Hermione moved slowly across the flat carrying a small box.
"Hermione, what are you doing?" asked Remus. He rushed forward and took the box from her. "No lifting."
"It wasn't heavy," she protested. "It barely weighs five pounds."
"I don't care," said Remus. "Use your wand, no lifting."
"If you don't stop babying me, I'm not going to make it through the rest of this pregnancy," grumbled Hermione. "I have got to get everything put away before the baby's born."
"Uh oh," said Remus. "All the books warned me about this."
Hermione turned and put her hands on her hips. Remus couldn't help smirking. She looked so comical, standing there trying to look angry with her belly stretched out in front of her. "What did the books warn you about?" she asked.
"Nesting," said Remus with a shrug.
"That doesn't happen until you're ready to give birth," she said. "That's right," she continued. "I've read the same books you have."
"Well, you were always very advanced," he countered. "Never could do anything the way normal people do."
"Watch it," she warned.
"Hermione, the flat is fine. It looks great and we have months to go before the baby's room has to be ready. Relax."
"I'll relax when everything's ready," she said stubbornly. "We still have to pick colors for the baby's room and furniture, plus a million other things that keep occurring to me."
"Colors would be easier if we knew the sex," said Remus.
Hermione smiled. They had had this discussion a number of times already. "I want to be surprised," she said. "This is one of the few true surprises you ever get to have. Besides, all I really care about is that our baby is happy and healthy."
Remus suddenly turned serious. "You are getting all the care you need, aren't you?"
Hermione nodded. "I try to get up to see Madame Pomfrey as often as possible. But we do have to be careful."
Remus nodded in agreement. "I know."
Hermione moved closer and kissed his chin. "No worries. We are going to be happy if it kills us."
Remus smiled and rested his hands on Hermione's stomach. She smiled. He was constantly touching her there, but she never got tired of it. She placed her hands over his. "Remus, I…" She was interrupted by a noise at the window. A small brown owl was tapping patiently on the window.
"I'll get it," said Remus. He untied the tiny scroll attached owl and patted it on his head. The bird didn't immediately fly off as if it were waiting for a response. Remus quickly perused the letter.
"What is it?" asked Hermione.
"Nothing," said Remus crumbling the paper in his fist.
"Who?" she demanded.
"What?" questioned Remus, trying to sound innocent.
"Who is the letter from?" she repeated.
He sighed deeply. "Mum and Dad," he said shortly.
"Oh," said Hermione curiously. "I'm almost afraid to ask."
"They want to see us," he said.
"Us?" she questioned doubtfully.
"Me," conceded Remus.
"Can I see," she asked, holding out her hand.
Remus immediately handed it over to her. She read it quickly. "That's not so bad," she said. "They did say please."
Remus took the note back. "We're not going."
"Maybe we should," said Hermione, trying to sound casual. Remus stared at her. "Remus, come and sit with me." She led him to their couch and sat. "Regardless of what they've done, your parents love you. And seeing as I have no family in this time…"
"You have me," interrupted Remus.
She took his hand and kissed it. "I want more for our child than just us. I want him to have grandparents."
"I don't know, Hermione," said Remus reluctantly.
"Remus, if it wasn't for me, you'd have never fallen out with your parents. I would feel awful if you never spoke with them again."
Remus dropped his head into his hand.
Hermione smiled and put her arms around his neck. She could see he was weakening. "Please," she said, kissing the side of his face. "Please, please, please," she continued, punctuating each please with a kiss.
"Alright, alright," he shouted, laughing. "You win, you always win."
Hermione stood and brushed her hands together with a satisfied smile. "Make sure you send them a reply," she said, leaving the room.
Remus chuckled as he searched the room for a pen so he could do as his wife instructed.
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Hermione smoothed her hair unnecessarily for about the hundredth time that day.
Remus took her hand into his own. "You look fine," he reassured her. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. They were standing in front of his parent's home and he was giving her a minute to take a breath before going in. "Ready?" he asked.
She nodded and he knocked. In less than a minute, the door opened. It was Remus' father. "Hello," he said warmly and stepped aside so they could enter the house.
