The Seventh Year Soap Opera

RECAP OF CHAPTER THREE- Lavender, Neville, and Ginny Find Out: Malfoy and Pansy make it rain directly over Hermione while she's sleeping and Ron, Lavender, and Neville go to rescue her. Ron carries her to the common room. He and Harry argue. Lavender, Neville, and Ginny find out that Hermione is pregnant. Hermione and Ron explain to Harry what happened while he was in hiding, leading, interestingly enough, to injuries for the three of them.

Chapter Four- Flashback

Ginny looked up as Lavender Brown entered the common room and sat down next to Seamus. "You know how I just returned your book to the library?" she said eagerly. "Well, on the way, I ran into Hermione. From what I could figure, the talk didn't go well at all. I've just finished healing a bruise on Hermione's cheek. Apparently, one of the boys hit her accidentally."

Dean Thomas spoke next. He had been informed of the situation between the trio a few minutes after they had left to talk. "So Hermione's really pregnant," he said dully. It was a statement, not a question. "You wouldn't have thought. I mean, she's perfect."

"Yeah, you'd expect that if someone was to get pregnant, it'd be some slutty girl like Parvati or Padma or Pansy. Someone with a P," Seamus chimed in.

Lavender threw him a appalled look on the insult of her best friend. "Her life will be ruined," she added.

"No it won't!" Neville spoke up. Everyone turned to look at him. He didn't voice his opinions very often. He had become more popular since the Department of Mysteries incident, and while he had gained a bit of confidence, he was still insecure. "She'll have someone to love and care for. I always thought she would make a good mother."

"She's too young!" Lavender argued. "She should be enjoying life, going to parties, and travelling around the world, not getting stuck with a baby."

"I was the first one to know," Seamus blurted out.

"What?" said Dean, puzzled.

"You knew and you didn't tell me?!" shrieked Lavender. "What kind of a boyfriend are you?" She looked very hurt.

He shrugged. "Hermione made me promise." Seeing the look in his girlfriend's eyes, he kissed her forehead and whispered something in her ear. She giggled, seemingly over her indignance. She, along with Neville and Dean, began to question Seamus.

Ginny, however, was silent. Thoughts were flying around her head like owls at an Owlery, and they were neverending. Her first thought was Why didn't Hermione tell me? Aren't I supposed to be one of her best friends? Why the hell would she tell bloody Seamus about her being pregnant instead of me?

Ginny bit at her fingernails angrily. She did not appreciate being left out of things and never had. Even when Harry had gone into hiding from Tom, only to later defeat him once and for all, no one had informed her. Dumbledore had said Harry had left the Wizarding world because of pressures due to his fame, but Ginny hadn't been fooled. Harry would never have left the Wizarding world, for any reason, and eventually, she put the pieces together.

She had been upset when she found out, and angry that no one had told her. For a while, she hadn't even talked to Hermione and Ron because she was so angry, but they hadn't even noticed. The two of them were too involved with themselves anyway. And betraying Harry, she thought darkly.

He had been off fighting a war for Merlins' sake, and they couldn't keep their hormones under control? It was quite maddening, really, and Ginny tried to think logically, but she couldn't. Why had they done it? Had it meant anything? Hermione was Harry's girlfriend! And now she's pregnant.

Now, her thoughts swirled around how Hermione and Ron could have done such a horrible thing to Harry. She could, if she set all of her bias aside, see their side of the situation, but this was Harry.

Harry Potter, whom Ginny had loved since she was ten. She had first seen him at the train station on the way to board the Hogwarts Express for his first year. She had viewed him as just a hero back then, and was awed by him. When Ron came back during the summer telling heroic stories about Harry and how he had saved the Philosopher's stone from Voldemort, she had become even more taken with him, solely his bravery. But Ron also told of how much of a friend Harry was, and that had intrigued Ginny more. She became infatuated by him and when he showed up at the Burrow, her heart fluttered and her stomach flopped.

