AN: Please Read and Review.
The Mudblood's Daughter and the Vanishing Cabinet
While Harry was trying to get a brainwave on how to get the memory from Slughorn that Dumbledore needed, Hermione was trying to figure out how to tell Harry she was pregnant and hiding her bump. Her bump was definitly there now she had hit twelve weeks, she had put on six pounds and she was round. Forty-two inches around her waist. Size ten-twelve.
She was watching Harry as he read through the Prince's Potion Book, a scowl on her face. "You won't find anything in there," Hermione snapped firmly, late that Sunday evening. Harry groaned running a hand through his hair.
"Don't start, Hermione," Harry nearly pleaded, "If it wasn't for the Prince, Ron wouldn't be sitting here now."
Ron looked at him, with a 'Don't-bring-me-into-this' look, and Hermione tossed her hair over her shoulder, her nose in the air. "He would have if you had just listened to Snape in our first year," Hermione stated, dismissively. He ignored her, instead folding over a page in the textbook, trying not to get her to notice. Hermione shook her head, and moved a little closer to the fire in the common room. The only others up were other sixth years, all the others having gone to bed earlier. The date of the Apparation test had been announced and resulted in a slight uproar of excitement for the sixth years.
Hermione and Ron, because their birthdays had been before the first test date, got the opportunity to go for extra practice sessions in Hogsmeade. They would be heavil supervised. Ron had panicked, having still not apparated yet and fearing he wouldn't be ready for the test. Hermione was more confident, as even pregnant, she had managed to do it twice, and was rather proud of it. Harry wouldn't be seventeen for another four months, and couldn't take the test whether he was ready or not.
The bushy haired pregnant member of the Golden Trio pulled her hair up into a loose bun at the base of her neck, sighing, and rubbed her neck, trying to ease the tension and heat that had started to coil there. Ron frowned. "You okay, Mione?" he asked, and Hermione gave him a tense smile, nodding and wincing. "Come here," he said, patting the spot on the floor next to him, as his essay was in front of him. Hermione stood and stepped over to beside him, lowering herself down gracefully.
Ron brushed her hair aside, and used his large hand to knead the not at her neck. Hermione smiled tiredly, before looking at Harry, who was still scouring through the Half-Blood Prince's potion book, in search of a potion or a spell that could help him. She shook her head. "Harry, you are doign that completely wrong. If Dumbledore say only you can get the memory, than only you can. It must mean you can persuade Slughorn where other people can't. It's not a question of slipping him a potion, anyone could do that -"
"How d'you spell 'belligerent'?" Ron suddenly asked, shaking his quill with his free hand, a frown on his freckled features. Hermione and Harry looked at him. Harry's eyebrows shot up when he saw Ron's motions on Hermione's neck. "It can't be B-U-M-"
"No, it most definitly isn't," Hermione said, pulling Ron's essay to her, and looking at it. "Merlin, Ron. 'Augury' isn't spelt O-R-G either. What kind have Quill have you been using?" When Ron replied it was one of Fred and George's spell-checking ones, and that the charm must be wearing off, Hermione groaned and shook her head in exasperation. "Yes, it must because we were asked how we'd deal with Dementors, not 'Dugbogs', and I don't remember you changing your name to 'Roonil Wazlib' either."
The look on Ron's face would have been hilareous, if Hermione's hormones were not going haywire, and she wasn't feeling mad at Fred and George for messing with their brothers education. As he panicked, he moved his hand from her neck, running them over his face and moaning loudly. Hermione scowled as the tension returned to her shoulders and neck.
"It's okay, I can fix it," she said, pulling the essay towards her and taking her wand from her right foot sock. Ron fell back into couch, rubbing his eyes, before he returned to massaging her neck.
"I love you, Hermione," he said wearily, really tired, and Hermione turned pink, but laughed, shaking her head and warning him not to let Lavender hear him saying that. "I wont," Ron said, before a look of hopefulness filled his blue eyes. "Or maybe I will... then she'll ditch me..."
Harry, who was still slightly confused with why exactly Ron was massaging Hermione's shoulders, furrowed his brow over his glasses. "Why don't you just dump her if you want to finish it?" he asked, and both Hermione and Ron looked at him with equally amused, and horrified expression.
"You have never chucked anyone, have you?" Ron asked, and Harry frowned. "You and Cho just..." he trailed off, letting Harry pick up with 'sort of fell apart'. Hermione looked between the boys, before rolling her eyes. Really, sometimes they were just idiots when it came to relationships. Ron looked gloomy. "Wish that would happen to me and Lavander."
He looked over Hermione's shoulder, having moved behind her so she was sittin between the 'V' of his lanky legs, and rubbing her shoulders while she tapped all his mistakes with the tip of her wand silently, so they corrected themselves. "But the more I hint I want out, the tighter she holds on. It's like going out with the Giant Squid, for Merlin's sake. Even Pansy bloody Parkinson would be less clingy that her, and you have seen the way that girl fawns over Malfoy."
