Chapter 7: Breaking the News, and a few Other Things

"Well? What did he say?"

Hermione laughed. "He was happy about it! It's such a relief!" She was on the Muggle telephone with Ginny.

"I knew it, I knew it!" Ginny yelled. "I am SO happy, Hermione, I can't stop giggling or jumping around!"

"What are you, 13?" Hermione asked. She couldn't blame her sister-in-law, she was just as giddy. Until a worry settled over her again. "Wait! Ginny, have you told Harry yet?"

"Nope!" Said Ginny's bubbly voice. "I thought you'd want to tell the family yourself, like I did. Take your time."

"Oh, thank you so much—"

"But you only have until tonight; I invited the family over for dinner."

"WHAT?"

"Yup. Sorry, but I thought you should get it out soon."

Hermione was absolutely seething. "No, no, no. Cancel it. I can't do it tonight. I have to prepare—"

"Prepare what, exactly? How much work does it take to say 'I'm pregnant'? It's easy!"

"No, no it's not!"

"Really? Have you done it before, Hermione? No. Have I? Yes. Soo…" Ginny's voice trailed off and Hermione knew she was basking in the light of being right.

She sighed. "Fine…what time?"

Ginny perked up again. "Six o'clock. Bring dessert. Byeeee!"

Hermione sighed again as she clicked the phone off and dropped it on her desk. She loved Ginny to the ends of the Earth, but sometimes, like now, she was so…so…Hermione couldn't find a word to describe her, but now she had to figure out how to break the news to the entire family that night.

"Hey."

She looked up from some paperwork. Ron stood in the doorway to her office, smiling and holding a thermos.

"Hey!" She walked over to him and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. "What's in there?"

"Some lunch. Thought you might need a break from all that." He gestured towards the stacks of paper on her desk. Ron frequently stopped by her office at work, either to see her or to get out of his own work.

"Aw, thanks Ron!" They sat down on the couch in the corner of her office, talking and eating. Ron was leaving on a mission in two weeks to investigate some possible Dark happenings. Hermione was worried; no matter how many missions and how many awards he won, she would never be happy or excited to learn he was being sent off into danger again.

When his lunch break was done he gathered his things, gave her a short kiss and left her office. He was incredibly happy today. Yesterday Hermione had told him he was going to be a dad, and his entire position on life had changed drastically. He couldn't keep the smile lighting up his face away.

"Sheesh, Ron, how many Firewhiskies did you drink?" Harry asked, noticing how happy his friend looked.

"None!"

"So what's up? Why so cheerful all of a sudden?"

Ron tried to suppress his happiness. Hermione probably wants to be the one to tell everyone. He thought. "Oh, I don't know. Just a good day. Great weather, isn't it?"

Harry raised his eyebrows at him while sifting through some memos. "It's thunderstorming."

"I mean, I like rain, remember?"

Harry was trying not to laugh. "No, I don't remember Ron. Actually, I believe you hate rain."

"Well, then…" Ron faltered before coming up with another excuse. "A mission is coming up! Pretty exciting, right?"

Harry was looking downright worried. "You hate having to leave Hermione for missions, though…"

Ron was mentally scrambling for something to say. "George developed a new product and he's testing it on me!"

Harry's face looked beyond worried. He looked scared. "What's gotten into you? You're always trying to get out being the guinea pig." He thought for a moment before something clicked in his brain. "Hermione's pregnant, isn't she?"

"No, I…what?"

"She's pregnant, right?"

Ron was speechless. "How did you-?"

"Know? Because I acted exactly like you're acting now when I found out about Ginny."

Ron nodded. "Right, I think I remember that. But yeah, she is." A goofy smile spread over his face again. Harry clapped him on the back.

"Congrats, Ron, I'm happy for you!"

"Thanks, I—" Ron said before he was cut off by a cool voice behind him.

"So, you knocked her up, did you? Didn't think you had what it took, Weasley."

Ron and McLaggen hadn't spoken since their fight over two years ago. But Ron could see the way he looked at Hermione, and could tell that he had never quite gotten over missing his chance with her. It made Ron's blood boil when he caught notice of these looks, but he'd promised Hermione he wouldn't overreact again. But Ron was nearly stretched to breaking point.

Harry grabbed Ron's shoulder and tried to turn him away, muttering. "It's not worth it; don't let him get to you."

Ron nodded, and though his face was heating up he turned away. But McLaggen, clearly enjoying provoking him, wouldn't let up. "I have to say I'm impressed. When's the due date? How's the happy couple?" He sneered.

Harry continued to mutter under his breath. "Ignore it. Just walk away."

But Ron stood stock still, refusing to let Harry guide him away. McLaggen smirked and kept going.

"How's she feeling? I doubt you can meet all her needs, Weasley."

