A/N: A short chapter just before the sixth book comes out. I suspect my story is about to go seriously AU! In the next chapter Hermione will be revealing all her little secrets so come back after you've finished Ms Rowling's tome, after I have finished reading it I am going to have some fun writing the flashback to Christmas at Hogwarts.

Chapter Forty One – Hiding From The Moon

Will went straight through the living room, still carrying Hermione in his arms with Harry hurrying along behind him. He headed for the bedroom, Harry and Severus' bedroom.

"Not in there!" Harry protested as soon as he realised what was happening.

"Is there somewhere else for her to lie down?" Will asked.

"I am not going to lie on Snape's bed!" Hermione protested.

"There isn't anywhere else," Harry was forced to admit.

"Could you two possibly try to help a bit more?" Will requested as he began to feel a bit strained by the weight he was carrying.

Harry flinched as Will pushed the door to his bedroom roughly with his foot and took Hermione inside, he followed. Will laid Hermione on the bed.

"Don't even think about getting up," Will commanded, it was as if he could hear Hermione's thoughts even as she was having them.

Hermione shuffled over onto her side but made no move to get up. Will knelt down on the floor beside Hermione and turned to face Harry, "Can't you just magic it out or something?" He asked.

"Don't you think I would have done that by now if I could?" Hermione grumbled from the bed, "And he isn't an 'it'."

"A 'he' ey?" Will asked smiling back at Hermione.

"I think I had better go get Severus," Harry said.

"No!" Hermione nearly shouted, "He's not to come in here."

"I can't do this on my own," Harry tried to reason.

"Then get Meg, she was going to help me, get her to come up here, but don't get Snape," Hermione insisted.

Harry went to the fire to call for Meg and after he did so he went to the potions room. He didn't know how he was going to do it without Severus taking it badly but he knew also that he had to tell his Kin regardless of what Hermione said.

Harry pushed the door open and peered inside, Severus was still hard at work and Harry noticed that he was cutting ingredients for a potion and must have been able to figure out what he was going to do. He looked up from his work as Harry entered.

Harry faltered, he couldn't find the words but Severus could see straight away that something had happened.

"What is it Harry? Are you all right?" Severus asked with obvious concern, getting up from his chair even as he spoke.

"Nothing like that," Harry said quickly, "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Severus asked Harry, holding him by the shoulders and fixing him with an intense and piercing concerned look.

"Yes, it's Hermione," Harry said quickly, Severus concern for his Kin making it easier since Severus would be glad to hear that it was somebody else and would stop being so anxious.

"What has she done?" Severus asked, instantly annoyed when he heard the name.

"She was here for tea and her baby was nearly due," Harry explained bracing himself for the most difficult part, "She's going to be giving birth here."

"In my quarters? I don't think so," Severus asserted making a dash for the door, "Where is she?"

Severus figured it out for himself quickly enough and headed for the bedroom.

It was hard to tell who was the most horrified, both Hermione and Severus told each other to get out at precisely the same moment.

Will got to his feet and approached Severus, "Can we have a bit of calm here?"

"This is my bedroom and I don't want anybody but my Kin lying on my bed." Severus asserted trying to get round Will, "Why did you let her come in here?"

"I would not have come in here of my own volition even if I had been paid!" Hermione asserted, apparently between contractions.

"Sev, it's just a bed, now go back to your potions," Will commanded, "I think we can manage here."

"Has anyone got any experience of this sort of thing?" Severus asked, "I didn't think so."

"No," Hermione answered sharply, "But neither have you."

"We're getting Meg up," Harry informed his Kin.

"Oh, well no problem then, I will happily go back to my potions if everything is under control!" Severus snapped before he turned and went stomping across the living room with Harry following close behind.

Harry could tell that his Kin was hurt; he was perhaps the only person that would ever know how he was feeling, a Kin being denied the opportunity to attend a birth with their own child to look forward to in the near future. Hermione was adamant however, and she was giving them enough trouble as it was.

Harry stood in the doorway as Severus returned to his desk.

"I will be due before you and I don't want anybody else but you," Harry said with an encouraging and irresistible smile.

Severus' expression softened a little, "Go back to your friend, I suppose this will all be over soon enough, then I want her sent back to Gryffindor. And I want a new bed!"

