Two Beds and a Coffee Machine

Two Beds and a Coffee Machine

"Damnit, Hermione, can't you do anything right?"

"Ron, get a grip on yourself!" she begged terrified. "You're scaring me."

"About bloody time. You clean up this fucking shit or I swear to Merlin, you won't make the morning."

Please God, she prayed, help me through this

She bent down to pick up on of the baby's toys, but she obviously wasn't quick enough.

The tall red-headed man who was supposed to be her loving husband backhanded her. She fell onto the glass coffee table, shattering it. A baby started to cry.

"Clean up that fucking mess, and shut that bastard up!" Ron roared. He hated that child and everything he represented. It was another thing Harry had that he didn't. Hermione, in her state of shock and terror, again noticed that he didn't ask if she was all right. He never did. Not since he started hitting her eight months ago.

"NOW!" he shouted suddenly, causing her to flinch. She felt the glass cut her again. She gingerly sat up and reached for her wand to repair the table, and then she went to little Sirius.

She lifted him from his crib and rocked him until the crying stopped, not caring that she was bleeding heavily, praying Ron wouldn't touch him.

Not like he ever does, she thought bitterly.

She heard a door slam and she jumped. She put the baby down and healed her wounds, seeing some scar on her arms and legs. She looked down at the now quiet baby, clearly seeing the green eyes that were so much like his father's. The father who didn't even know he existed.

Sirius was the proof of the betrayal of the marriage she didn't want.

She picked him up again and walked to the rocking chair at the window and sat down. She stared up at the dark sky and thought of Harry, who was probably asleep in his peaceful house in London. Merlin, she wished she were there. She hadn't seen him since Ron found out about them, which was almost a year ago. Harry didn't know she had been pregnant, he didn't know Ron abused her--he didn't know anything anymore. Neither of them was very popular with the Weasleys now.

She knew she had to tell Harry, but there was no way to get a hold of him. Ron had ban all owls to and from Harry, he had put up a block from their house to Harry's over the Floo Network, he had done everything he possibly could to keep them apart, but Sirius kept them together.

She placed the sleeping baby in his crib and went out to the hall where she heard Ron's loud snores. She pulled a bag from the hall closet and decided now was the time to leave. Now was the time to tell Harry about the abuse and his child. Now was the time to save both of their lives.

She didn't bother with cleaning up the mess in the living room; she wouldn't be back. She packed some of the baby's clothes and toys before braving to face her own room. She opened the door slowly, as to not make a sound, and peeked in before walking in. As she pulled her clothes from the drawers, she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Her face was ghostly pale, and she had a very dark bruise blooming on her cheekbone where Ron had hit her. She wondered how guys always knew exactly were to hit a girl where it hurt the most. She cast a concealment charm to hide it, but could still see its faint shadow.

And she takes another step

Slowly she opens the door

Check that he is sleeping

Pick up all the broken glass and furniture on the floor

Been up half the night screaming now it's time to get away

Pack up the kids in the car

Another bruise to try and hide

Another alibi to write

She placed Sirius in his car seat and set the bags on the floor in front of him. She went around the front of the car and opened the driver's side door and got in. She put the car in Neutral and let gravity pull it out of the sloped drive. She steered it down the road a ways before turning starting the silent engine and driving east, towards the rising sun.

She pulled into a local wizard hotel and rented a room. For a day or a week, she wasn't sure. As soon as she was inside, and the baby's carrier was safe on the dresser, she got out a quill, parchment and ink.

Dear Harry,

We're coming to see you! Ron won't be with us; he has to work.

She sighed and tore off what she had written. It's time to tell Harry the truth.

Dear Harry,

We're coming to see you. I wish I could say that this is a friendly visit, and that Ron has gotten over what he saw that night, but I'm afraid I would be lying.

You have a son, Harry. And because of this, Ron's jealousy has multiplied. He's abusive now, and I can't stay there any longer. I can't be with him when it's you that I love. Please, Harry, don't do anything rash. I am on my way; I'll be there as soon as I can.

Love always and forever,

Hermione

She folded the parchment and went out to the front desk.

"Is there an owl I can use to send a letter?" she asked.

The innkeeper was silent a moment. "You're leaving him, aren't you?" he asked.

Hermione's eyebrows went up in shock. "Am I that obvious?" she asked.

