Hermione felt she had to clear her head for one evening. In three days, she
had found out she was pregnant, cried her eyes out at least ten times, been
dumped and insulted by her boyfriend whom she loved so much AND been in
risk of losing her job.
It was too much, even for a girl like Hermione who had been through a lot. She needed someone cheerful to go out with that evening, have some fun and forget about her troubles. They would be waiting for her when she comes back. They would not run away, that's for sure!
So she sent owls to Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown. She had never been good friends with them in Hogwarts, but now she felt she needed someone to make her forget, and Parvati and Lavender's cheerfulness and superficiality might help her.
They owled her back, confirming they would come. They set up a meeting in Hogsmeade, in The Three Broomsticks, at 8 o'clock.
Hermione spent an unbelievably boring evening with those two. She thought the evening would never end. But then in finally ended and she felt the heavy worries flooding her all over again.
How will she raise a baby all alone?
Why did Draco do that to her? What had she ever done to hurt him? She didn't want to get pregnant; why could he understand that?
How was she going to tell people? They would all call her "slut" and make fun of her for getting pregnant even before turning 18.
And how would Ron react?
There's no choice but telling him. She would have to tell him eventually, and the sooner - the better.
She knew he would totally freak out when he hears about Draco. Not because of jealousy - he had a girlfriend, Luna Lovegood, but he was very hot- tempered and very protective. She was actually a bit scared to tell him, because even though Draco had broken her heart, she still loved him and didn't want him to get hurt.
But she had to tell. In fact, she wanted to tell him right now, but when she looked at the clock, it was 11:30 P.M. This would have to wait for tomorrow, she thought.
However, she still took a roll of parchment and began to scribble:
--Hey Ron, how are you?
Look, we need to talk. Can I come over tomorrow around 8?
Thanks, Hermione.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ron received the owl the following morning. He was quite surprised and wanted to ask Harry if he knew anything about it, but Harry was still asleep: Auror training only began at 10:00 A.M., while Ron had to be in St. Mungo's at 7:00.
He sighed, got dressed and left.
His day was usual, but his mind was busy with Hermione. Her letter looked pretty rushed, as if she didn't have a lot of time but had to tell him something as quickly as possible. What could it be?
When he got home at 5:00 P.M., Harry was not home yet. Ron sat and counted down the minutes till Hermione showed up.
She showed up at 8:00 exactly, together with Harry. Apparently, they had just finished their daily training. Hermione looked happy to see him: she rushed over to him and hugged him tightly.
"So good to see you, Ron."
"I - I'll leave you two alone," said Harry and made to leave the room.
"No, Harry - stay," said Hermione, "I want you to be here too."
Harry shrugged and sat down. Ron and Hermione sat down as well.
"There was something you wanted to tell me - wasn't there?" Ron asked.
"Umm, yes. You see..." Hermione looked helplessly at Harry. Then she sighed deeply and told Ron everything as fast as she could, because she was afraid that if she stopped, she might not be able to continue.
Ron felt as if someone had slapped him on the face. When Hermione told him about Draco, he reddened from the anger, but didn't say anything till she was finished.
"I'LL KILL HIM," he whispered, his face almost as red as his hair. "I swear to you, I'll KILL him."
"No - Ron - " said Hermione quickly, in spite of the tears that were threatening to flood her eyes again, "listen - I don't want you to do anything. I don't want you to hurt him. Please, Ron, promise me you won't hurt him."
"Hermione - " Ron got to his feet so fast, Hermione and Harry both flinched. "He dumped you because you got pregnant!"
"I know, Ron, but please, don't hurt him. I know it sounds ridiculous, but - but even though he did it - I still love him. I don't want anything to happen to him. Ron, promise me."
Ron's eyes were filled with fury and stubbornness. Then Harry spoke for the first time:
"Look, Ron, it's her decision."
"But - but - " Ron glared at him, "how can you say that? Hermione's our best friend - and he got her pregnant, blamed her for that and wouldn't even help her!"
"I know, Ron," said Harry quietly, "and if I could, I'd hurt him too, I really would. But Hermione doesn't want me to, and she doesn't want you to either. We have to think about her and not about ourselves, and that's all I have to say."
Ron stared at Hermione and she looked at him back with her eyes filled with tears and plea. Slowly, he sat down again.
"Fine," he said in a voice that didn't sound like his own, "I won't hurt him."
"Thank you, Ron," said Hermione and hugged him tightly.
"When - when's the baby coming?" he asked.
"Around the end of March, I reckon," said Hermione.
"Do you know whether it's a boy or a girl yet?"
"No, but I want to know."
"So why don't you come with me to t. Mungo's tomorrow and ask Mrs. Jones to tell you?" Ron suggested. "It's a very quick check, that's what I've been told, but it takes a lot of experience. You know, I'm now only handling simple injuries and spells. I think I'll be able to more complex stuff next year."
"I can't come tomorrow," said Hermione, "Auror training, did you forget? I'll come this weekend. But anyway, thanks, Ron. I feel a lot better that I told you."
"No problem," Ron smiled.
"Well, I think I'll get going," said Hermione and got to her feet. "'Bye, you two."
"'Bye, Hermione," said Harry and Ron in unison.
"Oh, and Hermione?" cried Ron suddenly.
She turned around.
