A/N: Thank you everyone for been so kind and actually leaving reviews, also I want to thank my beta cpt_slog for everything, you rock
Chapter Three: We Have Other Ways
Anyone watching the pair talking, or rather watching Harry talking and Hermione looking shocked, would have noticed that Hermione wasn't listening. Harry was talking softly, quietly and Hermione's head was swimming.
"…. Mione I know you're married, happily even. My thinking now is we would use what Muggles call in vitro. We wouldn't even need to be in the same room when … when… well," He looked at her, not realising her mind was so far away. "Mione I will leave. Here, London, England even, forever. I'll leave so you can be happy with Adam and the baby. Tell him I was wrong or something, I just want to make you happy and well I know how happy the baby would be."
Hermione didn't know what to say. To say he had taken her by surprise was an understatement. Never in a million years would she have expected him to suggest something like this. Ok they were best friends, but Harry was willing to give her the child that she wanted so badly, and then leave. Leave his home, his friends, and his own child even!
Finally Hermione knew she had to say something. "I don't know Harry. This is something big. And I don't know if I would be ok about you leaving everything you know behind. And to never see your child?"
"Hermione please I just want to help you, I hate seeing you sad and I hate that you can't have what you always wanted. We are best friends and to be honest I don't know if I will ever have a family of my own. I know this baby would be very happy to have you as a mother and I think I would be ok about leaving. That would be for the best." Harry watched her sad expression "At last tell me you will think about this."
Hermione sighed "I will think about it, but I can't promise that I will say yes. It's not how I imagined having a family would be, but it's more the thought of you leaving and not meeting your own son or daughter."
"Just think about it," he said softly. "Take as much time as you want and need." He kissed her hand and smiled.
They spent the remainder of their lunch talking about other things, but Hermione couldn't forget what Harry was willing to do just to make her dream come true. She knew all of Harry's good qualities, including how brave and noble he could be, but this was too much. Although he hardly mentioned it Hermione suspected Harry wanted a family of his own some day, and now he was willing to give her a child and leave not really caring if he would see the baby or not. Of course she knew that he cared, his offer to leave was to spare her any uncomfortable feelings. He was doing this for HER.
Harry's words echoed within Hermione's mind for the rest of the day. She couldn't help but to feel bad about Harry suggestion. It would be oh so easy to let him solve her problem for her. The thought of him saying goodbye as soon as she was pregnant would break her in two; she didn't like that idea one bit. Maybe she could talk with Adam about adoption or even a donor as Harry suggested. She needed to talk with him and hoped he would be home when she got there.
It was late, almost nine thirty and Adam wasn't home yet, she sighed when she heard the front door been open.
"Adam could you come here, we need to talk," Hermione said not even looking up at him.
Adam didn't say anything; instead he just took a seat on the couch next to her "What you want to talk about?"
"Well I was thinking -, "Hermione started and was surprised that even though she had rehearsed this so many times, it was still hard to talk to Adam about it. "I think that we could adopt, I mean there are lots of kids that need a family." She said looking at him, hopefully.
"No, I don't want that! We would never really know what sort of magic the kid would have. Hermione he could turn out to be evil, no way."
Hermione sighed again "What about a Muggle child then?"
"No, my child will be a wizard or a witch not a Muggle."
Hermione was starting to get annoyed. He shot down every suggestion she made; nothing was good enough for him "What about if we talked about using a donor, the medical term is artificial insemination?"
Adam looked at her like she was crazy, actually as if he realised for the first time he didn't even really know her. "Are you INSANE??? Do you know what you are saying, what you are willing to do??? You really expect me to allow you to have someone else's a kid like you're some kind of a WHORE?" he asked in shock
Hermione's mouth fell open and simply stayed there. She couldn't believe what she had just heard, or more importantly what Adam had just called her.
"I was trying to help and you know what? I've had enough of this. Nothing is good enough for you." Hermione got up from the couch and stormed towards the bedroom.
"Look who is talking, Miss Perfection"
Hermione thought she could easily hex, but instead decided it would be safer for all concerned if she got away from the house. She thought she could go to her parents house, or possibly even to Ron. She knew she couldn't stay at home or she WOULD end up hexing him.
Meanwhile, Harry was sitting at home silently, in deep thought as he went over every word and gesture they exchanged at lunch. He thought of course that when he made the offer to help he hadn't thought it fully through. In one way he knew his suggestion was medically feasible; he knew what he was talking about, he wasn't however sure how Hermione would take the offer. The offer to leave forever was meant genuinely. Now he worried he had said the wrong thing and he would lose his friendship with Hermione.
Harry wanted a family of his own, but knew that is something he would never have; he never found the right girl. Not true; he HAD found the right girl, but he just couldn't have her, so why not make Hermione happy by giving her the child she wanted so much.
He closed his eyes and remembered some of his past dates with other girls. He consciously and subconsciously kept keep comparing them to Hermione No one was her, and that's why his past relationships never worked. Now he was willing to give her a baby and leave. Leave her forever and never see her again, but knowing somewhere he had a child, and so did Hermione.
"How could I be so stupid to even say it? How could I leave her, or leave our child with that git of a husband of hers, even if he does think it is his?" He asked himself.
There was a soft sound and Harry looked up to see Hermione standing before him with a travel bag and a very sad face. Without thinking he rose and hugged her. Neither needed to talk, Harry could tell she must have had a fight with her husband. He could tell just by looking at her.
"What happened?" he asked while running his hands up and down on her back.
"I was trying to give him other options, in order to have a child; adoption or even a donor, but he didn't like anything I said. He got mad when I mentioned donation and called me a whore." She said with her head on his chest.
Harry stepped away from her slightly to look at her "He called you what?" he asked starting to get angry.
"Harry, it's ok. I know that he is just upset and that's why I decided to not stay there, He needs some time to cool off. I was wondering if I could stay here with you."
"Hermione it's not ok! He has no right calling you that. Does that bastard even know how lucky he is to have someone as wonderful as you? Someone that is willing to do everything in the world to make him happy?" Harry was caressing her cheek with his thumb "And of course you can stay here."
"Thanks Harry, you are so sweet." She kissed his cheek and hugged him again.
"Are you hungry?" Harry whispered in her ear with his arms still around her.
Hermione just nodded. She always felt so safe and loved when she was in his arms and she loved how Harry was always so sweet and understood her. Adam wasn't like that at all, and she could count the number of times she felt safe in Adam's arms. Harry was always there for her no matter what, and would always be there, every time she needed him.
"Then sit and I will make something for us to eat" He said "By the way you can put your things on my room, I will sleep here," He said looking at his couch.
"No, Harry I can't do that, it's your house …"
"It's my house, and because it is YOU can take the bedroom and the bed. I'll sleep on the couch, and don't worry about me. If you feel it will make you feel better you can take a relaxing bath," he added cutting off her protests.
She smiled and picked up her bag. She went to his room to put her things away and take the bath Harry suggested while Harry was in the kitchen making dinner for them, she couldn't help but smile that from what could have been an explosive fight only an hour before she was now feeling very happy to be there with Harry.
Harry on the other hand had a huge grin. Of course he didn't like the situation that caused Hermione come to him, but he liked the idea of her staying with him however briefly it would be. He also liked the idea of her things been in his room or even in his closet next to his. He prepared something he hoped would help take her mind off her worries, all the while knowing she was just a few steps away.
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