Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
A/N: I love every review! I'm sorry if I didn't get to yours last chapter, things have been crazy! I could use some positive energy sent my way for some big changes! Also, I know I had more than one reader worried about where this story was going. I promise I won't be mad if it's not your cup of tea. However, that being said, after Sins of My Father I really needed something lighter and fluffier and well, here you go.
Also, as a reminder Sins of My Father is up for two awards at the Granger Enchanted Awards as is my Huffletwin and Hufflebestie HufflepuffMommy. There are also other really great fics and authors up so I highly suggest checking it out. You know, for science.
Also, as an aside, I love writing Ginny. She definitely was a missed opportunity in the movies.
Three
"I hate him." The witch growled, pacing before her.
"No," Hermione assured her, "You don't hate him…"
"I do." Ginny cried, rubbing her back. "I'm nearly two weeks over due, my feet are swollen so much I can't even get my slippers on and I'm pretty sure my legs make me look like a centaur."
Hermione bit back a laugh as she sipped on her drink and then leaned forward to sit it on the coffee table. "But it's almost time and then you'll have a sweet little baby to snuggle and you'll forget all about it."
Ginny frowned and then whipped around to face her, "Did you know you can poo during labor? Mum told me and now it's all I can think about."
Hermione laughed, "Gin-"
The door opened then and Harry stepped through, a bag on one arm, as Ginny rounded on him, "And just what took you so long?"
Harry shot Hermione a wide eyed, questioning look and the witch merely shrugged, standing up to go help Harry.
"I was only gone twenty minutes," Harry whispered to Hermione once she reached the kitchen.
"Harry, I love you. You're like a brother to me so I'm going to tell you this now, whatever you do, do not say that to her."
Harry grinned, "Trust me, I learned that lesson long ago-"
"What is taking you so long now?" Ginny yelled from the living room and Hermione bit back a laugh as Harry quickly used his wand to send everything to his wife and Hermione followed behind him.
"I got your favorite 'Mione-" Harry said as he handed her the takeout carton of garlic knots.
Her stomach revolted as soon as the carton was close and, hurrying through the living room, she only just made it to the hall bathroom.
"Are you alright?" Harry asked as she finished emptying the contents of her stomach into his loo and he leaned over to help hold her hair back.
Hermione shook her head, "No."
She finished vomiting, sitting back against the wall as she tried to stop the shaking in her hands before Ginny appeared in the doorway, a glass of water held out to her.
"I'm so sorry Gin," Hermione said after she had taken a sip of the water, "I must have picked something up at work."
"It's alright," the redhead witch said softly, "I've been exposed to far worse, Freddie sneezed on me the other day and I don't even want to think about the germs he's carrying round."
Hermione nodded and made to stand up, accepting the hand Harry held out to her and allowing him to help her up.
"Let's get you home," her best friend said softly as he tucked her under his arm and guided her out the door.
Hermione forewent a hug from Ginny as Harry stepped into the floo and she stepped in after and together they travelled to her little flat.
"You didn't have to come," Hermione said softly as she made her way to her bedroom to grab her night clothes.
Harry shrugged, leaning in the doorway, "You're my best friend Hermione and after everything I put you through it's the least I can do really."
Hermione chuckled at that and went into the bathroom to change before she returned to her room to see Harry looking fondly at a picture of her, Ronald and himself. "You think it will ever be like it used to?"
Hermione sighed as she sat down on the edge of her bed, "I don't know Harry."
Harry nodded, his lips pulled into a deep frown as he set the picture back down and moved to sit beside her on the foot of her bed, "I tried to get him to go to therapy, at least talk to someone but he didn't want to."
Hermione nodded and reached out, grabbing his hand and lacing their fingers together, "I know Harry. I did too." She leaned her head against his shoulder, listening to the sound of his breathing as she closed her tired eyes.
It wasn't until later, as Harry helped her lie back in her pillows and covered her up, that she realized she had fallen asleep on him. She reached out blearily, finding his hand and giving it one last squeeze before he leaned over and kissed her forehead, "Goodnight 'Mione."
