Clarity

A/N: Thank you for all your reviews!!! I love reading them.

Ginnylovesharry: It’s always a pleasure to read your reviews. =) I’m glad I kept you interested. I hope this chapter will live up to your expectations too. If you’re interested in Hermione ships, not just Hermione/Harry…my other story may interest you, not like I’m trying to promote myself too much ;-) But keep reviewing!

To all my other reviewers: Thanks a million!!! I love to hear that you like how it’s coming. =)


Prophecy Fulfilled

Two girls stood in front of their calendar, both with very different expressions. One frowned deeply and the other grinned at the late date. Both girls pulled on their shoes and grabbed their wands. One girl apparated to St Mungo’s and let the nurses know she had arrived for her appointment. They took her right in. The second girl, who had flooed to the hospital, arrived right after the first disappeared into the back room. She walked up to the nurse’s station and announced her arrival. They took her right in.

Both girls lied back on the table, having different healers. Each healer waved their wand over the girl in front of them. One wand sent out sparks of gold, the other did nothing. Both girls frowned deeply.

******

“I can’t be pregnant!”

“I assure you, Miss. Granger, you can be, and you are.” The healer replied.

“No, no. Healer Williams, I can’t be. I used the contraceptive charm! I’ve only had sex once in the last few months!”

“I’m sorry, Miss. Granger. Maybe you performed the charm incorrectly.”

Hermione was becoming more and more ill tempered by the moment. “I am Hermione Granger!” She yelled, pointing at herself aggressively. “I don’t perform charms incorrectly!” The healer looked shocked. “Oh, my. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to yell. This is just a complete shock.”

“Well maybe you forgot this time, in the heat of the moment.” Hermione bowed her head and nodded, even though she distinctly remembered performing the charm. “Miss. Granger, do you have someone to help you with this?”

“Yes. Well the father is away right now, but he’ll be back.” He’ll be back. “And I have my parents, and my best friends.”

The healer nodded her head and gave Hermione a script. “This is for some anti nausea medication. Take it when you first feel sick. Also,” the healer gave her another script, “these are the ingredients to prenatal potion you need to take. Please make sure you take it, it’ll help you stay healthy through the pregnancy when you’re immune system is weakened.”

Hermione sighed and thanked the healer before leaving the room.

*****

“I’m not pregnant?”

“No, Miss. Weasley, you aren’t! You are free to go, but I would advise you to remember your contraceptive charm next time.” The healer warned.

“Are you sure? Can you try again?”

The healer looked at her strangely, “Miss. Weasley, I assure you I performed the charm correctly. You are most certainly, 100% not pregnant.”

Ginny hid her face in her hands. What is Harry going to do?! “You’re positive?” She asked one more time.

The healer was starting to fume. “Very much so. You are all set to leave.” She was practically pushing Ginny out the door. When the door was shut behind her, she let out a nervous sigh. She turned to leave. Looking up she spotted someone she knew at the other end of the corridor. Slowly, the two girls walked toward each other, fully aware of the other’s presence.

When they got close enough to talk normally, Ginny started. “Hermione.” She nodded. “What brings you here?”

“Oh you know, Ginny. Just a check up. You?”

“Same. Good seeing you!” She said before running off out of the office. Hermione, however, stopped at the desk to make her next appointment, two months from then.

*****

Ginny flooed straight to the Ministry, she needed to talk to Ron about her appointment. She did not know all the details, but she knew that Ron was in contact with Harry somehow.

“Ron Weasley?” She asked the receptionist as the elevator opened on the 15th floor.

“Two doors down on your left.” She said without looking up.

“Thanks.” Ginny mumbled and practically sprinted down to the office.

Ron was sitting at his desk, leafing through paperwork when Ginny ran in, slamming the door behind her. “Whoa, Gin. You can’t run around like that here.”

“Can I talk to you, Ron? It’s really important.”

“Of course you can, you can always talk to me.” He looked worried.

“No. I mean. About Harry.” She whispered.

Without another word, Ron put silencing charms around the room. “Go ahead.”

