I am still eternally grateful for all your patience. We got my computer up and running, but I don't know how long it's going to last, so I salvaged a few things, including this. Remember, I own nothing but the plot; anything you recognize belongs to JKR. With that, enjoy!

Chapter 3 -- One Year Later AKA Surprise, Surprise

Harry and Hermione (still Hermione Granger; they're only 19), are now fully-fledged members of the magical society, Harry being an Auror and Hermione being a Healer-in-Training (but almost done with her training) at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Ginny graduated Hogwarts in June (it is now April) and is seeing, much to Ron's dismay, Draco Malfoy.

"Harry?" Hermione asked one day as she loaded the breakfast dishes into the dishwasher (Hermione, being Muggle-Born, wanted to keep at least a few muggle items/luxuries).

"Hmm?"

"Do you remember our promise?"

"Which one?"

"The one about not having any kids until we were married."

"Vaguely. Why?" he said, getting up from the descriptions of thought-to-be Death Eaters he had been poring over, and walking over to his fiancee.

"Well, you know I haven't been feeling all that well for the past few days?"

"Yeah. What does...? Wait. Mione, are you pregnant?" he asked, not needing her to answer; he could see it in the tears welling up in her eyes, "But I thought you drank that birth control potion. And we've only done it once."

"Yes, but, Harry, that potion only has a 95 chance of working, and they say it only takes one time. I guess we just got unlucky."

"Unlucky? Mione, what are you talking about? We're going to be parents!"

"But, I thought --"

"The promise? Well, we've already broken it, so we might as well make the best of what we've got, and we can't really go back and undo what happened. Mione, I love you so much, and I couldn't be mad at you right now, even if I wanted to be," he said, cupping both her cheeks with his hands, but she reached up and grabbed them before he could go any further.

"But, I broke our promise."

"Mione, I know you're a very smart and talented witch, but I doubt even you could figure out how to get pregnant by yourself. I think to achieve that particular condition, it takes two people, so we both broke it, whether you like it or not," Harry said, reaching out and tickling her sides, causing her to laugh and try to twist away from his reach, eventually doing so and running away from him, still laughing.

"Harry, stop... Please... Stop... Baby, you do realize I'm sick," that made him stop. Well, at least stop trying to tickle her, but when he could reach her, he swooped her up in his arms and kissed her senseless (A/N: Isn't that romantic?), all while carrying her to the living room.

"I love you so much," Harry said, setting Hermione down on the couch, and sitting down beside her.

"Love you, too," she said, leaning her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arms around him, "but you do realize you're going to be late for work."

"What?" Harry said, rather calmly looking at his watch, then, realizing what time it was, "Merlin! You're right. I gotta go! See you later, Mione," and after one last kiss, he Disapparated with a slight pop.

Now slightly bored, Hermione wondered through the house (she had called in sick, due to the fact that she had spent an hour and a half hovering over the toilet earlier), looking for something to do. The search was forgotten when she felt her stomach start to act up again, causing her to rush to the bathroom and vomit.

About half an hour later, Hermione was able to leave the bathroom, only to find Ron sitting on the couch, flipping channels on the 'tevelision' (which is what he called it).

"Ron!"

"Hey, Mione," said Ron, as they embraced each other in a friendly hug, "Luna told me you had called in sick, and that it was the second time this week, so I decided to drop by and see how you were doing," he said, referring to Luna Lovegood, his future wife and another Healer-in-Training.

"I'm fine, Ron. I think it's just the stomach flu or something. Tell Luna I should be back tomorrow," she said, but she wasn't sure. She never knew how bad her morning sickness would be. She didn't know why she didn't want to tell Ron she was pregnant, and she had always hated lying to him, but she just couldn't bring herself to say the words.

"Alright, and, if you're fine, I should get going. I have a report due next week and I haven't even started so..." he left his sentence hanging, but Hermione got the gist and rolled her eyes. Once a procrastinator, always a procrastinator.

"I thought you liked your job in the Department of Magical Games and Sports," she said, "Well, you aren't going to have it much longer if you don't get your work in."

