This morning, the day after our very uncomfortable meeting with the Krum family, is the day the announcement of our marriage is to be released in the prophet; which means soon enough the whole school will have some inclination that I'm pregnant. What other reason could George and I come up with? I'm only fifteen and George sixteen, there is nothing else we could say that would excuse us getting married at such a young age... not without letting the news of my attack leak. "Do we have to go to breakfast?" I ask George and Fred as they rush about their dormitory trying to get ready for the day, their roommate Lee still sleeping peacefully in his bed. "You know we can't just avoid it, Hermione." George informs me, tossing one of his jumpers at me as he walks past his bed and towards the loo. "...You and Freddy could go deal with it and I could stay her and take a page out of Lees book..." Fred laughs loudly at my idea and George snorts from the other room. "Not gonna happen, Granger, you know George never lets you out of his sight." Lee suddenly says, sitting up and stretching.
I huff at the three older boys and finally pull myself out of bed. "Fine, If I have to go then I'm having a shower first. George! Out of the loo!" I shout, stopping to gather my uniform and one of George's old Weasley jumpers before marching into the loo to kick my loyal protector out. As I shove George out the door and make to close it, something Lee says makes me frown. "You'd think privacy wouldn't matter and all... they're married." I open my mouth to say something, but Fred beats me to it. "Hermione went through something traumatic, she's earned her right to privacy, and on top of that she's a fifteen year old girl. Leave her alone." He half snarls at Lee, prompting the other boy to raise his hands in surrender and return to gathering his needed items for the day- ignoring the murderous glare George is sending his way. Swallowing thickly I shut the door and quickly rush through my morning routine, trying my best to hurry so the boys and I could actually make it to breakfast on time for once... my procrastination tends to make us late most mornings.
As soon as I'm satisfied with my appearance I exit the loo and find George and Fred leaning against their bed posts talking to each other, my satchel slung over George's shoulder alongside his own. "Ready?" He asks with a smile, raising his eyebrow playfully... he's trying to distract me from my nerves. "Not like I've got much of an option, do I?" I can't help the attitude that I know my voice is dripping with. I didn't ask for any of this... he can't blame me for not wanting to show my face. As soon as somebody noticed our marriage announcement any hope I had for a peaceful rest of the year is out the window. The Slytherins will double up on their insults, and when Rita Skeeter gets ahold of this she'll have a field day... and that'll only get worse as I start to show. "I can hear you thinking from here, Mione... I promise that I won't let anything happen to you at breakfast; If one of those little, inbred, snake bastards start then I will personally handle the issue for you and my dear twin." Fred says seriously as he adjusts his bag on his shoulder.
"Let's just get this over with." I take George's outstretched hand and allow him to guide me out of the boys dormitories and into the common room, both of us ignoring the questioning glances of our housemates. "What are you lot looking at?! Mind your business!" Fred shouts at a group of first years, openly staring at George and I, as we pass them- causing the rest of the common room to turn towards the three of us in alarm. "Stop being a bloody wanker." George hisses at Fred after realizing his twins outburst had only succeeded in attracting more unwanted attention. "Sorry, Mione." Fred says sheepishly, reaching up to ruffle the hair at the nape of his neck. "It's fine, Fred... can we just get to breakfast and get this over with?" At my insistence the three of us proceed to the great hall in silence, trying to keep what little peace we could get for as long as we could get it. All three of us know the kind of hell we'll be subjected to after this morning. Fred may not be directly involved in all this- but he's bound to get mistaken for George.
When we reach the hall Fred goes in ahead of George and I to find Lee and claim our seats, his attempt at giving George and I a moments privacy before we go in. "How am I going to be able to do this?" I ask him, my hand beginning to shake in his. "Hermione, I understand this isn't the kind of situation you'd like to be in- before all of this you'd probably hardly even thought of me as a friend... but now I'm your husband, kinda, and even though we may not really be more than friends I promise to stand by you through every step of this; I promised to protect you and I meant it." His words calm my nerves, only slightly, and I straighten my back before allowing him to lead me into the hall. As soon as George and I step foot into the crowded hall, all conversation stops and the tension is so thick one could cut it with a knife. "Fred and Lee are at the end of the table." George leans down and whispers into my ear, waiting for me to nod my head at him before he attempts to lead me to our seats.
