The Lives Of The Broken

Chapter 8: Letters To Hermione

April 1999

"Everything looks fine Mrs. Krum." said Healer Arista as she waved her wand over a bruised Hermione once again to double check her work. She had an assistant in there with her.

"Are you 100% sure?" asked Hermione weakly. "I'm sorry to keep insisting like this, but considering the circumstances..."

Arista gave Hermione a sad smile. "No dear, you're fine. As an expecting mother, I would be the same way, especially with circumstances such as yours. You, my dear had a couple broken ribs that I have mended and a lot of bruising. The baby, on the other hand, is completely untouched. Quite the strong witch you're carrying there."

Hermione smiled as she rubbed her growing belly.

"I will warn you Mrs. Krum that you are indeed two months away from your due date. Something can easily go wrong with your...clumsiness." said Arista.

Hermione sighed. "I know."

"Would you please leave the room for a second?" Arista asked her assistant. "I have to give my patient a private consultation."

The assistant nodded and then left the room.

Arista turned back to Hermione, a look of worry and terror appeared on her face.

"Hermione, you have got to get out. Is there really no way you can leave?" she asked frantically as she held Hermione's hand.

Hermione felt the tears building up in her eyes. "We've had this conversation many times before, Ari. I can't do a thing. I don't have a wand anymore, I can't openly contact my family, nor my friends. He will probably get angry at me for coming here again, but I knew something had broken and I just had to see if she was okay."

"I understand, but what's going to happen when you have this child? Will he allow you to keep her?"

"I don't know. He seems as if he is happy sometimes that he is going to be a father." said Hermione slowly.

Arista sucked her teeth. "Don't give me that. He's a fucking Death Eater and his child will be a half blood. He will kill that baby without a second thought and you know it. Especially if he leader tells him to."

"You're right, you're right, of course you are, but I can't give up on my baby. She needs me. I need her. She is the only one besides you and Ginny that I have left in this world."

"What about Ron?" asked Arista.

Hermione looked up at the sound of Ron's beautiful name. "Ron can't know a thing, remember? He would get himself killed trying to come out here and save us. It's best to let him live his life and to not let him worry. That's why I haven't told Ginny about the abuse, nor the baby. And I'm never going to." said Hermione firmly.

"That reminds me." said Arista. "Come with me to my office.

Hermione and Arista walked into the pastel pink and cozy office that Arista owned. She was the lead OBGYN healer as well as Pediatrics, and Hermione's only friend in Bulgaria.

Hermione had discovered her around Christmas when she came in thinking that Viktor's beatings had taken a toll on her internally. She then discovered that she was indeed three months pregnant. Arista recognized the signs of an abused witch, so Hermione started to secretly confide in her and from that point on, would see no one but her.

Arista was nothing but four years older than Hermione herself. She had graduated from the wizarding school Ilvermorny in America, and had joined the healer program soon after graduation. She excelled, being just as smart as Hermione, and became the youngest healer in a century when she was only 22. She was a great friend to Hermione, allowing herself to be the middle witch in Hermione contacting Ginny.