"It's good to see you both. Your mum and I were so happy when…" he trailed off seeing Hermione's profile for the first time. "Oh my," he breathed out.
Hermione's hand instinctively went to her middle as if she could shield her baby of any negative thoughts.
"Remus, you should have wrote and told us," said his father.
"I wasn't sure how the news would be received," said Remus honestly. He stepped closer to his wife.
Mr. Lupin's hand covered his mouth in surprise, but Hermione could see the smile in his eyes. She smiled tentatively. "I'm nearly five months along."
"Congratulations," he said sincerely.
"Remus!" Mrs. Lupin came rushing into the room, her eyes filled with joy when she saw her son. She pulled him into a tight hug and held him tight. "We've missed you so much."
"I've missed you too, mother," he said, when his mother finally released him.
Her eyes were wet and she beamed at him. "We weren't sure if you'd be coming alone or not."
Remus immediately tensed and clenched his teeth. "I'm married now, mother."
"I didn't mean it that way," she said immediately, apprehension filling her eyes. "I just wasn't sure. Hermione is of course welcome in our home."
Remus relaxed a little. "I'm really glad to hear that because we have some news. Hermione is, that is, we're having a baby."
Mrs. Lupin looked at Hermione for the first time. She was momentarily speechless. Then her mouth opened a few times before she said, "so soon? You've only been married…"
"Nearly five months," interrupted Remus. "Exactly as long as we've been pregnant."
"I see," chuckled Mr. Lupin.
"So there really is no point continuing here, if either of you can't accept this," said Remus firmly.
"Remus," said Hermione, under her breath, but he silenced her with a squeeze of his hand and waited for their answer.
"This is your home, Remus," said Mr. Lupin. "You and your family will always be welcome here."
"Is that how you feel too, mum?" questioned Remus.
"Of course," she said a bit breathlessly. She was still a bit stunned by the news that she would soon be a grandmother.
Remus truly smiled for the first time since entering his childhood home. "I'm really glad to hear it."
"Why don't we go sit down," said Mr. Lupin and they all followed him into the sitting room.
"I can't quite believe this," said Mrs. Lupin as soon as they were sitting. "You're going to be a daddy."
"We're very excited," said Hermione. "I mean, we didn't really plan to get pregnant so soon, but we are very happy."
"So you're due when? August?" asked Mr. Lupin.
"End of July," corrected Hermione.
"James and Lily are expecting too," added Remus. "Actually Lily and Hermione's due date are pretty close together."
Mr. and Mrs. Lupin said nothing. They seemed a little overwhelmed by all the news.
"And, and um… how is your other friend, Sirius?" asked Mrs. Lupin.
"He's well," said Hermione. "He and James have completed their Auror training."
"So soon?" questioned Mrs. Lupin in surprise.
"Given the state of things, the Ministry needs as many Aurors on the field as it can get," said Remus.
"I hope the two of you have been staying out of trouble at least," said Mrs. Lupin.
Remus and Hermione exchanged a quick sidelong glance, which his mother immediately caught. "What have you two done now?" she asked almost angrily.
"Nothing mum," said Remus, exasperated.
"Because you know you have to be extra careful now that you have a baby on the way. You can't be taking foolish risks."
"We're not," Hermione assured her.
"That is my first grandchild," said Mrs. Lupin, looking directly at Hermione.
Hermione nodded, but didn't speak. She wasn't quite sure how to interpret the look in Mrs. Lupin's eyes.
Everyone made polite conversation until dinner was ready and then they ate mostly in silence. Despite everyone's best efforts, there was still a tension in the air that wouldn't dissipate.
"Does anyone want any tea?" asked Mrs. Lupin when they had finished eating.
"That would be lovely," said Hermione. "Why don't I help you?"
"That's okay, dear," said Mrs. Lupin immediately.
"Actually," said Mr. Lupin, standing up. "Why don't both of you sit and relax. Remus and I will get the tea." He looked at his son. "Remus?"
"Sure," Remus said, immediately standing. Father and son went to the kitchen leaving the two women alone.
Hermione didn't know where to look. She settled for staring at her now empty plate.
"How has the pregnancy been going so far?" asked Mrs. Lupin, tentatively.
"Very well," answered Hermione.
