Chapter 2.
Hermione woke to the man beside her was shaking her arm.
"Sorry love." He said in a broad London accent. "We'll be there in five minutes!...Sorry, I saw your ticket earlier and, well, we're getting off at the same stop."
"Thanks." She smiled at him and straightened herself in her seat. She looked outside, the sun had almost set, it was a nice summers evening. She put on her jacket and sorted her bag as the train pulled to a halt. She got her bags and waited for the man who was beside her to get up, and she followed him off the train. She stepped out. It was only just getting dark, the evening air was cool on her face as she walked away from the small station. She knew where she was going. She hadn't been to the Weasley's new house before, but she knew it immediately, partly because it was the only house for a few miles, partly because Ginny had described it to her, and partly because she...she just knew, as she turned a corner on the road and saw it. The perfect country house, there was a small stream running to her left, with a little stone bridge...and the red postbox on the corner...and the fields that stretched for miles in front of the house...you would hardly believe that they weren't all too far from London, it was so beautiful.
She tugged her suitcase to the front door. Taking a deep breath, she knocked. As she did so, she realised she had no idea what she was going to say...how she was going to say it. After a few seconds, she heard a key turning, unlocking it, and the door opened to reveal him. Harry. His face frozen in shock.
"H..He..Hermione!" He stammered, staring at her in confusion.
"Harry. Can I come in?" She asked in a small voice, all the confidence, all the power she had, ready to be strong...all faded at one look of him. She had fallen for him all over again.
He unfroze and ushered her inside. Inside was just as a Weasley house should be, busy and full of knick-knacks. Although, it wasn't as interesting as The Burrow had been, nor as big, for there were less Weasleys now, all of the children had grown up and had moved on and moved out, but of course, there were still five spare rooms, for when they visited. Harry lead Hermione into a small sitting room. It was quite dark, with just a few lamps on, and a fire burning in the corner. She saw the chair he had undoubtedly been sitting in before she knocked the door, with a book, open at a page roughly halfway through over it's arm. Hermione smiled to herself. She had got him reading, finally....Well, admittedly, it had only been in the year after he had left Hogwarts that he discovered the joy of reading...but better late than never.
"Uh...have a seat." He offered. "Do you want something? Tea?"
"Tea would be good, thanks." She didn't know why, but she was nervous around him, like she hardly knew him. It was in the air...the tension...they both knew they had important matters to discuss, but they both had different ideas as to what these were. Five minutes later, Harry returned with two teas and some biscuits on a tray, which he sat at the coffee table between them.
"So...how's Arthur?" Hermione asked, taking a sip of tea. He still knew exactly how she liked it...well, why wouldn't he? She shook her head, forgetting it had only been a few months since...they had been living together...it had seemed so much longer.
"Um...he...he died, Hermione. He died two days ago."
She gasped. "Wh...what? How?"
"Well...after the first heart attack, he seemed to be recovering well, and he was at home...which was when I came..." He added.
"You never even told me it was a heart attack." Hermione mumbled, staring into the fire.
"I know...and I..."
"Tell me about Arthur first." Hermione said, avoiding talking about their relationship, or about that night.
"Well...turns out he wasn't recovering that well, and he had a second heart attack in the middle of the night. We...we've been sorting out funeral arrangements. Everyone's coming tomorrow. Molly's upstairs asleep."
"Wait a minute..." Hermione started. "I was staying with Ginny and Neville...why did she not tell me....does Ginny not know?"
"We...we couldn't get a hold of her. Molly sent another owl this morning, but Fred and George are going up there to get her tomorrow before they come here. They were up in Glasgow for some...I don't know what it was...some magic thing for muggles they wanted to see....Muggle magic!" He tutted.
They spent the rest of the night talking...just talking. Harry couldn't apologise enough for how he had treated her...but he was upset about Arthur...and he knew that was no excuse. Hermione was aware that he was beginning to take hold of her again...the way he pushed his hand through his hair when he was lost for words...or when he was apologising...
"So...where are we?" Harry asked.
Hermione didn't know what to say, put on the spot like that. She had spent all that time getting over him, but now he was beginning to take hold of her again. She didn't know if she could trust him...if he hadn't trusted her, after he had treated her so badly.
"Why didn't you call? Why didn't you write, Harry?" She asked.
"I'm so, so sorry about that. Things were just hectic here. It doesn't mean I didn't think about you...all the time." He pleaded.
Hermione was tempted to walk into his arms, tempted to stay there forever. She loved him so much...but...she didn't want to be with someone when...when...she sighed deeply and a tear rolled down her cheek.
"Hey, Hermione. Oh...no...no, don't. I'm sorry!" Harry said, trying to hug her, but she batted him away.
"I'm sorry Harry." she said, and she made for the door, dragging her case behind her, ignoring pleas from Harry.
"Hermione! Wait...we can talk..."
"We've talked all night. I have to go, I'm sorry."
"But it's after midnight! Please, just stay here tonight!"
"NO Harry." She said, and walked out, closing the door behind her, leaving Harry standing on the other side, totally dumbstruck.
Hermione leaned against the back of the door and screwed up her eyes. She opened her handbag and pulled out a small white box. She removed the lid slowly and pulled back the thin white paper inside...to reveal a small, silver baby's rattle. Another tear chased down her cheek. That was the whole point, that was why she had gone to see him...to give him that...but she couldn't bring herself to tell him...she couldn't say the words. She stared up at the moon in the sky, partly covered by clouds. "I'm pregnant, Harry!" she whispered to herself.
