No Time for Epilogues
Chapter 35
Twenty minutes later, close to retching, Hermione stumbled ungraciously to the ground. I'm glad I changed out of the wedding gown!
"Shite!" she declared when she noted her hand cut from a bit of gravel.
Ron helped her to her feet and healed her hand. "We should have taken a later port key from Rome. Let's just get to the hotel for a stomach remedy and a lie-down."
Poor thing. She was hung-over, nauseous and exhausted. When they arrived at the hotel room, a tired smile graced her face.
"What a charming room!" she said and sat on the bed, admiring the surroundings. It was a large, single room with a king-size bed, dining table for two, a wall that was really one large window overlooking the Nile, and a huge sunken jacuzzi in the corner. A quick knock at the door was heard. Ron answered it. A man in colorful robes made a small, quick bow and spoke.
"I bid you a fond welcome to Cairo, as well as best wishes for the newly- wedded couple. I am Madu, the attendant for your room during your stay," he said. "Is there anything you require? Will you be attending the welcome dinner for new guests?"
Ron glanced back at Hermione, who nodded yes.
"If you require anything, merely wave your wand over the summoning sphere next to the bed," Madu said.
"We're fine," Ron said. "Dinner's at seven, right?"
Madu nodded.
"In that case, good evening and enjoy your dinner."
When Ron closed the door, Hermione summoned her travel bag from the table, rummaged through it and found a stomach remedy.
"Why don't you take a quick nap? You look like you need it," Ron said. "When you wake, we can take a nice, long hot bath in that fabulous tub over there."
"You're too good to me. Here we are on our long-awaited honeymoon, and all I feel like doing is sleeping," she said ruefully.
Ron sat on the bed and gently massaged her back. "Love, you're knackered, it's obvious. Here, change into one of these hotel robes we're gonna nick," he said, summoning one from the side of the tub.
When she woke, she felt worlds better. She looked across the room and grinned. There sat Ron, in white silk boxers and hotel robe, holding up a picture from a magazine he was reading and finished chewing whatever he was eating.
"Mrs. Weasley, did you know that this window is a one-way view? We can see out, but no one can see in?" he asked.
"That's very interesting, Mr. Weasley."
"I thought so," he said, tossed the magazine to the table and joined her on the bed.
She took hold of his robe and drew him closer for a searing kiss, smacking her lips from the tangy orange flavored kiss. "When you call me Mrs. Weasley, I get so hot for you, it must be some kind of bonding magic or something...call me that again." I'm possessed!
He grinned at her babbling, something she only did when she was aroused. He leaned in, nipped her earlobe and whispered "Mrs. Weasley." He moved to her neck, kissed lightly on her favorite spot and again whispered "Mrs. Weasley."
They slipped each other's robes off, then boxers and knickers. Murmurs of "husband" and "wife" were heard among kisses and caresses. She arched against him, writhing in need. "Romance later," she murmured, grasped his hips and pulled him closer. "I want you."
"Whatever Mrs. Weasley wishes," he said, hooked her leg over his arm and slid in.
Back at Hogwarts, Elizabeth and Molly were ensuring that the wedding gifts were making their way back to the Grangers.
"I hope they made it to Cairo alright," Elizabeth said.
"I wouldn't worry about that too much, port-key travel is very safe," Molly assured her. Elizabeth sat down, suddenly feeling very weary.
"Are you feeling alright?" Molly asked. "You look flushed."
"I believe I overindulged today."
Molly chuckled. "You're not the first to fall prey to the effects of Elven Wine. I believe my Ginny is feeling it too," she said and nodded to where Harry was guiding Ginny by her elbow to a table. The girl let her head fall to the table with a thump.
Elizabeth felt over come by a wave of dizziness. Molly conjured a cool, wet cloth and pressed it to her head.
"This may be more than the wine, how have you been feeling lately?"
Ian saw the scene and came to his wife's side. "Still feeling under the weather hun?"
Elizabeth nodded slowly. Ian helped her to her feet. "Harry said he'll take us home."
Over the course of the week, the newlyweds did manage to drag themselves from the joys of their honeymoon bed to shop and see the sights. They went on a lunch or dinner cruise along the Nile everyday. When it came to food, Hermione appreciated the abundance of delicious, fresh fruit. Food vendors always stocked plenty of it, and she kept the fruit bowl in their room filled with fresh bananas, oranges, dates and grapes. She also loved the simple, tasty fare of veggies, rice and pita bread.
Ron came to like asiir, a Cairo specialty of fresh squeezed juices, and the strong, fragrant coffee that was served with baklava for dessert. He tried lamb and rabbit but drew the line at pigeon kabobs. When they shopped at the great bazaar, Khan el-Khaili, Ron himself seemed to be one of the attractions at six foot three with his striking red hair, sky blue eyes and pale pink skin. People stared when he walked by.
At one stall, Hermione noted runes on the wall behind the stall that only a wizard or witch would be able to read. "You know the bricks you tap to get into Diagon Alley?" she asked. Ron nodded and she pointed to the runes. "There's something like that right there, wanna visit magical Cairo?"
They went to the beaches of Alexandria and of course toured the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. The last days of their trip were spent in Luxor, touring the Valley of the Kings and paying a visit to a local apothecary for sunburn lotion for Ron.
