The two friends collapsed on Hermione's bed in uncontrollable giggles. "I think," gasped Carys between her laughs, "I think I'd better go to the bathroom!" She staggered off the bed and into the bathroom. "You got any cups or something? I need a glass of water." Carys called back to Hermione, who was busy stifling her laughter into her pillow.

"Yeah, sure – in the cabinet. Just get one." Hermione called back.

Carys opened the cabinet above the sink and reached for a glass, moving a blue box of Tampax out of the way. She filled the glass and remembered the argument they had had over the Tampax. She smiled – it was ridiculous! She filled her glass and was about to return the box to its shelf in the cabinet when she noticed something. The box was still sealed. Raising an eyebrow she did some quick calculations.

"So, are you stressed?" Carys asked, returning to Hermione's room.

Hermione laughed, her mirth evidently not suffocated by her pillow. "Nope! In fact, I'd say I'm pretty relaxed! Why?"

"Oh, no reason. I was just getting a glass of water when I saw something that made me wonder." Carys took a sip of water and looked out of the window.

"What do you mean?" Hermione was serious now, her face portraying an incredulous smile.

"Just that we're now nearly half way into August and your box of Tampax is still sealed. It was the stress was it, Hermione?"

"Look, it's probably still settling down after this upheaval." She waved her hand dismissively.

"For three and a half months Hermione?"

"No! It's just, I mean it's nothing, it's-"

"A late period? A baby? Honey, your period is not 'settling down', nor has the stress taken it's toll on it. Not for this long. You're three and a half months late." Carys insisted, taking Hermione's hands, forcing her to listen.

"Don't be so dramatic! There's probably a simple explanation –"

"You're right. There is a simple explanation. The simple explanation, Herm, is that you are going to have a baby. There is a child growing inside you. And I'm guessing it's been there for at least three months."

"When are you going to give up this baby nonsense?"

"When you stop having morning sickness and your period comes."

"I do not have morning sickness!" Hermione protested.

"What do you call worship of the porcelain gods every morning then? Or coming into work first thing looking green and peaky? The smell of the caretaker's coffee making you run to the ladies'? Read my lips Hermione: you are pregnant."

Tears filled Hermione's eyes. "But I'm not! I, I can't be! I can't be Ca!" The tears fell from her eyes and she bowed her head. "I can't be." she insisted, her small voice sounding broken.

She felt Carys' arms go around her. It reminded her of a Molly Weasley hug. "Now, tell me why you can't be pregnant." Her voice was instantly softer and inviting.

"Because I've split with Harry."

"OK. So you split with Harry. Were you still with him before you left Hogwarts?"

"Yes. I was with him until and including the day I left – the day I saw him with Lavender."

"Did you make love?"

"Yes."

"Did you make love after your last period, in March?"

"Yes – we, we made love all the time! We loved each other. He loved me. I loved him."

"Did you use protection?"

"I was on the Pill. My mother put me on it years ago to help with painful periods."

"The Pill?"

"Muggle contraceptive."

"Muggle? So, not 100 guaranteed to work?" Carys exclaimed. "Didn't you use the charm?"

"There's a charm?"

"Of course! Didn't your mother ever explain it to you?"

"Mum's a Muggle."

"Oh. Well, please, let me do the pregnancy charm on you anyway."

"What's it do?"

"Tells us whether you're pregnant or not. Guaranteed to work."

"No thanks. I'd rather, I'd rather do this the Muggle way." Hermione said politely. Somehow she couldn't stand the thought of such a charm. Something so accurate, it would prove once and for all whether she was pregnant or not. In the seconds it would take Carys to utter the incantation, her life could change. She wanted to do this the way her mother found out. Peeing on a stick. At least that would draw it out longer, give her time to think, to experience what her mother must have gone through, what all Muggle women would go through, the suspense, the wondering. An instant charm would take all that away from her.

"Which is?" Carys interrupted her thoughts by inquiring what the 'Muggle way' entailed.

"Peeing on a stick!"

"Peeing on a what? You can't be serious!" Carys shook her head in disbelief.

"Come with me, I'll show you."

"I'm not watching you pee!"

"No I didn't mean that! We need to buy a stick."

"Aren't there plenty in the garden?" Carys was most perplexed.

