The Circle of Endless Confusion

The Circle of Endless Confusion

By: Princess Amorina Weasley

Chapter 4: Discoveries of a Lifetime

"Harry," Hermione whispered, as her friend walked in the portrait hole at 5:00 in the morning, almost three weeks after Ron had proposed to her.

"Hermione, what are you doing up?" he asked, looking at her with a mischievous grin.

"No, I haven't been with Ron, so wipe that silly grin off your face," she said harshly. "I wanted to talk to you and since you weren't in your room, I knew you were out with him."

"Wait, how did you know I wasn't in my room?" he asked, confused.

"Well, I was with Ron a little while," she smiled, for the first time in her apparent irritated mood.

He sat down on the couch next to Hermione and pulled his legs up under his chin. "So, 'Mione, what's bothering you?"

"Why do you assume something's bothering me," she snapped.

"Because you're snapping at me, which you haven't done since fifth year," he said, smiling at her. "Hermione tell me what's going on."

"Harry, the guilt is killing me."

"Ugh!! Hermione, we've had this conversation a million times. What we did doesn't matter and it's not like you did it with him to make up for it. At least, I hope it isn't."

"Of course not!! I did it because I wanted to, because I love him."

"Well, then there you go, now go to bed. We've got a big Quidditch game in the morning," he said, hugging her and sending her up the stairs.

"Good night, Harry."

"You too, Hermione," he said, rolling his eyes at the thought of her worrying and walking up the staircase quietly.

"Hullo, Hermione," Ron said, as his girlfriend sat next to him at breakfast the next morning.

"Hi, Ron," she said apathetically. She laid her head down on the table without even taking a bite of her breakfast.

"'Mione, are you alright?" Ron asked urgently.

"Yeah, but I think I need to go to the hospital wing," she said, standing up slowly.

"Do you want me to take you there," Ginny asked, suddenly joining the conversation.

"Umm sure, Ginny."

"Do you want me to go too?" Ron asked attentively.

"Umm, no honey. I think I'll just let Ginny come, kind of a girl thing."

"Ohh!!" Ron said, as his eyes widened. "I see."

"Yeah, well I'll see you later," she said, kissing his cheek.

"Bye," he said, smiling. "I hope you feel better."

"So what's going on?" Ginny asked, as they walked toward the hospital wing.

"Umm. I think I'm," Hermione said, looking around suggestively.

"What?" Ginny said, looking confused.

Hermione touched her stomach.

"Are you going to throw up?" she asked, looking around urgently for a wastebasket.

"No, Ginny, I think I might be pregnant," Hermione whispered.

"What?!!" Ginny exclaimed. "Have you and Ron, you know. Well obviously you have. Oh Hermione this is, oh gosh!!!" Ginny was in a state of complete hysteria.

"Ginny!! Calm down. I'm the one who should be freaking out here."

"I know, but I mean, Mom will be fuming. How do you know?" she asked, all in one breath.

"Umm well I'm about three weeks late," she lied, because she was, in fact, almost three months late.

"Wow, do you want me to stay with you?" she asked, finally calming down a little.

"Umm, no, you can just leave me with Madam Pomfrey. She'll take care of me. Thank you though Ginny and don't tell anyone, not even Colin."

"It's not like I tell him everything," Ginny replied, blushing. "What do you want me to tell Ron if he asks?"

"Tell him I'll talk to him later and that you don't know anything because Madam Pomfrey ran you off."

"Okay, good luck. I hope for once that you're wrong, Hermione."

"Me too, Ginny. Me too."

"Hello, Ms. Granger," Madam Pomfrey said, looking over at Hermione as she poured a potion into a jar. "How may I help you this morning?"

"Well, Madam Pomfrey, I'm not feeling very good. I have a wretched stomach ache and I have not had my monthly visitor for almost three months," Hermione said nervously.

"Oh goodness, lie down child, lie down," she sighed. She tinkered around and handed Hermione a glass. "Drink this dear, it will tell me if what I suspect is true."

Hermione drank the solution and a faint cloud in the shape of a baby appeared above Hermione's stomach. "What's that?" she asked, startled.

"It's our version of a Muggle pregnancy test," she replied sadly. "I've asked time and time again for Professor Dumbledore to implement a sex education class. There are simple contraceptive charms that would be most effective in our teenager's lives. I know you children think because you've got powers you're invincible, so you are even less afraid than Muggle children to have sex. We can't stop you from doing it, so I think we should at least teach you to prevent this. Believe me, Hermione, you are not the first smart witch I've had to give this news to. I suppose you'll have to inform Mr. Weasley soon. There's nothing really I can do for you but if your morning sickness gets too bad come and see me."

