This is more news coming to Harry and Ginny, all from Kingsley himself. Plus a good little surprise in store for our newlyweds.
I don't own Harry Potter.
Enjoy!
Prince Manor, two weeks later:
"So…when the baby's born what're you two gonna do?" Ginny had been badgering Harry and Severus with countless questions about the baby since the news. It was really starting to annoy both of them.
"Ginny I already told you we don't know yet." Harry rubbed his forehead.
"Well it's only right to start thinking about it, I mean you are going to be a daddy and you have to start planning."
"Maybe but we have a few more months before that happens." Draco sighed and pulled Ginny away. "Draco!"
"Come on Gin they need some time alone." Ginny huffed but followed Draco out regardless. Harry sighed and looked over at his love on the couch.
"She's starting to sound like Molly." He sat down beside Sev and rubbed his stomach, and then felt something kick his hand. "Whoa…"
"Your kid hates me." Severus groaned.
"What makes you say that?"
"This kid's been kicking constantly, and I'm not even that far along plus I haven't had a decent night's sleep in days." He groaned again and Harry kissed his cheek.
"Well…I could think of a way to make you more sleepy." He started trailing kisses up to Sev's ear, but then he felt a hand push him back.
"No." Harry looked shocked at him, this was the second time Severus had turned down a shag. "I don't want to risk hurting the baby."
"Sev we won't, besides I wasn't thinking of going all the way."
"Still no." Harry pouted.
"Aw come on!"
"No means no brat, get over it."
"Hey you two easy on the yelling." Nigel walked in. "Regulus is asleep."
"Sorry Nigel. Sev's just being difficult." Harry laid back.
"No I'm being careful, you're being difficult."
"Not my fault you're so damn sexy." Harry winked and Nigel laughed at them. Harry was glad that Nigel had become a better man after opening up, and he was gladder that he'd gotten the love of his life back with him. Dumbledore was going to be sorry he ever messed with them.
"Harry, I know you want to shag my brother senseless but I wouldn't do any for a long while. You never know…"
"I don't want to 'shag' per say, I want to help him get some more sleep." He looked long and hard at Nigel and the man just looked away.
"Well considering that most wizard pregnancies are slightly high risk I still wouldn't push."
"Thank you." Severus groaned.
"And considering's Sev's age it would be 'very' high risk." Harry about cackled and then something hit the back of his head and Sev through a pillow at Nigel.
"I'm only 39 don't talk about age."
"And I'm 34, so I'm better than you."
"This coming from a man who bends over every time mummy brings out her wand?" Nigel glared and Harry laughed, they were finally acting like brothers.
"What's all the racket?" Regulus came in wearing a long grey silk robe.
"Nothing Reg, just these two bitching." Both brothers glared at Harry. "What?"
"Brat."
"Hmph." Harry pouted again.
"So how's the baby?" Regulus put his arm around Nigel's waist.
"Killing me with endless nights of no sleep." Regulus smiled. "Don't get any ideas."
"Why not?" Nigel whined.
"Harry and I are married; you should wait until you both get married before thinking of having children." Regulus leaned in and kissed Nigel's cheek.
"Ah don't worry Severus, I'm a Black and we always wait until marriage for children."
"It's not you I don't trust Regulus."
"Hey!" Nigel glared again.
"Easy love." Regulus nipped his cheek. "Let's give these two a little privacy."
"Oh no you two have had enough alone time for now." Everyone turned to see Joan in the doorway, arms crossed over her chest and legs crossed the same way. "Kingsley's here, says he's got some news for you."
"Is anyone with him?" Harry.
"Lucius and Narcissa are here, as is Ms. McGonagall." Harry's eyes widened. "Kingsley asked her to come, cuz she too has something to tell." Harry stood up and helped Severus to his feet. What could this be, did Dumbledore have more secrets?
"I'll go put on a suit." Regulus left the room and Nigel followed, and then seconds later he came back wearing a dark blue suit and Nigel had on a brown attire. They all followed Joan out to the main hall and Kingsley was there with the Malfoys, Ginny and Draco included, and Minerva.
"Hello Harry, Severus." She smiled at them.
"Hello Minerva." They said. "Good to see you."
"The same to you." She walked forward and hugged Harry. "I heard you're expecting, congratulations." Harry pointed at Severus.
"He's the one pregnant, not me." she smirked.
"I assumed so, and I expect to see your child at Hogwarts in the next eleven years." Harry and Severus snickered and turned to Kingsley.
"So what's this news you have for us?" Severus sat in a chair and Harry started giving him a neck rub.
"Well for one thing we can now draw charges against Dumbledore for keeping Regulus locked up, and thanks to the memories he gave me he won't be charged as a death eater." Regulus sighed in relief as did Nigel. "He never used an unforgivable, nor did he kill anyone so he won't face charges."
"Thank you." Nigel hugged Regulus around the waist.
"What else is there?" Harry leaned down kissing Sev's head, and Kingsley turned to Minerva.
"Hermione Granger came forward." Sev's head snapped up and Ginny gasped. "She confessed under Veritaserum that she knew Dumbledore was stealing from the Potters and that he set them up when Voldemort targeted them. But we checked her account at Gringotts, and the goblins all said that whatever money Dumbledore paid her was given back a few days later, into the vaults." Harry's eyes widened.
