Disclaimer: All Characters and things associated with Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers. This writing is purely for entertainment only.
Summary: A tragedy unravels the Weasley Family and the Wizarding World forever, but with the use of a time turner can one Weasley save them all?
Chapter 19
Hermione woke up feeling surprisingly refreshed for the night she and Ron had spent together. She smiled as her naked frame snuggled up closer to his in bed, her small baby bump resting gently on his stomach.
Hermione propped herself up on her elbow and watched Ron sleep. She smiled again, noticing a few fine lines in the corner of his eyes and some stubble on his chin. He really looked so much older than the eighteen year old she had fallen in love with six years earlier. He really looked like he was ready to be someone's dad.
Hermione gently traced her hand along his cheekbone, stirring him in his sleep. He smiled against her warm fingers and gently took her hand, kissing it without opening his eyes.
"Good morning, Mrs. Weasley..." Ron's voice was low and raspy.
Hermione felt her heart race a bit more at the sultry tone in his voice and her thoughts were quickly brought back to the night before. It has been one of the best nights they had ever had. Ron had been attentive and moved slowly, giving her time to adjust to the small bump that surprisingly made her a bit self conscious. He had assured her all night she was beautiful.
"Good morning," Hermione giggled a bit.
Ron slowly opened his eyes and smiled at her. She was beautiful. "Did you have a good night last night?"
Hermione giggled a bit more and nodded. "A very good night...did you?"
Ron nodded back. "Honestly, if that's what pregnant sex is like, Hermione...well we should have gotten you pregnant long ago."
Hermione rolled her eyes and flipped back down on the bed, playfully swatting his arm as she felt her cheeks grow red. "Oh shut it.."
Ron propped up on his eyebrow. "Are you blushing?"
"A little," Hermione laughed, her thoughts drifting back to how amazing Ron had been the night before and how her pregnancy hormones had driven their night in ways she couldn't have imagined.
"Well, don't...you were amazing," Ron kissed her softly and she smiled against his lips.
"So were you," Hermione told him as she traced her fingers up his arm.
Ron smiled and the flopped back down, sighing as he looked up at their ceiling fan. He knew they needed to get up. Besides he needed to know how things had gone with the conversation with Draco and Scorpius. He knew Lex would have news for him downstairs if not both Lex and Scorpius.
"We should get ready for the day," Ron said.
"Do you have to go into work today?" Hermione asked.
Ron sighed. He didn't want to leave Hermione, especially because she was still working from home and hated it but he knew they needed to keep her safe so they had no choice. "I do...for a bit anyway."
Hermione groined. She knew it was reasonable for Ron to go into work, she was just a bit jealous, knowing and would spend the day working from home while Lex hovered over her.
"I'll try to come home early," Ron told her.
This seemed to perk Hermione up a bit and they both got up and got ready for the day before moving downstairs. They both expected to find Lex and were both equally as surprised to find downstairs empty besides the Aurors that were assigned to their front and back door.
"Is Lex not here yet?" Hermione asked. While she was still getting used to Lex's constant company she also knew Lex took her job very seriously. If she wasn't there, Hermione was worried that meant something bigger.
"Dunno..." Ron looked around, his thoughts similar to Hermione's especially knowing what conversation had happened the day before.
"Do you think something's wrong?" Hermione asked, unable to hide the slight concern in her voice.
Ron continued to look around the house, his words slow. "I'm not sure..."
But as soon as the words left Ron's lips he heard the sound of someone flooing into the house. He and Hermione both quickly moved into the living room to see Lex and Scorpius step out of the fireplace.
"There you are. We thought something happened," Ron tried to appear casual in front of Hermione.
"Nope just...got caught up in a meeting," Lex glared at Scorpius and moved away from him. She was still so upset, so beyond annoyed with that he had implied about the meeting with Draco, Goyle, and Cormac that she couldn't look at him. How dare he try and drag Finn into it.
