Chapter 10
Jealousy

(Hermione's PoV – December 24th, 2005 – Hermione's Pregnancy: 19 Weeks)

On the night of Christmas Eve Hermione lay comfortably on the couch in her living room. She was dressed in green and red pyjamas that Ron had bought for her for an early Christmas. The best part of the pyjamas, were that they were made of stretchy elastic, and fit comfortably and probably would do so even when her belly started to grow larger. Her legs and feet, both of which were currently a bit swollen, as they had been at random times over the past week, were propped up on top of two large pillows. Hermione had just accepted this as a new symptom to her pregnancy, though it hadn't left her very happy with the current situation.

She looked up at Ron, who was currently decorating a large Christmas tree that he had bought a couple days before, and frowned to herself. Decorating the Christmas tree had become a tradition for the two of them over the past few years. Even though they had never once held a family party at Shell Cottage, the house had always been decorated for Christmas, something the two of them worked on together. This year, however, Hermione had not lifted one finger to help with the decorations. Ron had insisted that he could do it all. At first, Hermione wouldn't hear a word of it, but after realizing it was chore to walk too far on her swollen feet, she had given in and was left to watching Ron do the work.

"Ron," Hermione said.

"Hmm?" Ron asked.

"Do I have to go to the Burrow tomorrow?" Hermione replied.

Ron sighed and put down the Christmas ornament he had in his hand, then walked over to Hermione. He kneeled onto the ground next to her and kissed her softly on the forehead.

"We've talked about this, Hermione," Ron said, "You know how much our family would miss us if we don't go."

"Who said anything about you not going?" Hermione asked, "You could go without me."

"Do you honestly think I'd go and leave you here all day?" Ron asked, "No way. And... what about your parents, eh? They've already offered to take us down there again. Your parents haven't celebrated Christmas at the Burrow for a few years now. You know they are looking forward to this."

"Yeah, but Ron," Hermione said, "Look at me. My feet and ankles are swollen. I have stretchmarks, Ron! I'm not even halfway through my pregnancy, and I already have stretchmarks!"

Ron shook his head and chuckled. He kissed Hermione's forehead again.

"You're beautiful, Hermione," Ron said, "I'll curse anyone who says differently."

"What about the weather?" Hermione asked.

Old Man Winter had brought an early Christmas gift of his own. Snow had fallen a couple days before, and had covered all of London, and much of the area in a beautiful white blanket of snow.

"What about it?" Ron asked.

"Snow isn't exactly the best thing for me to be going out in, Ronald," Hermione said, "Especially with my swollen feet and ankles. I wouldn't be able to walk in that."

"I can carry you," Ron said, "You don't weigh that much yet."

"You're not carrying me," Hermione muttered.

"I'm not?" Ron asked, grinning.

"Ronald!" Hermione growled, "I forbid you to carry me."

"Do I have to you remind of your doctor's appointment, sweetheart?" Ron asked.

"Oh," Hermione said, "I kind of forgot about it."

"Well, I haven't," Ron said, "Your appointment is the day after Christmas. And we're not missing that, right?"

"No," Hermione said, shaking her head, "I'm not missing that. Especially when it means we'll be able to find out the sex of our baby."

"Exactly," Ron said, "And that is two days from now. I don't think that snow is going to melt in two days."

"No, probably not," Hermione said.

"Well, if you can get up to go to your appointment the day after tomorrow," Ron said, "Then I think you can go to the party tomorrow."

Hermione pouted.

"Fine," she said, "We can go. But you better hope I feel a lot better tomorrow. You don't want me in a bad mood on Christmas."

"Why do you think I've made you so comfortable tonight, sweetheart?" Ron asked.

Hermione smiled. She beckoned Ron toward her with a finger, and he willingly accepted. He leaned in toward her, and she kissed him softly on the lips. But just as she could deepen the kiss, she felt a nudge in her stomach.

"Oh!" Hermione said, backing away from Ron.

"Something wrong?" Ron asked.

"I think our little one is excited," Hermione said, chuckling softly.

She pushed her blanket down, and pulled up her pyjama shirt, revealing her stomach. She and Ron both stared at her stomach and waited for a moment.

"Anything?" Ron asked.

Hermione shook her head.

"Probably just needed to stretch," she said.

"Wait a minute," Ron said, "I think I know what's going on. A theory."

"Oh?" Hermione asked, "And that -?"

Before she could finish her sentence, Ron learned toward her and kissed her softly. Hermione chuckled and returned the kiss. Suddenly, she felt another nudge.

"Oh!" Hermione said, backing away, "There it goes again."

Ron just chuckled and shook his head.

"I should have known," he said, laughing.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Usually when it – you know – kicks you – or nudges you," Ron said, "What is going on?"

"It likes to interrupt me when I am talking," Hermione said, grinning, "Bit annoying, really."

