Chapter 1. Hard Kept Kecret

Harry walked into the large kitchen occupying the entire basement of number 12 grimmauld place. Hermione stood in front of the sink wearing large yellow rubber gloves and swaying to the beat of Alicia Keys, her favored american R&B singer, and washing the dishes. Harry watched her bemused that this woman in his kitchen could possibly be the same person as the nosy little, know-it-all, that he'd met so many years ago. The only thing different between the girl and the woman was her new found knowledge.

"You know that's why they make dishwashers, and house elves." Harry Smirked. Hermione, obviously non-phased, did not even turn around, but replied to Harry.

"Yes of course but then why make sponges, dish soap, and hands? And yes I realize that my reply was lacking in the wittiness area but for some reason the only thing I find myself thinking is that you should make yourself useful and dry these dishes"

"Yes ma'am!" Harry said as he mock saluted Hermione and walked towards her. He picked up a dish towel and took the dish that Hermione was passing to him. He started to rub down the dish and put it in the cupboard directly over head as soon as it was sufficiently dry. "So how's work?" Harry questioned.

"Alright except Mum and Dad are still a bit skeptical about my using magic to fix teeth, and as soon as we started that conversation they noticed my teeth even though it's been about a decade since I fixed them, and they won't stop on the subject of Viktor and myself. It's like everything that happens leads to an entire conversation on Viktor. 'How is he?; You should call him.; He should come for a visit maybe you can repair what happened.' I's like can't you just leave it alone." Hermione slammed her fist on the counter in exasperation, breaking the cup in her hand.

"Calm down, take a deep breath and take a seat." Harry took the shards from Hermione and sat her in a chair near the Sink. "Here, drink this." He had conjured Hermione a glass of wine, and handed it to her as soon as she was seated.

"Well I suppose-I mean it is Friday night. You know maybe we can just leave the dishes until tomorrow. Would you like to sit down and have a glass with me?" Hermione asked hopefully.

"My god i thought you'd never ask!" Harry smirkedthrew his dish towel on the counter and grabbed a chair next to Hermione conjuring himself a glass of wine. The two sat in silence awhile then Hermione got up and walked towards the sink again.

"I thought we were leaving those until tomorrow?" Harry half questioned as he got up from his seat and moved towards her.

"Yes, Of course I just don't think I should be drinking this. My stomach doesn't really seem up for it." Hermione leaned on the edge of the counter, her eyes half closed and slumped to the floor. Harry dropped his glass to the floor and rushed to her side. he knelt on the floor and grabbed Hermione's shoulders.

"Hermione? Hermione?" Harry called to Hermione, "Herm, get up! If you're playing around this isn't funny!" Harry knew that she wasn't playing around because there was no way she would joke about something as serious as bodily harm. Harry manuvered himself so that he was squating and he put his arms beneath her. As he lifted her up he heard a creek on the stairs just outside the kitchen door, 'Great timing!' he thought. Harry layed Hermione on the table and pulled his wand out of his back pocket. He moved a few steps closer to the door and made a slight movement with his wrist. The door flew open but the stairwell was empty.'The house is old,' he thought to himself, 'It's bound to creak.' Harry heard a moan come from the kitchen table and spun around and Ran to Hermione. "Herm are you okay?" Hermione slowly swung her legs over the edge of the table and sat up.

"Yeah- I mean yes, I just got really light headed all of the sudden." Harry eyed Hermione suspiciously, all signs pointed to go where he was standing. First she couldn't drink wine because her stomach couldn't handle it then she was light headed?

"All right spill." Hermione looked at Harry and for the first time he saw something in her eyes, that he'd never seen before, fear. not just any fear, fear of the unknown and Hermione knew everything, buthtis look only lasted for about two seconds before Hermione caught ahold of herself.

"Spill what? I've no idea what you mean." She made to get down from the table but Harry was in front of her and disabling her from standing.

"Hermione, we've been bestfriends for eight years now, there's not one thing that I don't know about you and I don't plan on starting some sort of new trend!" Harry's face was red, from anger, frustration, exasperation, talking too much, Hermione didn't know, what she did know was that if she was going to tell anyone it would be him. Her love for him ran deeper than plutonic, or even sexual. She felt him in her bones all through her skin and on nights like this when she would normally cry by herself in a dark corner in a dank room in Grimmauld place she felt him in her heart. But she knew the time had come for her to stop keeping secrets. this was no mere man in front of her, this was her best friend, her first friend, thelove of her life, the star of all of her dreams, he should know.

"Harry..." She reached up and layed her palm on his face lightly stroking his cheek, "I don't know how to tell you, I haven't told any one, It's so scary," She dropped her hand from his face and turned her head so she was staring at a blank wall. She could see every stain and wished she could stay examining them but a hand guiding her head slowly back to look at Harry brought her out of her dreaming.

"Herm anything you have to say I want to hear, If you're going through something I would much rather go through it with you than let you go through it by yourself." Harry put his hands on either side of hermiones head and kissed her softly on her forehead. "On the other hand," Harry began his babbling as he often did at awkward times. Hermione knew that the only ways tro get him to stop was to spill, "If you're not comfortable telling me, you should call some one and tell them, I mean I could call some one for you"

"Harry! I'm pregnant!"