Harry smiled again, "Don't worry Sev, I don't think she'll want to stay much longer than necessary."

"Don't be too nice to her, she might change her mind." Severus warned.

"I'll come out from time to time, this could take hours," Harry tried to sooth his Kin.

Severus smiled his wicked and subtle smile, "It could take days," He said reflecting on the prospect with glee, "Especially if it's a first."

Harry turned pale, "Days?" He queried immediately thinking of his own upcoming experience.

Severus regretted his words, "Probably not, I was just being horrible, I didn't mean to frighten you Harry."

"Well it worked," Harry said trying to calm himself.

Harry reluctantly left his Kin and went back to their bedroom hoping that Meg wouldn't be long. As soon as Harry opened the door he found himself looking directly at Hermione who was grimacing and soaked in perspiration. Harry could tell from Will's pained expression that she was also holding his hand far too tightly. Harry was already starting to feel a little feint and he could feel the colour draining from his face as Hermione followed the grimace with an almost animalistic growl.

Harry leant against the doorframe unable to proceed further into the room, his hand going protectively to his only slightly rounded abdomen, he was nowhere near as huge as Hermione had become. He found himself wondering what on earth he had got himself into, and then immediately became overwhelmed with guilt for the thought.

"Get this thing out of me!" Hermione hollered to no one in particular and Harry found himself backing away from the scene.

Harry only managed to retreat a short distance, he suddenly found that he had walked into Meg. Harry muttered an apology and turned in time to see his Kin going back into the potions room after having allowed Meg to enter his quarters.

"I'll be going now," Harry almost squeaked as he once more tried to make his retreat.

Meg frowned her disapproval, "You will not, I will need all the help I can get, I have never done this before either you know. I imagine, since you have your own expectations, you will have read up on the subject of childbirth. In any case it will be invaluable experience for you."

Harry reluctantly made himself follow Meg into the room, she did have a point and in theory Harry had to admit that he did want the experience.

"You look as if you are about to throw up," Meg commented to Harry as she opened the bag that she had brought with her.

"I imagine it will happen differently for a Kin," Harry tried to convince himself.

Meg laughed a wicked and gleeful laugh at Harry's naivety, "They all come out the same way, as far as I understand it." She informed him.

Harry forced himself to look up and watch Meg as she attended to Hermione and he quickly averted his eyes again when he was treated to a view of Hermione he had never thought that he would see. He then focused on Will instead as he tried to hand things to Meg without looking her way again.

Will was in his element it seemed, but then all he had to do was speak soothing words and hold Hermione's hand. He spoke to Hermione and reassured her as if he really knew what he was talking about. Harry tried to remember that Severus would be there for him when the time came and he could do no better than to be assisted by his Kin.

It went on for hours, Harry tried to be as useful as he could be, trying to block out the screams and the shouting but still hear Meg when she called for his assistance. He tried to lend his assistance without focusing on the matter at hand.

"Hold this!" Meg snapped at Harry, she was beginning to sound irritated with him so Harry assumed he must not have been doing a very good job. He didn't look at what he was given and wrapped his arms around what he assumed was a bundle of sheets only to find that what he held was heavier than it should have been and it was squirming a little.

Harry forced himself to focus on what he was holding; it was a newborn baby boy with a light dusting of dark brown hair upon his head. He looked up at Harry with inquisitive and alarmingly adult seeming eyes. Harry stared at baby for moment before some sort of instinct awakened inside of him and he cradled the small body against his chest.

"Well you're definitely not a Weasley," Harry spoke to the baby as the rest of the room suddenly faded away for him. He had never held a baby before; it hadn't occurred to him that he might have the opportunity to do so before his own was due. He stroked the back of one tiny little hand with nothing more than his index finger.

Suddenly Will was standing next to Harry and was waving a hand in front of his eyes to catch his attention.

"What?" Harry asked, shaking his head as if trying to wake himself from a dream.

"We were calling your name, did you not hear us?" Will asked.

"This was how Severus felt, when my father came to Hogwarts," Harry whispered to himself as he realised something about his Kin identity, something aspect of it that he was only just beginning to experience.

"Harry," Will continued, "It's time to give the baby to Hermione now, give him to me."