"I don't think they're trying to interrupt you, Hermione, "They're telling you that they love your voice. I don't know if it can hear you yet, but maybe it doesn't have to. It's reacting from what it is feeling. It feels your voice vibrate, and it reacts to you. And then, tonight, when I kissed you – well, it is no secret you get excited when I kiss you, right?"

Hermione blushed and nodded.

"It felt that somehow," Ron said, "It felt your excitement there."

"Maybe it is jealous," Hermione said.

"Jealous?" Ron asked, chuckling.

"You kissed me twice and it reacted to it," Hermione said, "You said that our baby loves my voice. I think that, at the moment, our baby is really attached to me – not just physically, but emotionally."

Hermione grinned and looked at her stomach.

"She – he – whatever it is," she said, "I think it wants me all to itself. They don't like when you kiss me."

"Oh, no," Ron said, laughing, "There is no way I'm letting the baby have you all to itself right now. Not when our sex-life is finally getting back to normal."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but chuckled anyway.

-
A couple hours later, after dinner and a hot bath by herself, Hermione went into the bedroom, but found that Ron wasn't there. She walked throughout the house, and finally found Ron in the kitchen. He was stirring something in a large pot.

"I thought I was the one who was supposed to always be hungry," Hermione said.

"I'm not cooking food," Ron said.

"Then what are you doing?" Hermione asked.

"It is a surprise," Ron said, "Go get ready for bed. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"I don't like surprises, Ron," Hermione said.

"I promise you that you'll like this one," Ron said, "I'll show you what it is very soon. I promise."

"I better like it," Hermione grumbled.

She headed back to the bedroom and sat down on the bed. She removed her bathrobes and laid down on the bed. Lately she had been used to sleeping naked, because the maternity books she had read had hinted that it might help to cure the stretchmarks she so despised seeing. She didn't care about the chilly weather outside, because between the heat radiating from Ron when he wrapped his arms around her at night, and the warmth of the room, it felt like a normal summer day.

Suddenly, Hermione felt yet another nudge against her stomach.

"You're not asleep yet?" she asked.

She sighed and massaged her stomach with her hands, rubbing it softly.

"You want to hear my voice," Hermione guessed, "Okay. What should I say? Well, it is Christmas Eve. So..."

Hermione smiled and recited The Night Before Christmas as she massaged her stomach.

Just as Hermione finished the story, Ron walked in, carrying a large pan and a washcloth.

"What is that?" Hermione asked.

"Your surprise," Ron said.

He set the pan down on the floor near her and kneeled to the floor.

"Sit up and put your feet down here," he said.

Hermione shrugged and did as was requested. Ron soaked the washcloth in the pan of water, then rubbed it across one of Hermione's feet.

"Whoa," Hermione said, "It kind of tingles."

"It's supposed to do that," Ron said.

"That isn't normal water, is it?" Hermione asked.

"It's a potion," Ron said, "I found it in one of those books Mum gave us. If it works, then I won't have to carry you tomorrow."

"You're not going to carry me anyway," Hermione muttered.

Ron chuckled.

Ten minutes later, he pushed the pan away.

"How do they eel?" he asked, "Your feet I mean."

Hermione lifted one of her feet and looked at it. The swelling had gone down measurably.

"It feels wonderful," Hermione said, and lifted both of her feet back onto the bed, "They feel a lot better."

"Then it is working," Ron said. "By morning, the swelling should be completely gone."

"Remind me to thank your mother," Hermione said.

Ron grinned.

"I'll be right back," he said.

He left the room, and Hermione looked back at her stomach.

"You're jealous of your Daddy, aren't you?" she said, "You want me all to yourself."

Hermione massaged her stomach, lightly.

"You don't need to be jealous," she said, grinning, "Your Daddy loves you just as much as he loves me."

"Did you say something?" Ron asked, as he walked into the room.

"I've just been talking to our baby," Hermione said.

"Oh?" Ron asked, climbing into bed and laying next to Hermione, "And was it a one-sided conversation?"

"Mmm, let's find out," Hermione said.

She leaned toward Ron and kissed him softly on the lips, then backed away momentarily. Ron opened his mouth to speak, but Hermione put a finger to her lips, quieting him. After moment, she grinned.

"I think it is finally asleep," she said.

"Finally," Ron said.

Hermione leaned back toward Ron, kissing him softly. Ron returned the kiss, and Hermione laid back against her pillow, as Ron leaned toward her and deepened the kiss, caressing her lips with his tongue. She briefly parted her lips and Ron gently slipped his tongue in between them massaging it against hers.

-
Wow, this was chapter was a lot shorter than I first planned it. Originally I planned for what was in this chapter to be the beginning, and add Christmas into it, but I decided I'll put Christmas in a new chapter.

Also, I'm not entirely sure if at this many weeks into a pregnancy, the baby is as active as I described in this chapter. If not, I apologize. I thought it'd be rather cute to add this little part into the story.