Chapter 2

Unwanted Memories

"I'm so glad you agreed to go out with me, Hermione," Wood said, smiling at her across the table of Madam Puddifoots, a café that Hermione would not normally have chosen had Wood not insisted.

"Well what was I supposed to do?" Hermione said, smiling back at him. "Your owls hounded me night and day."

"That night, at the Three Broomsticks-"

Hermione blushed. "Look, Oliver, I had drank much more than I'd intended and-"

"I just wanted to say that I had a fantastic night. I can't believe I didn't notice how wonderful you were when we were at Hogwarts. I was just so wrapped up in Quidditch and what have you that I didn't stop to appreciate the finer things that were right before my eyes …"

Hermione continued to blush as Wood reached his hands across the table and held hers tightly in his own …

………………………………...

"Now really, we've only been going out a year!" Hermione exclaimed.

"And it's been the most wonderful year of both our lives!" Wood said. "Right?"

"Well of course it has, silly-"

"So why not? My flat is big enough for both of us, we spend all of our time together anyways. Hermione, nothing would fulfill my life more than falling asleep with you every night, waking up to you every morning. Please, please say yes!"

Hermione could not help but smile at the excitement in his eyes and the sincerity in his voice. She was, after all, falling in love with him … why not?

"Alright," she said, smiling at him.

"Al … alright? ALRIGHT?" Wood cried, his face beaming as he threw his arms around Hermione's midriff and, lifting her, spun her around in delight.

"Alright!" Hermione said, laughing as he put her down. "But I won't have any of you leaving the toilet seat up …"

………………………………...

"So who are you sleeping around with this time?" Wood asked as he walked into their shared flat and threw his suitcase in the middle of the den.

"Well it's good to see you too," Hermione replied, giving the wall a last scrub before standing and ripping off the yellow rubber gloves. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well I've been gone two weeks with Puddlemere and look at the place, it's an absolute mess. If you can't be bothered to clean than you must be doing something else to occupy your time-"

"I've been working, Oliver!" Hermione cried, feeling hurt and insulted. "The Ministry is having me work overtime almost every night! And this place is not a mess!"

"Pigs could sleep here and wouldn't know the difference," Oliver replied coldly.



"So … how was your trip? Did you win the game?" Hermione asked cautiously, trying to change the subject. She did not need another fight the moment he arrived home.

"Oh, I suppose now you care?" Oliver asked. "Never bothered to write, did you? Too busy with your other boyfriend?"

"Oliver, I am not with anyone else!" Hermione cried, feeling the beginning of a familiar argument surfacing. "How many times do I have to tell you, I love you! No one else, just you!"

Suddenly, an owl swooped into the open window, a furled bit of parchment attached to its leg. Hermione went to remove the letter, but Wood hastily shoved her hand away and removed it instead.

"My dearest Hermione," Wood read, his dark eyes narrowing as he read further down the parchment. "How have you been? It has been awhile since our last chat. Please let me know how you are doing, I am anxious to hear from you again. Yours always, Viktor."

He tore his eyes away from the parchment and slowly looked up into Hermione's eyes, anger pulsing through his glare. "What the hell is this?"

Hermione, looking horrified, said, "It's just a letter, Oliver! I haven't spoken to Viktor since before we started dating, I promise-"

SMACK!

Wood had slapped her round the face, causing her to gasp and fall to the floor as he turned and walked out the door, leaving nothing but a stunned silence in his wake …

………………………………...

"Darling, I'm sorry about … about what I did," Oliver said quietly to Hermione after returning home from an extended period of absence two weeks later.

"Where have you been?" Hermione whispered, tears falling down her face as the worry of where he had been slid away at the sight of him.

"Just … away." Wood said. "I've needed time to collect my thoughts. Think about what I did. I shouldn't have hit you, I know I shouldn't have, I was just so angry, we'd just lost the Quidditch game and then you got that letter from him …"

Hermione managed a small smile through her tears. "I'm just glad you're home safely."

"I will never hurt you again, Hermione," Wood said as he wrapped her in a warm, comforting hug …

………………………………...

"I'm pregnant," Hermione said, staring at the floor as she told him.

A few moments had passed before Wood said "You're …. you're pregnant?"

"Yes," she confirmed. She was scared; he had been in one of his moods again lately, and she was unsure how he would react. The last few times he had hit her, they had been for (what seemed to be to Hermione) such trivial reasons. She did not know how he would take an unplanned pregnancy.

"And I'm the father, am I?" He asked, his expression unreadable.

"Of course you are!" Hermione exclaimed. "Why would you think any different? This is our child, Oliver! Our first child! We're going to have a family together!"

"A family …" Wood said, voicing his thoughts. "Yes … we'll have a strapping young boy. 

We'll teach him to play Quidditch … he'll be a pro, just like his father …"

Hermione smiled, relieved at his reaction. "Just like his father," She repeated, holding her arms out to hug him.

But he ignored her, getting up swiftly and grabbing his cloak. "I've got to tell the boys. I'll be back in a little while."

