Chapter 9: Wisdom of the Heart

Disclaimer: Arghhhhh, not again! They aren't mine (unbeliebable but true :p) And I have no sue, so you can't sue! Hehe.

Author's Notes: Debbie, Maru, to all of my fantastic reviewers and to my great beta reader =) Thank you again! And last but not least… cherry blossom! To you too, sweety! ;) Even though I don't know if you read this or not… ;)

M. Ming Kai: Hi there! :) I have no idea wheter Hagrid is going to be here or not… what a question! Now that you say it… well, I'm sure he's going to appear sometime! Oh! Yeah! He is! Just one chap or so, but he will be here. Don't worry! :)

headgirl: I loved your review: 2"Bien!" Lol, I loved it :) If you want to know more about Spanish, let me know :p ;)

Alaskantiger: Hi you! :) Uh… just keep on wondering, 'cause Ron is not going to find out about this… yet :) You'll have to wait, read and see! :p ;)

ronniekins8: Sorry if it's taking me to long to answer your e-mails! But you know… school :p Anyways, Uh, Lockhart was AMAZING, although another one I didn't like was Ron's father. He wasn't interested AT ALL with Harry. I mean, HELLO! HE'S THE BOY WHO LIVED!! TWICE!!!  O_O Chapter 13 for when? Let me know, okay? :)

mini veela: Sorry, but Harry won't tell Ron. I mean, he already promised Hermione he wasn't going to do it!He's not that type of friend, although Ron is going to find out.. uh… in a very interesting way… not saying anymore *grins* Sorry! I'm glad you like my fic! :)

Katie Weasley: Hi there! I agree with you… it must be terrible to be a single mum, but I always said I'd rather be a single mum than a divorced mum, with an awful relationship with my ex-husband, father of my kids. I had friends who's parent's were like that… and the kids suffer a lot. Seriously. Oh, and by the way, Ron IS gonna find out :) Don't worry :) And as you said, he must be really dumb if he doesn't notice that his ex has a baby that is the same age and was concieved around the same time they broke up! But being Ron we know he is able to NOT to realize ;)

Potty For Potter: I loved the sentence "tu madre esta loco" although I should make just one small correction. It's loca, not loco. Because in spanish, we are not like in english, in spanish all of the feminine things, like mother, daughter, etc, when you wish to say something about them, when it's feminine you put an "A" on the ending. So its: "Tu madre esta LOCA" and if it's a male thing, then with an "O"… most of times. I think there may be some exception, but can't think of it now. Too tired :p Anyways, enjoy this chapter! :)

JeRu: Felicitaciones! Sos my reviewer número 100! :) De donde sos? Muchas gracias por tu review en castellano :) Aunque yo en ningún momento quize poner a Ron como el malo de la pelicula, solo que él se mando una cagada, y si a mi me pasara eso, tambien me sentiría asi. No es que odio a Ron ni nada, pq el es de mis personajes favoritos! Antes muerta! No soy tan mala...todavia ;) Noo, hablando en serio, perdon si di a entender que Ron era un ser asqueroso, diablo y todo eso, no era mi intencion :) Igual me alegra que te guste la historia, y sentite libre de seguir revieweando en castellano! :) Congrats again for being my 100th reviewer! :)

Mijuju: You'll find out next chapter whether it's a boy or a girl… what do you think? :) ^_^ (love that face! It's so cute!!! ;))

* * * * * *

Dear Ron,

I'm glad you arrived in Australia without a problem. And I'm glad that you like it, or at least the bit you know. Do you have a new apartment? What are you going to do?

So, it's a nice team that you're playing on? Well, I'm glad, because you can't be playing for something you don't like.

Here things are mostly the same, but a bit stranger. Quidditch Practice is not the same without you. We all miss you a lot, it's strange not to have you around, telling jokes, laughing, everything. Journalists keep coming to the practice to see how we are doing. I know you already know about your replacement. William is doing a great job. He still couldn't believe his luck. He told me he hated to be sitting on his broom, waiting for our coach to make a change so that he would finally play, but he never did! I'm happy for him, he's living his dream. Do you remember when we always said that we were going to live OUR dream? Strange, huh? I don't know if this is the life I dreamt of, I never had a family model, but this is certainly the life I want, and the life I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

The Burrow is pretty much the same. Your mum is dying to get news from you, you better write her soon, she can't wait to hear from you. Your father too. Your brothers are fine, with their pranks shop. Sirius has become addicted to their shop! It's amazing, he can spend hours in there!

