Disclaimer: Harry Potter, the world he lives in and its settings were all created by JK Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series. I merely borrowed them for this story.

Chapter One: The Consequence

Hermione Granger sat on the edge of the bathtub at her parents home clutching a white stick in her hands, staring at it aimlessly. Pregnant? After the fourth test she still didn't believe it. But they were all unanimous. She had been feeling ill every morning for the last two weeks. After worrying about it all day she had finally plucked up the courage to walk down to the muggle chemist and buy several pregnancy kits. Then she sat in the bathroom for at least 50minutes before she worked up the courage to actually take the test.

Four times. Four times it said she was pregnant. The tests did not lie. She had had a feeling that they would be positive, but it did not make her feel any better. Now she sat lost in thought, clutching the now blue stick in her hands, staring at it as though it were going to come to life any second. What would she tell Harry? Ron.. her parents? A feeling of dread welled up inside her as she realized she would have to face the consequences of what she had done.

"For the love of god Hermione, how long does it take to have a whizz?" Anna's voice came as the door to the bathroom burst open.

This wasn't unusual for her older sister to do, but hermione had been in such a state she had forgotten to lock the door.

"Jesus Anna, what the hell are you doing?" Hermione yelled in alarm throwing her hands behind her back, but not quick enough.

"What the hell am i doing? What the hell are you doing?" Anna said in surprise diving for Hermione's arms.

"Nothing. Quit it."

"It doesn't look like nothing, let me see."

"Anna i said quit!" Hermione yelled as her older sister snatched the pregnancy test from her grip.

"Oh my God.." Anna said as the realisation of what this stick represented hit her.

"Anna please.." Hermione began pleading.

"You're Pregnant?"

"Anna please be quiet.. i havn't had the chance to think about this yet.."

"I can't believe you're pregnant.." Anna said quietly.

"It was an accident.." Hermione pleaded.

"Better bloody well have been an accident. What were you thinking?" Anna snapped.

"I.. I wasn't.. Harry was upset.. I was trying to comfort him.. one thing led to another.."

"Wait wait wait... Harry? Harry Potter is the father?" Anna said holding up her hand.

"It was an accident Anna, we didn't mean for it to happen.."

"I thought he was just your friend?" Anna queried.

"He was.. I mean is. He is just my friend."

Anna snorted. "Not now, hes far more than that now."

"Anna please your not helping, i need to think." Hermione said rubbing her head wearily.

"What's there to think about? You have to tell mum and dad. Then you have to tell Harry. My god, i can't believe your pregnant. You," Anna laughed. "I'm the bad one remember, i bet they had money on the fact that id be the one who wound up pregnant from some random guy..."

"..Alright alright, i made a mistake..."

"..You're the goody two shoes girly swat.."

"..Thanks Anna.."

".. You're not supposed to be interested in guys..."

"...Just cause i like books does not make me a lesbian.."

"... Just books..."

"Jesus Anna can you stop now? I screwed up alright, and no one was expecting me to ever screw up i get it. Now can you go away so i can figure this out." Hermione yelled.

Anna fell silent and looked at her younger sister with an apologetic look mingled with sympathy. "It's going to be ok you know." She said quietly.

""I've made a mess of things haven't I?" Hermione said under her breath.

"The best of us do, at some stage or another." Anna said. "I'll come with you when you tell mum and dad." she added as she exited the room to leave her sister alone.

"Thank you.." Hermione called after her departing sister.

Left alone Hermione could finally think over the events that lead up to this life changing moment. She realized that above all else, she was petrified. Scared of what her parents would think of her, scared of what Ron would think of her.. Scared that Harry might be angry, that he might never forgive her. She rocked backwards and forwards with her head in her hands, thoughts numbing her mind as she tried to think of a solution. As she tried to think of a way to change the past.

Hermione knocked loudly on the door three times then stepped back, awaiting the door to be opened. No answer. Knocking again, more aggressively this time Hermione accompanied it by a threat.

"Harry James Potter open the door right now." she said in her usual stern voice.

The other boys who shared Harry's dormitory had gone out to let the boy have some time alone, Neville and Ron were still in the hospital wing of course, and would be for some time. After a few seconds muffled noises could be heard approaching the door then suddenly the latch clicked and it creaked inward. As the crack widened Hermione saw Harry's already retreating back move towards his bed.

