Hold Me Close

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN JKR'S AMAZING WORLD. IT BELONGS TO HER. ANY ORGINAL CHARACTERS OR PLOTS THAT APPEAR IN THIS STORY ARE MINE.

A/N:THIS MAY SEEM LIKE A RON/HERMIONE STORY AT THE BEGINNING, AND YES, THERE IS A RON/HERMIONE LIME, BUT THIS IS SET TO BE A LONGER STORY, AND SNAPE WILL DEFINITELY BE THE MAIN INTEREST. SO HAVE PATIENCE :) SNAPE WILL BE ALONG.


Hermione sat in the bathroom at The Burrow. Well, one of the bathrooms. In a family with as many members as the Weasleys, you really needed a bathroom on each floor. She and Ginny were getting ready for Bill and Fleur’s wedding, when Hermione excused herself to go into the bathroom. She studied her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing very beautiful dress robes of the softest periwinkle. Even though she still didn’t really see eye to eye with Fleur, she had to admit that she had chosen beautiful robes for the bridesmaids. Hermione never imagined that she would be in this wedding, but Fleur had insisted she and Ginny take on the roles of her bridesmaids. Mrs. Weasley wouldn’t let Ginny get out of it, and Ginny swore to Hermione she would get a hell of a bat bogey hex if she left her alone in this. Only Tonks had politely declined, Fleur’s offer.

The robes had a fitted bodice and were made of chiffon. There was delicate embroidery on the bodice, and they were sleeveless. It was definitely flattering on her. Although this was to be a joyous occasion, Hermione was nerve wracked. She reached into the front of her robes and pulled a bit of parchment out of her bra. She frantically read the instructions and took a survey of what she needed. The ingredients were simple enough; raspberry leaf, anise seed, oil of rose, and a pinch of baby’s breath. Mrs. Weasley was more than likely to have all of those ingredients downstairs in the cupboard. Getting to them unnoticed would prove to be the challenge. Ginny was waiting for her two doors away, and Mrs. Weasley and Fleur were downstairs in the sitting room, just off of the kitchen.

Hermione took a few deep breaths and quietly as she could, she crept from the bathroom, and snuck past Ginny’s door, praying to whoever might be listening to keep Ginny distracted. The stairs were more challenging, and Hermione wished that apparating wasn’t so damned noisy. She levitated herself off the ground by about four inches, so as not to have to actually touch the stairs, and proceeded to float down them slowly, so as not to attract any unwanted attention. Once she got the ingredients she could easily apparate back to the bathroom, and just make up an excuse when Ginny came pounding on the door.

Hermione finally made it to the kitchen and crept over to the storage cupboard. She could have easily used Accio to summon the ingredients to herself, but she had to admit she wasn’t entirely sure they would be in the cupboard, and she wasn’t entirely sure how anyone would react to floating potions ingredients. Furthermore, it could create questions she did not want to answer. After a quick scan of the cupboard, Hermione located exactly what she needed , including a tiny cauldron about the size of a coffee mug. With a loud pop, she apparated back to the bathroom she had been in just moments ago. Just as she suspected, Ginny knocked on the door seconds later.

“Hermione? Hermione are you alright?”

“Er- yes! Yes Ginny I’m alright! I’ll be out in a few minutes!” Hermione called in what she hoped was a convincing voice. Ginny seemed to have been convinced, because Hermione heard her mumble something or other, as she turned and walked back to her bedroom. Hermione levitated the tiny cauldron in the air in front of her, and began to add the ingredients according to the directions on the parchment in her hand. The potion required to be heated and stirred clockwise three times, and then counter-clockwise five times. This she did with dignified precision. Soon the room was filled with a very sweet aroma, and Hermione guessed it was intended to calm the brewer. When the brew was finished, she poured it into a small vial and swilled it around, waiting for it to cool, but only enough to drink it. The potion was to remain warm. When she felt it was cooled enough, she tipped the vial back and drank the potion, surprised at how good it tasted. With one final glance at the parchment, she studied the incantation.

“Conceptio confirmatum,” she whispered with the round swishing motion outlined on the parchment. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror and to her utter horror, her midsection glowed a faint pink. Hermione slid to the floor, for she knew she would surely fall there. Tears began to form in her eyes as the realization set in. She was pregnant. She gazed at her glowing stomach, willing it to have been a figment of her imagination. The glow did not fade, and she began to sob softly. Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

“Hermione, come on! You’ve been in there for ages! It’s almost time for us to go outside for the ceremony,” Ginny said, sounding a little exasperated. Hermione could not blame her for being a little impatient. This was to be the first time she had seen Harry since he broke up with her nearly a month ago. She so desperately hoped to change his mind, and for her sake, Hermione hoped she could succeed.

“Cesso,” Hermione whispered softly, and the glow faded to nothing. She stood to her feet and surveyed herself. Merlin what a mess she looked. She muttered an incantation, and her tears were wiped clean, her hair back in place. She slowly opened the door, hoping her look of sheer nausea wasn’t too obvious.

“Bloody hell, Hermione! Are you alright?” Ginny asked her, concern etched in her voice.

“I’m fine,” Hermione said, hoping she sounded convincing.

“You look like you’re going to be sick,” Ginny said pointedly. “Are you that nervous about this?” she asked her, chalking Hermione’s expression up to being nerves about walking down the aisle in front of people. “Don’t worry. Ron will be on your arm, so you won’t be walking the aisle alone,” Ginny finished, attempting to comfort her friend.

Hermione scoffed inwardly. With or without Ron on her arm she wouldn’t be walking down the aisle alone. That’s when it hit her….Ron! Oh dear Merlin what was she going to do? How do you tell the boy you’ve been going out with for about a month that you’re pregnant? She willed herself to remain calm. She had intended to return home after the wedding to say goodbye to her parents before she set off with Ron and Harry. They were planning to go to Godric’s Hollow for Harry, but Hermione knew she might never see her mother and father again, for she was about to embark on the most perilous journey the trio had ever encountered: to search for the remaining horcruxes and destroy them. While she was at her parents’ house, she would go to a muggle clinic and find out what she needed to know.