"G'night Harry-" she yawned and once again, sleep overtook her.
The bug seemed to pass relatively easily, and although she still felt queasy throughout the rest of the evening she was only sick twice more before she slept soundly through the rest of her night. As a precaution she begged off work the next day, sending an owl to her boss to let him know and crawling back under the covers with a book. She couldn't remember the last time she had been able to read something not pertaining to ministry business and even further still a time that she didn't make it to work. It wasn't until the owl appeared, pecking furiously on her bedroom window that Hermione realized she had forgotten to tell Charlie of her absence.
"Alright, alright," she sighed as she opened the window and the bird swooped in, dropping the envelope in a huff before promptly flying out, knocking her head with its wing on the way.
She sighed as she picked up the envelope, noting the messy scrawl on the outside, before she opened it.
Hermione,
I'm going to assume you've been kidnapped by nargles since you didn't tell me you'd need to cancel our lunch date. Is everything alright?
Charlie
She grimaced as she set the letter down on her dresser and walked out of her room and to her office, finding a spare bit of parchment there as she began to construct her note to Charlie. She had barely managed to write the man's name before the knock sounded on her front door and she breathed as she walked down the hall to her living room and opened the door.
"Charlie?" she asked in surprise.
"Hi, I hope you don't mind. Uh- Harry said, he said you were out sick today. Before I could get more out of him though Ginny sent a howler."
"Is she okay?"
"What? Oh, Ginny, yes something about eating the last of her pie? I don't know, I try not to stick around when she or mum start yelling."
Hermione laughed, "Please, come in. Though I have to warn you I probably smell like sick and look like hell."
Charlie shook his head, "Never! In any case, I wasn't sure what you would need- if anything- so I picked up some things on the way over and mum made you some soup."
"Oh," Hermione said, as the man held up a bag in one hand and a bowl in the other, "I'm fairly certain it's the soup she used to make us when we were ill and well, I love the woman but…"
Hermione laughed, "It's okay really. I'm feeling much better actually."
Charlie grinned, "Good. Well, I have to get back to the office I just thought- thought I would make sure you were okay."
Hermione nodded, "Thank you Charlie."
The man turned back to the door before he looked over his shoulder, throwing her a wink, "any time."
Hermione shifted on her feet as she watched the man leave, closing the door behind him and then listened for the faint pop that sounded as he apparated away before she grabbed the things he had brought. She smiled as she went through the apothecary bag noting the medley of magical ailments he had bought medications for before she opened up the container of soup.
With a shrug she made herself a bowl and used her wand to heat it up to steaming before she levitated it- and a cold glass of pumpkin juice- to her living room table. She turned on the telly, catching up on the news as she leaned in to take a sip of soup from the bowl. As soon as the liquid had hit her mouth, the bits of cabbage and carrot passing her lips, she heaved. Barely making it to the sink in time she groaned and wiped at her mouth before she washed out the basin.
She leaned her forehead on her hand, the nausea passing almost as quickly as it had arrived, and her mind started to turn.
"'Mione!" Harry's voice called from the living room and she turned to see Harry's head in her fireplace, a smile on her face, "Ginny's gone into labor!"
"Oh Harry!" Hermione smiled, moving to the living room to see him better! "Is she far gone?"
"Not much, no. I know you weren't feeling well-"
"I'm feeling fine." Hermione lied, "I'll be there in a bit."
"Great!" Harry said quickly before he looked over his shoulder, "Molly's here now. We'll see you in a bit?"
Hermione nodded but her friend had already disappeared and Hermione allowed herself one moment to think about it, about the fear that had taken up residence in her stomach. Because she was fairly certain she hadn't just caught a bug. She let the moment pass, pushing the panic aside as she was so used to doing before she quickly changed her clothes and grabbed her things, leaving her flat behind as she apparated to Godric's Hollow to be with her best friends as they became parents. For the time being, she forgot about the chance that she might be about to do the same.
