Unexpected (Chapters 5-6)
Title: Unexpected
Author: kijani
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Hermione/Luna
Rating: Older Teensish?
Summary: Hermione finally has her dream job, but when everything else comes crashing down, who will be there to help her pick up the pieces?
The four-poster seemed much smaller with two bodies occupying it, but neither woman seemed to mind as they pressed against one another, pink-cheeked and panting. Hermione's fingers were still tangled in Luna's hair, and sky blue orbs met brown when the blond finally opened her eyes again. Luna shifted on the small bed and curled against Hermione, letting out a soft sigh as her mind played over all that had happened in the past several days.
"Hermione, listen, I know that you've had a rough go of things lately, and I don't want to make everything worse, and I was just thinking..."
Hermione pressed her index finger to Luna's lips to quiet her and shook her head, curly brown locks falling into her eyes. They stayed in silence like that for a moment before Hermione finally spoke again, her voice so soft that Luna almost had to strain to hear it, despite the other woman's closeness.
"You're not making anything worse, Luna." she promised, and she offered the blond a small smile. "If anything else, you're making things better. I wish there was a better way that I could explain it, but I feel like this is okay. I feel safe, and comfortable. You make me forget that anything ever went wrong..."
Luna cringed, and Hermione's sentence died an early death as she watched her. What had she said wrong? What had she done? Confusion and pain mingled together in Luna's bright blue eyes, and she shifted on the bed again, reaching up to untangle Hermione's fingers from her hair and press a soft kiss to the back of her hand. A thick silence lingered between them as Luna tried to decide what she would say, and how she wanted to say it.
"Luna?"
Luna shook her head. "That's just it, Hermione. I don't want..." She paused and took a deep breath, a futile effort to mask the frustration that she was beginning to feel. "I don't want to just be some distraction for you. I like you. I hate what that bastard git did to you, and I hope his balls fall off. I hate that he hurt you...but I don't want to be the rebound while you get over him. I can't do that. It's... It's not fair to either of us."
The brunette bit her lip and gasped as though she had been slapped. Her chocolate brown eyes widened as she met Luna's gaze again, and although her mouth opened and closed several times, she couldn't bring herself to say anything in response to her friend's words. Could it be possible that Luna was right?
"Luna, I..."
Without another word, Luna shifted and rolled out of the little four-poster, a soft sigh passing her lips. She shuffled towards the door, but stopped when she had her hand on the knob and turned towards Hermione again. "You don't have to say anything, 'Mione. Trust me. I understand. I just... I'm going to go back to my room, alright? Besides, we both need to get our sleep if we're going to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for classes..."
"But Luna, I..."
"Goodnight, Hermione."
The soft click of the door as it shut when Luna left sounded quite a bit louder to Hermione than it actually was. She cringed as she stared at the closed door and frowned, biting her bottom lip and bringing her knees up to her chest as she laid in bed. The thick silence in the room was much more noticeable now that Luna was gone, and Hermione buried her face into her pillow as she thought over all that had happened between them.
Was it possible that Luna was right? The question loomed in Hermione's mind as she lay in bed. By the time her eyelids finally felt heavy, the sun was already starting to rise. She threw her legs over the side of the bed and groaned as she stretched her arms out over her head. She hadn't been able to sleep, but she couldn't simply hide in her room forever. She had obligations. Responsibilities. "Damn it..." she growled under her breath. "Why am I such an idiot?"
Breakfast the next morning was unusually quiet. Luna sat next to Hermione, but kept her gaze directed at her food for the entire meal. McGonnagal sat on Hermione's other side, keeping her a relatively safe distance away from the red-headed asshole she had until recently called her husband. The old woman seemed to be able to tell that Hermione was on edge. She offered her a polite smile as she nibbled on her breakfast, and then cleared her throat politely when she was done with her meal.
"Are you ready for classes to start?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in Hermione's direction.
"More than ready," she replied quickly, taking a long sip of her apple juice. "It will be nice to have the students here and not have the time to think about... Never mind."
McGonnagal nodded. "Yes, it is a bit nicer when the students are here. The quiet is nice, but the castle is almost too quiet when it is empty."
To Hermione's great surprise, at McGonnagal's words, Ron pushed himself away from the table, nearly causing his chair to topple over behind him, and stomped out of the Great Hall. Hermione's gaze followed him out of the room, but she didn't speak, and she didn't bother to go after him. A few moments later, Addison politely excused herself, although Hermione noticed how hurried her steps were as she made her way out of the hall.
Hagrid looked after the pair, but said nothing. Hermione shoveled the remainder of her breakfast into her mouth and scooted her chair away from the table. "I'm going to go get the classroom ready for Monday," she announced, a half-hearted smile on her face. "Want to make sure everything is perfect..."
