Visions and Prophesies

Visions and Prophesies 14: How Do I Love Thee?

The next day dawned soft and silent. The weak beams of sunlight filtered into the room and illuminated the two figures lying in each other's arms on the bed. Music floated softly around the room, enveloping the two into a warm, safe cocoon. Harry lay awake, savoring the feel of holding Hermione in his arms. If anyone had told him before last night that he would be doing this, he probably would have laughed in the poor person's face. But, here they were. After he had serenaded her, they talked. He could tell there was something more bothering her, but he decided to let her tell him when she was ready. All that mattered to him now was that he had her back. Her soft, warm body shifted against his side and he looked down into her face, intent on watching her sleep. She however, had a different plan. When his emerald green eyes traveled across her face, he came in contact with her chocolate brown eyes.

"Good morning." She snuggled closer to him, his deep tenor sliding through her body, vibrating the strings of her heart.

"Good morning," she replied.

She smiled as his arms tightened around her. She was just about to suggest that they get up and get ready for the day when it hit her. Like a freight train with broken brakes, the nausea swept through her body in huge waves. She untangled herself from Harry and dashed to the bathroom. Barely making it, she proceeded to throw up what little was in her stomach and, for many more minutes after, painfully wretched up nothing. Harry ran into the bathroom after her, holding her hair back as she vomited and rubbing her back soothingly. When she was done, she slid down to the floor, resting her heated forehead against the cool stone of the floor, Harry following her. The realization of what she had to do now rammed into her like a ton of bricks. Sitting up, Hermione looked into Harry's face and tears filled her eyes. He wouldn't want her. She was pregnant with someone else's child! Harry brushed a lock of hair away from her face and trailed his thumb across her cheek.

"Hermione, let's get you back into the bed. You aren't feeling well."

As he helped her up, she paused, strengthening herself for what she knew was to come.

"Harry, you need to know something..."

"After we get you back in the bed. You can tell me then. "

"No. I need to tell you now... before I chicken out."

Harry looked at her quizzically, and then he nodded. She looked down at the floor and spoke to her feet.

"Harry, last night... no. Harry, something else happened when Lu--when Mr. Malfoy raped me..."

"What? What else did he do to you?" Harry demanded, wrapping his arms around her.

"It's something he didn't intend to do... Something he would never..." she swallowed. "This would horrify even him." She paused and closed her eyes tightly. "He... he didn't take any precautions Harry. He thought that I... that Voldemort would kill me... that I wouldn't..." She stopped speaking and looked into his face.

For a moment, Harry didn't understand. Precautions?

"What type of precautions would he have taken Hermione? That you wouldn't escape?"

"Wrong type of precautions Harry," she said with a humorless smile. She placed her hands on her lower abdomen and suddenly he understood. It felt like a Bludger had socked him in the stomach.

"Hermione ... You... He..."

She just nodded and returned her stare to the floor. This was it. He would be disgusted beyond all belief now she just knew it. Harry pulled back and looked at her. Hermione looked up at him fidgeted with her hands. He had a shocked expression on his face that she read as hatred and disgust. She turned around and walked to the door of the room.

"I'll be going now," she said, her voice wavering and tears filling her eyes. As her hand closed around the doorknob, Harry snapped out of his daze.

"Hermione, don't."

She turned around and looked at him, tears coursing down her cheeks. Harry stepped up to where she stood and cupped her face in his hands.

"Don't walk out that door. I don't think I could do this again Mione," he said, his voice catching. "I know I can't do this again. Please, don't walk away from me."

Hermione raised her hand and brushed the tears falling from his eyes with her thumb and looked down before replying.

"Harry, I can't expect you to take care of me or this baby. It isn't fair to you."

"You're keeping it?"

Hermione was silent for a moment. "Yes. This Malfoy is going to be raised right."

Harry gripped her hands in his and squeezed them lightly.

"Well, I'm behind you, no matter what you want to do. And whether or not you expect me to take care of you both..." he paused for a second and nodded. "This isn't your decision Ms. Granger. I'm 16 and I'll do whatever I want to do."

