Desperately

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and Severus Snape still don't belong to me...yeah, yeah, whatever.... I can still have Severus in my dreams though.


A/N:This chapter takes place on the Monday following Severus and Hermone finally got together.


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Chapter 10-- Just Say Yes


Pansy gasped and leaned over the toilet, once again paying homage to the porcelian gods. Damn this morning sickness. She leaned back, resting her head against the stall's wall and wrapping her arms around her middle for millionth time that morning. She sighed and came to the realization that she couldn't keep putting off telling Harry that she wanted to keep the baby, their baby. She knew she could never bring herself to go through with an abortion but they were so young how could they afford to keep a baby. She let out a bitter laugh at the fact of how she was saying 'they' like Harry would still want her, who was she kidding. Parkinson this isn't a fairy tale, this time beauty won't fall in love with the beast. She sighed and closed her eyes, a trickle of tears escaping from the closed corners. She sat for a moment before her stomach started churning and she quickly leaned over the bowl. She hadn't heard the door open but she did hear some giggling and snippets of conversation.


"How gross someone's ralphing in here."


"You're one to talk Viv, isn't the stall on the left permanently reserved for you." Two high pitched laughs sounded through out the bathroom.


"Ooo--oooh do I have something juicy to tell you...I heard from one of the Fifth years that Harry Potter might be swinging for the other team."


"No!" the girl shrieked, "I'm sure you're mistaken I mean, if it's true, then that's just not fair. How come all the good-looking ones are either gay or taken?!"


"So unfair I know but still have you seen Potter with any girls lately?" she gave her friend a pointed look and a smirk.


Pansy let out a little snort, it was probably better that the other students did see him as a homosexual because if anyone ever saw the two of them together...Pansy threw herself over the side of the toilet once more only to hear a collective "Eeewww" on the otherside of her stall door.


"Who's in there?" A knock sounded on her stall door, "Do you need us to go get Madam Pomfrey? You sound really sick."


" 'M okay." Pansy mumbled from just inside the rim of the toilet, not having enough energy to pull herself back up.


"Leave her alone Delia, she might be sick and you don't want to catch whatever it is she has."


"She sounds bad though," she knocked on the stall door again, " are you sure you don't need us to go get someone for you?"


Pansy sniffled, yes she needed someone, but he wasn't allowed in the Girl's Loo.


"Hello? Do you want me to get someone for you?"


"No..no one," was all she could get out before she was back on her knees as her insides came tumbling out.


Viv and Delia shrugged, walking out of the bathroom and leaving the girl on the otherside of the stall. Pansy sat back and ran a hand over her face and started to cry a bit.


After ten minutes or so with no more churning stomach she got up, flushed the toilet, and left the stall. She smoothed out her skirt and fixed her messed up shirt, walking to the sink she turned on the cold tap and splashed herself in the face, a slight chill running through her at the cool contact. Taking her wand out, she conjured up a glass and filled it up, as she drank the cool water helping her burning throat and she sighed, dumping the rest of the water back into the sink. She looked at herslelf in the mirror and let out a humorless laugh. Well she might as well get this over with and tell Harry she would be keeping their baby, she desperately hoped he wasn't lying when he had told her he loved her and that he would stay by her side.


She walked back over to the stall and grabbed her bag from where she had dropped it earlier. Taking out a quill, she rummaged around until she found a scrap of paper, writing on it quickly, she folded the note up and adressed it to Harry. Telling him that she wanted to see him as soon as possible. Putting her quill and the note away she made her way out of the bathroom and headed for the owlerey.


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Hermione sat waiting in the owlerey for Ginny, who was bringing up Lavender's letter to Ron, while she sat holding the one meant for Ron from Lavender. Mystic was currently perched up high in the rafters with an older black owl with white around it's eyes and grey spots on it's wings. They were snuggled up pretty close and the owl was cooing softly.

She smiled and shifted the envelope in her hands. Her own letter problem giving her the idea for keeping Lavender away from what's hers. Damnit quit thinking of Severus like you own him, he's allowed to see or sleep with whoever he wants. The thought made her stomach twist into knots, she didn't want to imagine him with anyone but her, at least until they were done with each other. Which was hopefully never. She shook her head to get rid of the ridiculous thought, yeah her and the evil Potions Master together forever, not going to happen. In a week you'll be writing Mrs. Snape in your diary, who are you kidding. Ugh, stop it Hermione. She let out a frustrated sigh and turned her mind back towards the letter in her hand.

This time the letters had aliases so now Lavender and Ron could write back and forth to each other, she had just instructed many of the owls as to Lavender and Ron's new names. Which would save her and Ginny the trouble of continuing on with the charade and give the two a chance to actually get to know each other better.

A sound on the steps alerted Hermione that someone was approaching and she stood up from her own perch on the window sill.

