Sorry for the delay, but therefore the chapter is much longer to make up for it.


4. It's getting worse


Harry hadn't seen Ron or Hermione the whole weekend. Hermione of course, was hiding in the girl's dormitory, pretending to be sick, and he couldn't go up there. But he had no idea where Ron had disappeared to. He never seemed to be in the dormitory, although Harry could tell that at some point, someone had slept in Ron's bed every night.

He tried to stay awake, so he could talk to Ron, but he never managed it. Ron seemed to creep into bed long after everyone else was asleep and was already gone before they woke up the next morning. He didn't come to the meals either, which worried Harry a lot.

When he asked Neville, Seamus and Dean if they had seen Ron lately, they said they hadn't.

So, the next time Harry saw Ron and Hermione again was on Monday morning in Transfiguration.

Both looked like hell, like they hadn't slept very much. Hermione's eyes were bloodshot, indicating that she had cried a lot lately, while Ron's face was set, almost mask-like, which made it impossible to read it.

Both of them ignored each others presence as well as Harry's. Ron didn't take his usual seat next to Harry, but seated himself in the first row, which gave him the benefit of neither having Harry nor Hermione in range of his vision.

Hermione however sat in her usual spot. But that left an ugly void between her and Harry which was otherwise occupied by Ron, and made it clear, not only to Harry but for everyone else, that something was wrong within the trio.

While Ron did everything to avoid eye contact, Hermione spent the whole class watching him. All the while she furtively brushed tears out of the corner of her eyes. This was probably the first time ever, that she didn't hear a word of what McGonagoll told them.

At the end of the class Ron dashed out at top speed, while Hermione seemed to linger behind as long as possible.

xxx

Harry had never thought he would miss Ron and Hermione's bickering so much. For about three weeks now neither Ron nor Hermione were on speaking terms with him let alone with each other.

Harry had of course tried to corner both of them, but with no success. Hermione always blocked him up every time she saw him heading towards her. She instantly gathered up all her things and left the room.

Not that it happened often that he saw her at all; Harry assumed she was taking refuge in the Library most of the time, it was her sanctuary after all and Harry wanted to keep it that way, so he wasn't going to disturb her there.

Every time he faced Ron though, he received one of the darkest death glares he had ever seen, somehow challenging him to come nearer; and for the first time Harry was sure he might get a punch if he actually dared to do this. So he stayed away from Ron.

Fred and George had tried to explain to Ron about the potion and that it was their fault, but apparently it hadn't made any difference. Ron treated them all with the same mixture of disregard, condemnation and loathing.

So they all went their separate ways. They even had kind of established a time schedule for the meals. Hermione usually ate first, or more picked at her food really; followed by Harry and the majority of Hogwarts students, and Ron was last, if he ate at all. Harry wasn't sure about that, he suspected that Ron sometimes rather sneaked food from the kitchen than eating in the Great Hall.

Harry didn't speak much with Ginny, Fred and George either, he knew it was his fault too, but he couldn't stop blame them for talking him into it. He wished he had a Time Tuner and could change the past.

x

There were only two weeks to go until the end of term and beginning of the summer holidays. And it wasn't very likely that they all would ever be friends again. Harry sat on the windowsill and watched the sunlit grounds when someone approached him.

"Harry, can I talk to you, please?" Harry heard Hermione's soft voice behind him. Surprised he turned around and came face to face with a distraught looking Hermione.

"Of course you can" Harry said delighted and followed Hermione to the corner of the common room, so they couldn't be overheard.

"So …, am I forgiven then?" Harry asked hopefully.

"Well …, no, not really yet, but I've got to talk to someone and you are the only person I can do that to." Hermione said downcast.

"Oh okay," Harry nodded sadly. "So what do you want to talk about then?"

At first Hermione didn't say anything at all, but suddenly she broke down completely and flunk herself in Harry's arms and sobbed, "Oh Harry it's terrible. How could this happen to me?"

Harry was horribly reminded of the Saturday morning about six weeks ago and was frightened of whatever has happened now. For a few minutes all he could do was holding her tightly, and stroking through her hair, attempting to calm her down. "What happened?" he asked softly.

"I … I think …," Hermione stammered through tears. "I think I'm pregnant, Harry"

"What? From Ron?" Harry was totally shocked by the news. He had never expected that.

Hermione glared at him with bloodshot eyes. "Of course from Ron, or do you think I'm sleeping around the place?"

"Em, … no, of course not, … I'm sorry, Hermione. … I'm just a bit shocked." Harry stammered. Hermione only huffed at that.

