Ginny thought she had seen the burrow in chaos before. She was wrong. The shouting going on right now was deafening. Fortunately, they all had moved inside, as even the muggles four miles north in Ottery St. Catchpole could have heard the screaming going on at the moment.
Mrs Weasley was shouting at each of her sons in turns, screaming about infidelity and wedlock and other such nonsense. Mr Weasley was trying to shout over Mum, begging her to calm down. George screamed back at Mum that he had nothing to do with it, taking moments to turn and yell at Angelina who was whopping him over the head with a rolled up newspaper. Audrey and Percy were having a heated argument next to them, Percy waving his arms and shouting out words like "Preposterous!" and "Absurd!" Both Bill and Lavender were shouting at Ron, slumped in a corner, both of them convinced he had something to do with it. Fleur was pulling on Bill's arm and pleading with him to stop for the sake of the children.
The only people not making a commotion, it occurred to Ginny, were herself, Harry and Hermione. Harry was pensive, deep in thought, and Hermione stood quietly as far away from the rest of them, gently rocking Rose in her arms.
"I don't know why you lot are biting my head off!" Ron finally shouted, jumping up from his seat. "We already did the charm, we know it wasn't me!"
"Well it was somebody!" Mum shouted back. "And we are going to find out who took advantage of sweet Hermione when she was just a girl!"
"Yes, poor sweet Hermione, who never did anything wrong!" Ron replied, suddenly set off. "Are we forgetting SHE TURNED HER WAND ON ME? And, she's standing right here! Why not make her give us an explanation?"
Ron collapsed back in his seat, the energy leaving him after everything he had dealt with the last few days. Ginny took a tentative step forward to look at Hermione, whose face was a blank canvas, revealing nothing.
"Hermione, I do think it's time you tell us who Rose's father is."
Hermione continued to rock Rose, bouncing the child up and down in a frantic rhythm, shaking her head back and forth at the same time in a motion that matched the rocking. Ginny had never seen Hermione act so strangely, her friend looked… cornered. Ginny was torn between anger, frustration and sympathy for her long lost best friend.
Hermione blinked quickly then turned to where Harry stood next to her, pleading with her eyes for him to help her.
"Don't look to Harry, Hermione," Ginny said boldly, some of the rising anger coming out. "This doesn't concern him. Now, we're all glad you're back, but it's time you were honest with us. We're family, aren't we?"
Hermione stared back at Ginny, tears welling up in her eyes. Ginny watched as a few tears escaped and fell down Hermione's cheeks, and Hermione struggled to catch her breath.
"Oh, this is no use," Lavender said, throwing her hands up in the air. "I say we do the paternity charm on all of them, one by one. People are going to want to know who this child's father is!"
"People?" Hermione asked quietly.
"Yes, of course," Lavender said, exasperated. "People are already talking about it in Diagon Alley and the Ministry. I was just speaking to Parvati about it this afternoon, and she couldn't believe…"
"NO!" Hermione's gasp was forced out of her, and her shout stalled all conversation around her. Ginny looked at her friend, who was slowly backing farther away from the group, shaking her head more vehemently now. Hermione clutched at Rose as if her life depended on it.
"You didn't, you haven't told people about her?"
"Obviously," Lavender said, rolling her eyes. "This is very good gossip you know."
Hermione began breathing heavily and looked like she might faint. Ginny was suddenly nervous and scared for her friend, and Harry next to her was beginning to look concerned as well. They both took a step toward Hermione.
"It's okay, I'm sure no one's going to bother you about it," Ginny said, giving Hermione a hopeful smile. Hermione just stared back at Ginny, horror written on her face. Ginny wondered what was bringing this about, why Hermione cared so much that people knew she had a child, why she wouldn't just tell them all who the father was…
All conversation was cut off by a knock at the door. Ginny looked toward the front door then looked back to Hermione, who had closed her eyes as if waiting for an execution squad. It was almost as if Hermione knew who the source of the knock was.
"I'll get it," Molly said skeptically, walking toward the entry as if not sure what she would find on the other side. The door was swung open to reveal two very authoritative looking men, each wearing a badge denoting them as members of the Ministry.
