Disclaimer: I do not own any familiar Harry Potter characters.
Brief Summary:
Harry and Hermione are friends and live in the same house while Ron is married to Luna. Both of them are famous in both the wizarding and muggle world. A woman suddenly turns up in their doorstep with a baby telling them that the baby is not safe with her and if the people who are after her find out that the baby was hers, they would kill it. Hermione offers to look after the baby and take care of her child until her name was cleared. In this time, Harry and Hermione get closer ... Will they remain friends posing as a family..or something more? (H/Hr)
Author's Note: I just want to give a big thank you to all those who had reviewed the earlier chapters. I just want to apologize for not posting this chapter sooner. I wasn't feeling the best. PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER.
The Baby
Chapter Three: The Announcement
"Ron?" Hermione asked cautiously, bringing up Harry's white blankets to her chin. Beside her, she could feel Harry stiffen. They both knew how worse Ron's temper could get.
Ron walked to Harry and Hermione, who still weren't moving on the bed, raging. He picked up the magazine Harry put down and held it up angrily, his hand shaking.
"What's this suppose to mean?" he asked it a calm, strained voice. "What is this suppose to mean!"
"Ron, please -" Harry started but was cut short by Ron.
"I thought you trusted me!" Ron shouted, his ears turning redder that Harry had ever seen.
"Ron, we do trust you," Hermione whispered, her eyes very watery. She made a move to stand up but when Ron turned to her, his eyes practically shooting daggers at them, she stayed put.
"Then why didn't you tell me?!" he screamed. He now dropped the magazine and stuck his arms to the side as though to stop himself from hitting something.
"Ron, we didn't tell anyone," Harry said as he stood up and faced his friend face to face. Ron paced the room to stop him from lunging at Harry. It was silent for a few moments except for Ron's ragged breathing.
"I THOUGHT I WAS YOUR FRIEND!" Ron roared as he stopped in front of Harry. "YOU KNOW WHERE I HAD TO FIND OUT ABOUT THIS?"
"Ron -" Hermione sobbed, she now let her tears fall freely on her face.
"I HAD TO FIND OUT FROM THE PITCH'S CARETAKER! I WAS PRACTICING QUIDDITCH OUTSIDE AND I OVERHEARD IT FROM THE PITCH'S CARETAKER!"
"Ron -" Hermione said tried to say.
"DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE TO FEEL WHEN SOMEONE NOT EVEN CLOSE TO YOU KNOW SOMETHING THIS BIG BEFORE ME, YOUR BEST FRIEND?!"
"Ron, listen to us!" Harry shouted. He grabbed Ron by the arms and forced him to look at him. "We've know each other for –what? fifteen years?- half our life! We would trust you with something like this but we reckoned that we just shouldn't tell anyone!" This was partly true.
"Why not?!" Ron asked, trying to calm himself down but was failing.
"Because if we told you, we had to tell everyone else because it just wouldn't be fair," Harry answered quietly.
"You know what, Ron? You're right, I'd be mad too if I was the one kept from this by my best friends," Harry stated. He walked back to Ron. "Hit me," he suddenly said.
"What?!" Ron asked bewildered.
"I said hit me," Harry repeated. "I deserve it."
"No," Ron said despite how much he wanted to actually hit him. "No, Harry."
"Damn it, Ron!" Harry shouted, his patience wearing out. He knew that he shouldn't be acting this way, but he just couldn't control himself. "I deserve it!"
"Harry -"
Harry's anger got the better of him. He walked to the nearest wall and punched it with all his might. There was a sickening crack. Hermione screamed and ran to Harry.
"Harry!" she screamed. "Show it to me!" she said when he refused to let hr see his hand.
The pain was killing him, but he refused to show it in front of Ron. Ron, it seemed, had finally calmed down after that. He was staring at the oak wood floors.
"Just give me sometime," Ron said shaking his head. "I'm just surprised. That's all. I'll -"
"But, Ron!" Harry protested.
"I'll come back in an hour. I should be feeling better by then," Ron continued as though he hadn't heard him.
