Things Never Change … Well, Almost Never

Disclaimer: I own NOTHING (only the plot, well at least I hope I do);

J.K. Rowling owns all the characters (I only own Kara).

Summary: During their 7th year, Harry, Hermione, and Ron have all changed in one way or another. Please R&R (Flames are welcome)

Harry's POV

          As I look around the common room, I can tell that everything and everyone had changed during the past 6 years that I've had here at Hogwarts. It is almost the end of my 7th year, and my life truly has changed. For one thing, I defeated Voldemort earlier this year during The Great Wizard War, Hermione's pregnant with an unknown father to me, Ron's gay, and fancies me very much. But he has a boyfriend because he knows that things between us will never work out between us since I'm straight and am in love with Hermione (though neither he, nor does anybody else know that), and I really want to be there for her during her pregnancy.

            I can see Ron not too far away from me fixing Lavendor's hair to a new style that he had been dying to try on one of the girls. How excited he had been when Lavendor finally said he could do her hair since he had done an *excellent* job the last time he tried a new hair style on her, he literally jumped for joy. Hermione is in the far corner, reading a book on teen pregnancy called: So You Decided To Screw Your Life Up, and holding her abdomen. Trying to take my eyes off Hermione, I found that I cannot, so I get up to talk to her when Ron comes over to me.

            "Hey Harry, can you come with me to the Owlery so I can send a letter off to Kevin?" Ron asks me, flicking his now long red locks away from his face.

            "Sure Ron. So how is Kevin these days?" I ask, recalling Kevin, Ron's boyfriend of 6 months. They had met in Hogsmeade one weekend, and Kevin was the one to let Ron know that in fact he was gay (Ron wasn't too sure at the time, but he always wondered why he liked to look at the guys in the Quidditch locker room, instead of the girls).

            "Oh Kevin is just great! He says that he misses me terribly, and can't wait for me to finish school so we can live together!" exclaimed Ron.

            "That's great Ron," I say as we reach the Owlery.

            Ron smiled his smile that always makes Kevin swoon over him more. Quickly tying his letter to Pigwidgeon's leg, Ron turns to me once he's done.

            "Have you noticed anything wrong with Hermione lately?" Ron asks me, his hands fidgeting.

            "Yes, but I think it's just because Graduation is coming up, and she still has no place to live for when she has her baby," I reply.

            "I think you're right, boyfriend," Ron says, snapping his fingers in front of his face. I mentally laughed when he called me 'boyfriend', I always do. "Do I ever hate the bitch that left our Hermione on her own."

            "Believe me, so do I," I mumble as I head out of the Owlery. "Do you know who the father is?"

            "No!" Ron says a little too fast, and I can tell he's lying, but I let it go.

            Ron is skipping behind me as we make our way back to the common room, and I find it hilarious how he skips. We enter the common room and Ron sits down at his favorite armchair. I follow suit, and sit in my favorite armchair.

            "Harry what color should I paint my nails, pink, purple, or red?" Ron asks me, holding up the nail polish.

            "Uh, pink?" I say uncertainly." Why don't you ask one of the girls?"

            Ron threw out his bottom lip, and stood up abruptly.

            "I knew I shouldn't have asked you, but thanks for the advice on asking the girls. I'll do that right now," Ron says, and leaves to go ask Lavendor and Parvati what color his nails should be.

            I sink back into my chair, and stare at the flames of the fire. The flames are enchanting me so much, that I don't even notice Hermione come up to me.

            "Ahem" Hermione did a fake cough that resembled Umbridge's annoying cough.

            I look up into her cinnamon brown eyes and smile. She smiles sadly back at me.

            "Hey," I say.

"Hey," she replies, sitting down in her favorite armchair beside me.

            An awkward silence falls over us, and me not liking awkward silence, try to think of something to say.

            "So do you have a place yet where you're going to live after we graduate, or are you going to live with your parents for a bit?" I ask uncertainly.

            "Actually I don't know" Hermione sighs. "What about you?"

            "I have a flat that I've picked out," I say, trying to sound casual. *Ask her to live with you!* my mind screams at me. "Um, Hermione, I've been thinking, since the father left you, I want to be more by your side during the remainder of the pregnancy and even help you raise the child. So do you want to move in with me?"

            "Oh Harry, that's really sweet of you, but I don't know. I mean the father didn't really leave since he doesn't know. And I don't want to tie you down since we're not even in a relationship!" Hermione exclaims.