"To be fair to Lavander, at least she is persistant. I swear that Pansy dates a different Slytherin every week. Last week I caught her with Theodore Nott behind a tapestry. It's honestly ridiculous," Hermione said, and Ron grinned, giving her shoulder a playful squeeze, and then apologizing. "Ow, Ron, be careful. My skin is really sensitive lately."
"Sorry, Mione," he said, and Hermione nodded, while Harry looked at them suspiciously. Niether of them noticed.
"Okay, seriously, what the hell is going on with you two?" he asked bluntly, and they both looked at him in surprise. "You two have been weirdly close lately, and I want to know why. Ron used to laugh when you tripped, now he's treating you like glass. What is going on, what haven't you told me?" he asked. Hermione looked at Ron, who looked at her, and then looked at Harry again, a slightly scared look on her face.
"Harry... it's nothing... I swear..." Hermione started, only for Ron to shake his head and say 'Just tell him, Hermione'. Hermione bit her lip, staring at him over her shoulder, before she sighed, and nodded. "Okay... Harry... please don't get mad," Hermione pleaded, and the worry that Harry had been feeling suddenly tenfolded, his eyes widening.
"Why would I get mad? Hermione, what is going on?" he persisted, and Hermione felt tear starting to pool in her eyes, and run down her cheeks. Ron frowned, and squeezed her shoulder, trying to offer her some support. Harry began to feel scared at the sadness that had overcome her. "Hermione, whatever it is, you can tell me. I'm always going to be here for you, you are one of my best friends."
Hermione sniffed, before sobbing and covering her face with her hands. Harry looked on helplessly, as Ron squeezed her shoulder. At her utter inability to talk, Ron looked at Harry. "She's pregnant, Mate," Ron stated. Harry's mind went blank, not fully registering what he had said. His jaw dropped and he stared at them in shock. "Harry? Mate, are you okay?"
It all suddenly fit. Why she was so late coming in after Slughorn's party. How she hadn't wanted to talk about it. How much weight she had put on and how emotional she had been. How Ginny seemed to have become her best friend and refused to let anyone near her. How they had disappeared on Saturday and not told anyone where they had gone, how Ron treated her like she was glass, and was being so nice to her. Hermione swallowed the lump his her throat, sniffing when she saw the realization on his features. She wiped her eyes, pleading with him to say something, anything.
"Do... do you need anything?" he asked, uncertainly, his voice shakey and Hermione gave a broken laugh and flung herself at him, hugging him tightly. Harry hugged her back, looking at Ron with wide eyes, and mouthing 'What do we do?', to which Ron shrugged. When Hermione pulled away, she had a weary, yet delighted smile on her face. "So... er... do you want us to do anything for you? Because we can, we will be there for you as much as we possibly can."
"Thank you, Harry, but honestly... I'm dealing And we have more important things to worry about. Like me fixing Ron's essay," she said, and Ron cheered, as she sat down and continued to change any misspelt words on his essay. Harry looked at Ron in confusion, and Ron once again shrugged his shoulders, letting his head fall back onto the cushion of the couch and closing his eyes. Harry realized that the discussion was now closed, and picked up his Potion Book and continued to look through it. Twenty minutes later, Hermione handed Ron back his essay. "There."
"Thanks, Mione, you're a life-saver," Ron said, and Hermione just shook her head, laughing to herself. "Can borrow your Quill for the conclusion?" he asked, and she nodded, handing it to him. Harry, who had found it difficult to concentrate after Hermione's revelation and having found nothing useful in the book, looked around. The Golden Trio were the only ones left in the Common Room, Seamus having just gone to bed cursing Snape and his 'stupid bloody essay'. The only sound was the crackling of the fire and Ron scratching out a paragraph using Hermione's quill. Hermione's had, now that they were alone, pulled up her jumper and leaned back against the couch, having moved between Harry and Ron. She had a tender look on her face as she put her hands on her obvious bump, looking like she had swallowed a grapefruit whole.
Harry had just closed the Half-Blood prince's book, yawning widely, and staring at Hermione's bump, when their was an ear-splitting Crack. Hermione shrieked, and covered her stomach protectively; Ron spilled ink all over his essay as he jumped, and put an arm around Hermione, and Harry said 'Kreacher!'. Hermione breathed heavily, as the House-Elf bowed low and addressed his own gnarled toes. "Master said he wanted regular reports on what the Malfoy boy is doing so Kreacher has come to give-"
Crack. Dobby appeared beside Kreacher, his tea-cosy has slanted and a look of eagerness on his face. Hermione pursed her lips, as she looked at Harry out the corner of her eye. "Dobby has been helping too, Harry Potter! And Kreacher ought to tell Dobby when he is coming to see harry Potter so they can make their reports together!" Dobby squeaked, glaring at Kreacher, who glowered back resentfully.
"What is this?" Hermione demanded, her arms still around her stomach in shock at there sudden appearances, yet righteous fury having started to brew in her. Her anger only grew at Harry's hesitance to answer her, and she hit him on the arm hard, causing him to yelp. "What is going on, Harry!"