And now, six years later, she still felt the same way. It was true that she had gone out with other boys, because she had realized that Harry wouldn't ever return her feelings. The first boy had been Michael Corner, who had liked her red hair more than her personality. He was followed by Dean Thomas, whose feelings for Parvati Patil had become rather noticeable. Ginny had dated Justin Finch-Fletchey for about a week, before breaking it off, knowing they were better off as friends.

Of course, her feelings for Harry had only continued to grow stronger. She felt as though she knew Harry better than any of the boys she had gone out with. She had always been observant of him, and their becoming close friends in his fifth and the beginning of his sixth year had assured her that it was true. Ginny probably knew Harry as well as, if not better, than he knew himself.

Obviously, he was taken territory, and had been since he and Hermione had began dating in the beginning of their sixth year. That was the year Ginny had planned to persue him that year, but the news that he was with her best friend pushed her away. There was no way she'd take him from Hermione. Anthony Goldstein had come along when Ginny had found out about Harry's and Hermione's relationship. When Harry left to fight You-Know-Who, she dumped Anthony and she hadn't dated another boy since.

Her thoughts darted back to the trio. She hoped the bond that Hermione, Harry, and Ron shared wouldn't be tarnished. Recalling Lavender's words, and the bruise that Ginny had seen above Ron's eye earlier, things had turned physical between Harry and Ron. Ginny didn't know if she would be able to handle it all. The friendship between those two had been so sufficient throughout the years and now it was being tested very strongly. Would they be able to get past this?

A loud sound shook her from her musings and she looked up to see Ron walking through the portrait hole. Lavender, Seamus, Dean, and Neville pretended to be discussing Quidditch. Ginny focused her attention on Ron. The bruise around his eye wasn't as hideous anymore, so it was obvious he had visited Madam Pomfrey. He was limping a bit, though, and Ginny bit her lip in concern. No matter how wrong his actions had been, Ginny still loved her brother. He had always been her favorite.

She stood up, wondering if he'd talk to her, but when their eyes locked, he just shook his head tiredly and walked up the stairs to his dormitory. Ginny kept her eyes on the portrait hole, waiting for Harry to come through. He did, eventually, and she let out the breath she had been holding. Her eyes followed him as he walked toward the dormitory steps, then stopped dead.

He turned around and faced her. "Ron up there?" he said hoarsely. Ginny nodded. Harry bowed his head, apparently in thought. With a deep breath, he looked up the stairs and took a step toward them, then a step back. Ginny surmised he was debating whether he wanted to sleep in a room with someone who had betrayed him or not.

"You'll have to face him eventually, won't you?" she said quietly, staring him directly in the eye.

He stared at her for a moment, as though he had just seen her, then, without a word, trudged up the stairs.

Ginny sat back down in her chair. Lavender and Dean began to whisper again, but Seamus and Neville seemed rather tired of the gossip. They were now pensive, like Ginny.

"What are you talking about?" said a voice sharply.

Well, thought Ginny, Hermione's arrived.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Hermione looked at Dean and Lavender with shaking hands. There was no need for her to have asked the question. She knew perfectly well that she was the subject of their conversation. Anger filled her. She was now the center of attention, something that she normally would have liked, but she felt betrayed. Rumors and gossip were bound to fly around now, about -

"Granger, the Slut," she murmured. She felt like crying as she stared at their guilt filled faces, but soon became enraged. Damn these mood swings!!

"Wait, I know exactly what you're talking about," she said hotly. "How perfect Granger got knocked up, I suppose?" Hermione could hardly believe the words coming out of her mouth. Hermione Granger wasn't supposed to say things liked this. "How something so horrible could happen to perfect, Prefect, Head Girl Granger, right?"

The guilty faces did not respond. "Well, I just want all of you to know that I love my baby, so don't talk about it as though it's a curse!" Her eyes burned with tears as she ran out of the common room and into her dormitories.