"Okay, mate," Harry said guiltily. He wanted to tell Ron so much that Angelica wasn't their child, much less, related to them. But he kept his mouth shut, knowing it was not his secret to tell. He knew that it was no one's secret to tell except for Parvati's.
"Oh and by the way," Ron told them as he stopped by the doorframe, "The others are downstairs waiting for you. I asked them this morning if they new about this and they were just as shocked as I was." He suddenly grinned at them and Harry was relieved that the tension had decreased even though it was only the tiniest bit. "No one told Mum yet. We were too afraid she'll explode at us."
"See you later!" he said giving the the smallest smile before he disappeared through doorway.
"Oh, Harry," Hermione said as Ron left. "I just feel awful!"
Harry, too, felt bad. He wasn't use to lying to Ron. He never lied to Ron except at times when he needed to desperately. He knew that this was one of those times, but that didn't help in making him feel better that he was.
"Me, too, Mione," Harry said hugging her. "Me, too."
Hermione smiled at him gently. She could see in his eyes how much it pained him to have to lie to his friend.
"Harry, Ron will come around soon," she said trying to comfort him.
Harry nodded. "Right." He should understand.
"Harry, show me your hand," when he didn't move, she added in more force that she intended, "now."
"No, I'm fine really!" Harry protested, though in truth, it was throbbing. He had forgotten about it, but now that Hermione had reminded him of it, he could feel it again. When he chanced to galnce at it, it was all bloody. The wall, too, had been damaged as well.
"Harry," Hermione said eying him dangerously.
"Okay, okay!"
After a few minutes, Harry's hand was back to normal. He inspected it, as though looking for flaws. He smiled gratefully at Hermione
"We better get down stairs," he said. "Ron said the Weasley's are waiting for us."
"Right. We better change," Hermione said as she indicated to her clothes, which consisted of short shorts and a shirt of Harry's. She had taken it about two days ago when she had ran out of laundry. She completely ignored Harry's suggestions of having a house-elf.
"You know," Harry started thoughtfully, "I've been looking for that shirt!"
Hermione giggled and said, "Well, I ran out of clothes so I took some of yours!"
"Right," he sighed. "We better start moving," he said as he walked over to his closet. He looked back and saw that Hermione did not move and inch. "What?" he asked. "Are you going to watch me change? Honestly, I don't mind."
"Oh ... umm ... right," Hermione said uncomfortably. Harry smiled inwardly at her in amusement. In truth, he did mind. "I'll just go now!" she said as she practically ran out of the room.
Harry watched as Hermione ran out the door. He stared at the spot where she had been for a few minutes and shook himself.
'What was that?' he wondered.
'Well,' said a little voice in his head, 'I'd call that flirting!'
'Me and Hermione?' Harry laughed as he changed. 'Right.'
'I know, I'm always right!'
'Leave me alone!' Harry answered it, in his mind, as he stopped what he was doing.
'How can I? I'm you and you're me.'
"Argh!" He said angrily. He tried to ignore the annoying voice in his head, but was failing.
'You know I'm right!' it said.
He thought about the questions the Weasleys might ask him and, thankfully, it took his mind off what the voice had said.
'Oh, no!' he thought panicking as he hurriedly pulled on his clothes. 'I must have been in here for fifteen minutes!'
Once Harry opened his door, he found Hermione waiting for him, leaning on the wall and still in the clothes she had been in before. Her eyes were no longer puffy and her hair was tied back neatly.
"You take longer in dressing up that me, Harry," she laughed.
"I was preoccupied," Harry defended. Hermione only laughed.
"Of course you were, Mr. Potter," Hermione said. "That'd what they all say."
The voice was back. 'She's flirting with you!'
'No, she's not! Harry said.
'Yes, she is!'
'No!'
'Yes!'
"Will you shut up!" Harry shouted, he did not know that he jad spoken out loud.
"Harry," Hermione said alarmed. "I didn't say anything!"