"What does that mean?" Joan looked a bit confused.
"It means that Ms. Granger was never Dumbledore's true spy." Minerva spoke up. "She also gave us memories, of why Dumbledore really wanted her as a spy." She sighed. "Ms. Granger's parents are under watch, and if she ever broke the promise she made to spy on you Harry they would be killed. She's also gone multiple beatings and harassments by Dumbledore, Ronald Weasley, even Molly Weasley."
"What?" Ginny stepped forward. Kingsley nodded, meaning it was true.
"She has multiple scars, and several bruises on her chest. Apparently Mr. Weasley had her under some love spell, making her think she would have what she wanted after she graduated but then before the war ended Mr. Weasley started abusing her, saying if she blew any of this she would pay dearly and her parents would join her."
"So in other words Hermione was against this from the start, she never wanted to do any of this." Minerva nodded at Ginny. "Why didn't she ever tell anyone?"
"Because Dumbledore kept her under his thumb, he knew she wouldn't disobey as long as her parents were alive." Harry's head sunk.
"That's why she tried to stop us." Minerva nodded.
"Granted she still has her doubts on your marriages, but she's always considered you a friend Harry." He looked up.
"Where's she now?"
"She's currently still at Hogwarts, but she's under watch each and every day by me and the other professors. Her parents have been moved to a new location, and she'll be joining them soon."
"What about Dumbledore and the Weasleys?"
"We will be pressing charges against Dumbledore for abusing a student, however we can't press charges against the Weasleys without consent of both victims."
"I'll press charges, they need to pay for what they've done to me and Hermione." Minerva sighed.
"Harry, Hermione won't press charges." Ginny's eyes and Draco's eyes widened.
"What why? She has reason to."
"She won't because she's afraid of another Weasley. Apparently this one knows how to get to her far worse than Molly or Ronald." Harry and Ginny snapped their heads at each other, only one person could go that far.
"Percy." Kingsley and Minerva nodded.
"I always knew he was a mama's boy." Ginny snarled.
"Can you do anything to get Hermione to press charges?" Kingsley shook his head.
"She's only asked that we draw up a restraining order against the Weasleys and Dumbledore, if they come near her and her parents then they will be arrested. She's too afraid to do a trial and I don't exactly blame her." Harry nodded his head in agreement, maybe Hermione would come around sometime but she needed to heal first.
"I wish she'd have told me."
"Or me." Ginny leaned into Draco and he kissed her head.
"As much as I'd hate to admit it, maybe this was a wakeup call for the girl." Lucius. "She should've known better, but she didn't deserve all of that."
"Poor kid." Nigel.
"So when is Hermione being moved?" Ginny.
"Tomorrow, she'll make it seem as if she's gotten word her mother is ill and needs to take care of her while her father works. I doubt Albus will object since she's worked herself to the bone." Harry snapped back at Minerva.
"Worked herself? Doing what?"
"Dumbledore was forcing her to look up information on your family and the Snape family, she was so wrapped up in it she was starving herself and barely sleeping. It was a wonder her studies didn't drop from all the pressure. The last night she did so, she came to me all battered and scared out of her mind, and when she said she'd talk I took her to Kingsley."
"Actually you woke me from a good sleep but you had a good reason. Hermione agreed to take Veritaserum, and she confessed; in return we offered her protection from Dumbledore and the Weasleys, and she will make up her schooling in the summer."
"That sounds reasonable." Ginny nodded.
"Yeah, at least she didn't ask for an immediate reward. She actually has more sense." Severus looked at Harry.
"I want to see her." Everyone looked at Harry. "I need to talk to her."
"So do I." Ginny stepped forward.
"I understand that you both have questions for Hermione, but I can't bring her here. It would cause issues." Kingsley.
"Then take us to her, we can meet somewhere if we have to. I need to do this, and so does Ginny." Kingsley looked at Minerva, and she nodded.
"I think they need this Kingsley, we can make it short and afterwards I personally will escort Mr. Potter-Snape and Mrs. Malfoy back here." Kingsley nodded and looked back at the two.
"I'll come for you at one tomorrow afternoon, but you're not to say anything to anyone outside of this conversation. Is that understood?" they nodded. "Good, I'll see you tomorrow, right now I need to have a meeting with the school governors and have Dumbledore removed as headmaster. Good day." He left through the floo, and Minerva stopped at the fireplace.
"Don't be too hard on her you two, I know she betrayed your trust, but I think she's suffered enough." With that she was gone in a flash of green flames. Harry hugged Severus around the neck and while Ginny left with her husband and in-laws, he kept pondering what was going to happen first thing tomorrow.
He and Hermione were going to settle this once and for all.
More will be explained on Hermione's situation in the next chapter, on her big talk with Harry and Ginny and her true views on everything that's happened so far.
Will she get emotional and beg for forgiveness?
Will she understand she may never be friends with them again?
Will she just want to get away from the abuse and want nothing to do with them?
Or will she just vanish afterwards and never be heard from again?
R&R please!
Later!