Chapter 19: Belle's news
She looked at the papers and reread the statements over and over again. Still, she couldn't concentrate in what she was reading. Her mind was thinking about something else, someone else. That day had been particularly different from others. First of all, Rose had left for Hogwarts, and that was quite an emotional milestone. Second, Adam had said something that had been nagging her since they had left the platform: Belle had been sick. That worried Hermione, mainly because her daughter was never one of getting sick too often. But as they were heading to the car that morning, Adam had mentioned that Belle hadn't been herself for a few days now. "She's going to be fine. It's probably nothing." Hermione told herself. Just as she was getting back at her reading, she heard something breaking. She got up and ran to the door. She saw the glass from her window was shattered into pieces and she heard someone crying.
"Ethel, what happ...?" she started. Belle was standing in front of her, crying as she kept appologizing to Ethel about what had happened. "Belle? Sweetheart, are you OK?" Hermione asked, worried, as Belle ran to her and buried her head on her mother's chest, crying uncontrolably. Hermione hugged her tight. "It's alright, sweetheart. everything's alright. Let's get in the office, shall we?" she said as she took her daughter inside. then, she turned to her secretary. "Ethel, cancel all my meetings. If somebody calls, tell them that I won't be available, probably for the rest of the day. And can you bring us two cups of tea and some biscuits, please?" she asked. Ethel got up from her desk and left. Hermione took her wand from her pocket, pointed it at the window and said: "Reparo!". The little pieces of glass put theselves together and went back to their place as nothing had ever happened. Hermione closed the door behind her and went to her little sofa where her daughter was sat, sobbing.
"I... I'm s-so sorry, m-mom. I-I didn't m-mean it. I... I d-don't know w-what happened." Belle said in-between sobs. Hermione stroke her daughter's red hair and smiled, sympathetically.
"It's alright, baby." Hermione reassured her as Ethel walked in with a tray. She placed it on the coffee table and left. Hermione waved her wand and served tea for both of them. "You wanna tell me what's going on?" she asked as Belle took one of the cups. She just sipped it. "Adam mentioned that you haven't been feeling well lately, that you were sick most of the time." she said, looking at her daughter in the eyes. At first, Belle tried to avoid eye contact, but then she gave in and looked back.
"I... I think I'm..." Belle started. Hermione looked at her, expectant, although she was starting to have some idea of what was going on in her daughter's head. "I think I'm... p-pregnant." Belle finally said. Hermione just looked at her, shocked, and Belle instantly burst into tears again. "I-I'm sorry, m-mom. I-I'm s-sorry I d-disappointed you." she cried. Hermione went grabbed her daughter's face in her hands.
"Don't you ever say that again, Belle Granger-Weasley. You can never ever disappoint me." she said seriously, then she hugged her daughter tight. Belle just cried. She pulled away a while later.
"I just... I was careful... we were... everything you taught me... and I just... I don't know." she cried.
"It's alright. Everything will be alright." Hermione said reassurengly.
"I just... I'm 19! How can I... what if he... what if he doesn't want this? Mom, I don't want to do this alone." Belle said.
"And you won't. I'm right here with you. And so will your dad, and your brother and sister, and everyone in the family. And I'm sure Adam will be there too. A bit scared at the beginning, but he'll be there too. He really does love you, Belle." Hermione said wipping her daughter's tears away with her hands.
"What if I can't do it, mom? What if I'm not that good?" Belle asked.
"You'll learn, as we all do. You can read as many books as you'd like about the subject, dear, but nothing is going to determine how you do things. You just try and hope for the best." Hermione said. Belle just held onto her mom tight. Hermione held her and kissed her head. "It's going to be fine, baby girl. Everything's going to be fine." she said.
It was already 10pm when Ron and Hermione heard a pop! sound coming from the living room. They took their wands and went downstairs. They heard sobs. They saw Belle standing in front of the fireplace, crying.
"Belle? What are you doing here?" Ron asked.
She just cried. Hermione went and hugged her.
"Bloody hell! That bloody bastard must have done something! I'm gonna kill him!" Ron exclaimed, furious. Hermione glared at him.
"Language, Ronald!" she scorned him. "And no, you're not going to kill anybody until we find out what's going on." she said as she hugged their daughter. "Now, go and make some tea. I'll take Belle to her room." she ordered.
"Bloody bastard! I knew he was bad news the second he laid eyes on my daughter." Ron muttered as he walked to the kitchen. Hermione looked at Belle who was now just sobbing lightly.
"So...?" she asked when Ron was out of sight.
Belle looked at her. "I... I told him." she said.
Hermione looked at her, expectant. "And? Was he mad?" she asked.
"He... he never answered. He just... stared at me, so... I left." Belle said.
"You disapparated?" Hermione asked. Belle nodded. "You know that's dangerous for the baby." Hermione said. Belle just burst into tears. Hermione held her. "It's ok, sweetie. Let's go to your room." she said, leading Belle upstairs. As they were sitting on her bed, Ron walked in with a tray.
"Adam just floo called asking if you were here. I told him to bugger off" he said as Hermione glared at him.
"Ronald!" she exclaimed.
"What? If she's like this, it's because he did something. And I don't want that bastard here if he makes my baby cry, Hermione." he said.
"You better go and floo call back and tell him that Belle is here, that she's alright and that she'll spend the night with us." Hermione said. Ron objected. "Either you do it or you'll spend the night on the couch. Your call, Weasley." she said, looking at him in the eye. He sighed, leaving the tray on the bed and going downstairs.
"So... you told him and ran away." Hermione said to Belle when Ron was out of sight.
"I just... I got scared when he didn't say anything. We were talking about a friend of his whose girlfriend is having a baby and he said that they were too young and that thank Merlin we weren't in their position, and I got upset and we started arguing and I just blurted it out. He just stared at me as if I had stunned him. I couldn't take it anymore, so I left." Belle said.
"He'll come around, sweetheart. He's just shocked, but he'll be alright, you'll see." Hermione said.
"What about dad?" Belle asked.
Hermione sighed. "I can't promise you that he won't yell or anything at first, but he'll be ok in the end. You're his little girl, Belle." she said.
There was a knock on the door and Ron walked in. Adam was behind him.
"Belle, you can't just tell me something like you just did and leave without letting me say something. Are you out of your mind? You have any idea how dangerous apparition is in your condition?" Adam asked. He looked worried and annoyed. Belle looked at him. "Can you leave us alone, please? Adam and I need to discuss something." she told her parents. Ron looked at Hermione, shocked, and she gave him a sign to leave the room. She followed him.
"What the hell is happening there?" he asked.
"Our daughter is growing up, Ron. That's what's happening." she sighed. "Come on! Let's go to our room. Belle will find us if she needs us." she told him as she grabbed his hand gently. They went to their room and closed the door, hoping everything would work out for the young couple.