**********
The Leaky Cauldron
Harry stared flabbergasted at the brown-haired girl that was his best friend, and at the smaller red-haired beauty next to her, his eyes wide, his jaw slacked, the mug of butterbeer in his right hand completely forgotten.
Had he just heard them right? No, it had to be a mistake. Yes, that's it. Probably they are going on vacation again and they just asked Harry to baby-sit that damn cat. What's the name? Oh, yes. Crookshanks. That little bastard had destroyed half his furniture the last time Harry had taken him in for a weekend.
It was good that he had never gotten around to replace them.
"So," Hermione's voice arose him from sweet memories of flinging whatever he had on his hand at Crookshanks. "So…" Harry repeated, confused. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his arm. Boy, it was hot in here.
"So, what do you say?" Ginny said, the hold she had on Hermione's hand tightening nervously. Harry fought a wave of nausea that made his way up his stomach.
He was sure he had heard them wrong.
Right?
*********
2 Days Ago
Hermione was sitting on the dinner table, a cup of black coffee with no sugar steaming in her hands. She chuckled inwardly as she looked at the person that was walking around the small kitchen, whistling happily while flipping pancakes on the air with ease.
Six years ago, when Hermione was a 7th year student at Hogwarts and the threat of Voldemort was still very real, the entire group of Gryffindor seniors had gone to Hogsmeade for a weekend. One their very first night at the Three Broomsticks, Lavender came up with a very interesting way of passing the time.
"Let's make predictions about what our life is going to be after Hogwarts… and when we see each other 10 years from now, let's see how right we were," she had said happily. Everyone readily agreed.
The usual predictions were made. Everyone said that Harry was going to become either a great Auror or a Professional Quidditch player, that Parvati was going to become a famous seer, and that Hermione was going to become a teacher. But it had been Lavender herself that had made the most startling prediction of the night.
Flipping her hair back and with a tone of mock seriousness, she had said, "And I bet that, 10 years from now, Hermione is going to be married to one of the Weasley's." A collective murmur traveled around the Gryffindors, mainly because Lavender was presently dating Hermione's ex-boyfriend, Ron Weasley.
Hermione just smiled at Lavender, knowing her friend was probably right about that one.
But what Lavender, Harry, Ron or the rest of the Gyfffindors didn't know was who the Weasley in question was.
Hermione stood up from the dining table and silently walked to the kitchen. Sneaking up behind her better half, she wrapped her arms around her lover's waist and hugged tightly, leaving a butterfly kiss on her neck.
"What was that for?" Virginia Weasley moaned as she let go of the frying pan and leaned back, resting her weight on Hermione's body. "That's for being my girl," Hermione whispered huskily, hugging Ginny even tighter.
"Not that I want you to let go, but breakfast is ready," Ginny whispered contently. "I better go eat. I can't afford to be late again," Hermione mumbled back. As usual, her arms refused to let go of Ginny.
This was their morning ritual and the main reason why Hermione Granger, an Auror for the Ministry of Magic, was always late for work under the new Minister of Magic… who just happened to be her father-in-law.
It wasn't until Hermione heard a tapping on the kitchen window that she reluctantly let go of Ginny. Hermione found the brown spotted owl that delivered the Daily Prophet hovering just outside. "Here you go," Hermione said, placing three sickles in the owl's small pouch and gazing absently at the bird as it flew away.
By the time she was unrolling her paper, Ginny was already in the dinning room with breakfast. "Get that cute tush in here!" Ginny called. Hermione chuckled silently, making her way to the dinning room and sitting in front of Ginny.
It was a quiet, uneventful morning in the Granger-Weasley house. They spoke a bit about work, family, Charlie's next-weekend wedding, and Ron and Harry's next Quidditch match. All throughout breakfast Hermione had the uneasy feeling that Ginny wanted to tell her something, but four years of living under the same roof with Virginia Weasley had taught her that Ginny will only speak when she's ready.
"Look. The Weird Sisters are giving a concert next week. Do you want to go?" Hermione asked as she caught the announcement on that morning's Daily Prophet. "Yeah, sure," Ginny said nervously, twirling the fork in her hand like a juggler. Hermione tried to ignore this, suddenly recalling the motive to Ginny's anxiety.
