A/N: Hello, hello all! I am back with the third and final story of my Time series, even if I am posting much later than I thought I would. Regardless, I'm happy to get this fic off the ground :)

I would like to point out that this first chapter is pretty heavily focused on the past (as is some of chapter two). I offer any apologies in advance if they're needed, but it's just to provide insight on what happened for my/our favorite couple since Years From Now ended.

There's Always Forever

Baby 1: Chapter 1

It was one of those days.

It was one of those days where both Potters were frustrated but for notably different reasons.

The woman was frustrated with many things in general on this day, such as the unexpected rain that appeared during the lunch hour while she was out, and being nearly eight months pregnant and hormonal did not help matters. Accordingly, the man was frustrated because of his job. He felt chained to multiple issues that required his attention and they all seemed to need it at once on this day, and wanting to merely ignore them in favor of being at home with the woman did not help matters. What was more, it turned out to be a long shift for him at work. He knew it was due to the demands of the day but it only served to stoke his frustration, especially because the woman had gone home at an appropriate time. He could have been there with her instead of their mutual department, which is all he'd wanted since the middle of the day.

Consequently, Harry was exasperated and relieved when he finally left the Ministry for the evening. He frowned at a clock on his way out of his office - it was pushing 7PM and he'd started his shift a bit after 8:30 that morning. He understood late days were expected at times for the chief and he understood being inundated with tasks on occasion was also expected, and he typically did not mind. But today, today he'd been itching to be domestic with Hermione in the privacy of their own space rather than be Head Auror and Head of the DMLE.

When Harry was spat out the fireplace in the master bedroom, he quickly surveyed the area for Hermione. She was not present and he was sorely tempted to instantly go search for her, but he stopped himself before his feet could take him away and directed himself to at least change out of his uniform. The wizard did spot Bastet, however, looking as comfortable as could be lounging on the settee at the foot of the unmade bed.

"All right, girl?" he questioned, smiling softly. He walked over to scratch behind her ears while she meowed in greeting, and she began purring the second his fingers made contact with her head.

Harry was dressed in a t-shirt, track bottoms, and socks about a minute later and at last free to get what he'd wanted much of the day: his wife.

"Come on. Maybe you can help me find her," he said to the 13 month old cat, exiting the bedroom. Bastet hopped off her perch and trotted after him before quickly jogging in front and leading the way.

He chuckled yet followed without question. The feline led him into the kitchen and emitted another meow upon entry, announcing their presence. Hermione was indeed in the room and Harry was helpless to stop a big grin from spreading across his features at the sight of her. She looked up at their arrival from her spot next to the refrigerator and smiled at her husband, her shoulders immediately relaxing from their tense position. Bastet wound between her legs and the witch peered down to coo at the cat; when she brought her gaze back up, Harry was right in front of her.

"You're home," she mentioned, sounding content. Hermione released the butter knife she held, along with the top to a small tub of cream cheese, to give him her full attention.

"Finally," the wizard noted, encircling her waist, "Hello."

"Hello."

Harry kissed her deeply and she returned it at once, placing her hands against his neck. Their lips moved against each other with ardor and ease for a short while until they pulled away.

"I've waited hours to do that," he muttered, gently rubbing a hand over the swell of her abdomen. She glowed and kissed his nose.

"How was the rest of your day?" Hermione wondered. She'd seen him for a quick, follow up meeting in the afternoon about a botched sting operation carried out by a group of Aurors (that he, undoubtedly, had to sort out as chief), but that had been their last interaction at work.

He huffed from his nose and stated:

"Shit."

She gave a half frown and replied:

"Harry."

"It was. All I wanted to do was leave, take you with me, and hole up here. Be unbothered."

