Harry Potter and the House of Meditation

Chapter 15: Miscommunication

Ginny and Hermione were obviously in a dreadful mood when they stopped Harry on his way to lunch a couple of weeks later. Everyone had been studying so hard for their final tests that they hadn't had much time to talk, but the girls definitely wanted to talk now.

"Sit down, Harry," Hermione said, pushing him into a chair, then glancing around the common room to see if everyone else had left.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked. He hadn't seen such grim expressions in weeks.

"It's Luna," Ginny said.

"What about her?"

"Ginny says she's gotten sick in Charms class three mornings in a row," Hermione said. "I swear, Harry, if she's using one of those skiving snackboxes to pop out and work on wedding plans, I'll strangle you. I know it's exciting and all, but if she fails Charms, she'll be in loads of trouble."

Harry blushed. "It's not that kind of trouble, honestly, Hermione!"

"Then what is it?" demanded Ginny. "You two haven't had a row, have you?"

"No," Harry said slowly. "Listen, if you promise not to tell anyone, I'll tell you the truth, but you have to promise. You can't tell Ron, or your mother, or anyone!" Harry said, looking Ginny straight in the eye. "It's a secret."

"What is it?" both girls demanded excitedly.

"Well, Luna, that is, Luna and I..."

"What?" Hermione asked, exasperated.

"Luna just found out she's going to have a baby."

"Harry!" shrieked both girls, in stereo.

"Are you sure?" Hermione squeaked.

"Of course I'm sure," said Harry crossly. "Do you think I'd say something like that for a laugh?"

"Well, I never!" gasped Ginny.

"I should hope not," Harry sighed.

"When?" asked Hermione in a hushed voice.

"Sometime in February, I think," admitted Harry. "Now you know, so I'll tell Luna you know. You can help keep an eye on her for me, but you can't tell anyone else. If you do, I'm warning you, I'll have to hex you!"

"Well, all right, Harry," said Ginny slowly, "but wow!"

"You know," said Hermione thoughtfully, "I'm sure I've read about a potion for morning sickness. It's got vervain and larkspur in it. I'll have to go look it up."

Leave it to Hermione, thought Harry ruefully. In a few short minutes she'd managed to digest the indigestible, and was ready to sally forth to the library. But as it turned out, when she'd had time to give it some more thought, Hermione had clearly gotten upset.

"I don't know what's the matter with her," Ron said one day as they walked out of dinner. Hermione hadn't said two words all through the meal, and had disappeared right after.

"It's not you, Ron," Harry sighed.

"Then what is it?"

"I think she just has a lot on her mind."

Harry left Ron standing in the great hall and went to look for Hermione. He found her in the library, but she wasn't working on her Arithmancy notes. She was staring into space.

"Hermione, can I talk to you?"

"What?" She looked up startled. "Oh, yes, Harry. Sit down." She shuffled a pile of parchment, and Harry sat, taking her hand.

"Hermione, what's the matter? Ron thinks you're angry at him, but I know it's me you're really angry with."

Hermione looked across the room, but no one else was there except a few third years that Madam Pince was checking out. "I'm not angry at you, Harry. I just never thought that you and Luna were, well, doing what you obviously were doing."

"It only took once," said Harry, "and then she was caught. I don't know why it turned out the way it did. I didn't plan on it."

"But you must have already bought the ring by then. You did plan to marry her all along, didn't you?"

"Hermione, I bought the ring on an impulse. I liked Luna a lot, but I wasn't sure I loved her. I gave her the ring after we did it. It just seemed like the right thing to do. She stuck by me when I needed her. I felt like she deserved it."

"Oh, Harry! That sounds horrible!"

"It's not horrible, really. I'm not sorry, and I do know now that I love her. She loves me so much I'd be a brainless git not to, but it's not like you and Ron, so stop being so hard on him."

Hermione blinked back tears. "It's just that Ron and I have been in love for a year, or at least we thought we were. And he's never tried to...I mean, we've never...I wonder now if he really loves me that much. And I wonder what I'd do if he really wanted to..."

"Ron loves you enough not to, Hermione. That's why I'm in this situation and he's not!"

