CHOICES
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Authors note: Okay...i realize that it has been a very long time since i have last posted a chapter and i am sorry for that. First off i quit my job and got a new one and i have been working almost everyday since then. second school started back and i'm trying to get straight a's this year since it is my last year. third my fiancee and i made up after our big argument. yayyy...and i have been so tired. but one of my friends has been begging me to write the next chapter. so at 3:33 am on dec 2 here is the next chapter. Ha. You can't crucio me now amanda. and for the ron lovers i am truly sorry.
Chapter 12
Dumbledore walked the long way to Severus and Hermione's chambers. And since the Headmaster runs the school any door would recognize him and he could just pass right through it without a password. So when he reached Severus' door he just walked on in. He knew Hermione would be there from Severus' letter.
He knocked on the door and said, "Hermione? Hermione, wake up. I have something to tell you and there is no time to waste…it is very important."
He heard Hermione get up and throw something on. The locks clicked on the door and then it opened. Hermione looked a little nervous because she was still a student and was not supposed to be in a professor's bedroom.
"Hi, Albus. What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Hermione, something very bad has happened. It's about Severus."
Hermione gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. "Wh-what's wrong, Albus?"
"Well, Hermione," said Albus with a frown, and Hermione noticed, a sad look in his eyes, "I do not know if you know, but Severus went to a Deatheater meeting a couple of hours ago. When he returned about 20 minutes ago he couldn't really say, but there were…complications…at the meeting."
"What kind of complications, Albus?" asked Hermione.
"Well," said Albus, here he swallowed real hard, "Voldemort somehow found out about Severus being a traitor to their ranks. As you very well know Voldemort does not take lightly to traitors. He, um, he cursed Severus very badly. A lot of times with the Cruciatus curse."
He looked at Hermione and there were tears running down her face. Hermione met his eyes and then said with such force, "Where is he, Albus? What happened to him?"
This was the part Dumbledore was dreading, but still he had to answer. "Severus is in the hospital wing. He is unconsious, and most likely, in a coma. Madame Pomfrey does not know if he will ever wake up."
Hermione made a kind of rasping noise in her throat and fell to the floor.
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Albus picked Hermione up, carried her to the hospital wing, instructed Poppy not to do anything with her until she woke up, then left to find Minerva.
Around 5:30 in the morning Hermione woke up. She sat up and noticed that she was dizzy and starting to get nauseous. When she realized she was going to vomit she ran to the bathroom. All that you could hear coming from the bathroom for a few moments was retching and then dry-heaving. As soon as she washed up and came out of the bathroom she was feeling as if the weight of the world had fallen on her shoulders. She wondered if what she thought could possibly be true. If it was she was going to have a hard time explaining to all of the professors, but even a worse time with her friends.
So in order to find out she went looking for Madame Pomfrey, whom she found in the medical store room. She was arranging the different potions and bandages into their rightful place with her wand. Hermione coughed very discreetly so as not to scare her.
"Um, Madame Pomfrey? I have a little favor I need of you," she said.
Madame Pomfrey turned around and looked at her with the all-knowing eyes of a medi-witch. But still she asked, "What is it? Are you sick?"
"Um, not exactly. At least, I hope not," said Hermione.
"Good heavens, Child! What on earth do you need?" asked Madame Pomfrey.
Hermione was starting to feel guilty so she kept her head down as she replied, "I need you to…um..do a…er…pregnancy spell on me. I was just wondering."
Pomfrey raised her eyebrows in a look that clearly said, I thought so.
"Well, come along, dear," she said, as she walked out of the store room and to a private room. "I need you to get undressed and put this on." She held up a hospital gown with hole in it where the stomach has to go. This was so the spell would not catch onto the clothing.
When Hermione had put the gown on Madame Pomfrey asked her to lay down on the bed, and she begun the spell. When you do a pregnancy spell if the color turns black it is positive, it if turns white it is negative. Madame Pomfrey stepped back and wrote something down on her chart, then she took Hermione's blood pressure.
"Well, Hermione," she began, "your blood pressure is fine. And you are indeed pregnant. I am thoroughly amused with this, however, because, according to my calculations the baby was conceived," here she paused and looked at her chart, then she looked up and smiled, "last night. Am I not correct in assuming that?"
Hermione looked at her and smiled, "Yes, Poppy, you are correct."