Tucking his finger under her chin, he raised her head.

"I would kill Malfoy for you. I would rip him apart and leave pieces of him all over the world. I would hunt him down until my last days for you, Mione. I would do whatever I could for you because I love you."

He lowered his head to meet her lips and after a brief and chaste kiss, he chuckled.

"Besides," he said, resting his forehead against hers, "do you honestly think I'm going to leave you alone to raise a baby? You'll be teaching my son everything there is in that bloody Hogwarts: A History book and we can't have that happen. He'll be studying Quidditch Through The Ages."

Hermione looked at Harry in shock. Had he just...

"Harry... did you... you didn't say..."

"Yes, I did. Quidditch is a very solid topic of study. He could learn..."

"No Harry. You know what I mean. Your son?"

"Oh, that," he said with a smile. "You aren't going to do this alone. Like you said, this Malfoy is going to be raised right." Hermione shook her head in disbelief.

"Harry, you can't... I mean, I..."

Harry placed his finger on her lips. "Shh. I want to do this Hermione."

"Harry, you're only 16..."

"So are you Mione."

"No!" she said, shaking her head vehemently. "You are not going to ruin your life because of me!"

"Hermione, hush." He turned her around and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly against his chest and resting his chin on her head.

"You aren't going to raise this child alone and you are NOT ruining my life. I can't think of a better way to spend it than with you and that baby."

He placed his hand on her stomach and closed his eyes.

"This is our child."

Hermione placed her hand over his and laced her fingers through his. Everything would be all right.

"Who told you, Mr. Potter," she inquired with a wry smile on her lips, "that this was going to be a boy?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ron was the first to wake up, due to a severe pain in his neck. He opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling in confusion. "What in the world am I doing sleeping in the common room?" he thought to himself. A slight movement next to him caught his peripheral vision and he turned his head a bit, hissing in pain. There on the couch, next to him was Sarin. And over in the armchair was Ginny. She looked more uncomfortable that he felt. He got up, stretching sore limbs and yawning, wincing at the residual pain in his cheek and walked over to his sister. He had to admit, the youngest of the Weasley clan had grown up beautifully. He bent down to wake her up.

"Hey Gin, time to get up. Come on Runt. Wake up before I do something you won't like."

Ginny cracked open a sleepy blue eye and tried to straighten up. A yelp of pain escaped her and Ron chuckled.

"Go on up to your room and get a few more hours of sleep in your own bed Runt."

"No. Sarin is supposed to be leaving this morning. I want to be there when she leaves." The whole time she spoke, Ginny was struggling to sit up straight. She glanced over at Ron and gasped, her hand flying up over her opened mouth.

"Your face!" she shrieked, horror filling her eyes. "Oh Merlin! Ron..."

Ron ran over to the mirror hanging near the fireplace and gasped. There was a huge bruise covering his entire right cheek and his right eye was nearly swollen completely shut.

"Looks like I got into another fight with the Whomping Willow," he joked dryly as he turned around to find another pair of eyes watching him intently.

"Good morning Sarin."

"Good morning," she said quietly. "Your eye looks terrible."

Ron grinned at her and bowed. "Why thank you Ma'am." He walked over and took a seat next to her, becoming serious again. "How are you feeling?"

Sarin shrugged a bit and stood up.

"I haven't packed anything yet. We leave right before lunch. Ginny, can you help me?"

"I'd love to. I only have limited time though. We have Herbology first thing this morning."

"You," said a voice from the portrait hole, "and Mr. Weasley are excused from lessons today."

Three heads turned and looked at Professor McGonnagal as she continued. "The headmaster has insisted that you two accompany Mr. and Ms. Haley down to The Three Broomsticks today and wait until they have safely flooed back to their home." She smiled at Sarin and Ginny and then turned to leave the room.

"Oh, and Mr. Weasley, do try to come back without a match for that eye," she tossed over her shoulder wryly before the portrait closed behind her. Ron looked shocked and Ginny and Sarin were beside themselves with giggles. His ego was a small sacrifice if it got Sarin to smile.