"I get battered and abused witches in here all the time, usually about this time of the night. They always have one bag, and usually one or two kids. A lot of them are young, like you, and you can always see that they've been recently hit. You look like you went through glass tonight. And your baby," he said, "I don't think he's the son of the man who's ring you're wearing. I think he's the son of a man who cares. Am I right?"

"A little too right," she said softly.

"How quick do you want this delivery?" he asked.

"As soon as possible."

"Do you have a sickle?"

"Yes, I have it."

"Just one for a three hour trip to London."

She pulled out a sickle and gave it to the man. "That will work. The letter's going to London.

She gave it to the owl with instructions and watched if fly trough the window. The sky was turned pink as she watched. With this new dawn, she knew her life would change. She knew that now things would be better and she would never have to live in fear of Ron again.

She fell asleep with that comforting thought as the sun's rays grazed the floor.

Another ditch in the road

You keep moving

Another stop sign

You keep moving on

And the years go by so fast

Wonder how I ever made it through

She awoke with a start at the loud crack. She sat up quickly, hoping Ron hadn't found her.

"Hermione?" asked a familiar voice. "Merlin, what happened to you?"

She started to cry and Harry was at her side within the second, holding her.

"I'm so scared," she whispered. "What if he finds me?"

"Shit," Harry hissed. "You ready to leave?" he asked. "Is your stuff still packed? Do you want a shower?"

She nodded. "It's all ready, and I can't wait to leave."

"Go take a shower," he said kissing her on the cheek that wasn't bruised. "You look like hell."

"Thanks," she scoffed. "That's just what I needed to hear."

"You know I love you," Harry said serious.

"I love you too," she replied. She watched Harry's gaze travel the room before finally landing on the carrier with the sleeping baby inside.

"So he's really mine?" he asked. "I really have a son?"

"You really do, Harry. There's no doubt. He has your eyes, he has your messy hair, and he has your very good looks. He's your son."

Harry stood and walked to the carrier still sitting next to the Muggle television. For the first time, he gazed down at his son. "What's his name?" he asked hoarsely.

Hermione put an arm around him. "Sirius," she said. "It seemed only fitting for him."

Harry smiled and kissed her again. "Go take your shower while my son and I become acquainted."

She walked to the bathroom and looked at Harry as he lifted the baby from the car seat. At only eight months old, he was already as handsome as his father.

The hot water felt good running down her back. She let it run, washing off all the blood that had dried on her skin from last night. She tilted her head back and let the water run down her face as she wondered if Ron knew she was gone yet.

There was a knock on the door. "Brought you some clothes," she heard Harry say.

She stuck her head out from behind the shower curtain. "Thank you," she said softly. She wasn't sure if Harry had heard her or not over the sound of the rushing water.

He smiled and set the clothes down on the back of the toilet before walking closer to her. "I haven't said hello properly yet, have I?" he asked more to himself than to her

He kissed her softly, like he had the first time they'd kissed back in sixth year. She forgot the shower curtain as she wrapped her arms around him and deepened the kiss.

But the sound of a baby's cry broke them apart. Hermione reached for her towel, suddenly fearful for some reason.

"I'll take care of him," Harry said seeing the way she reacted. "You finish your shower."

As Harry shut the door, Hermione realized why she'd gotten scared at Sirius' cry. Ron had always gotten angry when he had cried, and he took it out on her. She was suddenly extremely grateful Harry was here.

She carried Sirius' car seat as Harry grabbed the bags and tossed them in the trunk of the car about two hours later.

"You want to drive?" he asked slamming the trunk closed.

"No, you'd better. You know the way to your house better than I do."

"Are you sure coming to my house is the best idea? Ron does know where I live."

"My only other option is my parents, and that's not really an option. Besides, your house is much more protected."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Hop in."

Hermione placed the carrier in the back seat and climbed in beside Harry. He started the quiet car and pulled out of the hotel parking lot and got on the freeway going south to London.

And there are children to think of

Baby's asleep in the back seat

Wonder how they'll ever make it through this living nightmare

But the mind is an amazing thing

Full of candy dreams and new toys and another cheep hotel

Two beds and a coffee machine

But there are groceries to buy

And she knows she'll have to go home

Harry's cell phone rang as they neared the exit. He put the ear piece of his headset in his ear and looked at the Caller ID. "It's Ron," he said. "Be quiet."

