That Thursday, Ron and Hermione drove to the hospital and the atmosphere in the car was so tense, Hermione wondered how there was even room for them in it. Hermione was tired and shaking, and Ron was doing his best to comfort her but he was just as jittery. She knew Tony had planned it this early because Hermione was supposed to be ovulating. If they had waited longer, they'd have to wait another month. In her mind, she kept imagining having a baby and it both scared her to death and excited her all at once, but at this point in her life, she was as ready as she could be.
When they got to the hospital, Ron held Hermione's hand and they dawdled a little walking to Dr. Livingston's office, but the man in question was anticipating their knock on the door.
"Yes, come on in you two. I can flat out see how nervous you are so I want you both to take deep calming breaths-" He looked at Ron and continued "without hyperventilating and Hermione, I need you to go put this on, and then lay down on the bed." He handed the robe to Hermione and discussed the logistics of the procedure with Ron, assuring him that everything was going to go fine. Once she'd lain down on the bed, the two men rolled the bed to the room where they'd be doing the procedure. Ron carefully massaged her shoulders as they were waiting for the new doctor and left telling her that'd he'd be waiting out in the waiting room. Hermione nodded at him with tears in her eyes.
Ron laughed, "Hermione, you're gonna be fine. I promise they'll come get me if you get scared okay. It'll go perfect." Hermione gave him a death glare and slapped him lightly on the cheek but accepted his kiss anyways. Ron's smile faltered, letting her just for this moment feel like she had things under control even though she knew as much as the next person that everything that came after this was out of her hands. Hermione turned her attention to the peeling whitewashed wall so she didn't have to watch Ron walk out of the room.
"Okay Hermione, this is going to feel really odd, but we can't put you under for this. Say hello to donor number 54632." Hermione gave the doctor a strained smile as a syringe was uncomfortably pushed deeply inside her. It almost hurt more than being stunned by Ron in their underground DADA class. The doctor pushed the syringe farther up and it brought tears to her eyes it pinched so bad, but she could only hope this pain was worth it.
Hermione slept at the hospital that night even though she felt absolutely fine. Ron stayed with her the whole time, legs jiggling and nervously tapping his fingers on Hermione's legs as she laid in the hospital bed.
Hermione slapped his hands to remind him occasionally that everything was fine and that if anyone should be nervous it should be her. "At least we know who the woman is in this family." Hermione giggled trying to loosen the mood. Ron genuinely laughed at that and for the first time during this whole ordeal, he felt comfortable, like this might be okay after all. Hermione could feel him loosen up and finally fell asleep, with Ron following close behind.
The weeks went by and they hadn't gone back to the doctor's office yet. Hermione was nervous about scheduling an appointment and Ron was getting so irritating about it that she couldn't even stand to be around him. Even though Hermione knew the anger wasn't from the fact that they'd decided to go through with this, she couldn't bring herself to call the doctor.
"Ron, I know something has been bothering you, and I don't like being lied to. So tell me what's really wrong," she said when she finally decided to confront the issue one day.
"Mhm, I don't know Hermione, maybe it's the fact that it's been two months since you've scheduled an appointment. They've got to be able to tell by now." Ron said anxiously.
"Is that what you're worried about? That we're never going to have kids?" He didn't say anything but Hermione forced him to look at her. "I know you might not understand, but my intuition says that I'm pregnant, and I've missed my period."
Ron gently touched her flat belly and said, "I hope so. You'd be my hero forever." He gave a slight laugh at that.
"I'll schedule the appointment for tomorrow. They're never busy Sunday mornings."
"Thank you." He paused breathing in her perfume. "Thank you so much."
Hermione called the hospital right after Ron left for work. She made sure to schedule early in the morning, and double-checked that Tony was the one giving them the check up. She'd grown really attached to him. He was the only one in the hospital who seemed competent enough to deliver a baby.
She literally had to drag Ron out of bed in his pajamas to the car the next morning. She stuck him in the passenger seat and when they arrived at the hospital, she told him, "Ronald Weasley, get out of this car right now before I go hormonal on your arse. You are not going to miss my first appointment."
Ron jumped out of the seat, and escorted her to the hospital. The doctor conducted a few tests and an ultrasound. "Well, Hermione, looks like you're 5 weeks pregnant. Congratulations! You're baby will be due early March."
Hermione looked absolutely blissful, until she looked over at Ron who was looking a little green. "This is great news, isn't it baby?" She almost forcefully asked, breaking Ron out of his panic.
"Yeah, it is, this is going to be great," Ron responded.
Hermione scoffed and looked back over to her doctor. "Tony, when should we schedule another appointment?" Hermione asked after she wiped the cold gel from her stomach.
"I've scheduled your appointment for the 29th of next month, which will be August, for your 3-month check-up. I hope that's okay." Dr. Livingston immediately replied.
"Yes, thanks, we'll be there." Ron followed Hermione without a word. When they arrived outside, Hermione absent-mindedly said, "I'm starving. Can we go out for lunch?"
"That's something I can do. How about the pub for some steak and guinness pie with chips and some sticky toffee pudding?" Hermione licked her lips, and nodded her head, mind too full of pudding to reply with an intelligent answer. Ron ordered and they waited for their food talking about nonsensical things. They grabbed the food and headed home so they could eat in peace, and where smoke wasn't overwhelming the baby. Leave it to Ron to think of something like that, Hermione's lips smiled at the thought.
They ate in silence, they drank in silence, and they watched t.v. in silence until Hermione begged to know, "Do you want it to be a boy or a girl?"
"Boy."
"What about names? Can we please come up with some names?"
"Ronald Jacob Weasley."
"I want him to have an un-family name. Not a jr. What about a girl?"
"Justina Renault Weasley."
"Oh Ronald, that's absolutely putrid. You cannot be serious…"
"I'm so serious Hermione, those are family names. You wanted to have a child, and I think the least we could do is make sure the child has some sort of semblance of the Weasley side, don't you think?" Ron retorted.
"Do you always just happen to say the wrong thing, or do you always try to purposefully hurt me? You're such a bastard sometimes. And you know what? I'm not going to put up with this bloody shit. After everything you've said in support of this baby, you're really doing a shit job of making me feel supported. I am not going to gripe at you – I'm just going to tell you like it is. I decided a long time ago that if you didn't love me or the idea of having kids enough, that I will do this on my own. No matter where we go, no matter what we're doing, you're angry or depressed. You say it's because of work but I know better. Being upset because of work has nothing to do with us-".
"It does Hermione, because I got fired."
"W-w-what are you talking about? No, Ron, seriously, you can't be fired. How long?" Hermione asked seethingly.
"Hermione, calm down, the Ministry fired me a week ago, but I got another job. Working for a big Auror company. Just outside of London. I can apparate there, but it's less pay. Not so much less. But I didn't want to tell you because I knew you'd react this way. Not letting me finish my sentence because you were too worried about the future already. Hermione-this isn't one of those things that you can plan out. Your life isn't going to go as you planned it, it just doesn't work that way. That-" Ron said pointing to her stomach, "is going to take a while for me to get used to. I'm doubting now more than ever that I am ready for this. But there are going to be times when you feel out of control and now must be one of them, because this sure as hell isn't my fault. I said we could do it but that didn't mean I was necessarily happy about it or didn't have doubts. But you couldn't let it go, you just HAD to be a mother…" He stopped, looking at Hermione's face, watching the tears stream down.
"Well, Ron. I'm glad we got this sorted out now. But I have to wonder why you even agreed to it. I told you I didn't want to do this on my own. But it's not your baby anyways-is that it? You might not be able to get used to the idea of having a baby, but it's coming. But, here's something you can get used to." Hermione five starred him right in the sensitive part of his cheek, leaving a handprint and an utterly bewildered Ron and said, "When you're ready to apologize, you can come see me. I'll be at your mother's." She went upstairs, and threw some clothing into her suitcase, and floo'd to her mother-in-law's house, only to be greeted by a less than enthused Molly Weasley.
"I really don't know what to tell you dear. That boy will never grow up. He'll never get used to the idea. It's really not his fault, this whole fight-" Molly was cut off by an enraged Hermione.
"So you're telling me that me wanting a child is the reason why Ron and myself are fighting. You're telling me that I'm the one being selfish? You're telling me that this is all my fault because he agreed to something he didn't actually want but pretended he was supporting me?" Hermione screamed at her.
"Hermione dear, I love you like my own daughter, but you really weren't thinking of Ron were you? And now the deed is done and there is nothing you can do but wait." Molly said, trying to find the right words. "If it's meant to be, then it's meant to be. I know you wanted this, but you're not the only one in the relationship."
"Well, I'm about to be. He told me this is what he wanted. And then I find out that even if I had this child, he would never have loved it. He doesn't want it. But I'm keeping this baby, and Ron can be a part of this baby's life if he wants, but this isn't some small row. This baby is mine. And I'm to blame for this when Ron lied to make me happy, and then told me off? Yes, definitely." Hermione was beyond thinking straight. "You know what? I can't do this anymore. I'm filing for a divorce."
"Hermione, don't do anything rash. He loves you, but now is not the right time to have a baby."
"For him it's not, but when will it ever be okay for him? I want a baby, and now is the right time for me. I'm 25, and I've been married to him for three years. He wouldn't be able to make up his mind in 10. And not only am I not willing to wait that long, I'm not going to wait that long. I was just being unrealistic when I expected Ron to compromise, but he can't give me what I need – physically and emotionally."
