Chapter 5

Her, Too!

"You just can't understand, Hermione! You don't have any brothers or sisters, you're an only child!"

"Don't you think I bloody well know that? I know that I won't understand completely what you're going through, but I know that it wasn't your fault, Ron. It's not as if you went up to Michael and said, 'Here, mate, here's a few galleons, go and rape my sister!' You couldn't have done anything," she protested, trying valiantly to get him to believe that he wasn't to blame for what had happened to Ginny.

Ever since he'd found out, he had been convinced that it was all his fault, that only if he'd been a bit nicer to Ginny she would have been with him instead of Michael, talking or playing chess or something . . . anything, but she wouldn't have been with that bastard.

"Look, I'm sorry I yelled at you, it's just . . . I'm her big brother, her closest brother. It's the buddy system, you know? I'm supposed to keep her safe, and I let him destroy her. That, Hermione, that is failure."

He turned his head away, but Hermione still saw the crystal tears in his eyes. He was trying desperately to keep them from falling.

"Oh, Ron . . . I know it hurts to know you've failed someone. But you haven't failed anyone! You know how Ginny looks up to you, and she knows that you never would have let him hurt her on purpose. Don't beat yourself up over this, it wasn't your decision to make whether Ginny should date him. Besides, it's been three weeks already since she told everyone about it, why haven't you said anything about this sooner? I had no idea that you blamed yourself in the slightest."

"Well . . . I knew you weren't feeling well and I didn't want to burden you with my problems," he said tentatively, knowing how she always took it when someone kept her in the dark about something because they didn't want to 'burden' her.

"I know, I really haven't been feeling well. I'm sick all the time, and so tired. I'm sure I'll feel loads better after I see the Healer tonight though," she reassured him. "By the way, I'm going with Ginny when she goes to get her check-up, so we might be out a little late. We're going to stop and pick up something to eat on the way home. I haven't had a chance to talk with her in ages."

He looked at her strangely, sure that she was more sick than she let on. One look at her, and he wasn't sure if she should be going out to eat anywhere. Her face was pale and worried, and her eyes were bloodshot with bags encircling them, the effect of barely any sleep for a week. She was always in the bathroom all night, throwing up, but when Ron tried to help her, she always pushed him away.

"Come on, Hermione, let's go rest for a while," he said, obviously concerned for her health.

She sighed in defeat, not having enough strength to protest. He took her by the arm and gently led her to their room, where he pulled back the covers and carefully held her elbow as she lowered herself onto the bed heavily.

"Go on, Hermione, I know you're tired. Just sleep for a little while, I promise to wake you up in an hour," Ron pleaded, for Hermione refused to sleep during the daytime, insisting that she 'didn't need to'.

"Fine, Ron, but I won't fall asleep. I don't need to sleep. I'll just lay here for a while," she argued weakly, before letting out a massive yawn and laying her head down on the pillow. She was out before Ron shut the light and closed the door.

"Hi, Ron!" greeted Ginny exuberantly as she saw him exit his and Hermione's room.

"Hey, Gin. How you feeling?" asked Ron, glad that for the past three weeks, since everything had come out, she'd been considerably more cheerful. Granted, she was still dealing with a lot, but at least she wasn't in it alone anymore.

"Okay, I guess . . . still a bit sick, but hopefully the morning sickness will end soon."

"That's good. Hermione's going with you tonight to St. Mungo's?" he asked.

"Yeah, I've been trying to get her to see a Healer for weeks now, but she just wouldn't listen to me. Finally, she agreed, but only when I told her she could see the baby on the sonogram today."

"What does a Sono-Tram have to do with the baby? Bloody hell, you're not trying to send it to space, are you?" asked Ron, a confused look on his face. He had obviously mistook "sonogram" for "Sono-Tram", the Wizarding, well tram, that took some of the most adventurous Witches and Wizards into the solar system. Granted, they only went a bit beyond Earth, but still . . .

Ginny rolled her eyes and sighed exasperatedly. "It has absolutely nothing to do with the Sono-Tram, Ron. The Healer puts a wand or something on my stomach and you can see the baby on a little screen. They do it all the time in the Muggle world, but they only recently started it round here."

