"I'm pregnant."
This was what George Weasley heard as he walked through the front door of the house he shared with his wife. At the words his coat was instantly dropped to the floor and Hermione Granger-Weasley was scooped into his arms and spun around in a full circle before carefully being placed on her feet. A wide grin was spread across her husband's face and she giggled, leaning up to press her lips against his as her hands cupped his cheeks delicately.
"You're going to be a daddy, George," her hands grabbed his from where they had shifted to hold her waist, and pressed his palms against her currently flat stomach. "We're going to be parents."
"Baby, I love you so much," the Weasley murmured, leaning forward to capture her lips once more in a deep kiss, hearing her respond in kind against his lips. As he did his hands caressed her stomach gently, where their child was growing inside of her. "You are going to be the best mother ever, and I already know I'm going to have to purchase at least another 3 bookshelves. One for the baby books that you will read in the months to come, and then another two for picture books for the baby. Am I right, or am I right?"
Shaking her head in amusement, Hermione pushed at her husband gently, walking towards where he had dropped his coat on the floor from shock. Leaning down she picked it up, before hanging it up on the neatly organised coat rack. Slipping a lock of hair behind her ear she walked through to their small kitchen, still with an amused smile playing at her lips. George knew her so well. As she waited for the kettle to boil, Hermione leaned against the sink, her hands instinctively moving to her stomach. She willed for everything to be okay, and knew that no matter what, this baby would be taken care of. Not just by herself and her loving husband, but by the now very large Weasley family, and the tiny Granger family. Glancing up she looked through the doorway to the living room, where George was fiddling with the Wizard radio, whilst chatting amicably. A small and sad smile formed at her lips as she saw the small portrait of Fred that hung on their wall replying with just as much enthusiasm. She realised she was wrong. He too would be looking down and taking care of their child.
Hermione Granger-Weasley had never been happier. Life was good. No, better than good. Life was perfect.
1 Month Later
Turning the page in his current book, George looked down at his currently sleeping wife and smiled. He loved to watch her sleep. During the day she was always so stressed, worrying about one thing or another. Whether it was about him, her job or even where Crookshanks was, she was always stressed. Whilst she was asleep she looked so peaceful, her now tame brown locks spread out on the pillow behind her head and her soft pink lips curled up in a content smile. She'd shift every now and then, making her head more comfortable on his chest. Leaning down he pressed a kiss against her forehead and returned back to his book.
It was a Sunday, which was why Hermione was allowing herself a lie in. When she had woken up to see George awake an hour earlier, she had nearly shot out of bed in surprise. Of course she hadn't though, her sleepiness taking over and she was lulled back into sleep quickly. George turned another page in his book and continued to read.
So far their pregnancy was going perfectly, Hermione was positively glowing. They had not yet indulged their parents with the news, despite much complaint from her husband. She had told him about how she could miscarry, which he had to admit had scared him a lot, and he had given in. As he had thought about it he realised it was a good thing to do. By now though, she thought it safe and this afternoon they would be telling the Weasley clan their news. It saddened George, though. He wanted his best friend there when he told his family. He wanted Fred to shake his head at him and tell him he'd made the biggest mistake. Even though he knew the disapproval would be short lived, and that his twin would hug him tightly, congratulating him and Hermione on their news.
Shaking his head, George pulled his thoughts away from his twin and continued to read. With his beautiful wife curled into him, his arm wrapped protectively around her, and a baby on the way, he felt no need to be sad.
A few hours later George helped Hermione wrap her coat around her body, before slipping on his own along with a Gryffindor scarf. Picking up his wife's deep plum scarf, he pulled her towards him and wrapped it around her neck before pressing a kiss against her forehead.
"You spoil me too much, George. I don't need taking care of yet, baby," Hermione smirked and looked up at her doting husband, feeling herself fall in love with him yet again. She always did when he was like this. When he was protective and loving towards her.
"It's because I love you Hermione, and because you wouldn't sleep with me otherwise." This reply earned a smack from Hermione and he chuckled before taking her hand in his. Their fingers entwined through second nature. "Ready?" He asked, watching as his wife nodded and suddenly they were gone, appearing in the garden of the Burrow within seconds.