Ginny and I are fine, working, but good. She misses you a lot, but apart from that she's doing well. And well… Hermione… Hermione is… fine. She's fine.

It's been two weeks since you left and it's amazing the difference with everything. We miss you so much already, Ron!

I hope you find a good apartment soon enough, and don't forget to write to your parents, and Gin. She would love to get an owl from you. Have to go now.

Goodbye pal,

Harry

* * * * * *

Hermione woke up with a start. She looked around the room. The darkness surrounded her. She reached for the lamp on her night table and turned it on. Hermione breathed relieved. She hated darkness.

What time is it? She thought. She looked at the clock on her night table. 3:38 AM Too early. Way too early. Before Hermione could go back to sleep, she felt nauseous. She got up from her bed quickly and ran to the bathroom, to throw up. Hermione sat on the floor of the cold bathroom. She put her arms around her legs, and then started gazing at the wall.

So much was going to change. In two weeks her life had changed in a way she never thought it could. 

In two weeks she had: broken up with her boyfriend and he had moved away to Australia, she had found out she was pregnant, had told Harry and Ginny about it, Ron had officially signed in with the Australia team and held a press conference. Today, Monday, she was going to go back to work, and was deciding how to tell her partners about her pregnancy. But, the worst was yet to come. She still had to tell Molly and Arthur about her pregnancy. She didn't care about her parents. Voldemort had killed them three years ago, after she had started working as an auror. If her parents were alive, she knew they would support her with everything, but with Molly and Arthur wasn't the same. She was afraid of the way they would react. What if they got mad at her because she didn't tell Ron? She had to tell them the reasons of her breaking up with Ron… but how? It was a difficult decision to make, and she needed to think about it a lot. But not now. Not when it was almost 4 AM in the morning and she had to wake up again in three hours, so that she would be at the office by 8 AM.

Hermione got up, brushed her teeth, and then walked back to her room. She saw a picture of her and Ron on her night table. Hermione looked at the picture for a few moments, then grabbed it, got into her bed, and put the picture next to her heart. Then she fell asleep.

* * * * * *

Hello Harry!

How are you doing? I'm fine, extremely tired though. I just came back from my first Quidditch Practice, and it was amazing. You have no idea how these guys play! Whoa!! I mean, they are really good, they play strange, but they are really good! I'm so tired!

Luckily, the team gave me another warm welcome. I like everyone. The seeker is a woman (Gin would love to hear that! Now she can't say that the women who play Quidditch have the secandary roles! I wonder where did she get those feminist ideas… Oh well, never mind!). The beaters are really nice! The two other chasers, one is a woman, and the other a man, and the keeper is a young boy who reminds me of Wood. Don't know why.

They have another way of playing, it's strange, and it's tiring. But the team told me that once I get used to it, it's nothing. It seams that having a hard Quidditch strategy is an international law! ;)

I'm glad you like the life you are living now. I would kill you if you didn't! I guess that you remember that Ginny has 6 brothers, and if you ever do something to her…

Tell my mum that I already wrote to her. I just hope she has recieved the letter. Sometimes Pig gets crazy and decides to go on a trip and rather then deliver his letter. Bloody Owl! But he seams really happy when I tell him to deliver a letter to you. Wonder why. Strange Owl.

I've already found an apartment. It's really nice and it has two rooms, a wonderful view to the centre of Sydney and it's big enough for me. I like it. It makes me feel at home. Luckily.

How's training going?

Love,

Ron

(A/N: The 'love' thing doesn't make Ron gay!)

* * * * * *

That day went fine, Hermione thought as she started cooking spaghetti. She had told Sirius, Draco, and Remus about her pregnancy and they were OK about it. They told her that it was fine and that they were there if she needed help. She smiled at this. She couldn't have asked for better partners.  But now, she thought of something. She had to tell the Weasleys. It was going to be hard, but she knew she could do it, and the best way to do it was to have them over for dinner.  Tomorrow, after all, she had nothing to do. Hermione went to her spare room, which she had turned into her office, and grabbed from one of the drawers of her desk a sheet of paper and her quill, then started writing a short but precise letter to Molly and Arthur.