"Umm, Madam Pomfrey?" Hermione said carefully.

"Yes?" she sighed.

"How far along am I?"

"Well about 2 and-a-half months, I believe. At least you're already planning to marry him, though I suppose you'll have a hard time convincing some that you didn't do it because of the baby. Hermione are you okay?" she said, suddenly seeing the green look on her face.

"Yeah, just a little sickness, but I guess I'll get used to it."

"Yes, yes you will. But at least the baby won't come until near the end of the school year. Luckily, you won't have to experience things the Muggle way and you will be able to stay in school and come right back the day after you have him. Also, witches are a lot less obvious, so you probably won't get much bigger than you already are. Well, I suppose you can go now Hermione."

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey."

As she walked out of the hospital wing, she ran right into Ron.

"Oh sorry," he said. "I was just coming to check on you. Ginny told me what you thought was wrong."

"She can't keep a secret can she?" Hermione said, taking Ron's hand as they walked toward their common room.

"No," he said, sounding very depressed. "Is it true?"

"Yes, it's true."

"I'm so sorry, Hermione. I wanted to wait until our wedding night, until that little ring had a partner. I'm sorry Hermione, I've ruined your life," Ron said quickly and quietly.

"No, Ron, you didn't ruin my life. You've made it a hundred times better. It's okay, so our plans are just a little early. We're having a baby, a sweet little child. There's not a better thing that you can experience in this world, though the experience of the creation comes quite close."

"But I was so stupid. I mean it's quite obvious that my family is very productive; no Weasley has less than five kids. We should have waited, I should have waited. I'm so sorry Hermione. I wish I could go back in time and stop myself. I love you."

"I love you too, Ron. I wouldn't have let you stop; I wanted you just as much as you wanted me. Our life is not over. We'll finish school, get married, take care of our son, and, most of all, we'll be happy."

"Son? It's a boy??" he said with a big grin.

"Yes, a cute little baby boy, Madam Pomfrey let it slip.

"I love you, Hermione," he said, kissing her on the cheek. "We'll take good care of him. You should go rest now."

"Can you send Harry up when he comes in, I would like to talk to him?" she said, lying down in her bed.

"Yes, I will," he said, tucking her in her bed and kissing her gently.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Harry asked, walking into her room in his Quidditch robes.

"Hey, did we win?" she asked, smiling.

"Of course!!" he exclaimed. "Now you, what's wrong?"

A tear ran down her face. "I've lost Ron, forever."

"What? Hermione, I think you're delusional, darling, he's worried to death about you. He wants to be in here with you, I can tell," he said, patting her arm.

"Harry, I'm pregnant," she said loudly.

"Wow!! Umm, okay. But Ron's not like that, he'll stay with you because he loves you and because that baby is a part of you and him."

"No, it's not. It's a part of you and me," she said, looking into his eyes fervently.

"What?" he asked, stunned. "No, it's not mine."

"I'm almost three months, Harry," she said, softer than before.

"No, Hermione. Three weeks, weeks not months!!" he exclaimed, almost in tears. "It was an accident. You love Ron and I love Draco. They can't know they can't. I'm so stupid. We can't tell them."

"Harry, think about how much you look like your father, think about how every one of the Weasley's has red hair. They'll know Harry, they'll all know. If we don't tell them now, it'll be worse later. I love him and maybe someday he'll understand. But like I said, I've lost him, that's for sure."

"You're right, Hermione. We have to tell them. I'm so sorry; I wish we could go back in time and change everything. Ron loves you with everything he is, he's said so many times in his sleep, as well as when he's awake. He'll love you still, he always will. He'll probably kill me, but he'll accept the baby as his own. Marrying you is more important to him than anything else in the world. If he did nothing else in his life he would be completely fulfilled, it's his deepest desire. Nobody knows it but when we found that mirror, he saw himself with you by his side. Sure he saw the Quidditch cup and the House Cup and all those things, but most of all he saw you telling him you love him. He told me that one night, not long after you got together. He'll be mad for awhile, but he'll come back. I promise it," he said, smiling and trying to hold back tears.

"Hello?" Ron said, knocking on the door. "Can I come in?" he said, sticking his head in the room and smiling.

"Yeah, I was just leaving," Harry said, giving Hermione an encouraging look.

"Bye, Harry," Hermione said as he walked out the door. She got out from under the covers and brought Ron to sit on the bed. She kissed him passionately and looked into his eyes when she pulled away. "Ron, I need to talk to you. It's important."