Despite being so used to apparating, Hermione still wobbled when she reached her destination. George looked at her and chuckled once more. After a moment, she felt steady upon her feet and they started to walk towards the house. Already they could hear the sounds of a child crying, Molly Weasley screaming and all the other noises associated with such a big family. As of that moment, George was the only child of Arthur and Molly Weasley who was childless.
Bill and Fleur had their 2 beautiful daughters and a son on the way, in a matter of weeks, if Hermione was right in remembering. Charlie had married a woman in Romania, and they had a son who would soon be turning 5. Percy had married a lovely woman by the name of Audrey, and at the moment they also had 2 beautiful little girls. Ron had surprisingly married Luna Lovegood, and their daughter Rose was only a month old. Of course Ginny had married Harry and little James was Hermione's adored godson. Now he was the only one left.
Walking into the house, Hermione was immediately embraced by her best friend Ginny, grinning as her arms slipped around the petite redhead. Despite already having one child, she still had a better figure than Hermione had before she'd gotten pregnant!
"How are you, Hermione?" Ginny asked, walking Hermione towards where little Jamie was playing on the carpet with a toy dragon that had been his recent birthday present from Uncle Charlie. At the sight of his 'Auntie Hermione' he lifted his arms up in the air and she didn't have chance to reply to his mother. Lifting him up she spun him around, pressing her lips gently against cheek.
"I've missed you, Jamie! How much have you grown?" Laughing softly at his garbled replies, she popped him down on his feet and sat down on the sofa beside Ginny. "I'm great, tired, but great. How are you, and where's my best friend?"
"We're fine! Tired too, but it's getting easier now that Jamie's starting to get into a regular sleep pattern."
As Hermione sat talking to her best friend, George sat down between his older brothers, glancing over at her every now and then. After a few minutes he settled into the conversation, slipping into his jokey self, talking to them about the new inventions he had in mind for the shop. Glancing over at her husband, Hermione saw the tell-tale sign of a mischievous smirk creeping onto his lips. Narrowing her eyes she shouted over to him.
"Oi, Weasley! You better not be planning to prank me!" A smirk formed on her own lips and George laughed at her, as did Charlie and Bill. Sticking her tongue out at him, she turned back around laughing softly.
"Guys, we have some news," George announced to the family as they finished up eating Molly's delicious dessert. Underneath the table he squeezed Hermione's hand in his own, and she flashed him a nervous smile. As the table finally quietened down, he continued. "Hermione and I, well, we're pregnan-"
He was suddenly cut off by the sudden clapping and whooping from all the members of the Weasley family. In almost a second his mother's arms were around him in a tight hug and Hermione was being enveloped in embraces from either side of her. Questions were shouted across the room towards the married couple and each tried to answer as best they could.
1 Month Later
Shifting her head in his lap, Hermione sighed softly at the feeling of George's long fingers running through her hair. As she turned the page in the book she was reading, her eyes landed on a very familiar name and she bit her lip gently.
"George?" she posed softly, feeling him move so he was more comfortable on the couch.
"Yes, love?"
"I know it's too soon, and I don't have one for a girl, but I think I have a name for if we have a boy…" Hermione looked up at George, smiling at the confused look that was currently spreading across his face.
"What is it?" George smiled back at Hermione and continued to run his fingers through her curly locks gently.
"Fred. Frederick George Weasley, what do you think?" she held her breath upon speaking, waiting for his reaction. As she continued to gaze up at her husband she saw that his eyes were filling with tears and he leaned down to press his lips against hers before speaking.
"I love it, Hermione." George smiled once more and continued speaking, his hand moving down to rest against her ever so slightly swollen stomach, "And I love you, and I love our baby."
Hermione smiled once more and moved her hand to rest it on top of George's, letting out a content sigh.
1 Month And a Half Later
"George! George, where are you? We need to get going now!" Hermione called up the stairs, looking around frantically for her husband. Where was the silly bugger? If he made them late, then he'd have he-
"I'm here," George walked in from the back garden, pressing a soft kiss against her lips. "Sorry love, shall we go, then?"
Hermione let out a sigh of relief and returned his kiss ardently, shaking her head disapprovingly before walking towards their fireplace. Although she much preferred travelling by apparition, she had been told numerous amounts of times that travelling by Floo Powder was a lot safer for the baby. At this stage in her pregnancy anyway, only a few weeks before she'd been perfectly okay to travel by apparition. Although, as you can guess, Hermione hadn't actually been told by a Healer, she'd read it in one of the many baby books she had been purchasing. All of which were scaring her more and more each day.