He answered it as the ring started all over again. "Hey Ron," he said brightly. "Long time no call. What's up? ... She's what?... No, I haven't heard from her. ... I'm not lying, Ron, I swear, I haven't heard from her. ... How do you know that?... I have a what? Ron, I do not have a son, I would know if I had a son. ... Merlin, Ron, do you think I'm thick? ... Don't even talk to me about loving Hermione and loosing her. It's because of you that I lost her. ... I do not have a son. ... Oh. Really?..."

Hermione stopped listening to the conversation that wasn't making any sense to her in the slightest. She had to suppress a laugh with Harry's denial of having a son when the proof of those labors was sitting in the back seat, completely oblivious to the trouble his mother was in.

"You said she took the car. ... Her car? You let her have her own car, yet you wouldn't let her tell me I had a son? ... Yeah, well I think I deserve to know if I have a child, Ron. How dare you keep something like that from--You what?" he asked dangerously. "Fucking Merlin, Ron, how could you? If I do see her, and if I see one fucking bruise on her, you had best start praying, Ron. You have no idea what I'm capable of. ... You do not know what I am capable of, Ron! Killing Voldemort was easy once I was done with the training. Imagine what that does to a person."

Again, Hermione found it hard to listen to her love fighting with her husband. She turned her attention to the window as she watched buildings becoming more of a frequent occurrence.

"Merlin, I could kill him," Harry whispered harshly, guiding the car off the exit ramp.

"Huh?" Hermione asked turning back to him.

Harry shook his head. "Nothing. Just Ron's Weasley temper."

"Your temper's worse."

Harry glared at her. "I would never hit a woman like that."

"He's just jealous, Harry," Hermione said reliving their fourth year. "You get everything, and he's stuck with the leftovers."

"Are you defending him?" Harry asked offended. "Merlin, what has life with Ron done to you?"

"I'm not defending him, Harry, I'm looking at this from a different perspective.

"Where did he hit you? Why were you covered in blood?"

"Promise me you won't go after him."

"You go from defending him to protecting him. You're starting to sound like you love him," he said directing the car off of a busy street.

"Promise me."

"I promise," Harry sighed.

"This morning, after he came home from his night job at the ministry, he got angry because the house was a mess. Sirius was fussy all day, so I hadn't had the chance to clean up...apparently, I wasn't quick enough for him. He hit me. I fell onto our glass coffee table. It shattered, and that's why I was covered in blood."

"Where did he hit you?" Harry asked again.

Hermione looked out the window. "My face," she whispered.

Harry pulled into the drive and reached over. "Take of the concealment charm when we get inside," he requested.

Another ditch in the road

You keep moving

Another stop sign

You keep moving on

And the years go by so fast

Wonder how I ever made it through

Once settled in, Hermione watched as Harry fed Sirius a bottle. If moments could be captured in time, she would choose this one. Seeing Harry sitting on the couch, holding his son was amazing.

"He's big," Harry noted.

"Yes he is," Hermione replied softly. "Here," she said standing. "I'll put him to bed."

She took the baby and the bottle from Harry and walked to a spare bedroom where Harry had transfigured all of the furniture for little Sirius.

"She's not here!" she heard Harry yell.

"Bullshit!" Ron swore. "Where else would she be?"

Her heart started to race as the confrontation in the living room became a mumbled mess of words Hermione couldn't make heads or tails of.

Finally, there was a knock on the door. "Hermione?" Harry called. "Can you come out here please?"

He sounded defeated. Ron must have proof that she came here. She cracked open the door and saw Harry's fallen face. "He's here," he said quietly. "And he has proof that you are too."

"Harry, no," she pleaded. "I can't face him."

"I will be at your side. In front of you if I have to be. I don't want you to do this, but it does have to be done."

"Harry..."

"Trust me. I would never let anyone harm you, my love. He will not touch you again."

"What if you can't stop him?"

Harry cupped her cheek in his hand. "Nothing will harm you on this night, Hermione Granger."

Hermione smiled. He would never call her a Weasley for as long as he lived. "Why couldn't my parents force me to marry you instead?" she asked.

"I'm too dangerous, remember?" he answered. "Please come out."

She opened the door to its fullest and followed Harry out to the living room.

Ron looked up at her and she stopped dead, suddenly terrified. "Hermione," he said standing. She hid behind Harry, not feeling right about this anymore (not that she ever had).

