Author's Note: Sorry this took so long! And thanks to all my followers, reviewers and other readers! I hope you enjoy.


Chapter 9 - Chat with Dumbledore

"Harry! Hermione! Wake up!"

Luna was leaned over the back of the couch, whispering urgently to Harry and Hermione, who were asleep lying on top of each other on the common room couch. Harry opened his eyes when he heard a crowd of feet coming down the dormitory stairs.

"Hermione." He shook her awake, and she let out a small whine before she realized where she was and sat up, scooting away from Harry and rubbing her eyes. They got off each other just in time; Ron walked up a few seconds later.

"What are you guys doing down here already?"

"We were just talking," Hermione said quickly, glancing at Harry. "About… my homework…" She tried giving Ron a nonchalant look, but he wasn't convinced.

"You two have some kind of secret that you're keeping from me. I know it." They gave him blank looks. "Don't look at me like I'm stupid! Something's going on. Why can't you tell me about it?"

Harry and Hermione were saved when Katie Bell walked over.

"You feeling all right, Harry?" Katie Bell asked. Apparently Harry's act last night had been enough to convince the quidditch team he was actually sick."Last night you looked horrible - we thought you'd still be in the hospital wing," Harry was about to tell her he was feeling fine now, when Fred Weasley pushed in front of Luna and Katie.

"Way to get out of our mandatory practice early!" George showed up instantly right beside him. "Yeah," he said, "if any of us had tried to leave early, we'd have been taken straight off the team. Swell job!" He tried to give Harry a high-five.

"Yeah, thanks guys. Can I talk to you later?"

The twins shrugged at each other briefly and walked away with Katie.

Ron was now tapping his foot, more suspicious than ever.

Harry stood up holding Hermione around the waist, which earned him a stupefied look from his best friend. "Ron, we'll tell you about what's happening as soon as we can. Just not right here. Or right now."

Ron seemed too distracted by his two best friends' unusual amount of body contact to respond. It looked like he was definitely making a few connections now.

"Thanks for understanding."

"I'm going to go get dressed before we go to the office," Harry said under his breath to Hermione. As they left a deep-in-thought Ron for the dormitory stairs, their bodies stayed close together; Hermione already dreaded letting go even for a minute. She hesitated before starting to unwrap her arms from Harry as they walked, only slightly aware that many curious people were watching them.

"Okay, I will too. See you in a few minutes." She was feeling dirty, wearing yesterday's clothes again. Pulling away from Harry was like abandoning the only fireplace for miles around in the dead of winter, but soon enough, up the dormitory stairs she flew.

Three minutes later, Hermione ran down to the common room, magicked clean and in fresh robes. Harry's arms greeted her, and most of the other Gryffindors had departed for breakfast already.

Grasping arms tightly, they walked a long way through the castle: past clumps of chattering Ravenclaw students heading down from their common room, past hundreds of portraits whose eyes followed them as they went by, past Peeves, who hurled an overripe squash at Harry (and narrowly missed), and up to the stairwell with a huge eagle statue that led to Dumbledore's office.

Harry quietly listed out the names of some of the Headmaster's favorite sweets, and eventually the statue started turning. The stone spiral staircase rose with a low rumbling noise up the circular tunnel, lifting the two of them toward the heavens.

Hermione stared at the floor tensely, trying not to look at the walls moving clockwise around and around her because she was already positively sick with nervousness. Harry brought her some comfort, holding her and pressing his forehead against hers.

"This is going to be fine. Dumbledore helped me a lot over the years, and I'm sure he'll know what to do. It's not like we're going up against Voldemort."

Hermione flinched instinctively, remembering that the Dark Lord was still out there somewhere, hidden at least for now. "Don't bring him up," she said stiffly.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to emphasize this isn't as big a deal as you think it is."

"It's a pretty big deal," She said back, meeting his eyes. Even though he was trying to reassure her, he looked anxious too. She gripped his hand as the staircase stopped turning and Dumbledore's office door appeared.

They could hear an echoing conversation already going on inside, scarcely louder than the light whirring noises that the countless instruments and devices in the room made. Stepping inside, they found the Headmaster in his usual position behind his desk, talking with Minerva McGonagall. The graceful, strict head of Gryffindor was cloaked in violet robes, with a little emerald brooch fastened under her chin. Her hair was in a tight bun as always. Fawkes the phoenix was sitting on the end of the desk and listening intently, but he turned his fiery-feathered head when the students entered. Dumbledore looked up.

