Arit

ARIT

CHAPTER ONE- BUMP IN THE ROAD

"Harry, are you sure you've packed everything?" I asked, peering at him fraround the archway that led into the living room from the dinning room.

"Yeah definitely, we've got to pick up Ron and Ellie later on though," he replied. I nodded in affirmation.

We were going on a camping trip at a campsite a few miles from where we lived. We'd graduated at Hogwarts last year. Ellie Swanson was a fellow Gryffindor that Ron hit it off with right away, and she had been in our same year. Harry and I began dating in our sixth year, and we were now married. We were living in Manchester now in a two story blue and white detached house. Out front there was a garage where our black Toyota Avalon was parked. Harry and I were talking about planning a family; I was excited about that.

The second war had come last year, and Lord Voldemort was defeated and the Death Eaters fell and scattered, while most of them landed in Azkaban for life. We lost some of closest friends. Dean, Parvati, Lavender and Seamus and Ron lost his older brother Charlie. No one was spared, no matter what house they belonged to. Everyone united and fought for the side of good.

Harry's appearance has sharpened, and he now looks exactly like his father did. People tell me my appearance has changed also. My hair was wavy now, and not so bushy. My personality is the same but I am a lot more relaxed. Harry doesn't like to talk about the second war much, whenever I tried to raise the subject, he'd quickly change it to Ron and Ellie, or something else. I've learned not to pressure him into doing something that he didn't want to do...unless I felt that it was a matter of life or death.

Harry's emerald green eyes twinkled mischievously behind his black-rimmed glasses. "Hey. I was just thinking...if we feed Ron franks and beans for dinner tonight, he'd clear out the entire campsite," he said grinning.

I snorted. "If we're lucky, we'll remember to bring the gas masks,"

"That won't help, Ron's..." Harry frowned, trying to come up with the right term. "Aroma therapy seeps through anything."

I burst out laughing as the image of us all sat wearing gas masks, surrounded by a noxious green cloud invaded my head. Just then, the phone rang so I went over to answer it. "Hello?"

"Hermione? It's Ellie,"

"Hi! What can I do for you?" I asked cheerfully, then I mouthed to Harry "it's Ellie". He nodded and crouched down beside the cooler. Harry was dressed in jeans and a white tee shirt. His black hair was its usual untidy self. I twirled the phone cord around my fingers, I was dressed in a red plaid skirt and a white shirt, I had two strands of my hair pinned back on either side and fastened with silver clips. It was warm out now it was the middle of July, I had the top button of my shirt undone; revealing my name necklace that Harry had given to me when we had gotten married 7 months ago.

"You're picking Ron and I up soon right?" Ellie asked.

"Yes. Don't worry...we won't forget you," I replied grinning to myself. There was silence on the other end of the phone. I sensed that Ellie wanted to say more. "Ellie... What's wrong?" I asked.

"Well, Ron and I had a fight last night,"

I knew something else was wrong. I had developed this sixth sense and knew when things weren't right. "Uh oh...what happened?" I asked.

Immediately, Harry looked up at me and was watching me intently.

"It was over stupid stuff really... he left the milk out," Ellie said quietly. "But that's not the only thing...I found out a few days ago that I'm pregnant."

I froze my lower jaw dropped, Harry stood up and came over to me standing in front of me. He tilted his head questioningly. "Have you told Ron?"

"Of course! That's what started the whole thing! I want to get married, but he says he's not ready yet," she replied.

I had an idea as to why Ron would say something like that, unless it had to do with Charlie? "Listen, don't worry we'll talk to him for you. Maybe this camping trip will do both of you some good," I said gently.

"Maybe? Please don't tell Harry, I don't want him to tell Ron that I told you. Ron didn't want me to tell anyone."

"We'll see you later okay, I promise mum's the word." I was feeling a little hurt that Ron didn't want us to know what was going on.

"Okay. Bye,"

"Bye," I hung up the phone.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked.

"Ron and Ellie had a fight."

"Eek! Are they okay now?"

"Yeah. I think this trip will do them some good," I said grinning. Harry grinned back, and he threw his arms around me and hugged me. We stayed in the embrace content to be in each other's arms.

