One Night Stand
One night of pleasure can lead to a lifetime of pain.
One night of lust can lead to a lifetime of love.
Disclaimer Blah, blah, blah. I don't own Harry Potter.
Author's Note Didn't get this up by the 1st of January. I never said I was a saint.
Chapter 9: Harry and Ginny
Once again, I found myself in the clothes shop with Ginny. This really was a dreaded, yet necessary, task. My clothes were much too small, and I needed something cooler for the summer weather. Even though I needed the clothes, I hated being there. I thought that everyone's eyes were on me while I shopped, and that made me uncomfortable. It didn't help that Ginny had strayed to the infant section and was holding up different outfits every five seconds and shouting, "Look, Hermione, isn't this adorable?" Since we were a good bit apart, everyone around us looked up to see what all the commotion was about. My face would flush and I would simply nod. I couldn't ignore her. She would continue to shout until I acknowledged her, so it was best to answer her as quick as I could.
"Hermione, you don't have any clothes yet," Ginny observed, making her way toward me.
"What are you talking about? Do you see all these I'm holding?"
"No, no, no." She sighed dramatically. "For the baby." And, with that, she pulled her hands from behind her back, each holding up a different outfit. One, held up by her right hand, was a simple, though precious, pink dress. In her left there was a dark blue pair of shorts with a matching shirt. "They're so cute."
"But, Ginny," I protested. "I don't even know the baby's gender yet."
"I know that. That's why you buy both and take the other back."
"You know what I'm having," I stated.
"I know that! But, if I were to bring back just one, you'd know."
"So you already know which one we'll have to return?"
"Yep."
I sighed. She was right. I had absolutely no clothes for the baby. In fact, I had nothing for the baby. Mrs. Weasley had offered us a crib, highchair, and changing table she still had from her own children. I was all set to accepted her generous offer, when Ron heard about it, and, like always, his pride got the best of him. He told me he just didn't want his child to have hand-me-downs, and although I knew that was one of his reasons, I also knew that he didn't want the charity. Even from his own mother. He wanted to pay for everything and be a good father. This pride landed him a job at Fred and George's shop, with eight hour work days, and two older brothers there to constantly tease him. It surprised me that he took the job, and I was very flattered that he loved me so much.
"Alright," I sighed, giving in. "But, we can't put the baby in that right away. He or she will need those sleeper outfits first."
"Ok, I'll go grab some of those and we're out of here," she said, rushing off. I watched her go, and wondered why I didn't have as much enthusiasm as she did. After all, it's my baby, not hers, I reminded myself. I blamed it on the lingering thought of what could go wrong. Shaking the thought from my head, I followed Ginny, wanting to get back to the Burrow as soon as possible. My feet were killing me and I was awfully tired. I wanted to go home, climb into bed, and sleep til dinner.
My nap was short-lived. No sooner had I laid my head down on the pillow, I was up again, with a terrible pain in my chest. Immediately, I knew what it was. Mrs. Weasley had told me to expect this. Heartburn. I quickly sat up, wanting a glass of water. I made my way to the bathroom first. After washing my hands, I proceeded to the kitchen. Pushing open the door, I saw Harry, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley sitting at the table.
"Well, hello, Hermione. Up so soon?"
"Couldn't sleep. Would you mind making me some of that heartburn potion?"
"Not at all, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, beaming. "Just sit down and I'll have it in a minute or so."
"Thank you," I replied, taking her discarded chair.
"Hermione," Ginny said, handing me an envelope. "It's your N.E.W.T. results."
"Really?" I asked. "Why are we getting them so early?"
"Most jobs require your scores," Mrs. Weasley said.
"I see." I looked down at the envelope, noticing my hands were shaking. I feared I didn't do so well on them, with all the pressure of the pregnancy and the war. Oddly enough, I thought I did the best on my Arthimancy exam, and that one was interrupted when the school was attacked.
Slowly, I opened it, and pulled out the parchment. Ginny and Harry had their eyes fixed on my face, waiting for my expression. Mrs. Weasley would glance at me, and then at the cauldron and back at me again. I was nervous, but I told myself to hurry and I finally got the parchment completely unfolded. I skipped up the first couple of paragraphs and my eyes traveled instantly to the scores. I held my breath the entire time, and let it out again after I read my last score.