She sent it with her owl, Lucky, and she received an answer an hour later. Molly and Arthur were going to come tomorrow to have dinner with her. They were intrigued, by the thing she had to tell them.

Hermione laid the book in her night table. What was she going to tell them? How was she going to tell them? Were they going to be OK with it? Oh goodness… She thought.

* * * *

The next day passed quickly and Hermione was getting more and more nervous. It was eight o'clock. In one hour Arthur and Molly were supposed to arrive, and she was supposed to tell them that they were going to be grandparents. She couldn't be more nervous!

She checked herself in the mirror of her bedroom. She looked good. Or at least that's what she thought. She was wearing black heels, a black Armani pant suit, and a white shirt. Her hair was kind of curly and little pieces hung down in layers on her face.

After that she went and checked the food. She was making fried chicken with French fries, one of her favourite dishes. After she checked the food (which was ready, only waiting to be served) she checked her home. Everything was tidy and the table was ready. It was ready for three people, two of them sitting next to each other, and the other one (her) in front of them.

As nothing else could be done, Hermione went to the couch and kept on reading one of her favourite books, "The Three Musketeers". At 9 o'clock the fire from her fireplace turned green, and then, seconds later, Arthur and Molly Weasley came out of it, she looked upset and Arthur looked sorry.

"Molly, dear, I've already told you… no one is going to touch that car! Not even me… it's just that you know how much I love muggle things…"

"I know Arthur, and I also know that that bloody thing is not going to stay there! You know you are not supposed to bewitch muggle objects…"

"Oh Molly…you kn- Oh! Hello Hermione, we didn't see you there!" Arthur said as he saw Hermione sitting on her couch, with a smile playing on her lips.

"Oh Hermione dear!" Molly exclaimed, and then hugged her. "I'm so sorry about what you heard... It's just that Arthur has gotten –I don't even want to know how- a new car, and he already bewitched it! He doesn't seam to remember what happened with the Ford Anglia…" She gave her husband a serious look, and Hermione smiled.

"That's all right. Come in, please! Food is ready, and it's getting cold"

"Oh, we are so sorry!"

"It's OK. But sit down"

"Oh no, no, no," Molly said going to the kitchen with Hermione, while Arthur took off his cloak. "Let me help you…"

"No, Molly, go and sit, you look tired.. besides you don't need to help me! I'm fine…"

"No, no," Molly said stubbornly. "Let me help you… here." she grabbed the bowl with the fried chicken and smelled it. "Oh, this looks delicious… Quite a smell too! What is it?"

"Fried chicken," Hermione answered sitting in front of Arthur and Molly's places. "I'm sure you will like it. And those are French fries. Or fried potatos, as you like it. They are classical muggle food, I'm sure you are going to love it"

"Tis ur kite tasfll," Arthur said as he ate a French fry.

"Arthur!" Molly told him, he only shrugged, making Hermione laugh as she served them the food. They both loved the food.

"So, dear, tell us, what is that important thing you wanted to tell us?"

This is it. This was the moment. She had to tell them. There was no turning back.

"Well…" Hermione said and put down her glass of water. "I… I don't know how to start this" she giggled nervously. "The thing is that… um… well… I… I'm pregnant"

Arthur and Molly froze, and Hermione could have laughed if this hadn't been such a serious moment of her life, and important as well.

"You… you are what?" Arthur asked.

"Are you sure?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes… um… I'm almost two months pregnant…"

Silence for some seconds, then Molly said shocked. "But… almost two months… then… then… the baby… Ron's… it's Ron's baby, isn't it?"

Hermione nodded. She felt how tears were starting to form in her eyes. "I'm sorry I'm telling you this like this… but… I… I'm really nervous…"

"But… how?"

"I… don't know.."

"And what are you going to do?" Molly asked, she was calmer now.

"Is it Ron's baby, right?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes… but… I don't know what to do. I mean, I KNOW what to do, but I don't know if you are going to be OK with it… but I think that you should know everything…"

"What do you mean everything, Hermione?"

She felt sick.

"The reasons of why Ron and I broke up"

"What reasons?"

"Are there ANY reasons?" Arthur asked. Molly gave him a dirty look, like saying "Of course, you dumbass, do you think they broke up for fun?!"

Hermione nodded. "Yes."

"Tell us, dear," Molly said making a small smile.

For one moment Hermione felt doubt. What was she going to tell them? Your son slept with another woman? That sounded so rude! And she couldn't tell them like that!

