Disclaimer: Harry Potter etc… owned by JKR, etc…
A/N:
Regarding the last chapter:
I may rewrite. I really am not pleased with chapter two, but after trying three different ways, gave up.
Astarte is the Phoenician goddess of love and fertility.
I love Narcissa, but just can't seem to figure her out, character-wise. She might make a return appearance.
Chapter Three: The Weird Sister
Ginny was already awake when she heard someone apparate into the kitchen. She struggled up and waddled toward the sound. She wasn't surprised to find Ron helping himself to the leftover ham her family had eaten for dinner.
"Hermione not feeding you?" she asked, smiling as he jumped at the sound of her voice. Eating until he was sick was a remnant of the distant past, so she knew if Ron was bingeing, he must be worried about something. Three guesses what.
"Christ! You scared me half-silly, Ginny."
"For that to happen there'd have to be at least half of you that wasn't silly to begin with. Where's Hermione?"
"Home. Sleeping. I slipped her a sleeping draught in a cup of strong tea."
"You slipped her a sleeping draught?"
"Well, she allowed me to believe she didn't know it was in the tea, but with the day she's had, I'm surprised she didn't just drink it straight."
"Ah. June 5th" she said, knowingly
"Yeah. This year, I thought things might be changing. She didn't seem as bad this morning, but then we went to Hogwarts and it all went to Hell. I think she had a run-in with Snape"
"Snape? Do you know what it was about?"
"We went to investigate a fertility potion. I think he had the book she needed and made fun of her or something."
Ginny blew out a long breath. "Ron, have you ever tried to talk to Hermione about this? It can't be good for the two of you to have this thing between you, even if it is just once a year."
Ron looked up at her, an idea dawning on him. "Ginny, do you know what all this is about? I mean, you lived with Hermione for years before we married. Hell, you're the one who gave me the portfolio. Didn't you ever just come out and ask her, you know, during one of your late night girl-chats and that?"
Ginny patted him on the leg and smiled gently. "Ron, I think I know just the thing." She disappeared into the hallway and returned, a moment later with a large stone basin. "I've been saving this for you. You'll excuse me if I don't come with you. It's time for Zarek's feeding and I don't want to wait for him to cry as it will wake up the others. Everything you need is in there. Let yourself out when you're done."
"Thanks" he said, leaning forward for a hug but only getting within an arm's length of her due to her protuberant womb. "When's she due?"
"Any moment. I'm just thankful she didn't come today." Ginny sighed "Goodnight, Ron. Oh, and the next time you want to talk in the middle of the night? Place a floo call first. I could've hexed you into next week, ya know."
Ron turned to the pensieve on the table, leant over it and prepared himself for the worst. He was rather surprised that when the world stopped spinning, he found himself at home, in the flat he shared with Hermione. Looking around, he noticed the sofa table was covered with gifts. He looked for Ginny, but didn't see her. Walking over to the calendar Hermione kept by the kitchen door, he noted that the day February 2nd was circled in red. So, it was close to their wedding day (thus the gifts).
In a moment, Ginny appeared from the direction of the bedroom, followed by a very frazzled looking Hermione...
"Sorry to show up so early, but I wanted to get here before the Mothers. What did you end up doing with Ron for the night?" (Ahh, so it was their wedding day)
"He stayed with Fred and Angelina. I just hope he makes it to the chapel in one piece" she said through a heavy yawn.
Both women laughed. A rather uncomfortable silence followed before Hermione said "Ginny, listen. I just wanted to say how sorry I am that Harry couldn't be here today."
Ginny eyes filled with tears. She struggled against them, but finally gave in, all of which was followed by Hermione's own tears. The two women sat on the couch and had a good, long cry. Ginny confessed to Hermione that she had really resented that she and Ron had each other to cling to after Harry's death while she was all alone. But now, she declared, she had finally gotten over it. (Ron cringed here, remembering that immediately following Harry's death, Ginny had closed herself away from the world for three days, refusing food or water and wearing a smelly old set of Harry's quidditch robes. It had taken Arthur hours to talk her into going to the memorial service. Most of the family thought that she'd never fully recovered, but Ron was proud of the way Ginny had put her life back together, even if she was married to that git, Zacharias Smith.)
By now, the girls were laughing and Hermione was fretting about how she would look at the wedding, if she continued to carry on so.
"Well, you have hours and hours before the wedding. I'll get us some tea and you find something to keep your mind off of the pre-wedding jitters."
Hermione conjured a quill and parchment and began sorting through the gifts on the table, making sure to record each one for the writing of thank-you notes. As Ginny came around the corner, balancing a tea tray above her ever-expanding womb, she gasped "Is that a …
"It is" Hermione answered
"A LITTLE BLUE BOX!" They both squealed. Ginny rushed over "Who is it from?"
"I dunno. Tag must be inside." She sat down, clearly wanting to savor every moment of opening this particular gift. She pulled off the white ribbon and lifted the lid slowly.
"Oh Hermione! It's lovely!" Ginny exclaimed.
But even from where he stood, Ron could see Hermione's hands begin to shake as she held the delicate china baby cup in her hands. She was beginning to sweat and her breathing became shallow. Ron thought she might faint, but she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"I've never seen that pattern" Ginny went on. "I didn't know Tiffany did dragons!"
Ron was confused; he'd never seen this cup before. It was a small, fragile-looking thing, with two handles and obviously made by wizards because the pastel colored dragons painted on its surface flew about, breathing fire.
"Who's it from?" Ginny queried.
Hermione, now looking quite pale, reached for the parchment within the box. Upon reading it, she dropped the little cup, which shattered to a million tiny pieces.
Ginny let out a shriek and raised her wand to cast a Reparo charm, but Hermione said "Don't. I…. I… don't want it". Ginny cast an evanesco instead and turned toward her friend, who had gone sort of catatonic. Reaching over, she took the note from the hand of Ron's beloved, who offered no resistance. He leaned over Ginny's shoulder. The note was unsigned and offered no clues as to the sender, though it was apparent Hermione knew who the author was. It simply read:
For your first-born.
Ron's attention was drawn from the note by a loud, gasping sob coming from Hermione. "Oh God! Oh God! Oh God!" she cried as she wrapped her arms about herself and rocked to and fro.
Ginny put down the note and went to her friend, patting her on the shoulder. "Hermione, what is it?"
Hermione continued to cry, offering Ginny no explanation. After a bit, she sniffed
"Ginny. Oh Ginny, I've done something so ...so… awful! I am such a fraud. All of those people in that church are going to look at me today and know… just know that I don't deserve to be standing there, in a white gown, pretending to be the sweet, virginal bride! I am such a bad, terrible person! And oh, oh God! If Ron finds out, I know he'll leave me! I wouldn't blame him, if he did. He's too good for me."
From the expression on his sister's face, Ron could tell that this was not the first time she'd seen an outburst like this. He leaned in and listened as she whispered. "Hermione. It's alright. It's alright. We've all been forced to do things we wouldn't otherwise do because of the war. You mustn't hold yourself accountable for that which is beyond your control…" She went on for several more minutes like that until the bell rang and Hermione's mother escorted in a large group of women who had, apparently, come to get the bride ready for the wedding.
At this point, the memory faded and Ron found himself back in Ginny's kitchen. He didn't leave, though. He thought back to his wedding day. Hermione seemed, not only fine, but happy. He just didn't understand. Did he really know so little about her? He started to barge into the nursery and ask Ginny what exactly she wanted him to know from watching the memory, but decided against it. He had made up his mind; tomorrow he would ask Hermione to explain and he wasn't taking no for an answer.