The Flat, Chapter 2

The next morning, Hermione awoke to find herself wrapped ever so tightly in an iron-like grip. Smiling lovingly, she looked up to see her husband's sleeping face, she marveled at how calm and happy he looked. Sub-consciously, she brushed some of his flaming hair out of his eyes.

A low moan erupted from the man's chest as his eyelids softly fluttered open, revealing sparkling blue eyes.

"Morning, Ron," she greeted, knowing all too well that he was not normally a morning person.

He groaned again in response and shut his eyes tightly as if willing himself to go back to sleep. Then, as if he had only just remembered something extremely important, such as the events of the previous night, Ron shot back into awareness and really looked at Hermione.

Returning her tender smile, he said "Good morning to the both of you," before his hands found their way from around her waist to her barely swelling belly.

Hermione blushed and closed her eyes, reveling in his soft touch. "Where have you been all my life?" she joked breathlessly.

He stopped cooing her stomach and moved so their noses were touching. "Right here," he responded solemnly, holding her gaze surely once she opened her eyes. Instinctively, she pulled his head towards hers until his lips lightly crashed onto hers. To her, his lips tasted as sweet as candy at any time in the day, but the early morning held her memories of the sweetest kisses she had ever felt. She lost any sense of herself that she still had when his tongue prodded slightly to enter her mouth. When he began whispering things against her lips that she had never heard from him until this moment, it was almost too much for her.

Without warning then, Hermione jumped out of the soft bed and ran to the bathroom in a flash. Feeling as if he had been hit by a bludger, Ron followed clumsily in the low light, minding the partially closed door.

"Hermione? Hermione, love, are you alr-" He stopped short as her slight frame crouched over the toilet came into view. He stepped over the threshold as a terrible jolt went through her body and he saw their dinner from last night again. She did not look at Ron, but he could tell that she knew he was there. Her expression portrayed great embarrassment, and Ron watched as she squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for another awful go.

Ron hurried to her side as he realized that she needed him. He gently took her hair in his hands and rubbed her back soothingly, whispering calming words into her ear the whole while. He watched as she visibly relaxed in his presence, awed by his affect on her. They sat there for an eternity, or what felt like one, anyway, until Ron decided to break the silence.

"Are you going to be okay, Love? I could stay home from work and play doctor," he offered sincerely.

Hermione turned and studied his face carefully, taking in the love and concern that were clearly displayed there. Then, to his utter surprise, she laughed graciously. "This is a good sign, Ron. Morning sickness is normal for most women's first trimester. It means that our baby is alright."

A wave of emotion washed over her as she took in the meaning of her own words. She marveled at the fact that they would be parents. She was carrying her and Ron's baby. Their BABY! THEIR baby! She struggled to blink away her tears of joy as she looked back at the man she loved, observing the fact that he appeared to be having the same thought.

And so he began to laugh, filling the small bathroom of their brand new apartment with loud harrumphs. In no time Hermione joined in, leaning back into his strong frame as the vibrations from both of them washed over her. Only were they interrupted when a loud banging from the downstairs neighbors could be heard, followed by a shout that sounded something like "…quiet!...sleep…early…just shut up!"

"Cranky neighbors, eh," Ron joked as he tried to control his giggles.

"Well, it is 5 am."

Hours later, after lots of tooth brushing and calming talks, the couple woke up for the second time that morning. Ron wearily decided to make a suggestion to his wife.

"We could stay home from work today. As a celebration, you know?" he asked hesitantly as he readied himself for the scolding that he was sure was on its way. But Hermione surprised him, saying,

"Sounds fun! I don't really start until Wednesday, anyway."

Utterly bemused, Ron responded, "Are you feeling alright? Skip work? And with a new job, too? What have you done with my Hermione?" On the contrary, he was obviously glad for her answer.

She sighed and pulled the blankets tighter over them. "Well, I have more authority now. I'm higher up so I get to call more of the shots. And I can just do all my setting up tomorrow," she told him as she rolled around so that they were face to face. "If you want to stay home then I do too."

Ron smiled down at her secretively. "Good, because I have a surprise for you," he proclaimed before jumping out of the bed and racing into the bathroom yet again. De javu briefly flashed in his mind, only with reversed roles.

Just as the red head had predicted, Hermione's small fists were quick to begin banging on the locked door. More loudly rang her laughter, though.

"Tell me, tell me, tell me!" she begged like a child in between giggles. She wasn't that mad at him. "Ron, you know I don't like surprises."

And as quickly as he had disappeared, he opened the door again, revealing himself. So fast, in fact, that he caused Hermione, who had been leaning on the door in defeat, to fall into his waiting arms. "Your lucky I have lightning fast keeper instincts, or else I wouldn't have been able to catch you, love," Ron mused at the startled woman in his arms. "Anyway, you can't always be in control. Give me a chance to plan something. Don't you trust your own husband?" he laughed.

She sighed, recognizing defeat. "If you insist, daddy."