The people in the common room stared at each other uncomfortably. Seamus cleared his throat. "I'm going to the library," he said suddenly. The response was a chorus of "Me too"s, and they left, leaving Ginny to follow Hermione up the stairs to be a source of comfort.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

After the "talk" as she called it, Hermione had taken to avoiding both Harry and Ron. At mealtimes, she ate quickly and dashed to the library or to class. If she didn't have a class, she edited the assignments to be handed in that day. She sat with them during classes, as usual, but none of them spoke. The tension between the three of them was unbearable to her, and she knew she was the cause of it. She hated whenever her hand would accidentally brush Ron's while she was reaching to fetch a potion ingredient and Harry would give her a hurt look. She despised the fact that Harry glared at Ron, and Ron glared right back.

Hermione was also quiet around her classmates, not wanting to repeat the explosion from the day in the common room. She was aware that the Gryffindors talked among themselves, but no one else seemed to know. Inside, she was pleased that they were keeping it a secret. Still, her temper flared whenever she even heard her name.

So Hermione threw herself into her schoolwork, which became almost an obsession. She'd burst into tears if she made a mistake on her parchment, even if it was minor. In class, she'd mouth the answer to a professor's question, but never raise her hand, because that would draw unwanted attention to herself.

She still continued to perform the charms on her body every morning to conceal her figure. This took more and more energy every day, as her stomach grew rounder and larger. Retching continued to be awful, but she bore it. She also bore not being able to sleep at night, torn between anxiety over Harry and Ron, and being worried about the decisions that she'd have to make in the future. Pacing around the common room, hair a mess, chewing her lip, seemed to become a nightly routine.

Then she'd remind herself that she wasn't the only person feeling miserable. It was clear, from both Ron's and Harry's behavior, that they were under strain as well. Harry hardly ever came into the common room anymore; he mainly was out on the Quidditch field, flying rough and hard so much that he went to bed early. Ron roamed around with Seamus and Lavender a lot, reminding Hermione painfully of sixth year, when he had done the same thing. He laughed and cracked jokes, but his true feelings were hidden behind his blue eyes.

The worst part of it was that it had only been a few days since the news had broken. Hermione shuddered to think what things would be like if they carried on the way they did.

She groaned and turned over in her bed, blinking. Lavender and Parvati were sound asleep, she was sure - Lavender was definitely snoring. Exasperatedly, Hermione kicked off the covers and sat up in her bed. Crookshanks, her lovely and beautiful cat (to her anyway) immediately jumped up on it, purring. She stroked his ginger fur, sighing unhappily.

Why were things so complicated?

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Harry woke up on New Year's Eve feeling like he had been run over by a bus. After taking a quick shower, he grabbed his broomstick, prepared to fly around the Quidditch Pitch, even though it was six o clock in the morning.

He quietly left through the portrait hole, and was on the second floor when he walked by the prefect's bathroom. He paused suddenly, furrowing his brow, then pressed his head closer to the door. The sounds of someone retching was ever so clear from where he was standing. Concerned, he whispered the password that he had Hermione use once, and opened the door.

Hermione was hunched over the toilet, and Ron was standing next to her, holding her bushy hair back. When she was finished, he handed her a towel, muttering something to her. She nodded. He reached over and flushed the toilet, then stuffed his hands into his pockets, looking troubled.

"He'll forgive us soon enough, Ron," Hermione croaked.

"I don't bloody well deserve to be forgiven," Ron said stiffly, but firmly.

"It's not your fault," she said softly. "I started it."

"But I was willing," he snapped.

"Well, there's nothing we can do to change it. You can't turn back time. I mean to say, technically you're able to, but - you know what I'm getting at, don't you?"

"Yes, but don't you wish - "

Ron was cut off when Hermione suddenly leaned over the toilet bowl again. He was quick to gather her hair into his hands and wait patiently until it was over. Harry cringed at the sound of his girlfriend retching and stepped through the door. "You'll be all right," he blurted out, setting his Firebolt against the wall and standing awkwardly at Ron's side. Ron gave a start, looking bewildered.

Harry refused to look at him. The fact that he had just heard Ron acknowledge that the whole situation was his fault was overwhelming and Harry didn't quite know how to deal with that yet.