Hermione woke to the man beside her was shaking her arm.
"Sorry love." He said in a broad London accent. "We'll be there in five minutes!...Sorry, I saw your ticket earlier and, well, we're getting off at the same stop."
"Thanks." She smiled at him and straightened herself in her seat. She looked outside, the sun had almost set, it was a nice summers evening. She put on her jacket and sorted her bag as the train pulled to a halt. She got her bags and waited for the man who was beside her to get up, and she followed him off the train. She stepped out. It was only just getting dark, the evening air was cool on her face as she walked away from the small station. She knew where she was going. She hadn't been to the Weasley's new house before, but she knew it immediately, partly because it was the only house for a few miles, partly because Ginny had described it to her, and partly because she...she just knew, as she turned a corner on the road and saw it. The perfect country house, there was a small stream running to her left, with a little stone bridge...and the red postbox on the corner...and the fields that stretched for miles in front of the house...you would hardly believe that they weren't all too far from London, it was so beautiful.
She tugged her suitcase to the front door. Taking a deep breath, she knocked. As she did so, she realised she had no idea what she was going to say...how she was going to say it. After a few seconds, she heard a key turning, unlocking it, and the door opened to reveal him. Harry. His face frozen in shock.
"H..He..Hermione!" He stammered, staring at her in confusion.
"Harry. Can I come in?" She asked in a small voice, all the confidence, all the power she had, ready to be strong...all faded at one look of him. She had fallen for him all over again.
He unfroze and ushered her inside. Inside was just as a Weasley house should be, busy and full of knick-knacks. Although, it wasn't as interesting as The Burrow had been, nor as big, for there were less Weasleys now, all of the children had grown up and had moved on and moved out, but of course, there were still five spare rooms, for when they visited. Harry lead Hermione into a small sitting room. It was quite dark, with just a few lamps on, and a fire burning in the corner. She saw the chair he had undoubtedly been sitting in before she knocked the door, with a book, open at a page roughly halfway through over it's arm. Hermione smiled to herself. She had got him reading, finally....Well, admittedly, it had only been in the year after he had left Hogwarts that he discovered the joy of reading...but better late than never.
"Uh...have a seat." He offered. "Do you want something? Tea?"
"Tea would be good, thanks." She didn't know why, but she was nervous around him, like she hardly knew him. It was in the air...the tension...they both knew they had important matters to discuss, but they both had different ideas as to what these were. Five minutes later, Harry returned with two teas and some biscuits on a tray, which he sat at the coffee table between them.
"So...how's Arthur?" Hermione asked, taking a sip of tea. He still knew exactly how she liked it...well, why wouldn't he? She shook her head, forgetting it had only been a few months since...they had been living together...it had seemed so much longer.
"Um...he...he died, Hermione. He died two days ago."
She gasped. "Wh...what? How?"
"Well...after the first heart attack, he seemed to be recovering well, and he was at home...which was when I came..." He added.
"You never even told me it was a heart attack." Hermione mumbled, staring into the fire.
"I know...and I..."
"Tell me about Arthur first." Hermione said, avoiding talking about their relationship, or about that night.
"Well...turns out he wasn't recovering that well, and he had a second heart attack in the middle of the night. We...we've been sorting out funeral arrangements. Everyone's coming tomorrow. Molly's upstairs asleep."
"Wait a minute..." Hermione started. "I was staying with Ginny and Neville...why did she not tell me....does Ginny not know?"
"We...we couldn't get a hold of her. Molly sent another owl this morning, but Fred and George are going up there to get her tomorrow before they come here. They were up in Glasgow for some...I don't know what it was...some magic thing for muggles they wanted to see....Muggle magic!" He tutted.
They spent the rest of the night talking...just talking. Harry couldn't apologise enough for how he had treated her...but he was upset about Arthur...and he knew that was no excuse. Hermione was aware that he was beginning to take hold of her again...the way he pushed his hand through his hair when he was lost for words...or when he was apologising...
"So...where are we?" Harry asked.
Hermione didn't know what to say, put on the spot like that. She had spent all that time getting over him, but now he was beginning to take hold of her again. She didn't know if she could trust him...if he hadn't trusted her, after he had treated her so badly.
"Why didn't you call? Why didn't you write, Harry?" She asked.
"I'm so, so sorry about that. Things were just hectic here. It doesn't mean I didn't think about you...all the time." He pleaded.
Hermione was tempted to walk into his arms, tempted to stay there forever. She loved him so much...but...she didn't want to be with someone when...when...she sighed deeply and a tear rolled down her cheek.
"Hey, Hermione. Oh...no...no, don't. I'm sorry!" Harry said, trying to hug her, but she batted him away.
"I'm sorry Harry." she said, and she made for the door, dragging her case behind her, ignoring pleas from Harry.
"Hermione! Wait...we can talk..."
"We've talked all night. I have to go, I'm sorry."
"But it's after midnight! Please, just stay here tonight!"
"NO Harry." She said, and walked out, closing the door behind her, leaving Harry standing on the other side, totally dumbstruck.
Hermione leaned against the back of the door and screwed up her eyes. She opened her handbag and pulled out a small white box. She removed the lid slowly and pulled back the thin white paper inside...to reveal a small, silver baby's rattle. Another tear chased down her cheek. That was the whole point, that was why she had gone to see him...to give him that...but she couldn't bring herself to tell him...she couldn't say the words. She stared up at the moon in the sky, partly covered by clouds. "I'm pregnant, Harry!" she whispered to herself.