A/N: I don't own Harry Potter.

Thanks for reading.

It was a cold day in October of 2004 when Harry Potter returned home from work. Ginny was sitting on the sofa in the living room, knitting, when she heard the front door open.

"It's bloody freezing out there. I'm home!" Harry said, stamping his feet on the carpet and taking off his jacket. "Where are you?"

"In here," Ginny called, smiling at the sound of her husband's voice. Harry came in and took a seat next to her on the couch.

"You know, there are easier ways to do that." He said in a teasing voice, nudging her wand, which was sitting on the table.

"Hush. I like to do it the muggle way sometimes...it makes it feel like more of an accomplishment. Besides, I like to do this." She said.

"I know, I'm just teasing. It looks good." Harry kissed her quickly on the cheek. "After dinner, I'm going to the Leaky Cauldron to have a butterbeer with Ron. Things have been so crazy at work I haven't seen him in more than a week."

"I saw Hermione today, she came by for lunch." Ginny said, setting down her knitting and snuggling up next to Harry. He put his arm around her and she laid her head on his shoulder. "I finally told her about..." she laid her hands on her still-flat stomach.

"How'd she take it?" Harry asked, absently kissing the top of Ginny's head.

"She was actually really happy for us. I thought she'd be upset, and I asked her if she was okay and she told me not to be silly, that it was great news."

"I hope she meant it," Harry said worriedly and thinking about all the heartache Hermione and Ron had gone through.

"I think she did. I asked her not to tell Ron, though. I wanted one of us to do it, and I think it should be you, tonight."

Harry thought about it. On the one hand, he did not want to tell Ron that he and Ginny were expecting a baby, but on the other hand, it felt like the right thing, like it was his responsibility to tell him this. After more than 14 years of friendship, and after marrying his sister, he and Ron were more like brothers than anything else, and they still shared everything, the same as when they were in school. You couldn't live through a battle like the one at Hogwarts in May of 1998 and not be friends, at the very least, for the rest of your lives.

"You're right. I'll tell him tonight. Come on, let's eat, I'm starved."

For dinner, they had a steak and kidney pie that Ginny had baked earlier, along with some soup and mashed potatoes. Harry ate heartily and then, after they had washed the dishes together, he stretched and pulled on his coat and shoes.

"About time for me to meet Ron. I won't be back too late." Harry went over to Ginny, who was standing at the bookcase choosing something to read for the evening.

"Okay. Please tell him gently. I love you."

"Love you, too. And I love you, squirt." Harry said quietly, laying his hand flat on Ginny's stomach, imagining their son or daughter that was living in there, growing ever so slightly, and who would be with them before they knew it.

Ten minutes later, Harry strolled into the pub and saw Ron sitting at the bar, already on his second drink. "One for me, Tom, please," he called to the barkeep. He clapped Ron on the shoulder and said, "How's it going, mate?"

They had all changed at least a little bit since they were 17. Not just physically, but emotionally as well. At 24, they were both hardly old men, but with everything that Ron had been going through, he'd gained a little bit of weight and his demeanor had changed. He was still the old, fiery Ron, but there was a bit of depression behind him.

"Lousy." Ron muttered, passing his glass lightly back and forth between his hands. "I came home from work and Hermione was crying, and I could barely get why out of her." He looked up at Harry, with so much pain and sadness reflected in his eyes. "She took another test today and it was negative. Again."

"Ron, I'm so sorry." Harry said, and he meant it. Not just for the fact that Hermione wasn't pregnant yet, but for the fact that he and Ginny had gotten what Ron and Hermione wanted so much, and had tried for so desperately, without even meaning to.

"I know. Seven months we've been trying to get pregnant, and no one can give us an answer as to why we can't. No one, not all of the Healers we've seen. And I have my wife, at home, who's beyond upset and there's nothing I can do about it."

"It's going to be okay, Ron." Harry said quietly, taking a drink from the butterbeer that Tom had passed him. To be honest, he wasn't sure if he could tell him now.

"You know what, Harry? I'm not so sure it is going to be okay. What if we just aren't meant to be parents? I mean, what if it's not in the cards for us? I'd probably mess a kid up royally anyways and be the worst father in the world."

"Listen to me. It will happen. You and Hermione will someday have a baby and you will both me amazing parents, I promise. You care way too much to mess a child up. And I know that this might be not the best time but I have to tell you this right now." Harry took a drink and stared down at the top of the bar. He couldn't look at him, didn't want to see the look on his face.