"You've just missed the post, Georgie, but Mum sent you and Mione a package." Feed informs us when we sit down, passing a delicately wrapped parcel to George. As George tears into the package I reach down next to me and snag a piece of bacon off Harry's plate, causing my best friend to chuckle and begin making me a plate for myself. I just nearly have my bacon finished when George taps me lightly on the shoulder and clears his throat. "Mione, I asked Dad for this last night- I truthfully didn't expect him to send it to me this soon- but I'd like very much for you to wear this. It's my Great Grandmum Weasleys wedding band set... I've got the other half of the set of corse, but I think it's right you have this. You're a Weasley now." As George talks, my eyes widen at the ring in his hand. It's absolutely beautiful with a yellow gold band and a large diamond in the middle surrounded by small rubies. When I don't answer him he gently lifts my hand from my lap and slips the ring onto my finger, dropping his head down to kiss my knuckles.
The peacefulness of the moment is soon ruined when Draco Malfoy and his friends decide to make their presence known. "Look what we have here boys, the little Mudblood Slut went and got herself knocked up just so she could finish ruining the Weasley name for them." Fred makes to stand up, but Harry beats him to the punch quite literally. The entire hall watches in shock as Harry bloody Potter, savior of the Wizarding World and Triwizard Champion, launches to his feet and swings his fist into Draco Malfoy's face with enough force to send the blonde tosser flying backwards. "Listen here and listen closely, Malfoy. If you've not noticed my year is shite already and I don't give a flying fuck how much money your Daddy has or what kind of reputation your family name holds. I will personally beat the shite out of you if you so much as look at or speak to Hermione the wrong way... and that's if I hear you and not the Twins. You're bloody lucky I got out of my seat faster than Fred or George. I might have bruised your ego, but the Twins would have sent you to the hospital wing."
"My father will hear about this!"
Time Skip : Second Task (Two Weeks)
"I've got you, Granger, just breathe." A familiar voice washes over me when my head breaches the surface of the Black Lake, it's not until my eyes land on Cedric Diggory do I realize what happened. "You saved me?" I ask, startled, as Cedric pulls me through the water and towards the platform where George is anxiously waiting for me. He doesn't answer, just glances from me to George with an unreadable expression- prompting the next question that falls from my lips. "Why?" After he hands me over to George so he can hoist me out of the water, and pulls himself onto the platform he turns to me and offers me a small, sad, smile. "I know, Granger. I'm not dense. I'm not sure what Dumbledore is playing at but he put you underwater for Viktor to retrieve... I got there first. I left Cho behind and grabbed you because I know the truth." With those as his parting words Cedric walks over to his friends to wait for the other champions to arrive. George wraps a blanket around me and pulls me to his chest, all while sending Cedric appreciative glances.
A few moments later, Viktor breaks the surface of the water with an angry roar, Fleur's little sister clutching tightly to his chest. Unlike Cedric he doesn't help her to the platform, he pushes her away from him and swims off in a hurry towards where Cedric and his friends are standing on the platform, an absolutely livid expression on his face. As he pulls himself out of the water Fleur approaches him and slaps him clear across the face. "You will never lay hands on her again." She seethes at him, her eyes flickering towards me before darting over to where Harry is helping her sister, Cho, and Ron out of the water. It's not until she and Cedric exchange a glance to I realize what happened. Whoever got there first was to retrieve me, and the other was intended to grab her sister... if Fleur hadn't have gotten attacked in the lake, their plan would have gone off perfectly. They somehow both knew the truth... and I can't help but think that they've known a lot longer than I hope they have. They've known long enough to formulate a plan, which means they've probably known from the beginning.
