For Her Safety

A/N- Well, I finally rewrote the next chapter. I'm afraid it's not as good as the first time I wrote it, but we shall see. This is another one that I feel I am going to need to retouch at some point in the near future. Anyhow, please let me know how you like it. Your reviews have definately been of help, please keep it up. :)

much love,
zairaphel
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Hermione turned over in bed, stretching her arms out wide as she let out a quiet yawn. She lay in bed for a few minutes, just staring at the ceiling as she tried to wake up. After a few minutes Hermione slipped out of bed and began to get herself ready for the day.

Hermione got dressed quietly, trying her best not to wake the still sleeping Ginny. She put on a pair of jeans and her favourite red jumper. Her mum had given her the jumper shortly before they were taken from her. It was comforting to have something that reminded her of her mum in a time like this. It reminded her that her mother would have wanted her to be the strong independant woman that she is.

She stared at herself in the mirror as she queued her hair back into a tight braid. Her hair had relaxed a bit as it got longer. The weight pulling her hair into messy ringlets that reached the middle of her back. She wrestled her hair, trying to fight the curls into submission. Once she was finally happy with her appearance she headed downstairs to see if Mrs. Weasley had started breakfast.

"Good morning dear!" The cheery voice greeted her as she entered the kitchen. "Eggs and sausage?"

"Good morning, Mrs. Weasley. And yes, please, I'd love some," Hermione told her as she took a seat at the table. The kitchen was perfumed with the scent of lovely fried foods and some other confection that Molly was working on for the day.

Molly sat a large plate piled full of eggs, bacon, and toast and a glass of pumpkin juice in front of Hermione. "There you go, dear. You need to eat more. You're getting so thin you'll waste away." She was always concerned with how much the children were getting to eat, especially Harry and Hermione.

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley. Though I wouldn't go so far as saying I'm wasting away. I'm not exactly a tiny little thing now, anyway. In fact I think I could stand to lose a little weight," Hermione told her, putting her hand on the slight curve of her tummy.

"Nonsense, now eat up, dear." Molly sat down at the table with Hermione deciding to take a bit of a break before she started to tackle the breafast dishes that were piling up in the sink. It may have been early, but she had fed at least five people already that morning. Members of the Order had a tendancy of dropping by just for the large meals Molly was known to prepare.

"Oh, and happy birthday, Hermione. Don't think I didn't remember," she smiled brightly. "We're going to be having a little get together this evening to celebrate the occasion."

"Oh Mrs. Weasley. I don't know if I'm really in the mood to have a party this year, but still, it aught to be nice none the less. Thank you though, it was awfully kind of you to put this together." Hermione couldn't help but wonder if the party was more to make Mrs. Weasley feel better about the situation or whether it was something else. Perhaps it's just about those last happy childhood memories. It was sweet of her to try to make things pleasant though...

"I'm baking a chocolate cake for the occasion. You do like chocolate cake, don't you Hermione?" she asked.

"Oh yes, I'm quite fond of it. Perhaps a little too much so," she said, once again poking at the slight curve to her stomach.

Molly just shook her head. "Young witches are far too concerned with their appearance these days. You look lovely, Hermione. You already draw the stares of wizards when you're out and about. Don't think I hadn't noticed the looks you got when we were out shopping in Diagon Alley."

Hermione looked at Molly, eyes wide in disbelief, her cheeks turning a bright shade of red. "Wizards were staring at me?" she asked in disbelief.

"Oh yes, dear. And a few witches too." Mrs. Weasley laughed lightly before noticing that Hermione was turning the colour of a beet. "Dear, you're a very beautiful young witch," Molly assured her. "It's no wonder men look at you. You shouldn't be embarrased. You should be proud of who you are."

Hermione took a little comfort in that as she calmed down. "I know it's silly, but sometimes I wonder if I'm not good enough to be Sirius Black's wife..." she said softly.

"What!?" Mrs. Weasley shrieked. "If anything you're too good for him!" she exclaimed in disbelief. "Not good enough to be Sirius Black's wife? Don't be silly, dear!"

"Yes, but he could have had any witch he pleased. He could have had the prettiest, smartest witch out there, but instead he's getting saddled with me," Hermione said quietly, defeat creeping back into her voice.

"Absolute nonsense. He is getting the smartest and prettiest witch he knows, and if I'm not mistaken, he knows it too." Molly gave her a knowing look before getting up to leave Hermione to finish her breakfast and to think on what she had told her.

Hermione slowly finished her breakfast, pondering the words Mrs. Weasley had left her with. She couldn't possibly mean that Sirius thinks I'm that pretty. Smart, perhaps. I do have that reputation, but pretty. That's just too much...

A thought then struck Hermione. Just what's going to happen about school? She was going to school a married woman. Just how is that supposed to work? She let panic take hold of her for a moment before her rational side took hold again.

Professor Dumbledore is a rational man. I'm sure he has this all worked out. Ah ha! This is merely a strategy to keep me safe, so naturally, it's just a marriage by law only. I'm sure aside from that, things will be completely normal. Yes, that sounds good indeed... I'll go to school and be a normal witch just like I was planning. She thought this over a few times, not entirely sure if she believed it, or if she was just thinking it solely for comfort.

Still deep in thought Hermione got up from the table and put her dishes in the sink. She was about to wash them before Mrs. Weasley shooed Hermione away, insisting she wasn't to work on her birthday.

Hermione headed back upstairs. She had decided she would tuck herself away for the day in order to think everything over and get her head cleared before she had to make her obligatory appearance at her birthday party. She sighed. This is going to be one hell of an evening, I've no doubt...