Yes, that way Harry would have been able to avoid the fallout from the operation, something that was going to take a couple more days to clear up. He also would have been able to avoid sitting down with Noah Ainsworth and an Auror on his team who was having personal difficulties that were manifesting as insolence, and avoid speaking with the Wizengamot about a matter for two hours and having to put up with two of its members who were unreasonable and prejudiced. (And those had only been the primary frustrating highlights of Harry's day. There'd been others).

"That would've been lovely, actually. I could have done with that myself," admitted Hermione, sighing and turning back to what she'd been doing before he entered. He looked and saw that she was preparing a bagel and lox.

"How was your day?" he inquired.

"I was irritated, it rained, Lottie was out, and we've craved this blasted thing since two o'clock." She gestured to her food and it suddenly reminded him that he was quite hungry himself.

"You're only eating it now?"

"It's my second," the brunette remarked in a prim tone, "She demanded another."

Harry grinned and peered at her belly, caressing it once more as he kissed her cheek.

"Insistent, just like her mum," he attested, before moving to gather his own sustenance.

Once the couple had its food in order, which consisted of two messy sandwiches Harry slapped together, they retreated to the living room with it and settled on one of the sofas to watch TV, something Hermione was eager to do to unwind.

"I hadn't gotten the chance to do this yet. I ate when I got home then took a nap; I was only awake for 15 minutes before you got here," she relayed, sitting in between his legs and situating herself against his chest.

"Glad I could join you ladies for this, then," the wizard quipped.

"So are we. You're quite cozy."

He snorted in amusement as Hermione turned on the television and chose a show (with his input). They were focused on it soon enough and had corresponding idle chatter, yet, when they were not talking, Harry's gaze would occasionally drift down to the woman lying against him, down to his hand that would intermittently run over her protruding stomach.

There were times that he was still as enraptured by Hermione and her body as he'd been back in May, back when their lives had changed twice over in the span of a week. It was the very end of October now and months had passed, but there were periodic times when he felt like he was still not used to the reality of her motherhood. Of his fatherhood. She, on the other hand, seemed so accustomed to it at all and to take it in such great stride, like it was nothing but a thought to create life and carry it in you.

Conversely, Harry knew this had been far from the case for Hermione when it had been May. When she discovered that she was pregnant halfway through their honeymoon and shared that with him, she'd been anything but assured and comfortable.

…

"W-What?" Harry asked, gawking at her as she sat on the edge of the bathtub.

Had he just heard correctly? Or was his mind incoherent from sleep?

His newly minted wife took a deep, shuddering breath and dropped her gaze from his face back to the potion vial in her hands.

"I'm pregnant." Hermione reported in a low voice.

"You're… y-you're pregnant?" he croaked.

"Yep."

His arms hung listlessly at his side while he gaped at her and she watched the floor. There was stifling silence for a stint before the vial clattered to the ground and Hermione's hands covered her face, an unmistakable sob leaving her mouth. Startled, Harry simply stared at her for a few, drawn out moments before something shifted back into place and he understood that he needed to take action. He moved forward and took her in his arms and she went, throwing her arms around his neck while he carried her bridal style out of the bathroom. Her face was pressed against his sternum and he could feel the collection of tears on his skin as he walked them to one of the bedroom's large accent chairs. The wizard's mind was reeling as he carefully took a seat and adjusted her in his arms; it felt like his body was acting without his brain, like his brain had short circuited.

"Tell me why you're crying." Harry instructed after a bit. His voice sounded tender yet that was partially because he was in such a daze over the news.

"I can't be pregnant! We just got married!," the witch cried, "It hasn't even been a week!"

He did not know what to say to this and looked down at the head of entangled, brown hair (she had not braided it before sleeping), blinking a few times. Hermione's face remained pressed against his chest and her arms remained around his neck as she wept.

"I can't be pregnant, Harry! I can't!" she stated again in a trembling voice.

"Why not?" he questioned. It was a stupid question, he knew, but it was all he could come up with because of his shock.