The hall was strangely silent as she left, nothing but the sound of her sneakers slapping against the stone floor. It was like everyone else was holding their breath, as if time, in that moment, had stopped all together. Why did it feel like her world was still spinning out of control?
She'd only made it up four stairs when she heard an all-too-familiar voice, and she froze in place.
"Hermione?"
"Yes, Ronald?" She practically spat his name. At least with her back to him, he couldn't see the redness of her face, but she was certain that the venom dripping from her voice would be unmistakeable from any angle. It had been reserved especially for him lately.
There was a long silence. Hermione started up the stairs again. Three more, and then:
"I ended it with Addison."
She stopped again, one foot poised to take the next step, the other planted firmly on the one before it. "Oh?" It was all that she could manage to say.
Ron let out a loud sigh. "Yeah. I mean, I don't think she's too happy about-Could you at least look at me while I'm trying to talk to you?" Hermione could hear the frustration in his voice, but she couldn't manage to feel sorry for him. After all, he'd made his own bed, and in doing so, he had effectively destroyed her life. She held no sympathy for him. She had loved him, and he had thrown that in her face.
"No."
"Why the bloody hell not?" Ron demanded, his voice echoing in the empty stairway. For a brief moment, Hermione couldn't help but wonder if the others still gathered in the hall had heard his outburst.
She'd rarely heard him raise his voice like that. It was a little surprising, but she didn't flinch. She took a step down so that she was standing on level ground and crossed her arms over her chest, but did not turn to look at him. "Because, Ronald. I don't want to. You embarrassed me. Humiliated me. Hurt me in the worst way possible. If I look at you right now, I might be tempted to do more than that."
"That's harsh, 'Mione."
"Don't call me that."
"Hermione, please... Just give me a chance to explain myself."
Hermione shook her head. "I don't want to hear it, Ronald. It's not my problem. You couldn't keep your dick in your pants. You're the one that has to live with that. You can't have it both ways, and just because you broke it off with her doesn't excuse the fact that you did it in the first place!" Hermione could feel the stinging threat of oncoming tears. She blinked furiously in an effort to combat them, but nothing seemed to help. "You ruined everything!" she snapped. "You can go to hell, Ronald Weasley. Don't you dare expect pity from me." With that said, Hermione stomped up the remainder of the stairs, slamming the door when she finally reached her classroom.
She hid behind the safety of the door for a few minutes, leaning against it as she tried to catch her breath and calm herself down. Her stomach had tied itself in knots, and she could literally feel the throbbing that she felt in her head. A wave of nausea unlike any she had ever experienced washed over her body, and Hermione threw her hand over her mouth as she pulled at the door and raced for the bathroom. She reached it just in time to empty the contents of her stomach into the waiting toilet bowl.
Hermione had never let her emotions get the better of her quite like that before, and she sat on the floor of the bathroom long after her stomach was devoid of her breakfast, her body shaking as she hugged the toilet seat. When she found her legs again, she pulled herself up and dragged herself to the sink to splash a bit of water on her face. "You can do this, Hermione..." she whispered to her reflection. "You can do this."
The next morning, her new mantra in playing itself over and over again in her head, Hermione rolled out of bed and shuffled down to the Great Hall in her pajamas. Her eyes were still somewhat puffy from the drama of the day before, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She pushed open the door and forced herself forward, one foot in front of the other. This plan worked fairly well until she reached the table where the morning's breakfast was arranged. One deep breath was enough to send her stomach reeling again, and she covered her mouth to fight back the wave of nausea that threatened her.
"Hermione?" It was Luna's voice, although one quick glance upwards told her that everyone else seemed to be staring at her as well. "Are you alright?"
Hermione couldn't bring herself to reply. Instead, she pivoted on her heel and rushed from the hall, hand still clasped over her mouth and nose. Once again she found herself on her knees, hugging the toilet as she wretched. This wasn't good. On top of everything else, she wasn't sure she could handle getting sick right before classes were to start. Then again, the rest of her life seemed intent on rebeling against her, so why not her own body as well?
"Hermione?" It was Luna again. Hermione groaned as she heard the squeaking sound announcing the swinging of the bathroom door.
"I'm fine..." she managed, her voice nothing more than a low whine.
"Of course you are," Luna shrugged. "But I'm going to walk with you to Madame Pomfrey's anyway. If it's contagious, you might want to think about canceling your class tomorrow..."
