August 20, 2004

Hermione's p.o.v

I try to burrow deeper into my blanket but a weight on top wouldn't let me. It pressed hard against me preventing me from moving. Frowning I push the thing away and hear a loud thud. I'm up and pointing my wand at the offending thing.

"Who's there!"

A groan came from somewhere beneath me. "Damn it, Hermione. If you didn't want to cuddle you should've just said so, not fucking pushed me off the bed!"

It took me a couple of seconds to place the voice and to realize that my wand was actually a finger. "Luna?"

"No, the Lochness monster." The snide voice replied.

"Keep it down you two. Some people are trying to sleep here."

I turn my body to the right. "Keelan?"

A huge arm grabbed me and pulled me back to bed. "Go back to sleep Hermione."

A sleepy hand threw a blanket on my face. "Thank you, Keelan."

"Neville?"

"Go to sleep Hermione!" All three adult voices say.

"Mama I'm hungry."

Now it was four voices groaning. I didn't know how badly I wanted to go back to sleep until the option wasn't available anymore.

"Guess we're all getting up. Topsy!" Neville called out.

Said elf popped into existence. "Yes, Mater Neville?"

"Could you feed Evangeline, please? Thank you." Neville asked.

"Of course, Master Neville. Come along little Miss, Topsy be taking good care of you." Evangeline went with Topsy and all was quiet in the room again.

The four of us remained on the bed like that. It was Luna, me, Keelan, and Neville. We were all awake now so there was no use to go back to sleep.

"Hermione last night-"

Would you look at that? It seems I would be going back to sleep. "Neville, I love you but I start teaching in two weeks and I would appreciate getting all the sleep I can now." I nestled back into the comforter and ignore the three breathing bodies with me.

Luna sighs. "Sleeping won't solve this Hermione. We need to talk about last night."

I stare at her through the fabric of the comforter. Everything was better under the sheets where the real world couldn't touch me till I left their embrace. "Sleep won't solve my problems but it'll delay them for a while more."

"Hermione." This time it came from Neville.

"I'm tired," I tell them. "Tired of the fights, the tears, the arguments."

"We made our bed Hermione, it's time to lie on it."

I rip the comforter away and snarl at Luna. "What about Harry huh?! Isn't he going to lie on his?"

"We hid his child!"

"He gave up on us!"

Arms wrap themselves around me. "Enough," said Keelan, "it's not you against each other. It's us - all of us - against the problem."

For a moment we were all quiet. This had been an argument that propped up every couple of months and we were never near a resolution. Now it seems we have no choice.

"I'm not letting Harry take away my daughter," I say.

"Because that is so much different than you taking her away from him," Luna replies.

"You know my story, you know what situation I was in-"

Keelan cut me off. "That is no excuse Hermione and you know it. He should have had the chance of participating in his daughter's life - even with the off chance that you would lose her. It was his right as the father."

Not even looking at him I leave the bed. "I'm done. It's too early for me to be doing this."

But Keelan grabbed my hand. "You know we're telling the truth. You took away the only family that boy had and hid it from him. He decided to give you up. Please Hermione, at least acknowledge what you did; you made a mistake, you both did. ."

I look at my siblings and hiss. "You're supposed to be on my side."

Keelan shook his head. "Not when you're like this."

"You're asking me to allow my daughter near a man that could care less about her wellbeing." I explode.

"What we're asking you is to let Evangeline make her own decision and to get help." Luna snaps.

"I don't need help," I answered rapidly. "I'm fine."

"Fine doesn't mean waking up in the middle of the night in terror. It doesn't mean that your first reaction to a crowd is to whip your wand out. If you were fine Hermione you would look at Andromeda without flinching every time."

"That's too bad. This is the best that you're going to get." I get out of Keelan's grasp and lock myself in the bathroom.

When I came out of the shower, the room had been set to rights. Seeing the coast clear, I collapse on my vanity chair and let my head fall into my hands. I did not need help. All the symptoms they described wer natural reactions after muddling through a war. If they increased it was because of those damned German blood purists. If the bastards hadn't tried to attack us…

Soft muted footsteps walked towards me and I felt tiny hands grabbing my face. "Are you okay Mama?"

I look into the sad eyes of my baby. "Oh darling, Mama's she's just a bit tired from last night."

A small hand landed on my shoulder. "I'm sorry Mama. I didn't mean to ruin your night! But she was saying so many bad things about you and I couldn't let her! I'm so sorry I lost control Mama."