"It's not the right time! Not at all!," She finally lifted her face to peer at him, eyes wet and unguarded, "We've been married for five days - that's all we've had to ourselves! That's all the time we'll get as a married couple if I'm pregnant! There's no time for just us if there's someone else on the way!," She sniffed, "And it's not only that. We haven't even moved into the Grove yet! You just started as Head Auror. We have so many other changes we need to get used to! How can we possibly handle a pregnancy right now?"

"I…" Harry commenced. However, he trailed off and did not finish the sentence when he realized he still did not know what to say. She was distressed and this concerned him, like always, but she was distressed because she'd just discovered there was life developing inside of her. A baby!

"I don't know if I'm ready for this, Harry. I just got married. This seems like too much!" Hermione admitted, looking imploringly into her husband's eyes. There was a long pause as they stared at one another, Harry appearing rather helpless, but when he did not give a verbal response in a timely fashion, she made a defeated noise and dropped her head to his chest once more. He felt new tears against his skin and grimaced, starting to feel like he was leaving her alone in her storm of emotion. He needed to rally in spite of the shock and be there for her.

"It's overwhelming. I can definitely understand that," he attested, squeezing her and kissing her forehead, "I-I'm still trying to register it in my mind. Pregnant! Merlin…. And if I feel this way, I can only imagine how you must feel! I mean, this is… this is…"

"Mad?" she finished.

"Yes. Yes, it certainly feels that way right now!"

They had a short reprieve from talking as they both processed the monumental news. Harry secured his hold on Hermione before putting a hand to his forehead and staring at her in amazement.

"Pregnant," Harry muttered, "Do you know how far along you are?"

"I should be about eight weeks," came the dolorous answer. That blew his mind even further.

"How? When?"

"I'm rather sure it was when we went to Milan in March. I was so rushed that morning that I forgot to take my potion! So I was unprotected for a week until I took it again the following Saturday."

"Yeah, I remember that morning," he said in a breathless voice before gulping.

All of that sounded right to the wizard. He and Hermione had sex frequently so a week was more than enough time for him to have impregnated her. What was more, he understood the basic mechanisms of birth control potions and knew they were only effective for eight days before the next dose was required; if a witch went beyond the eight day mark without consuming more, she was immediately capable of getting pregnant. Consequently, the Monday after their trip to Italy, Hermione's body had been perfectly primed for conception (unbeknownst to her).

"How long have you suspected?" Harry wondered.

"A week. I originally thought everything was the result of stress! Stress from the wedding and moving and work - I thought that all of that was the cause for my body's reactions and my mood! But then my monthly was considerably late, and it'd been oddly short last month, but I… I still hoped that it'd come after the wedding when that source of stress ended! But it didn't. It was the fourth day of our honeymoon with no sign of it, so I went to get pregnancy tests from a herbal emporium and the hotel's shop when you were taking a nap, and they both said the same thing!" she rambled.

"Pregnant."

She let out another emotional cry after he uttered this and he held her tighter, yet his mind was preoccupied with something else. Harry reflected on her behavior of the past two months like she referenced and he recalled her aversion to liquor and certain foods, and definitely her mood swings. He, too, had thought the latter, at least, had been connected to their numerous, recent life changes and the subsequent stress. Well, now he knew better; now he knew it was because she'd been in the beginning stages of pregnancy. Hermione - his wife - was creating life.

An authentic, astounded grin slowly started to mold the Auror's countenance.

"How could I forget? How could I forget to take my potion?" the brunette lamented, shaking her head. He looked down at her.

"Because you're human, Hermione. This happens to many women," he offered, "You're not perfect and you don't have to be."

"But this isn't some trivial matter that slipped my mind! I forgot and now I'm, now I'm…," She took a big, trembling breath and met his gaze, "A baby? What are we going to do, Harry? It's only been five days!"