"Well, then," said Madame Pomfrey, "If I may be so bold as to ask this but, who is the father? Albeit, I am sure that I already know."
"Yes, you probably do," said Hermione, before bursting into tears. After she blew her nose, she continued. "Severus is the father. But I don't know if he will ever wake up to find out."
Poppy took Hermione in her arms and she said, "There, there. It will be okay. You'll see."
Hermione pulled back and looked into Madame Pomfrey's eyes. "You are right," she said. "Absolutely right. I will go and see how he is doing now."
With that she left Madame Pomfrey to think about what she had said. If it was going to be true, she thought, the poor girl is going to have a tough time of it. Then she went back to the store room.
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Albus found Minerva in a corridor along the 5th floor. She was slumped down against the wall, but looked up when he came towards her. He sat down next to her and took her hand in his.
"Minerva, if this does not bid well for us, I just wanted to let you know that it was my greatest pleasure being your husband. If only in secret. It was hidden from other people for the same reason that Hermione has hid it from her friends. Because I am 35 years older than you has nothing to do with it, for me at least.
"But other people just would not understand it. You know that, I know that, but they do not. They do not understand the bond that true love puts on you once it takes hold. But once it does take hold it is there forever. And, believe it or not, my love for you is as strong as it was the day I knew that I was in love with you and that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you." He finished the last word as the tears started pouring.
"Oh, Albus. You are still the same man that I married almost 80 years ago. Always using so many words to make a point. I love you, too." Then she kissed him and stood up pulling him with her. "Now, Albus, let us go and take our courage and put it into all of the people who might die trying to save the world from the evil that takes away all love. This is for the good of all mankind; wizard and witch and muggle all alike. Because if we do not win this war, everyone of us will be doomed."
Albus started chuckling as he said, "Now, Minerva, tell those same words to the scared students and we may just win this fight, yet."
So, hand in hand, they went walking down the hall for what may be their last time together.
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When Madame Pomfrey found out for sure that Severus was in a coma, she had one of the house-elfs clean him out a private room in the back. So when Hermione went to see him she had to pull out her wand to unlock the door.
She couldn't believe her eyes. He was so pale and thin that Hermione could barely stand to look at him. But still she went to his side, grabbed his hand, and sat down in the chair next to the bed.
"Hi, sweetheart," she said, starting to cry softly. "I have some…news…for you, even though you may not know it."
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Severus heard her voice and it was like a sweet melody to his ears. He tried to move his hand but he couldn't. He tried to open his eyes to look at her angelic face, but he couldn't. It was like he was in a dark room by himself.
Oh, Hermione, he thought, I wish that I could see you and touch your sweet face. I wish that I could look into your eyes and hear this news that you have.
"Severus, you are going to be a father. And you need to wake up so that you can be the best father there is. I love you so much. Please, come back to me and your unborn child. Please," she whispered, then she leaned over to kiss his cheek.
As she got up and went to leave, before she closed the door she looked back at her soon-to-be husband and smiled. She knew that he would be okay. She just knew it. Then she closed the door and went to find Albus.
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Oh, good lord, sweet Merlin, Severus thought. I am going to be a father.
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Hermione found Albus and Minerva with the students who were going to fight. Minerva was just finishing talking.
"…this will not be easy for any of you, but you have to believe in yourself. I, for one, know that each and every one of you are very talented. If wizarding duels were still legal I would personally stay away from all of you because I am scared of the damage that you would do.
"All of you have been a privelege to teach and I love you as one of my own. Whether this war ends badly for you, or for the better, your memory will live on. Good luck."
Then she stepped away and took a tissue from Albus. She spotted Hermione and showed Albus. Immediately, he stepped down and went to her, Minerva tailing along.
"Hermione," he said, "How are you?"
"Albus, Minerva," she said, "I am fine, but I am not so sure about Severus. I want him to wake up so that he can be in his daughter or son's life."
Minerva gasped and said, "Dear, do you mean that you are with child?"
"Yes, Minnie. Last night. Poppy confirmed it for me."
"Oh dear," said Albus. "Severus left around midnight. He never found out."
"Yes, he did," said Hermione.
"How so, my dear?" asked Minerva.
"I told him earlier when I went to check on him. He will be fine."
"I hope you are right, Hermione," said Albus.
Hagrid and some of the other professors arrived, along with every member of the order.
" 'Ello, Albus, Minerva, 'Ermione. We are ready. Every auror 'as already been told where to go."
