Chapter 6: Visit to St. Mungo's

Hermione and Severus woke the next morning and entered the kitchen together. Neither of them spoke as they entered nor as they sat down to eat breakfast. When they finished, Severus spoke first. "I'm sorry about what I said yesterday. I didn't mean it."

"Obviously it crossed your mind or you wouldn't have said it."

"What did you expect me to think when you kept this child from me just like the last one."

Hermione sat silently for a few minutes before speaking. "Do you have any idea what it feels like to make a decision like that? To know that you will never get to hold that child in your arms or hear it cry, or hear it laugh? To think that your husband would support you in your decision. And then find out that he doesn't blame you, but he still doesn't support you in that decision."

"No, I don't. I don't have a husband. But I do know what it's like to know that I will never hold that child or hear it cry or hear it laugh."

"Then why would you say something like that to me," Hermione screamed and stood up from her chair, crying. "Why would you make me go through this pain again. Why would you even think that I would want to go through that pain again? Of losing this baby?"

"I wasn't thinking. I was angry that you had kept this child from me."

Hermione slowly say back down in her chair and waited for him to say something.

"Why did you want to keep this child from me?"

"You wanted a divorce, so you obviously didn't want anything to do with this baby. I decided to raise her on my own."

"Another girl," he asked, his heart filling with joy, his face indifferent.

"Yes," she answered.

Severus stood and walked over to his wife, pulling her up into his arms, kissing her and then holding her close. "I love you, Hermione."

Hermione stood, stunned at his exclamation. "If you love me, Why did you want a divorce?"

He looked at her and answered her truthfully. "When I was gone, I didn't realize how depressed you were or I would have come back. When I got back last month, and you weren't wearing your wedding ring, I thought I had lost you. I thought your depression was just due to you teenage years."

"I still am a teenager. Technically."

"You'll be twenty in September."

"So why did you want the divorce?"

"I assumed that you would want one, so I did it before you could break my heart."

"I love you, Severus. I don't want a divorce. I never did.

Holding her closed still, Severus let her love sink into him.

"I have an appointment at St. Mungo's Maternity this morning."

"When?"

"In half an hour."

"Then let's go."

Gathering their belongings, Severus and Hermione left Spinner's End and aparated to their destination. Half an Hour later, a mediwitch came to greet them and took Hermione into her private room. Sitting down, Hermione came up with an idea to test her husbands love for her. She spoke to the mediwitch, who was only too happy to help her out and then left after learning that she was perfectly healthy for the test.