* Telling the news *
Hermione couldn't believe it. Her little her was going to have a baby of her own soon.
"How did you do it?" it was Belle's question the day after she had told her boyfriend and parents the news.
"How did I do what, sweetie?" Hermione asked as both women were having lunch together that Friday. Belle and Adam were meeting his parents for dinner that night to tell them the big news, and then they were going to meet the rest of the Weasleys on Sunday brunch.
"Tell your family you were pregnant the first time?" Belle asked. Hermione looked at her and thought about it.
"Well... we didn't have many people to tell around that time. I think I told you this, but when I was pregnant with you, your father, your uncle Harry and I were on the run hunting hurcruxes and trying to survive without getting caught. My parents... My parents..." at this point, Hermione's eyes began to well up and her voice started to tremble a bit. Belle placed her hand on top of hers.
"It's ok, mom. You don't have to tell me." she said, but Hermione shook her head.
"You asked and I want you to know." she said, then sighed. "Anyway, my parents were in Australia, and your dad's family wasn't around because we were in the middle of the woods somewhere around the world, so there weren't too many people to tell. Just your dad and your uncle Harry." she explained.
"How did you tell dad?" Belle asked. Hermione thought for a while. She didn't want Belle to get upset by telling her that her father wanted to leave them before knowing about them, but she reckoned her daughter deserved to know at least part of the story.
"In the middle of an argument. We were both outside and we were both frustrated because we thought we were going nowhere with this hunt. He said he wanted to leave, so I told him I was pregnant. I'd been meaning to tell him for a week or so, but I could never find a good time. And now he was saying he was going to leave. I couldn't take it anymore. So I told him." Hermione explained. Belle looked at her, speechless for a minute.
"And what happened?" she finally asked.
"He kissed me. Then, I threw up for a while. And when I was better, we talked about it and we were ok." Hermione said.
"And dad didn't leave?" Belle asked. Hermione smiled and shook her head.
"Dad didn't leave." she said.
"Was he happy... you know... about me?" Belle asked, a bit worried about the answer.
"He was shocked at first, but he was happy about having you." Hermione said with a smile on her face.
"What about uncle Harry? You said him and dad were the only people around you when you were pregnant." Belle said.
"Yeah. That was... different." Hermione said as she started to remember that day at the tent:
*Flashback*
Hermione fidgeted with the cover of her bunkbed and bit her lip. It's just been 24 hours since she had told Ron about the baby. Luckily, he had been ok about the subject. Shocked, of course. But he was ok. After coming back to the tent with her, he appologized to Harry for the fight. The dark-haired boy also appologized and offered to take the first night watch so his friend could get dry and clean. In the meantime, Hermione had cleaned herself and had made some tea. Her and Ron talked for a long while about their current situation and, mainly, about their feelings for each other. Although they had confessed their love for one another long ago, they hadn't talked or done something about it since their last night together. Now that they had come clean about everything, they had decided to explore this new relationship between them.
"You ok?" Ron asked holding a cup of tea in his hand. Hermione startled and looked at him, then nodded. "It's gonna be alright." he said, kneeling in front of her and taking her hands in his. She looked at him nervously.
"What if he's mad at us for all this? What if he doesn't take it that well? What if he thinks the baby would be a distraction from this hunt and that we won't be able to help him with his mission? What if...?" she started before he cut her in.
"Hermione, he has to know. You're starting to show already. He'll know something's going on, sweetie. We have to tell him." he said, calmly. Hermione looked at him, surprised. This was a new side of Ron, one that she surely was loving. She smiled a little. He leaned forward and kissed her. Then, he got up, taking her hands and pulling her up. "Ready?" he asked. She took a deep breath and nodded. They went to the table where Harry was already having some tea. They both sat in front of him. He looked at them, raising his eyebrows. He knew something was different about them since the night before. He knew something had changed between them after that talk outside the tent. He couldn't put his finger on what exactly.
"You guys alright?" he asked. Hermione and Ron looked at each other, then they looked at Harry.
"Harry, we... we need to tell you something." Hermione started. Harry nodded.
"Alright. What is it?" he asked.
Hermione took a deep breath. She was starting to feel her stomach twirling around and thought that she was going to be sick any moment now. But she knew she had to tell him.
"See... a couple of months ago, we... well, we were at Grimmauld Place, and well... Ron and I were talking and well... we said some things and then they led to some other things, and then..." she stammered.
"Hermione, you're not making any sense. What is it?" Harry asked between annoyed and concerned. This was not the Hermione he knew. The Hermione he knew went always to the point.
"Ok, fine. So... Ron and I... we..." she started
"Hermione and I slept together the first night we were at Grimmauld Place... and some other nights." Ron interrupted her. Hermione gaped at him and gave him a shocked look. Harry's eyes got as big as plates.
"So you... you guys..." Harry stammered.
"Yeah. We shagged." Ron said with a goofy grin on his face.
"Ronald!" Hermione exclaimed, scandalized by Ron's saying. Ron looked at her and shrugged his shoulders, his ears turning red.
"What? It's the truth. And it's not the biggest news we have." He said.
"What bigger news could you have?" Harry exclaimed. Hermione sighed.
"I'm pregnant." she announced, looking down at her hands. Harry's jaw dropped. This really was big. "Harry, we... we didn't plan it. It just... it happened. But we don't regret it at all. And we want you to know that it's not going to change anything between us. And it won't be a distraction or anything. We're still commited to help you destroy the horcruxes." she explained. Ron held her hand and looked at his friend. Harry was speecheless. Sure, he's been waiting - even praying - for his friends to finally come to their senses and get together, but he never expected it to escalate so much in so little time, needless to say to do it in the middle of a war.
"You alright, mate?" Ron asked, concerned.
Harry snapped back into reality.
"Yeah. So... you two are... together now?" he asked. Ron and Hermione looked at each other and smiled a little, blushing.
"Yeah. We're together now." Ron said kissing Hermione's hand.
"Are you... are you mad at us?" Hermione asked Harry.
"No. No! Of course not! I'm... I'm happy for you, guys. And... shocked. I mean... yeah... finally... it was about time you got it together and finally realise you liked each other. But I never thought..." Harry said.
"Yeah. We didn't think so either. But it happened." Ron said.
"Are you ok... with the baby?" Harry asked. Hermione and Ron looked at each other and nodded.
"We talked about it yesterday. It's a shock, but... it's our baby." Ron explained, placing a hand on Hermione's belly.
"How far along are you?" Harry asked Hermione.
"Nearly 5 months." she said. Harry nodded.
*End of Flashback*
"So? How did you tell uncle Harry about me?" Belle asked, making Hermione snap back to reality.
"We told him during breakfast." Hermione said.
"And how did he take it?" Belle asked.
"He was shocked about the whole situation, but he was ok... eventually. He was very supportive, although your dad and I knew that he was dead worried about everything that was happening at the time." Hermione said. Belle sighed.
"I just hope he's as supportive with me as he was with you when I tell him." Belle said. Hermione smiled. She was sure Harry was going to be happy for his niece. He always had a soft spot for her and she knew he was going to be there no matter what.