"Let's pack up the car," Harry whispered in my ear.

I nodded and reluctantly removed myself from his embrace. We loaded the trunk of the car with the coolers, first aid kits, food, flashlights, extra batteries, and changes of clothing.

~*~

Around 5:00pm, we drove a mile south to pick up Ron and Ellie. I was doing the driving.

Harry and I had decided to live the muggle way of life, as well as the magical. This campground was muggle owned so there would be no magic. We wanted to take a break from the magic world for a few days. Harry was sitting beside me in the passenger seat, and we had the air conditioning going full blast.

Ron and Ellie were living together in a two story brown house with an arc driveway in front. They were already outside waiting, as I pulled into the driveway and put the car in park. Harry pushed open his door and stepped out, he stood behind the door I did the same. "Okay, Load 'em up!" I grinned.

Ron gave me a quick glance before he followed Harry around to the trunk of the Avalon, and they began loading their luggage in.

Ellie pulled open the back door on the passenger side, and slid onto the backbench style seat. She slammed her door shut, I jumped startled and turned around to look at her.

She was pretty with shoulder length black spiraled curly hair, and blue eyes. She was dressed in a pair of gray jogging pants and a white tank top. "So, how's he been acting?" I asked.

"Lousy," Ellie muttered, " he's been ignoring me completely."

I sighed, I felt bad for her. Ron should be happy about the 'news,' but on the other hand, I had a feeling this had to do with Charlie's death last year. I don't think Ron has gotten over it completely yet. "Give him some time. I have an idea why he might be acting like this," I said kindly.

Ellie tilted her head.

I answered her silent question. "One word. Charlie!"

Realization began to dawn on her face, and she nodded. The trunk was closed and then Harry climbed back into the passenger seat. Ron slid in on the back seat next to Ellie and closed his door as well.

"Ready for a quiet week?" Harry asked brightly.

"Eh?"

"Yeah!" Ron and Ellie muttered.

Harry and I looked at each other before I put the car in drive and pulled out of the driveway.

I turned on the CD player. Avril Lavinge's CD, "Let go" came on. It would be a three - hour drive to the campsite, which was in south Wales. It was a large piece of land that had log cabins, and it was really relaxing. Harry heard about it from Mr. Weasley, he had planned to take the family on a trip there. But then Ginny got sick and they lent us their cabin and spot.

At that moment, dark storm clouds began rolling in lightning streaked across the sky, followed soon after by a huge clap of thunder. Then the rain pelted down, I switched on the windshield wipers.

"Crud! Did they say rain?" Ellie asked, watching the droplets streak down her window like stair rods.

Harry went to open his mouth, but Ron beat him to it. "Obviously, it's raining now isn't it?"

Ellie looked like she had been punched in the stomach, I glanced into the rearview mirror and saw tears forming in her eyes. That was it, I was sick of Ron's attitude so I slammed on the brake. The Avalon came screeching to a halt; I put the car in park and turned around to glare at Ron. "Ron, I'm sick of your attitude! What is your problem? I understand you miss Charlie okay... We all do, but being an ass won't bring him back. Ellie needs your support right now, more than ever. She's excited about the baby and you need to be there for the baby when it comes. Charlie would want you to not forget him but move on," I said. "You need to do the right thing and marry Ellie."

Ron was silent, and Harry's eyes went wide behind his glasses. "Baby?"

"Ellie's pregnant," I replied to him.

Harry also turned around and looked at Ron. "'Hermione's right," Harry said to Ron, he then looked at Ellie and gave her a big grin. "Congrats."

Ellie beamed.

Ron silently stared out the window, as I put the car in drive and pressed the accelerator. We continued on our journey to the campsite.

~*~

There was a back road that led to the campsite. Around us was a thick wooded area, and as we came around the bend the Avalon's headlights rolled over something standing on all fours in the middle of the road.

"Hermione look out!" Harry yelled, I slammed on the brake again. The front of the Avalon collided heavily with the object, tossing it up onto the hood, then the roof and finally it rolled off the back trunk. The car did a 360-degree turn and we were now facing the way we were coming from, the headlights still locked on the object, which was now lying in the middle of the road. From the force, my head hit my window. Harry's seat belt snapped him back against the seat. Ellie and Ron were luckily wearing rear seat belts; otherwise they would have gone through the windshield. My hands were shaking violently as I gripped the steering wheel.

