A/N: WARNING: This has a mature theme. There is a discussion of terminating a pregnancy and since this is a sensitive topic for many different reasons (eg. personal, or religious), please feel free to stop reading if you feel this could affect you. I also would like the reader to note (if I haven't made it clear) that the reason for it being discussed is due to health.
Written as always for the QLFC round 13, Beater 2 for the Tuts. Prompts:
1 – No spell can be cast or mentioned.
9 – "Photograph" by Ed Sheeran
11 - "Because you're mental, that's why!
"Then she yelled 'Because you're mental, that's why!'" Ron told Harry. "Then she picked up Rose and went to her parents' house." Ron slouched down on the couch. Harry felt that he appeared to be nearing the end of his rope.
"I'm back!" Ginny yelled from the door. Harry looked up from his work at the kitchen table in the direction that her voice was coming from.
"How was Hermione?" He asked.
"Conflicted. What about Ron?" She said as she walked into the room.
"Clueless. Hermione needs to tell him, otherwise she may find herself with out a husband."
"She was going to tell him when they had the argument. Now she is of thinking of terminating." Ginny said sadly.
"What? She needs to tell him. If she still wants to after she has done that, then fine, but he needs to know. No good telling him about it after." Harry knew if Hermione told Ron afterwards, Ron could never forgive her. It would be all over between them. Harry had a horrible thought.
"You would tell me if you were pregnant and were thinking about not keeping the baby?"
"Of course." She said coming over to sit on hi slap and comfort him. "But it's never happened. I think it is just Hermione's hormones playing tricks on her. She knows Ron is a good father to Rose and will be to this baby."
Harry got up to check the door. He thought he heard someone knocking quietly.
"Hermione?" He said as he opened the door. "What are you doing here?"
"To see you. I don't know Ginny has told you but I need to talk to you." Harry stepped aside and gestured for her to come in. They went into the lounge to talk.
"The problem with this baby, is it's not Ron's." Harry was shocked.
"Who is the father?" He asked quietly. Harry no longer got loud when he got angry.
"I can't tell you, not until I have told Ron first and it was a mistake any way. I love Ron, I just forgot that for a moment." Hermione was on the verge of tears. Harry maybe angry with her for it but she was still his friend.
"I'm your friend Hermione," Harry said gently. "But I am also Ron's and I feel that the longer this goes on the more you are going to hurt Ron. The two of you are constantly fighting and Ron doesn't understand why."
"He could realise that I am pregnant. He went through it with Rose, he knows that I get cranky easy when I am pregnant." Hermione said.
"He won't put the two together because he thinks you two are being careful until he gets the snip. He witnessed how awful it was for you when you were pregnant with Rose." Hermione stood up.
"I know! You don't have to guilt trip me. I know it was awful for him, not knowing if he was going to lose me, Rose or both. That's the reason why I don't want to have this baby."
The moment was drawing nearer. Any moment now Ron will appear and then Hermione will tell him all and they can plan their future. The doorbell rang and Ginny answered it. Harry was feeling ill. He didn't like feeling like he had helped hurt his best friend. He sat in the kitchen with his head in his hands, waiting. He heard their voices through the wall. He looked up and saw Ginny pacing. She was probably having an internal struggle to not go in and fix it. They had agreed they would stay in the kitchen until either Ron or Hermione came and got them. All the children were at their grandparents so they didn't need to worry about them. Ginny gave up pacing and turned the radio on. She found a Muggle radio station and left it. The song warbled out:
Loving can hurt, loving can hurt sometimes,
but it's the only thing that I know.
When it gets hard, you know it can get hard sometimes,
it is the only thing that makes us feel alive.
Harry switched it off. There was going to be enough hurt in this house without being reminded of it. Ginny resumed pacing and Harry was doodling on an envelope.
Harry had finished filling the envelope with doodles when he heard the front door open and close. He rushed out to the lounge to find Hermione crumpled over on the couch. He left her and followed Ron. Ginny would look after her. He needed to find Ron.
He found Ron standing on a bridge watching the water.
"Don't do it!" Harry called out. Ron looked over at him.
"Don't worry, I wont. I just stopped here and then I couldn't keep moving." He said sadly. Harry had made it over to him and could see he was crying. "Why, Harry? Why...?"
"I don't know mate. I think she forgot how much she loved you."
"No, not that. I can forgive that, I'm not a saint and she forgives me." He shook his head and said sadly, "She wants to get rid of the baby. Why? Am I horrible?"
"No not at all." Harry scratched his head. "Ah, I shouldn't be telling you this but she told me that it's because of how bad her pregnancy was last time. She doesn't want to put you or herself through that again. You need to talk to her calmly."
When Ron and Harry got back to the house, Ginny was waiting for them.
"I made her lie down. She got herself flustered but I promised her I would let her know when you got home."
"I'll go and see her. I need to see how she is doing." Ron said and started up the stairs.
"Do you think it will all work out?" Ginny asked Harry when Ron was out of earshot.
"I have no idea."
