A/N: Story on hold until I finish my other story: Still Calls Me Son. But this definitely is to be continued after the other one is done, probably within the next week, or the next two weeks.

Chapter 3: It's Not Okay

Hermione leaned back. She was looking quite uncertain, maybe worried to a certain point. She looked at herself at the mirror. Worn out and tired, that was what she saw string back at her. She wasn't too happy lately, and Hugo would have noticed her snapping a lot more than she ought to by now. Hermione noticed herself, but she didn't really know the reason why. She really hasn't got a clue. She couldn't tell Ron though, he was already stressed out trying to convince Harry that Teddy was to come back soon. He was filled with a lot to do at work. She could tell because she worked at the Ministry to, although a different department. She would do well with some bit of rest, but she couldn't find rest at all, no matter what she tried.

"Mum?" came a little voice from nearby. Rose had gone off with her new friends. Ron had taken her to go see them. That left Hugo alone with his mother again, the mother he had learned to recently fear because of the constant mood swings. "May I go outside and ride the broom? I finished reading what you told me to," he sad slowly, a hopeful feeling inside of him that he would see his mother nod.

Hermione was about to shake her head, but decided against it. Hugo deserved more fun. After all, he is Ron's son, the man who liked to have fun in his life. After all those adventures with Harry. Deep inside, although most of them were dangerous and it did cost lives, she missed having the thrill of it all. It wasn't until lately that she found fun a lot less desirable and work quite irritable as well. She could no longer explain her feelings, and she has stopped trying to do so for some time now.

Without another word, the little boy left his mother to herself. Hermione could hear his little feet rush down the stairway. She heard the slamming of the door to the backyard. Hermione thought of yelling to lecture him, but again she composed herself. She wasn't usually this irritable…unless…Hermione's eyes widened as she jumped up from where she was sitting.

As quickly as she could, Hermione made her way to the bathroom. There was, after all, only one answer to all of these things. Her lack of energy, her constant mood swings, her uncanny attitude towards her son. It must be that she was…

Hermione quickly reached for the pregnancy test. The Muggle way. She had to keep herself still doing Muggle things. She enjoyed them, and Ron's beginning to enjoy them too. He had managed to acquire his father's curiosity for Muggle things, much to Hermione's delight. Hermione's hand shook as she opened the box and pull out a strip. Could she be pregnant? She and Ron used to try, after all, but stopped once Hugo was already six. Could this be that there was another Weasley about to come? Hermione closed her eyes. She silently prayed that whatever the answer was, it would be best for them.

She was taking the pregnancy test, flicking it to see the answer, when the door from below opened. It surprised Hermione that she suddenly dropped the strip. There was a loud bang of the door. It wasn't Hugo, of course. The little boy couldn't be so strong yet. Rose was not the kind of person to do so, even if she was angry. That left her with…

"Hermione!" Ron called out, tossing his wand to the couch and plopping himself down to the armchair. He closed his eyes and laid his head back to rest. There was an odd look on his face, rather sad and there was surely a bit of helplessness there. "Hermione, where are you?" he called out, his eyes still closed and it seemed that he never really wanted to open it again. "Hermione? Are you here?"

Hermione set aside the strip. She knew that something was wrong the way her husband called her more times than twice. She thought about looking at the answer later, probably along with her husband as they would both want to know the answer at the same time anyway. Of course Ron would want to be sure. He would want to check with St. Mungo's if it were true. But for now, she had to be with him for Ron seemed tired and a bit frustrated. Hermione, she was usually the one who was able to calm him no matter what the situation may be.

"Is there news?" asked Hermione as she walked down the stairs, casually holding her tummy. Ron opened his eyes and nodded. Hermione could not tell whether it was bad or good, the way Ron looked at her. "What is it?" she asked as she made her way to her husband.

Ron pursed his lips for a moment, before he parted them so he could speak. "Harry found him," he said quietly. Hermione let out a sigh of relief, but waited for Ron to continue. "Harry won't tell me the details, just that Teddy is all right and we should no longer worry. Ginny and Mum are taking turns looking after him. Andromeda couldn't go near the boy, she didn't want to see him at a bad state. Apparently, he's unconscious." Ron stopped before saying, "Harry's all right now. He's relieved, really."

"That's great, Ron," said Hermione. Ron's facial expression hadn't changed. She knew there was more to it than what he was saying. Hermione glanced to her side where she saw Ron's wand lying on the other couch. She sat beside it, and picked up Ron's wand. "Anything else?" she asked, not wanting to pressure him into saying anything, but wanting to know what was going on in his mind.

Ron looked up, straight to Hermione's eyes. "Something's happened in the Ministry," he finally admitted. "Things aren't going to well." Both Ron and Hermione could hear Hugo's voice. The boy was happily playing outside. Hermione saw the pained look on Ron's face, as if he was just hit by a Bludger in the back of his head. "They're making cuts, lots of it." Hermione gasped. "People, losing their jobs here and there pretty fast."

Hermione looked at Ron gently. "Surely Harry won't fire you," she assured him, but Ron wasn't looking too sure. "Is there something wrong between you and Harry?" she asked. She hadn't heard from Harry himself for a long time, and she hasn't gotten around to ask Ron what was going on until now. She was afraid, afraid that this was going to spin their lives out of control. She and Ron haven't been at their best part of their relationship lately, but they manage to hang out, for Rose and Hugo. But as every day pass, time seems to be more and more cruel to their relationship, hers and Ron's.

"Let's just say," Ron said, "that I'm happy we can still send two children to Hogwarts." He stood up from where he was sitting. Stretched, and looked at Hermione. "You look as if you have something to tell me," he said, face easing, as if the tension of the moment was gone. "How was your day?"

Hermione battled in her mind what and what not to say to Ron. "It was fine," she lied. "Nothing unusual." Again, this was another lie. Of course she didn't know the answer yet, but she had a great feeling that she wasn't going to like the answer now that Ron had admitted something that would surely be a hindrance to her own news. She hoped now, that she was wrong, even though most of the time she was right.

"I better get to see Hugo then," said Ron. No matter how tired he was, he made time for his children. That was what Hermione loved most about him. He made time for his family, no matter what the circumstance. Ron gave Hermione an assuring smile. "We'll be all right," he said softly, as if he had a plan thought of to get them out of the ordeal already. "I know we will be. If my parents can manage all seven of us, I'm sure we can manage with Rose and Hugo for the time being." Ron walked over to Hermione, kissed the top of her head, and then headed out to go play with their son.

Hermione set Ron's wand on the coffee table and went back up. She didn't want to know anymore. She wished she didn't even get the idea of it. Everything wasn't as exciting anymore, as terrific as she thought it would be. Hermione entered the bathroom. She picked up the strip that she had been wanting to see alongside Ron, if only he did not bring home with him grave news.

Tears welled up Hermione's eyes. Her hand shook.

The sign was negative.