Part 15 to 'Somone To Turn To'
"Look at him. Isn't he just precious?" Ginny said looking over little Nathaniel as he bounced in his bouncy seat. All the girls gazed upon him cooing him. The guys were out playing pool. Nathaniel was asleep most of the time but when he would open his eyes, he revealed the biggest, bluest eyes ever. He was to young to notice now, but it was obvious that he would grow up to resemble his father. The eyes, the hair…just everything.
"Look at him looking at me!" Luna exclaimed when he opened up one eye to look at all of the girls. He better get used to it because he would be quite the heart breaker when he grew up. He was already so handsome. He often scrunched up his nose and rubbed his face. It was just so adorable.
"So how is motherhood treating you so far?" Cho asked Hermione while sitting back on the sofa.
"Well, its only been a week." Hermione said rolling up her sleeves to her shirt making a bottle for Nathaniel. He was a quiet baby. He hardly cried. He was very obedient and he giggled a lot.
"You are doing so well though…raising him on your own. I admire you for that." Cho said and Hermione smiled from the kitchen.
"And I'm loving every minute of it." Hermione said with a proud smile. It was just her and her baby most of the time. She woke up every night to make the baby a bottle. She bathed him, fed him….everything by herself. She shook the baby's bottle and tested it on her elbow. It was warm. "Here." she handed it to Ginny.
"Come here, big boy." Ginny lifted Nathaniel from his seat and fed him as she gently cradled him in her arms. Everyone looked in awe. All the girls took turns holding him neither of them wanted to let him go. He had that affect on everyone. It seemed that everything he did was so adorable. Yawning, burping…even pooping. He was just so adorable and Hermione couldn't get enough of him.
"I'm gonna wear a satin low cut dress, and its gonna be purple." Hermione heard Cho talking to Luna. They were about excited about something.
"Ohhh…sounds sexy! What the occasion?" Hermione asked in curiosity sitting on the arm of the sofa watching Ginny feed Nathaniel..
"I'm talking about Ron's-" Cho's excitement came to a halt realizing what she was about to say and her face turned red. She stopped and looked around the room as the girls looked at her with kind of a concerned look. Everyone's face turned from a happy face to a frown now. They knew Hermione wouldn't take it so easy.
"Wedding…" Hermione finished her sentence with a low tone while looking down. Everyone fell silence once again. Hermione nearly forgot about it. It was only 1 month away.
"I'm so sorry." Cho apologized feeling bad for bringing it up.
"Not its ok." Hermione shrugged letting out a wry chuckle. Everyone shot her a small smile. It was so fake though. The air in the room suddenly fell inept. Everyone fiddled with something feeling the anxiety rise. Hermione sensed tears about to come out but she couldn't cry. She's dealt with this for a while already and she knew this was coming. She probably thought that reality was ultimately setting in. No more Ronald and her anymore. "Umm…who wants some tea?" Hermione asked clapping her hands breaking the silence. The girls agreed to a cup of tea and Hermione went back to the kitchen and set up the kettle. She poured water in it and she leaned on the stove tapping her fingers on it. She really did miss Ron. She had always thought that somewhere down the road they would make up and grow to be a family but...she was mistaken about that. She wiped a wandering tear from the corner of her eyes and snuffled feeling the angst build inside of her.
"Hermione?" Ginny walked into the kitchen with the baby's bib on her shoulder.
"Hey, Ginny!" Hermione tried to hide her feelings with a fake smile. Ginny walked up to her and hugged her.
"How are you feeling?" Ginny asked rubbing her back up and down. Hermione bit her lip and shrugged her shoulders.
"I'm fine." she lied with a high-pitched tone. Ginny knew it was bugging her though. There was no way Ginny could see past her. Hermione just sighed and leaned back on the counter.