Hermione groaned her response, but let herself be led towards the door anyway. She leaned against Luna for support, her face flushed as they made their way down the hallway. The two traveled in silence for a time before Hermione's soft voice cut through the still air. "I'm sorry, Luna. About the other day. I didn't mean to make you feel-"
"I know, Hermione. We can talk about it later, okay? Right now, there are more important things to worry about..."
***
"I don't know what to tell you, Mrs. Weasley-"
"Use my maiden name, please..." Hermione tried not to snap at the older woman. After all, it wasn't her fault that Ron was an insufferable asshole.
"It's not the stomach flu, so I'm fairly certain you'll be okay for classes tomorrow," Madame Pomfrey finished without skipping a beat.
Hermione looked up, her expression pained as she bent over a plastic pail. "What on earth is it, then? I've not been able to keep a thing down. I feel like death warmed over. You're sure none of the students can catch it?" As relieved as she was to hear that it wasn't the flu, Hermione couldn't help but want to know what it was. It had already interrupted enough of her life as far as she was concerned. She didn't need to be tossing her cookies in the middle of a class with no explanation as to why on Monday. "The students will be here tonight, and I just want to be sure..."
"There's a number of things it could be, really," shrugged the old woman. "Stress, food poisoning, although I doubt that since you're the only one here..." Madame Pomfrey paused, her eyes widening and a small smile creeping across her face as she looked the young woman up and down. "There is one other possibility you might want to consider." she offered.
Hermione waited quietly, her gaze flickering from Luna to the old healer and back again. "Well?" she finally asked.
Madame Pomfrey cleared her throat. "When was your last cycle?"
It took Hermione a moment to realize what the old woman was asking. "What do you mean? It was..." She paused, her eyes widening as the color slowly drained from her cheeks. It couldn't be, could it? Hermione thought back over the last several weeks, her hand slowly moving to her stomach. Between the excitement of getting the new job at the castle and the revelation that her husband was a cheating bastard who couldn't keep it in his pants, everything else had completely slipped her mind. She bit her lip and tried to will back the oncoming tears that stung her eyes.
"Well then. It seems like we answered that question," chimed Madame Pomfrey. "Congratulations to you, Hermione. I'm sure that Ron will be very excited to hear the news about the-"
Hermione cut her off before she could finish the sentence. "Don't tell Ronald," she said, almost too quickly. The old woman blinked in surprise, and Hermione amended her statement. "Don't tell him," she repeated. "Don't tell anyone. I'll tell him."
"Hermione..." This time it was Luna. Hermione cringed at the sound of her own name.
"Don't say it, Luna."
The blond sighed and ducked her head, her hair falling into her eyes as she took a deep breath. "I... I wasn't going to say anything," she whispered. "I just... We should get back to the others. They're all probably very worried about you." Luna offered her hand, and Hermione looked at it for a moment before accepting it and lifting herself to her feet.
"Thank you..." she whispered to Madame Pomfrey.
"You're welcome, dear. Congratulations!"
"Yeah... Thanks."
The gentle hum of conversation that had been occurring when Luna and Hermione re-entered the Great Hall died almost as soon as they set foot within the room. The two stole a quick glance at one another, and Hermione released Luna's hand before taking her seat at the table next to McGonnagal as she had the morning before. All eyes were on her as she sat down, and suddenly she felt very warm, as if every inch of her skin was on fire. Finally, she looked up and let out a low sigh.
"Twenty-four hour stomach bug," she shrugged. "It'll be gone tomorrow and there's nothing to worry about. You all can stop staring now. I promise I'm going to be fine." She paused a moment to glance about the table and snatched a muffin for herself from one of the plates, nibbling gingerly on it as she waited for the conversation in the hall to resume. She would tell Ronald. She would tell everyone. Eventually.
After breakfast, Hermione stole away to her office and pulled out a quill and a piece of parchment. She had already dipped the quill and had it poised over the parchment before she even knew what she was going to say. She had to talk to someone, but ironically, it wasn't even her own mother that came to mind. She pressed the quill to the parchment and began to write.
Molly,
I hope you and Arthur are doing well. I've settled in to the castle quite nicely. Ronald is doing fine. More than fine, actually. I can't wait for the students to get here and for the school year to finally begin. I'm looking forward to the distraction, actually...
What was meant to be a fairly simple letter turned into something much more. It was a monster, and the whole thing took up nearly three roles of parchment by the time that Hermione was done writing. She told her mother-in-law everything. Of course, the letter had started off nicely enough, but as she continued writing, the rest of the details seemed to fill themselves in of their own accord. Walking in on Ron with the new potions professor, the arguments, the late night crying spells and her new-found friendship with Luna Lovegood, and of course, the most recent piece of news.