"I'm sorry," he continued. "I had a bad--"

"No," she said firmly, angry all of the sudden. All of those months of terror he had caused had just turned to rage. She was sick of the apologies, sick of him begging her forgiveness, sick of her succumbing to his charm, sick of his lies and broken promises. Not this time. Never again. Especially not with Harry at her side to give her the strength she didn't have before. "I want a divorce Ron. I left for a reason, and I am not going back."

"I wont do it again," he begged.

"That's what you said the last time, and the time before that, and every other time before that! Every single time, you tell me how sorry you are, and that you won't do it again, but the second Sirius makes his presence known, you do. Ron, how can you expect me to put my son in that kind of danger? To put myself in that kind of danger? Who's to say you won't kill me the next time around?"

"I wouldn't kill you."

"You didn't even care enough to ask me if I was alright this morning."

"So you really want a divorce then?" he asked devastated. "You really want me gone?"

"Yes."

"All I ever wanted from you was for you to love me," he said. "That's all I ever asked of you. Why couldn't you love me?"

"Because my heart already belongs to someone else."

Ron pulled off the simple gold band that served as his wedding ring and set it on the table. "There's your divorce," he said bitterly. "Good bye," he said before Disapparating.

Hermione felt the charm on her ring break and watched as it slid to the floor where it, and Ron's ring, dissolved into nothing.

Another bruise to try and hide

Another alibi to write

Another lonely highway in the black of night

But there's hope in the darkness

You know your going to make it

Hermione awoke the next morning to the sounds and smells of someone making breakfast. For a moment, she'd forgotten where she was.

She heard Sirius start to cry and she rose from the bed to go to him, but his cries suddenly changed to laughter. She walked out into the kitchen in her shorts and tank top to see Harry playing with the baby. She smiled.

"You make a good father, Harry," she said softly.

He chuckled. "You think so?" he asked turning to the eggs and bacon on the stove.

Hermione fished in the diaper bag for baby food and formula.

"Hey there, big guy," she said pulling a chair in front of his high chair. She placed the jar of food on the table and went to the drawer for a spoon. "Can you make a bottle for me?" she asked Harry.

"Yeah," Harry replied turning off the heat and taking the food off of the stove. Hermione tossed him the formula and he filled a bottle with warm water.

"Make sure it's not too hot," Hermione said, being the worried mom that she was.

"I've made a bottle before, love," Harry said with a smile as he shook the bottle to mix the formula and water.

Hermione stared with the spoon inches away from her son's mouth. "When have you ever made a bottle?"

"Helping Gin with her kids mostly. She's got the twins you know."

"Actually, I'm not too popular with the Weasleys anymore. Not since Sirius was born."

Harry handed her the bottle and sat down. "How old is he?"

"Eight months," she replied. "He was born late May."

Harry nodded. "About the same time everyone but Fred, George, and Ginny all stopped talking to me. No one would tell me why though. Why didn't you tell me before?"

Why didn't she tell Harry about his son before now? The thought had crossed her mind every day since she found out she was pregnant and knew that the child wasn't Ron's.

But Ron had blocked off all communication from their two houses.

She could already hear Harry's response to that. Don't give me that, love. If you really wanted to tell me, you'd find a way. And he would be right. Did that mean that perhaps, she really didn't want Harry to know about his son?

"I don't know," she finally answered. "Ron had all communication blocked, but I could have gotten around that easily, so that's not an excuse. I really don't know."

"He blocked all communication?" Harry asked. "How?"

"First he trained our owl not to go to your house, put up a barrier to keep yours out, and then he went to the ministry and told them to block the Floo path from our house to yours. And you have the Apparation blocks around your house so I couldn't Apparate here."

"All that just to keep us apart?"

"Yes. But it didn't really work. I still had you in my thoughts, Harry, and he wouldn't dare touch Sirius. Not knowing what I would do to him. Sirius was my lasting connection to you, and really the only thing keeping me alive."

Harry attempted to straighten the boy's hair in vain. Hermione chuckled, remembering how Harry always did that to his own hair, especially when he was nervous.

"I can't believe it," he said softly. "None of this. You know, I was actually starting to believe I'd never see you again."

"I'm sorry, Harry," she replied softly. "I would have been here my entire life if I could have been. Why my parents thought you were the dangerous one, I will never know."