"Are you getting any morning sickness?"
"Not really. There was a little during the first couple of months, but it really wasn't so bad. It's actually been surprisingly easy. Sometimes I think that's not such a good thing."
"Why?" asked Mrs. Lupin.
"Oh, I don't know. I guess I think, easy pregnancy, difficult labor."
Mrs. Lupin nodded sympathetically. "I've never heard anyone describe labor as easy." There were a few moments of uncomfortable silence. "Hermione, I hope you don't mind me saying this. I promised Robert I wouldn't bring it up tonight, but seeing how things stand…"
Hermione took a deep breath and waited.
"Remus is a very special boy. He loves unconditionally. It's a beautiful gift, but it also leaves him extremely vulnerable. I hope you'll always remember that."
"The thing is, Mrs. Lupin," Hermione began, clearing her throat. "Remus isn't a boy anymore. He hasn't been a boy for some time. And if loving unconditionally is a gift, then we both have it. I've never believed that love should come with conditions. You're either willing to risk feeling it or you're not." She paused, before continuing. "I think you're worried that I might actually love your son as much as you do."
"That's not true," said Mrs. Lupin quietly.
"I think it is," said Hermione. "And I think you're afraid that means there won't be a place for you in his life."
A small tear fell from Mrs. Lupin's eye.
"You couldn't be more wrong," she said. "I don't expect Remus to love me any less when the baby comes and I already see how much he loves him. Remus has a big heart. There's room for everyone."
Mrs. Lupin wiped the tears from her face. They sat in comfortable silence for a long while. "You said he," she said after a while.
"Huh?"
"You called the baby a he. Are you having a boy? Have you found out?"
"Oh," smiled Hermione. "No, we don't know. We want it to be a surprise. Although I do have the strongest feeling at times that it will be a boy."
"I got those same feelings when I was expecting Remus," replied Mrs. Lupin with a smile.
Meanwhile, inside the kitchen, Remus and his father were having an equally serious conversation.
"Remus, I would never presume to tell you how to live your life, but," began Mr. Lupin.
"That's good," said Remus, cutting him off. "Because so far, I'm doing a pretty good job."
"Of course you are, Remus," said his father. "You have a beautiful wife who obviously adores you and you're expecting a child. There's nothing more important than family. But I still worry."
"About what, dad?" asked Remus. "Hermione and I are very happy. We may not have a ton of money, but we're getting by. I would do anything for her and she feels the same about me."
"That's not what I worry about," said Mr. Lupin.
"Then what?" asked Remus in exasperation.
"It's just the current political climate," said Mr. Lupin.
"Hermione and I don't concern ourselves with that," said Remus.
"That much is obvious," said Mr. Lupin. "You've already disregarded two of the most serious laws that were recently enacted."
"We don't recognize those laws," said Remus. "And neither do any of our friends."
"That doesn't change the fact that they exist and pose an extreme threat to you and your family."
"What would you have me do, dad?" asked Remus, rhetorically. "If I followed those asinine laws, I might as well crawl under a rock and die. It's just about the only thing they don't forbid me to do. We weren't married under wizarding law. We had a muggle ceremony. It's a nice little loop hole."
"The pregnancy is another thing entirely, Remus," said his father gravely.
Remus took a step toward his father and said in a very low and dangerous voice. "I'll kill anyone who comes near her or our baby."
The two men stared at each other and Mr. Lupin was more than a little frightened by what he saw in his son's eyes. It was territorial and almost animal like. He had no doubt Remus meant exactly what he said.
"If they find out she's pregnant with your child," his father insisted.
"We're taking precautions," assured Remus, stepping back. He didn't want to have this conversation.
"You can only hide a pregnancy for so long."
"We're not trying to hide it," said Remus. "We're not shouting it from the rooftops, but we're not going to pretend it isn't happening either. What would be the point? Our child will be a witch or wizard and they will be a part of our society. He or she will grow up with other children from our world and when the time comes they will go to Hogwarts, just like I did."
"I want that to happen too," said Mr. Lupin. "This child will be my grandchild. But I also want you to be realistic."
"Trust me," said Remus. "Hermione and I know what could happen. We're very realistic."