In an instant, Hermione's eyes snapped back open and she thrust Rose into Ginny's arms. Hermione's gaze blazed with intensity as she told Ginny, "Hide her. Now."
Ginny didn't have time to think, she only reacted. She didn't understand what was going on and she had a million questions that needed answering. But that look in Hermione's eyes, well, she'd never seen anything like it. Pure trust and instinct took over. Hermione needed this child hidden, and whatever else she was unsure of, Ginny knew she would always be on Hermione's side in a fight.
Ginny flew down the stairs leading to the basement. Throwing open the basement door, she rushed down, lighting her wand as she went so she could make sense of the darkness. She conjured a thick blanket and laid it on the floor, placing Rose on top of the blanket. She began placing as many protective charms as she could think of to guard the child, lit some more lights, then flew back to the basement door. Securing it with three strong locking charms, Ginny raced back into the living room just in time to see the two Ministry officials placing Hermione in handcuffs.
"This doesn't make any sense," Harry argued with the taller of the two officials. "Daggenham, this is my friend, I've brought her here. You have no right!"
"We have every right," Daggenham said, tapping a scroll of paper. "I mean no offense, but this is no longer under your jurisdiction. First, we have reports that one of our auror has had a mind alteration, a strong one at that, just before he's set to go out on a case to find Shraxen and Willigsbee…"
"And then, we learn the person responsible for it is concealing another magical witch, unregistered with the Ministry," Daggenham's partner continued. "We have no record of this child. Why is she hiding her? It's all very suspicious."
"Yes, I agree the circumstances look bad, but this can all be explained," Harry argued, helplessly. He stood in between the officials and a handcuffed Hermione.
"Finally," Daggenham said, "we've just received a report that someone has entered past the Weasley wards, someone who we don't have on record as authorized to pass."
"Yes," Harry said. "But that's because…"
"Harry," Hermione interrupted. "It's all right. I'll go."
The Weasley family looked at her sharply, stunned at her statement. Ron looked pained, his hands constantly twitching as if he might at any moment begin throwing hexes. He looked like he wanted to throw himself in front of Hermione, something Lavender seemed to be noticing as she eyed Ron suspiciously.
"Can I just have a moment?" Hermione asked the officials. "To say goodbye?"
The men nodded and walked toward the front door. Hermione turned to Ginny and walked closer, Harry following behind her until he stood next to Ginny. Hermione addressed them both.
"You're… the two of you…" Hermione took a breath. "You're both listed as Rose's godparents on the birth certificate. If anything happens… you must… You have to protect her."
Hermione's eyes shifted quickly between Harry and Ginny's, an unmistakable intensity there that Ginny had only seen before on her own Mum's face. Hermione was genuinely afraid for Rose's life. Ginny and Harry both nodded, then Hermione walked back toward the Ministry officials and was escorted out of the burrow.
There was quiet throughout the house for a few long seconds, and then a crashing noise as Ron slammed a glass onto the floor.
"Will you please quit breaking things?" Harry fumed. Ron glared back at him.
"What are we doing?" Ron asked, an intent expression on his face letting everyone know that action would be taken, now. Harry nodded in response and ran a hand through his hair.
"We'll go to the Ministry head of arrests now and figure out exactly what they're charging her with. Then we find her holding cell and speak with the officers there, try and determine how long they'll keep her. Ron, this is… it'll probably go to trial."
"And what if she's found guilty?" Ginny asked, a sinking feeling in her stomach. Harry looked at her, pain in his eyes. And fear.
"What they accused her of, it sounds like charges of terrorism, Gin," Harry said, quietly. "This could end with Azkaban."
Ginny's hand flew to her mouth and Mum gasped. Fleur took a heavy seat on a nearby chair and Arthur put his hands in his head.
"That's not happening," Ron said, determined. He picked up his wand and strode briskly toward the fireplace, throwing in some floo powder and calling out in a strong voice, "Ministry of Magic." At the same time, Ron and Harry walked into the green flames, for a moment looking once again like young boys out to save the world, and then they were gone.
A/N: Thanks for reading and please vote and comment!