...I haven't been feeling well, so I went to see Madame Pomfrey. Didn't want to make any of the students sick, of course. Good news is I'm not contagious. It's worse than that... I'm pregnant, Molly. I'm pregnant, and I haven't told Ronald. I can't even begin to think of how to tell him in light of...everything else. I don't know what to do. I want to be happy about it. I've always wanted a big family, and I know I should be happy, but I can't be. I'm scared and I'm angry and I feel like I'll be bringing this baby into a broken home. I'm so stupid. I just wish... I wish Ronald and I could have had what you and Arthur have. But it's all ruined now. I don't think I can ever trust him again, and now with this baby on the way... I've never felt so helpless. I always know what to do, but this time, I'm stumped. Luna is the only other person who knows everything. She has been a constant friend through it all.
Please don't tell Ronald, Molly. I'll tell him on my own. Eventually. I swear. Just... Please keep this between us for now. I need to figure things out on my own before I talk to him.
Give Arthur my best.
Love, Hermione
By the time she was finished, the parchment was blotched in several places, but still legible. Hermione rolled the parchment up and considered shoving it into the deep, dark recesses of her desk drawer, but decided against it. Instead, she pushed herself up and made the trek to the school owlery, choosing one of the larger birds to deliver her letter to the matriarch of the Weasley family. She stood and watched the animal fly off until she couldn't see it anymore, and then she started back down the stairs, the weight on her shoulders feeling somewhat lighter than it had earlier.
...ooo...
For reasons that she couldn't explain, the mattress on Hermione's four-poster bed felt softer than it ever had before when she finally went to lay down that night. She curled in on herself and hugged her pillow, her body facing the wall. Almost as soon as she was comfortable, her eyelids began to feel heavy...and almost as soon as she closed her eyes, there was a soft knocking at her door.
"Go away, Ronald." Hermione snapped on instinct.
There was silence beyond the door for a moment, and then Hermione heard a soft, musical voice that she hadn't been expecting. "It's not Ron, Hermione. Can I come in?" Luna's voice seemed to float through the room, and Hermione shifted her weight on the bed and turned to face the door, a small smile gracing her lips.
"Of course," she called out. She sat herself up in bed and brushed her fingertips through her hair as the door creaked open. When she saw Luna, she smiled again and patted the overstuffed red chair beside her bed. "Sorry," she whispered. "I'm a little on edge. Ron and I... We had an argument yesterday, and I've just been... I've not been myself. I'm sorry I snapped at you. I thought you were him."
Luna nodded in understanding as she folded herself into the bedside chair. For a moment, she didn't speak, and the two of them sat in a comfortable silence, blue orbs occasionally meeting with brown as if the two were trying to decide who would be the one to break the silence. Finally, Luna spoke. "You know, I didn't mean to upset you the other day. I just thought... You know... With everything else that has been going on, I didn't want to rush you into things. And... And with a baby on the way, maybe you want to work on things with Ronald and try to-"
"I won't be working on things with Ronald," Hermione interrupted, her voice curt. "I can't do it, Luna. Not after what he did. I mean, it's not like we weren't intimate. I never thought that trusting him would be an issue, but he was doing all of this and still pretending that he loved me, and I don't think that I can forgive that."
Luna reached out and placed her hand on Hermione's knee, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I didn't mean to upset you by suggesting it," she whispered. "I just thought that..." She let out a soft sigh. "I don't know what I was thinking, actually. I know how badly he hurt you. He's an idiot, and he knows it. He's probably in his room right now, cuddling up with his pillow and thinking of ways to kick himself in his own ass for what he did to you."
"Luna?"
"Yes, 'Mione?"
"You're not helping."
"Sorry..." Luna blushed and looked down at the floor for a moment before she spoke again. She shifted her weight in the chair and tucked a stray strand of blond hair behind her ear. "I know it must be hard, Hermione. I can't even really imagine, but I know you'll manage. You've always been strong, and I know you'll make it through this."
Hermione could do nothing to hide the frown that crept onto her face. "I wish I believed that, Luna, but right now, I don't know what to think." She pulled her blanket a little bit closer to her body, almost as if shielding herself with it, and let out a soft sigh. "I've never felt as lost as I do right now. Thank you...for putting up with me. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you right now, and I..." Despite her best efforts, Hermione could do nothing to combat the yawn that interrupted her sentence.
Luna smiled. "Don't mention it, 'Mione." She stood, stretching her arms up over her head, and yawned herself. "I should probably go find my own bed..." she mused, taking a step backwards towards the door. She stopped when her back came into contact with the wood frame, and smiled at her friend. "One day soon, when you've got everything figured out and everything makes a little bit more sense, maybe we'll finally be able to have that talk I promised you..."
"I'm holding you to that."
