I just wanted to thank everyone who has been faithfully reading, reviewing and adding my stories to their favorites. Each and everyone of you are awesome! Sorry for the long wait between updates but I have not abandoned this story. This particular chapter has been a thorn in my side and its taken me quite some time to feel like its finally ready to be put out there...maybe...

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Chapter Seven

Seven Weeks and Two Days

Seven weeks and two days after Ron left for the second time, Hermione was in her office going over paperwork. She had been feeling under the weather all day and was trying to finish up so she could go home and rest. Hermione set her quill down and rubbed her eyes when she heard a light knock at her door. "You know all this working late makes the rest of us look bad."

Hermione managed a grin, "Well what's your excuse for still being here?"

Harry tilted his head pretending to think about his answer, "I'm trying to look better than that bossy know-it-all in the Magical Creatures Department, but I'm really just waiting until my girlfriend is done with Quidditch practice, if you must know."

Hermione laughed but grimaced as she glanced at her clock, "Wow, I didn't realize it was already 7:30. I should have been out of here hours ago."

Harry raised an eyebrow, "Hot date?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "No, just a really long day and this wretched weather has me feeling out of sorts."

"Well then ditch this place and I'll walk you home."

"I don't know Harry, these reports are important."

She stopped as she felt Harry pull her chair back, "Hey, what happened to that carefree, drunk girl from two months ago. Besides, I bet you're so far ahead on this stuff you could afford to leave now and not come back for a week."

Hermione relented and grabbed her cloak, "Fine, fine, fine. I'm leaving. But what would your girlfriend say about you walking me home?"

Harry grinned and held out his arm for Hermione, "She'd say that after I dropped you off I had better stop at her favorite restaurant for some take out because she'll be famished after practice."

Hermione looped her arm in Harry's, "well let's go then."

As the two friends exited the ministry Harry picked up the conversation, "So, are you going to Ginny's game Saturday?"

Hermione nodded, "I plan on downing a gallon of pepper up potion for tomorrow and finishing my paperwork so I can have a work free weekend for once."

Harry draped his arm around Hermione's shoulder giving her a one armed hug, "Good, your friends miss you."

Once inside her flat, Hermione headed to her bed intending to lie down for just a minute but fell asleep. She didn't wake until the next morning feeling worse than the day before and owled Kingsley to say she wouldn't be in. She lay back down only to find herself reaching for her trash bin and being sick. This went on for several hours before she finally fell asleep exhausted and feeling weak. Over the next few days the pattern continued leaving Hermione feeling worse as each day progressed. Harry and Ginny alternated checking in on her and bringing care packages filled with Mrs. Weasley's soups and various potions. Finally after missing almost a week of work and Ginny's game, Hermione brought herself to St. Mungo's in the hopes that someone could make her feel instantly better.

Two hours later Hermione was back at home and lying on her couch replaying everything the healers had told her. She hadn't been home long when she fought her way to the bathroom and was sick again. As she rinsed her mouth and washed her face, she looked up and was shocked at her appearance in the mirror. Her face was pale and her eyes were dull and lifeless rimmed with dark circles. Her hair was unkempt and tangled and tears were coursing down her cheeks. She sat on the edge of the tub and put her head in her hands as one thought kept racing through her mind. If what the healers told her was true, and she believed they were, then things were not going to get better anytime soon and she had a decision to make.

Hours later, Hermione sat on an airplane headed to America. She sent owls to Harry and Ginny so they would know where she was and when she would be back, grabbed her passport and left before anyone could stop her. She was staring out the window as the lights of London disappeared and the plane flew higher. She sighed thinking about the task ahead and how fate was bringing her back to the one person she didn't want to see. She could have apparated but knew she would pay for it by becoming sick and if she was honest with herself, she was prolonging the moment when she would finally see Ron face to face. She managed a small nap and when the plane landed she stepped out into the blinding sunlight and blinked rapidly. The air was cool and crisp and felt good on her face easing her nausea. She managed to hail a cab and check into a modest hotel where she made an effort to not look so disheveled and finally apparated to the temporary Auror office that had been set up.

Hermione silently cursed herself for apparating as she fought back the nausea and looked up only when she heard a familiar voice calling her name.

"Hermione! I see they finally sent someone from the ministry who can organize all this paperwork."

Hermione smiled as Neville gave her a quick hug. "I'm so sorry to disappoint you but I'm here on personal business."

Neville sighed and grinned, "I knew it was too good to be true. So now that I'm resigned to dealing with this paperwork on my own what can I help you with?"