"Hey Ginny I thought you'd never get here, it's almo...oh." She stopped and smiled at Pansy, who had paused just inside of the owlerey. "Hello Pansy."

"Hermione...hi." She returned Hermione's smile with a small one of her own, her hand resting slightly on top of her stomach. She cautiously walked over to some of the wooden perches in the middle of the tower and looked up, searching for a specific owl. He found her first however and flew down from the rafters, a pretty black raven following him down and landed on Hermione's shoulder.


"Ah, so he belongs to you. I was wondering about who owned the owl Mystic is obviously smitten with." Mystic squawked loudly and pulled on a strand of Hermione's hair, obviously telling her to shush up. Hermione laughed and stuck her tongue out at the bird. Pansy smiled at the pair and stroked the top of the owl's head.


"Oh well he's not really mine. Fiz-Gig and I found each other." She stroked him under his beak and Fiz-Gig cooed softly at her gentle touch.


"Fiz-Gig? That's an interesting name. How did you come up with that?"


"My bo..uhh, a friend told me about this muggle movie he had once seen and one of the characters, a little fluffy dog-thing, was named Fiz-Gig. I thought it was cute and not too long after that I had found my own Fiz-Gig." The bird cooed happily again and Pansy smiled down at him as she stroked his feathers. She then reached into her bag and took out Harry's letter. She looked up to see Hermione watching her quietly with a small smile still on her face.


"You know your different from most Slytherins." Hermione stated slowly, "I mean most still call me a Mudblood obviously still holding on to their prejudices, but I don't think I've ever heard you call anyone that or in general be mean to anyone when Draco or the other Slytherins weren't around."


Pansy sighed and shrugged. "I've just...on the inside I never really cared if someone was from a Pureblood family or not. I guess it was just me wanting to fit in somewhere you know." She looked down to the note in her hands, then back up at Hermione. "I'm sorry for anything I may have said in the past that may have hurt your feelings."


"Oh no worries, it's all water under the bridge." Hermione smiled and held her hand out in front of her, "I think we could be good friends if we tried, right?"


Pansy smiled back and was glad that Hermione was such a forgiving soul and shook her hand, "Right." Just as they shook Ginny came running in, her hand holding her side, "Sorry I'm late...oh." She faltered a bit and looked between Hermione and Pansy, then their hands, and back up to them. "Hi, what's going on up here, then?"


Hermione let go of Pansy's hand and walked towards Ginny, a smile on her face, "Ginny I'd like you to meet a new friend of mine. Pansy meet Ginny, Ginny meet
Pansy." At the confused looks on their faces Hermione grabbed both girls hands and put them together, "Now you shake." The girls smiled and shook hands then looked at Hermione, "It's great starting again, isn't it?" They all shared a laugh and Pansy felt relaxed again since first coming into the owlery.


Hermione looked at Ginny, "Do you have the letter?"


"Oh, yes, sorry I was late...umm Neville and I lost track of time." She said sheepishly.


"Tisk, tisk Ginny. Can't you go at least one day without snogging that poor boy senseless."


Ginny handed an envelope to Hermione after pulling it out of her bag, then stuck out her tongue as soon as Hermione's back had turned. Pansy let out a laugh and joined Ginny in making faces at Hermione while she was busy getting some owls together to deliver the letters. When the owls had been sent off, the girls stopped and assumed looks of innocence.


"Don't think for one second I didn't know you two were making faces at me."


"Why Hermione, we have no idea what you're talking about, do we Pansy?"


"Not the faintest." They all shared another laugh before Hermione brought Pansy's attention back to the letter in her hand. "Don't you need to send that off?"


Pansy looked at the note and realized that instead of asking him to meet her she would surprise him and seek him out. Which wouldn't be hard considering she had two of his closest friends with her now. "Actually I think it would be better if I told him in person."


"Him? So you have a boyfriend then? I've never seen you with anybody before." Hermione questioned, her eyebrow rising a little.


"Well we've kind of been keeping it a secret but this- she raised the note- is kind of too important to just send by owl, so I think I'll go down and tell him now. Would you two mind if I walked down with you until I see him?"


Ginny and Hermione smiled, then walked forward and stood on either side of Pansy. Fiz-Gig flew bac up to his perch and Mystic flew just above the girls' heads as they walked down to the Great Hall talking and joking with each other.


The trio arrived just at the hallway leading to the hall as students started filing out. Ron, Neville, and Harry were standing just outside the doors talking. Ron was smiling and had a death hold on his letter as he talked Neville's ear off. Harry had his hands in his trouser pockets, leaning against a stone wall looking sad and alone.


"Well there's the boys we should go over. Unless you want us to help you find your boyfriend?" Ginny asked.


