A/N: First of all, I just wanna say THANK YOU : ) to all you guys for reviewing and for begging for updates. Being a reader myself, I like to update soon 'cause I know how it feels to be left wondering what's going to happen next.
Special Thanks to my brand new beta, Melissa.
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EIGHT
Ginny looked at Hermione and then at Harry, not sure if it was a good idea to leave them alone. Finally, she turned to leave, but not before giving Harry a warning.
"Do not upset her!"
Harry nodded and walked into the room, closing the door behind him. Hermione turned to her side again so she could sit up. When Harry noticed what she was doing, he quickly got to her and tried to help her get up. Hermione, however, retrieved her hand hurriedly.
"I don't need help," she said strongly.
As if she had slapped him with her words, he quickly took a couple of steps back. Hermione looked at him wondering what else he had left to say.
"I thought you said you wanted to talk to me," she pressed after a couple of silent minutes.
Harry walked up to the bed and sat next to her. Then, he took one of her hands into his. "I reckon the first thing I need to do, is apologize," he said in a soft voice. He looked into her eyes. "I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. I… I'm sorry Hermione."
Hermione could see in his eyes that he was truly sorry and that alone made her feel so much better.
"I shouldn't have said what… what I said." Hermione looked away. "I didn't mean it Hermione. I would never ask you to do something like… like that. I just… I didn't know what to say or how to respond to you. You caught me off guard. I know that's not an excuse, but I… I freaked out."
Hermione looked at him. "That's exactly what you should've said," she said softly, smiling warmly at him.
Looking at her expression, Harry relaxed and smiled back. "You're not mad at me?" he asked surprised.
Hermione thought about it for a while. "I wasn't mad. I was… disappointed."
Harry let go of her hand to place his arm around her shoulders, pulling her towards him. "I'm sorry I hurt you," he said kissing the top of her head.
They stayed like that for a while. Then, she raised herself and turned her body to face him. Harry's eyes went down to her pregnant belly.
"I… I still can't believe it."
"Well, you got two months to believe it," she said smiling at him. "I'm due in September."
He smiled brightly. Then, he raised his hand towards her belly, but stopped a few inches from touching her. "Can I?"
For all response, she took his hand and placed if softly on her stomach. For a few seconds, Harry didn't move, staring at Hermione's belly. Then he started rubbing his hand softly over her stomach.
Suddenly, Harry felt something that made him jump. "Wow! What was that?" he asked concernedly.
"The baby is saying hello," said Hermione with a big smile on her face. "Here," she said bringing back his hand to her belly.
"Does it hurt?" he asked looking into her eyes.
Hermione shook her head.
After a couple of minutes, Harry retrieved his hand and sat up. "There's something we have to talk about," he said in a more serious tone. "Hermione there's only one thing left for us to do. We have to get married."
Hermione opened her mouth and closed it back again. Finally, she spoke. "What do you mean we have to get married?"
"What do I mean?" repeated Harry, not sure if he had heard correctly. "I mean we have to get married!"
"Why?"
"Why?!" Harry was surprised she was even asking that. To him it was quite obvious. "Because! That's the right thing to do. A baby needs a father and a mother, a home. We have to get married to give him what he needs. Besides, I'm not going to walk away from my responsibilities."
"I know what a baby needs Harry, but we don't have to get married for that." Harry looked at her as if she was talking about something he could not understand. "I'm sorry Harry, but I'm not going to marry you."
Harry stood up. He could not believe his ears. "Why?" he managed to say.
Hermione stood up as well. "Because marriage is not about doing the right thing, it's not about responsibilities, Harry." Then, thinking about it for a while she asked, "And how is it that you want us to marry if you're dating someone?"
"Actually," said Harry looking away. "I'm not. Not anymore."
"You and Laura broke up?" asked Hermione surprised. She had thought things were going okay between them. "When?"
Again, Harry avoided her eyes. "This morning."
"Oh no, was it because of… me?" she asked. Harry didn't respond, but his reaction said it all. "I'm sorry Harry. I never intended to come and ruin your life like this."