"Merlin, the nagging never stops, does it?"

"No. I guess that's just one of my more charming qualities."

"Well, I wouldn't say charming..." Ron said teasingly, causing Hermione to grab the nearest pillow off the couch and throw it at him. He caught it and threw it back at her. She ducked, so it didn't hit her, but it did hit Harry, who had just Apparated back into the room, full in the face, causing Hermione and Ron to laugh themselves breathless.

"Merlin, I leave this room for a half hour and you two insist on trying to break something else," he said, throwing the pillow back on the couch.

"Yes, you've only been gone thirty minutes. What are you doing home?" Hermione asked, still slightly panting from laughing.

"Forgot my report on known missing Death Eaters," he said, and Hermione noticed for the first time the file he was poring over this morning was still sitting on the table, "and it would be kind of hard to do a presentation without it," he finished as a light pink blush appeared on his cheeks.

"I suppose it would," Hermione said, grabbing the file, as she was closest, and handing it to Harry.

"Well, see you later, again," he said, giving Hermione a quick peck on the lips, and preparing to Disapparate once more, before he seemed to remember something and stopped before he went anywhere, turning to Hermione and asking, "How're you feeling, anyway? I know I've only been gone a little while, but..."

"I'm fine," she cut him off before he said anything more in front of Ron. When Harry still looked a little unconvinced, she added, "Really, Harry, I feel fine now. Well, my stomach does still feel a bit sour, but I feel better than I did this morning, that's for sure."

"Well, okay," he said, "but if you get any worse, feel free to contact me, and I'll be home in a flash."

"I'll keep that in mind," Hermione said, but Harry noticed a you-know-I'm-not-going-to-unless-I-absolutely-need-to note in her voice, "Now get back to work before you get in trouble."

"Right. Bye," and with that, he finally disappeared with a slight pop.

"What the bloody hell was that all about?" Ron asked looking from the spot where Harry disappeared to Hermione, but she suddenly went very pale and sick-looking.

"Be right back," she mumbled hurriedly, before turning and running to the bathroom, covering her mouth half-way there.

Ron hesitated a minute before following her, and opened the bathroom to the sound of coughing and retching, followed closely by a sickening splash.

"Hermione?" he said, partly letting her know he was there, and partly making sure she was feeling up to having him there.

"Come on in, if you want to," she said in a voice that clearly told him that she was trying to make the best of this, and looking up at him, "but you might want to leave for work. This morning I was in here for an hour and a half."

"Are you sure this is just the stomach flu?" Ron asked kneeling down next to her and holing her hair back as she started coughing again. She vomited a few more times before she was able to answer in a slightly cracked voice.

"Oh, damn. I can't have you see me like this and tell you the truth," she said, pausing to take a deep breath and throw up again (and flush the toilet), then she looked up at him, "I'm pregnant. I'll be like this, mainly for the next two months, but this'll continue throughout the whole nine."

"You--You're pregnant?" Ron asked, as though not believing a word she just said, "You're-- You and Harry?"

"Who else?"

"You two are going to have a baby?"

"Yes, Ron, we're going to have a baby."

"Merlin! I thought Harry was just being overprotective (as always), but I guess he was serious. Are you sure you don't anyone here with you?"

"Yes, I'm sure, and you really need to be heading off to work before you get in trouble. Don't worry about me," she added when he looked like he was about to object, "I'm fine, but you won't be if you lose your job. Now, go!"

"Well, okay, but if you need anyone, and, for some reason, can't reach Harry, you know you can always call me," he said, looking her straight in the eye, making sure she gets this.

"I know. Now, get going!"
"Bye. I'll see you later tonight; Mum invited me, Luna, you, and Harry over for dinner, as I'm sure he told you --"

"Which he didn't, but I can live with that."

"--so I guess I'll see you later," Ron finished as though there had been no interruption, before disappearing as well, leaving Hermione, still feeling sick, alone in the bathroom.

A/N:

What a surprise. Well, can't think of anything to say here, besides I hope you enjoyed this chapter. R&R please!