The Plan

Chapter 1

In a small medical ward in the middle of Saint Mungos, a young woman with long bushy brown hair sat staring at the whitewashed wall. A nurse bustled over and handed the shocked woman another glass of water, which she took automatically.

"You're sure... there's no mistake or chance of error..." she stumbled, although she knew the answer to the question. There was no mistake, at the age of only 22, that she, Hermione Granger, was pregnant.

All plans for the future came to a screaming halt, and her world suddenly felt like it was spinning out of her control. A baby. This wasn't in her plans! She wasn't even married yet! Images of screaming babies and dirty nappies sprang to her mind and for a long time she couldn't move.

And what about Ron? she thought. He was hoping to get that promotion in a couple of months, he'd be a top auror, he didn't want to be tied down with children.

"If you don't mind my asking Miss Granger, but erm is it that Ron Weasleys...? Because the papers have been saying..." the women stopped, blushing, but watching closely for Herimone's reaction. It dawned on Hermione that the papers where going to have a field day if they found out she was pregnant, they had a field day with her relationship with Ron as it was.

"That's none of your business," said Hermione standing up, spurred into action, "and if I read anything about this in the paper - I'll have your job."

The woman looked surprised and was obviously somewhat dismayed that she wasn't going to be able to spread the news and Hermione shot her a look before going towards the apparating point to get back to work.

* * *

That week, Herimone threw herself in to her job, avoiding everyone and anyone, by hiding away in the many rows of shelves at the British Library in London. Ron always joked that the job had been made for Hermione; she was one of the Head Researchers and her skills where renowned through Britain, there was nothing she couldn't find catalogued in the centuries old library.

She avoided Ron like the plague, making excuses about having too much work on when he asked to meet her for lunch, working late and leaving early.

However, when Thursday evening arrived she knew avoiding him was out of the question. They were attending Neville's engagement party. He'd finally (after almost four years!) worked up to the nerve to ask Hannah to marry him. Almost two hours after officially finishing work, exhausted and irritable, she apparated home, where Ron greeted her with a hug and a kiss.

"We're due to arrive in half an hour, are you hungry?" he queried.

"No, no, I'm fine!" she said rushing in to their bedroom and pulling out a tidy set of robes. She sat on the end of the bed and sighed happily in comfort, the weight removed from her feet.

Ron stood leaning against the doorframe watching her.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"What? Oh yes, just a busy time at work at the moment," she said lying back against the bed in defeat of tiredness.

"Do you want to stay home?" he asked, moving to sit next to her on the bed.

"No," she said closing her eyes, however tempting it was to curl up and sleep; she should go support her friend.

She felt his hand on her shoulder massaging gently.

"Dear Merlin you're tense!" he said in surprise.

"That feel's good...," she mumbled. Ron reached towards her, pulling her up so that he could work away the knots. Almost fifteen minutes later Hermione had to drag herself in to a cold shower to wake up. She pulled on clothes blindly and plated her long hair.

They apparated to Neville's and Hermione felt herself sway uncertainly on her feet. Ron steadied her, looking at unsurely.

"Hey guys!" waved Ginny as they weaved through the crowd towards Ginny, who stood with a baby in the crook of her arm. Lavender sat looking pale on a nearby settee, smiling happily.

Ron lifted the edge of the blanket up, and peered at the sleeping child.

"She's beautiful Lavender, you and Seamus must be very proud," he said smiling fondly at the baby. Hermione felt her heart jump and she sat down next to Lavender.

"Ginny!" called Harry across the room, making motions to her.

Ginny smiled and handed the baby to a surprised Hermione, and skittered off.

Hermione froze, looking down at the sleeping baby, who was oblivious to the world.

"She won't bite, she hasn't got any teeth yet!" joked Ron.

"Oh, right," said Herimone, as he sat next to her on the arm of the chair, rubbing her shoulder.

The baby opened her eyes and yawned. Hermione felt her heart melt. Shifting the bundle to one arm, she moved the blanket from the babies face. Her little hand reached for Hermione's finger as it came in to view and clutched automatically.

"She's gorgeous," she heard herself mutter.

Lavender chuckled and Ron leaned over to kiss her temple.

"Not at all hours of the morning screaming for food she isn't," said Lavender fondly.

"Your older daughter is almost two now isn't she?" asked Ron.

"Yes, they grow up so quickly! I'd enjoy the freedom while you can, no doubt you'll have your own in a few years," said Lavender.

"You regret having kids so young?" asked Hermione quickly, steering the conversation.

"No, not really," said Lavender absently.

"Oh," said Herimone in a small voice, glancing back to the baby, before handing her over to Lavender.

Hermione relaxed after she had mingled and talked with her friends for a while. Unusually, Ron never strayed from her side, not until much later in the evening when he disappeared with Harry. Everyone kept looking at her strangely and The Weasley Twins commented that she was starting to look like Snape. Which, understandably, she didn't take kindly too. Eventually Hermione realised that she could not take much more and that she was going to fall asleep standing if she didn't go to bed soon.

She wandered into the kitchen and recognised Harry and Ron's voices coming in through the back door.

"I owe you one mate, she's a beauty!" said Ron.

"You're actually going to go through with it then?" asked Harry laughing slightly.

"Yep," said Ron.

"Did you talk to Hermione about leaving?" asked Harry seriously.

"No, she's been looking so tired and drawn all week - Well you saw her this evening."

"She definitely looks tired," agreed Harry.

