Chapter Four: The truth about babies and lovers

Hermione had stayed at Harry's for two nights before he decided it was time to talk to her. As she was making her bed, Hermione heard someone stop in the doorway of her room. She turned to see Harry leaning against the wall, looking at her carefully.

She nodded at him and he walked into the room and closed the door behind him. She dropped down on the bed and she grabbed the desk chair and sat down opposite from her.

There was a minute of silence.

"So, should we start with the truth?" Harry offered. Hermione looked up from her feet and her eyes found his.

"I didn't fall down any stairs," she said. He nodded.

"I know. Tell me what did happen," he said, taking her hands in his. She sighed deeply and looked away. She couldn't look at him when she said this. Hermione swallowed.

"Viktor," she stopped and reminded herself to breathe, "Viktor hit me." She could feel tears pushing at her eyelids. Harry whistled quietly.

"Wow. I was expecting something like that but it doesn't mean I was prepared, " he said. She looked down, afraid her face would give away the shame she felt.

"Ok. Is this the first time he has done this?" he asked, choosing his words carefully. Hermione's leg was jiggling nervously.

"No, he...oh God, Harry," she began crying, the tears spilling down her cheeks. Harry rubbed her hands and let her say what she needed to say.

"I just, I don't see how I got myself to believe he wouldn't do it again. It was all the time in the weeks before the wedding. I thought he was just n-n-nervous, you know, letting off some steam. And he always s-said he was s-sorry and I told myself that he l-l-loved me," she explained through the tears.

"He does. But that doesn't mean you should stay with him. He has a problem, Hermione, and he needs help. You need to do what's best for you and the baby," he told her in a firm but friendly manner. She nodded.

"Thanks, Harry," she said. He kissed her forehead and hugged her close to him as she cried into his shoulder.

Hermione stayed home for the rest of the week before she started work again. Before she went back Harry brought her to the apartment to get her stuff and to tell Viktor it was over. She arrived outside the door and sighed.

"Remember that he is very vulnerable right now. But it's ok; I'm here in case he tries anything." Harry assured her. Hermione's hand was halfway to knocking when the door opened.

"Hello, Hermy-o-ninny. Harry," Viktor said. He held back the door for them to walk in. Hermione was silent. Harry nudged her lightly in the back.

"Umm, Viktor, we need to talk, uh, privately. Can we do this in the other room?" she looked at Harry.

"Fine by me. I'll be here if you need me," he looked Viktor in the eye as she said this.

Once in the other room, Hermione sat down on the bed and looked up at Viktor.

"Viktor, you know this can't work anymore. We both know it," he hung his head. "I came by to get my stuff. But I also really want to help you. I don't want to be the bad guy and walk out when you clearly need me. I want to do this as friends but it can never be more than that again," she said. To Hermione's surprise, Viktor nodded his head.

"I haff talked to my agent and my mother. I haff enlisted in some therapy. I am very scared; Hermione and I cannot be staying your friend. I need just me," he said.

"But what about the baby?" Hermione couldn't believe he would just be gone like that when he had a child to look after.

"I vill send money. I am liking to see it when I can," he replied, clearly proud of his solution to the problem.

"Oh no, you will not have anything to do with my daughter if you cannot accept the full responsibility of raising a child. Money does not replace a missing father and she deserves better than that," Hermione stood.

"Daughter?' he put his hand to the little bulge that was developing in her stomach. "You are sure?"

"Yes, the nurse told me. Viktor, we'll discuss this later. I need to get my stuff and go," she said. Hermione snapped her fingers once and all of her stuff packed itself in boxes. Another snap and they disappeared with a crack!

"Good-bye, Viktor," Hermione took one last look at the now much emptier room before leaving with Harry.

Hermione spent the next month balancing work and apartment scouting with Harry. He told her she would in no way be staying by herself until she was in fit condition to live in an apartment with just her and the baby.

However, they both agreed it was a good idea to find an apartment and get it ready so she and the baby could move in as soon as Hermione was capable.

One day during the fifth month, Hermione and Harry found the apartment they had been looking for. It was a price Hermione could just afford on her salary and it had enough room for a baby.

By the seventh month Hermione was on maternity leave. The whole newspaper staff threw her a big baby shower. The other editors had even chipped in to buy her a really nice crib for the baby. She hugged everyone as best she could, she was very large now, and thanked them for the great sendoff. She went outside and grabbed a taxi to the apartment so she could drop off all the toys and everything in the baby's room. Mr. Clark said he would drop off the crib the next day so she didn't have to.

Then Hermione called Harry's house to have him come pick her up. The doctor said that apparating after the fourth month was dangerous and there was no way she could use floo powder!

"Hello," the other person said as they picked up with phone.

"Carrie? Hey, it's me. Is Harry home?" Hermione asked.

"No, sorry. He got called off for an emergency at the ministry. What's up?' Carrie replied.

"I'm at the apartment. I was hoping he could come pick me up. When is he going to be home?" she asked.

"Not until late. I have the evening free, though. I'll pick you up and we'll have dinner and catch a movie. What do you say?" Carrie offered.
"Sounds fun. You know where the apartment is?" Hermione replied.

"Yeah, I'll be there soon," Carrie said.

"Great. I'll see you soon," Hermione hung up the phone. She had gotten to know Carrie a lot better over the last few months and they had actually become quite close. Carrie's mother was a muggle so she had grown up a lot like Hermione. They liked going to movies and watching soap operas together. Hermione was glad she had a girl in the house to talk to.

Harry and Hermione decided that during her time away from work they should get the apartment finished. They started with the painting. Hermione had found some baby-safe paints because the toxins in regular paint would most certainly not be good for a developing and growing baby.