"But you do love Luna! You said so! This isn't just because of the baby, is it? Wouldn't you have married her anyway? Harry, I need to know!"

"I don't know what I would have done! I just know how things turned out. Everything happens for a reason, Hermione, more than I can ever tell you. I owe Luna more than I can ever say, and anyway, we've got a lot in common. We understand each other. I'm dead sure I'll be happy with her, and I'm going to try my best to make her happy, but we're not like you and Ron, and you should be glad of it."

Hermione wiped her eyes. "I hope you ARE happy, Harry, because you deserve to be."

"So do you," said Harry, "and you will be. I'm sure you will." He kissed her gently. "Always be my friend?"

"You know I will," said Hermione, giving him a hug. Then she gasped.

Turning to see what she was gaping at, Harry saw Ron watching them with a miserable expression on his face, and right behind him stood Pansy Parkinson. Her expression was one of sheer joy.

Ron and Pansy both tore out of the library in different directions.

"You, there!" raged Madam Pince. "Stop running!"

"Damn it!" raged Harry in return.

"Oh, Harry," squeaked Herimione. "He doesn't know. He won't understand."

"Come on! We'll make him understand," said Harry grabbing her arm and pulling her out the door. Ron had vanished. "You check back at Gryffindor. I'll check outside."

Harry scanned the lawn. Ron wasn't in sight. Harry checked around Hagrid's hut, and then around the lake. Frustrated, he doubled back , and relieved, saw a lone red head in the stands by the Quidditch field. He ran up the stairs, his heart pounding.

"Ron, you prat! What do you think you're doing?"

"I can tell you what I'm not doing! I'm not snogging someone else's girl when I've got one of my own!"

"We were not snogging!" Harry yelled.

"Oh, come on, Harry! I've got two eyes you know!"

"And you've got two ears and one mouth, so why don't you try listening a bit more than you talk for a change?"

"Tell me, then" said Ron bitterly, "tell me how you could do this to me, and how you could do this to Luna!"

"This happened because of Luna," said Harry. "I had to tell Hermione something that made her feel really badly! She was holding me because she felt sorry for me and Luna!"

"Oh, did you two break up? Needed a bit of cold comfort, did you?"

"Luna's pregnant."

Ron froze. "What did you say?"

"Luna's pregnant, you stupid git! Don't tell me with seven kids in your house you never got the concept down! Do you think Hermione could know something like that and not worry about us, after all the time we've been friends?"

"Are you serious?"

Harry rolled his eyes to the darkening sky. "Why does everyone seem to think this is such a brilliant idea for a joke?"

"I don't think it's a joke. It's just ...wow Harry! I can't believe it!"

"Yeah, well, wait a few months. You'll see."

Ron looked at Harry, still stunned. "I'm sorry, mate. I really am."

Harry sighed. "Don't be. What's done is done. It's going to be all right."

They stood there staring at each other for a moment, then both looked up as two figures came pelting across the lawn."

"It's Hermione and Ginny," said Ron. "What the hell?"

Chapter 16: Right Where You Left It

"Harry! Harry!" Hermione screamed. "You've got to come quickly!"

"What's wrong?" Her face was chalk white and the sight of her made Harry's stomach lurch.

"It's Luna," gasped Ginny, rubbing a stitch in her side. "That cow, Pansy Parkinson cornered her on the stairs and started screaming all sorts of terrible things at her. Luna started crying and stepped back, and oh, Harry! She fell!"

"She fell on the stairs?" Harry's heart beat wild with fear.

"Worse than that," sobbed Hermione. "The stairs started to move just then and she went right through to the next floor. She's badly hurt, Harry. Please come!"

Harry burst through the doors onto the great hall to find a large group of students whispering and pointing at him. Harry ignored them. Only one face in the crowd mattered. He headed straight for Pansy Parkinson, who whipped out her wand.

"Don't come near me, Potter!" Pansy cried in a trembling voice.

"I've got better things to do right now, but if you've messed things up with your lying mouth, I'll see to it you never open it again!" Harry hissed.

"Potter!"

Turning, Harry saw Professor McGonagall come into the hall. "Hospital wing," she said firmly. "Now!"

Harry followed her. "Is she all right, Professor? This was all a mistake, I swear it!"

