A noise jolted Scabior out of his sleep. It took his eyes a second to focus in the dim lighting of his cell. He was propped against a corner of it, sleeping upright in a sitting position instead of in his cot in the opposite corner.
He squinted until his eyes fully adjusted. He could hear the storm outside, relentless in its intensity. He remembered where he was and worried as to what had happened in the situation he was forced to leave behind…
Footsteps approached outside of the door to his cell. Depending on which guard it was, he could have a bit of a chat.
A knock banged at the door and a raspy voice spoke.
"Oi. You, mate. You Scabior, eh?"
Scabior narrowed his eyes and stood in the dankness.
"Yeh. Why?"
He heard a shuffling and then he heard the latch which food was put through open.
"You're famous, mate."
Scabior approached the door cautiously.
"What are you talking about?"
Rather unceremoniously, the slat in the door opened, and a folded up newspaper was shoved roughly through it. It fell to the floor. The guard continued.
"After today everyone's gonna know who you are."
Scabior bent down to grab the paper as the slat was snapped shut. He heard the footsteps retreating until he heard them no more.
He stood, and unrolled the paper.
The Daily Prophet.
He was confused.
'What is he on about?', he thought to himself as his eyes scanned the first page.
Lo and behold, there, on the bottom right corner of page one was the title, "Member of the Golden Trio Gives Birth."
His eyes scanned the title so quickly but were drawn to the animated photo beneath it. It was black and white but he saw her. Hermione.
His Hermione.
And she held something in her arms.
His child.
His breath caught in his throat as he watched her staring down at the baby with such unbridled love on her face it made him feel something strange. He watched her cradle the baby to her, then suddenly look up, snatch the neck of her gown up and pull the baby toward her, protectively. He assumed that was when the picture was taken.
He watched it over, several times in a row, following the slightest hint of swell of breast, and murmuring appreciatively, as his eyes were then drawn to the briefest glimpses of the tiny infant.
He read the article beneath.
Member of the Golden Trio Gives Birth, by Rita Skeeter.
Imagine my surprise to run into none other than Hermione Granger, friend to Harry Potter and oft referred to as "The Brightest Witch of Her Age" in St. Mungo's shortly after the delivery of her first child.
The baby, a healthy girl, is named Rose. The father is believed to be Nicolas Scabior, famously a member of the now-defunct wartime Snatchers. He has been serving his lifetime sentence in Azkaban, indicted on multiple charges. He escaped from custody while being questioned, abducted Ms. Granger from Hogwarts (how we do not yet know!), and held her hostage for several months. It is unsure as of yet if Ms. Granger plans to return to Hogwarts to resume her schooling, or if she at Mr. Scabior are an item, but we'll do our best to keep you updated as the story progresses.
You read it here first!
Scabior carried the paper back to his cot and sat at the farthest edge.
Rose.
'It's a beautiful name.', he thought.
'She'll do right by you, Rose. Your mummy is a remarkable woman. It's a shame you'll never know me…'
And then, something strange happened. He felt a single tear form at the corner of his right eye. At first he thought it was the overall dampness of the cell, but no.
It was a tear. He was crying.
And his body seemed to try and tamp down the sensation. He hadn't cried since he was a child. He had stuffed that part of himself down, down as far as it would go, down so far he doubted it even existed anymore.
But it was there.
The tear rolled down onto the corner of the paper, under the article. Another quickly followed. And another, until he was doubled over, sobbing like a lost boy into the shabby cover of the cot in his dark and dank cell.
A knock came at Hermione's hospital room door. It startled Hermione awake. She looked down at her arms.
Empty.
Where is Rose?
She jumped up and was at the bassinet side in an instant.
Rose lay inside, sucking on her thumb and cooing contentedly to herself.
The door swung open and Dot entered.
"Hermione?"
"Yes! I'm sorry….I must have fallen asleep, I thought I had dropped Rose…"
"Oh no! You were drifting in and out and we took Rose and put her back so you could get your rest!"
"Oh, thank you so much," Hermione said, relieved.
"We have one of your friends here to see you. From Hogwarts. Shall I show her in?"
