I Own Nothing :)
Harry quickly agreed, he was eager to move on from the tension in the room. "Who would like to ask next?" Flitwick raised his hand. "Anyone? No? Oh well…." He got up to go, but was quickly pulled back down by an annoyed Molly, who glared at the other two keep them in place.
"Excuse me Mr Potter; I believe I shall go next." All heads turned to Flitwick in anticipation. There was a pause, and he suddenly started. Harry didn't know whether or not he had been expected to say something.
"…During your first quidditch match, I'm sure you remember it well, you seemed to be about to fall off of your broom. I myself was ready to conjure a cushioning charm, when suddenly Severus's robes spontaneously caught fire. After assisting him, I looked back up to yourself, and you were perfectly fine. I didn't see anything wrong at the time but Severus later revealed to me that he was in fact casting a counter curse on your broom, and that when he lost his concentration you should have fallen. I presume the curse being cast was at Voldemort, or Quirrell's hands, and so tell me Mr Potter, how did you manage to defeat him?"
….
Harry and Ron turned to look at Hermione, who had paled considerably. She was frantically trying in her mind to answer Flitwick's question but also avoid telling him that she was the one who had conjured the blue fire.
Crossing her fingers, and wishing for luck she nodded to her boys and stood. As she stood she caught Rolanda's eye, who winked at her and Hermione muttered under her breath about interfering quidditch instructors who changed deals without saying so.
"Yes. Well… Well Ron and I were up in the quidditch stands, watching Harry when we noticed something wrong, then Hagrid suggested that it was dark magic interfering, so instead of looking at Harry, I looked at the crowd. When I thought I saw someone jinxing him, I ran over to their stand, and coincidentally I knocked Quirrell over on the way, breaking his eye contact." She forced a smile on her face and cheerily moved on. "So who's next?"
Much to her displeasure Flitwick stood up. "Wait a moment Miss Granger, you didn't tell us who you thought was cursing Harry…" His eyes were narrow, and as she looked Neville's eyes widened, whilst Minerva's were like hawk's eyes.
"Ahh, yes. Well I do believe I saw Professor Snape performing the counter curse. So I…" She trailed off.
"Do go on Miss Granger."
She looked at Ron and Harry, who mouthed respectively 'It'll be fine' and 'I'll protect you!' accompanied by thumbs up and cheesy grins. 'That's real sympathetic guys. Thanks.'
Filled with a thick sense of dread, Hermione looked to the floor and murmured. "I seem to remember setting Professor Snape's robes on fire with a bluebell charm." When she heard the collective gasps in the room she quickly blurted out something else "But I made sure that he wasn't hurt and I scooped it all up in a jar afterward! He wasn't in any real danger!"
She looked around, McGonagall was rubbing her temples, Molly was shaking her head and both were now muttering "You were supposed to be the good one!"
The guilt Hermione felt was now choking her. She really hadn't thought of the incident since she had done it, and at the time she held no regrets. She did it to save Harry's life, and there was nothing that she wouldn't do to save either of them. Ever. But now…now she knew the truth, and strangely enough she found her mind going back to see whether Professor Snape really had been hurt. She hoped not.
Finally McGonagall stood. "I'm afraid Molly, Arthur and I will need to step outside for a moment. Please excuse us." The two followed her sombrely, and Hermione Harry and Ron exchanged worried looks. "They can't….do anything to us? Right?" Ron's voice sounded quite scared, and Hermione's hands were beginning to shake.
"Ron. This is the wizarding world. Full to the brim with magic, I'm sure that they can do anything to us…" Harry shuddered, remembering his time locked up in a cupboard and hoping that their age would be enough to escape that kind of punishment. "I think at worst, they could travel back in time to punish us, at best….we're looking at a VERY long lecture." They all squirmed uncomfortably at the thought. After around ten minutes, the door once again opened and the three came striding back in.
McGonagall spoke first. "After deliberating, we have decided to ask the rest of our questions before we give you a punishment. This will allow for everything to be taken into account." Her accent was again thick, and Harry shrank back thinking of all the punishments they'd missed out on.
Molly walked up to them. "However, we will still talk about what you've done or not done straight afterward. Hermione." The girl in question met her eyes. "Tell me exactly why you think that it is appropriate to set someone on fire?" Hermione was by now quaking.
"I…Uh….Well I thought he was cursing Harry. And I had perfect control; it was the first thing to come to my mind so that he'd be distracted…" She flinched at the furious look on Molly's face. "He didn't get hurt!" She added meekly.
"That it a difficult charm to work for most fully grown witches and wizards Hermione. You could have lost control easily! Do you not think? What if he'd burned to death?" Molly's voice had quickly risen, and Hermione felt her indignation grow. "You were just a child attempting a NEWT level spell! How could you possibly have thought that it was alright to attempt that!" At each word Hermione felt smaller and smaller, until she couldn't stand it.
Hermione quickly found herself on her feet too, and before she knew it she was screaming back. "I don't know what your problem is Molly, but you're not my mother! In fact, you have no authority over me at all! I honestly didn't have that much time to think. I saw Harry in danger, and I acted. No one was hurt, and Harry was fine. Sometimes I just think that you're looking for a reason to have a problem with me." Her gaze was hard as ice, and her posture strong. It seemed that she'd found the righteous anger that previously only SPEW could inspire. In truth, she'd been building up to this for a long time, ever since their fourth year. 'I'm sick of her continually snapping at me! What is her problem?'
