"Hey Harry…. Um…. would you and Gin mind sitting in a different compartment on the way back? Mione and I… well... we have some things to discuss before we get back to the Burrow." Ron muttered as he and Harry walked through the courtyard, doing his best to not seem too strange, or dirty.

Harry looked at Ron, confused, but not exactly willing to question his best friend's request.

"Sure mate. Er, we will see you at Kings Cross then?"

"Course… Thanks…" Ron was relieved the awkward encounter was over, even though he knew it wouldn't be the only one of the day. Looking across the way, Ron locked eyes with Hermione, nodding to her as if to notify her that his conversation with Harry had been successful.

Hermione and Ginny were walking up to the group, getting their belongings ready for the train ride back home for the holiday.

Being Head Girl, Hermione was in charge of getting the younger students successfully on the train, which went to be less eventful than expected. With all of the students accounted for, Hermione scanned compartments for one containing an anxious Ron.

Sitting in the chilly but somehow cozy compartment, Hermione put up her protective enchantments, as if they were still in danger and on the run. Ron knew it was out of paranoia from the year prior, but he still helped set them in place, just in case.

What should have been their Seventh Year at Hogwarts changed them forever. Of course it bonded the three friends, saved the Wizarding World and turned the trio into heroes. It also pushed Ron and Hermione together. All of the normal steps had been skipped. There was no courting or dating… they were just bonded together as partners. No one was surprised to see the two return as a couple when they went back to Hogwarts, if anything, it just felt like a reminder of the good to come after the War.

"Well I guess we need to go over the plan." Hermione said, uncertainty.

"Yeah… right…" Ron paused, realizing that this could very well be one of the more terrifying things he and Hermione had ever done. "I think it's best to just get it over with. It's going to come out, and I'm sure mum will be at her happiest then… Or just her being the least likely to yell."

Hermione grinned, looking at the floor, hunched over with her hands picking at her nails. 'Somehow, I think she's more terrified than I am' Ron thought to himself.

"Hey." Ron said kindly, wrapping her small fidgeting hands into his, "Remember this may be our only shot at this…after Bellatrix... We can't be afraid of what other people think. We survived the scariest bloody thing, and now we get to be on the other side of that. Right?"

Hermione's eyes watered as her grin turned into a smile, nodding her head in agreement. She moved over to Ron's side of the bench and curled into him, with his arm around her and her face nuzzled into his thick sweater. The teenagers just held each other in silence, neither falling asleep. Instead, they nervously sat in anticipation, watching the countryside go by.

The whole clan slowly came to life as they stepped into the Burrow. After warm welcomes, everyone was put to work on dinner and tidying up. Hermione was peeling potatoes the muggle way while Ron was helping George and his father decorate the living room for Christmas.

At dinner time, the couple reunited, sharing a hand squeeze. As they ate, tales of Hogwarts and quidditch were shared, while Arthur filled the family in on what was going on at the Ministry. The clan almost felt whole again. Almost.

It was to be the first holiday since Fred passed, Molly had saved a seat for Fred and accidently knit the annual sweater for him... There was always a bit of a cloud over the family, but everyone did their best to keep going. As dinner came to a close and Ginny and Harry wandered upstairs, Ron started to pull himself together.

"Mum and dad… Er, could we talk to you for a bit?" Ron asked as his eyes darted between his parents. His stomach was in knots, and he knew Hermione would be no better off.

"Of course! Sit sit sit." Molly said, walking into the living room.

Hermione and Ron uncomfortably sat on the loveseat, while Arthur and Molly sat in two chairs, just waiting for the couple to start speaking.

"So… we have some news." Ron started, afraid to make eye contact with either parent. "Well er… sorry- "

"Ronald and I… Well I am… I'm pregnant." Hermione said as her momentary bravery boiled over.

Ron finally looked at his parents, with shocked looks on their faces. Before they could say anything, Ron decided to keep going.

"I know this could be disappointing to you both… But we've decided to make the most of it. After everything we've all been through, especially Hermione… It may be our only shot." Ron said uncomfortably, looking at Hermione as tears again filled her eyes.

Quietly, Molly spoke, "What do you mean, "only shot"?"

Hermione and Ron just looked at eachother, as Hermione nodded her head as to let Ron know she would handle this one. He held her hands even tighter, knowing the water works were about to start.

"Bellatrix got a hold of me last year at Malfoy Manor… and she gave me that scar" she shuddered as she spoke, "Well… that isn't all that happened. Sh-She used the-" a sob escaped her lips before she could continue.

