Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters. Have you read the other chapters? If so, you should know by now. (Why am I putting a disclaimer before every single chapter anyway?!)

Author's Note: Thank you to those of you who reviewed! I appreciate it very much! As for those of you who have read the whole story so far and not left a single comment... please leave one in this chapter! It would make me very happy. :)

Thanks, and here's chapter eight of the Moonlight Stone.


Chapter 8 – Telling Harry

On their way back, Hermione and Luna didn't talk. Before they were even halfway up the series of rumbling staircases leading to the Gryffindor common room, they ran right into Harry, who had been sprinting around the castle searching for Hermione. His eyes were exhausted-looking and had dark circles beneath them, and his skin was pale. His worried expression revealed that he had hardly slept at all that entire week.

He'd wanted to be with Hermione to take the test, but there had been a mandatory beginning-of-year quidditch practice that he couldn't miss without raising suspicion all over the school. He'd intended on getting back in time to go with her anyway, but the practice had dragged on far longer than Harry anticipated. He had ended up making a series of lame excuses to the captain, Oliver Wood, to try and leave practice early. Oliver had eventually gotten tired of Harry saying he was sick and had released him to go to the hospital wing for his strange and sudden outbreak of illnesses. The rest of the team had tried to make sure he was all right, but he left the field before they could catch up with him.

Now he stood in front of Hermione and Luna in the middle of a stone staircase that was slowly turning clockwise. He ran forward and grabbed Hermione, breathing hard like he'd just run up the side of a mountain.

Instead of asking where the hell she had been this whole time, Harry took his eyes off Hermione for a moment to look around.

"We need somewhere to talk."

Hermione pointed to a hallway nearby. The two of them finished crossing the staircase they were on with Luna.

They walked down the small passage, and through a door at the end they came onto a small balcony overlooking the lake. The air was still outdoors, but it was chilly.

"Would you like for me to stay inside?" Luna asked.

"No, you can come out here if you want. It's fine," Hermione answered. Luna closed the door and leaned against the side rail. None of the students on the balcony had coats on, so they stood shivering and rubbing their arms.

The moon was still covered up by dark clouds, but there was a break in the haze directly above, through which clusters of stars were visible. They glittered slowly as the gap threatened to close up over the entire sky.

"Did the test work?"

Hermione nodded, already beginning to tear up. Harry felt that he didn't even have to ask the next question, but he did anyway.

"What did it say?"

She stared into his eyes as tears fell down her face and made dark spots on the stone floor of the balcony.

"I'm pregnant."

He pulled her to his chest and wrapped his arms all the way around her tightly. Hermione told him everything that had happened between sobs, barely able to breathe. He nodded throughout her explanation, rubbing her back. They swayed slowly together, synchronizing their thoughts and feelings.

When Hermione finished explaining, Harry said, "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. That was a big mistake." They were both silent for a while.

After what seemed like an hour of hugging and slowly rocking back and forth, they detached enough to talk again. They both knew what the next question was - they could see it in each other's eyes.

Harry was first to speak. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't know."

Harry was about to say that she needed to decide, but something made him stop and imagine how Hermione must feel at that moment. She was completely lost for words, her eyes red and puffy. Amazed she hadn't run out of tears already, he felt sorry for her. He understood that he just needed to be there for her now. He stroked her hair and kissed her cheek.

"That's okay. You don't need to decide right now."

"Okay, Harry."

A sigh came from the other end of the balcony. Harry and Hermione's heads turned as they remembered Luna was still there. Her eyes were glistening too, and she wiped them on her sleeve.

"Sorry. That was really sweet," she said through a stuffy nose.

Hermione smiled. "That's okay." She looked down and put a hand over her belly.

"Even though I didn't want this to happen right now, it's still incredible. I'm going to be a mother." Her eyes filled with amazement as she started thinking about what this meant.

"I'm excited too," Harry said, holding her by the head and waist. Luna walked over and joined them in a group hug, a center of warmth in the cold night.


In the common room, Hermione sat on a couch and watched as Harry neatly stacked new logs in the fireplace. He started a fire with his wand, then sat down with her. Luna had gone up to the dormitory after reassuring Hermione that everything was going to be fine. Now Harry and her couldn't bear to split up and go to their separate rooms, so they were stuck out in the warm, circular room that was now flickering and glowing softly with the flames.

"We're going to tell Dumbledore first thing tomorrow morning."

"No!"

"What do you mean, 'no'? There's no way around it." Hermione crossed her arms stubbornly.

"You're going to need special care from now on. We're telling as soon as possible," Harry continued firmly. "I'll be there with you. It won't be as bad as you think it will be."

Hermione was hardly convinced. "The whole entire school will know about us in an instant!"

"Who cares if everyone knows? I want you to be cared for while you're going through this. It's the biggest responsibility you've ever had."

Hermione let out a sigh mixed with a yawn. She knew there was no way around telling, but it was still going to be difficult. Most people probably wouldn't believe her at first. In fact, she probably wouldn't believe it herself if it weren't for the strange warmness she felt all the time now. A thought that had been nagging at the back of her mind came back now.

"What about Ron? I don't know how he's going to deal with this."

"He's going to have to," Harry said. "Whatever happens with him – or with anything, I'm not going to leave your side. We're together from now on." He moved closer to Hermione, and she kissed his face, then lay back on him.

"I guess so."

They lay there in the cozy room for the remainder of the night, chatting like nothing had changed between them. The moon was setting by the time that they fell asleep.


Responses to Reviews:

scarlettabby: Thank you! McGonagall response coming up. :)

Anarra: Thanks! This story takes place in year... three and a half... sort of... whatever makes sense to you.


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