"Well, do you remember that there has been a charity party… a few weeks ago?"

They nodded.

"Well, I had to go to work, because of Peter Pettigrew, you know? Sirius and Remus had to do the job that day, and I had to go there."

"And what about the people you are in charge of?" Arthur asked curiously.

"Sirius wanted to take care of Peter, and Remus couldn't leave them alone. Peter is just to dangerous... and Sirius as well. Well, the thing was that Remus was still weak, because of the full moon, so they called and asked me to go and help them. So, of course, I went. I left Ron there… and apparently, Parvati Patil, well, they ended up in bed together…"

"They what?!"

"What… what?!"

Hermione didn't say anything. She just couldn't say anything. What was she supposed to say? I'm sorry? Of course she was sorry! But no, she couldn't tell them that.

"Oh god Hermione…" was all that Arthur managed to say.

Hermione looked to the floor.

"And then what?" Molly asked still shocked.

"And then… well, I saw them, and… well… we broke up"

Silence again.

"I'm so sorry," Arthur said.

"Don't be. There was nothing else we could do. I couldn't forgive him. I still can't. And before you ask… well, I can't tell him about my baby. If I tell him, that would mean he would want to come back, and I can't have a relationship with him only because of the baby. Besides, he just went to Australia, I can't make him come back… and somehow…  I don't know, but I just can't tell him. I'm not going to tell him."

"We respect your desi…" Arthur started to say, but was cut off by Molly, who jumped up, angrily, and said almost yelling:

"How come you will NOT tell HIM. HE'S the FATHER, he NEEDS to KNOW!!!"

"Molly…"

"Hermione, I NEVER thought you could be so… INSENSITIVE! Ron is the father of the baby!"

Somehow Hermione knew she would react like this.

"Molly, calm down, please," Arthur said calm. This made his wife only more angry.

"DO YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN? ARTHUR THIS IS RIDICULOUS!"

"Molly…" Hermione said low

"Molly, it is not. Please calm down," Arthur insisted. He got up and grabbed is wife by her right arm. She gave him another dirty look, but sat down in the chair.

"It's not fair!" she said "Ron deserves to know!" she said sobbing. Hermione got up from her chair, and went to where Molly was (Arthur was trying to calm her down) and kneeled.

"Molly, please calm down… Molly… please… look at me… Molly, look at me…" Molly looked at Hermione. "What would you have done? I know I may be selfish, but I think that it's unfair for my baby, your grandson or granddaughter, to have parents who don't have a good relationship. I know that I'm getting into something really… hard, and I know I'm going to need help. My parents aren't here, you know that, and I was hoping I could count on you…," she grabbed Molly's hand. "I know that maybe I'm not making the best choice, but is the only one I can make right now. I can't tell Ron. I just can't. We both need some time alone. Maybe when the moment comes, I'll tell him, but I don't know if that moment is tomorrow or in two years. What I do know is that right now, I can't tell him, because that would force him to do something that maybe he's not ready to do. And that would force us to pretend we are something that we aren't. Please, think if you were in my position. What would you have done?" Molly said nothing. She would have done the same Hermione was doing now. "Molly, Ginny understood me, and she isn't pregnant or has kids. Will you be able to understand me, having kids? Would you understand me as a mother?"

Molly was quiet for some minutes, while Arthur left the room.

"Hermione," she finally said. "You have to understand that as a mother, Ron's mother, this is a hard decision…"

"My decision was hard as well, and I'm the one with the problem here."

"Both decisions are hard, Hermione, each one is different, and as they are different, they can't be compared."

Hermione had to accept that Molly was right.

They were silent again for a few minutes.

"Hermione, you have to understand that this is hard. I see your point of view, and I know that if I were in your position I would do the same. I… I didn't know that Ron had cheated on you, and you are in your right to make a decision. But make that decision be worth it. You have to be sure…"

"I am."

"Then if you are sure, there's only one thing I have left to tell you."

"What is it Molly?"

"You have Arthur's support. I know it," Molly said "And you have also mine."

* * * * * *

Yeah! Finished chapter 9! I'm soo happy! Did you like it? Well, next chapter is going to go a little further in the story ^_^  Oh! And if you have any question to make, feel free to ask, I will answer it, as long as it doesn't reveal much of the future plot… ;)
kissex!
ML