He murmured "I know, love" before kissing her temple and wrapping her more firmly in his embrace, a move Hermione wholly reciprocated as a new set of tears fell from her eyes. The wizard wanted to do his best to soothe her from how much the revelation had jarred her, but he also could not deny that his happiness was rapidly unveiling with each second the knowledge of the pregnancy sat in his mind.

...

The remainder of that day had involved comforting Hermione. Her shock and distress did not dissipate much and the pair spent most of the day inside their suite, abandoning whatever plans they'd originally had. The witch spent the time fretting and crying while Harry assisted and consoled as he put his own thoughts and feelings about the situation on the backburner. He managed to succeed in convincing her to get out the room in the evening so they could have dinner outdoors and watch the sunset, and although she remained downtrodden during the meal, she admitted the scene was beautiful and thanked him for tending to her.

"I know I've probably ruined the day with my blubbering." Hermione claimed with water in her eyes.

"You haven't ruined it. I still get to be with you, don't I?," Harry assured, gripping one of her hands, "It's like you said - this isn't a trivial matter. You're allowed to be emotional about this. I understand."

"But what if, what if I feel like this the rest of our time here? What if I end up ruining our entire honeymoon?"

"Hermione, you haven't ruined anything and you won't, no matter what you do. I don't care about our honeymoon turning out any particular sort of way. I only care about you. We can even go home if you'd like."

She shook her hand and wiped the weak, unshed tears from her eyes.

"No. I-I'd like to stay," she noted.

"Then we'll stay," he remarked, squeezing her hand, "Whatever you want."

The newlyweds did not stay out beyond dinner that night and, when they laid in bed and waited for sleep, Harry held Hermione close and affirmed how much he loved her, how they had each other and they would figure it out together like they always did.

The Muggleborn was not nearly as upset about the news the following day but she was subdued, and while they engaged in activity outside of their room, it stayed within the confines of the resort's grounds. On Friday, however, she showed more spirit and was willing to try the spelunking they'd intended to do on Wednesday. She seemed to considerably enjoy it and appeared to be back to something of herself while they ate a late lunch and she discussed what they could do with their last two days on the island. Harry was happy to see his wife bounce back as their honeymoon neared its end and he followed her lead and moods without complaint, yet he found that there was a rising disquiet within him as they drew closer to their return to the UK. He knew what it was about, as well, but he kept his mouth shut and did not mention a peep of it to Hermione because it was entirely about the life that was growing inside her womb. She had not spoken about the pregnancy since Thursday and this was precisely what was making him uneasy.

Harry had sincerely tried to not be dismayed over her initial reaction to the pregnancy and he'd succeeded. He understood the utter shock that had bowled his wife over. Shock because she discovered she was pregnant five days after getting married, shock because she'd been pregnant the last two months of wedding planning. Shock because she'd wanted to wait until she was at least 30 to start a family - something she'd been quite vocal about. He understood all of that and why it'd shaken her. It was Hermione's subsequent response about the pregnancy, or lack thereof, that he struggled with. Pairing her distress with her newfound silence did not paint a hopeful picture in Harry's mind since her distress was all he had to go on. If she felt this afflicted about the pregnancy… how could she possibly see it through? And that idea - that she may want to terminate - that was one idea he was too afraid to ponder. He was not brave enough to contemplate how he would feel if it proved to be true and so he avoided actively thinking on it.

The Auror did a spectacular job of masking his anxiety and responded avidly to Hermione's steadily improving state of mind but it was undeniable that his anxiety ballooned. It grew so much that it caused him to have insomnia on their final night of the honeymoon, despite a full day of activity that should have had him asleep within minutes. Consequently, if the brunette noticed any change in Harry's emotional state since sharing the news, she did not mention it. She did not reference it until Sunday when they were back on English soil and stepped into his practically bare apartment. (They both technically had one week left to stay in their apartments since they'd paid rent for May but they'd both planned to be utterly done and out in a few days. They would spend the night here before going to the Grove the following day when they would be able to truly take in their new home, appreciate the furnishing and decorating of Laura's team, and settle in as husband and wife).