She sighed, collecting herself and marched over to him. "How are you?" she asked carefully.

Harry shrugged, but did not speak, he suddenly became very interested in a piece of loose string on the cover of his bed. Hermione gave a familiar worried look as she sat down next to her best friend.

"Did you speak with Dumbledore?" she asked.

Harry nodded slowly.

"And?"

"And he's been keeping things from me all of my life." Harry said bitterly.

Hermione frowned, obviously this meeting with the headmaster did not go as well as she had hoped. She had hoped he might be able to ease some of Harry's pain over losing Sirius, but instead it seemed that he had only made matters worse.

"Harry.." she said quietly.

"Hermione don't. Don't tell me it wasn't my fault." Harry said.

"But Harry it wasn't. Sirius wouldn't want you to dwell on this, you know it wasn't your fault."

"Sirius is dead Hermione. He was all i had left. The last person i had left who was remotely like a parent. Now what do i have? Nothing.." he said dissolving slowly into silent tears that choked him.

"Thats not true Harry, You have Remus, Dumbledore, all the teachers at this school and all the students. Ron, Neville, Dean, Seamus, Ginny. And you have me, Harry, you'll always have me. Ron and I will always be here for you. My god Mrs Weasley thinks of you as her own son, so does Mr Weasley. Not to mention the Order of the Phoenix. I'm not saying we can replace Sirius, no one can do that. But we're here for you Harry." Hermione pleaded.

She put her arms around Harry gently, and he lent into her embrace, his head falling onto her shoulder as grief poured out of him. Squeezing her tightly to his body he cried heavily, cried as he had never done before. Hermione hushed him soothingly and ran her fingers up and down his back, trying to relax him, she too felt the overwhelming loss of sirius' presence.

"He was the only one who understood me Hermione. He was like my father. Why does everyone i care about have to die?" he choked angrily.

"Shh Harry. Its ok, I'm here.. No one else is going to die.. Its ok.." She said, pulling his face up so she could look into his eyes.

Smiling she wiped the tears from his face. "Its going to be ok. I know this is unfair, and hard, and a horrible tragedy, but we will get through this Harry. We'll get through this together.."

Harry sniffed then looked up into Hermione's eyes, suddenly moved by their vivid color.

"You've always been here for me Hermione.. you and Ron..I just want to say.. Thank you.. Thank you for standing by me when no one else would.. I owe you everything.."

"You don't owe us anything Harry.. we love you.. and we care about you more than anything in the world. We just want to know that you're ok.."

Harry gave a weak smile, then leaned over and kissed Hermione softly on the cheek near the corner of her mouth. Hermione froze as he pulled away just a couple of inches, put his hand on her cheek and moved in again, his lips brushing over hers gently, then kissing her passionately...

"Things just got out of control." Hermione said, her head in her hands.

She was sitting at the dining room table, next to Anna. Sitting directly opposite her were her mother and father. Two maybe three hours had passed since Anna had confronted her in the bathroom, it had taken her quite some time to compose herself enough to break the news to her parents.

"Out of control? Out of control? Thats an understatement. Ha! Out of control!" her father had reacted in the exact way she had predicted, he was livid.

"Harry was upset, i was upset. we weren't thinking straight, i was trying to comfort him but it just went too far.." Hermione tried rephrasing.

"Oh yeah.. i bet he was upset.. yeah... real upset.." Her father muttered under his breath.

"Dad! Harry isn't like that!" Hermione said in outrage.

"Hermione.. ALL teenage boys are LIKE THAT. I don't care if there wizards, muggles or lephrachauns!" he shouted, turning a vibrant shade of red.

"Now dear.." Her mother began addressing her father.

"Don't you "now dear" me, woman! Our daughter is pregnant, out of wedlock, to a warlock!"

"Wizard, Dad." Hermione corrected him in a bored voice.

"Whatever! Where is this Harry boy? Huh? Does he know? More importantly does he know that I know? I'll rip his heart out with a spoon. I'm a dentist! I know how to inflict pain on the unwary!" her father roared.

"Dad, don't you think your over reacting? I mean, come on.. this means your going to be a grandpa.." Anna said in a tempting voice.