Ron's brow furrowed and he could clearly tell there was something wrong between Lex and Scorpius. "Are you two okay?"
"Talk to him on your way to work," Lex said coldly motioning her chin toward Scorpius before setting her jaw and walking passed Ron and Hermione and into the kitchen, indicating she wouldn't be saying more.
"She seems chipper," Ron said sarcastically, looking at Scorpius.
"Always," Scorpius said, equally sarcastically as he stepped back towards the fireplace.
Ron turned back to Hermione to kiss her goodbye for the day before jointing Scorpius in the fireplace and a moment later they flooed to the Ministry.
Hermione sighed, sensing something was greatly bothering Lex and wondering how it would affect Lex's mood for the day. Up until that point, Hermione had not seen a ton of emotion from Lex aside from the tears Hermione saw the day Lex accompanied her to St. Mungo's.
Hermione made her way into the kitchen to find Lex pouring herself a cup of coffee.
"Everything all right?" Hermione asked cautiously as she watched Lex slam her mug onto the counter.
"Fine," Lex huffed and refused to look at Hermione, instead fusing in the drawer for sugar.
Hermione watched Lex and wondered if that was what she looked like when she could get annoyed with Ron. Lex's lips were pursed in a tight line and her jaw set.
"I know what it's like to fight with someone who care about..." Hermione said slowly. She had no idea why she was trying so hard with Lex. She could just have easily ignored Lex and gone about her work for the day but for some reason she felt compelled to know Lex was okay.
"He's a git," Lex said simply.
"Well, most men are at some point no matter how much you love them," Hermione said, assuming that there was something going on between Lex and Scorpius and that's why they were fighting.
Lex turned to her future mother and cocked an eyebrow at the comment. "I don't love him...not like that anyway."
"I used to say that about Ron," Hermione said.
"He used to date my sister...before she passed," Lex explained. She hates when people thought there was something between her and Scorpius, which happened often given the time they spent together and how at ease they were around each other. It felt disrespectful to Rose. Even if Lex had ever found Scorpius attractive or vice-versa it was a line neither of them had ever crossed.
Hermione felt her heart drop at Lex's words, instantly regretting what she had implied. She had no idea Lex had even had a sister, let alone lost one. She realized Lex was much more complicated than she had originally painted her to be.
"I'm...I'm sorry," Hermione didn't know what else to say.
"It's fine..." Lex sighed, dismissing her mother's apology.
Hermione wasn't sure what to address next; whether she should continue to see what the issue was between Lex and Scorpius or if she should try to get Lex to open up a bit more about her family - something Hermione realized Lex never spoke about.
"Anyway, he's just being a git...nothing to worry out," Lex seemed calmer now as she let Hermione off the hook about where their conversation was going to go.
"Alright then..." Hermione sighed as she stretched her back a bit. At thirteen weeks pregnant she could feel a lot of muscles starting to stretch and shift and she was a bit uncomfortable, especially after the night she had with Ron.
The sighed caused Lex to look over at her future mother. "Are you feeling alright?"
"Just a bit sore...it was a long night," Hermione shrugged with a small smile as she blushed realizing she probably gave too much information.
Lex thought for about five seconds and was able to quickly put together what Hermione easily saying and it made her shutter. She knew her parents were young and married but she didn't want to think about them being together like that.
Hermione saw Lex's reaction and blushed even more, realizing she had probably shared too much information but having no clue she had in fact shared it well her daughter. "Sorry...over sharing..."
Lex cleared her throat and put her attention back on the coffee she was making and gave Hermione a small head shake as Hermione quickly snuck off to her home office to begin her work day, leaving Lex with a vision of her parents she didn't want.
Scorpius and Ron moved through the Ministry and to Harry's office. Ron had asked Scorpious numerous times what had gone on but Scorpious was insistent on waiting until everyone was together to tell the whole story.
When they entered Harry's office they found Harry behind his desk, waiting for them. Ron let out of breath he did not realize he was holding knowing now he would finally hear what happened the previous day with on the meeting with Draco and Goyle.
