-Chapter 3: You're Bloody Serious-

Harry was staring at his desk at work the next day when Ron came in and flopped down in one of the black leather chairs in front of Harry's desk.

"Man, Harry, I wish you were single. I found this club in London. So many girls, man."

"Nice, Ron. How many fathers' daughters did you corrupt this weekend?"

"Oh come on mate! This whole being a dad thing isn't gonna take the fun out of you is it?"

"Well it does scare me knowing that if I have daughters that they might eventually bring home," Harry looked at Ron, "…a bloke that will have less than honorable intentions. Then I'll have to kill him and that would really piss off Luna and it'd make quite a mess."

Harry put his head back down staring at his desk. He kept thinking about what he was going to tell Ginny that night at dinner.

"Something wrong, Harry?" Ron asked.

Harry sighed. "You might as well know. I saw Hermione the other day."

"I'm sorry, what? I could've sworn you just said…"

"I did just say," said Harry.

"What did you do? Were you somewhere you could hex her in public or did you need to drag her somewhere so that you could hex her?"

"Considering I still have a job, no. I talked to her briefly on Saturday and then we met at a café to talk yesterday."

"Did she tell you why she decided to be a coward and leave? You know, when she ripped my sister's heart out for no reason?"

"Come off it, Ron. It's been six years. Despite still obviously not having moved from Hermione on at all, Ginny seems to be doing fine and I thought you were over it."

"Whatever. What did she tell you?" Ron asked coldly.

"Well, she lived in Paris for a while until…well…hold on to your chair. Hermione's a mother."

"Funny, Harry. Really, what is she doing now? Did she go to some big Muggle university and become a teeth doctor or whatever it was her parents did?"

"Hard to do when you have a two year old son."

"You…you're bloody serious, aren't you!" Ron almost yelled.

"Yeah. His name is Lennox."

"Oy…what's her husband's name?"

"She doesn't have one. It was a one night stand."

"Oh that is priceless," Ron said and started laughing, "Hermione runs out on my sister thinking that she'll be better off and she goes and gets herself knocked up! Oh man, that's karma if I ever heard it!"

"Ron! That's…how could you be that insensitive, really? What is wrong with you?"

"Sorry mate but I'm rather like my mum, I tend to hold a grudge. You want me to tell Ginny?"

"No, I've already invited her to dinner tonight so I can tell her."

"Good luck with that then. I better be off, got a case to go look at. Tell me how things go, yeah?"

"Will do, see you later Ron."

...............

Harry paced back and forth in the foyer of his house and waited nervously. There was a knock on the door. Harry opened it and Ginny stepped inside.

"Glad you could come, Gin. Dinner will be ready in a little while. I thought we could sit and talk for a bit," Harry said as he led them down into the kitchen. Ginny gave Luna a hug and then she and Harry sat down next to each other at the kitchen table.

"So what's up, Harry? You and Luna have me over to tell me you're having triplets now?" Ginny gave him a friendly punch on the arm.

Harry laughed a little and rubbed his arm. "Not exactly, Ginny. How…how are you doing? Are you getting along all right? Dating anyone?"

"I'm doing fine, Harry. I gave up on dating; I am just going to focus on Quidditch now. I don't need all that added stress."

"Oh, well that's good. Good!" Harry wringed his hands and nodded nervously.

"I have a feeling you've got some unpleasant news, Harry."

"I saw Hermione," he blurted out.

"You…what?" Ginny held her breath.

"Saturday. I was driving home from the market and I saw her walking and I stopped and talked to her for a bit."

"How…Did she look okay? I mean…is she okay?"

"She looked fine, Ginny. I wanted to know a little more so I had her meet me so we could talk yesterday."

"And?"

"Oh gods…how do I um…Luna, can you help me here!"

"Harry, just tell me," Ginny demanded.

"She has a son."

Ginny stood up and started pacing the floor. "I suppose she met some bloke in wherever the hell she was and they're living happily ever fucking after now, right?"

"Not exactly, no."

Ginny turned and stared at him.

"She's still single. She hasn't been married and she doesn't date. She told me it was one night stand."

"How old is he?" Ginny asked quietly

"Well, I don't know. She said she doesn't even know his name…"

"Not the father you dolt! The kid!"

"Oh, he just turned two. He…he looks a lot like her. They have the same eyes."

"And his name?" Ginny asked as she sat back down at the table.

"Lennox."

"Is she happy?"

"She seemed to be getting along all right. She's working but wants nothing to do with magic anymore. I invited her to dinner on Friday night."

"Dinner is ready whenever you two are," Luna announced.

"I want to be here. I want to see her," Ginny said.

"I don't think that is such a good idea, Ginny. I told her it would just be Luna and I."

"Do you still have your Invisibility Cloak?"

"Yeah, of course."

"I think that is our answer then. What time is she coming over?"

"Seven. So you should probably get here around six-thirty," Luna said.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Ginny?" Harry asked.

"I just want to see her and make sure she is okay. I'll decide what to do from there."