"Oh," he said, feeling stupid. "Well, at least now I'm well informed that I won't have to be shooting my future children off into space every time we go to the Healer."

"A bit less than the future, Ronniekins," muttered Ginny under her breath, as she flounced away down the hall to the room she now shared with Harry. Ron still wasn't too keen on the idea that he and Ginny were 'official', but he supposed she could do a lot worse. Besides, he was actually getting used to the idea of Harry being part of the family . . . not yet, at least. He was sure Ginny didn't want to get married yet. Did she? Whatever, thought Ron dismally. Now, the thought of Ginny and Harry wouldn't escape his mind. And really, he had much better things to think about — like babies riding the Sono-Tram.

"Come on, Hermione! Let's go, we're already ten minutes late!" screeched Ginny as she grabbed her coat from the hanger by the door.

"For Merlin's sake, Gin, I'm coming! You don't have to blast my eardrums out!"

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of my brother's bed this morning," teased Ginny as Hermione came down the stairs, likewise grabbing her coat. Hermione just looked at her superiorly, before walking out the door. A minute later, however, she came back in, water dripping from her hair and clothes.

"Why didn't you tell me it was raining before I went out there?" she growled.

"You didn't give me a chance . . . look, let's be nice for today. I can't wait to see the baby! It's going to be so sweet, seeing my child for the first time."

"Speaking of 'sweet' moments, why isn't Harry going with you instead of me?" asked Hermione, squeezing the water droplets from her hair.

"Because, Hermione, you're sick and you need to see someone about it. Don't pretend with me, I know you better than that. Even if you won't admit it to yourself, I know what's wrong with you." Been there, done that, she thought to herself with a smirk.

"Oh, yes? Well, what's your diagnosis then, Dr. Weasley?"

"Haven't you figured it out yourself by now? Okay, here's a hint. When was the last time you had your period?" asked Ginny, smiling brightly.

"W — what does that have to do with anything?" Hermione stuttered, beginning to see things the way Ginny must be.

"Think long and hard, Hermione. Think back . . . the day Harry arrived, what he walked in on . . . " she trailed off.

"Come off it, Gin, you don't think I'm . . . well, that I'm — "

"Yes, in fact, I do think that you are pregnant," said Ginny triumphantly.

"Oh no . . . oh no, Ron's going to kill me! But we . . . I mean, we were careful!"

"Sometimes it doesn't work, Herm. You must have read somewhere that it's not always 100 effective."

Hermione rubbed her temples and said, "Ginny, how many times do I have to tell you, that is not my name, so please don't call me that, or any other such annoying nicknames."

"Fine, Hermione, let's just go then, and we'll find out sooner or later which one of us is right."

"Okay then, let's go," she agreed, and they both Apparated with a pop to a very cozy looking doctor's office within St. Mungo's. There were leather chairs placed around the room, and potted plants situated next to the doors. Next to the chairs were several tables cluttered with magazines such as 'What every witch needs to know about parenting' and 'What have I gotten myself into?'

Hermione took one look at the titles of these magazines and tried to make a break for the door.

"Oh no, I don't think so, you're staying right here until I say it's time to leave."

Just then, the door on the other side of the room opened to reveal a woman who couldn't be much older than Hermione, with sleek black hair tied into a bun at the top of her head. She was wearing a white overcoat with a brass name-tag that read . . . Cho Chang, Healer.

"Bloody hell, Hermione, it's time to leave," said Ginny, pushing Hermione toward the door.

"Ahh . . . revenge is sweet," mumbled Hermione. She grabbed Ginny's arm before she could reach the door.

"Hermione, is that you? And Ginny? Ginny Weasley?" greeted Cho happily, coming toward the two and embracing them both in a hug.

"Oh, yes, it's us . . . didn't know you became a Healer after Hogwarts," said Hermione brightly, forgetting for the moment the reason she was there in the first place.

"Yes, I decided against Quidditch after I got married and had my daughter. Thought it was a bit too risky, having a family and all. So what brings you two here anyway?"

"Well . . . it's me actually," said Ginny nervously. "I'm pregnant."

Cho's mouth dropped open in shock, and she ushered the two women into the examining room, seeing as how there was nobody else waiting to be seen.

