Hermione was never one to swear. She always tried to find other words - proper words - to say whenever she felt frustrated or mad. Ron, on the other hand, swore like a sailor. It just came natural to him. Hermione tried to stop him (or at least make him swear less) every chance she could, especially since they had a 14-month-old daughter who repeated every word she heard. Hermione was ever so careful around Belle, hushing or glaring at anyone who dared to swear in front of her little girl. But sometimes, words find their way to be heard.
"MOMMY!" She woke up to the loud voice of her child and hands shaking her. She rolled over and slowly opened her eyes. She looked at her clock. As if on cue, it struck 4:30am. Hermione sighed. "You have to be kidding me!" She thought. Every night since Ron had left for a mission, Belle woke up at 4:30am sharply and ran in her mother's room, usually saying she had had a bad dream. Hermione knew quite well that she missed her daddy terribly and that she wanted to stay in the big bed her mommy and daddy often shared. Hermione turned on her lamp, sat up and picked up the little girl who was standing next to her with watery brown eyes. Her red bushy hair all over the place.
"Hey, sweetheart. It's a little late for little princesses like you to be out of bed. What's wrong?" Hermione asked as she sat a sleepy Belle on her lap.
"Bad dream, mommy." The little girl said rubbing her eye with her little hand. Hermione held her close.
"You wanna tell mommy what was it about?" Hermione inquired as she stroke her daughter's hair. Belle just shook her head.
"Where daddy?" Belle asked.
"Daddy's working, sweetheart. He's catching bad wizards with uncle Harry, remember?" Hermione said. Belle looked up at her and sniffed.
"Wif wand?" She asked, a little smile forming in her face as she moved her hand pretending she had a wand in it. Hermione smiled as well.
"Yes, with his wand." She replied. She kissed the little girl's head and laid her on the bed on Ron's side. "Come on! It's time to say nighty night." She then said tucking her daughter in.
"When daddy home?" Belle asked as she did every night.
"Tomorrow, darling. When you're back from school." Hermione replied. "Now, time to close your eyes. You have early school tomorrow and mommy has to finish some reports for that idiot of her boss." She said, and in that minute she gaped and froze in panic, hoping Belle hadn't heard her. But it was too late. Little Belle was wide awake, and in a matter of seconds, she started to repeat the only word Hermione had emphasized without realizing and that she never wanted to hear from her daughter's mouth. Belle repeated it again and again, laughing at the new funny word she had learnt. No matter how many times Hermione told her to stop, Belle wouldn't listen. Eventually, after a severe reprimand, Belle gave in and fell asleep.
The next day, Ron was welcomed back home by her loving girlfriend and his bright daughter.
"We really missed you." Hermione said as she kissed Ron.
"I missed you too." He said kissing him back.
"Idiot" they pulled away and looked at the source of the word, Ron with a shocked look on his face; Hermione with an embarrassed one.
"What did you just say?" Ron asked. Belle looked at him and giggled.
"Idiot. Idiot. Idiot." She sing sang.
Ron looked at her, then at Hermione whose cheeks were turning a violent shade of red.
"How come... Where did she...?" He managed to ask. Hermione looked down.
"Shemayhavehearditfromme." She said quickly, almost in a whisper.
"Hermione, love, I didn't catch that. Where did she learn that again?" He asked trying to make eye contact with her. Hermione sighed and looked at him.
"She may have heard it from... me." She said. To her surprise, Ron stated laughing. "It's not funny, Ronald!" She snapped. Ron stopped his laughing, but still smiled.
"How could she have learnt that from you? You never swear. And if you do, you make sure she's not around to listen." He said.
"She's been waking up at half past four in the morning ever since you left and I was stressed over that and work..." She began.
"Diggory's giving you a hard time again?" He asked sympathetically. She nodded.
"I may have used that I word she's saying when I referred to him the other night and well... Here we are." She said. Ron hugged her and kissed her head.
"It's just a word, love." He said reassuringly.
"But she'll repeat it everywhere! How could I have been so careless, Ron?" She asked covering her face with her hands.
"You're only human. And you know how she is, Mione. She'll hear a new, interesting word and repeat it until she hears another one. We just have to teach her when she can use it and where. That's all." He said. She looked up at him and smiled a bit. Then she reached up and kissed him. "And hey! Idiot is not that bad." He said as Crookshanks walked past them, scratching his ankle. "Bloody cat!" He shouted.
"Bloody. Bloody. Bloody." They heard a little voice said between giggles. Hermione glared at Ron. He gave her one of his forgive-me smiles. She sighed. "It's just a word." She thought. Just a word.