Harry Potter groaned as he shifted in his sleep as his quill poked him in the side where he had dropped it as he had fallen asleep. The pain was removed as he squirmed and he settled down again.
Hermione shook her head to herself as she entered the common room for her final check of the night and saw Harry sleeping on the couch. He must have had another nightmare and didn't want to wake any of his roommates up. Goodness knew all the seventh years were all worn out, Harry probably worst of all. She moved silently through the room and stood next to the end of the couch next to his head. Leaning slightly over the armrest, she brushed his bangs back from his face softly.
Harry could feel gentle fingers comb through his hair and as he breathed he caught the scent of Hermione as she gently touched his face. Sliding his arm up, he took her wrist in his hand and pressed a kiss against the inside of her wrist, smiling against her skin as he felt her pulse speed up at his touch.
"Harry," she said quietly, the sound of her voice wavering as he kissed her wrist again.
"Mhmm," he murmured against her skin, feeling the shivers that moved down her body. He opened his eyes slowly, leaning his head back against the armrest of the couch to look up at her. As their eyes met, Harry leaned up more, pulling gently on her wrist, bringing her lips down to meet his.
The kiss was awkward at first because of the position, but Hermione quickly turned her head slightly and opened to Harry. His fingers tightened gently around her wrist and his free hand came up and delved into her hair, holding her into the kiss.
Hermione had no intention of trying to escape from him. She groaned into his mouth as his hand touched her hair. As air became a priority, she pulled back slowly, Harry arching his back to keep their mouths connected a little longer. Hermione put her hand on his chest, holding him away from her mouth.
"How are you feeling?" she asked, looking down at him while trying to catch her breath.
Harry frowned and leaned up, tugging softly on her wrist, pulling her around the end of the couch to sit with him.
"I should be the one asking you that," he said, looking into her face, seeing the firelight reflected in her eyes, the dancing flames creating a soft red glow on her face.
Hermione shook her head and glanced around the empty common room. "I'm not the one who's sleeping on the couch to keep my roommates from hearing my nightmares," she said, looking worriedly at him.
"No but I'm not the one who's pregnant either," Harry objected in a whisper, looking around the common room out of habit.
Hermione arched her eyebrows at him. "I'm well aware that I'm pregnant Harry," she said in a passionate whisper. "I think about it all the time, but forgive me if I care about the baby's father too. I love you Harry! How can you think that because I'm pregnant, you aren't my first concern?" she asked, surprised to feel tears welling in her eyes.
"Hermione," Harry felt helpless, watching as the woman he loved broke down into sobs into her hands. He moved closer to her on the couch, pulling her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her. "Hermione, I don't know what to say. I love you and I know you love me but, Hermione, I love our child too. And I worry about you," he said quietly, rocking her with one hand resting on her still flat belly.
"I love them too," Hermione sobbed. "But I love you! I care about you! I worry about you! I need you! I can't live without you Harry!" Hermione was crying into his shoulder, her arms wrapped tight around his neck, holding him as close as she could.
"Hermione you are the most important person in the world to me. If I lost everything and everybody else in the world that means anything to me, as long as I had you, I could survive it. If I lost you, I couldn't go on. It would kill me Hermione!"
She was crying harder now, shaking her head at him, unable to speak.
"I worry about you Hermione. I want you to be okay, safe, happy. And it's my responsibility," he said, reaching behind his head to take her left hand. "You're wearing my ring Hermione. You're carrying my child. We're getting married," he said, squeezing her tightly in his arms.
"We're getting married," Hermione sounded shocked and awed as she whispered it back to him.
They had been engaged for weeks, since right before Harry's final battle with Voldemort, but it was, at the couple's request, being kept silent by the few people that knew.
"You do want to marry me right?" Harry asked, his old insecurities rising to the surface. Fear was blatantly clear in his face as he waited for her to say anything.
She pulled back quickly to look into his eyes. Tears were still on her face but her eyes were gazing at him steadily. "Harry I don't want you to ever doubt me," she said seriously. "I've loved you since we were eleven years old and I'll love you until the day that I die and beyond. I want to live my life with you. I have to live my life with you. Anytime I imagined my future, you were there."
Harry looked reassured but swallowed and asked another question. "If you weren't having a baby, would you still want to marry me?"
Hermione looked shocked. "Harry! I love you! The fact that I'm having your baby has nothing to do with the fact that I'm marrying you," Hermione paused and smiled gently as he reached a hand up and wiped her tears from her cheeks. "I'd marry you no matter what," she said solemnly.
"Hermione, I love you so much," Harry breathed, smiling at her.