Harry and Ginny's place was a flurry of activity when she arrived. Hermione smiled as Harry shrugged weakly from his place by the steps as Molly told him where to go and what to do.
"Oh, Hermione dear," the elder witch said as she spotted who had captured Harry's attention. "It's so wonderful to see you, Ginny is resting right now but if you could be a dear and start something on for supper? She'll need to keep her strength up."
"Right, of course," Hermione smiled and Harry winked at her over his mother-in-law's shoulder before Molly rounded on him again.
She found her way to the kitchen, finding it empty, and started rummaging through the cupboards. She had just found a box of pasta that she thought would pair nicely with some French bread from the counter and was raising up on her tiptoes to reach it when a freckled hand slid in front of her, grabbing the box and sliding it into her outstretched fingers. She took a deep, steadying breath as she turned to face Ron.
"Hi Hermione," the man said, not meeting her gaze.
"Ronald," Hermione started, more bitingly than she had intended and she saw the man flinch. Steadying herself she took a breath and kept on, "It's good to see you."
Ron looked up, "It is?"
Hermione smiled, the feeling foreign on her lips as she nodded, "It is. I- I also wanted to say congratulations."
Ron's own lips pulled up then and he nodded, "Camille had to finish up work but I think- I think you would like her."
Hermione nodded, "I'm happy for you, that you've found that."
"Yeah, well- look, Hermione, I-"
"Oy, didn't mum send you to fetch some towels or something?" Hermione turned to see Charlie standing in the doorway to the kitchen, his brow raised at his brother. "Hermione," he added with a tip of his head.
"Charlie," she smiled at the twinkle in his eye.
"Go on, get on it before the entire country has to listen to mum rage about how no one ever listens to her."
Ron rolled his eyes, "Right, yeah. Um- I'll talk to you later Hermione?"
Hermione hummed noncommittally before she turned back to find the pots and pans in the kitchen. She knew Ron had left the kitchen but she also knew that Charlie hadn't as she continued to work around the space.
"Doing things the muggle way?"
"Yes, well your mother can hardly fault me for that can she? There's going to be plenty of time to spare," Hermione laughed.
Charlie laughed and Hermione heard him step closer to her, "He didn't- upset you did he?"
Hermione shook her head, giving the man a reassuring smile as she answered, "No, I'm fine."
He studied her for a moment before he finally nodded, "Alright, good. "
The two worked side by side then, Charlie surprising Hermione with his knowledge of the Muggle workings of a kitchen as he heated up a pot for the sauce.
"Are you feeling better?" He asked after a while as he stirred the sauce and Hermione sliced the loaf of bread.
"I am," she nodded.
He turned then, studying her and she knew he could tell that something was off. He set down the spoon he had been using to stir it, turning to look at her fully and she swallowed against the lump in her throat as she turned to look back at the bread, "Hermione-"
"He's here!" Harry shouted and Hermione looked up then before both she and Charlie hurried out of the kitchen and into the living space where Harry was descending the steps. He crossed the room to Hermione and wrapped her up in a hug, "It's a boy and he's beautiful and perfect."
"That was fast," Hermione said and Harry nodded, pulling away to accept a hug from Charlie.
"I guess he was ready to be here."
"Do you have a name?" Ron asked as Harry pulled him in for a hug.
Harry nodded, "James Sirius Potter."
Hermione felt her eyes well with tears and she reached up to swipe at a stray one that had rolled down her cheek as Harry continued making the rounds and Charlie tilted his head to the kitchen, "We should finish up that meal."
Hermione laughed, "Yeah, probably."
She was happy for her best friends but as she stood levitating the food to the table and made the plates on the tray to take to the new mommy and daddy, she couldn't help the cold grip of fear that shook her hands.
A/N: James Sirius was the only sensible name the Potters2.0 chose for their kids. Just me? In any case, I like it so I kept it. Thoughts?