Appropriate Actions

Chapter One

September 23, 2004

Approx. 9:00 pm

It happened so fast that Hermione never had time to prepare herself for what was to come.

'You're pregnant?' her boyfriend of three years yelled. 'How can you be pregnant?'

'What kind of a question is that?' Hermione tried not to yell back. This was not the reaction she was hoping for.

Paul quickly paced around the kitchen, roughly running his fingers through his hair.

'How could you have let this happen?' he finally said.

Hermione's face dropped. 'I thought you'd be happy...'

Paul looked at her like she had just said the most idiotic thing a person could say. 'This is supposed to make me happy? What about my job? My reputation? You have no idea how this is going to affect my work'

'Oh, that's right! I had forgotten that your job was so important to you,' Hermione replied sarcastically, though she could feel the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She took a moment before speaking again.

'I...I thought you loved me.'

'I thought I did, too, Hermione. But after this... I can't believe you'd do this to me,' Paul told her without a trace of remorse in his voice. He started heading toward their bedroom.

The tears were flowing freely now down Hermione's face. How could someone be such a jerk? Everything had seemed so perfect, and now...this.

She turned her head and through blurred vision noticed Paul rummaging through the dresser.

'What are you doing?'

'What does it look like I'm doing?' he replied, grabbing a pile of clothes and placing it in a suitcase. 'I'm leaving.'

'You're what?!'

'You heard me. I'm leaving. I can't be in a relationship like this. And this child... it's too much of a burden. I've worked too hard my entire life to get to where I am right now, and I'm not going to let you ruin it.' He closed his suitcase and set it by the door of their apartment. 'I'm sorry it has to end this way, Hermione.' He reached out to touch her, but Hermione backed away from his hand.

'Don't touch me, you bastard.'

Paul didn't seem the least bit affected by this. He leaned over, picked up his suitcase and walked out of Hermione's life.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The sound of the telephone ringing ripped Harry out of his peaceful slumber. He looked around the room for it until his eyes fell upon it, stuck between the cushions of his couch. He picked it up and fumbled with it until he found the 'Talk' button.

'Hello?' he said groggily. How long had he been asleep for?

No answer.

'Hello?' he tried again. He could hear someone sniffling from the other end of the line. 'Who's there? If this is a prank call...'

'Harry,' a voice quietly interrupted. Harry knew that voice all too well, and he didn't like the way it was sounding.

'Hermione? What's the matter? What's wrong?' he asked, suddenly feeling very much awake.

'I...I...it's Paul,' she told him before started to cry once again.

Harry cringed at the name. He had never liked Paul all that much. Thought he was too cocky and self-absorbed to be of any interest to Hermione. He had never really understood what she saw in him.

'Why? What did he do?'

'He's gone, Harry. He left about an hour ago,' Hermione took a moment to breath and then continued. 'I can't believe he'd do this to me...'

Inwardly, Harry sighed with relief. Paul had been a toxin in Hermione's life ever since they had met, and he was glad that she would finally be able to take a nice big breath of fresh air.

'Gone, as in gone for a little while, or gone, as in gone for good?' He hoped it was the latter.

'He's gone for good, Harry. He's never coming back.' A new wave of tears came flooding down.

'Oh....sorry.' Harry tried to sound sincere.

'Don't be. I'm glad he's gone.' She blew her nose before continuing. 'It's just...'

'What?'

'Harry, I'm pregnant.'

Harry remained quiet for a moment, slowly taking in what Hermione had just told him.

'And he left you because of this?' he finally asked, a rage he had never felt before flowed through his body.

His answer came in the form of another outburst of tears.

'I need you, Harry,' she managed to say.

'I'm already there,' he told her and then hung up. He jogged over to his closet, grabbed his cloak, and Apparated to Hermione's apartment.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Harry spent most of the night holding Hermione as she let all of her sadness and frustration out. She had finally drifted off to sleep two hours earlier, but Harry was not the least bit tired. He had never seen her this emotional before, and it made him a little nervous. He didn't know what else to do but to be there for her.

When the sun started to rise, Hermione's eyes flicked open. Had it all been a dream? Was she really pregnant? Was Paul really gone? She raised her head to see who's arms were wrapped around her body and saw her best friend, fast asleep. It wasn't a dream. This was real. Paul had indeed left her, and she was now very much alone and very much pregnant with his child.

The child. Hermione placed her hand on her stomach, warmth radiating from her palm to the unborn child inside. She knew she wanted to keep the baby; it's not like it had asked to be conceived. And she knew that abortion was never going to be an option. Just the thought of killing a completely innocent human being made her shiver from head to toe.

Her life was never going to be the same, and she accepted that. She wouldn't allow herself to crumble into depression and become so bitter that all she did was mope around all day. Oh no, that was not the Hermione Granger she knew. She was going to make the best of the situation as much for her baby as for herself.

Just then Harry stirred in his sleep. She looked over at him once again and noticed for the first time how different he looked when he slept. The walls he had build since childhood to hide his emotions vanished and made him look so vulnerable...

'I can feel you looking at me,' Harry suddenly said, his eyes still closed.

Hermione's heart skipped a beat. 'Jesus, Harry. Did you have to do that?'

'Yes, I did, actually.' He reluctantly grinned, unsure of her emotional state. 'How are you feeling?'

'I'm fine, Harry,' she told him. He looked at her, unconvinced. 'Actually, let me take that back. I feel better than fine. I've never felt better. This whole..thing has been quite the rude awakening, but I'm sure everything will be all right.'

'As long as you have me for a friend,' Harry added with a smile.

'Best friend,' Hermione corrected, returning the smile. A somewhat awkward silence filled the air as they looked at each other. Harry was the first to break it.

'Well,' he said, standing up, 'I don't know about you, but I could sure use some caffeine in my system.'

'Oh! Sure...just let me go make some.' Hermione hurried toward the kitchen. She reached into one of the cupboards for a couple of mugs, but stopped and looked at them with disgust.

'What is it?' Harry asked as he came into the kitchen to help her.

'Most of this stuff is his...' she told him, closing the cupboard. 'I don't think I can live here anymore, Harry. Everything reminds me of him, and that's the last thing I want.'

'I understand,' he said, looking around the apartment. It was true, most of the things in it were still Paul's.

'Do you think I could...I don't know...stay with you for a while? Until I find my own place, that is.' Her voice was calm, but her eyes were pleading him to say yes.

'Hermione,' he said, placing his hands on her shoulders, 'you never even had to ask.'

Her face instantly lit up as he pulled her into a hug.

'What would I do without you, Harry?'

'Not much,' he laughed.

'Oh, shut up.'