Harry and Hermione laughed and joked as they rolled paint across the walls. Hermione wad reminded of her days at Hogwarts when she and Harry could amuse themselves with silly things when they had free time. She was finally beginning to feel comfortable again.

For the baby's room they decided to paint the walls a pretty green colour Hermione had mixed at the store. The trimming was white and as they were certain the baby would be a witch they stenciled brooms around the doorway. Hermione put a spell on the brooms to make them fly around the frame.

When they finished all the painting they began moving in the furniture. The crib was placed against the far wall of the baby's room, and they thought it best if the changing table was pretty close by. Hermione had been given a giant plush Gryffindor lion for the baby which she put in one of the corners. They set up all the other toys around it to make a play area. Harry pulled in the dresser and set it against the wall. Hermione placed an oval rug with the alphabet in the center of the room and hung the mobile above the crib to finish.

"Right. Now to the rest of the house!" she laughed.

They spent the next few weeks getting the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, living room, and den set up. When they were finished the house looked perfect. Hermione couldn't wait to move in and start her new life with the baby.

"Thank-you, Harry, for everything. She's going to love this," Hermione had already told Harry it was a girl so they could pick out suitable items for her room.

"Well, don't jump the gun, Hermione. We still have a month and a half until you even have the baby. And then remember that I'm staying with you for the first two weeks. I am not letting you do this all by yourself. You'll always have your friends by your side because we love you," he said, kissing her nose.

"I know, I love you guys too."

Hermione spent the next 3 weeks shopping for clothes with Ginny and Carrie, reading baby books and relaxing as she got bigger and bigger.

Around November Hermione decided to visit her parents. During the train ride she thought of how different it might have been if she wasn't having this baby. Ron would have never given her those clothes and maybe she and Viktor would still be together.

No. If it wasn't the shirt it would have been something else, she told herself firmly. It's better this way. You and the baby are safe and that's what's important. Hermione reassured herself before putting her head back to rest for the last hour of her journey.

Hermione parents were waiting for her when the train pulled into the station. She picked up her suitcase and went to meet them.

"Hermione, honey. We are so glad to see you, both of you!" her father said as he hugged her awkwardly.

'Thanks, Dad. I'm happy to see you two as well! I'm glad I got up here to see you before everything got too hectic. How have you been, mum?" she asked as she hugged her mother.

"We've been fine, dear. The car's just over there. We can talk more over tea at home," Mrs. Granger led Hermione to the car.

That night while Hermione settled into her old room, she found a shoebox in the closet. She brought it over to her bed and opened it. The box was full of pictures and objects she'd kept from her years at Hogwarts. She looked through all the photos of her, Harry and Ron. The trio waved merrily at her in the pictures from in front of the castle, next to Hagrid's hut with Fang and through many special events. She pulled out one photograph she had purposely left still. It was her birthday in their seventh year and Harry and Ron had thrown a big party for her. In the picture, Hermione sat between the boys. They were all wearing the funny hats that had fallen out of the pile of crackers that were strewn around them. Hermione held a necklace in her hand that she had just unwrapped from Harry. She was holding it out to Ron asking him to put it on her. Harry was beaming at her. She could remember it so well Hermione's hand unconsciously traveled to her neck. Then she remembered that Viktor had told her she couldn't wear it. That should have been her first sign.

But Hermione was sure...her forehead wrinkled as she dug through the shoebox until she found a velvet box. She slowly opened it and pulled out the necklace. It had a locket in the shape of a heart. Hermione opened the locket to see another picture of her and the boys, smiling their goofy teenage smiles. Hermione mouth turned upwards in imitation. She felt something on the back. When she turned it over she saw he had inscribed a message. It said, 'Friends for life, Love, Harry.' Hermione put on the necklace and picked up the photo again.

"Need a frame for that?" asked a voice from the doorway. Hermione looked up t o see her mom. She had a tray in her hands on top of which sat two mugs of hot chocolate, a picture frame and a book Hermione had never seen before.

"Hi, Mum. How long have you been there?" Hermione asked.

"Long enough to know that you are definitely ready for this," Mrs. Granger replied, setting the tray down on Hermione's bedside table and handing her a mug.

"Ready for what?" said Hermione as she sipped the steaming liquid. Her mom handed her the book. On the front it said, 'Hermione Jane Granger' in beautiful, gold lettering. She opened it to the first page and saw a picture of her mom when she was pregnant with Hermione.

Realization dawned and her. "Is this my baby book?" she asked. Her mother nodded.

"We want you to have it now. Put it in the baby's room so you can show her all your picture's, just like we did with you," she pointed to the book standing on Hermione's top shelf.

"Thanks, I'll do that, mom," she hugged her mother.

"And you treat that baby right. You better make a baby book to give to her because every baby deserves one," her mom said.

They sat there for hours looking at pictures of Hermione when she was little. Hermione showed her mom all the things she couldn't believe she'd kept from all those years at Hogwarts. She smiled and laughed with her mom for the first time in years, glad she had something as great as a baby to bring them closer together again.

ok so there is chapter four...one more chapter which I'm in the porcess of finishing and then we're done so after this I hope you read my other stuff I'm working on!!

reviews are great!!! I love you guys!

Reviewer Comments:

Yaminy-grint4ever: of course she isn't going back to Krum! omg, lol. i hope this chap cleared everything up a bit. vegas?! lucky duck..never been but I will, just wait, lol. keep reading, savvy! lol, i love that!!

p.s. sorry for the crappy thoughts there..i was psychedd cuz it was in italics and then when i changed something itwent back and now it won't italicize, ughhh.

Jes