Hermione unshrunk their luggage and left it near the front door then turned to Harry with a steadfast expression on her face, a face that was framed by her frizzy curls (a parting gift from the island's humidity).

"I'm keeping the baby," she declared.

He stared at her with an open mouth, shell shocked and speechless, before his feelings roared to life and flooded him. He had four days worth of repressed feelings and they absolutely flooded him. He sank to the couch, the only real piece of furniture left in the apartment, and buried his face in hands as Hermione instantly followed, molding herself into his side. She babbled and soothed and stroked his hair and validated; she acknowledged and apologized and thanked him for supporting her through the turbulent discovery of the pregnancy, while recognizing Harry's feelings had gotten lost in favor of hers.

"I should have made space. I should've made space for what you thought and felt and we should've talked about it. It wasn't okay for me to be so overtaken by my feelings that I didn't give attention to yours, especially when I started to come round and feel better on Friday. I'm so sorry, Harry," she shared, peering into his water filmed eyes and holding his face with one hand.

"Mine didn't seem as important as yours. This was - is - happening to you, not me," he attested with half a smile.

"Your feelings are equally as important - please remember that. And this is happening to me just as much as you! This is your child, too."

Harry laughed at the word 'child' and covered his face again but he was merely hiding his disbelieving happiness.

"I was afraid to ask. I was afraid to ask if you knew what you wanted to do about the pregnancy," the wizard mentioned, shaking his head.

"Oh, I knew that same night! I knew that very night that I would continue with it when you were holding me in bed and telling me we'd work out what to do together. You were wonderful and loving, like usual, only concerned about me - like usual - and I couldn't bear the thought of giving up the chance to have your first child. Our first child." Hermione reported. He peered at her with something akin to wonder, the water present in his bright, green eyes having yet to fall over, and she pressed a deft yet adoring kiss to his lips.

"I knew quickly that I wanted to have this baby, Harry. It just took time for my brain to accept what my heart had," she continued, "Despite my wish to have avoided pregnancy the first year of marriage, and ignoring the obvious, inconvenient timing of it, we're going to be parents. We're going to have a baby."

A lustrous grin overtook Hermione's countenance while they stared at one another and he answered with a beautiful grin of his own with little delay.

"We're going to have a baby," he repeated breathlessly.

"We are. And they'll be a right terror with a father like you."

The radiance of his grin was at its fullest as he snagged her around the waist and fell back onto the couch, laughing from joy and laughing at her squeal of surprised delight. He peppered her face with kisses while saying "a baby" over and over and she hummed in contentment, and during that evening when they adhered to an early bedtime and cuddled on the transfigured sofa-turned-bed, they made love for the first time since she'd announced the pregnancy.

The week got off to a blissful start with that interlude. The pair traveled to the Grove on Monday morning and was blown away by what awaited them inside. The furniture and decor was winsome, coordinated and a fantastic combination of their styles, and when Hermione mentioned that one of the rooms would need to be converted into a nursery, Harry's smile was blinding. Additionally, their wedding gifts were sitting patiently in the living room for their perusal as were copies of the Daily Prophet and Quibbler articles about their wedding. The Prophet article was the pinnacle piece and took the first two pages, which included three pictures of the married couple: their kiss during the bonding ceremony, after they were wed and formally introduced by Flitwick, and a shot of their first dance.

It was one of the very few Prophet articles Harry read in its entirety and he was gratified for Susan's professional, respectful handling of it. He and Hermione spent hours in their new home getting acquainted and making any furniture arrangement changes they saw fit, excited to finally spend their first night in the house after purchasing it months prior, but first they visited Grimmauld Place in the late afternoon to check in on Kreacher. The elf was there to greet them right away.