July 8, 1999
At nine a.m. that morning, Elizabeth was wiping away happy tears at the diagnosis her doctor had just told her, after she had stopped laughing.
You're not ill, Mrs. Granger, you're pregnant, just over a month along at that.
"I have to tell my just-married nineteen year old daughter that she's going to have a little brother or sister next year," she said, catching her breath. "I'm glad there's doctors here, because my husband waiting in the corridor is going to need one."
The newlyweds bid a fond farewell to Egypt and took a longer port-key trip back to England to spare Hermione's stomach. They arrived in the back yard and Hermione immediately noticed some large flower pots missing. In the house, half the furniture was gone. Well, they are moving out. In the den, a note from her mum was attached to her computer screen.
Ring me when you arrive to let us know you returned all right!
As she was taking her cell from her purse, the laughing voices of her parents were heard coming through the front door. She met them in the corridor. Elizabeth eagerly hugged her daughter and cupped her face. "Let me see you- my, you look all tanned and happy."
Ian was shaking Ron's hand, shooting fleeting glances at Elizabeth. "Good trip I assume?"
Ron smiled shyly. "The best."
Elizabeth interlocked arms with Hermione and led her to the kitchen. "You must simply tell me all about it, well, not all of it, just the touristy stuff."
Hermione looked pointedly at Ron. What's up with them?
They saw Ian get Elizabeth settled in a chair, fluff a pillow at her back and put her feet up. She slapped at his arm lightly as he continued to hover around her. "Really Ian, I'm not suddenly invalid, but I am thirsty."
"Of course dear, I'll be right back," he said, gave her a searing kiss and hurried from the den.
"What's going on?" Hermione asked.
"When your father gets back, I'll tell you."
Minutes later, he returned with a glass of juice and some crackers. She took a long drink, sighed and peered at her daughter. "I might as well just come out and say it. Pumpkin, I'm pregnant."
"Pardon?" Hermione asked incredulously.
That evening at The Burrow, Hermione and Ron told the family about the trip to Egypt over dinner. Souvenirs were passed out, pictures were displayed.
"I have another bit of news," Hermione said and took a sip of water. "Mum's pregnant."
"Pardon?" Molly asked.
"I know, I said the same thing. She found out this morning."
"How old your mother?" Ginny asked.
"43."
"Well, for witches that's not too old to be having babies," Arthur said.
"She's not a witch, that's what I'm worried about, but she and Dad aren't worried at all."
"Well dear, you'll just have to trust their judgment and hope for the best," Molly said. "Now, have you had enough pie?" she asked. Hermione chuckled and nodded her head. Food was Molly's cure to any ailment or worry.
"Is there anything else you'd like to talk about? You seem a bit preoccupied tonight, or is it somethine else?" Molly asked and the two went to the sofa to talk in private.
"Well...it would be...something I'd talk to my mum about, but she's not a witch," Hermione said slowly. How to breach this subject? I might as well Gryffindor-up and just ask. She cleared her throat and paid close attention to her shoelaces. "Was..is there some kind of..love magic or something like that at our wedding?"
"Do you mean bonding magic?" Molly asked matter-of-factly.
"I think so."
"Yes, Arthur is an ordained bonding wizard, so yes there is magic in the vows you two made. Why?"
How do I tell the mother of my husband that all I feel like doing is shagging him senseless? She blushed at the thought of actually telling Molly that.
Molly chuckled. "You feel like you never want to leave the bed, is that what you're getting at?"
Hermione nodded quickly in agreement and glanced at Ron, who was talking quietly with Arthur. Ironically, he was asking Arthur the same thing Hermione had asked Molly.
"What the both of you are experiencing is normal for magical couples, joyously, gloriously normal. Long ago, during the time of Merlin, the magical population grew so perilously low that a charm was invented to compel a wizards and witches to mate, vigorously I might add, to boost the magical population. The charm was incorporated into the vows and has been ever since."
"Then how does that explain, for example, all the Weasley offspring, when-" Hermione asked.
"-some couples only have one child or none at all?" Hermione nodded for her to continue.
"There has been much debate over the subject. Some of it we already know: some men are impotent, some women infertile, some can become pregnant but are unable to carry a baby to term. But those are a small percentage considering the advances magical science has made in the area of obstetrics."
Hermione nodded in understanding. Her mum took every advantage medical science had to offer to be able to conceive and carry Hermione to term. Now, it looked like Elizabeth would have to take advantage of that medical science again. She was so worried for her mum.
"However wonderful this sexual compulsion may seem, it can also be a detriment to some couples. I personally believe that many of the problems that many marriages have to today is that they resist the compulsion and the tension creates hostility and disappointment."
"But making love, no matter how great it is, isn't everything in a relationship, a marriage. There's love, trust, affection, respect- the intangibles." What me and Ron have is more than just lust!
"That's just it, isn't it? You call it making love. So do I, calling it sex just doesn't seem like enough, to me anyway. Anyone can have sex, however, when a loving couple adds trust, affection, and respect, they make love. Keep in mind that centuries ago, procreation was the goal, not the happiness of the couple."
"How sad."
Molly patted her hand. "Have no fear. You two were meant for each other, so marriage for you was just a formality. Your hearts were already bonded a long time ago. You don't plan on having children for a few years yet, so you make love for the sheer pleasure of it, the kind of closeness that only a couple truly in love enjoy. So when you do have children, they will be the product of love, so much love. "