"Is everyone okay?" Harry asked quickly.

"Yeah. I'm okay," Ellie replied

"Me too," Ron said quietly.

"Hermione?" Harry demanded looking at me.

"I-I'm fine," I stammered and looked at Harry.

Harry's eyes widened. "You're not okay. You've got a gash on your right temple,"

He gently reached up and wiped a streak of blood off my face that was trickling down.

"I'm okay...trust me," I replied.

"What did we hit?" Ellie asked in a small voice.

"It looked like some kind of dog?" I replied tearing my hands off the steering wheel.

"I'm going to check it out," Harry said. "Ron, you coming?"

"Be careful," I pleaded.

Harry put a hand on the side of my face and pressed his forehead against mine. "I will... promise."

Harry and Ron got out of the car. They closed the doors and went to the trunk to pull out two flashlights. Two white beams danced in the blackness, as they began slowly walking toward the object. Ellie leaned forward in the space between the front seats.

"What do you suppose it is?" she asked frightened.

"Dunno. There are no wolves here or anything. I think we've got bears. Maybe it's a dog?" I suggested leaning forward to peer out of the rain streaked windshield. We could still see the beams from the flashlights outside, we nervously waited until Harry and Ron returned.

HARRY.

Ron and I were soaked, the rain matted my hair to my head and my glasses were fogged. My clothes were sticking to my chest and my legs. Ron was in the same predicament, we quickly began walking toward the dark figure lying in the middle of the road. I knew Hermione was watching me, I could feel her eyes on me the entire time.

We finally got to the body, and the smell that was coming from it was horrid it smelled like a mixture of sulfur, and gasoline. Ron and I pressed the top of our wrists to our nostrils, whatever it was it had dark long fur that blew in the breeze. We circled it until we came around to what was the front of it.

"Blimey...what is it?" Ron asked, still keeping the top of his wrist pressed against his nose.

"I don't know," I said, crouching down beside it.

It had four legs and the head was buried under one of its paws. The paws looked like it could have belonged to a wolf, or a bear. But it appeared to be more like a wolf's and so was the body. Basically, it was a wolf the size of a bear but something was different and wrong about it. I pulled out my wand and very cautiously moved the paw off the animals' face.

"Careful, 'Harry," Ron muttered cautiously.

I leaped back and scrambled to my feet.

"Bloody hell," Ron breathed.

The head of the animal was that of a wolf, but the size of it was huge...it looked like a wolf and grizzly bear combined. "Let's get back to the car," I suggested.

Ron nodded and we fled back to the car. Ron and I leaped into our seats and slammed our doors. "GO!" I shouted at Hermione.

"What is it?" she asked.

"JUST GO DAMMIT!" I yelled.

Hermione looked frightened, but put the car in drive and did a U-turn. We began heading back up the road.

"What's going on?" Ellie demanded.

"We hit an animal," I replied.

"What sort? A deer?" Hermione asked, glancing over at me.

"Yeah...a deer," I replied, not wanting to scare her. I glanced quickly in the rearview mirror at Ron, and he was as white as a sheet.

"Then why in the world were you so anxious to get going if it was just a deer?" Hermione asked shrewdly.

"Because if the mother was around..." I began.

Hermione frowned at me but said nothing more.

I really hated lying to her like this, but I didn't want to tell her what Ron and I saw. It would totally terrify her.

HERMIONE.

I knew Harry was lying to me, I was hurt and didn't know why he would lie to me all of a sudden. I was also angry with him but didn't argue anymore.

We came up on the campsite, and Harry checked us in and we found our cabin. We parked in front of it and began unloading our luggage.

There were two bedrooms, and two bathrooms. Plus it had a dinning area, a living area and a kitchen. Ron, and Ellie were still not talking to each other. Ron slept on the couch, while Ellie took the bed. Harry and I took the second bedroom, he said goodnight to me but I didn't reply. I just laid awake for a few minutes staring out the window at the full moon, which hung in the midnight sky.