            "Oh, okay. But Hermione, you wouldn't be tying me down! Not at all, I wouldn't even work if that meant that id be able to take care of you," I say desperately.

            "Fine Harry, I'll move in with you," Hermione says after a few minutes of thinking.

            "So Hermione, who is the father?" I ask in a pretty calm voice, I hope.

            Hermione looks at me sad eyes, and I can tell that she is fighting with herself if she should me or not. Finally she opens her mouth to speak.

            "You," Hermione says in barely a whisper.

            *What? How can that be?* my mind screams at me. So I decide to voice my thoughts.

            "What? How can I be the father? I haven't slept with anybody, let alone you!" I exclaim.

            "Well after you defeated Voldemort, we went to the Three Broomsticks and you had about six Fire Whiskies. Don't ask me who bought you those, I don't know. Anyways, you and me came back up to the castle, one thing led to another, and the next thing I know, I'm in the hospital Wing finding out that I'm pregnant!" Hermione says quickly.

            I can hardly believe my ears. *I was the one who got Hermione pregnant!* Standing, I get up and hug Hermione. She lays her head onto my shoulders and I pat her hair.

            "God Hermione, you could have told me," I murmur into her hair. "I would have been there more for you in the first five months of your pregnancy, because I truly do love you," I gasp at what I just said, did I really just say that?

            Hermione pulls away from me a bit.

            "You d-do?" she chokes out, and I nod. "I love you too, Harry Potter!"

            Hermione launched her lips onto mine, and I respond happily. Just as the kiss was about to get more passionate, I can hear giggles coming from behind us. We quickly pull apart and I turn around to see Ron there, giggling like a little schoolgirl.

            "Finally," Ron exclaims, throwing one hand onto his hip, and moving the other one in a 'that was so obvious' type of way.

            I can feel my cheeks burning up, and I sneak a look at Hermione, her cheeks are red also.

            "Well Harry, did you want a game of chess?" Ron asks, sitting at a table and taking out his Wizard Chessboard.

            "Sure," I say, getting up from the floor and walking to the table.

            I sit down, and we start to play. Hermione is watching intently like she always does.

            Things never change…. Well almost never. 

~3 Months Later~August26~

            "How does my tux look, Ron?" I ask standing in front of the mirror. Since Hermione wanted to have a Muggle style wedding, I, Ron (my best man), Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, and Neville Longbottom (my groom's men) are all wearing tuxedos.

            "You look gorgeous Harry!" Ron exclaims. "Does my hair look okay?"

            "Yes Ron, don't worry," I reply, looking through the curtain that leads to the Altar.

            "Five minutes mates" Dean says.

            We all nod, and head out to the Altar. I stand at my spot, while the guys go where the brides' maids are, and I let out a sigh of relief as the organ starts.

            First, comes out Hermione's cousin, the flower girl, shortly followed by Ron and Ginny. After Ron and Ginny comes out Dean and Lavendor, Seamus and Parvati, and finally Neville and Luna Lovegood. Now comes out my bride.

            Hermione and her father are halfway down the aisle when Hermione stops dead in her tracks and clutches her stomach. I run down off the Altar and over to Hermione,

            "What's wrong?" I ask, worried.

            "I think that I'm going into labor!" Hermione managed in between gasps for air.

            Great! The doctors told us that the baby would be coming any day now, but did it have to choose to want to come out today?? A group has started to form around us so I grab Hermione's hand and tell her to Aparate to St. Mungo's.

~4 Hours Later~

            "That's great Hermione, just one push, and the baby should be completely out," the medi-wizard instructed Hermione.

            Hermione gave one more push and almost breaks my fingers in the process. The medi-wizard gives us the thumbs up, and now the room is filled with even more screams, and they're not coming from Hermione. I can Hermione sigh, and I watch her as she falls back onto her pillow. Moving her hair from her face, I smile at Hermione.

            "Congratulations! It's a girl!" the medi-wizard announces, handing Hermione our baby.

            We both look down into the face of our new born baby, and smile.

            "Kara Lillian Potter. What do you think, Harry?" Hermione asks me.

            "Kara Lillian Potter, I like it." I murmur as I place a kiss onto Hermione's forehead.

            For once, I think Fate is on my side. Fate is on little Kara's, Hermione's, and my side.

The End

(A:N) Well that is my 2nd attempt at a story. Please review. I'll accept any flames as well.