Chapter 19: Stormy Skies

Authors Note: Ho, Ho, Ho! Merry Christmas everyone. I'm currently writing this on Boxing Day and so hopefully this chapter will actually be up before the Christmas season ends. The majority of today has been spent watching my box set of Glee Season 4 – it had been on Sky and so I had not watched it yet and also reading a hell of a lot of books. This is my idea of fun by the way. This chapter is set a bit further along in time. I know recently I have been doing a chapter per month, as it is difficult given that I do not have the same freedom as I did when writing Hogwarts and Beyond. Although I can ultimately decide on the dates that these things happen, a human pregnancy only lasts nine months, and so despite the fact that I had at least eight months in this story before Hermione actually did get pregnant, I had to plan it out from the very first chapter so it would coincide with Rose being born on the day that I imagined. Anyway, sorry for that ramble and here is Chapter 19!

18th November 2005

"So, shall we see how your daughter is doing then?" Healer Lily Moon asked as Hermione lay on the doctors table which was propped up so that she could sit; only leaning back at a slight slant. As they started to get closer and closer to the date that Rose was supposedly meant to be born, their visits to St. Mungo's' top floor were gradually becoming more and more frequent, just as a precaution as it would be with anyone else. Not that they ever minded, every time they had been they always ended up with another sonogram photograph of their daughter. They had a good few now, all of which appeared to pop up everywhere in their house. They had placed one on the fridge and in their bedroom, and as far as Ron knew they both had one on their desks in different departments of the Ministry of Magic, his being in the Auror Department and hers in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

One other copy, of the very first photograph they had after being told that the baby would be a girl, had been given to Robert and Helena Granger, having been given to them as a small, silver framed wedding anniversary present back in August. They had hoped that maybe this would be a successful present given that it was Robert and Helena's first grandchild and unlike Ron and Hermione, they had never seen a photo of their granddaughter at the time. And, they had been right hoping it would be successful, more than a success actually. Both of Hermione's parents had been delighted and to this day, the photograph of their daughter and son in law's unborn child sat proudly on their living room's mantle piece.

"Well, she appears to being doing rather well. Spectacularly even. Obviously we cannot calculate her exact wait whilst she is still within the womb but from what I can see we can work out that she is roughly 13 inches long. If she keeps growing at this rate once she has been born then she is going to be quite a tall teenager and adult." Lily said turning towards the husband and wife after looking at the screen.

"Hey, she will be like you." Hermione smiled, looking at Ron who grinned back as Lily chuckled.

"Remind me, how tall are you exactly, Ron?" Healer Moon asked and Ron furrowed his eyebrows as if trying to work it out mentally.

"I am 6 foot 1 inch. Hermione is 5 foot ten inches, if I am right?" He worked out and Hermione nodded in response to his question.

"Well she is definitely going to be like you then, Ron." Lily replied before facing Hermione. "How have you been in the past few weeks?" She went on to ask as Hermione sat up and pulled her shirt back down over her stomach neatly.

"I feel great, if I am honest. The constant going to and from the toilet is still lingering though." Hermione informed her and Healer Moon nodded.

"That will probably continue until your daughter is born. Sadly, it is just one of those things. Anything else?" The young Healer enquired and Ron interjected quickly.

"I know that the morning sickness is supposed to go, but she has still been sick a few times. Less than before, but still being sick. Is this meant to happen?" Ron asked concerned

"The general norm is that morning sickness is experienced up until four to five months, not constantly but it can happen. Sometimes there can be different circumstances like Hermione's where she is one of the rare people that it sticks with for a lot longer than others, but it will go soon ideally. If it gets any worse than it already is then contact me, but other than that, you appear to be doing great." Lily told them and Ron smiled, reaching over to squeeze his wife's hand before she responded with a discrete squeeze back.

XXXXXXXXXX

Hermione stood behind her desk in the large, calm, peaceful office she shared with her deputy, Joe at the far end of a corridor in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Three cardboard boxes sat upon the oak desk that she had had ever since she had been employed by the Ministry of Magic. Somehow, she had managed to carry it with her into her new department. Her new home at work. It seemed that everything was correlating well for herself and Ron in the past seven, nearly eight months. She had become pregnant; they had started making arrangements for when their daughter was born. Ron had chosen, with best interests for the pair of them and their daughter to change jobs and now worked for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, which thankfully, although he was now officially George's co-partner in the business, meaning they gained a lot of money, it was a great deal safer than being an Auror. And she had been given a promotion. Everything had worked out so well, and neither of them could really be thankful enough for the majority of the events that had coincided so far in the year of 2005.