"Ron, Harry and I survived for a year, on the run, on our own. I think I can make the right decisions for us, and I know that I don't need you to tell me where I went wrong. I have performed far more advanced spells and enchantments over the years, and I now my own capabilities. I certainly don't need a lecture from you about my life. Stop criticising me and accept that I am the way I am!" Suddenly both felt that the argument was no longer about the past, but more to do with the future. Hermione's eyes flickered to Ron, and Molly's followed her. They then returned to each other, and the other occupants in the room were frozen at the stare down. Finally Hermione's strained voice came through again.
"I think we may need to go outside." Arthur stood up.
"I'll come with you!" Yet he was quickly cowed by Molly's bark of denial.
As they walked outside Hermione felt that she may be walking to her doom. Molly continued to look like she might breathe fire, and the younger girl thought it best if she spoke first.
"I feel like you have a problem with me. Or more specifically you problem is about Ronald and I together. Before fourth year you were perfectly fine, but after that you've become cold. You are constantly sniping at everything I do; telling me how it could be better and I can't help but notice that your treatment of Angelina has remained the same. So I want to know NOW, what is it that you have against me Molly? Don't you think I'm good enough for Ronald? Don't you want me as part of your family? I need to know now. But I sure as Gryffindor can tell you that whatever your opinion Ronald and I are going to remain together." Her erratic breathing punctuated the next few moments, as Molly stared at her in shock and ….Regret?
"Hermione… do you really think that?" The younger girl nodded and looked away. Molly tipped her chin up and whispered softly "Have I really given you that impression?" Hermione again broke away and nodded slightly. To her dismay, small angry tears were forming at the corner of her eyes.
"I know I'm probably being stupid, but it does feel like that Molly. You're fine with Harry…and I guess I feel like I'm not good enough and you're not helping that." At the end of her sentence Hermione felt like a huge weight had been lifted from her chest. But she also felt incredibly vulnerable, and wished that she'd said nothing. Carefully, Molly enveloped her in a hug and she found herself stiff. However her resolve left as Molly kissed her head- an action that reminded her of her own mother- and she was soon hesitantly holding the other woman.
"Shh…I know what this is all about. It's okay dear." They stayed like that for a few minutes before Molly spoke again. "Hermione, you know that I already think of you as my daughter don't you? I don't hate you at all. I just want you and Ronnie to be happy." Hermione slowly nodded, and looked up with tears in her eyes when Arthur walked in.
"Molly, would you mind giving Hermione and me a moment?" The older witch nodded and discretely wiped her eyes before walking back in. With her gone, the head of the Weasley house turned to face her. "Now Hermione pet, can you tell me what is bothering you?"
Putting a comforting arm on her shoulder, Arthur gently took out a handkerchief and wiped away her tears. She looked up at him "I'm….I'm afraid that Mrs Weasley doesn't like me. At least…" She took a deep, calming breath "I'm scared that she doesn't like me as much as she does Harry." For a second Arthur blinked in bemusement. Then he turned her to face him full on and looked her straight in the eye.
"I'm not even going to ask how you came to that conclusion, but I want you to know: Molly loves you, I Love you, and I think everyone in that room loves you three Hermione . Never doubt that." At this he enveloped her in a fatherly hug and murmured. "I think Molly's always been a bit harder on you, because she expects more from you. She knew from your fourth year about Ron's feelings for you, heck we both did, and by fifth we both knew that you would have to be the one to protect our children when we couldn't. Don't get me wrong Ron and Harry make amazing over-protective brothers, but they lack a cool head. Molly was always a little upset that she would have to entrust their care to you, so she made sure in her own way that you always were up to standard. And now that you've finally found Ron…Well I guess she's scared."
At Hermione's quizzical expression he sighed, very unwilling to explain. "Molly just got Ron back after a year of not knowing, she just got you all back, but now you're spending much more time together and less with her." He laughed. "Molly always had a hard time letting go, and she's scared that you're going to rush into things."
He paused again, thinking deeply. "I also think she wanted to make sure that you truly loved Ron." Hermione raised an eyebrow sardonically. "Yes, but a mother always needs to be sure. You'll understand someday." Slowly Hermione smiled up at him, although it was rather weak. She carefully unwound herself from him, and straightened up.
"Thank you Mr Weasley, I needed to hear that. Perhaps it's time to go back in?" He nodded and stepped through. Hermione followed, although a little slower, she was immersed deep in her thoughts. 'I guess that makes sense…but why did she just…She has to decide. Either she loves me like a daughter or she feels like I'm going to take Ronald always from her! She berated herself. You know that emotions aren't that simple… I just hope she chooses me as her daughter. Is that what I want? To be loved by a mother again…..'
She instantly shut down her line of thoughts, leaving that for another day. And maybe another, much more in depth heart to heart with Molly. She couldn't afford to break down crying now, because her mother and father were gone. They'd forgotten about her. 'And it's your own fault.'
She literally collapsed into the seat between Harry and Ron, not really listening as he declared that they would answer the next question now. But pulling herself together, she looked up to see Slughorn with his hand raised happily.