Scooping up some of the powder kept in a small pot on the mantelpiece, Hermione dropped it down onto the fire, quickly stepping into the flames and yelling her destination. St Mungo's. By now Hermione was around 18 weeks along in her pregnancy, and they were going for their second check-up with Healer Brown. The day that Hermione had found out Lavender would be her healer throughout her pregnancy, she'd been overjoyed. After the war the women had put the past behind them and grown to be close friends, confiding in one another and going out every so often for a meal or a drink.
Stepping out of the fireplace as she came to a halt at her destination, Hermione only had to wait another few seconds for George to arrive. Her hand slipped into his, he could feel it trembling in his own, and walked towards the reception desk. Quickly they found out what floor they needed to go to, and walked at a brisk pace despite George's reassurances that they were not in fact late, but twenty minutes early. Once they reached the allocated floor, they signed a number of forms concerning Hermione's health and other important details before sitting themselves down. Immediately her feet started tapping against floor and she squeezed her husband's hand hard, biting her lip nervously.
"Hermione, it's going to be fine, we've already been here once before." George murmured, turning to look at his now pale wife. "They said our baby is healthy, and most likely she is, so stop worrying love."
"She?" Hermione whispered, looking up at George.
"I have an inkling," he smiled and slid his arm around her shoulders, pulling him into her gently as his thumb started to stroke her shoulder in soothing patterns.
"We're not finding out, I know we can't just yet, but I want it to be a surprise." Hermione told George, smiling up at him despite her nerves.
"Fine by me, love."
Only a few minutes later the couple saw Healer Brown walking out from a small room with a heavily pregnant lady following on behind her. Seeing Hermione and George, Lavender sent them a friendly smile as she spoke to her patient for a few minutes, before the lady waddled off, a bright smile on her face. Standing up, Hermione took George's hand in her own once more and they followed Lavender through to the room.
"Hi, Hermione!" As they entered the room the witch stepped forward to embrace her friend before shaking George's hand gently. "Hermione if you want to lie down on the bed for me and George you can sit beside her on the chair."
Both nodded and Hermione carefully laid down on the bed, watching as Lavender set a few things up, sliding on a clean pair of gloves and moving some sort of weird device closer to the bed. George glanced at her, sending her a bright smile. She smiled back, sliding her top up to her bra line as Healer Brown advised. A moment later a cold gel was being rubbed onto the small curve of her stomach, and she shivered slightly from the sensation. George glanced at her again and grinned once more.
A few minutes later Lavender was pointing out their baby on the ultrasound when she faltered, a frown appearing on her face quickly. Hermione noticed the expression and bit her lip, not daring to ask. She shared a look with George, who had also noticed.
"Lavender," he started, his voice wary, "is everything okay?"
The healer looked at them both and took a deep breath, glancing back at the ultrasound and double checking what she had seen.
"I just need to find the head healer, I won't be a moment."
With that, she was gone and Hermione was speechless. Her hand slipped from George's and she felt like she couldn't breathe. Something was wrong with her baby. Whatever it was, it was bad. George looked at Hermione, his hand sliding around her waist. He couldn't believe it either, but he was trying not to overreact. He didn't want to jump to conclusions and have it being a false alarm. Everything would be okay.
Around twenty minutes later, after Lavender and her boss whispering urgently and taking notes. After they pressed something against her stomach to measure the heartbeat and once again exchanged nervous looks. Hermione was freaking out. Although it looked like she was calm, George knew otherwise. He knew that inside her head she'd be screaming at herself for doing something wrong, when it wasn't her fault. Every time he tried to take her hand she'd snatch it away, staring in front of her despite not knowing what was wrong.
"Hermione, George, I'm so sorry it's taken so long." Lavender sat down, a clipboard now in her hand, facing the married couple. "I'm afraid there is something wrong with your child. A heart defect that goes by the name of tetralogy of Fallot. Now, I'm really sorry to say, but it can be fatal. Once the baby is born, we're going to need to operate as soon as we can, but there is a chance it could go wrong. I'm so sorry."
And I'll leave it there…
This story is written for the Pregnancy Is Complicated challenge on HPFN. Please review, as always. This is going to be a two shot, so don't worry I'm not leaving it there. It's not great, but I enjoyed writing it.