Hermione fidgeted with the buttons on her cloak, "I actually came to see Ron."

Neville straightened taking in Hermione's appearance, "Is everyone ok at home?"

Seeing the worry in Neville's face she quickly reassured him, "Oh, Neville, no it's nothing like that. Everyone is fine, I promise. Like I said it's personal but I really need to see Ron."

Neville let out the breath that he had been holding, the relief evident on his face. "You're in luck. He just came back from a raid and he's filling out the paperwork. Just down the hall, second door on the left."

Hermione nodded. "Thanks Neville. It was good seeing you."

Hermione felt her heartbeat quicken as she walked down the hall. She paused, gathered her courage then knocked on the door. She waited but hearing no answer she slowly opened the door. She saw Ron leaning back in his chair, paperwork forgotten and his eyes closed. His hair was partially covering his eyes, his face looked as if he hadn't shaved in days, and his clothes were rumpled. Hermione felt a twinge of guilt at Ron's appearance but also felt a surge of pride as she knew it meant he was giving his all to the job. She closed the door behind her and Ron sat up at the sound. She watched as several emotions flashed across Ron's face as he realized just who he was seeing.

"Hermione." He said it as a statement more than a question. As if he knew all along that she was supposed to be there.

She nodded, "I wouldn't have come but something's happened and we need to talk."

Ron stood up abruptly, a wild look on his face, "Is everyone ok? Did something happen?"

Hermione nodded remembering Neville's similar reaction. She silently chastised herself for forgetting about the horrible things he saw on a daily basis. "Everyone's fine."

Ron sagged with relief sitting on the edge of the desk for a moment. He looked up taking in Hermione's appearance, "Are you ok? Have you been sick?"

Hermione felt her hands tremble and looked for a place to sit fighting off the nausea once again. She felt Ron grab her and gently sit her in the chair he had been sitting in only moments before. Ron placed a hand against Hermione's forehead then pushed back a loose curl that had fallen in her face, "You don't look so good."

Hermione opened her eyes to see Ron kneeling in front of her, worry etched on his face, and his eyes searching hers for answers. "I'm ok."

Ron reached forward tucking the stray curl behind Hermione's ear, his hand resting on her cheek. Hermione leaned into his hand, savoring the familiarity of his touch. He leaned forward cupping her face in both hands, "What's happened to you?"

Hermione choked back a sob at the tenderness in Ron's voice and blinked rapidly to keep the tears from falling. She knew if she started she would not be able to stop and now was not the time to fall apart. She shook her head slowly, "Not here."

Ron stood up, "Ok, just give me a minute to make a few arrangements."

Hermione followed behind and watched as Ron spoke to Neville and signed several sheets of paper needed for emergency time off. Hermione felt terrible for forcing Ron to take time off but she also knew he was the person she needed to talk to the most. With the paperwork done, Ron walked back to where Hermione was standing, "Ok, we can leave now."

Hermione turned to face Ron, "Do you mind if we just go back to the hotel where I'm staying? What I have to say needs to be in private."

Ron nodded but didn't say anything. He waited as Hermione grabbed his arm and apparated them both to her hotel. Ron felt Hermione stumble but before he could catch her she was slamming a door and retching loudly in the next room. Hermione rinsed her mouth and face and slowly opened the door. She was trembling and close to falling apart at the thought of what needed to be said. Ron reached for Hermione and led her to chair in the corner of the room and sat across from her. "Ok," he finally said after several minutes. "It's time to talk."

Hermione looked up with tears in her eyes and saw the concern in his face. His concern only made her feel tremendous guilt. She closed her eyes unable to look at him, the tears finally falling free. She took a deep breath and in a ragged whisper let go of what needed to be said, "I'm pregnant."

She heard Ron shift in his chair and she opened her eyes willing herself to look at him. She saw him leaning forward his elbows on his knees and his chin resting on his hands. His voice was steady but eerily quiet, "how long have you known?"

"I only just found out today, early this morning." Hermione looked down picking at a loose thread, "I came here straight away."

"How far, I mean…" Ron stammered unable to form a straight sentence, "how pregnant are you?"

With her head still down Hermione whispered, "almost eight weeks."

She looked up to see Ron with a pensive look. He turned away trying to compose himself obviously angry at the news. "So you came here to tell me you're pregnant." Not waiting for Hermione to speak he continued, his voice getting louder. "Bloody Hell Hermione, you didn't wait long for me to leave before you found someone else did you?" Ron's face began to turn a deep shade of red, "Who the hell is he?"