"There you two are. I was wondering what was taking so long," Harry spoke up. He had been anxious to see Ron's reaction to evening.
"Out with it, already, what happened with Goyle?" Ron asked, eagerly.
"Yes, what happened?" Kingsley's booming voice came from behind Ron and Scorpius who turned to see the Minister in the doorframe.
Scorpius looked to Ron and Harry knowing none of them had told Kingsley about working with Draco and therefore he had not known about the meeting with Goyle.
"Sir, before you get upset, we didn't want to bother you until we were sure we had something," Harry started. "But we leveraged Draco to get us in front of Goyle and whoever had ordered the attack on Hermione."
Kingsley raised an eyebrow. "And did that work?"
All eyes were on Scorpius who sighed but nodded.
"So tell us what happened then..." Ron pushed again. He didn't care if Kingsley was mad, he wanted to know who was coming after his wife and family.
"Well...we met Goyle and he did bring the Wizard who ordered the attack on Mrs. Weasley..." Scorpius started.
"Did you recognize him?" Ron asked.
Scorpius nodded.
Ron clenched his fist, imagining what he would do once he found out who the wizard was.
"It was...Cormac..." Scorpius said.
Ron looked at Harry in shock, but Harry had already had time to process this information, though he still found it odd. McLaggen was certainly not their favorite person in the world, but he had fought alongside them in the war, and he had actually had a crush on Hermione. It didn't make sense why he would attack her now.
"But why would Cormac want to hurt Hermione?" Ron asked out loud.
"He said...it's about the child's blood. He had the prophecy...he said it wasn't about good or bad, that this was in the grey..." Scorpius recalled the conversation.
"So he was the one who attacked you in the Department of Mysteries?" Ron asked.
Scorpius shook his head. "No...no it wasn't his wand."
"He's a bloody lawyer here..." Ron turned an accusing eye at Kingsley. "You talk to him often...you didn't get any sense of this?"
Kingsley sighed. "Cormac did come to me months ago...about something Lucius said while Cormac was defending him on charges against House Elves..."
Ron remembered that case. Hermione had spent weeks in the courtroom successfully proving that Lucius had enforced a house elves illegally to work for him again. It had been a big case for her and she had mentioned McLaggen didn't seem interested in defending his client.
"Mentioned what?" Ron asked.
"That Lucius had said in passing that Bellatrix had cursed Hermione back at Malfoy Manor years ago," Kingsley said.
Ron was even more confused. That was common knowledge at this point. Everyone knew that Bellatrix had tortured Hermione with the Cruciatus Curse. "Well, yeah...we all know that."
Kingsley shook his head. "No...Lucius claimed it was a curse that Bellatrix had put on the knife she used on Hermione. It was a blood curse."
"Bloody hell... and you didn't think to tell us this whole time?" Ron was angry now.
"Lucius couldn't give any details on the curse, which is why I didn't think it mattered. We don't know anything until we get the prophecy but my assumption now is all of your children's blood may be at the route of this,"Kingsley said to Ron.
Ron wasn't buying that it didn't make sense. Kingsley was never to hold back information. This seemed odd.
"Well then we need to get the Prophecy," Harry said and then turned to Scorpius. "You said McLaggen has it?"
"He did. I'd assume he still has it, but he wasn't the one to get it so who knows how many other people are involved." Scorpius said.
"You said, you recognized the wand in the Department of Mystery..." Harry started. He knew this part was important, no matter how much it seemed to upset Lex. They all needed to know the full truth.
Scorpius swallowed hard and nodded. "Yeah... It was Finn McLaggen's wand."
Kingsley shifted slightly at this information but it went unnoticed.
"Who?" Ron asked.
"Cormac's son...Lex's fiancé...or ex-fiancé..." Scorpius said.
"As in...from the future?" Ron asked. Now he was starting to understand why Lex had seemed so annoyed at the house. If she had this information surely she wasn't happy.