Harry looked at Will but made no move to hand over the bundle he was cradling. The baby made a little noise; it wasn't a cry, just a little whimper. Harry looked down and found intense dark eyes staring at him, or at least that was how it appeared. The baby waved his arm and turned his head towards Harry.

"Harry!" Hermione shouted over from the bed, "Give me my baby now, don't make me get up and get him!"

Harry looked up at Hermione, she was angry and very impatient, and he had only wanted to hold the child for a while. Will reached forward and took the baby from his arms, Harry felt as if a little part of him was being wrenched away and he felt his eyes filling with tears and his heart ached. He ran from the room.

Will had no problem handing the baby over to Hermione.

"I swear I have had it with those two!" Hermione grumbled in a gentle voice for the sake of her child but with obvious annoyance.

"I don't think Harry meant anything by it," Will said, trying to smooth things over.

"He never does," Hermione continued to grumble as she cradled the newborn protectively against her chest, "I almost forgot you're their friend."

"That wasn't why I said it, I just honestly think they are weird, but only weird," Will clarified.

"Tell me about it!" Hermione agreed.

"And essentially harmless," Will added.

"Harmless! You don't know?"

"Oh well, aye," Will backtracked, "They're not particularly harmless to Death Eaters, but I don't think Harry would harm your little boy."

"No I suppose not," Hermione conceded, "This is weird too though, don't you think?"

"In what way?" Will asked as he reached a hand out to stroke one of the baby's tiny hands.

"Well," Hermione replied, "I hardly know you."

Will withdrew his hand, "Well, it usually only takes me a few minutes to work out where I'm comfortable. I apologise if I didn't give you any time to catch up."

Hermione smiled perhaps the first genuine smile in a long time, "And I thank you for allowing me to crush your hand this afternoon."

Will felt as if he was blushing and wondered what on earth he was doing. The girl had just given birth and one of his current objectives was to get her back with her previous partner. Here he was flirting with her before the sweat had dried on her brow. Not that she seemed to mind at all, Will observed.

"Don't suppose it will be long before Harry is back with his beloved and furious Kin," Hermione continued to grumble as she looked lovingly down at her newborn son.

"Severus seemed quite busy," Will observed.

"You see," Hermione challenged.

Hermione was proved correct when only a few minutes later Severus came bursting through the door into the bedroom looking not very happy at all.

"What is the meaning of this?" Severus demanded as he approached the bed.

Hermione sighed in resignation, "The meaning of what?" She asked even though she knew that the upset and snivelling Harry currently stood next to his Kin was very likely the cause of the most recent outburst.

"Right, now that this is over I think it is about time that you went off back to Gryffindor," Severus stormed.

Will stood up, in an instant understanding why Hermione had such a problem with Severus, "Do you have to be so unreasonable? It's just a bed and Harry is far too sensitive, Hermione did nothing wrong."

"I will not have my Kin upset, I will not allow anybody to touch my Kin, blah, blah, blah, blah," Hermione mocked Severus challenging him to show his worst side in front of Will.

"If you have the energy to mock my Kin and I then you certainly possess the energy to leave," Severus continued.

Will sighed in exasperation, "Can you leave us while we get sorted out at least?" He asked Severus in a commanding tone.

Severus swooped out of the room without another word and was quickly followed by his Kin.

"You're not giving in to them are you?" Hermione asked.

Will was suddenly feeling very tired and hungry and he could almost wish for a quiet night in front of the telly, "You want to be here about as much as they want it, so why don't we just go up to Gryffindor?" Will suggested.

"You can't just haul her up onto her feet," Meg protested.

"Come on, you're wizards, think outside the envelope ey?"

"Outside the what?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"A medicloak, I have one in my bag," Meg suggested.

"A medicloak? Sounds wonderful whatever it is," Will agreed brightly.

Meg handed Will what looked like a normal wool blanket and Hermione handed the baby over to her so he rapidly came to the conclusion that he was meant to take Hermione in his arms. This wasn't a situation he had a problem with per se, but he did still keep wondering about poor Ron stuck back at Sgoil Dhubh with his one chance to be chivalrous slipping away.

"Light as a feather!" Will said twirling around a bit with Hermione in his arms after he had scooped her up with the blanket wrapped around her.