Ron wrapped an arm around her, continuing her explanation, "Bellatrix used the Cruciatus Curse on her. Over and over again… While Harry and I were locked in the dungeon listening to her scream…" He tried to hold it together, shaking his head as if to shake past the memory, "The healer said it was the most any person has gone through. And she that she was lucky she didn't end up like the Longbottoms"

Molly's hands covered her mouth at the thought. Arthur just stared in shock.

"I was okay I thought… but when you had us go see that healer after the war.. Well I was scared to be alone so Ron came in with me. We found out that Bellatrix had left her mark on me in a different way I guess." Hermione looked like she was in so much pain just saying these words, Ron felt like there was a knife in his stomach and it had just been twisted.

"The healer said I would never be able to have children, a spider web effect of curse remnants or something. There's scar tissue everywhere inside of me… So they thought it wasn't possible."

"And then by some miracle this accident happened and now here we are." Ron grinned at Hermione, kissing her head as she just held her face in her hands.

Looking at his parents, he started again, "We know that we're young, we're still 19… And technically we are still in school… But only for a few more months. Obviously we all know Hermione is the only person for me, and I know I'd like to have a family… I know I'm rambling, but we are happy about this. This is probably the only time we will ever get to have our own baby... Bellatrix is NOT taking this from us. We already had so much taken from us! Our childhoods were filled with fighting Voldemort. Hell, we spent the last year of our lives on the run! We lost our friends, family...Fred… but we made it. The fact that Hermione survived at all and we still get to have a child! It's bloody brilliant!"

"Hermione I am so sorry… I just can't imagine…" Molly started.

"It's fine... I'm a lot better, but… Do you understand why we are happy about this?" Hermione asked.

"Of course dear… Oh Ron you're going to be the best dad! We are on board. Heck I already had Bill by the time I was your age!"

Arthur slowly started to smile, "Well, we knew it was coming with you two eventually. Congratulations… I'm just so proud you made it this far." The group all exchanged hugs and tears, just amazed at how well this had gone.

"Ronald, you move Hermione's things into your room. How about us girls chat before you all head off to bed?" Molly half asked/ half ordered. Ron kissed Hermione's head again before going upstairs to move her bag up to his room.

"Want some tea dear?" Molly asked Hermione, motioning to the kitchen table.

"Yes please." Hermione said quietly, still shell-shocked by what just happened.

Handing her a mug, Molly started her questioning. "So who else knows?"

"Just you and Mr. Weasley… We planned on telling Harry and Ginny tonight or tomorrow. They've already heard about the 'effects' from Bellatrix, so I'm sure they'll be shocked" Hermione said, grinning into her tea.

"Oh call us Arthur and Molly dear." she corrected, before going back to her line of questioning, "So give me the run of it, how are you feeling?"

Hermione took a breath, "Well, I'm 8 weeks along, so it's still early. But I've had morning sickness and nausea… I feel like I constantly sleep. And then there's the other stuff…"

"What other stuff? Are you… okay?"

"So we saw a healer who confirmed the pregnancy. The one who told me about the leftover curse… And she said that as the baby grows, there will probably be lots of pain, and some bleeding," Hermione said sheepishly, "As it grows the scar tissue will start to break up and it's already been so painful… random stabs in my stomach ,stretching and breaking…"

"Oh dear… I'm so sorry Hermione. I had no idea what she'd done to you. Please let me know whatever I can do for you, okay? You've always been family, but now you're carrying my grandbaby! While it is not the ideal timing, I just know you and Ronald will be okay."

Hermione pulled Molly into a tight hug, just so relieved that everything would be okay.

"Now we both know how much you need sleep right now, so head on up. Worry about Harry and Ginny tomorrow." With that, Hermione headed on up to her first time staying in Ron's childhood bedroom.

Stopping in the doorway, she just watched him so graciously set up the room, grabbing a trash bin next to her bed for her in case she gets sick (like she had several times in the previous weeks), an extra blanket and cracking the window for a bit of cool air. Turning around, he saw her just standing there, with a hand absent-mindedly on her stomach. His eyes lit up just taking her in, with a big smile on his face he made his way over to give her a kiss.

"We did it." she whispered to him, resting her forehead against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Yes we did…. our own little family."

~~~~~~~
I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter! After reading SO many Ron/ Hermione fanfic's over the years, I decided to take a crack at it! Would appreciate any notes you all leave, I have the next several chapters written, so once they are all edited I will publish soon!

xoxoxo

J