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Author's Note: "Crime of Passion" is now available in Spanish! Go to my profile for more details.
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Chapter 14: 2nd of July 2004
Someone knocked on William's door and William put the diary down before he went to open it.
Mary Lestrange was at the door.
There was silence between them for a moment.
"… what are you doing here?" asked William finally. His voice sounded harsher than he wanted it to be.
"I want to talk to you."
William folded his arms and leaned against the doorframe.
"Make it quick, I'm busy." he said.
Mary clutched her hands nervously and said, "Um, about the invitation…"
"Do you have to rub it in?" snapped William. "I feel bad enough to know that my lover is going to marry my archenemy and now you come and talk about the invitation."
Mary's cheeks went pink but William didn't care.
"Is this what you are going to talk about? If it is, then I don't want to talk about it."
"I didn't send the invitation, Malfoy did." Mary muttered.
William gave a short, cold laugh.
"Shouldn't you be calling him Aidoneus?" he asked.
Mary reached out and took William's hand. William paused for a while before he took it out of Mary's grasp. "Careful, Miss Lestrange. I don't want Malfoy to think that we are still having a relationship."
"William, I know you hate me for marrying Malfoy…"
"Why should I?" interrupted William bitterly. "I should have known better. My parents have an affair and they end up dead, punished by the law. Why didn't I think of that when I slept with you? This kind of relationship just won't last."
Then William's expression changed and he sighed. Suddenly he felt that it was no use to be angry anymore. Mary was getting married and he couldn't stop her without a huge risk.
"I think it's better if we go on to our separate ways." he said quietly.
"Separate?"
William nodded. "We better stop it before it's too late."
Mary was silent.
"I don't want history to repeat itself. I don't want the two of us to end up like my parents." said William truthfully. "And if we have a child, I don't want him or her to end up like me or Julia."
Mary looked down. "So that's the end of us, isn't it?"
"… We can still be friends." said William.
Mary looked up, her eyes filled with tears. Then she flung her arms around William and hugged him. William hugged her back and ran his hands across her smooth back. He then released her slightly. Wiping her tears away, William kissed Mary for the last time.
"Just remember," he whispered as he grazed Mary's forehead with his lips, "even though you have married to Malfoy, I still love you."
Mary nodded and she leaned her head against William's chest.
"… You better go before Malfoy decides to look for you." said William.
"… You are not coming for the wedding?"
"No."
"Okay."
William and Mary remained in an embrace for a while before William pushed Mary gently. "Go on, you better go."
Mary removed herself from William's arms and turned around. She walked for a few steps before she turned her head and looked at her lover for a while.
Then she left.
William closed the door and went back to the sofa. He sat down and buried his face in hands. Sighing, William removed his hands and looked at his father's diary. He picked it up moodily and opened it. He needed something to distract him from his break-up.
2nd July 2004
Diary,
What a long day it is! And guess what? I'm now a father!
Whoa.
Hermione is still in the hospital, but now she has baby William to accompany her (keep her busy is more like it…)
Delivering William to the world seems difficult, but Hermione has done it, she endures the pain (contractions) ever since around 12pm all the way to 5.40pm, when William was born. 5 hours is bad enough, imagine what it will be if Hermione gives birth in the normal way, she will have to endure the pain for over 10 hours! Luckily that she took the potion… okay, let me report everything so that I won't forget…
12pm (onwards)
I went to get a glass of water for myself and left Hermione with herself for a moment with her magazine. Then I got back and found Hermione talking to herself. So I asked her what happened.
"Our precious boy just kicked his mummy," said Hermione.
I laughed in amusement. I bet William will be a sporty person when he grows up.
But then a few minutes later, I didn't feel like laughing anymore, because Hermione informed me that the baby was coming.
Feeling rather panicked, I ran out to get the Healer. She locked me out of the room (sheesh) before examining Hermione. Then she told Hermione that she wouldn't be giving birth until 5 hours later.