"Have you considered the lycanthropy?" asked Mr. Lupin quietly.
Remus stood very still and didn't respond.
"There's a chance the baby will be born with it," he persisted.
"I don't want to talk about this," said Remus through gritted teeth.
"Have you discussed this with Hermione?" he asked in surprise, fearing the answer would be no.
"This isn't any of your business, dad," said Remus.
"Remus," scolded Mr. Lupin. "Son, you're not this irresponsible. You can't pretend like this isn't a possibility. You need to discuss this with your wife."
"Why?" said Remus, angrily, wrenching out of his father's grasp. "There's nothing we can do about it now. Why worry her?"
Mr. Lupin stared at his son. "Are you afraid she won't have the baby if she knows?" he questioned.
"Would you have had me if you knew what I'd become?" questioned Remus.
"Yes," said Mr. Lupin, without hesitating.
They were silent.
"Remus," continued Mr. Lupin after a minute. "Do you think Hermione doesn't know?" He smiled sadly. "She's just about the brightest witch I've ever met. She already knows."
Remus didn't answer. He tried not to think about the possibility that the baby might be a werewolf just like him. He never considered whether Hermione knew or not. She hadn't brought it up, so he just assumed she hadn't considered the possibility. But now that his father had said it, he realized that Hermione was too smart to not know. She would have pulled the first book on the subject out of the library at her first chance.
Remus felt a knot form in his stomach. If that was true, then she had been suffering with the worry all by herself, just like he had.
"Talk to her, son," said his father gently. "The worst thing that can happen to a marriage is that you stop talking."
Remus nodded.
"Now why don't we take this tea to the ladies? I'll bet they're wondering what's taking us so long."
The rest of the evening passed quickly and before they knew it Hermione and Remus were home getting ready for bed.
"Did you have a good time tonight?" asked Hermione, as she got undressed.
"Sure," said Remus. "I missed my parents. It was good to see them again." He had already stripped and thrown his clothes in the hamper. He was watching his wife change.
"Your mother wants us to come back again next week. She's still not sure about me, but at least she's trying."
"She didn't say anything, did she?" asked Remus, almost afraid of what the answer might be.
"We had a very polite conversation," was all Hermione would reply. She pulled her night shirt on and then found her brush and began brushing her hair.
"Here," said Remus, getting up. "Let me do that."
Hermione handed the brush to him and let him maneuver her onto the bed. He brushed her hair slowly. "You looked absolutely beautiful tonight," he said, kissing her behind her ear.
She smiled and leaned back against him.
He continued brushing her hair. "I think they're excited they're going to be grandparents," he continued.
"Definitely," she said. "I'm glad."
"Me too," he replied. His hand stilled mid brush. "Hermione, my father brought up something tonight that I think we should discuss."
"Hmm," she breathed tiredly.
"Something about the baby," Remus ventured.
"What about the baby?" she asked.
He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "About the lycanthropy."
Hermione tensed. "What about it?" she asked.
"We never talked about this," he said, wishing he hadn't brought the subject up.
"I didn't think you wanted to talk about it," she said.
"I don't," said Remus. "I don't want to think about it."
"Then let's not talk about it," she said. She took the brush from him and got up to put it away.
Remus sat and waited for her to return.
When she returned, there was a deep frown on her face. "I'm only going to say this once," she said. "Even if I knew for one hundred percent certainty that our baby would be a werewolf, I would still have him. I knew you were a werewolf and I still said I do. Why would I feel differently about the baby?"
Remus reached for her and she stepped willingly into his arms. From his sitting position, he was in perfect contact with her middle. He lifted her nightshirt and placed a kiss directly on her taut skin. Then he pushed her nightshirt upward even farther, following its progress with his lips until she was half naked in front of him. Then he pulled her to him, making her straddle his lap.
"I love you," he breathed between long languorous kisses.
Hermione closed her eyes, trying to imprint every detail of the moment to her memory. It was one of the truly perfect moments of her life.
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A/N: I have officially been writing this for one year. It's been fun and at times exhausting. I'm sorry it took so long to update this time, but I had to pause and regroup. Updates shouldn't take this long again, but I make no promises. Life can be crazy. Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter.
