The Burrow was busier than ever at Christmas. Now that five of the siblings had gone off to start their own families, the small home was swarming with people. Mrs. Weasley had been turned into a quivering wreck before the celebrations when she calculated just how many people were going to be there, but when Hermione took her firmly in hand and got her used to the idea of some guests eating in the living room, she finally began to calm down a little bit.
'Remarkable.' Ron breathed as he slipped his arms round Hermione's slim waist.
She stood doing the washing up, although it was possible to do things by magic – she did not feel comfortable with wet and soapy china plates dancing around the kitchen with a collection of small children toddleing around. 'What?' She asked.
'If that was me or Dad who had done that, we would have gotten a black eye.'
Hermione laughed at him. 'Oh, don't exaggerate. She's fine really. You just need to stop being so scared of her.'
Ron laughed too and nodded over to where Hermione's parents were sitting, each sporting a new Weasley jumper as was tradition, and with their eyes and their mouths as wide as galleons as they watched Harry charm small broom decorations to go whizzing around for the amusement of the children. 'They having fun?'
'I think so. Other than Diagon Alley and our wedding, this is the first time that they've been exposed to this much magic.'
Ron nodded. It was true. When the Granger's had been formally introduced to the Weasley's, his dad had been so excited he insisted on transforming The Burrow into a muggle home. Problems only arose when he got the washing machine and the television mixed up and was unaware that gnome-throwing was not a common muggle occupation.
Perhaps it was the exhaustion after Christmas. Perhaps it was the chilling wind that whipped around them whenever they stepped outside. Perhaps it was none of these things. All Ron Weasley knew, was that when he woke up in the mornings and rolled over to look at his wife, her cheeks were tearstained and there were remenants of mascara on her pillow. She cried too when she thought that he wasn't looking. Eventually, her work suggested that she take a paid break as she was too stressed to continue. It was when she started talking in her sleep, did he begin to understand what she was thinking. But what could he do? He'd been to St. Mungo's and got every potion under the sun to slip into her morning tea. He'd even done some research on that terrifying contraption of Hermione's – a laptop, into what muggles did when they were depressed. Their online solutions would have only offended Hermione's proud nature.
The truth of the matter was that Hermione felt empty. Desperately empty. She'd felt this way since the defeat of Voldemort. At first she put it down to the fact that now the cause she had been so actively involved in since she was eleven was now gone, Harry had been acting the same way – but now, she felt that there was something more involved? However, just as she started to believe that there was no hope for anything anymore, something truly magical happened.
Ron had barely walked through the door when he was met with a huge frizz of brown hair and ten stone thrown into his arms.
'Woah,' he laughed, as he was instantly smothered in kisses. 'Why don't I get this welcome home every day?'
'I'm pregnant.'
Ron's jaw dropped. Silently, he lowered himself to her flat stomach and gently pressed one of his hands against it. 'You serious?'
Hermione nodded, tears of delight rolling down her cheeks. 'Yes. I did the test, I did it several times, and every time it came out positive.'
'You mean, I'm going to be a dad?'
Hermione nodded again and laughed. 'That's right. You've officially grown up Ron Weasley. We're going to be parents.'
Of course Mrs. Weasley also cried when she found out the news. Mrs. Granger insisted that she had known longer than Hermione because of the glow in her cheeks, and both the grandfather's to be couldn't stop smiling.
'Congratulations.' Ginny had squealed when the Weasley's had gone to the Potter's for lunch, her hands moving over Hermione's slightly swollen belly. 'I cannot believe it. How far along are you?'
'Five months.' Hermione said promptly. 'I didn't realise it for ages, and then I wanted to wait for a bit longer before I told anyone – just in case.'
Ginny smiled fondly at her friend. 'Well, Harry'll be back soon. He was delighted, of course. We're sorry that we couldn't have you guys round sooner. Work has just been so hectic.' She rolled her eyes dramatically.
Ginny had recently been preparing for the next big game – Hermione couldn't remember which, they all just rolled over her head – and Harry had been working on a case that was TOP SECRET. Hermione had to surpress a chuckle when she remembered how Harry had told Ron with a completely deadpan face that if he told him what the case was, he would then have to kill him. She really needed to get Ron more involved in the watching of muggle films.
When they got in the house, Ron instantly ran to the sofa and plumped up the cushions and tried to guide Hermione to her seat.
'Ron, relax.' She half snapped, half laughed. 'I'm pregnant, not an invalid.'
'I'll remember that when you're in labour and telling me that this was all my fault.' Ron said promptly.
When Harry had got in a few hours later, he clapped Ron on the back into a joyous brotherly hug, but Hermione was surprised to see him do a slight double take when he saw Hermione with her hand rested slightly on her swollen stmach. Perhaps it was seeing one of his oldest friends pregnant that did it. Either way, Harry looked more concerned than congratulative, and when he took a seat beside her and spoke to her, he did so as if she were on her deathbed.
'How are you?'
'I'm fine.' She smiled. 'Fine. We're both fine.'
At the we're, Harry glanced down and for a second chewed his lip. However, before Hermione could even comment on this, he was grinning like his usual self as he looked up at Ron and said cheerfully. 'So, reckon it will be cursed with your ginger hair?' And after a scowl from his wife, he coughed awkwardly. 'Blessed. I mean, blessed.'
Hermione didn't have much time to bask in the glory of being the only pregnant woman for long. Weeks after they had dinner together, Ginny announced her pregnancy and soon had the attention of her parents and older brothers as the littlest and the only girl of the Weasley's.
Harry was beyond excitement, and it was truly beautiful to behold. He'd already played the father role to little Teddy as his godfather, and to now have a child of his own meant that he was never seen without a smile. His and Hermione's previous glumness seemed like a thing of the past. But Ron wished that he could say the same for the weather. While the months indicated Summer, the country had remained in the thick of Winter.