Luna smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that. Goodnight, 'Mione."
Author: kijani
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Hermione/Luna
Rating: Older Teensish?
Summary: Hermione finally has her dream job, but when everything else comes crashing down, who will be there to help her pick up the pieces?
The four-poster seemed much smaller with two bodies occupying it, but neither woman seemed to mind as they pressed against one another, pink-cheeked and panting. Hermione's fingers were still tangled in Luna's hair, and sky blue orbs met brown when the blond finally opened her eyes again. Luna shifted on the small bed and curled against Hermione, letting out a soft sigh as her mind played over all that had happened in the past several days.
"Hermione, listen, I know that you've had a rough go of things lately, and I don't want to make everything worse, and I was just thinking..."
Hermione pressed her index finger to Luna's lips to quiet her and shook her head, curly brown locks falling into her eyes. They stayed in silence like that for a moment before Hermione finally spoke again, her voice so soft that Luna almost had to strain to hear it, despite the other woman's closeness.
"You're not making anything worse, Luna." she promised, and she offered the blond a small smile. "If anything else, you're making things better. I wish there was a better way that I could explain it, but I feel like this is okay. I feel safe, and comfortable. You make me forget that anything ever went wrong..."
Luna cringed, and Hermione's sentence died an early death as she watched her. What had she said wrong? What had she done? Confusion and pain mingled together in Luna's bright blue eyes, and she shifted on the bed again, reaching up to untangle Hermione's fingers from her hair and press a soft kiss to the back of her hand. A thick silence lingered between them as Luna tried to decide what she would say, and how she wanted to say it.
"Luna?"
Luna shook her head. "That's just it, Hermione. I don't want..." She paused and took a deep breath, a futile effort to mask the frustration that she was beginning to feel. "I don't want to just be some distraction for you. I like you. I hate what that bastard git did to you, and I hope his balls fall off. I hate that he hurt you...but I don't want to be the rebound while you get over him. I can't do that. It's... It's not fair to either of us."
The brunette bit her lip and gasped as though she had been slapped. Her chocolate brown eyes widened as she met Luna's gaze again, and although her mouth opened and closed several times, she couldn't bring herself to say anything in response to her friend's words. Could it be possible that Luna was right?
"Luna, I..."
Without another word, Luna shifted and rolled out of the little four-poster, a soft sigh passing her lips. She shuffled towards the door, but stopped when she had her hand on the knob and turned towards Hermione again. "You don't have to say anything, 'Mione. Trust me. I understand. I just... I'm going to go back to my room, alright? Besides, we both need to get our sleep if we're going to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for classes..."
"But Luna, I..."
"Goodnight, Hermione."
The soft click of the door as it shut when Luna left sounded quite a bit louder to Hermione than it actually was. She cringed as she stared at the closed door and frowned, biting her bottom lip and bringing her knees up to her chest as she laid in bed. The thick silence in the room was much more noticeable now that Luna was gone, and Hermione buried her face into her pillow as she thought over all that had happened between them.
Was it possible that Luna was right? The question loomed in Hermione's mind as she lay in bed. By the time her eyelids finally felt heavy, the sun was already starting to rise. She threw her legs over the side of the bed and groaned as she stretched her arms out over her head. She hadn't been able to sleep, but she couldn't simply hide in her room forever. She had obligations. Responsibilities. "Damn it..." she growled under her breath. "Why am I such an idiot?"
Breakfast the next morning was unusually quiet. Luna sat next to Hermione, but kept her gaze directed at her food for the entire meal. McGonnagal sat on Hermione's other side, keeping her a relatively safe distance away from the red-headed asshole she had until recently called her husband. The old woman seemed to be able to tell that Hermione was on edge. She offered her a polite smile as she nibbled on her breakfast, and then cleared her throat politely when she was done with her meal.
"Are you ready for classes to start?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in Hermione's direction.
"More than ready," she replied quickly, taking a long sip of her apple juice. "It will be nice to have the students here and not have the time to think about... Never mind."
McGonnagal nodded. "Yes, it is a bit nicer when the students are here. The quiet is nice, but the castle is almost too quiet when it is empty."
To Hermione's great surprise, at McGonnagal's words, Ron pushed himself away from the table, nearly causing his chair to topple over behind him, and stomped out of the Great Hall. Hermione's gaze followed him out of the room, but she didn't speak, and she didn't bother to go after him. A few moments later, Addison politely excused herself, although Hermione noticed how hurried her steps were as she made her way out of the hall.
Hagrid looked after the pair, but said nothing. Hermione shoveled the remainder of her breakfast into her mouth and scooted her chair away from the table. "I'm going to go get the classroom ready for Monday," she announced, a half-hearted smile on her face. "Want to make sure everything is perfect..."
