A/N: Five more chapters for The Potter Bride. Of course, there are still restricted chapters that I need to finish but for the main story, there are only five chapters left before we finally get to see the end of this tale. I know I haven't updated in so long but I hope this chapter makes up for the long wait.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!
The last time I updated this fic is last July 26. I have written so many other stories since then. Because of that, I'm plugging my recently completed short-stories, Nightstand Girlfriend and Queen of the Yule Season. Both are cute, fluffy, and the second one is rather smutty so if that's your kind of thing, then enjoy.
I'm also plugging my one-shots: How the Press Brought Harmony, Nerds Win in Life, The Golden Girl, Always Constant, His Greatest Heartache, He Who Cares The Most, Dizzying Presence, Game Time, How Joy Came To Be, Our Promise, Lurking in the Shadows, Shelter from the Shadows, The Wedding Speech, The Potter Potion, The Way You Are, The Daredevil's Fears, The Hottest Jack-o-Lantern, Bleeding Heart, Champ's Cheerleader, Naughty or Nice, Xanthippe, The Fruit Thief, Raunchy Christmas Messages, Kiss on the Balcony, Witches Rule, Hermione's Christmas Vouchers, and Forsaken at Christmas. That's a lot of one-shots. All of them are of the romance genre, some are fluffy, some are smutty, some a bit angsty. Check them out if you find a title that tickles your fancy.
Anyway, hope you like this new chapter.
Reviews, faves, and follows make my day so keep 'em coming.
THE POTTER BRIDE
By: tweety-src-clt9
Chapter Fifteen
War Heroes Harry Potter and Hermione Granger Now Engaged!
Ginny Weasley glared at today's copy of the Daily Prophet after she read the headline. The thing that she's most frightened of has finally happened. Harry – her Harry – is marrying someone else. This is something that she absolutely cannot allow. Harry Potter belongs to her. Her mother had promised she would marry the prince of the Wizarding World ever since she was a little girl. And so, no other witch no matter how brilliant should ever take her property away. Harry Potter is hers and hers alone!
So, she must gather more information about the newly engaged couple since she knows that reading the crappy article by Rita Skeeter is no use. If she wants reliable information, then she must go to a reliable source – her brothers Ron and George. Since Harry had avoided her and her mother due to his misguided interpretation of the potions she gave him during his sixth year, she never got an opportunity to see her beloved ever since he discovered about it. She doesn't care though. Her Harry will come to his senses soon and he will leave that bitch. After that, Harry will make her the most envied witch in the wizarding world and everyone will look up to her and she will be treated like the princess she so deserves to be. Besides, how could Harry pick Hermione Granger over her? She is a look-a-like of Lily Potter, so clearly, that is a sign that she and Harry belong together.
Hurriedly changing clothes, she grabbed her wand and headed for the floo. Shouting 'Weasleys Wizard Wheezes', she disappeared in a flash of green flames. The first thing that greeted her is a joke shop that is surprisingly busy even though it's just nine in the morning. Walking to the cashier, a fresh out of Hogwarts witch whose name she doesn't care for, she asked, "where are my brothers?"
"Hello, Ms. Weasley," the witch greeted but she only tapped her fingers on the counter. She had no time to waste on false pleasantries.
"Well? Where are they?" She said with a bored impatient tone.
"Upstairs on the second floor of their private – " she did not wait for the witch to finish her statement as she walked towards the stairs. Remembering that it's best to catch her brothers off guard, she cast silencing charms on her shoes before she disillusioned herself. Walking up the stairs, she covered her mouth to muffle any sound from coming out when she caught the mind-blowing secret Ron confessed to George regarding Hemione Granger's inability to conceive a healthy baby… Finally! I found a way to bring my Harry back… If it's babies he wants, I could give him a dozen!
Hermione Granger is long finished with checking out the books on curse-breaking in the large collection at Flourish and Blotts. This time around she is perusing the shelf that contained pregnancy books. It's been two weeks since she wakes up with recurring headaches and she feels very dizzy in the morning. It's a good thing that Harry is a late riser or he would find her vomiting on the toilet bowl. She is frankly afraid to find out if she's pregnant or not. While the magical energy from Harry's seed every time they make love, per Astoria's expert advice, has been steadily strengthening her magical core, she had a gut feeling that it's not the ultimate solution to Bellatrix's curse. Because of that, she cannot get pregnant yet. Should she get pregnant with the curse still coursing through her body, then the baby in her womb would surely die.
After all the bad things that happened in Harry's life, losing a child is something that he should never experience. So, she could only hope that the pregnancy symptoms she's been having as of late are just false alarms.
Lost in her thoughts, she did not notice the ginger-haired witch giving her sneaky glances as every move she made is being monitored by the person under the hooded cloak. When Hermione walked to the counter to pay for her purchases, she got startled when she felt someone poking her shoulder. She had a bright smile plastered on her face since she expected it to be Harry, but to her utter disappointment, it's Ginny Weasley with a menacing look in her eyes.
Hermione groped for the wand in her pocket just as a safety precaution. Ginny even had the nerve to point her wand at her which made her glare at the sheer audacity of the witch. This witch potioned her fiancé years ago which caused their misunderstanding! Because of that, she cannot let her guard down around Ginny Weasley since she is someone that should never be trusted.
"Ms. Weasley, I ask you to not disturb my customers and to lower your wand! If not, I will be forced to call the aurors," Mr. Blott said with a stern voice.
"Stay out of this old man! This is between me and her!" Ginny said angrily as she briefly glared at the bookshop owner.
"What do you want Ginny?" She said with a calm voice but deep inside she's seething in restrained fury. Showing any emotion will only show the redhead that she's affected by her presence so she tried her best to maintain a poker face.
"You bitch! You better break up with Harry or the House of Potter will die with him. You cannot bear healthy children!" Ginny had a smug look on her face.
"What makes you think that you have any say on the personal business of the House of Potter?" She challenged.
"I love Harry! I am a better choice for him than you could ever wish to be. Besides, the Lord of a Noble and Ancient House is better off with a Lady that knows how to handle pureblood politics," Ginny smirked.
"And pray tell me, is dosing someone with love potion a sign of true love? It sounds like an unhealthy obsession to me," she had a sarcastic smile on her face when Ginny paled.
"How did you – you bitch!" Ginny moved to slap her but a strong arm prevented her from moving closer.
"Ginny Weasley, I told you to never interfere with the affairs of the House of Potter ever again!" Harry Potter growled as his eyes glowed with feral anger.
"Ha – Harry!" Ginny exclaimed with shock and pain. Harry pushed Ginny's arm away as he immediately wrapped an arm around her waist in a gesture of protection and support. She noticed the pained look on Ginny's eyes as she focused on the arm lovingly wrapped around her.
"Are you alright, love?" Harry said in a gentle voice.
"I'm fine, love," she reassured him.
"How can you love that woman, Harry?" Ginny muttered with a voice filled with defeat as tears fall down her face.
"Hermione is the only constant woman in life. She has walked with me to hell and back. Besides, she never lied to me and tricked me into being with her. Unlike you, she never potioned me just to secure my affections. More importantly, she's the best thing that's ever happened in my life," Harry said with passion.
"But she can't give you children!" Ginny exclaimed.
"With or without children, not that it's your business, Hermione Granger will always be my only choice to be the next Lady Potter!"
"Harry… how could you hurt me – "
"Ginevra Molly Weasley, I call on your life debt when I saved you from Voldemort by finally ending his life at the final battle years ago," Harry proclaimed.
Hermione could see the mixture of struggle and pain in Ginny's eyes as she succumbed to the ancient magics invoked by Harry in that single statement. With tears in her eyes, Ginny murmured, "What do you want Harry?"
"Ginevra Molly Weasley, as payment for the life debt you owe me, I demand that you stay away from Hermione Jean Granger, the future Lady Potter. You are not to approach her. You are to stay at least five hundred meters away from her when another member of the House of Potter is not accompanying her. You are not to speak to her. You are not to talk ill about her. You are not to hurt her and covet all that belongs to her. I want a vow on your magic, so mote it be," Harry declared.
With tears in her eyes, Ginny reluctantly allowed the pull of ancient magics straining on her magical core as she felt the compulsion to obey the life debt. "I, Ginevra Molly Weasley, as payment for the life debt I owe Harry James Potter, do solemnly swear on my life and magic, that I will stay away from Hermione Jean Granger, the future Lady Potter. I will not approach her. I will stay at least five hundred meters away from her when another member of the House of Potter is not accompanying her. I will not speak to her. I will not talk ill about her. I will not hurt her and will not covet all that belongs to her. So, mote it be," Ginny proclaimed with a dead tone. A white glow emanated from her chest as the magic centered on her core.