"Well actually I'm...I'm kind of dating Harry." Pansy whispered but the other girls had heard her and stood gaping.


Suddenly two loud and extremely girly screams rang through out the hallway, causing many heads to turn.


Harry had gone for his wand as soon as he heard the screams, but realized it was just that excited girly type of scream that many girls did with their friends. He looked to where it had come from when his eyes opened wide in shock. There being hugged, or rather squished, by Hermione and Ginny was his, Pansy. His hand automatically went to his pocket and he tapped on the box that was resting there. The box he had been carrying around for a couple days, waiting for her to talk to him. Even if she wanted to get rid of their baby he would still ask, then they would have kids later, when she was ready.


He stood rooted to his spot as Hermione and Ginny released her and they headed his way. Pansy's deep sapphire gaze held him like a prisoner as he tried to decipher her decision through their depths. She wasn't even halfway to him when he couldn't take it anymore and called out to her, "Pansy?"


She stopped as did Hermione and Ginny.


"Pansy?" Harry called out again only softer.


A soft smile and quick nod of her head had him running towards her, laughing from sheer happiness. He picked her up off the ground and twirled her around, crushing her too him while his face was buried in her neck, pressing little kisses to it.


The two caused quite a scene, many students came over to see what was going on. A couple of Slytherins were standing rather close to the scene with looks of disgust on their faces. One of the Slytherin boys in the group was one to actually voice his opinion. "Oi, Potter, watch out or you'll break your back from all the heavy lifting." The other Slytherins with him laughed as did some other students milling around.


Harry had, by this time, already put Pansy down but his hands hadn't left her waist. When he heard the remark, he smiled at Pansy, gave her a slow lingering kiss and walked over to the offender. Now, Harry was barely six feet tall and wasn't as muscular as most of the other guys in Hogwarts, but when people messed with the one's he loved they had better watch out. Right now and he hoped for the rest of his life Pansy would be his number one love.


So when he calmly walked up to the boy and asked him to repeat his statement, Harry said "I thought that's what you said," then pulled back his fist and punched him square in the jaw. The power behind the punch sending the troublemaker off his feet, landing on the cold stone ground.


"HARRY POTTER!" Minerva McGonagall shouted, as she headed towards him, followed by Professors Flitwick, Dumbledore, and Snape. "What is going on here?"


Harry turned towards the teachers, smiling, he strode back over to Pansy and saw the shine of tears as she smiled back at him.


Harry adressed Minerva but stayed looking at Pansy. "I just hit a snake for insulting the woman I love. Not to mention he interrupted something very important."


"What could he have possibly interrupted that was so important that you had to strike another student?"


"This." Harry was still smiling as he took the black velvet box from his pocket, opened it, and got down on one knee, facing a startled Pansy. "Pansy, I don't want to hide in the shadows anymore. I want to be able to show everyone how much I love you and make them mad with jealousy. So Pansy, my love, my heart, my life...please say you'll do me the great honor of becoming my wife."


Shocked couldn't even begin to describe how she was feeling, Pansy looked around and realized she wasn't the only one. She looked back down to Harry and his smiling face. He pulled the ring out of the box, took her left hand and asked again, "Will you marry me Pansy Parkinson? Will you marry me and make me the luckiest man in the world?" Her eyes fell on the ring he had poised at the tip of her ring finger as she let out a choked sob and whispered out, "Yes."


"I don't think the people in the back heard you Pansy what was that?" Harry smiled.


"YES!" She screamed out and she smiled down at Harry as he slid the ring onto her finger. He stood up, still holding her left hand and pulled her into his arms, kissing her passionately. They broke apart after some time and blushed when they heard clapping and some wolf whistles.


"Everyone, everyone please get to your classes." Professor Flitwick squeeked out, but no one moved.


"Students to your classes now!" yelled Professor Snape. Students scrambled over each other and rushed off in different directions. Once the crowd had died down a bit Professor Flitwick made his way over to the fallen Slytherin and levitated him to the infirmary. The only people left were Headmaster Dumbledore, Professors Snape and McGonagall, Harry, Pansy, and Hermione with Mystic on her shoulder.


Professor McGonagal looked over, "Miss Granger shouldn't you be heading off to class as well."


"Oh, umm, yes, but I was wondering if I could talk to you about a potion Professor Snape?"


A single black eyebrow rose and Severus nodded his head imperceptibly. "Very well Miss Granger." They walked off down the corridor, Dumbledore's twinkling eyes following them until they were out of view.


"Mister Potter, while that was all very romantic, I don't think it called for striking another student. You have a week's worth of detention, after dinners, in my classroom. Understood?"


"Yes Professor."


"Now both of you off to class. Oh and Congratulations Mister Potter and Miss Parkinson."


