Chapter 16:Page One-Hundred and Forty-Three

Chapter 16: Page One-Hundred and Forty-Three

“All right, dear, stand on this stool.” Molly Weasley bustled about the kitchen as I stepped up onto the rickety, three-legged, wooden stool.

Ginny giggled as I stumbled for a moment, and I giggled with her. But nothing could stop my nervousness at having these last minute measurements for my bridesmaid’s dress. I was three and a half months pregnant, and I was beginning to show. They would notice the difference when I took off my loose garments to be measured—I knew they would—and the idea frightened me greatly. I stood sheepishly on the stool as Mrs. Weasley approached me with a measuring tape.

“Well, come on then! No time to be modest!” She stood with her hands on her hips as I sullenly pulled off my shirt. I stood—grey, cotton bra and all—directly in view of anyone who should walk past the window. I groaned with shyness and exasperation with my current form. Molly mumbled under her breath as she took note of everywhere the tape measured. When it came to my stomach, I cringed.

“You seem to have grown a bit since we last measured you, dear,” she said as lightly as possible. Ginny’s eyes widened, but she said nothing.

“Well, yes, I can’t imagine why,” I replied lamely.

“Look!” Ginny squealed suddenly. “It’s an owl!”

Sure enough, gliding towards the open garden window was a soft, brown owl. It glided in and settled itself in Ginny’s lap. It cooed softly as she detached the letter on its leg. The bird seemed like it had had a long flight. Ginny read the label on the package.

“‘H.’ Just the letter by itself.” She looked up at me. “Well, that’s not very helpful. We have two ‘H’s in this house. But since it didn’t fly up to the boys, I guess it’s for you.”

I snatched the letter from her and opened the envelope to find a small leaf of parchment inside. On the top, it read ‘page number 143’ and the title of the book Romeo and Juliet. I read Romeo’s monologue aloud to myself.

“‘Tis torture and not mercy. Heaven is here

Where Juliet lives, and every cat and dog

And little mouse, every unworthy thing,

Live here in heaven and may look on her,

But Romeo may not. More validity,

More honorable state, more courtship lives

In carrion flies than Romeo. They may seize

On the white wonder of dear Juliet’s hand

And steal immortal blessings from her lips,

Who even in pure and vestal modesty

Still blush, as thinking their own kisses sin;

But Romeo may not; he is banished.

And sayest thou yet that exile is not death?

Hadst thou no poison mixed, no sharp-ground

knife,

No sudden mean of death, though ne’er so mean,

But “banished” to kill me? “Banished”?

O Friar, the damned use that word in hell.

Howling attends it. How hast the heart,

Being a divine, a ghostly confessor,

A sin absolver, and my friend professed,

To mangle me with that word “banished”?”

Tears formed in my eyes as I immediately understood. Severus was in hiding. I flipped the page over and saw that another message was scrawled in blue ink.

“Explanation awaits you.”

“It had better,” I said aloud without realizing it.

“What did the letter say?” called Ginny from across the kitchen.

“Oh,” I responded, hastily folding the letter and placing it in my pocket, “it was nothing.”

“No, really, Hermione,” she said as she set a loaf of bread on the counter to be sliced, “what’s going on?”

“Nothing, Ginny!” I cried, throwing my hands in the air. Molly did not look up from her copy of the Prophet spread out on the table.

“Listen, I wasn’t going to say anything, but first you have this lump on your stomach, and now you’re hiding letters from me? How would you react in a situation like this?”

“Mum, can we have some lemon—oh, bugger.” Ron burst into the room and stopped dead at the sight of my indecency. I quickly pulled on a shirt, but my face was still red with anger and embarrassment.

“You can look now, Ronald,” I said as he blindly fumbled about the kitchen to find his bearings.

“Hermione!” Ginny cried once more, “Just tell me what’s going on!”

“Oh,” said Ron as he conjured some ice for his lemonade. “Are you talking about Snape?”

Ginny’s jaw dropped, and she wheeled about to face Ron. “What are you talking about?” she whispered disbelievingly.

I made wild slashing gestures in the air behind Ginny’s back, but to no avail. “Did Hermione get a letter from him or something?”

“Why would she get a letter from Snape?” Ginny addressed Ron through clenched teeth as she turned about to face me.

Ron finally saw my gestures and nodded his head. “Er—nothing. I meant nothing.”

“As usual, Ronald, you have the tact of a blunt axe,” I interrupted huffily, crossing my arms over my chest.

“There you go talking like him!” he cried, throwing his arms in the air.

“WHAT IS GOING ON?” Ginny screamed over my retort. Mrs. Weasley was still at the table, and she was listening closely.

“Yes, Hermione,” Mrs. Weasley said in earnest, “please just tell us.”

“I-am-pregnant-with-Professor-Snape’s-baby,” I muttered in one breath.

“Sorry, didn’t catch that,” Ginny said.

“I’m pregnant with Professor Snape’s baby,” I replied slowly and carefully. This was met by varied responses. Ron sighed impatiently while Mrs. Weasley stood, knocking over the flowers on the table.

“WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?” shouted Molly.

“WHAT THE FUCK DID HE DO TO YOU?” Ginny screeched.

“GINNY,” Mrs. Weasley yelled, “WHAT HAVE I SAID ABOUT CUSSING?”

“MUM!” Ginny retorted. “THE SLIMY GIT COULD HAVE RAPED HER, AND YOU’RE WORRYING ABOUT MANNERS!”

“GINNY!” Mrs. Weasley began, but I cut her off, rubbing my temples in exasperation.

“I didn’t plan to tell you all until after the wedding.”

“What happened, Hermione?” Ginny asked. She sat down at the dining table despite the water and flowers spilled all over it.

“You best call everyone in here because I’m only saying this once,” I said, much more courageous now that I had the floor.

Ron ran out the door to call the rest of the boys in from the makeshift Quidditch pitch. In minutes, Fred, George, Harry, Charlie, and Bill walked in, red-faced and sweaty. Mr. Weasley and Fleur followed since they had been watching. They gathered around me at the table. The room was suddenly filled with a great, bellowing silence as eighteen eyes were fixed on me.