"Do you remember what we talked about last night?" Ginny blurted out before Hermione had a chance to make a beeline for the door and leave for work. Hermione lowered her cup of coffee on the table and carefully swallowed what she had already on her mouth for fear of choking.
Hermione did remember their conversation last night. She was just hoping Ginny would have forgotten it by now.
Hermione looked up at the expectant bright brown eyes of her wife. "Yes, I do," she answered simply. "And… have you thought about it?" Ginny asked, hope filling her lovely face.
Hermione suppressed the impulse to snort. Of course she had thought about it. IT HAD KEPT HER AWAKE ALL NIGHT FOR MERLIN'S SAKE!
"Yes, I have," Hermione answered with as much poise as she could. Ginny, however, looked as if she was about to jump out of her chair.
"And…?" Ginny asked tentatively. Hermione's felt a new surge of love for the other woman as she reached across the table and grabbed Ginny's hand. She sighed, and tried to remember the speech she had prepared last night just in case the subject came up.
"Honey, I know you want this," Hermione started, trying not to lose her nerve when Ginny's eyes watered, "And I want this too. Believe me, I do. But, you know I have a very dangerous job, and I often have to be away from here, and…"
"Mione, if you don't want to do this. That's fine," Ginny said bitterly, taking her hand away from Hermione's. "But don't give me such rubbish excuses! In this life, everything is dangerous! You could die taking a shower, slip and break your neck, for Merlin's sake! But don't give me that bullshit about your work!" Ginny finished, her eyes screaming her disappointment.
"Honey, I want this as much as you do," Hermione said as Ginny wiped the tears from her reddened eyes. "But… I just… Why now? We are still young… there can be time for that. Why the rush?" Hermione asked softly. It was Ginny's hand that found hers this time, and Hermione felt warm when the redhead started tracing circles on her skin with her thumb.
"I think… I think is because something Charlie said. You remember last weekend? When you were helping Mom with the dishes, my brothers and I went to the porch to talk. I think it was Ron that said something like, 'You haven't been with Ea for three months. Why are you marrying her already?' " Ginny started, knowing Hermione was listening carefully.
Ginny continued, "And my brother said, 'Because when I looked into her eyes for the first time, I knew I loved her. And time is the only thing we can never win back. We don't know what might happen to us tomorrow, so we have to live in the present as if each day is going to be the last. And I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with Ea… maybe we will die young… or maybe we will die a hundred years from now… but I don't want any regrets. Life is too short to have any regrets'."
"I guess… I guess that's why I want to try this now… Who knows what may happen tomorrow? I don't want to have any regrets, Mione," Ginny finished, gently taking Hermione's hand between her own and kissing it.
The sadness in Ginny's voice was unbearable to Hermione. What Ginny had just said had left her more than a little breathless. The redhead stood up from the dinning table and started gathering the plates, dropping a kiss in the top of Hermione's head.
"Don't worry about it, hon," Ginny had mumbled, walking toward the kitchen. Hermione looked over her shoulder at the woman fiddling in the kitchen. Ginny was now scratching Crooshanks' ears as the ginger cat meowed contently.
Ginny was beautiful. Ginny was hers. And most of all, Hermione knew that Ginny was right.
"Let's do it," Hermione said tentatively as she stood up. Ginny sighed and forced a smile. "Mione, don't worry about it. We can talk about this later. I'm sorry for pressuring you, honey, but..." Ginny replied, but Hermione quickly interrupted her.
"Love, could you please let me speak!" Hermione said with mocked exasperation. She had a hard time controlling the grin that wanted to spread on her cheeks. She had never been so sure about anything else in her life. "Alright," Ginny mumbled with an amused smile, crossing her hands over her chest as Hermione walked from the dining room and stood in front of her.
Hermione put her hands on Ginny's shoulders and lowered her head a bit, until she was face to face with the smaller woman. "I said, I want to do this. I want US to do this! And Charlie is right. There's no better place than the here and no better time than the now," she said, hoping her voice carried all the things she was feeling now and didn't trust herself to find the words to proclaim.
