Chapter 2

Draco Malfoy woke with a start. He could hear them plotting, their attacks on other students. Merlin, it was too early for this. It was already time for breakfast. Why didn't the world just end now, it would save those goons a ton of trouble.

Hermione woke up, bright eyed and bushytailed, ready to face the day. That is, until she remembered 4 little details that would ruin her day.1, I'm having my first one on one lesson with Snape which leads to 2, I'm pregnant, and then there is 3, I haven't told Harry and Ron, and I can't forget 4, I'm meeting with Ron, now! Looking at the clock, she realized she had overslept.

Jumping out of bed, Hermione hopped into the shower, and continued with her normal routine, in automatic mode. Hair, face, teeth, clothes, hair, books, hair. She figured that if she worked on her hair 3 times it would be more manageable. However, as of yet, the experiment had failed. As soon as Hermione was ready, she grabbed her books and bolted out the door.

Hermione raced to the Gryffindor common room as fast as she could. Her apartment had purposely been set up on a nearly deserted floor, so she could get some privacy as soon as she got to the floor, instead of waiting to get to her rooms. It was a double-edged sword, you could say.

Hermione burst into the common room and started to apologize to Ron as soon as she got in. He looked down at her (because he was about 6ft 4in, and she was only a mere 5ft 5in) with an amused look on his face. "Calm down, 'Mione." He said, interrupting her stream of apologies. "It's ok. You're only 2 minutes late." He suddenly sobered. "We need to talk, but not here. People will be waking up soon."

"Why don't we go take a walk around the lake. No one will overhear us there." Hermione suggested, as all her worries came back.

"Alright." They walked down to the lake in silence.

When they finally got down to the lake, neither of them knew how to start. They just stared at each other, not knowing what to do. Finally, Ron broke the silence. "Erm...well...'Mione. I wanted to talk to you today because, well...I'm worried about you. Yesterday, when I first saw you, you seemed different. I mean, you still seem different. You don't look as carefree as before, you look and act differently. I don't know, something about you seems off." Hermione started to interrupt, claiming she was the same, but Ron cut her off.

"'Mione, I know I might not be the brightest person ever, and many things just go right past me, but you're like a sister to me 'Mione. And I do know when you are lying to me. I can see it in your eyes, and you tend to stand a little taller, as if convincing yourself as well. I could have sworn I saw you in Diagon Alley. You were running, chasing a dog I believe. At first I didn't think it was you, but now the more I think about it, it probably was you. You ran right into Knocturn Alley, am I right?" Hermione looked down, refusing to look into his eyes. "After seeing 'you' you don't show up. That alone scared me. I tried owling you, no response. Do you know how many letters I sent in those 2 weeks? Around 50! 50 letters returned to me, and no sign of you! Then, I get onto the Hogwarts Express to notice you aren't there! Oh gee, what a surprise! Then, when I get to school, you act different, you tell us lies, and worst of all, McGonagall asks to see you, and when you return you have a schedule, with only a fraction of your classes with me and Harry, and weird stuff written on it, like 'see Madame Pomfrey at all marked dates' or 'Dumbledore will have specific needs of you'. Lastly, you aren't sharing a common room with Terry Boot, who is the Head Boy. Now I have had 2 brothers who were Head boys, and that doesn't happen! There has never been a set up of separate suites unless there was a reason. What is the reason Mione? I'm really worried about you."

Only now did Hermione chance a look up at Ron. She had tears streaming down her face, as did Ron. His eyes showed too many emotions to count; among them there was hurt, pain, confusion, and a bit of fear. Ron wrapped his arms around Hermione, trying to comprehend what was going on with her. "What is happening to you Hermione? You're so different. You've never acted like this before."

Hermione's voice went dry. She tried to speak, but nothing would come out. She pulled out of his embrace and looked up at him, but the intensity of his eyes made her looks down again. "I...well...I...h-have s-some news..." Hermione tried to say it, but her voice seemed to have stopped working. "I'm...well...I'm...er...I'm... preg...preg..."

"Please tell me 'Mione...I'm sure it can't be that bad. Just spit it out already!"

"Oh, Merlin, I can't do this!" Hermione began to turn away, with every intention of running back up to the castle, but was stopped by Ron before she could even take a step.

"Just tell me 'Mione."

"Oh, Ron, you don't understand. I can't! It's not that simple. This will change all our lives. Especially mine. It won't ever be the same again." Hermione looked up into Ron's eyes and tried her best to tell him what was going on with her eyes, but Ron still didn't understand.

"Hermione." Ron walked up to her again, and held her chin steady. Eyes locked on eyes. "Tell me."