And I was like 'What? Hermione is going to be in pain for 5 long hours?'
And Hermione didn't seem to mind but then she gave a short gasp of pain as another contraction came unaware.
I just knew she was faking bravery.
Because of the potion, the contraction gaps soon shortened and they had became increasingly painful as the time went by, for Hermione, that is.
Poor Hermione, you should see her. She was sweating and it was obvious that she was in great pain. I couldn't even do anything about it. All I could do was to pray hard for everything to be over as soon as possible.
Just when I thought I was going to stick with Hermione throughout the delivery, the Healer told me to go home, because it was the hospital rule that I couldn't stay with Hermione when she was giving birth.
Wait until I have my hands on the bastard who set the rule…
Oh well, at least I was allowed to wait outside the delivery room, but it was better if I was able to stay IN the room instead.
Okay, so I stayed outside the room, with all kinds of thoughts in my head, wondering what would happen to Hermione. I even told her that if she wanted me, just screamed my name.
There was one time in the delivery room when Hermione did scream, loudly. So I jumped up from my seat, preparing to go in.
A Healer grabbed me around the arm and dragged me back to the seat. "Sit down, Mister, your wife is going to be fine."
I didn't correct the Healer that Hermione isn't my wife. I shook my arm away from the Healer's grip.
The Healer grabbed my arm again. "Look Mister, don't make me hex you."
"I don't care."
"You behave or I will throw you out of the hospital."
Not wanting to be thrown out, I sat down, cursing under my breath.
The next 25 minutes were torturing. I sat on the bench and kept on looking at my watch every now and then. There was a point when I believed that my watch was broken, because the time seemed to be going so slow. Sometimes I wondered why it was so quiet in the delivery room. I felt like I couldn't sit still, so I got up.
"Mister…" started the Healer tiredly.
"I'm just going to stay here, all right?" I snapped.
So I paced around. I think I did hop around a little, I don't remember. I couldn't even think straight back then and I didn't know what I was doing while waiting.
At 5.40pm, I heard a baby crying from the delivery room. I stopped pacing and waited.
Then a Healer came out and told me that Hermione had given birth to a healthy baby boy, and both of them were fine.
I sat directly on the floor. I felt like passing out in relief right on the spot, now that I knew everything turned out to be all right.
"Can I go in and see the baby now?" I asked.
"No."
"Why not?"
"We need to do a little check-up on him, just to see if he's completely healthy. But you can go in and see Miss Granger if you want."
I went in and found Hermione on the bed. She was completely a wreck, but still beautiful. She smiled happily when she saw me.
"We got a boy, Harry." she said softly.
I nodded and smiled. I went to her, put my arms around her with affection and hugged her.
Turned out that the "little" check-up was a rather long one, Hermione and I didn't get William back to our side until night time, after Hermione's dinner. He was sleeping in his mother's arms, with tiny gloves covering his hands to prevent him from scratching himself.
The first time I saw William, I felt… I don't know how to describe the feeling in words… I don't know, proud maybe? The baby whom Hermione's holding is my son.
My son.
Oh my God.
After Julia's death, I have never thought of parenting another child, not so soon at least. But here he is, William Potter, the boy who has the blood of the Potters (and the Grangers) flowing in his veins.
I wonder what my parents will say if they know about this?
Hmm…
Okay, so their son is not married to his girlfriend, but knowing my father, I don't think he cares. As for my mother… I'm sure she will understand.
Looking at our innocent baby, I wondered how were Hermione and I going to leave him in the orphanage. He's too helpless to be left there alone without his parents….
But that won't be happening until a month later, so I think I will just think about it next time.
I decide to let Hermione and William to live here in my house before Hermione goes back to the Weasleys. Whoo! Imagine me, Hermione and William living here like a real family! Wow, this place is going to be lively, I can't wait!
Update you about me next time.
Harry
