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 15

It had been over a week since Ron had dropped Hermione and Rose off at the Granger's summer home, and Hermione had only seen Ron once. He had apparated there two nights ago for dinner but quickly left to get back to work, leaving Hermione no time to speak about the baby she was carrying.

Though Hermione had no idea how she would continue to hide it, as she got sick over the toilet again that Saturday morning. She was getting used to the morning sickness, and had to admit it was easier to hide since she was not currently sharing a bed with Ron.

That morning, however, it was hard for Hermione to leave the bathroom and what was worse was what Rose was crying down the hall. Every time Hermione tried to get up to get to her, another wave of nausea hit her, and she was forced to stay in the bathroom.

After a few minutes, Rose's cries silence and Hermione could only assume her daughter had fallen back asleep or her mother had gotten her. Hermione hoped Rose had just fallen asleep but she knew it was too good to be true when a knock came on her bathroom door.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Mrs. Granger's voice came through the door.

Hermione went to respond, but instead, got sick again, forcing Mrs. Granger to open the door.

Hermione looked up at her mother to see that she had Rose on one hip and was looking overly concerned.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Mrs. Granger asked her daughter.

"Fine…" Hermione weakly got up and waved her mother off.

"You've been sick nearly every morning," Mrs. Granger said.

Hermione's felt her clammy skin go white with fear. Clearly she had not been as discrete as she thought she had been.

"Just…the flu I guess," Hermione tried her best.

Mrs. Granger cocked an eyebrow. "Hermione, you may be able to fool Ron…or maybe he just isn't looking hard enough but I know better…I know what's going on."

Hermione held her head high and moved to wash face and brush her teeth. When she finished she glanced over her shoulder in the mirror to see her mother still waiting patiently for her to answer, Rose on her hip.

"Mum…I don't know what you are talking about," Hermione said, trying to move past her mother.

"You're pregnant, Hermione," Mrs. Granger was not asking, but rather stating.

Hermione took a deep breath and then shook her head. "No, I am no—"

"You have never been a good liar, Hermione," Mrs. Granger said.

Hermione sighed and sat down on the edge of her childhood bed, her head in her hands. "I know…"

Mrs. Granger seemed confused and put Rose down on the bed next to Hermione. Immediately Rose moved up and cuddled into her mother's lap.

Hermione accepted her daughter but when she opened her arms to gather Rose, the tears that had formed in her eyes were clear for Mrs. Granger to see.

"Hermione, what is wrong? This should be a good thing…" Mrs. Granger said with genuine concern.

Hermione shook her head. "Ron doesn't know…he can't. He said…he doesn't want another baby right now. How can I tell him? How do I tell him?"

"Hermione, why didn't you tell him?" Mrs. Granger asked.

"I tried…he said he didn't want another baby right now. He said Rose was enough…I tried on the way up here," Hermione was crying a little more now.

Mrs. Granger sighed and pulled her arms around her. "Well…maybe Ron has a point."

Hermione looked up, surprised by her mother's words. "What?"

"I mean, honestly, Hermione, with everything going on in your lives, was another child necessary?" Mrs. Granger asked.

"Mum, I didn't plan this!" Hermione felt warm tears rising in her eyes again.

"Obviously," Mrs. Granger rolled her eyes.

Hermione was angry now and stood, gathering Rose. "I wouldn't expect you to understand. You weren't happy about Rose either at first."

"That's not fair, Hermione—" Mrs. Granger started.

"Its true though," Hermione moved to her drawers and started using her hand that wasn't holding Rose to throw her clothing into it. "You may love her now but when she first got here you weren't happy!"

"Hermione Jean! I love that child, but how can you expect me to be excited about a new baby? You aren't even excited!" Mrs. Granger snapped.

"How could I possibly be when everyone is so against it?!" Hermione snapped back.

"Against it? Why because Ron and I voiced out opinions?! Because he thinks its stupid to want another child right now and I think you were irresponsible for getting pregnant without talking to him?" Mrs. Granger said just as loudly as Hermione was speaking.

"I wasn't being irresponsible, mum! Sometimes…things happen," Hermione said, continuing to pack her bag.

"Hermione, what are you doing?" Mrs. Granger sighed.

"Well I won't be staying here!" Hermione was still furious.