"Ah, Harry Potter. And my lovely top student, Hermione Granger. Do come in please, you're not interrupting." Hermione's heart jumped almost painfully when she heard her name. She and Harry walked closer to the desk, still grasping forearms.

"We have something very important to tell you." Harry seemed more comfortable here than Hermione felt, but she could decipher from his expression and tone of voice that he was incredibly anxious, even speaking with his soft-hearted mentor. Her heartbeat picked up even more seeing her partner this way; her muscles were on edge.

"All right, then. Go ahead and sit down." Dumbledore gestured to a seat facing his desk, while McGonagall pulled a stool over and sat on it. Harry and Hermione sat down in the puffy loveseat, and Hermione had to fight off the urge to lean back and doze off right there from lack of sleep. The five figures in the room sat still for a moment.

"What is it that you wish to tell me?" Dumbledore asked, resting his elbows on the desk and putting two long, crooked fingers to his lips.

When Hermione couldn't find a way to start, she looked at Harry, who inhaled and slowly said, "We found out yesterday that Hermione…. is with child."

There was an enormous gasp from McGonagall, and Fawkes ruffled his feathers. For the first time in her life McGonagall shouted something unintelligible, as she sprung up from her chair like it had zapped her, and started pacing furiously around the desk like a livid cat. Dumbledore's expression hadn't changed. His silver-blue pupils flicked back and forth between Harry and Hermione.

"That's very hard to believe, I'm sure you know. Hermione is extremely responsible. I can't imagine why such a thing could have happened." He paused, as if to confirm that they were telling the truth.

"W-we-" Hermione's voice broke off at first. "…we used magic to check. The spell's results are never wrong – but I redid the test several times to make sure anyway."

"I believe you, Hermione. It isn't a lie that I trust you far more than other students." The wizened man let out a sigh, staring straight down at his desk pad, and the room was again silent for an uncomfortable minute. Hermione couldn't make herself look up, but Harry was watching the Headmaster alertly, knowing that he only sighed when he was extremely troubled. Dumbledore looked back up before too long.

"Would you care to reveal the identity of the father?"

Harry barely flinched. "It's me." Apparently his encounters with evil had made him brave, to the point of not revealing any fear.

McGonagall's face was gruesome – all pinched up like she was eating a lemon - and her eyebrows twitched slightly, almost like a cat's tail flicking back and forth. She didn't say anything. Hermione wished desperately that she were not there. She looked quickly to Fawkes, who was perched silent, seeming to share everyone's air of seriousness.

"Well, I'm sure you realize the complexity and seriousness of this situation. There will be far-reaching consequences as a result of this. Hermione may need to take care of a child soon, and at an incredibly young age. No doubt your parents will be upset. But I suppose there is no point in scolding you two. You know what you've done." He gave them both a piercing blue gaze over his spectacles. "Before I do anything, I need to know what you intend to do with the child. Have you decided to keep it?"

Now Hermione spoke. "I haven't decided quite yet – I only found out yesterday. I need to talk to my parents. And… Harry should talk to his Godfather." She looked over at him.

"Yes. I think we need a little longer to figure this out."

Dumbledore shakily sighed again and leaned back in his tall chair. "Very well," he said. "You may have a couple weeks to decide. I would recommend that you speak with Madame Pomfrey as soon as possible. There are some alternative options I think you might not know about."

Hermione relaxed a little, and tore her stare from Fawkes to thank Dumbledore. Good. I at least have some time to figure out this mess.

"In the meantime, is there anything else you need to tell me?"

"I have a request," Hermione said composedly.

"Yes?"

"I would like very much to share a room with Harry. It's difficult for us to be apart right now."

The white-bearded man thought for a moment. "All right. That seems reasonable, given your circumstances. There are plenty of spare rooms in this castle that you can choose from to use temporarily. And as for now, your situation will be kept completely secret, only between us and the Professor."

"Thank you," Hermione and Harry both said as they looked at each other's hands clasped together between them.

The headmaster's hands had moved to his temples, and began to rub them in circles. "It is good to know that you two are there to support each other. In this kind of situation, that's not always the case." Though he was definitely frowning now, his eyes flashed as he solemnly recognized their love.

"Minerva, would you please show them to an empty room?"

"Yes, of course." She said in a clipped tone. McGonagall steered her furious speed-walk back toward them and plucked her pointed black hat from the desk. "Come with me, Harry, Hermione."

"Come and see me anytime you need," Dumbledore said as they left the office.

After no time at all, the couple was standing outside the office's closed door faced with Professor McGonagall, who looked about ready to explode.


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