December 12th 1999 PT1

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Hermione had been feeling nauseous for weeks now and had previously been putting it down to extreme fatigue, due to working so much overtime at work. Today, however, it had been different. She had met with Ginny for a coffee as she usually did and when the two women had ordered what was usually Hermione's favorite drink, a chocolate orange mocha, a single sniff of the usually pleasant aroma had instantly resulted in her throwing up in the nearest bin, which was rather embarrassing considering they were in the middle of Diagon Alley.

"Have you seen a doctor?" Ginny asked, frowning, after Hermione had explained how long she had been feeling sick.

"What's the point," she shrugged, sipping on the nice, odourless water in her hand, "I'm just tired, Gin. You know how much extra work I've been doing."

"Yes, but even on your rest days you've seemed a bit off…" Ginny trailed off with wide eyes as she stared at Hermione.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She frowned and Ginny shook her head.

"Hermione…" Ginny started, reaching her hand out and putting it on top of hers on the table, "You don't think you're... you know…?"

Hermione caught Ginny glance down at her stomach and burst out laughing. It was such a ridiculous notion, there was no possible way. She and Ron hadn't had sex for over a month before they broke up and if that were the case she would be almost three months pregnant, and if that were the case she would have noticed by now. There had been… no-

"Oh no," Hermione said suddenly, shaking her head frantically, "no no no."

"Uh, Hermione?" Ginny asked with wide eyes and Hermione stood from the table, grabbing Ginny's arm to pull her along with her, "Hermione where the hell are we going?"

"This can't be happening," Hermione hissed, pulling the red headed woman through the door and into the Leaky Cauldron, "It was just once! That would be too ridiculous."

"Hermione!" Ginny shouted as she was pulled into the muggle street, pulling the brunette to a stop and turning around to look at her, "will you please tell me what you are talking about!!"

"Ok," Hermione sighed, shaking her head, "but if I tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone, and I mean anyone, unless I tell you that you can, alright?"

"Uh…" Ginny frowned but nodded when Hermione glared at her, "alright, I swear! Now what the hell is going on?"

"Isleptwithcharliethenightofyourwedding." She rushed out and Ginny stared blankly at her.

"Sorry, what?" Ginny asked and Hermione shrieked at the sky.

"I slept with Charlie the night of your bloody wedding!" She shouted, blushing when a few passing muggles laughed at her outburst, and was surprised when Ginny grinned.

"I fucking knew it!" She hissed, "You were way too happy for someone who just got dumped!"

"Yes yes, thank you very much for that," Hermione grumbled, "but can we get to a chemist so I can find out if the wrong Weasley knocked me up?!"

Hermione heard Ginny snort and repeat 'wrong Weasley' as she pulled her snickering friend through the streets of muggle London, heading to the nearest chemist. She dragged her to the right part of the shop and stared blankly at the selection of tests and shaking her head in panic. Deciding it was better to be safe than sorry, she grabbed one of each type and took them to the till, paying for them on her muggle credit card. She earned some very amused looks from the cashier but she really didn't care if this stranger thought her to be completely mental, if any of these came back positive then her entire life was about to become incredibly complicated.

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Ginny had taken her turn at being the dragger instead of the dragged once they had left the chemist, each with a bag full of pregnancy tests, and pulled Hermione into a nearby alley before appearing them directly onto the doorstep of Grimmauld Place where they knew they would be guaranteed privacy. Hermione rushed inside and collected a plastic pot from a kitchen cupboard, cast a sanitation spell on it and took it into the bathroom with her, frowning when Ginny took it upon herself to come in with her.

"Gin, I'm not going to pee in front of you." She groaned and her friend snorted.

"You think we don't have bigger problems than your peeing privacy right now?" Ginny asked and Hermione rolled her eyes, but conceded that she had a point.

"Oh fine," she muttered as she started to unbutton her jeans, "here, pass me this when I'm sat down."

"Um alright…" Ginny said unsurely, looking at the plastic pot, "and why are you going to pee into a pot? I thought you peed directly on the stick?"

"Well yes," Hermione sighed, "usually, but I want to do more than one test. So I'm going to dip them in, they all say you can, and it works just as well. Pot?"

Ginny looked up and found Hermione sitting on the toilet with her hand held out and rushed to hand the pot over, hearing as Hermione peed into it. When she was done, Hermione carefully pulled the pot out and put it on the cabinet holding the sink and wiped before standing up and pulling her bottoms up and flushing the chain. She washed her hands and picked up the pot, sitting opposite Ginny on the floor of the bathroom, putting the pot between them.

"Alright," she sighed, taking one of the bags, "open the test, dip the bit in the pot and lay it flat next to you with the results window towards the floor, ok?."

Ginny nodded and the two of them spent the next ten minutes opening and dipping. When they were done, Hermione leaned back against the cabinet behind her and smacked her head against it. She felt so stupid. It had been one inconsequential night, agreed by both of them never to be repeated. If any of these tests were positive… Oh god, how would she tell Charlie he was going to be a dad?

"How long do we have to wait?" Ginny asked and Hermione shrugged.

"Some say three minutes and some say 10, so 10 to be safe?" She asked and Ginny nodded before frowning at her.

"You know there's a spell that can tell you exactly how far along you are, right?" She asked and Hermione's head snapped up, glaring at Ginny.

"You're telling me this now?!" She snarled and Ginny laughed, shrugging as Hermione groaned, "Well we can do that if any of these are positive, I guess."