Hey lovelies,
So yes we are getting back into it. (well I haven't stopped writing but handwriting is not the fastest way to get this online to you - the people)
(I know bad batman reference. I couldn't help it!)
Thank you to the fabulous peeps who sent me feedback and support! I write this for you.
Much Love
Natstar
XOXO
SHATTER ME
Chapter 20
Hermione paused in the threshold as she saw that her meeting included both Sirius and Madam Pomfrey, who were also present and apparently waiting on her. Professor Dumbledore sat behind his large desk with what seemed like a large file before him.
"Please come in Miss Granger and take a seat, so we may begin." He directed to a chair in front of the desk, with his withered hand, his face sombre. Hermione didn't move as apprehension grew as she also noted the serious expressions on both Madam Pomfrey and the concerned look on Sirius.
"I don't understand. What is this about?" Hermione asked. She looked ready to bolt. Sirius moved towards her and put an arm around her guiding her to the seat.
"Yes, I would like to know why we both were asked here Albus." Sirius said, putting a hand on her shoulder, rubbing reassuring circles with his thumb. The door behind them shut and Professor McGonagall joined Madam Pomfrey just to the side.
Hermione, grateful for the physical support from Sirius, sat down and perched at the edge of her seat waiting as Dumbledore picked up the top sheet on the file, and peered at the information contained on it before beginning.
"It has come to my attention that the body of the Healer that went missing from St Mungo's prior to Christmas has been found." Professor Dumbledore paused and looked over his half-moon glasses at Hermione, before continuing.
"We have also discovered that the Healer also happened to be the Healer in charge of your initial recovery when you returned to the present." Hermione's eyes widened in surprise.
"Were you also aware, Miss Granger that this healer also was the Healer assigned to you when you were brought into St Mungo's in 1981?" Professor Dumbledore asked her, laying the page next to the file. All Hermione could do was shake her head at the headmaster. She felt Sirius's hand grip her shoulder tighten slightly.
"The Healer knew her back then?" He asked in disbelief.
"It would seem so." Professor Dumbledore answered softly.
"Is that the reason she was taken? Her connection with me?" Hermione queried. Her hands gripped together so tightly her knuckles were white. Professor Dumbledore didn't answer her straight away. He shuffled some papers before looking back up at Hermione's anxious face.
"It wasn't the only reason, but in short – yes." Said Professor Dumbledore
"I still don't understand. Why is it so important?" Hermione asked. She took a deep breath, the room began to feel smaller and smaller the more she thought about it. He sat down next to Hermione and put a hand over hers. The frown on her face had returned as she tried to dissemble the facts.
"Poppy, perhaps you may shed some light for Miss Granger?" Professor Dumbledore deferred to the Hogwarts Nurse. Madam Pomfrey moved to be in view of Hermione and frowned, noting the girl's paleness.
"Miss Granger, as you are aware, we requested your medical records from St Mungo's when I became your primary Healer when you returned to Hogwarts?" Hermione nodded at the Nurse, wondering where it was leading to.
"One of the reasons I had requested the records was to verify something I had discovered in my own assessments and diagnosis of you as we worked to get you back on your feet." Madam Pomfrey explained, "When I first checked you over for your fitness to return that morning in Hogsmeade, there was an anomaly in one of the scanning charms. This anomaly didn't always show up. I sent an owl that morning to St Mungo's and the Healer, Meredith, responded advising that she also encountered it."
Hermione was now gripping Sirius's hand in hers tightly. He acutely noted that he was losing feeling in his fingers, but his own deep concern about where this conversation was going left him feeling more and more worried for the witch sitting beside him.
"Meredith advised me that when she encountered your anomaly when you first arrived she recognised you. She remembered when you were admitted to St Mungo's in 1981 the healers including her were baffled that the diagnosis spells were showing odd things when they were cast on you." Madam Pomfrey continued.
"But if the Healer knew back then why did she not say anything?" Professor McGonagall asked. Her tone the only giveaway that this announcement shook her to the core.
"I imagine it had something to do with Hermione being hit by a truck and waking up after the terrible events happened." Sirius answered without humour.
"What kind of anomaly?" Hermione asked, trembling. Madam Pomfrey looked to Dumbledore briefly before answering.
"Something that came and went. Sometimes the anomaly didn't show. Sometimes it did." Said Madam Pomfrey, "It wasn't until this morning when I checked you over that I wasn't sure."
Hermione swallowed hard, "But- but you are sure now?" she struggled to speak. Madam Pomfrey nodded frowning at Hermione, deeply concerned. Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat briefly and all eyes turned to him. He was holding another sheet from the file. Hermione realised this must be all her medical records from Hogwarts and St Mungo's.