"Well?" Ginny inquired.
"All O's and E's."
"Hermione!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, flinging the spoon. "That's wonderful!"
"Thank you," I said, looking at Harry. He still hadn't spoken, but I saw the happiness in his eyes. "Did you get yours, Harry?"
"Yes," Ginny said, answering for him. "Two O's, two A's and the rest E's."
"That's great," I said, and I was shocked when Harry nodded. Ginny beamed and squeezed his hand tightly.
"Ron should be home shortly," Mrs. Weasley informed us, checking the clock. Ron's hand was steadily moving toward 'home' and a second later, there was a pop.
"Hullo," he said, practically sinking into a chair.
"N.E.W.T. scores," Ginny said, in way of greeting, as she shoved the envelope in Ron's hands.
"Oh, great," Ron mumbled, although he looked quite nervous. His hands were slightly shaking, and once again, I held my breath. If his scores weren't to his liking, he would be very disappointed. "Hmm.." he said thoughtfully.
"What's wrong?" Mrs. Weasley said, worry apparent in her voice.
Ron's face was expressionless. Finally he looked up and smiled. "Two O's, two A's,a P in Divination,and E's for everything else."
"Oh, Ron," I said, throwing my arms around him. "You did it! I knew you could."
"My little Ronnikins," Mrs. Weasley sobbed, coming to the table. She sat down the cup of potion, and hugged her son. I watched, content, as I drunk the potion. The indigestion quickly left my body, and I stood. Harry, too, had left his seat, and had his arms around Ron. Ron didn't look at all uncomfortable; he was returning the hug. Twenty seconds later, Harry pulled away, and I noticed tears in his eyes. Complete silence, and then:
"We did it, Ron, we did it."
I felt a tear roll down my cheek as Ron hugged Harry again. Ron pulled me in, and then Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley came next. When we pulled apart and stepped back, we were all crying. It didn't last long, and soon the Weasley kitchen was filled with laughter and conversation, just like it should be.
Two weeks later, I couldn't sleep. It wasn't even five in the morning yet. I yawned, knowing I was tried, but I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I took a seat at Ginny's desk, and sat there, staring off into space for several minutes. When I collected my thoughts, I took a few pieces of parchment from one of the drawers, a quill, and an ink pot. 'Dear Mom and Dad,' was as far as I got before I stopped. Did I know what I was doing? I hadn't been in touch with them for months, and here I was, trying to write them a letter like nothing had happened. But, so much had happened, and I longed to tell them about it. I started again, stopped, and read over what I wrote. And, then I balled it up and threw it in the waste paper basket.
Thirty minutes and fourteen crumpled letters later, I found myself back where I had started. The first line I had no problem with. Anything after that, and before 'Love from, Hermione' was impossible. The tip of my quill connected with the parchment, and remained solitary. I held it there, not knowing what to write. 'Dear Mom and Dad, I know you don't want anything to do with me, but...' just wasn't right. I groaned, threw down the quill, and hit my head on the desk.
"Mione?" Ron asked, groggily from the bed. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing," I mumbled, gently hitting my head over and over again.
Ron sighed and I heard the bedsprings constrict as he sat up. I lifted my head and turned to face him. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, searching the floor for his discarded shirt.
"It's in the hamper," I stated, watching his confusion.
"What's it doing there?" he said, standing to retrieve a new one from the dresser.
"I put it there."
"Really?" I turned my back on his sarcasm. "What are you doing up so early, anyway? And, what are you doing?"
"I couldn't sleep."
"I know that now, but what are you doing?"
"Nothing," I said hesitantly, quickly moving the chair in front of the waste basket. He eyed me suspiciously. "Ok, ok, I was writing a letter." His suspicion turned to expectation. "A letter to my parents," I said quietly, defeated.
"And why in the bloody hell would you do that?" Over the years, I had begun to notice just how quickly Ron's tone of voice changed. He could go from happiness to annoyance in a matter of seconds.
