-Chapter 9-
The remainder of the night was uneventful. The women were awoken the next morning by Phoebe who administered Hermione her Strengthening Solutions. She walked around the room after breakfast with very little help from Ginny. Hermione's parents came in with Lennox followed by Ron and Willow.
"Hey guys," Ginny greeted her brother and friend. "You think we could go somewhere to talk for a bit?"
"Yeah sure, Gin," Ron said. "All right?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just need to talk."
Ginny walked back over to Hermione.
"Hey love, I'm gonna take Ron and Willow up to the tea room for a bit, give you some time with your parents and Lennox. I'll be back in a little while, alright?"
"Y-you can stay if you want, it's all right."
"It will just be for a little while, 'Mione. I promise I'll be back in just a few minutes."
"Just go to the hallway then, you don't have to go all the way up to the tearoom."
"Hermione, it's okay. Your parents are here. If you need me then tell one of the Healers to page me."
Hermione nodded and Ginny left with Ron and Willow.
"She's uh…she's not doing too good, is she Gin?" Ron asked as they stepped into the lift. Ginny shook her head. "Thought so," Ron said, "no one needs that many sleep and calming potions if they're doin' all right."
"She's having a problem with nightmares, bad ones." Ginny looked at the bandages on her arms. "Last night was pretty rough."
Willow looked at Ginny's arms. "She did that to you?"
"She didn't know she was doing it. In her mind she was trying to fight against whatever was holding her back from getting to me."
The three stepped out of the lift and headed towards the tea room.
Ron shook his head. "She say what she was dreaming that made her do it?"
"She never actually gave me details but from what I gathered Malfoy was there. And he attacked me. Not just Cruciatus…but uh…I guess she dreamed he raped me and she couldn't stop it. It had to have been pretty vivid the way she was thrashing around."
"Bloody hell…"
"Holy shit…"
"Yeah. It took me a while to talk her out of it; she kept insisting it wasn't a dream and apologizing for not saving me."
They sat down at a table in the tea room and ordered tea and biscuits from the waitress.
"How long is this going to last?" Willow asked and grabbed a biscuit.
"I don't know."
"Are you coming back to the stadium with me?"
"I don't know, Willow. She asked me to stay last night. I think part of it might've been because she was scared but still today she's been really jumpy with me leaving her side."
"You could get special permission from the coaches to come back and forth, you know? I'm sure they'd allow it. You could just Floo from here to the stadium in the morning and back again every evening."
"I could…I have yet to talk to her about it though. Any new word on how Draco's appearance might go tomorrow, Ron?"
"His mother has been seen going around reportedly trying to buy off the council members. Don't know if it has worked on any of them yet though. I guess we'll find out."
"And what happens if he gets out of all of it? Do you take his wand or anything?"
"We just watch him as much as we can but you know as well as I do that keeping track of someone who is determined not to be found isn't easy."
"Wonderful."
"Ginny!" Willow exclaimed, scaring Ginny and Ron almost out of their seats. "Ginny, I just had a brilliant idea! I know how you can deal with Hermione not wanting you to leave."
"Okay, I'm open to anything."
"Your parents. The Burrow. The stadium is within apparating distance, it would be just perfect!"
"I-I don't know…Ron, what do you think?"
"Well they have said that they don't get to see Hermione and Lennox enough considering they'll be joining the family, you know? I think Mum might like it actually…she's restless not being able to take care of someone. Can't do any harm to ask."
"Ugh…Hermione's parents though. They won't like it. Her mum already doesn't like me going around playing Quidditch. That in combination with taking her daughter out to the middle of nowhere, I'm not sure how she'll react to that."
"Gin, that reminds me of something I've been meaning to ask you. What are her parents' first names?"
"You know Ron…I have no idea. I don't think anyone knows."
"Huh. Weird."
"Think we ought to head back down now?" Ginny asked, checking her watch. "I think Harry and Luna were planning on bringing the twins by and I don't want to miss them."
The three headed back to Hermione's room, Harry and Luna weren't there but Ginny and Ron were surprised to see their parents.
"Mum, Dad, what are you doing here?" Ginny hugged each of them.
"Visiting dear, of course! Willow dear, good to see you!" Molly smiled.
"Weird, we were just talking about you two," Ron said as he hugged Arthur.
"Oh?" Arthur said.