"Miss Granger, we believe with some certainty that you are in fact pregnant." He announced.
"I- I'm, what?" Hermione stuttered. The room definitely felt smaller and smaller. She struggled to breathe. Sirius's hand now tightened around hers. She couldn't look at him. If she did, it would be real.
"How can she be pregnant? She isn't showing the signs. We would have seen the signs!" Sirius's voice had taken on a rougher edge as he struggled with the news.
"This is not a usual type of pregnancy, Sirius. In fact in the history of time travel and its strict rules, has there ever been an incident like this." Professor Dumbledore said, as he stood and walked around his desk to his bookcase.
"Miss Granger has not only gone back past her birth, she has also managed to fall pregnant in a different time. Something many thought would be highly improbable." The headmaster paused at a bookshelf and pulled a large leather bound tome out and began flicking through it quickly.
"Miss Granger, I am sure that you recall on your arrival at Hogsmeade when I first checked you over you asked if your symptoms were abnormal?" Madam Pomfrey moved closer to Hermione, concern for her clear on her face. Hermione nodded blankly.
"They weren't normal, in any sense. There were signs of you healing from the incident last June, and signs we now realise are related directly to your pregnancy. As all your symptoms and reactions seemed to be directly stemmed from you coming out of the veil we could not conclusively put it together. Even now it is only eighty percent certain that you are indeed pregnant." Madam Pomfrey explained.
"How can you be only eighty percent certain?" Sirius stood up and glared at them.
"How can you drop this kind of news when you are not wholly sure she even is pregnant?" Sirius demanded. Dumbledore had his wand out and summoned a sheet from the file. He handed it to him and stated, "We have more than reasonable doubt because Healer Meredith had noted the anomaly several times back in 1981."
Sirius read through the medical notes that were signed and dated from the moment she was admitted until after he had been sent to Azkaban. There were five entries that were highlighted pointing out the anomaly. He looked back up to the Headmaster.
"How? How can that be? Shouldn't she be showing? Or ready to have it?" Sirius asked his voice now hollow. Hermione had stopped listening to the conversation as a memory flashed before her eyes.
"To winners and friends!" Hermione chimed toasting Remus's glass as he stood opposite to her. She gave him a quick smile as she sipped her drink. He was watching her with an intensity that made her wonder if there was something on her face. Unable to hold the gaze she looked around the room taking in the dancing couples on the dance floor. Her heart fluttered as she watched Sirius leading Marlene in a more refined and elegant waltz than what the new Mr and Mrs Potters were doing. She grinned seeing the absolute joy on both Lily and James's faces. Her eyes continued around the room noting some unfamiliar people as well as some very familiar ones. The table they were sitting at together now only had one occupant. Peter Pettigrew.
He too was watching the dance floor with a dour expression on his face. She followed his gaze and it seemed to be fixed on Sirius and Marlene. Hermione frowned as she recollected memories from her own time regarding Marlene. She couldn't help but feel sadness at her fate. Remus cleared his throat beside her. He raised a brow at her in question. Neither could speak as Sirius and Marlene joined them at the bar. She watched the bombshell blonde throw a dazzling smile at Remus taking his drink and slamming it back.
"Thanks Remy" She purred, as she leaned past him to put the glass on the bar and grab his hand. Remus chuckled as she pulled him back onto the dance floor, his hands on her waist and pulling the woman he loved close enough to kiss, as she swayed to the music. Her view was interrupted as Sirius stepped in front of her holding out his hand to her.
"May I have this dance?" He asked her as he bowed before her. She remembered that he had been trained as a pure blood and some training stuck. She set her glass on the bar and grinned.
"I thought you'd never ask" she placed her hand into his. His thumb rubbed her knuckles as he guided her onto the dancefloor. He spun her and brought her in close, her own training in dance helped her not stumble or fall into him as he expected, wanted her to. Instead she met his gaze smirking, her hand moving to his shoulder, ready to dance. Sirius raised a brow at her.
"You know how to dance?" He asked. His voice husky, they moved a few steps on the floor.
"My parents were the local champions for ballroom. They showed me a few things." Her cheeks dimpled as his brow went higher again, filing the information away. He dipped her and held her there poised.
"You continue to surprise me Princess. But do you know the Tango?" He purred at her. Hermione felt her heart beat erratically from his devilish grin and heated desire in his eyes.
