Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set at end of HBP. As the ministry falls further under Voldemorts control a new law is passed, forcing Hermione into a life she wasn't ready for. How will it affect the horcrux hunt and the fight against Voldemort?

CHAPTER 25

Ron allowed Harry to lead him back toward the tent just as the sun began to come up. Neither of the boys said much to each other, both clearly aware that things were about to get a little crazy in the tent once Hermione was awake, however they both expected it for different reasons.

Ron knew she would be upset with him but he figured enough apologies would eventually get her to not be angry with him anymore.

Harry knew she would be livid, and that the entire pregnancy would play heavily on her reaction. Harry contemplated if he should maybe tell Ron that Hermione was pregnant, but in the end, he realized that was not something he wanted to have to do. Maybe he was a coward, but he really felt it would be best if Hermione told Ron about the baby.

"Maybe you should go in first, Harry…" Ron finally spoke up as they neared the tent.

"Do you want me to wake her up?" Harry asked, knowing why Ron was pushing him in first.

Ron shrugged. "Might as well. Gotta get this over with sometime…"

"You have no idea." Harry said under his breath as he moved into the tent.

Harry entered the tent cautiously, finding Hermione curled up in a ball with her back toward him. He heard Ron enter quietly behind him.

"She's asleep…" Harry whispering, suddenly not wanting to wake Hermione up.

"Well…get her up then…" Ron nudged Harry forward.

Harry sighed. He knew deep down that Ron had been right; they needed to get this over with. Quietly he approached Hermione, gently nudging her. "Hermione?"

Hermione grumbled, her eyes still closed as she pulled the blanket she was under closer to her face. "What is it, Harry?"

"Get up…I've got a…surprise for you…" Harry glanced back at Ron who simply shrugged. Surprise was the best word to use as any.

"Ugh…Harry…let me sleep…show me later…" Hermione said groggily, her eyes still closed.

"Hermione, I really think you will want to see this…" Harry pressed.

Hermione sighed, slowly opening one of her eyes to see Harry sitting near her on the cot, looking over her shoulder. "You better hope so…"

Harry just grinned at her and moved aside, allowing Ron to come into full view.

"Hey…" Ron gave a goofy wave with an equally goofy smile.

Hermione blinked twice, as if Ron were a figment of her imagination. In all honesty, that seemed like the more likely option, considering Ron had been gone nearly two months.

Once Hermione was certain she was not seeing things, the look of shock fell from her face and was replaced with a look of rage, of anger.

Hermione was out of bed before Harry or Ron could blink and within seconds, she was slapping and hitting every part of Ron she could reach. How dare he walk away from her! How dare he leave her pregnant! How dare he come back and act like none of it had happened!

"Ouch! Hermione!" Ron tried to shield himself from her blows, though part of him knew he absolutely deserved every hit.

"You. Complete. And. Total. Arse. Ronald. Bilius. Weasley!" Hermione swung with each word, hitting a different part of Ron.

"Hermione! Please! I'm sorry!" Ron yelled over her swings.

Hermione stopped swinging for a moment and her eyes seemed to grow wide with anger. "Oh, you're sorry? So that's it then? You walk away…you leave us alone for weeks…weeks, Ron! You have no idea what happened to us…what could have happened to us! But because you're sorry, its all okay then, is it?"

Ron winced under her words. He had a feeling she would be upset with him, but he had not expected her to be this upset. In all honesty, part of him had hoped she would be happy to see him. Clearly, that part of him had been wrong.

"What? You get sick of wandering alone? Thought you'd come back and hurt us again, did you?" Hermione snapped.

Ron again winced. "Hermione, I'm sorry! Really, I am! I wanted to come back as soon as I disapparated—"

"Ron, I yelled after you! I begged you to turn around…and you just kept walking!" Hermione felt herself on the verge of tears. She was so confused. She was so happy to see him, to know he was alive, and now that she knew that, she was so angry that he had walked away in the first place. Much angrier then she had anticipated in the first place. She had been so focused on him leaving that she had not given much thought to how she would feel when he returned. She was relieved, but knowing he was okay, allowed her to be angry now.

"I know! I know! I messed up. I never should have left…" Ron tried, his eyes pleading with her as he realized she was even beautiful when she was angry.

"No, you shouldn't have." Hermione snapped again before taking a deep breath and marching out of the tent, practically pushing Ron over as she strode out of the tent. She needed to get out of the tent and get some fresh air before she completely broke down.

Ron moved out of her way and then stared dumbly up at Harry who was now standing in the corner of the tent, near his cot. "Bloody hell, she's a bit mad…"

Harry narrowed his eyes at Ron, realizing that in all the commotion, Ron had not noticed Hermione's pregnant stomach. He still had no clue she was carrying his baby, and then no clue why she seemed angrier then possible with him.

"You really need to talk to her, Ron…but maybe give her some time…she definitely needs to talk to you about something." Harry said, knowing that Ron and Hermione needed to have a serious talk, but that it would probably be better if Hermione were a little calmer. She clearly needed to get used to the idea of having Ron around again before any civil conversation could take place.

Ron's brow furrowed at Harry's words and he swallowed hard. "What does she have to tell me?"