Ginny's face brightened like dawn in the summertime. "You… mean this! You really mean this!" she squealed, throwing her arms around Hermione and crushing her in a hug. "I do, love! I do!" Hermione replied with a genuine smile as she returned her lover's embrace. Ginny then kissed her with such passion that Hermione thought she was never going to be able to get to work that morning.
When they had parted, Ginny went into full preparation mode. "So, when do we start this?" she quickly asked Hermione. "I… I don't know," Hermione replied. She really hadn't had time to think that far ahead.
"Don't we need to pick up a volunteer? Cause we obviously need help with this," Hermione added quickly. "Oh, so we're using someone we know?" Ginny asked her, a frown creasing between her eyebrows.
"I would prefer that. Don't you? I mean… this is a big thing. I really don't want to trust this to a complete stranger. Do you?" Hermione rationalized. "Well, who do you have in mind?" Ginny replied.
Hermione ran a list of possible candidates thru her head with amazing speed. "What about Ron? Or Fred?" she said. Ginny's face was one of pure disgust. "Oh, right. Forgot they were your brothers. Well… how about Neville?" Hermione continued.
"I really like Neville but… he's not what I had in mind," Ginny said apologetically. "Oh, but I heard Dean is available!" Ginny suggested.
"Dean? Um. I'm not comfortable enough to ask for his help," Hermione said. "Seamus?" Ginny offered. "He's too busy with the new Quidditch World Cup to help us. Hermione was going to suggest Ginny's friend Colin, when the obvious answered pop into her mind as if by magic.
Why hadn't she think of him in the first place? After all, he was her best friend since they were 11. And if there was anyone in the world who Hermione trusted with her own life, and the life of the girl she loved, it was he.
Hermione beamed at Ginny.
"I got it! I know who can help us!"
********
The Leaky Cauldron
Present
"Harry?" Hermione asked worriedly. Harry was as pale as Hermione had ever seen him, and he was now starting to look a little green around the cheeks. She reached across the table with her free hand and grabbed Harry's hand, only to find it unusually cold and so sweaty she fought the urge to wipe it clean on the cuff of his shirt.
"HARRY!" Hermione and Ginny shouted at the same time, getting the attention of a few of the patrons in the inn. Thankfully, they also seemed to raise Harry out of his stupor.
He licked his lips. Why was his mouth so dry? He was on his fourth butterbeer mug of the night. Maybe that's why he was feeling so strange. He may have been good at Quiddich and he may have been the only one who could bring about the dark lord's demise… but Harry Potter sucked at drinking.
"Harry, do you have an answer?" Hermione asked nervously. "An answer to what?" Harry replied, utterly confused. "To our question!" Ginny said, slightly frustrated, her cheeks so red she seemed to be sprouting new freckles right in front of his eyes.
"What was the question again?" Harry asked, adjusting the collar of his shirt. It was definitely hot in here! He would have to complain to Tom about this. What were they trying to do? Kill him?
Hermione looked at Ginny and then again at Harry. Locking her eyes with his, she repeated the question she had hoped he would have already answered.
"Harry, Ginny and I want you to be the father of our baby. What do you think?"
No sooner Hermione finished that sentence that a loud thud reverberated on the inn.
Harry Potter, the famous Boy-Who-Lived, had just fainted.
*************
Well, hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Poor Harry, I feel bad for him. Mayhem and chaos are sure to come next. How can he answer THAT without losing?
Now, lots of thanks to the wonderful reviewers:
Requiem to a Dream: Thanks for dropping me a line. Awesome nick by the way!
LylMistikelf: Hehe glad it is confusing, but don't worry! It will be explained chapter by chapter.
Usha88: Aw, thanks for offering to help! Nice to know there's someone like you out there.
Arwenevenstar88: Hehe I think the title has been explained in this chapter. What you may now ask is who exactly is having whose baby… well, to that I can say… nothing, because that will spoil the surprise! Read on! Btw, I read your profile… KURT COBAIN FOREVER!
If you are interesting in me updating, please R/R!
Peace,
Anasazi
PS. If you are interested in visiting my other stories, here are the URL's:
Caught in a Web:
The Beast Within: