Title: Baby
Summary: Hermione's pregnant. Ron's not happy.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the babies.
Author's Notes: Written for the September Quill challenge at The Hideaway.
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Hermione stared at the piece of parchment, unable to believe her eyes. Yet, even as she watched, the words stayed, broadcasting a news she wouldn't have thought possible. She was on the Potion, and they always did the Charm…
Pregnancy: Positive.
Sex: Female.
Development of Foetus: Heart beating. Eyes beginning to form. Neural Tube has split into three parts. Brain is beginning to form. Arms and legs are budding. Spinal chord and spine are fully formed.
Magical Status: Witch.
Hermione sat down heavily, one hand on her stomach. It was almost as if, when she concentrated really hard, she could feel the baby's magic, already mingling with her own. She knew it was ridiculous, of course, but it was a nice thought, and one that she cherished. A baby…one with Ron's eyes and her hair…a little girl who would spout off interesting facts, and play chess with her daddy. Someone to cuddle close, and tell stories to, someone to teach things to. She'd wanted a baby desperately ever since she first held little Teddy Lupin in her arms, and although this was an accident, it was a happy one.
Hermione got up. Yes, this was a big thing, but she still had jobs that needed to be done before Ron got home from work. Hopefully, he and Harry hadn't gotten into another pranking war with the twins, so there'd be no spells for her to perform tonight, and she wouldn't have to put up with sharing her bed with some outlandish creature with purple skin.
That reminded her, she should go to Flourish and Blotts and find out what a pregnant witch could and couldn't do. This baby was to be the first of many, she was sure. She didn't want her daughter to be an only child like she was. As such, she certainly didn't want to do anything that might harm the precious life growing inside of her.
Hermione turned around when the door opened. "Ron, you're home early," she said, kissing him.
Ron grinned. "Yeah, well, I wanted to get home to see my girl and give her a present."
"You got me a present? Why?" Hermione asked. Surely he couldn't know about their baby already?
Ron shrugged, red beginning to make its way down his ears. "Just felt like it is all."
"Oh, thank you!" The brunette kissed him again, and picked up the gift-wrapped box.
"Hey, what's this?" Ron asked, picking up the paper with the results of Hermione's pregnancy spell on them. He read it, face going pale. "You're pregnant?" he asked.
Hermione nodded. "Isn't it great?" she beamed. "We're going to have a baby!"
"No we're not," Ron corrected blankly.
"Ron, clearly we are. Honestly, it's not that hard to believe, considering." Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Hermione, you can't," her husband said calmly. "We can't afford it."
"We could if you'd let me work," she proposed eagerly. Yes, she'd need to give it up for a while after the baby was born, but that was fine by her. They were making so many advancements in the Ministry, and she was really looking forward to taking part in them.
"No, Hermione, we already had this discussion. I'm the one who works, not you," Ron snapped.
Hermione put the unopened gift down on the table, eyes flashing. "No we didn't have a discussion. You told me you wanted me to stay at home and I foolishly didn't protest because I didn't want to make waves. Why exactly don't you want me to work? Do you feel ashamed of the fact that I have to work if we're going to have a baby?"
"I told you, you can't have a baby, we can't afford it!" Ron snarled.
"And what?" Hermione screamed, "You think that's it?! You think I'll kill my daughter simply because you say so? Well you can just sod off! I'm not killing her because you're a chauvinistic pig!" She stormed out of the flat, furious, that he'd made her so angry that she swore, and that he refused to see reason.
Unfortunately, Ron didn't take the hint, and followed her. "The baby's not even three weeks old yet, Hermione, surely it can't count as a person!"
Hermione whirled around. "Just so you know," she said calmly, "I'm pretty much hovering on never seeing you again right now. And that comment definitely didn't help.
"Did you know that I'm not supposed to be an only child? Mum was pregnant before me, and after me, but she had miscarriages. So excuse me if I think all life is precious. Yes, the baby's less than three weeks old. But she's still alive. She has a heartbeat. She has a soul. And I'm not going to give her up for anything. So if you'll excuse me, I'm going over to Ginny's. And you'd better hope I don't tell her what you just said." With that, she disapparated.
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"He really said that?" Ginny asked, brown eyes full of pain.
Hermione nodded. "I can't believe he'd be so callous!" she choked. "I was so happy..."
"And now? What do you plan to do?" Ginny handed Hermione a cup of tea, taking a sip out of her own.
"I'm not getting rid of her." Hermione said firmly. "I couldn't. I know I only found out about her twenty minutes ago but I already love her."
Ginny smiled. "I'm glad," she admitted. "I'd hate to lose the chance of meeting my little niece. Especially since it doesn't look like I'm going to be holding another baby of my own any time soon."
Hermione winced. "I'm sorry, honey, I didn't mean to remind you." she apologised.
Her sister-in-law shook her head. "No, it's not your fault. The doctor said that with everything that's gone on, it's unlikely I'll ever be able to have any more children, even with magical assistance." She sighed. "Harry's been great, but I can tell he's disappointed. I feel like such a failure…"
"There has to be something that can be done." Hermione protested.
"Hey, you didn't come here to talk about my problems," Ginny scolded lightly. "Look, I know Ron, and I'm sure he didn't mean what he said. You have to make allowances, even when we were at our poorest, Mum never worked. It probably didn't even occur to him that you might want to."
"He still should have asked me," Hermione protested, not liking where Ginny was going with this.
"Yes," Ginny agreed. "He should have. But he didn't. So it's up to you to talk to him. Calmly, without either of you going bonkers and beginning to yell. So go on. Talk. Be happy, yada yada yada."
Hermione stood up. "You're right," she decided. "I've got to explain things to him. He's too much of a bloody man."
"Exactly." The redhead grinned. "And hey, if that doesn't work, a few night's on the couch probably will."
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Hermione walked into hers and Ron's apartment, searching for her errant fiancé. She found him in the lounge, head in hands. "Ronald Weasley, I am going to talk and you are going to listen," she said crisply. The best way to do this was to spit it out, and not let him have a chance to object.
"I want to work. It's boring, staying here all day. I like to be busy, to do things. You don't think I worked so hard in school to be a stay-at-home mother, do you? Because I didn't. I want to do something. It's boring staying here day after day, with nothing more to occupy my time than cooking and cleaning, and running a household. I'm not that woman, and you know it! I need to work, and what's more, I love working. I want to make a difference in the world! I didn't go back to get my NEWTs for no reason, you know!
"I love you, and I love being your wife, even if we don't always understand one another. But if you ask me to choose between you, the baby will win. I love you more than life itself, Ron, but this is my daughter. She's a part of me. And while I'd do almost anything for you, I won't kill my firstborn for you."
Ron sighed, rubbing a hand through his fiery hair. Her heart ached at the misery on his face. "I know. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said any of the things I did, and I didn't mean them, honestly."
"But you did mean them, Ron," Hermione said gently, trying very hard to stay calm. The hurt she'd felt over her husband's unkind, thoughtless words was still fresh. Nevertheless, she wanted to work this out, and to do that she needed to take Ginny's advice. "And that's going to take some getting over. But I do forgive you. I love you."
Ron smiled in relief, hugging Hermione. "I love you too. So...a baby, huh? Well, one thing I insist on, the twins can't baby-sit."
Hermione laughed. "That I can agree with."
The End