And with that he raced out of the flat, leaving Hermione's would-be celebratory evening to an evening of worry and disappointment ….

………………………………...

"Look at you, I can't even shag you the way I like …" Wood spat as he threw his robes back on.

"I'm eight months along, darling," Hermione explained patiently. "The Healer says there are still many ways we can have sex, though-"

"And which way did you shag Krum when you conceived our little bastard baby?" Wood demanded, glaring at her with that same accusatory stare filled with hatred and contempt that he had been giving her since they moved in together.

Hermione shook her head, deciding to try a different route this time and just ignore his unfounded, incorrect accusations.

"What, no defense this time?" Wood asked with a sickening smile of triumph. "Finally ready to admit what a little slut you've been? 'I've been given overtime at work, the Ministry wants me to work late …', I knew you were lying, coming home at all hours of the night looking like you'd just had a dick jammed in your mouth for hours-"

"Now that's quite enough!" Hermione exclaimed, slowly lifting herself off of the bed. "How many times have I told you that I have been nothing but loyal to you? How many times, huh? You refuse to believe me, and that's your prerogative. I cannot force you to take my word, though it should be common sense seeing as I am practically your wife. But if you still refuse, after I've cleaned your house day in and day out, carried your baby for the last eight months, then I will not stay here any longer. I will not have your temper cause me stress that may harm the baby."

And with that, Hermione left the bedroom, heading for the stairs.

Wood raced after her and grabbed her wrist on the landing.

"Don't you dare speak to me like that!" Wood screamed, outraged. His face was burning red with fury, his hand shaking as it clasped Hermione's wrist. "You are not practically my wife, you ARE my wife, and you will ACT like my wife! You will NOT disrespect me and you will NOT speak to me like that! You will not be the whore that you are and you WILL obey me, DO YOU UNDERSTAND??"

Tears were brimming at Hermione's eyes. "Maybe I don't want to be your wife anymore," She whispered, glaring into his eyes.

Woods eyes gleamed with craziness as the corners of his mouth twitched into a twisted smile. "If I will not have you …" he whispered. "Then nobody will have you!"

And with such anger, with such hate, with such madness, he shoved her with the strength of three men, causing her to go flying down the steps, rolling down the last few before finally coming to a halt against the wall opposite as her mind faded into nothingness …

………………………………...

"Miss Granger?" A voice called.

Hermione's eyes were flitting in and out of focus. She could see the blurry outline of a man in lime green robes, standing at her bedside.

"Miss Granger, thank goodness you are awake. You took a nasty tumble down the stairs."

"Where … where am I?" Hermione asked, her head swimming as things slowly came more into focus.

"You are at St. Mungo's," the man said. "I am Healer Smethwyck. Mr Wood brought you in yesterday, said you'd taken a nasty tumble, we were all starting to worry…"

"The baby?" Hermione said slowly. "The baby … how is the baby?"

Healer Smethwyck's face changed from relief to … pity?

"I'm sorry, Miss Granger," he said, shaking his head. "You've lost the baby …"

………………………………...

"Hermione!" A voice said.

Her eyes snapped open just as quickly as they had closed. Glancing around without moving her head, she recognized the familiar Hospital Wing of Hogwarts school.

"What happened?" she asked groggily as she pushed herself up into a sitting position.

"You fainted," said Harry, who was seated in a chair next to her bed, along with Ron, a grudging-looking Lavender, and … Oliver Wood.

"To be expected, after such news of course," came the voice of Dumbledore. Hermione hadn't even seen him come in. "How are you feeling, Ms Granger?"

After a moment or so, Hermione became aware that her eyes had laid to rest on Oliver as he stared at her, his expression unreadable. Snapping out of it, she turned to Dumbledore and said, "Oh yes, I'm fine, just fine. Don't know what happened there. I must just be tired, that's all. No need to fuss everyone."

"Well, good," Lavender said briskly. "Let's get up to bed Ronnie, we're going to need all the rest we can get for what's coming."

"Dear … it's seven thirty." Ron said hesitantly, then braced himself as though he knew what was to come.

"And I'm tired now! You want to stay here or you want to come to bed with your wife?" she demanded angrily.

Ron mumbled something about wanting to go with her, then said to Hermione in a hushed voice so Lavender could not hear, "Glad you're alright, 'Mione."

Hermione smiled at him as he left, Lavender grasping his wrist as she led the way out.

"It appears we could all use a bit of rest," Dumbledore said, to no one in particular. "Yes. Good night, all. What a pleasure it is to see your faces once more."

"Good night, Professor Dumbledore," said Hermione, Harry and Wood at once, as Dumbledore exited the Hospital Wing.

"Well, let's get going back to the common room then-" Harry began.



"I should think not!" Madam Pomfrey cried as she came bustling out of her office. "Ms Granger needs rest, not the commotion of a reunion party!"

"But Madam-" Hermione began.

"No, absolutely not! You will stay here for the night." she said resolutely as she forced a bit of potion down Hermione's throat before retreating to her office.