The hall was strangely silent as she left, nothing but the sound of her sneakers slapping against the stone floor. It was like everyone else was holding their breath, as if time, in that moment, had stopped all together. Why did it feel like her world was still spinning out of control?
She'd only made it up four stairs when she heard an all-too-familiar voice, and she froze in place.
"Hermione?"
"Yes, Ronald?" She practically spat his name. At least with her back to him, he couldn't see the redness of her face, but she was certain that the venom dripping from her voice would be unmistakeable from any angle. It had been reserved especially for him lately.
There was a long silence. Hermione started up the stairs again. Three more, and then:
"I ended it with Addison."
She stopped again, one foot poised to take the next step, the other planted firmly on the one before it. "Oh?" It was all that she could manage to say.
Ron let out a loud sigh. "Yeah. I mean, I don't think she's too happy about-Could you at least look at me while I'm trying to talk to you?" Hermione could hear the frustration in his voice, but she couldn't manage to feel sorry for him. After all, he'd made his own bed, and in doing so, he had effectively destroyed her life. She held no sympathy for him. She had loved him, and he had thrown that in her face.
"No."
"Why the bloody hell not?" Ron demanded, his voice echoing in the empty stairway. For a brief moment, Hermione couldn't help but wonder if the others still gathered in the hall had heard his outburst.
She'd rarely heard him raise his voice like that. It was a little surprising, but she didn't flinch. She took a step down so that she was standing on level ground and crossed her arms over her chest, but did not turn to look at him. "Because, Ronald. I don't want to. You embarrassed me. Humiliated me. Hurt me in the worst way possible. If I look at you right now, I might be tempted to do more than that."
"That's harsh, 'Mione."
"Don't call me that."
"Hermione, please... Just give me a chance to explain myself."
Hermione shook her head. "I don't want to hear it, Ronald. It's not my problem. You couldn't keep your dick in your pants. You're the one that has to live with that. You can't have it both ways, and just because you broke it off with her doesn't excuse the fact that you did it in the first place!" Hermione could feel the stinging threat of oncoming tears. She blinked furiously in an effort to combat them, but nothing seemed to help. "You ruined everything!" she snapped. "You can go to hell, Ronald Weasley. Don't you dare expect pity from me." With that said, Hermione stomped up the remainder of the stairs, slamming the door when she finally reached her classroom.
She hid behind the safety of the door for a few minutes, leaning against it as she tried to catch her breath and calm herself down. Her stomach had tied itself in knots, and she could literally feel the throbbing that she felt in her head. A wave of nausea unlike any she had ever experienced washed over her body, and Hermione threw her hand over her mouth as she pulled at the door and raced for the bathroom. She reached it just in time to empty the contents of her stomach into the waiting toilet bowl.
Hermione had never let her emotions get the better of her quite like that before, and she sat on the floor of the bathroom long after her stomach was devoid of her breakfast, her body shaking as she hugged the toilet seat. When she found her legs again, she pulled herself up and dragged herself to the sink to splash a bit of water on her face. "You can do this, Hermione..." she whispered to her reflection. "You can do this."
The next morning, her new mantra in playing itself over and over again in her head, Hermione rolled out of bed and shuffled down to the Great Hall in her pajamas. Her eyes were still somewhat puffy from the drama of the day before, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She pushed open the door and forced herself forward, one foot in front of the other. This plan worked fairly well until she reached the table where the morning's breakfast was arranged. One deep breath was enough to send her stomach reeling again, and she covered her mouth to fight back the wave of nausea that threatened her.
"Hermione?" It was Luna's voice, although one quick glance upwards told her that everyone else seemed to be staring at her as well. "Are you alright?"
Hermione couldn't bring herself to reply. Instead, she pivoted on her heel and rushed from the hall, hand still clasped over her mouth and nose. Once again she found herself on her knees, hugging the toilet as she wretched. This wasn't good. On top of everything else, she wasn't sure she could handle getting sick right before classes were to start. Then again, the rest of her life seemed intent on rebeling against her, so why not her own body as well?
"Hermione?" It was Luna again. Hermione groaned as she heard the squeaking sound announcing the swinging of the bathroom door.
"I'm fine..." she managed, her voice nothing more than a low whine.
"Of course you are," Luna shrugged. "But I'm going to walk with you to Madame Pomfrey's anyway. If it's contagious, you might want to think about canceling your class tomorrow..."
Hermione groaned her response, but let herself be led towards the door anyway. She leaned against Luna for support, her face flushed as they made their way down the hallway. The two traveled in silence for a time before Hermione's soft voice cut through the still air. "I'm sorry, Luna. About the other day. I didn't mean to make you feel-"
"I know, Hermione. We can talk about it later, okay? Right now, there are more important things to worry about..."
