Chapter 12 No Matter What
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say, fools talk because they have to say something." –Plato
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Ron bent his head down and started his story, "It was about two weeks into vacation. Hermione and I had just started dating at the beginning of summer and we started hanging out a lot more. We went to Diagon Alley almost everyday and she spent a month at the Burrow. She got an owl from her parents saying she had to come home immediately and they had something important to tell her. She left the next day and I didn't hear from her for a week."
"I remember that, she got all worried and wanted to leave right away, but mum wouldn't let her." Ginny piped in to verify his story so far. Harry and Lavender nodded seeming to accept that and Ron continued.
"I got really mad; I figured she had the time to at least owl me or something. I guess I must have been madder than I thought because when she showed up a week later to tell me the story I lost it. She was all dressed up in these fancy clothes, her hair was professionally done, make-up, the works. I blew up, she had time to get a makeover but she couldn't write her boyfriend? I listened to her explanation though; I gave her just enough time 'til I went nuts. She talked all about how she found this guy; she said it was her grandfather. She told me she was a pureblood and that she was a Cartier. I let her get until that part where she said...she said she had to...to break up with me and she was promised to some one else.
"I lost it, I asked her who it was and she said she didn't know. I said she was lying and asked her if she planned on cheating on me the entire time and she told me I was over-reacting. I-I held her down and asked her if she had ever slept with anyone. And that is putting in much nicer terms than I used. I guess I must have warded the room and put silencing charms up because no one heard her scream. She started crying at some point but my mind was long gone. All I could think about was how mush she had hurt me, how she had betrayed me. I didn't even think about what she was going through; I don't think I cared. I care now, of course, but I wasn't thinking and I lost one of my best friends because of that mistake. I raped her, oh, merlin, I raped her."
Everyone sat in silence and shock for a few moments, before Harry stood up his face set in fury and disbelief, "I hope you don't expect me to forgive you or talk to you anymore."
He stormed out of the common room with Ginny trailing behind him. Ron looked at Lavender. She bit her lip nervously and stood, "After that, Ron, I-I can't be here anymore."
She left, too, running up to the girls' dormitory. Ron sighed and put his head in his hands thinking about that summer and about a girl that was sitting just across the castle.
Hermione was sitting in her common room with Draco. Severus had just left to bring her mother to see Mr. Granger. Hermione didn't like to think of him as her father anymore. He had never been very affectionate when she was growing up; to her or her mother. Her mum had always been the one she went crying to, went places with, and talked to. Mr. Granger had been the one she put on a face for. He didn't approve of showing too much emotion and never allowed his daughter to do s in his presence.
Hermione sighed and moved from the chair to the couch. She took a seat next to her husband and clasped his hand intertwining their fingers together. She rested her head one his shoulder and took a deep breath. She loved how he smelled although is seemed to change everyday. Today, he smelled like the air right before a big rainstorm. He smelled like fresh air.
"You okay?" He whispered resting his head upon hers.
"Yeah, at least it's guaranteed that he won't bother me anymore." She chuckled lightly. He gave a feeble grin and closed his eyes. She stared into the fire simply content with how her life was going.
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Severus Snape led Mrs. Granger to the hospital wing and stopped promptly in front of the door. "Here you are, Mrs. Granger."
"Please, call me Elizabeth; I won't have that title much longer. As soon as the divorce is legal, my name is Elizabeth Darrington." She smiled as he held open the door.'
"Please call me, Severus, Elizabeth." He bowed his head then went stalking down the hall. Elizabeth looked after him quite pleased at who her daughters' father turned out to be. She smiled at the retreating figure then turned to face her husband. He was in a bed with the curtain pulled around him. Madame Pomfrey came bustling out. She smiled at Elizabeth.
"Your husband's a stubborn one, refused to let me give him the proper potions, he did. He wouldn't even take the dreamless sleep potion. By the way, I'm Poppy." Elizabeth shook hands with the older woman then walked to her husbands' bed. He was sitting with a stern face and his arms crossed over his chest giving him the look of a spoiled teenager. He glared at Elizabeth when she stood at the foot of his bed.