"You're telling me that sweet, innocent Ginny Weasley got herself knocked up?"

"It's not what you think," defended Hermione, and she looked to Ginny expectantly to tell Cho what had happened.

She sighed and said softly, "I was raped. The day before graduation . . . um, it was Michael Corner . . . " she finished, not sure what else she was supposed to say. It seemed awkward for her to just blurt it out to what seemed like anyone and everyone. She figured it would be easier for her to buy a few minutes' time on a wireless station and announce it publicly.

"I always knew he was a bastard, that one," she said vehemently. "Well, anyway, I suppose you're here for a check-up, that right?"

"Yeah, and Hermione needs to be checked out as well. She's not been feeling well the past few weeks. I think she might — " Hermione clamped her hand over Ginny's mouth and smiled at Cho.

"Oh, Ginny just thinks she's quite the Healer these days, isn't that right, Ginny?" asked Hermione through clenched teeth and Ginny nodded her head vigorously, so as to get Hermione's hand off her mouth.

"Okay," said Cho awkwardly, and she glanced down at Ginny's medical record. "Ginny, why don't you undress and put that gown on over there, and I'll deal with Hermione after we're done with the sonogram."

"Sure," agreed Ginny, and Cho left the room, leaving a nervous Ginny and an angry Hermione behind.

"Why don't you tell the whole bloody world while you're at it?" whispered Hermione wrathfully. "She'll find out without you telling her!"

"Whatever you say, Hermione," shrugged Ginny, and she went into the bathroom adjacent to the examining room to change into the gown. When she came back out, she found Cho talking animatedly with Hermione about something, and she cleared her throat to announce her presence.

"Good, you're ready, I see. Just lay back on this table, and we'll get started," said Cho as she pulled over a little screen on a cart with wheels, with a sort of wand looking thing attached to it with a wire.

"All right, just pull up the gown to about here," said Cho, lifting Ginny's gown to reveal her stomach. "Okay, I'm going to squirt this gel on your stomach now . . . it might be a bit cold," she warned.

She squeezed the bottle she was holding onto Ginny's stomach and a spurt of blue gel landed on it. Ginny gasped as goosepimples appeared on her flesh. Cold had been an understatement! Cho placed the wand on her stomach, turning a switch on the screen. All Ginny saw were squiggly black and white lines, but as Cho moved the wand around, a tiny white blob in the center became apparent.

Ginny felt tears come to her eyes as she asked, already knowing the answer. "Is that my baby?"

Cho pointed to the white spot on the screen and nodded. "Right there, yes, that's it."

Ginny reached out to the screen and put her finger on the spot as a tear leaked from the corner of her eye. "My baby . . . that's my child," she said softly.

"Would you like a picture to take home with you? I'm afraid it won't move like regular pictures would, but nevertheless, it's a good memory to keep," said Cho, as she switched off the monitor and handed Ginny a towel to wipe off her stomach.

"Sure . . . I'd love that."

"Okay, it'll print out in a moment. Hermione, why don't you go change into a gown as well, and we'll see what's going on with you."

Ten minutes later Hermione emerged from the same bathroom as Ginny had, to see Ginny sitting on the table, fully clothed again. She was gazing at the picture in her hands.

"That's the baby?" asked Hermione, as Ginny handed it to her.

"Yup . . . that's my daughter."

"A girl? You're having a girl?" asked a shocked Hermione, handing her back the photo.

Cho re-entered the room and said, "She's bloody well convinced that she is, but I keep telling her it's way too early to tell."

"Oh," said Hermione, as she nudged Ginny off the table so she could get on.

Ginny went and sat on the chair by the door, still gazing silently at the picture as Hermione sat on the table.

Cho drew out a regular Wizard wand, and scrutinized Hermione for a moment, before muttering a charm that caused a white light to envelop Hermione's stomach. "Ah . . . I thought as much," said Cho sagely. "Hermione . . . when was the last time you had sex?"

"Uh . . . er . . . around three weeks ago, I suppose, almost a month. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, I'm afraid it has everything to do with why you're here."

"Surely I'm not . . . "

"You are, Hermione. You're pregnant. Congratulations!"