Chapter 10: Small Talk

Authors Note: 1st September 2013. Thank you to anyone who has kindly reviewed the previous chapter so far as I write this I have only actually received one review but hopefully the numbers will have increased by the time this is uploaded to . The name of this chapter will hopefully also have made sense by the end of it. Also I recently did a blog post about the Deathly Hallows so if you want to check that out please click HERE. Anyway here is chapter 10!

Mid May 2005

"How do you want to go about this?" Hermione asked as they sat opposite one another at the kitchen table. It was warm outside and the sun was brightly lighting up the entire room in a soothing glow. As Ron thought he was drumming his fingers against the table quickly and impatiently as he tried to think of an answer to his wife's question. There were many ways of going about what they wanted to do and each option seemed harder than the previous one that they had contemplated before. They wanted to do this right, and in a good way, but they both knew full well that if they did not put their minds to it what they wanted to do what coincide and happen in true Ron and Hermione fashion. That was exactly the polar opposite of what they intended to happen but knew it was a possibility.

"I have no idea. I really have no idea." Ron sighed leaning back in his chair and the drumming of fingers stopped from him but was continued by Hermione who glanced at him perplexedly before returning to have a staring competition with the drink sat in the steaming mug in front of her. Tea. And so far, the tea was winning. She hated tea, but it seemed to be the only thing that was keeping her sane in that moment. Well, at least keeping her sane enough to prevent her from strangling Ron although she knew that it was just the wild, craziness of hormones talking.

"You do realise that it was your idea to tell them that I am pregnant earlier than originally planned?" Hermione said running a hand through her untameable, bushy mane of hair.

"Yes, but you agreed to go ahead with it. And nothing bad has happened, that was in the agreement if you remember rightly." Ron fired back and Hermione sighed tiredly.

"Fine, we can tell them. I honestly do not mind who we tell first as long as we actually do tell them at some point. I do not want us walking into the Burrow in early January with a baby in tow and going "Oh hey, guess what, we have a son or we have a daughter now!" Because everyone would probably hate us if we did that." Hermione joked

"Of course we would not do it like that. Actually I was thinking that we could tell your parents first." Ron contemplated before quickly continuing with "Providing that you want to too." Hermione stared at him blankly in shock. It was starting to appear that they told her parents most things before they told everyone else and after nearly four and a half years of marriage, she was beginning to wonder why. She alternatively felt that it was rather sweet though considering that they had never had what they were going to say before where as every other family member they had had.

"But, but why?" Hermione questioned almost shocked into silence by Ron's proposal.

"Because you are their only daughter, their only child. And this will be their first grandchild. It seems only right that we tell them first." Ron said. "I love you, and I love your mum and dad, they are great people and I think it would be nice if we told them before we say to anyone else."

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked "But what about your parents and Harry and Ginny, and everyone else."

"They have heard it all before, nine times in fact. They can wait just a little longer." Ron winked and Hermione smiled at his kindness but worry filled her at the same time, similar to the worry she had experienced when they had gone to restore Wendell and Monica Wilkins/ Robert and Helena Granger's memories in Australia. At the time she had been more nervous as to what they would think of her for placing a memory charm on them than anything else.

"Ron?" Hermione croaked and Ron looked up to meet her gaze, which appeared to be filled with tears.

"Yes?" He asked

"How do you think they will react? What if they are not pleased?" Hermione whispered a single tear falling down her left cheek. He reached over as soon as he saw her eyes begin to water and captured the rapidly descending tear with his thumb before it spilled quickly off her face.

"Hermione, of course they will be pleased, they are your parents. They love you and care about you so of course they will be happy. This is their first grandchild. And besides, your mum already knows that we were trying to have a child and she was fine with it, and so will be your Dad. Really." He reassured her and she smiled.

"Thank you. Shall we get going?"Hermione said, suddenly changing her mood as she headed for the hallway and put on her shoes and Ron nodded before following her towards the front door.

"If you want to of course we can." Ron replied.

