"Ron, the baby isn't going to come the very next day. It'll be months until it would be here. Please, Ron. Let's have a baby."
"You know I wouldn't say no. But…"
"What? Is there a problem?" asked Hermione.
"When do we know it's the right time to do it?"
"I guess we'll have to make this a habit then won't we?" smiled Hermione seductively, putting a hand behind Ron's neck to pull him down to her lips.
"You and Hermione want kids? Wow," said Harry surprised. He flicked his wand at the target, which hit the dummy at the center of the chest. The two were in the training hall at the Ministry to practice their combat on their slow day. Hermione was off on court duty and had no time to see Ron until late that night.
"Shocked are you? Besides, why wouldn't we? Did you think we would break up or something?" asked Ron curiously as he aimed his wand at his own target.
"No, just thought you took so god damn long," replied Harry as he jutted his wand at a moving dummy coming at his left.
"Really? You thought Hermione, miss perfection; miss over-working woman that lives on knowledge would have a baby right after we got married? I don't think so."
"Yeah, I guess you are right. Hermione does seem to keep things organized and planned ahead of time. But its just that you've loved each other since like, your third year. Why so long?"
"Maybe because I didn't propose sooner. Damn!" shouted Ron as realization hit his head like a bludger. "She probably would have gotten a baby earlier if I didn't take so bloody long to marry h-" he was soon cut off by one of the dummy's spells exploding at his back. He flared forward and landed chin first in the dirt, grain and pebbles filling his mouth. He spat them out, and tried to make the blurriness go away. Suddenly, the sound of dueling wands ended and three Harrys looked down at him.
"Don't go blaming yourself," Harry advised with two echoes. Ron groaned and shoved him aside.
"One at a time, please. Ok, you in the middle first," ordered Ron dizzily.
"I said—"
"What did I say about all at once!"
"Oh god," sighed Harry annoyed. He grabbed Ron around the waist and hauled him up on his feet. "Better get you to the infirmary. Don't want you all loony when you are making plans with Hermione tonight."
"Its all been taken care of, mate. It's been two weeks and she is…" Ron trailed off as his eyes closed and he lost conscious. Harry shook his head and carried Ron to the dark doorway.
"Go ahead, take a nap. You'll need your energy tonight."
"Do you have it?" asked Hermione impatiently.
"Yup, but do you have to have a whole bunch?" said Ginny as she closed the front door behind her.
"To make sure that it isn't wrong of course," whispered Hermione back as she motioned her to the kitchen.
"Why are you whispering?" questioned Ginny louder. Hermione winched by her loud words, but knew she was right. There was no point to whisper because they were Hermione and Ron's house alone. No neighbors across the hall, no family members. Just them.
"Sorry, old habit," admitted Hermione as they entered the kitchen. After two weeks of living in their new house, Ron and Hermione have been able to set everything up. They only part of the house that remained empty was the two spare bedrooms upstairs.
"Well, it will be old once you start to hear babies crying," added Ginny as she settled in a chair. She opened her bag and dropped a brown bag onto the table. "I still don't understand why you aren't using magic," said Ginny as she poured the contents of the bag across the table. Almost a dozen pregnancy tests covered the wood, making Hermione lunge forward to keep them in a pile.
"What are you doing, throwing them around like that? Its embarrassing," said Hermione as she piled them under her hands.
"For bloody sake, its just you and me here. You act as if they were the baby. And if they were, you'd be pretty damn good at it. And you still didn't answer my question."
"Ok, I didn't use magic because I don't know if I'll do it right. And besides, my mother showed me these and I feel I should use them."
"When did your mum tell you about these? When you and Ron became a thing?"
"Yes…but it was only because we slept together a lot," hurried in Hermione.
"Oh, Hermione, you two are animals," winked Ginny as she pretended to claw the air.
"Not like that! When the war first ended I was so scared to be alone. I mean, Harry, Ron, and I stayed in a tent together for months. Then there are the dreams…"
"Dreams?"
"Of the deaths," answered Hermione simply. "So, I know I asked for more then one but do you need to buy so many?"
"How am I suppose to know how much to get? I've never done this before!" explained Ginny loudly with her hands waving at the pile of tests.
"Sorry, ok? I'm just…worried about it," mumbled Hermione as she picked a test at random. She looked at it with her fingers twirling the pack in her hands.