"What do I do now?" she asked miserably, tears running down her cheeks. Harry couldn't answer that, not only was he still in shock about her disclosure, but he honestly had now idea what could be done in her situation.

"Have you told Ron yet?" he asked cautiously, although he already knew the answer to that question.

"Are you kidding me? Of course I haven't" she said indignantly. "We're not talking remember?"

Of course he remembered; how couldn't he? "So …, are you going to have the baby?"

Hermione looked at him terrified, probably just realising what really was happening right now then said shaking her head in denial. "I don't know, I honestly don't know."

xxx

"Hermione, have you seen Madam Pomfrey yet?" Harry asked forcibly but also concerned two days later.

"Eh … no, I haven't" Hermione admitted reluctantly.

Harry looked at her sternly. "Well, I don't know much about those things, but I really think you should go; to see if everything is alright."

"I can't Harry." Hermione said aghast. "What if they expel me? I did a thorough search in the library and I found nothing about that matter. No information whatsoever! It's almost like no one else had ever been in my situation before. And I don't understand how that can be, with all these teenagers around."

Harry listened to her rant; he knew it and she knew it as well, Hermione was avoiding the inevitable. How ironic, Harry thought, normally Hermione was the voice of reason, but by some evil twist, he had to play that part now.

"You have to go, Hermione. You can't deal with this alone." Harry urged her.

Hermione looked forlorn at him. "I know, it's just, it's going to be real then."

xxx

After a bit more persuading from Harry, Hermione found herself in the Hospital Wing.

"Oh hello my dear, what can I do for you?" Madame Pomfrey asked, bustling towards her.

Hermione nervously inhaled deeply. "Well, it's a delicate matter," she said and looked around. The Hospital Wing seemed to be empty.

Madam Pomfrey nodded encouragingly and Hermione went on. "I think I might be pregnant." she whispered hoarsely.

If Madame Pomfrey was surprised or even shocked about the news, she didn't show it. "Then let's have a look, shall we?" she said friendly.

She led Hermione towards one of the beds, drew the curtains around it and began to examine her. After a while she said. "You're right, you're pregnant. Six weeks along I guess?" she asked and looked expectantly at Hermione, who nodded. Madam Pomfrey acknowledged this and scribbled something on a parchment.

"May I ask who the father is?" Madam Pomfrey asked gently.

"Ronald Weasley" Hermione said and Madam Pomfrey wrote it down on her parchment as well.

"Alright, that's it for today, I'd like you to come back next week for another check-up and maybe you can bring the father along, so we can talk about the next steps." Madam Pomfrey instructed her. "I'm afraid your head of house and the headmaster have to be informed about your pregnancy."

Hermione nodded gloomily. There was no chance whatsoever that she was bringing along Ron next week and telling McGonagall and Dumbledore wasn't a good thing either.

"Would you like me to talk to your head of house?" Madam Pomfrey asked sympathetically.

"No, I'll do it," Hermione said firmly, and hopped from the bed "It's my problem, so I have to do it."

Madam Pomfrey smiled at her and opened the curtains. Hermione turned to leave but instantly stopped in her tracks as she came face to face with Pansy Parkinson. Hermione stared at her in horror, while a nasty, knowing smile appeared on Pansy's face.

xxx

Harry accompanied Hermione to McGonagall's office a bit later that day.

"She is going to tell everyone." She whispered agitated, the encounter with Pansy Parkinson still on her mind. "In no time the whole school will know about this."

"Including Ron," Harry said forlorn, and he was sure a guilty expression crossed Hermione's face briefly. "You should have told him yourself," Harry hissed. "Maybe there is still time to do it."

"And how should I have done that?" Hermione hissed back. "Should I have yelled across the Common Room that he knocked me up?"

Harry threw her an annoyed look. "No of course not, but anything would have been better than hearing it through gossip."

Hermione only huffed but couldn't say anything else, as they had reached their goal. Hermione sighed, squared her shoulders and knocked on Professor McGonagall's door. A few seconds later the door opened and Harry and Hermione went inside.

x

McGonagall stared at her as if she had three heads. "I beg your pardon," she finally said.

"I'm pregnant," Hermione repeated.

"But that is impossible," McGonagall said scandalised looking from Hermione to Harry and back again, thinking they were pulling her leg.

Hermione frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Hogwarts is under a lot of spells, Miss Granger as you should know, not only is the girl's dormitory out of order for boys but there is also a spell that prevents girls from getting pregnant, if necessary." She explained aghast.