"I seem to remember you telling them about my story and they freaked out. And they told you that you had to marry Ron or they would snap your wand."

Hermione sighed. "I wish they would have looked closer and thought about what I wanted."

"There must have been something keeping you with Ron. You two have been married for three years."

He sounded jealous almost.

Hermione shook her head. "Other than my parents finding out and finding a way to keep me out of the magical world and away from you, there was nothing. Once Sirius was born, I tried, but every owl I sent would come back with the letter I had written. I almost thought you were ignoring me, then Ron told me what he had done. I'd given up after that, not knowing how to reach you."

"He's gone now."

"Are you so sure?"

Harry nodded, his eyes on the baby. "I still can't believe it..." he whispered again. He looked up and met Hermione's eyes. "Ron never touched him, did he?" he asked.

Hermione shook her head. "Not after he realized who his father was. He was reminded of yet another thing you had that he didn't. He wouldn't even look at him most of the time. He hit me when Sirius cried.... Every time.... I know that if he had ever killed me, Sirius would die as well from neglect. Ron wouldn't touch him, look at him, and if he ever cried, he would probably just lock him up."

Harry swore under his breath causing Hermione to glare at him. "You'd better not do that around Sirius," she warned. "I don't want him picking up on that."

Harry chuckled, then laughed.

"Are you hungry?" he asked her when he quieted.

Hermione thought for a second and realized she was starving. She hadn't eaten at all the day before and the food Harry had cooked smelled so good. She nodded and Harry rose from his chair and dished up two plates.

He returned to the table and set one in front of her and kept the other for himself.

"What happens now?" she asked softly once they were finished with breakfast and cleaning up.

Harry looked at the baby and then up into the eyes of the woman he loved beyond anything else. He made up his mind. He would always protect them. He would always be there for them. He would always love them.

He pulled Hermione into his arms and sighed heavily. "Marry me," he said. "Marry me and I will make sure that you are never hurt again. I will make sure that nothing happens to either of you. You'll be happy again, love, I guarantee it."

She smiled, nodded and kissed him. "I will marry you," she whispered in his ear.

Another ditch in the road

Keep moving

Another stop sign

You keep moving on

And the years go by so fast

Silent fortress built to last

Wonder how I ever made it

Sirius sighed as his mother finished telling him the story. "That's heavy," he said.

Hermione nodded. "Things got better after that," she said with a smile. "Your father and I were married a month after he asked me and you grew up happy."

"When dad said that Ron was gone, what did he mean?"

Hermione chuckled. "There would be no way for Ron to find us. When he and Harry had been fighting in the living room that night, Harry cast a spell on him to make him forget how to find us, and that he had blocked all communication between us. When your father wanted something done, he made sure it was done by doing it himself."

"Do you think he would have killed you?"

Hermione nodded. "If I had stayed, I believe we would both be dead, son."

There was a knock on the door. Both Hermione and Sirius looked up to see Harry opening the door. "Big day tomorrow," he said with a smile. "You should get some sleep, Sirius."

"Why?" he asked. "It's only graduation."

Harry laughed. "Sometimes they actually say something important you know," he confessed.

Sirius looked at his father in shock. "Something that I can actually listen to without getting bored?" he asked. "I didn't know they could do that!"

"I didn't say you wouldn't be bored," Harry corrected. "I said that they sometimes said something worth listening to."

"I thought it was all interesting," Hermione said, sounding as though she were holding back laughter.

"You thought Umbridge was interesting."

"No, I thought she was enlightening."

"It's time for bed," Harry insisted.

"Fine," Sirius sighed. "But I'm not going to sleep."

Harry shrugged. "You're 17, that's your choice. We old people need sleep though," he continued giving his wife a look. "Especially when there are big events happening the next day."

Hermione yawned. "You're right, love," she replied. Sirius saw through it at once.

She rose and followed her husband out of the room and down the hall to their bedroom.

"So what were you two talking about?" he asked.

"He asked me why we got married after he was born," she revealed. "I told him what happened after I left Ron."

Harry's eyes darkened only for a moment. He never would forgive Ron for what he did to his beloved.

"How did he take it?" Harry asked.

"He took it well," she answered. "A lot better than you did," she joked, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Harry sighed and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, holding her tightly before he pulled away slightly so he could kiss her. They didn't get much sleep that night.