"Worried about if you are pregnant or that you can't figure the test out, because I'm no help in that field."
"No, it's the whole thing. I always thought of being a mother and holding my own little baby, but now its…scary. Must sound dumb coming from me huh? I mean after that last year of the war…"
"No, you aren't dumb for thinking like that. Because you are also a twenty-four-year-old girl who is afraid of starting a family. That is all. Plus, there is nothing to worry about. I had James and I am fine, see?"
"Yeah, I guess you are right," agreed Hermione. She sighed and grabbed two more tests in her hand as she rose from her chair. "Well, better get to work." Ginny stood also and followed Hermione to the bathroom on the second floor. Just as Hermione turned to close the door, Ginny was caught in the doorway.
"Hey!" shouted Ginny as she rubbed her shoulder.
"Hey? What are you doing?" asked Hermione surprised.
"I thought you need help," answered Ginny simply.
"No!" ordered Hermione with a serious face. "You don't have two pe—I mean I can manage—you know, just wait out here ok?"
"Fine, you don't have to yell about it," replied Ginny as she backed out into the hallway. Hermione starred at her, then waved her arm and shook her head. The door closed behind her.
"Have fun!" shouted Ginny teasingly.
"Ginny!" shouted an annoyed Hermione. Ginny giggled.
"Hello? Hermione?" called Ron as he entered the house. He looked around, hoping to catch sight of movement but there was none. He shrugged and walked into the kitchen, rubbing his black eye from hitting the ground during training. As he walked into the kitchen he noticed three things that were not there before. One was a brown bag on the floor, the second Ginny's jacket on a chair, and the third tons of little packages in a pile on the table.
"What the bloody hell?" muttered Ron to himself as he picked up one of the packs and read it. "Pregnancy test?" he turned it over and read the directions. "To use properly open the…ah!" he dropped the packet quickly after what he read, watching it fall to the floor. "That is scary," muttered Ron to himself as he scratched his neck nervously.
"Have fun!" came a voice from up stairs.
"Ginny?" wondered Ron to himself.
"Ginny!" came Hermione's muffled shout.
Yup, she's here all right thought Ron as he started up the stairs. Once he reached the second floor, he was met by his sister who was leaning against the bathroom door.
"Oh, Ron, What are you doing here so early?" asked a shocked Ginny. Her eyes darted nervously to the door.
"I got a concussion at training and they let me come home early. Why are you—oh, is Hermione in there?" asked Ron as he stared at the door.
"A….yes, and she is busy so why don't you—" suddenly the doorknob clicked and Ginny jumped forward before the door opened. Ginny turned and, with Ron, watched Hermione come out.
Hermione's face was unreadable, which frightened them, but Ron mostly.
"What's wrong? Are you pregnant? What happened?" asked Ron as he placed his hand in Hermione's.
"It's ok if you are not, you might need more time," added Ginny.
"What are you doing home?" asked Hermione as she looked at Ron's face, "and what happened to your eye?"
"I'll explain later, ok, just tell us if you are…you know…"
"What?" asked Hermione puzzled, "You think I know?"
"Isn't that the point of the test? To know?" asked Ginny confused as she tried to peer around Hermione into the bathroom.
"Yes, but it takes a while for it to be readable," explained Hermione.
Ron sighed and pulled her close to him and petted her hair. "Don't scare me like that. When you came out I thought something was wrong."
"No, Ron, you don't have to worry. I'm fine," assured Hermione as she smiled. She pulled away from him, but with their arms still connected. "But we do have to wait. And I'd like to see it by myself if you don't mind."
"Of course not, I don't want to see something you—"Ron stuttered, but couldn't finish his sentence.
"No, you idiot, she wants to know so she can announce it herself! It is a very important moment in a girl's life when she alone knows she is going to have a baby!" yelled Ginny, smacking her brother's arm.
"How did you know that?" asked Hermione surprised that Ginny knew what she was thinking.
"Because I've been there. And so has Fleur and Mum and Angelica…"
"But I'll know soon, right?" asked Ron impatiently.
"Yes, very soon," smiled Hermione. She kissed his cheek and returned to the bathroom, the door clicking shut.
So…I hoped you all enjoyed my chapter here. I didn't think I'd finish this week but I did so hurray!
Also, I want to thank Magic Pirate, AccentedSimplicity, rhmac12, and ShePotter for their reviews. I love you guys!