A/n: Hi, this is my first story so please review and be nice. Criticism is welcome but no flames please:) hope you guys like it.
Ron Weasley could not believe this was happening to him. He was currently sitting in one of St. Mungo's office listening in total horror as the mediwitch explained the procedure that will allow the zygote currently resting peacefully in his wife's womb⎯ as the mediwitch put it⎯to be transferred into his abdomen.
" Of course, the easiest way to deal with the birth would be a cesarian, but studies have shown that a natural birth foster a more healthy recovery in both the baby and mother," she glanced at Ron, " or in this case, the carrier."
" Right, I read about the physical recovery that a natural birth could bring as well as the relationship between natural births and magical manifestation. However, I have also read that breast feeding can also fasten the recovery as well as reduce the likelihood of our child being a squib." Ron now turned his head to stare open-mouthed at Hermione. He wasn't sure exactly how he got here. One minute, he was comforting Hermione as she complained about the conflict of pregnancy and her job and then he was being dragged to a check-up where any excuse he was about to make up was abruptly halted by the sonogram of his child.
Then he vaguely remembers being overcome with emotion and promising the world to Hermione as long as he get this baby out of the deal, before being dragged to this office.
It was the last time he would promise her anything.
"You're correct . However, most males would rather have the whole event over in nine months and breast feeding prolongs the physical changes, specifically the internal ones, by at least three months. There is also some psychological research that suggests stronger father and child bonding occurs during labor rather than the period of breast feeding due to male associations between masculinity and pain." The mediwitch paused and both she and Hermione turned to stare at Ron as though to ask, "why is that?"
Ron, however, was still trying to figure out what the heck he was doing there and so asked, "What the bloody hell are you two talking about?"
The mediwitch looked both surprised and annoyed, as if reproaching him for not listening. " Well we're talking about transporting the baby⎯"
"No, no. I got that part. I'm a little confused as to what baby and what that has to do with us." Ron knew he was being a little thick, but there was no way he was going to assume, or accept, that Hermione had brought him here, into this office, to learn about transporting zygotes so that she could...that they could⎯
"Ron," Hermione took his hand and stared so intensely that he had to look up and meet her rich brown eyes, "I want you to carry this baby to term."
And that's when all the yelling began.
"Ron, this isn't as bad as you think. It is a perfectly healthy procedure⎯"
"Isn't as bad! You're asking me to mutilate my body so you⎯"
"It'll all go back to normal after the birth... or the three months of breast feeding, whatever you choose." Ron glared at her.
" I choose to not go through with this⎯"
"Well, that isn't a choice." They were going back and forth in their apartment's kitchen, walking up and down, opening cabinets and collecting things out of them for dinner. Except, Ron realized, they both seemed to have different ideas of what they were going to eat. Just as, Ron thought, we have different ideas of who's going to be responsible for what during this pregnancy. " Ron, look," Hermione quietly said as Ron turned on the stove and place a pot of full water on it, " I love my job and I⎯"
"Well I love my job too!" Ron interrupted angrily. Hermione stopped and took a deep breath before continuing.
" -and I think I'm up for a promotion." Ron, who had been using his wand to float a box of pasta suddenly stopped causing the box to drop and its contents to spill all over the floor. As Ron dropped down as well to pick up the pasta, Hermione leaned against the sink, her palms gripping the edges as she faced him, " You know how hard I've worked for this. All the late hours and research. And now, I'm so close to being in a position where I can actually revolutionize the department. Think of all the good I can do." She leaned down to where Ron had stopped, still kneeling on the ground. Hermione bended over so that she could look into his lightly freckled face, "Think of how much I could help Teddy." She smiled as a look of eagerness spread across Ron's face. But then, his look fell, only to be replaced by one of anxiety. " But, Hermione... a promotion.. its dangerous. You'd be going on diplomatic missions to see dark creatures and goblins. You could seriously be hurt." Hermione scoffed and turned on the sink.
"Honestly, Ron, you sound like the idiots in my office."
"No, Hermione, listen to me," Ron grabbed her hands to get her attention. Hermione looked at him, frowning.
"Ron-"
"No, Hermione. This isn't just some misguided wizarding prejudice. You think that we're acting out of centuries of passed on fears but did ever think that some of those fears were well placed?" Hermione opened her mouth to respond but Ron continued on, "Look, I'm not saying that they're all bloodthirsty like those pureblood creeps advertise, but they still have the potential to be dangerous, especially towards the wizarding folks who've tried to subjugate them for hundreds of years." Ron looked at Hermione pleadingly, wanting her to at least understand where he was coming from. Hermione did, but she also knew that there were bigger things to worry about.