"Master! Kreacher is pleased to see you," he proclaimed, nodding multiple times, "And Mistress. Welcome." He swept into a graceful bow for Hermione and both humans was the very first time he'd called her that title and its delineation of her new status as Harry's wife tickled her.

"Hello Kreacher. It's good to see you as well," the Auror replied.

"Kreacher is hoping you enjoyed your tropical holiday."

"Very much so." Hermione confirmed. Harry nodded energetically at her words and then blurted out:

"Hermione's pregnant!"

Both the witch and elf swiftly gazed at him, partially stunned by his outburst. Her mouth was open while Kreacher's eyes were wide and his ears stood at attention.

"Mistress is with child?" he questioned after a pause, looking between the two. Hermione tore her eyes away from Harry, whose proud grin was now a bit sheepish, and focused on Kreacher.

"Er, yes," she said, flashing a soft smile, "Yes, I am. We found out halfway through the honeymoon."

"Oh! A babe! Master and Mistress will have a babe! A little one to be running about."

"It's brilliant, isn't it?" Harry added. His grin was still in place and he directed it at his spouse.

"Kreacher is most happy for you!" the elf attested.

"Thank you, Kreacher. It's nice that you are the first to know," the Muggleborn said, which caused a proud look to overtake his countenance.

Harry's impromptu revelation to Kreacher presented them with the perfect opportunity to discuss when they would disclose her pregnancy to their family and friends.

"I think we should wait another four or five weeks." Hermione stated that night as they sat in their kitchen's nook.

"Five weeks?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"I know it sounds like a long time but that's when the first trimester will end and I just want to make sure I get through it safely. That the baby gets through it safely without complications or, or… without losing it because of natural causes."

She said this in a low, careful voice and he dropped his eyes, understanding she was referring to the possibility of miscarriage. She wanted to have greater security in the likelihood that the pregnancy would keep the more weeks that passed and he understood this.

"Okay." Harry uttered, meeting her gaze and nodding.

"But even before that, I'll have to schedule an appointment at Mungos for official confirmation and to start maternity care." Hermione remarked.

"I want to be there for the first appointment. For as many as I can."

"Of course," She beamed at him, "I'll see if I can be seen before the week is out."

The wizard knew they would need ethical Healers they could trust beyond a shadow of a doubt to maintain their privacy and confidentiality and he would be adamant in getting them, because if he'd been harsh in protecting what and who he cared for up to this point in his life, he was going to be entirely unforgiving now. He would be damned if the splendor of this life event was taken from him and splashed on the covers of Britain's wizarding publications before he or Hermione were ready.

The pair spent the rest of the week in their newlywed cocoon. They invited Ron, Luna and the twins over on Wednesday and Andromeda, Teddy and the Grangers over on Friday, and Hermione could tell that her husband was buzzing with the secret of the pregnancy as evidenced by his persistent grin. They also continued to relish the Grove (as did Bastet, who positively loved all the new spaces to explore), relish each other, and relish the prospect of having a baby. Harry's joy over it was contagious for Hermione, yet she also questioned how he felt about adjusting to marriage and fatherhood at the exact same time in life.

"I know it'll probably be a lot to process at times... but I couldn't ask for a better wife or mother of my child," he'd answered.

Their week ended before they wanted or realized and then it was back to the Ministry. Returning to work the first day of June had been surreal for the Potters. After two weeks off, during which they'd typically only had one another for company, they were going back to their leadership roles not only as a married couple but as imminent parents. It'd been somewhat distracting and overwhelming, and not simply because of the attention they received from coworkers; it was back to the, often, hectic pace of their lives and it stood in stark contrast to what an optimal environment for a baby was. During the evening on their third day of work, which was also Hermione's 10th week, she had something of a small panic and asserted that she was worried about bringing a child "into this madhouse." Harry, taking her face in his hands, reminded her to breathe and promised that their child would not endure what they did. He promised that he would not let that happen.

