A Desperate Deed

Unwelcome altruism

Beware of altruism. It is based on self-deception, the root of all evil.

    by

Robert A. Heinlein, Time Enough For Love

Pictures, memories kept overflowing him, and when he was looking at Hermione, he could guess, she was experiencing the same. It was impossible to forget how fast uncertain kisses, cares of thankfulness and comfort had become a night of love. Only now, months later, that he was confronted with Ron and Ginny, he felt little discomfort and shame. Then, however, after they had woken up naked together in one bed the next morning, he didn't feel anything like that. They already had crossed the line by marrying each other.

Hermione glanced nervously to the ceiling, wishing herself anywhere but here at the moment. On the other hand, Ginny seemed to believe everything was resolved and she could, after all, be with Harry.

Remarkably it was Ron, who noticed, how the couple at his words reacted and laughed maliciously. At the time, when he had destroyed the medallion, he thought all the visions of Harry and Hermione in an amourously relationship were a lie, now though, he knew it was nothing but the truth.

"Well, now its -"

"Stop it, both of you, stop telling us lies!" Ron cried enraged and cut Harry off.

"Did I mean so little to you?" Ginny's voice slightly broke as she understood what Harry tried to confess, to her outrage, Hermione looked with compassion at her, but she was it who had stolen her boyfriend from her.

A few times, Harry tried to say something, but he didn't find the right words.

"If -"

"How often do I have to tell you, there are no ifs?" Ginny cried.

"But there are affairs, so many marriages exist only on paper." Hermione interjected without to notice how Ron and Ginny made a disgusted face even Harry was everything but in agreement with this idea.

"You want us to live in sin because of your foolishness?" Ginny shrieked. "The whole magical world would hate us, hate me!"

Dejected Hermione sat down on a seat and crossed her arms in front of her. She had forgotten how horrible backwards the magical world indeed was and how this fact put them in this miserable situation now. It had been Ginny's words, that showed her this all too vividly. Angrily Ginny kept walking up and down, shook her head in share frustration at what had transpired a few minutes ago.

"Why did you have to -"

"You want to know why?" Ron interrupted her and turned accusingly to Harry. "Because he had to have her!"

"Ron, please!" Hermione pleaded.

"Let him be, Hermione, it's all about his ego." Harry had finally enough. "It must be most inconvenient to you that against all the odds I survived the war, isn't it, Ron?"

"Unfounded accusations won't help anyone." He heard Hermione say and it shut him up, but he kept staring hostility at Ron.

Suddenly Ginny stopped in her tracks, staring intensively at Hermione, apparently she had a flash of inspiration.

"Why didn't I think of it sooner?" She muttered to herself while holding her hand against the forehead.

Her behaviour created bemused looks by the rest of them. Nobody had a clue what she was talking about.

"There existed a clause to protect pureblood families from unauthorised marriages -"

"You can't be serious, Ginny!" Ron horrific interrupted his sister.

"They have a right to know about all existing possibilities." She replied sharply and silenced him.

"As I was saying, is one of the couple lower than the other in the status of blood, then the marriage could be terminated. I am pretty sure the ministry never got rid of this clause. "

"This is barbarically. Hermione won't have any rights!" Ron roared red with rage.

"Harry could disown Hermione and end this nonsense." Ginny hissed scandalised, at least a solution existed, and if this was the price to pay, then she could live with it.

Hermione turned hopefully to Harry, but he vehemently shook his head.

"Don't you dare to consider this, Hermione!" He warned her, but she had already made up her mind, that she'll agree and pursued him to disown her.

"Harry, you could-" She stood up.

"No, it's out of question!" Angrily, he cut her off.

"Would you two leave us alone, I need to talk with Hermione?" He asked the siblings, but they demonstratively stayed with folded arms.

"Fine, if you won't go, then we will!" With this, Harry rose from his bed. He grabbed her hand and marched with underlining anger out of the hospital wing, all the while dragging Hermione with him.

"Harry, what are you doing?" She had great difficulty to hold up with him.

But he didn't answer her. Instead, he searched busily for a place where he could, without any interruptions speak to her. They didn't need to walk far; none of the classrooms was in use. Already the first door lead them into a room that was for his purpose fitting.

Harry let the door slam shut behind them. Long minutes he silently stared at her, while she nibbled at her lips nervously.

"Are you completely out of your mind, how can you seriously consider this?" Quietly, he asked her.

His anger had evaporated, stayed behind back in the corridor. Strained Hermione closed her eyes, took a deep breath.

"It is the only possibility, Harry. That's the only way for you to have your happy end, and you want that, don't you?" She argued with tears in her eyes.

"Yes, but -"

"Disown me then you'll be free for Ginny, Harry, please!"

"Didn't you hear what Ron said, don't you understand what this means? Your whole future would be meaningless. You could never have a successful career in the magical world." He intensely spoke to her.

"Everything is better than to be responsible that, after all, you had to endure, you can't fulfil your dreams." She whispered, and first tears found their way over her cheeks.

"You think I could be happy, while I know that you have to lead a life that is below your true potential because of me?" Harry stood directly in front of her and tried with his thumbs to banish the tears from her face. Carefully, time and again, he brushed over her soft skin.

"Harry." She attempted again with anguish in her voice, but it was futile.

Harry shook his head vigorously while pulling her in a tight hug.

"I can't; I just can't do this to you, Hermione." Harry started, and as if to offer her some comfort, he added. "We'll find a solution, one we both can live with."

His words had the opposite effect on her, though.

"There isn't, you heard them, didn't you?" She replied reproachfully and pushed him angrily away from her.

"Is it then so terrible to be married to me, Hermione?" Harry asked, finally in anger while he had caught her arm.

"That's not the point, and you know it." She retorted hotly. "You'll resent me for keeping you from Ginny. Maybe not today or in a few weeks but one day, you will."

Momentary, her words left him speechless. Before he could recover, she had freed herself from his grasp and left the room.