"There! Happy now?" Ginny said with sadness as the glow dissipated.
"Not quite… Ginevra Molly Weasley, from this day forward, you are considered an enemy of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter for being a perceived threat to the future Lady of the House. Also, your actions to dose me with love potions in the past is a heinous crime of attempted line theft as you willfully deceived the incumbent Lord. You will remain an enemy of the House of Potter until a Lord of the House has revoked this from you. As Lord Potter, this I seal with my magic to protect and preserve the Potter bloodline. So, mote it be!" Harry's eyes glowed an eerie shade of dark green as his wand emitted a red light that hit Ginny's chest. Nothing happened to the redhead except the forming of some sort of mark on her wrist – the mark of the enemy.
"Harry…" Ginny fell on her knees as she sobbed.
"Mr. Blott, please have my lady's purchases charged under my account. Love, we should go… You're not safe here. I don't trust this woman," Harry glanced at the very distraught witch on the floor.
"Of course, my Lord," Mr. Blott gently placed her purchases in a bag, cast some shrinking charms on it, before handing it over to Harry.
"Thank you, Mr. Blott... Love, are you ready to go?" Harry took her arm and tucked it under his own.
"Yes, let's go… I have something to read about," she smiled at him. With a wave to Mr. Blott, Harry led her outside the bookshop.
"Hermione, are you alright? She didn't say something, did she?" There was a worried look in Harry's eyes as he scanned her face for any sign of pain or agitation.
"I'm fine… She didn't do anything. She just said that I don't deserve you because I can't have healthy babies… She pointed her wand at me but she didn't – just threatened me with it, I guess. I'm alright, Harry… To be honest, I kind of feel bad for her, it's like she has some loose screws in her head," she glanced at the bookshop before she turned her attention on Harry once again.
"Do you need to visit more shops? Or you want to grab something to eat?" Harry playfully poked her nose which made her smile. He always loved doing that when he wanted to kiss her senseless but they're in public.
"I actually want some fried chicken and strawberries," she blushed when her stomach grumbled out loud.
"A rather weird combo, but as my lady commands," Harry winked at her as they walked hand-in-hand toward The Leaky Cauldron so they could leave Diagon Alley. Harry understood her need to seek a muggle place since she feels more comfortable there...
They didn't notice the water beetle animagus on the window sill of Flourish and Blotts that listened to all that has happened in the famous bookshop. Rita Skeeter found her latest headline about the Wizarding World's Power Couple – and what a juicy headline it shall be!
Harry Potter rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he heard the muffled sobs from somewhere in the large and opulent master bedroom of the Potter Manor. Groping on the nightstand for his glasses, he slowly sat up on the bed as his eyes tried to focus on where the sounds of grief are coming from.
Groggily getting out of bed, he walked towards the annex sitting room and found Hermione crying on the couch. There was a large book on her lap as tears keep falling down her beautiful face.
Since she was in so much pain, she did not even notice his presence. Running towards the love of his life, he knelt in front of her as he gently cupped her cheek and wiped her tears away.
"Shhh… Hermione, it's okay… I'm here," he whispered comforting words as he wiped her tears away.
"Ha – Harry?" Hermione's eyes fluttered opened as she turned to look at him.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" He was very worried about her. If only he could take her pain away, he would.
"Bellatrix again… Nightmare of the curse… And then Harry, I – I think I – I feel that I'm pregnant, Harry," she explained in between sobs.
"Pregnant? How – how can you be so sure?" He's honestly not sure what to feel. On one hand, he feels happy at the thought of having his baby growing inside of her. And then, of course, there's the fear that Hermione and their baby will be in danger because of the curse from Bellatrix.
"I – " She slowly moved to sit on the bed so he helped her by holding her hands. When she got into a sitting position, he stood up and sat beside her.
"Hermione, please tell me how I can help you?" His eyes boring into her own as he held her hand.
"Harry… I'm scared. What if I'm pregnant? What if – " she started crying again so he lovingly pulled her close so she could cry on his chest. Rubbing her back, he too quietly shed tears but he wants to be strong for her.
"Isn't there a test you could do to confirm if you're pregnant?" He whispered.