Ron looked at his best friend's questioning eyes, smiled broadly and said: "Congratulations."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: Thanks for the reviews, guys, they were great. Please keep them up!
It was too much, even for a girl like Hermione who had been through a lot. She needed someone cheerful to go out with that evening, have some fun and forget about her troubles. They would be waiting for her when she comes back. They would not run away, that's for sure!
So she sent owls to Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown. She had never been good friends with them in Hogwarts, but now she felt she needed someone to make her forget, and Parvati and Lavender's cheerfulness and superficiality might help her.
They owled her back, confirming they would come. They set up a meeting in Hogsmeade, in The Three Broomsticks, at 8 o'clock.
Hermione spent an unbelievably boring evening with those two. She thought the evening would never end. But then in finally ended and she felt the heavy worries flooding her all over again.
How will she raise a baby all alone?
Why did Draco do that to her? What had she ever done to hurt him? She didn't want to get pregnant; why could he understand that?
How was she going to tell people? They would all call her "slut" and make fun of her for getting pregnant even before turning 18.
And how would Ron react?
There's no choice but telling him. She would have to tell him eventually, and the sooner - the better.
She knew he would totally freak out when he hears about Draco. Not because of jealousy - he had a girlfriend, Luna Lovegood, but he was very hot- tempered and very protective. She was actually a bit scared to tell him, because even though Draco had broken her heart, she still loved him and didn't want him to get hurt.
But she had to tell. In fact, she wanted to tell him right now, but when she looked at the clock, it was 11:30 P.M. This would have to wait for tomorrow, she thought.
However, she still took a roll of parchment and began to scribble:
--Hey Ron, how are you?
Look, we need to talk. Can I come over tomorrow around 8?
Thanks, Hermione.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ron received the owl the following morning. He was quite surprised and wanted to ask Harry if he knew anything about it, but Harry was still asleep: Auror training only began at 10:00 A.M., while Ron had to be in St. Mungo's at 7:00.
He sighed, got dressed and left.
His day was usual, but his mind was busy with Hermione. Her letter looked pretty rushed, as if she didn't have a lot of time but had to tell him something as quickly as possible. What could it be?
When he got home at 5:00 P.M., Harry was not home yet. Ron sat and counted down the minutes till Hermione showed up.
She showed up at 8:00 exactly, together with Harry. Apparently, they had just finished their daily training. Hermione looked happy to see him: she rushed over to him and hugged him tightly.
"So good to see you, Ron."
"I - I'll leave you two alone," said Harry and made to leave the room.
"No, Harry - stay," said Hermione, "I want you to be here too."
Harry shrugged and sat down. Ron and Hermione sat down as well.
"There was something you wanted to tell me - wasn't there?" Ron asked.
"Umm, yes. You see..." Hermione looked helplessly at Harry. Then she sighed deeply and told Ron everything as fast as she could, because she was afraid that if she stopped, she might not be able to continue.
Ron felt as if someone had slapped him on the face. When Hermione told him about Draco, he reddened from the anger, but didn't say anything till she was finished.
"I'LL KILL HIM," he whispered, his face almost as red as his hair. "I swear to you, I'll KILL him."
"No - Ron - " said Hermione quickly, in spite of the tears that were threatening to flood her eyes again, "listen - I don't want you to do anything. I don't want you to hurt him. Please, Ron, promise me you won't hurt him."
"Hermione - " Ron got to his feet so fast, Hermione and Harry both flinched. "He dumped you because you got pregnant!"
"I know, Ron, but please, don't hurt him. I know it sounds ridiculous, but - but even though he did it - I still love him. I don't want anything to happen to him. Ron, promise me."
Ron's eyes were filled with fury and stubbornness. Then Harry spoke for the first time:
"Look, Ron, it's her decision."
"But - but - " Ron glared at him, "how can you say that? Hermione's our best friend - and he got her pregnant, blamed her for that and wouldn't even help her!"
"I know, Ron," said Harry quietly, "and if I could, I'd hurt him too, I really would. But Hermione doesn't want me to, and she doesn't want you to either. We have to think about her and not about ourselves, and that's all I have to say."
Ron stared at Hermione and she looked at him back with her eyes filled with tears and plea. Slowly, he sat down again.
"Fine," he said in a voice that didn't sound like his own, "I won't hurt him."
"Thank you, Ron," said Hermione and hugged him tightly.
"When - when's the baby coming?" he asked.
"Around the end of March, I reckon," said Hermione.
"Do you know whether it's a boy or a girl yet?"
"No, but I want to know."
"So why don't you come with me to t. Mungo's tomorrow and ask Mrs. Jones to tell you?" Ron suggested. "It's a very quick check, that's what I've been told, but it takes a lot of experience. You know, I'm now only handling simple injuries and spells. I think I'll be able to more complex stuff next year."
"I can't come tomorrow," said Hermione, "Auror training, did you forget? I'll come this weekend. But anyway, thanks, Ron. I feel a lot better that I told you."
"No problem," Ron smiled.
"Well, I think I'll get going," said Hermione and got to her feet. "'Bye, you two."
"'Bye, Hermione," said Harry and Ron in unison.
"Oh, and Hermione?" cried Ron suddenly.
She turned around.
Ron looked at his best friend's questioning eyes, smiled broadly and said: "Congratulations."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: Thanks for the reviews, guys, they were great. Please keep them up!