The boxes were quite simply labelled. The first – home, the second – work, the third – I have absolutely no idea, love: your choice Hermione x. Hermione giggled when she glanced at the third and final box. Ron had kindly wrote in his surprisingly neat, yet curvy handwriting the labels for each box early in the morning before she had woken up, given that she had begun to not wake up as early as she used to but luckily, she had adjusted her hours slightly by thirty minutes meaning she was never truly running late so far in her new job. I

It felt very weird that after today, or the next hour and 2 minutes, she would not have to return to this job for a year. A year at the least that was. After many discussions with her healer, Lily Moon, she, Lily and Ron had come to the decision that it would be best to begin her maternity leave seven weeks before the baby was due to be born, in the first few days of January 2006, just as a precaution. As she was head of department, as much as she loved her job, she already knew it would be for the best to take so much time off in order to spend that time with Ron and their to be daughter, Rose. Although she would always get Friday's off work as well as the weekend, Ron also got Tuesday's and Thursdays off and so once they did eventually go back to work there would always be a way around who was looking after their daughter. Both of them would be able to take her with them to work if necessary but so far they were not thinking that far ahead into the future yet.

Casting her eyes over the table in front of her, she picked up some necessary files and placed them into the work box. They would be for Joe now that he would be temporarily occupying her role in their current department. Then she collected and gathered up the more sentimental things that lay in the room. These were mainly photographs. One was from their wedding, she was stood in between Ron her new husband and Harry, whilst Ginny had her arms around Harry who not twenty minutes before had proposed to her. There were two other photos of very strong personal value. The first being herself and Ron the previous autumn when they had been in the garden at her mother and father's house.

They were sat on a bench in the garden, Ron's arm was around Hermione and she was holding the hand that was draped over her shoulder as they both laughed. Neither of them had known at the time that this was being taken by Hermione's father Robert with the Wizarding camera that he had been given from Ron the previous Christmas, Hermione having always offered to develop the photographs so that they moved. The final photo was a moving photograph of their daughter's first sonogram scan. One of the photographs they had received was still, but they could enchant it so that it was moving as it would have when Healer Moon had moved the electronic muggle device that detected the baby over Hermione's stomach. The photos were put in the "home" box but then chose to leave the third box empty.

"Good afternoon Miss Granger." A voice said jokingly knocking on the door and Hermione turned her head to look towards the door where a young, smiley man wearing a jumper and jeans was stood in the doorway.

"Joe! What are you doing here?!" She exclaimed as the man came towards her and flung his arms around his friend and college gently.

"Oh Hermione, you never fail to surprise me. I could never go without saying goodbye." Joe beamed and Hermione embraced him once again at his kindness.

"I thought you were supposed to be on your honeymoon by now, you are not supposed to come into work the day after you get married."Hermione told him and he shook his head bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet.

"Flight delays... planes are delayed everywhere apparently so we were contacted this morning saying the time has been changed to seven o'clock. So I came to talk to you. How long until you are a free owl now?" He asked, sitting on her desk, not that she had ever minded. Joe had made her more calm and care free about these sorts of things. As had Ron.

"I have about another half an hour." Hermione said, placing cardboard lids on top of the boxes and piling them up with one on top of the other before turning to face him. "And for the record, I am anything but a free bird. I still have this." She gestured to her stomach and he laughed, his head falling back as he giggled at Hermione's sense of humour.

"How much longer until you are due?" Joe asked

"Another six weeks until the fifth of January. Just six more weeks." She sighed tiredly.

"That is providing they are not early or late." He pointed out.

"Let's just hope it is the latter rather than the former." Hermione replied, resting her hand on top of her stomach gently. There was a moment where they just stood, Joe sat, in complete silence, smiling at each other, knowing that they both had what they wanted. After years of to-ing and fro-ing in his and Adam's relationship with one another, they had finally gotten married and after so long of imagining what their future children would look like, she and Ron were about to have a daughter. She still remembered the day when she walked into her old office for the first time and Joe looked up from his desk, beaming and now they had changed and grown so much.

"So remind me, are you still Joseph Harrison or have you got the same surname as your husband now?" Hermione enquired curiously folding her arms over her chest.

"No I have taken his surname. I always wanted to do that, so that is exactly what I did." He told her.

"And... you are?" Hermione said prompting her to continue on and he smiled.

"Hermione Weasley, meet your new co-worker and second in command, Joe Vance." He replied

"Vance... Vance? Is Adam by any chance any relation to Emmeline Vance?" She questioned and Joe furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as if to look like he was focusing very hard on the question he had just been asked. A link had immediately been made in her head and no matter how much she tried to forget about it or just shake it off in her mind, there was a link there and she was almost certain that it could be completely possible and plausible.