"Sorry," Harry muttered turning red. He did not want to tell her that he was in a battle with himself in his head. "Why aren't you changed yet?" he asked her trying to change teh subject.
"Oh, umm, you see, I ran out of clothes and since you didn't do the laundry yet, I don't have anymore clean clothes."
Harry sighed. They had jobs in the house. For three days, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, Harry cooked dinner and the other remaining three, Hermione did. On Sundays, they ate at The Burrow. Hermione was no great cook, and she knew it, so they would mostly eat out. Whenever it got more complicated than macaroni and cheese, eggs, and hotdogs, they would most likely turn out burned or over cooked. The people they hired cleaned the house, except for the bedrooms being used, which was Hermione's job.
Harry motioned for her to continue.
"And since, I don't know any spell about that, I don't have anything to wear. So I was wondering if, eh ... er," she stopped and turned red.
"Go on," Harry pushed.
"I was wondering if I could borrow some of your clothes," Hermione finished quickly.
Harry laughed, but tried to stop when Hermione glared at him, her cheeks still blushing. As he nodded, he couldn't stop the chuckling every now and then. He opened his door and entered.
"What do you want to wear?" he asked.
"Anything that'll fit."
Harry searched for clothes that would fit her tiny frame. He had gone through his whole wardrobe, but all he found were his jogging pants and an old shirt that was too small for him. When he showed them to Hermione, she eyed them uncertainly.
"Eh," she said as she saw the shirt. It was black that proclaimed 'Quidditch Star' in gold, curvy letters.
"Nothing here fits you," Harry said. "They're all big, these are my smallest ones." He suddenly grinned, "Of course, if you don't want these, I wouldn't mind you walking around -"
'Flirt!' said the voice. Harry pushed it to the back of his head, not wanting to be embarassed again.
"No, they're fine!" Hermione interrupted before he could finish his sentence. She grabbed them from him.
"Do you mind if I stay?" he asked cheekily. "I mean," he added hurriedly, "it's nothing I haven't seen before."
'You're doing it again,' said the voice in a singsong voice.
This was true. No, they haven't seen each other in the buff, but yes, they had seen each other in their undergarments. They avoided this but, somehow, Harry changed otherwise.
Hermione glared at Harry, looking remarkably like McGonagall that Harry was about to say 'Hermione, stop that! Your face might get stuck and you'll look like McGonagall your whole life' but thought better of it as she was one of Hermione's favorite teachers.
"Fine," Hermione sighed. She took of her shirt and Harry looked elsewhere, feeling his face grow hot, suddenly wishing that he had just left. He knew that she was wearing something under, but he felt as though he was disrespecting her by watching. It shocked them out of their skin when someone barged in the once closed door.
It was Molly Weasley. Her eyes were practically shooting daggers at both of them, a wooden spatula still held tightly in her hand. She was closely followed by Ginny, her red hair flying about.
"Mom!" she said. "You don't know what their do -"
Her eyes widened at the sight before her. Harry couldn't blame her. It must have looked pretty ... er ... unnatural. Harry was sitting on the bed, while Hermione stood before him, her shirt on the floor.
Ginny dragged Molly out of the room despite her protests. Harry groaned and ran a hand through his hair. He always did that whenever he was frustrated.
'Oh, great,' he thought miserably, 'she must have thought we were having sex.'
'You wouldn't mind if you were.'
'Leave me alone!'
'Okay! Okay .... for now.'
He looked at Hermione, who quickly finished dressing up. They both walked to the kitchen without saying a word, knowing that was where the Weasleys were. When he said 'The Weasleys' that meant Ron and his family, Ginny's, Bill and his wofe Fleur, who was due anyday fir their first child, Fred, George and the parents.
Harry took a deep breath and went in with Hermione on his heels. To his surprise he saw Ron carrying his youngest daughter, Christi, on his shoulder. He thought that he wouldn't be back for another hour. When Ron spotted them he grinned, having heard the incident from Ginny.
"Umm," Harry began awkwardly. "We can explain."
"And you better have a good explanation!" Molly Weasley said defiantly.