***
"I don't know what to tell you, Mrs. Weasley-"
"Use my maiden name, please..." Hermione tried not to snap at the older woman. After all, it wasn't her fault that Ron was an insufferable asshole.
"It's not the stomach flu, so I'm fairly certain you'll be okay for classes tomorrow," Madame Pomfrey finished without skipping a beat.
Hermione looked up, her expression pained as she bent over a plastic pail. "What on earth is it, then? I've not been able to keep a thing down. I feel like death warmed over. You're sure none of the students can catch it?" As relieved as she was to hear that it wasn't the flu, Hermione couldn't help but want to know what it was. It had already interrupted enough of her life as far as she was concerned. She didn't need to be tossing her cookies in the middle of a class with no explanation as to why on Monday. "The students will be here tonight, and I just want to be sure..."
"There's a number of things it could be, really," shrugged the old woman. "Stress, food poisoning, although I doubt that since you're the only one here..." Madame Pomfrey paused, her eyes widening and a small smile creeping across her face as she looked the young woman up and down. "There is one other possibility you might want to consider." she offered.
Hermione waited quietly, her gaze flickering from Luna to the old healer and back again. "Well?" she finally asked.
Madame Pomfrey cleared her throat. "When was your last cycle?"
It took Hermione a moment to realize what the old woman was asking. "What do you mean? It was..." She paused, her eyes widening as the color slowly drained from her cheeks. It couldn't be, could it? Hermione thought back over the last several weeks, her hand slowly moving to her stomach. Between the excitement of getting the new job at the castle and the revelation that her husband was a cheating bastard who couldn't keep it in his pants, everything else had completely slipped her mind. She bit her lip and tried to will back the oncoming tears that stung her eyes.
"Well then. It seems like we answered that question," chimed Madame Pomfrey. "Congratulations to you, Hermione. I'm sure that Ron will be very excited to hear the news about the-"
Hermione cut her off before she could finish the sentence. "Don't tell Ronald," she said, almost too quickly. The old woman blinked in surprise, and Hermione amended her statement. "Don't tell him," she repeated. "Don't tell anyone. I'll tell him."
"Hermione..." This time it was Luna. Hermione cringed at the sound of her own name.
"Don't say it, Luna."
The blond sighed and ducked her head, her hair falling into her eyes as she took a deep breath. "I... I wasn't going to say anything," she whispered. "I just... We should get back to the others. They're all probably very worried about you." Luna offered her hand, and Hermione looked at it for a moment before accepting it and lifting herself to her feet.
"Thank you..." she whispered to Madame Pomfrey.
"You're welcome, dear. Congratulations!"
"Yeah... Thanks."
The gentle hum of conversation that had been occurring when Luna and Hermione re-entered the Great Hall died almost as soon as they set foot within the room. The two stole a quick glance at one another, and Hermione released Luna's hand before taking her seat at the table next to McGonnagal as she had the morning before. All eyes were on her as she sat down, and suddenly she felt very warm, as if every inch of her skin was on fire. Finally, she looked up and let out a low sigh.
"Twenty-four hour stomach bug," she shrugged. "It'll be gone tomorrow and there's nothing to worry about. You all can stop staring now. I promise I'm going to be fine." She paused a moment to glance about the table and snatched a muffin for herself from one of the plates, nibbling gingerly on it as she waited for the conversation in the hall to resume. She would tell Ronald. She would tell everyone. Eventually.
After breakfast, Hermione stole away to her office and pulled out a quill and a piece of parchment. She had already dipped the quill and had it poised over the parchment before she even knew what she was going to say. She had to talk to someone, but ironically, it wasn't even her own mother that came to mind. She pressed the quill to the parchment and began to write.
Molly,
I hope you and Arthur are doing well. I've settled in to the castle quite nicely. Ronald is doing fine. More than fine, actually. I can't wait for the students to get here and for the school year to finally begin. I'm looking forward to the distraction, actually...
What was meant to be a fairly simple letter turned into something much more. It was a monster, and the whole thing took up nearly three roles of parchment by the time that Hermione was done writing. She told her mother-in-law everything. Of course, the letter had started off nicely enough, but as she continued writing, the rest of the details seemed to fill themselves in of their own accord. Walking in on Ron with the new potions professor, the arguments, the late night crying spells and her new-found friendship with Luna Lovegood, and of course, the most recent piece of news.