"What took you so long?" He huffed.
"I was talking to my daughter, something that seemed above you."
"Don't start that divorce rubbish now, woman. I was down a bloody flight of stairs!"
"Divorce is not rubbish to me. The papers are signed, all we do now is wait; and I'm not your bloody 'woman'." Elizabeth walked away and saw Dumbledore standing in the doorway.
"Come to see the most unruly patient in the history of Hogwarts?" He asked with a kind smile.
"Yes, well, he never liked doctors. He's a dentist, and he doesn't like doctors." She mused at the irony.
"Indeed, my dear, indeed. Well, if you wish, you and your husband may go to your rooms now. I shall escort you."
"Of course, but can't we leave him hear for a while?" Dumbledore chuckled. He led her to her rooms anyway. The rooms were a spitting image of Draco and Hermione's room but, there were two bedrooms.
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Hermione met up with her parents the next day in the Great Hall. They were seated at the Head Table; Mr. Granger looked very uncomfortable while his wife was chatting happily with Severus. Hermione headed off to class on that Monday morning and was surprised to see her mother sitting in the Potions' classroom.
"Mum! Why are you in here?" Hermione walked up to her mother.
"Oh, you know I can't stay packed in with that...that...that wanker anymore!"
"Mrs. Malfoy, to your seat." Snape snarled as he glided into the room. Hermione took her seat as Draco snickered; she slapped him playfully. Snape glared and they faced forward. Classes flew by that day, Elizabeth stayed in the Potions' class soaking up all the information she could. She found it quite interesting. Severus didn't deem it necessary to introduce her so by lunch, rumors were flying.
Dumbledore stood at the end of lunch, "Now, many of you are probably wondering about the woman in the Potions' classes today. Well, this woman is Mrs. Granger; she will be here with her husband for the next week." The hall erupted into chatter. Everyone was wonder why Dumbledore had let muggles into the school.
Hermione hugged her mother before going to classes. Hermione whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, I love you no matter what. Just survive today, don't set out to impress."
Elizabeth nodded and smiled before following Severus out of the hall.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say, fools talk because they have to say something." –Plato
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Ron bent his head down and started his story, "It was about two weeks into vacation. Hermione and I had just started dating at the beginning of summer and we started hanging out a lot more. We went to Diagon Alley almost everyday and she spent a month at the Burrow. She got an owl from her parents saying she had to come home immediately and they had something important to tell her. She left the next day and I didn't hear from her for a week."
"I remember that, she got all worried and wanted to leave right away, but mum wouldn't let her." Ginny piped in to verify his story so far. Harry and Lavender nodded seeming to accept that and Ron continued.
"I got really mad; I figured she had the time to at least owl me or something. I guess I must have been madder than I thought because when she showed up a week later to tell me the story I lost it. She was all dressed up in these fancy clothes, her hair was professionally done, make-up, the works. I blew up, she had time to get a makeover but she couldn't write her boyfriend? I listened to her explanation though; I gave her just enough time 'til I went nuts. She talked all about how she found this guy; she said it was her grandfather. She told me she was a pureblood and that she was a Cartier. I let her get until that part where she said...she said she had to...to break up with me and she was promised to some one else.
"I lost it, I asked her who it was and she said she didn't know. I said she was lying and asked her if she planned on cheating on me the entire time and she told me I was over-reacting. I-I held her down and asked her if she had ever slept with anyone. And that is putting in much nicer terms than I used. I guess I must have warded the room and put silencing charms up because no one heard her scream. She started crying at some point but my mind was long gone. All I could think about was how mush she had hurt me, how she had betrayed me. I didn't even think about what she was going through; I don't think I cared. I care now, of course, but I wasn't thinking and I lost one of my best friends because of that mistake. I raped her, oh, merlin, I raped her."
Everyone sat in silence and shock for a few moments, before Harry stood up his face set in fury and disbelief, "I hope you don't expect me to forgive you or talk to you anymore."
He stormed out of the common room with Ginny trailing behind him. Ron looked at Lavender. She bit her lip nervously and stood, "After that, Ron, I-I can't be here anymore."
