Helloo! I'm back!

Well, this chapter isn't the most amazing of chapters, I'll admit it. But it has its high spots.

Hope you enjoy it!

Cormac McLaggen was not what Hermione would call a perfect houseguest. He was, to say the least, irritating – he was lazy at times when he was needed, and wanting to go out or do something when everyone else wanted to relax; he made comments that he obviously didn't realise were offensive. That was the difference. He wasn't intentionally rude or malicious; instead his ignorant remarks were what offended people. In the short time he had been here he had called pregnant people 'hormonal, grumpy idiots' in the presence of Gabrielle, who was making his dinner at the time, and, while complaining about Romilda, had said, "Thank God I didn't have kids with the woman. They ruin your marriage and your life." He had then turned to Hermione, who was sitting, steaming, and said, "What do you think, Hermione?"

All in all, he enraged her.

His arrogance had gone; but his stupidity definitely hadn't shifted.

When Hermione came down the next morning, cradling the baby in her arms, he was still asleep on the sofa. He was lying on his back, mouth open; arms and legs sprawled in every direction. As she passed through the lounge into the kitchen a snore erupted from his cave-like mouth. She shut the door as loudly as she could without making it look suspicious.

Gabrielle was pottering about the kitchen making toast. The boys were sitting at the small, rarely-used table in a corner of the room; plates of egg and soldiers sat in front of them. When Hermione entered the sunlit room Gabrielle smiled at her.

"Good morning!" she trilled, passing a steaming cup of tea over the bar. "Does Cormac still sleep?" This last remark was accompanied by a roll of her eyes and a slightly exasperated tone to her voice.

"Yeah," Hermione replied, setting Katerina down into her baby chair next to Stefan.

She sat down on a barstool and grasped her mug with both hands. "Where's Ron?" she asked, trying to sound casual.

"'E is at work," Gabrielle replied tiredly. "I am left to help with that man."

Once more she rolled her eyes in the direction of the living room. As she turned her attention back to the toast she was buttering, the door opened with a creak and a shirtless figure in tracksuit bottoms and sporting messy hair shambled into the room. Cormac looked with bleary eyes at Gabrielle and the boys.

His gaze fell on Hermione. "Morning," he muttered, still staring at her. She dropped her eyes to the floor.

"Morning, Cormac," she mumbled. Gabrielle passed her a plate of toast.

As if sensing her death-glare, which was pointed directly at him, Cormac turned to Gabrielle. "Here let me help, Gabby." He stepped forward and took hold of a pan on the stove, immediately tipping its contents (fried eggs) onto the counter and the floor. They landed with a messy splat.

"Oh, sorry!" he cried. "I'll clean it up." He pointed his wand at the mess and muttered, "Scourgify." Hermione saw that Gabrielle was gritting her teeth in an effort not to wack him round the head with the frying pan.

"And then, right, she tells me I'm not right for her. Not right! For her! And that we should break up. Seriously, I'm actually being serious here. She said that I wasn't right for her. I mean, who even says that?"

This had been going on for half an hour. Hermione was just about to start pounding her head against the door in boredom when the doorbell rang. She immediately leapt up, stopping Cormac mid-sentence.

"Er, Cormac, just hold that thought," she said quickly, hurrying into the hall and wrenching open the door before Gabrielle – who was in her office – could even start going down the stairs. Harry stood on the doorstep, his hair, as always, messy and his eyes the usual piercing green. He held up a newspaper, one whose front page was also plastered with several pictures of his... escapade with Ron several nights ago. He looked at Hermione.

"You'd think they'd have given up on this story by now," he sighed. "And Cho and I... we had a bit of an argument. About the whole thing. She got a bit, erm... angry. Is Ron here?" he added, stepping through the door and shutting it behind him. Hermione looked at him concernedly.

"No, he's at work," she replied. Then, "Do you think Cho will calm down by tonight?"

Harry sighed. "Maybe."

He pushed open the door to the living room and sank onto the sofa. Since she'd met him, Hermione had only seen that look on his face two or three times. It was his 'I-feel-like-giving-up' look. She was about to sit down next to him, when she remembered that they were not the only people in the room. Looking up, her eyes met Cormac's. His expression was a mixture of confusion and annoyance. Hermione decided to ignore him.

"Harry, I'm sure that it'll be fine. Cho's angry about that whole article, and what you did, but she'll calm down. Go back tonight with some flowers and chocolates and it'll be fine," she said. She was about to put her arm around him, but decided against it. Instead, she stood up and turned to Cormac.

"Hey, Cormac, would you make some tea?" she asked. He grumbled off toward the kitchen. Hermione turned to the black-haired man on the sofa.

He looked sadder than ever. His eyes were downcast and his whole frame sagged, as if Lockheart had tried once more to mend his bones but had, yet again, succeeded in removing them. The newspaper he had been holding had dropped to the floor. As if on cue, he dropped his chin into his hands. Hermione sighed.

"Harry, it's not that bad! It's an article in a newspaper, don't let it get to you so!"

She knew she shouldn't really be saying that, considering what had happened to her over the past couple of months, but Harry seemed different. He wasn't the type to let words bring him down. Well – at least that was what she had assumed. It seemed that her thoughts were being contradicted by this slumped sad figure before her.

He looked up at her. "Hermione, it's not just about the article. I came here about that too, yeah, but... well, there's something else. The reason why Cho and I fought is because... well... because Cho's pregnant."

A/N: Well. Harry's gonna be a daddy. Or not. Who knows :)

I am disappointed in my reviewers! I only got 1 review on the last chapter, which is sad-making... thank you to Kasseraandra for reviewing, by the way... Reviews make me happy :D So please, pwetty pwease review and you may be the winner of an e-hug and an e-cookie. And an e-iPod. Woo!

Again: what do you think I should put in the next chapter? What did you think of this one?

As a funny side note, what do you think of the '' advert? Because me and my sister have been singing it ALL day. And we found a website where you can learn the dance to it and everything. We couldn't do the dance because we are crap. But maybe you can. Seriously - all day it has been "We buy any car!" "Dot com!"

I will update as soon as I can, but with school coming up in a week (aarrg GCSEs make my brain hurt) I may not have much time. Keep on reading anyway!

Ellie