Chapter Ten: Breaking the News.

After clearing everything up Hermione went down to breakfast, Ron and Harry were talking about Quidditch while eating big plates of egg and bacon. Her stomach churned at the sight, she sat down and started on a dry piece of toast.

'Ron,' she said after swallowing a mouthful.

'Yeah 'mione,' he said with his cheeks bulging.

'After breakfast do you want to go for a walk around the grounds? I need to talk to you,' She replied fighting the urge to throw up all over him.

'Well Harry and I were going to go down to the Quidditch pitch and have a bit of a muck around, Can it wait?' Ron asked after swallowing.

Hermione nodded, 'sure.'

Ginny interrupted, 'no Ron its important,' she said fixing a stern look on Hermione.

'Is it hon?' Ron asked.

Hermione nodded 'yes, it is important,' she said 'you don't mind going for a fly later, or tomorrow do you Harry?' She directed the question at her friend.

'Not at all, if it's important,' Harry replied.

'Great, thank you Harry,' Hermione said.

Harry, who had a mouthful and better manners than Ron, gave her the thumbs up.

Hermione waited anxiously for Ron to finish his breakfast, as he got up Ron took Hermione's hand 'where do you want to go and talk? The common room, the library, or somewhere else?' He said.

She led him out in to the grounds under a large beech tree by the lake which they'd often sat under and plonked her self on to the ground. 'Ron sit down,' she said patting the ground beside her.

Ron sat down 'what's the matter Hermione you look like you've been crying,' he said.

'Well I have, but I'm ok now, I'm not sure you're going to be though and I want you to know you can take as long as you want to process this information,' Hermione replied.

'What information? Hermione, are you going to break up with me?' He asked sounding worried.

She smiled 'no Ron I'm not breaking up with you but after this if you want to break up with me that's fine, whatever happens I'm going to keep going,' she replied scared at the prospect of raising the baby by her self.

'Why would I want to break up with you Hermione? I love you more than anything in the world,' he replied truthfully.

'Ok there's no pressure either, if you aren't ready that's ok,' Hermione said, she knew she was delaying the inevitable and she knew she was rambling, she took a deep breath 'I'm pregnant Ron,' she said closing her eyes afraid of his expression.

'What?' He said.

Hermione nodded.

'Um, ok…' Ron replied.

'I love you Ron,' was all Hermione could say.

Ron nodded.

Hermione couldn't take it, she stood up and ran away crying.

Ron leaned up against the tree trunk; he couldn't shake the picture out of his head. He and Hermione sitting on a big comfy couch gazing down at the baby in Hermione's arms, they were both smiling and the baby slept, they'd be really happy.

Then another thought over-took him, they'd probably live in a teensy little place, Hermione would be run off her feet all day, he'd be working to make ends meet. Perhaps the stress of the situation would make them fight and they wouldn't be happy at all…

Hermione was in her room gazing at the clouds out the window; still crying, she was thinking about the night, not so long ago, that had changed the course of hers and Ron's whole lives. She and Ron had been alone most of the evening, they'd had dinner, talked, laughed and ended up play wrestling on Ron's bed, when they'd gotten sick of their game they snuggled up together.

'Hermione,' Ron had said down to the top of her head, she'd looked up at him smiling.

'Yes' she'd said.

Ron had taken a deep breath 'I love you,' he almost whispered.

She had been all choked up 'I love you too Ron,' she had replied.

He kissed her then almost urgently, she got as close to him as she possibly could, he'd repositioned himself so that she was lying on her back and what happened next was history…

She started sobbing uncontrollably, overwhelmed. She knew she wanted the baby but she wasn't sure how she would handle it. She hoped that Ron would come around and that the baby would bring them closer rather than push them apart like it did to so many others.

It was lunchtime when Ron finally got up, he'd been thinking about what he'd do, but not any more, now he was thinking about what he'd tell his parents.

'Did you guys have your talk?' Harry asked him when he sat down, Hermione was nowhere in sight.

'Yeah Harry thanks mate we really needed it,' Ron said.

'Are you guys alright?' He asked. His friend looked tired and drawn.

'We will be in a while,' Ron replied.

Harry raised his eyebrows not understanding what they were really talking about. Had they broken up? He wondered.

'Can we talk after lunch Harry, I don't want everyone to know right now,' Ron replied.

Harry nodded and ate his lunch.

After lunch Harry and Ron went up to Harry's room, as there were people in the common room and sound tended to carry more these days.

Harry sat in his armchair; Ron sat on his bed.

'What's wrong?' Harry asked.

'Well… Um…' Ron started.

'What?' Harry said.

'Well… Hermione's… she's… Um…' Ron tried.

Harry was worried now.

'Hermione's pregnant Harry,' Ron finally spat out.

'She is?' Harry said, surprised, 'I thought she'd been ok lately,' he said.

'I guess she wasn't,' Ron said.

'How far along is she?' Harry asked.

'Not quite a month I think,' Ron replied.

Harry nodded 'what are you going to do about it?' he asked.

'I think she wants to have it,' Ron replied.

'What about school?' He asked.

'I suppose she'll have to leave,' he said.

'Hold on a minute, SHE'LL have to leave, you're not going to be there?' Harry said.

'I can't be a father Harry, I'm still at school,' Ron replied.

'So is Hermione, have you EVEN thought about her?' Harry said.

Ron didn't say a word.

'She'll have to miss all HER exams, not be able to finish HER last year at school, won't follow HER dreams Ron. Do you know how hard Hermione has tried to be as good as she is? This wasn't natural to her Ron, and you know what? She's prepared to give all that up to have YOUR child,' Harry ranted, 'Ron, do you love Hermione?'

'Of course I love her Harry, God I'd marry her tomorrow, but a baby? That's huger than huge, how can we possibly do it and manage to stay together?' Ron said.

'There is no denying this is going to be hard for you, for the both of you, but if you just support her, reassure her that you love her and agree to compromises. Then perhaps it will bring you closer together. I'm no expert Ron but you asked for my advice and I just want to help you,' Harry replied.

'I know Harry; I didn't think about her at all, I guess I didn't think at all. But I can't ask her to give up school, her dreams and everything.'

'Perhaps you can talk to McGonagal and work something out, she wouldn't be due until,' Harry did some calculations in his head, assuming it happened on the night they spent alone at the Burrow, 'May' he said 'that will make it so all you'd have to is your exams and then it'd all be over or maybe you could do your exams early or something,' Harry replied.

Ron had flopped down on to Harry's bed 'we'll work it out' Ron said.

Hermione was still in her room, staring out the window, when Ginny came in.

'How are you?' She asked.

'Not so great,' Hermione answered.

'I WILL KILL MY BROTHER!' Ginny flared up immediately.

'No need Ginny, I'm going to be there the whole way,' Ron had appeared in the doorway.

Ginny hugged her brother, 'you'd bloody well better be,' she said.

'I will, I promise,' He said more to Hermione then to Ginny.

Hermione got up and flew in to her boyfriend's arms.

'I'll leave you two alone then,' Ginny said, leaving the room.

'You ok baby?' Ron asked Hermione, wiping away a tear or two from Hermione's cheeks.

Hermione nodded, 'you think we can do this?' She asked.

'Yeah… yeah I really do,' Ron replied, smiling, he kissed her tenderly and at that point he knew they'd all be ok, the three of them…