"Yeah, you think we could talk in the hallway?" Ginny nodded towards the door. She and her parents left the room and settled on a bench just outside of Hermione's door.
"Everything all right Ginny?" Molly asked as she put an arm around her daughter.
"For the most part. I…I have something I want to ask you to do for Hermione…and me to an extent."
"Anything dear, you know that."
"Hermione's asked me not to go back to playing Quidditch. I don't think it is her worrying about me being hurt so much as it is us being apart right now. I'm sure you noticed the plethora of sleep and calming potions that were in her room." Molly nodded. "She's been having some really violent nightmares as is evident by these." Ginny held out her bandaged arms. "She didn't know what she was doing but it was still really scary."
"And are you going to go back?" inquired Molly.
"At first I had no intention but that was right after the attack, I was still pretty shaken up. I have a commitment though and I would like to go back, yes. However, if Hermione asks me to stay again then I will stay. But I think I have an idea as to how I can convince her to let me go back, at least for the matches against France that will be here. But I need your help."
"Go on." Arthur looked at his daughter, puzzled.
"I want to try to convince the Healers to release her tomorrow."
"Ginny, they won't do that. If she is going to be staying with her parents then they won't want her to leave that quickly. They don't know how to care for someone who has magical damage like that."
"Exactly, Dad. But If Hermione agrees to it then would you take her and Lennox home to the Burrow? The Healers would have a much easier time releasing her if she were to go home with you. And if she were at the Burrow I would be able to apparate to her any time so I could continue with Quidditch."
"I don't see what the problem with that would be, do you Arthur?" Molly's face beamed with glee at the thought of having someone to take care of and a little one around the house.
"I think it's a rather good idea."
"Thank you so much!" Ginny stood and hugged her parents. They all smiled and headed back into Hermione's room. Ginny gave a smile and thumbs up to Ron and Willow who were standing hand in hand in one corner of the room.
"When are these Healers going to let you come home with us, Hermione?" Mrs. Granger flashed a disapproving look at Ginny as she settled down in the bed next to Hermione.
"I don't know, Mum. Soon I hope."
"It's nothing against your parents," Arthur spoke, "but I think the Healers would be more keen on letting you go sooner, Hermione, if you were to stay in a wizarding household. I don't doubt your parents' competence but the uh…the problem that you're currently dealing with goes far beyond non-magic care."
"I am perfectly capable of taking care of my daughter, Mr. Weasley," Mrs. Granger snapped.
Arthur ignored her. "Hermione, Molly and I would like to extend an invitation for you to recover at the Burrow."
"And bring Lennox along as well," Molly added.
"I-I would…"
Hermione's mother cut her off. "My daughter and grandson will be coming home with us."
"I believe this is Hermione's decision." Molly glared at Hermione's mother.
"And I believe you have no place in trying to take my daughter away from me."
"Would you like to continue this discussion outside, Mrs. Granger?" asked Molly as she glanced over to Hermione and Ginny, both dumbstruck.
The two older women went outside into the hallway but the might as well have been standing where they had been. Lennox tried to follow the two of them but Willow caught him just in time and she and Ron entertained him in the corner of the room.
"Your daughter is twenty-six years old and has the brilliant mind to make her own decisions."
"Well obviously she has some trouble with making the right ones! Wanting to marry a naïve little girl who gallivants around the globe on a broomstick!"
"Uh-oh…" Willow muttered.
"This isn't going to end well." Ron looked towards the door.
Ginny's jaw dropped slightly. Hermione held on to her.
"Don't you dare speak ill of my daughter!" Molly growled. "She's giving all of that up for Hermione!"
"No one gives that all up for a woman with a three-year-old!"
"Are you trying to insinuate something?"
Hermione's eyes widened. "Dad, get out there before she…"
"You know damn good and well our family has money. Why else would that girl want anything to do with Hermione and her bas-… child?! Especially after what happened before they were to marry the first time!"
There was a collective gasp from the room. All eyes turned to Hermione. A single tear fell down her cheek. Ginny tried to get out of the bed but Hermione held her back.
"How dare you even think such a thing about Ginny?! And insulting your own daughter and her son along with it! I will not allow any of it! I will see to it that Hermione and Lennox come with my husband and me. She has done nothing to deserve that…that...shit that you are spewing out of your mouth!"
