The Last Time

The First Time

The First Time

"Wow. What a great fucking birthday this turned out to be," Ron snorted.

"Ron, please, I'm so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen. I never meant to hurt you, you have to believe me-"

"Believe you?! Why should I believe anything you say? You cheated on me Hermione!"

"I know, but I... I stopped. Months ago. I stopped for you. I wanted to be with you."

"Thanks for that. Thanks for-" He turned to face her, blue eyes wide, "Wanted?"

Hermione's mouth opened into a small o.

"I can't fucking believe this," Ron shook his head.

She had summoned up every bit of her courage and told Ron. She hadn't gotten far before he started yelling. But to be honest, she didn't blame him.

"What changed?" he asked, taking a step towards her. "You said you wanted to marry me and now... What changed, Hermione?" He kept asking her the same questions over and over. This is how their fights always went, Ron repeating himself and his questions as if he was expecting the answer to be different.

Hermione swallowed. "You know the article in Witch Weekly?"

"What, the one about you-" All the color in his face drained out. "Wait, are you saying that wasn't just a rumor? That you're..." He glanced down to her stomach. "You're pregnant?"

Tears swam in Hermione's eyes, but she didn't let them fall, even as she shook her head yes.

Ron sank down onto the couch, face open and aghast.

"I know this is a lot all at once and-"

"I knew there was something going on, I'm not as dumb as everyone thinks I am."

Hermione sat down next to him, but not touching him. "No one thinks you're dumb, Ron-"

"I know I wasn't the best boyfriend. I took you for granted and I shouldn't have. I spent too many nights out when I should have been with you. I left you alone too many times. I should have known a girl like you wouldn't just be sitting around waiting."

"Ron, that's not..." She started, but realized there was a grain of truth in what he said. Their relationship, while it had been a romantic one, had never been a passionate one. It was strange that she had never really minded when Ron chose to go out with friends instead of taking her out to dinner. They had grown too comfortable too quickly. Their first relationship had been so volatile and it had taken a long time to build their friendship back. Maybe they had both been too afraid to lose it again to risk putting their hearts on the line.

"I knew it but I thought... It had been good before and I just hoped that... that we could make it good again." His voice was shaking. "What does this mean? For us? For... for the baby?" Ron turned to her and Hermione's heart broke as she looked into his baby blue eyes.

"Ron, there's something else I need to tell you." Her voice was shaking, but she was going to get this out before her nerves failed her. Before Draco told him.

"You're leaving me. I knew it. You were going to do it last night, weren't you?"

She let out a sobbing laugh. "You're going to be the one to leave once I tell you." Hermione sighed. This was it. There would be no going back after this. She folded her hands in her lap, staring at them as she opened her mouth, willing the words to come out.

"It's... It's not yours."

Ron stood up.

She looked up at him, the tears finally slipping down her cheeks.