Bitter Sweet ( A Fremione Love Story)

Chapter 10

Hermione was downstairs helping Theo pack as she hadn't even started. "I'm not helping, I told you to do it a week ago" said Ginny in exasperation as Hermione picked up the little horses that sat on the window sill that were worth more than her book collection when something caught her eye. It was a photo and in that photo their were a group of people smiling and waving up at her. She picked it up, it was ripped and frayed around the edges. It looked as though it had spent a lifetime or two in somebody's pocket.

As she looked through all the smiling faces she recognised a few and then it dawned on her what the photo was of. "Theo why'd you never show us this?" asked Hermione "Show us what?" asked Ginny leaning off the bed to try and catch a glimpse of what was in Hermione's hand. Theo looked over and seen the photo that she was holding. "Oh that, I forgot I even had that" said Theo, folding the last of her robes and making her way over to the window where Hermione stood. "Merlins beard, is that the original Order of the Phoenix?" asked Ginny, now clambering off the bed so fast she nearly toppled over. "Yep, look there's Sirius and Remus and beside Remus that's Harry's mom and dad" said Theo pointing out the smiling foursome.

Sirius and Remus looked happy, truly happy. They were both glowing as Remus had his armed linked with a stunning red haired witch who it was clear was laughing a lot. Beside her was a man if Hermione hadn't known was James Potter she would have assumed it was Harry. "They all look so happy" said Ginny quietly as she looked through the people in the photo. Hermione was now focused on the bright red head who under closer inspection she realised to be pregnant. "What age were they here?" she asked, her finger lingering over the bump of a young Lily Evans. "Couldn't have been more than twenty because...well" Theo lingered off.

Everyone knew that the Potters where twenty one the night Voldemort showed up at Godrics Hollow. "Who's that woman that Sirius has his arm linked with?" asked Ginny clearly trying to change the subject. Theo looked and then sighed "Thats Marlene McKinnon" she said not looking at the photo again. "You told us about her, about what happened to her family" Ginny said but her voice went out of focus for Hermione as she looked at the photo, at Marlene. She looked incredibly familiar but she knew that she couldn't because she had died many years ago.

Marlene and her entire family had been murdered by the death eaters not two weeks after the picture had been taken and it felt wrong to see them all so happy and carefree when Hermione knew what was going to happen. Then her eyes fell to another young woman beside her who Hermione had definitely seen before. "Theo who's this" she asked, pointing at the witch who was standing behind Marlene with her hands affectionately placed on her stomach. "Oh, that's Dorcas Meadows. She was a right mess after Marlene was killed. So much so she did some stupid shit and got herself killed by you know who himself" said Theo barely glancing at the photo but Hermione had it as close to her face as possible. "Merlin...Theo" said Hermione lingering off now as her heart sank. "Look, Marlene's pregnant. Really pregnant" she said holding the photo out for Theo to take. "What? No she's not let me see" said Theo grabbing the photo to take a closer look. "Someone's placed a hazing charm to blur it but she is, that why Dorcas is holding her stomach she's pregnant, she was pregnant" said Hermione feeling faint. "So that means..." said Ginny looking from the photo to Hermione. "That Marlene's baby was killed along with the rest of her family" finished Theo sitting down on the bed. "That's sick! That's barbaric that baby didn't do anything!" said Ginny. "Except I don't think the baby died" said Hermione, her back to Theo and Ginny as she thought carefully about what she was going to say next. "That woman, Dorcas. I recognise her, I've seen her in a photo somewhere else" she said. "In my dormitory...next to Mary Meadows bed". Ginny and Theo stared at her. "You don't think..." Theo started but couldn't finish as she lay back on the bed holding her head. "Yes, Mary isn't black but Dorcas is how does that make sense. Clearly they were having a child together" said Hermione "and Mary looks exactly like Marlene except for her eyes, they must be the same as her fathers". Theo stared at the photo and then thought "Merlins beard, Mary Meadows I always thought she looked a bit like..." Theo didn't finish that thought. She stood up immediately and ran out of the room. Hermione and Ginny shared a look and followed her quickly.