Scorpius nodded.
All eyes now turned to Kingsley again.
"Did you know about this? You knew that Lex and Scorpius came back.." Harry asked.
Kingsley quickly shook his head. "No..."
"What doesn't matter? We just need to get the prophecy. We need to find McLaggen right now." Ron said. That was all he cared about.
"I'd advise you to wait on that," Kingsley said.
Ron blinked twice at Kingsley, unsure if he heard the Minister correctly. "Why in the bloody hell would we do that?"
"Cormac shared this knowledge with me earlier...I don't see him trying to cross Hermione now. I'm assuming there is another explanation..." Kingsley said.
"He sent someone to my house to literally hurt us..." Ron reminded him.
"That's what Goyle interpreted..." Kingsley said, reminding the room Goyle was not the most reliable.
"I don't know. It did seem like he was after Mrs. Weasley...or Rose at least," Scorpius said, mentioning his future girlfriend felt odd, knowing she was currently growing in Hermione's stomach.
"Just give me some time to chat with him. Now that we know who has the prophecy...this should be easier," Kingsley said.
Ron narrowed his eye and set his jaw, watching Kingsley carefully.
"Trust me," Kingsley said in a way that eased the tension in the room. Truthfully, no one had any reason not to trust him.
"Alright...yeah," Ron said finally.
Kingsley nodded. "I have to head off to a meeting. If you want to do anything useful...try and figure out if Cormac's son is in fact here. I'll be shocked if that's true."
Once Kingsley left, Ron turned to Scorpius. "You're positive that wand belonged to Cormac's kid."
Scorpius nodded.
"Well...we need to tell Lex-" Ron started.
"She knows...she doesn't believe me," Scorpius said.
"Well then...until we can confirm it I suppose we need to at least tell Hermione to steer clear of Cormac." Ron said.
"Don't you think we should tell her everything at this point?" Harry asked.
Ron through for a moment and then shook his head. "This is already complicated enough...I don't want to have to explain who Lex is right now."
Truthfully, Ron thought he was protecting Hermione by keeping that information from her. The less she knew, the less she could worry. He already could tell she was overwhelmed by the pregnancy, the constant security detail, and being force to work from home. He didn't want to add to it.
Lex was half asleep on the couch while Hermione was busily working in her office, trying her best to keep up with all of her Ministry duties from home. She hated working from home, knowing she didn't have access to all the people she needed throughout the day. All of her communication had to be much more calculated now.
She also had as much more easily distracted at home, something she has never had a problem with before the pregnancy and a big part of her was concerned it would only get worse the further along she got on the pregnancy.
It seemed anything and everything could draw Hermione's attention away from her work, including the half snoring Lex was doing in the sitting room, even though it was clear across the house.
Hermione sighed, standing and pulling down her shirt that was growing too tight across her mid-section. She knew she needed to start wearing her maternity clothes that she and Ron had bought the previous day sooner rather than later.
Hermione made her way across the house to find Lex, asleep and with the Daily Prophet laying next to her. The cover of the Prophet caught Hermione's eye and she sighed out of frustration.
On the cover was the picture of her and Ron shopping yesterday with a big Headline of "WEASLEY'S STARTING THEIR OWN TRIO: GOLDEN GIRL, HERMIONE EXPECTING".
Hermione shook her head and snorted in frustration. She had expected Rita Skeeter to not give them a moment of peace and now the whole of the Wizarding World knew she was pregnant. Now leaving the house would nearly be impossible even if she wanted to.
Hermione's snort woke Lex who jumped up, wand drawn, as if they were under attacked.
"What? Are you okay?!" Lex was confused, wiping her head around the room.
"Fine...just...saw the paper," Hermione motioned to the paper on the floor at Lex's feet.
Lex looked down and saw the headline as well. She glanced back up giving Hermione a sympathetic smile. "Rita Skeeter is awful."
For some reason, Lex confirming Hermione's feelings made the mother-to-be feel a little better and she softly smiled.