"Well … guess you're staying the night," smiled Harry ruefully. "Coming, Wood?"

"No, I think I'm going to stay just a bit longer. Keep her company, you know." Oliver said, as airy as though he was just looking to help out on old friend.

"Alright then, bye Hermione," Harry said, giving her a small wave.

Hermione, who had been trying to plea for Harry to stay by catching his eye, was forced to wave back with a smile as he left the Hospital Wing.

"How are you feeling?" Oliver asked, placing his hand on Hermione.

"I'm fine," she said, snatching her hand out from under his. "What are you doing here? Why would you come? You'd never leave Quidditch for anything, and now you've agreed to leave for two months during the World Cup when Puddlemere has a fighting chance? Why?"

Oliver smiled. "Keeping up with your Quidditch, are you?"

Hermione muttered something about having heard it on the radio.

"Saving the wizarding world is rather more important than Quidditch, wouldn't you say?" Oliver asked.

"I'd say," Hermione said. "I'm not so sure about you."

Oliver hesitated, then, looking her in the eye, said, "Fine, you're right. I came, mostly, because I wanted to see you again. I needed to see you again. We haven't spoken once since-"

"Since I lost the baby?" Hermione demanded, sitting up a little straighter. "I told you, Oliver, that I never wanted to see you again. I never wanted to speak to you again. How could you even think that I'd want to, after what you did to me? To our baby?"

"I apologized, Hermione," Oliver said, his voice a bit stonier than it had been before. "You think that was what I wanted to happen?"

"What did you want to happen then?" Hermione cried. "You wanted to hurt me? You wanted to make me pay for something that I didn't even do? What?"

"I refuse to apologize again." Oliver said. "This is getting us nowhere."

"You're right," Hermione said, flinging her feet over the side of her bed and pushing herself out of it. "I'm going to the common room."

"Hermione, Madam Pomfrey said-"

"I don't care what Madam Pomfrey said, I've had enough of you already."

She grabbed her wand from her bedside table, leaving the Hospital Room (thankfully unnoticed by Madam Pomfrey), with Oliver following in her wake.

"Leave - me - alone!" Hermione cried.

"Not until we've talked!" Wood said, quickly catching up with her.

"We have nothing to say, Oliver! We are done! We've been apart for months, I've been doing well! I will not do this again!"

Oliver quickly stepped in front of her, cutting her off. "And how many people know?"

"Know?" Hermione asked, shocked and confused. "Know what?"

"About us, how many people know about us?"

Hermione looked to the floor. "Nobody."



"Nobody? Really?" he asked.

"Harry, Ron and Lavender knew we'd dated for a bit, but that's about it. I don't even think they know that we had moved in together. I stopped talking to them after you started accusing me of cheating on you with Harry."

"Good," Oliver said, staring past her and disregarding her last comment. "Good. So maybe this is our chance, Hermione. We can start fresh, forget about what happened before-"

"Ha!" Hermione cried. "Maybe you can forget about our baby, but I can't!"

Fresh tears were brimming around her eyes.

"It's time to move on, Hermione! What happened has happened, we can't change that. Maybe if you stopped being so god-damn difficult-"

He grabbed her wrist harshly just as Draco Malfoy appeared down the corridor walking in their direction.

"What's going on here?" he asked as he continued walking towards them. "Did Granger insult your Quidditch team, Wood?" he smirked.

"Mind your own business, Malfoy," Oliver said quietly.

"Maybe you ought to loosen your grip a bit," Malfoy said. "I'm sure Dumbledore won't be too thrilled if one of his students is injured the first day in."

Oliver whipped out his wand, pointing it directly at Malfoy. "I said, mind your own business, Malfoy."

Malfoy, just as quickly, had brandished his wand upon Oliver. "What, you want to duel?" he asked, smirking.

"Stupe-" Wood began.

"Expelliarmus!" Malfoy cried. Wood was too slow; his wand flew out of his hand and down the corridor, leaving him defenseless.

"Well, that was fun," said Malfoy, who continued his walk, right past a seething Oliver. "We should do it again sometime."

"Hey … hey Malfoy!" Hermione cried, hurrying to catch up with him so as not to be left behind with a fuming Oliver Wood.

She glanced over her shoulder as she kept pace with Malfoy and could see Wood glaring at her as he retrieved his wand.

"What?" Malfoy asked.

"Thanks," she said, quite unsure of what else to say.

"For what? Cursing an idiot who threatened me first? Please, explain to me how you're thankful to me. Then I'll know not to do it again."

Hermione let out a cry of frustration. "Why can't you just accept a thank you? Why must you be such a git about everything?"

"Well, that's me, Malfoy the Git." he said. Then, looking at her, he said, "I reckon that was more than just you insulting his Quidditch team?"

Choosing not to answer, Hermione remained silent until they reached the common room, Malfoy refusing to repeat his question but wondering now what could possibly have happened to result in him witnessing a scene of such animosity between two ex-Gryffindors.