Month 4: Stretching Pains

"DAMMIT!"

Ron looked up from Flying with the Cannons. It was his eighth time reading it, and, to Hermione's dismay, was still the only book he had ever said he enjoyed. The yell had come from the new bedroom upstairs where Hermione had been sleeping.

"What is it?" Ron called up the stairs. He was trying his best to keep up with Hermione's random mood swings, her ridiculous cravings, and her incessant need to be perfect, but sometimes he lagged behind, and when he did there was hell to pay. Just last night, he had got vanilla ice cream instead of chocolate, and, well, Hermione had freaked out. She'd cried herself to sleep in his arms.

"UGHH!" Was all he heard. He sighed, making his way up the mahogany steps. The door to the bedroom was closed, but he could hear the groans. He knocked.

"Who is it?"

"Would it be anyone else but me?" Ron asked, before opening the door.

Hermione was lying face down on the king size bed in only a bra and underwear. Her body was raised a little off the bed by her baby bump, which was growing. It was May now, and the weather was nicer. This seemed to have no effect on Hermione outside her wardrobe and her body.

"What is it now?" He asked, standing in the doorway.

"Why do you use that tone?" She asked back, her voice muffled by the pillows.

"You didn't answer my question, 'Mione."

She rolled over, her dress riding up a little bit over her belly. She hastily yanked it back down. "You want to know what it is? I'll tell you! I. Am. Fat."

Ron groaned a little on the inside. He'd been expecting it. He'd been told to expect it, by Harry, by his dad, by Bill, and by Luna's husband Rolf. He had been dreading it ever since, the "fat" talk.

"I just tried putting on my favorite outfit. It doesn't fit! The shirt is too short and the pants are too tight. I'm getting so big! And this is only the fourth month! What am I going to look like in three months? I'll be an elephant!" Hermione started crying again.

"No…Hermione…" Ron eked out, sitting down on the bed next to her. He stroked her hair as she plopped her face back down in the pillows. "You won't be…"

He didn't really know what to say. He wasn't exactly what anyone would call "good with words". And it was hard to argue his point when he didn't really believe in it. Because, as awful and gasp-worthy to any woman it was to say, he didn't really like the way pregnant looked. He didn't want anyone to misunderstand, though. He loved that she was pregnant and he loved that she was carrying his child, but did it have to interfere with her perfect body?

Clearing his throat, he adjusted his tone. "Hermione, come on, you're not fat, you know it."

"I don't know it! Look at this! I can't lie comfortably in any way possible! If I try and lay sideways it hurts, if I lay this way it hurts, and you know I get headaches if I lay face up! I hate being pregnant!"

"It's only the 4th month, Hermione!"

"I knowwww!" She wailed. "It's only going to get worse!"

Ron mentally punched himself for saying something so stupid. He opened his mouth and then closed it again. He honestly had no idea what to say.

Why isn't he saying anything? Why can't he just tell me I'm still beautiful? Why can't he be more like Harry? Ginny said Harry would tell her she was beautiful and sexy while she was pregnant! But Ron's never been as sweet or as sentimental as Harry. Gah why can't he be? Just for once? Hermione's head rang. If he's not going to say anything, neither am I.

Hermione knocked Ron off the bed as she stood up. She hastily smoothed her hair and tied it in a knot on top of her head before stalking out of the room. Ron stood up quickly. "Hermione, where are you going!" He demanded.

"I'm going out." She responded, stomping down the stairs barefoot. Ron hurried after her, tripping in his haste."Hermione, you're not wearing anything!"

She ignored him, swinging the door open and walking to the street.

What am I doing?This is crazy! Hermione thought. But she couldn't stop. She had to prove she was stronger than her idiotic husband.

A random man whistled at her, right before a pair of arms grabbed her from behind and put a hand over her mouth. "Stop walking. Come back home." Her panic subsided when she recognized Ron's voice. Grudgingly, she let Ron lead her back to the house, where he covered her in her bathrobe.

The two sat down on the couch. Ron noticed that Hermione looked exceedingly glum.

"Listen, Hermione. You're not fat, you never have been and never will be. You're pregnant. And that's beautiful."

She hugged him. "Ron, that was all I needed to hear!"

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It was getting warmer out. It only rained once a week, the sun shone, and the whole city seemed to Hermione to be livelier. It certainly was putting her in a better mood, as she had to restrain herself from doing a small skip in the middle of the street. She was on her way to Diagon Alley, to purchase some new books. She was getting used to having more weight on her body. Ginny kept warning her of the horrifying day when she would look down and not be able to see her toes.

She made her way into the Leaky Cauldron, keeping her head down and avoiding eye contact. The effects of the war had worn off in the past four years, but especially in a place like the Leaky Cauldron she always got questioned on her experience as part of "The Golden Trio." Thankfully, on this particular day, no one seemed to notice the witch in the purple robes passing through.

She tapped the bricks, letting herself into the alley. The place was bustling, with many older witches and wizards stocking up on magical supplies for the summer months, when the kids came home and were bored without the use of their wands. She looked around for anyone she knew. She recognized Nicole Taylor, a receptionist in her office. She waved hello before continuing.

Her afternoon passed pleasantly. It's really nice to just have some alone time, she though. Everything was just so busy. Ron's mother had been scheduling St. Mungo's visits here and there, and all the nurses and all the doctors and all the appointments was driving Hermione to the brink of insanity. Thank God she had her books, even if Molly had surreptitiously snuck in a load of pregnancy help books into the house.

