led her straight into an empty classroom and closed the door. "What has gotten into you lately?"
"I've had enough." She determinedly kept her back to him and her arms folded across her chest.
Remus sighed and sat on a desk, "Enough of what, Hermione? You can talk to me, you know?"
Hermione huffed quietly, "I was under the impression that I shouldn't, in case it aggravated you."
"Whatever gave you that idea?"
"Dad."
"Ah…" Remus nodded slowly. "'Mione, you know you can come and talk to me. I get more worried when you don't… I know I haven't been the most approachable person this last year, but I do still want to hear what's going on with you."
Hermione sniffed and turned back around to face him, she still had the unshed tears in her eyes, "Fine… I am terrified about Voldemort being back, and after what happened to Sirius, I don't think I want to be around for what's to come…and then having to relive that night when I saw you and dad being tortured," Remus grimaced at the memory. "That just screwed me up even more… And I'm sick of those Slytherins, is a bit of peace too much to ask? Is it too much to ask to go through one day without hearing an insult about a parentage you don't even have?"
Remus sighed and hopped off the desk, "No, it isn't." he moved over to her and placed his hands on her arms. "Is that all that's been bothering you, or is there more?"
Hermione sniffed, "I think that's all…at the moment…" she allowed herself to be pulled into a hug, she buried her head against Remus' chest and decided that she didn't particularly want to leave the safety of her dad's arms for a long while.
………
It was well after dinner when Hermione finally went back to Gryffindor tower, she couldn't be bothered going down to the kitchens to get something to eat, she just wanted to get her sister back to her parents and then go to bed.
"Hey 'Mione." Said Ron when Hermione came over to wear he and Harry were sitting at a table in the corner, doing their homework of all things.
"Hey," Hermione yawned. "Where's Maria?"
Harry raised an eyebrow, "You came and got her about half an hour ago, remember?"
Hermione blinked and stared at him, "No I didn't."
"Yes you did."
Hermione shook her head; "I've been with my dad for the last hour. I haven't seen Maria since I left her with you two before dinner."
Ron raised his eyebrows, "It was you who came and got her…at least…we thought it was you…"
"Oh no…" Hermione chewed her bottom lip worried. "Help me look for her? Please? Do you have the map on you Harry?"
"Yeah." Harry dug into his bag and pulled the map out, he touched his wand to the old parchment and muttered the password before scanning it for any signs of Maria. "Here she is. Outside the Room of Requirement…she's not moving though…"
"Is she on her own?
"Yeah."
"Oh god." With that, Hermione took off out the Common Room with Harry and Ron close behind her.
Hermione sprinted along corridors and up staircases in panic, all she could think was that her little sister was in trouble. If someone came into the common room that looked like her and took Maria away, then it must have been an impostor. Her first thought was a Polyjuice Potion, but how would the person have gotten the ingredients if they had used one? Her father wouldn't let anyone in his office or his storeroom, and he had upped his security after the Crouch incident in her fourth year.
When she reached the corridor hat contained the Room of Requirement, she saw a small figure lying on the floor in front of the tapestry opposite the room entrance. Hermione sprinted along the corridor and skidded to a half near her sister's unconscious body, she fell to her knees in shock and quickly tried to find a pulse as Ron and Harry came thundering down the corridor behind her.
"Oh no…" Hermione tapped Maria's face. "Maria, come on. Wake up! Please…" she trailed off when she saw a huge red mark around her sister's tiny wrist, she carefully examined it and gasped when she realised what it was. "It's a silver burn…get help."
"What?"
"Get help! Now! It could kill her!" Shouted Hermione at her friends. "Now!"
To Be Continued…
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A/N: He he, I'm evil :-D Though its not really a laughing matter…
Next chapter: Help comes. Will Maria be ok? Will the worry this causes Remus cause something to happen to his baby?