"Do you think maybe she found out I'm leaving?"

"Na, How would she?"

"I think she'll understand that we never considered other options... Oh hi Neville! How are you mate?"

Hermione stood frozen to the spot, Ron was leaving her?

* * *

The next two days were the worst of her life. Half of her wanted to crawl in to a ditch and cry, the other half wanted to bash Ron Weasley over the head with a rock.

Saturday Night, Hermione apparated into their small kitchen and was immediately hit with a spell of dizziness, which she noted was starting to happen a lot when she apparated. She leaned against the counter to steady herself and was surprised when she felt the surface was covered in flour. She looked around the kitchen and noticed the signs of hours of cooking, she could smell something good baking in the oven and she reached over to peak inside.

"Sorry, you're not allowed to look in there," said Ron, entering the kitchen. Hermione's heart gave up beating and she felt her stomach quiver when she looked at him.

He looked good.

Damned sexy actually, he had messed up his hair and set it with a charm, black robes hung open over a deep blue shirt and black jeans. He looked so casual and yet so... phew.

The only sign of the boy she had known was in the glint of his eyes and his smile, as he watched her obvious appraisal of him. In his hand, he held two wine glasses, and he placed them aside as he stalked over to stand in front of her, causing her to have to tilt her head upwards to keep eye contact. She realised that she loved all 6 foot 3 inches of him with all her heart, from his broad muscular chest, to the cleverness that he always protested against owning and every single freckle that she often attempted to count.

She was going to miss him so much. Why did he have to look so irresistible when he was going to break her heart?

She reached up to cup his face, running her thumb over his jaw line. He stared down at her, an intense expression on his face, he reached out for her and brought her in to a warm embrace, and she went heady with the unique smell of him. He kissed her forehead and pulled away slightly to look at her again.

"Hungry?" he asked, pecking her on the lips.

A small growl from her stomach answered the question for him and he chuckled.

"How about you go take a quick bath and I finish up in here?"

"You cooked?" she asked leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Uh huh, we haven't spent an evening together in almost two weeks. I was beginning to forget what you looked like you spend so much time hiding away behind those books!" he answered affectionately.

She felt her heart clench slightly, and she smiled tiredly. He swung her in to his arms and she cried out in surprise as he carried her into the bathroom. She looked around in astonishment, candles were placed everywhere around the room, the bath was filled with bubbles and she could smell vanilla and rose on the air. He lowered her to sit on the toilet and he bent down to take her shoes from her feet.

"Ron..." she said breathlessly, "what..."

"Do you like it?" he asked, a slight uncertainty in his eyes, as he removed the last shoe. What was he doing? He wasn't making his breaking up with her any easier.

She reached forward and grasped his neck, pulling him towards her for a deep kiss, trying to savour the taste of him. His arms pulled her body towards him as he knelt in front of her and they devoured each other, two weeks of separation coming to the fore. It was sometime before he pulled away from her, ceasing the butterfly kisses he was placing along her collarbone and she moaned at the loss of contact. A gave her a predatory look and whispered against her lips.

"Later, your bath is going cold," and he left her sitting there quite frustrated, as he went to do something in the kitchen. Maybe he was planning on one last night together... but that didn't seem like Ron, he wasn't cruel.

She undressed and lowered herself into the bath, covering herself in bubbles. The hot water soaked in to her tired body, rejuvenating her and relaxing her aching muscles. She wasn't sure how long she stayed there breathing in the scent of the water, slowly drifting in and out of consciousness.

She realised that she was going to have to tell him she carrying his child tonight, even if it was a lot easier to pretend that it was not happening and that she was maybe just feeling a little under the weather. She sighed and her hand rested on her belly, she wondered how long it was going to be before it was obvious. She would wait until he broke up with her, then she would tell him. So that he wouldn't feel he had to stay with her because she was pregnant.

Music came on in the living room and Ron appeared carrying two glasses of wine, he smiled at her dashingly.

"Ready to eat?" he asked.

She forced a smile and took the wine, downing the whole glass.

"Thirsty?" he asked, looking at her in surprise. Picking up a large fluffy towel from the floor, he pulled out his wand and cast a charm on it. He grinned, looking pleased with himself. Curiously, she stepped out of the bath, with his help, into the waiting towel. To her pleasure she found it was warm against her skin, and she sighed as, standing behind her, we wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her shoulder.

"Hmmm... You smell good, and your skin is all smooth...," he said against her neck, causing tingles to spread through her body, and she felt his hand reach inside the towel and flutter across her stomach. She pulled away, wrapping the towel around herself tightly and kissed him quickly on the lips.

"I'll go get dressed shall I?" she said, and he looked stunned for a second at her pulling away.

Recovering quickly, he murmured, "If you have to...," giving her a cheeky grin.

Despite her stern glance, a smile tugged at her lips and he took this as a sign to reach out and kiss her again.

Eventually she went into their bedroom, to discover clean sheets on the bed and resting on her pillow, a deep red carnation. She felt her heart flutter, and she held it to her nose. What if he had changed his mind... maybe he wanted to stay?

Confused, she pulled out a long black skirt and a thin burgundy cardigan, plaited her long hair, which fell down past her hips, and entwined the carnation in to the bottom.

Hermione entered the living room and stopped in surprise again. If she thought that cooking, the bathroom and the bedroom had been a huge gesture on Ron's part. It was nothing compared to the sight before her now.

To be continued...