She leaned forward and kissed him, choosing actions over words to show him how she felt. His hands framed her face and she shifted so her knees were on either side of his hips. Harry groaned into Hermione's mouth as her chest brushed against his. Hermione grinned and broke the kiss, moving her lips down his neck, feeling his pulse racing against her mouth.
"Hermione," Harry groaned her name, his hands sliding down her sides to hold her hips, pulling her closer. "Hermione I need you," he gasped as her hands slipped under his shirt, her nails scratching lightly on his abdomen.
Hermione was still kissing and sucking on his neck, sliding her hands further up his chest, his shirt fishing with her hands. Her nails touched his hard nipples and he let out a strangled groan.
"I'm yours," she breathed, barely taking her mouth off his skin. Harry groaned loudly, his hips jerking unconsciously against her. Hermione gasped as she felt Harry pressed against her.
"I don't know if I can make it to the dorm," Harry gasped, struggling with his desire to just take her on the couch.
"My room's closer," she gasped, twisting his shirt in her hands as he lifted her up, her legs wrapping around his hips as he carried her quickly out of the common room.
Ron Weasley groaned to himself as he woke up. His stomach was already rumbling, some subconscious part of his mind already focused on the food that he knew the house elves were preparing in the depths of Hogwarts. As he rolled over, he noticed that Harry's bed was empty. The red-head smirked, shaking his head to himself as he swung his long legs out of his bed, hissing as his bare feet touched the cold floor.
The door of the dorm room swung open quietly to admit Harry. His hair was more tousled than normal and he was carrying his shirt. Ron smirked and cleared his throat loudly, causing the Boy Who Was Caught Red Handed to jump and whip around, his wand in his hand. Ron grinned and held his hands up jokingly.
"So how's Hermione this morning?" Ron asked in a quiet voice, trying not to wake their roommates, smirking at his best friend.
"Passionate," Harry said dryly, smirking to himself as he rubbed a spot on his neck that looked suspiciously like a hickey. Ron made a gagging noise, wrinkling his nose.
"That's gross Harry. Hermione's like my sister, don't say things like that," Ron said, standing up and stretching.
Harry grinned and began rooting through his trunk for clean clothes, dropping his old shirt on the floor. He changed pants quickly, absently looking for his shoes.
"No shower this morning?" Ron asked. "Quidditch practice was last night," he mused.
"That's gross Harry! Not even I'd do that!"
"I took a shower this morning!" Harry protested, pulling a t-shirt over his head.
"But you just got back," Ron stated, his voice trailing off. "Oh bugger this!" he said loudly as Harry blushed, confirming Ron's suspicions as to exactly when and with whom Harry had showered. Harry turned away to button his uniform shirt, concentrating hard on the buttons to hide his face. He smiled to himself as memories and thoughts of Hermione rose to the top of his mind. Anxious to see her again, he looped his tie around his neck, still trying to find his shoes.
Ron rolled his eyes as he watched his best friend's antics. "You look like me when it's meal time," he commented as he pulled Harry's shoes out from under his bed. "She'll be waiting for you in the common room, Harry. There's no hurry," he said, tossing the shoes to Harry, who was sitting on the floor peering under his own bed.
"Us," Harry said as he pulled his left shoe on.
"What?" Ron asked, trying to find clean socks in his trunk.
"She'll be waiting for us," Harry said again, attempting to tie his tie for a few seconds before giving up and just leaving it looped around his neck.
Ron looked up from his socks, looking serious for a moment. "Thanks mate."
Harry looked back at his best friend, his first friend. "There's nothing to thank me for. We're a team."
Their eyes stayed locked for a moment longer before Harry shook his head.
"Did we just have a moment?" he asked, grinning as he stood up.
Ron looked surprised and grinned back. "Yeah mate, I suppose we did." His stomach growled suddenly and Harry laughed, leaning over to help his friend to his feet.
"Should we head to the Great Hall?" Ron nodded and ruefully patted his stomach.
Hermione was waiting for them at the base of the boy's stairs, her arms piled with books.
Harry immediately leaned in and kissed her quickly, pulling the books out of her hands. She looked as if she was going to protest but he shot her a warning look and she smiled teasingly instead, reaching up onto the top of the stack and grabbing color covered forms, handing one to Ron as he groaned.
"Hermione," he moaned, glancing at the paper with dread. "There's barely even time for Quidditch practice on here, much less our other homework."
Hermione grinned. "Wouldn't you have to actually do your homework for that to be an excuse?" she asked. Ron shot a glare at her and turned his attention back to his study schedule. Harry shifted the stack of books and peered over Hermione's shoulder. He swallowed thickly as he saw all the colored blocks that would dictate his life for the next two months until the seventh years took NEWTs.