That look in his eyes seemed to burn right through her, igniting her core as they danced. The room fell away to just the two of them, moving across the dancefloor scandalously close, his touch on her like fire upon her skin. They heard the song end but their dance was not yet over. They had only gotten outside the door of the Restaurant when he lifted her against him. She wrapped her legs around him kissing him even as he apparated them to the Terrace House, straight into his room. She was pulling his cravat loose and ripped the buttons from his dressrobes free. He found the zipper on her dress undoing it slowly and torturously exposing her back to the cool air in the room.
He set her down so she could step out of the dress as he made quick work in disrobing himself. Hermione let the dress slip from her shoulders and pool at the floor, leaving her standing in her heels, stockings and red lacy lingerie. Hermione blushed a little at standing so exposed to him, but when she looked up at him and saw the hungry desire on his face she couldn't help but smirk a little. She stepped away from her dress moving towards him, his breath hitched as he watched as her hips swayed with the motion.
"Merlin's beard you are beautiful" he uttered as she reached him. She didn't have a chance to respond as his lips hungrily found hers his hands running down her sides to her hips. He lifted her again carrying her backwards to his bed. His legs hit the edge as they toppled onto it. Hermione edged down undoing his pants, to finish undressing him.
"Hermione," Sirius growled her name and pulled her back up towards him.
"Hermione" He groaned as he kissed his way down her collarbone…
"Hermione?" Sirius's voice was full of concern. Hermione looked up, dazed, the memory still fresh in her mind.
"Where did you go love?" Sirius asked. He was now kneeling before her, worry etched on his features. Hermione's cheeks tinged pink. She shook her head, dismissing the query. Sirius was not the only one looking at her with concern.
"As I was saying," Professor Dumbledore continued, "There are many possible explanations that we could theorize about; however, what we do know is that never before has anyone travelled back in time past their own timeline. Furthermore, there have been very few witches that have ever travelled back in time and none of them had fallen pregnant in the past."
Professor Dumbledore had begun to pace as he spoke. He stopped before Hermione's chair and gave her a small smile. "Now we have present, someone who is living proof of two previously considered impossible time travel concepts sitting before us."
"Th- this is why the Dark Lord is after me? And the Unspeakables" Hermione asked, finally finding her voice. She looked up directly at Professor Dumbledore waiting on his answer. Her posture shifted and Albus acknowledged that she was now demanding answers. His eyes twinkled as he understood that her fragility would not get in the way of facts.
"Not initially. Reports from both sides indicated both only had fragments of what had happened to you. Yet until Healer Meredith was abducted much of it was speculation." Professor Dumbledore explained.
Sirius twisted to look at Professor Dumbledore as well, "They want the baby?" He asked, reaffirming what he had just heard.
"Oh they will want both Mother and Child." Professor Dumbledore corrected. The sparkle in his eyes disappeared as he looked between the young couple.
"Perhaps we should allow Miss Granger to return to her room with a calming draught Albus. This is a lot to take in." Professor McGonagall interrupted her focus on Hermione's sheet white face.
Professor Dumbledore held up his blackened hand. "In a moment Minerva. There is one more thing that dear Poppy had also uncovered regarding Miss Granger." He nodded to Madam Pomfrey.
"The diagnosis charms we cast tell a number of things. Including your exact age, down to the minute and second if we wish to know." Hermione and Sirius both nodded. Hermione remembered her mother's outburst of Hermione's age on her hospital band. Guilt swept through her as she realised that it was one of the last times she had seen her mother alive.
"When you were brought in to St Mungo's they recorded you were 18 years and 2 months old. Until I received the records from Healer Meredith I did not realise that when I checked your age on your arrival at Hogsemeade it also was 18 years and 2 months old. However, as we continued with your check-ups Hermione, your age never increased." Madame Pomfrey explained. Both Hermione and Sirius frowned, their minds calculating quickly.
"But, she should nearly be, 19?" Sirius spoke for them.
"That is the thing. Since she has returned, Miss Granger has not aged a single day." Madam Pomfrey explained.
"She is still stuck in time?" Sirius queried as he dissembled and processed the information. Silence in the room grew.
"No," Hermione's voice, barely a whisper, seemed to echo around them all as realisation struck.
"Wait – if she is – then she…" Sirius couldn't finish the sentence.
Professor Dumbledore nodded gravely. "In order for her to have the child, she will need to go back in time."
I had to include this because when I got the chapter back from my Beta Immy, she left this sweet surprise at the end!
OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG
U R THE QUEEN OF AMAZING PLOT TWISTS AND NOBODY WRITES A CLIFFY LIKE YOU DO- two of the many reasons I love reading your work.
I had so much fun reading this chappy and I can't wait for the next ones- I think the readers will be on the edge of their seats too!
Don't stress about getting the next chappy to me, as we both know life happens and some things are more important than others.
Many hugs
Immy