Title: Before it's too late

Pairing: Ron/Hermione and Harry/Ginny

Rating:

Warnings:

Summary: Issues arise between Ron and Hermione as Harry and Ginny wedding approaches. Takes places after the last chapter of Deathly Hallows but pre epilogue.

AN: This takes place about 5 years (maybe more) after Voldemort is defeated.


Ron was miserable. He had been wrong and now it was painfully obvious. This thing between him and Hermione, it wasn't going to blow over. He was losing her and he could feel it. He tried talking to her but she was still giving him the "nothing is wrong" party line.

His best friend and his sister were getting married the day after tomorrow and he wanted to be happy for them but he couldn't. He was so scared he was going to lose the love of his life it was all he could think about. Ron had known Hermione nearly half of his life. He loved her for almost that long. From the time he was 16 years old, she was all he ever wanted.

He wracked his brain for the last two weeks and tried to find a way to fix it. The only thing to be done is to figure out what he did that screwed things up and fix it. He knew it was him, it had to be him, it was always him. Hermione was brilliant, smart, funny, talented, kind hearted and the most beautiful girl in the world. He was lucky she ever looked at him and he knew it. He would have to force her to tell him the truth and beg for the opportunity to put things right.

Ron ambushed Hermione as she was coming out of the shower. He waited outside the door, "Mione," he said and she jumped and nearly dropped the towel that was she was covering herself with.

"Ronald," she reproached him. "Don't sneak up on people." She readjusted the towel. "I thought you were still asleep.

Ron shook his head he shifted his weight on his feet uncomfortably, "I have actually been awake for a while."

Hermione looked concerned she reached out and touched his forehead, "Are you sick?" she asked.

"No," Ron told her. "I need to talk to you and I need you to talk to me."

Hermione moved away from him. She walked across the room and started going through the clothes in her closet. "About?" she asked.

"Something is wrong," Ron said, this was a statement of fact not a question. He was not giving her an opportunity to shake him off this time.

To Ron's surprise she didn't even try. She sighed deeply and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Yes, I guess there is no point fighting this anymore."

"Talk to me," Ron urged. He sat down beside her and took her hand. "We can fix this…whatever this is, ok?"

"I'm not sure," Hermione said, tears gathering in her big brown eyes

"Of course it can," Ron said. "We love each other," Ron hesitated, "You do love me, right?"

Hermione nodded, "Of course I love you. I always have and I always will but Ron …we are both so different now . I think maybe what we want is changing."

"What do you want?" Ron demanded. "I can want it too."

Hermione smiled through the tears, "It doesn't work that way, Ron."

Ron felt like he couldn't breathe, "This can't be it," he said, it sounded like he was begging. "Please."

"I just need sometime," Hermione said. "I am not saying were done, I just need some time to think."

"How much time?" Ron asked.

Hermione shrugged, "I don't know," she admitted. "I will let you know, ok?"

"I guess I don't have a choice," Ron said his voice thick with misery. "I will leave you alone now."

He left her sitting there on the bed. She looked so small and frail, like she used to as a little girl, it made it hard for Ron to leave.


Hermione didn't have it in her to go to work today…so for the first time since she got this job she called in sick. She got dressed and sat on the floor in her bedroom . She didn't cry, she just sat in silence for a long time. Her heart felt raw and broken. Her brain was telling her this was for the best but her heart didn't agree.

Hermione felt her stomach turn, "Oh, not again," she cried before jumping to her feet and running to the bathroom. Once she wasn't sick anymore she washed her face and brushed her teeth. This was something she had been avoiding too but she knew she could avoid it anymore. She had been getting sick every morning for two weeks and she had to figure this out.

Hermione knew what was wrong but didn't want to admit it. She took a book out of her underwear drawer and opened it. This was a book Fleur had given her. It had contraceptive spells and spells to tell you whether or not you're pregnant. Hermione turned to the spell she needed and read it quietly. Wordlessly, she cast the spell. According to the book, after she said the spell she needed to hold her wand to her stomach, if she was pregnant it would spark three times purple speaks. If there was two white sparks, she was not pregnant.

Hermione waited. She felt fear wash over her when she saw the three purple sparks. She was pregnant. "No," Hermione said. "Can't..Just can't…" She sighed and then went into her bathroom. She opened a bag under the sink where she kept her feminine products, a place Ron never touched, and pulled out a muggle pregnancy test. She followed the instructions and waited for the results, pacing and rubbing her hands nervously. Finally, she looked and saw the results were positive. "I am, I am pregnant." She said to herself. "This..This is..Not good."

Hermione lay across her bed not sure what to do now. She and Ron were in a terrible place. She was still building her career. She wasn't married. She wanted to be married before she had a baby. Her parents would kill her. Her friends would laugh at her,

But then again…Hermione always planned to be a mom. She wanted children. She loved children. She always got jealous when she saw Fleur with her kids. Maybe there was never a right time. Maybe you just do what you can and hope for the best?

But what about Ron? He would want to help but would he really be able too. Ron could barely do his own laundry. His flat was a mess. Could Ron be a dad? But if he couldn't could she keep this from him? Should she keep it from him? Hermione loved Ron no matter what was happening and it would kill her to lie to him. She would hate herself. After the Weasley's lost Fred could she keep a grandchild from them?

She wouldn't say anything today or at the wedding. She would wait. She would wait until she figured out how this baby made her feel.


AN: Sorry, it's so short…got a lot going on…next update will longer. Reviews are love and greatly appreciated, thanks.