"I…I really think that's for her to say…" Harry said, avoiding eye contact with Ron.

"Does she…does she want a divorce?" Ron swallowed hard as the words came out thick.

Harry raised his eyebrow in confusion, surprised that was the first thing that Ron thought of. Clearly, that was Ron's worst fear now. "No…no its not that, Ron…I just…you need to let her cool off…"

Ron nodded, letting out a breath of relief before running a hand over his face, scrubbing his chin in frustration as he leaned against the small table. All he wanted to do was apologize to Hermione, hold her, kiss her, and tell her she was the most perfect woman in the world and all she wanted was to hit him until her fists turned blue. He knew he had really messed up.

Hermione sat outside the tent next to a tree in the soft layer of snow that had formed on the ground the night before. She wrapped her arms tightly around herself and allowed a few tears of shock and confusion to fall down her face.

Ron was back. He had come back.

It was all too much for Hermione to handle. Part of her was so happy he was alive and well and had come back. Another part of her was still so angry with him for walking away in the first place. And the final part of her was scared to death; scared to tell him about the pregnancy, scared to see how he would react.

Hermione took a deep breath. She just needed a second to think; to figure everything out. Surely, there had to be a rational way to deal with everything going on.

Unfortunately, probably for both Ron and Hermione, Ron did not give Hermione the time she needed to sort things out. Instead, he came striding out of the tent approximately five minutes after she had stormed out of it.

"Hermione, I'm sorry, I know you probably need a bit more time but…I can't stand it. I just, I want to get all the yelling and screaming over with…" Ron said, clearly distraught. He had wanted to take Harry's advice about giving Hermione space, but after a few minutes he had drove him mad and he had made his way out of the tent.

Hermione whipped her head around, surprised to see Ron standing behind her. She realized in that instance, that he had no clue she was pregnant, and so she kept her back to him, hoping she could figure out a way to tell him.

Ron took her silence as a cue to continue. "I honestly wanted to come back as soon as I walked away. I knew I had messed up…I spent so much time trying to find you again…I was miserable without you…"

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "Miserable? Because it wasn't miserable for me to watch you walk away from me after accusing me of…"

"I know you and Harry would never do anything. That bloody horcrux—" Ron started.

"You had the horcrux off when you walked away from me!" Hermione snapped, anger boiling in her veins and she knew the pregnancy hormones were not helping her.

Ron winced. "I know…I was just…I don't know…I was being stupid, Hermione. Plan and simple."

"What if something happened to us while you were gone!" Hermione snapped again. She had not even realized it but she had started referring to herself as "us" lately. It had happened while Harry had been sleeping off his snake attack. She had begun talking to the baby inside of her, making it more real then ever for her and that was the "us" she was referring to now.

"Nothing happened though!" Ron tried. "Blimey, I don't know what I would have done, but I knew you were both okay…I mean if Harry had been caught I'd have heard about it…"

Hermione narrowed her eyes at her husband. "Oh, so because Harry didn't get caught nothing awful could have happened? Ron we nearly died in Godric's Hollow! We could have all been killed and you would not have even had a clue!"

Ron opened his mouth to retort then shut it again, trying to gather his words. He then took a deep breath and tried again. "Hermione, I messed up. I shouldn't have ever left. I should have never left you. I hated myself for it. The reason I came back was because I knew I needed to be with you…I know I messed up…I want to fix it. I just…I'm really sorry…"

"Well, I just can't forgive you that easily right now, Ronald." Hermione added his name purely for the extra punch.

Ron sighed in frustration. "Look, Hermione, I know I hurt you, but can't you just try to understand that I am sorry?"

"I understand perfectly well! I just can't accept it right now!" Hermione turned her back to him completely now.

"Why the bloody hell not? Harry did!" Ron added when he got no response.

Those words set something off deep inside Hermione and she snapped. She was on her feet in two seconds flat, turning to glare at Ron. "Oh, so because Harry forgave you I should to?"

Ron felt himself shrink under her stare. "I just meant—"

"Well, I've got news for you, Ronald Weasley, I am not Harry Potter and I've had a lot more to deal with since you've left then Harry has!" Hermione stalked toward him.

Part of Ron felt he should back away, scared Hermione would hex him, but in truth, his legs felt like jello and were going nowhere fast. "Hermione, I—"

"You left us! You left me alone do this! " Hermione could feel tears rising in her eyes.

Ron was now confused. "To do what, Hermione? You had Harry…"

"Well, this wasn't Harry's responsibility…" Hermione continued.

Ron shook his head again. What in the bloody hell was she talking about? He wasn't trying to be a git, but the mission was entirely Harry's responsibility when you really stopped to think about it. Sure, they were there to help, but it was the mission Dumbledore had left Harry.

"Hermione, what are you talking about?" Ron finally mustered the courage to ask.

"I'm talking about this, Ron!" Hermione lifted her shirt to expose her pregnant stomach before she could even process her own actions. Anger and frustration had blinded her to being rational about telling Ron anything. The second she lifted her shirt, however, she immediately regretted it, as Ron took two big steps away from her, his eyes round with shock.