Wrapping my arms around the love of my life I hold her tightly. "Shush baby. There's nothing for you to apologize for. You were trying to protect me just like I would have done if anyone said anything about you. I forgive you Sunshine."

Tears landed on my shoulder and I felt like the biggest failure on Earth. I could solve the world's problem but I made my daughter cry. Nononono. "Shush now little one. Mama's here. Mama's here."

"I want to go home." She whimpers into my embrace. "I want Mama to be Mama again."

"W-what?"

"Evangeline wants the Mama that used to laugh and be bossy. Evangeline wants the old Hermione back."

That was a slap to the face. So much innocence behind that one sentence that cut straight to my heart. The pain that Evangeline caused me was enough to stop any rational thinking on my part.

"E-Evangeline I-I–"

A shout comes from downstairs. "HERMIONE GET DOWN HERE NOW!"

I unfreeze and unwind my arms from Evangeline. "I-I'll be back. B-but we're going to talk about this when I get back Evangeline!"

I race downstairs where Neville's shout had come from and look at the three people around the table in the dining room. "What happened?"

Luna silently pointed at the table and the paper that was on it.

The Truth Behind Hermione Granger So-Called Golden Girl

By: Rita Skeeter

As many of my dear readers now, last week Hermione Granger, self-proclaimed Brightest Witch of the Century, returned to Great Britain a week ago. But she didn't come alone, she brought her daughter with her, Evangeline Granger, a daughter born out of wedlock along with her.

Many reporters speculated on the parentage of the girl when Hermione Granger was first spotted in our illustrious country but they were threatened into not revealing much information by Miss Granger herself. And now dear readers, I can tell you why. Not only was Evangeline Granger born out of wedlock, but she is also the result of a licentious affair between her mother and Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived. Despite the continued denial of the existence of a relationship since the duo's Fourth Year at Hogwarts, this reporter wonders if she hadn't instead seen the beginning of the shameful relation.

Whether hiding behind shadows and partners, this reporter wonders how such a 'relationship' got started but thankfully for us all, a close confidante of both parties was capable of answering these questions. Mr. Ronald Weasley himself had this to say about the salacious relationship between both war heroes:

"Harry *hick* always had something with Hermione going on. They were always together *hick* I wouldn't be surprised if they started f***ing before Fourth Year. Hermy knew that I fancied her in Sixth Year, she must have gotten a sick kick of trying to chase after me while she and Harry went behind Ginny and my back. I'm surprised she *hick* didn't end up pregnant earlier. But you want to know the really fucked up thing? She went to the Final Battle with her pregnant self. That's why her kid is so f***ed up."

When questioned about the nature of the child's problem this reporter was surprised to learn that she suffers from seizures thanks to the many Crucitacius she was exposed to as a child in her mother's womb. This reporter has to wonder at the sanity of a woman heading into war while pregnant and then refusing that same child treatment for the injuries that her mother herself caused. Are these the actions of a woman we want to teach our youth? A woman that without remorse has been known to terrorize her classmates and defy authority? This reporter calls for an investigation into the so-called Golden Girl and the removal of her custody of that poor bastard child.

I stare blankly at the words in front of me. I knew Skeeter still had it out for me, that witch was like a dog with a bone when it came to grudges, but to imply that I didn't do everything I could for my daughter? To say that I willingly endangered her?

'And all that with the helpful aid of my "close" confidante Ron.' I scoff.

Skeeter was done. I would drag her reputation through the mud and ruin her. And Ronald?

Ronald was dead to me.

Augusta, Neville, and Luna were talking over each other on what to do. This was a damning piece that Rita had written and could just as easily backfire on the Longbottoms when word got out of their involvement.

I never should have set foot on Great Britain again. But it was too late, the damage had been done, all I could do was deal with the fallout.

I place the newspaper back on the table. It was almost ten and I had an appointment to get to. "I'm going out," I tell the trio.

That sentence stopped the three bickering people. "I'll come with you," Neville says.

I summon a traveling cloak. It would look awkward over my muggle clothes but I never cared British for fashion or their opinions. "Thank you but I'll be fine. I had already planned this appointment to deal with the British press."

They all looked confused. "When did you even have the time to plan this? You just read the newspaper." Luna asks.

"After my confrontation with Harry at Gringotts." I fix the lapels of the cloak. I needed to present a composed image to the world. "I wanted to get ahead of any rumors and this was the best time to meet with the reporter I wanted."

Keelan had made his way to the dining room and brought Evangeline down with him. He looked at our tense faces and asked, "what happened?"