"I don't know, Ron," I said, looking into his eyes. "Maybe because they're my parents."
"Yes, but, Hermione, lemme remind you. They disowned you!"
"And?! You don't think I know that? I'm not exactly stupid!" I shouted. I tried to keep my voice as low as possible, but once again, Ron's own temper was affecting mine. "If your parents disowned you, don't try and tell me you wouldn't still want to talk to them. Still have some sort of connection to them. They're are your family!"
"When your parents sent that letter, they decided not to be your family! When they sent that letter, Mione, they made the choice not to be apart of your life. They made the choice to lose their daughter." Ron paused, and took a step closer to me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "It's not your fault that they don't want you in their lives. You shouldn't feel guilty about that. They should. And, you're right, Mione, if my parents disowned me, I'd still want to talk to them. But, the fact of the matter is, they didn't, and they are my family. They're my family, and they're yours."
I nodded and laid my head on his stomach. Ron put his arms around me and held me close as I cried. I was crying for so many reasons, that if someone were to ask me why exactly I was crying, I wouldn't be able to tell them. I cried because of my parents not caring. I cried because Mr. and Mrs. Weasley did. I cried because I didn't have a family, but yet I did. I cried because Ron was so insightful. I cried for my unborn child, vowing that he or she would never go through this. Ron and I would be there for it, no matter the circumstances. When my crying stopped, I stood, and Ron and I made our way back to the bed. And, he held me close while I slept, a content smile playing on my lips.
"Could you pass me the butter, Harry?"
Harry looked up from his bacon, nodded, and handed me the butter dish. Harry still hadn't completely returned to his old self since that day when we received our N.E.W.T. scores, but he was no longer a vegetable. Though, he spoke only when he needed to say something. He hadn't held any sort of real conversation, but we were happy with his progress all the same. He returned to his breakfast as I buttered my toast and listened to Ginny and Mrs. Weasley's argument over what color the baby's room should be.
"Yellow," Mrs. Weasley said firmly. "It's one of the few unisex colors."
"What about light green? It could reflect both a boy and a girl."
"But yellow works better," insisted Mrs. Weasley. She saw I was watching and added, "Don't you think, dear?"
"I--um--"
"Actually, we were just thinking of going with white until the baby was born, and then paint the baby's room either pink or blue," Ron said, matter-of-factly.
"We were?" I asked.
"Yes."
"But, the paint fumes aren't good for the baby, Ronald," Mrs. Weasley stated.
"I know that! But, I've been doing some research. The baby usually spends one to two days at the hospital. Immediately after the baby is born, Fred and George are coming over to do the painting. And, then a simple drying spell ensures fast drying. Fred and George reassemble all the furniture, and then with the fresh air charm, the baby is good to come home as soon as possible."
"My, you have put a lot of thought into this, haven't you?" Mrs. Weasley said.
"And, why wouldn't I?" Ron said proudly. "I am going to be the Daddy of a itsy bitsy baby," he said, his fingers playing across my stomach. I snorted and Harry almost sprayed his coffee all over Ginny before bursting with laughter. Ron looked up from my stomach, his ears red, frowning at Harry. "That was not funny, Potter," he said through his teeth, which only caused Harry to laugh harder and for me to snort again. Ginny and Mrs. Weasley joined in, and finally the laughter died down when Ron started whispering to my stomach about how sorry he was that it would be born into a family filled with nuts. Mrs. Weasley hit him on the head and ordered us all out of the kitchen as she started to clear the table.
Harry and Ron said something about going out, and me and Ginny made our way outside. We walked in silence until we found a clearing in the woods. There were several clearings in the woods around the Burrow, but this one, Ginny and I were sure, no one knew of. It was small, and very hard to come by, but we liked that. We knew we could come here and talk whenever we needed, and no one would find us. We had put in a bench and we both took a sit, looking out over the creek.
"Hermione?"
"Yeah?"
"When did you first find out you were pregnant?" Ginny asked, staring at her feet.
"About a month after Ron and I..." I trailed off. "Why?" Ginny didn't answer for several seconds.