"I also think wanted to wake you up...I can hear you snoring clear across the house. It's like being home with Ron," Hermione said, half joking half serious.
Lex's ear burned red. "Sorry."
Before Hermione could say anything Scorpius, Ron, and Harry flooed into the room.
Lex sat up straighter as the men entered the room. Carefully, she watched Ron and Harry to see what they were thinking, and she could tell they were both a little shaken up. She instantly knew they had been informed of Cormac and his involvement.
"Are you okay?" Hermione's eyes darted between Ron and Harry, also able to read them both like books. Something wasn't right.
"Not really," Ron said and then glanced at Lex. "I think we all need to talk."
Hermione looked at the glance Lex and Ron shared and, although she hated feeling like they were somehow communicating without everyone else, she realized that whatever they needed to talk about was important.
Instantly, Hermione sat in the couch next to Lex and the three boys lined up in front of them.
"We figured out who ordered the attack...and who at least had the prophecy in their possession as of recently." Harry said when he realized no one else was going to speak up.
Hermione sat forward eagerly, her tiny bump more pronounced the way she sat. "And?"
"Well...it was Cormac..." Ron said slowly.
Lex rolled her eyes and dug her fingers into the couch. She couldn't argue that it hadn't been Cormac. She knew Scorpius wouldn't lie about that but she still felt he was wrong about the wand being Finn's wand. Finn had been nothing but loyal and loving toward her, if anything she had grown more cold to him over the last year or two. He would never have betrayed her like that.
"Cormac?!" Hermione was shocked. She had never been particularly fond of Cormac, mostly because of how he had been when he tried to date her in sixth year, but she never thought he was cruel or would try to harm her. She chalked him up to just another cocky wizard. And even until recently, whenever she saw him in the Ministry, he has always been cordial with her. It didn't make sense.
Scorpius nodded.
"But why?" Hermione asked.
"He confirmed there is a group who believe the blood curse prophecy is about your child...and that it could have serious repercussions for the Wizarding World," Scorpius explained what he heard.
Hermione looked desperately to Ron, the worry clearly etched into her face as her hand moved to hear barely showing stomach on reflex
"Don't worry...now that we know who it is, we can stop this," Ron assured her as he sank down on his knees in front of her, taking her hand in his and forcing a smile.
"He wants the blood to figure out the curse then...has nothing to do with you personally," Lex told Hermione.
"What does it matter why he wants it? The point is he wants it at all..." Hermione was outraged at Lex's response.
"And he's willing to hurt Hermione for that," Harry added, also annoyed with Lex's words.
"Maybe he just needs a bit of the blood...maybe it doesn't even have to be that baby's blood," Lex motioned to Hermione's stomach and ignored the looks she was getting as her brain started turning quickly. She was angry at everyone for ganging up on Cormac and potentially Finn, though even she couldn't figure out where her anger was really coming from.
"What do you mean?" Scorpius asked, not liking the way Lex's eyes were darting in her head as she processed more information. He knew this look, it was usually followed by a ridiculous idea.
"I mean...maybe we could supplement that baby's blood with a siblings blood. In theory, wouldn't it be close enough?" Lex asked, her eyes darting across the room.
"Maybe..." Ron nodded slowly, understanding where Lex was going with it now; she was offering her own blood and Ron didn't hate the idea. If they could figure out the prophecy using Lex's blood then maybe they could stop it.
"So we should get the prophecy. If we can do it and test that theory-" Lex said.
"Except there is no sibling," Hermione corrected Lex quickly.
Lex looked desperately at Ron now and sighed. This was growing too complicated now. Hermione had to know who she was, if they stood any chance of all being on the same page and fixing this, Hermione had to know. "We have to tell her. She deserves to know."
Hermione's eyes darted accusingly between Lex and Ron. "Tell me what?"
"Nothing. There's nothing to tell," Ron spoke to Hermione but didn't take his eyes off Lex, his brow furrowing at his daughter in anger. He would not complicate it more. Hermione didn't need to be stressed more.