With that, Harry and Hermione started their explanation, careful to say the same things they had told Ron. After they explained, no one spoke a word. The silence was killing Harry. He glanced at Hermione. She was fidgeting.
"Didn't know you had it in you!" Fred laughed.
"Way to go, mate!" Ron shouted cheerfully.
"Yeah, Harry," George said. "But next time, lock the door! I mean anyone can barge in!"
"Still wearing Harry's clothes, eh?" Fred winked.
Every adult in the laughed as Harry and Hermione turned an interesting shade of red. Ron had tears of mirth in his eyes, Fred and George howled along with Draco and Bill, Ginny and Fleur were chuckling and even Luna was smiling. Mrs. Weasley was smiling slightly, no matter how hard she tried not to.
"I'm so happy for you, you guys," Fleur said once the racket had died down, her hand on her bulging stomache.
"We're sorry for keeping this from you," Hermione said apologetically, her face back to its normal color. "We just wanted to keep Angel safe."
They were chatting when a cry from one of the rooms upstairs interrupted them.
"Angel must have woken up," Hermione stated, growing uncomfortable. The room grew quiet once more. Then, as one, the recipents of it exploded with questions.
"Is it true she looks like you, Harry? Ron only told us this morning!"
"Can I hold her?"
"I feel sorry for her. I mean if she has your hair!"
"A baby! Uncle Harry! A baby!"
"We could baby sit her in the shop, Harry! It's never too late to start!"
"Harry, we're going to have another great Quidditch player!"
"You can bring her to The Burrow!"
"Yes, she does look like Harry. No she doesn't have Harry's hair like Harry's but she does have the color. Yes, Christi, Uncle Harry has a baby. No, thank, Fred. I'm not so sure about that, George. Quidditch is dangerous! And of course, Mrs. Weasley!" Hermione laughed.
"I better get Angelica now," Harry said as he moved to the door.
"Uncle Harry, can I come?! Can I?" Christi asked excitedly.
"Sure, Chris. Come on."
Harry and Christi went up the stairs and went inside Hermione's room. Sure enough, Angelica was crying. Harry picked her and bounced around. He was halfway around the room when he smelled something unpleasant. He stopped and laid her back down again. He peeped through the sides of the diaper and grimaced.
'Must call Hermione,' Harry thought. Just as he opened his mouth to shout her name, he closed it again. 'No!' he thought. 'I have to prove to her that I can do this!'
He took a deep breath and took out a clean diaper. Five agonizing minutes later, Harry entered the kitchen holding Christi's hand with his right and Angelica with the left.
"Oh, isn't she beautiful!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. She rushed forward and took Angelica from Harry's arms. The other women surrounded her, pushing Harry out of the way as they did. The men, however, clapped him on the back.
"Looking good, Harry!"
"Harry?" Hermione suddenly asked from the other group, a note of laughter in her voice. "Did you change Angel's diaper?"
"Yup!" Harry said proudly. He was rather confused when Hermione laughed. "What?"
"It's inverted, Harry!"
"What?" he asked stupidly.
"You put it the other way around. This one should be in the front!"
The women laughed as Harry turned red from embarrassment.
"Oh."
"Men!" they muttered as one.
The guys, who had been laughing at Harry as well, stopped.
"Hey!"
That Afternoon Harry and Hermione sat in front of a dozen reporters and an even larger amount of people waiting to hear what they have to say. The Daily Prophet interview would be starting in just a few minutes. It was the first official interview in the Wizarding World for Angelica.
Hermione scanned through the audience. She was amused to see that most of them were women and were sending her looks of jealousy. The Weasleys were just behind the press, sending smiles their way. Angelica was sitting on her lap, playing with one of her toys.
A few moments later, the interview started.
"Mr. Potter," a man started, holding a quill up as though he planned to throw it at him, "Is it true that this child is yours and Ms. Granger's?"
"Yes," Harry answered.
"What is her full name?"
"Angelica Lily Potter," Hermione replied.
"How do you feel about being a parent?" a dark-haired wizard asked.