"Just wondering." She was silent again, as she watched her feet swinging back and forth. I, too, watched the motion they made. She was hiding something.
"Ginny?"
"Uh-huh?"
"What's the real reason you asked me that?"
"I told you. I was just trying to make conversation."
"Ginny," I said.
"A couple of weeks ago, that day Harry finally spoke, to be exact, we--we," and then she trailed off.
"You what?" I asked. And, then it hit me. "You didn't!" I exclaimed, a little too loudly. She looked ashamed at my words. "Oh, Ginny. You didn't miss you period did you?"
"No, not yet," she replied quietly. "It's due any day now."
"Oh, Ginny," I repeated, putting my arms around her. I heard her sob. "You're not pregnant," I whispered. "It was only the first time."
"But," she said through tears, "you did." I didn't answer.
"Did you-- Well, did you use protection?" I finally asked.
"Yes," she whimpered. "I'm still scared. What if I am pregnant? I know Mum is real supportive of you and Ron, but I am her only daughter. What if she does what you--" she stopped abruptly.
I took a deep breath. "Ginny, God forbid if you are pregnant, which I highly doubt, I'll stand by your side."
"What about Ron? What if he murders Harry?"
"If he does," I said with a smile, "I'll castrate him."
"Good," Ginny said, softly laughing through her tears.
Ginny and I spent the next hour just sitting and talking. We talked about her upcoming year at Hogwarts and when Ginny said she would drop out if she was pregnant, I forbid her to talk about it any longer. I made her concentrate on what she would do when she graduated from Hogwarts. She said she didn't know, but she was interested in teaching. Maybe teaching Charms or Transfiguration. And, if she wasn't able to work with Hogwarts students, she wanted to work with the younger children, the ones just discovering their magic. When she asked me what I was going to do, I was stumped.
Before I was got pregnant, I thought of being a Healer. Medicine had always been a point of interest, my parents being dentists and all. Before Hogwarts, I wanted to be a Pediatrician. But, now, I didn't think I would do anything. At least not for awhile. I should stay home with the baby. Maybe go for extra schooling later on in life. I told Ginny so, and she immediately starting rambling off about how I couldn't do that.
"Mione, Mum would be more than happy to watch the baby while you went to school. She wanted to help with Hannah, but Abigail had already enrolled her in a day care program. And, Cade, too, but Mackenzie only works three days a week, and when she is at work, Fred takes the day off. Mum's only babysat him three times since he was born. So, Mum watching your baby is the perfect solution. And, you know once you become a stay at home Mum, you won't go back to school. You can't throw away your education like that."
"You were going to," I said pointedly.
"Yes, but I will never be as bright as you are."
"Don't say that Ginny. I may have been the smartest witch in my year, but you're the smartest in yours."
"One of the smartest," Ginny muttered.
"Still, if I can't throw away my education, neither can you."
Ginny sighed. "Alright, I'll make you a deal."
"What's that?"
"If I am pregnant, I will stay in school. Only if you let Mum help you while you go to healing school."
"Ok," I quietly agreed. Anything to keep Ginny in school and Mrs. Weasley from having a heart attack, I thought. We shook on it, and then decided to head back home. When we walked through the kitchen door, Harry and Ron, who were seated at the kitchen table, stopped their conversation. Ron gulped and Harry tried to looked interested in his fingers. Looking between the two, I noticed they both seemed nervous we would ask what they were talking about. But, it didn't matter. Whatever it was, it had Harry back to normal.
Author's Note --checks date of last update-- It didn't take that long to get this posted, did it? Well, some of you may say it took a long time, but certainly not as long as Chapter 8 took, right? It's only 8 days after the first. In reality, I had this chapter done yesterday, and I was all set to post it, when fanfiction was doing something weird and wouldn't open the login page. Oh, well. Anyway, I think I told you in last chapter there's only a couple more chapters to go. That still holds true. But-- I am willing to write a sequel (mostly because I have an idea in mind). I need some feedback as to if I should do one or not!! As always, please, please, review. I've hit the 100 mark! And, that is all thanks to you. Please continue to make my day!!