"Congratulations indeed for catching such a fine young woman, Harry." Dumbledore smiled.


"Thank you." Harry and Pansy said in unison and walked off, Harry's arm snaked around Pansy's waist and pulled her closer to him.


"Potter can never do anything simple can he?" Minerva and Albus smiled as they watched the two practically skip off to their class.


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Draco glanced at Hermione once more as she sat at the Gryffindor table eating dinner. He could hardly believe what he had found out on Saturday about her from his father.


"If anyone finds Miss Granger unaccompanied then they are to stun her and contact Draco immediately. Do not harm her in any way! If I find out otherwise, you will pay for your mistake in damaging what is mine. Am I understood?"


Everyone nodded their heads in understanding.


"Dismissed." Everyone started to file out of the shrieking shack in small groups, soon Draco was left alone with his father.


"Why is she so important to your cause...father?" Draco bit out the last part.


"Our cause son." Luciius stated as he looked out of one of the old windows and into the dark sky, " She has a great power within her that I wish to utilize as my own."


"Power? What Power could she have? What do you plan to do with her once you have this 'power'?"


"Sit down and I'll tell you, son."


Draco walked towards an old wooden chair, casting a quick spell to rid it of dust, then sat, waiting patiently for his father to continue.


"Towards the end of the Dark Lord's reign he came to me with a secret mission. Since I had so many connections with wizards and witches around the world, he had asked me to look for something or rather someone for him. I, of course, accepted without a moments hesitance and had soon become the Dark Lord's right hand man, receiving special priveleges."


Draco held in a sigh and fought the urge to roll his eyes.


"The task I speak of was finding the other heir of Slytherin."


"Another heir?"


"Yes. It seems that Salazar Slytherin had often strayed from his wife after they had been married for many years. One of the women he had gone to another Pureblood by the name of Celie Ravenclaw and she bore him a child, a daughter."


Draco had questions, but swallowed them and waited, knowing his father was just being overly dramatic in his explanation. He didn't have to wait long however as Lucius started up again.


"Celie was the younger sister of Rowena Ravenclaw. After their one night stand Celie found that she was with child and had become scared of what her sister, the only family she had left, would feel once she found out who had fathered the child growing inside her. So she left, leaving two letters behind. One for her sister, the other she had given to Salazar telling him of her pregnancy and how she expected nothing of him and she was just letting him know that he would have another child in the world somewhere. Rowena had searched for years for her sister but never found her, so she grieved for her lost family and then moved on as most people do. It was only when I started looking into Slytherin's life did I find out the truth. Celie had given birth to a healthy baby girl and dropped her off on some doorstep not too long afterwards, then she vanished, she is dead now of course but no one knows how or even when she did die. Her child however grew and came to Hogwarts then eventually married a muggle, so went the family line, all marrying muggles, until there was only a little bit of her Pureblood left in the line. As I went through searching for the heir I read in an ancient tome that dormant powers would eventually build and be passed down through the next generation. Many, much too many, of Celie's descendants never actually went to Hogwarts and so their power went dormant and was passed down. Finally centuries later, however, one descendant had been contacted and sent to Hogwarts, you know her as Hermione Granger. The other heir to Slytherin. By the time I had found out it was the Granger girl, the Dark Lord was already a pile of dust thanks to Potter, but then I realized how it could work to my advantage." Draco leaned forward in his chair, waiting. "You see, Draco, in that same tome there was a chapter on a blood ritual to help bring about those long dormant powers. Now you see why I want the Mudblood. I will bring forth the unused power within her and harvest it as my own, so that I may finally help others understand what the Dark Lord had planned for the Wizarding world all those many years ago. With our powers combined I shall be even greater than that old codger, Dumbledore. No one will be able to stop me."


Lucius then turned and the most sinister of smiles was on his face, paralyzing Draco where he sat.


Draco knew he should do something to stop his father but his own fear of Lucius kept him from doing anything. If he went against him and Lucius found out he was dead, if he didn't do anything at all, he knew it was only a matter of time before his father disposed of him eventually. There really wasn't anything worth fighting for anyways. He looked back around the Great Hall and his eyes were caught by a pearly stare. He suddenly retracted his last thought as he gazed into the sad eyes across the hall.


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A/N: Chapter is called "Just Say Yes" by The Cure. I found this beautiful ring on the internet which is going to be used as Pansy's engagement ring but I'm not going to describe it till the next chapter and okay so I know it took a little while for me to update, I'm sorry, I'll try to get the next one out faster. Anyways I have a question for all my readers out there. My sister and I have been wondering who the Harry Potter people will get to play older versions of the Golden Trio and their friends when the seventh movie comes out (if they even add the epilogue to it) and I was wondering who you all thought could play them older. Just leave it in a review, which is basically just another way for me to get more reviews.;-P