Ron sat on the edge of Hermione and his bed tapping his foot impatiently on the floor while Hermione was busily writing down a lengthy list on a long sheet of paper. She sat against the headboard of their bed with countless pillows supporting her back and neck as she concentrated determinedly on the list in her hands sometimes pausing and letting it rest on her gigantic stomach to contemplate things unknown to Ron.
"Hermione! Could you hurry up with that thing? You told me you only had a few things you wanted me to pick up!" Ron exclaimed exasperatedly.
Hermione rolled her eyes and continued writing. She had originally told him she wanted him to pick up a few oddities but now that she had a pen in her hand new things bombarded her worry-driven mind. Finally she set her pen down on the nightstand next to her that was covered with a mountain of books and held out the list for Ron to take.
Ron took it from her and his eyebrows immediately furrowed as he looked down the list, "Hermione, you said you only needed me to run a few quick errands. AND you have things on here for me to do around here, not just pick up!" Ron said, his eyes glued to the list.
Hermione sighed, "Ron, there are still necessities needed for the nursery and groceries needed so we can keep you fed and happy and some odd jobs that need to get done before the baby gets here because we will have absolutely no time after the fact..." Then Hermione's voice grew hostile and frustrated, "Half of these things I was planning on doing myself! But now seeing as I've been exiled to bed-rest and you won't bend the rules one bit I need you to do these things for me!"
Ron immediately responded to hostile-Hermione by planting himself next to her. He let her finish her rant and then started in putting his arm around her shoulders and saying gently, "Hermione I understand but you know what the doctor said and you know who it's for. And really I would think you would be glad that I'm finally coming around to the muggle-doctor's way of thinking after all the months you had to convince me of his credibility. So I will go and get as much of these errands done as I can, come back here, make us dinner, and then start in on those odd-jobs tomorrow." Ron finished firmly.
Hermione just signed at this and nodded. At this sign of acquiescence Ron kissed Hermione on the cheek and headed for the door concentrating on the list in his hands again. Hermione sat on the bed with her hands on her belly until she heard the fireplace ignite and then slid out of bed and onto her swollen bare feet. Quickly she headed for her closet and dressed. As she went down the hall and into the living room she pulled up her unruly hair hastily, glanced at her watch, grabbed her briefcase, and stepped into the fireplace herself like a prisoner walking out the front doors of a jail.
A moment later Hermione found herself in the atrium of the ministry and set off toward the elevators for the floor to her office. Hermione had recently switched departments at the ministry. She initially started her career in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures where she worked to improve the lives of house-elves but was now in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement after much deliberation. Once Hermione reached the Department of Magical Law Enforcement floor she tried to get to her office and past her secretary as discreetly as possible. Thankfully it looked like most people were too buried in work to notice her and her assistant wasn't at her desk. As Hermione slipped into her office and quietly closed the door she let out a sigh of relief. Between her sheer notoriety at the ministry and the fact that half of her family worked here now, she was extremely pleased to not get caught ironically playing hooky from her mandatory bed-rest state at home.
Finally able to attend to some pressing cases she had been assigned before her doctor's appointment yesterday, Hermione gingerly sat herself down at her desk and set to work. She was so intent at work that hours later she didn't notice her office door open and a tall red head, pregnant also but fewer months along than Hermione, lean against the frame with her arms crossed.
"You're not supposed to be here." Ginny said with an impeccable resemblances to Mrs. Weasley Senior.
Hermione looked up at Ginny with her quill still poised in the air ready and eyes wide like a deer caught in a car's headlights, "Ginny? W-what are you doing here?"
Ginny rolled her eyes and stepped into Hermione's office keeping her arms arms crossed, "I'm supposed to be here."
Ginny's simple reply confused Hermione. Had Ron told Ginny to keep tabs on Hermione? Was Hermione being followed by her own sister-in-law? Hermione's mind whirred with conspiracies and paranoia until Ginny decided she was ready to convey more information.
"I was meeting Harry for a quick lunch when I was approached by Percy who mentioned he'd seen you scampering through the atrium earlier this morning." Ginny explained nonchalantly.
"I was not scampering." Hermione pouted defiantly.
"Either way, I happen to know you have been ordered to bed-rest for the remainder of your pregnancy. You informed me of it yourself last night." Ginny said matter-of-factly, "So I'm going to have to ask you to put the paperwork down."
"Ginny, I'm just trying to finish up some cases I was given before my doctor's appointment yesterday... I didn't want them to have to push off my work on someone else!" Hermione said quickly.
"Hermione, these things happen. You're going on maternity leave officially in a week and a half anyway. Come on. We're going." Ginny put her hands on her hips for added measure.
Hermione looked defeated and set her quill down, "What about your lunch with Harry? And where's James?"
"I spoke with Harry before I came here and James is with my mother for the afternoon."
"You spoke with Harry? Did you tell him-"
But Ginny cut her off, "Yes.. But I told him not to tell Ron because you were going to."
At this Hermione hung her head a bit and added sulkily, "He couldn't get a hold of Ron anyway, he's running errands for me.."
Ginny nodded as if she was humoring an a child and led Hermione out of her office and to the elevators. Once in the elevators Hermione felt the oddest kick she's ever felt from the baby in the whole of her whole pregnancy. When they reached the atrium Hermione's water broke.