"Mione," he said slowly. "If we stick to this schedule, well, we'll never have any free time," he said carefully, glancing at her.
She smirked as if knowing what he was thinking about. "Well Ron doesn't have Advanced Potions with us so he has those study times free," she said, smiling as Harry and Ron looked relieved at the same time.
"I do?" he asked excitedly, looking at his schedule again. Harry rolled his eyes at his friend, smirking at Hermione.
"Should we go to breakfast now?" she asked the boys. Ron nodded enthusiastically, folding his schedule and tucking it into his bag. Harry quickly dumped half of Hermione's books into Ron's hands, grinning as Ron groaned under the weight, pretending to stumble under the stack.
Hermione shot the teasing boys and arch look and stuck her tongue out at them before turning and walking toward the portrait hole. Harry and Ron looked at each other and grinned before tucking Hermione's books into their bags as they followed her toward the Great Hall.
Harry flopped onto the common room couch tiredly, dropping his bag onto the floor next to the couch. Hermione was right behind him, sitting next to his head on the couch. Harry squirmed up the couch and dropped his head in her lap. She absently began stroking his hair as he pressed a kiss against her stomach where he knew his child was growing.
"Don't fall asleep Harry," she warned him. "We've got to study for Charms this afternoon."
He groaned in token protest and she swatted him playfully on the head.
"Are we going to wait for Ron?" he asked sleepily into the fabric of her shirt.
Hermione bit her lip. "I hate to lose the time but I think we'd better," she said.
"Then we have time for a nap," Harry said wisely, sitting up a little sliding an arm under her legs, pulling them onto the couch. She tried to resist him but he insisted, sliding her legs down next to him. He pulled himself up the couch behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, keeping her down on the couch as she half heartedly tried to get up.
"Just rest Hermione. Ron'll be back soon enough. Studying can wait till then," he said, whispering into her ear, coaxing her to lie down next to him. She gave in and he slipped his hand down to cover the front of her stomach. "Goodnight baby," he whispered, leaning up a bit to kiss the shell of her ear. She snuggled back against his chest as he pulled her closer.
Harry breathed deeply as he felt Hermione relax next to him, her breathing slowing as she fell asleep. He could hear the students moving around them but was unaware of them, keeping himself in his own little world, where only he and his little family existed. After a while, Ron came back to the common room and headed over to the couch where his friends were resting. Harry signaled him not to wake Hermione and Ron seated himself quietly with a nod in a chair across from the couch.
"How long's she been out?" Ron whispered, gesturing to Hermione.
"Since we got back from class," Harry said back quietly.
Ron looked surprised and jokingly checked his study schedule. "Why's she so tired?" he asked, getting a little worried about his best friend. He knew it couldn't be anything too horrible or Harry would be more worried about her but he still couldn't help feeling that there was something going on between his two friends that he didn't know about.
"It's just been a rough week for her," Harry said, looking fondly down at his fiancée.
"She has been stressing a lot about NEWTs," Ron noted.
Harry nodded. "Yeah and the baby doesn't really help her out about being stressed either," he said quietly, still focused on Hermione's sleeping face.
The blood drained out of Ron's face in a rush and he stared blankly at his two best friends. His freckles stood out all the brighter against his paled skin as he tried to comprehend what his friend had just said.
"Is she…? Are you…?" Ron was struggling to get the words out. Harry realized what he had said and looked anxiously at Ron. The red-head looked like he was about to pass out.
"Ron," Harry said slowly. "Just breathe. It's okay," he said, trying to calm his friend down.
Ron's eyes focused on his friend. "Are you crazy? Hermione's pregnant and you're telling me to calm down?" he hissed.
"Well there's nothing I can do about Hermione's being pregnant but I can try and keep you from hyperventilating," Harry hissed back. He could dimly hear the blood pounding in his ears as he stared at his best friend. Who now knew that Hermione was pregnant. Ron was gaping like a fish, his mouth moving but unable to form words.
"Ron we were going to tell you," Harry said quietly, looking his friend square in the face. "There was never a good time."
"How long?" Ron asked. Harry glanced around and his shook his head.
"Let's go somewhere private."
Ron nodded and stood up, looking bewildered. Harry slid carefully out from behind Hermione and slid his arms around her, lifting her gently from the couch. She moved a bit but stayed asleep, curling into Harry's chest as he carried her. Harry led the way out of the common room, walking the almost second nature path to Hermione's private Head Girl room.
"Pumpkin pie," Harry murmured, blushing for a reason unbeknownst to Ron as the password was accepted and the door opened. Ron was still in seeming shock and could only shake his head. Harry gently deposited Hermione on the couch and shook her shoulder gently as he crouched down next to her face on the couch, meeting her eyes as she slowly awoke. "Ron knows," he said simply as her eyes opened. She sat up in a hurry, looking at Ron anxiously.