"Oh not that kind of a stick, silly!" Hermione exclaimed, laughing in spite of herself. "Come on, we'll go and buy one from the chemist's down the road – I'll explain how it works."

Surrendering, Carys allowed her protégée to lead her out of the house. Minutes later they returned, Hermione trembling as they rushed up the stairs to Hermione's bathroom.

"Listen, just go on, sit on the loo, pee on the stick, or whatever it is you do then tell me what it says." Carys urged, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"I can't do it! Oh Ca, I'm not pregnant am I?"

"Only one way to find out." Carys reasoned. "Well two ways to find out. I could do it right now for you if you want."

"No! I'll go and er, pee on the stick…" She disappeared into the bathroom.

"Well? Do we have a baby or what?" Carys demanded impatiently through the door.

"I have to pee first! I can't pee!"

Carys rolled her eyes and pretended to bang her head against the door. "Oh for goodness sake! Just pee!"

"I can't! It won't come!"

"Think running water! Streams! Waterfalls! Ssshh ssshhh –"

"Carys – what are you doing out there?" Hermione called.

"I'm trying to simulate running water! I'm trying to make you pee!" She called indignantly.

"OK OK I'm peeing now!" Hermione blushed. "I can't believe I just said that!"

"I can't believe I just heard that. Geez, I don't envy Muggle women. So, what's the verdict?"

"You are so impatient! I have to wait 2 minutes. Oh my goodness – the tip's turned pink!"

"What does that mean? Thought it was called 'Clear Blue'? Sounds odd to me." Carys remarked, hearing fumbling inside the bathroom. "You all right in there?"

"Just reading the instructions – I'm trying to find out what the pink thing means!" Hermione shouted back, skimming the paper. "Oh – false alarm, it means that it has absorbed the urine! Therefore it should take 2 minutes from now."

"Bloody hell! Is this what you Muggles have to put up with? This suspense and waiting? I mean –" But what Carys meant no one would ever know, as suddenly she stopped mid-sentence at the sound of sobs coming from the bathroom. "Oh my gosh! Hermione, what's happened? Are you ok?"

"I'm so scared! I'm holding this stupid stick that my whole future will be based on and I'm so scared! I want to know! No I don't want the charm Ca – but I don't know what I'll do!" Hermione's sobs increased.

"Oh, darling it's ok, it's ok. It will be ok. Just a minute to wait now, surely."

"I don't know if I can! My stomach's in turmoil and I want a hug."

"You're on the loo." Carys stated the obvious.

"I know, but I want a hug!"

"You want me to come in?" Carys grimaced. Why wouldn't the girl just let me do the charm on her? So much more simple…

But she opened the door and went to comfort her friend. She knelt down on the floor next to the loo and put her arms around Hermione awkwardly, careful not to touch the 'stick'. This is ridiculous, she's on the loo, her pants are round her ankles, she's peed on a stick, she's holding a stick, and I'm hugging her. I've gone mad. "You'll be ok hun, you will. I'm here for you, whether you're pregnant or not. It's ok Herm." She patted her back nervously as she spoke.

Hermione's sobs gradually subsided and she grabbed a piece of loo roll and blew her nose noisily. She held the stick away from her, at her side.

"Er, Herm, I don't know much about these things but I think 2 minutes is up. You need to look."

"I can't." Hermione whispered.

"Yes you can. Just pick it up and look at it. What are we looking for again?"

"A dash if I'm not pregnant, and a plus sign if… if…"

"If you are." Carys finished. "You can do this Herm. Come on. Be strong. Gryffindor bravery now, come on. Just pick it up so you can see it and read it."

"I don't know if I'm ready for this!" Hermione exclaimed, still teary.

"You can! Now come on, this floor's getting hard. I hate kneeling." Carys moaned, shifting position slightly.

"OK." Hermione gave a watery smile. "I'll look."

She brought a shaky hand holding the pregnancy test up to her chest. "Here goes nothing…" She muttered to herself and opened her eyes.

"Oh Ca! Ca!" She cried.

"What? What is it? Are you or aren't you?"

"Oh Carys!" She exclaimed again.

"Well? Tell me Herm! Are you having a baby or not?"

"I, I, I'm," Hermione stuttered.

"You're what?" Carys asked, her whole body tensing in excitement.

"Pregnant."