"Stop babbling, Potter, and pull yourself together. If you want to be an adult, then act like one. She needs you now." McGonagall pushed him through the door to the hospital wing, where he was met be a haggard looking Madam Pomfrey.

"Please, is she all right?" Harry whispered, looking up into Poppy's grave face.

"I've done all I can, Potter. There's no use moving her. I think she'll be all right, but we'll have to see." She led Harry to Luna's bedside. Luna lay motionless, her head, right arm and shoulder heavily bandaged. Madam Pomfrey shook her head. "She's had a nasty fall. You can sit here until she wakes up."

Tears stung Harry's eyes. "She's having a baby. What about the baby? Where's the baby?"

"Right where you left it, Potter, for the time being," said Madam Pomfrey tartly. "I told you, we'll see! Now sit, and don't be upsetting her! Let her rest."

She yanked the curtains shut and Harry sat down on the chair beside Luna's bed. He folded his arms on the edge of the bed like a child about to say his prayers, and quietly cried. He cried about everything that had happened to him since he was a year old. It was as if a dementor was sucking out his soul. Exhausted, he finally fell asleep with his head still on the edge of the bed.

Harry came back to wakefulness slowly. Someone was gently stroking his hair. He raised his head to see Luna slowly drawing back her uninjured arm.

"Harry?"

"Luna? How do you feel?"

"Like the Hogwarts Express is running though the middle of my head."

"I was so scared," Harry groaned. "I could have killed that cow Pansy Parkinson for telling you all those lies. I thought I was going to lose you."

"You can't kill someone for telling the truth, Harry."

"It wasn't the truth," said Harry fiercely. "I did hug Hermione, but as a friend. She'd had a fight with Ron, you see, and she was upset."

"You do love her, Harry. You've always loved her."

"Yes, I love her and I always will, but it's not the same with her and me as it is with you and me. It never was and never will be"

"I know that, Harry. I've always known." Luna winced. "I'm sorry I let Pansy get to me. I'm sorry I let you down. I've lost the baby, haven't I, Harry?"

"No! He's right where he belongs, with you and me."

Luna looked straight into the brilliant green eyes she loved so much and saw the truth there. She smiled weakly."

"Him, is it?"

"Him, her, them, I don't care, but the secret's out, I'm afraid. The cat's among the pixies, as Mrs. Figg used to say."

"Who?" asked Luna drowsily.

"Friend of mine back home...I can't wait for you to meet her."

"I'd like that," said Luna, as she fell back asleep.

Harry sat by Luna's bed all day, then when he was sure she was on the mend, he hunted down Pansy Parkinson who was on her way to dinner.

She went as white as Moaning Myrtle when she saw him.

"Harry Potter, you keep away from me! I didn't know! I swear I didn't know."

"Well, now you know," said Harry sternly, "and if I catch you within a broomstick's length of my girlfriend again, you'll wish you'd never been born."

Harry went over to the Gryffindor table, where Ginny, Ron and Hermione were waiting.

"She's okay," he told them before any of them could speak. "I have to eat fast and get back upstairs, though. Her dad's going to be here in an hour. I'll bet he's going to raise hell, and I've had just about all the hell I can take for one term."

Oh, Harry, I'm sure he'll listen to reason," said Ginny. "He likes you."

"He liked me when I was fighting the Dark Lord," said Harry. "Whether or not he'll like me making him a granddad is anybody's guess."

Mr. Lovegood wasn't angry, however. He looked drained and defeated. "I can't believe you kids didn't have more sense."

"If we'd have had more sense, none of us would be here," said Harry.

"Harry, no!" Luna warned. "Dumbledore said not to tell."

"Tell me what?" thundered Mr. Lovegood, not sure what to expect next.

Harry explained about Luna, and Voldemort, and how the baby had given Luna the power to defeat the Dark Lord.

"My little girl did that?" Emmitt Lovegood was stunned, but couldn't help being a bit proud at the same time.

"With a little help," said Luna looking down ruefully at her stomach. "Don't you see, Dad? This was meant to be."

"Maybe so," he mused. "Maybe so, but this story is too far fetched even for the Quibbler!"

"Imagine that," said Harry.