Hermione leaned back, wiping her mouth with the towel. She looked horrible. Her hair was sticking to her face and she was extremely pale. "You okay?" Harry asked.

"Of course I am. I've just thrown up my insides, is all. Nothing to worry about," she quipped.

Harry frowned.

"I was joking, Harry," she said, trying to stand. A bit unsteady on her legs, her knees wobbled, and both Harry and Ron caught her before she fell, each gripping one of her arms. Harry could see Hermione roll her eyes impatiently. "Oh, honestly," she muttered.

"What?" said Harry.

"I can stand on my own! I don't need pampering!"

"Fine," said Ron, letting go of her arm. She slipped to the side - then gasped and wrapped her arm tightly around Harry's neck, glaring at Ron; Harry did as well.

"What'd you do that for?" Harry demanded.

"She didn't want me to," said Ron simply. Harry continued to glare at him, but Hermione gave Ron a rather odd look. "I'll just...be going." The tips of his ears pink, Ron opened the bathroom door and left.

Harry was now left alone with Hermione. He found it quite awkward. "I need to sit," she told him, so he put the toilet seat down, then set her on it.

There was a long silence.

"Harry?"

He looked up.

"I'm really, really sorry about this," Hermione said. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. If you could find it in yourself to forgive me, I'd appreciate it. I can't go through this alone."

"I know," he said quietly.

"Can you?"

"Can I what?"

"Forgive me." Harry exhaled slowly, and searched Hermione's face with his eyes. Her brow was furrowed with anxiety, and her brown eyes were sincere. Her bottom lip trembled.

He swallowed hard, summoning all of his Gryffindor courage. "Yes."

"Yes?" Her tone was hopeful.

"You're forgiven."

"Oh, Harry!" she shrieked, throwing herself into his arms. He was a bit startled at this sudden movement, and realized that this was the closest he had been to her ever since he had returned from hiding. He was a bit sad to find that her arms weren't as comforting as he had used to think they were. "Thank you!" She pulled away, and he was rather relieved. "Thank you. Now, all you have to do - "

Harry sent a sharp look her way, knowing she was going to tell him to forgive Ron. "I'll get to him eventually."

"I won't push you," she said. "But I think it's best for the three of us if you do." With that, she stood up, and left the bathroom.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Hermione ran into Ginny Weasley on her way out of the bathroom. The redhead looked peculiar. She was wearing black robes that were way too large on her petite frame, and her long, wavy hair wasn't brushed and had been messily pulled back into a ponytail. A broomstick was in her right hand, she was biting her fingernails, and her cheeks were tearstained. "Ginny?" said Hermione.

Ginny gave a small gasp of surprise. "What are you doing up so early?" she asked.

"I could ask you the same question," said Hermione, raising her eyebrows. "Is something wrong?"

"No, of course not."

"Ginny, you look horrible. Something is wrong."

"You don't look so good yourself," Ginny said, a bit coldly.

Hermione knew she was right. Her tangled hair was sticking up at possibly all its ends, with some strands plastered to her pale face like glue. She was wearing only a floor length nightgown and a small robe, and was holding her wand.

"Ginny," Hermione said, narrowing her eyes slightly, "I think I've known you long enough to know when something is bothering you. Please tell me about it?"

Ginny looked as though she was holding back from hitting something. Then she responded, "Only if you tell me what happened - how everything began with Ron- and Harry going into hiding..." She was stuttering but looked determined nevertheless. "And why you didn't tell me any of this before." She gave Hermione a fierce, hurt look.

Hermione sighed. "I'll tell you in the dormitories."

"Aren't Parvati and Lavender asleep?"

"No, Parvati woke up early to do something or other and Lavender's in the boy's dormitory with Seamus."

"Lavender sleeps with Seamus?" asked Ginny.

"Yes. Well, no...they don't sleep together. Well, they do sleep together but not sleep together, you know." Hermione said this with a flush in her cheeks. "Lavender hasn't really told me anything, but I don't think they actually sleep together at least. I mean, yes they do...but..." Hermione felt an anger flare inside of her as she made an idiot out of herself, knowing the main reason was because she was recalling the events of her and Ron doing...sleeping together.