Just as everything finally begins to calm down, George and I are approached by Rita Skeeter. "Miss Granger, care to comment on your relationship with one Cedric Diggory? Do I feel a romance blossoming? What happened between you and Viktor Krum? Or perhaps, what led you to cheat on Harry Potter in the first place? Was one champion not enough for you? Perhaps you'll set your sights on Miss Delacour next?" She begins asking me questions rapid fire, clearly not phased by the murderous looks being sent her way by George. I open my mouth to tell her exactly where she can stick her quill, but George beats me to it. "You want a comment for your story, Skeeter? How about you go question Albus Dumbledore as to why exactly my, pregnant, wife was put underwater in the Black Lake for an hour? How's that for your comment." Her mouth drops open as George's words sink in and her quill begins taking notes at rapid fire. "Oh, and Ms. Skeeter, her names Granger-Weasley, not Granger." Harry chimes in, crossing his arms across his chest and looking at her menacingly, daring her to ask another question.
"Well... I suppose I should go speak with the headmaster."
Time Skip : One Month and Two Weeks
I'm just now reaching the eighteen week mark of this God Forsaken pregnancy and my morning sickness is thankfully, as Fred puts it, finally pissing off. I'm not overly noticeably pregnant but I'm noticeable enough that the Slytherins have decided not to fuck with me. A pissed off witch is one thing, a pregnant pissed off witch is an entirely different ballpark. Ever since the second task I've been spending more time with Fleur and, surprisingly, Cedric- both of whom have been making suggestions as to what I should name the baby once it's born. George likes the boy name Fleur came up with the other night, Yeshua, but I think it's awful. Cedric suggested a girls name that I'm absolutely in love with, Celeste, but George isn't a fan of it- says it sounds too much like something the Black family would name their children. George and I are supposed to go visit Madame Pomfrey sometime today to determine if the baby will be a boy or a girl... but I really don't feel up for going.
Every time George and I are out around the castle somebody always has a comment to make, the Bulgarians being the worst of the lot. If Viktor catches me with anybody other than the Twins he likes to come up and ask questions about "his son" and how the baby is developing. Once he made a comment about the Krum genes being superior to all other pure blood family's and Cedric, who I was with at the time, hit Viktor so hard the Bulgarian was sent flying backwards into his friends. "Come on, Mione, we've got to go to this appointment. If you miss one more Pomfrey will have my arse." George's pleading voice pulls me from my thoughts and I roll my eyes at him. "What if I don't want to know, George?" At this he huffs, stomps his foot like a child. "If you don't want to know then you don't have to know- we've still got to go to this bloody appointment so you can get your potion refills." With a childlike huff I offer him my arm so he can pull me from my seat on his bed. "Bloody fine." I snap, causing him to snort at me.
"Such language, Miss Granger." He jokes, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and leading me from his dormitory and down into the common room where we find Fred, Ron, Ginny, and Harry waiting to accompany George and I to the hospital wing- Cedric and Fleur said they'd meet us there yesterday just in case Viktor tried to make an appearance. My panic attacks since the attack have begun to happen less and less thanks to George and my weekly letter from the pin-pal that Fleur's Mother had set up for me. Some woman named Rosalie Hale who had experienced an attack similar to my own... Her words and wisdom help keep me grounded, she speaks from experience and answers any questions I may feel inclined to ask her. Without her letters and George's comforting presence I'd be much worse off than I am. They keep me from losing my sanity and letting Viktor win. If I give up, he wins- or at least that's what Rosalie says. So I have to keep pushing, even on the days I don't want to. This isn't just me fighting for me anymore, this is me fighting for my child.
