Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Sequel to "Law Change Lives". Hermione and Ron are settling into their new roles as parents, but nothing is ever as easy as it seems.

CHAPTER 12

Hermione felt another wave of nausea wash over her immediately at Ron's words, though she couldn't be sure if it was the morning sickness or the fact that she just had found out one of their biggest enemies left alive was now clearly a threat to them.

She stood, but then quickly sat back down. She did not want to throw up everywhere.

When Hermione was certain she wouldn't be sick, she gather Rose back up in her arms and glanced up at Ron. "What?"

"Umbridge…she came after Harry and I…she's back…" Ron said.

Now, Hermione was certain she would be sick, and so she quickly handed Rose off to Ron and rushed into the bathroom, hardly making it there in time.

Ron was in a second later, Rose on his hip.

"Hermione, are you alright?" Ron asked, bending down with Rose still in one arm, his free hand rubbing Hermione's back as she hung onto the toilet.

When Hermione was certain she wouldn't get sick again she slowly nodded, gently getting to her feet and washing her mouth out.

"Still not feeling well?" Ron asked, clearly concerned.

Hermione contemplated for one second telling Ron she was pregnant, but she decided now was not the time, not with everything else going on.

"Yeah…you could say that," Hermione forced a smile and then gathered Rose who was reaching for her from Ron.

"Well…maybe then it won't be a bad idea to cancel Rosie's party…I mean with you being sick, and Umbridge—" Ron tried, knowing the party was in a mere amount of days.

"No, Ron, absolutely not." Hermione cut him off. She would not let Umbridge take this important milestone from Rose. "She only turns one once…"

Ron nodded; he had expected nothing else from Hermione. "No…I agree…we just need to be careful."

"Do you think she will come after us?" Hermione asked, wondering if now was a good time to tell Ron she had thought she had seen Umbridge weeks ago.

"I think we are good targets…especially Rosie…" Ron said as he leaned down and gently touched Rose's head.

Rose giggled and pulled away from Ron only to shoot him a smile before burying her head back into Hermione's neck.

"Makes sense…" Hermione admitted, deciding telling Ron she thought she saw Umbridge would only make things worse.

"Maybe we should just keep the party to immediate family…mine and yours…" Ron said, knowing that would limit the people he and Harry had to keep an eye on.

"So…you expect me to rearrange Rose's entire birthday because of one woman?" Hermione felt her attitude suddenly switch and she was beyond annoyed with the entire situation. She silently blamed it on her hormones.

Ron could hear the edge in Hermione's voice and sighed. "No…I just…am trying to think from a practical standpoint. Harry and I can keep an eye on our family but too many people and something could happen…"

"So you want to just live in fear? Let Umbridge run our lives until she is caught? Ron…we have always had people after us…its never stopped us from living our life before and I will certainly not start now. Not with something as important as Rose's birthday." Hermione said.

Ron sighed, knowing he was already losing the battle with Hermione and he could hear in her voice just how stressed out she was. He knew this was a fight he had lost the second he had opened his mouth. "Fine…you're right. We shouldn't change it…but…if we are having everyone here, I want extra Auror's around…for protection."

"That's fine." Hermione could agree to that. It wasn't a ridiculous request really.

"Alright…well…why don't you go lay down with Rose in the living room. I'll whip up some soup for dinner…if you think your stomach could handle it."

Hermione felt much better now. In fact she was starving. "No, that sounds perfect."

Ron smiled a bit. "Good…and maybe make an appointment with a healer. See what bug you caught…maybe you could get some medicine."

Hermione felt the color drain from her face at Ron's suggestion, but she was lucky enough that he was already half way to the kitchen and had not noticed. She knew no healer could give her medicine for her condition. She knew she wasn't sick; she was pregnant, and she wasn't ready to tell her husband.

Hermione glanced at herself in the mirror, smoothing her blue shirt against her still flat stomach. She was worried she might look like she was a bit pregnant already, and she knew Mrs. Weasley had a six sense about those things so she did not want to give any clues at Rose's first birthday which would begin in an hour or so.

After being certain she still looked like her normal self, Hermione pulled her hair up into a simple bun and examined her face. She knew she looked tired, and the morning sickness was beginning to take a toll, but with everything going on with Umbridge, it was easy for Hermione to pass it off as nerves.

Lucky for her, Ron had not pressured her to seeing a doctor again since the day she had found out she was pregnant; the day she had decided to keep that little fact to herself rather then share it with Ron. At least for now.

Hermione had convinced herself that she would tell Ron after Rose's party, after things calmed down a bit, after she got used to the idea of having another child running around the house.

Rose's cries broke Hermione from her thoughts.

"Someone's up from their nap…" Hermione spoke to herself as she moved down the hall into Rose's room and gathered her daughter in her arms.

"Happy Birthday, sweetie…" Hermione kissed Rose's nose as Rose settled against her chest.

Sure, they had already made a big deal about Rose's birthday that morning, when Ron had let her eat cake for breakfast, but Hermione couldn't help celebrating it every chance she got. It was bizarre to think that a year had passed since Rose had come into their lives. It had gone so fast.

Hermione carried Rose downstairs where she found Ron busy in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on a sandwich platter for their guests.