"I feel happy that I finally have what I wanted ever since I was young, a family to love," Harry said, a faraway look in his eyes. "But I'm scared too," he added, "that I won't be a good father."
"Why did you keep this?"
"Because," Hermione said, "we didn't want people taking pictures of her when she is being taken out by her nanny," she lied, "and we wanted to protect her from anyone intending to harm her." She looked around. Rita Skeeter was among the crowd.
"Why did you choose now as a time to bring out the secret?"
'Er,' Harry thought. They were asking questions back and forth so he reckoned that he should answer this one. 'Ummm.'
"Because," Harry answered, "someone already found out about her when we went to a Muggle place."
Harry searched throught he crowd before him, sure that Rita Skeeter was there. Unsurprisingly, he saw her wearing a proud smile on her face.
"Do you have any plans of getting married?"
Hermione placed her hand on Harry's knee and leaned her head on her shoulder,wanting to make it look good for the cameras. Just as expected, camera bulbs were flashing everywhere.
"Not of today," Hermione replied.
"When was she born, Mr. Potter?" a blonde witch asked.
"She was born on ... umm ... June 21st this year," he finished uncertainly. Hermione took his hand and squeezed it gently.
"Ms. Granger," Rita said, her eyes glinting, "how did you hide you pregnancy your pregnancy? Surely, someone must have noticed when you went to Muggle premiers? I did some researched on this matter and it stated very clearly that you cannot hide that baby once it begins to show."
The people were muttering amongst themselves. How did she hide it?
Hermione looked around. She didn't know what to say ...
"Ms. Granger?"
Hermione thought of something fast. Anything.
"Well, you see," Hemione started a few seconds later. "My secret is out!" The look on her face was as though she was saying something she didn't wish to. Harry, though, knew that she was just stalling for some time to think. "It is true that you cannot hide the pregnancy once it begins to show, but it is true as well that you can switch on who would be carrying the child," she finished. She was glad that she had came up with an answer to give.
Hermione just said anything. She just wished that this really was possible because when she read about this the last time, she was still in Hogwarts.
"I'm sorry, but that is all for now," Harry said quickly, knowing there might behard questions they might not have answeres to. "It is time."
There was a groan from the crowd as they stood up and left. After a short talk with the Weasleys, they got in the car. There were people surrounding them, taking pictures. Once they were out of sight, Hermione sighed.
"That was close," Hermione said.
"Yeah," Harry agreed. "Very close."
"Harry!" Hermione shrieked suddenly remembering something she knew she should have remembered sooner. "My parents! They don't know about this!"
Harry's jaw dropped. He, too, had forgotten. The last time he had seen her parents, her father looked as though he wanted to strangle him when he kissed Hermione's cheek on her birthday about two years ago. Ever snce, Harry refused to go near her father. Hermione was forced to have to go to two parties whenever there was a traditional occasion.
'Maybe he changed,' Harry thought trying to comfort himself. 'Maybe he's not that protective anymore. After all, Hermione's not his 'little girl' anymore, she's a lot older now.'
He quickly looked at Hermione. She was looking at him, crossed between emotions. She looked as though she wanted to cry, yet she looked like she wanted to laugh too.
'But what would he think if he thought I got his daughter pregnant and not being told about it until the baby's ols enough to talk?' Harry wondered as he parked the car. 'Last time I kissed her cheek on her birthday, he looked as though he wanted to skin me!'
Author's Note: I know that this chapter is not very good. I just wanted to post something as someone had urgently sent me a review asking me to update. I apologise for not updating sooner than ,I too, had hoped. I had just arrived from a long vacation at my aunt's, which was very cold, and am not feeling very well because of the sudden temperature change. I just can't think straight to right a chapter but I hope this one is at least acceptable. I'll review as soon as I feel better. Please continue reviewing, it'll bring a smile to my face.
Next Chapter:
"What do you mean 'daughter'?!"
"Dad, calm down!"
"How do you expect me to calm down when my little girl has a baby and not be married?!"