Thanks again for the responses! Enjoy!
The room was silent, everyone taking in the knowledge Harry had just shared. More than one set of eyes turned to look at Rose on the floor, and Hermione instinctively took two steps to her right, placing herself in front of her child. Her entire body was trembling.
Molly got up from the table to nervously start pouring glasses of pumpkin juice. She was clearly uneasy with the way this story was going. Fleur got up to help as the rest of the group struggled to make sense of everything.
"Harry, you said three people knew the full contents," Arthur said, finally breaking the silence. "You, and who else?"
"Jefferson Shraxen and Damius Willigsbee."
There were several gasps amongst the group, and Molly quickly passed out glasses, needing something to do with her hands. Harry stood to finish his story.
"They're out to stop this family from ever being formed, to finish one of Riddle's last plots. There was a time the Ministry thought the prophecy might pertain to me, and my family," Harry said, reaching for Ginny's hand. "But then, a year ago…"
"They went after Ron," Ginny finished. She looked from Harry to Ron, whose face was a dark mask.
"Please, please can we stop now?" Hermione begged quietly. There were tear marks on her face and she still stood firmly in front of Rose. No one paid her any attention.
"We need to get the Order in on this, get some protection!" Charlie said loudly.
"No," Harry said, shaking his head. "The more people who hear this, the worse it will get. It's like we're compelling the prophecy to be true, every time we retell it."
"Yes, so we should all just stop talking!" Hermione shouted. "Right now!"
"I agree with Hermione," Molly said, fear on her face. Everyone was quiet for a moment, each afraid to speak. Molly took several nervous gulps from her pumpkin juice glass.
"This doesn't make any sense," Lavender said finally, looking perturbed. "Ron doesn't even have a family!"
"Yet," Harry answered. "Ron doesn't have a family, yet."
Lavender thought on this, mulling over the information she had heard and considering the possibilities. Ron didn't have a family, yet. But one day he would. He'd have a baby and a wife and…Suddenly, she began clapping.
"Oh, Won-Won, I knew you would propose soon!" She threw her arms around Ron and began hopping up and down. Ron looked bewildered, confused as to how they had gotten to that point. Ginny rolled her eyes with an exclaim of "Oh honestly," as Hermione bent down to scoop up Rose and slowly began moving backward.
"Lavender, what are you so excited about?" Ginny asked with a sigh. "Even if this prophecy were talking about you and Ron, it would now mean you were in mortal peril."
"Yes, but Won-Won would protect me," she replied, beaming up at Ron and clinging to his arm. "Ron would never let anything happen to the woman he loves, he would die first."
Hermione gave a squeak and the group turned sharply to look at her, realizing now Hermione had been slowly retreating the entire time. She was almost to the back door.
"Right," Hermione said. "S-so like Harry told us, Ron doesn't have a family yet. And prophecies only work if you let them. It-it's just like with Harry and Voldemort…If either had walked away, it would have meant nothing. I think we should all just walk away now."
Hermione had continued to move throughout her speech and her back was now pressed against the door. She reached behind her, still holding Rose, searching for the doorknob. She needed to escape, immediately. She would run if she had to.
"Wait," Ron said suddenly. He blinked several times as if just waking up. He stared evenly at Hermione. "We still don't know how you had knowledge of any of this."
Hermione let out a frustrated growl, suddenly very fed up.
"Does it matter, Ronald? Honestly, do you have to be hit over the head with it?" Hermione took four long steps toward him, punctuating her words with one arm, the other holding Rose tightly to her chest. "Something bad is happening Ronald! And you want to sit down for a chat?"
Ron fumed, raising himself up so that he looked several inches taller. He loomed over Hermione, invisible smoke coming out of his ears. He had had enough.
"Should we separate them?" Ginny whispered.
"No," Harry whispered back. "This is good. This they know how to do."
"Well if I'm so thick," Ron yelled. "Why don't you just leave? See if I care! No one's stopping you!"
"I am leaving, and I am never coming back!"
The two stood there for a moment, each red in the face, inches apart. Finally, a look settled over Hermione's face, almost as if she were coming to her senses.
"You leave first," she said forcefully.
"Bloody likely," Ron snorted. "This is my house. You leave!"
Hermione reeled up, making herself as big as possible, spurred on my Ron's angry words.
"I'm warning you Ronald! You leave right this instant. Take your fiancé," Hermione put particular emphasis on the word, like she were spitting it out, "and go! You two need to get started making some great, powerful wizarding family! Just go!"
Hermione nearly shrieked the last syllable. Something in the way she said it made Ron pause and contemplate her now, as if seeing her for the first time in years.
"Fine," he said quietly. With that, he walked toward Lavender, grabbed her by the hand, and turned with a pop. The two apparated away.
Hermione sat stunned for a moment, as if surprised that he had finally, for once in his life, listened to her.
"Well this has been a lot of fun Hermione," George said from his seat at the table. "Let's make sure to do it more often."
Hermione gaped back at the Weasley's, some of them looking concerned and some looking almost…disappointed in her. There was nothing she could say to get herself out of this mess. And that was fine, her reputation wasn't the thing at stake here. She turned quickly, returning once more to the backdoor. Her hand fumbled with the knob, finding it magically locked. She turned briskly, about to demand someone unlock the door. Internally, she was praying helplessly for some sort of refuge, anything that could help her.
Then, the front door to the burrow kitchen swung open, a gust of wind flying through the house. There, in the open entryway, stood Albus Dumbledore.