After indulging in a triple chocolate walnut-ice cream cone—Maybe this is where half the weight is coming from?—she planned to head back home via the Muggle trains. Gathering up her bags, she started walking back towards The Leaky Cauldron, but had the wind knocked out of her when someone shoved her behind.

Catching her breath, she whirled around from where she now lay on the ground. A tall, thin woman with golden brown hair and hazel eyes glared down at her, her body-hugging yellow dress screaming "LOOK AT ME!"

"Lavender?" Hermione said in shock, pushing herself off the ground and holding her belly. It hurt a bit, and Hermione prayed it hadn't damaged the baby.

"Hermione." Lavender responded snootily.

"Why the hell did you just push me?"

"Oh did I? Sorry, accident." Lavender gave a catty smile that contradicted her words.

"That was not an accident! Lavender, I'm pregnant for goodness's sakes!"

Lavender's eyes focused on Hermione's bulging stomach. "Ron's baby?"

"Of course Ron's baby! Who else?"

Lavender's eyes gleamed and her mouth curled up a little. "Wow, you and Ron must be soo close now. I suppose he's told you?"

"What? Told me what?" Hermione asked, still brushing herself off from her fall.

"So he didn't tell you?" Lavender kept her catty smile on her face.

"TELL ME WHAT?" Hermione demanded, losing patience.

Something shifted in Lavender's eyes and she looked more serious. "That he's getting a promotion." She said, but her voice sounded a little shiftier.

"What? No, he didn't tell me…" Hermione drifted into thought.

"Well, yeah, he did. Some trusting relationship you two have."

"Ron's and mine's relationship is perfectly fine, Lavender!" Hermione's voice was rising in pitch. A few people were stopping and staring at the two witches' confrontation.

Lavender snorted. "Yeah, whatever you say, thunder-thighs fattie." And with that, she gave Hermione another shove to the chest and sauntered down the alley.

Under the stares of many people, Hermione tried to keep her tears at bay. You're not 11 anymore, you're stronger than this. She repeated to herself as she tripped her way back to the train stop. Don't let her get to you like you used to.

Ron wasn't home when Hermione arrived, loaded with bags and with a little makeup smeared around her eyes from the tears that had poured out when, lost in her thoughts, she had tripped on the stairs leading to the house and banged her kneecap. That, combined with her encounter with Lavender earlier that day, had reduced her to a sobbing, weepy mess once again.

Just as she was putting some books on the shelves, Ron came in. "Hermione? You here? Why is the door open?" He called.

"I-I-in here." She called, her voice breaking. He walked to her, now curled on the couch, clutching a pillow.

"What happened to you?"

"N-nothing."

"Don't tell me that, what happened?" He said, plopping next to her.

"I met Lavender at Diagon Alley."

Ron's blood chilled a little. Had Lavender told Hermione what had almost happened? That would explain Hermione's state.

"She told me about you."

Ron was becoming positively terrified.

"I just don't understand why you didn't tell me, Ron! I thought we told each other e-everything!" She hiccupped.

"Well…I didn't tell you because…" He stalled, trying to come up with an excuse.

"There was nothing to be afraid of! I'm proud of you, Ron!"

"I—what?" He stopped. Proud of me? For almost drunkenly being seduced? What?

"Your promotion!"

"My—"

"Why? What did you think we were talking about?" She asked sharply.

"My promotion of course!" He said wildly. What promotion? Why did Lavender tell her I got a promotion? I never got a promotion! Why?

"So why didn't you tell me?"

"I…I didn't want you to be embarrassed, y'know, that I'll be making more money than you." He invented on the spot.

She gave a small laugh, hiccupping a little too. "That's nothing to be embarrassed about!" Not really…, "Well, congratulations, Ron!" She hugged him. He hugged her back, thinking, Where am I supposed to get the extra money now?

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"Harry, please, you've got to help me!"

"Why? What is it? Why did you have to wake me up for this?"

"Because it's urgent!" Ron stressed. It was late at night, Hermione was passed out upstairs. Ron was talking quietly and quickly to Harry on the Muggle telephone.

"Well make it quick!" His voice was almost a whisper.

"I need a promotion."

"What? Ron, just cuz you're my best mate doesn't mean I can just—"

"No, listen. Lavender saw Hermione in London and told her for some reason that I got a promotion. I don't know why she told her that instead of…y'know…what almost happened on that mission." Hermione was asleep, but Ron instinctively made his voice even lower. "And now Hermione thinks I'll be working later and bringing home more income. And the only way I'll be able to pull that off is if I actually got one."

"Ugh, I don't know Ron, I'll have to look at your records. Why would Lavender do that?"

"How am I supposed to know? Anyway—"

"Harry, get off the phone and in here, I'm waiting." Ron heard Ginny's voice in the background. He hurriedly hung up, shuddering to himself. Ugh. Did NOT want to hear that.

A/N: AHH, a nice long chapter! This didn't take any writer's block at all actually! It was pretty fun! Sorry for the delay, had a TON of schoolwork! Haha you all thought Lavender would spill the beans! But NOPE. That's coming in a later chapter, you'll just have to keep reading to find out! But what is Lavender up to now? You'll have to keep reading to find out, too! So how bout you review this to keep me going? It's much appreciated

LOVE YOU ALL TO DEATH!

XOXO,

Sparkshine