Chapter Three: I Want You To Know, But Then Again I Don't
Hermione felt what was perhaps her first maternal instinct when they were being held in Malfoy Manor. Fenrir Greyback was making it very clear that he'd like to take a nice bite out of her and her first thought was not for her own safety, but to question the effect it might have on her child.
Bellatrix Lestrange ordered them all to the dungeon and Hermione thought it might offer them enough of a reprieve to figure out a way to escape. That fleeting glimmer of hope died quickly however as the deranged woman amended her order. "Wait. All except... except for the Mudblood."
Hermione's blood ran cold and she watched her friends struggle in vain, Ron offering himself in her stead, and she couldn't help crying over his volunteered sacrifice as they were dragged away.
"Bellatrix, don't!" Narcissa Malfoy shouted from the corner where she cowered near her son.
Bellatrix rounded on the feeble looking woman, pointing her wand at her without a second thought. "You always were the weak one, Cissy."
"But, she's with child! You can't."
Bellatrix sneered. "Filthy blood in her veins. It'll be a benefit to society. My Lord will be pleased to know I stopped another from being brought into this world."
Tears filled Narcissa's eyes and Draco looked like he was going to be sick. Their pitying looks were the last thing Hermione saw before the pain struck her.
Hermione knew she had managed to lie about the sword of Gryffindor being a fake, but she could recall little else when she woke, her entire body aching. Ron was asleep in a chair next to her and she could hear voices down the hall. She had no idea where they were, but it felt safe and the bed beneath her was more comfortable than anything she'd slept on in months. She attempted to stretch and groaned as pain shot through her entire body. Memories of the Cruciatus Curse flooded her mind and she cried out, startling Ron.
"What is it?" He jumped up, standing at her bedside. She quickly shook her head.
"Nothing. Just… remembering. I'm fine though, really." She reached to take his hand, smiling up at him. "I wanted to say, you were very brave there, when Belltrix took me. Thank you."
He blushed and looked down at her watermelon of a stomach. "I would have done it anyway, but in this case I figured there were two of you so…"
She nodded, smiling gratefully. "Is everyone okay?"
"Yeah… Well mostly. Dobby, umm… Dobby didn't make it."
"Dobby?"
Ron explained everything that had occurred in their escape and together they made their way outside to pay their respects with everyone else, saying goodbye in the early morning sunlight.
Hermione spent the next few days recovering, Harry and Ron often joining her to discuss their plans. It was made quite clear by the both of them that, with the rest of the Weasley family going into hiding, she had no excuse for not going to stay with them.
Harry was debating how best to approach Griphook in the early afternoon of their third day in Shell Cottage when Bill entered, clearing his throat loudly.
"Uh, Harry? Would you mind stepping out for a few minutes?"
Harry looked to his friends in confusion but nodded and left. Ron and Hermione both sat on the edge of the bed while Bill pulled up the chair in front of them.
"This is really awkward," he began, rubbing the back of his neck. "I actually asked Fleur to talk to you since she's better at these things but she thought it should be someone in the family." He sighed and gave them a pitiful smile. "Mum would kill me if I didn't say something though so… Okay. It's obvious you two have... begun to express your love physically." He indicated Hermione's stomach and they both instantly shook their heads.
"No, we haven't-"
"Ron," Bill cut him off, rolling his eyes, "if you're caught snogging in the shed you can talk your way out of it. But the evidence here-"
"It's not that," Hermione offered. Bill began to speak again and Ron interrupted quickly.
"It's not mine. I mean we've never..."
"Oh." Bill went extremely red in the face and he stood quickly. "Right then. Not my brother's; not my place to say."
Hermione face crumbled and she felt a rush of heat as her cheeks flushed.
Ron smiled at his brothers unintentional faux pas. "Actually if you could round up Fred then you can finish what you were saying."
"Ron!" Hermione had been hoping Bill would leave things without asking more questions, but that was impossible now.
"It's Fred's?" Bill asked incredulously, returning to stand in front of them. Hermione nodded. "Of all the irresponsible... He's at Aunt Muriel's. I'll get him."
Both Ron and Hermione glanced at each other anxiously until Ron suddenly jumped up. "Wait! Bill! He doesn't know!"
Ron chased after his brother and returned moments later to tell Hermione that Bill had gone to get Fred. She nodded mutely and he quickly left her to her thoughts.
Fred was coming and in no time at all he would know that she was pregnant. She had no idea how he would react to that. Coming from such a large family, she didn't think having children was something he'd be against, but she was certain he wasn't looking to start a family with her. They'd had a casual… thing that she couldn't even put a description to. More than a fling, less than a relationship.
She was lost in her thoughts for some time before the sound of the front door slamming shook her from her reverie. She stiffened in her seat, the final hurdle she had to face rapidly approaching.
"Damn it Bill!" Fred's voice resounded down the hall. "You can't just drag me over here and not tell me what's going on. Has something happened?"
"I told you Fred, just calm down."
"Calm down? You wouldn't tell me anything for the entire walk from the wards and my patience is wearing thin."
"I just wanted to wait until we were safely inside. It's Hermione, mate."
"Hermione? Is she okay?" It was a small relief to her that he did at least sound concerned.
"Depends how you look at it," she heard Ron reply sarcastically.
"Come on, don't answer like that. She-" There was a long pause. "Why am I the only one you brought? Shit, she's not..." Hermione could hear a slight tremble in his voice, followed by Bill's curt reply.
"Dead? No. Although I suppose that and this are the only things that would get her to confess that you were shagging her."
"Shagging? I wasn't... Okay, one time. And she asked me so don't give me that look. I don't see what that has to do with anything."
"Ron?"
Hermione could hear footsteps and then Ron appeared in the doorway, beckoning her to follow. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze as she approached, and led her to the sitting room where Fred was still demanding answers. She drew her hands up to rest on her stomach instinctively and stepped into the room.
She knew the moment he had seen her since the room fell completely silent, followed by a muttered "sweet Merlin." In the next moment he was before her, looking at her imploringly. She merely nodded in answer to his unvoiced question and his arms came around her swiftly.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I couldn't. By the time I realized, we had already lost Grimmauld place. It wasn't safe."
"But you... Are you okay? Is it?... Them? Umm, is he or she okay?"
"I think so. We just got here so I haven't been seen by anyone yet."
"Hermione, you're months along. This is crazy."
"I know, and I'm sorry Fred. I never should have put you in this position. It's entirely my fault." She sniffed as a tear slid down her cheek and he moved to wipe it away, surprising her with the tender gesture.
"Don't. You've been through enough as it is. St. Mungo's is still running. The Order and the Ministry both have people on guard there and there haven't been any attacks. It's a bit of a standoff. Anyway, I'll take you there myself, and then you can stay at Aunt Muriel's."
"But Fred-"
"No buts! And I certainly don't want to hear you saying you intend to go back out there."
"No," she shook her head. "We already discussed that. Ron gets to carry my purse," she added with a weak smile. The smile he gave in return was just as wan.
"I hate to interrupt," Bill cut in, drawing their attention to the fact that there were others in the room; namely he, Fleur, Ron and Harry, "but we still haven't quite addressed this Hermione being pregnant issue."
"Can't we just say it's something that happened and not mention it again?" Fred asked hopefully.
"That's fine by me, but you have fun explaining everything to Mum and Dad."
Both Ron and Fred cringed. "Good point."
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