"Glad to see you two thought that was funny. I'm going up to my room to shower and change robes." Then he walked past the girls and up the stairs. As he approached the room, he remembered that he was supposed to get Hermione to talk to Harry. With everything that happened the previous day he had completely forgotten.

"I had best go apologize to Harry and see if we can set something up for tonight."

He turned the knob on the door and stopped in his tracks. Harry and Hermione were lying on Harry's bed. Hermione was asleep and Harry had opened his eyes as Ron entered the room. He put a finger on his lips and motioned for Ron to be quiet. Slowly, he untangled himself from Hermione's limbs and walked over to his best friend. He steered him outside and closed the door before he spoke.

"What the hell happened to your face Ron?!"

"Good morning to you too Harry. I got into a fight last night."

"With what? The Whomping Willow?"

"No. Toby. He actually did the fighting. I was too busy reeling from the first punch."

Harry shook his head and gave a low whistle.

"He packs a good wallop, I can tell you that much mate," said Ron with a quirky smile.

"Anyway, I wanted to thank you Ron. I don't know what I would have done without you."

Ron looked at Harry, his ears going bright red. He supposed he should just get it out in the open.

"Er, Harry... About that... I never got around to talking to Hermione. She kinda fled before I could ask her to meet you."

Harry threw back his head and laughed his first real laugh in weeks. He clapped Ron about the shoulders and laughed until tears fell form his eyes.

"I forgive you Weasley. But you had better have a good excuse for not talking to her."

Ron went redder and mumbled something that Harry didn't quite catch.

"Excuse me? Can you repeat that?"

"mmphm"

"Oh come on Ron. Has Crookshanks got your tongue?"

Ron looked at Harry and, still blushing simply said "Sarin." Harry lifted one eyebrow and studied his friend. He knew that Ron fancied a girl from Gryffindor, but he never imagined it would be Sarin. They sat on the steps outside of the room in silence for a few moments.

"You really fancy her, don't you?"

"Yeah Harry. I feel so different when she's around. I can't explain it."

"Have you tried telling her how you feel?"

Ron looked up, panicked. Tell Sarin how he felt? Wasn't that like cursing yourself with your own wand? "Well," he reasoned with himself, "it's not like you haven't done THAT before!" He shuddered inwardly at the memory of belching up slugs in his second year.

"No mate. I haven't. I don't know how. I mean, I like her, but it's so much stronger than that. It's scary and amazing at the same time Harry. I think I'm falling in love."

Harry nodded and clapped a hand on his best friend's shoulder. He knew too well what that feeling was. He stood up and headed back into the room while Ron collected his thoughts. Ron needed to think. He decided to go back to the common room for a few minutes and as he descended the stairs, he came face to face with Sarin.

"Hey. All packed?"

"No. I... I was going to ask you to help me."

"Me? I thought that Gin was going to help you."

"She was, but... Ron, I need to talk to you."

He followed her down to the common room and watched her closely as she worried the ring on her middle finger. After a few minutes she spoke.

"I... I didn't think this was going to be so difficult."

"What?"

"What I need to tell you. Ron, ever since I spent the summer with your family, I've felt... I don't know. I can't explain it."

Ron walked over to where she stood and placed a hand on her arm. She turned around and looked up at him. He was suddenly overcome with the need to kiss her. He lowered his head down towards hers and just as their lips met, Sarin pulled back.

"Don't."

Ron looked into her eyes and felt like the biggest jerk. He'd tried to kiss her and she didn't want it.

"I'm sorry Sarin. I shouldn't..."

"No Ron," she said, her voice trembling. "Don't kiss me if you don't mean it. Don't kiss me because you feel sorry for me, or you think it will make me feel better because it won't. If you don't mean anything by it then I suggest you walk away Ron."

Relief surged through his features and he smiled.

"I don't kiss unless I mean it and I can't walk away from you Sarin. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't."

Drawing her body close to his, he tipped her face up with his index finger and proceeded to show her just how much he meant the kiss. A lone figure standing on the steps of the girl's dormitory smiled, while a lone figure on the boys side was fighting a battle within himself.