"Hey, don't worry," he said finally looking at her. "I've been meaning to do that for a while. I've just… I've been a bloody coward."
Hermione shook her head.
"Listen Hermione, I want to be the father of my baby," Harry's voice was starting to get a little tense. "I want to be with him from the moment he's born to the day I die. You're not going to keep him away from me."
Hermione let a sigh out. They were staring to fight yet again. "Harry this is not about keeping you away from the baby." She was trying to keep her voice calm so that things wouldn't escalate. "You're always going to be the father."
"How?" asked Harry, frustration in his voice. "How if you don't want to get married?"
Hermione sat back down. She did not want to get into another fight with him, but they obviously had different ways of looking at the situation.
"What did you parents say when you told them?" asked Harry trying to find more reasons to convince her.
Hermione looked at her hands. "I haven't told them yet."
Harry looked surprised at her. "Why not?"
"They're not in town, okay?." Then looking up at him, she continued. "But they'll be back tomorrow. I'm going to see them tomorrow."
"I'll go with you."
"No!" Hermione quickly said. "Thank you Harry, but I don't think that's a good idea. It's best if I tell them on my own."
Harry took a couple of steps away from her, passing a hand through his hair. He then turned to face her. "What is it with you and this I-can-do-it-on-my-own thing?"
Hermione looked defiantly at him. "Listen, I know my parents, okay? I know it's better if I talk to them alone. Your presence would only make things more difficult."
"I know things are not going to be easy, Hermione. That's why I want to face them with you." He sat back down, talking in a calmer tone. "You've been doing it alone for a while now. Let me help you."
Hermione looked at him. She appreciated his words. "Harry, I do want you to help me." Her voice was beginning to break. "I need you to help me, but please listen to me. I know my parents. I know how to get to them."
"Okay, okay," finally agreed Harry. "If that's what you want, but at least let me take you there."
"Take me there? I can just apparate. You don't need to take me. Besides, what are you going to take me in? Your broomstick?"
"No," responded Harry looking down. "I… I bought a car."
"You bought a car?" asked Hermione skeptically. "When?"
Harry smiled shyly. Then, he answered the question, looking away. "Today." He simply said.
"You've been busy today, haven't you?" she said shaking her head. "And why exactly did you buy a car? Are you giving up on your broomstick?"
"Of course not!" He said quickly. "It's just that as far as I know, they still haven't come out with a broomstick you can attach an infant seat to. We can't apparate around with a baby either, and he won't be able to use the floo network until he's older."
"Oh Harry!" said Hermione covering her mouth with a hand. She didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. Harry smiled at her.
"I told you. I want this baby, too."
Hermione's eyes filled up with tears. That was exactly what she had been dying to hear him say. Harry, thinking it was best to give her some time, decided not to insist in getting married for now.
"Just do me a favor, Hermione," he pleaded looking right into her eyes. "Promise me you'll think about what I told you."
--- * --- * --- * ---
She did think about it, all night, but the idea of accepting his proposition never crossed her mind. To hear Harry asking her to marry him had been one of her deepest wishes. But in her dreams, Harry didn't propose out of a sense of responsibility.
She was not willing to marry Harry, or anybody else for that matter, as an obligation. She still hoped that if she ever got married, it'd be for mutual love. Not because she was pregnant and he had a commitment to fulfill. It's not like she needed him to repair her honor.
That was not her way of thinking, and if that was what Harry wanted to do, she wasn't going to go along with it. She was, however, glad of one thing. Finally, she and Harry had made peace and come to an agreement. Harry was going to be the father her baby needed. That was more than enough for her.
Marriage without love could do more harm than good to a child, and she was not going to put her baby through that willingly.
Now there was only one more thing making her feel anxious. She still had to talk to her parents. "That's not going to be fun," she thought. She had appreciated Harry's offer to go see them together, but she didn't want her parents confronting Harry for something they both were responsible for.
She preferred to let them let all of their anger out first, even if it meant letting it out on her, before bringing Harry along as the father-to-be. She just hoped it wouldn't take that long for them to accept the news.