"Let's get a move on." The six of us make our way towards the hospital wing, George and I tucked in the middle of the four of them as they act as our bodyguards. Ginny's talking excitably about what gender she thinks the baby will be, a little nephew for her to watch over during the summer. Fred and Ron are grinning at their sister, both equally excited about the prospect of a baby at the Burrow... Harry however is silent, a small frown etched upon his face. I know what he's thinking, and I'll have to have a talk with Molly and Arthur this summer. He's surrounded by Weasleys, either born or married in, and no matter how much they may feel like his family- part of him knows that they're not. That they could leave him anytime they wanted... maybe I'll be able to convince Molly and Arthur to adopt him, lord knows his Aunt and Uncle would be more than willing to sign him over. One less freak in their world. Just before we reach the hospital wing, I hear Cedric and Fleur arguing from around the corner. "I'm telling you, woman, it'll be a girl! You're all hoping for a boy so much that you've jinxed it, there's no way possible she's not having a girl."
...Well, Guess it's time to go find out.
Time Skip : After the Final Task, Two Months Later.
George and I had agreed to keep the gender of the baby a secret, the only person who knew the gender was Madame Pomfrey and she promised not to tell us unless we asked her directly. After watching Harry bring back Cedric's body from the maze, and after Barty Crouch Jr was caught, George and I decided everybody needed a bit of cheering up. We waited until the next morning, just before Fleur was set to leave, before we called all of our friends out to the Black Lake. "What did the two of you want this bloody early in the morning?!" Ron snaps at us as he takes a seat on the ground next to Harry. Fred and Lee chuckle at Ron's outburst while Ginny and Fleur each glare at him harshly. "Well... we thought it was only right to tell you all before Fleur left..." I start, as George pulls a sealed envelope from the pocket of his robes. Everybody waits in anticipation as he rips into it, hardly noticing the way his eyes tear up.
"It's a girl."
Time Recap : End of Summer Holidays, The Burrow (Three Months Total)
I've still got about a month before I'm set to pop, George thinks she'll come a little early- though we're both praying she won't. We spent the entirety of our summer holidays fixing up Bills old room at the Burrow for ourselves and the baby. Sometime in between building her cradle and going shopping in muggle London for baby clothes, George asked me on a date. As our collection of baby items grew so did our relationship- we're a bit more like an actual couple now. We've not done anything more than a few chaste kisses here and there, I'm not mentally ready to do anything more than that, but I do love George. I love him for stepping up for me and the baby when he didn't have to. I respect him majorly for that. All the kids at the Burrow, George and I included, picked up summer jobs in Diagon Alley and started a savings account at the Bank for George and I to help cover baby expenses. Between the five of us, and the donations made by Harry, Fleur, and Rosalie to the account, we managed to save up around 20,080 Galleons.
Halfway through the summer I managed to convince Molly that adopting Harry was a good idea, and he was moved into Ron's room the same day with no arguments to be heard from the Dursley's. We're supposed to set off back to Hogwarts tomorrow morning. While everyone else is looking forward to it, George and I are dreading it. We've already received special permission from the Ministry to use the floo in McGonagall's office to floo back and forth between the Burrow and Hogwarts every day after the baby is born, but until she arrives we've got to stay at Hogwarts. Dumbledore spoke out against George and I staying off campus during the school year at our trial, he seems to have it out for George and I but I don't possibly know why. Maybe he thinks Harry needs my full, undivided, attention- but that's not possible anymore. I'm going to have a baby soon, I don't have time to babysit Harry constantly anymore... but it is what it is, we won the trial anyway. Even without his backing.
"What all are we taking to Hogwarts, Love?" George asks from the foot of our bed, a trunk open at his feet waiting to be packed. "Just the essentials. School robes and uniform, pajamas, an outfit or two each for the weekends, our toiletries, our books, and the baby bag." I say as I turn the page in the novel resting atop my bump. George and I agreed to only take one trunk for both of us, seeing as we might only be staying at school for a month at most. "Got it!" With a wave of his wand our trunk begins to pack itself and he crawls into bed beside me. "I think Uncle Fred is going to combust if he doesn't know her name before she's born." He jokes, resting his hand on top of my bump affectionately. "Uncle Fred will have to get over it because we agreed not to tell anyone her name until we're holding her." I snort, chucking a pillow at the door and laughing when I hear two groans. "Not cool, Mione." Fred says as he and Harry poke their heads out from under Harry's cloak of invisibility.