"Oh, Ron!" Hermione buried her head in his chest. "I'm pregnant." She had thought the shirt might muffle it, but it didn't. Ron felt like she had screamed in his ear.

"Pregnant?" He whispered. Looking down at her, Ron put everything together. The schedule, the glow that seemed to be around her, the common room situation. "Merlin" Tears continued to fall down her face, when she noticed Ron's face turn to stone. "Who was he? I'll kill him!"

"What?"

"Who was it? Was it Dean? He was looking at you oddly yesterday. Or was it Seamus? He seemed to think you were very interesting yesterday. Asking if you were feeling ok. Humph. Which one?"

"It wasn't either of them." Hermione looked down again. The tears were coming a bit harder, but she wasn't sobbing. They were silent tears, but they were there. And Ron noticed.

"Was it Krum Did you see him over the summer? Bloody bastard! He went and got you knocked up, didn't he?"

"No, Ron, it wasn't Victor."

"Not Vicky aye? Then who was it?"

Hermione's voice diminished into a whisper. "I don't know."

Ron had heard her perfectly well, and turned on her instantly. "You don't know? How the hell can you not know whom you slept with? Or was it too many people to know? How could you possibly not know? I tell you Hermione, I don't know either, I just don't know you!" Ron began to turn away, he was seeing red. His best friend was going to have a baby, and she didn't know whose. He needed to throw someone, but since there wasn't a person he could throw, he was opting to head for the quidditch pitch. But he was stopped, by Hermione grabbing onto him, trying to make him understand.

"It was dark I was thrown against a wall, and knocked unconscious, and when I woke up I was in the hospital wing. When I say I don't know, I mean I know who it was, I just don't know who the person was."

Ron looked back at her. She looked so pitiful. Tears coursing down her face, her bushy hair spread out around her face. There was no trace of a lie in her eyes. She was being honest with him. "And no one here thought to make sure you didn't get pregnant?"

"Apparently not. I guess they didn't think it would happen. And I can't get rid of the baby, Ron. It's a part of me. I could never give something like that up. I would hate myself. Please try to understand Ron." She looked up at him, hope in her eyes, and he just couldn't' help but want to help her.

Ron grabbed her, and pulled her into a bear hug. "We'll get through this 'Mione. We all will."

"I hope so."

"So do I. I'll always be here for you, Hermione."

"Thanks, Ron. That really means a lot to me. But can you do me a huge favor?"

"Anything for the pregnant lady."

"Can you not tell Harry about this? I really want to be the one to tell him."

"Sure thing 'Mione. Just don't wait too long."

"I won't. Now let's get some breakfast, I'm starving."

"You must be, now that there are two of you to feed."

"Ugg, this is going to be..."

"Fun?"

"Not exactly what I was going to say, but, oh, well. Now, let's go see everyone." And with that, Hermione cast covering spells on each of their faces, so no one could see what a mess each of them were, and they headed into the great hall.

"Hey! What took you too so long? I've been here for nearly 15 minutes, and I got here late. Where have you been?" Harry asked.

"We were having a heart to heart, as you could say." Ron replied.

"Right...well, our schedules are being passed out. You already have yours, right Hermione?"

"Yep. I have Potions first, then Transfiguration this afternoon. What about you guys?"

"Well, we have..." Ron grabbed his schedule and began looking at it. "Charms, then Defense against the Dark Arts, and Astronomy tonight."

"Oh, I dropped that class. Have fun at midnight."

"Hermione? You DROPPED a class? How could you do that? What is wrong with you?" Harry asked, totally bewildered.

"It's at midnight for crying out loud! It would interrupt my sleep, which is very important, you know. I've got more than enough classes instead, and I'm taking a special course with Madame Pomfrey." At this, Ron nearly laughed out loud, but because he had food in his mouth, it ended up being spewed all over the table, and Ron was starting to choke.

"You ok Ron?" Harry asked, looking confused at Hermione and Ron. He finally gave him a few pats on the back, and Ron was fine.

"Yeah, just a bit shocked. Nothing special." Harry didn't notice the look that passed between Hermione and Ron.

"Well, I'd best be off to class. Wouldn't want Snape to get mad at me and take off points on our first day." Hermione began to gather up her things. It was hen that Ron noticed she had barely eaten.

"Take something with you, to eat on your way down 'Mione." Ron said, shoving some toast into her hand, as well as an apple. "You need to stay healthy."

"Alright, Mother!" Hermione said, laughing as she left the hall.

"What was that about, mate?" Harry asked looking suspiciously at Ron.

"Nothing, I just don't want her to be hungry." Harry gave him an 'I don't believe you' look, and the two boys gathered up their things and headed to their dorms to get their books for their first classes.