Hermione shook her head, "No, Ron it's not like that."
"Oh isn't it?" he answered. "I seem to remember you telling me you didn't love me and how bad I screwed up for coming here. So tell me how it really is if that's not the case."

Hermione trembled as she felt the anger in Ron's words and her voice cracked as she told him, "There was only one time, ever."

"Damn it Hermione!" Ron was yelling at the top of his voice and pacing back and forth, "You came here to tell me you shagged some random guy and now you're having his baby? What the hell am I supposed to say to you?"

Ron stopped pacing and leaned forward bracing himself with both hands on a small table near the chairs. His breath was ragged and in one swift motion he grabbed a glass and threw it against the wall spraying glass everywhere.

Hermione stood up, gaining a bit of her composure she walked to where the broken glass lay splattered across the floor and began picking up the pieces. She was surprised at just how calm her voice was when she finally began to speak. "It wasn't a random stranger." Hermione kept her voice steady as she continued to pick up pieces of glass. "It was you Ron. But you think so little of me that you accuse me of running to some stranger just to deal with the pain of you leaving me. I'm not that kind of person nor have I ever been that kind of person."

Hermione had a moment of satisfaction watching Ron's face pale dramatically as he finally spoke, "What did you just say?"

"I said it was you. The night at The Three Broomsticks, you followed me home because I was drunk. That's when it happened, the first and only time ever. I woke up the next morning but you had already left."

Ron sank into the chair he had been sitting in before, his face ghostly white. "I left because I couldn't stand to hear you tell me you didn't love me after what happened. Because no matter how wrong it was it felt so right to me and I could hold on to that one moment and believe that it was meant to be."

Hermione stood still listening to Ron's words. She watched as he ran his hands through his hair fighting to keep his emotions in check, "I'm sorry I left you. I'm sorry for every time I've left you and caused you pain because it seems that's all I do. But I will never apologize for loving you Hermione. I know I should have stayed after what happened but I didn't want you to hate me even more or think that I took advantage of you. Drunk or sober I would never be strong enough to tell you that I don't want you. All I knew is that at that moment you told me you loved me and you were kissing me like it was the first time and there was a war raging around and our love was all that mattered."

Hermione sighed, "Ron, I was drunk and I said things and did things that I shouldn't have. I'm not proud of what happened but I have to live with the consequences. I came here because you deserved to know."

"Hermione, I poured my heart out to you just now and all you can tell me is that I deserve to know?" Ron leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, "Do you even care about me? Do you at least still love me, even just a little?"

Hermione felt a tear slide down her cheek as she heard the anguish in Ron's voice. "Of course I still love you. But sometimes love just isn't enough is it?" Hermione knelt down and continued to pick up more pieces of glass. "It's not enough because no matter how much I loved you, you still left." She gasped as a piece of glass cut her hand. She dropped the offending shard and began to sob uncontrollably. The exhaustion from being sick, the relief of finally telling someone what had happened, and the fact that she had no clue at all of what she was going to do next hit her all at once. She felt Ron next to her, heard him whisper a spell to clean up the glass, and felt him take her hand in his and wrap a soft cloth around the cut. And then she felt him gather her in his arms and pull her into his lap and let her cry. She clung to him as he softly stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. She let herself believe him as he told her everything was going to be ok because she didn't have anything else to believe. She tensed as she felt a wave of nausea hit again and she just barely managed to scramble away from Ron and grab a trash bin that was nearby. When she was done she saw Ron waiting with a glass of water and a cool towel. After she took a few tentative sips Ron took the glass from her and gently wiped her face with the towel.

Hermione looked at Ron unable to stop the tears, "I'm so scared."

Ron gently wiped the tears from Hermione's face, "So am I."

Ron stood up and pulled Hermione next to him. He felt her body shaking and without hesitation lifter her into his arms and carried her to the bed. He laid her down and sat next to her, "We'll figure this out together. We'll make it work somehow."

Hermione sniffed, "How?"

Ron shrugged, "I don't know but we will."

Hermione shifted against the pillow, "I never meant to hurt you with this. I just knew that I had to tell you."

Ron pressed a finger to Hermione's lips, "Shhh." He brushed her hair away from her face letting his hand linger on her cheek, "no more talking. You're exhausted and you need some sleep." She watched as Ron stood up and gently took her shoes from her feet and pulled back the blankets. She let him tuck her in and watched as he sat back on the edge of the bed next to her. Hermione felt her eyes close of their own will and felt her body slowly relax as she drifted off to sleep.