"Owl Gin!" Ron yelled, chucking a piece of parchment to his sister, who opened it and read it in silence.
"Well? Who was it?" Ron demanded, not used to his sister keeping any news quiet.
"Nothing. No one. Tell mum I'll be back for tea will you?" Ginny avoided his questions. Without waiting for a reply, she Apparated out of the Burrow, still holding her piece of parchment.
Strange place, Ginny thought. Looks positively Muggle! Is this really where Hermione is living? Ginny mused, looking about her at the little Muggle village. Her eyes scanned the landscape for Hermione, who suddenly appeared from a corner.
"Ginny!" Hermione launched herself on her friend. "How are you?"
"Very confused about what was so urgent that you summoned me down here – is this where you live?"
Hermione laughed. "Walk with me and I'll tell you. Yes, this is where I live. My village." She spread her arms to indicate the rural scene around them. Ginny smiled and fell in pace with Hermione. "I need you to come with me to tell my parents something very important. And I need you with me because when I left I owled them saying I was house sharing with you, Har- and a few others."
Ginny groaned. "So you want me to back up your story?"
"No! Will you listen? Let me finish and you'll know. Right, they already think I'm house sharing. I'm just bringing you along to prove it. But what I have to tell them is really important – they have a right to know." Hermione paused, biting her lip. She looked at her friend apprehensively.
Ginny observed this carefully and placed a hand on her friend's arm, halting their progress down the pavement. "Herm, are you all right? Has something happened?"
"Gin, what I'm about to tell you, I want you to swear to Merlin you won't tell a soul. Especially not Harry. Or your brothers or your parents. You can't tell anyone!"
"Geez Herm, stop being so dramatic. I'm already keeping one secret aren't I? None of my family think I know where you are. And neither does Harry." she added for good measure, rolling her eyes. "I think you read fiction too much – your sense of dramatic is almost funny." Ginny smirked.
Luckily her friend had the good grace to laugh. "But this is important Gin, seriously. I'm pregnant."
Ginny's gasp, Hermione thought dryly, could've given Carys' a run for its money. "Herm, please tell me you're joking."
Hermione sighed in frustration. "I am not joking! I am having Harry's baby. I am four months along. In fact," she rummaged through her handbag, "here's the bloody scan!" She produced a magical black and white picture of her womb with her moving baby inside.
Ginny peered at it closely. "Oh sweet Merlin. You have to tell Harry." She glanced up at Hermione.
"No way! I can't tell him! I've left him, and I've left him for good. That's it."
"But he's going to be a father – you have to tell him. What were you saying earlier – your parents 'have a right to know'. Well he's going to be a parent soon, he has a right to know. Tell him!" Ginny urged.
"I can't tell him!" Tears formed in Hermione's eyes. "I can't tell him. This baby is mine, not Harry's. If he doesn't know about it then he won't miss it. He can be with Lavender for all I care! I don't want him to come back to me out of pity or duty. I don't want that."
"He doesn't love Lavender." Ginny insisted. "He doesn't! He told me so!" It was as close as she could get to telling Hermione the truth about what she saw in Hogwarts.
"Then it's a good thing I've left him, if it's flings and affairs he wants. I'll let him have them. He can screw around all he wants. See if I care!" Tears fell down Hermione's face as she hated talking about Harry like this.
"Don't cry Herm. It'll be all right." Ginny comforted her awkwardly. "Let's go and see your parents and tell them. Are you ready to Apparate?"
Hermione nodded, wiping her eyes with a tissue. She linked arms with Ginny for a side-along apparition, since Ginny didn't know where her parents lived.
"Mum! Dad! I'm home!" Hermione called, as she popped into her parents' living room. She heard footsteps approach quickly and saw her mother run into the room, closely followed by her father.
"Darling! Where have you been?" Her mother half shouted half reprimanded her, in a style reminiscent of Mrs Weasley's scolding.
"You got my owl didn't you?" Hermione frowned in puzzlement, as her father pulled her into a hug. "I owled to tell you that I was house sharing with a few others, including my friend Ginny, who I've brought with me." Hermione brought her friend forward.
Her father frowned. "House sharing with Jenny? And Harry and Parvati? Oh yes, we got that owl."
Hermione nodded, unsure of what her father was getting at. "Yes, that's right. I'm house sharing. Ginny's one of my flatmates!" She smiled brightly.
Her parents exchanged a look. "So you're sharing with the same Harry who visited us three days ago, wondering where you'd run off to, the Jenny who Harry says lives at home with her parents, and the same Parvati who's saving up money whilst living at home? Stop lying to us Hermione."
"Tell us the truth." Her mother pleaded.
Ginny gave her a sympathetic look. "Busted. Bad luck Herm."
Hermione burst into tears. "I'm sorry I lied to you. Harry and I have split up and I moved away, I have a house and a job – but I have something to tell-"
Hermione was interrupted by her father. "Harry told us you'd split up with him. I'm disappointed in you Herm, a nice young lad like Harry – they're few and far between. And to think you left him over a simple misunderstanding!"
Hermione gaped at her father in shock. "Oh, so, I suppose Harry's fed you some spiel about how he didn't cheat on me has I? And you're siding with him over me!" Hermione shook with anger toward her parents.
"Herm, calm down. This isn't good for you…" Ginny whispered.
"You're right this isn't good for me! I come here to tell you something, to want you to be happy for me and I can see right now who's side you're on! He's the son you never had isn't he? The son you wanted instead of me! Well you can have him! Because I'm leaving, and you and Harry can be a nice cosy family! Merlin knows you all want that!" Hermione cried and grasping Ginny's arms, Apparated them both.
"How can I tell them now?" Hermione asked Ginny forlornly.
"They didn't make it easy for you, I admit that."
"I can't tell them. It's obvious Harry's got them eating out of the palm of his hand. A bit of the infamous Potter charm no doubt." She said sarcastically. "I can't tell them I'm having Harry's baby. The first thing they'll do is tell him. I'm just glad I didn't tell them where I'm living." she paused to blow her nose. "As far as I'm concerned Gin, I have no boyfriend and no parents."