"I think so, I think she was his aunt. His Dad's sister died during the war, around ten years ago I think. Is that who you are thinking of?" He wondered and she nodded "Why?"

"Oh, I think I knew her that is all." Hermione shook her head disregarding it as nothing of any real importance.

"How did you know her?" Joe asked quietly and Hermione looked up at him to see the concern in his eyes as he watched her.

"When we had just finished our fourth year and were in the summer of 1995. Harry had to be moved from his aunt and uncles house as it was not safe for him anymore. Emmeline Vance was one of the people who helped get him from their home to where we were all located. She was lovely, and quiet but talkative. I only spoke to her a few times but she was brilliant and then whilst we were at Hogwarts, she was murdered." Hermione recalled and after a few more moments, Joe spoke up.

"I will ask Adam about it, but more likely than not, you are probably right." Joe told her. "So, how are you getting these home, as by the looks of it, that is your work done for the next year."

"I am going to just carry them, there is hardly anything in them anyway but Ron labelled them all for me just in case I went a little wild." She said gathering the boxes and balancing them on her right hip before facing Joe once again. "You know you can contact me any time if you need any advice or help or anything... anything at all. I am an owl away or a handful of floo powder."

"Hermione..." Joe started but she quickly cut him off

"Just promise me, that if you need anything you will contact me?" Hermione said

"I promise. As long as you and Ron promise to introduce me to that daughter of yours as soon as she is born."He replied and Hermione simply laughed

"I promise too. Now, have a great honeymoon. Where are you off to again?" Hermione asked

"A week, in bloody freezing Canada. It is worth it though, the cold. It is worth it just to be with Adam." Joe informed her, "I will contact you as soon as I get back and keep in touch okay?" He said sniffing

"Of course I will, you idiot. Of course I will." She said before stepping into the fire place and saying goodbye as she quickly flooed home. Ready to start the one step closer to what they had been waiting and waiting for.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hey! You are early!" Ron exclaimed as she stepped out of the fireplace and he planted a kiss on her forehead. As soon as he saw that she was carefully but rather unsteadily balancing the boxes on her right hip he immediately helped her by taking them away and placed them on the coffee table in front of them. "How come you are so early?"

"Joe came over to say goodbye, he and Adam are heading off for the airport soon and he just wanted to pop into the office first. I guess he must have told me it was later than it was just so I got a bit longer at home. But still, I do not have to return for at least another year, more if it is necessary but I am sure we will work out some sort of arrangement before we need to cross that bridge." Hermione told him as they stood in the living room, both pairs of hands entwined.

"Well, I am glad that he did that." Ron whispered his voice low before he looked down at her boxes. "Just break it to me now. How much did you bring home? Do I need to sit down?"He joked and Hermione laughed

"You might need to sit down but for the right reasons." Hermione said, as she placed the boxes on the coffee table. "Obviously only one of them is at work, that contains everything that Joe needs including a note explaining what he will need to do. In the home box, we have..." She pulled out the three frames with pictures in carefully. "Photographs."

"I remember that photo." Ron said gesturing to the one that Hermione's father had taken for them. "It was a great day."

"Definitely, and finally, for the box that reads, I have absolutely no idea, love: your choice Hermione x..."And with that she picked up the box, removed the lid, and handed it to Ron proving that it was empty, he looked almost as if he was in shock.

"Wow," He said surprised, "Well, you certainly did better than I expected. I thought you were going to come back with an extra box in tow with you. But you have not, so hooray!"

"So... how was your day?" Hermione asked and Ron swung their entwined hands in the little space that was between them as the baby within Hermione had grown over the past nearly eight months

"Well it was –" He was quickly cut off by the sound of a knock on the front door, causing them to both turn their heads rather suddenly.

"I will get it." Hermione told him letting go of her husband's hands before walking away into the hall and towards the front door. The only disadvantage she had realised they had with this door was that by having no frosted glass, or, any glass for that matter, they had absolutely no idea who was on the other side of the door. It could be anyone, anyone at all. And they did not even have an outline to go by. She slowly opened the door to find someone who was not so much of a surprise.

"Ginny." Hermione said looking at her sister in law. She looked pale and in the light projecting from the house's hallway, it was obvious that shiny trails and streams of tears were falling down her face. She swallowed a lump in her throat before speaking once again. "Are you alright?"