"Ron we were going to tell you, I swear," Hermione said, worried. "But you know how busy we've all been since we got back and," her voice trailed away as she realized she was rambling. She went to stand up and Harry was quickly at her side, trying to keep her sitting on the couch. Hermione shot him a dangerous look and he let her go, watching wordlessly as she walked straight to Ron and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly for a few moments before his arms came up and he hugged her back. Harry met Ron's eyes over Hermione's shoulder and smiled tentatively. Ron was still pale but he smiled back. As Hermione pulled back and stepped back to give Ron his space, he sighed and swallowed.
"Never don't tell me something like this, okay? It doesn't matter if it's a bad time. I'd rather know," Ron said, an unspoken question in his voice.
"Always," Hermione responded seriously, completely meeting his eyes, trying to convey her sorrow for the way he had found out about her pregnancy. She felt tears welling in her eyes and as they broke and ran down her cheek she felt Harry and Ron both simultaneously hug her from both sides. Ron moved to let go of her as Harry's arms wound around her waist but Hermione grabbed his arms, holding him in her hug.
"What's wrong Mione?" Ron asked, wrapping his arms around her shoulders as her head fell against his chest, her tears soaking into his shirt. She shook her head, still crying.
"I don't know! I shouldn't be crying but I can't stop." Harry made soothing gestures, rubbing her back softly. Ron was looking helplessly at Harry, unaccustomed to dealing with crying women.
"What do I do?" he mouthed over Hermione's shoulder. Harry just shrugged and continued rubbing Hermione's back. She pulled back from Ron, hiccupping as she tried to stop crying.
"Do you think you might be having mood swings?" Ron asked, stepping back out of Hermione's hug range. She looked surprised and smiled through her tears at him.
"You might be right Ron. How did you think of that?" Hermione asked.
He shrugged uncomfortably. "Bill and Fleur are going to have a baby in a few months," he explained. "Mum just told me a few days ago."
Harry and Hermione glanced at each other. "We should tell her too…about us," Harry said.
Ron smiled in relief. "That would be wise. I wouldn't want to if I was you, but better you than me," he said with a crooked smile.
"You don't think she'll take it well?" Hermione asked, worried about the Weasley matriarch's reaction to their news.
Ron shrugged. "It's not that she won't be happy, just surprised," he said, trying to reassure her, anxious to keep her from crying again.
"Is there anything you wanted to ask us?" Harry asked, trying to change the subject.
Ron nodded, looking uncomfortable.
"Well, let's go sit over here on the couch and we'll talk," Harry prompted, leading Hermione to the couch.
Ron sat down next to Hermione on the couch and cleared his throat nervously. "How long have you been pregnant?" he asked, directing his gaze at Hermione. She paled and swallowed thickly before answering.
"Since right before we went to fight Voldemort," she said quietly, meeting Ron's gaze solidly.
"You fought them while you were pregnant?" Ron exploded, rising to his feet. Harry was watching the proceedings carefully and reached over slowly and took Hermione's shaking hand.
Ron was breathing heavily, looking scared. "The baby's okay right? You're okay?" he asked in a rush.
Hermione nodded quickly and Ron sighed heavily, pausing for a long moment to examine her face with his eyes. "Were you guys engaged before, well, you know," Ron found himself blushing awkwardly.
Harry spoke up. "We did not get engaged because of the baby. I didn't know she was pregnant when I asked her," Harry assured his friend. "Well," he amended. "The first time I asked her anyway." Ron sighed in relief and Hermione smiled.
"I love her," Harry said, standing up to face Ron, keeping hold of Hermione's hand. Ron stared at him for a long moment before sticking out his right hand. Harry shook it, nodding wordlessly to his best friend. Hermione reached her free hand up and put it over the top of her friend's hands, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Do you guys think we could get permission to go to the Burrow this weekend? We should talk to your parents," Harry suggested, looking back and forth between Hermione and Ron. Hermione opened her mouth to protest the loss of a whole weekend of study time so close to the beginnings of NEWTs but Harry cut her off. "This is important Hermione. They've taken us in, treated us like family, they don't deserve to hear it from anyone else." She nodded after a moment and Harry and Ron knew instantly that they would be making up the study time somehow.
"Do you guys care if I go too?" Ron asked.
Hermione looked surprised. "It's your home, why are you asking us?"
Ron's face adopted a look of rapture. "Can you imagine the food mum will make for you when she find's out that you're pregnant?"
Harry and Hermione looked at each other and began to laugh, both realizing that no matter what happened or how things changed, there would be some things that never would.