Ginny looked a bit confused, then caught on. "Right, well...let's get to the dormitories, then."

Hermione and Ginny walked silently through the corridors and up staircases until they had reached the dormitories. Hermione sat down on her bed, and Ginny curled up in a chair, lying her old broomstick on the floor. She inspected Hermione with her eyes, and patiently waited for her to begin.

Hermione grabbed a box of tissue from her nightstand. "Just in case," she muttered, when Ginny looked at her curiously. "I expect you know mostly all about how Harry and I got together."

"What do you mean by mostly all?"

"I didn't tell you everything," Hermione said in a resigned voice.

"Why not?" said Ginny, a bit defensively.

"Because I thought you would view me differently. You see, because back then Ron liked me as well. Anyway, it was in sixth year...a couple of days before the Halloween Ball..."

Harry, Hermione, and Ron were in the common room. Hermione was curled in a chair by the fireplace reading Hogwarts, a History for about the hundredth time. Harry and Ron were very involved in a game of Wizard Chess.

"Sorry mate," Ron said to a slightly disgruntled Harry, as he made his checkmate. In her chair, Hermione smiled. No one could beat Ronald Weasley at Wizard Chess. "I'm starving," he said, standing up and patting his stomach, a mischievious glint in his eye. "I'm going to sneak food from the kitchens. And when I get back, Hermione, we'll see if you can't beat me." He whistled to himself as he left the common room.

Hermione was a bit relieved to see him go. Over the last couple of weeks, she had developed some rather confusing feelings for Harry. She was always happy when they were alone. To her surprise, she noticed that Harry looked the same way she felt. He was in his chair, looking thoughtful.

"Hermione?" he said.

"Yes?" she answered, sitting straight up in her chair, a funny feeling that she couldn't place forming in her stomach.

"Will you, er, will you gototheballwithme?" she heard Harry stutter. She gasped slightly. Did he just ask me to the ball? she thought. Goodness, she had to be dreaming.

"Huh?" she said stupidly.

Nervously, Harry cleared his throat and repeated, "Will you go to the ball with me?" Hermione smiled. This is what she had been dreaming of ever since Professor Dumbledore announced that there was going to be a Halloween Ball. He never said why he was having it, but Hermione knew it was to take people's minds off the terror that Voldemort was causing.

"Sure," she said warmly, tempted to burst into giggles. She flashed him a huge smile.

Before she could say anything else, Ron came back into the room with pumpkin juice and treacle tarts. "Harry, Katie said she needs to see you. She said she wanted to discuss Quidditch with you...she said she doesn't need any other team members."

Harry frowned slightly. "Oh," he said, glancing in Hermione's direction, standing up from his seat."

"I'll save you a treacle tart," Ron called after him as he exited the room. He offered one to Hermione, and she gratefully accepted it. Hermione felt a warm feeling inside of her.

"Hermione, have you got a partner for the ball yet?" he said suddenly. Hermione's eyes widened in horror and she choked on her treacle tart. Ron rose up to help her, but she held out her hand.

"Went down the wrong way," she managed, reaching to pour herself some pumpkin juice. Oh, sweet Merlin, he wasn't going to ask her, was he?

She cleared her throat and downed the whole cup of pumpkin juice in one gulp. "You were saying?"

Ron chuckled at her unusual behavior. "Do you have a partner?" he said again. "Because if you don't I'd like you to come with me," he continued, cheeks and ears bright red. "Not as a last resort either."

No! No! No! Hermione thought, panicked. Not supposed to happen! No! She stared at him, not knowing what to say. She bit her lip. "Er, I...well...you see...it's..."

"It's what?" said Ron softly, leaning closer, and Hermione's heart broke at the pain in his voice. "Is it me?"

Keep calm, Hermione. Just breathe. You never meant to hurt him. Why is he acting like this? He shouldn't be acting like this!

"I'm already going with someone," she said gently.