“Did he talk to you about the prophecy? The one that said he needed to produce an heir?”

Ron nodded. “He told me about it. He told me that you and him were trying. Did you get news?”

Ginny hung her head. With tears in her eyes, she looked back at her big brother. He didn’t need her to tell him the answer. Without words he knew she wasn’t pregnant. He pulled her into a loving hug and whispered, “It’ll be ok. He’ll be fine.” Fuck Dumbledore. What does he know, Ron thought angrily. After hugging his sister for a few more minutes he told her, “You should go home and take a long bath to relax. Just know, that Harry will get come out of this on top.”

Ginny nodded sadly and walked out of the office. Just as she walked into one elevator and it closed, another elevator holding Hermione opened.

“Ron Weasley?” She asked the receptionist.

“Two doors down on the left.” She said without looking up.

“Thank you.” Hermione said sweetly before calmly walking down the hall.

Ron was sitting at his desk, trying to concentrate on work after his sister’s announcement when Hermione knocked softly on the door. Ron looked up and grinned broadly at her. “I thought I’d see you at dinner tonight? Why’d you come here? I get off in a few hours.”

Hermione looked down at her hands and played with her fingers. “Yea. Um. Something happened today, and I needed to talk to someone.”

Ron got up from his chair and walked around to her. He put his hands on her shoulders. “What’s this about, Hermione? I haven’t seen you like this since the week Harry left.” She looked up at him and for the second time in a half hour one of the few girls he loved had tears in her eyes. He hurried to close the door and charm silence from the room. “Spill.” He said sitting on his desk facing her.

“I don’t even know how this happened – I thought we were safe – but apparently my dream wasn’t really a dream.” Hermione’s tears slid down her cheeks and she passed him the parchment clutched in her hands. “I went home before I came here and I saw that.” She got up and walked around the room. “‘Times’ it says. ‘Times’. That implies more than once, but I only thought we had sex once. But apparently we had it more than once.” Ron was staring at the note that Harry had left her the morning he left. “Ron.” He didn’t look up. “Ron!” his head snapped up.

“You’re pregnant.” He whispered.

Hermione hung her head. “Yes.” Tears were in her eyes, but before she knew it Ron had grabbed her and spun her around in the air. She squealed and instantly became nauseas. “RON! I’m pregnant! Don’t do that!”

Ron apologized and put her down. “You’re pregnant!!” He said again. Nevermind! Don’t fuck Dumbledore! We’re saved!

“Yes. Ron. I told that you already. Why are you happy about this! Harry is out at Merlin-only-knows-where!! And I’m sitting here praying he comes home!” She fumed at him.

“He’ll come back.” Ron stated confidently.

“I’m glad you’re so confident that Voldemort doesn’t have a nasty trick up his sleeve.” Hermione was so mad her face glowed red.

“You need to calm down. You’re pregnant, you need to breathe.” Hermione knew he was right. She took a few deep breaths and sat down in his desk chair. “Hermione, I want you to go to my flat, and tell Luna. Tell her that I’m going to be very late coming home. I’m going to see Harry.”

“Ron! Don’t tell Harry!!! You can’t. He can’t worry about me too!”

“No, hun. I won’t. He needs to tell you something, I can’t do it.” Hermione looked at him questioningly. He kissed her hair and said, “Trust me. Go see Luna. Stay at the flat until I get there.” Hermione nodded and apparated out of the office.
The minute Hermione was gone, Ron flooed Dumbledore from his office. “Professor,” he started, “The prophecy holds true.”

“Miss. Weasley is pregnant?” The old man asked.

“No.” Dumbledore’s eyebrows rose at the answer. “Hermione is. I have to go to Harry. He doesn’t want to know about the pregnancy, but he needs to tell Hermione about the prophecy.”

“I agree, I dare say she must be scared out of her mind.” Ron nodded. “Well take this portkey. It will bring you to Harry.”

Ron thanked the man and took his head out of the fireplace. Standing up, he held the portkey and closed his eyes. When he opened them he was in the middle of the forest, no one in sight.