"There's our birthday girl!" Ron grinned tiredly as he scooped Rose up from Hermione. He was exhausted, and worried, but he knew the day was important for Rose as well as Hermione and he wouldn't ruin it.

Rose giggled against Ron's cheek.

"Everything looks great," Hermione commented on the kitchen which Ron had decorated while Hermione was getting dressed upstairs.

"Including my girls…" Ron grinned and kissed Hermione on the cheek. "Are you feeling better?"

Hermione nodded because it was true. Now that she knew why she had been feeling sick she did feel better about it; she only wished she could have told Ron why she had been spending many of her mornings in the bathroom to begin with.

"Good…well…the other Auror's should be here soon…and everyone else…" Ron said, gently placing Rose on the floor and watching her, on her slowly steading legs, make her way toward her new enchanted toy puppy, which would bark and lick like a real dog.

"Good…" Hermione smiled and moved to get herself a glass of water. She was feeling a little nauseous, probably from the combination of nerves and the actual pregnancy.

"Are you sure you are okay? I know you are worried about Umbridge but…you just don't seem like yourself…" Ron said, gently running his thumb down Hermione's arm.

"I'm fine," Hermione said too quickly.

Ron was about to pry a littler further, but the bell rang and he had no choice but to drop this discussion.

"I've got it…" Ron offered and moved to the door, allowing the two extra Auror's, one named Smugen and the other named Holins, to come into the house.

"Where would you like us?" Holins' asked Ron.

Ron looked in the kitchen where Hermione still was. He knew she was not happy about the extra protection that she had agreed to, so he wanted them out of sight and out of mind.

"Just…keep the perimeter safe…no need to be right on top of us," Ron said.

"No problem, sir." Holins nodded.

Holins and Smugen turned to head back out the door and nearly ran into Harry and Ginny.

"Hey!" Ron was happy to see his best friend and sister.

"Where is my beautiful little one year old niece?" Ginny said loudly as she kissed Ron hello and moved into the kitchen where Rose seemed to see her favorite aunt and begin moving as fast as she could on her little legs toward her aunt.

Hermione smiled down at Rose as she grabbed at Ginny's neck. She was happy about the relationship her daughter had with her aunt and hoped it would continue. Ginny would make a great role model.

"How are you?" Ginny glanced up at Hermione as Rose pulled at her hair.

"Fine…" Hermione's voice was a little too high and she knew she sounded like she was lying so she changed the subject and then turned to Rose. "Rose, don't pull Aunt Ginny's hair."

Rose giggled but let go of Ginny's hair.

"She's fine…it's her birthday, right?" Ginny cooed at Rose.

"Me is one…" Rose pointed proudly to herself.

"She is smart…" Ginny commented as she stood.

Hermione nodded, smilingly lovingly down at Rose.

Harry and Ron moved into the kitchen as well, but the doorbell rang quickly again.

"I'll get it…" Ron gave Hermione a quick smile and moved back toward the door.

Within ten minutes, the house was full of guests for Rose's first birthday. All of the Weasley's were there, Hermione's parents, Dean, Seamus, Luna, Cho, and even Professor McGonagall made an appearance, and Hermione was happy so many people wanted to be there to celebrate Rose's birthday.

And celebrate they did, with games and presents and cake. Rose had managed to get the cake in her hair as well as Ron's when they took a family picture, which only made the atmosphere that much more enjoyable. For the afternoon, no one seemed to have any worries, whether it was about Umbridge or pregnancies, the Weasley house was distracted with the celebration of Rose's birth a year earlier.

"You did a lovely job decorating, dear…this entire thing is just divine…" Mrs. Weasley commented as she slid past Hermione, who was standing in the doorframe, watching Ron holding Victoire.

Hermione smiled. "Thank you…"

Mrs. Weasley followed Hermione's eyes to Ron with his infant niece. She smiled lovingly. "Ron looks good with a baby, doesn't he?"

Hermione felt her own smile fade a bit at Mrs. Weasley's words and her stomach do somersaults. Mrs. Weasley might have a point about Ron, but Hermione did not want to admit it right then and there, especially because she was so unsure of how Ron would take the news she was pregnant. Victoire was one thing, because she wasn't really Ron's child or responsibility but the new baby would be just that.

Mrs. Weasley seemed to sense Hermione's unease and just gave a light laugh. "Don't worry, dear…Ron has said nothing about wanting another baby yet…I am just making observations."

Hermione gave her mother-in-law a tight-lipped smile. She knew Mrs. Weasley was only trying to make her feel better but it was having the opposite affect.

Before Mrs. Weasley could say another word, however, Rose came waddling over and grabbed for Hermione.

"Up!" Rose commanded of her mother.

Hermione obliged and picked her daughter up. "Happy Birthday, Rose…"

"Me! Birrday…" Rose pointed proudly at her chest.

Hermione smiled, and Ron's laugh roared through the party, causing Hermione to glance down at her husband who was smiling proudly at Rose, but still effortlessly holding Victoire in his arms, as if he had managed to split his attention between two children effortlessly for his entire time as a father.

The image made Hermione smile wide. Maybe Ron would be able to handle two children in the house after all. She knew deep down, he wouldn't have a choice at this point anyway.