"Hermione, stop…" Mrs. Granger began following her daughter around as Hermione still grasped Rose tightly in one hand and was packing furiously with the other.

"Why? Clearly, I am not wanted here!" Hermione snapped.

"I did not say that!" Mrs. Granger said back.

"You may as well have, Mum! I am not going to sit here and let you tell me I made a mistake. I am an adult, if I want another child I will have it!" Hermione was nearing tears now.

Rose seemed just as distraught, probably because her mother seemed so upset, and she began crying as well.

"But you don't want it! Isn't that why you won't tell Ron?" Mrs. Granger said.

"Its none of your business!" Hermione yelled in anger and moved back down the hall to pack Rose's things up.

"What is going on up here?" Mr. Granger asked, reaching the top of the stairs as Hermione moved briskly into the room Rose was using, and Mrs. Granger was hot on her daughter's heels.

"I am leaving!" Hermione shouted over her shoulder.

"Please stop her!" Mrs. Granger sounded almost annoyed.

"Hermione…what—" Mr. Granger started as he followed Hermione into the room she was packing Rose's things in.

"Dad please!" Hermione called over her shoulder. "Mum does not want me here and I, quite frankly, don't want to be here either!"

"But what happened?" Mr. Granger asked, looking between his wife and daughter.

"She's pregnant," Mrs. Granger motioned to Hermione.

"What?" Mr. Granger looked confused at Hermione.

"Please, Daddy! I don't need to hear how disappointed you are in my right now. Mum covered it!" Hermione said, pushing past her parents and down the stairs, Rose still in one hand.

"Hermione, you have nowhere to go!" Mrs. Granger called after her daughter.

"I will manage just fine!" Hermione snapped, and before her parents could say another word she disapparated with Rose in her arms.

Ron was sitting in his office, nodding off on a stack of files he and Harry were supposed to be going through that could potentially lead them to Umbridge when Harry came running through his office door.

"Ron! Wake up, Ron! It's Hermione!" Harry shook Ron awake.

Ron quickly came to at the mention of his wife's name.

"Hermione? What about her?" Ron's voice held immediate panic.

"Mr. Granger just called your Mum and Ginny called me…" Harry started.

Ron shook his head, already halfway lost.

"Hermione and Rose left her parents house. Apparently there was an argument," Harry said.

Ron stood quickly, his fist clenched. "What?!"

"I just found out…" Harry seemed to feel the need to apologize.

"Do we know where she went?" Ron asked.

Harry shook his head.

Ron thought for one long moment before shaking his own head. "She had to have gone home. No other bloody place she would go if she isn't at my parents."

"You think? Grimmauld Place doesn't seem like the safest spot," Harry said.

"Well leaving her parents wasn't smart either. Despite Hermione's intelligence sometimes she even manages to make me look like a genius," Ron shook his head and moved out of his office so he could flow to Grimmauld Place.

When Ron reached Grimmauld Place through the fireplace he found Rose sitting on the floor playing with a set of blocks Ginny and Harry had given her.

"Well, there you are, Rosie…" Ron relaxed a little upon seeing his daughter.

"DA!" Rose giggled and awkwardly got to her feet, making her way to Ron and wrapping her small arms around his leg. "You here!"

Ron couldn't help but smile. He really had missed his daughter and as angry as he was with Hermione, he couldn't be angry with Rose in his arms. He quickly scooped Rose up and kissed her, causing her to giggle more.

"I missed you," Ron whispered to his daughter.

"Miss you," Rose nodded back at Ron.

"Where's Mummy?" Ron asked his daughter, though he had an idea when he heard some pots clanking together in the kitchen.

Rose pointed to the kitchen and Ron smiled at how smart his daughter was before moving into the kitchen where he found Hermione with her back to him, over the stove.

"And what in the bloody hell made you think coming back here was a good idea?" Ron said firmly.

Hermione jumped in shock and turned to face Ron, her wand automatically out until she realized it was just her husband and daughter behind her.

"Ron…" Hermione said slowly.

"Did you think I wouldn't find out in five minutes that you left your parents house?" Ron was trying his best to hold his temper in by holding Rose closer to his chest.

"Ron, please…relax," Hermione tried.

"Relax? Bloody hell, Hermione! This isn't safe!" Ron yelled.