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"Are you sure about this?" Ron asked squeezing her right hand tightly. She reached on the ends of her toes for the muggle doorbell on the front door of her parents house and came back down from her increased height to meet Ron's eye level once again. He looked concerned, and anxious as he stared into her eyes, his own azure, sea coloured ones searching hers endlessly, as if they could look right into her, deep into her mind even. She did not mind. She had never minded that look. That was a look she had shared with him right before they had kissed for the first time, or more like when she had kissed him for the first time in the midst of the Battle of Hogwarts. That was one of the many looks she had fallen in love with, and part of what made she and Ron she and Ron.

"No time like the present. What about you?" Hermione replied, questioning his own opinions on the moment.

"Yep. Like you said: there really is no time like the present. They will be pleased about it, Hermione." He repeated and before he could even to think to say another word or two, movement, getting closer and closer to them was apparent translucent, lucid, almost frosted glass in the middle of the pale, greyish, eggshell coloured front door and Hermione's father Robert Granger, opened it. When he saw his daughter and son in law, his face appeared to light up brightly, in spite of clearly looking tired. Hermione had always put that down to both of her parents, in particularly her father, reading far later into the night than necessary. Although both of her parents liked books, it was mainly her dad that had gotten her into them, reading to her most nights as a child. Her mum had read to her too, except it was mainly the rest of her personality such as a thirst for knowledge and cautiousness that she had inherited. Thinking of her and her mum and dad, she started to wonder what qualities her and Ron's son or daughter would inherit from them, not just in looks but everything else. Would they love reading? Would they be a good Quidditch player? Would they receive Ron's unbelievable eating habits? She knew that they would find out all of these things a lot further down the line, perhaps in a few years but she could not wait for things like that to become apparent.

"Hermione, Ron. What a surprise." Robert beamed "Please, do come in." And he held the door open and stood to the side so that the pair could come inside of the warm house which was as quiet as ever.

"Hi Dad." Hermione said, embracing him before Ron did the same.

"Rob, who is it?" A voice called that Hermione recognised as her mothers, clearly coming from the kitchen.

"It is Ron and Hermione." He replied as they entered the living room and a few seconds later, Helena Granger appeared in the doorway with a happy and content smile worn on her face as she looked between her husband, daughter and son in law.

"Hello, you two, it does not seem that long ago since you were last in this room." Helena grinned as she took her reading glasses off the top of her forehead and placed them down on the pine coffee table that stood strongly between the two sofas and one arm chair. "What brings you here?"

"Actually, there is something that we wanted to tell the two of you." Ron said reaching for Hermione's hand as they stood there quietly. Both Robert and Helena's pairs of eyes then moved towards their daughter, as if now looking towards her for answers, and as much as Hermione wanted to say something, she wanted to back out of the house and let the ground swallow her whole. It was not the most comfortable subject to talk about even though they "silently" understood.

"What is it?" Robert asked looking suddenly concerned by the quietness of Hermione and Ron. Hermione appeared to take a breath and a small smile appeared on her face as a few moments later, she began to speak.

"I'm pregnant." She smiled softly and silence fell between the four of them before Helena approached Hermione and hugged her tightly. As soon as this action happened, Hermione instantly hugged her back and they remained like that for a couple of moments as Ron and Robert watched on. Helena pulled away and Hermione found tears streaming down her face before she discovered that she was crying herself as well.

"Really?" Helena croaked and Hermione giggled through her tear clouded eyes.

"Really." Hermione repeated as an answer and she handed her mother a tissue from her pocket.

"Wow... we are going to be Grandparents." Helena added laughing, "We do not seem old enough for that task yet." Ron and Hermione laughed before Hermione turned to face her dad whom for the past few minutes had remained there in silence.

"Dad?" Hermione said her voice little more than a whisper. He did not say anything and simply hugged her like Helena had except he did not hold on for as long.

"I think that is the first time your Dad has ever shut up." Helena said and Robert chuckled before he looked between his daughter and son in law with soft, kind eyes. "Stunned into silence." Helena added

"You two are going to make great parents. You really are." He told them. Hermione the hugged him once again and held on strongly, almost like she did not want to ever let go. They stood like that for a while and Helena quickly hugged Ron in congratulations to find that Robert and Hermione were still embracing as he kissed the top of her head gently.

