The Expectant Detectives

Hello one and all! My thanks goes out to all the people that took the time to read my story. Big thanks also go out to those who took the time to review! Both mean a lot to me.

A/N: In this chapter there will be references to Oliver Wood, Draco Malfoy, as well as to Marcus Flint. If you want to know what this is all about, read the story "The Fix" by yours truly (mariteri). True, it isn't necessary to do so, but it'll let you know the inside story to the repercussions you'll be reading about in this chapter.

***

Chapter Three


It was now official. Hermione Granger-Snape was declared by the mediwitch to be pregnant. She was congratulated, given the potions that she would need for the next month, and sent on her way.


“You go straight to your rooms and take a nap,” Poppy told her. “I need to speak to Severus about school supplies. It should only take a few minutes.”


Once Hermione was gone, Poppy turned to look at him. “How in the name of Merlin did she find out if she wasn’t told by me? I swear I’ve never met a witch so flummoxed by her own body before in my life! About the closest was a twelve year old…”


“Poppy,” he said in a hard voice. “I need to be with my wife.”


“Yes, of course, I just wanted to let you know that you won the wager.”


“Thank you. I’ll come collect my winnings later.”


***


Once back to their rooms, he made her take her potions. Hermione thought absently to take a nap afterwards, but it was just then that Ginny Potter and Luna Lovegood came through the floo. Ginny was all but screaming with joy and Luna was Luna, serene. Hermione was grateful for that as she was sure Ginny’s bubbling happiness was going to make someone’s head explode any minute.


“I can’t believe it! Finally! Well, I can believe it what with the way you two carry on like adolescents all the time…”


“It’s more than likely all the teenage pheromones in the castle,” Luna interjected in her light, lilting voice. “That and it is the gnargle mating season, but I promised Ginny I wouldn’t mention them during this visit as she tells me that they only seem to aggravate you when mentioned.” She looked to the glaring redhead. “Sorry.”


“Yeah,” Ginny answered, looking back over to Hermione. “So have you told him?”


They both looked at her intensely. “Uh, yeah. At Malfoy Manor earlier today…”


“Do you know the time you asked him?” Ginny pressed.


Narrowing her eyes, she asked, “What are you about, Mrs. Potter? And don’t give me a cock and bull story as you can’t lie for anything.”


Ginny answered, “I can’t say.”


“You can’t say?” Hermione’s eyes looked over to Luna. “Do you know what this is about?”


She nodded. “I’m sorry to tell you I cannot tell you either.”


Hermione thought this over. “And can Tonks not inform me as to what this is all about as well?”


“Yes,” they both chimed. But then looked at each other and frowned as they said, "No?"


“You can ask her when I told him,” she said flatly, standing up. “Why do I get the feeling that you knew I was pregnant before I did?”


“More than likely because we did,” Luna answered lightly.


“Really?” She looked over to Ginny, who nodded reluctantly. “How?”


“Charlie Weasley told me,” Luna murmured. “Said something along the lines of his mother told him and that Bill told her.” The blond former Ravenclaw turned to Ginny. “How did you know?”


“How could I not know?” Ginny asked. “Hermione couldn’t hold down any food, but was able to if she ate light meals? And then there was her absent comments about how odd it was that she hadn’t had her period yet, but pushed the thought aside as she was sure it was stress.”


“Why was that so hard to believe? I was undercover for several months before that,” she said in a mutter. “It wasn’t easy you know.”


“No one is debating that,” Ginny cooed, attempting to calm her. “So what did happen to Draco and Oliver anyway?”


“Oliver Wood lost what loose grip he had on his mind after he was arrested. He’s in the St. Mungo’s ward for the criminally insane and chances are good that he’ll be given the kiss as soon as his high priced solicitor has run through all the money Oliver made playing professional quidditch. Draco ended up paying a very heavy fine and is currently spending the better part of a year in Azkaban,” she murmured. “If it had been anyone else, he would have done more time.” Hermione sighed heavily. “At least the money is going towards a charity that Marcus Flint has chosen.”


Luna smiled. “How did you convince him to start that?”


“I didn’t,” Hermione answered. “His new girlfriend Hazel did. He met her when he was in St. Mungos.” She let out a laugh. “She caught him practicing smiling into a mirror. Said at first she thought he was terribly vain. That is until she found out that he was only doing so because he had new muggle teeth.” The smile dropped away and she snapped, “Okay, out with it you two. No more diversions. Just tell me straight.”


