Disclaimer: I solemnly swear that I do not own any of the Harry Potter greatness that is.

Chapter Twenty: Timing is Everything… Almost.

Ron's mouth dropped and he just stared at Hermione.

"Ron? Ron, please say something." Hermione began wringing her hands together nervously.

"You're what!"

"I said I'm pregnant." Hermione began to grow very worried. Ron had paled at her words considerably, and he wasn't saying anything at all.

"Ron, please say something."

"I, I, I…" He opened and closed his mouth, resembling that of a fish.

"Ron…" She leaned forward and took Ron's hands into her own.

"I, I, you… How? When?" His hands were trembling in Hermione's.

"It was right after… after you… and I…" she trailed off.

"Oh," he merely said. He knew exactly what she was talking about. It didn't take a genius to figure it out. "Oh."

She's pregnant! What the hell! This can't possibly be happening! No no no no no. Not now. Gods, not now. Not like this.

Ron began shaking his head back and forth rapidly.

"Ron?" Hermione was on the verge of panic. "Ron what's wrong?"

"I… I have to go." He stood up and turned to leave. "I have to go," he repeated. He moved quickly to the door, Hermione trailing behind.

"Ron, wait! Don't go! Please, we need to talk about this!" she pleaded.

"There's nothing to talk about." His voice was completely monotone and void of emotion. Empty. "I have to go." And with that he left, leaving Hermione alone in the empty house.

"Ron, don't go," she mumbled, sinking to the ground. "Don't go, don't leave me. Please, come back." She curled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, and began rocking back and forth. Her sobs echoed throughout the house. "Come back…"

XxXxX

Ron slammed the door shut as he entered his flat.

She's pregnant! Bloody hell, I can't believe she's fucking pregnant. This can't be happening. This has to be some joke. She has to be doing this just to get back at me. She can't be pregnant, she's not pregnant!

Ron sunk to the floor on his knees. "Not now…"

Fuck! Not now… Why? What the hell was I thinking? Why the hell did I sleep with that girl? Why did I have to get so bloody wasted that night? And why the hell did she have to get pregnant now? Now! of all times… I can't believe this is happening.

"Fuck!" he yelled, slamming his fists into the floor. This is all so screwed up! I never meant for any of this to happen! We were supposed to be together! This baby was supposed to be a happy occasion! It wasn't meant to be this way!

"I'm so sorry…"

XxXxX

"Hermione?"

Mrs. Granger knocked softly on the door. "Hermione, are you alright?" She paused, waiting for Hermione to respond. When her daughter didn't answer, she opened the door and walked into her room. She sat down on the edge of the bed and placed a hand Hermione's still form. "Hermione?"

"Mmmm… Ron?"

Mrs. Granger felt something twist inside of her. She doesn't deserve this.

Hermione stirred and turned over, meeting the eyes of not Ron, but her mother. "Oh, sorry, I – "

"Shhh, it's okay."

"Mum, I told him, I told him and he just left me! He left me!" Hermione's voice rapidly grew more hysterical with every word.

"Hermione, shh, it's okay, it's okay, just calm down." Mrs. Granger scooped up her daughter into a tight embrace.

"He, he didn't even say anything," she mumbled. "He just left."

Mrs. Granger continued to hold Hermione, trying to calm her down. She and Mr. Granger had returned home to find Hermione lying on the kitchen floor. Thankfully she has just fallen asleep and it wasn't anything more serious. They had brought her up to her room and she had been sleeping ever since.

Mrs. Granger was somewhat surprised to say the least at this new revelation. Hasn't he done enough to break the poor girl? When she needs him the most, he can only run away? Is he that afraid? Or is he just full of stupidity?

"He'll come back, won't he?" Hermione sniffled.

Her heart broke. "Yes, Hermione, he'll come back," she said, hoping that she wasn't lying to her daughter.

XxXxX

Harry was sitting in his study reading when a sudden knock at the door interrupted him.

When he opened the door, he was not surprised at who it was, but rather what that someone was saying.

"She's pregnant, Harry, she's pregnant. She's pregnant," he kept mumbling over and over again. He was wringing his hands and was trembling horribly. "She's pregnant…"

"Ron, hey, calm down." Harry rushed to Ron's side, leading him over to sit down.

"She… Harry, how could this happen?" Ron was completely ashen-faced, making his red and swollen eyes stand out all the more.

I hadn't expected her to tell him so soon.

"What happened, Ron? What did the two of you say?"