"Goodnight, Boys!"
Time Skip : Next Morning, The Train
"Get a load of Granger, brings a new meaning to hippogriff of a witch!" The cold voice of Draco Malfoy reaches my ears as I stand next to George and I notice the way he tenses. We've not even made it on the bloody train and he's already ready for a fight. "Go put your mouth back on your Mummy's tit and piss off, Malfoy." Ginny snarls from the other side of George, grinning triumphantly and ignoring Molly's gasp of protest when the blonde boy flushes a brilliant shade of red. He opens his mouth to shout at her, but Ron cuts him off. "We know, your Daddy will hear all about this. Piss off would you?" When one of Malfoy's friends have to visibly try and keep from laughing at his expense, he sneers at us and rushes off down the train to load into the Slytherin compartments. "I expect the lot of you to be on your best behavior this year! Don't cause any unnecessary trouble!" I zone out as Molly begins to lecture all of us, she knows it's pointless but she does it anyway. We're friends with Harry, we always cause unnecessary trouble.
Time Skip : Hermione's 16th Birthday, September 19th
"Come on, Mione, it's your birthday! Get up, Love!" George prompts from beside me, gently poking me in the ribs to try and prod me from bed. "I'm not getting up, I'm not going to Defense today." I groan, rolling onto my back and tossing my arm over my eyes to block out the light from the window next to George's bed. "I don't like the toad either, love, but you can't just skip on opening your birthday presents at breakfast because you don't like Umbitch." A few minutes later and George has finally managed to convince me to get out of bed and ready for classes. It's not that I want to skip my lessons, but here lately I've been having false labor pains and I feel like absolute shite most days- I just wish she'd come already. Once she's here George and I get a six week leave from lessons and get to do our coursework from home. By the time I'm dressed and ready to head down for breakfast I find George waiting for me by the door of the dormitory, both our bags- and the emergency baby bag- slung over his shoulder.
"Come on, Oven, our Bun is probably starving by now with as long as you take to get ready." I glare at him for his nickname for the baby and I, he know I hate that particular nickname. "This Oven is about to trade you out for your twin, so watch it." I snap at him, reluctantly grabbing hold of the hand he'd offered me so he could escort me to breakfast. George laughs at me as he leads me down the stairs and through the common room. "I hate to break it to you, Love, but Fred would have ran for the hills the first time you asked him to attend a birthing class with you." He says, pulling me closer to his body and wrapping his arm around my waist with a triumphant grin. I roll my eyes at him, but choose not to comment about the time he fainted at birthing class when the instructor showed a video of a child being delivered. Just as we reach the hall it hits me that this is my first birthday without my parents and it causes tears to well up in my eyes.
"Hey, none of that now, Love." George says, bringing his sleeve up to wipe my eyes. Nodding at him, I allow him to escort me into the hall and towards our friends, all of whom have brightly wrapped parcels sitting in front of them. "Happy Birthday, Mione!" Fred shouts, as I take the empty seat next to him and George slips into the seat on my other side, shoving a neon orange parcel into my hands as soon as my arse hits the bench. George begins to fix me a plate of bacon, sausage, and eggs as I rip open the parcel his twin had given me to reveal bright yellow, floral patterned, newborn footie pajamas. "I thought that'd be cute, and warm, for her to go home in." Fred says with a shit eating grin. As I open the rest of the presents everyone had gotten me and begin to dig into my breakfast, I overhear Harry and Ron making bets about when the baby would finally be here. "I give it three days, at most." Ron tells him with a smirk, waiting to hear what Harry had to say about it. "You're giving her too much credit, Mione is an overachiever and never does anything half arsed, I think the baby will be here before Potions today." Harry's says, raising an eyebrow in Ron's direction. "Ten Galleons?" Ron offers, trying to make it into a bet.
"Sold."
Time Skip : Defense Against The Dark Arts, Two Hours Later.