Rose seemed frightened by her father and moved away from him, reaching for Hermione.

"You're scaring her," Hermione tried to take Rose from Ron.

"She's fine," Ron yanked Rose back away from her mother, seeming to surprise both Rose and Hermione.

"Da…bad…" Rose whispered quietly.

"Daddy is just mad, sweetheart," Ron kissed his daughter on the head, feeling bad he upset her, though his eyes were still on Hermione. "Mummy made him worry."

"We're fine. We are here and we are safe," Hermione said.

"But it's not safe here. You belong at your parents. Why would you leave?" Ron was trying to keep his temper in check for Rose's sake.

"I had my reasons," Hermione said simply, turning back to her cooking.

"Yeah? And what bloody good ones were those?" Ron's voice grew a little louder.

"Da…stop," Rose put her hand over Ron's lips to make him stop raising his voice.

Ron took a moment to regain his composure but then started again. "Why did you leave?"

Hermione thought for a long moment about telling Ron the truth, that she was pregnant, but as she was trying to tell him, her silence seemed to anger him.

"Don't have a bloody reason…" Ron snorted and nodded his own head.

Hermione looked at him with anger. "You wouldn't understand…"

"You're right…because I don't bloody understand how you can put our daughter in danger like that! You're not safe here…something could have happened!" Ron yelled now.

"I would never put Rose—" Hermione started.

"But you did!" Ron shot back.

"Ron!" Hermione snapped.

"Hermione! I just don't get what goes on in your head! You risked everything—" Ron started.

"Well you wouldn't know, would you? You don't ask…you don't care!" Hermione snapped back.

"How can you say that? I bloody care! I am asking you what you were thinking?! I never thought you were the type of mother—" Ron started.

But Hermione was enraged. "What type of mother, Ron?!"

Ron cowered at Hermione now, realizing he had made a huge mistake. "I just meant—"

"No! You have no idea what you are talking about! You have no idea what is going on because you don't bother asking! You just assume that you do, but how could you? You don't talk to me…you don't want to know what is going on! Can't you tell something is so wrong?!" Hermione snapped.

Ron was struck silent for a long moment, trying to take Hermione's words in, but his silence was long enough and before he could react, Hermione was storming toward the door.

"Hermione! Stop—" Ron started, moving to go after her.

"I need some air!" Hermione shouted over her shoulder in such a threatening voice that Ron stopped dead in his tracks, Rose still in his arms. Even knowing Umbridge was somewhere out there; Ron didn't dare to follow Hermione. He had never seen her this angry.

Hermione walked briskly away from Grimmauld Place, allowing the cold night air to invade her lungs. It felt good, refreshing even, and helped clear her mind from the argument with Ron.

She wondered by herself for a while, thinking about everything that was happening. It was obvious now that she had to tell Ron about the new baby. Whether he wanted it or not, it was coming, and she needed his support.

Plus, she knew telling him about the baby would give her the chance to explain the rest of her recent behavior and would make things easier because she could stop lying about everything.

After a good hour, Hermione ended up back near Grimmauld Place. She knew she should go back inside and talk to Ron but she did want a few more minutes to herself before she faced him with the truth.

Hermione made her way to the park across the street and took a seat on an empty bench. The moon was bright and she could see all the playground equipment in the distance.

"Rose will take you out here and teach you to play on all this one day…" Hermione rubbed her tiny baby bump that only she could notice and spoke to the baby inside.

"And your father is going to love you…once I get the strength to tell him about you…" Hermione continued and sighed. "I am sorry I haven't yet…"

Hermione sighed after a minute, thinking about what the baby would think if it could actually understand Hermione. She felt guilty, like an awful mother who could not face the fact that she was having another child. She would never want the baby to feel unwanted or unloved but by refusing to acknowledge it, that's what she felt like.

But Hermione knew she already did love the baby. Even if she was afraid of what Ron thought, she knew she loved the child inside of her.

"I love you very much…" Hermione told the baby inside her, getting lost in her own thoughts.

And that was when Hermione let her guard down. She was vulnerable in the cold, dark park; worried only about the baby she was carrying. She hardly noticed the older, small and square witch in pink approach out of the shadows.

In fact, by the time Hermione realized who was behind her and moved to grab her wand, Umbridge and struck her down, unconscious, in the park.