"I... I don't know… we were just… talking… and we started arguing about something… And then she just said it! No warning, nothing. She just… And then I…" he trailed off.

"You what?"

"I… left her, Harry. I just fucking left her!" He leaned forward and buried his face in his hands. "She tells me she's pregnant and I left!"

"Ron…" Harry didn't really know what to say. He had anticipated various scenarios for when Hermione finally did tell him, but one, he hadn't thought it would be this soon, and two, no matter how many times you play a scene out in your head, nothing, nothing can prepare you for when the moment finally arrives.

And so it all goes down, or the shit hits the fan, or whatever stupid expression tickles your fancy. It leaves you with a feeling of helplessness, a loss of balance in a world that's become enveloped in chaos. And then you're stuck, not knowing how to help yourself, or more importantly, not knowing how to help someone your care about deeply.

"Fuck, Harry, I can't take this anymore!" Ron shouted, swiftly getting up from the couch. "It's killing me, and I can't stand it! Just when I thought things would finally be okay, that we could somehow work it all out, she comes out of the blue and tells me she's knocked up! This is ridiculous! It's like the world is trying to keep us apart," he said softly, sitting down again. "And maybe the world is right. Maybe we should just go our separate ways. What's the point anyway? It's all meaningless in the end."

"Ron, don't you dare say that. She needs you, your baby needs you! You can't just give up like this! Eight years, Ron. Eight years you've been together and now you're just going to give up? Yes, you were an idiot, but you guys finally started talking. You said it yourself, you said that things might be okay again. What happened? Why are you giving up?"

"Why do you care so much?" Ron asked him, perplexed.

"Because you have the chance to fix things, to give this child a wonderful life. I know you guys love each other and I know that you would be great parents. I can't sit back and watch your ruin your baby's life, who isn't even born yet, I might add. This child deserves a happy life, with two loving parents because – "

"Because it's what you've never had and always wanted," Ron finished quietly.

"Yes, it is." Harry sighed heavily and slumped back against the couch. "I'm sorry. It's not my place to tell you what to do."

"Well if you don't, then who will?" Harry looked up at Ron who was smirking slightly. Harry couldn't help but to chuckle.

"You're hopeless, you know that?"

"Yeah, well, it happens."

They lapsed into silence for a while.

"So," Harry finally said, "what are you going to do?"

"Truthfully? I have no idea. I mean, it's obvious what the right thing to do is, but all the crap that's happened… I can't keep dwelling on it, but I can't forget about it either." He shrugged. "This no-win situation stuff sucks."

"Yeah, it does."

"I just wish that I could go back in time and fix everything. I wish none of this had ever happened."

"Well it did, and now you have to fix it."

"How?"

"For starters, you could go back to her. She needs you Ron. She needs you now more than ever."

"But what if she doesn't want to see me?"

"She will."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I am." Harry smiled encouragingly. "I've said it once and I'll say it again. I know the two of you very well, and I know you love each other too much to let this all just slip away. Especially now that you've got a little Weasley on the way."

"Hmm." Ron paused. "So now what happens?"

"That, my friend," Harry said, clapping Ron on the shoulder, "is up to you. I trust you'll make the right decision."

"Merlin, Harry, why couldn't I have just stayed single like you?"

"Not by choice, you know."

"Yes, yes, I know, the life of a celebrity, blah blah…" Ron laughed.

"You betchya. Now go on, go fix things. Again."

"Do I have to?" Ron whined.

"Yes you do, now go." Harry made a shooing motion at Ron. "And don't come back until you're ready to renew your wedding vows."

Ron blanched, looking at Harry incredulously.

"I'm joking, I'm joking, calm down."

"Well don't do it again. You said baby steps, remember?"

"That I did."

Harry walked Ron to the door.

"Thanks Harry, for everything."

"You're welcome, Ron. You know where to find me if you need me."

"Thanks again. Wish me luck."

"Luck!"

"See ya Harry."

"Bye Ron."

Ron left, and Harry closed the door behind him.

"Good luck, Ron," he murmured.

XxXxX

Author's Notes: ha, finally something that's not quite so "cliffy." ; )
Thanks to Val, ze beta, and to:
alissaduke88, Coconut Girl, colordaoavsgirl19, dandin, MontyPythonFan, RefinedOrderlySincereElegant, ronhermione, SisterBear, Taffytonkz5, TriXter21, Ward, weasleyandmoneylover, wicked30215