Lex sighed and threw herself back down into the couch, frustrated by her father.
"Look, let's just focus on getting the prophecy-" Harry tried.
"No, I want to know what's going on with you two," Hermione pulled her hand away from Ron in disgust as she pointed between Lex and Ron, her mind imagining a million different things.
"It's nothing, Hermione. She doesn't know what she's talking about-" Ron started.
"Or maybe she does," Cormac's voice filled the living room as he, along with five other Ministry officials, stepped out of the Fireplace. All, except McLaggen, were wearing masks but it was ways to identify them with the Ministry pins on their jackets . Instantly, Ron regretted not cutting off floor access to the Ministry now.
Ron rose to his feet quickly, his wand out. "Get out of my house."
Instantly there were two wands pointing at Ron.
"Alright, everyone relax..." Harry tried.
"It's quite simple. We've come to figure out this pesky little prophecy about your offspring," Cormac pointed his wand between Hermione and Ron.
"Cormac...please..." Hermione tried.
"Relax, Granger...I'm not here for you this time. We've been informed there is something far more valuable here..." Cormac said, turning his attention to Lex now.
Lex took a deep breath realizing what Cormac's words meant. He was looking at her. He knew who she was. For a split second, she wondered how he could possibly know, but then realized it didn't matter. Whether he had figured it out, whether Kingsley had betrayed them or whether Scorpius was telling the truth and Finn was there, none of it mattered. All that mattered now is that they knew who she was.
"Stand." Cormac ordered Lex.
Lex did so, her hands held out so they could see she didn't have her wand. She didn't want to risk anymore getting hurt, especially Hermione.
"Grab her wand," Cormac ordered.
One of the masked figured quickly moved up, taking her well-hidden wand out of her back pocket with ease, as if he had known her to keep it there always.
"From the look on your face I suspect you already understand...your blood is far more valuable then Granger's," Cormac smirked at Lex.
Lex swallowed hard and looked slowly to Scorpius and Ron, trying to silently communicate with them both to not move, to not do anything, that she would handle this. The situation was already dangerous and they were already outnumbered. She knew she'd figure her way out of things, but you need to make sure that her mother was safe first.
"Look at me," Cormac blasted a spell off that hit Lex in the ribs and caused her to double over.
"Don't-" Ron moved forward for a moment but stopped quickly when two wands were pointing at her and Hermione.
"I'm fine," Lex grumbled out, slowly getting back to her feet. She felt as though she had the wind knocked out of her. But that wind was replaced with a bubbling anger. What she wouldn't do to break every one of Cormac's fingers
"We need you to come with us." Cormac told her.
Lex nodded. "Fine...no problem...just let them go...don't harm them and you will get no fight from me."
Lex motioned to Hermione, Ron, Scorpius, and Harry to indicate who she was speaking of.
Cormac smiled at the rest in the room. "We have no intention of taking out the Golden Trio...we only want to end this before it begins."
"Before what begins?" Scorpius' eyes were dark and set on McLaggen.
"We aren't exactly sure...which is why we need her blood...hopefully it's nothing at all," Cormac said, moving forward to grab Lex by the cheeks.
"Tie her up. I don't trust her even without a wand," Cormac spoke to those behind him.
One of the masked figures moved to tie Lex up all the others kept their lungs trained on the four in the room.
Once Lex's arms were bound she was thrown forward to Cormac who moved his wand to her throat.
"I think goodbyes are in order, don't you agree?" Cormac hissed in Lex's ear only to cause her to struggle in anger against her binding.
Cormac gave her another good yank and then disapparated with her.
The other masked figures did the same before anyone could react. All except the one who had Lex's wand. They seem to hesitate and Scorpius quickly tried to shoot a spell off at them, causing the masked figure to disparate while the impact of what happened hit the group standing there.
Lex was gone and the confusion and anger held thick in the air.