All the color drained from Her fathers face as he sank down into his chair. This statement appeared to have shocked him more than anything. His gray hairs suddenly seemed more prominent.

"I can't believe this.." He said in despair. "My baby girl is pregnant.. I don't believe this.."

"Dad." Hermione said sternly. "Its a baby, not a disease. calm down."

"Don't you tell me to calm down young lady! You've made a very big error of judgment and now you're paying for it! This boy, Harry, i hope he cares about you as much as you say he does, otherwise you're in for a very very lonely nine months of hell, followed by a very long and lonely rest of your life!" he fired up again.

"Jonathan Really!" Hermione's mother scolded.

"Don't you dare defend her actions! Either of you!" he said catching Anna's eye.

"She was worried about her friend. She went to make sure he would be ok, things got out of hand John, these things happen." Hermione's mother said through gritted teeth.

"Well that may be so but these things do not happen to my youngest daughter! Hermione your grounded! Now tell me where this boy lives i'm going to pay him a visit." Her father yelled.

"Like hell dad, I'm not letting you anywhere near Harry when you're like this. This isn't his fault!"

"Oh? Got yourself pregnant did you?" Her father spat.

Hermione fell silent.

"I can't believe this Hermione, you've been very irresponsible." her mother said, sounding more hurt than angry.

"I'm sorry mom.." she began.

"Don't go sucking up to your mother! I've changed my mind. We're all going. You, me and your mother. Anna you stay here. We're going to sit down and discuss the future with this boy. If you're lucky, i wont kill him, but that depends on his attitude." Jonathan said in blind rage.

"No! I won't take you there. Not to ambush him. he deserves the right to be told by me first! Alone." Hermione insisted angrily.

"Fine." her father snapped. "We'll wait in the car while you tell young Harry that you're the mother of his child, then, once he knows, we're coming in to talk. I don't care Hermione," He said silencing her, "His parent's deserve the right to know as well, we can all sit down and talk about this like adults. You've both messed up. Now you have to except the responsibilities of your actions. So hurry up both of you get your coats and meet me in the car."

Hermione made a pleading glance to her mother, who gave her a dissapproving glance then looked away as she went to get her coat. Hermione, defeated, went to retrieve her coat, tears stinging her eyes. This was the last thing harry needed, her disfuctional family on his doorstep, roaring about the fact that he got her pregnant. More and more she was wishing that she had owled Harry before telling her parents. At least then he would have been prepared for the onslaught. Now he would expect nothing, and most probably be very very alarmed at her fathers erratic behavior.

Taking her coat from the peg in the hallway she slid it on and walked slowly down the hall, only to be halted by Anna.

"Don't worry kid. The old man will come around, he's just in shock. And you know he's too chicken to take on a wizard. He's getting a bit ripe for his old age really. " The older girl said with a grin.

Hermione gave a half hearted snicker then frowned, troubled by her thoughts.

"Hermione. Its going to be ok. Talk to Harry, i know he'll understand. He's as much to blame for this as you are and somehow you're going to have to make this work. You two have been best of friends since you met at Hogwarts, i know you can work through this together." Anna said hugging her younger sister.

Hermione nodded soundlessly.

"Just ignore dad, and make sure Harry does too. We all know he's gone senile." Anna said with another grin.

Hermione couldn't help but grin back, Anna took great pleasure in poking fun at their father, sometimes Hermione thought this was the only thing that gave the older girl true joy.

"Hermione Jane Granger get your ass in the car right now!" Boomed her fathers voice down the corridor.

"I'm coming!" She yelled back in frustration.

Anna grinned. "You know, It will be kinda cool, being Awesome Aunty Anna."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Your really thinking too far ahead you know that."

"Yeah, but hey, At least someone in this house is happy for you, right?" Anna said with a wry smile.

"I don't even know if i'm happy for me yet. It all depends on how Harry takes the news. And i'm scared he'll never forgive me." she said quietly.

"Well..." Anna said rubbing her chin. "There's one way to find out.. Get going."

Anna pushed Hermione all the way down the corridor and out the front door. "Remember, you're in this together. Harry will be ok about this, he may be shocked at first, but he'll get used to the idea. Trust me."

"Bye Anna." Hermione said reluctantly as her father yanked her into the car.

As the car pulled out of the driveway Anna waved to Hermione, concern plastered on her face.