"You know, I really thought that maybe…we would get through all of this and get back together. I thought Ronald had more heart than that and cared about us." Hermione's voice trembled a bit. "I presumed wrong." she said in a low voice. It really ate her inside. She heard Nathaniel crying and she went to the living room with the girls. Not before wiping her tears though. She didn't want anyone to know how she really felt because she didn't want anyone feeling pity for her. Hermione was a strong girl and she needed to be tough for her baby and that's what she was going to do. "Nathaniel….you ok, baby?" Hermione asked grabbing him from Cho as she pampered him.
"I think he just needs a change." Cho suggested. Hermione just patted Nathaniel's back lightly and out came a big burp. All the girls giggled and awed. "I just burped him!" Cho giggled throwing her hands in the air.
"Yeah, he has that problem. He doesn't get all of his gas out so he'll let out little ones and then one big one. I have to do that all the time or else he wouldn't be able to sleep." Hermione informed them. She already knew her baby so well. The next thing she knew, Nathaniel was fast asleep with his head leaning on her shoulder.
"I should get going. I have to be up early tomorrow." Cho said and the girls got up.
"Ok, thanks for coming you all. I hope you'll stop by soon." Hermione said giving them hugs.
"Feel better about the whole…you know." Cho said hugging her. She still felt bad about bringing up the whole Ron's wedding situation. Hermione knew she didn't mean it though. After the girls left, Ginny was left with Hermione.
"They didn't even drink their tea's." Ginny said listening to the kettle whistle just as they left. Herminie just lightly bounced her son up and down in the living room. She hummed to him a tune that her father often sung to her when she was a baby. She forgot the words but she knew the tune. Nathaniel was so small an he had that adorable baby smell. Hermione could never let go of him. She always wanted to hold him, hug him, kiss him, cradle him in her arms…she loved her baby so much.
"I'm gonna go and put him down." Hermione told Ginny as Ginny helped clean up in the kitchen. Ginny was there almost all the time now. Harry would go out with the guys and pick her up afterwards. Mostly, because Ginny was the only girl and she didn't want to be left alone with Lavender at her house. She despised Lavender.
Hermione placed her sleeping son in his crib and she lightly kissed him on his forehead softly as he moaned a bit. She stared at him watching him sleep. He was a blessing and a miracle. She was happy things worked out the way they did. It wasn't as planned but she couldn't ask for a better life now. In spite of the fact Ron was getting married, Hermione loved her life. Her job, her family, friends…she was very grateful indeed.
"Hey." Ginny said walking in with two cups of tea.
"Oh. Thanks." Hermione said in a whispering tone.
"Two sugars and some lemon. Just how you like it." Ginny passed her the cup on a saucer. Hermione sipped the tea while sitting in a rocking chair she often sat in while cradling Nathaniel. The tea soothed her so much. Ginny sipped on hers and sat on a storage box that Hermione kept all of the baby's stuff.
"You know. Ron isn't happy." Ginny suddenly said making Hermione's heart skip a beat at the mention of his name.
"What do you mean he's not happy?" Hermione asked wondering why he was marrying Lavender if he wasn't happy.
"I don't know. He's just…he doesn't go out with the guys as much and…he doesn't seem so affectionate with Lavender as he was with you. He sulks most of the time. And with the wedding plans, he was so unenthusiastic that he left everything to the last minute. He didn't really care." Ginny said making Hermione smile inside, but at the same time, she was upset to see him this way.
"Why is he marrying her then?" Hermione asked sipping on her tea. Ginny just shrugged her shoulders. She was baffled too.
"I guess...he thinks that he cant get anyone better…so he'll settle with Lavender." she said making perfect sense. A lot of girls did think low or bad of him for no reason. Hermione in a way felt like it was her fault but at the same time, it was Ron's fault for not getting over the whole Malfoy thing. Hermione still loved him and he loved her. They could've still worked things out but…Ron just couldn't. And now, he was miserable. Hermione and Ginny just sat in silence in the baby's room. She would now enjoy the rest of her life with her baby.
Draco will be coming back very soon. Ron also :)
And yes, a few of my parts were inspired by Friends. I dont watch the show but my friend wanted me to put in a part like that. :)