CRUNCH. McLaggen's nose broke as it met Ron's fist. McLaggen staggered back, blood pouring out of his nose. Ron was breathing heavily.

"Never, ever, say a word about my wife again, you hear me? Or you'll get a lot worse than that." Ron stormed away, Harry hurrying after him.

"What the hell, Ron? You could get sacked!"

"So what? Then I won't have to see that bastard anymore."

"Ron, Kingsley's going to be furious! And what're you going to do if you do get sacked? Hermione'll kill you!"

The realization of what he had just done crashed over Ron. He smacked his forehead. "Oh God…I—"

"WEASLEY."

"Shoot." Ron said. "That's Kingsley."

Harry gave a wan smile and shrugged. "Good luck."

Three hours later, Hermione was still yelling at him, and reminding him awfully of his mother. "COULD'VE RISKED YOUR JOB, YOU PRAT! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING? WHAT DID I TELL YOU? OH MY GOD I AM SO MAD AT YOU, RONALD!"

Ron sat on the couch, his arms folded and his eyes looking toward the ceiling. Kingsley had given him a good talking, he was suspended again, and Hermione was absolutely furious. Her face was a bright shade of red, and her fists were shaking.

"I—" She started again, but Ron cut her off, standing up and putting his hands on her face.

"Hermione, I get it, I'm sorry, and—"

"No, no, Ron!" She shoved him off. "You are NOT getting off that light this time." She turned around, storming down the hall, shaking her head.

"What're we doing tonight?" He called after her.

"Dinner with the family, at Ginny's house!" She yelled. "And I've got to announce that I'm—Oh my gosh, Ron, today? Urgh!" She stormed into the bedroom, slamming the door. Ron sat back down on the couch, his face in his hands.

Hermione lay facedown on her bed, trying not to pound the pillow with her fist like a twelve year old, her cries muffled. She did not feel like handling this now, why did Ron have to be such a hothead when it came to her? Why did Ginny have to do this tonight? And why did those damn Muggle kids next door decide to light firecrackers now?

She tried to blame her rollercoaster emotions on being pregnant, which was a weird enough thought in itself. I'm pregnant, rang in her head. She still couldn't wrap her head around it. Maybe it would be easier when she could at least see something. But right now she couldn't blame it on pregnancy; it seemed to be her hectic life.

A knock on the door. Ron. But Hermione didn't want this to end up the way it always did, with him coming in, comforting her, giving her a hug, and then forgetting about it. The door opened.

"Go. Away. Now."

He didn't answer, just sitting down next to her.

"Go away, Ron!" She sat up quickly, shoving the sheets up and storming to her bathroom, locking the door. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was starting to puff up, her eyes were swollen, and her skin was blotchy. She checked her watch. She only had two hours to clean herself up and—

Her thoughts were interrupted by Ron's voice. "Hermione, come on. Everything's fine, nothing too bad happened."

She sniffled. "How can you even say that? Do you take nothing seriously? Even your job?"

"No, 'Mione, I do, just—"

"No, Ron! Go get ready. Go do something! Just leave me alone! We have to be at Ginny's in two hours to tell everyone the news and pretend we like each other!"

Ron didn't respond, and she could hear him walk down the hall.

She spent the next hour and a half mindlessly cleaning the bathroom, using Muggle products to scrub down any inch of it. In truth, she was just looking for an excuse to not see her husband. She washed her face and crept out of the bathroom at last. Ron wasn't in sight. She took a nice change of clothes and shut the bedroom door before changing into them.

When she finally left the bedroom she found Ron standing directly in front of her. She avoided his eye contact, trying to step around him.

"Hey," Ron said, stepping closer to her and placing his hands on her shoulders. She still didn't make eye contact with him, even as he hugged her close to him.

"I still 'like' you, you know. I don't think I'll be able to pretend not to." And with that, he took her arm and Disapparated.

They walked up the walkway to the Potter house in silence, Hermione trying to look happy. She opened the door, and was almost blinded by a mass of curly red hair as Molly Weasley embraced her.

"Oh my gosh, dear, congratulation! Oh my gosh, this is absolutely amazing, I cannot believe it!"

Hermione, utterly stunned, looked past her mother in law to Ginny, mouthing "You told her?" Ginny just shook her head.

"How—how did you know?" Hermione stammered, hugging Molly back. Molly looked surprised.

"Everyone knows dear! We've known since early this afternoon!"

"But…how…?"

"Oh, I don't know, someone's been spreading it around the Ministry. I heard Ron started it. But—"

Hermione broke out of the hug and threw herself at Ron, wrapping him in a hug. She didn't have to deal with telling everyone! No pressure at all! She kissed Ron right there in front of everyone, whispering, "I love you, Ron."