"That is very good, Hagrid. But now I would like you to—"
But what Albus said next was drowned out by a large humming sound, almost like thunder, that shook the whole school.
"Sweet Merlin." "Oh God." "Oh no, not yet," Minerva, Hermione and Hagrid said at the same time.
"Hagrid," said Albus. "Send the aurors to their places, and get the students outside. Make sure that Harry stays by you. It is imperative that he must not be seen by Lord Voldemort earlier than necessary. Be careful, all of you. This is it. The last war that will decide who will win: Good or Evil! Good luck to you all. And, Minerva, I love you."
Minerva looked back at him with terror-stricken eyes and said, "I love you, too, Albus."
Then they all went their separate ways. Not knowing whether they would see one another again…or which side would win.
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Hermione looked down from her place at the top of the steps, and surveyed her surroundings. All around her were people she grew up with at school. She had shared precious moments with them, cried with them, laughed with them. But she would never give those moments back, because she did not regret anything that had happened.
She looked to her left and saw Ron and Draco shake hands before Draco took out his wand and stood beside him. Draco looked at her and smiled. Ron noticed Draco looking elsewhere and followed his gaze. When Ron saw Hermione he mouthed, "We have called a truce, 'Mione. We're friends now." Then he turned around and stared straight at the gates to Hogwart's entrance.
Hermione smiled at the thought that Ron and Draco had become friends, but the smile faded as the school shook once again. The wards are going to break down soon, she thought.
She looked to her right and saw Hagrid with Harry behind him. Harry looked as ready as he would ever be. After all, he had waited 18 years for this. Hermione didn't know how he was feeling, but she knew that he would not rest until Voldemort was dead. She mouthed, "Okay, over there?"
He mouthed back, "Yeah, but my bloody arse is freezing. You?"
"I'm fine. I guess. I think I am just ready for this to be over," she replied.
"So am I, 'Mione. So am I." Then Harry said something to Hagrid and they were off on a talking rampage. Probably a memory from the past, thought Hermione.
A flash of red caught her eye from below and she looked down into the face of her best friend. Ginny looked so wise standing there with that look in her eyes. The look that you get knowing that something was about to happen that would change history forever.
"Hi," said Ginny, as she waved to Hermione.
Hermione never got to reply because at that exact moment the ground shook so hard that Hermione knew the wards had just been broken, and her attention went back to reality. She was going over all sorts of spells in her mind when the gates burst open and about a hundred Deatheaters came through. The moment that everyone got over the shock of surprise, spells started flying.
Hermione ran down the stairs and all around her people were shouting, "CRUCIO", "STUPEFY", and "AVADA KEDAVRA." Some were even using the Petrificus Totalus curse along with the "Curse of the Bogies" and "Leg-locker Curse."
"Petrificus Totalus!" Hermione screamed at a Deatheater who had just opened his mouth to curse her. He fell to the ground almost instantly.
She turned around and saw Ginny dueling with another Deatheater, and she went to help her. Ginny had a cut on her cheek and looked like she was about to pass out. Hermione cut around her and said, "AVADA KEDAVRA!" You didn't need a Medi-witch to take his pulse to know that he was dead.
"Oh my God, Hermione. I cannot believe you just did that."
"Ginny, this is no time for good deeds, okay?" shouted Hermione, as the battle raged on around them. People everywhere around them were falling to the ground. Whether dead or alive, you wouldn't be able to find out until the battle was over. "This is a WAR, Gin. And a war's motto is always the same. Do you not know what it is?" asked Hermione.
"I don't know," replied Ginny. She was looking a little stronger now.
"It's kill or be killed. Now, Gin, if you feel like passing out go sit under one of the big oak trees. But remember to cast a disillusionment and shield charm on yourself. I love you, Gin," said Hermione.
"I love you, too, Hermione. You're the best friend that anyone could have. Thank you for being there for me, and remember that I'll—"
Hermione screamed, "Gin, watch out!" and then Hermione grabbed Ginny's shoulders and pushed her to the ground, just as a green spark came whizzing by them right where Ginny was standing before.
"Thanks, 'Mione. But I think Ron got the guy," said Ginny, just as Ron fell to the ground.
"RON!!!" screamed Hermione and Ginny at the same time.
Authors note: very sorry, but it had to happen. now i don't want any flames, because there are still 2 more chapters. and it gets better. but as you know it has to get worse before it gets better. R and R.