Ron drew back, obviously embarassed. "Who?"

Just then, Harry walked in. "Katie wanted to discuss some new techniques," he said. Hermione was still watching Ron and indicated Harry with her eyes.

"Oh," he said, catching on. He suddenly stood up, knocking the pitcher of pumpkin juice to the floor. "Oh!" This 'oh' sounded surprised and even more embarrassed. Hermione felt her eyes prickle with tears and fought the urge to bury her face in her hands.

"What?" said a confused Harry, looking between the two of them.

"Oh shit," Ron grumbled as he noticed the pumpkin juice soaking into the carpet. He fumbled around for his wand. Hermione got to hers first, pointed it at the floor, and muttered a cleaning spell. She sat back in her chair, biting her lip and staring at Ron worriedly. Her redheaded best friend was now backing up, the expression on his face conveying that he felt very out of place. His eyes never left hers.

"What?" Harry said again, just as Ron backed into the wall.

Ron shrugged. "Nothing," he said, forcing a smile. It was false, even to a passersby eyes. "I was just telling Hermione I'm asking Lavender to the ball." He left hurriedly and Hermione gave Harry a weak smile, trying to feel happy about their relationship.

Hermione paused in her telling of the story, her heart pumping furiously against her chest. Panting, she clutched her chest for a moment, then looked at Ginny, who was surprised. Hermione had never told her about her brother's advances.

"When we were at the ball, Harry asked if I would be his girlfriend and I said yes," Hermione told Ginny.

"I remember that ball," Ginny said. "I wound up turning down Anthony Goldstein to go with Ron because Lavender went with Seamus again. Poor Ron." She knew exactly how he felt. If he was still burning with feelings for Hermione, then he was feeling the same way she was about Harry.

"Anyway," Hermione said, clearing her throat, "At the ball I noticed Ron sitting at a table by himself..."

Hermione broke away from Harry after they finished dancing to a fast tune. She knew he didn't like to dance, so she told him they could take a break. He smiled with relief, gave her a quick peck on the cheek, and then set off to get butterbeers.

She spotted Ron sitting at a table with three empty butterbeer bottles in front of him. Dean Thomas walked up to him, clapped him on the back, and handed him another one. Ron muttered something to himself and took a long swig of butterbeer. Hermione walked over to the table and sat down in the seat next to him.

"Sorry you had to take Ginny," she said lamely.

Ron didn't look at her. "I don't mind," he said, shrugging his shoulders and drinking more butterbeer.

"You look lonely."

"I'm not." His voice didn't convince her.

She licked her lips and summoned her Gryffindor bravery. "Do you want to dance?" she asked him softly.

"No."

She stiffened at his tone. "Why not?"

"I'm having too much fun drinking butterbeer," was his sarcastic reply.

Hermione rolled her eyes. He's acting like a child, she thought. "Are you upset I didn't come with you?" she said, her voice sharp now.

Ron stood up. "No," he said looking at her for the first time during the coversation. "I should've realized I'd have competition," he said sourly, taking a long drink of butterbeer. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go ask Ginny why the hell she's flirting with Justin Finch- Fletchey, that Hufflepuff bastard."

He walked away and she noticed Harry coming toward her, butterbeers in hand. She sighed.

"You couldn't realize Ron liked you?" Ginny said. "'I knew I'd have competition.' Come on Hermione. That's a huge hint."

"Well, I knew, of course," Hermione said defensively. "What was I supposed to do? Ditch Harry right after he asks me to be his girlfriend?"

Yes, Ginny thought secretly. So Ron wouldn't be in pain. And so I could have Harry, she added as an afterthought. "Pretty much," she said bluntly. "All three of you have been best friends since forever. One of them was bound to get jealous, even if they didn't have romantic feelings for you."

"Thanks for pointing that out Ginny. I feel a lot better," Hermione said sarcastically.

Ginny's gaze went to the floor briefly. "Hey, you asked the question," she reminded her.

"Now," she asked slowly, the dread and anticipation rising inside of her, "what happened next?"