"Yes, there is… But what if I am – and… and," she sobbed.
"Shhh! Whatever happens, we'll get through it together… I will always be with you no matter what," he reassured her.
"Harry I – if I am pregnant, what if the baby – "
"Hermione, we can do this… We can conquer this problem together. You and me…" He kissed the top of her head.
"Alright…" Hermione lifted her head from his chest.
"Do you know the spell?" He inquired and she nodded. Stupid question! Of course, she knows the spell. This is my Hermione for Merlin's sake!
"Can I borrow your wand? I left mine on my side of the bed," she said sheepishly.
"Of course, love. Here you go," with a flick of his wrist, his wand flew to his hand from the invisible holster on his arm.
Hermione pointed his phoenix feather wand in a circular motion around her abdomen before she lifted it in the air and said in a loud voice as her hand shook, "Reprehendo graviditate!"
He gasped in shock when two bright lights hovered over the wand. The first glowing orb is a shade of blue and the second one is bright pink. He may not know of this spell but he is certain that the colors indicate genders. Twins, he thought with pride and fear. He felt happy that their rigorous and amorous activities bore fruit but since they haven't cleared Hermione of the curse, a feeling of remorse crept up his spine.
He is bloody scared for Hermione and their babies' safety. He shouldn't have been careless every time they made love. He shouldn't have trusted the muggle pills Hermione takes just to regulate her periods. He should've used a condom or a contraceptive charm. I'm a big careless idiot!
"Harry?" He could hear the worry and fear in Hermione's voice.
"It's okay, love. Nothing will happen to our babies! We'll talk to Astoria tomorrow… We could try the goblins… The house-elves! Anyone! I don't care who we ask help from! I'm just bloody certain that you and our babies will be alright! We'll be alright… You'll be alright…" Harry said with conviction as if he's also trying to comfort himself with his words.
"You're not – angry? With me?" Hermione prodded with a small voice.
"How could I be angry with you?" He lovingly tilted her chin to face him.
"I – what if our babies won't sur – "
"Shhh! I won't let anything bad happen to you and our babies, I promise," he reassured her.
"Okay… I believe you, Harry," she sighed as she placed her head on his shoulder. Nothing but their steady breaths could be heard in the darkened sitting room as both of them processed this wonderful yet frightening news.
"Harry?"
"Yes, my love?"
"Make love to me? Make me forget…" She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him. There was a desperate look in her eyes and he knew that he couldn't deny her anything.
"But what if it could hurt our babies?" He tried reasoning with her.
"Just… be gentle with me… Please, Harry… I need you," she pleaded.
"Okay," he whispered as he slowly lowered his face so he could seal her lips in a loving kiss…
The next morning, the British Wizarding Community woke up with the startling revelations from Rita Skeeter on the front page of the Daily Prophet. One – Harry Potter just declared Ginny Weasley as an enemy of the House Potter due to the witch's attempt to dose him with love potions years ago. Two – Harry Potter invoked Ginny (through a life debt) to stay away from the future Lady Potter. And three, how true is it that Hermione Granger, per Ms. Weasley's loud yelling in Flourish and Blotts, is incapable of bearing healthy children? Will Harry Potter be the last of his Ancient and Noble House?
Since Rita Skeeter ended the article with a teasing hint about a possible pregnancy due to Hermione's craving for fried chicken and strawberries (a rather weird combo according to Harry Potter himself), she ended the article with a question… Is Hermione Granger a barren witch or is it just the delusional whining of a heartbroken witch who's clearly obsessed with the Man-Who-Conquered?
Ragnok, the Chief of the Goblin Nation, glared at the name of the witch who wrote the salacious article. Hermione Granger, the womb of the prophecy, should be protected at all cost! Should this rumor be true, that she is barren, then the goblins should help. Banging loudly on the golden gong behind his desk, his centurion guard entered his office.
"My King! How could I be of service?" The Centurion said as he bowed respectfully.
"Summon Sharpfang into my office! This is about his client, Lord Potter, and his future Lady with regards to that very important prophecy! Go! Now!" He commanded in a gruff voice and his centurion bowed once again before rushing off to obey his orders.
First thing, talk to Lord and Lady Potter. Second thing, prevent that Skeeter witch from exposing state secrets…
A/N: Reprehendo Graviditate is a Latin phrase that means 'Pregnancy Check' in English.