'So that's why I couldn't find anything about it.' Hermione thought, but aloud she said. "Well, I am, you can ask Madam Pomfrey for confirmation, if you don't believe me."

Professor McGonagall regarded her for a moment until she came to the conclusion that Hermione really was telling the truth then rounded on Harry. "Are you the father?" she asked sternly, piercing Harry with her stare.

Harry looked at her thunderstruck. "No" he gasped out quickly and a bit too forceful.

"Then who else is responsible for this situation?" McGonagall demanded to know.

Harry and Hermione quickly glanced at each other then, they both had agreed not to tell the whole story; at least not yet. Hermione whispered, more to the floor than McGonagall, "Ron"

"I see." Professor McGonagall surveyed her. "I have to say, I'm very disappointed in both of you Miss Granger," McGonagall said, "you two are Gryffindor prefects after all, you should set an example for the younger students. Miss Granger you of all people should have known better than let something like that happen."

Hermione blushed scarlet of shame and fixed her gaze more firmly onto the floor.

McGonagall sighed, "I have to report this to the headmaster; and a teacher's meeting will probably be in order too. I expect I can trust you to inform your parents about this new … development by yourself?"

Hermione chanced a short look at her and nodded.

"Alright, that's all for now. Go up to your Common Room then" McGonagall dismissed them sternly and Harry and Hermione quickly left the room.

xxx

The news was around the school in top speed. By dinner time there was no one who didn't know, that Hermione Granger, the model student, was pregnant. And apparently Ronald Weasley was the father.

Hermione hadn't expected anything else; after all it had been Pansy Parkinson who had overheard her. She avoided going down for dinner once again. It was bad enough to endure the stares and whispers of her fellow Gryffindors, she wasn't keen for the confrontation and taunting of the whole school yet. Fortunately the summer holidays were around the corner, so she might be able to evade that fate until September, if she wasn't expelled of course.

"Have you seen Ron?" she asked Harry warily. He had brought her some chicken legs and some treacle tart, so she won't starve.

"No," he said promptly, "I never see him of late, to be honest."

Hermione nodded and gnawed on her chicken leg as portrait door opened and Ginny, followed by Fred and George, hurried in.

"Oh, Hermione, we're so sorry, we really didn't mean THAT to happen." Ginny said at once.

"That's right" Fred said in a grave tone. "We wouldn't have used the potion if we had known something like that would happen." Hermione glared at them.

"If you need any help," George added guiltily, "just tell us, okay?"

At first Hermione wanted to brush them off as usual, but foremost the earnest expressions on Fred and George faces made her to listen to them. She could see they were really sorry for what had happened. Although that didn't mean they were forgiven yet, Hermione at least lost some of her anger towards them.

x

Suddenly the portrait hole burst open again and a murderous looking Ron stormed in and headed strait for the boy's dormitory without even acknowledging them.

"Ron wait," Harry called out and ignored Hermione's attempt to hold him back as he hastened to block Ron's path.

"Get out of my way Harry" Ron said menacing, trying to push Harry away.

"Ron, you have to talk with Hermione, this is about your child as well" Harry tried to reason with him.

"Oh yeah?" he yelled, his eyes blazing. "And how do I know that it really is mine?"

He pointed his finger accusingly at Hermione and spat out. "It's not like she wanted to sleep with me in the first place, but she did anyway, so maybe she slept with some other guys as well, with or without potion. For all I know it could be yours, Harry."

"How dare you, Ronald!" Hermione screamed, shot out of her chair and rushed over to them.

Ron turned his anger on Hermione now. "Come on, Hermione tell us. With whom have you slept beside me? It can't be Krum, can it, cause he's in Bulgaria right now, so maybe MacLaggen, that idiot? Or yes …, probably Malfoy. That's it, isn't it? Why haven't I seen it before? The new dream couple, the Death Eater and the Mudblood."

That was enough to ensure Ron a powerful slap across the face from Hermione. For a moment they stared daggers at each other, both scarlet in the face. Then Ron abruptly shoved her out of his way and dashed off.

Hermione, angrily and hurt, brushed some tears from her cheeks and flew to her own dormitory.


Good? Bad? Fantastic? Awful? - you can tell me in the reviews!

I instantly hope that you don't mind the somewhat sterotyped idea of Hermione being pregnant, but I really wanted the worst case scenario for all of them.

As for Ron's behaviour, ... well :-) Bear in mind that he is my favourite character!