She left, too, running up to the girls' dormitory. Ron sighed and put his head in his hands thinking about that summer and about a girl that was sitting just across the castle.
Hermione was sitting in her common room with Draco. Severus had just left to bring her mother to see Mr. Granger. Hermione didn't like to think of him as her father anymore. He had never been very affectionate when she was growing up; to her or her mother. Her mum had always been the one she went crying to, went places with, and talked to. Mr. Granger had been the one she put on a face for. He didn't approve of showing too much emotion and never allowed his daughter to do s in his presence.
Hermione sighed and moved from the chair to the couch. She took a seat next to her husband and clasped his hand intertwining their fingers together. She rested her head one his shoulder and took a deep breath. She loved how he smelled although is seemed to change everyday. Today, he smelled like the air right before a big rainstorm. He smelled like fresh air.
"You okay?" He whispered resting his head upon hers.
"Yeah, at least it's guaranteed that he won't bother me anymore." She chuckled lightly. He gave a feeble grin and closed his eyes. She stared into the fire simply content with how her life was going.
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Severus Snape led Mrs. Granger to the hospital wing and stopped promptly in front of the door. "Here you are, Mrs. Granger."
"Please, call me Elizabeth; I won't have that title much longer. As soon as the divorce is legal, my name is Elizabeth Darrington." She smiled as he held open the door.'
"Please call me, Severus, Elizabeth." He bowed his head then went stalking down the hall. Elizabeth looked after him quite pleased at who her daughters' father turned out to be. She smiled at the retreating figure then turned to face her husband. He was in a bed with the curtain pulled around him. Madame Pomfrey came bustling out. She smiled at Elizabeth.
"Your husband's a stubborn one, refused to let me give him the proper potions, he did. He wouldn't even take the dreamless sleep potion. By the way, I'm Poppy." Elizabeth shook hands with the older woman then walked to her husbands' bed. He was sitting with a stern face and his arms crossed over his chest giving him the look of a spoiled teenager. He glared at Elizabeth when she stood at the foot of his bed.
"What took you so long?" He huffed.
"I was talking to my daughter, something that seemed above you."
"Don't start that divorce rubbish now, woman. I was down a bloody flight of stairs!"
"Divorce is not rubbish to me. The papers are signed, all we do now is wait; and I'm not your bloody 'woman'." Elizabeth walked away and saw Dumbledore standing in the doorway.
"Come to see the most unruly patient in the history of Hogwarts?" He asked with a kind smile.
"Yes, well, he never liked doctors. He's a dentist, and he doesn't like doctors." She mused at the irony.
"Indeed, my dear, indeed. Well, if you wish, you and your husband may go to your rooms now. I shall escort you."
"Of course, but can't we leave him hear for a while?" Dumbledore chuckled. He led her to her rooms anyway. The rooms were a spitting image of Draco and Hermione's room but, there were two bedrooms.
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Hermione met up with her parents the next day in the Great Hall. They were seated at the Head Table; Mr. Granger looked very uncomfortable while his wife was chatting happily with Severus. Hermione headed off to class on that Monday morning and was surprised to see her mother sitting in the Potions' classroom.
"Mum! Why are you in here?" Hermione walked up to her mother.
"Oh, you know I can't stay packed in with that...that...that wanker anymore!"
"Mrs. Malfoy, to your seat." Snape snarled as he glided into the room. Hermione took her seat as Draco snickered; she slapped him playfully. Snape glared and they faced forward. Classes flew by that day, Elizabeth stayed in the Potions' class soaking up all the information she could. She found it quite interesting. Severus didn't deem it necessary to introduce her so by lunch, rumors were flying.
Dumbledore stood at the end of lunch, "Now, many of you are probably wondering about the woman in the Potions' classes today. Well, this woman is Mrs. Granger; she will be here with her husband for the next week." The hall erupted into chatter. Everyone was wonder why Dumbledore had let muggles into the school.
Hermione hugged her mother before going to classes. Hermione whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, I love you no matter what. Just survive today, don't set out to impress."
Elizabeth nodded and smiled before following Severus out of the hall.