“What?” Ginny asked her.


“Just about everyone knew,” Luna said at the same time. “Sorry.”


Closing her eyes, Hermione muttered, “I am never going to live this down.”


“It isn’t all that bad,” Ginny said weakly.


Her friend’s eyes popped open and aimed a hard glare at her. “Right. And just how many wagers are there at this very moment?”


Luna thought it over. “I only know of five, but one never knows. Others may have started since yesterday. They do tend to pop up rather quickly.”


Hermione was about to say something when Harry came charging out of the floo. After giving his wife a quick greeting, he went over to his best friend.


“You have got to come with me,” he told Hermione, pulling her to her feet. “We found another body…”


“I’m on medical leave,” she said to him. “Something I didn’t want…”


He waved that off. “Trust me when I say that you are going to want to see this dead body.”


“I never want to see dead bodies,” she muttered. “Can’t I read the Death Log? Everyone’s death ends up recorded…”


“You’re just going to have to trust me,” Harry stated as he pulled her along to the floo. He looked at her, his eyes were alight with mischief as he added, “You’ll want to see this one.”


“I better,” she muttered as she pinched up some floo powder. “Least I’m filing a complaint.”


***


When Hermione and Harry arrived to where the body now was, it was surrounded by a load of different aurors including Sirius, who from the looks of it was having one of the other aurors taking pictures of him with the body. Off to the side was Severus who was looking disgusted by the way the men and women were behaving.


“ENOUGH!” they all spun around to face Hermione. “Any and all personnel who aren’t on this case leave!”


“But, love…” Sirius started to say only to have Hermione whip her wand out and sent a lightening bolt thus destroying the camera.


“Out!” she roared. “NOW!”


The rush out of the room nearly had her toppling over. Severus managed to yank her out of the way. Hermione pressed her face into his chest, trying to calm herself with deep, even breaths.


“Where has the respect for the dead gone?” Hermione whispered. “Curiosity aside, this was over the top!” She lifted her head to look up into her husband’s face.


He combed her hair out of her eyes. “You were a sight to behold.”


Hermione blushed at his words, but said nothing as she turned to face those who remained there in the coroner mediwizard’s domain.


Mediwizard Jake Spooky stood next to the body on the table with a smile curving his lips as he said, “I knew once you got here, Mrs. Snape, you would put things to right. You always do. Now let’s look at the body, shall we?”


“Yes, about that,” she said casually. “I was put on medical leave.”


His brows arched. “Nothing serious I hope.”


“No, I’m pregnant.”


“What wonderful news.”


“And you knew,” she said, sounding a bit miffed.


“Weeks ago, my dear,” he told her in a kindly voice and giving her a reassuring smile. “Let me assure you that you are not the first or only young witch not to know that you had a bun in the proverbial oven. This is the first time that you’re pregnant after all.”


It was with those words that Hermione relaxed and went over to the autopsy table. Looking down at the body one thing became very clear. There was absolutely not one bit of pigment in that dead woman’s skin or hair. She moved over and looked into her eyes as well and found that under the cloudiness that comes to the eye with death there was no color to the irises either.


“An albino?” she asked, looking towards the medical professional.


Smiling he nodded and added, “There’s more.” With that he proceeded to lift the skin on the reed thin woman’s thigh, pulling it a good three to four centimeters away from the body and making it look as if it were only by strength of will that had kept it on her tall frame. “She has a disorder of the connective tissues.” He looked to Hermione. “This person was more than likely…”


“A contortionist?” she whispered. Looking over to Harry, she inquired, “Where did they find her?”


“In Lucius’s garden,” he muttered.


“Well, damn,” she stated in subtle horror, looking back to the body. “The little man was just the beginning.”


***

A cliffhanger?! What kind of mean, evil person would do such a thing?! Oh yeah, that would be me. HA-HA-HA! There is nothing like a pretend evil laugh to start one's day.

Okay it's time for the Review Sing-A-Long! The answer was "Come Back and Stay" by Paul Young. He was best known for that song, "Everytime You Go Away". Personally, I always liked "Come Back and Stay" better than the one he got famous for, but oh well. Sorry to say that no one got the answer to this one.

Time for the next song. "Uh-huh! Holy shit! It's about time you get off my review! Two times you've been around that track, but your ass is still fat and it'll stay like that..." There you go! No hints this time around, sorry. That's more out of the fact that I can't think of one more than anything. I need my coffee. Everyone have a wonderful day!