Harry began biweekly appointments with Ashlyn, his mental Healer, once more during the second week of June (Hermione's 11th week), and he honored the pact to keep quiet about the pregnancy, knowing that he would be able to share this information with her soon enough. Consequently, keeping quiet became moot only two weeks later because Hermione was in her 13th week and at the very beginning of the second trimester. After getting a glowing report of her health and baby's development from the hand picked, thoroughly researched Healer, she and Harry were ready to tell their kin that she was expecting.

It was an exciting task that they wanted to treat with serious intent. Their loved ones had seen them wed merely one month prior; to now tell them that they were going to be parents in six months was one hell of a follow up! The couple debated whether to tell everyone en masse or individually before deciding that it made sense to deliver the news collectively, as they could also use it as a chance for most people to visit the Grove for the first time. Conversely, Hermione stated that she wanted to tell her parents separately and wanted to tell them before everyone else, Harry's impulsive revelation to Kreacher aside. He readily agreed, and he and his wife found themselves at the Grangers' home for dinner on the last Sunday of June, prepared to inform Robert and Jean that their family was expanding.

They had decided to merely bring it up without any fanfare after they'd been present for a respectable amount of time by noting that they had something to tell the older couple. However, it'd only been 15 minutes since the witch and wizard walked inside when the quartet sat at the table and Mr. Granger went around to fill everyone's glasses with wine. When he got to his daughter, who was in conversation with Mrs. Granger, she held up her hand to stop him.

"No thank you," Hermione uttered with a quick glance at her father, "That's one habit I have to give up for the baby."

It was eerily silent following this statement. Hermione had said this automatically without any thought, as if it had escaped from her stream of consciousness, and when she registered what had come from her mouth (aided by the others' direct stares and facial expressions), her eyes widened in realization.

"What?" her mother uttered in a faint voice. She was gazing at the younger woman with an open mouth.

"What baby?" Robert questioned, the wine bottle poised in mid-air. His tone was sharp in comparison to his wife's but it did not sound warning or aggressive; instead, it sounded anticipatory.

Hermione swallowed then looked to her right at Harry, and saw that he was smiling that same fantastic smile he'd adopted since getting back from their honeymoon. He gave her a single, fast nod and she breathed in with an emerging smile of her own before addressing her parents.

"I'm pregnant," she remarked.

Jean cried out and covered her mouth as Robert hastily set down the bottle and laughed. Mrs. Granger only stared at Hermione for a moment before crying out again and getting up from her seat to engulf her child in a bear hug. The brunette returned it as her father's happy yet stunned laughter increased.

"By God! W-Well, congratulations, you two!," he spluttered, turning his attention on Harry, "By God!" The Auror nodded eagerly with a bright grin.

"You're going to have a baby!" Jean declared, pulling back to peer in Hermione's face.

"Yes," she answered, flashing a smile.

"We were just celebrating your marriage and now this!," Robert mentioned, looking quickly between the younger couple, "You're pregnant! I can't believe it!"

"We're going to be grandparents." Jean noted, beaming at her husband. She then reached over and grabbed Harry's hand, squeezing it.

"She's 13 weeks." Harry mentioned, speaking at last.

"Why, your first trimester's already ended!"

"It has, but we wanted to make sure I got through it without issue before we told anyone," the Muggleborn relayed, "You're the first to know! Well, the first humans to know..."

"How many weeks were you when you found out?" her mother posed.

"Eight. It was during the honeymoon!"

"How do you feel about it?" wondered Mr. Granger.

"I'm absolutely thrilled. Hermione's nervous but excited," reported Harry, peering at her.

"And it is so very normal to feel that way, sweetheart." Jean interjected. Hermione nodded then attested:

"I'll admit that this pregnancy is earlier than I wanted. Quite a bit earlier. I didn't set out to be pregnant at my wedding."

"I'm certain it is, just like I'm certain you didn't."