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"I am really happy for you both. And your Dad is too, he was just too speechless to say very much." Helena said handing Hermione a glass of water as they stood in the kitchen, looking out into the wet garden as the rain fell rapidly and splattered forcefully onto the grass and patio. Hermione had always loved the back garden at her parent's house. It was where she had spent a great deal of her summers before joining Hogwarts reading and writing. It would be cool at the far end where two very large oak tree's arms entwined, almost like two humans in love. Underneath the tree was a bench that she vividly remembered sitting on with her parents in all sorts of weathers. Even when it snowed they would occasionally sit in their large coats and wellington boots watching the snowflakes as they fluttered through the oxygen and fell down onto the now white grass. She missed those times, when she could be an innocent child and the world was her oyster with an entire life ahead of her. Now she and Ron were twenty five. In four months she would be twenty six and their lives were changing now more than ever. She just hoped that maybe Ron and she would be doing that with their child.

"I gathered that Dad was a little surprised. Did you ever tell him anything about you know... how we were having trouble?" Hermione whispered although she knew her mother would probably not inform her father of something like this, she thought she would rather know if she had accidentally let it slip by mistake.

"Oh, no of course not. It is yours and Ron's business. I would never say anything, and I am sure nobody else you have told would. Have you told anyone else?" Helena questioned and Hermione was not sure of which question she was supposed to be replying to and so answered both that immediately came to mind.

"Have we told anyone else that I am pregnant? No, we were going to tell them this evening. Have we told anyone else that we were having problems? Just Ginny and Harry, and I think George's wife Angelina knows as well, but that was completely unintentional. And the healer knows too." Hermione informed her.

"So you did go and see a healer like both Ginny and I told you to do so then?" Helena raised an eyebrow and wore the same quizzical expression that Hermione often subconsciously used when questioning Ron.

"We went in January, after the holidays and Christmas had ended." She muttered not quite able to meet her mother's gaze. "Let just say that... it is complicated."

"I will not ask." Helena dismissed and looked at Hermione curiously. "How far along are you?"

"Six or seven weeks, we think. We were not going to tell anyone for a while longer but it got difficult to keep it quiet." Hermione chuckled.

"At least it is happening now though." Helena said as Hermione stared out of the window, still looking ponderously at the variety of wildlife that inhabited the back garden. She then turned ever so slightly but did not fully meet her mother's eyes. She could picture Robert and Helena being wonderful grandparents, given how good they had been with her when she was a child. Neither of them was really old enough to be a grandparent but she believed they would all still make it work.

"Yes. It really is happening." Hermione beamed looking towards the door, where just beyond that, and the door after that, Ron and Robert were still sat talking and laughter was echoing across the house. She knew that that would always be a good sign.

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"Sure you want to do both in one day? We could just go in and eat and talk and then head home if you want to, because I really do not mind." Ron suggested and Hermione shook her head as they walked along through the Weasley's very large surrounding garden and towards the Burrow hand in hand. As much as he loved his family, he had never felt more nervous about telling them anything before in his life, even in the awkward moment in which he "sort of" told them that he and Hermione had finally gotten together in spite of the obvious fact that everyone knew already having noticed the signs that they were in love with one another he had never been so worried about their response before.

"You were the one who said it would be best if we just got it all over and done with in one day. Besides that means tomorrow we can just stay at home and we will not have to talk to anyone." Hermione sighed, confused as to why Ron wanted to back out, but knew that she had felt the same way before they had informed her own parents of the news a few hours previously before remaining at their house for the rest of the day until it was time to head over to the Burrow.

"I will look forward to that." Ron said winking and Hermione laughed out loud as the Burrow came into sight as the sun set on another cool spring day. It was not currently raining in Ottery St. Catchpole but it was apparent that it had earlier on it the afternoon or midday. Raindrops dripped every so often from the long spindly arms of the trees and a damp breeze was in the air.

"Ron, your parents adore children, particularly your mother, and everyone else has children too. They will be really pleased. Thrilled even." Hermione told him.