The yelling in the hallway continued but no one really listened to it. Ron and Arthur smiled. Ginny's jaw remained opened a bit.
"Sweetheart, she doesn't mean it. You know she doesn't," Hermione's father sat in the chair by her bed and held his daughter's hand. "She just doesn't want you to leave again…you know that. I-I don't think she took her med-…"
"She just damn near called my son a bastard child and you are sitting here defending her? I know what her excuse is but what is yours?"
"You know I love you, Hermione."
"Molly defended me! I'm not even her flesh and blood and yet she defended me and your grandson. Leave…just leave. Take her and leave."
Hermione's father hung his head and went to take Lennox from Willow.
"Don't touch my son," Hermione snarled. Willow stepped back into the corner away from Hermione's father.
The hallway went quiet and Molly stepped back inside.
"I have never in my life!" Molly huffed. She walked over to Hermione's bed and sat down in the chair next to it.
"Mrs. Weasley…I-I don't even know what to say."
"Oh for the love of Merlin, Hermione, you're practically my daughter. Stop calling me that!"
Hermione nodded. "Thank you Molly…for everything."
"You're welcome, dear. Now, we should talk to a Healer about you being released tomorrow and coming home to the Burrow."
"I don't want to be a bother…"
"Nonsense! You and Lennox will be coming home with us. Arthur and I are going to go find Phoebe and inform her of our plans."
Molly and Arthur left the room. Willow moved to the chair by Hermione's bed with Lennox.
"Hermione, I don't mean to pry and you don't have to answer me but um…" the redhead in the chair looked at the floor, "that's not the first time you've heard that from your mother, is it?"
"No, it's not. She's just…she's never forgiven me for leaving. Then showing up pregnant, not even knowing who the father is…no mother really ever handles that well. A doctor said all of it triggered something in her brain and now she has bad highs and lows. She snaps sometimes but she's always good with Lennox…"
"Why didn't you tell me about this, 'Mione?" Ginny pulled Hermione in close and ran her fingers through the Hermione's thick hair.
"It's never gotten to the point where I thought it needed mentioning. That was the last time though…I can deal with her saying things like that to me but…not Molly. Not after everything your family did for me without having to."
"Mum won't let her get away with talking about you like that though, 'Mione," Ron said as he walked out of the corner he'd been semi-hiding in. "She'd rather have gnomes ravage her kitchen than have someone talk to one of her kids like that."
Hermione couldn't help but smile.
"I think Gin wanted to talk with you about something," Willow said, eyeing Ginny.
Hermione looked at her lover.
"Do you remember what you said last night…about not wanting me to leave?"
"I do." Hermione snuggled into Ginny's chest. "I know I shouldn't have said it…but it's how I feel. I'm just scared, Ginny. I don't want to wake up from one of those and not know if you're okay."
"I understand love, I really do. That's why I'm moving into the Burrow with you. And if you agree to it I am going to talk to the coaches about Apparating back and forth between the stadium and you so I can stay with you at night instead of the dormitory."
"Ginny…you don't have to…"
"I want to and I will. Besides, Mum won't be as hard on you to get up and move around as I will. I might make you come to practice with me a few times; you can run laps on the pitch with us." Ginny smiled.
"I can't think of anyone better to make you get your strength up," said Willow. "Gin's a great trainer."
Molly and Arthur returned with Phoebe.
"Miss Granger, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley tell me you wish to continue your recovery at their home in Ottery St. Catchpole."
"Yes, they've generously offered to help me out while I'm getting back up to normal."
"Well since this is the case then I don't see a problem in you being released first thing tomorrow morning. Of course we'll send along plenty of your Strengthening Solutions and sleeping potions, already mixed."
Molly nodded. "Is there anything else we need to do for her?" she asked.
"Just make sure she gets plenty of exercise, someone close by at night…"
"That won't be a problem," Ginny piped up.
"Good, very good. I'll get the paperwork ready for you to sign in the morning. Lunch should be up shortly."
Harry, Luna and the twins came in that afternoon and were delighted to hear the news of Hermione being released. Harry promised to look after Hermione's flat while she was at the Burrow and it was settled that Molly would stay with Hermione at St. Mungo's for the night so that Ginny could stay at Grimmauld Place with Lennox. Ginny owled the coaches to let them know she would be late arriving to practice the next day and that Willow was to take her place in getting team through morning workouts.