Hermione and Eric moved into a little flat in the heart of New York City. They had decided to buy all their things there and only bring in their personal items. It was still quite a handful to move. Luckily, Hermione's new co-worker decided to help her move. He was a couple of years older than Hermione, and he was a very attractive red-haired man. Almost like her Ron Weasley. This guy was married, so there was no chance he was going to start a relationship with her.

Eric was in his new room writing an owl to Erin. They had a really strong bond between them that couldn't be broken. Erin was still to young to write so she just read the letters that her brother gave her. Both of them were anxious for the day when she learned to write.

Hermione and Ben were in the living room unpacking everything. There were boxes everywhere. Hermione and Ben had been great friends in the Ministry before when Ben had stayed in England for a couple of years. He knew the entire story of her and Ron.

Hermione began to carry her boxes into her room. She had been feeling really tired lately, but she just thought it was jet lag. She put the boxes in a corner of the room and walked back into the hallway, which lead to the living room.

Suddenly a wave of dizziness came over her and she found her legs failing to hold her up. Her head ached so much and her breathing became shallower and shallower. Then she fainted and fell to the ground.

When she woke up she found herself in some sort of hospital. There was white everywhere and machines around her.

"She's awake, Uncle Ben! She's awake," she hear Eric say.

"Hello sweetheart. What happened?" she asked him. Ben came into view.

"Are you okay? You just fainted on the floor and we took you to the hospital. A muggle one of course," he said.

"I feel a little queasy, but that's about it." Ben gave a sigh of relief.

"You had me and Michelle worried half to death." Michelle was his wife.

"Are you feeling better Mommy?" Eric asked. He gave her a smile much like his father's.

"Much better that you're here," she said.

Michelle came into Hermione's view and gave a warm smile. She smiled back. Eric was sitting contently next to his mother. Ben had a few emotions over his face. Stress, relief, confusion, and most of all worry. Hermione gave him a look that said 'What's wrong?'.

"Eric, how about you go with Aunt Michelle to buy some candy in the vending machine, all right?" Ben said. Eric nodded, grabbed Michelle's hand, and walked away.

"Hermione, why didn't you tell me?" he continued.

"Tell you what?" she said.

"That your pregnant." Hermione froze at the thought of those words. She was silent for a long while, then she realized what Ben had just told her.

"I didn't know," she said softly.

"It's been a month they say. It's Ron's right?" Hermione gave Ben a look of disgust.

"Of course it's Ron's. Who else have I been shagging?" She gave a slight smile. He chuckled and became less tense now that she was going well with this.

"We can't tell him." Hermione had a serious expression.

"Hermione, we have to."

"No, we can't."

"Why not? He is the father."

"Because…" She thought for a moment. Why couldn't she tell him? There was no voice of reason in her head.

"Just because," she said. Ben gave her a disappointing look, but she ignored it completely. At that moment, Eric came in. Hermione gave Michelle a reassuring smile.

"Look, Mum, this muggle food isn't so bad. These Cheetos, they're actually pretty tasty."

Hemione laughed. Eric's hands, lips, and tongue were all orange.

"Eric, I need to tell you something really important okay?"

"Uh huh," he replied. He was listening, but he was also savoring every Cheeto like that was the last one in the bag.

"Well, you're going to get a baby brother or sister." Hermione tensed up. What was Eric going to say? He looked up from a Cheeto and smiled. Hermione let out a sigh of relief.

"Can I tell Erin? She's going to be ecstatic!" A look of worry spread over Hermione's face.

"Um honey, I need to ask you a question." Eric nodded. "Does your daddy read the letters you write to her?"

"Of course not," he replied proudly. "I would never want him to read what I was saying." Eric loved his father very much, but he was old enough to understand his parent's situation, and thought that his father had been acting quite stupid when he divorced his mum.  "Before we left, Aunt Ginny taught me this secret writing spell that makes something only readable to the person it's meant to written too."

Hermione laughed. "Okay then sweetheart, you can tell your sister, but make sure she doesn't say anything to anyone all right?"

Eric nodded and was lost again in the Cheetos.

Hermione informed Harry and Ginny of the situation and came to New York right away. They sweared they wouldn't tell anyone. Harry and Ginny came over right before the baby was born and stayed until it was born. Hermione decided to name the baby Rachel. It was a beautiful name. Ginny was the first person to hold her, even before her mother. Ginny loved the baby as if it were hers. Hermione decided to make Ginny her godmother and Harry her godfather.

Rachel began to grow older and older. So was Eric. He was going to be starting Hogwarts pretty soon and he was very excited. He grew up in a wizarding world half of his life, and a muggle one in his other half. He didn't want to leave the muggle one, but he was a part of the wizarding world and had to face it. Soon, it was just Rachel and Hermione. Hermione was finally relaxed at the way her life had turned. Ron didn't know about Rachel. Eric and Erin were at Hogwarts. Rachel could do simple spells with the wand Hermione had bought her. (Pretty smart for a five-year-old. She got her mum's brains.) She just hoped everything would stay calm like this forever.