At first she did not answer and just looked at her friend whilst her eyes became shiny and sparkled with the sadness that filled them. After a moment or two, she collected herself and finally allowed the words she needed to say to be said. "Do you mind if I come in?" She asked

"Of course we do not mind, you are one of our best friends." Hermione said taking Ginny's hand and pulling her in. "Just go through." She added, gesturing to the living room and Ginny headed in whilst Hermione locked the door. By the time Hermione also entered the same room, Ron was stood with growing concern on his face as he walked over to his sister and embraced her tightly as she cried. As Ginny continued to weep, Ron placed his chin on top of her head, looking over to his wife and mouthing "What is going on?" To which Hermione shrugged and sat down on the sofa that Ron guided Ginny to the spot next to Hermione.

"Sssh, it is okay, it's okay, Gin." Ron said calmingly to Ginny as she continued to cry into his shoulder.

"I am sorry for intruding like this," Ginny sniffed, "Hermione you have just started your maternity leave, and I have just come in and messed it all up."

"Ginny, it is fine, honestly. Has something happened?"Hermione asked

"No... yes..." Ginny responded, wiping her eyes."Something has happened and I really need to talk to you, both of you because I can't think what I am even doing."

"Go on." Ron said as he looked between his sister and his wife.

"I'm pregnant." Ginny told them after a few breaths.

"Ginny, that is fantast..." Hermione began before she was cut off rather quickly

"And I do not want it." Ginny added and there was silence. Neither Ron nor Hermione had saw any of this conversation coming, and the last thing she had said was the last thing they had expected her to say. Harry and Ginny had been rather quiet when it came to talking about the future after they had just gotten married. They had never really discussed children in front of anyone but Harry had later told Hermione that they had been discussing it between them for years and years since they had got engaged. Ginny loved children and she had always wanted to be a parent to one someday and since they had had James there had been no more discussion about the issue at hand since his birth.

"You... you what?" Hermione said almost speechlessly as Ginny turned her head to face Hermione.

"I don't want the baby." Ginny repeated "I can't do it. We have only just had James. He is seven months old. Seven months old. None of this was planned; we have not even had a conversation about any more future children after James. It is far too soon. Far too soon for my liking and I just do not want it. I do not want another child right now."

"Does Harry know about this?" Ron asked, "He does not does he?"

"He has no idea." Ginny replied, "And it has to remain that way."

"Ginny you have to tell him. It is his baby as well. And I know that you are in some sort of denial right now, but this is your baby. If you go and do anything now there is a chance that you will regret it later in your life if not immediately after. What do you think Ron?" Hermione pleaded with her before turning to her husband who was sat silently and expressionless.

"Ron, please say something." Ginny croaked and Ron was barely able to look her in the eye.

"I have no idea what is going to happen but I can't believe you are even considering doing something. Yes you already have a child and he is only very young I know, but still. There is a human being that has an opportunity to have a life and you are seriously contemplating taking that possibility away. Is that not going against almost everything we fought for, so many people died that did not deserve to and you are honestly thinking of letting some not even have a chance at life. It is horrible and I did not think you of all people would do such a thing." He told her firmly.

"Why me of all people?" Ginny asked

"Oh, I do not know. Maybe the fact that Fred was killed too soon and he did not get to have a life anywhere similar to the ones the rest of us do would have made you realise how lucky we all are. He never got to have a relationship or get married or have children and you have been able to all of those things but want to throw one of those opportunities away. This has nothing to do with us but given the fact that you had no problems at all and we waited for months, and months to try and even conceive a child and we have been told that it will be very difficult for us if we want to have children. We were lucky this time but say if we want more in the future, there is a chance that we might not be able to have them. You can and I would use that to your advantage if I were you." Ron continued his voice cracking slightly towards the end.

"Do you know how far along you are?" Hermione asked

"I don't know, I really don't have a clue." Ginny said quietly

"Well, say what you want but tomorrow you are going to St. Mungo's and I am coming with you." Hermione told her and she nodded.

"Okay then. I best get going. I am sorry for intruding on your evening." Ginny said, standing up and heading towards the fireplace whilst grabbing a handful of floo powder. "I will see you tomorrow Hermione."

"Ginny." Ron croaked. "Promise me you won't go and do anything stupid."

"You know I do not make promises, Ron." Ginny replied firmly and before flooing away from their home.

Ron and Hermione sat in silence for a while before Hermione plucked up the courage to shatter the ice. "You didn't have to say that last bit to her, you know. If you didn't want to." She said softly.

"I felt like I had to. It hurt to hear her say that, knowing our situation." He replied, tears in his eyes as Hermione leant over and kissed him gently.

Authors Note: HAPPY NEW YEAR! This has taken me a week and two celebrations to write and I hope that although it is only the second day that everyone's 2014's are going well so far. I'm not sure how well this chapter will go down but this is what I believe could have happened and therefore that was what I have wrote. Merry Christmas as well (still 4 days left). Thank you very much and PLEASE REVIEW!