" Ron, you have a good reason to fear for my safety, but I don't think it should be because of the magical creatures." Ron didn't like how quiet Hermione had gotten. He thought that she would deny any potential dangers her job included. But the fact that she was admitting to the risks caused a seed of anger to bury in his stomach. What had she been keeping from him?
For her part, Hermione knew what she was about to say next would probably cause Ron to explode. She could already see the tips of his ear burning red. But she also knew she had to if she was going to convince Ron to take on the pregnancy. Mentally preparing herself for the fallout, Hermione took a deep breath and told Ron what had been worrying her for the last month.
"I've been receiving some threatening letters from some of the wizards lobbying against my proposal for equality between all magical creatures." Hermione looked straight into Ron's face, " and there have been some accidents in the office."
"What kind of accidents?" Ron couldn't keep the bite out his question.
"At first there were some missing papers, but recently...things have gotten more physical."
"How physical?" Ron gripped her arms.
"Two weeks ago Reily lost a finger to a cursed book he was researching with and yesterday, Laurel disappeared for two hours. " Ron didn't know who Reily was but he knew Laurel was Hermione's personal assistant. She was a young genius; eighteen and kind of naive but had left Beauxbautons at sixteen. She had gone into relations with magical creatures because her little brother had been attacked by a vampire.
Ron looked at Hermione wanting her to explain why Laurel's disappearance was so alarming. Hermione's eyes were lowered but sensing his gaze, she uttered. " We found her outside the Department of Mysteries." Hermione brought her head up; tears threaten to overflow but she held them in. "She was holding a brain." Ron flinched involuntarily. " We got it off her and it looks like she'll only have minimum scarring but Ron, she doesn't know how she got there. We think she was imperioused." Ron reached out to grab Hermione in his arms.
"Merlin, Hermione why didn't tell me sooner? For that matter, why haven't I heard anything about it? You filled out a report right?" When Hermione didn't answer, Ron leaned away from her. Hermione looked as if she didn't know exactly how to say what she wanted. " What's wrong?"
"Ron...I...we think the Ministry has been compromised." Ron let go of Hermione completely.
"I see. And by we you mean...?" Hermione glanced down at her feet. They were getting into a conversation that had been discussed before. Hermione hoped this conversation wouldn't be as explosive as the last.
"Donovan and I." Ron could barely hold on to his anger. He squeezed his wand in an attempt to reign it in, and sparks flew from the tip.
"Donovan!" he growled angrily, turning furious eyes upon his wife. Hermione didn't even flinch. "Of course you would confide in Donovan." Hermione glared at him.
"Ron you really need to get over this childish envy. Reily is one of my colleagues-"
"Oh, his name's Reily is it? And since when do you call people by their first names?" Ron was aware he was escalating the situation but, try as he might, he couldn't keep the words in his mouth.
"Yes, Ron," Hermione snapped at him, "I call him Reily. Just like I call Harry and all your brothers by their first names too."
"Yeah well they're family."
"I call Neville by his first name too!" Hermione started to paced, frustrated. "Merlin Ron, why are we even arguing about names? We suppose to be talking about our child not Riley. There are more important things to be discussed."
"Well, you're standing here asking my permission to put your life in danger-"
"Your permission!" Hermione hissed. Ron ignored her, talking louder until he was practically yelling.
"-Asking me to change my lifestyle, to carry our child, to put an end to my career, so that you can go on dangerous missions with some guy-"
"A colleague Ron!"
"- who you confide in more than your own husband!" Ron glared at Hermione, who looked at him just as angrily. There was silence for a minute, before Ron sighed, utterly deflated. He moved so he was standing in front of Hermione and quietly told her, "You trust him more than me, Hermione. How do you expect me to live with that."
Hermione looked up in surprise and tried to explain that she did trust him; but then she stopped as she realized that her actions spoke differently. How could she explain that she never intended to exclude him when that was exactly what she did in order to protect him? Her hesitation seem to only hurt Ron further as he turned away from her.
"I'll sleep over at Harry's tonight," was only thing he said before he walked out the door.
A/n: I'll try to update soon but I don't know which way the story's going to go yet. If you have any suggestions they'd be greatly appreciated. Please review!