Luna gave him a brief overview while the elves got Evangeline settled. "Rita Skeeter is back at it with Ronald's help."

"Is he not friendly to us?"

"Not anymore," Augusta replies. "He and his mother have made it abundantly clear what their thoughts are about Hermione. A friend that is more concerned in appearances than keeping confidences is no friend at all."

I press a kiss to Evangeline's forehead. "Mama has an appointment to get to but we'll talk tonight okay sunshine?"

Eva kissed my cheek. "Okay, Mama. Have a safe trip."

"Thank you, baby. I'll be back as soon as I can."

I walked to the foyer and grabbed some Floo powder. "Leaky Cauldron." The green flames engulfed me as I stepped into them. I wasn't afraid, the only thing in me right now was anger. I was done playing games with Skeeter.

I stepped out of the Leaky's floo brushing soot and powder off. The early morning chatter had gone quiet with my appearance but I paid them no mind. I make my way to the bar keeping my head tall.

"Good morning Ms. Granger."

"Good morning Tom," I greet the barkeeper. "I was wondering if a Mr. Wallace had passed by yet?"

Tom paused his cleaning but the towel kept moving. "Hmm, I don't believe so. But let me ask Hannah, she was working the counter before me."

I smile at the barkeeper. "That would be nice. Thank you, Tom."

I slide onto a barstool and smile at my companion. "Good morning Skeeter."

The witch had the gall to smile back. "Good morning Ms. Granger. How are you today?"

"I'm well thank you for asking," I reply in kind. "Nice article by the way. Very well written."

Skeeter sneers at me. "Of course it was. I am a reputable reporter."

"Reporter, yes. Reputable on the other hand? Now we both know that isn't true."

"How dare y-?"

"I do have a question though," I ask calmly. Patrons were looking our way interested in our fight. "How did you get Ron to speak?"

"Mr. Weasley didn't need my help to talk Granger. anyone would be disgusted at your actions."

"My actions huh? Well, I have my own hypothesis. You drugged him. Slipped Verisatium into his drink and asked questions to your heart's content. Am I correct Ms. Skeeter?"

The pale sheen her skin took told me all. "You are making baseless accusations Ms. Granger," she tries to deflect.

"I don't doubt that Ronald said all those hurtful things. He's always been the jealous type. But you Ms. Skeeter should have thought twice before messing with me. Do you honestly believe one measly article is going to hurt me? Better people, better reporters, than you have tried and they've. All. Failed."

Rita exploded in all her hideousness. "My journalism is without compare Granger. Do you think that your little fame will protect you? You're nothing but trash in this country and I will do everything in my power to make sure everyone knows it."

Tom came back with Hannah Abbott in tow. "Here's Hannah Ms. Granger. She can answer all your questions about the ongoings on the Leakey this morning."

I ignore Skeeter and do a double-take at Hannah's appearance. "Merlin Hannah, the years have been good to you."

Hannah laughed. "Let's hope it stays that way for years to come, you flatterer. Now ask your questions so I can get back to work."

"Did a Mr. Barclay Wallace stopped by? I have an interview with him but I'm not sure if he's in the area yet?"

Hannah answers, "No one with that name has been by yet. Want me to direct him your way when he comes in?"

"If it's not too much trouble."

"For you sugar, it's no trouble at all." She winks.

"It's still too early to be tempted so but I'm glad I stopped to ask," I flirt back jokingly. Skeeter would likely write an article about my deviant behavior but if Britain wanted to burn me at the stake they'd have to try harder than that. "Tell him I'll be waiting at the Snook Tea House if he asks."

"Sure thing Hermione."

I stand up. "Thank you, Tom, Hannah. And Ms. Skeeter," I lower my voice so only she can hear me, "I wonder what's the punishment for drugging an Auror? A pureblood Auror?"

I sweep out of the pub and into the Alley. My head was high even as people whispered behind my back and glared at me. I nod at the elf serving as host and allow him to direct me to my table.

I only had to wait a few minutes (and a cuppa) before my appointment walked through the door.

"Good morning Mistress Granger. I hope you weren't waiting for long. I'm Barclay Wallace, it's an honor to meet you."

"Not at all, Mr. Wallace. I just got here myself. Please order what you want, it's on me."

"I couldn't possibly accept that Mistress."

"Please call me Hermione, I only use my titles when I need to throw my weight around."

"In that case please call me Clay."

"Well then Clay. Order a cuppa and tell me, have you heard the phrase fight fire with fire?"