Chapter 3
Hermione couldn't stop from starring at the man before her. She hadn't seen him since she left the Burrow. She had wanted to reach out, but she knew it would lead to a conversation about George. She was too heartbroken to talk about. Come to find out she was pregnant, and really didn't want George finding out at that point.
"How are you?" Harry asked her. She immediately became uncomfortable with the question. How on earth did one answer that?
"I'm good." She said, keeping her hands flat on the desk to keep from reaching over and rubbing Freddie's back. "How are you?"
He smiled. "I'm good. I've been looking for you since you left. All the letters kept coming back."
Her smile faltered. "I'm sorry about that. I just couldn't face anyone after I left."
"Hermione, will you please come deal with these people. I'm running out of French curse words that they can't understand." Michel said, as he came over and hissed under his breath.
"Michel, you know that's part of your job right? You have to talk to the guests, Mr. Personality." Hermione shot back, grinning at him.
"I hate you." He said, in his usual monotone voice.
I grinned. "I know. Just let them know I'll be with them in a moment."
"Thank you." He said, before scampering off. Hermione turned back towards Harry. "Can we meet up tomorrow? I have to work now, but I'm off tomorrow."
He nodded. "Sure. On one condition."
She raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "What?"
"Who is that on your back?"
Sighing, Hermione turned to the side to show off her son. Freddie must have fallen asleep, because she could hear his snores vibrate against her chest. "Harry, this is my son. Now, I'll see you tomorrow."
With that, Hermione headed towards the guests Michel had run from a moment ago.
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After a long day of work, even though she left early, she was dead on her feet by the time she got home. Freddie slept in her bed once again. She barricaded him there, while she showered and grabbed a quick snack, before crawling into bed that night. The next morning, she was woken up by pounding on the door. Freddie stirred, but remained asleep. Sighing, she extracted herself from underneath him, and barricaded him onto the bed. Throwing on a robe, and her slippers, she rushed down the stairs to answer the door before they woke Freddie. She knew it wasn't Lorelei or Rory, or Mrs. Patty, they tended to just come in when they were here. She had to get used to that when she first moved here. She opened the door, and scowled at Harry.
"I would have called your hotel when I was ready." She hissed.
He shrugged innocently. "I never told you were I was staying."
"I have a feeling your staying with a couple red heads." She stated, and as quick as lightning, she reached out and yank him inside, closing the door behind him once he was through the door. There was a thud on the other side. Opening it, Hermione yanked off the Invisibility Cloak and glared down at George Weasley. "I told you were to find me when you were ready to be in Freddies life. Not, send Harry to talk and try and sneak into my home. Get the hell away from my house, or I'll call the police." She growled, shoving Harry out the door as well and tossing his cloak at him. "And next time you want to actually talk, Harry, leave the man that decimated my heart at home. Not try and sneak him into my house." With that, she slammed the door in their faces and threw up wards around her house, keying in Freddie, Lorelei, Rory, Luke, Mrs. Patty, Babette, Sookie, and herself into them. Slowly, the tears slipped down her cheeks. Only for a cry to ring out from upstairs. Taking in a shaky breath, Hermione viciously wiped at her eyes, steeling herself, before heading upstairs to check on her son.
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On the other side of the door, Harry was glaring down at George. "Why the hell are you here? I told you I wanted to talk to her alone before we all met up. That was if she even wanted to do it in the first place."
"She has to be lying. The family clock would have added another member to it, if any of us had children." He said, standing up and rubbing at his forehead.
Harry's scowl deepened. "That's why you came? I told you last night that I saw him. What the hell, George?"
George sighed. "I just wanted to see her."
"You don't get the liberty to want her anymore. She told you that already. You get two options, you either want to be a dad, or you don't. That's it."
George starred at the door, as the cries of a baby came through. And his heart stopped beating. There was a baby inside, that's for sure. A part pf him wanted to go inside and investigate, another part wanted to run away. So, George turned away from the house and left. Harry followed him to the bar, and watched as he sat there with a full glass of Whiskey in front of him. George worked hard to get sober. He had been for two years now. Harry slowly took a seat next to him, and pulled the glass of whiskey out from his line of sight, passing it back to the bar tender, and wrapping an arm around his brother-in-law. He guided George back to the hotel room, and let him fall apart for a moment, before telling him to get his act together.
"George, you need to let her go. She made it perfectly clear where she stood on the matter. You need to make a choice on what to do with your son. A boy with the Weasley hair. She is giving you the opportunity to be a dad, so take some time and think on it." Harry whispered soothingly.
George nodded his head, drying his tears and hugging Harry tightly. George knew that if Harry knew half the things he had said to Hermione, Harry would have hexed him black and blue. So he relished in the small comfort. He had a feeling it wasn't going to last long.