"Yes. We'd decided to wait until the end of the year before I stopped taking… precautions. But I had a lapse in memory during the spring and, now, here we are," she claimed. She gazed down at her abdomen where there was a slight bump, though not obvious enough to indicate her condition, "I wanted to wait longer, to feel settled in our new life before considering this part, but I suppose fate had other ideas."

There was some silence during which Robert and Jean looked at one another with empathy for their child, yet when they attuned to her again she was peering at Harry with a smile that was in direct contrast with the uncertainty that'd been present in her voice moments previously.

"We'll be just fine, though. Harry's reminded me," the witch said.

It was evident to Mrs. Granger from that one exchange how much the dark haired man grounded and reassured Hermione, and she was reminded yet again that her daughter was in such loving, capable, good hands. Hermione had an equal in Harry and that knowledge filled Jean's heart.

The jolly mood persisted for the rest of dinner. Half of the conversation centered around Hermione's pregnancy and her parents' immense happiness for it, with Jean fantasizing about names and insisting the Muggle tradition of a baby shower be upheld, something she was more than willing to host herself. The young couple felt good when they got back to the Grove and Hermione was ready to go to sleep not long after, the pregnancy symptom of fatigue very much making itself known. Harry saw her to bed but did not join her since he was not tired, yet when she awoke suddenly a bit after 2AM she observed that his side of the bed was still empty. She got up with a frown to search the home for her husband and discovered him in their shared study, staring resolutely at an object that sat on one of the middle shelves.

He did not acknowledge her presence in any way and this only made Hermione's frown deepen while she gazed at him with a drawn brow.

"Harry?," the brunette prompted, approaching his left side and gently touching his shoulder, "Have you come to bed at all?" He shrugged one shoulder, eyes not straying from the bookshelf.

"I tried. Lied down at midnight but was awake for more than an hour, so I got up and came here," murmured Hary.

"Oh."

That sounded alarming. She'd gone to sleep a bit past 9:30PM so that meant he'd been alert for hours. What was going on for him to foster insomnia, especially after a pleasurable evening? Hermione wrapped both arms around his waist and placed her head against his shoulder; when she directed her eyes to where he was looking, she beheld the blanket his aunt had given him. The blanket that Dudley had brought to their wedding, the blanket that Harry had been swaddled in when he was delivered to Privet Drive after his parents' murders.

Her breath suddenly caught in her throat. It was quiet as they stared at it.

"Your parents are so happy for us. For the baby," the Auror muttered.

"I know. It felt good," she responded.

"Yeah."

The silence took over once more and she hugged him a little tighter. The sound of the analog clock resounded in their ears.

"I wish my parents were here." Harry halfway whispered. Hermione immediately shut her eyes because she knew that single sentence was enough to invite tears for her.

"I wish I could tell them. I wish I could tell them that I'm going to have a…," He finally dropped his gaze from the blanket for the first time since she'd entered the room, "I wish I could tell my father that I'm going to be a father. I wish I could tell my mother that I found a brilliant Muggleborn like her to spend my life with. To start a family with."

She secured her hug around him even more and her eyes remained closed to prevent any tears from falling.

"They know, Harry. They know about this. They know about all of your victories," Hermione vowed, "I know they do. They know they have a wonderful son, and that wonderful son is going to be a wonderful father soon."

"Promise?" he replied after a long pause, giving a sad chuckle.

"Yes. Yes, of course."

Harry engulfed her in a reciprocal embrace, pulling her around to his front, and they stayed molded against each other for a few, wordless minutes until he released an audible sigh.

"Let's go to bed, Mrs. Potter," he uttered, green eyes riveted on her.

"Let's." Hermione agreed, standing on the tips of her toes and placing a kiss on his lips.

A/N: I think this chapter is a good indication of the average length they will be... I'm aiming for at least 6k words a chapter.

I'd be pleased to hear what you think of the start of the story. I know it's not action packed or ground breaking but hearing from readers is always so gratifying!