As Umbridge begins her usual nonsense about Harry being a liar, I start to have what I know to unmistakably be contractions. I try and wait it out as long as absolutely possible but after thirty minutes the pain becomes unbearable and I shoot my hand up to ask for permission to go to Pomfrey. When Umbridge just looks at me before continuing on with her bullshite, I smack my hand onto the desk, making a loud cracking noise, and stand from my seat. "Miss Granger! That'll be 100 points from Gryffindor for causing a disruption in my classroom!" She says in her high pitched, nails on a chalkboard voice. I suck in a deep breath to attempt to control my temper but fail miserably when another contraction wrecks my body. "Fuck you and your bloody points. Unless you want me to give birth on your desk I suggest you send Harry to get Pomfrey, Ronald to get McGonagall, and Dean after George Weasley." She pales considerably at my outburst but begins nodding her head rapidly.
"Potter, go fetch Professor McGonagall and have her go with you to the Infirmary. Weasley, go find your idiotic brother. Malfoy, be a dear and go retrieve Professor Snape for me." As soon as the words leave her lips Harry and Ron rush from the room in a full sprint, Malfoy following behind them at a leisurely pace. A few moments later Snape come blowing into the room and scoops me up like a child in his arms. "Have you gone mad, Professor? You've got a student in active labor and you've done absolutely nothing to assist her." He snarls at Umbridge, who at that point had gone back to her lecture before turning and marching out of the room with me- heading straight for the hospital wing. "Don't think this changes anything, Miss Granger, I want three rolls of parchment by the end of the week, in detail, about every potion and what effect it has that Madame Pomfrey has to administer to you during the birth of your child." He snaps as we found the corner and start up the corridor that leads towards the Infirmary. Just as we reach the doors to the Hospital Wing I'm swept out of Snapes arms and into George's before he rushes me to a cot that Pomfrey had already had set up and waiting for me.
"Alright, Miss Granger, After I administer this potion for pain I'll be giving you something to progress your dilation... then I'll need you to push."
Time Skip : The Arrival, Five Hours Later.
"One last push should do it, Hermione." Molly's reassuring voice washes over me and I can't help the sob of relief that escapes me. Molly had arrived after I'd already broken three of George's fingers and that was hours ago. I'm more than ready for this to all be over and done with. Using all the energy I have left I sit up and push one last time, the universe rewarding me with the high pitched whaling cries of my daughter. "Oh, she's beautiful, Hermione!" Molly says as she's cooing at the baby. Madame Pomfrey gently takes my daughter from George's Mum and goes to clean her off, Molly follows off after her once she preforms a few healing spells on me, leaving George and I alone together for the first time since this morning. "You think they'll like her name?" I ask him with a smirk, watching as his smile grows into a grin. "Piss on what they think, we like her name and that's all that matters." He smirks when I laugh softly at his words.
"What exactly is her name, Hermione, Darling?" Molly's voice startled George and I slightly, but I relax as soon as she passes me my daughter, all bundled up in one of the Twins old baby blankets. "Go get everyone from the corridor and we'll tell you." George says as he looks down at the baby in my arms- luckily for all three of us it looks like she'll, for the most part, be my identical. Just before Molly leaves she turns and says something that catches me by surprise. "McGonagall sent Bill for Fleur just after he got here and he ended up coming back with Fleur and somebody I think you'll be very excited to meet!" Molly then ducks out into the corridor and a few seconds later all of our friends and family come rushing into the Hospital wing, along with a beautiful blonde woman I've never seen before in my life. As if reading my mind, she smiles shyly at me and moves to take the open seat next to my bed, crossing her legs daintily. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Hermione... we've been writing each other for a while now. I'm Rosalie Hale." George and I laugh loudly at her introduction causing everyone in the room to look at us like we'd gone mad. "What is so funny?" Fleur asks, looking between George and I in confusion.
"We'd like to introduce everyone to our daughter... Rosalie Celeste Granger-Weasley."
(Should I do a Part Three?)
(Please let me know how you feel about this!)