"Well... they've been following Malfoy for me," Harry replied, and Hermione gaped, as the two elves nodded, Kreacher saying 'Night and Day', and Dobby proudly stating he hadn't slept for a week. Harry winced at the look of indignant and fury on his pregnant friends face. Hermione's look grew even worse, when Dobby swayed on his feet.
"You haven't slept, Dobby? But surely, you didn't tell him not to -" she looked at him, her eyes wide, and Harry had to admit, it hurt a little that she thought he would do that just to get information on Malfoy.
"No, of course I didn't," Harry protested quickly, and Hermione, who had tensed, visibly relaxed, a look of thankfulness on her face. "Dobby, you can sleep, all right? But has either of you found out anything?" he asked, and Hermione had to admit, she was both curious and worried about what they might have found out. Draco was the father of her baby, and she would be damned if Harry ever found out. He was so sure that Draco was up to something. When Kreacher went on about how noble he was, Hermione rolled her eyes, and rubbed her face, before pulling her jumper down. She started, when Dobby suddenly lunged for the fire, and Harry shifted to catch him.
Hermione watched with wide, brown eyes as Dobby thanked him, before looking at Ron. He just shook his head, before looking at his ruined essay, mournful. She smiled at him. "I can fix it, don't worry," she said, and Ron gave her a thankful look. However both turned when Harry asked Dobby if Malfoy had been anywhere he shouldn't have been.
"Harry Potter, sir," Dobby squeaked, his great orb-like eyes shining in the firelight, 2the Malfoy by is breaking no rules that Dobby can discover, but he is still keen to avoid detection. He has been making regular visits to the seventh floor with a variety of other students, who keep watch for him when he enters -"
Hermione gasped, looking at Harry and mouth 'The Room of Requirement', which Harry shouted out, before smacking himself with Advanced Potion-Making. "That's where he's been sneaking off to! That's where he's doing... whatever he's doing! And I bet that why he has been disappearing off the map - come to think of it, I've never seen the Room of Requirement on there!" Harry insisted, and Hermione hook her head, as ron replied that they might not have known about it.
"I think it'll be part of the magic of the Room. If you need it to be unplottable, it will be," she shrugged. She barely listened to the what Harry said next, yet had to roll her eyes at his cockiness that Harry would be able to get into the Room of Requirement when the House Elves couldn't. "I don't think you will, Harry. Malfoy knew why we were using the Room, didn't he, because that bloody idiot Marietta had told him. He needed the room to become the DA Headquarters, so it did. But you don't know what the Room becomes when Malfoy goes in thee, so you don't know what to ask it to transform into."
She glared at Harry when he dismissed her statement, wanting to smack him with that bloody text-book he treated like the Bible. When he complimented Dobby on his efforts, and not Kreacher, she scowled at him, before kindly trying to make Kreacher feel good, only to have the House-Elf pretend not to hear her and disrespect her. She felt tears prick her eyes, and quickly wiped them, damning her emotions for betraying her. Harry ordered the two House-Elves away, and looked at them joyfully when they had gone.
Hermione had to admit she was worried for Draco, not that she would say it out loud, at Harry's happiness. Instead, she just took Ron's essay from him, and began to use her wand to siphon the ink off the parchment. "Okay, I get that you want to know Harry. But what about this 'variety of student's' he has on lookout? How many people could be in on it, I mean, you wouldn't think he'd trust lots of them to know what he is up to..."
She listened, as Harry began to think his thoughts out-loud, listening to his process, his realizations before he suddenly jumped up, pacing in front of the fire, talking about how he must be making Crabbe and Goyle take Polyjuice Potion, and how they were stupid enough to do what Draco told them even if they didn't know what he was up to. How he was making them turn into girls. Hermione gasped, her hand going to her mouth. "Do you mean to say that that little girl whose scales I repaired -"
His loud exclamation of 'Yeah, of course' caused her to wince, and look over to the stairs to make sure no one was coming. She closed her eyes, to ward off the headache she was getting as the two boys laughed about how Malfoy had them turning into girls, but she had to put her foot down, when Harry mentioned the Dark Mark. She hadn't seen if he had had a Dark Mark, because he had kept his shirt on, even if it was undone the entire time they were together.
"A Dark Mark we don't know exists," she stated sceptically, rolling up and handing Ron's essay back to him before any more harm could befall it. Harry's cockiness seemed to know no bounds that evening, and she just shook her head at him, holding out her hand. "Help me up," she said, and Harry groaned, before helping her to her feet. She put her hand on the base of her back, uncomfortably. "Harry, before you get all excited, I still don't think you'll be able to get into the Room of Requirement without knowing what's there first. And I don't think you should forget that you're supposed to be concentrating on getting that memory from Slughorn. Goodnight.2
She gave them a final look, designed to make them feel guilty, before turning and walking from them, up the stairs to the girls dormitories. Harry looked at Ron, when the door had closed to the girl's dormitories, and asked him what he thought. "I think she's going to be hell as a mother," Ron stated, and Harry frowned. "Wish I could Disapparate like a House-Elf."