...I haven't been feeling well, so I went to see Madame Pomfrey. Didn't want to make any of the students sick, of course. Good news is I'm not contagious. It's worse than that... I'm pregnant, Molly. I'm pregnant, and I haven't told Ronald. I can't even begin to think of how to tell him in light of...everything else. I don't know what to do. I want to be happy about it. I've always wanted a big family, and I know I should be happy, but I can't be. I'm scared and I'm angry and I feel like I'll be bringing this baby into a broken home. I'm so stupid. I just wish... I wish Ronald and I could have had what you and Arthur have. But it's all ruined now. I don't think I can ever trust him again, and now with this baby on the way... I've never felt so helpless. I always know what to do, but this time, I'm stumped. Luna is the only other person who knows everything. She has been a constant friend through it all.
Please don't tell Ronald, Molly. I'll tell him on my own. Eventually. I swear. Just... Please keep this between us for now. I need to figure things out on my own before I talk to him.
Give Arthur my best.
Love, Hermione
By the time she was finished, the parchment was blotched in several places, but still legible. Hermione rolled the parchment up and considered shoving it into the deep, dark recesses of her desk drawer, but decided against it. Instead, she pushed herself up and made the trek to the school owlery, choosing one of the larger birds to deliver her letter to the matriarch of the Weasley family. She stood and watched the animal fly off until she couldn't see it anymore, and then she started back down the stairs, the weight on her shoulders feeling somewhat lighter than it had earlier.
...ooo...
For reasons that she couldn't explain, the mattress on Hermione's four-poster bed felt softer than it ever had before when she finally went to lay down that night. She curled in on herself and hugged her pillow, her body facing the wall. Almost as soon as she was comfortable, her eyelids began to feel heavy...and almost as soon as she closed her eyes, there was a soft knocking at her door.
"Go away, Ronald." Hermione snapped on instinct.
There was silence beyond the door for a moment, and then Hermione heard a soft, musical voice that she hadn't been expecting. "It's not Ron, Hermione. Can I come in?" Luna's voice seemed to float through the room, and Hermione shifted her weight on the bed and turned to face the door, a small smile gracing her lips.
"Of course," she called out. She sat herself up in bed and brushed her fingertips through her hair as the door creaked open. When she saw Luna, she smiled again and patted the overstuffed red chair beside her bed. "Sorry," she whispered. "I'm a little on edge. Ron and I... We had an argument yesterday, and I've just been... I've not been myself. I'm sorry I snapped at you. I thought you were him."
Luna nodded in understanding as she folded herself into the bedside chair. For a moment, she didn't speak, and the two of them sat in a comfortable silence, blue orbs occasionally meeting with brown as if the two were trying to decide who would be the one to break the silence. Finally, Luna spoke. "You know, I didn't mean to upset you the other day. I just thought... You know... With everything else that has been going on, I didn't want to rush you into things. And... And with a baby on the way, maybe you want to work on things with Ronald and try to-"
"I won't be working on things with Ronald," Hermione interrupted, her voice curt. "I can't do it, Luna. Not after what he did. I mean, it's not like we weren't intimate. I never thought that trusting him would be an issue, but he was doing all of this and still pretending that he loved me, and I don't think that I can forgive that."
Luna reached out and placed her hand on Hermione's knee, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I didn't mean to upset you by suggesting it," she whispered. "I just thought that..." She let out a soft sigh. "I don't know what I was thinking, actually. I know how badly he hurt you. He's an idiot, and he knows it. He's probably in his room right now, cuddling up with his pillow and thinking of ways to kick himself in his own ass for what he did to you."
"Luna?"
"Yes, 'Mione?"
"You're not helping."
"Sorry..." Luna blushed and looked down at the floor for a moment before she spoke again. She shifted her weight in the chair and tucked a stray strand of blond hair behind her ear. "I know it must be hard, Hermione. I can't even really imagine, but I know you'll manage. You've always been strong, and I know you'll make it through this."
Hermione could do nothing to hide the frown that crept onto her face. "I wish I believed that, Luna, but right now, I don't know what to think." She pulled her blanket a little bit closer to her body, almost as if shielding herself with it, and let out a soft sigh. "I've never felt as lost as I do right now. Thank you...for putting up with me. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you right now, and I..." Despite her best efforts, Hermione could do nothing to combat the yawn that interrupted her sentence.
Luna smiled. "Don't mention it, 'Mione." She stood, stretching her arms up over her head, and yawned herself. "I should probably go find my own bed..." she mused, taking a step backwards towards the door. She stopped when her back came into contact with the wood frame, and smiled at her friend. "One day soon, when you've got everything figured out and everything makes a little bit more sense, maybe we'll finally be able to have that talk I promised you..."
"I'm holding you to that."
Luna smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that. Goodnight, 'Mione."