"I know I just do not know how we are going to tell them of it first." Ron muttered.

"I really do not mind how we do it, just none of that announcement crap. Almost everyone has done it like that and now you know what they are going to say before they even start to say it."She responded and Ron nodded.

"We will work it out." He added before they opened the door and stepped inside of the Burrow.

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Laughter reverberated around the kitchen of the Weasley family home as people chattered and smiled. The children talked animatedly with one another so that the adults could not here them – or, at least they thought that they could not. Even the youngest children with the exception of James, Louis, Lucy and Roxanne would try and make some sort of communication with one another. Usually it would be a two or three syllable sound, crying or giggles but it appeared to keep them happy so the adults never looked on in surprise or confusion at the very young children. Whilst this was happening, everyone else usually broke off into their own conversations usually couples talking to one another or with whoever was sat next to them.

Many a time it had been attempted that they would have a discussion together, as a family so they would speak with different people as well but it had never worked. People would just go and talk to other people when they felt like it. And that appeared to work a lot better. On this day in particular Ron and Hermione were sat at one of the far ends of the table. Harry was next to Hermione with Ginny on the other side of him who was holding a one month old James Sirius where as on the other side of Ron was Angelina, who was trying to feed Roxanne small amounts of mashed up food, but the small girl kept laughing and getting food on her face. To which Angelina sighed, and wiped it away carefully.

"When?" Ron whispered and Hermione turned her head to face him slowly, lifting her head from her gaze on the plate in front of her.

"When what?" Hermione questioned almost silently.

"When are we going to tell them?"Ron mumbled

"You said we would work it out. When the moment is right we can tell them." Hermione informed him pushing her fork around her plate in a calming motion. Normally, if it were silent there would be an ear piercing screech as metal met pottery and the fork slid agonisingly across the crockery. But this time it did not, the only thing Hermione really noticed were the vibrations going up her hand, wrist and arm as she did the action, but nothing could be heard due to the loud hum of conversation.

"And what if there never is a right moment? What do you suppose we do then?" Ron queried

"I really do not know Ron; just because I was the so called brightest witch of our age it does not always mean that I think that far ahead nowadays. And how do you suppose we tell them?" Hermione said her voice becoming more than a hushed tone now and she was almost at normal speaking level.

"Perhaps we should not tell them at all, and soon enough, they will realise." Ron suggested and Hermione rolled her eyes and how unbelievable he could be at times.

"Ron we could not possibly do that. They would feel hurt that we had never said anything. "She said

"Well how about we just blurt it out. That would be a whole lot easier." Ron prompted

"Are you out of your mind? We can't just blurt out something like that." Hermione disputed and neither she nor Ron had realised that their voices were becoming louder than anyone else's.

"Well how about you do it then, just make it short and quick so that we can stop worrying." Ron raised his voice and Hermione shook her head.

"What do you want me to say, Ron? Do you suppose I just go guess what - I am pregnant?" Hermione shouted and there was silence around the entire table. Both Ron and Hermione turned to see every single person around the table, even the youngest of all the Weasley's including James, staring at them in shock. After a few moments Ron reached for Hermione's hand as he regained composure and spoke, quietly.

"We're having a baby." He told them and Harry embraced Hermione tightly from where he was sat next to her whilst Ginny got up and did the same to Ron, both of them clearly being more than happy for their friends. It was not long before Mrs. Weasley was bear hugging them both joyfully. That was what they had hoped for and had gladly expected.

Ginny then came over to Hermione and hugged her gently so that they would not crush James, who was still securely being held in her right arm. "Wow, you really are having a baby aren't you." She smiled and Hermione turned to look at Ron who was laughing happily as he hugged Harry.

"Yes, we really are." Hermione beamed.

Authors Note: I am really sorry it has taken so long to write this chapter! I have just gone back to school and started my fourth year at high school – in England, this is called Year 10. This is a crucial year as in just under two years we are sitting GCSE exams and so already we have been given large amounts of homework. Anyway, I have it done and here it is. So thank you very much for reading this and PLEASE REVIEW!