Ron immediately took out his wand and hid behind the closet tree. It was the first time he had tried to contact Harry in the three weeks since he had left. Ron whispered an incantation and a small puff of smoke emitted in the shape of a snitch from his wand. He scanned the forest around him looking for the return signal. Finally, a few trees away we saw the snitch fly through a set of Quidditch rings. Ron sighed in relief and made his way over to where the smoke still hung in the air. As he moved around the tree he saw Harry huddled against it. His face was filthy and his clothes weren’t any better.

“Merlin, Harry. You need a shower.” Ron snickered.

“Yea. You too.” Harry joked and got up and hugged his friend. “Do you have information for me?”

Ron nodded. “We discovered that there are several Death Eaters living in Scotland right now. Where are we?”

“Scotland.” Harry answered. “I found those Death Eaters. After stunning them I found some information. After I’m done talking to you, I’m off to Ireland.”

Ron nodded. “I think you’ll always be one step ahead of us, Harry.”

Harry shrugged, “It’s easier to work without the Ministry breathing down your neck.” He paused and ran a hand through his hair. “How is she?”

“That’s one reason I came here.” Harry’s head snapped up. His face was filled with fear. “No, no. She’s fine. You need to tell her about the prophecy.”

“Out of the question, Ron.” He said and started to pack up his bag.

“You need to, Harry, because she’s scared out of her mind.” Well that’s not a lie. “She can’t sleep at night.” Well that’s a lie. “She cries all the time,” She does cry sometimes. “And I can’t do anything to stop her from searching for Horcrux information in dusty old books, I’m afraid for her health.” Ok that may have stretched it a little too much. “You need to tell her, so she can realize that she can’t help you now. She needs to know you have a plan.”

“A plan, Ron?! I don’t have a plan.” Harry hissed. “I have no fucking clue what I’m doing out here. I have no plan!” His fists were balled up tight and it was taking everything he had not to punch a tree. “If I tell her about the prophecy, she’ll know I’m not coming home to her. One way or the other, I’m not coming home to her.”

“And if the prophecy is bullocks?” Ron yelled back.

“It’s not. We both know it’s not.” Ron hung his head at Harry’s words. He knew it wasn’t, but Harry saw it as a negative, not a positive right now.

“If you don’t tell her, Harry, I will.”

“Fuck Ron! Don’t you see it’ll break her heart!!”

“Would you rather her wait until you come back, hoping to hold you, and finding out you are going to marry Ginny?” Ron hissed at him. That’ll do it, Ron thought smugly.

At this, Harry hung his head. “No.” He said much quieter.

Ron passed him a piece of parchment. “I’ll give you a few minutes.” Once Ron had walked away, Harry transfigured his wand into a quill and began to write.

Several hours later, after Harry and Ron had discussed movement of Death Eaters and possible locations of Voldemort, Ron apparated back to his flat. It was just before midnight but both Hermione and Luna were up in the living room. All the lights were on in the tiny flat and the two girls were sitting on the couch talking in front of a small fire. When Ron appeared Luna hurried to take his jacket and make him a tea. Silently he handed Hermione the letter Harry had written then took a seat in the armchair next to the couch.

She looked up at Ron, who nodded his encouragement and closed his eyes as she began to read the letter:


My Mione,

Ron has told me that you are not coping well with my absence, and I fear this is more a fault of mine than yours. I was not completely honest with you, and I know you’re aware. I have stopped my hunt for horcruxes, because a new prophecy was spoken before you and I began to explore our feelings. I have engrained the words into my memory:

Dark and Light must soon collide
No longer let the truth hide
Follow not the path to the soul
Conceive a new answer, now foretold
With this answer secured in tight
The only outcome will be light

As I know you probably understand this a lot better than I did when I first became aware of it, I won’t describe each line. Basically, it says to abandon the horcruxes, or souls, because by conceiving an heir Voldemort will fall. Once I have an heir, I will win this war. I found my truth. My truth is you, my love for you. Ginny and I tried for months to conceive. I left before I was able to know whether she was or not. I told Ron not to tell me the outcome, because I don’t want to know my fate. I suppose you know it better than me. It’s been nearly a month since I have left; surely my fate is set in stone by now. All I can tell you, Mione, is that I will always love you. I’m clinging to the belief that this prophecy is not the only way to defeat him. Please, know that I will always love you.
Forever yours,
Harry


Hermione looked up from the letter and stared into the crackling fire. “Is Ginny pregnant?” There was no answer so she got up and rushed over to Ron. Grabbing onto his shirt and snapping him to attention she yelled, “I saw her at the St. Mungo’s today. Is she pregnant?”