"This should be good news...and under different circumstances, it would be. Ginny's pregnant. She's due in May." Finally, Harry looked up and met Ron's eyes. There was still pain behind them, but there was no anger, as he had expected there to be. For a moment, there was nothing, nothing but that old pain. He had known Ron long enough to know that his mind was running at a million miles a minute.

After a few moments of silence, in which Ron had drained the rest of what was in his glass and signaled for another, he finally said to Harry, "Harry, this is good news. Just because Hermione and I are having a hard time having a baby doesn't mean I'm not excited that I'm going to have a niece or nephew!" Finally, both men smiled. Ron, out of happiness and excitement for his best friend and sister; Harry, out of relief that Ron wasn't upset, and also because he could finally let himself feel happy about having his first child.

"Ginny told Hermione earlier but she wanted me to be the one to tell you, that's why Hermione didn't say anything."

"Congratulations, mate," Ron said, hugging Harry hard. "Sirius would have been so excited about this, and your parents, too."

"Thanks. It was kind of...well...for lack of a better word, unexpected, but we are happy, Ginny and I. The only thing that would make us happier is if this was the two of you, as well."

Ron sighed. "I suppose it will happen, one day...at least, that's what we are hoping for."

Harry felt much better after telling him this, and the two men settled back and had a good time together. They talked about work and how busy they had both been, and Ron told him about George had been working on a new line of products for the joke shop. After about an hour, they made plans for a makeshift game of Quidditch that weekend and to all have dinner together.

"I'll call George and maybe Mum and Dad, if that's okay with you. I know they're dying to see you and Ginny." Ron said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a couple of galleons to pay for his drinks.

"That'll be great, we still have to tell them our news." Harry said.

"Well, this was good, Harry, it was great to see you. I should be getting home, Hermione was still upset when I left, I asked her if she wanted me to stay home but she didn't...either way, I should get back to her. Talk to you soon, mate." They shook hands and, impulsively at the last second, Harry gave Ron a quick hug.

"Ron. I really am sorry." he said quietly.

"No worries. See you later." And they both left.

Ron walked through the front door of his home. He was only about two miles away from his childhood home, and a little farther than that from Harry. All the lights were off, except for the one in his and Hermione's bedroom. He sighed and dumped his jacket on a chair in the living room and contemplated getting another drink...there was some firewhiskey on top of the fridge...but he stopped himself. He'd been drinking an awful lot lately and he knew it upset Hermione, but it made him feel better, at least for a short period of time.

He headed for their bedroom and pushed open the door. "Honey?" Hermione was laying in their bed and she looked up at him when he came in. Her eyes were red-rimmed and her hair was a mess, piled into a knotted bun on top of her head. She was wearing some old pajamas and looked completely empty, completely broken. Like she had nothing left in her to fight, or to give. Ron's heart broke when he looked at her, the love of his life, knowing that she was hurting and he couldn't do anything more to make it better.

Without a word, he kicked off his shoes and then climbed into bed beside her, wrapping his arms around her. She snuggled into him, until she felt safe and protected in his arms. She started to cry again, silently, but Ron didn't need to ask why. This was the most emotional she had been in a long time, and he knew it was because of the news Ginny had told her today.

He held her tightly, and tried over and over to steel his reserve and not cry himself. After a few minutes, though, he lost his battle and started to cry, too. They were tears of defeat, ones he didn't want to shed but couldn't help. It hurt, not being able to have a baby with his wife, not when they wanted to start a family so badly. They wanted kids; he had come from a big family, which he had loved. Hermione had been an only child, and lonely, so she wanted many children as well.

But mostly these were tears that meant something neither of the pair wanted to acknowledge-jealousy. As happy as they genuinely were for their best friends, they were also jealous. Harry and Ginny hadn't even really wanted this; they certainly hadn't tried over and over, in vain; they hadn't gone to appointments at St. Mungo's to find out what might be wrong; they hadn't cried endless tears and felt nothing but disappointment and inferiority. It had simply...happened.

"I want a baby so bad," Hermione whispered through her tears.

"I know, honey. Me too." Ron kissed the top of her head.

A/N: I originally started this a one-shot, but it started getting a little long so I thought maybe another chapter or two, if you guys like it. Please R&R : ]

ALSO, even though I know wizards probably don't have cell phones...I might need to pretend they do...haha.