Hermione's face was blank for a moment, as her mind quickly registered the realization. She moved from shock to utter joy fairly quickly.
That's right. Because I had a different life once…
"Yes, please!," she said, thrilled.
Was it Ginny? She hoped so!
Dot was gone and then a moment later the door re-opened.
Hermione hoped her face hadn't fallen, but it was obvious to her it must have.
Cho Chang entered the room with a weak smile.
"I know I'm not who you were expecting, Hermione, but I thought it might be easier, it might be better, if I came to bring you home."
Home.
It sounded so nice to Hermione.
"Cho! I'm so happy to see you. I'm sorry, I thought it was perhaps Ginny-," Hermione stopped herself when she saw the worry flit across Cho's features.
Hermione continued, the sudden, painful realization that Ginny was not there because their friendship was fractured now apparent to her.
"No, I understand completely. I'm so grateful to you. For coming."
Cho smiled, her lilt breaking through when she said, "Professor McGonagall wanted to come fetch you herself, but I thought it best if a friend came. And I have thought us friends for some time now."
"Of course we are." Hermione wrapped her in a hug. It felt so good. She held on perhaps a little longer than necessary, so happy for the familiar, for something and someone from home. "Would you like to see baby Rose?"
"That's the real reason why I came!"
Hermione moved to the bassinet and motioned for Cho to follow.
"She's a little sleepy so I'm afraid I can't let you hold her right now, but as soon as she wakes-"
Rose yawned and seem to sense she had visitors. She opened her piercingly blue eyes and fixed them on Cho. She laughed with her toothless grin and reached for the girl.
"May I?" Cho turned towards Hermione.
"Of course!"
Cho gently reached underneath Rose and lifted her, cradling her perfectly. Rose squealed happily.
"You're so good with her."
"I have a lot of practice, I've got so many cousins…I absolutely adore babies."
Cho lifted her higher, and pulled her back down slowly, and then back up and down and Rose smiled.
"She loves it!," Hermione said.
"It's just a little game I played with my nephew. He used to love this. She's so beautiful, Hermione."
Hermione stared at her little girl. "She is, isn't she. She's perfect."
Cho looked down at Rose and then handed her back to Hermione.
"Professor McGonagall did ask me to pass on several messages to you."
"Oh?," Hermione said, careful to lay Rose down back gently into her bassinet.
"Yes."
Hermione eyed the small table and two chairs in the corner of her room. She motioned to Cho.
"Please."
Cho sat and Hermione followed.
"I'm to bring you back when you're ready and to let you know that some changes will be made for you to be able to continue your education at Hogwarts."
Hermione sat back in the chair. She, of course, wanted to return to school. It was just so…sudden. Now that she was alone everything would be so different.
"Yes, I would like to come back, but how? I mean, I have Rose now to think about, I can't very well have her cry all night in the dorms and keep everyone awake."
"No, no, they've arranged everything. You are going to stay in a Professor's quarters. With Rose. So you'll have your own flat, just like the other teachers. And Madam Pomfrey has arranged for the mediwitches who work under her to rotate and watch Rose during your classes and meals. You will have to take her every evening until the morning by yourself, but the rest of the time they will help you."
Hermione's eyes glazed over with tears. She would be able to return. To come home.
"Cho…I don't know what to say…"
"Well, Harry made quite a fuss about making it easy for you to return. Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore were most insistent they wanted you to be able to return and thought of a way to do it. I heard a rumour Professor Snape spoke to Madam Pomfrey himself about care for your child. But I can't say for sure, it's just a rumour."
Hermione was taken aback. Snape?
"I can come home…," she said, almost as if in a daze.
Cho reached across the table and put her hand over Hermione's.
"We know how much you've been through. We all want to help."
Hermione's eyes met Cho's.
"Well not everyone, I'm sure."
"I'm certain that's not true."
She patted her hand once then withdrew.
Cho stood up and walked back over to the bassinet.
"When do you think you'll be ready to return?"
Hermione looked around the room. Remembering her magical stitches, she looked down to her stomach, cradling across her scar. She smiled back at Cho.
"I've had surgery so I'll have to see that I can be discharged but…ideally as soon as possible."