Ron was incredibly shocked. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. “No.” he said calmly. “She’s not. You saved him. You fulfilled the prophecy.”

“You didn’t tell him.” It was more a statement then a question.

“No. He didn’t want to know his fate, and you didn’t want him to worry. All that matters is you know he’s coming home.” She started to sob. It had been a very long few weeks with unanswered questions and rising fears. She cried all of her fears away and started to laugh. Ron looked down at her curiously. “Are you ok?”

She laughed even harder. “I’m pregnant.” She stated, sitting up and looking at Luna who had sat down on the couch a few minutes before. She looked at Ron and climbed out of his lap, still laughing. She hadn’t laughed in a month, and now she couldn’t stop. She had one hand on her head and the other over her stomach. “I’m pregnant!” She said again and started to jump up and down in excitement.

This is how it should have been from the start. Ron thought to himself, smiling at his best friend’s reaction. The weight of doom flew off her shoulders and she was finally able to enjoy her the news. Luna got up form the couch and hugged Hermione, “Congratulations!!” Hermione was now crying tears of joy. The two women sank down into the couch.

“What are my parents going to say?” Hermione said, looking up at Luna.

“I think they will say the same thing I did, congratulations. They know you two love each other.”

“Yea.” Ron chimed in. “And your father already gave Harry his blessing for you two to get married.”

Hermione’s head snapped up, “What?”

“Oh.” Ron reddened at the obvious slip up. “I guess you weren’t supposed to know that. Don’t say anything!”

Hermione laughed and threw her head back. “Who am I going to tell?” She didn’t really want an answer. “I’m having a baby, with the love of my life. I’m going to be a mum.”

Luna rubbed her arm. “You’re going to be a great mum.”

“Harry’s going to be a dad.”

“He’s going to be a great dad.” Luna smiled at Ron.

“I’m so deliriously happy. The only thing that would make this moment better would be if he knew.”

“We know, Hermione. But it’s better if he doesn’t know.” Hermione nodded at Ron’s words. “If he knew that you were pregnant, he’d come home and put off fighting Voldemort again. He, and the rest of the world, needs this to end before your baby is born.”

Hermione looked at Ron in realization. “What if Voldemort finds out about the baby? About the prophecy?”

“Dumbledore has assured us, no one on their side will get the information. But Hermione, you’re going to have to keep the fact that Harry’s the father secret until he returns.” Luna took Hermione’s hand. “I know it will be hard, but no one outside of our family can know.”

Our family. Hermione thought. To her that only meant Harry and their new baby. But she understood Ron to mean those closest to her: her parents, the Weasleys, Luna, and Lavender.

The three of them talked for a few more hours, before they decided they were too tired to continue. Hermione had agreed to spend the night on their couch, knowing that she would want to wake up with a familiar face. The next day was a Saturday, so she wouldn’t have to go to work. Another weekend without Harry. She sighed as she curled deeper into the comfortable couch. I should have asked Ron how close he was to finding Voldemort. Then he could come home and take care of me and the baby. I wonder what he wants to name the baby? I wonder what it’ll be, a boy or a girl? Her lasts thoughts as she drifted to sleep were of her newfound happiness.

Back at the Burrow, Ginny wiped the tears off her face. Even her anger and jealousy of his feeling for Hermione could not out weigh her fear. She silently tried to convince herself that Harry would be fine, that he would manage without the prophecy being fulfilled. As the hours crept by slowly, her worrying wore her out. Soon she fell into a restless sleep.