Disclaimer:As much as it pains me to admit it, I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters, so anything you recognise is not mine. They were created by the fabulous J.K. Rowling. I'm sitting on my bed wondering if my cat could possibly be an Animagus in disguise. I would wonder about my dog too, but my dog doesn't stare at me quite as expressively as my cat.

Author's Note:Comments/Suggestions and critiques are greatly appreciated! Enjoy

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"Mum?" Hermione called as she walked around the corner and into the kitchen. The smell of fresh flowers filled the room as her mother put the finishing touches on the display of colourful flowers she didn't recognise. It reminded her of a wedding bouquet she had seen in a photo at her parent's office.

"What do you think, darling?" her mum asked, smiling at her brightly.

Returning the smile, she replied, "It's beautiful." Pausing for a few moments, she took a deep breath and stared at the arrangement before continuing. "Do you need anything from the chemist? I was thinking of going for a walk," she lied. She hated lying to her parents and it was hard not to appear nervous but right now they just wouldn't understand.

"I don't think so, thanks," her mother replied before picking up the vase and setting it in the middle of the table. "Be careful and don't be too long. Dinner will be up soon."

"Of course, mum," she replied quickly as she walked out of the kitchen. Pulling on her beige coat, she made sure the money was still in her jean pocket before walking out the front door. The cold air hit her face and she pulled her scarf up around her mouth. There were only two days until she was due back at Hogwarts after Christmas holiday and she had no other chance to get this done. Her parents had insisted on spending the entire holiday in Paris. Not that she was complaining, mind you, but her mind was occupied with something else. Someone else.

Her shoes crunched the snow flat onto the pavement as she walked along. Shoving gloved hands into her coat pocket she glanced around, admiring the beauty of the setting. Snow covered gardens and shrubbery. There were even a small number of snowmen standing, somewhat lopsided, in the yard to her left. A smile graced her features as she imagined the children playing in the snow.

Speeding up her pace she began thinking about seeing her friends again. Anything to get her mind off what she was about to do. She had sent both Harry and Ron books on Quidditch and a few sugar-free treats. Ron had sent her a framed photograph of the three of them as well as a scarf Mrs Weasley knit for her. Harry had given her a very nice quill set which she couldn't wait to use.

When she finally reached the crosswalk she waited for the signal to cross. When it appeared she looked right, then left, before crossing. Once she got across, she stepped under the censor making the doors slide open for her. She didn't come here often and it took her a moment to find the aisle that she needed. Pulling her hands out of her pockets, she slipped the gloves off and placed them in her right pocket. Finally locating where she needed to be, she walked quickly over and glanced around. She was sure no one would recognise her but her nerves were wearing thin.

Quickly scanning all the different types she could get, she chose what she felt would be the most effective one and walked to the pay counter. Placing her item on the counter and pulling the money out of her pocket, she tried not to make eye contact with the boy behind the counter.

She was trying so hard not to make eye contact that she almost didn't hear him say, "Seven pounds thirty."

Handing him a ten pound note, he gave her the change and the item she paid for. As Hermione walked towards the door, she pulled the box out of the bag, opened up the box, and pulled the item out. Tossing the bag and box in a bin near the door, she slipped the item and its instructions into her inside coat pocket and walked out of the door.

The walk home seemed to take longer than the walk to the chemist and it seemed a bit colder. Tightening her scarf even more around her mouth, she sped up her pace. Her house finally came into view and she walked through the gate and up to the front door. Hesitating for a moment, she twisted the knob and stomped her feet on the mat outside before stepping in.

"I'm home!" she called, wincing as the smell of courgette drifted through the hallway.

"Dinner will be up in five minutes," her mother responded from the kitchen.

Pulling off her coat, she walked to her room and laid it on her bed softly, not forgetting the item that was hidden away in its pocket.

Dinner passed slowly, to the brunette's relief, although it just delayed what she had to do even further. When her mother stood to place her plate in the sink, Hermione offered to do the dishes.

"Don't be silly, love," her mother responded. "Enjoy the last of your holiday."

"Alright," she said with a half-smile on her face. "I'll probably just revise, though. Maybe write Ron and Harry." Her mother nodded and smiled at her as she left the room.

When she got to her room, she entered and locked the door, thankful her parents couldn't do magic. Pulling the item out of her coat pocket, she walked nervously to the toilet connected to her room and closed the door behind her. As she sat down, she opened the package and stared at it for a moment before working up the nerve to use it.

When she was finished, she placed the item down on the sink, washed her hands, and paced. Glancing at her wrist watch she noticed it had only been 40 seconds. She needed to wait three minutes before looking at it to make sure no mistakes were made. Her hands were visibly shaking and she had never been this nervous before, even when taking a written test.

This was no written test. She couldn't study for it but she had an idea of what the outcome would be. She hadn't allowed her mind to wander to what would happen should the test come up one way or another. That made her too nervous. Plus, everything could be fine and perhaps she's worrying over nothing. Glancing once more at her watch, she saw it had now been three minutes and sixteen seconds. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she tried to calm down. Opening her eyes, she looked down at the slender stick sitting on the counter and saw two pink lines.

She was pregnant.

Gasping, she backed up against the wall and slid down as the tears rolled down her face.

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Author's Note: I started this story several years ago, but it never really developed in the way I wanted it to. I had three chapters, but had severe writers block. I've now figured out exactly where I want it to go (only needing to work out certain small details) so I've decided to re-submit this as a new story. Thanks!